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detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein . it is to be understood , however , that the present invention may be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system , structure or manner . cry baby permanent mascara is a composition of matter comprising a material and a procedure in which you curl , and coat the eyelashes with waterproof , black pigmented , pharmaceutical grade adhesive coating ( a special type of rubber toughened cyanoacrylate ). it is mixed with a dry white microfiber powder which consists of an insoluble , irregular shaped polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ) fibers cas # 9002 - 84 - 0 . the procedure is to be performed by a certified salon professional . referring to fig1 - 8 , the professional first cleans the eye area 10 and places protective medical tape or gel eye pads 14 over the bottom lashes 13 to protect the bottom lash 13 and skin . next the top lashes 12 are curled with an eyelash wand if necessary . on a glass slab 19 , the adhesive coating ( black pigmented cyanoacrylate ) 17 is mixed with the dry powder microfibers ( ptfe ) 18 to the correct consistency ( thin to paste like ) and is applied with a stainless - steel pick applicator 16 or mascara wand 15 to each individual eyelash 12 . it is applied by stroking lashes evenly from lash base 12 a to tip 12 b and dried with an electric air blower . you repeat until all eyelashes 12 on the top lid 11 are covered and fully dry . the bottom lashes 13 are then cleaned and separated . medical tape or gel eye pads 14 are placed under the bottom eyelashes 13 to protect the skin . an electric air blower is held on the eye area 10 for client comfort . the bottom lashes 13 are then coated with the adhesive 17 and fiber 18 mixture and dried . this is a semi - permanent alternative to enhance the natural lash 12 , 13 and keep the curl , like traditional mascara , yet it is waterproof , smear proof , and it will never run . an application can last 2 - 3 weeks or more . the coating can be professionally removed , or it will simply wear off in 2 - 3 weeks on it &# 39 ; s own . referring to fig9 , to remove the coating , the professional holds a non - woven 2 × 2 pad 20 under or behind the lashes 12 , 13 . using a micro brush 21 or foam shadow applicator 22 , the professional applies liquid remover by pressing lashes 12 , 13 brushing on the remover to release the coating from the lashes 12 , 13 . continue until all coating is removed . rinse lashes 12 , 13 with warm water and cleanse . a client with healthy skin and eye area 10 . anyone with sensitive eyes or skin is not a good candidate . 3 . apply gel pads 14 or medical tapes to protect bottom lashes 13 . 4 . curl top lashes 12 with lash curler ( if necessary ). 6 . custom mix adhesive 17 and micro fibers ( ptfe ) 18 for individual client needs . 7 . separate top lashes 12 and apply adhesive to one top lash 12 at a time or traditionally with a mascara wand 15 . 8 . stroke adhesive fiber coating from base 12 a to tip 12 b and blow dry for 15 seconds . 9 . do not get adhesive coating on the skin or eyelid 11 . 10 . repeat until all top lashes 12 are covered and completely dry . 12 . replace a gel pad 14 or medical tapes under bottom eyelashes 13 to protect skin 14 . an electric air blower is used during bottom lash 13 application . 15 . have client hold electric air blower on the eye area 10 on bottom lashes 13 . 16 . keep air blowing on eye area 10 the entire application of bottom lashes 13 to insure client comfort . 17 . have client look up with eyes open and begin separating and coating bottom lashes 13 . this procedure is for salon professionals only ; they must be licensed and certified . the cry baby permanent mascara procedure should take 30 minutes . currently this product application does not exist . traditional mascara runs and smears and waterproof versions only last 24 hours and can be removed with creams and oils . tinting , coloring or dyeing the eyelashes with hair color only adds pigment , not volume , texture or length , and it is not allowed in all us states . strip lashes are temporarily glued onto the skin and fall off easily and cannot endure any water . eyelash extensions use an adhesive to adhere one synthetic lash to the eyelash and it is very costly and takes 2 hours to apply . cry baby permanent mascara is mascara applied by a salon professional that must be trained and certified . it is the texture of traditional mascara but it adheres to the eyelashes and causes a 100 % waterproof coating that colors , thickens , lengthens and strengthens the lashes . it allows flexibility with an opaque gloss finish . once cured it will last 2 - 3 weeks or longer . there is not a product or application like it . this product application fills a niche . it has the highest performance as a waterproof eyelash coating . it is cost effective and time saving compared to other eyelash extension applications . it is anti - microbial and can wear off on its own without having to be removed at the salon . once it starts to wear off , one can just start using regular mascara again , or it can be professionally removed and reapplied every 2 to 3 weeks . the adhesive coating or the powdered ptfe microfibers will be developed in different colors using fda approved pigments for the eye area ( i . e . brown , blue , hot pink and purple ). black and clear are the only colors currently available in the adhesive . the pigment will be unique to this procedure only . while the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment , it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth , but on the contrary , it is intended to cover such alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .
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as used herein , the term “ monoclonal antibody ” means an antibody composition recognizing a discrete antigen determinant . it is not intended to be limited with regard to the source of the antibody or the manner in which it is made . the term antibody is also intended to encompass whole antibodies , biologically functional fragments thereof , chimeric and humanized antibodies comprising portions from more than one species , or other molecules whose binding properties are derived from antibody - like high affinity binding sites . in this instance , monoclonal antibodies have been produced by hybridomas . however , monoclonal fab fragments and igg fragments can also be produced by other methods , for example by using bacteriophage to display and select polypeptide chains expressed from a v - gene library or genetic engineering . biologically functional antibody fragments are those fragments sufficient for binding to the desired stimulant drug , such as fab , fv , f ( ab ′) 2 , and sfv ( single - chain antigen - binding protein ) fragments . one can choose among these or whole antibodies for the properties appropriate to a particular method . the chimeric antibodies can comprise proteins derived from two different species . the portions derived from two different species can be joined together chemically by conventional techniques or can be prepared as a single contiguous protein using genetic engineering techniques ( see e . g . cabilly et al ., u . s . pat . no . 4 , 816 , 567 ; neuberger et al ., wo 86 / 01533 and winter , ep 0 , 239 , 400 ). such engineered antibodies can be , for instance , a chimeric antibody comprising murine variable regions and human constant regions , or complementarity determining regions ( cdr )- grafted antibodies ( tempest et al ., biotechnology 9 : 266 - 271 , 1991 ). the constant region domains can be chosen to have an isotype most suitable for the intended application of the antibodies . this invention encompasses a method of generating high affinity monoclonal antibodies and their antigen binding fragments ( e . g ., fab ) for use in treating the medical problems associated with stimulant drug abuse . d - methamphetamine is the prototypic stimulant molecule because it has severe addiction liability and produces significant acute and chronic medical problems . anti - methamphetamine monoclonal antibody ( of any mammalian source ) may be used as a prototypic , long acting stimulant antagonist for treating addiction . in contrast , smaller molecular weight fragments ( like fab ) may be used as a prototypic shorter acting , less antigenic , more rapidly eliminated antagonist for treating drug overdose . since intact antibody and smaller fragments like fab are cleared by different organ systems , this approach will also provide a greater potential for altering and controlling the endogenous clearance and biological safety of these proteins . in addition to the obvious benefits of a new therapeutic approach , there would be other important contributions . in as much as the binding properties of receptors and antibodies are similar in many ways , the careful design of amphetamine - like haptens could lead to the selection of antibodies that mimic aspects of the endogenous binding sites of these drugs in the cns . molecular studies of these antibody binding sites ( through protein sequencing , structure - activity studies and molecular modeling ) could aid in the prediction of the characteristics necessary for drug - receptor interaction at sites of action including neuronal transporters , vesicular storage systems , and with monoamine oxidase . molecular studies of the sequence of the antibody binding site and the neuronal transporters may also yield important clues concerning the structural rules for molecular interactions of biologically active compounds . furthermore , the use of these antibody models for screening peptide and organic combinatorial libraries could lead to discovery of novel agonists or antagonists for these neuronal transporters . the present invention is directed to a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes a stimulant drug of abuse or a metabolite thereof . representative drugs of abuse or such metabolites include d - methamphetamine , d - amphetamine , 3 , 4 - methylenedioxymethamphetamine , and 3 , 4 - methylenedioxyamphetamine and or structural - related analogs of these compounds . in one form , the antibody is of murine origin . alternatively , the antibody is of human origin or contains portions of a human antibody . the present invention is also directed to an antigen binding fragment that specifically recognizes a stimulant drug of abuse or a metabolite thereof . representative drugs of abuse or metabolites are d - methamphetamine , d - amphetamine , 3 , 4 - methylenedioxymeth - amphetamine , and 3 , 4 - methylenedioxyamphetamine and or structural - related analogs of these compounds . in one form , the antibody is of murine origin . alternatively , the antibody is of human origin or contains portions of a human antibody . the present invention is also directed to a method of treating stimulant drug abuse , comprising the step of administering a pharmacological effective dose of the monoclonal antibody of the present invention to an individual in need of such treatment . representative stimulant drugs are described above . the present invention is also directed to a method of treating stimulant drug overdose , comprising the step of administering a pharmacological effective dose of the antigen binding fragment of the present invention to an individual in need of such treatment . the present invention is also directed to a compound with the structure of the present invention is also directed to a method of generating a class - specific monoclonal antibody that recognizes methamphetamine - like stimulants , comprising the step of : immunizing animals with the compound of the present invention ; generating antibody - secreting hybridomas from the spleen cells of said animals ; and screening the specificity of the antibodies , wherein antibody showing cross - reactivity to methamphetamine - like stimulants indicates the generation of methamphetamine - like stimulants - specific antibody . the present invention is also directed to a compound with the structure of wherein r is a hydrocarbon chain with a carboxylic acid terminus , and r is attached to the aromatic ring at position selected from the group consists of 2 , 3 , and 4 . this compound can possess ether ( s )- or ( r )- stereochemistry . in one embodiment , r is o ( ch 2 ) x cooh , and x is from 2 to 9 . in another embodiment , r is och 2 ch ═ ch ( ch2 ) x cooh , and x is from 1 to 6 . in another embodiment , r is och 2 c ═ c ( ch2 ) x cooh , and x is from 1 to 6 . in another embodiment , r is o ( ch 2 ) x o ( ch2 ) y cooh , and x is from 2 to 4 , y is from 1 to 5 . in another embodiment , r is o ( ch 2 ) x nr1 ( ch2 ) y cooh , x is from 2 to 3 , y is from 1 to 5 , and r1 is alkyl 1 - 5 carbon . in another embodiment , r is s ( ch 2 ) x cooh , and x is from 2 to 9 . in another embodiment , r is sch 2 ch ═ ch ( ch2 ) x cooh , and x is from 1 to 6 . in another embodiment , r is sch 2 c ═ c ( ch2 ) x cooh , and x is from 1 to 6 . in another embodiment , r is s ( ch 2 ) x o ( ch2 ) y cooh , and x is from 2 to 4 , y is from 1 to 5 . in another embodiment , r is s ( ch 2 ) x nr1 ( ch2 ) y cooh , x is from 2 to 3 , y is from 1 to 5 , and r1 is alkyl 1 - 5 carbon . in another embodiment , r is ( ch 2 ) x cooh , and x is from 3 to 8 . in another embodiment , r is ( ch2 ) x ch ═ chcooh , and x is from 2 to 7 . in another embodiment , r is ( ch2 ) x c ═ ccooh , and x is from 2 to 7 . in another embodiment , r is ch ═ ch ( ch2 ) x cooh , and x is from 1 to 6 . in another embodiment , r is c ═ c ( ch2 ) x cooh , and x is from 1 to 6 . in another embodiment , the present invention further comprises of a hydrocarbon structure r1 attached to r , wherein r1 is selected from the group consisting of — ch 2 ch 2 cn , wherein said structure r1 couples said compound to a protein to form an immunogen for the generation of antibodies against methamphetamine - like stimulants . the following examples are given for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments of the invention and are not meant to limit the present invention in any fashion . generation of high affinity monoclonal antibodies and fab fragments that bind to d - methamphetamine and other stimulant drugs the haptens are coupled to a bovine serum albumin antigen by using a general synthesis procedure ( 6 ). this two - step , modified carbodiimide procedure permits a defined number of haptens to be covalently bound to the protein in a controlled molecular orientation . it also minimizes the cross linking of protein molecules , and the unwanted conjugation of the haptens through the free amino group on the d - methamphetamine haptens . a complimentary ovalbumin - d - methamphetamine hapten for use in screening hybridoma products in an enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay ( elisa ) and for use in testing for antibody production after active immunization of rats with a bsa - d - methamphetamine hapten was also generated . this general synthesis procedure has been used in the past to generate anti - drug antibodies ( 4 ) and anti - peptide antibodies ( 7 ). for the production of monoclonal antibodies , balb / c mice ( n = 6 - 10 per hapten ) are immunized with 100 μg of the bsa - d - methamphetamine , emulsified in an equal volume of an adjuvant ( e . g ., titer max , ribi , freund &# 39 ; s complete adjuvant ). one month later the animals were boosted with the same reagents and two weeks later the serum was tested for specific antibodies using the ovalbumin - d - methamphetamine conjugates in an elisa . the spleen from the animal with the highest titer of anti - d - methamphetamine antiserum was used for the first fusion . the other animals were boosted every three to four weeks to maintain titers of anti - d - methamphetamine in anticipation of future immunizations . after fusion of spleen cells from the mice with a myeloma cell line , hybridomas secreting anti - d - methamphetamine antibodies were identified using an elisa with the appropriate ovalbumin - d - methamphetamine conjugate as described ( 7 ). wells with a positive reaction to d - methamphetamine were subcloned to monoclonality . for specificity determinations , the antibodies were tested in an elisa format using a series of ligands . these ligands include ( but are not limited to ) d - and 1 - methamphetamine , d - and 1 - amphetamine , mdma , mda , ephedrine , pseudoephedrine , and other potentially cross reacting stimulant - like molecules and endogenous neurotransmitters . antibodies specific for the d - isomers and having a low kd value ( e . g ., & lt ; 1 - 30 nm ) were selected . although a range of antibody affinities has been studied ( as great as 250 nm ), the objective was to have affinity constants for methamphetamine in the range of 1 - 30 nm . once an anti - d - methamphetamine secreting hybridoma was chosen , large quantities of the antibody were produced in a hollow fiber bioreactor ( 3 ). a representative method for the monoclonal antibody purification process is as follows . after production , the monoclonal antibody - containing tissue culture media was combined and concentrated to one - tenth of the original volume using an amicon spiral cartridge concentration system . this technique takes approximately 10 minutes to concentrate 2 l down to 100 - 200 ml . the procedure recovers 95 % of the monoclonal antibody and removes & gt ; 95 % of the bovine albumin in the media . the concentrated monoclonal antibody was dialyzed against 50 mm mes buffer ( 2 -( n - morpholino )- ethanesulfonic acid ), ph 6 . 0 for further purification using a large , glass chromatography column packed with 1l of sp - sepharose big bead media ( pharmacia lkb biotechnology ). the sample was loaded on the column and washed with the mes buffer to remove non - specifically bound proteins . the monoclonal antibody was eluted in one step using 50 mm mes / 0 . 15 m nacl . this elution also serves to reconcentrate the monoclonal antibody . the purity and concentration of the purified anti - d - methamphetamine monoclonal antibody were determined by sds - page ( 5 ) and spectrophotometry respectively . the fab fragments of the monoclonal antibody were produced by the papain digestion method described by goding ( 8 ) using an mab : papain ratio of 500 : 1 ( w / w ). after digestion , the fab was purified using a hplc column containing pharmacia streamline deae sepharose anion exchange media . purity was checked by sds - page and the protein concentration measured with a coomassie protein assay or spectrophotometrically . for every 100 g of monoclonal antibody , one may expect to yield at least 55 - 68 g of fab fragments . for use in animals , the fab and monoclonal antibody were dialyzed against pbs , ph 7 . 4 and concentrated with an amicon ultrafiltration device to 50 - 100 mg / ml ( depending on the needs of the in vivo testing procedure ). both fab and monoclonal antibody were stored at − 80 ° c . until needed . there was no decrease in binding activity or solubility after long - term storage of the monoclonal antibody or fab . one goal of the present invention was to generate a class - specific monoclonal antibody that could be used as a pharmacokinetic antagonist for treating the medical problems associated with methamphetamine - like stimulants . the methamphetamine - like stimulants that are most often abused are methamphetamine , amphetamine and mdma ( see fig3 ). based on review of the literature on anti - methamphetamine antibodies ( e . g ., faraj et al ., 1976 ; usagawa et al ., 1989 ; ward et al ., 1994 ) and analysis of the molecular features of the molecules shown in fig3 it is hypothesized that coupling of a spacer group ( with a carboxylic acid terminus ) at the para or meta position of the aromatic ring structure will offer the best chance for generating a class - specific antibody . the resulting antibodies are expected to react best with the parent compound , as opposed to metabolites , and would also be less likely to significantly cross react with natural neurotransmitters . if the protein was coupled to the amine groups at the other end of the molecule ( which would be more convenient ), this would not generate antibodies that would cross react with mdma . the haptens designed for generating antibodies specific for methamphetamine - like stimulants are illustrated in fig4 a - 4c . a method of using activated ester to couple the hapten to a protein to make the antibody is shown in fig5 . similar chemistry would apply to all other structures shown in fig4 a - 4c . the synthesis of one of the haptens ( hapten 1 in fig4 a with x = 5 and connected at the 3 - position ) is outlined in fig6 . the goal is to prepare the ( s )-(+)- isomer of 3 -( 5 ′- carboxy - pentyloxy ) methamphetamine ( 9 ). to establish the feasibility of the synthetic methods , the synthesis of ( r )-(−)- 9 is presented . those skilled in the art will know that ( s )-(+)- 9 can be prepared using exactly the same method starting with ( s )- α - methylbenzylamine . thus , to prepare ( r )- 9 , 3 - methoxyphenylacetone ( 1 ) was condensed with ( r )- α - methylbenzylamine to give 2 . raney nickel reduction of 2 followed by separation provided the pure ( r , r )- diastereoisomer 3 . the n - formyl - protected intermediate 4 was obtained by treating 3 with a formic acid - acetic anhydride mixture . o - demethylation of 4 using boron tribromide yielded the phenol 5 . alkylation of 5 with methyl 6 - bromohexanoate afforded 6 . reduction of 6 using diborane provided the n - ch 3 intermediate 7 , which yielded 8 on reduction using palladium on carbon catalyst in refluxing formic acid . the desired final optically pure hapten 9 as the hydrochloride salt was obtained by treating 8 with dilute hydrochloric acid . a solution of 3 - methoxyphenylacetone ( 10 g , 0 . 061 mol ) and ( r )- α - methylbenzylamine ( 7 . 38 g , 0 . 061 mol ) in 100 ml of dry toluene was heated to reflux in a flask fitted with a dean - stark condenser for 20 h . after cooling the reaction mixture , the solvent was removed , and the residue was dried under vacuum . the residual oil was dissolved in absolute etoh ( 60 ml ), and a slurry of etoh washed raney nickel was added . the resulting mixture was hydrogenated for 96 h at 40 psi hydrogen . the catalyst was removed by filtration over a celite bed , and the filtrate was treated with hcl gas . evaporation of the solvent gave a white solid which was triturated with hot acetone to provide the target compound 3 as a white solid . an analytical sample was prepared from an aliquot removed . the sample recrystallized from meoh / diethyl ether had mp 215 - 218 ° c . ; [ α ] 21 d ( 17 . 85 °, c 1 . 95 , meoh ). 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od ) δ 1 . 17 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 69 ( d , 3h ), 2 . 53 ( dd , 1h ), 3 . 17 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 31 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 74 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 63 ( q , 1h ), 6 . 59 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 62 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 82 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 21 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 54 ( m , 5h ). elemental analysis : calcd . for c 18 h 23 no . hcl : c , 70 . 69 ; h , 7 . 91 ; n , 4 . 58 ; cl , 11 . 59 . found : c , 70 . 51 ; h , 7 . 99 ; n , 4 . 53 ; cl , 11 . 65 . to a stirred solution of formic acid ( 7 . 5 ml , 0 . 2 mol ) at 0 ° c . was added acetic anhydride ( 18 . 9 ml , 0 . 2 mol ) dropwise . after 30 min , the amine 3 ( 3 . 9 g , 13 . 7 mmol ) in a minimum volume of formic acid was added , and the mixture was stirred overnight . water was carefully added , and the mixture was neutralized with dilute nh 4 oh . the mixture was extracted with ch 2 cl 2 , washed with saturated sodium chloride solution , and dried over naso 4 . the residue obtained after evaporation was purified on a silica gel column eluting with a solvent mixture of hexane / ch 2 cl 2 / ch 3 oh ( 5 : 14 : 1 ) to give 3 . 83 g ( 94 %) of 4 as a white solid . to a stirred solution of 4 ( 2 . 85 g , 10 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 30 ml ) was added a solution of bbr 3 ( 4 . 84 g , 20 mmol ) in 50 ml of ch 2 cl 2 . after stirring overnight , the excess of bbr 3 was quenched by careful addition of water and the organic fraction separated . the aqueous layer was further extracted with ch 2 cl 2 , and the combined ch 2 cl 2 fraction was dried over na 2 so 4 . evaporation gave 2 . 01 g ( 74 %) of 4 as a white solid . further purification on a silica gel column eluting with hexane / ch 2 cl 2 / meoh ( 4 : 8 : 1 ) gave 1 . 65 g ( 61 %) pure product . the analytical sample was triturated with ether to give white crystals ; mp 174 - 177 ° c . elemental analysis : calcd . for c 18 h 21 no 2 . 1 . 25 h 2 o : c , 75 . 69 ; h , 7 . 50 ; n , 4 . 91 . found : c , 75 . 67 ; h , 7 . 46 ; n , 5 . 00 . to a suspension of hexane washed sodium hydride ( 216 mg , 4 . 32 mmol ) in 5 ml of dmf was added a solution of ( r , r )- 3 - hydroxyphenyl - 2 - propyl - n - formamido - n - α - methylbenzylamine ( 5 ) ( 1 . 22 g , 4 . 32 mmol ). after stirring for 30 min at room temperature , a solution of methyl 6 - bromohexanoate ( 1 . 36 g , 6 . 48 mmol ) in dmf ( 3 ml ) was added and stirred overnight at room temperature . the reaction mixture was diluted with h 2 o ( 50 ml ) and extracted with methylene chloride ( 3 × 10 ml ). the combined organic fraction was washed with saturated sodium chloride solution and dried over na 2 so 4 . after removal of the solvent , the residue was purified on a silica gel column . eluting with a solvent mixture ( ch 2 cl 2 : hexane : meoh , 4 : 14 : 1 ) to give 1 . 68 g ( 95 %) of 6 . 1 h nmr (( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 28 ( dd , 3h ), 1 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 58 ( dd , 3h ), 1 . 72 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 89 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 41 ( t , 2h ), 3 . 68 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 82 ( q , 2h ), 4 . 58 , 6 . 07 ( 2 q , 1h ), 6 . 17 , 6 . 67 ( 2 s , 1h ), 6 . 57 , 6 . 40 ( 2d , 1h ), 6 . 67 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 05 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 36 ( m , 5h ), 8 . 41 , and 8 . 48 ( two s , 1h ). the sample was used in the next step without further characterization . a solution of the above formamide ( 1 . 63 g ) was treated with bh 3 . thf ( 10 ml ) and stirred for 30 min when the excess of bh 3 was decomposed with meoh followed by dilute hcl . the reaction mixture was basified with dilute nh 4 oh and extracted with methylene chloride ( 3 × 25 ml ). the organic fraction was dried over na 2 so 4 and evaporated to dryness . the oily material was dissolved in meoh ( 25 ml ), and pd / c ( 250 mg ) was added . the mixture was heated to reflux with formic acid ( 3 ml in three portions ) for an hour . the filtrate , obtained after removal of the catalyst , was evaporated and the resulting residue purified on a silica gel column . elution with 10 % meoh in methylene chloride gave 0 . 84 g ( 70 % overall in two steps ) of a clear oil . 1 h nmr (( cdcl 3 ) 1 . 06 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 50 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 71 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 80 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 33 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 67 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 95 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 75 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 19 ( m , 1h ). the sample was converted to hcl salt ; mp 53 - 57 ° c . elemental analysis : calcd . for c 17 h 27 no 3 . hcl . 0 . 75 h 2 o : c , 59 . 50 ; h , 8 . 50 ; n , 4 . 10 . found : c , 59 . 65 ; h , 8 . 45 ; n , 4 . 21 . a solution 8 ( 400 mg , 1 . 15 mmol ) in dilute hydrochloric acid ( 6n , 5 ml ) was heated to reflux for 4 h . the reaction was evaporated to dryness , and the residue was crystallized from meoh / ether to give 215 mg ( 59 %) of an off - white crystalline material : mp 73 - 77 ° c . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od ) 1 . 25 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 65 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 72 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 73 ( m , 3 ), 7 . 13 ( s , 1h ). elemental analysis : calcd . for c 16 h 25 no 3 . hcl . 0 . 25 h 2 o : c , 59 . 99 ; h , 8 . 34 ; n , 4 . 37 ; cl , 11 . 07 . found : c , 60 . 09 ; h , 8 . 33 ; n , 4 . 37 ; cl , 11 . 13 . effect of hapten design on antibody specificity for d - amphetamine like drugs in these experiments , rabbit antiserum was generated against two unique d - methamphetamine like haptens . each hapten included the basic chemical structure of d - methamphetamine , along with a new chemical linker group attached at the para ( para - o , 6 hapten ) or meta ( meta - o , 6 hapten ) positions of the aromatic ring structure . the distal end of this linker group had a carboxy terminus for use in forming a peptide bond with protein antigens . after synthesis of a hapten - bovine serum albumin conjugate , this antigen was used for immunizing two rabbits . the first immunization for each rabbit was with 200 μg of either para - o , 6 antigen or meta - o , 6 antigen in freund &# 39 ; s complete adjuvant . the first booster immunization was with 100 μg of antigen in freund &# 39 ; s incomplete adjuvant . seven to ten days later each animal was bled and the serum was collected for testing . after titering each antiserum for selection of an appropriate serum dilution for radioimmunoassay , the relative cross - reactivity of each antiserum was determined . in this assay , a constant dilution of antiserum and a constant amount of [ 3 h ]- methamphetamine was added to each test tube . next , increasing amounts of either d - amphetamine or d - methamphetamine were added to separate tubes . after an overnight incubation at 4 - 8 ° c ., the antibody bound [ 3 h ]- methamphetamine was separated from the free [ 3 h ]- methamphetamine using a goat anti - rabbit second antibody . the antibody precipitate in each tube was then transferred to a scintillation vial and the amount of radioactivity in each tube was determined by liquid scintillation spectrometry . for each of the test drugs ( either d - amphetamine or d - methamphetamine ), the ed 50 value for inhibition of [ 3 h ]- methamphetamine binding to each antiserum was determined using a sigmoidal ( logistic ) fit to the percentage of [ 3 h ]- methamphetamine binding versus log ligand dose . results from these studies show that the antiserum generated from the para - o , 6 hapten ( right two dose - response curves , fig7 ) is significantly more specific for d - methamphetamine ( ed 50 = 427 nm ) than it is for d - amphetamine ( ed 50 = 5157 nm ). indeed the relative cross reactivity for d - amphetamine is only 8 . 3 % ( 427 nm / 5157 nm × 100 %) of the value for d - methamphetamine . thus , while this hapten might be useful in developing a highly specific assay for detection of d - methamphetamine , it would not be useful in generating a monoclonal antibody - based medication with high affinity and broad recognition for d - amphetamine like drugs . in contrast , results from the radioimmunoassay analysis of the meta - o , 6 antiserum ( left two dose - response curves , fig7 ) showed d - amphetamine ( ed 50 = 47 nm ) cross - reactivity is 59 . 6 % ( 28 nm / 47 nm × 100 %) of the value for d - methamphetamine ( ed 50 = 28 nm ). in these studies the meta - o , 6 hapten also generated higher affinity antiserum than the para - o , 6 hapten , as determined from the significantly lower ed 50 values for both d - amphetamine and d - methamphetamine . as an object of this invention is to generate a widely cross - reacting antiserum for d - amphetamine - like drugs , these data show the importance and uniqueness of the hapten design . comparison of active and passive immunization as treatments for d - methamphetamine addiction a series of male sprague - dawley rats were immunized with a d - methamphetamine - like hapten until high titers were achieved , or treated with anti - d - methamphetamine mab . the rats were then repeatedly challenged with i . v . d - methamphetamine over several weeks . the ability of the antibodies to antagonize drug effects over an extended time period was assessed using d - methamphetamine dose - response curves with dosing schedules that are designed to simulate repeated binge use of the drug , and behavioral measurements of response . the rats for all of these studies were purchased with indwelling jugular venous catheters for i . v . administration of d - methamphetamine and anti - d - methamphetamine mab . for active immunization , one group of rats ( n = 6 for all groups ) was immunized over a six week period prior to the start of the studies . an example immunization plan was 100 μg of the bsa - d - methamphetamine , emulsified in an equal volume of titer - max as the adjuvant , followed at weeks 3 and 6 by a booster immunization . ten days after the last boost , the anti - d - methamphetamine serum titers are checked in an elisa . if the titers are elevated , behavioral testing begins on day 10 - 14 after the last boost . for passive immunization , another group of rats was treated with 400 mg dose of monoclonal antibody the day before the start of the study . this dose of anti - d - methamphetamine monoclonal antibody ( 400 mg ) should have the capacity to bind up to 2 . 1 mg / kg of d - methamphetamine on day 1 of the behavioral experiments , and up to 0 . 52 mg / kg of d - methamphetamine on day 16 ( our final day of testing , see below ). a 2 . 1 mg / kg dose of d - methamphetamine in the rat would be about equivalent to a 150 mg binge use of d - methamphetamine in an average size human ( i . e ., about 150 lbs ). the calculation of the d - methamphetamine ( m . w . 149 g / mol ) mol - eq dose of igg assumes a 350 g rat , two igg binding sites , a mass of 150 , 000 kda , an in vivo first - order monoexponential loss of the igg , and an igg t1 / 2 of 8 . 1 days ( 9 ). the effectiveness of each therapy was measured by accessing the cumulative behavioral effects after administration of a range of d - methamphetamine doses over a 3 hr time period . this d - methamphetamine dosing strategy was used to simulate binge drug use , and an addict &# 39 ; s attempt to surmount the blocking effects of the antagonist by the self - administration of progressively higher doses . the i . v . doses of 0 . 1 , 0 . 3 and 1 . 0 mg / kg are administered at 0 , 1 . 5 hrs and 3 . 0 hrs , respectively . this simulated binge dosing was repeated every 4 days ( day 1 , 4 , 8 , 12 and 16 ) for up to 16 days . the ethovision system , which has video tracking and digitized motion analysis , was used for continuous behavioral monitoring . d - methamphetamine - induced locomotor activity , e . g ., distance traveled , percentage of the time spent moving , and animal rearing , were measured over a 6 hr period . from each day of behavioral experiments , the time to maximum effects after each dose of d - methamphetamine , the maximum effect , the area under the behavioral effect curve from the time of dosing to the end of each type of behavioral effect , and the duration of effects were calculated . the end of each behavioral effect was based on a statistical analysis of the average baseline response prior to drug administration . for instance , the point at which the animals &# 39 ; response has returned to 1 + s . d . of the mean pre - drug response for two consecutive 2 min intervals . the data were analyzed by a two - way ( dose of d - methamphetamine and time ) repeated measures anova , followed by a student - newman - keuls post hoc test . the results were considered significant at p & lt ; 0 . 05 . effect of anti - d - methamphetamine mab on pharmacokinetics and behavior after stimulant - induced toxicity in rats the ability of immunotherapy to reverse toxicity resulting from high doses of d - methamphetamine was examined as follows . for the pharmacokinetic studies , antibody - induced changes in d - methamphetamine disposition , protein binding , and the tissue distribution of d - methamphetamine in rats are examined . for behavioral studies , changes in d - methamphetamine - induced behavioral effects , the time needed for the reversal of effects , and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationships are examined . to characterize the plasma concentration - time profiles of d - methamphetamine , anti - d - methamphetamine monoclonal antibody and anti - d - methamphetamine fab following i . v . administration , male sprague - dawley rats ( n = 4 per group ) purchased with indwelling jugular venous and femoral arterial catheters are placed in a metabolic cage and injected with either d - methamphetamine ( 0 . 5 mg / kg of d - methamphetamine along with a tracer dose of [ 3 h ] d - methamphetamine ) or the appropriate antibody ( 100 mg of monoclonal antibody or 100 mg of fab ). the dose is administered as a 15 sec bolus dose via the jugular catheter . aliquots of arterial blood are removed from the arterial catheter . the rats are kept in a metabolic cage for collection of urine , with free access to food and water . for each molecule ( d - methamphetamine , mab , fab ), the values for the volume of distribution at steady - state , systemic clearance , renal clearance , terminal elimination half - life , and the fraction of the drug appearing in the urine were calculated by using winnonlin ( pharsight corporation , mountain view , calif .). the equations for these calculations can be found in the text by gibaldi and perrier ( 10 ). the effect of the anti - d - methamphetamine fab on the tissue distribution of d - methamphetamine was determined in the following representative method of analysis . rats were injected with d - methamphetamine ( 0 . 5 mg / kg along with a tracer dose of [ 3 h ] d - methamphetamine ) as a 15 sec i . v . bolus via their jugular catheter . at 30 min after d - methamphetamine administration , fab - treated animals ( n = 3 per time point × 10 tissue collection time points from 45 min to 24 hrs ) received an i . v . injection of monoclonal anti - d - methamphetamine fab in 1 ml of phosphate - buffered saline ( ph 7 . 4 ). the dose of anti - d - methamphetamine fab administered to each animal was approximately mol - eq in binding sites to the amount of d - methamphetamine remaining in the rat at 30 min ( or about 80 % of the i . v . d - methamphetamine dose ). at 30 , 45 , 60 , 90 120 , 210 , 300 min and 8 , 18 and 24 hrs after drug administration , the animals were anesthetized with diethyl ether ( in a laboratory hood for safety ) and blood was collected from the posterior vena cava . blood , brain , liver , heart , lung , right kidney , and right testis were harvested as quickly as possible in this order . the tissues were rinsed with water , weighed , and quick frozen in liquid nitrogen . blood samples were allowed to clot and then centrifuged for plasma collection . plasma and organ samples were stored at − 80 ° c . until extracted and analyzed for d - methamphetamine using a hplc method similar to that published by burchfield et al . ( 11 ). briefly , plasma samples were alkalinized with sodium carbonate and extracted with hexane . after mixing and centrifugation , the hexane phase were acidified with 0 . 1n hcl , mixed , and centrifuged . the hcl phase was injected into the hplc column . the mobile phase consists of 1 % phosphoric acid , 4 mmol / l dodecyl sodium sulfate with 20 % acetonitrile at 2 ml / min , using a reverse phase column . tissue samples were weighed and homogenized with hcl and the propylamphetamine internal standard . this homogenate mixture was processed exactly as the plasma samples for d - methamphetamine determination . for determining the ability of antibodies to reverse acute toxicity , dose of d - methamphetamine that produces significant toxic effects , but not a life threatening dose , was administrated . the dose was selected based on d - methamphetamine dose - behavioral response studies conducted in the laboratory . in the treatment experiments , the anti - d - methamphetamine fab was injected at least 30 min after the d - methamphetamine when effects are maximal . the doses of anti - d - methamphetamine fab were administered in equimolar amounts to the amount of methamphetamine remaining in the animal at 30 minutes . for control treatments , the animals were administered saline or an anti - phencyclidine ( anti - pcp ) monoclonal antibody ( of the same isotype ). this anti - pcp monoclonal antibody provides a negative antibody control since this antibody does not cross - react with d - amphetamine - like drugs . the animals are allowed to recover for at least 3 days between treatments ( saline , anti - pcp monoclonal antibody , anti - meth fab in a repeated - measures , mixed - sequence design ). the success of the therapy is determined by statistically significant changes in behavioral measures . the behavioral data from total movement , distance traveled , rearing and the duration of each behavioral effect are normalized to a percentage of the maximal response of the drug for each animal without antibody treatment . use of monoclonal antibodies to treat a methamphetamine - induced drug overdose in male rats ( a preclinical model of human drug overdose ) the hapten used for the production of the monoclonal antibodies was similar in design to the para - 4 hapten described in example 3 . this hapten design is known to generate highly selective antibodies for d - methamphetamine , which do not have significant cross - reactivity with d - amphetamine . thus , in this rat model of human overdose the antibody will bind to d - methamphetamine , but it is not expected to completely reduce meth - induced toxicity since pharmacokinetic studies of intravenous d - methamphetamine in the rat show there is significant amount of the psychoactive d - amphetamine metabolite in the brain . nevertheless , these studies provide the proof of concept that monoclonal anti - methamphetamine monoclonal antibody fragments can produce beneficial therapeutic effects resulting for a d - methamphetamine overdose . monoclonal antibodies were produced against a methamphetamine - like hapten with a four - member spacer group attached at the para position of the aromatic ring structure of methamphetamine ( hapten 11 in fig4 c with x = 3 and connected at the 4 position ). the hapten was covalently bound to bovine serum albumin , through a covalent peptide bond at the end of the four - carbon spacer group away from its attachment to the aromatic ring structure of methamphetamine . the anti - methamphetamine monoclonal antibodies were produced from cell line 6h8 in a cell - pharm system hollow bioreactor ( unisyn technologies , inc ., hopkinton , mass . ), as described elsewhere ( valentine et al ., 1996 ). monoclonal igg from the bioreactor product was purified using a two - step procedure . cell culture media was diluted ( 1 : 5 ) with deionized water and the ph adjusted to 6 . 0 with hcl . this solution was passed through a cation exchange sp sepharose big beads ( pharmacia biotech ) chromatography column . the column was rinsed with buffer ( mes buffer 50 mm ph 6 . 0 ). when the absorbance returned to baseline igg was eluted using buffer ( mes 50 mm ph 6 . 0 containing 150 mm nacl ). the fab fragments were prepared from the purified monoclonal igg by the method described by mcclurkan et al . ( 1993 ) for the purification of anti - pcp fab fragments . purified anti - methamphetamine fab fragments were then concentrated and the buffer changed to sodium phosphate 15 mm ph 7 . 2 containing 150 mm of nacl , using a high pressure concentrator system ( amicon , beverly , mass .). the final concentration of fab was between 40 and 50 mg / ml . the quality and purity of product were checked using sds - page , immunoelectrophoresis , isoelectric focusing and by running it through a molecular size column . according to sds - page and molecular weight sizing column , the anti - methamphetamine fab preparation was at least 95 % pure . the monoclonal anti - pcp fab , which was used as a control antibody , was prepared in the same manner . adult male sprague - dawley rats ( 300 g ) were purchased from hilltop laboratories ( scottsdale , pa . ), with a cannula implanted in the right jugular vein . these cannulae were used for all injection of saline , drug and treatments ( saline , anti - pcp fab and anti - meth fab ). prior to the beginning of the experiments , rats were allowed to habituate to the behavioral testing environment ( an 1 . 5 × 3 ft open top polypropylene chamber containing gray non - reflective gravel ). behavioral analysis was conducted by the methods of hardin et al . ( 1998 ). this method allowed the accurate quantitation and comparison of the distance traveled and the number of rearing events during the entire testing period . these behavioral measurements were used as sensitive indicators because of the potent effect that d - methamphetamine has on rodent spontaneous locomotor activity . all dosing for behavioral measurements was conducted in a repeated - measures , mixed - sequences protocol . rats were placed in the chambers 60 minutes before the administration of any saline , drug or treatments . saline or d - methamphetamine was administered at time 0 for all groups , as a no effect control ( saline ) or to produce drug effects ( d - methamphetamine ). saline or anti - methamphetamine fab or anti - pcp fab ( in a 3 ml final volume ) was administered at time 30 minutes , to determine the effects of no treatment ( saline ) or a control monoclonal antibody ( a monoclonal anti - pcp fab or a control monoclonal antibody that does not bind methamphetamine ) or the test treatment ( monoclonal anti - methamphetamine fab from hybridoma cell line 6h8 ). each rat received four different treatments . the treatments were : saline followed by saline ( for determination of baseline activity ), methamphetamine followed by saline ( for determination of baseline methamphetamine - induced effects ), methamphetamine followed by anti - pcp fab ( for determination of the baseline effect of a matched antibody control that does not bind to methamphetamine ), and methamphetamine followed by anti - methamphetamine fab ( to determine if the methamphetamine - specific therapy has any effects on the methamphetamine - induced overdose ). the dose of fab ( either anti - pcp or anti - methamphetamine fab ) was calculated to have sufficient capacity to neutralize the body burden of methamphetamine at the time of administration ( i . e ., 30 min after the methamphetamine administration ). the amount administered was a mole - equivalent dose of fab to the methamphetamine in the rat at 30 min after the intravenous injection of methamphetamine . these calculations were based on the methamphetamine pharmacokinetic parameters determined by reverie et al ., ( 1999 ). results from the administration of saline or methamphetamine without treatments were computer analyzed by summing the rat activity during 2 - min measurement intervals from the time of injection of saline or methamphetamine ( at time 0 ) until the end of the experiment . results for each rat were normalized against the their baseline methamphetamine activity , resulting from the 1 mg / kg dose of methamphetamine ( i . e ., this treatment was considered 100 % activity ). results from experiments testing the effects of treatments ( e . g ., anti - methamphetamine fab ) were determined from the duration of action of the drug using a statistical approach . the mean + 1 sd of the baseline activity ( after saline injection , followed by a saline treatment at 30 minutes ) was calculated from 36 minutes until the end of the experiment . for each experiment , meth effects were considered over when two consecutive 2 - min testing intervals were equal to or below the mean + 1 sd of the baseline rat activity . this analysis was conducted for both the measurements of distance traveled and the number of rearing events . all values are expressed as mean ± sd . statistical comparisons of behavior experiments were determined using a one - way repeated - measure anova . when the f value was significant ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ), a post - hoc pairwise multiple comparison was conducted using a student - newman - keuls test . the level of significance was set at p & lt ; 0 . 05 . based on the distance traveled parameter , the duration of action of methamphetamine - induced effects following a 1 mg / kg iv dose was about two hours ( 116 ± 17 min ). after treatment with anti - pcp fab the duration of activity was 111 ± 10 min . after treatment with anti - methamphetamine fab the duration of activity was 75 ± 22 min . both the distance traveled ( fig8 a ) and the number of rearing events ( fig8 b ) were significantly different from the behaviors produced by saline followed by methamphetamine administration ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the anti - pcp fab treatment produced some mild reductions in methamphetamine - induced locomotor activity , which were similar to the mild reductions in behavior we have found in other experiments in which polyclonal non - specific antibody is used to treat pcp - induced locomotor activity . as a percentage of the control saline treatment , the monoclonal anti - methamphetamine fab produced a 55 % decrease in the distance traveled ( see fig8 a ). the number of rearing events ( see fig8 b ) and the time spent moving ( results not shown ) were also decreased by 55 % and 60 %, respectively . since the monoclonal antibody used for these studies did not significantly bind to d - amphetamine ( a psychoactive metabolite present at very high levels in the rat , but at significantly lower levels in the human ) and it was a low affinity antibody ( about 250 nm ), the therapeutic potential for antibody based medications for overdose are quite significant . this is especially important since no therapies currently exist . with the use of improved hapten design ( see example 2 ) and production of antibodies with significantly lower kd values ( e . g ., & lt ; 30 nm ), this invention should provide a significant breakthrough in treatment of overdose due to d - amphetamine - like drugs . this is supported by experiments using a monoclonal antibody 6h4 that has a kd of 11 nm , which is approximately 25 × lower kd value than the 250 kd monoclonal antibody used in the previous studies . this new antibody is highly specific for (+) meth and (+) mdma , with little to no cross reactivity with (+) amp or (+) mda , or the minus isomers of these chemicals . the following experimental data show the feasibility of using this or other monoclonal antibodies in two different preclinical scenarios : drug overdose and the use of pretreatment with monoclonal antibody therapy to block the pharmacological effects of methamphetamine abuse . use of an 11 nm kd anti -(+) meth monoclonal igg antibody to reverse drug overdose rats ( n = 6 / group ) were administered i . v . (+) methamphetamine ( 1 . 0 mg / kg ) 3 days apart on two occasions to stabilize locomotor responses and to minimize sensitization . then 1 . 0 mg / kg of (+) methamphetamine was administered i . v ., and 30 min later ( when effects were maximal ) a dose of 367 mg / kg of anti - methamphetamine monoclonal antibody was administered . this dose was equimolar ( in binding sites ) to the rat body burden of (+) methamphetamine . as shown in fig9 a , the anti -(+) methamphetamine monoclonal antibody significantly ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) reduced (+) methamphetamine induced effects by 72 % for distance traveled ( left ) and by 76 % for rearing events ( right ). the monoclonal antibody significantly shortened the duration of action of (+) methamphetamine from 112 to 32 min . saline control treatments , conducted before and after the experimental protocol showed that baseline activity was stable over an extended period . pretreatment with an 11 nm kd anti -(+) methamphetamine monoclonal igg antibody to reduce the effects of (+) methamphetamine in an rat model of drug abuse rats ( n = 7 / group ) were administered a dose of 502 mg / kg of anti - methamphetamine monoclonal antibody on day 1 . the following day they were administered i . v . (+) methamphetamine ( 1 . 0 mg / kg ) 3 days apart on two occasions to stabilize locomotor responses and to minimize sensitization . then 1 . 0 mg / kg of (+) methamphetamine was administered i . v . this dose was equimolar ( in binding sites ) to a 1 mg / kg dose of (+) methamphetamine . as shown in fig9 b , the anti -(+) methamphetamine monoclonal antibody significantly ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) reduced (+) methamphetamine induced effects by 42 % for distance traveled ( left ) and by 51 % for rearing events ( right ). the monoclonal antibody significantly shortened the duration of action of (+) methamphetamine from about 160 to 80 min . saline control treatments conducted before and after the experimental protocol showed that baseline activity was stable over an extended period . impact of anti - d - methamphetamine therapy on drug self - administration and drug discrimination as a measure of treating long - term addiction drug self - administration is generally considered to be a measure of the reinforcing properties of a drug and is widely used to measure the addiction liability of different drugs . before self - administration of methamphetamine by a rat can be used as a model of the pharmacotherapeutic effects of anti - methamphetamine igg , it is necessary to develop a suitable methamphetamine self - administration model . therefore , four rats with external carotid catheters were trained to respond on a lever for food . once conditioned for this response , food was discontinued and each response on a lever in the cage produces an injection of 0 . 06 mg / kg d - methamphetamine . after several sessions under this schedule , the reinforcement schedule was changed to fixed - ratio 3 , such that 3 responses are required to produce each injection of d - methamphetamine . the d - methamphetamine was available for two hours each day , after which the rat is returned to the home cage until the next session . sessions were conducted 7 days a week . after responding for d - methamphetamine is stable , the pharmacotherapeutic effects of anti - methamphetamine igg were tested . conditioned rats were administered an anti - methamphetamine igg and the next day the rat was given the opportunity to respond for d - methamphetamine injections . a significant increase in the number of responses during a session indicates that the antibody was blocking only some of the reinforcing properties of the d - methamphetamine , and the animal was surmounting the protective effects of the antibody . a significant decrease in the number of responses during a session indicates that the antibody is blocking the all or most of the reinforcing properties of the d - methamphetamine in the drug discrimination procedure , animals were trained to recognize the presence or absence of a training drug by differential reinforcement of responses in the presence or absence of the drug . animals were trained to respond on one lever to obtain food if drug has been administered and on another lever if the drug vehicle has been administered . the only cue that the animal has as to which responses will be reinforced each day is the interceptive stimuli produced by the drug . once the discrimination is established , other doses of the training drug or doses of other drugs are administered to determine if they produce interceptive stimuli that can substitute for those of the training drug . to study the effectiveness of immunotherapy for d - methamphetamine abuse , pigeons were trained to discriminate among pentobarbital , morphine , d - amphetamine and saline using a 4 - key discrimination procedure where responding on the correct key was reinforced with food delivery under a fixed - ratio schedule . d - methamphetamine generalizes completely to the training drug d - amphetamine in these sessions . to determine if the d - methamphetamine discriminative stimulus could be blocked with the anti - methamphetamine antibody , pigeons were administered the antibody intravenously approximately 14 hours before determination of a cumulative methamphetamine dose - response curve . the hapten used for the production of the monoclonal antibodies was similar in design to the para - 4 hapten described in example 6 . this hapten design is known to generate highly selective antibodies for d - methamphetamine , which do not have significant cross - reactivity with d - amphetamine . thus , in this pigeon model of drug discrimination the antibody will bind to d - methamphetamine , but it is not expected to blunt or block effects due to other drugs including d - amphetamine , pentobarbital and morphine ( the drug discrimination test compounds ) metabolite in the brain . nevertheless , these studies provide the proof of concept that monoclonal anti - methamphetamine monoclonal antibody igg can produce beneficial , long lasting and selective therapeutic effects for d - methamphetamine . inability to correctly identify the drug and a subsequent shifting of the methamphetamine dose - response curve in the presence of antibody indicates blockage of the drug discriminative stimulus . as shown in fig1 , the anti - methamphetamine igg produced a significant shift in the d - methamphetamine dose response curve for at least 22 days . since this antibody did not have significant cross reactivity with d - amphetamine , pentobarbital or morphine , it offered no protection against the effects of these drugs . thus , these studies provide proof of the potential for long lasting and selective effects in humans . effect of antibody - based therapy on d - methamphetamine toxicity in large animal model a battery of pharmacokinetics studies and behavioral tests are used to determine whether anti - d - methamphetamine fab can reverse acute behavioral toxicity due to d - methamphetamine in large animals like large dogs ( or primates ). these data will help to determine the ability of anti - d - methamphetamine fab to redistribute d - methamphetamine in a large animal model and help to scale - up the therapy to humans . d - methamphetamine is administered to male dogs ( or primates ; n = 6 per group , 3 males and 3 females ) at 0 . 3 mg / kg or higher depending on results of preliminary d - methamphetamine dose - response studies . if needed for quantitation ( see example 5 ), a tracer dose of [ 3 h ]- d - methamphetamine will also be administered . after the drug is fully distributed ( e . g ., 30 - 45 min ), anti - d - methamphetamine fab is administered at a 1 . 0 mol - eq dose to the amount of d - methamphetamine remaining in the dog ( or primate ) at 30 min . the exact timing and dosing depend on the outcome of the rat studies and the preliminary pharmacokinetic studies in dogs or primates . plasma and urine d - methamphetamine pharmacokinetics are determined in each dog or primate as described above . the analytical methods for d - methamphetamine and anti - d - methamphetamine fab are the same as those described in example 5 . the same dogs ( or primates ) are used for the pharmacokinetic and behavioral studies for continuity . however , the success of the experiments is not dependent on using the same dog ( or primate ) for all experiments ( n = 6 ). for the behavioral experiments , d - methamphetamine are administered to dogs ( or primates ) at 0 . 3 mg / kg ( or higher ) followed 30 - 45 min later by a 0 . 1 , 0 . 3 , or 1 . 0 mol - eq dose of anti - d - methamphetamine fab . the experiments are done in a pre - determined repeated - measures , mixed - sequence design . the same measures of behavior ( and the ethovision system ) as described above are used for the studies of d - methamphetamine acute toxicity . 3 . valentine and owens , j . pharmacol . exp . ther . 278 : 717 - 724 ( 1996 ). 4 . owens et al ., j . pharmacol . exp . ther . 246 : 472 - 478 ( 1988 ). 5 . mcclurkan et al ., j . pharmacol . exp . ther . 266 : 1439 - 1445 ( 1993 ). 7 . laurenzana et al ., drug metab . dispos . 23 : 271 - 278 ( 1995 ). 8 . goding , monoclonal antibodies : principles and practice . pp . 118 - 122 , academic press , new york ( 1983 ). any patents or publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . these patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically incorporated by reference . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as those inherent therein . the present examples along with the methods , procedures , treatments , molecules , and specific compounds described herein are presently representative of preferred embodiments , are exemplary , and are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention . changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the claims .
0
the polymers of the present invention are predominately linear water soluble polymers having solubilities greater than 1 gram per liter , preferably greater than 5 grams per liter and most preferably greater than 10 grams per liter . the water solubility of a polymer is determined by its hydrophilic backbone . the backbone should be made of hydrophilic monomer units which are linked together by groups such as ether , ester , ethylene or amide . ( 2 ) esters of ethylenically unsaturated acrylic and methacrylic acids such as hydroxyethyl acrylate , hydroxylethyl methacrylate ; suitable non - limiting commercially available examples of the hydrophilic monomer units include : acrylamide , methacrylamide , hydroxyethylacrylate , hydroxypropylacrylate , n , n - dimethylacrylamide , and polyethyleneglycol acrylates . hydroxyethylacrylate and acrylamide are preferred . acidic groups are introduced to the hydrophilic monomer units either from acidic comonomers , acidic chain transfer agents , or by chemical modification of the hydrophilic monomer units . the acidic groups range from about 0 . 1 % to 30 % by repeat unit , preferably from about 1 % to 20 % and most preferably from about 2 % to 10 %. examples of the acidic comonomers include acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , maleic anhydride , vinyl sulfonic acid , and 2 - acrylamido - 2 - methylpropane sulfonic acid . examples of the acidic chain transfer agents include mercaptoacetic acid and mercaptosuccinic acid . the acidic groups are copolymerized to the backbone of monomer units either in their acidic form or in a neutralized salt form with a base such as . sodium hydroxide . examples of the acidic chain transfer agents include mercaptosuccinic acid , mercaptoacetic acid and mercaptopropanol . chemical modification of the polymer may occur by reacting hydroxyl containing polymers such as starch , cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol with chloroacidic acid . modification may also occur by the oxidation of the hydroxyl containing polymers . finally , modification of the polymers may occur by sulfonation of the hydrophilic monomer units containing unsaturated carbon - carbon bonds . wherein r 1 represents hydrogen or fragments of chemical modifying initiators selected from the group of hydroxyl , t - butyl , and alkoxyl ; r 2 represents hydrogen or fragments of acidic chain transfer agents such as mercaptopropanol . hm represents a hydrophilic monomer including acrylamide , hydroxylethylacrylate , vinyl alcohol and etc . am represents an acidic comonomer including acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , malic anhydride , and vinylsulfonic acid . polymer a compounds are random copolymers , i . e ., hm and am are randomly linked together in the polymer backbone . the ratio of x to y is 80 : 20 to 99 : 1 , preferably 6 - 9 : 30 and x + y is 10 to 50 . a ) a random copolymer of hydroxylethylacrylate and acrylic acid with a mercaptopropanol chain transfer agent of formula : ## str1 ## wherein x is 7 and y is 3 ; and b ) a random copolymer of an acrylamide and acrylic acid with a mercaptopropanol chain transfer agent having a formula : ## str2 ## wherein x is 15 and y is 3 . the copolymers of formula ii and iii are prepared by free radical copolymerization of hydrophilic and acidic monomers . wherein r 1 and hm are as defined above and x is 10 to 50 . ac represents an acidic chain transfer agent including mercaptosuccinic acid and mercaptoacetic acid . polymer b is a polymer having acidic units located at the end of each polymer . examples of polymer b suitable for the invention include : ## str3 ## wherein x is 10 to 50 . polymer c the ratio of x to y is 80 : 20 to 99 : 1 , preferably 6 - 9 : 30 and x + y is 10 to 50 . wherein r 1 , hm , am , ac and x are as defined above . polymer c is a compound having a terminal acid per molecule in addition to the randomly distributed acids from the acidic monomers . examples of polymer c suitable for the invention include : ## str4 ## wherein x is 7 and y is 3 . the compositions according to the invention may contain one or a mixture of the three polymer types a , b and c described above . the polymers generally contain a spectrum of structures and molecular weights . thus , any structure of polymers described in the specification refers to polymers which are believed to be effective , however , preferably the polymers constitute a part of a polymer sample , provided that the amount of polymer in total is sufficient to effect the desired deflocculation effects . the preferred molecular weights for the polymers of formulas i , iv and vii and their salts average from 500 to 50 , 000 , preferably from 1 , 000 to 20 , 000 when measured by gpc using polyacrylic standards as known in the art . for the purposes of this definition , the gpc definition of the molecular weights of the standards are measured by the absolute intrinsic viscosity method described by noda , tsoge and nagasawa in journal of physical chemistry , volume 74 ( 1970 ) pages , 710 - 719 . the polymer used in the compositions of the invention is in an amount of about 0 . 01 % to 5 % by weight , preferably 0 . 1 to 3 %. the fabric conditioning active used in the compositions of the invention is present in an amount ranging from 1 % to 80 % by weight , preferably from 10 % to 70 % and most preferably from 10 to 45 %. hydrocarbon fabric softeners - suitable for use herein are selected from the following classes of compounds : ( i ) cationic quaternary ammonium salts . the counterion is methyl sulfate or any alkyl sulfate or any halide , methyl sulfate being preferred for the dryer - added articles of the invention . examples of cationic quaternary ammonium salts include , but are not limited to : ( 1 ) acyclic quaternary ammonium salts having at least two c 8 - 30 , preferably c 12 - 22 alkyl chains , such as : ditallowdimethyl ammonium methylsulfate , di ( hydrogenated tallow ) dimethyl ammonium methylsulfate , distearyldimethyl ammonium methylsulfate , dicocodimethyl ammonium methylsulfate and the like ; ( 2 ) cyclic quaternary ammonium salts of the imidazolinium type such as di ( hydrogenated - tallow ) dimethyl imidazolinium methylsulfate , 1 - ethylene - bis ( 2 - tallow - 1 - methyl ) imidazolinium methylsulfate and the like ; ( 3 ) diamido quaternary ammonium salts such as : methyl - bis ( hydrogenated tallow amidoethyl )- 2 - hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate , methyl bis ( tallowamidoethyl )- 2 - hydroxypropyl ammonium methylsulfate and the like ; ( 4 ) biodegradable quaternary ammonium salts such as n , n - di ( tallowoyl - oxy - ethyl )- n , n ,- dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate and n , n - di ( tallowoyl - oxy - propyl )- n , n - dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate , biodegradable quaternary ammonium salts are described , for example , in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 137 , 180 , 4 , 767 , 547 and 4 , 789 , 491 incorporated by reference herein . preferred biodegradable quaternary ammonium salts include the biodegradable cationic diester compounds of the formula : ## str5 ## as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 137 , 180 , herein incorporated by reference . ( ii ) tertiary fatty amines having at least one and preferably two c 8 to c 30 , preferably c 12 to c 22 alkyl chains . examples include hardened tallow - di - methylamine and cyclic amines such as 1 -( hydrogenated tallow ) amidoethyl - 2 -( hydrogenated tallow ) imidazolium . cyclic amines which may be employed for the compositions herein are described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 806 , 255 incorporated by reference herein . ( iii ) esters of polyhydric alcohols such as sorbitan esters or glycerol stearate . sorbitan esters are the condensation products of sorbitol or iso - sorbitol with fatty acids such as stearic acid . preferred sorbitan esters are monoalkyl . a common example of sorbitan ester is span 60 ( ici ) which is a mixture of sorbitan and isosorbide stearates . these softeners are more definitively described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 134 , 838 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein . preferred fabric softeners for use herein are acyclic quaternary ammonium salts , di ( hydrogenated ) tallowdimethyl ammonium methylsulfate is most preferred for dryer articles of this invention . it is preferable to prepare the fabric conditioning compositions of the invention with dissolved electrolyte . the term &# 34 ; electrolyte &# 34 ; means any ionic water soluble material . the electrolyte may be dissolved or suspended as particles of solid if the total electrolyte concentration of the liquid is higher than the solubility limit of the electrolyte . mixtures of electrolytes also may be used . the preferred range of electrolyte is from 0 . 01 wt . % to 5 %, more preferably from 0 . 1 to 2 % and most preferably from 0 . 2 % to 1 %. optional ingredients which may be included in the fabric conditioning compositions of the invention , in their conventional levels include optical brighteners or fluorescent agents , perfumes , colorants , germicides and bactericides . the general level of any such ingredient is up to 0 . 5 % by weight . to manufacture the fabric conditioning compositions , the polymer and desired molten actives are selected ( pre - addition stage ). the molten active is generally dispersed into hot water in a temperature range of about 60 ° to 100 ° c . an effective amount of electrolyte is added to the aqueous mixture to disperse the molten active . dispersion proceeds with a stirring at high speeds in a range of 300 rpm to 2 , 000 rpm for about 20 to about 30 minutes ( post addition stage ). the polymers of the invention are added into the molten dispersion . alternatively , the desired polymers may be added with the actives into the hot water in the initial step . it is preferable to add the polymers to the molten dispersion . the polymers and fatty amine salt complexes may either be performed prior to addition into the formulation or may be formed in situ in the fabric conditioning active mixtures at either the pre - addition state or post - addition state . electrolyte may additionally be added after the post addition of the polymers to further aid in dispersion . the dispersion is then homogenized and optional ingredients may be added . the invention is illustrated by way of the following examples . unless stated to the contrary , all percentages in the examples are by weight . table 1__________________________________________________________________________composition of polymers hydrophilic monomer acidic acidic chain transfer agent polymer hydroxylethyl comonomer mercapto - mercapto - mercapto - sample type acrylamide acrylate acrylic acid succinic acid acetic acid propanol % solid__________________________________________________________________________1 a 91 . 34 % -- 4 . 8 % -- -- 3 . 86 % -- 2 b -- 100 % -- -- 1 . 5 % -- 40 . 4 % 3 b -- 97 % -- 3 % -- -- 39 . 5 % 4 b -- 94 . 3 % -- -- 5 . 7 % -- 43 % 5 b -- 97 % -- 3 % -- -- 40 . 7 % 6 b -- 94 . 3 % -- 5 . 7 % -- -- 40 . 4 % 7 a -- 91 . 3 % 5 . 8 % -- -- 2 . 9 % 36 . 5 % 8 a -- 77 . 7 % 19 . 4 % -- -- 2 . 9 % 35 . 1 % 9 a -- 68 % 29 % -- -- 3 % 37 . 6 % 10 c -- 94 % 3 % -- 3 % -- 40 % __________________________________________________________________________ the polymer of sample 1 was prepared by adding 40 g of deionized water to a 250 ml flask equipped with stirrer , condenser , temperature controller and nitrogen inlet and outlet . the reaction was purged with n 2 gas and heated to 95 ° c . 0 . 6 g of potassium persulfate was added to the reactor . following this a monomer mixture containing 30 g of deionized water , 28 . 5 g of acrylamide and calculated amount of acrylic acid and chain transfer agent was fed to the reactor for 50 to 60 minutes . after adding all the monomers , the reaction was held at 95 ° c . for another 5 hours . the polymer solution was then cooled and used for formulations . samples 2 - 10 were prepared by the following method . 100 g of deionized water was charged to a 500 ml flask equipped with n 2 inlet , stirrer , condenser and temperature controller . the reactor was purged with n 2 gas and heated to 95 ° c . the monomer mixture ( 100 g of hydroxyethylacrylate and calculated amount of acrylic acid ) and a mixture of 50 g of water , 1 . 5 g of potassium persulfate , and calculated amount of chain transfer agent were fed simultaneously to the reactor for a period of 40 to 50 minutes . the reactor was held at 95 ° c . for another 5 hours . the polymer solution was then cooled to room temperature and used for formulation . the 10 polymer samples of example 1 were used to prepare the fabric conditioning samples described in table 2 as follows . each selected polymer was mixed with a dispersion of dihydrogenatedtallow dimethyl ammonium chloride ( dhtdmac ) and varamide t55 . the dispersion was made by comelting the dhtdmac and varamide t55 at 160 ° f . the molten actives were then mixed into a solution of water and citric acid at 130 ° f . with mixing at 250 rpm using an overhead stirrer and a stirrer blade . as the mixture began to gel , the mixing speed was increased to 600 rpm and nacl was added in the form of a 10 % solution . as the mixture thinned , the mixing speed was lowered to 350 rpm . the mixing speed was maintained for 15 minutes from the time the salt was added and the dispersion temperature was kept at 130 ° f . the mixture was then allowed to cool to 95 ° f . with mixing at 250 rpm . the polymer was added to the dispersion and mixing was continued for another 10 minutes at this temperature . final concentrations of polymer , dhtdmac , varamide t55 , citric acid and nacl in the dispersion were 14 . 6 %, 2 . 9 %, 0 . 16 %, respectively and the ph was about 3 . 0 for these formulations . these mixtures were then stored in a jar at room temperature , 35 ° f ., and 125 ° f . for one week ; their viscosities were measured with brookfield - lv at 12 rpm and the results are shown in table 2 . the control with no polymers became very thick after one week at 35 ° f . and 125 ° f . table 2__________________________________________________________________________stability of liquid fabric softeners with polymersfabric 1 weekconditioning polymer roomformulations sample viscosity temperature 35 ° f . 125 ° f . __________________________________________________________________________1 none 442 cps . 627 too thick too thick2 2 320 600 5 , 800 4 , 5003 3 290 480 too thick 5 , 8504 4 400 920 too thick 8 , 8005 5 470 540 too thick 4 , 4006 6 400 550 too thick 8 , 7007 7 280 860 too thick 1 , 2808 8 6 , 000 460 too thick 2 , 3709 9 very thick too thick too thick too thick10 10 460 1 , 220 too thick 7 , 650__________________________________________________________________________ formulations 2 - 8 and 10 exhibited good stability at room temperature and at elevated temperature . formulation 9 gelled and was unstable . it was observed that the acid content of the polymers in formulation 9 was too high to produce stable compositions .
2
in the context of the present invention , the term “ reactant ” refers to a gas or a vaporizable solid or liquid starting material capable of reacting with the surface of the substrate . the ale method conventionally uses reactants selected from two separate groups . the term “ metallic reactants ” is used of metallic compounds which may even be elemental metals . suitable metallic reactants are the halogenides of metals including chlorides and bromides , for instance , and organometallic compounds such as the thd complex compounds . as examples of such metallic reactants are zn , zncl 2 , ca ( thd ) 2 , ( ch 3 ) 3 al and cp 2 mg . the term “ nonmetallic reactants ” is used for compounds and elements capable of reacting with metallic compounds . the latter group is appropriately represented by water , sulfur , hydrogen sulfide and ammonia . in the present context , the term “ protective gas ” is used when reference is made to a gas which is admitted into the reaction space and is capable of preventing undesired reactions related to the reactants and , correspondingly , the substrate . such reactions include e . g . the reactions of reactants and the substrate with possible impurities . the protective gas also serves to prevent reactions between substances of different reactant groups in , e . g ., the infeed piping . in the method according to the invention , the protective gas is also advantageously used as the carrier gas of the vapor - phase pulses of the reactants . according to a preferred embodiment , in which reactants of different reactant groups are admitted via separate infeed manifolds into the reaction pace , the vapor - phase reactant pulse is admitted from one infeed channel while the protective gas is admitted from another infeed channel thus preventing admitted reactants from entering the reactant infeed channel of another reactant group . examples of suitable protective gases are inert gases such as nitrogen and noble gases , e . g ., argon . the protective gas may also be an inherently reactive gas such as hydrogen gas selected to prevent undesirable reactions ( e . g ., oxidization reactions ) from occurring on the substrate surface . according to the invention , the term “ reaction chamber ” includes both the reaction space in which the substrate is located and in which the vapor - phase reactants are allowed to react with the substrate in order to grow thin films as well as the gas infeed / outfeed channels communicating immediately with the reaction space . the channels serve to admit the reactants into the reaction space ( infeed channels ) or to remove the gaseous reaction products and excess reactants of the thin - film growth process from the reaction space ( outfeed channels ). a substrate located in this kind of reaction chamber is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two different reactants used for producing a thin film . the vapor - phase reactants are admitted repetitively and alternatingly , each reactant being fed separately from its own source into the reaction chamber , where they are allowed to react with the substrate surface for the purpose of forming a solid - state thin film product on the substrate . reaction products which have not adhered onto the substrate and any possible excess reactant are removed from the reaction chamber in the vapor phase . herein , the term “ substrate surface ” is used to denote that surface of the substrate onto which the vapor - phase reactant flowing into the reaction chamber impinges . in practice , said surface , during the first cycle of the thin - film growing process is constituted by the surface of a substrate such as glass , for instance , or some other starting surface ; during the second cycle the surface is constituted by the layer formed during the first cycle and comprising the solid - state reaction product which is deposited by the reaction between the reactants and is adhered to the substrate , etc . the term “ process chamber ” is used when reference is made to the space in which the thin film growth process is carried out and which is isolated from its environment in a tightly sealable manner . the reaction chamber is located in the process chamber and , further , a single process chamber may incorporate a plurality of reaction chambers . now referring to fig1 an apparatus having certain features and advantages according to the present invention is illustrated . the apparatus construction includes a loading chamber 1 , which also serves as a loading gate , whose wall is partially sectioned in the figure to elucidate the interior of the chamber 1 . the illustrated apparatus also includes a cold - walled process chamber 2 , which is illustrated with one wall partially sectioned to elucidate the interior of the chamber . a cassette unit 3 , which contains substrates and acts as the process space , is shown resting on supports , such as , for example , forks 4 , which are preferably mounted on a door 5 that , as will be explained below , separates the loading chamber 1 from the process chamber 2 . above the cassette unit 3 is adapted a sprayhead 16 , which contains the reactant infeed channels . in the process chamber 2 is a suction box 12 , which is preferably permanently mounted . the cassette unit 3 and the sprayhead 16 can be mounted above the suction box 12 . the illustrated suction box 12 preferably houses the outfeed means of reaction gases and excess reactants . the cassette unit 3 , the sprayhead 16 and the suction box 12 together form the reaction chamber . as mentioned above , the door 5 that also serves as the gate valve between the loading chamber 1 and the process chamber 2 . an actuator mechanism 7 is adapted to move the door 5 within the loading chamber 1 . a lateral transfer mechanism 6 is located above the cassette unit 3 . in the illustrated arrangement , the later transfer mechanism is adapted to grip the cassette unit 3 during the lifting thereof by means of hooks . both the actuator mechanism 7 and the top - side lateral transfer mechanism 6 of the door 5 can use an eccentric cam 8 for actuating the lift movement and a ball screw 9 for actuating the horizontal movement . one advantage of these arrangements is a reliably tightly sealed implementation of rotary motion feedthroughs 10 . the electrical actuators 11 of the transfer means 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 can be located outside the loading chamber 1 and the process chambers 2 . such an arrangement can avoid subjecting the electrical actuators 11 to breakthrough problems that may occur under a vacuum . moreover , this arrangement makes the maintenance of the actuators 11 easier . in use , the cassette unit 3 with the substrates placed therein and the sprayhead 16 are transferred via a door 15 into the loading chamber 1 . the door 15 is then closed . as the steps of the ale process are typically carried out at a pressure of about 0 . 1 - 30 mbar , the loading chamber 1 after the door 15 is closed is preferably pumped to a pressure lower than the process pressure . for this purpose , the loading chamber 1 is preferably equipped with a separate vacuum pump dedicated to this task . after vacuum pumping , the door 5 separating the loading chamber 1 from the process chamber 2 is preferably opened with the help of the door actuator mechanism 7 . the door 5 preferably is arranged to move in the interior of the loading chamber in a direction essentially orthogonal to its seal surface . the lateral transfer mechanism 6 , which is preferably locked to the top of the cassette unit 3 by means of hooks , transfers the cassette unit 3 with the sprayhead 16 onto vertically movable lift , such as , for example forks 4 mounted on the side of the door 5 facing the process chamber 2 . subsequently , the lateral transfer mechanism 6 is detached from the cassette unit 3 . the door can then be moved towards the process chamber 2 and the cassette unit 3 with the sprayhead 16 , which are resting on the forks 4 , can be lowered onto the suction box 12 . preferably , the cassette unit 3 is lowered onto the suction box when the door 5 is approximately 10 - 20 mm from a closed position of the door 5 . in such an arrangement , the forks 4 mounted on the door 5 are released before the end of the downward motion as the cassette unit 3 rests on the suction box 12 . this arrangement relieves the door 5 from the additional load of the cassette unit 3 when it is closed . this makes it easier for the door 5 to mate with its seat surface and thus impose a uniform linear pressure on the seal 13 as required for an efficient seal . the seating step can be further facilitated by providing a pivoting mount 14 for the door 5 . in the illustrated arrangement , the cassette unit 3 , the sprayhead 16 and the suction box 12 form a reaction chamber wherein the vapor - phase reactants are allowed to react with the substrate in order to grow thin films . the infeed channels in the sprayerhead 16 serve to admit the reactants into the reaction space between the substrates and outfeed channels in the suction box 12 serve to remove the gaseous reaction products and excess reactants of the thin - film growth process from the reaction space . the substrates located are preferably subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two different reactants used for producing a thin film . the vapor - phase reactants are admitted repetitively and alternatingly , each reactant preferably being fed separately from its own source into the reaction chamber , where they are allowed to react with the substrate surface for the purpose of forming a solid - state thin film product on the substrate . reaction products which have not adhered onto the substrate and any possible excess reactant are removed from the reaction chamber in the vapor phase . of course , to perform the above - described processes , the illustrated apparatus preferably includes a suitably configured controller . after the processing steps are completed , the cassette unit 3 with the above - lying sprayhead 16 is preferably lifted off from above the suction box 12 by means of the forks 4 . next , the door 5 is opened and the cassette unit 3 is moved on the forks 4 into the loading chamber 1 . the lateral transfer mechanism 6 grips the cassette unit 3 , preferably at its top , and transfers the cassette unit 3 with the above - lying sprayhead 16 from the forks 4 to in front of the door 15 of the loading chamber 1 . after the door 5 is closed , the loading chamber 1 can be pressurized and the cassette unit 3 removed from the loading chamber 1 . removal of the cassette unit 3 from the loading chamber 1 and loading of a new cassette unit into the loading chamber 1 can be performed using , e . g ., a carriage equipped with a fork lift mechanism . thermal expansion of the suction box 12 and the cassette unit 3 may impose thermal stresses on the suction box 12 if it is supported to the process chamber 2 by . for example , its edges . the magnitude of such thermal expansion may mount up to several millimeters . these dimensional changes may complicate some process steps , such as , for example , the positioning of the cassette unit 3 in the process chamber 2 during the automated unload / load steps . hence , the suction box 12 is preferably supported to the wall structures of the process chamber 2 so that the center of the support point coincides at least substantially with the center point of the suction box 12 . this provides the suction box 12 with a greater degree of freedom to expand outward from its support point and the positioning accuracy of the cassette unit 3 is improved . a modified arrangement of the present invention is illustrated schematically in fig2 . in this arrangement , the loading chamber 1 is made wider in its lateral dimension so as to provide the loading chamber 1 with additional cassette unload sites by extending the reach of the lateral transfer mechanism 6 . thus , a single loading chamber 1 can be connected to a plurality of process chambers 2 . in such an arrangement , the process chambers 2 can be adapted to produce , for example , different types of thin - film structures or to run the different steps of a given thin - film growth process . the use of the expanded loading chamber 1 offers a shorter processing time per substrate and other salient benefits . in addition to those described above , the invention may have additional modified arrangements . for example , a single process chamber 2 may be adapted to house a plurality of reaction chambers . furthermore , the loading chamber 1 may be complemented with an intermediate station serving to heat the cassette unit 3 prior to its transfer into the process chamber 2 and / or to cool the cassette unit 3 prior to its transfer of out from loading chamber 1 . such an arrangement can improve the throughput capacity of the process chamber 2 . in another modified arrangement , the cassette unit 3 can be transferred from the ambient air atmosphere into loading chambers 1 having a plurality of unload positions for cassette units 3 and respectively removed via separate pressurizing chambers . in such an arrangement , there is no need for pressurizing the large - volume loading chamber 1 in conjunction with the transfer of the cassette unit 3 . in yet another modified arrangement , a gate valve can be used in addition to or instead of a door 4 for sealing the process chamber 2 from the loading chamber 1 . in still yet another modified arrangement , the cassette unit 3 need not have a construction that must be moved as an entity . for example , the interior of the cassette unit 3 may be provided with a holder into which the substrates are placed . the holder can then moved from the loading chamber 1 into the process chamber 2 and then away from the process chamber 2 . it should be noted that certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described above for the purpose of describing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art . of course , it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention . thus , for example , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein . moreover , although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and / or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof . in addition , while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail , other modifications , which are within the scope of this invention , will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure . for example , it is contemplated that various combination or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention . accordingly , it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention . thus , it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above , but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow .
8
detailed information with regard to the operation of the gpu in the computer system is further described in u . s . patent application entitled “ method and system for deferred command issuing in a computer system ”, u . s . patent application entitled “ event memory assisted synchronization in multi - gpu graphics subsystem ”, and u . s . patent application entitled “ method and system for synchronizing parallel engines in a graphics processing unit ”, all of which are commonly filed on the same day , and which are incorporated by reference in their entirety . fig1 shows a computer system 100 with two graphics subsystems 110 and 120 of a traditional double buffering . a master gpu 110 renders images into buffer_a 130 and buffer_b 135 . the images are then flipped to a display interface 140 which directly fetches data from the buffers for display . a slave gpu 120 renders images into buffer_c 160 and buffer_d 165 . the images are then bit - block - transferred ( blt ) to buffer_a 130 and buffer_b 135 alternatively . normally the master and slave gpus render images alternatively , i . e ., if the master renders frame [ i ], then the slave renders frame [ i + 1 ], and then the master renders frame [ i + 2 ], and so on so forth . fig2 is a timing diagram showing the deficiency of gpus in a double - buffer graphics subsystem of fig1 . after a master gpu rendering a frame [ 2 n ] to buffer_a in time slot 200 , a driver flips the frame [ 2 n ] into a front buffer in time slot 210 . meanwhile a frame [ 2 n + 1 ] rendered by a slave gpu in time slot 220 is bit - block - transferred to a master gpu &# 39 ; s buffer_b in slot 230 . buffer_b is then flipped to be a front buffer in time slot 240 , displaying frame [ 2 n + 1 ]. the master gpu can only render a subsequent frame [ 2 n + 2 ] into buffer_a after flip 240 completes . because before flip 240 completely turns buffer_b into a front buffer , buffer_a is still a front buffer with its image in display , the master gpu cannot render any image into a front buffer . so that time slot 250 has to follow time slot 240 . the time interval between time instance t 0 and t 2 is an idle time for the master gpu . fig3 is a timing diagram of a three - buffer - two - gpu graphics subsystem according to one embodiment of the present invention . rendering frame [ 2 n + 2 ] to buffer_c in time slot 330 does not wait for any flip operation , so that the time slot 330 follows time slot 300 immediately . however , rendering frame [ 2 n + 4 ] to buffer_b in time slot 360 still have to wait for flip frame [ 2 n + 2 ] in time slot 335 to finish , because of the same reason that no new rendering to a front buffer as in the aforementioned two - buffer subsystem . so the three - buffer graphics subsystem only partially eliminates gpu idle time . fig4 presents a four - buffer - two - gpu graphics subsystem according to another embodiment of the present invention . master gpu &# 39 ; s idle time between frame [ 2 n + 2 ] and frame [ 2 n + 4 ] renderings in time slot 405 and 410 , respectively , are also greatly reduced . in fact , the idle time can be eliminated if flip time in time slot 420 and 425 are short enough comparing to rendering in time slot 405 . it is clear now that by adding more buffers to a two - gpu graphic subsystem , the gpu idle time can be reduced or even eliminated . but if letting a driver handle a multi - buffer - multi - gpu graphics subsystem in a normal way as shown in fig2 through 4 , the driver logic will be relatively complicated . so one embodiment according to the present invention employs driver logics of shifting buffers at the end of flips , as shown in fig5 and 6 , to make internal multi - buffering transparent to external application programs . refer to fig5 , b [ 0 ] 500 and b [ 1 ] 510 are two original double buffers for the graphics subsystem , and flips are only executed between these two buffers . b [ 2 ] 520 through b [ n − 1 ] 540 are additional n - 2 buffers . a the end of a flip execution , b [ 1 ] 510 is replaced by b [ 2 ] 520 , and more generically , b [ i ] is replaced by b [ i + 1 ] where 2 & lt ;= i & lt ; n − 1 , and the last buffer b [ n − 1 ] 540 is replaced by b [ 1 ] 510 . the aforementioned replacing is to replace the content of the data structure that presents the buffer . as the application and the os refers to buffers using a pointer to the buffer structure , by replacing the buffer structure content , the driver replaces a buffer with another one , while the application and the os still think it is the original buffer . so , after a replacing , b [ 1 ] is the original b [ 2 ], b [ i ] is the original b [ i + 1 ] and b [ n − 1 ] is original b [ 2 ]. and after a flip , b [ 0 ] is original b [ 1 ] and b [ 1 ] is original b [ 0 ]. in such a way , even though only the original double buffers , b [ 0 ] 500 and b [ 1 ] 510 , seem available for rendering and display in a double buffer graphics subsystem , the internal buffers , b [ 2 ] 520 through b [ n − 1 ] 540 , are also available for rendering and display , which are transparent to the application and the os . following is an example of a three - internal - buffer implementation to illustrate the sequence of the buffer exchanges . assuming the original double buffers to be buffer a and buffer b . and the three internal buffers are c , d , and e . before a first flip , the front buffer b [ 0 ] is a , and the back buffer b [ 1 ] is b , and b [ 2 ], b [ 3 ] and b [ 4 ] are : c , d and e , respectively . after the first flip , the front buffer b [ 0 ] is b , the back buffer b [ 1 ] is a . after a shifting , the front buffer b [ 0 ] is b , the back buffer b [ 1 ] is c , and b [ 2 ], b [ 3 ] and b [ 4 ] are d , e and a , respectively . after a second flip , the front buffer b [ 0 ] is c , the back buffer b [ 1 ] is b . after another shifting , the front buffer b [ 0 ] is c , and the back buffer b [ 1 ] is d , and b [ 2 ], b [ 3 ] and b [ 4 ] are e , a and b , respectively . note that in the above example and in general , newly rendered buffers are always at the end of the array b [ 2 : n − 1 ], and the oldest buffers are always at the beginning of the array b [ 2 : n − 1 ]. therefore , the b [ 2 ] is the buffer most ready for rendering buffer , every time it is the b [ 2 ] that is shifted to the back buffer b [ 1 ]. referring to fig6 , a flow diagram is shown to illustrate the process according to one embodiment of the present invention in connection with the operation of microsoft windows ddflip function . when a flip is checked to see whether this is a first flip in step 610 , then in an initialization step 620 , a driver allocates additional n − 2 buffers b [ 2 : n − 1 ], allocates two data members in a context , with a first member to store pointers to buffers b [ 2 : n − 1 ], and a second member to save a primary surface address . here the context is circumstances under which a device is being used , and a context structure contains processor - specific register data . a system uses context structures to perform various internal operations , and a primary surface is the buffer the os uses as a desktop display . also , the driver will allocate an extra member in the buffer structure to store the original buffer content for all buffers including external front and back buffer and internal buffers b [ 2 : n − 1 ]. after the initialization 620 , the driver carries out a flip in step 630 . then steps 640 through 660 are to shift buffer structure contents between b [ 1 ] and b [ 2 : n − 1 ]. the transparent multi - buffering of the present invention can also be implemented in a graphics subsystem with two buffer arrays involved in the buffer structure content shifting described above according to another embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig7 . a gpu - group_a 710 has multiple gpus , gpu_a [ 0 : j ] 712 ˜ 718 , which render images to buffer - array_a [ 1 : m − 1 ] 724 ˜ 728 , and then shift buffer structure contents the same way as described above after each flip to buffer a [ 0 ] 722 . such operation is mirrored to gpu - group_b 730 and buffer - array_b 740 . the flip is between a [ 0 ] 722 and b [ 0 ] 742 , which are not switched , so the application programs treat the graphics subsystem just as a double - buffering one of the conventional art . at the end of a drawing program , the driver needs to carry out two destroy functions , such as dddestroysurface and d3ddestroycontext , both of which are also microsoft windows functions , as shown in fig8 a and fig8 b , respectively . to complete the task of hiding the internal multi - buffering , further driver logics are added to these functions as well . fig8 a is a flow chart for performing dddestroysurface function , where a step 810 a is added to recover the surface structures from what have been saved in the first data member during the initialization step 620 of fig6 . fig8 b is a flow chart for performing d3ddestroycontext function , where three steps 810 b , 820 b and 825 b are added . step 810 b is to flip to the original primary surface address stored in the second data member . step 820 b is to get buffers b [ 2 : n − 1 ] through the pointer stored in the first data member during the initialization step 620 of fig6 . step 825 b is to restore the buffer structures through the extra data member of each buffer structure . in step 830 b , the buffers b [ 2 : n − 1 ] are destroyed . with these steps inserted in the destroy functions to bring back the initial information for being destroyed , the driver can destroy all buffers correctly and restore the original primary surface . this invention provides many different embodiments , or examples , for implementing different features of the invention . specific examples of components and methods are described to help clarify the disclosure . these are , of course , merely examples and are not intended to limit the disclosure from that described in the claims .
6
as required , disclosures herein provide detailed embodiments of the present invention ; however , the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms . therefore , there is no intent that specific structural and functional details should be limiting , but rather the intention is that they provide a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention . fig1 illustrates a known detector module 100 based on the “ block detector ” design . module 100 consists of four optically isolated scintillator blocks , 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 . each block 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 contains four photosensors ai − di , i = 0 - 3 , which photosensors may be pmts , apds or equivalents . fig2 shows a conventional resistor network multiplexing circuit for a ps - pmt . the gamma - ray interaction positions from the circuit are decoded from : x =( x + − x − )/ e x ( 1 ) y =( y + − y − )/ e y ( 2 ) e x = x + + x − , e y = y + + y − , where e x ≈ e y ( 3 ) fig3 shows another conventional resistor network multiplexing circuit for a mc - pmt . the interactive positions from this circuit are calculated as : x =( a + b )/ e ( 4 ) y =( a + c )/ e ( 5 ) e = a + b + c + d ( 6 ) even though many other resistor network multiplexing circuits have been investigated from many academic and industrial groups , they are generally variations of the circuits of fig2 and fig3 . fig4 shows signal waveforms for four channel outputs from one apd detector block . the waveforms have typical shapes showing the unipolar pulse characteristics . if certain channel polarities are inverted as shown in fig5 , then the polarity information may be used for multiplexing purposes . fig6 shows one embodiment of a polarity inverting multiplexing circuit using differential amplifiers . looking at fig1 , for block 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 , possible polarity arrangements are : a =( a + − a − )=(− a 0 )+(− a 1 )+(+ a 2 )+(+ a 3 ) ( 7 ) b =( b + − b − )=(− b 0 )+(+ b 1 )+(− b 2 )+(+ b 3 ) ( 8 ) c =( c + − c − )=(− c 0 )+(− c 1 )+(+ c 2 )+(+ c 3 ) ( 9 ) d =( d + − d − )=(− d 0 )+(+ d 1 )+(− d 2 )+(+ d 3 ) ( 10 ) a , b , c , and d from equations 7 - 10 may be converted from unipolar pulses to bipolar pulses , but the shape of the waveforms are fully maintained , so no timing and energy information is lost . the polarity combinations from a , b , c , and d may determine the gamma - ray incident block . the alternative “ anger logic ” is : e =| a + − a − |+| b + − b − |+| c + − c − |+| d + − d − | ( 11 ) x =(| a + − a − |+| b + − b − |)/ e ( 12 ) y =(| a + − a − |+| c + − c − |)/ e ( 13 ) one embodiment of a polarity configuration for a 16 - block array is shown in fig7 . in this plot , a total of 64 processing channels can be reduced to 4 by using the multiplexing scheme . looking at fig6 , a differential amplifier may be used to invert signal polarity . when using an amplifier , electronic noise from the amplifier will be added to the signal channel . in order to obtain better timing information from the pulses , high - bandwidth , fast slew - rate , and low noise differential amplifiers may be used . radio frequency ( rf ) transformers may be implemented in an alternative embodiment of the invention . rf transformers , like the adt1 series from mini - circuits , have sufficient bandwidth and transient response to handle pet scintillation signals . rf transformer coupled multiplexing circuit embodiments for apd detector electronics are shown in fig8 and 9 . with these schemes , four channel single - ended signals from four different blocks may be coupled and summed together , then coupled to one differential output . as shown in fig8 , by connecting the signals to a rf transformer at different ends , the current direction in the transformer loop may be reversed . for example , the signals from a 0 and a 3 may create currents of opposite direction in the loop , creating opposite polarities in the transformer outputs . this setup may function properly for both voltage and current sources . fig9 illustrates another embodiment of a circuit using rf transformers that is more compact . the numbers of transformers shown in this setup are reduced from 5 to 1 . this circuit works well with voltage sources . even though the differential outputs ( a +, a −) refer to ground in the circuits of fig8 and 9 , they can be biased to other values , such as at + 2 . 5v in a single + 5v power system . the fully differential output may be coupled directly to fast sampling adcs , or may drive twisted - pair cables in remote access systems . in general , rf transformers are low cost compared to fast differential amplifiers , and they do not add noise to the system conventionally , four signals a , b , c , and d in equations 4 - 6 are transferred from the pet detector to the main processing circuits . since a , b , c , and d are all unipolar pulses in the detector , calculation ( 6 ) can be easily done by an operational amplifier . unless a “ digital cfd ” method is implemented the signal e may need to be processed by analog circuits for detector timing . by applying the rf transformer coupled multiplexing circuits of the invention , total energy e may be generated from equation 11 . one possible solution with an analog circuit is to use the “ absolute value ” circuit . since the e signal determines detector timing , the circuit may add noise to the e channel , potentially degrading crucial pet timing . in equations 4 - 5 , e ( total energy ) is shown rather than d ( partial energy ). the energy information of d is included in e . sending a , b , c , and e from a pet detector may be equivalent to sending a , b , c , and d . compared with a , b , and c in equations 7 - 9 , e may maintain the unipolar property . this setup may facilitate analog cfd timing processes in the main electronics . fig1 shows an embodiment of a readout configuration . a bipolar pulse of a , b , and c and a unipolar signal of e may be transferred from the detector to the main electronics . the e channel may be split into two ; one may be used for detector timing ( analog process ), and the other , combined with a , b and c , may be sent to adc for event positioning ( digital process ). the position calculations from equations 11 - 13 may be performed digitally in fpga , and no further analog circuits would be needed . the invention having been thus described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention . any and all such modifications are intended to be included in the scope of the following claims .
6
the entertainment game that the invention proposes , although based on the aforementioned type of moving pieces differs substantially from any game already known and allows four players to participate , and establishes a true competition among them , but the number of players may also be three , two or even one . for this , in a more concrete way , the classic platform for the moving pieces materializes in a considerably thick body , which can be hollow , basically a prismatic - quadrangular shape , but with the peculiarity that its edges or lateral walls adopt a semicylindrical shape , having the moving pieces not only on the upper and square base of this body but also on its semicylindrical lateral walls and on its bottom base , so that said pieces form a plurality of annular line ups , in other words , closed on themselves , set up according to two perpendicular groups , so that on each line up the working on a particular piece assumes the movement of all the pieces that participate in said annular line up . as a complement of the described structure and in correspondence with each one of the sides of this prismatic body , a lateral deposit is established ; therefore four lateral deposits exist corresponding to the four walls of the body and to the four players that participate in the game . the upper base of the prismatic body forms the true platform of the game and the lateral deposits are at a substantial lower level regarding said platform of the game , so that with the collaboration of several groups of chips , belonging to each player , which are placed conveninetly on the moving pieces of the upper platform , each player tends to move his / her chips towards his / her corresponding deposit , by moving the annular line ups of pieces that are perpendicular to his / her own deposit , into which said chips fall when they reach the ramp that defines the beginning of the semicylindrical sectors coresponding to the lateral walls or edges of the prismatic body . inside these lateral deposits the chips can simply be stored or entered without any order or in addition if needed they can be placed orderly , for which in each of these lateral deposits there is also a pair of longitudinal and annular lines ups alike the initial body . for the working of the moving pieces each player will have a line up of push buttons in front os his / her deposit , that when pushed they act on the respective annular line ups of moving pieces , provoking them to advance a space equivalent to the length of one of said pieces . each push button can act on the corresponding annular line up of pieces through the interstices existing between two adjacent ones . the button acts against a spring and in collaboration with a retractile trigger that cancels the motive effect of the push button during its recovery . each deposit is provided with a lateral or end pulley wheel for the working of its own line up of moving pieces , being able to transversally move the pieces on the platform of the game that are on the parallel line up and near such deposit , while the rest , as mentioned before , can only be moved in perpendicular direction towards the deposit . for use in accordance with the game rules , caps have been provided to cover the four vertex , to stop the movement of these last transversal rows , so that the two end push buttons of each player are theoretically cancelled and therefore stop the other three players to intervene when the chips are on the last row and only allow , if the player wants or needs to , the player that is in front with his / her chips on the last row to intervene . finally , the collaboration of an opaque panel with legs has been provided , that placed on the platform of the game hides it , with the exception of the last two rows of each player , in other words , legs would be placed on the four ends of the four caps mentioned earlier , without interfering in the movement of the pieces , so that when said panel is being used there is no visual control over the chips and it is necessary to memorize the own movements as well as the rest of the player &# 39 ; s or just leave the results at random . the following description of the preferred embodiment will be made with reference to the attached drawings , in which : fig1 . gives a general view in perspective of the game of entertainment being the object of this invention . fig2 . gives a detail in perspective , at a larger scale , of one of the moving pieces that participate in the game . fig3 . gives a view in perspective of one of the caps that cancel the movement of the two end push buttons of each player with regards to the moving pieces of the vertex of the platform of the game . fig4 . it schematicly shows three of the possible embodiments of the lateral deposits for collection of the chips . fig5 . shows a detail of the game , in cross section , at the level of the pulling mechanism of one of the annular line ups of moving pieces . fig7 . shows a detail in section at the level of one of the caps in fig3 . fig8 . finally , this figure shows a transversal section alike fig5 but at a level of any of the four marginal line ups of the moving pieces . the game of entertainment is structured based on a body ( 1 ) with a prismatic - quadrangular shape , with its edges or lateral walls ( 2 ) curved semicylindrically , defining a quadrangular platform , over which a plurality of pieces ( 3 ) are placed , also quadrangular , of small size , provided on two of its edges with a groove ( 4 ) and on the other two with nerves ( 5 ) to form tongue and groove joints among them , making a relative movement possible . these pieces ( 3 ) form a plurality of adjacent line ups that close themselves in two perpendicular directions around the semicylindrical edges ( 2 ); to this purpose the height or thickness of the body ( 1 ) must be calculated to allow the pieces ( 3 ) to adapt to the semicylindrical edges and to keep the relationship among them , as shown in fig5 and 8 . in these areas the inversion of these pieces is helped by outter walls ( 6 ), that hold them laterally , as also can be observed in said figures , and by another horizontal and lower wall ( 7 ), parallel and near the bottom base ( 1 &# 39 ;) of the body ( 1 ), which does not allow the fall of the pieces ( 3 ) by gravity in this area . the lateral and curved protection walls ( 6 ) extend to the outter part to form respective lateral deposits ( 8 ), one for each edge of the body ; these lateral deposits ( 8 ) being a part of the outter cover ( 9 ) that completes the game not only laterally but also on the bottom . a plurality of push buttons ( 10 ) are set up in front of each lateral deposit ( 8 ), as many as annular line ups of pieces ( 3 ) lay perpendicular to said deposit ( 8 ). these push buttons , together with respective arms ( 12 ), act against the tension of respective springs ( 11 ), upon the corresponding annular line up pieces ( 3 ), causing it to advance towards the player a space equivalent to the length of one piece . a trigger ( 13 ) is joined ( 14 ) to the arm ( 12 ) and through its free end it is susceptible to be placed in the space ( 15 ) defined between two adjacent pieces ( 3 ), causing a push on the correspondent line up and an advance of same equivalence to the width of one of such pieces ( 3 ). the push button ( 10 ) recovers by the spring effect ( 11 ), and the trigger ( 13 ) scales against another little spring ( 16 ) slipping on the adjacent piece ( 3 ), as it has been represented in the discontinuous line on fig6 until reaching the suitable position to push this piece as soon as push button ( 10 ) is pushed again . according to this structure , the game offers the possibility for four players to participate simultaneously , with a game platform on which , following the example of the preferred embodiment represented in the drawings , one hundred and fourty four operative reticles are set up , that means 12 × 12 pieces ( 3 ), on which different colour chips are conveniently set up for each player , except on the last row which means that one hundred chips are placed . the last row is left free for the freedom of movement . each chip moves together with the movement of the piece ( 3 ) on which it is placed , until reaching one of the marginal areas of the platform , where said piece ( 3 &# 39 ; in fig5 ) takes a slanted arrangement that determines the fall by gravity of the chip placed over it , towards the correspondent lateral deposit ( 8 ). each player will tend to move by means of the push buttons ( 10 ) his / her own chips towards his / her own deposit . the player will also be able to change , if convenient , the direction of the other players &# 39 ; chips , concious or unconciously . by choice , the marginal line ups of moving pieces ( 3 ), the ones shadowed in fig1 can be blocked or immobilized in longitudinal direction , for which four blocking caps ( 17 ) have been provided , to fit on the upper part of a piece ( 3 ), as shown on fig7 ; each one of these caps having on one of its vertex a lower arm ( 18 ) which can be introduced in a corresponding hole ( 19 ) provided in the game &# 39 ; s cover ( 9 ). as said cap ( 17 ) is immobilized regarding the cover , it immobilizes as well the piece ( 3 ) situated in its cavity and this avoids the movements of the two annular line ups affected by said immobilized piece ( 3 ). the lateral deposits ( 8 ), used as chip colectors , may have different shapes , as it has been represented in fig4 . it can be a simple rectangle where the chips gather with no order ; it can be mobile so that each of the chips to be gathered has a concrete position of each pair of chips has a concrete position . if it happens that the chips have a concrete position , in which case the blocking caps ( 17 ) will not be able to be used , each player can also move the transversal line up nearest to such deposit , besides being able to mobilize the line ups of pieces ( 3 ) running perpendicularly to the deposit . in order to move this transversal line up a polley wheel ( 20 ) has been provided , which acts through an adequate transmission ( 21 ) on a pinion ( 22 ), able to act in turn on the aforementioned transversal line up . as already said , the game allows two , three or four players to participate following a very large range of possible game rules , which are not the object of this invention . as mentioned earlier an opaque panel that will be fixed to the connection ( 19 ) on the cover ( 9 ) can also be used , in order to hide the platform , with the exception of each player &# 39 ; s last row , which remains visible ; this lack of visibility forces the players to memorize where the chips are placed , so increasing the difficulty . it is obvious that many alterations may be introduced in the board we have described without exceeding the scope of the claims . for example it may be operated electronically or by computer .
0
microemulsions according to the invention have a low viscosity , are sprayable , are especially suitable as vehicles for a very wide variety of active ingredients , in particular lipid - soluble active ingredients and , moreover , are characterized by excellent skin and mucosa compatibility . all of the constituents — apart from water and fragrances — of the microemulsion according to the invention are of low volatility , i . e ., in the pure state they have a low vapor pressure at 25 ° c ., as a result of which drying up and crystal formation upon regular use of the atomizer is suppressed . it is advantageous for the purposes of the invention when the oil phase of the oil - in - water emulsion has a droplet size less than 100 nm . the polyethoxylated , polypropoxylated or polyethoxylated and polypropoxylated o / w emulsifier ( s ) are advantageously chosen from the group of : fatty alcohol ethoxylates of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl , aryl or alkenyl radical and n is a number from 10 to 50 , polyethylene glycol ethers of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals and n is a number from 10 to 80 , fatty acid ethoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical and n is a number from 10 to 40 , etherified fatty acid ethoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals and n is a number from 10 to 80 , esterified fatty acid ethoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — c ( o )— r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals and n is a number from 10 to 80 , polyethylene glycol glycerol fatty acid esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched fatty acids and a degree of ethoxylation between 3 and 50 , ethoxylated sorbitan esters with a degree of ethoxylation of from 3 to 100 , cholesterol ethoxylates with a degree of ethoxylation between 3 and 50 , ethoxylated triglycerides with a degree of ethoxylation between 3 and 150 , alkyl ether carboxylic acids of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — ch 2 — cooh or cosmetically or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 5 to 30 , polyoxyethylene sorbitol fatty acid esters based on branched or unbranched alkanoic or alkenoic acids and having a degree of ethoxylation of from 5 to 100 , for example of the sorbeth type , alkyl ether sulfates or the acids on which the sulfates are based of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — so 3 — h with cosmetically or pharmaceutically acceptable cations , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 1 to 50 , fatty alcohol propoxylates of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical and n is a number from 10 to 80 , polypropylene glycol ethers of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals and n is a number from 10 to 80 , etherified fatty acid propoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals and n is a number from 10 to 80 , esterified fatty acid propoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — c ( o )— r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals and n is a number from 10 to 80 , fatty acid propoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical and n is a number from 10 to 80 , polypropylene glycol glycerol fatty acid esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched fatty acids and a degree of propoxylation between 3 and 80 , propoxylated sorbitan esters with a degree of propoxylation of from 3 to 100 , cholesterol propoxylates with a degree of propoxylation of from 3 to 100 , propoxylated triglycerides with a degree of propoxylation of from 3 to 100 , alkyl ether carboxylic acids of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 ) o —) n — ch 2 — cooh or cosmetically or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical and n is a number from 3 to 50 , alkyl ether sulfates or the acids on which the sulfates are based of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — so 3 — h with cosmetically or pharmaceutically acceptable cations , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 1 to 50 , fatty alcohol ethoxylates / propoxylates of the general formula r — o — xn — ym — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical , where x and y are not identical and are in each case either an oxyethylene group or an oxypropylene group and n and m , independently of one another , are numbers from 5 to 50 , polypropylene glycol ethers of the general formula r — o — xn — ym — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals , where x and y are not identical and are in each case either an oxyethylene group or an oxypropylene group and n and m , independently of one another , are numbers from 5 to 100 , etherified fatty acid propoxylates of the general formula r — coo — x n — y m — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals , where x and y are not identical and are in each case either an oxyethylene group or an oxypropylene group and n and m , independently of one another , are numbers from 5 to 100 , and fatty acid ethoxylates / propoxylates of the general formula r — coo — x n — y m — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical , where x and y are not identical and are in each case either an oxyethylene group or an oxypropylene group and n and m , independently of one another , are numbers from 5 to 50 . it is particularly advantageous when the polyethoxylated , polypropoxylated or polyethoxylated and polypropoxylated o / w emulsifier ( s ) are chosen from the group of fatty alcohol ethoxylates of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 25 , ethoxylated wool wax alcohols with hlb values of 11 - 16 , very particularly advantageously with hlb values of 14 . 5 - 15 . 5 , polyethylene glycol ethers of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 25 , fatty acid ethoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 25 , etherified fatty acid ethoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 50 , esterified fatty acid ethoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — c ( o )— r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 50 , polyethylene glycol glycerol fatty acid esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched fatty acids having 6 to 26 carbon atoms and a degree of ethoxylation between 3 and 40 , ethoxylated sorbitan esters with a degree of ethoxylation of from 3 to 30 , cholesterol ethoxylates with hlb values of 11 - 16 , very particularly advantageously with hlb values of 14 . 5 - 15 . 5 , ethoxylated triglycerides with hlb values of 11 - 16 , very particularly advantageously with hlb values of 14 . 5 - 15 . 5 , alkyl ether carboxylic acids of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — ch 2 — cooh or cosmetically or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 20 , polyoxyethylene sorbitol fatty acid esters based on branched or unbranched alkanoic or alkenoic acids and having a degree of ethoxylation of from 10 to 80 , for example of the sorbeth type , alkyl ether sulfates or acids on which the sulfates are based of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch 2 — o —) n — so 3 — h with cosmetically or pharmaceutically acceptable cations , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 3 to 30 , fatty alcohol propoxylates of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 30 , polypropylene glycol ethers of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 40 , propoxylated wool wax alcohols with hlb values of 11 - 16 , very particularly advantageously with hlb values of 14 . 5 - 15 . 5 , fatty acid propoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — h , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 40 , etherified fatty acid propoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 30 , esterified fatty acid propoxylates of the general formula r — coo —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — c ( o )— r ′, where r and r ′, independently of one another , are branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radicals having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 50 , polypropylene glycol glycerol fatty acid esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched fatty acids having from 6 to 26 carbon atoms and a degree of propoxylation between 3 and 50 , propoxylated sorbitan esters with a degree of propoxylation of from 3 to 80 , cholesterol propoxylates with hlb values of 11 - 16 , very particularly advantageously with hlb values of 14 . 5 - 15 . 5 , propoxylated triglycerides with hlb values of 11 - 16 , very particularly advantageously with hlb values of 14 . 5 - 15 . 5 , alkyl ether carboxylic acids of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 ) o —) n — ch 2 — cooh or cosmetically or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 10 to 30 , and alkyl ether sulfates or the acids on which the sulfates are based of the general formula r — o —(— ch 2 — ch ( ch 3 )— o —) n — so 3 — h with cosmetically or pharmaceutically acceptable cations , where r is a branched or unbranched alkyl or alkenyl radical having 5 - 30 carbon atoms and n is a number from 1 to 30 . according to the invention , the polyethoxylated , polypropoxylated or polyethoxylated and polypropoxylated o / w emulsifiers used are particularly advantageously chosen from the group of substances with hlb values of 11 - 16 , very particularly advantageously with hlb values of 14 . 5 - 15 . 5 if the o / w emulsifiers have saturated radicals r and r ′. if the o / w emulsifiers have unsaturated radicals r or r ′, or if isoalkyl derivatives are present , then the preferred hlb value of such emulsifiers may also be lower or higher . it is advantageous to choose the fatty alcohol ethoxylates from the group of ethoxylated stearyl alcohols , cetyl alcohols , and cetylstearyl alcohols ( cetearyl alcohols ). particular preference is given to : polyethylene glycol ( 13 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 13 ), polyethylene glycol ( 14 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 14 ), polyethylene glycol ( 15 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 15 ), polyethylene glycol ( 16 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 16 ), polyethylene glycol ( 17 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 17 ), polyethylene glycol ( 18 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 18 ), polyethylene glycol ( 19 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 19 ), polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 20 ), polyethylene glycol ( 12 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 12 ), polyethylene glycol ( 13 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 13 ), polyethylene glycol ( 14 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 14 ), polyethylene glycol ( 15 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 15 ), polyethylene glycol ( 16 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 16 ), polyethylene glycol ( 17 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 17 ), polyethylene glycol ( 18 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 18 ), polyethylene glycol ( 19 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 19 ), polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) isostearyl ether ( isosteareth - 20 ), polyethylene glycol ( 13 ) cetyl ether ( ceteth - 13 ), polyethylene glycol ( 14 ) cetyl ether ( ceteth - 14 ), polyethylene glycol ( 15 ) cetyl ether ( ceteth - 15 ), polyethylene glycol ( 16 ) cetyl ether ( ceteth - 16 ), polyethylene glycol ( 17 ) cetyl ether ( ceteth - 17 ), polyethylene glycol ( 18 ) cetyl ether ( ceteth - 18 ), polyethylene glycol ( 19 ) cetyl ether ( ceteth - 19 ), polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) cetyl ether ( ceteth - 20 ), polyethylene glycol ( 13 ) isocetyl ether ( isoceteth - 13 ), polyethylene glycol ( 14 ) isocetyl ether ( isoceteth - 14 ), polyethylene glycol ( 15 ) isocetyl ether ( isoceteth - 15 ), polyethylene glycol ( 16 ) isocetyl ether ( isoceteth - 16 ), polyethylene glycol ( 17 ) isocetyl ether ( isoceteth - 17 ), polyethylene glycol ( 18 ) isocetyl ether ( isoceteth - 18 ), polyethylene glycol ( 19 ) isocetyl ether ( isoceteth - 19 ), polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) isocetyl ether ( isoceteth - 20 ), polyethylene glycol ( 12 ) oleyl ether ( oleth - 12 ), polyethylene glycol ( 13 ) oleyl ether ( oleth - 13 ), polyethylene glycol ( 14 ) oleyl ether ( oleth - 14 ), polyethylene glycol ( 15 ) oleyl ether ( oleth - 15 ), polyethylene glycol ( 12 ) lauryl ether ( laureth - 12 ), polyethylene glycol ( 12 ) isolauryl ether ( isolaureth - 12 ), polyethylene glycol ( 13 ) cetylstearyl ether ( ceteareth - 13 ), polyethylene glycol ( 14 ) cetylstearyl ether ( ceteareth - 14 ), polyethylene glycol ( 15 ) cetylstearyl ether ( ceteareth - 15 ), polyethylene glycol ( 16 ) cetylstearyl ether ( ceteareth - 16 ), polyethylene glycol ( 17 ) cetylstearyl ether ( ceteareth - 17 ), polyethylene glycol ( 18 ) cetylstearyl ether ( ceteareth - 18 ), polyethylene glycol ( 19 ) cetylstearyl ether ( ceteareth - 19 ), and polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) cetylstearyl ether ( ceteareth - 20 ). it is also advantageous to choose the fatty acid ethoxylates from the following group : polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) stearate , polyethylene glycol ( 21 ) stearate , polyethylene glycol ( 22 ) stearate , polyethylene glycol ( 23 ) stearate , polyethylene glycol ( 24 ) stearate , polyethylene glycol ( 25 ) stearate , polyethylene glycol ( 12 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 13 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 14 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 15 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 16 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 17 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 18 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 19 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 21 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 22 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 23 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 24 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 25 ) isostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 12 ) oleate , polyethylene glycol ( 13 ) oleate , polyethylene glycol ( 14 ) oleate , polyethylene glycol ( 15 ) oleate , polyethylene glycol ( 16 ) oleate , polyethylene glycol ( 17 ) oleate , polyethylene glycol ( 18 ) oleate , polyethylene glycol ( 19 ) oleate , and polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) oleate . the ethoxylated alkyl ether carboxylic acid or salt thereof which can be used advantageously is sodium laureth - 11 carboxylate . sodium laureth - 14 sulfate can be used advantageously as alkyl ether sulfate . the ethoxylated cholesterol derivative which can be used advantageously is polyethylene glycol ( 30 ) cholesteryl ether . polyethylene glycol ( 25 ) soyasterol has also proven useful . the ethoxylated triglycerides which can be used advantageously are polyethylene glycol ( 60 ) evening primrose glycerides . it is also advantageous to choose the polyethylene glycol glycerol fatty acid esters from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) glyceryl laurate , polyethylene glycol ( 21 ) glyceryl laurate , polyethylene glycol ( 22 ) glyceryl laurate , polyethylene glycol ( 23 ) glyceryl laurate , polyethylene glycol ( 6 ) glyceryl caprate , polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) glyceryl oleate , polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) glyceryl isostearate , and polyethylene glycol ( 18 ) glyceryl oleate / cocoate . it is likewise favorable to choose the sorbitan esters from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) sorbitan monolaurate , polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) sorbitan monostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) sorbitan monoisostearate , polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) sorbitan monopalmitate , and polyethylene glycol ( 20 ) sorbitan monooleate . the w / o emulsifiers which are optional but advantageous according to the invention which may be used are : fatty alcohols having 8 to 30 carbon atoms , monoglycerol esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids with a chain length of from 8 to 24 , in particular 12 - 18 , carbon atoms , diglycerol esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids with a chain length of from 8 to 24 , in particular 12 - 18 , carbon atoms , monoglycerol ethers of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alcohols with a chain length of from 8 to 24 , in particular 12 - 18 , carbon atoms , diglycerol ethers of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alcohols with a chain length of from 8 to 24 , in particular 12 - 18 , carbon atoms , propylene glycol esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids with a chain length of from 8 to 24 , in particular 12 - 18 , carbon atoms , and sorbitan esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids with a chain length of from 8 to 24 , in particular 12 - 18 , carbon atoms . particularly advantageous w / o emulsifiers are glyceryl monostearate , glyceryl monoisostearate , glyceryl monomyristate , glyceryl monooleate , diglyceryl monostearate , diglyceryl monoisostearate , propylene glycol monostearate , propylene glycol monoisostearate , propylene glycol monocaprylate , propylene glycol monolaurate , sorbitan monoisostearate , sorbitan monolaurate , sorbitan monocaprylate , sorbitan monoisooleate , sucrose distearate , cetyl alcohol , stearyl alcohol , arachidyl alcohol , behenyl alcohol , isobehenyl alcohol , selachyl alcohol , chimyl alcohol , polyethylene glycol ( 2 ) stearyl ether ( steareth - 2 ), glyceryl monolaurate , glyceryl monocaprate , and glyceryl monocaprylate . it is possible according to the invention to keep the total content of emulsifiers less than 20 % by weight , based on the total weight of the microemulsion . it is preferred to keep the total content of emulsifiers less than 15 % by weight , in particular less than 10 % by weight , based on the total weight of the microemulsion . the oil phase of the microemulsions according to the invention is advantageously chosen from the group of esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids with a chain length of from 3 to 30 carbon atoms and saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alcohols with a chain length of from 3 to 30 carbon atoms , and from the group of esters of aromatic carboxylic acids and saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alcohols with a chain length of from 3 to 30 carbon atoms . such ester oils can then advantageously be chosen from the group consisting of isopropyl myristate , isopropyl palmitate , isopropyl stearate , isopropyl oleate , n - butyl stearate , n - hexyl laurate , n - decyl oleate , isooctyl stearate , isononyl stearate , isononyl isononanoate , 2 - ethylhexyl palmitate , 2 - ethylhexyl laurate , 2 - hexyldecyl stearate , 2 - octyldodecyl palmitate , oleyl oleate , oleyl erucate , erucyl oleate , erucyl erucate , and synthetic , semisynthetic and natural mixtures of such esters , e . g . jojoba oil . in addition , the oil phase can advantageously be chosen from the group of branched and unbranched hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon waxes , of silicone oils , of dialkyl ethers , the group of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alcohols , and also the fatty acid triglycerides , namely the triglycerol esters of saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids with a chain length of from 8 to 24 , in particular 12 - 18 , carbon atoms . the fatty acid triglycerides can , for example , advantageously be chosen from the group of synthetic , semisynthetic and natural oils , e . g . olive oil , sunflower oil , soybean oil , groundnut oil , rapeseed oil , almond oil , palm oil , coconut oil , palm kernel oil and the like . any mixtures of such oil and wax components can also be used advantageously for the purposes of the present invention . it may also in some cases be advantageous to use waxes , for example cetyl palmitate , as the sole lipid component of the oil phase . in such cases , the o / w microemulsions according to the invention may also in some cases be formed as microdispersions of solid wax particles . the oil phase is advantageously chosen from the group consisting of 2 - ethylhexyl isostearate , octyldodecanol , isotridecyl isononanoate , isoeicosane , 2 - ethylhexyl cocoate , c 12 - 15 - alkyl benzoate , caprylic / capric triglyceride and dicaprylyl ether . particularly advantageous mixtures are those of c 12 - 15 - alkyl benzoate and 2 - ethylhexyl isostearate , mixtures of c 12 - 15 - alkyl benzoate and isotridecyl isononanoate , and mixtures of c 12 - 15 - alkylbenzoate , 2 - ethylhexyl isostearate and isotridecyl isononanoate . of the hydrocarbons , paraffin oil , squalane and squalene are to be used advantageously for the purposes of the present invention . the oil phase can advantageously also have a content of cyclic or linear silicone oils , or consist entirely of such oils , although it is preferable to use an additional content of other oil phase components apart from the silicone oil or the silicone oils . advantageously , cyclomethicone ( decamethylcyclopentasiloxane ) is used as the silicone oil to be used according to the invention . however , other silicone oils are also to be used advantageously for the purposes of the present invention , for example hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane , octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane , polydimethylsiloxane , and poly ( methylphenylsiloxane ). also particularly advantageous are mixtures of cyclomethicone and isotridecyl isononanoate , and those of cyclomethicone and 2 - ethylhexyl isostearate . the microemulsions according to the invention are advantageously prepared by bringing a mixture of the basic components , comprising water phase , oil phase , one or more of the o / w emulsifiers according to the invention , if desired one or more w / o emulsifiers , and if desired further auxiliaries , additives or active ingredients , which form an o / w emulsion below the phase - inversion temperature range , to a temperature above or within the phase - inversion temperature range , and consequently cooling the formed microemulsion to room temperature . this is preferably carried out with stirring . surprisingly , it is in each case possible to dispense with a homogenization step . advantageously , large amounts of acidic aluminum and / or aluminum / zirconium salts can be stably incorporated into the emulsions . 5 to 40 % by weight , in particular 7 to 25 % by weight , of aluminum chlorohydrate and / or aluminum / zirconium chlorohydrate can be stably incorporated into the emulsions . in this connection , the described concentration ranges refer to the so - called active contents of the antiperspirant complexes : in the case of the aluminum compounds to anhydrous complexes , in the case of the aluminum / zirconium compounds to anhydrous and buffer - free complexes . the buffer used here is usually glycine . the subsequent listing of antiperspirant agents to be used advantageously should in no way be limiting : aluminum salts ( of the empirical formula [ al 2 ( oh ) m cl n ], where m + n = 6 ): aluminum salts , such as aluminum chloride alcl 3 , aluminum sulfate al 2 ( so 4 ) 3 aluminum chlorohydrate [ al 2 ( oh ) 5 cl ] x h 2 o standard al complexes : locron l ( clariant ), chlorhydrol ( reheis ), ach - 303 ( summit ), aloxicoll l ( giulini ). activated al complexes : reach 501 ( reheis ), mch - 324 ( summit ) aluminum sesquichlorohydrate [ al 2 ( oh ) 4 . 5 cl 1 . 5 ]× h 2 o standard al complexes : aluminum sesquichlorohydrate ( reheis ), ach - 308 ( summit ), aloxicoll 31 l ( giulini ) activated al complexes : reach 301 ( reheis ) aluminum / zirconium trichlorohydrex glycine [ al 4 zr ( oh ) 13 cl 3 ]× h 2 o × gly standard al / zr complexes : rezal 33gp ( reheis ), azg - 7164 ( summit ), zirkonal p3g ( giulini ) activated al / zr complexes : reach azz 902 ( reheis ), aazg - 7160 ( summit ), zirkonal ap3g ( giulini ) aluminum / zirconium tetrachlorohydrex glycine [ al 4 zr ( oh ) 12 cl 4 ] × h 2 o × gly standard al / zr complexes : rezal 36g ( reheis ), azg - 368 ( summit ), zirkonal l435g ( giulini ) activated al / zr complexes : reach azp 855 ( reheis ), aazg - 6313 - 15 ( summit ), zirkonal ap4g ( giulini ) aluminum / zirconium pentachlorohydrex glycine [ al 8 zr ( oh ) 23 cl 5 ] × h 2 o × gly standard al / zr complexes : rezal 67 ( reheis ), zirkonal l540 ( giulini ) activated al / zr complexes : reach azn 885 ( reheis ) aluminum / zirconium octachlorohydrex glycine [ al 8 zr ( oh ) 20 cl 8 ] × h 2 o × gly . in this connection , the use of the antiperspirant agents from the raw material classes of aluminum and aluminum / zirconium salts should not be limited to the standard commercial mainly aqueous solutions , such as , for example , locron l ( clariant ), but it may also be advantageous to use the likewise standard commercial anhydrous powders of the same raw materials by incorporation into the claimed formulations , such as , for example , locron p ( clariant ). the use of so - called at - salt suspensions in which aluminum and aluminum / zirconium salts present in powder form are supplied dispersed in various oils could also be advantageous . furthermore , it may , however , also be advantageous to use special aluminum and aluminum / zirconium salts which are supplied for improving the solubility as glycol complexes . further advantageous antiperspirant agents are based , instead of on aluminum or zirconium , on other metals , such as , for example , beryllium , titanium and hafnium . in this connection , the list of antiperspirant agents which can be used should , however , not be limited to metal - containing raw materials , but compounds which comprise nonmetals , such as boron , and those which are classed as being in the field of organic chemistry , such as , for example , anticholergics , are also advantageous . advantageous in this sense are also polymers which may either contain metals or be metal - free . the effect arising in numerous preparations of a visible white residue remaining on the skin following application of the preparation is usually perceived by the user as being undesirable . in anhydrous preparations , the use of propoxylated alcohols has proven useful for concealing this phenomenon . in the case of water - containing preparations , no satisfactory solution to this problem is hitherto known . the addition of propoxylated alcohols having 10 to 20 propyloxy units and 2 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain , in particular ppg - 14 butyl ether , as constituent of the medium - polar oil phase overcomes the described shortcoming of the prior art reliably concealing the appearance of such white residues . deodorants can advantageously be added to preparations according to the invention . customary cosmetic deodorants are based on various activity principles . the use of antimicrobial substances in cosmetic deodorants can reduce the bacterial flora on the skin . in this connection , in the ideal case , only the odor - causing microorganisms should be effectively reduced . the flow of sweat itself is not influenced by this , and in an ideal case only microbial decomposition of the sweat is temporarily stopped . the combination of astringents with antimicrobially effective substances in one and the same composition is also customary . all active ingredients customary for deodorants may be used advantageously , for example odor concealers , such as the customary perfume constituents , odor absorbers , for example the sheet silicates described in de 40 09 347 , and of these , in particular , montmorillonite , kaolinite , illite , beidellite , nontronite , saponite , hectorite , bentonite , smectite , and also , for example , zinc salts of ricinoleic acid . antimicrobial agents are likewise suitable for incorporation into the emulsions according to the invention . advantageous substances are , for example , 2 , 4 , 4 ′- trichloro - 2 ′- hydroxydiphenyl ether ( irgasan ), 1 , 6 - di ( 4 - chlorophenylbiguanido ) hexane ( chlorhexidine ), 3 , 4 , 4 ′- trichlorocarbanilide , quaternary ammonium compounds , oil of cloves , mint oil , thyme oil , triethyl citrate , farnesol ( 3 , 7 , 11 - trimethyl - 2 , 6 , 10 - dodecatrien - 1 - ol ), and the effective agents described in de 37 40 186 , de 39 38 140 , de 42 04 321 , de 42 29 707 , de 42 29 737 , de 42 37 081 , de 43 09 372 and de 43 24 219 . sodium hydrogencarbonate can also be used advantageously . the list of said active ingredients or active ingredient combinations which can be used in the emulsions according to the invention is not of course intended to be limiting . the amount of deodorants ( one or more compounds ) in the preparations is preferably 0 . 01 to 10 % by weight , particularly preferably 0 . 05 to 5 % by weight , in particular 0 . 1 to 1 % by weight , based on the total weight of the preparation . preparations according to the invention can also additionally comprise hydrocolloids , inorganic pigments , antioxidants or cosmetic or dermatological active ingredients , which may either be oil - soluble or water - soluble . the cosmetic and dermatological preparations according to the invention can comprise cosmetic auxiliaries , as are customarily used in such preparations , e . g . preservatives , bactericides , perfumes , antifoams , dyes , pigments which have a coloring action , thickeners , moisturizing or humectant substances , fats , oils , waxes or other customary constituents of a cosmetic or dermatological formulation , such as alcohols , polyols , polymers , foam stabilizers , organic solvents or silicone derivatives , and moisturizers . the examples below serve to illustrate the present invention without limiting it . unless stated otherwise , all of the amounts , fractions and percentages are based on the weight and the total amount or on the total weight of the preparations . [ 0139 ] translucent microemulsion formulae : chemical name inci no . 1 no . 2 no . 3 no . 4 polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) ceteareth - 20 3 4 5 4 cetylstearyl ether polyoxyethylene ( 12 ) ceteareth - 12 0 . 5 — — — cetylstearyl ether glycerol stearate glyceryl stearate 3 3 2 — glycerol isostearate glyceryl — — — 3 isostearate cetylstearyl alcohol cetearyl alcohol 0 . 5 — — — cetyl palmitate cetyl palmitate 0 . 5 — — — cetyl alcohol cetyl alcohol — 2 — 1 stearyl alcohol stearyl alcohol — — 2 — caprylic - capric ester coco - 5 3 3 4 caprylate / caprate di - n - octyl ether dicaprylyl ether 5 — 5 4 di - n - octyl carbonate dicaprylyl — 3 — 1 carbonate glycerol glycerol 4 2 3 3 aluminum aluminum 16 30 40 20 chlorohydrate ( 50 % aq . chlorohydrate soln .) 3 , 7 , 11 - trimethyl - farnesol 1 — — 1 2 , 6 , 10 - dodecatrien - 1 - ol octyldodecanol octyldodecanol — 1 1 — avocado oil persea 1 1 1 — gratissima glycerol laurate glyceryl laurate 1 — 1 — perfume perfume 1 1 — — water , ad aqua , ad 100 100 100 100 transparent microemulsion formulae : chemical name inci no . 5 no . 6 no . 7 no . 8 glycerol glyceryl 3 2 3 4 monoisostearate isostearate polyoxyethylene - 20 isoceteth - 20 6 5 — — isohexadecyl ether polyoxyethylene - 20 isosteareth - 20 — — 6 — isooctadecyl ether polyoxyethylene - 25 octyldodeceth - 25 — — — 5 octyldodecyl ether caprylic - capric ester coco - — 5 3 5 caprylate / caprate di - n - octyl ether dicaprylyl ether 5 — — — di - n - octyl carbonate dicaprylyl — 3 5 3 carbonate glycerol glycerol — 4 3 3 butylene glycol butylene glycol 3 — — — aluminum aluminum 16 20 40 30 chlorohydrate ( 50 % chlorohydrate aq . soln .) 3 , 7 , 11 - trimethyl - farnesol 1 — 1 — 2 , 6 , 10 - dodecatrien - 1 - ol avocado oil persea — 1 — 1 gratissima octyldodecanol octyldodecanol — 1 — 1 glycerol laurate glyceryl laurate — 1 — 1 glycerol glyceryl caprate 1 — 1 — monocaprate jojoba oil buxus chinensis 1 — 1 — perfume perfume 1 1 — 1 water , ad aqua , ad 100 100 100 100
8
the pyrrolecarboxylic acids of the present invention are prepared using a variety of synthetic methods , depending on the substituent and the position of the substituent desired . the thioethers of structure i ( a ═ h ; n ═ o ) are generally prepared by reaction of a lower alkyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ester with the appropriate sulfenyl chloride ( sulfenylation ) followed by acid or base catalyzed hydrolysis of the resulting ester . the sulfenylation is a friedel - crafts type reaction . the sulfenyl halides , being highly reactive , do not require the addition of a catalyst , although the reaction is self - catalyzed by the hydrogen chloride produced in the reaction . the reaction is conveniently carried out by mixing the reagents in an inert solvent such as an aromatic hydrocarbon ( e . g . benzene , toluene ), a halogenated aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbon ( e . g . chlorobenzene , methylene chloride , ethylene chloride , chloroform ), or an ether ( tetrahydrofuran , 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane ). as a matter of safety , since this reaction is in some cases exothermic , the sulfenyl chloride , as a solution or neat , is conveniently added dropwise to a solution of the furan - 2 - carboxylate at reduced temperature . the reaction is then allowed to proceed at room temperature until substantially complete ( about 1 - 16 hours ). temperature is not critical , and can be substantially above or below ambient ( e . g . 0 °- 50 ° c . ); at lower temperatures , the reaction time is extended beyond the 16 hour range if necessary . at the higher part of the temperature range , shorter reaction times ( e . g . 15 minutes to 2 hours ) are employed . the thioether esters are isolated by evaporation of solvent , followed by standard recrystallization or chromatographic procedures . if desired , crude ester can be hydrolyzed , leaving purification to the final stage of the synthesis . hydrolysis of the resulting esters is readily carried out under a variety of conditions , employing acid or base catalysis , well known in the chemical art . conveniently , the hydrolysis is carried out in a mixture of aqueous sodium hydroxide and either methanol or ethanol , by heating for 1 - 4 hours on a steam bath under reflux or in an open flask . product is isolated by evaporation of any remaining alcohol , acidification , and filtration or extraction into an organic solvent such as ethyl acetate and evaporation to dryness . further purification , when desired , is by standard recrystallization or chromatographic techniques . when thioethers of the structure i ( a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ; n ═ o ) are desired , it is convenient to alkylate the intermediate esters , prior to hydrolysis as described immediately above . methylation or ethylation is conveniently carried out by first converting the 5 - substituted - pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ester to the sodium salt by reaction with sodium hydride in an inert solvent ( i . e . one which will not itself react with sodium hydride , e . g . tetrahydrofuran , dimethoxyethane , benzene ), followed by reaction with an alkylating agent ( e . g ., dimethylsulfate , methyl iodide , methyl bromide , ethyl iodide , ethyl chloride , etc .). formation of the sodium salt is generally carried out at room temperature in the presence of excess sodium hydride for 1 hour , more or less . subsequent alkylation is carried out , usually in the same solvent , by addition of excess alkylating agent and reaction at 0 °- 50 ° c . for 1 to 24 hours , conveniently ambient temperature for about 16 hours . the sulfenyl chlorides required as starting materials are readily available by the reaction of the appropriate mercaptan with n - chlorosuccinimide or chlorine in an inert solvent ( carbon tetrachloride , chloroform , methylene chloride , benzene , tetrahydrofuran , 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane , etc .) at 0 °- 50 ° c . until reaction is substantially complete ( 2 - 48 hours )-- conveniently at ambient temperature for about 16 hours . methyl or other lower alkyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylates are conveniently prepared by the condensation of tosylmethyl isocyanide with methyl or other alkyl acrylate , in a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran with sodium hydride as the source of basic catalyst . the thioethers of structure ii ( n ═ o , a ═ h ) are generally prepared by sulfenylation of pyrrole ( under conditions described above for the sulfenylation of alkyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylates , yielding in this case 2 - sulfenylpyrroles ) followed by trichloroacetylation at the other alpha position ( friedel - crafts conditions similar to the initial sulfenylation ) to yield intermediate 5 - sulfenyl - 2 - trichloroacetyl derivatives , and finally hydrolysis ( conditions identical with those described above for ester hydrolyses ) to yield the desired 5 - sulfenylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acids . when 1 - methyl or ethyl derivatives ( ii , n ═ o , a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) are desired , they can be obtained by dialkylation of the acids ( ii , n ═ o , a ═ h ) under the alkylation conditions described above , followed by hydrolysis of the resulting ester , again as described above . the thioethers of structure iii ( n ═ o , a ═ h ) are generally prepared by the sulfenylation of pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid . conditions are like the sulfenylation conditions described above , except that a reaction period up to five times longer is employed . the now acidic products are conveniently isolated by replacement of the solvent with a water - immiscible solvent ( if necessary ), extraction of the product into sodium hydroxide , acidification , filtration or extraction into an organic solvent such as ethyl acetate and evaporation to dryness . if necessary , the product is purified by standard recrystallization techniques or chromatography . when the 1 - alkyl derivatives encompassed by structure ii are desired , they are prepared from the acids by the methods described in the paragraphs above . when compounds of the structures i , ii , or iii , wherein n = 1 , are desired , they can be prepared by sequential hydride reduction of the appropriate acid or ester , to pyrrolylmethyl alcohols , conversion of the alcohol to the corresponding tosylate , mesylate , etc . and then to the nitrile . hydrolysis of the nitriles produces the desired acids . the hydride reductions can be carried out with a variety of reagents , generally under mild conditions . the most common commercially available hydride reducing agents are diborane , lithium aluminum hydride , lithium borohydride , and sodium borohydride . the latter can be activated by addition of lithium chloride or aluminum chloride . also commercially available is a less reactive derivative of lithium aluminum hydride sold under the tradename &# 34 ; red - al ,&# 34 ; which is a 70 % solution of bis ( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) aluminum hydride in benzene , and lithium aluminum hydride as a 50 % suspension in oil , which is more readily handled than lithium aluminum hydride itself . the reduction of carboxylic acids and esters requires a strong hydride reducing agent such as diborane , lithium aluminum hydride or sodium borohydride activated with aluminum chloride . it is essential that the solvent for such a hydride reduction be aprotic and free of reducible groups ( carbonyl function of any type , nitrile , nitro , aliphatic halogen , sulfonate , etc .). the preferred solvents are ethers such as tetrahydrofuran , dioxane , 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane , bis ( 2 - methoxyethyl ) ether , etc . temperature and reaction time are not critical , usually being in the range 0 °- 100 ° c . for up to 24 hours . for reduction of esters the same reagents as those employed for reduction of acids can be employed . lithium borohydride alone can also be employed , but more vigorous conditions ( e . g . refluxing tetrahydrofuran ) are required . also well - suited for the reduction of esters is red - al ( discussed above ). suitable solvents for use with red - al are toluene , benzene , diethylether , tetrahydrofuran , dimethoxyethane , etc . temperature and reaction times are as discussed immediately above . the intermediate tosylates , mesylates , etc ., are readily obtained by reaction of tosyl chloride , mesyl chloride , etc . with the alcohol in an inert solvent ( such as those defined above for sulfenylations ) over a wide temperature range ( e . g . - 50 ° to 80 ° c .) in the presence of a basic catalyst , preferrably a tertiary amine such as triethylamine . the reaction is rapid , being complete in a matter of minutes at room temperature . as an alternative , the alcohols can be reacted with reagents such as dry hydrogen halide , or phosphorous halides to yield the corresponding halide , which can be substituted for the tosylate , mesylate , etc ., in the next step . the tosylate , mesylate , etc ., can be isolated by standard methods , or used directly in the next step without isolation . replacement of mesylate ( or other group ) is effected by cyanide anion , usually in the form of the potassium or sodium salt . a wide variety of solvents are suitable for this reaction , including water , alcohols , ketones , ethers , halogenated hydrocarbons , acetonitrile , dimethylformamide , etc ., or miscible combinations thereof . the only requirements are that the solvent be inert towards reactants and product , that the reactants have some degree of solubility , and that the solvent be less acidic than hydrogen cyanide so as to maintain the anionic form thereof . the temperature employed for this reaction is not critical ( e . g . 0 °- 120 ° c .). it should be high enough to provide a reasonable rate , but not so high as to lead to undue decomposition . as is well known in the art , rate will vary with the nature of the group displaced , the structure of the substrate , the solvent , the temperature and the concentration of the reactants . to maximize yields , the reaction time should be such that the reaction is nearly complete ( e . g . & gt ; 95 % conversion when equivalent amounts of mesylate and cyanide are employed ). these reactions are readily monitored by thin layer chromatography , employing one of a variety of commercially available silica gel plates containing an ultraviolet indicator . suitable eluants are ethyl acetate / hexane / methanol mixtures with about 5 % added acetic acid . the proportion of these solvents is varied with the polarity of the reactant and product , a practice well - known in the art . for most of the reactions of this type , an eluant consisting of 5 parts of ethyl acetate and 1 part of hexane together with 5 % acetic acid is well suited . for the more polar compounds the proportion of ethyl acetate is increased ( e . g . 1 ethyl acetate , 1 hexane ). the final step , hydrolysis of nitrile to acid , is carried out under conditions identical to those described above for the hydrolysis of alkyl esters . in the case of compounds of the structure i , ii and iii , wherein n = 1 and a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 , they can also be prepared by alkylation of the acids of structure i , ii or iii , wherein n = 1 and a ═ h , and hydrolysis of the resulting ester , using methods described above . alkylation can also be carried out at various precursor stages , e . g . on alcohol or nitrile . thioethers of the structure ii ( n = 1 , a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) are alternatively prepared by sulfenylation of 1 - alkyl - 2 - pyrrolylacetonitrile , followed by hydrolysis , both reactions being carried out as described above . further variation in the sequence of steps for preparing compounds i , ii and iii ( a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) will be evident to those skilled in the art . 5 - acylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acids of structure iv , wherein a ═ h are prepared by friedel - crafts type acylation of a lower alkylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate , followed by hydrolysis of the resulting ester . the acylation is generally carried out using an acid halide , usually the acid chloride , as the acylating agent . the acylation conditions ( solvent , temperature , time ) are identical to those described above for sulfenylations , except that an added lewis acid catalyst is generally employed . a convenient catalyst is stannic chloride , but a wide variety of other catalysts ( e . g . aluminum chloride ) are also useful for this purpose . acid halides required in the above syntheses , when not available commercially , are readily available by standard methods from the corresponding acids , e . g . reaction of thienyl chloride with acids in methylene chloride ( optionally with a trace of dimethylformamide as catalyst ) is but one of many convenient ways of preparing acid chlorides from carboxylic acids . alternatively , 5 - acylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acids are prepared from alpha - haloketones , employing the following route : ## str4 ## the initial reaction of alpha - haloketone with imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridine is carried out under conditions identical to those described above for the reaction of cyanide with mesylate esters , in this case the solvent being sufficiently non - acidic that the amine group is not protonated . since the reactants / products are relatively polar , a relatively polar thin layer chromatographic system is used to monitor this reaction - e . g . ethyl acetate / 5 % acetic acid as eluant . condensation of the resulting salt with a lower alkyl propiolate ( e . g . r 2 ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) affords the lower alkyl 1 -( 2 - pyridylmethyl )- 5 - acylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . the latter reaction is facile in the presence of a weak base catalyst , such as potassium carbonate , in a polar , aprotic solvent such as dimethylformamide . the reaction is carried out at a temperature between - 10 ° c . and 50 ° c ., conveniently ambient temperature , from 30 minutes to up to several days , depending upon the temperature selected . the reaction is conveniently monitored by thin layer chromatography , as in the preceding step . the 1 -( 2 - pyridylmethyl ) group is removed by reductive means ( e . g . selenium dioxide in wet dioxane at 60 °- 120 ° c ., for 4 - 60 hours depending upon temperature ; temperatures above the boiling point of dioxane are achieved by running the reaction under pressure ). finally , the ester is hydrolyzed by methods described above to yield the desired acid . the imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridine required for the above syntheses is readily prepared by formylation of 2 - aminomethylpyridine followed by cyclization in the presence of excess phosphorus oxychloride . the necessary alpha - haloketones are available commercially , in the literature or by literature methods . 1 - alkyl derivatives of the structure iv ( a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) are prepared from the corresponding esters via the two step alkylation - hydrolysis procedures described above . 5 - acylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acids ( v , a ═ h ) are prepared by two stage friedel - crafts acylation of alkyl pyrrole - 2 - carboxylates and hydrolysis , both reactions carried out according to procedures described above . the corresponding 1 - alkyl derivatives ( v , a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) are prepared from the intermediate esters via the alkylation - hydrolysis procedures also described above . 5 - chloropyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( viii , r 3 ═ cl , a ═ h ) is prepared by chlorination of lower alkyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate and hydrolysis of the resulting ester . when the corresponding 1 - alkyl derivatives ( viii , r 3 ═ cl , a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) are desired , the intermediate esters are alkylated prior to hydrolyses . chlorination is conveniently carried out with excess tert .- butyl hypochlorite as reagent in a solvent such as methylene chloride . alkylations and hydrolyses are carried out as described above . 5 - benzylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( viii , r 3 ═ c 6 h 5 ch 2 , a ═ h ) and 1 - alkyl - 5 - benzylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acids ( viii , r 3 ═ c 6 h 5 ch 2 , a ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) are conveniently prepared by reduction of the corresponding 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acids ( iv , r 1 ═ c 6 h 5 ). the use of excess hydrazine and potassium hydroxide at elevated temperature ( e . g . 100 °- 150 ° c .) in a solvent such as ethylene glycol are conditions well - suited for this purpose . the corresponding 4 - benzylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( ix , r 4 ═ c 6 h 5 ch 2 , a ═ h ) is prepared in the same manner from known 4 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid . 1 - alkyl derivatives of ix are prepared by methods described above . the compounds of structure ix wherein r 4 is 4 - chlorophenoxy or 4 - chlorophenyl are prepared by the following route : ## str5 ## the appropriately substituted acetaldehyde di ( lower alkyl )- acetal ( e . g . r 2 ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) is reacted with dimethylformamide and phosphorous oxychloride and then with dimethylamine to yield the intermediate 3 - dimethylamino acrylaldehyde , which in turn is reacted with a lower alkyl glycinate ( e . g . r 2 ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) to yield the pyrrole precursor . the cyclization is carried out by simple heating of the starting material in ethylene glycol . the lower alkyl ester ( e . g . r 2 ═ ch 3 or c 2 h 5 ) is simultaneously converted to the glycol ester . alkylations and hydrolyses are carried out as described above . compounds of the structure ix wherein r 4 is phenyl or benzyl can also be obtained by substitution of the appropriate acetal as starting material . alternative syntheses of the benzyl compounds are described above . alternative synthesis of the phenyl compounds is by hydrogenolysis of the corresponding 4 - chlorophenyl derivatives ( e . g . hydrogenation over palladium - on - carbon in ethanol / triethylamine ). the disubstituted pyrrole carboxylic acids of this invention are prepared according to the methods detailed in the specific examples provided below . the pharmaceutically - acceptable cationic salts of the compounds of the present invention are readily prepared by reacting the acid forms with an appropriate base , usually one equivalent , in a co - solvent . typical bases are sodium hydroxide , sodium methoxide , sodium ethoxide , sodium hydride , potassium methoxide , magnesium hydroxide , calcium hydroxide , benzathine , choline , diethanolamine , ethylenediamine , meglumine , benethamine , diethylamine , piperazine and tromethamine . the salt is isolated by concentration to dryness , or by addition of a non - solvent . in some cases , salts can be prepared by mixing a solution of the acid with a solution of a different salt of the cation ( e . g . sodium ethylhexanoate , magnesium oleate ), employing a solvent in which the desired cationic salt precipitates , or can be otherwise isolated by concentration and / or addition of a non - solvent . the pyrrolecarboxylic acids of the present invention are readily adapted to clinical use as antidiabetic agents . the hypoglycemic activity required for this clinical use is well illustrated by the test procedure which follows . intact male albino rats , each weighing approximately 200 grams are the experimental test animals employed for such purposes . the test animals are fasted approximately 18 - 24 hours . the rats are weighed , numbered , and recorded in groups of five or six as needed . each animal is then dosed with glucose ( usually one gram per kilogram ) intra - peritoneally , and then either saline ( controls ) or compound . the treated animals are given the pyrrolecarboxylic acid to be tested at a dosage of 100 mg ./ kg . or less ; in each instance , the drug is suspended or dissolved in an aqueous system , and the doses are administered orally or parenterally . blood glucose is measured over a period of 3 house in both control and treated groups . the results obtained are expressed in terms of the percentage decrease in the blood glucose value of treated animals from the control value . those compounds which decrease the blood glucose by 20 % or better are considered to have high activity ; while those which decrease it by 30 % or better are considered to have exceptionally high activity . in this connection , it is significant to note that the results obtained show that the compounds of the present invention exhibit a hypoglycemic effect which is comparable to that afforded by known clinically useful anti - diabetics in this field . the pyrrolecarboxylic acids of the present invention are clinically administered to diabetic mammals , including man , via either the oral or the parenteral route . administration by the oral route is preferred , being more convenient and avoiding the possible pain and irritation of injection . however , in circumstances where the patient cannot swallow the medication , or absorption following oral administration is impaired , as by disease or other abnormality , it is essential that the drug be administered parenterally . by either route , the dosage is in the range of about 0 . 10 to about 50 mg ./ kg . body weight of the subject per day , preferably about 0 . 10 to about 10 mg ./ kg . body weight per day administered singly or as a divided dose . however , the optimum dosage for the individual subject being treated will be determined by the person responsible for treatment , generally smaller doses being administered initially and thereafter increments made to determine the most suitable dosage . this will vary according to the particular compound employed and with the subject being treated . the compounds can be used in pharmaceutical preparations containing the compound , or a pharmaceutically - acceptable acid salt thereof , in combination with a pharmaceutically - acceptable carrier or diluent . suitable pharmaceutically - acceptable carriers include inert solid fillers or diluents and sterile aqueous or organic solutions . the active compound will be present in such pharmaceutical compositions in amount sufficient to provide the desired dosage amount in the range described above . thus , for oral administration the compounds can be combined with a suitable solid or liquid carrier or diluent to form capsules , tablets , powders , syrups , solutions , suspensions and the like . the pharmaceutical compositions may , if desired , contain additional components such as flavorants , sweeteners , excipients and the like . for parenteral administration the compounds can be combined with sterile aqueous or organic media to form injectable solutions or suspensions . for example , solutions in sesame or peanut oil , aqueous propylene glycol and the like may be used , as well as aqueous solutions of water - soluble pharmaceutically - acceptable salts of the compounds . the injectable solutions prepared in this manner can then be administered intravenously , interperitoneally , subcutaneously or intramuscularly , with intramuscular administration being preferred in man . the present invention is illustrated by the following examples . however , it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details of these examples . sodium hydride ( 57 % dispersion in oil , 10 . 5 g ., 0 . 25 mole ) was placed in a flame dried flask and washed twice with dry benzene . dry tetrahydrofuran ( 400 ml .) was added to the flask and the resulting slurry stirred under nitrogen . a mixture of methyl acrylate ( 11 . 3 ml ., 0 . 128 moles ) and tosylmethyl isocyanide ( 25 g ., 0 . 128 moles ) in 120 ml . of tetrahydrofuran was then added dropwise over 30 minutes . the reaction was exothermic and the reaction mixture refluxed during this process . after stirring for an additional hour ( without external heating ), the reaction mixture was cooled in an ice - water bath and water ( approx . 120 ml .) added dropwise until solution resulted . the solution was allowed to warm and then extracted three times with ether . the combined ether extracts were back - washed with water and then saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to yield methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 6 . 4 g ., m . p . 78 °- 81 ° c ., m / e 125 ). substitution of ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , phenyl , or benzyl acrylate for methyl acrylate is used to produce the corresponding ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , phenyl , or benzyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylates . under a nitrogen atmosphere , n - chlorosuccinimide ( 16 . 3 g ., 0 . 22 mole ) was slurried in 125 ml . of methylene chloride . while stirring at room temperature , benzenethiol ( 13 . 2 g ., 0 . 12 mole ) was added ; 2 ml . initial addition to start reflux and the remainder at a rate to maintain reflux ( approx . 10 min .). the clear solution which resulted was then stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes . a small amount of precipitate which formed was removed by filtration . the filtrate , assumed to contain the theoretical quantity of benzenesulfenyl chloride ( 17 . 3 g ., 0 . 12 mole ), was used immediately and directly in the next step . alternatively , benzenesulfenyl chloride was isolated by evaporation to an oil prior to its further use . methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 15 g ., 0 . 12 mole ) was dissolved in 200 ml . of methylene chloride under nitrogen and cooled in an ice - water bath . benzenesulfenyl chloride ( approx 17 . 3 g ., 0 . 12 moles ) in approximately 125 ml . of methylene chloride ( freshly prepared by the procedure of example 2 ) was added dropwise over to the stirred reaction mixture . the ice - water bath was removed and the reaction stirred for 1 hour at room temperature . a volume of ether equal to that of the reaction mixture was added and the mixture clarified by filtration . the filtrate was washed with water and saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated to an oil ( 26 g .). the oil was chromatographed on 300 g . of silica gel with ethyl acetate / hexane ( 7 / 1 ) as eluant . fractions of 200 ml . volume were collected . fractions 3 to 8 were evaporated to yield methyl 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 6 . 9 g ., m . p . 107 °- 109 ° c .) the same procedure is employed to convert ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , phenyl or benzyl pyrrole 3 - carboxylates to , respectively : methyl 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 6 . 8 g .) was combined with 70 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and 120 ml . of methanol and heated to reflux for 3 hours . methanol was evaporated , an equal volume of water added and impurities extracted into ether . the aqueous phase was acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid , and precipitated 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 6 . 1 g ., m . p . 145 °- 147 ° c ., m / e 219 ) recovered by filtration . by the same procedure ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , phenyl and benzyl 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylates are converted to 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid . 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 470 mg ., 2 mmoles ) was combined with sodium hydride ( 170 mg . of 57 % in oil dispersion , 4 mmoles ) and 50 ml . of ether and stirred under nitrogen for 1 hour at room temperature . to the sodium salt thus formed , was added dimethylsulfate ( 0 . 4 ml ., 4 . 2 mmoles ) and the reaction stirred for approximately 16 hours . thin layer chromatography on silica gel with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid indicated the reaction was complete . the reaction mixture was concentrated to dryness to yield methyl 1 - methyl - 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( sodium salt ) used directly in the next step . the same product is also prepared by substituting an equivalent of methyl iodide for dimethylsulfate in an otherwise identical process . substitution of an equivalent of ethyl iodide , in this process will produce ethyl 1 - ethyl - 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . the same procedures are used to prepare 1 - alkylpyrroles and alkyl 1 - alkylpyrrolecarboxylates from pyrrole and alkyl pyrrolecarboxylates , respectively , except that only one equivalent of sodium hydride and one equivalent of the alkylating agent is employed . the entire crude methyl 1 - methyl - 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate from example 5 was taken up in 30 ml . of methanol and 15 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and boiled for 2 hours . the aqueous residue was extracted with ether to remove impurities and then acidified to precipitate 1 - methyl - 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 427 mg ., m . p . 160 °- 162 ° c ., m / e 233 ). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 2 n 2 s : c , 61 . 80 ; h , 4 . 75 ; n , 6 . 01 . found : c , 62 . 17 ; h , 4 . 73 ; n , 6 . 05 . by the same process the corresponding 1 - ethyl derivative of example 5 is converted to 1 - ethyl - 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid . n - chlorosuccinimide ( 5 . 34 g ., 40 mmoles ) was slurried in 50 ml . of benzene and cooled in an ice - water bath . o - toluenethiol ( 4 . 96 g ., 40 mmoles ) in 50 ml . of benzene was added dropwise over 15 minutes . the reaction was warmed to room temperature and stirred for approximately 16 hours . the reaction mixture was filtered and o - toluenesulfenyl chloride ( 5 . 53 g .) obtained as an oil by evaporation in vacuo . under a nitrogen atmosphere , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of methylene chloride . the stirred solution was cooled in an ice - water bath and o - toluenesulfenyl chloride ( 3 . 16 g ., 20 mmoles ) was added dropwise . the reaction mixture was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour . thin layer chromatography ( silica gel , chloroform eluant ) indicated virtually complete reaction at this time . an equal volume of ether was added and a small amount of insolubles removed by filtration . crude product ( 5 g .) was obtained by evaporation in vacuo to a gum . the latter was chromatographed on 150 g . of silica gel with 75 ml . fractions of the chloroform eluant collected . fractions 10 to 13 were combined and evaporated in vacuo to yield partially purified product ( 1 . 69 g ., m . p . 114 °- 119 ° c .). recrystallization from methylene chloride / hexane gave purified methyl 5 -( 2 - methylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 1 g ., m . p . 126 °- 128 ° c .). methyl 5 -( 2 - methylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 1 g .) was combined with 20 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and 50 ml . of methanol and refluxed for 2 . 5 hours , at which time thin layer chromatography with hexane - 5 / ethyl acetate - 1 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant indicated reaction to be complete . methanol was removed by evaporation , the aqueous residue was diluted with approximately one volume of water , and extracted with ether . the aqueous phase was acidified with 6 n hydrochloric acid and the product extracted into ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate was washed with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered , and concentrated in vacuo to crude product ( 1 . 0 g .). recrystallization from methylene chloride / hexane gave purified 5 -( 2 - methylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxlic acid ( 590 mg ., m . p . 151 °- 153 ° c ., m / e 233 ). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 2 ns : c , 61 . 77 ; h , 4 . 75 ; n , 6 . 0 . found : c , 62 . 04 ; h , 4 . 75 ; n , 5 . 87 . by the method of example 7 , 6 . 2 g . of p - toluenethiol ( 6 . 2 g ., 50 mmoles ) was reacted with n - chlorosuccinimide ( 6 . 67 g ., 50 mmoles ) in 100 ml . of benzene to yield p - toluenesulfenyl chloride ( 7 . 0 g .) as an oil . by the same method m - toluenethiol [ tarbell and fukushima , org . synthesis 27 , 81 ( 1947 )] is converted to m - toluenesulfenyl chloride . methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of methylene chloride . to the stirred solution there was added dropwise p - toluenesulfenyl chloride ( 2 . 92 g ., 20 mmoles ), with the temperature maintained below 30 ° c . by occasional cooling with an ice - water bath . the reaction was stirred for 60 minutes at room temperature . the reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo to an oil . the residue was taken up in a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and hexane , a small amount of gum removed by filtration and the filtrate evaporated in vacuo to an oil ( 5 . 0 g .). the latter was chromatographed on 150 g . of silica gel , with 100 ml . fractions of the benzene eluant collected . fractions 10 to 19 were combined to yield the desired product ( 1 . 41 g .) contaminated with an impurity showing a mass spectral peak at 281 . the latter was removed by recrystallization from methylene chloride / hexane to yield purified methyl 5 -( 4 - methylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 14 g ., m . p . 118 °- 121 ° c ., m / e 247 ). by the method of this example and examples 3 and 8 , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate is reacted with m - toluenesulfenyl chloride to yield methyl 5 -( 3 - methylphenylthio )- pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . methyl 5 -( 4 - methylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 700 mg .) was refluxed with 15 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and 30 ml . of methanol for 2 . 5 hours . the methanol was removed by evaporation and the aqueous residue cooled to room temperature and extracted with ether . the aqueous layer was acidified and the product extracted multiply with ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate extracts were combined , washed with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered , and evaporated to an oil , which crystallized on standing ( 700 mg .). recrystallization from methylene chloride / hexane gave purified 5 -( 4 - methylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 432 mg ., m . p . 155 °- 157 ° c ., m / e 233 ). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 2 ns . 0 . 125 h 2 o : c , 61 . 21 ; h , 4 . 78 ; n , 5 . 95 . found : c , 61 . 36 ; h , 4 . 67 ; n , 5 . 46 . by the same procedure the other ester of example 11 is hydrolyzed to : under nitrogen , n - chlorosuccinimide ( 5 . 34 g ., 40 mmoles ) was slurried in 50 ml . of carbon tetrachloride and the stirred mixture cooled in an ice - water bath . o - chlorothiophenol ( 5 . 76 g ., 40 mmoles ), dissolved in 25 ml . of carbon tetrachloride , was added dropwise . the ice - water bath was removed and the reaction mixture stirred at room temperature for approximately 16 hours . the reaction was filtered , evaporated to an oil , taken up in hexane , refiltered and reconcentrated to yield o - chlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 6 . 8 g ., oil ). under a nitrogen atmosphere , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of methylene chloride and cooled in an ice - water bath . to the stirred solution o - chlorosulfenyl chloride ( 3 . 56 g ., 20 mmoles ) was added dropwise . the ice - water bath was removed and the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . an equal volume of ether was added to the reaction mixture , which was filtered and crude product isolated by evaporation of the filtrate to an oil ( 4 . 5 g .). the oil was crystallized from methylene chloride and hexane to yield purified methyl 5 -( 2 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 0 g ., m . p . 124 °- 130 ° c .). methyl 5 -( 2 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 0 g .) was combined with 20 ml . of methanol and 20 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 2 hours . the methanol was allowed to evaporate and the aqueous residue diluted with approximately one volume of water , acidified with hydrochloric acid and the product extracted multiply into ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate extracts were combined , washed with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and concentrated in vacuo to a gum . the gum was crystallized by trituration with hexane and crude product ( 1 . 0 g ., m . p . 160 °- 166 ° c .) recovered by filtration . recrystallization from methylene chloride / hexane gave purified 5 -( 2 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( m . p . 174 °- 176 ° c ., m / e 253 ). analysis : calcd for c 11 h 8 o 2 ncls . 0 . 25 h 2 o c , 51 . 06 ; h , 3 . 29 ; n , 5 . 41 . found : c , 51 . 09 ; h , 3 . 27 ; n , 5 . 47 . by the same method as example 13 , m - chlorothiophenol ( 5 . 76 g ., 40 mmoles ) was converted to m - chlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 6 . 09 g . of oil ). by the procedure of example 14 , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was reacted with m - chlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride to yield crude product as an oil ( 5 . 0 g .). the crude was chromatographed on 250 g . of silica gel , with 100 ml . fractions of the methylene chloride eluant collected . fractions 17 to 30 were combined and evaporated to yield purified methyl 5 -( 3 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 8 g ., m . p . 90 °- 95 ° c ., m / e 267 ) which crystallized on standing . methyl 5 -( 3 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 5 g .) was refluxed with 10 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and 20 ml . of methanol , at which time thin layer chromatography ( silica gel with hexane - 5 / ethyl acetate - 1 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ) indicated hydrolysis was complete . the methanol was allowed to evaporate . the aqueous residue was diluted with approximately one volume of water and extracted twice with ether . the aqueous phase was acidified with 6 n hydrochloric acid and product extracted multiply into ethyl acetate . the combined ethyl acetate extracts were back - washed with water and then with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated to an oil . trituration of the oil with hexane gave 5 -( 3 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 32 g ., m . p . 134 °- 137 ° c ., m / e 253 ). analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 8 o 2 ncls : c , 52 . 07 ; h , 3 . 17 ; n , 5 . 52 . found : c , 52 . 27 ; h , 3 . 27 ; n , 5 . 52 . following the method of harpp and mathiaparnam [ j . org . chem . 37 , 1372 ( 1972 )], 14 . 4 g of p - chlorothiophenol was converted to 16 g . of p - chlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( oil ). alternatively , p - chlorosulfenyl chloride is prepared by the procedure of example 13 . methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmole ) was dissolved in 35 ml . of methylene chloride . p - chlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 4 . 0 g ., 22 mmoles ) was added dropwise over approximately 2 minutes , and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . two volumes of ether were added , the mixture extracted twice with 20 ml . portions of water and the organic layer evaporated in vacuo . the resulting oil was chromatographed on 100 g . of silica gel with approximately 25 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 7 eluant collected . fractions 19 to 36 were combined and concentrated to yield methyl 5 -( 4 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 4 g ., m . p . 122 °- 124 ° c .). methyl 5 -( 4 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 4 g .) was combined with 20 ml . of methanol and 20 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and heated on a steam bath for 2 hours . the reaction was cooled , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid . and the crude product which precipitated , collected by filtration . two recrystallizations from acetone / hexane afforded purified 5 -( 4 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 740 mg ., m . p . 171 °- 173 ° c .). analysis : calcd for c 11 h 8 o 2 scl : c , 52 . 07 ; h , 3 . 18 ; n , 5 . 52 . found : c , 52 . 20 ; h , 3 . 17 ; n , 5 . 52 . the procedure of example 13 was repeated , reacting a slurry of n - chlorosuccinimide ( 3 . 72 g ., 27 . 9 mmoles ) in 50 ml . of carbon tetrachloride with 2 , 5 - dichlorothiophenol ( 5 . 0 g ., 27 . 9 mmoles ) in 25 ml . of carbon tetrachloride . 2 , 5 - dichlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 5 . 1 g .) was isolated as an oil . under a nitrogen atmosphere , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of methylene chloride and cooled with stirring in an ice - water bath . 2 , 5 - dichlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 4 . 24 g ., 20 mmoles ) was added dropwise . the bath was removed and the reaction stirred for 1 hour at room temperature , at which time thin layer chromatography ( silica gel with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ) indicated that virtually all of the starting pyrrole ester had been consumed . an equal volume of ether was added , the mixture filtered and the filtrate evaporated in vacuo to a partially crystalline gum ( 5 . 2 g .). the latter was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexane to yield purified methyl 5 -( 2 , 5 - dichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 68 g ., m . p . 162 °- 165 ° c .). methyl 5 -( 3 , 5 - dichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g .) was combined with 25 ml . of methanol and 25 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 3 hours . the methanol was allowed to evaporate , the aqueous residue diluted with approximately one volume of water and washed twice with ether . the aqueous phase was acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and the product extracted into ethyl acetate . the two ethyl acetate extracts were combined , washed with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to crude product ( 1 . 84 g ., m . p . 169 °- 172 ° c .). recrystallization from chloroform afforded purified 5 -( 3 , 5 - dichlorophenylthio )- pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 3 g ., m . p . 175 °- 177 ° c .). analysis : calcd for c 11 h 7 o 2 ncl 2 s : c , 45 . 84 ; h , 2 . 44 ; n , 4 . 86 . found : c , 45 . 69 ; h , 2 . 52 ; n , 4 . 85 . following the procedure of example 13 , 2 , 4 - dichlorothiophenol ( 7 . 16 g ., 40 mmoles ; preparation 1 ) was converted to 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 7 . 5 g ., oil ). under nitrogen , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 75 g .) was dissolved in 100 ml . of methylene chloride and cooled in an ice - water bath . to the cold , stirred solution , 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 6 . 39 g ., 30 mmoles ) was added dropwise . the bath was removed and the reaction stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . an equal volume of ether was added , the mixture filtered and the filtrate evaporated in vacuo to crude product ( 9 . 0 g ., oil ). the oil was chromatographed on 300 g . of silica gel with 200 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 7 eluant collected . fractions 6 to 10 were combined and evaporated to yield purified methyl 5 -( 2 , 4 - dichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 7 g ., solid , m / e 302 ). methyl 5 -( 2 , 4 - dichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 6 g .) was combined with 40 ml . of methanol and 40 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 2 . 5 hours . the methanol was allowed to evaporate , the aqueous residue diluted with approximately one volume of water and extracted with ether . the aqueous phase was acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and the heavy oil which precipitated extracted into ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate extracts were combined , washed with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to crude product ( 3 . 4 g ., m . p . 160 °- 164 ° c .). recrystallization from methanol / water gave purified 5 -( 2 , 4 - dichlorophenylthio )- pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 . 3 g ., m . p . 166 °- 168 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 7 o 2 ncl 2 s : c , 45 . 84 ; h , 2 . 44 ; n , 4 . 86 . found : c , 45 . 68 ; h , 2 . 77 ; n , 5 . 05 . by the procedure of examples 13 and 22 , 2 , 4 - dichlorothiophenol ( 5 g ., 27 . 9 mmoles ) was converted to 3 , 4 - dichlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 5 . 0 g ., oil ). by the procedure of example 23 , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was reacted with 3 , 4 - dichlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 4 . 24 g ., 20 mmoles ) to yield crude product ( 6 . 3 g ., oil ). the crude was chromatographed on 250 g . of silica gel , with 125 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid eluant collected . fractions 2 to 6 were combined and evaporated to dryness to afford purified methyl 5 -( 3 , 4 - dichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 76 g ., m . p . 93 °- 96 ° c .). methyl 5 -( 3 , 4 - dichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 7 g .) was combined with 20 ml . of methanol and 20 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 3 hours . the methanol was allowed to evaporate , and approximately one volume of water was added to the aqueous residue , which was then extracted twice with ether , cooled in an ice - water bath , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid , and the product extracted into ethyl acetate . the three ethyl acetate extracts were combined , washed with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to a gummy solid which was crystallized by trituration with hexane and recovered by filtration ( 1 . 34 g ., m . p . 156 °- 159 ° c .). recrystallization from chloroform gave purified 5 -( 3 , 4 - dichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 850 mg ., m . p . 159 °- 161 ° c .). analysis : calcd for c 11 h 7 o 2 ncl 2 s : c , 45 . 84 ; h , 2 . 44 ; n , 4 . 86 . found : c , 45 . 36 ; h , 2 . 58 ; n , 4 . 79 . by the procedure of example 13 , 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlorothiophenol ( 8 . 54 g ., 40 mmoles ) was converted to 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 8 . 2 g ., oil ). by the procedure of example 23 , methyl pyrrole 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was reacted with 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 4 . 95 g ., 20 mmoles ) to yield crude product ( 6 . 0 g .) as a foam . the crude was chromatographed on 300 g . of silica gel with 200 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 7 eluant collected . fractions 6 to 12 were combined and evaporated to yield methyl 5 -( 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 2 g ., m . p . 165 °- 175 ° c .). methyl 5 -( 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 1 g .) was combined with 20 ml . of methanol and 20 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and heated to reflux . additional 1 n sodium hydroxide was added in an amount sufficient to obtain a solution . reflux was continued for 2 . 5 hours , the methanol was then allowed to evaporate , and the aqueous residue was diluted with approximately one volume of water and extracted twice with ether . the aqueous phase was cooled in an ice - water bath and acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid . crude product ( 1 . 65 g ., m . p . 210 °- 215 ° c .) was recovered by filtration . recrystallization from methanol / water afforded purified 5 -( 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 01 g ., m . p . 215 °- 217 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 6 o 2 ncl 3 s : c , 40 . 95 ; h , 1 . 87 ; n , 4 . 34 . found : c , 40 . 56 ; h , 2 . 14 ; n , 4 . 16 . employing the procedure of example 13 , p - fluorothiophenol ( 5 . 0 g ., 39 mmoles ) and n - chlorosuccinimide ( 5 . 2 g ., 39 mmoles ) were reacted to form p - fluorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 4 . 8 g ., oil ). by the same procedure m - fluorothiophenol ( preparation 1 ) is converted to m - fluorobenzenesulfenyl chloride . by the procedure of example 26 , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was reacted with p - fluorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 3 . 24 g ., 20 mmoles ), yielding crude product ( 4 . 6 g .) as an oil . the crude was chromatographed on 250 g . of silica gel , collecting 125 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid eluant . fractions 5 to 7 were combined and evaporated to yield purified methyl 5 -( 4 - fluorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 5 g ., m . p . 100 °- 105 ° c ., m / e 251 ). by the same procedure , m - fluorobenzenesulfenyl chloride is reacted with methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate to form methyl 5 -( 3 - fluorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . methyl 5 -( 4 - fluorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 5 g .) was combined with 10 ml . of methanol and 10 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 2 hours . the methanol was allowed to evaporate , the aqueous residue was diluted with approximately one volume of water and extracted twice with ether . the aqueous phase was cooled in an ice - water bath and acidified to ph 2 . 0 with conc . hydrochloric acid . the gummy solid which precipitated was extracted into ethyl acetate . the three combined ethyl acetate extracts were washed with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated to an oil . trituration with hexane gave crystalline 5 -( 4 - fluorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 17 g ., m . p . 116 - 118 , m / e 237 ), recovered by filtration . analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 8 o 2 nfs : c , 55 . 68 ; h , 3 . 39 ; n , 5 . 90 . found : c , 55 . 78 ; h , 3 . 56 ; n , 5 . 66 . by the same procedure , methyl 5 -( 3 - fluorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate is hydrolyzed to 5 -( 3 - fluorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid . the procedure of example 13 was employed to convert m - trifluorothiophenol ( 7 . 12 g ., 40 mmoles ) to m - trifluorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 6 . 77 g . of oil ). following the procedure of example 26 , m - trifluorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 6 . 36 g ., 30 mmoles ) was reacted with methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate to yield 9 . 0 g . of crude product as an oil . the oil was chromatographed identically . fractions 7 to 9 were combined and evaporated in vacuo to yield purified methyl 5 -( 3 - trifluoromethylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 04 g ., m . p . 110 °- 115 ° c ., m / e 301 ). methyl 5 -( 3 - trifluoromethylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 9 g .) was combined with 30 ml . of methanol and 30 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 2 . 5 hours . the methanol was allowed to evaporate and the aqueous residue washed twice with ether . the aqueous phase was acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and the crude product ( 2 . 3 g .) which precipitated , was recovered by filtration . recrystallization of the crude from methanol / water gave purified 5 -( 3 - trifluoromethylphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 47 g ., m . p . 138 °- 140 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 8 o 2 nf 3 s : c , 50 . 17 ; h , 2 . 80 ; n , 4 . 87 . found : c , 49 . 95 ; h , 3 . 06 ; n , 4 . 79 . methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 g ., 24 mmoles ) was combined with 40 ml . of methanol and 40 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 1 hour . the methanol was allowed to evaporate , the aqueous residue was diluted with approximately one volume of water and extracted with ether . the aqueous phase was cooled in an ice - water bath and acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid . a small amount of insoluble material was removed by filtration and the filtrate was extracted three times with ethyl acetate . the combined ethyl acetate extracts were back - washed with water and then with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated to a gummy solid . trituration with hexane gave crystalline pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 8 g ., m . p . 115 °- 120 ° c ., m / e 111 ), recovered by filtration . following the procedure of king and abikar [ can . j . chem . 46 , 9 ( 1968 )], 50 ml . of carbon tetrachloride was cooled to 0 °- 5 ° c . in an ice - water bath and saturated with gaseous chlorine . this cold solution was titrated dropwise into a cold ( 0 °- 5 ° c .) solution of p - methoxythiophenol ( 5 g .) in 25 ml of carbon tetrachloride in sufficient quantity to maintain a deep red color . the reaction was evaporated to an oil . distillation gave purified p - methoxybenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 3 . 59 g ., b . p . 107 ° c ./ 4 mm ). by the same procedure or by the procedure of example 13 , o - methoxythiophenol and m - methoxythiophenol are converted , respectively , to o - methoxybenzenesulfenyl chloride and m - methoxybenzenesulfenyl chloride . under a nitrogen atmosphere , pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 93 g ., 17 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of tetrahydrofuran and cooled in an ice - water bath . to the stirred cold solution , p - methoxysulfenyl chloride ( 3 . 0 g ., 17 mmoles ) was added dropwise . the bath was removed and the reaction was stirred for approximately 16 hours at room temperature . an equal volume of ether was added , the mixture was filtered and the filtrate evaporated in vacuo to yield an oil ( 4 . 5 g .). the oil was chromatographed on 250 g . of silica gel , with 200 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid eluant collected . fractions 5 to 7 were combined and evaporated to an oil , which was crystallized from ether / hexane to yield 4 , 5 - bis ( 4 - methoxyphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 265 mg ., m . p . 159 °- 162 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 19 h 17 o 4 ns 2 : c , 58 . 89 ; h , 4 . 42 ; n , 3 . 61 . found : c , 58 . 44 ; h , 4 . 27 ; n , 3 . 73 . the ether / hexane mother liquor was evaporated to oil , crystallized by trituration with hexane ( 472 mg .). recrystallization of the latter from methylene chloride gave 5 -( 4 - methoxyphenylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 200 mg ., m . p . 144 °- 147 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 3 ns : c , 57 . 81 ; h , 4 . 44 ; n , 5 . 61 . found : c , 57 . 54 ; h , 4 . 51 ; n , 5 . 46 . the latter product is also prepared by reaction of p - methoxybenzenesulfenyl chloride with methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate , using the procedures of example 3 , followed by hydrolysis according to example 4 . in this case the chromatography system of the present example is used to purify the product , if necessary . the same two - step procedure of examples 3 and 4 is used to convert o - methoxybenzenesulfenyl chloride and m - methoxybenzenesulfenyl chloride to , respectively : diethyl disulfide ( 610 mg ., 5 mmoles ) was dissolved in 10 ml . of carbon tetrachloride . a solution of chlorine in carbon tetrachloride ( 3 . 5 ml . of concentration 100 mg ./ ml .) was added and the solution stirred for 10 minutes at room temperature . the resulting solution , used directly in subsequent steps , was estimated to contain 10 mmoles of ethylsulfenyl chloride . methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 g ., 8 mmoles ) was dissolved in 10 ml . of methylene chloride and stirred under nitrogen . a solution of ethylsulfenyl chloride in carbon tetrachloride as prepared above ( estimated 10 mmoles ) was added , followed by stannic chloride ( 2 . 3 ml ., 20 mmoles ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . a precipitate formed . a mixture of ice and water ( approximately 10 ml .) and ethyl acetate ( 20 ml .) was added to the reaction mixture , which was then added to 100 ml . of ether . the organic phase was washed twice with 50 ml . of water , once with 50 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide , twice more with 25 ml . portions of water and finally concentrated to an oil ( 1 g .). the reaction was repeated on 5 . 5 times this scale . in this case , the supernatant was decanted from the precipitate which had formed by the end of the reaction period . water ( 100 ml .) and ether ( approximately 300 ml .) was added to the supernatant . the organic phase was washed with water and concentrated to an oil ( 1 . 3 g .). the precipitate was dissolved in 150 ml . of ethyl acetate and 100 ml . of water . the ethyl acetate layer was washed with 50 ml . of water , filtered and concentrated to dryness ( 4 . 8 g .). the three crude products above were combined ( approximately 6 . 5 g . ), dissolved in approximately 5 ml . of ethyl acetate and chromatographed on 400 ml . of silica gel , eluted with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 6 / 5 % acetic acid . the purification was monitored by thin layer chromatography ( silica gel with the same eluant ). middle cuts containing clean product ( rf 0 . 4 ) were concentrated to dryness and triturated with hexane to yield slightly gummy crystals ( 1 . 15 g .). recrystallization of 444 mg . of crude from ether / hexane gave purified methyl 5 - ethylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 140 mg ., m . p . 67 °- 70 ° c .). additional crude product ( approximately 300 mg .) was recovered by evaporation of the recrystallization mother liquor . methyl 5 - ethylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 100 mg .) was combined with 5 ml . of ethanol and 5 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and heated on a steam bath in an open flask for 1 hour . the aqueous residue was cooled to room temperature and extracted with 2 ml . of ether . the aqueous phase was acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid to yield crystalline 5 - ethylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 38 mg ., m . p . 110 °- 112 ° c ., m / e 171 ). analysis : calcd . for c 7 h 9 o 2 ns : c , 49 . 11 ; h , 5 . 30 ; n , 8 . 18 . found : c , 48 . 96 ; h , 5 . 21 ; n , 7 . 91 . under nitrogen , dibutyl sulfide ( 3 . 56 g ., 20 mmoles ) was dissolved in 40 ml . of carbon tetrachloride and the stirred solution cooled in an ice - water bath . a solution of chlorine ( 1 . 4 g ., 20 mmoles ) in 14 ml . of carbon tetrachloride was added dropwise . the bath was removed and the solution stirred for 10 minutes at room temperature . the solution estimated to contain 4 . 96 g . ( 40 mmoles ) of butylsulfenyl chloride was used directly in subsequent steps . by the same process , dimethyl disulfide [ hunter and sorenson , j . am . chem . soc . 54 , 3364 ( 1932 )], dipentyl disulfide [ miller et al ., j . am chem . soc . 64 , 2323 ( 1942 )], and dicyclohexyl disulfide ( preparation 3 ) are converted respectively , to solutions of methylsulfenyl chloride , pentylsulfenyl chloride and cyclohexylsulfenyl chloride . under nitrogen , pyrrole 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 . 44 g ., 40 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of tetrahydrofuran and the solution cooled in an ice - water bath . a solution of butylsulfenyl chloride ( example 46 , estimated to contain 4 . 96 g ., 40 mmoles ) was added dropwise . the bath was removed and stirring continued for 1 hour at room temperature . an equal volume of ether was added , the mixture was filtered , and the filtrate evaporated to an oil ( 8 . 3 g .). the oil was chromatographed on 250 g . silica gel , with 100 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / toluene - 5 / 5 % acetic acid eluant collected . fraction 9 was evaporated and triturated with carbon tetrachloride to yield crystalline 5 - butylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 185 mg ., m / e 199 ). fractions 7 - 8 and 9 - 10 were combined , evaporated to gums , and rechromatographed in smaller columns , collecting 8 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / heptane - 2 eluant . an additional 114 mg . of 5 - butylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid resulted . analysis : calcd . for c 9 h 13 o 2 ns : c , 54 . 24 ; h , 6 . 57 ; n , 7 . 03 . found : c , 54 . 74 ; h , 6 . 94 ; n , 6 . 98 . by the same procedure or by the procedures of examples 44 and 45 , methylsulfenyl chloride , pentylsulfenyl chloride , and cyclohexylsulfenyl chloride are used to prepare 5 - methylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid , 5 - pentylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid , and 5 - cyclohexylthiopyrrole - 5 - carboxylic acid . following the procedure of example 46 , dibenzyl disulfide ( 4 . 92 g ., 20 mmoles ) was converted to a solution estimated to contain 6 . 32 g . ( 40 mmoles ) of benzylsulfenyl chloride . under nitrogen , pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 . 44 g ., 40 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of tetrahydrofuran and cooled in an ice - water bath . a solution of benzylsulfenyl chloride ( estimated 6 . 32 g ., 40 mmoles ) in carbon tetrachloride , freshly prepared by the method of example 48 , was added dropwise to the stirred solution . the bath was removed and the reaction stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . an equal volume of ether was added and the product extracted into 125 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide . the aqueous phase was back - washed with ether , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and the product extracted into ethyl acetate . the three ethyl acetate extracts were combined , back - washed with water , then twice with saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated to an oil ( 8 . 0 g ). the oil was chromatographed on 300 g . of silica gel , with 200 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / toluene - 5 / 5 % acetic acid collected . fractions 3 and 4 were combined and evaporated to a gummy solid ( 2 . 5 g .). the latter was triturated with hexane and then with ether to yield crystalline 4 , 5 - bis -( benzylthio ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 298 mg ., m . p . 160 °- 162 ° c ., m / e 355 ). analysis : calcd . for c 19 h 17 o 2 ns 2 : c , 64 . 19 ; h , 4 . 82 ; n , 3 . 94 . found : c , 64 . 33 ; h , 4 . 75 ; n , 4 . 34 . the mother liquor from the above crystalline product was evaporated to a gum ( 1 . 2 g .) and rechromatographed on 50 g . of silica gel , with collection of 50 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid eluant . fractions 6 to 9 were combined , evaporated to a gummy solid , and crystallized from ether / hexane to yield 5 - benzylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 400 mg ., m . p . 114 °- 117 ° c ., m / e 233 ). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 2 ns : c , 61 . 77 ; h , 4 . 75 ; n , 6 . 00 . found : c , 61 . 79 ; h , 4 . 83 ; n , 5 . 63 . under nitrogen , 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 1 g ., 5 mmoles ) was dissolved in 30 ml . of tetrahydrofuran . a 1 m solution of borane in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ., 10 mmoles ) was added dropwise over 1 minute . the reaction was stirred for 13 minutes at room temperature , cooled in an ice - water bath and excess diborane decomposed by careful dropwise addition of 20 ml . of water . ether ( 30 ml .) and 10 ml of 1 n sodium hydroxide was then added . the organic phase was separated , washed with water and evaporated in vacuo to mixture of oil and crystals ( 0 . 8 g .). the reaction was repeated , except that stirring time was reduced to 10 minutes , yielding 1 . 0 g . of crude product . the two crude products were combined and chromatographed on approximately 200 g . of silica gel eluted with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 1 . purified 1 -( 5 - phenylthio - 3 - pyrrolyl )- methanol ( 800 mg ., m . p . 69 °- 71 ° c ., m / e 205 ) was isolated from the last fractions by evaporation , trituration with hexane and filtration . by the same procedure , other 5 - substituted pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acids prepared in the examples above are converted to the corresponding 1 -( 5 - substituted - 3 - pyrrolyl ) methanols , e . g . : 1 -( 5 - phenylthio - 3 - pyrrolyl ) methanol ( 2 . 3 g ., 11 mmoles ) was dissolved in 60 ml . of methylene chloride . triethylamine ( 10 ml ., 70 mmoles ) was added and the solution was cooled to - 40 ° to - 45 ° c . with stirring , methanesulfonyl chloride ( 4 ml ., 51 mmoles ) was added dropwise , maintaining the temperature in the same range . the reaction was stirred for 15 minutes at - 40 ° to - 45 ° c . and the cold solution of 1 -( 5 - phenylthio - 3 - pyrrolyl )- methyl mesylate used directly in the next step . by the same procedure , the other alcohols of example 50 are converted to the corresponding mesylate esters : potassium cyanide ( 2 g .) was dissolved in 5 ml . of water and 30 ml . acetone added -- resulting in two phases . the cold (- 40 ° c . ), methylene chloride solution of 1 -( 5 - phenylthio - 3 - pyrrolyl ) methyl mesylate of example 57 ( estimated to contain 11 mmoles ) was poured into the vigorously stirred , two - phase system . stirring at room temperature was continued for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo to remove acetone and methylene chloride . water ( 10 ml .) was added to the aqueous residue , and the product was extracted into 25 ml . of ether . the ether was back - washed with 15 ml . of water and evaporated to an oil ( 200 mg .). the oil was chromatographed on approximately 75 ml . of silica gel , with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 2 as eluant . evaporation of the initial fractions gave purified 1 -( 5 - phenylthio - 3 - pyrrolyl ) methyl nitrile ( 157 mg ., oil ; pnmr / δ : methylene band at 3 . 50 ppm shifted from 4 . 35 ppm in the precursor alcohol ). by the same procedure the other mesylate esters of example 51 are converted to : 1 -( 5 - phenylthio - 3 - pyrrolyl ) methyl nitrile ( 3 . 2 g ., crude , i . e . material prepared by the method of example 52 which had not been chromatographed ) was combined with 75 ml . of ethanol and 50 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 4 hours . the condenser was removed and most of the ethanol evaporated under a stream of nitrogen . the residual solution was diluted with 50 ml . of water and extracted with 50 ml . of ether . the resulting three phases were separated . the upper ( ether ) phase was discarded . the intermediate phase was diluted with 50 ml . of water , washed with ether and the ether discarded . both the original lower aqueous phase and the second aqueous phase were acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and in each case , product extracted into 25 ml . of ethyl acetate , the ethyl acetate backwashed twice with 15 ml . of water and stirred to gummy solid ( 0 . 8 g . from the original lower phase ; 1 . 9 g . from the intermediate phase ). the crude products were combined and chromatographed on approximately 200 ml . of silica gel , eluted with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid . evaporation of middle fractions gave purified 2 -( 5 - phenylthio - 3 - pyrrolyl ) acetic acid . ( 1 . 50 g ., m . p . 125 °- 127 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 2 ns : c , 61 . 80 ; h , 4 . 75 ; n , 6 . 01 . found : c , 61 . 75 ; h , 4 . 70 ; n , 6 . 04 . by the same procedure the other nitriles of example 58 are converted to : pyrrole ( 2 . 0 g ., 30 mmoles ) was dissolved in 20 ml . of ether . benzenesulfenyl chloride ( 4 . 5 g ., 30 mmoles ) was added dropwise at such a rate that the purple color of the reagent was discharged . a slightly exothermic reaction was noted . after addition was complete ( 10 minutes ), the reaction was evaporated to an oil ( 5 . 7 g .). the oil was chromatographed on approximately 180 ml . of silica gel , eluted with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 7 . middle fractions , evaporated to dryness , afforded 2 - phenylthiopyrrole ( 300 mg .). analysis : calcd . for c 10 h 9 ns : c , 68 . 56 ; h , 5 . 18 ; n , 8 . 00 . found : c , 68 . 15 ; h , 5 . 27 ; n , 7 . 83 . by the same procedure , the sulfenyl chlorides of the above examples are reacted with pyrrole or with a 1 - alkylpyrrole ( example 5 ) to form the corresponding 2 - substituted pyrroles , e . g . : 2 - phenylthiopyrrole ( 1 . 75 g ., 10 mmoles ) was dissolved in 20 ml . of methylene chloride . trichloroacetyl chloride ( 1 . 1 ml ., 10 mmoles ) was added and the reaction stirred for 3 hours at room temperature . the reaction mixture was washed with 20 ml . of water and concentrated to yield 2 - phenylthio - 5 - trichloroacetylpyrrole , used directly in the next step . by this procedure the other 2 - substituted pyrroles of example 54 are converted to : 2 - phenylthiopyrrole - 5 - trichloroacetylpyrrole ( estimated 10 mmoles , the entire product from example 57 ) was combined with 25 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and 60 ml of methanol and refluxed for one hour . the condenser was removed and most of the methanol removed by boiling ( approximately 20 minutes ). the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and by - products removed by filtration . the filtrate was extracted with 25 ml . of ether , the aqueous phase acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and the product extracted into 35 ml of ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate phase was backwashed with water and concentrated to a solid ( 0 . 7 g .). recrystallization from ether / hexane gave purified 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 475 mg ., m . p . 129 °- 131 ° c ., m / e 219 ). analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 9 o 2 ns : c , 60 . 27 ; h , 4 . 14 ; n , 6 . 39 . found : c , 60 . 37 ; h , 4 . 08 ; n , 6 . 37 . a second crop of product was also obtained ( 190 mg ., m . p . 126 °- 128 ° c .). by the same procedure , the other substituted pyrroles of example 55 are converted to : under nitrogen , 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitrile ( 12 g ., 0 . 1 mole ) was dissolved in 250 ml . of methylene chloride and cooled with stirring in an ice - water bath . a solution of benzenesulfenyl chloride ( estimated 14 . 4 g ., 0 . 1 mole ) in 125 ml . of methylene chloride was added dropwise . the bath was removed and the reaction stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . an equal volume of ether was added , the reaction extracted twice with water , and the organic layer evaporated to an oil ( 23 g .). the oil was chromatographed on 300 g . of silica gel , with 250 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 2 / hexane - 7 eluant collected . fraction 2 was evaporated to yield 1 - methyl - 5 - phenylthio - 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitrile ( 9 . 0 g ., oil ; rf 0 . 25 on thin layer chromatography on silica gel with ethyl acetate - 2 / hexane - 7 as eluant . by the same procedure , the other sulfenyl chlorides of the above examples are reacted with 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitrile , 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitrile or other 1 - alkyl - 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitriles as appropriate to yield 5 - substituted - 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitriles , e . g . : the 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitriles required for the above syntheses , when not available commercially or in the literature , are derived from pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid by the procedures of examples 50 to 52 and 5 , i . e ., diboran reduction , mesylate ester formation , conversion to nitrile and , if required , alkylation . 1 - methyl - 5 - phenylthio - 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitrile ( 2 . 0 g .) was combined with 20 ml . of 5 n sodium hydroxide and 20 ml . of ethanol and refluxed for 2 hours . the ethanol was allowed to evaporate and the aqueous residue was diluted with approximately one volume water , washed twice with ether , cooled in an ice - water bath , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and the product extracted into ethyl acetate . the three ethyl acetate extractions were combined , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , and evaporated to crude product ( 1 . 5 g ). recrystallization from ether / hexane afforded purified 2 -( 1 - methyl - 5 - phenylthio - 2 - pyrrolyl ) acetic acid ( 700 mg ., m . p . 94 °- 96 ° c ., m / e 247 ). analysis : calcd . for c 13 h 13 o 2 ns : c , 63 . 13 ; h , 5 . 29 ; n , 5 . 66 . found : c , 63 . 31 ; h , 5 . 33 ; n , 5 . 62 . by the same procedure , the other 5 - substituted - 2 - pyrrolylmethyl nitriles of example 57 was converted to : pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 5 . 5 g ., 50 mmoles ) was dissolved to the extent of about 90 % by warming in 200 ml . of tetrahydrofuran . the stirred , partial solution was cooled to - 34 ° c ., and freshly prepared benzenesulfenyl chloride ( 7 . 5 g ., 52 mmoles ) added at this temperature . the reaction mixture was gradually warmed to room temperature over approximately 2 . 5 hours and left to stir at room temperature for approximately 64 hours . insoluble material was removed by filtration . the filtrate was diluted with 200 ml . of ether and the product extracted into 150 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide . the aqueous phase was back - washed with 75 ml . of ether , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and the product extracted into 75 ml . of ether . the ether was backwashed with 50 ml . of water , concentrated to dryness ( 9 . 0 g . ), the residue taken back up in 30 ml . of ether , insolubles ( 0 . 6 g ., mostly starting material ) removed by filtration , and reconcentrated to crude product ( 8 g .). the latter was chromatographed on approximately 350 g . of silica gel , with approximately 25 ml . fractions of the ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 7 / 5 % acetic acid eluant collected . fractions , concentrated to dryness , were monitored by thin layer chromatography employing the same eluant . late fractions , including some containing a little starting material , were combined and recrystallized from ether / hexane to yield purified 4 - phenylthiopyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 34 g ., m . p . 181 °- 183 ° c ., m / e 219 ). analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 9 o 2 ns : c , 60 . 27 ; h , 4 . 14 ; n , 6 . 39 . found : c , 60 . 58 ; h , 4 . 24 ; n , 6 . 53 . pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 7 . 8 g ., 70 mmoles ) was for the most part dissolved in 350 ml . of tetrahydrofuran by stirring at room temperature . the partial solution was cooled with stirring to - 40 ° c . p - chlorobenzenesulfenyl chloride ( 13 g ., 72 mmoles ) was added at - 40 ° c . and the reaction allowed to warm to room temperature gradually over a 3 hour period . the reaction mixture was left to stand for approximately 64 hours . the reaction mixture was diluted with 200 ml . of ether and extracted with 125 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide , from which 5 g . of crude product was isolated by acidification , extracted into ethyl acetate and concentrated to dryness . pure product was obtained by extraction of the above tetrahydrofuran - ether phase with 50 ml . of water , acidification of the aqueous phase with conc . hydrochloric acid , extraction of product into 50 ml . of ethyl acetate , back - wash with water and concentration of the ethyl acetate to dryness , yielding 5 . 7 g . of crude product . two - fold recrystallization of the latter from acetone - hexane afforded pure 4 -( 4 - chlorophenylthio ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 908 mg . in two crops ; m . p . 218 °- 220 ° c ., m / e 253 ). analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 8 o 2 nscl : c , 52 . 07 ; h , 3 . 18 ; n , 5 . 52 . found : c , 52 . 11 ; h , 3 . 32 ; n , 5 . 31 . c , 52 . 13 ; h , 3 . 41 ; n , 5 . 25 . by the procedures of examples 59 and 60 , other sulfenyl chlorides , as prepared in the examples above , are reacted with pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid to prepare the corresponding 4 - substituted pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acids , e . g . : the acids produced by the procedure of this example are converted to the corresponding 1 - alkyl derivatives by application of the alkylation procedure of example 5 thereto , followed by the hydrolysis of the resulting 1 - alkyl alkyl ester according to the procedure of example 6 . the acids produced by the procedure of this example are converted to the corresponding 2 -( 4 - substituted - 2 - pyrrolyl ) acetic acids by application thereto of the diborane reduction , mesylate ester formation , conversion to nitrile and hydrolysis sequence of examples 50 to 53 . 1 - methylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 5 g ., 40 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of methylene chloride . benzenesulfenyl chloride ( 12 g ., 80 mmoles ) was added portionwise over approximately 2 minutes . the resulting reaction mixture was stirred for 4 . 5 hours at room temperature . 1 - methyl - 4 , 5 - bis ( phenylthio ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 5 g ., m . p . 172 °- 174 ° c ., m / e 341 ) was recovered directly from the reaction mixture . a second crop was obtained from the mother liquor by diluting with 2 volumes of ether , extraction of the product into 50 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and acidification of the aqueous phase ( 0 . 70 g ., m . p . 172 °- 174 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 18 h 15 no 2 s 2 : c , 63 . 34 ; h , 4 . 43 ; n , 4 . 10 . found : c , 62 . 94 ; h , 4 . 35 ; n , 4 . 34 . by replacing 1 - methylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid with an equivalent amount of 1 - ethylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid , the procedure of this example produces 1 - ethyl - 4 , 5 - bis -( phenylthio ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid . under nitrogen , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 5 g ., 40 mmoles ) was combined with benzoyl chloride ( 4 . 8 ml ., 40 mmoles ) and stannic chloride ( 9 . 2 ml . 80 mmoles ) in 75 ml . of methylene chloride and stirred for 3 hours at room temperature . ice and water ( 50 ml .) was added slowly and stirring continued for an additional 15 minutes . ether ( 150 ml .) was then added and , after equilibration , the phases separated . the upper , organic phase was washed sequentially with 50 ml . of water , 50 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and 50 ml . of water , and evaporated to dryness to yield crude product ( 6 . 4 g . of solid ). recrystallization from acetonehexane gave purified methyl 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 4 . 1 g ., rf 0 . 4 on silica gel thin layer chromatography eluted with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid ). belgian pat . no . 870 , 910 ( published mar . 29 , 1979 ) also discloses , in a general fashion , that friedel - crafts acylation of pyrrole - 3 - carboxylates yields 5 - acylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylates . this patent specifically exemplifies preparation of methyl 1 - methyl - 5 -( 3 - chlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( see example 84 below ). methyl 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 7 . 5 g .) was combined with 100 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and 100 ml . of ethanol and boiled in an open flask for 1 hour , by which time most of the ethanol had evaporated . the aqueous residue was diluted with 100 ml . of water and acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid to precipitate crystalline 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 6 . 3 g ., m . p . 289 °- 290 ° c . ( dec . ), m / e 215 ]. belgian pat . no . 870 , 910 ( cited above ) discloses preparation of analogous acids by hydrolysis of the corresponding ester . under nitrogen at room temperature , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was combined with 75 ml . of methylene chloride . o - toluoyl chloride ( 3 . 09 g ., 20 mmoles ) in 25 ml . of methylene chloride was added , followed by stannic chloride ( 4 . 6 ml ., 40 mmoles ) added at a fast dropwise rate via a needle and syringe . progress of the reaction was followed by thin layer chromatography ( silica gel with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). after stirring at room temperature for 2 . 5 hours , the reaction was cooled with an ice - water bath while 75 ml . of water was added dropwise . after addition was complete , the mixture was stirred for 15 minutes at room temperature , approximately an equal volume of ether was added , the organic layer separated , washed in sequence with water , 1 n sodium hydroxide , water and saturated brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated to yield methyl 5 -( 2 - methylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . methyl 5 -( 2 - methylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 3 . 6 g .) was combined with 40 ml . of methanol and 40 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide , reluxed for 2 . 5 hours , the methanol evaporated , the aqueous residue diluted with approximately one volume of water and extracted with ether . the aqueous phase was cooled and acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid to yield crude product ( 4 . 0 g . ), recovered by filtration . recrystallization from methanol afforded purified 5 -( 2 - methylbenzoyl )- pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 . 2 g ., m . p . 280 °- 282 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 13 h 11 o 3 n : c , 68 . 11 ; h , 4 . 83 ; n , 6 . 11 . found : c , 68 . 34 ; h , 4 . 97 ; n , 6 . 16 . following the procedure of example 64 , p - toluoyl chloride ( 3 . 09 g ., 20 mmoles ) and methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate were reacted to form methyl 5 -( 4 - methylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 9 g ., m . p . 155 °- 159 ° c ., m / e 243 ). by the same procedure , equivalent amounts of m - toluoyl chloride , o - fluorobenzoyl chloride , m - fluorobenzoyl chloride , p - fluorobenzoyl chloride , o - chlorobenzoyl chloride , m - chlorobenzoyl chloride , and p - chlorobenzoyl chloride are reacted with methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate to produce , respectively : methyl 5 -( 4 - methylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 7 g .) was refluxed for 2 hours with 30 ml . of methanol and 30 ml . of sodium hydroxide , and the product isolated by the procedure of example 65 . the crude product ( 3 . 23 g .) was recrystallized from methanol to produce purified 5 -( 4 - methylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 32 g ., m . p . 275 °- 277 ° c .). analysis : calcd , for c 13 h 11 o 3 n : c , 68 . 11 ; h , 4 . 83 ; n , 6 . 11 . found : c , 67 . 95 ; h , 4 . 95 ; n , 6 . 07 . by the same procedure , the other esters of example 66 are converted to : imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridine ( 8 . 3 g ., 70 mmoles ) dissolved in 125 ml . of ether was mixed with p - chlorophenacyl bromide ( 16 . 3 g ., 70 mmoles ) dissolved in 50 ml . of tetrahydrofuran and stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes at which time a gummy precipitate ( approximately 2 g .) was separated by decantation . the decant was stirred for an additional 22 hours at room temperature , by which time product had precipitated heavily . filtration with ether wash gave 2 -( 4 - chlorobenzoylmethyl ) imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridinium bromide ( 16 . 8 g ., m . p . 241 °- 243 ° c .). by the same procedure , imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridine is reacted with phenacyl bromide , p - fluorophenacyl chloride , and p - methylphenacyl bromide to yield , respectively : 2 -( 4 - chlorobenzoyl ) imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridinium bromide ( 10 . 5 g ., 30 mmoles ) was stirred with potassium carbonate ( 16 . 5 g ., 120 mmoles ) in 125 ml . of dimethylformamide for 45 minutes at room temperature . the mixture was cooled to - 10 ° c ., and ethyl propiolate ( 4 . 65 ml ., 35 mmoles ) was added . the temperature rose to 0 ° c . the reaction mixture was then warmed to room temperature , stirred for 4 hours , and filtered . the filtrate was diluted with 250 ml . of ether and extracted with two 250 ml . portions of water . the water extracts were combined and back - washed with 250 ml . of ether . the original organic layer and the ether back - wash were combined , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , and concentrated to an oil . the oil was dissolved in 150 ml . of ether . hexane ( 150 ml .) was added and a precipitate removed by filtration . addition of excess hydrogen chloride in ethyl acetate to the filtrate precipitated crystalline ethyl 1 -( 2 - pyridylmethyl )- 2 -( 4 - chlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 4 - carboxylate hydrochloride ( 5 . 1 g ., m . p . 179 °- 182 ° c .). by the same procedure , the other pyridinium halides of example 68 are converted to : ethyl 1 -( 2 - pyridylmethyl )- 5 -( 4 - chlorobenzoyl )- pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate hydrochloride ( 4 . 05 g .) was combined with 150 ml . of dioxane , 5 ml . of water and 10 g . of selenium dioxide and refluxed for 18 hours . the reaction mixture was filtered , the filtrate diluted with 150 ml . of ether and 150 ml . of water , and equilibrated . the organic phase was separated , back - washed with two 100 ml . portions of water , and concentrated to yield solid ethyl 5 -( 4 - chlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 7 g ., rf 0 . 55 on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). by the same procedure , the other 1 -( 2 - pyridylmethyl )- pyrroles of example 69 are converted to : ethyl 5 -( 4 - chlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 0 . 7 g .) was combined with 20 ml . of methanol and 15 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and boiled in an open flask for 1 hour . most of the methanol evaporated . the mixture was diluted to 40 ml . with water , treated with activated charcoal , and acidified to yield 5 -( 4 - chlorobenzoyl )- pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 550 mg ., m . p . 278 °- 280 ° c . ( dec )]. recrystallization from 1 : 1 methanol - acetone gave two crops of purified product [ 385 mg ., m . p . 280 °- 282 ° c . ( dec .)]. analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 8 o 3 ncl : c , 57 . 73 ; h , 3 . 23 ; n , 5 . 61 . found : c , 57 . 50 ; h , 3 . 15 ; n , 5 . 42 . by the same procedure , the other ethyl esters of example 70 are converted to : by the procedure of example 64 , 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzoyl chloride ( 4 . 18 g ., 20 mmoles ) and methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate were reacted to form methyl 5 -( 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 0 g ., gummy solid , rf 0 . 5 on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 1 as eluant ). methyl 5 -( 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 0 g .) was refluxed for 2 . 5 hours in 35 ml . of methanol and 35 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide . the methanol was evaporated , and approximately one volume of water was added to the aqueous residue . the mixture was extracted twice with ether , and acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid to yield 2 . 12 g . of crude product , recovered by filtration . recrystallization from methanol , which included an activated carbon treatment , afforded purified 5 -( 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 06 g ., m . p . 245 °- 249 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 7 o 3 ncl 2 : c , 50 . 73 ; h , 2 . 48 ; n , 4 . 93 . found : c , 50 . 66 ; h , 2 . 69 ; n , 4 . 87 . by the procedure of example 64 , but a 5 hour reaction time , 3 , 5 - dimethoxybenzoyl chloride ( 4 . 0 g ., 20 mmoles ) was reacted with methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate to yield , without recrystallization , methyl 5 -( 3 , 5 - dimethoxybenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 7 g ., m . p . 115 °- 120 ° c ., m / e 289 ). methyl 5 -( 3 , 4 - dimethoxybenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 7 g .) was refluxed with 40 ml . of methanol and 40 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide for 2 hours and isolated by the procedure of example 73 . recrystallization from methanol gave purified 5 -( 3 , 5 - dimethoxybenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 5 g ., m . p . 267 °- 269 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 14 h 13 o 5 n : c , 61 . 08 ; h , 4 . 75 ; n , 5 . 08 . found : c , 60 . 65 ; h , 4 . 72 ; n , 5 . 11 . imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridine ( 7 . 1 g ., 60 mmoles ), dissolved in 150 ml . of ether , was mixed with p - phenylphenacyl bromide dissolved in 100 ml . of tetrahydrofuran and stirred for 4 hours at room temperature . a first crop of crystalline 2 -( 4 - phenylbenzoylmethyl ) imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridinium bromide [ 7 . 8 g ., m . p . 258 °- 260 ° c . ( dec .)] was recovered by filtration . after standing four days at room temperature , a second crop of crystallized product [ 9 . 5 g ., m . p . 262 °- 264 ° c . ( dec .)] was recovered from the filtrate . 2 -( 4 - phenylbenzoylmethyl ) imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridinium bromide ( 16 g ., 40 mmoles ), potassium carbonate ( 22 g ., 160 mmoles ) and ethyl propiolate ( 6 . 4 ml ., 48 mmoles ) were combined according to the procedure of example 69 , stirred for approximately 16 hours at room temperature , then isolated and converted to hydrochloride according to the procedure of example 69 , to yield ethyl 1 -( 2 - pyridylmethyl )- 5 -( 4 - phenylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 5 . 3 g ., intermediate rf on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). ethyl 1 -( 2 - pyridylmethyl )- 5 -( 4 - phenylbenzoyl )- pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 5 . 3 g .) was combined with 150 ml . of dioxane , 5 ml . of water and 10 g . of selenium dioxide and refluxed for approximately 16 hours . insoluble material was separated by filtration , the filtrate was diluted with 150 ml . of ether and 150 ml . of water , the mixture equilibrated , the ether phase separated , back - washed twice with 100 ml . portions of water , filtered and concentrated to yield ethyl 5 -( 4 - phenylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 1 g , solid ; rf 0 . 4 on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). by following the procedure of examples 64 , 66 , 68 and 74 , 4 - phenylbenzoyl chloride and 2 - phenylbenzoyl chloride are reacted with methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate to yield similar compounds , viz . : ethyl 5 -( 4 - phenylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 3 . 1 g .) was boiled in an open flask with 100 ml . of methanol and 70 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide for 1 hour by which time most of the methanol was removed by evaporation . the solution was cooled to room temperature , and product which had precipitated as the sodium salt recovered by filtration . the salt was stirred with 75 ml . of 1 n hydrochloric acid and 5 -( 4 - phenylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 1 g ., m . p . & gt ; 280 ° c .) recovered by filtration . analysis : calcd . for c 18 13 o 3 n : c , 74 . 21 ; h , 4 . 50 ; n , 4 . 81 . found : c , 73 . 86 ; h , 4 . 61 ; n , 4 . 91 . under nitrogen , methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 920 mg ., 7 mmoles ) was dissolved in 25 ml . of methylene chloride . phenylacetyl chloride ( 930 mg ., 6 mmoles ) was added and dissolved . finally , stannic chloride ( 1 . 2 ml ., 12 mmoles ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred for 3 hours , water ( 15 ml .) added dropwise , diluted with 50 ml . of ether , the organic phase separated , washed with 20 ml . of water and evaporated to dryness to yield methyl 5 - phenylacetylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( semisolid , rf 0 . 3 on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). the entire batch was employed without weight determination in the next step . all of the methyl 5 - phenylacetylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate prepared by example 80 was boiled with methanol ( 20 ml .) and 1 n sodium hydroxide ( 15 ml .) for 90 minutes . the aqueous residue was cooled , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid , and crude product ( 1 . 2 g .) recovered by filtration . chromatography on 30 g . of silica gel , employing ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant , gave , on evaporation of the initial , ultraviolet absorbing fractions , purified 5 - phenylacetylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 470 mg ., m . p . 205 °- 207 ° c ., m / e 229 ). analysis : calcd . for c 13 h 11 o 3 n . 0 . 25 h 2 o : c , 67 . 37 ; h , 5 . 00 ; n , 6 . 04 . found : c , 66 . 97 ; h , 4 . 99 ; n , 5 . 98 . to a solution of methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 . 25 g ., 10 mmoles ) in 25 ml . of methylene chloride under nitrogen , was added cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride ( 1 . 46 g ., 1 . 33 ml ., 10 mmoles ) and then stannic chloride ( 3 . 13 g ., 1 . 4 ml ., 14 mmoles ). the resulting solution was stirred 3 hours at room temperature , then 15 ml . of water added slowly and finally 50 ml . of ether . the organic phase was separated , washed with 20 ml . of water , filtered and evaporated to yield methyl 5 - cyclohexylcarbonylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( rf 0 . 25 on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). the entire batch was used , without weight determination , in the next step . by the same procedure , cyclopentylcarbonyl chloride and cycloheptylcarbonyl chloride are converted respectively to : the entire batch of methyl 5 - cyclohexylcarbonyl - 3 - carboxylate from example 82 was hydrolyzed and isolated according to the procedure of example 81 to yield crude product ( 1 . 1 g .). recrystallization from acetone afforded purified 5 - cyclohexylcarbonylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 360 mg ., m . p . 264 °- 265 ° c ., m / e 221 ). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 15 o 3 n : c , 65 . 14 ; h , 6 . 83 ; n , 6 . 33 . found : c , 65 . 28 ; h , 6 . 90 ; n , 6 . 46 . by the same procedure the other methyl esters of example 82 are converted to : methyl 5 - benzoyl - 3 - carboxylate ( 4 . 1 g ., 18 mmoles ) was dissolved with stirring in 500 ml . of ether . sodium hydride ( 57 %, 1 . 5 g ., 36 mmoles ) was added and the mixture stirred under nitrogen for 1 . 5 hours . dimethylsulfate ( 3 . 5 ml ., 40 mmoles ) was then added and stirring continued for approximately 16 hours . water ( 100 ml .) was added slowly , still under nitrogen , and the mixture stirred for 15 minutes . the ether layer was separated , washed with 100 ml . of water and concentrated to dryness to yield methyl 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoyl - 3 - carboxylate ( rf 0 . 45 on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). the entire batch of product was used , without weight determination , in the next step . by the same procedure , other 5 - acylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic esters prepared in examples above are converted to : belgian pat . no . 870 , 910 ( published mar . 29 , 1979 ) discloses preparation of analogous 1 - alkyl - 5 - acylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylates , specifically exemplifying preparation of methyl 1 - methyl - 5 -( 3 - chlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate by friedel - crafts acylation of 1 - methylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid followed by esterification and separation from the 4 - acyl isomer . the entire batch of methyl 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate from example 84 was combined with 200 ml . of ethanol and 100 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 2 hours . the ethanol was boiled away , the aqueous residue was cooled to room temperature , extracted with 25 ml . of ether and acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid to yield crystalline product ( 4 g ., m . p . 210 °- 212 ° c .). a portion ( 1 . 5 g .) was recrystallized from acetone to yield purified 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 925 mg ., m . p . 215 °- 216 . 5 ° c ., m / e 229 ). by the same procedure , the other esters of example 84 are converted to : belgian pat . no . 870 , 910 ( cited above ) discloses preparation of analogous 1 - alkyl - 5 - acylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acids , specifically preparation of 1 - methyl - 5 -( 3 - chlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid by the potassium hydroxide catalyzed hydrolysis of the corresponding methyl ester . ethyl 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 0 . 973 g ., 4 mmoles ) was dissolved in 40 ml . of dry tetrahydrofuran . to the stirred solution , under nitrogen , there was added sodium hydride dispersion in oil ( 57 %, 0 . 173 g ., 4 mmoles ), and the mixture was stirred for 0 . 5 hour . ethyl iodide ( 1 . 25 g ., 8 mmoles ) was added and stirring continued for 6 hours . additional sodium hydride ( 0 . 17 g .) and ethyl iodide ( 1 . 25 g .) was added and reflux continued for an additional 104 hours . like quantities of sodium hydride and ethyl iodide were added after 16 hours reflux and a like quantity of ethyl iodide after 24 hours reflux . the reaction was cooled and excess sodium hydride decomposed by cautious addition of 40 ml . of water . the product was extracted into 40 ml . of ether , the ether back - washed with 10 ml . of water , and evaporated to dryness to yield ethyl 1 - ethyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 g . ), used directly in the next step . by the same procedure , other 5 - acylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic esters prepared in examples above are converted to : the entire batch of ethyl 1 - enyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate from the preceding example was taken up in 40 ml . of methanol and 20 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide , and heated in an open flask on a steam bath for 1 hour . the aqueous residue was cooled , extracted with 20 ml . of ether , and made acidic with conc . hydrochloric acid . 1 - ethyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 585 mg ., m . p . 157 °- 158 ° c ., m / e 243 ) was recovered by filtration . for analysis , the product was recrystallized from acetone / hexane ( 380 mg ., m . p . 158 °- 160 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 14 h 13 o 3 n : c , 69 . 12 ; h , 5 . 39 ; n , 5 . 76 . found : c , 68 . 90 ; h , 5 . 09 ; n , 5 . 64 . ethyl 4 - methylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate was prepared according to the procedure of cheng et al . [ j . heterocyclic chem . 13 , 1145 ( 1976 )]. ethyl 4 - methylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 920 mg ., 6 mmoles ) was combined with benzoyl chloride ( 0 . 7 ml ., 6 mmoles ), stannic chloride ( 1 . 2 ml ., 12 mmoles ) in 25 ml . of methylene chloride and stirred under nitrogen for 2 hours at room temperature . water ( 15 ml .) was added slowly , dissolving the precipitate which had formed . ether ( 50 ml .) was then added , and the organic phase separated , back - washed with 20 ml . of water , and evaporated to an oil . the oil was triturated with hexane to yield crystalline product ( 1 . 12 g .). recrystallization from acetone / hexane afforded purified ethyl 4 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 900 mg ., m . p . 127 °- 129 ° c .). ethyl 4 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 0 . 8 g .) was combined with 20 ml . of methanol and 15 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and boiled in an open flask for 1 . 5 hours on a steam bath . the aqueous residue was cooled , extracted with 10 ml . of ether , and acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid to yield crystalline 4 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 630 mg ., m . p . 241 °- 243 ° c ., m / e 229 ). analysis : calcd . for c 13 h 11 o 3 n . 0 . 125 h 2 o : c , 67 . 45 ; h , 4 . 89 ; n , 6 . 05 . found : c , 67 . 18 ; h , 5 . 14 ; n , 5 . 83 . p - tosylmethyl isocyanide ( 1 g ., 5 mmoles ) and methyl cinnamate ( 0 . 8 g ., 5 mmoles ) were combined in 50 ml . of tetrahydrofuran and dissolved by stirring at room temperature . the solution was cooled to - 50 ° c . and sodium hydride ( 57 % dispersion in oil , 210 mg ., 5 mmoles ) added . after stirring for 15 minutes at - 50 ° c ., the reaction was warmed to room temperature and stirred for approximately 16 hours . water ( 20 ml .) was added and the product extracted into 35 ml . ether . the ether was back - washed with 20 ml . of water , evaporated to dryness , the residue triturated with ether and methyl 4 - phenylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 230 mg ., m . p . 182 °- 185 ° c ., m / e 201 ) recovered by filtration . the product was recrystallized from acetone / hexane ( 210 mg ., m . p . 184 °- 187 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 2 n : c , 71 . 62 ; h , 5 . 51 ; n , 6 . 96 . found : c , 71 . 37 ; h , 5 . 55 ; n , 7 . 12 . methyl 4 - phenylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 920 mg ., 4 . 6 mmoles ) and benzoyl chloride ( 0 . 53 ml ., 4 . 6 mmoles ) were combined in 50 ml . methylene chloride and stirred under nitrogen at room temperature . stannic chloride ( 1 . 15 ml ., 10 mmoles ) was added . the resulting solution was stirred for 1 . 5 hours . hydrochloric acid ( 1 n 25 ml .) was added slowly . the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes , the methylene chloride layer separated , back - washed with two 20 ml . portions of water , approximately 50 mg . of solids removed by filtration , and the filtrate evaporated to dryness . recrystallization of the residue from acetone afforded purified methyl 4 - phenyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 673 mg ., m . p . 201 °- 203 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 19 h 15 o 3 n : c , 74 . 74 ; h , 4 . 95 ; n , 4 . 59 . found : c , 74 . 67 ; h , 4 . 85 ; n , 4 . 51 . methyl 4 - phenyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 345 mg .) was combined with 20 ml . of methanol and 10 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and boiled in an open flask for 1 hour . the aqueous residue was cooled , extracted with ethyl acetate , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid , and product recovered by filtration . recrystallization from tetrahydrofuran / hexane afforded purified 4 - phenyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 63 mg ., m . p . 285 °- 287 ° c . ( dec .)]. analysis : calcd . for c 18 h 13 o 3 n . 0 . 33 h 2 o : c , 72 . 71 ; h , 4 . 63 ; n , 4 . 70 . found : c , 72 . 62 ; h , 4 . 52 ; n , 4 . 76 . 5 - benzoyl - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 6 g .) was combined with 4 ml . of diethyleneglycol , 2 g . of potassium hydroxide and 1 . 5 ml . of 97 % hydrazine and heated in an oil bath for 1 hour at 135 ° c . and then 1 hour at 173 °- 175 ° c . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , diluted with 30 ml . of water , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid , and product ( 350 mg .) recovered by filtration . recrystallization from ether / hexane afforded purified 5 - benzylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 160 mg ., m . p . 123 °- 125 ° c . ( turbid ), m / e 201 ]. analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 2 n : c , 71 . 62 ; h , 5 . 51 ; n , 6 . 96 . found : c , 71 . 32 ; h , 5 . 55 ; n , 7 . 14 . methyl 3 - benzoylacetate ( 6 . 5 g ., 33 mmoles ) and tosylmethyl isocyanide ( 6 . 7 g ., 33 mmoles ) were dissolved in a mixture of 100 ml . of ether and 40 ml . of dimethylsulfoxide and added dropwise to a suspension of sodium hydride ( 57 % suspension in oil , 2 . 8 g ., 66 mmoles ) stirring in 50 ml . of ether , under nitrogen . addition required 20 minutes , a slightly exothermic reaction being noted . the reaction was stirred for a further 30 minutes at room temperature and diluted with 400 ml . of water . the product was extracted into 150 ml . of ether , the ether back - washed with 250 ml . of water , concentrated to approximately 50 ml ., and methyl 4 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 0 g , m . p . 164 °- 166 ° c .) recovered by filtration . analysis : calcd . for c 13 h 11 o 3 n : c , 68 . 11 ; h , 4 . 84 ; n , 6 . 11 . found : c , 68 . 00 ; h , 4 . 69 ; n , 6 . 00 . by the same procedure , methyl 3 -( 4 - methoxybenzoyl )- acrylate , methyl 3 -( 4 - methylbenzoyl ) acrylate , methyl 3 -( 3 - chlorophenylbenzoyl ) acrylate and methyl 3 - cyclohexylcarbonyl ) acrylate are converted , respectively , to : belgian pat . no . 870 , 910 ( published mar . 29 , 1979 ) generally discloses analogous compounds , specifically examplifying the preparation of methyl 1 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - chlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate by friedel - crafts acylation of 1 - methylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . methyl 4 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 1 g .) was combined with 30 ml . of methanol and 20 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and boiled in an open flask for 1 hour . the aqueous residue was diluted with 20 ml . of water , acidified with concentrated hydrochloric acid , and crystalline 4 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 800 mg ., m . p . 220 °- 222 ° c .) recovered by filtration . analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 9 o 3 n . 0 . 5 h 2 o : c , 64 . 28 ; h , 4 . 49 ; n , 6 . 25 . found : c , 64 . 10 ; h , 4 . 05 ; n , 6 . 08 . anhydrous material was obtained by recrystallization from acetone / hexane ( m . p . 222 °- 224 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 9 o 3 n : c , 66 . 97 ; h , 4 . 22 ; n , 6 . 51 . found : c , 66 . 86 ; h , 4 . 441 ; n , 6 . 38 . by the same procedure , the other pyrrole esters of example 95 are converted to : belgian pat . no . 870 , 910 ( cited above ) generally discloses analogous compounds , specifically exemplifying the preparation of 1 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - chlorobenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid by potassium hydroxide catalyzed hydrolysis of the corresponding ester . methyl pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 2 . 5 g ., 20 mmoles ) was dissolved in 50 ml . of methylene chloride . the solution , stirred under nitrogen , was cooled in an ice - water bath while t - butylhypochlorite ( 1 . 95 g ., 18 mmoles ) in 25 ml . of methylene chloride was added dropwise . the reaction was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature , filtered and evaporated to an oil . the oil was chromatographed ( 100 g . silica gel with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 7 as eluant ). the column elution was monitored by thin layer chromatography ( silica gel plates with chloroform - 8 / ethyl acetate - 2 as eluant ). cuts containing pure product ( rf 0 . 4 ) were combined and evaporated to yield crystalline methyl 5 - chloropyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 900 mg ., m . p . 92 °. 95 ° c ., m / e 159 / 161 ). methyl 5 - chloropyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 900 g .) was refluxed for 9 hours with 20 ml . of methanol and 10 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide . methanol was removed by evaporation , the aqueous residue was diluted with approximately 10 ml . of water and extracted twice with ether . the aqueous phase was acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and product extracted into ethyl acetate . the three ethyl acetate extracts were combined , washed with saturated sodium chloride , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaported to product ( 715 mg ., m . p . 175 °- 178 ° c .). recrystallization from methylene chloride / hexane afforded purified 5 - chloropyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 300 mg ., m . p . 178 °- 180 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 5 h 4 o 2 nc : c , 41 . 26 ; h , 2 . 76 ; n , 9 . 62 . found : c , 41 . 43 ; h , 2 . 87 ; n , 9 . 57 . methyl 5 - chloropyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( 800 mg ., 5 mmoles ) was dissolved in 75 ml . of ether . sodium hydride ( 57 % dispersiion in oil , 430 mg ., 10 mmoles ) was added and the mixture stirred under nitrogen for 1 hour . dimethyl sulfate ( 1 ml ., 10 . 7 mmoles ) was added and stirring continued for 2 hours . excess sodium hydride was decomposed by cautious addition of 20 ml . of water . the ether phase was washed with 20 ml . of water and evaporated to yield methyl 1 - methyl - 5 - chloropyrrole - 3 - carboxylate ( oil ); the entire batch being used directly in the next step . methyl 1 - methyl - 5 - chloropyrrole - 3 - carboxylate from the previous example was hydrolyzed in approximately 20 ml . of 1n sodium hydroxide and 30 ml . of ethanol , by boiling on a steam bath for approximately 2 hours . the aqueous residue was diluted with approximately 20 ml . of water , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid , and crystalline 1 - methyl - 5 - chloropyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid recovered by filtration ( 590 mg ., m . p . 201 °- 203 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 6 h 6 o 2 ncl : c , 45 . 16 ; h , 3 . 79 ; n , 8 . 78 . found : c , 45 . 01 ; h , 3 . 81 ; n , 8 . 66 . 4 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 5 g .) was combined with 10 ml . of ethylene glycol , 4 ml . of hydrazine ( 97 %) and 4 g . of potassium hydroxide , and heated for 2 hours in an oil bath maintained at 140 °- 143 ° c . the reaction mixture was poured into approximately 100 ml . of ice and water , acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid , and product ( 375 mg .) recovered by filtration . recrystallization from ether / hexane afforded purified 4 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 200 mg ., m . p . 183 °- 185 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 11 o 2 n : c , 71 . 62 ; h , 5 . 51 ; n , 6 . 96 . found : c , 71 . 52 ; h , 5 . 71 ; n , 7 . 13 . 2 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy )- 3 - carbethoxymethylaminoacrylaldehyde ( 2 g .) was boiled in 5 ml . of ethylene glycol for 15 minutes . the reaction was cooled to room temperature , diluted with 10 ml . of water and product extracted into 10 ml . of ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate was back - washed with water and concentrated to an oil ( 1 . 5 g .). the oil chromatographed on approximately 100 ml . of silica gel with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 1 as eluant , monitored by thin layer chromatography . evaporation of middle fractions are ethyl 4 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg ., oil , m / e 281 , rf 0 . 65 on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 1 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ; rf 0 . 3 with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 1 as eluant ). repeat on a 5 . 5 g . scale gave an additional 400 mg . of product . 2 - hydroxyethyl 4 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 400 mg .) was dissolved in 10 ml . of acetone and 10 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and left to stand at room temperature for approximately 16 hours . acetone was evaporated in vacuo , the aqueous residue was acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and crystalline product ( 320 mg .) recovered by filtration . recrystallization from ether / hexane of 400 mg . of product prepared in this manner affored purified 4 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 234 mg ., m . p . 188 °- 190 ° c ., m / e 237 ). analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 8 o 3 ncl : c , 55 . 59 ; h , 3 . 39 ; n , 5 . 89 . found : c , 55 . 92 ; h , 3 . 48 ; n , 5 . 82 . 2 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - carbethoxymethylaminoacrylaldehyde ( 73 . 6 g .) was refluxed in 300 ml . of ethylene glycol for 10 minutes . the reaction mixture was cooled , diluted with 1 liter of water , product extracted into chloroform , treated with activated carbon and evaporated to solids . trituration with ether gave crude product ( 8 g .). an additional quantity of crude product ( 7 . 5 g .) crystallized from the aqueous phase which had been standing . recrystallization of the combined crude solids from chloroform gave 2 - hydroxyethyl 4 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 5 g ., m . p . 128 °- 130 ° c .). the ether and chloroform mother liquors were combined and evaporated to yield an additional 40 g . of crude product . crude 2 - hydroxyethyl 4 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 3 g .) was heated on a steam bath with potassium hydroxide ( 2 g .) in 25 ml . of water and 25 ml . of ethanol for 30 minutes . the balance of the ethanol was evaporated in vacuo , chloroform ( 25 ml .) was added and 4 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 723 mg ., m . p . 219 °- 222 ° c ., ir ( kbr ): 3390 , 3077 and 1695 cm . - 1 , m / e 221 / 223 ) recovered by filtration . 4 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 6 g .) was hydrogenated over 200 mg . of b 5 % pd / c in 50 ml . of ethanol for approximately 16 hours at 50 p . s . i . an additional 200 ml . of catalyst and 1 ml . of triethylamine was added and hydrogenation continued for 3 hours at 50 p . s . i . the catalyst was recovered by filtration , and the mother liquid concentrated to dryness to yield 4 - phenylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid [ 400 mg ., m . p . 226 °- 228 ° c . ( dec . ), m / e 187 ]. for analysis , the product was recrystallized from acetone / hexane [ 240 mg ., m . p . 227 °- 229 ° c . ( dec .)]. analysis : calcd . for c 11 h 9 o 2 n . 0 . 125 h 2 o : c , 69 . 73 ; h , 4 . 92 ; n , 7 . 39 . found : c , 70 . 06 ; h , 4 . 99 ; n , 7 . 26 . pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 5 g .) was combined with 200 ml . of methylene chloride and 20 ml . of thionyl chloride and refluxed for 2 hours . the solution was evaporated to dryness in vacuo and the resulting acid chloride converted to ester by addition of 30 ml . of methanol and 20 minutes stirring at room temperature . ether ( 50 ml .) was added and the mixture extracted with 50 ml . of water . the ether phase was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and evaporated to yield methyl pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 5 g ., m . p . 69 °- 71 ° c .). methylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 1 . 2 g ., 10 mmoles ) and benzoyl chloride ( 1 . 2 ml ., 10 mmoles ) were dissolved in 25 ml . of methylene chloride and added , over 2 minutes , to a solution of stannic chloride ( 2 . 6 ml ., 22 mmoles ) in 25 ml . of methylene chloride . after stirring for 2 hours at room temperature , 1 n hydrochloric acid ( 25 ml .) was added slowly and the mixture was stirred for 15 minutes . the methylene chloride phase was separated , back - washed twice with 25 ml . portions of water , and evaporated to yield crude methyl 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 2 . 3 g .). chromatography of approximately 3 g . of product prepared in this manner on silica gel with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 2 as eluant , followed by recrystallization of the 2 . 6 g . thereby obtained from isopropyl alcohol gave 0 . 75 g . of purified product in two crops ( m . p . 111 °- 113 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 13 h 11 o 3 n : c , 68 . 11 ; h , 4 . 84 ; n , 6 . 11 . found : c , 67 . 80 ; h , 4 . 81 ; n , 6 . 11 . alternatively , purified product ( 5 . 9 g .) was obtained by fractional crystallization of 18 . 3 g . of crude from isopropyl alcohol . also obtained was methyl 4 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 5 . 2 g ., m . p . 135 °- 137 ° c . ), a compound [ sanchez et al ., carbohydrate res . 3 , 486 ( 1967 )] previously derived from an amino sugar . by the same procedure , appropriate acid chlorides are reacted with methyl pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate to yield : the preparation of such acids is disclosed broadly in belgian pat . no . 870 , 910 , published mar . 3 , 1979 . however , no specific compound of this class is described therein . methyl 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 460 mg .) was combined with 10 ml . of methanol and 20 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and heated in an open flask on a steam bath for 1 hour . on cooling the aqueous residue , sodium 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 358 mg ., m . p . & gt ; 260 ° c ., thin layer chromatography rf 0 . 3 on silica gel with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 5 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ) crystallized and was recovered by filtration . the filtrate was acidified with hydrochloric acid to yield additional product as the free acid [ 96 mg ., m . p . 227 °- 229 ° c . ( dec .)]. sodium salt was converted to free acid by stirring in a mixture of 10 ml . of methanol and 20 ml . of 1 n hydrochloric acid for 30 minutes [ 250 mg ., m . p . 229 °- 231 ° c . ( dec .)]. analysis : calcd . for c 12 h 9 o 3 n : c , 66 . 97 ; h , 4 . 22 ; n , 6 . 51 . found : c , 66 . 89 ; h , 4 . 28 ; n , 6 . 49 . by the same procedure , the other esters of example 108 are converted to : under a nitrogen atmosphere , methyl 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 0 . 85 g ., 3 . 7 mmoles ) was dissolved in 175 ml . of ether . to the stirred solution there was added sodium hydride ( 57 % dispersion in oil , 0 . 31 g ., 7 . 4 mmoles ), resulting in a yellow suspension . after stirring for 1 hour at room temperature , dimethylsulfate ( 0 . 95 g ., 0 . 7 ml ., 7 . 5 mmoles ) was added and the reaction stirred for approximately 16 hours at room temperature . identically - sized portions of sodium hydride and dimethylsulfate were added , and stirring continued for 8 hours ; half quantities of the same reagents were added and stirring continued for an additional 16 hours . the reaction mixture was diluted dropwise with water ( 20 ml .). the aqueous phase was separated and the organic phase washed with an additional 20 ml . of water . the organic phase was evaporated to dryness to yield solid product contaminated with the oil from the sodium hydride . recrystallization from methanol gave purified methyl 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 0 . 78 g ., m . p . 111 °- 113 ° c ., m / e 243 ). by the same procedure , the other esters of example 108 are converted to : methyl 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylate ( 0 . 78 g .) was heated on a steam bath for 1 hour with 40 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and 20 ml . of methanol . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , extracted with ether , made acid with conc . hydrochloric acid and 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid recovered by filtration ( 0 . 47 g ., m . p . 178 °- 181 ° c .). recrystallization from acetone / hexane afforded product for analysis ( 0 . 34 g ., m . p . 178 °- 180 ° c .). analysis : calcd . for c 13 h 11 o 3 n : c , 68 . 11 ; h , 4 . 84 ; n , 6 . 11 . found : c , 67 . 82 ; h , 4 . 79 ; n , 6 . 01 . by the same process , the other esters of example 110 are hydrolyzed to yield : 1 - methylpyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 5 g ., 40 mmoles ) was dissolved in 100 ml . of chloroform . a solution of bromine ( 2 . 3 ml ., 44 mmoles ) in 15 ml . of chloroform was added dropwise over 15 minutes . the reaction mixture was then stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . additional bromine ( 2 . 3 ml ., 44 mmoles ) was added in one portion . a precipitate formed . more chloroform ( 50 ml .) was added and stirring continued for 20 minutes . 1 - methyl - 4 , 5 - dibromopyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid was recovered by filtration [ 5 g ., m . p . 173 °- 175 ° c . ( dec . ), m / e 283 ]. one gram of product was recrystallized from 1 to 1 acetone - water [ 614 mg ., m . p . 180 °- 182 ° c . ( dec .)]. 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate is combined with an equivalent of sodium ethoxide in ethyl acetate . sodium 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate is isolated by concentration to dryness or by precipitation resulting from addition of a non - solvent ( ether or hexane ). substitution of an equivalent amount of diethanol amine for sodium ethoxide is employed to produce diethanolammonium 5 - phenylthio - 3 - carboxylate . 5 - butylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate is dissolved in ethyl acetate . an equivalent of ethanolic potassium hydroxide is added . potassium 5 - butylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate is isolated by concentration to dryness or by precipitation resulting from addition of a non - solvent ( ether or heptane ). substitution of an equivalent of n - methylglucamine ( meglumine ) for the ethanolic potassium hydroxide is employed to produce n - methylglucammonium 5 - butylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate is dissolved by warming in acetone . an equivalent of sodium methoxide is added with stirring . sodium 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate is isolated by evaporation to dryness or by precipitation resulting from addition of a non - solvent ( ether or pentane ). substitution of a molar equivalent of piperazine for sodium methoxide is employed to produce piperazinium 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . 4 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate and an equivalent quantity of magnesium oleate are each dissolved in ethanol and the solutions mixed . magnesium 4 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate is isolated by concentration and / or addition of heptane . substitution of an equivalent of calcium palmitate for magnesium oleate in this process is employed to produce calcium 4 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy ) pyrrole - 2 - carboxylate . alternatively , the acid products of examples 1 to 112 are converted to the sodium , potassium , ammonium , calcium , magnesium , aluminum , triethylamine , tri - n - butylamine , piperidine , triethanolamine , diethylaminoethylamine , pyrrolidine and n , n - dibenzylethylenediamine salts by reaction with an equivalent of the appropriate metal hydroxide , ammonium hydroxide or amine in water or ethanol followed by filtration of the salt if it is insoluble or by evaporation of the solvent if the salt is soluble therein . a blend is prepared containing the following ingredients in the proportion by weight indicated : ______________________________________calcium carbonate , u . s . p . 17 . 6dicalcium phosphate 18 . 8magnesium trisilicate , u . s . p . 5 . 2lactose , u . s . p . 5 . 2potato starch 5 . 2magnesium stearate a 0 . 8magnesium stearate b 0 . 35______________________________________ to this blend is added sufficient sodium 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylate to fill standard size capsules so as to contain 500 mg ., 300 mg ., 100 mg ., 50 mg . or 25 mg . of 5 - phenylthiopyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid . the portion of blend to active drug is within the limits of 1 - 0 . 1 to 1 - 2 , i . e ., 27 . 8 mg . of sodium salt and 250 mg . of blend in a 25 mg . carpsule or 556 mg . of sodium salt and 250 mg . of blend in a 500 mg . capsule as examplary of the extremes . a tablet base is prepared by blending the following ingredients in the proportion by weight indicated : into this tablet base there is blended sufficient sodium 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylate to form tablets containing 50 mg ., 100 mg or 250 mg . of 1 - methyl - 5 - benzoylpyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid . the portion of blend to active drug is within the limits of 1 - 0 . 167 to 1 - 1 , i . e ., 54 . 8 mg . of sodium salt and 300 mg . of blend in a 50 mg . tablet or 274 mg . of sodium salt and 250 mg . of blend in a 250 mg . tablet . a solution for parenteral , especially intramuscular injection is prepared with the following composition : ______________________________________magnesium 4 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy )- pyrrole - 3 - carbpxylate 6 . 35 g . * magnesium chloride hexahydrate 12 . 36 g . monoethanolamine 8 . 85 g . propylene glycol 376 . 00 g . water , distilled 94 . 00 g . ______________________________________ * weight equivalent to 6 . 04 g . 4 ( 4 - chlorophenoxy ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylate . the resultant solution has a concentration of effective ingredient of 10 mg ./ ml . one hundred grams of sterile 5 -( 4 - phenylbenzoyl ) pyrrole - 3 - carboxylic acid is blended with 250 g . of sterile sodium ascorbate . the blend is dry filled into vials such that each vial contains 55 mg . of the active ingredient . immediately before use , 11 ml . of sterile water for injection is added to give a 5 mg ./ ml . solution suitable for intravenous injection . following the procedure of french pat . no . 1 , 481 , 052 [ chem . abstr . 69 , 18840h ( 1968 )], 2 , 4 - dichloroaniline ( 32 . 4 g ., 0 . 2 mole ) was added to a mixture of 200 ml . of conc . hydrochloric acid and approximately 200 g . of ice . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes ; complete dissolution did not occur . the mixture was cooled to - 2 ° c . and a solution of 15 . 2 g . of sodium nitrite ( 0 . 22 mole ) in 50 ml . of water was added over a 10 minute period , maintaining the temperature between - 2 ° c . and 2 ° c . during the addition . the reaction was stirred at 0 °- 2 ° c . for 30 minutes . almost complete dissolution had occurred . this cold solution was added portionwise over 15 minutes to a solution of potassium ethylxanthate ( 35 . 2 g ., 0 . 22 mole ) in 100 ml . of water , maintained at 45 °- 50 ° c . heating at 50 °- 55 ° c . was continued for 30 minutes after addition was complete . the reaction was cooled to room temperature and the intermediate extracted into 200 ml . of ether . the ether phase was back - washed with water ( 150 ml . ), with 1 n sodium hydroxide and twice more with 150 ml . portions of water , and concentrated to yield 2 , 5 - dichlorophenyl ethylxanthate ( 33 g . as an oil ). without further purification the xanthate intermediate was combined with 200 ml . of absolute ethanol and heated to reflux . potassium hydroxide ( 85 % pure , 12 g ., 0 . 18 mole ) was added in small portions over 30 minutes . reflux was continued for 2 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the reaction mixture was filtered to remove insoluble byproducts . to the filtrate was added 500 ml . of water , 200 ml . of ether and 100 ml . of hexane . the organic phase was separated and extracted with 500 ml . of 0 . 5 n sodium hydroxide . the combined aqueous phases were acidified with conc . hydrochloric acid and the product extracted into 150 ml . ether . the ether extract was back - washed with water , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated in vacuo to yield 2 , 4 - dichlorothiophenol ( 6 . 7 g .) as an oil . following the procedure of preparation 1 , 3 , 5 - dichloroaniline ( 32 . 4 g ., 0 . 2 mole ) was reacted with sodium nitrite and then potassium ethylxanthate to form intermediate 3 , 5 - dichlorophenyl ethylxanthate ( 25 . 5 g .). the latter was hydrolyzed and 3 , 5 - dichlorothiophenyl ( 11 . 4 g .) isolated following the further procedures of preparation 1 . by the method of frank and blegen [ org . syntheses 28 , 16 ( 1948 )], cyclohexyl mercaptan is oxidized by the action of hydrogen peroxide to dicyclohexyl disulfide . acid chlorides required for use in various examples of this patent are prepared by reaction of the corresponding acid ( 10 g .) with an equivalent of thionyl chloride in refluxing methylene chloride ( 100 ml .) for 2 hours in the presence of a catalytic amount of dimethylformamide ( 0 . 1 ml .). the acid chlorides are isolated by evaporation to dryness in vacuo , and are purified by distillation , if necessary . in this manner , the following acid chlorides are prepared : 2 - aminomethylpyridine ( 60 g .) was refluxed with 180 ml . of formic acid for 4 hours and left to stir for approximately 16 hours at room temperature . the reaction mixture was concentrated to an oil and purified ; 2 - formamidomethylpyridine obtained by distillation ( 72 . 3 g ., b . p . 117 °- 141 ° c ./ 0 . 5 mm .) 2 - formamidomethylpyridine ( 39 g ., 0 . 29 mole ) was dissolved in 150 ml . of benzene . phosphorus oxychloride ( 100 ml .) was added dropwise at such a rate that the reaction began to reflux . by external heating , reflux was maintained for 3 . 5 hours . after standing approximately 16 hours at room temperature , the reaction was concentrated to an oil . the oil was poured onto approximately 300 g . of ice , the mixture made basic ( approximately ph 10 ) with 10 n sodium hydroxide , and extracted with three 300 ml . portions of methylene chloride . the aqueous was made more basic and extracted with a further three 300 ml . portions of methylene chloride . all of the extracts were combined , back - washed with 75 ml . of water and concentrated to yield crystalline imidazo [ 3 , 4 - a ] pyridine ( 29 g ., rf 0 . 25 on thin layer chromatography on silica gel with ethyl acetate / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). 3 - benzoylacrylic acid ( 3 g .) was refluxed for 2 hours with 100 ml . of methylene chloride and 10 ml . thionyl chloride . concentration to dryness gave 3 - benzoylacrylyl chloride . methanol ( 15 ml .) was added and the resulting solution stirred for 0 . 5 hour . ether ( 35 ml .) was added . the resulting organic mixture was washed in sequence with 15 ml . of water , 15 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and twice with 15 ml . of water , concentrated to an oil , the oil triturated with 25 ml . of hot hexane , decanted from insolubles and the hexane concentrated to yield methyl 3 - benzoylacrylate ( 1 . 9 g ., oil , m / e 190 ). by the same procedure , 3 -( 4 - methoxybenzoyl ) acrylic acid 3 -( 4 - methylbenzoyl ) acrylic acid , 3 -( 4 - phenylbenzoyl ) acrylic acid and 3 -( 3 - chlorobenzoyl ) acrylic acid are reacted with sulfonyl chloride and then methanol to form , respectively : those acylacrylic acids not available commercially are prepared by acylation of the appropriate benzene derivative with maleic anhydride [ see grummitt et al . org . syn . iii , 109 ( 1955 )], condensation of the appropriate methyl ketone with chloral , followed by hydrolysis and dehydration [ see koenigs and wagstaffe , ber 26 , 558 ( 1893 )], or halogenation of the appropriate 3 - acylpropionic acid followed by dehydrohalogenation [ see bougault , ann . chim . phys . 15 , 491 ( 1908 )]. potassium hydroxide ( 56 . 1 g ., 1 mole ) was added slowly to 4 - chlorophenol ( 128 . 5 g ., 1 mole ) and the mixture heated to obtain a solution . chloroacetaldehyde ( 300 g .) was added over 30 minutes from a dropping funnel and the mixture refluxed for approximately 16 hours ( temperature approximately 175 ° c .). the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , diluted with approximately 300 ml . of water , product extracted into ether ( three 200 ml . portions ), the ether dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , and the ether evaporated to an oil . distillation of the oil afforded purified 4 - chlorophenoxyacetaldehyde diethylacetal ( 144 . 8 g ., b . p . 158 °- 163 ° c ./ 20 mm .) dimethylformamide ( 109 . 5 g ., 1 . 5 moles ) was cooled in an ice - water bath . phosphorus oxychloride ( 229 . 5 g ., 1 . 5 moles ) was added dropwise over 1 . 5 hours and the reaction mixture then allowed to stir for 45 minutes at room temperature . chloroform ( 300 ml .) was added and then 4 - chlorophenoxyacetaldehyde dimethylacetal ( 122 g ., 0 . 5 moles ) and the mixture refluxed for approximately 16 hours . the reaction was cooled to room temperature and added slowly to approximately 300 ml . of chloroform mixed with ice and water while maintaining the ph approximately 10 with sodium hydroxide . aqueous 40 % dimethylamine ( 400 ml .) was added , the organic layer separated and the aqueous extracted with additional chloroform . the chloroform extracts were combined , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , concentrated to a semisolid , and crystalline product recovered by trituration with isopropyl ether ( 95 g ., rf 0 . 25 on thin layer chromatography on silica gel with ethyl acetate as eluant ). 2 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy - 3 - dimethylaminoacrylaldehyde ( 11 . 3 g ., 50 mmoles ) was dissolved in 200 ml . of ethanol , mixed with a solution of ethyl glycinate ( 14 g ., 100 mmoles ) in 90 ml . of 1 n sodium hydroxide and refluxed for 15 hours . ethanol was evaporated in vacuo , the aqueous residue diluted with 150 ml . of water and product extracted into 200 ml . of ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate was back - washed with water and concentrated to an oil . trituration of the oil with 100 ml . of ether gave crystalline 2 -( 4 - chlorophenoxy )- 3 - carbethoxymethylaminoacrylaldehyde in two crops ( 7 . 3 g ., rf 0 . 55 on silica gel this layer chromatography with ethyl acetate - 1 / hexane - 1 / 5 % acetic acid as eluant ). phosphorus oxychloride ( 218 g ., 218 moles ) was added dropwise to dimethylformamide ( 157 ml ., 2 . 28 moles ), maintaning the temperature at 25 ° c . 4 - chlorophenylacetic acid ( 130 . 6 g ., 0 . 76 mole ), dissolved in a mixture of 400 ml . of chloroform and 25 ml of dimethylformamide , was added in a stream and the reaction refluxed for approximately 16 hours . the reaction was cooled to room temperature and poured slowly into ice and water , while maintaining the ph approximately 10 with sodium hydroxide . dimethylamine ( 500 ml . of 25 % aqueous ) was then added and the mixture heated on the steam bath for 1 hour . the mixture was cooled , extracted with four 500 ml . portions of chloroform , the chloroform extracts combined , dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , treated with activated carbon and evaporated to an oil . trituration with cold isopropyl ether gave crystalline 2 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - dimethylaminoacrylaldehyde ( 111 g ., rf 0 . 25 on silica gel thin layer chromatography with ethyl acetate as eluant ). 2 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - dimethylaminoacrylaldehyde ( 90 . 2 g ., 0 . 43 mole ) was dissolved in 1500 ml . of ethanol . ethyl glycinate hydrochloride ( 60 . 2 g ., 0 . 86 mole ) was dissolved in 900 ml . of water and the ph adjusted to 7 . 5 with 6 n sodium hydroxide . the solutions were combined and refluxed for 6 hours . the ethanol was removed by evaporation , the product extracted into chloroform , the chloroform dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , evaporated to dryness , the solid residue triturated with ether and crystalline 2 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - carbethoxymethylaminoacrylaldehyde ( 73 . 6 g ., m . p . 84 °- 86 ° c .) recovered by filtration .
2
“ vitamin d ” means either vitamin d3 ( cholecalciferol ) and / or vitamin d2 ( ergocaciferol ). humans are unable to make vitamin d2 ( ergocalciferol ), but are able to use it as a source of vitamin d . vitamin d2 can be synthesized by various plants and is often used in vitamin d in supplements as an equivalent to vitamin d . “ vitamin d metabolite ” means any metabolite of vitamin d other than 25 - hydroxy vitamin d3 . “ 25 - oh d ” refers to the 25 - hydroxylated metabolite of either vitamin d2 or vitamin d3 which is the major circulating form found in plasma . “ prevent ” is meant to include amelioration of the disease , lessening of the severity of the symptoms , early intervention , and lengthening the duration of onset of the disease , and is not intended to be limited to a situation where the patient is no longer able to contract the disease nor experience any symptoms . eotaxins ( also called ccl - 11 , ccl - 24 , and ccl - 26 ) are three proteins which belong to the cc family of chemokines . they are selective recruiters of eosinophils , and also induce the aggregation of eosinophils . eosinophils play an important beneficial role in killing some invasive microbes and helminths , especially in the gut . recent studies also suggest a role in organogenesis , tissue repair , and immune regulation . however , abnormally high amounts of eosinophils in the circulation and in some tissues are characteristic of many pathologies , including allergic diseases ( including asthma , rhinitis , and atopic dematitis ), other inflammatory disorders ( including inflammatory bowel disease , eosinophilic gastroenteritis , and pneumonia ), non - allergenic inflammation ( such as that induced by ozone inhalation or foreign body granlomatous reactions ) as well as some malignancies ( such as hodgkin &# 39 ; s disease and various leukemias ). it has been surprisingly found that administration of 25 - oh d3 lowered the level of eotaxin in the serum of postmenopausal women . the group receiving 25 - oh d3 had a statistically significant lower amount compared to the group receiving vitamin d3 . both 25 - hydroxy vitamin d3 and vitamin d3 lowered eotaxin amounts compared to placebo . thus , administration of 25 - oh d3 would be beneficial for treatment and prevention of diseases and symptoms associated with high levels of eotaxin , as detailed below . as explained in pease et al , 2001 curr . opinion in pharmacol . 1 ( 3 ): 248 - 253 , which is hereby incorporated by reference , one of the characteristic features of asthma is the accumulation of eosinophils in the bronchial walls . when the eosinophils release their contents ( including major basic protein ), tissue damage and bronchial hyperreactivity , the hallmark of asthma , occur . individuals diagnosed with asthma have been found to have an increased eotaxin level , and those experiencing acute asthma have been reported to have higher levels than those with stable asthma . similarly , individuals having occupational asthma were also seen to have higher eotaxin levels . in mice models , a disruption of the eotaxin gene resulted in a reduction of eosinophil recrutiment in an asthma mode . similarly , administration of an eotaxin - neutralizing antibody also was found to reduce lung esophilila . thus another aspect of this invention is a method to decrease the symptoms of asthma by administering a eotaxin - reducing effective amount of 25 - oh d3 to a person in need of such reduction . the resulting reduction of eosinophil aggregation would lead to an observable reduction in symptoms of asthma , notably the easing of bronchial restriction . another aspect of this invention is the use of 25 - oh d3 in the method of making an asthma medicament . the 25 - oh d3 may be used as an adjunct to or in co - therapy with known asthma medicaments and / or therapies . eotaxin was found to be present in epithelial and inflammatory cells in nasal passages of individuals with allergic rhinitis and sinusitis . ( see fiest et al 2006 j allergy clin immunol 118 : 536 - 8 , which is hereby incorporated by reference ). thus eotaxin is a target for reduction in these conditions . atopic asthma refers to allergic conditions such as hayfever and allergic dermatits . increased expression of eotaxin has been observed in these conditions , as well . thus another aspect of this invention is a method to decrease the symptoms of allergic rhinitis or sinusitis by administering a eotaxin - reducing effective amount of 25 - oh d3 to a person in need of such reduction . the resulting reduction of eosinophil aggregation would lead to an observable reduction in symptoms of rhinitis or sinusitis , including decrease in swelling and inflammation . another aspect of this invention is the use of 25 - oh d3 in the method of making a medicament suitable for rhinitis or sinusitis . the 25 - oh d3 may be used as an adjunct to or in co - therapy with known rhinitis or sinusitis medicaments and / or therapies . thus another aspect of this invention is a method to decrease the symptoms of or hayfever or allergic dermatitis by administering a eotaxin - reducing effective amount of 25 - oh d3 to a person in need of such reduction . the resulting reduction of eosinophil aggregantion would lead to an observable reduction in symptoms of hayfever or allergic dermatis , including decrease in swelling and inflammation . another aspect of this invention is the use of 25 - oh d3 in the method of making a medicament suitable for hayfever or allergic dermatitis . the 25 - oh d3 may be used as an adjunct to or in co - therapy with known hayfever or allergic dermatitis medicaments and / or therapies . chronic inflammatory diseases of the nose and sinuses can lead to the formation of nasal polyps , and this involves an up - regulation of eotaxin ( see rankin et al 2000 molecular medicine today 6 : 20 - 27 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . administration of 25 - oh d3 , and / or vitamin d3 , in accordance with this invention will decrease eotaxin levels , and thus ameliorate , prevent or treat the formation and growth of nasal polyps . the 25 - oh d3 may be used as an adjunct to or in co - therapy with known medicaments and / or therapies for nasal polyps . normally , eosinophils are not found in the esophageal mucosa , but it some disease states , they can accumulate there , having a proinflammatory effect . there are several gastric disorders which involve the presence of eosinophils and increased eotaxin in the gut : normally , eosinophils are not found in the esophageal mucosa , but it esinophilic esophagitis , they can accumulate there , having a pro - inflammatory effect . symptoms include dysphagia , chest pain and food impaction . in children , it can include nausea and vomiting , weight loss , anemia and failure to thrive . often patients have a history of allergies , including food allergies to high protein foods such as milk , eggs , soybean , wheat , chicken and nuts . the eosinophils in the esophageal mucosa release major basic protein , which induces smooth muscle contractions , that are thought to be mechanistically similar to the broncho - constriction observed in asthma . thus , reducing the amount of eotaxins would ameliorate the symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis . thus another aspect of this invention is a method to decrease the symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis by administering a eotaxin - reducing effective amount of 25 - oh d3 to a person in need of such reduction . the resulting reduction of eosinophil aggregantion would lead to an observable reduction in symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis , including decrease in smooth muscle contraction , dysphagia , chest pain , food impaction , nausea , and vomiting . another aspect of this invention is the use of 25 - oh d3 in the method of making a medicament suitable for eosinophilic esophagitis . the 25 - oh d3 may be used as an adjunct to or in co - therapy with known eosinophilic esophagitis medicaments . eosinophils have been implicated in the pathogenesis of iba ( see wedemeyer et al 2008 best practice & amp ; res clin gastroenterol 22 ( 3 ): 537 - 549 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . active inflammation has been associated with increased eosinophils at the site of inflammation . the release of their proteins ( including eosinophil granule cationic protein ) can cause tissue damage . thus , lowering the level of eotaxin would result in a loss of eosinophil aggregation , leading to a reduction of symptoms of iba , including inflammation . thus another aspect of this invention is a method to decrease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by administering a eotaxin - reducing effective amount of 25 - oh d3 to a person in need of such reduction . the resulting reduction of eosinophil aggregation would lead to an observable reduction in symptoms of iba , including a decrease in inflammation . another aspect of this invention is the use of 25 - oh d3 in the method of making a medicament suitable for iba . the 25 - oh d3 may be used as an adjunct to or in co - therapy with known iba therapies . crohn &# 39 ; s disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic inflammatory diseases , but no specific pathogen has been identified . like ibs , they are characterized by increased levels of eosinophils . it has been shown that eotaxin - deficient mice had a reduced amount of eosinophils in the colon , and exhibit a significantly attenuated colitis compared to wild - type . thus another aspect of this invention is a method to decrease the symptoms of crohn &# 39 ; s disease or ulcerative colitis by administering a eotaxin - reducing effective amount of 25 - oh d3 to a person in need of such reduction . the resulting reduction of eosinophil aggregantion would lead to an observable reduction in symptoms of crohn &# 39 ; s disease or ulcerative colitis , including decrease in swelling and inflammation . another aspect of this invention is the use of 25 - oh d3 in the method of making a medicament suitable for crohn &# 39 ; s disease or ulcerative colitis . the 25 - oh d3 may be used as an adjunct to or in co - therapy with known crohn &# 39 ; s disease or ulcerative colitis therapies . hogan et al 2004 aliment phannacol ther 20 : 1231 - 1240 , which is hereby incorporated by reference , propose that reduction of eosinophils would be beneficial in other gastrointestinal conditions , including food allergies , parasitic infections , and gastro - esophageal reflux . food dosages : the rda which is in place at the time the food is sold is the maximum dosage of the combination of vitamin d3 + 25 - oh d3 recommended to be incorporated into a food currently , the rda for vitamin d3 is : 400 iu for infants ( 0 - 12 months ) 600 iu for children (+ 1 year ) through adolescents and adults ( 70 years ) 800 iu for adults (+ 71 years ) 600 iu for pregnant or lactating women for 25 - oh d3 alone , there is not a current rda , as in some countries , regulations do not permit it to be added to human food ; however it is considered to be approximately 3 × as active as vitamin d3 . thus , for food use , the maximum dose which should be present in a food is approximately 3 × less than the rda of vitamin d3 . it is noted that conventionally vitamin d3 dosages are expressed in ius , whereas 25 - oh d3 dosages are expressed in μg . the amounts are readily converted , as one iu vitamin d3 is equal to 40 μg . daily . a composition according to this invention where the two active ingredients are to be administered separately , or alone contains vitamin d or 25 - oh d3 in an amount from about 1 μg to about 50 μg , preferably about 5 μg and 25 μg . alternatively , a single daily dosage having both vitamin d and 25 - oh d3 contains each active ingredient in an amount from about 1 μg to about 50 μg , preferably about 5 μg and 25 μg . the dosage ratio of vitamin d to 25 - oh d3 may be from about 50 : 1 to about 1 : 50 , more preferably from about 25 : 1 to about 1 : 25 , and even more preferably from about 6 : 1 to about 1 : 6 . multiple , separate dosages may be packaged in a single kit ( or container ). for example , the kit may be comprised of thirty separate daily dosages of both actives separately ( i . e . 60 separate dosages ), or combined ( i . e . 30 dosages containing both active ingredients ). instructions for administering the dosages to a human may be included in the kit . weekly . a single weekly dosage contains vitamin d or 25 - oh d3 in an amount from about 7 μg to about 350 μg , and preferably from about 35 to 175 μg . alternatively , a single weekly dosage may contain both vitamin d and 25 - oh d3 each in an amount from about 7 μg to about 350 μg , and preferably from about 35 to 175 μg . the dosage ratio of vitamin d to 25 - 0h d3 may be from about 50 : 1 to about 1 : 50 , more preferably from about 25 : 1 to about 1 : 25 , and even more preferably from about 6 : 1 to about 1 : 6 . monthly . a single monthly dosage contains vitamin d or 25 - oh d3 in an amount from 30 μg to about 1500 μg , preferably about 75 μg to about 500 μg . alternatively , a single monthly dosage may contain both vitamin d and 25 - oh d3 each in an amount from 30 μg to about 1500 μg , preferably about 75 μg to about 500 μg . a kit may be comprised of one , two , three , four , five , six , seven , eight , nine , ten , eleven , or twelve weekly or monthly dosages . dosage ratios of vitamin d to 25 - oh d3 should range between 50 : 1 to about 1 : 50 , more preferably from about 25 : 1 to about 1 : 25 , and even more preferably from about 6 : 1 to about 1 : 6 . bolus : a single bolus dosage contains vitamin d or 25 - oh d3 in an amount from 30 μg to about 7500 μg , alternatively , a single bolus dosage may contain both vitamin d and 25 - oh d3 each in an amount from 100 μg to about 7500 μg , ( preferably about 75 μg to about 3750 μg ). dosage ratios of vitamin d to 25 - oh d3 should range between 50 : 1 to about 1 : 50 , more preferably from about 25 : 1 to about 1 : 25 , and even more preferably from about 6 : 1 to about 1 : 6 . bolus dose can be followed by a daily or weekly or monthly regimen as described above . there is a scarcity of data on the relationship between orally - administered 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 and its resulting systemic concentration in humans , in comparison to orally - administered vitamin d3 . the most comprehensive analysis to date of the kinetics of vitamin d3 and 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 was conducted by barger - lux et al . ( osteoperosis 8 : 222 - 230 , 1998 ). healthy men were administered up to 1250 μg / day of vitamin d3 over a period of eight weeks , and up to 50 μg / day of 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 over a period of four weeks . curvilinear kinetics were demonstrated for the relationship of vitamin d3 and plasma 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 , and it was suggested that this may be due to saturation of hydroxylase activity in the liver . this was supported in that dosing with 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 was not reported as producing curvilinear kinetics ( barger - lux et al ., 1998 ). although data on 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 does show curvilinear kinetics , it is only evident when the dose is extended past the level considered to result in maximum physiological benefit , which may indicate the activity of a homeostatic mechanism that is overwhelmed at very high doses . within the physiological range , the relationship appears linear and comparable to barger - lux et al . these data indicate that a daily dose of between 10 μg and 60 μg of 25 - hydroxyvitamin d is required for maximum health benefit . a study of the pharmacokinetics in humans of orally - administered spray - dried 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 , spray - dried vitamin d3 , or both was initiated to investigate their physiological interactions . in particular , the shapes of their dose - response curves ( which indicates the concentrations of vitamin d3 and 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 in the circulation over a set time course , not simply the average or maximum concentration achieved ) and the steady - state kinetics were of interest . in respect of the former point , it is important to investigate the change in shape of the dose - response curves when exposure is to both vitamin d3 and 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 . in respect of the latter point , it is also necessary to investigate their steady - state kinetics when dosing is less frequent than daily because this is the preferred regimen for groups that may have low compliance with taking daily supplements ( such as the elderly ). the following non - limiting examples are presented to better illustrate the invention . healthy , postmenopausal women ( 50 to 70 years of age ) were recruited using informed consent and screened using the following criteria : serum 25 - hydroxy vitamin d3 between 20 nmol / l and 50 nmol / l , body mass index between 18 kg / m 2 and 27 kg / m 2 , blood pressure less than 146 / 95 mm hg , serum calcium less than 2 . 6 nmol / l , fasting glucose less than 100 mg / dl , no high - intensity exercise more than three times per week , no treatment for hypertension , no use of high - dose vitamin d or calcium supplement or drug affecting bone metabolism ( e . g ., biphosphonate , calcitonin , estrogen receptor modulator , hormone replacement therapy , parathyroid hormone ), and not visiting a “ sunny ” location during the study . subjects were randomly assigned to one of seven treatment groups ( i . e ., daily , weekly , bolus as single dose , and bolus as combination dose ). each group included five subjects . they were followed for four months in zürich , switzerland during the winter . the objective was studying and comparing the pharmacokinetic characteristics of vitamin d3 and 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 administered to humans . equimolar quantities of both substances were investigated . the regimen was based on 20 μg / day ( or its equivalent on a weekly basis ) of 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 . for comparative purposes , it was necessary to administer equimolar quantities of either vitamin d3 or 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 . in respect to administration of vitamin d3 , the dose was considered to be sufficient to overcome background variability and provide and efficacious dose to the participants . daily : 120 administrations 1 . 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 20 μg 2 . vitamin d3 20 μg ( 800 iu ) weekly : 16 administrations 3 . 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 140 μg 4 . vitamin d3 140 μg ( 5600 iu ) bolus : single administration 5 . 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 140 μg 6 . vitamin d3 140 μg ( 5600 iu ) bolus : combo administration 7 . d3 and 25 ( oh ) d3 140 μg ( 5600iu ) + 140 μg hard gel capsules , which are packaged in bottles , contain either 20 μg or 140 μg of either spray - dried vitamin d3 or 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 per capsule . each dosage was consumed orally at breakfast . the duration of the study was four months for the “ daily ” and “ weekly ” groups . subjects enrolled in the “ bolus ” group consumed orally a single dosage at the second study visit . plasma concentrations of 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 ( e . g ., peak and steady state ) were determined by obtaining samples from the subjects at various times after the dosage was ingested . for screening purposes and to establish baseline values , a blood sample was obtained prior to enrollment into the study and the clinical laboratory measured vitamin d3 , 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 , calcium , creatinine , albumin , and fasting glucose in the serum . on monday of week 1 of the study , pharmacokinetics of serum vitamin d3 , 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 , and 1 , 25 - dihydroxy vitamin d3 ; serum markers ( i . e ., vitamin d3 , 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 , calcium , creatinine , albumin , pth , got , gpt , alp , triglycerides , hdl , ldl , total cholesterol , balp , and fasting glucose ); and urine markers ( i . e ., calcium , creatinine , and dpd ) were assessed over 24 hours . daily samples for the remaining days of week 1 and monday of week 2 were taken to assess serum vitamin d3 and 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 , serum markers ( i . e ., calcium , creatinine , albumin ), and urine markers ( i . e ., calcium , creatinine ). the assessments continued on monday of weeks 3 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 13 and 15 . on monday of week 16 , samples were taken to assess pharmacokinetics of serum vitamin d3 , 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 , and 1 , 25 - dihydroxy vitamin d3 ; serum markers ( i . e ., vitamin d3 , 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 , calcium , creatinine , albumin , pth , got , gpt , alp , triglycerides , hdl , ldl , total cholesterol , balp , and fasting glucose ); and urine markers ( i . e ., calcium , creatinine , and dpd ). twenty healthy postmenopausal women with 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 levels below 25 ng / ml and a mean age of 61 . 5 years ( sd ± 7 . 2 ) were enrolled in this study . participants were randomized to either 20 μg of oral 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 or 20 μg of vitamin d 3 per day in a double - blind manner . on 14 visits over 4 months , 25 ( oh ) d levels , and 7 inflammation markers ( eotaxin , il - 8 , il - 12 , ip - 10 , mcp - 1 , mip - 1β , rantes ) were measured . all analyses were adjusted for baseline , age and body mass index . mean 25 ( oh ) d levels increased from 13 . 7 to 69 . 5 ng / ml in the 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 group ( not shown ). for vitamin d 3 , 25 ( oh ) d levels increased from 13 . 5 to 31 . 0 ng / ml with a slow increase over time . levels of inflammatory markers were determined at baseline and the end of the follow - up period . for most of the markers baseline levels vary considerably within a population of healthy individuals ( see e . g . campell et al human immunology vol 62 , p . 668 - 678 , 2001 ). yet , they increase during periods of infection or health deteriorations . for instance eotaxin levels significantly increase in individuals during episodes of asthma or allergy ( campell et al . international immunology vol . 14 , p . 1255 - 1262 , 2002 ). while both types of vitamin d supplementation contributed to a decrease in 5 out of 7 inflammation markers , only eotaxin levels were significantly more reduced by 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 compared to vitamin d3 ( p = 0 . 003 ) at the end of the intervention phase . it should be noted that relative changes of different inflammatory markers ought be considered to reflect a positive impact on health rather than absolute levels , since these depend on the sensitivity of the analytical methods used . the results demonstrate the selective effect of 25 - hydroxyvitamin d3 on the levels of the inflammatory marker eotaxin .
0
fig1 illustrates a side sectional view of a load cell 10 formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig2 illustrates an isometric view of a heat sink 11 formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the load cell 10 is positioned for insertion into the heat sink 11 to secure the heat sink 11 to an electronic component 9 . the load cell 10 includes a screw 15 , a spring 20 , and a spring retention member 25 . the heat sink 11 includes a top surface 12 , heat release fins 13 , standoffs 14 , and threaded apertures 16 . some of the standoffs 14 and threaded apertures 16 are completely surrounded by the heat release fins 13 . the rectangular heat release fins 13 are formed integrally with , and extend perpendicularly upward from , the top surface 12 of the heat sink 11 . the heat release fins 13 are parallel to each other and direct heat that escapes from the electronic component 9 outward and away from the heat sink 11 . the cylindrical standoffs 14 are formed integrally with , and extend upward from , the top surface 12 and encircle the threaded apertures 16 . the standoffs 14 receive and are encircled by the spring retention members 25 to secure the spring retention members 25 around the threaded apertures 16 . the threaded apertures 16 threadably receive and retain the screw 15 of the load cell 10 . the threaded apertures 16 are situated above similar threaded apertures ( not shown ) of the electronic component 9 , so the heat sink 11 may be secured to the electronic component 9 by the load cell 10 . the screw 15 is aligned along a longitudinal axis 17 and includes a disk - shaped head 30 , mounted to a generally cylindrical shoulder 40 which is mounted to a threaded portion 35 . the head 30 and the threaded portion 35 are formed integrally with the shoulder 40 . the shoulder 40 includes a spring capture section 45 that joins a body section 50 that joins a recessed lower rim 55 . the spring capture section 45 extends above the body section 50 , and the recessed lower rim 55 extends below the body section 50 . the spring capture section 45 , the body section 50 , and the recessed lower rim section 55 include first , second , and third walls 65 , 70 , and 75 , respectively . the first wall 65 has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the second wall 70 , and the diameter of the second wall 70 is greater than a diameter of the third wall 75 . the spring 20 encircles the spring capture section 45 , the body section 50 , and the recessed lower rim section 55 . the body section 50 includes a flat , ring shaped bottom surface 80 that perpendicularly intersects the third wall 75 . the bottom surface 80 resists any further rotational progress of the screw 15 into the threaded aperture 16 upon contact of the bottom surface 80 with the standoffs 14 . the body section 50 includes a triangular retention barb 85 that is formed integrally with , and extends out circumferentially from , the second wall 70 and that has an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the first wall 65 . the retention barb 85 includes a flat ring - shaped top surface 90 that extends perpendicularly from the first wall 65 . the top surface 90 retains a portion of the spring 20 , and thus holds the spring 20 along the shoulder 40 . the retention barb 85 also includes a sloped bottom surface 95 that extends at an acute upward angle from the second wall 70 and intersects the top surface 90 . the sloped bottom surface 95 pushes the spring 20 outward and away from the shoulder 40 so the spring 20 assumes a barrel shape and therefore may be more easily compressed . the head 30 extends above the spring capture section 45 of the shoulder 40 . the head 30 includes a ring shaped bottom surface 100 , a circular top surface 105 , and a cylindrical side wall 110 . the bottom surface 100 is perpendicular to the first wall 65 and parallel to the top surface 105 . the side wall 110 extends circumferentially outward beyond the first wall 65 . the bottom surface 100 forms a first retention gap 120 with the first wall 65 and the top surface 90 of the retention barb 85 . a portion of the spring 20 is retained in the first retention gap 120 , suspending the spring 20 along the shoulder 40 . as the screw 15 is tightened into the standoff 14 , the bottom surface 100 engages and resists the portion of the spring 20 retained in the first retention gap 120 , compressing the spring 20 in the direction of arrow a against the heat sink surface 12 . the top surface 105 includes a tool cavity 125 that is aligned along the longitudinal axis 17 and that extends downward from the top surface 105 toward the spring capture section 45 . the tool cavity 125 is shaped to correspond to , and receive , a head of a rotational insertion tool such as a screwdriver ( not shown ). the sidewall 110 includes vertical rectangular grip ridges 130 that are formed with , and extend out from , the side wall 110 and that are aligned concentrically along the side wall 110 . the grip ridges 130 frictionally engage the fingers or gripping tools of an operator touching the head 30 , so the operator may better retain and position the screw 15 . the threaded portion 35 extends below the recessed lower rim section 55 of the shoulder 40 . the spring retention member 25 and a portion of the spring 20 encircle the threaded portion 35 . the threaded portion 35 includes a cylindrical wall 135 , a flat , ring - shaped top surface 140 , and a chamfered circular bottom portion 145 . the wall 135 includes threads 142 that encircle the wall 135 and correspond to the threaded apertures 16 in the heat sink 11 . when the bottom portion 145 is positioned into one of the threaded apertures 16 and the load cell 10 is rotated downward onto the heat sink 11 , the wall 135 threadably engages the threaded aperture 16 retaining the threaded portion 35 in the threaded aperture 16 . thus , the threaded portion 35 secures the heat sink 11 to the electronic component 9 . the load cell 10 is prevented from being positioned too deeply into the heat sink 11 and electronic component 9 when the bottom surface 80 contacts a resisting surface on the threaded aperture 16 . the top surface 140 perpendicularly extends from the third wall 75 of the shoulder 40 . when the load cell 10 is fully screwed into the threaded aperture 16 , the top surface 140 is positioned proximate the top surface 12 of the heat sink 11 . the spring 20 is cylindrical and aligned along the longitudinal axis 17 . the spring 20 encircles the shoulder 40 and threaded portion 35 of the screw 15 and a bushing 180 of the spring retention member 25 . the spring 20 includes flexible , cylindrically shaped turns 150 that are parallel to each other . the turns 150 wrap circularly upward along the shoulder 40 in a clockwise direction at an angle b to a horizontal plane 155 . the turns 150 include a top turn 160 and bottom turn 165 . the top turn 160 includes a flat top side 167 and the bottom turn 165 includes a flat bottom side 169 . as the screw 15 is rotatably inserted into the threaded aperture 16 , the top side 167 engages the bottom surface 100 of the head 30 and the bottom side 169 engages the spring retention member 25 , compressing the spring 20 . the top and bottom sides 167 and 169 are horizontally flat , therefore , the top and bottom sides 167 and 169 directly engage the head 30 and the spring retention member 25 , respectively , and the load exerted by the compressed spring 20 is delivered in a generally vertical , and thus more controlled , vector along the load cell 10 . the spring 20 is fully compressed when the bottom surface 80 is pressed against the standoff 14 . the compressed spring 20 resists further insertion by the threaded portion 35 and applies a controlled load along the load cell 10 to the heat sink 11 and the electronic component 9 . the controlled load presses electrical contacts ( not shown ) located in the electronic component 9 into mating contact with each other . the top and bottom turns 160 and 165 both have a spring end diameter . the spring 20 has a middle diameter located equidistant between the top turn 160 and the bottom turn 165 . the middle diameter is larger than the spring end diameter so the spring 20 has a barrel shape . the smaller spring end diameter prevents the top turn 160 and bottom turn 165 from sliding off of the shoulder 40 and the spring retention member 25 , respectively . the barrel shape allows for the other turns 150 to freely travel vertically along the shoulder 40 as the spring 20 is compressed . with the turns 150 freely travel , the spring 20 may be further compressed so the screw 15 may be rotatably inserted further into the heat sink 11 for a more controlled load . the spring retention member 25 is aligned along the longitudinal axis 17 and encircles the threaded portion 35 . the spring retention member 25 includes the tube shaped bushing 180 and a thin ring - shaped washer 185 . the bushing 180 has a first end and an opposite second end and is positioned between the threaded portion 35 and the spring 20 . the washer 185 is formed integrally with , and extends circumferentially outward from , the first end of the bushing 180 . the washer 185 includes a ring - shaped top surface 190 and bottom surface 195 . when the screw 15 is rotatably inserted into the standoff 14 , the washer 185 encircles the washer standoff 14 , the top surface 190 engages and resists the bottom turn 165 , and the bottom surface 195 engages and presses against the top surface 12 of the heat sink 11 . the washer 185 has a small tolerance , so the washer 185 has limited interference with the load produced by the spring 20 , allowing the load cell 10 to deliver a more controlled load to the heat sink 11 and electronic component 9 . the bushing 180 includes a cylindrical interior wall 200 and a cylindrical exterior wall 202 . the interior wall 200 has a diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the second wall 70 of the shoulder 40 , so the bushing 180 may receive and encircle the body section 50 as the screw 15 is rotatably inserted into the standoff 14 . the exterior wall 202 includes a triangular retention barb 205 that is formed integrally with , and extends circumferentially outward from , the second end of the bushing 180 . the triangular retention barb 205 includes a flat , ring shaped bottom surface 210 that extends perpendicularly from the exterior wall 202 . the bottom surface 210 forms a second retention gap 220 with the exterior wall 202 and the top surface 190 of the washer 185 . the triangular retention barb 205 retains the bottom turn 165 of the spring 20 in the second retention gap 220 , and thus holds the spring retention member 25 upon the screw 15 . the triangular retention barb 205 also includes a sloped top surface 215 that extends at an acute angle from the exterior wall 202 and intersects the bottom surface 210 . the sloped top surface 215 pushes the spring 20 outward and away from the spring retention member 25 so the spring 20 assumes a barrel shape . fig3 illustrates a side sectional view of the load cell 10 of fig1 fully inserted onto the top surface 12 of the heat sink 11 ( fig2 ). the spring 20 is compressed . the bushing 180 encircles the body section 50 and recessed lower rim section 55 of the screw 15 and the top surface 140 of the threaded portion 35 is positioned proximate the top surface 12 of the heat sink 11 . the height of the shoulder 40 , the size of the spring 20 , and the small tolerance of the washer 185 all correspond to each other in such a way that , when the spring 20 is compressed , the threaded portion 35 may not be rotatably inserted any further into the standoff 14 , and the load cell 10 exerts a controlled load on the heat sink 11 ( fig2 ) and the electronic component 9 ( fig2 ). in an alternative embodiment , the interior wall 200 of the bushing 180 includes threads that correspond to threads on the second wall 70 of the shoulder 40 . as the threaded portion 35 is threadably rotated into the standoff 14 , the bushing 180 engages , the top surface 12 of the heat sink 11 . the bushing 180 is thus threadably retained along the shoulder 40 . fig4 illustrates a side sectional view of a load cell 51 formed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention . the bushing 180 includes a securing rib 330 that is formed integrally with , and extends radially inward from , the interior wall 200 . the screw 15 includes a support collar 335 that is integrally formed with , and extends circumferentially outward from , the shoulder 40 . the support collar 335 includes a ring - shaped top surface 340 . prior to rotatably inserting the screw 15 into the heat sink 11 ( fig2 ), the bushing 180 is retained along the shoulder 40 by the securing rib 330 engaging the top surface 340 of the support collar 335 . therefore , retention barbs are not required , and the spring 20 is partially compressed and retained between the head 30 and the washer 185 . as the threaded portion 35 is rotatably inserted into the threaded aperture 16 ( fig2 ), the spring 20 pushes the spring retention member 25 downward so the securing rib 330 presses against the support collar 335 until the washer 185 engages , and is resisted by , the top surface 12 of the heat sink 11 . as the top surface 12 resists the downward progress of the spring retention member 25 , the spring 20 is further compressed , the threaded portion 35 rotatably proceeds further into the threaded aperture 16 ( fig2 ), and the support collar 335 proceeds downward away from the securing rib 330 while the spring 20 applies a controlled load along the load cell 10 to the heat sink 11 and the electronic component 9 ( fig2 ). fig5 illustrates a side sectional view of the load cell 61 formed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention . the washer 185 includes a circular inner wall 350 and a circular outer wall 355 . the inner wall 350 receives and encircles the threaded portion 35 . the bushing 180 is integrally formed with , and extends upward from , the outer wall 355 of the washer 185 . the bushing 180 includes an interior wall 360 and a top end 370 . the interior wall 360 includes a second triangular retention barb 375 that is formed integrally with , and extends radially inward from , the top end 370 of the bushing 180 toward the threaded portion 35 . the second retention barb 375 , the interior wall 360 of the bushing 180 , and the top surface 190 of the washer 185 form a second retention gap 380 . the spring 20 is suspended along the screw 15 with the top turn 160 of the spring 20 positioned within the first retention gap 120 . the spring retention member 25 is suspended along the screw 15 by the spring 20 with the bottom turn 165 positioned in the second retention gap 380 . in operation , the load cell 61 performs similarly to the load cell 10 described in fig1 and 3 . the load cell 10 of the various embodiments confers several benefits . first , the load cell 10 applies a more controlled load to the heat sink 11 and the electronic component 9 because the washer 185 has a small tolerance . a controlled tension load is necessary when attaching a heat sink 11 to an electronic component 9 because too little tension will result in a weak electrical connection between electric contacts situated within the electronic component 9 , and too much tension will result in a ruptured electronic component 9 . secondly , because the washer 185 is already attached to the load cell 10 , the washer 185 does not have to be separately aligned with the washer standoff 14 before inserting the screw 15 into the heat sink 11 . therefore , assembly time is reduced , and an operator may more easily insert the load cell 10 into threaded apertures 16 in the heat sink 11 that are surrounded by heat release fins 13 or other obstructions . while the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims .
5
referring to the drawings in particular , fig1 shows a basic body 1 of a hook , which has a bobbin housing 3 formed by a top part and a lower part for receiving a bobbin 2 carrying the bobbin thread reserve . the bobbin 2 , received by a pin 4 of the lower part of the bobbin housing 3 , has two flanges 5 , 6 , which are arranged at spaced locations from one another and between which a web 7 directed essentially in parallel to them is arranged . the bobbin 2 is preferably made of metal , so that both the outer lateral limiting surface of the flange 5 and the outer lateral limiting surface of the web reflect light . the web 7 , which has an only relatively small radial extension , divides the storage volume of the bobbin 2 into a residual thread chamber 8 receiving the residual thread length and a main chamber 9 receiving the main thread length . openings 11 arranged on a pitch circle are provided in the flange 5 of the bobbin 2 for a detection beam 12 designed as a laser light beam , which said openings are designed as holes or arc - shaped elongated holes . the openings 11 are arranged such that the detection beam 12 passing through them can fall on the outer area of the web 7 . a sensor head 13 , which has an infrared laser light transmitter 14 and a corresponding receiver 15 , which may be designed as a receiving phototransistor , is arranged above the pin 4 on the side of the basic body 1 of the hook . the input of the infrared laser light transmitter 14 is connected to a power source 16 , whose current intensity can be varied , controlled by a microcomputer 17 , to change the transmitted power of the infrared laser light transmitter 14 . as will be explained later , the detection beam 12 emitted by the infrared laser light transmitter 14 is reflected either by the flange 5 or by the web 7 or by the thread roll of the residual thread length and is sent to the receiver 15 , whose output is connected to a first input of the microcomputer 17 via an amplifier 18 . a second input of the microcomputer 17 is connected to a revolution sensor 19 of the sewing machine , which sends one pulse per revolution of the main shaft 20 of the machine and consequently per stitch formation cycle to the microcomputer 17 . the microcomputer 17 has a total of three stitch counters , namely , a first stitch countdown counter a , a stitch countdown counter b , and a stitch counter c , whose functions will be explained in connection with the explanation of the mode of action of the means according to the present invention . reference is made for this first to a first operating state of the sewing machine , in which bobbin thread from the main chamber 9 is being processed , as is shown in fig4 and 5 . in fig4 the detection beam 12 emitted by the infrared laser light transmitter 14 falls on the flange 5 of the bobbin 2 and is reflected by same to the receiver 15 . since the flange 5 has a degree of reflection as is usual for metals , i . e ., a relatively high degree of reflection , a signal pulse s 1 with a relatively high voltage is sent to the microcomputer 17 during the time during which the detection beam 12 falls on the flange 5 . if the detection beam 12 falls on one of the openings 11 ( fig5 ) through the bobbin 2 , which continues to rotate due to thread being pulled off , this beam is reflected by the surface structure of the thread roll . since the degree of reflection of the surface of the thread is relatively low and substantially lower than that of the flange 5 , this leads to a diffuse reflection , so that a signal pulse s 2 of a relatively low voltage is sent by the receiver 15 to the microcomputer 17 . the two signal pulses are compared in the microcomputer 17 with a preset detection threshold ds , and a signal sequence corresponding to fig6 is generated when the detection threshold ds is cyclically exceeded and consumption of thread is detected . consequently , the machine is operating in the first operating state , in which thread of the main chamber 9 is being processed . fig7 shows the state in which the residual thread chamber 8 has just dropped below the detection level and thread of the area of the residual thread chamber 8 located below the detection level has begun to the processed . with the detection beam 12 falling on the flange 5 of the bobbin 2 , this situation corresponds to the situation according to fig4 . if the detection beam 12 falls on one of the openings 11 ( fig8 ) through the bobbin 2 , which continues to rotate due to thread being pulled off , and this detection beam thus reaches the web 7 , it is reflected by this web to the receiver 15 . since the web 7 has the same degree of reflection as the flange 5 of the bobbin 2 , a signal pulse with a likewise relatively high voltage is sent to the microcomputer 17 during the time during which the detection beam 12 falls on the web 7 . thus , regardless of whether the detection beam 12 falls on the flange 5 or on the web 7 , a continuous reflection is generated , which leads to a nearly constant signal pattern , which is shown in fig9 . to this are superimposed residual ripples , which may arise from both the distance between the reflection surface of the flange 5 and the reflection surface of the web 7 and the nonuniform run of the bobbin 2 as well as from vibrations of the machine . since these residual ripples are relatively small , on the one hand , and they may be caused by several undetectable accidental events , on the other hand , it can only be inferred from the pattern of the signal that the detection level has just been reached and the machine is sewing in the second operating mode , in which thread from the residual thread chamber 8 is being processed . if the thread length being stored in the residual thread chamber 8 is determined empirically during the filling of the bobbin 2 or it is calculated in the knowledge of the thread thickness and the storage volume of the residual thread chamber 8 , and the corresponding values are stored together with the thread consumption per stitch formation cycle in the microcomputer 17 , the microcomputer sets the stitch countdown counter a , which receives its pulses from the revolution sensor 19 . if the stitch countdown counter a counts down to the zero value , because the residual thread length has been consumed by this point in time , the sewing machine is stopped . if the number of stitches per seam or per workpiece is known , the still possible number of seams or workpieces that can be prepared can be entered already at the beginning of the processing of the residual thread length if the number of stitches per seam or per workpiece was entered in the microcomputer 17 in advance , so that the microcomputer 17 sends a signal to the control unit of the sewing machine for stopping the machine after the formation of the preset number of stitches or seams or workpieces and / or it activates a display device . a special case is the breaking of the bobbin thread , which leads to the stoppage of the bobbin 2 because no thread is being pulled off . if the lower thread breaks with the detection beam 12 falling on the flange 5 of the bobbin 2 or with the detection beam 12 falling on the web 7 , a continuous reflection is generated , which corresponds to the situation according to fig4 with the detection beam 12 falling on the flange 5 or to the situation according to fig8 with the detection beam 12 falling on the web 7 . if the thread break occurs in the situation according to fig5 with the detection beam 12 reaching the thread roll through an opening 11 , a continuous , diffuse reflection is obtained . as a result , a permanent signal is generated below the detection threshold ds , which corresponds to the pattern of signal 2 in fig6 . if the signal does not change over into the range above the detection threshold ds during a defined number of stitches , the bobbin 2 is stopped and there is a disturbance caused by thread break . to detect this state , the microcomputer 17 has the stitch countdown counter b , which can be set to a preselectable number of stitches each time the detection threshold ds is undershot . if the stitch countdown counter b reaches the zero value without a changeover of the signal to above the detection threshold ds taking place , stopping of the machine with a corresponding report to the human operator is triggered as a result . if the bobbin 2 stops during the break of the bobbin thread in a position in which a continuous reflection takes place , a signal pattern corresponding to fig1 is obtained . this is very similar to the signal pattern according to fig9 and is continuously above the detection threshold ds . it is not possible to derive any information from the continuous reflection on whether bobbin thread is being processed from the residual thread length or whether the bobbin 2 is stopped . this state may correspond to the situation according to fig4 in which the detection beam 12 falls on the flange 5 of the stopped , still filled bobbin 2 , or to the situation according to fig8 in which the detection beam 12 falls on the web 7 of the stopped bobbin 2 still having the residual thread length , or to the situation according to fig1 , in which the detection beam 12 falls on the flange 5 of the stopped bobbin 2 having only the residual thread length . since the signal pattern according to fig1 is extremely similar to that according to fig9 which corresponds to the processing of the residual thread length with the detection beam 12 falling on the web 7 through an opening 11 , the signal pattern according to fig1 does not make it possible to obtain any information on the operating state , i . e ., it cannot be inferred from the signal pattern according to fig1 whether it can be attributed to the stoppage of the bobbin 2 or to the proper processing of the residual thread length . to detect this signal pattern , the stitch counter c is started each time the signal changes over from below the detection threshold ds to above the detection threshold ds . if there is no signal change to below the detection threshold ds after a defined number of stitches , e . g ., two stitches , the microcomputer 17 reduces the current to the infrared laser light transmitter 14 and consequently the transmission output of this transmitter , which is at the highest possible value in the normal state , corresponding to fig1 , to a somewhat lower value by means of the controllable power source 16 . if a signal change still fails to occur , the current is reduced by an additional amount after a defined number of stitches . the reduction in the transmission output leads to a sensitization of the means . as a result , the difference in the distances between the reflection surfaces of the flange 5 and the web 7 , on the one hand , and the infrared laser light transmitter 14 , on the other hand , is sufficient to recognize a signal change when the bobbin 2 is still rotating at a defined transmission output . the reduction of the current that can be fed to the infrared laser light transmitter 14 may be repeated until a minimum current is reached . if a signal change still fails to occur , the bobbin 2 is stopped , i . e ., no thread is being pulled off . stopping of the machine with a corresponding report to the human operator is likewise triggered in this case . if a signal change takes place at a reduced transmission output , it can be assumed that the bobbin 2 is rotating and the residual thread length is being processed at this point in time corresponding to the situation according to fig8 . the output of the infrared laser light transmitter 14 can again be reset to its maximum value for a new cycle . it is achieved by the stepwise reduction that the operation can be carried out with a relatively high transmission output in the normal operation , especially during the processing of the bobbin thread being stored in the main chamber 9 in order to have sufficient power reserves even in the case of poorer reflection behavior caused by contamination or tolerances related to manufacture or assembly , on the one hand , and , on the other hand , to still make different signal patterns recognizable during the detection of a certain operating state with a sufficiently low transmission output from the difference in the distances between the respective reflection surfaces of the flange 5 and the web 7 , on the one hand , and the infrared laser light transmitter 14 , on the other hand . the signal patterns of the above - described operation are shown in fig1 through 18 . fig1 shows the reduction of the current reaching the infrared laser light transmitter 14 from the controllable power source 16 , which is initiated by the microcomputer 17 and takes place in a plurality of steps , in order to bring about a stepwise reduction of the transmission output of the infrared laser light transmitter . fig1 shows the particular number of stitches , assigned chronologically , which are formed consecutively after the particular start of the stitch counter c at a particular reduced output of the infrared laser light transmitter 14 . fig1 shows once again the signal pattern during the continuous reflection , and it can be recognized from this figure that this [ signal pattern ] is above the detection threshold ds and no information can be derived from it with respect to the operating state of the machine . fig1 shows the situation in which the current sent to the infrared laser light transmitter 14 is reduced by a first step . the intensity of the signals is reduced corresponding to the reduced current intensity , but the signal pattern is still above the detection threshold ds . even though the signal pattern already has ripples , they are still insufficient for obtaining any information concerning the operating state because of the small difference from the signal pattern seen during continuous reflection . fig1 shows the situation in which the current fed to the infrared laser light transmitter 14 is reduced by two steps . the intensity of the signals is reduced corresponding to the reduced current intensity , but the signal pattern is still above the detection threshold ds . the ripples of the signal pattern are more pronounced and have a contour that comes close to that seen during the processing of thread from the residual thread chamber 8 . however , since the signal pattern is still on the same side of the detection threshold ds and therefore there is no signal change as yet , it is not yet possible to obtain any reliable information concerning a signal change , and it is consequently also impossible to obtain any reliable information on the operating state . fig1 shows the situation in which the intensity of the current sent to the infrared laser light transmitter 14 is reduced by a total of three steps . at the same time , this current intensity is also the minimum current intensity to be sent to the infrared laser light transmitter 14 . the signal pattern drops below the detection threshold ds and corresponds to that seen during the proper consumption of thread of the residual thread chamber 8 . the signal pattern according to fig1 , which is generated using the normal operating current of the infrared laser light transmitter 14 and from which continuous reflection can be inferred , can be recognized due to the repeated reduction of the current to be sent to the infrared laser light transmitter 14 as the signal pattern that corresponds to the signal pattern seen during the proper processing of thread of the residual thread chamber 8 . while signals that point to a continuous reflection and do not make it possible to obtain any information concerning the operating state of the machine are generated during the operation of the infrared laser light transmitter 14 with normal current intensity , this apparent continuous reflection can be recognized as a signal pattern associated with the proper consumption of thread of the residual threads chamber 8 during the operation of the infrared laser light transmitter 14 with a current intensity temporarily reduced in a stepwise manner , so that the microcomputer 17 will recognize after only a few stitches that this is a signal pattern that corresponds to the situation according to fig8 and a signal for stopping the machine with a corresponding report to the human operator is triggered . while specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles .
3
the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings , and described in the following specification , are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims . hence , specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting , unless the claims expressly state otherwise . referring to fig1 a block diagram is shown illustrating the connection of a known usb hub 10 to a computer 12 . the computer 12 has a usb interface which includes a master data hub 14 for receiving data from the usb hub 10 . the master data hub 14 is coupled to the computer 12 via an internal bus 16 which provides a communication path between the master data hub and the computer . the master data hub 14 includes at least one usb connector 18 . the usb hub 10 includes an upstream port 20 having a corresponding usb plug 22 which connects to the usb connector 18 of the master data hub 14 . the usb hub 10 also includes a plurality of downstream ports 24 having downstream usb connectors 26 to permit multiple peripheral devices 28 , such as a keyboard , mouse , etc ., to be coupled to the master data hub 14 through the usb hub 10 . the peripheral devices 28 are each connected by a connection cable 30 to a usb connector 32 which mates with the downstream port connectors 26 of the usb hub 10 . the usb hub 10 typically contains connections for receiving power in two ways . first , the usb hub is bus powered for applications in which total current provided to the hub is less than approximately 500 ma . in bus powered applications , the usb hub receives power through the upstream port 20 from the usb plug 22 which contains separate positive and ground conductors . the usb hub can transfer a limited amount of current , approximately 100 ma , to each of four devices through the downstream ports 24 via positive and ground conductors in the downstream connectors 26 . the usb hub 10 also includes a separate power connector 34 for receiving sufficient power to supply the higher current demands to the downstream ports 24 in high power applications . the power connector 34 includes a positive voltage conductor 36 and a ground conductor 38 for receiving dc voltage , preferably 5 volts , from a typical transformer ( not shown ) connected to an ac powered outlet ( also not shown ). referring now to fig2 - 6 , a stackable modular four port usb hub is shown generally at 40 . the components of the usb hub 40 , which are similar to the conventional usb hub shown in fig1 are indicated with the same numerals . the stackable usb hub includes a usb type b female connector 22 connected to an upstream port 20 ( refer to port 20 shown in fig1 ) and four usb type a female connectors 26 connected to corresponding downstream ports 24 ( refer to ports 24 shown in fig1 ). the stackable usb hub further includes a housing 42 for mounting the usb a and b connectors 22 , 26 and a circuit board 43 containing conventional usb hub circuitry 43 a . the usb hub housing 42 includes an first or top power port 64 for mounting the stackable usb hub 40 to a stackable upstream component ( described in detail below ) and for supplying power and ground to the upstream component for high power hub applications . furthermore , the usb hub housing 42 includes a second or bottom power port 44 for mounting a stackable downstream component ( described in detail below ) to the usb hub and for passing the power and ground received from the second or bottom power port 44 to the hub , thereby supplying its high power demands . the second or bottom power port 44 includes a second or bottom power port connector 46 ( hereinafter called the second connector ) for mating with a complementary shaped mating connector on the second or bottom power port of the downstream component as shall be described in detail below . the upstream and / or downstream connector may be of a quick connect type , if desired . the first connector 46 is preferably a female connector , including a recess 50 , and a pair of flanges 52 . each flange 52 extends out over the recess 50 terminating in an inner edge 52 a . a groove 54 is defined between the flange 52 and the recess 50 . the flanges 52 extend from opposite sides of the recess 50 defining a pair of oppositely disposed grooves 54 . the grooves 54 preferably extend along the entire sides of the recess , although alternatively , they may not . the recess 50 , flanges 52 , and grooves 54 preferably extend across the entire housing 42 , although alternatively , they may only extend across a portion of the housing . a positive voltage conductor 56 is disposed in one of the flanges 52 such that it terminates in a first end 56 a which is flush with , or which extends slightly from , the inner edge of the flange 52 a . a ground conductor 58 , including a first end 58 a , is disposed in the opposite flange 52 in a similar manner . the voltage and ground conductor first ends 56 a , 58 a are located a predetermined distance from the end of the grooves 54 , and preferably across from each other although , alternatively , they may be located at different distances from the ends of the grooves . the voltage and ground conductors 56 , 58 are electrically connected to the circuit board 43 and with the usb circuitry 43 a in a conventional manner so as to provide power to the usb hub for high power applications described above . the usb hub first or top power port 64 includes a first or top power port connector 66 ( hereinafter called the first connector ) for mating with the complementary shaped second connector 46 of another stackable usb hub device as shall be described in detail below . the first connector 66 is preferably a male connector having a boss 70 protruding from the housing . the boss 70 has a shape which is complementary to the recess 50 thereby allowing the boss to be received within the recess . the first connector 66 further includes a pair of flanges 72 , each flange extending from the opposite side of the boss . a groove 74 is defined between each flange 72 and the housing 42 at the base of the boss 70 . the grooves 74 preferably extend along the entire sides of the boss 70 , although alternatively , they may not . the boss 70 , flanges 72 , and grooves 74 , preferably extend across the entire housing 42 , although alternatively , they may only extend across a portion of the housing . the positive conductor 56 described above also extends to first connector 66 of the first or top power port 64 , terminating in a second end 56 b which is disposed in one of the second connector grooves 74 such that the second end is flush with , or extends slightly from , the groove . the ground conductor 58 described above includes a second end 58 b which is disposed in the opposite groove 74 in a similar manner . the positive conductor second end 56 b is disposed a predetermined distance from the end of the groove 74 , thereby corresponding to the same location as the positive conductor first end 56 a in the first connector . similarly , the ground conductor second end 58 b is disposed at a location which corresponds to the location of the ground conductor first end 58 a in the first connector . the first and second connectors may alternatively be switched such that the first connector is a male connector embodying the features of the second connector , and the second connector is a female connector embodying the features of the first connector . alternatively , neither connector may be considered as male or female , but rather each may have complimentary shaped features for connecting to the other . the first and second connectors 66 , 46 described above are only examples of connectors which are suitable for the first or top and second or bottom power ports . any known connector or coupler may be used to connect , mount , couple , join or link the first or top power port 66 of the hub 40 to another stackable component having a second or bottom power port 44 and the second or bottom power port of the hub 40 to another stackable component having a first or top power port . examples of such connectors include a housing portion and shroud , mating surfaces and fasteners , screw type , tongue and groove , and cam and groove connectors . additionally , the connectors may include retainers for keeping the connectors connected , such as a recess and a protrusion , a “ snap ” type retainer , a “ snap - lock ” type , an “ internal snap ” type , a “ locking ” type or a “ finger pressure removal ” type , or any known fasteners , including screws , bolts and the like . an optional conventional power connector 48 may also be disposed on the housing 42 . the power connector 48 includes a positive voltage conductor 48 a and a ground conductor 48 b for providing dc voltage , preferably 5 volts , and ground to the hub 40 from a conventional source such as a transformer ( not shown ) connected to a conventional ac power outlet , or from the computer ( not shown ) as shall be described in further detail below . the voltage and ground conductors 48 a , 48 b are electrically connected to the circuit board 43 and the usb circuitry 43 a in a conventional manner so as to provide power to the usb hub 40 for high power applications . additionally , the voltage and ground conductors 48 a , 48 b are electrically connected to the positive voltage conductor 56 and the ground conductor 58 . the power connector 48 may be any conventional power connector known in the art . referring now to fig7 - 9 , the stackable usb hub 40 can be mounted to a downstream component 80 in the modular stackable usb hub and surge suppressor system via the second or bottom power port 44 . the upstream component 40 may be any stackable component having the first or top power port 64 described above . examples of the upstream component 40 include , but are not limited to , a base unit ( described below ), another usb hub , a stackable usb to lan converter ( described below ), or a stackable usb to scsi converter ( described below ). the upstream component 40 includes a housing 40 ′ having a first or top power port 64 which is similar to the first or top power port 64 ′ of the downstream component 80 , including a second connector 66 ′ having a boss 70 ′, flanges 72 ′ and grooves 74 ′. the first or top power port 64 ′ provides a physical connection between the usb hub 40 and the downstream component 80 via the first connector 46 thereby securing the usb hub housing 42 to the downstream component housing 40 ′. additionally , the second or bottom power port 44 provides an electrical connection between the usb hub 40 and the downstream component 80 , passing a positive voltage and ground from the downstream component to the usb hub 40 for supplying its power requirements in high power applications . the usb hub 40 may be connected to the downstream component 80 by sliding the second or bottom power port connector 44 of the upstream component 40 into the first connector 66 of the usb hub ( as shown by arrows 76 in fig7 ) so that the boss 70 ′ of the first connector 66 ′ is received in the recess 50 ( fig6 ) of the second connector 46 on the usb hub . the second connector flanges 52 slide into the first connector grooves 74 ′, and the first connector flanges 72 ′ slide into the second connector grooves 54 . the two components 40 , 80 are connected correctly when the first ends 56 a and 58 a of the second connector voltage and ground conductors 56 , 58 make electrical contact with the corresponding voltage and ground conductors 56 ′ 58 ′ in the first connector . this electrical connection provides the high current power connection between the stackable usb hub 40 and the other component 80 . referring now to fig1 , an upstream component 90 may be connected to the usb hub 40 via the first or top power port 64 while the usb hub is connected to the downstream component 80 . examples of the upstream component 90 include but are not limited to another usb hub , a stackable usb to lan converter ( described below ), or a stackable usb to scsi converter . the upstream component 90 includes at least a second or bottom power port 44 ″ and preferably also a first or top power port 64 ″, having all of the features of the usb upstream and downstream ports 44 , 64 described above . the use hub 40 first or top power port 64 may be connected to the second or bottom power port 44 ″ of the upstream component 90 by sliding the first connector 66 of the usb hub 40 into the second connector 46 ″ of the downstream component 90 ( as shown by arrows 96 in fig1 ) so that the boss 70 of the usb first connector 66 is received in the recess 50 ″ of the second connector 46 ″ on the upstream component 90 . the second connector flanges 52 ″ slide into the usb hub first connector grooves 74 , and the usb hub first connector flanges 72 slide into the second connector grooves 54 ″ on the upstream component 90 . the usb hub 40 and the upstream component 90 are connected correctly when the second ends 56 b and 58 b of the usb hub first connector positive and ground conductors 56 , 58 make electrical contact , with the corresponding positive and ground conductors 56 ″, 58 ″ in the second connector 46 ″ of the upstream component 90 . when the upstream component 90 is connected to the usb hub 40 in this manner , and the usb hub is connected to the downstream component 80 as described above , the positive voltage and ground for high power applications is passed from the downstream component 80 , through the usb hub 40 , to the upstream component 90 . referring now to fig1 - 14 , a base unit 100 , an example of an downstream component 80 , is shown . the base unit 100 includes a housing 101 . the base unit also includes a power cord 102 for connecting to a conventional ac outlet ( not shown ) thereby providing power to the base unit . conventional outlets 104 are disposed on the housing 101 for distributing ac power to other electrical components connected to the outlets in a known manner . the base unit 100 also includes an optional on / off switch 106 and a circuit breaker 108 which are conventional and known in the art . the base unit 100 also includes bays 110 disposed in the housing 101 for receiving one or more surge suppressor modules 112 . the surge suppressor modules 112 include conventional surge suppression circuitry ( shown in phantom at 113 in fig1 ) which is known in the art for providing surge suppression to any conventional electrical components 114 connected to the modules via connectors 116 . the connectors 116 may be conventional co - axial connectors , rj11 connectors for connecting telephone lines for modems , rj45 connectors or any other suitable connectors . a ground conductor 117 a is provided in the bay 110 for connection to a ground conductor 117 b disposed on the surge suppressor module 112 for providing ground to the surge suppression circuitry 113 when the module is received in the bay . the ground conductors 117 a , 117 b have complementary shape so as to connect together in any known manner . the base unit 100 may optionally provide surge suppression to electrical components connected to the outlets 104 via conventional surge suppression circuitry contained within the usb circuitry 43 a described above . alternatively , a separate removable surge suppression module 112 housed within one of the bays 110 may provide the surge suppression to the electrical components connected to the outlets 104 . the base unit 100 also includes a first or top power port 64 ′ similar to the usb first or top power port 64 described above . any stackable modular component may be mounted to the base unit 100 via the first or top power port 64 ′ as described above . an optional conventional power connector 118 may also be disposed on the housing 101 . the power connector 118 includes a positive voltage conductor 118 a and a ground conductor 118 b for providing dc voltage , preferably 5 volts , and ground to the base unit 100 from a conventional source such as a transformer ( not shown ) connected to a conventional ac power outlet , or from the computer ( not shown ) as shall be described in further detail below . the voltage and ground conductors 118 a , 118 b are electrically connected to the positive voltage conductor 56 and the ground conductor 58 described above . the power connector 48 may be any conventional power connector known in the art . referring now to fig1 - 17 , an alternate embodiment of the stackable usb hub 40 described above is shown generally at 120 . the alternate embodiment is a seven port usb hub 120 having seven downstream usb data ports 24 with seven usb connectors ( not shown ) for connecting seven peripheral devices ( shown at 28 in fig1 ) to the usb hub 120 . the seven port usb hub 120 is similar to the four port usb hub 40 described above , and includes a similar first or top power port 64 and second or bottom power port 44 . referring now to fig1 - 20 , a second alternate embodiment of the stackable usb hub 40 described above is shown generally at 130 . the second embodiment is a stackable four port usb hub 130 including all of the features of the stackable four port usb hub 40 described above . in addition , the usb hub 130 includes conventional usb to parallel converter circuitry ( shown in phantom at 132 ) and a parallel connector 134 which are known in the art . the usb hub 130 further includes conventional usb to serial converter circuitry ( shown in phantom at 136 ) and a serial connector 138 which are also known in the art . referring now to fig2 - 23 , a stackable usb to scsi converter is shown general at 140 . the stackable usb to scsi converter 140 includes the first or top power port 64 and the second or bottom power port 44 described above . the stackable usb to scsi converter 11 ) 140 further includes a conventional usb upstream port 20 ( refer to port 20 shown in fig1 ) and connector 22 , a db25 or hp db50 port and connector 142 , and conventional circuitry ( shown in phantom at 144 ) which is known in the art for converting data between usb format and scsi format . the stackable usb to scsi converter 140 is mountable to any stackable component described herein via the first and / or second power ports 64 , 44 . the stackable usb to scsi converter 140 receives the positive voltage and ground through the second or bottom power port 44 for powering the converter 140 and associated circuitry 144 . furthermore , the stackable usb to scsi converter 140 passes the positive voltage and ground to other stackable components mounted to the first or top power port 64 as described above . referring now to fig2 - 26 , a stackable usb to lan adapter 150 is shown general at 150 . the stackable usb to lan adapter 150 includes the first or top power port 64 and the second or bottom power port 44 described above . the stackable usb to lan adapter 150 further includes a conventional usb upstream data port 20 ( refer to port 20 shown in fig1 ) and connector 22 , a lan cable connector 152 , and conventional circuitry ( shown in phantom at 154 ) which is known in the art for converting data between usb format and lan format . the stackable usb to lan converter 150 is mountable to any stackable component described herein via the ports 64 , 44 . the stackable usb to lan converter 150 receives the positive voltage and ground through the second or bottom power port 44 for powering the converter 150 and associated circuitry 154 . furthermore , the stackable usb to lan converter 150 passes the positive voltage and ground to other stackable components mounted to the first or top power port 64 as described above . referring now to fig2 - 28 , a third alternate embodiment of the stackable usb hub 40 described above is shown generally at 240 . the components of the usb hub 240 , which are similar to the conventional usb hub shown in fig1 are indicated with the same numerals . the stackable usb hub 240 includes a usb type b female connector 22 connected to an upstream port 20 ( refer to port 20 shown in fig1 ) and plurality of downstream usb ports 24 , preferably between 4 and 7 such usb ports . each port 24 includes a usb type a female connector 26 for connecting peripheral devices 28 as described above to the usb hub 240 . the stackable usb hub 240 also includes a housing 242 containing the circuit board ( a portion of which is shown in phantom at 43 and is similar to circuit board 43 described above ) within the housing . the circuit board 43 includes conventional usb hub circuitry 43 a shown above . the usb type a and b connectors 22 , 26 are preferably disposed in the back of the housing 242 although any suitable location may be used . an optional conventional power connector 243 is also disposed at the back of the housing 242 . the power connector 243 includes a positive voltage conductor 243 a and a ground conductor 243 b for providing dc voltage , preferably 5 volts , and ground to the hub 240 from a conventional source such as a transformer ( not shown ) connected to a conventional ac power outlet , or from the computer ( not shown ) as shall be described in further detail below . the voltage and ground conductors 243 a , 243 b are electrically connected to the circuit board 43 and the usb circuitry 43 a in a conventional manner so as to provide power to the usb hub 240 for high power applications . the usb hub housing 242 includes a second or bottom power port 244 , preferably disposed on the bottom of the housing , for mounting the stackable usb hub 240 to a stackable downstream component 80 as described above and for receiving voltage and ground from the downstream component for high power hub applications . furthermore , the usb hub housing 242 includes a first or top power port 264 , preferably disposed on the top of the housing , for mounting a stackable upstream component 90 to the usb hub 240 and for passing the voltage and ground received from the second or bottom power port 244 , or from the power connector 243 , to the upstream component 90 , thereby supplying its power demands . the second or bottom power port 244 includes a second connector 246 for mating with a complementary shaped first connector on the first or top power port of the upstream component 90 . examples of the upstream component 90 include but are not limited to a base unit ( described below ), another usb hub , a stackable usb to lan converter , or a stackable usb to scsi converter having a suitable second or bottom power port 264 as described below . the second connector 246 is preferably a male connector and includes a boss 250 extending from the housing 242 . the boss 250 is preferably square , although alternatively it may be rectangular or any other suitable shape . the boss 250 may have a single continuous wall as shown , or may have two or more separate walls . the second or bottom power port 244 also includes a positive voltage conductor 256 and ground conductor 258 which extend from the housing , preferably extending beyond the boss 250 . the positive conductor 256 and ground conductor 258 preferably form the radially inner and radially outer sides respectively of a conventional cylindrical male dc power connector , although alternatively , the conductors may be reversed , or may form any suitably shaped connector . the voltage and ground conductors 256 , 258 are electrically connected to the circuit board 43 and with the usb circuitry 43 a in a conventional manner so as to provide power to the usb hub 240 for high power applications described above . furthermore , the positive voltage conductor 256 and ground conductor 258 also are electrically connected to the positive voltage conductor 243 a and ground conductor 243 b of the optional power connector 243 disposed at the back of the stackable usb hub 240 . the first or top power port 264 includes a first connector 266 having a shape which is complementary to the second connector 246 so that the second connector 246 will mate with the first connector 266 of the first or top power port of the downstream component 80 . the first connector 266 is preferably a female connector and includes a recess 270 extending into the housing 242 , preferably at the top of the housing . the recess 270 is shaped to receive the boss 250 described above , accordingly the recess is preferably square , although alternatively it may be rectangular or any other suitable shape which is complementary to the boss . the recess 270 may include an optional bevel 270 a to guide the boss 250 within the recess . the first or top power port 264 also includes a positive voltage conductor 272 and ground conductor 274 which preferably extend beyond the boss 250 . the positive conductor 272 is shaped to be received within the conventional cylindrical male dc power connector of the second connector 246 in the second or bottom power port 244 . the voltage and ground conductors 272 , 274 are electrically connected to the voltage and ground conductors 256 , 258 of the second connector 246 . accordingly , voltage and ground are passed from the second or bottom power port 244 to the first or top power port 264 of the stackable usb hub 240 , and to the second or bottom power port of another stackable component 90 connected to the stackable hub 240 . additionally , the voltage and ground conductors 272 , 274 are electrically connected to the circuit board 43 , usb circuitry 43 a and to the optional power connector 243 disposed at the back of the stackable usb hub 240 . referring now to fig2 - 32 , the stackable usb hub 240 is shown connecting with another example of an downstream component 80 , an alternate embodiment of the base unit 100 , shown generally at 300 . the base unit 300 includes a housing 301 , and a power cord 302 for electrically connecting the base unit 300 to a conventional ac outlet ( not shown ) thereby providing power to the base unit . the base unit also includes conventional outlets 304 for distributing ac power to other electrical components connected to the outlets in a known manner . the base unit 300 also includes an optional sleeve 305 , and an optional on / off switch and circuit breaker 306 , although alternatively the circuit breaker may be physically separate from the on / off switch as is known in the art . the base unit 300 also includes bays 310 for receiving one or more surge suppressor modules 312 . the surge suppressor modules 312 include conventional surge suppression circuitry 313 , similar to the circuitry 113 described above , which is known in the art for providing surge suppression to any conventional electrical components connected to the modules via connectors 316 . the connectors 316 may be conventional co - axial connectors , rj11 connectors for connecting telephone lines for modems , rj45 connectors or any other suitable known connectors . a ground conductor 317 a is provided in the bay 310 for connection to a ground conductor 317 b disposed on the surge suppressor module 312 for providing ground to the surge suppression circuitry 313 when the module is received in the bay in a similar manner as described above . the ground conductors 317 a , 317 b have complementary shape so as to connect together in any known manner . the ground conductor 317 b disposed on the module 312 is connected to the surge suppression circuitry 313 by the electrical conductor 313 a . the base unit 300 may optionally provide surge suppression to electrical components connected to the outlets 304 via conventional surge suppression circuitry which is known in the art . alternatively , a separate removable surge suppression module 320 may be housed within one of the bays 310 ( shown in the bottom of the base unit in fig3 ). the construction of module 320 is described in connection with fig4 - 43 hereinbelow . the module 320 includes conventional surge suppression circuitry ( shown in phantom at 321 ) which is known in the art for providing surge suppression to the electrical components connected to the outlets 304 . a cover 314 is provided to selectively close the bay 310 . the base unit 300 also includes a first or top power port 364 having a first connector 366 , a recess 370 and conductors 372 and 374 ( as shown in fig3 ) which are all similar to the first or top power port 264 on the stackable usb hub 240 as described above . the stackable usb hub 240 is mounted directly to the base unit 300 by placing the hub on top of the base unit along an axis of stacking ( as shown by arrows 365 in fig2 ) so that the second connector 246 of the hub second or bottom power port 244 is connected to the first connector 366 of the base first or top power port 364 . any suitable stackable modular component may be mounted to the base unit 300 via the first or top power port 364 as described above . as shown in fig3 , the housing of each component which may be used as an upstream component includes a raised portion 300 a , and the housing of each component which may be used as a downstream component includes a complementary shaped recessed portion 300 b for receiving the raised portion of the upstream component thereby improving the fit between the components when mounted together . an optional conventional power connector 243 , similar to the connector 118 described above may also be disposed on the housing , 301 . referring now to fig3 - 36 , a pci card is shown generally at 400 . the pci card 400 includes 8 pads or pins labeled a - h which fit into the pci slot of a conventional computer ( not shown ). the pci card 400 also includes a face plate 402 which is accessible to the computer user , typically from the back of the computer , when the card is installed in the computer . the pci card 400 includes a 5 volt dc connector 404 disposed on the face plate which includes a 5 volt conductor and a ground conductor . the 5 volt conductor is electrically connected to pins e , f and h which receive 5 volts when the card 400 is plugged into the pci slot . the ground conductor is electrically connected to pin c which receives a ground connection when the card 400 is plugged into the pci slot . the 5 volt dc connector 404 can be any suitable conventional connector known in the art , but preferably is suitable for connection to the stackable hub power connector 243 described above for providing power to the hub for high power applications . the pci card 400 also includes a 12 volt dc connector 406 which is also disposed on the face plate 402 . the 12 volt dc connector 404 includes a 12 volt conductor connected to pin b which receive 12 volts when the card 400 is plugged into the pci slot . the 12 volt dc connector 404 also includes a ground conductor connected to pin c which receives ground when the card 400 is plugged into the pci slot . the 12 volt dc connector 406 can be any suitable conventional connector known in the art , but preferably is suitable for connection to any suitable electronic component by 1394 firewire connection for providing 12 volt dc power to the component . referring now to fig3 & amp ; 38 , an alternative embodiment of the face plate 402 is shown generally at 412 . the face plate 412 is accessible to the computer user , typically from the back of the computer 413 when installed . the face plate 412 includes a known dc voltage connector 414 disposed on the face plate for providing voltage , preferably 5 volts , and ground to any of the hubs or base units described herein . the connector 414 includes a voltage conductor 414 a and a ground conductor 414 b . the voltage conductor 414 a and ground conductor 414 b are electrically connected to the power supply 416 via a y - connector 418 . the y - connector includes suitable known connectors 420 and 422 for connecting between the power supply 416 and any suitable pc board 422 within the computer 424 . the y - connector is also connected to the conductors 414 a & amp ; 414 b for supplying voltage and ground to the conductors 414 a , 414 b from the computer 413 . with reference to fig3 a and 37 b , a further alternate embodiment of the face plate 402 is shown generally at 450 . the operation of the face plate 450 is substantially the same as the face plates 402 , 412 , and the only substantial difference in the construction is that the connector 414 is mounted to a printed circuit board which is fastened to the face plate 450 by any suitable fastenings means , such as screws ( not shown ). referring now to fig3 , there is shown an exploded view showing a modular stackable component or hub 320 in position to be mounted to another modular stackable component or hub 320 a . the construction of stackable hubs 320 is essentially identical to the construction of the stackable usb hubs 240 described in connection with fig2 and 28 , except the first or top power port 264 on the downstream component 80 , and the second or bottom power port 244 on the upstream component 90 are shown in a different position . in fig2 and 28 the first or top power port 264 , and the second or bottom power port 244 are shown in a central location ( located along the centerline of the hub 240 ), while in fig3 , the ports ( 244 , 264 ) are shown located off to one side of the hubs 320 , 320 . the hubs have been designated with the numeral 320 , 320 , instead of the numeral 240 , as the modular stackable components or hubs 320 , 320 are not necessarily stackable usb hubs , although they could be . it can be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the first or top power port 264 on the downstream component 80 , and the second or bottom power port 244 , on the upstream component 90 may be located at any desired mating positions on the modular stackable component or hubs 320 , 320 a , and be well within the scope of the present invention . the hubs 320 , 320 a are mountable to the base unit 300 in the same manner as the stackable usb hubs 240 , and the electrical connections are made in the same manner as hereinabove described . referring to fig4 , it can be seen that the first or top power port 264 a on the downstream component 80 , and the second or bottom power port 244 a on the upstream component 90 may also be placed in contiguous or adjacent positions on the sides of the modular stackable components or hubs 320 , 320 a and be daisy chained together by rigid connector 400 or flexible connector 401 . in this construction , both the first or top power port 264 a and the second or bottom power port 244 a would have the construction shown and described for the second or bottom power port 244 in fig2 , while the connector ends ( 400 a , 401 a ) of the connectors ( 400 , 401 ) would have the construction shown and described in fig2 for the first or top power port 264 . suitable electrical connections would be provided between each of the connector ends 400 a on the rigid connector 400 to electrically connect first or top power port 264 a and the second or bottom power port 244 a . if flexible connector 401 were used , suitable electrical cable 402 may be used to electrically connect the connector ends 401 a of flexible connector 401 , thereby providing the necessary electrical connection between first or top power port 244 a and second or bottom power port 264 a when flexible connector 401 a is installed . the construction of the rigid connector 400 may be similar to the construction of the daisy chain connector disclosed in my co - pending provisional application serial no . 60 / 382 , 642 , filed may 23 , 2002 , for connecting apparatus and method for interconnecting stackable electrical hubs , the specification of which is specifically incorporated by reference . with reference to fig4 , a bay 405 is provided on modular stackable component or hub 320 to provide for receiving at least one removable module 406 , which may be such as a removable hub surge suppression module 407 . the construction of removable hub surge suppression module 407 is preferably the same as the removable surge suppressor module 320 provided in the base 300 . the construction of the modules ( 320 , 407 ) is shown in fig4 . the modules have a housing 409 comprising at least a first or base portion 411 and a second or cover portion 412 . cover 412 is held to base 411 by any suitable fastening mechanism known in the art , such as screw 413 . a printed circuit board 420 carries typical surge suppression circuitry known in the art , and is electrically connected to first male connector 421 , second male connector 422 , third male connector 423 and a forth male connector 423 . first male connector 421 , second male connector 422 , third male connector 423 and a forth male connector 423 mate with corresponding first female receptor 425 , second female receptor 426 , third female receptor 427 and forth female receptor 428 provided on printed circuit board 415 . fig4 shows an electrical block diagram of surge suppression circuitry which may be provided on printed circuit board 420 . the exact circuitry may vary depending on the amount of surge suppression needed , and the application . providing the necessary surge suppression circuitry is well within the capabilities of one of ordinary skill in the electronic art . it should be noted , however , that in the construction shown , because of the provision of third male connector 423 ( hot ( in )), fourth male connector 424 ( hot out ), associated female receptors ( 427 , 428 ), and the circuitry of circuit board 420 , the removable surge protection module ( 314 , 407 ) must be installed before base 300 or modular stackable component or hub 320 may be fully operative . referring now to fig4 , the universal nature of my modular stackable power supply system can be seen . the stackable hub or component , generally designated by the numeral 320 , has a housing 429 comprising a first , or top , portion 430 , a second , or bottom , portion 431 , a third , or back portion 432 , and a fourth , or faceplate portion 433 . first , or top , portion 430 has a first recess 430 a , and a second recess 430 b , which will cooperate with second , or bottom , portion 431 , to provide openings for mounting third , or back portion 433 and fourth , or faceplate portion , 434 in a manner hereinafter described . first or top power port 264 will allow connection of any desired number of modular stackable components or hubs 320 to be connected upstream of stackable hub 320 . first or top power port 264 may be placed in any desired position on the first , or top , portion 430 of the stackable hub 320 . in the preferred embodiment , the first or top power port is placed in a central location . conductor ( s ) 439 connect ( s ) the first or top power port 264 to the circuit 440 , which may be in the form of a printed circuit board , a hard wired circuit board , a combination of the two , or any other type of circuit it is desired to put in stackable hub or component 320 . second or bottom power port 244 supplies power to the stackable hub or component 320 from a base unit 300 , or another , downstream hub , as previously described . while heretofore the base unit has been shown as supplying a voltage of 5v dc to the modular stackable components or hubs 320 for use with usb devices , and this is standard in the industry for usb , it should be understood that another desired voltage , such as 12v dc , used with firewire ® devices could be transferred up the stackable power supply system through the first or top and second or bottom power supply ports , 264 , 244 which form the “ core ” of the system . while the first or top power supply ports 264 and second or bottom power supply ports 244 could be modified to carry more than one voltage , for example 12v dc and 5v dc , this is not the preferred embodiment of the invention . it is preferred that only one , predetermined , desired voltage be carried up the core of the system . if the circuit 440 needs a different voltage than is being carried through the first or top and second or bottom power supply ports ( 264 , 244 ), either higher or lower , it is well within the scope of the present invention to provide a step up or step down device inside the housing 429 of stackable hub or component 320 , and preferably as part of circuit 440 , which may contain printed circuit board 443 . the circuit , generally designated by the numeral 440 , may be virtually any dc powered device , including , but not limited to , an isdn modem 440 a , a router 440 b , a kvm switch 440 c , a port replicator 440 d , a lan hub 440 e , a cable modem 440 f , an ethernet device 440 g , a cdr / dvd firewire ® device 440 h , a cd - rw drive 440 i , an scsi converter 440 j , a usb hub 440 k , a firewire ® hub 440 l , a dc power hub 440 m , or any other dc powered device . because each of the above circuits 440 may have the need for a different number of indicating devices or led &# 39 ; s 441 connected to the circuit 440 by second conductors 442 , the fourth , or faceplate portions 433 of housing 429 are interchangeable with one another so a separate housing , or substantial portion thereof is not needed for each of the dc powered devices or circuits 440 , such as 440 a - 440 m . this greatly simplifies the manufacturing process for my stackable power supply system , and reduces costs as well . also , since each of the circuits 440 may have the need for a different number of input devices 445 , and output devices 446 , to be connected to the circuit 440 , and which , in the preferred embodiment , are mounted to the circuit board 443 , the third , or back portions 432 of housing 429 are interchangeable with one another so a separate housing , or substantial portion thereof is not needed for each of the dc powered devices or circuits 440 , such as 440 a - 440 m . this allows for the circuit 440 to have the associated number of input devices 445 , and output devices 446 , and for the circuit 440 to be easily accommodated by the housing 429 by providing the back portion 432 of the housing 429 with the appropriate number of openings . it can be appreciated that a particular configuration of the back portion 432 , and the faceplate portion 433 , may be used for more than one circuit . for example , the faceplate portion 433 illustrated in fig4 has openings for three ( 3 ) led &# 39 ; s . this faceplate , since it is interchangeable with other faceplates , may be used for any circuit that requires three led &# 39 ; s . the third , or back portion 432 of housing 429 will be retained in the opening 450 formed by the recess 430 b and the back edge 431 a of the second , or bottom , portion of housing 429 when housing 429 is assembled . suitable grooves , ridges , bosses , or other retaining means may be provided in opening 450 if desired . third , or back , portion 432 of housing 429 may be sonic welded , bonded , or otherwise retained in opening 450 if desired . likewise , fourth , or faceplate portion 433 will be mounted in opening 452 formed by first recess 430 a , and front edge 431 b of the second , or bottom , portion 431 of housing 429 , and may similarly retained . in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment . however , it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope .
6
referring to table i there are shown seven gas - impermeable resinous compositions ( examples a through g ) according to the present invention . each of the compositions were prepared by the previously - described known method by using the material ( s ) indicated in the table . the table also shows the proportion of each material used in the compositions . table i______________________________________ invention resinous compositions a b c d e f g______________________________________polyamide 100 -- -- -- -- -- 71resin 1 * 1polyamide -- 100 100 100 100 100 29resin 2 * 2ethylene - -- -- 40 200 -- -- -- vinyl acetatecopolymer 1 * 3ethylene - -- -- -- -- 40 -- -- vinyl acetatecopolymer 2 * 4chr -- -- -- -- -- 40 40______________________________________ * 1 : condensated copolymer of hexamethylene diamine and sebacic acid * 2 : condensated copolymer of hexamethylene diamine and dodecanedicarboxylic acid * 3 : the proportion of the ethylene is 32 mol %; the degree of saponification of the vinyl acetate is 95 mol % * 4 : the proportion of the ethylene is 38 mol %; the degree of saponification of the vinyl acetate is 90 mol % hoses having a structure similar to that of the hose of fig1 were prepared by using the resinous compositions a through g by the following manufacturing method , except for the case of the hoses whose inner tube consists of a three - layered structure , in which at the beginning unvulcanized rubber composition was extruded from an extruder on the rubber mandrel to form a tubular body , i . e . inner rubber layer of the inner tube : initially , a resinous composition ( i . e ., each of examples a - g ) is molten by heat , and the heat - molten resin is extruded from a resin extruder on a rubber mandrel so as to provide a resinous layer 11 thereon , and then the resinous layer is cooled . second , adhesive is applied to an outer surface of the resinous layer 11 , and unvulcanized rubber composition for the outer rubber layer 12 is extruded thereon from an extruder so as to provide a double - layered inner tube . subsequently , adhesive is applied to an outer surface of the inner tube , and a reinforcing fiber layer 13 is formed thereon by braiding , spiralling or knitting with a suitable thread . next , adhesive is applied to an outer surface of the reinforcing fiber layer 13 , and unvulcanized rubber composition is extruded from an extruder thereon so as to provide an outer rubber tube 14 . last , the thus - obtained laminated tube is vulcanized to produce an integrally bonded end product , i . e ., hose , and then the rubber mandrel is removed from the hose . the vulcanizing temperature is selected at 145 ° to 170 ° c ., and the vulcanizing time is selected at 30 to 90 minutes . the material and thickness of each of the laminates of the hoses produced are indicated in an upper portion of table ii . hoses 1 through 8 include resinous layers formed of the resinous compositions a - g . meanwhile , the first comparative hose ( hose 9 ) has an inner tube consisting of a single layer formed of nbr . the second comparative hose ( hose 10 ) has a resinous layer formed of nylon 6 , while the third comparative hose ( hose 11 ) has a resinous layer formed of nylon 6 - 66 copolymer . each of hoses 1 through 11 was tested with regard to flexibility , gas impermeability and heat resistance . the test results are shown in a lower portion of table ii . the flexibility , gas impermeability and heat resistance were evaluated as follows : each of the eleven hoses was cut into a 300 and a 400 mm long specimen , and one of opposite ends of each cut hose was fixed to a plate and the other end thereof was progressively bent to contact the plate . with the other end contacting the plate , the bending stress exerted to the other end was measured . the flexibility of the hoses was evaluated by measurements of the bending stress . smaller measurement values indicate higher degrees of flexibility . each of the eleven hoses was cut into a 500 mm long specimen , and the hose was charged with 40 g of flon 12 and gas - tightly sealed at opposite ends thereof . the gas - charged hose was maintained at 100 ° c . for 72 hours . subsequently the overall weight of the specimen was measured , and was compared with its initial weight immediately after the charging of the flon gas . the reduced amount ( g ) of the flon gas , which had permeated through the wall of the hose into ambient atmosphere , was calculated . smaller values indicate higher degrees of gas impermeability . each of the eleven hoses was cut into a 400 mm long specimen , and was placed in an oven at 140 ° c . for 168 hours . subsequently the cut hose was wound around a mandrel with a radius of 50 mm , and was inspected for any cracks produced in the inner tube thereof . table ii__________________________________________________________________________ hoses including resinous layers comparative formed of invention compositions hoses 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11__________________________________________________________________________structure of hoseinner tubeinner material -- -- -- -- nbr csm -- -- nbr nbr nbrrubber thickness -- -- -- -- 0 . 5 0 . 5 -- -- 3 . 4 0 . 5 0 . 5layer ( mm ) resin - material a b c d e b f g -- ny6 ny6 - 66ous * 1 * 2layer thickness 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 25 0 . 25 -- 0 . 15 0 . 15 ( mm ) outer material nbr nbr nbr nbr nbr csm nbr nbr -- nbr nbrrubber thickness 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 -- 1 . 0 1 . 0layer ( mm ) reinforcing material pef pef pef pef pef pef pef pef pef pef peffiber layer * 3outer material epdm epdm epdm epdm epdm epdm epdm epdm epdm epdm epdmrubber thickness 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4tube ( mm ) evaluationflexibility length of 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 3 1 . 4 1 . 3 1 . 4 1 . 3 1 . 3 1 . 3 2 . 0 1 . 4 ( kgf ) hoses : 300 mm length of 0 . 7 0 . 8 0 . 8 0 . 8 0 . 8 0 . 9 0 . 8 0 . 8 0 . 6 1 . 0 0 . 8 hoses : 400 mmgas impermeability 7 7 5 5 5 7 10 9 28 1 6 ( g / m / 72 hours ) heat resistance n n n n n n n n p n p * 4 * 5__________________________________________________________________________ * 1 : nylon 6 * 2 : nylon 666 copolymer * 3 : polyester fiber * 4 : no crack was observed . * 5 : cracks were observed . as is apparent from the test results shown in table ii , all of the hoses ( hoses 1 through 8 ) including a resinous layer formed of the composition a through g , exhibit excellent characteristics all with regard to flexibility , gas impermeability and heat resistance . in contrast thereto , the first comparative hose ( hose 9 ) whose inner tube consists of a single nbr layer , suffers from the problem of permitting a large amount of refrigerant gas to permeate therethrough . therefore , hose 9 is not suitable for practical use . the second comparative hose ( hose 10 ) whose inner tube includes a resin layer formed of nylon 6 , has an excellent gas impermeability but is unsatisfactory with regard to flexibility . the third comparative hose ( hose 11 ) whose inner tube includes a resin layer formed of nylon 6 - 66 copolymer , is satisfactory with regard to flexibility and gas impermeability but suffers from low heat resistance . while the present invention has been described in its presently preferred embodiments with a certain degree of particularity , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details of the illustrated embodiments , but may be embodied with various changes , modifications and improvements which may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the following claims .
8
the present invention comprises a method of depositing transparent conducting films on flexible substrates using pulsed laser deposition and a transparent conducting film deposited on a flexible substrate , and oled devices incorporating a transparent conducting film deposited on a flexible substrate . a krf excimer laser ( 248 nm and 30 ns fwhm ) was operated at 10 hz and focused through a 50 - cm focal lens onto a rotating target at 45 ° angle of incidence . the energy density of the laser beam at the target surface was maintained at 1 j / cm 2 . the target - to - substrate distance was 5 . 8 cm . the target composition for deposition of the ito film was 5 wt % sno 2 - doped in 2 o 3 and the oxygen deposition pressure was 40 mtorr . using the above target composition and oxygen pressure , ito was deposited on flexible substrates such as polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ) by pld at room temperature . the temperatures used for deposition ranged from approximately 25 - 125 ° c . afm measurement indicated that the rms surface roughness of the pld ito films on pet is about 2 - 3 nm , which is a half of that measure with commercially available sputter - deposited ito films on pet . furthermore , the electrical resistivity of the pld ito films on pet is observed to be 6 . 0 × 10 − 4 ω - cm , which is the lowest ever reported for films deposited on flexible substrates at room temperature by any method . in addition , the optical transmission of the pld ito films on pet is greater than 85 % in the visible range ( 400 - 700 nm ). azo films grown by pld on pet substrates at room temperature show very smooth surface morphology ( rms surface roughness of 2 - 3 nm ), with low resistivity ( 7 × 10 − 4 ω - cm ) and high transparency (& gt ; 87 %). ito and azo films grown by pld deposited on pet demonstrated a planarizing effect . on pet , the surface roughness is reduced from 8 - 10 nm for the uncoated material to 3 nm for the coated material . these smooth ito films can significantly improve the device performance of flat panel displays such as lcds and oleds . ito and azo films deposited on pet substrates show approximately a factor of 3 improvement ( 2 nm vs . approximately 6 nm ) in surface morphology and improved electrical properties ( 20 - 30 ω / sq . vs . 70 - 80 ω / sq .) compared to commercially available ito films grown on pet by sputtering . ito films were deposited using silver foil as the flexible substrate using pld . the deposited films show a surface roughness that is comparable or better than the surface roughness of the substrate . the rms roughness of the silver foil substrate before the deposition of the ito film was 0 . 7 nm , and the rms roughness of the film after deposition of the ito film was also 0 . 7 nm . ito films were deposited using a thin silicon wafer as the flexible substrate using pld . the rms roughness of the thin silicon wafer substrate before the deposition of the ito film was 1 . 3 nm , and the rms roughness of the film after deposition was also 1 nm . oleds were constructed using the transparent conducting films deposited by pulsed laser deposition . ito thin films , deposited by pld on pet substrates , were used as anode contacts in organic light - emitting diodes ( oleds ). the performance of the device was measured . fig7 ( a ) shows the oled device configuration and fig7 ( b ) shows the chemical structures of the organic materials used in this research . the device structure consists of a hole transport layer ( htl ) 10 , of n , n ′- diphenyl - n , n - bis ( 3 - methylphenyl ) 1 , 1 ′- diphenyl - 4 , 4 ′ diamine ( tpd ), 50 , and an electron transport / emitting layer ( etl / eml ) 20 , of tris ( 8 - hydroxyquinolinolato ) aluminum ( iii ) ( alq3 ), 60 . the cathode contact 30 , deposited on top of the etl 20 , is an alloy of mg : ag ( ratio = 12 : 1 by weight ). devices were fabricated by high vacuum vapor deposition , with a background pressure of 1 × 10 − 7 torr . ito coated substrates 40 , were cleaned by an oxygen plasma asher . after the deposition of the organic layers , the mg / ag alloy was deposited through a shadow mask by coevaporation from separate sources . the active emissive area of the device is approximately 2 mm × 2 mm . the current - voltage - luminance ( i - v - l ) data were taken in n 2 atmosphere using a keithley 238 current / voltage source and a luminance meter ( minolta ls - 110 ). fig8 is a graph showing the characteristics of current density ( j )- voltage ( v ) and luminance ( l )- voltage ( v ) output for oleds fabricated using a pld ito film on pet and using a commercial ito ( supplied by applied films , usa ) on glass . the thickness of both ito films was approximately 100 nm . the j - v curves show a typical diode behavior , with current and luminance power output observed only in the forward bias . fig8 ( a ) is a graph that shows that a current density of 100 a / m 2 was obtained at approximately 5 . 5 v for the pld ito / pet device while the same current density was observed at a voltage of approximately 7 . 5 v for the commercial ito / glass device . fig8 ( b ) is a graph that shows that a luminance level of 1000 cd / m 2 is obtained at only 7 v in the device on pet , while the same value of luminance is observed at 8 . 5 v for the device on glass . the reduction in the drive voltage and high luminance efficiency make an ito coated pet substrate very promising for future oled application . although a few 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 these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents .
7
[ 0019 ] fig1 through 4 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a hydraulic drive with regeneration circuit 10 comprising a rotary flow divider 1 comprising a first section 1 a and a second section 1 b ; a directional valve 2 , a hydraulic pump 8 ; at least one hydraulic actuator 6 such as , but not restricted to , a motor , a linear actuator , or a rotary actuator , said at least one hydraulic actuator 6 comprising an inlet 6 a and an outlet 6 b ; and a first valve means 4 . the hydraulic drive with regeneration circuit 10 is an open loop circuit which means fluid flow from said pump 8 is returned to a reservoir 14 as opposed to being returned directly to said pump 8 as would be the case in a closed loop hydrostatic drive . also shown in fig1 through 4 are auxiliary items common to hydraulic circuits , such as , but not restricted to , a motor 8 a such as , but not restricted to an electric motor , an air motor , or an engine ; a reservoir 14 ; a pressure gauge 21 ; a flow meter 20 ; a relief valve 17 ; a filter 5 ; and a directional valve 2 . while multiple reservoirs 14 are shown , this is an illustration convenience for a single reservoir 14 , which would be the most common circumstance for said circuit 10 . typically there is only one reservoir 14 , but in a fluid power schematic it is a common practice to show multiple reservoirs to simplify the schematic . [ 0022 ] fig4 also illustrates an anti - cavity check valve 19 and an accumulator 18 , both of which are optional features which might be required for some applications . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the first valve means 4 is a solenoid operated spring return two position three way valve . the first valve means 4 is in fluid communication with the outlet 6 b of the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 . in the non - regeneration mode illustrated in each of fig1 and fig3 the first valve means 4 is in a non - actuated state isolating said flow divider 1 from said pump 8 flow in the circuit 10 . fluid flow from the hydraulic pump bypasses said flow divider 1 . while some leakage is expected internally within said flow divider 1 , this is not seen as a problem with rotary flow dividers manufactured as the white roller stator ™ flow dividers which are manufactured by white hydraulics , inc . of hopkinsville , ky , a major supplier of gerotor hydraulic motors and flow dividers often referred to as berotor flow dividers . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , said flow divider 1 is a rotary flow divider with orbiting gerotor elements which are known to the trade and available from the aforementioned white hydraulics , inc . in fig1 the directional valve 2 directs fluid flow as shown by directional arrows into the inlet port 6 a of the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 so the fluid flows through the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 and out the outlet port 6 b through the first valve means 4 , which is in the non - actuated state , and out to the reservoir 14 . the direction of fluid flow into the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 shown in fig1 is arbitrarily selected as a forward direction . in fig2 the first valve means 4 is actuated which results in a regeneration mode in the forward direction as illustrated . the fluid flow from the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 is routed through the first valve means 4 into said flow divider 1 . fluid flow from the first section 1 b of said flow divider 1 is routed through the directional valve 2 back into the reservoir 14 . fluid flow from the second section 1 a of said flow divider 1 is routed into the fluid flow from the pump 8 into the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 . the fluid flow from the second section 1 b combines with the fluid flow from the pump 8 . for said flow divider 1 with two equal sections 1 a and 1 b , the fluid flow into the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 will stabilize at twice the pump 8 flow with approximately half of the pressure of the fluid flow into said actuator 6 dropping across said actuator 6 . at said flow divider 1 , the pressure of the fluid flow into the first section 1 a , which is approximately half of the pressure of the fluid flow into said actuator 6 will drop to exhaust pressure across said rotary flow divider 1 , because the first section 1 b is acting as a motor , powering the second section 1 a which will boost the pressure from said actuator 6 from what was half of the pressure into said actuator 6 back up to whatever pressure required for the fluid flow from the second section 1 a to be routed into the fluid flow from the pump 8 into the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 . rotary flow dividers have a characteristic referred to as “ intensification ”. if there is resistance to flow out of one section of a rotary flow divider , pressure of flow from that section can be intensified to a level higher than the pressure of the fluid being supplied to that flow divider by the force applied by inlet pressure on another section of that flow divider if flow from that other section is encountering a much lower pressure . in fig3 the directional valve 2 has been shifted so the direction of fluid flow through said actuator 6 has been reversed . as the first valve means 4 has not been actuated , said flow divider 1 is still isolated from the circuit 10 . [ 0033 ] fig4 illustrates fluid flow regeneration when the directional valve 2 has been shifted so the fluid flow through said actuator 6 has been reversed . in fig4 the pump 8 flow is routed into the first section 1 b of said flow divider 1 . the first section 1 b acts as a motor , driving the second section 1 a as a pump . the second section 1 a draws fluid from the exhaust flow from said actuator 6 . at the instant of the directional valve 2 shifting , flow can be supplied , if required , by the anti - cavitation valve 19 or the accumulator 18 . fluid drawn into the second section 1 a would be forced through the second section 1 a and through the first valve means 4 and through the at least one hydrualic actuator 6 . pressure is a result of resistance to flow . the pump 8 does not pump presure , it pumps fluid which flows . any load attached to the at least one hydraulic actuator 6 will result in a pressure drop across said actuator 6 . the pressure of the fluid flow from pump 8 will rise sufficiently , assuming nothing breaks or the relief valve 17 is not relieving pressure , so the first section 1 b has sufficient torque to rotate the second section 1 a which is drawing a flow from the reservoir 14 equal to the pump 8 flow and combining with the pump 8 flow to power said actuator 6 . as described above , the circuit 10 permits regenerative flow , or regeneration as it is called in the trade , in both forward and reverse directions as required , with said flow divider 1 isolated , by means of the first valve 4 , from the circuit 10 when re eneration is not required . by isolated is meant the rotary actuator 1 is not active . requirements for means providing for makeup flow into the second section 1 a of the rotary flow divider , such as the anti - cavitation valve 19 or the accumulator 18 would depend on application circumstances , such as , but not restricted to , size of components , amount of fluid flow , and distances between components . when sections 1 a and 1 b of said flow divider 1 are of equal displacement , fluid flow , in the regeneration mode is theoretically doubled , with half the pressure into said actuator 6 available for work , theoretically . practically , in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics , which essentially says “ the house takes its cut ”, there are some losses due to internal leakages & amp ; pressure drops through various elements of said hydraulic drive with regeneration circuit 10 . energy is not being created or destroyed , by said flow divider 1 , merely changed in form . variations in the amount of regenerated flow are achievable by varying the ratio of fluid displacements of the sections 1 a and 1 b of said flow divider 1 . varying the amount of regenerated flow , by varying the ratio of fluid displacement of sections 1 a and 1 b of said flow divider 1 , naturally affects how much pressure into said actuator 6 is available . with less regeneration , by virtue of a smaller section forcing fluid flow into the fluid flow from pump 8 and consequently into said actuator 6 , more pressure drop is available for work across said actuator 6 , as less pressure is required by said flow divider 1 on the larger section for intensifying pressure from the smaller section of said flow divider 1 . conversely , having a larger section of said flow dividers 1 feeding fluid into the line between said pump 8 and said at least one hydraulic actuator 6 , results in less pressure drop available for work across said actuator 6 . although the description above contains many specificities , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention . while bear type rotary flow dividers of high capacity with low pressure drop exist , they tend to be considerably more expensive and less efficient across the lower speed ranges than gerotor flow dividers such as are manufactured by white hydraulics . the directional valve 2 is shown in fig1 through 4 as having a center position . not all directional valves have a center position . also , the illustration indicates the directional valve 2 has what is called a cylinder spool , i . e . in the centered position it has blocked work ports . there are a number of different types of spools that would serve the purpose , so the intent is not to restrict this description to a valve with a cylinder spool . in some cases a motor spool which would be one with the work ports connected would be preferred . while the directional valve 2 is shown as a solonoid operated spring centered valve , there are a variety of valve operators available such as , but not restricted to , pneumatic , hydrualic , cam , and manual . also , the first valve means 4 is shown as a solenoid operated valve 4 . similar valves with other types of actuation , such as , but not restricted to , cam , pneumatic , hydraulic , or manual would also serve the same purpose . also , the term fluid is intended to cover any fluid suitable for serving its intended purpose in the preferred embodiment of the invention described . there are many different types of fluids currently used or being developed for hydraulic drives , such as , but not restricted to , hydraulic oils , engine oils , synthetic oils , vegetable base oils , even water with and without additives . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention . thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents , rather than by the examples given .
5
[ 0022 ] fig1 shows an outer cup of a cup - in - cup design while fig2 shows the inner cup of the same embodiment . outer container 100 of fig1 is composed of an upper lip 105 , the sidewall 110 , the bottom 115 , and the inside 120 . in a preferred embodiment , upper lip 105 is constructed of a rigid material , such as moisture proof cardboard . similarly , sidewall 110 is constructed of a rigid material such as moisture proof cardboard or heavy paper . this rigid sidewall is not intended to be squeezed to force liquid from the aperture of the inner container ( 200 of fig2 ). the bottom 115 is also constructed of a similar material . in normal operation , milk or a similar liquid food is placed inside 120 , the container 100 . inner container 200 of fig2 is composed of a sidewall 205 , a bottom 210 , and attaching lip 215 , a lip sidewall 220 , an eating surface 225 , and one or more vents 230 . the sidewall 205 and the bottom 210 may be constructed of a rigid or a flexible moisture proof material . the attaching lip 215 must contain enough rigidity and flexibility to meet with and attach to lip 105 of the outer container of fig1 . the lip sidewall 220 connects the attaching lip 215 to the eating surface 225 . the eating surface 225 is the portion of the inner cup 200 which makes contact with the consumer &# 39 ; s lip . vent 230 allows the milk or similar liquid contained within the inside 120 of outer cup 100 of fig1 to pass into the consumer &# 39 ; s mouth . opening 235 of inner container holds particulate food , cereal or similar food substance . referring to fig3 the interrelationship between the outer cup 100 of fig1 and the inner cup 200 of fig2 is shown . the inner cup 200 fits within the interior 120 of the outer cup 100 . when the inner cup 200 is mated with the outer cup 100 , the attaching lip 215 fits securely over lip 105 of the outer cup . when mated , the sidewall 205 and the bottom 210 of the inner cup 200 are contained within the inside 120 of the outer cup . the smaller diameter of the sidewall 205 of the inner cup , as compared to the larger diameter of the sidewall 110 of the outer cup , ensures that the inner cup 200 does not fill the entire opening 120 of the outer cup 100 . this difference in diameters between the inner cup and the outer cup &# 39 ; s sidewalls creates a space between the two containers and ensures that there is sufficient room inside the outer cup for a liquid such as milk . this liquid , contained within opening 120 , of the outer container 100 can pass through the vent 230 of the inner cup into the consumer &# 39 ; s mouth . referring now to fig4 an orifice reducer 400 can be used to regulate the flow of the dry material , or particulate food , from opening 235 of the inner cup into the consumer &# 39 ; s mouth . this orifice reducer 400 fits within a groove on the eating surface 225 of the inner container between point 405 and 410 . preferably , this groove 415 , which the orifice reducer fits into , traverses around approximately three - quarters of the circumference of the eating surface 225 . as depicted in fig2 and 4 , the vent 230 can be a single opening . alternatively , the vent 230 can consist of several smaller openings . preferably , a venting hole is also included around the circumference of the eating surface 225 to ensure that a vacuum is not created when liquid passes outside of the vent 230 . [ 0026 ] fig5 shows an exploded view of the single handed container which consists of the outside cup 100 , the inside cup 200 , the orifice reducer 400 and the peel seal 500 . the peel seal 500 is used to ensure sanitary conditions of the single handed container when shipped . fig6 illustrates the single handed container when it is ready for shipment . in one embodiment of the single handed container , the volume of the outer container 100 is 14 fluid ounces , the volume of the inner container 200 is 9 . 5 fluid ounces , the diameter of bottom 115 of fig1 is 2 . 5 inches , the top diameter along the lip 105 of fig1 is 3 . 625 inches and the height of the outer container is 5 inches . an alternative embodiment , the bottle - in - bottle configuration , of the present invention is shown in fig7 . in this embodiment , the invention consists of two separate bottles which snap together in the base at 705 . this bottle - in - bottle embodiment includes the outer bottle 710 , the inner bottle 715 , and a snap cap 120 . a peel seal , ( not show in figure ) can also be included to ensure non - contamination . this peel seal is shown in fig8 as item 805 . in a preferred embodiment of the bottle - in - bottle embodiment , the capacity of the outer bottle 710 is 14 . 5 fluid ounces , while the capacity of the inner bottle 715 is 9 . 5 fluid ounces . in a preferred embodiment of the bottle in bottle combination , the bottom diameter 810 of fig8 is 2 . 5 inches while the top diameter 815 is 3 . 625 inches . the height of the overall container is 5 inches . in this bottle - in - bottle embodiment , the liquid contained in the outer bottle 710 is passed into the consumer &# 39 ; s mouth through an orifice located on the inside diameter of the upper portion of the outside bottle 820 . this orifice allows milk , or similar liquids to flow from the inside of the outer bottle into the consumer &# 39 ; s mouth . the inner bottle holds the particulate food or similar food substance . referring to the cutaway fig9 the outer bottle 710 is shown with the inner bottle 715 in place . the snap fit between the outer bottle 710 and the inner bottle 715 is shown at 720 . additionally , the tripod shape 725 of the base of the inner bottle 715 facilitates milk flow from the space between outer bottle 710 and inner bottle 715 into the consumer &# 39 ; s mouth . the tripod shape also provides additional space for the liquid food . fig1 further shows the tripod shape 725 . as previously mentioned , orifice 1105 allows milk to flow from the inside of the outer bottle 710 along the outside of the inner bottle 715 and into the consumer &# 39 ; s mouth . the size and the number of these orifices can be varied to regulate milk flow . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , composition of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps .
0
fig1 illustrates a system 100 in which an uploading manager 101 leverages online backup storage 103 to avoid having to repeatedly upload the same files 102 to external sites 107 , according to some embodiments of the present invention . it is to be understood that although various components are illustrated in fig1 as separate entities , each illustrated component represents a collection of functionalities which can be implemented as software , hardware , firmware or any combination of these . where a component is implemented as software , it can be implemented as a standalone program , but can also be implemented in other ways , for example as part of a larger program , as a plurality of separate programs , as a kernel loadable module , as one or more device drivers or as one or more statically or dynamically linked libraries . as illustrated in fig1 , all of a user &# 39 ; s 104 local content 102 can be backed - up and stored externally , for example on a storage farm 103 . the implementation mechanics of utilizing a server farm for storage purposes is known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art , and the usage thereof within the context of the present invention will be readily apparent to one of such a skill level in light of this specification . typically , a storage farm 103 comprises a plurality of servers and storage media , and utilizes a lot of redundancy . a backup component 105 allows the backup of content 102 from the user &# 39 ; s 104 local computer 106 to the storage farm 103 . in some embodiments , the backup component 105 is in the form of an automated system backup solution that automatically finds all files 102 to be backed - up on the user &# 39 ; s 104 computer 106 and uploads them to the storage farm 103 . in other embodiments , the backup component 105 is instantiated as an xdrive style solution that allows the user 104 to manually copy files 102 to the storage farm 103 . various other methods and systems for backing up files 102 to an external site 103 are known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art as well , and the usage mechanics of a wide variety of backup strategies within the context of the present invention will be readily apparent to one of such a skill level in light of this specification . as illustrated , a network proxy 109 inspects all data leaving the user &# 39 ; s 104 machine 106 , in order to identify content 102 that the user 104 is posting to a remote site 107 . as explained in greater detail below , the network proxy 109 redirects requests 108 to upload files 102 that already have been backed up to the storage farm 103 , thereby eliminating duplicative uploading of content 102 . the network proxy 109 can be implemented as a remote proxy as illustrated , or locally on the user &# 39 ; s 104 computer 106 . the network proxy component 109 can also be implemented as a plug - in to a local client application ( e . g ., web browser , email client , ftp client , etc . ), such that the plug - in is capable of detecting and redirecting network traffic from the associated client application ( e . g ., internet explorer or firefox ). the network proxy 109 can be implemented to be user 104 configurable , or can be implemented so as to transparently filter network data transmission requests 108 originating from local user 104 computers 106 . the implementation mechanics of the functionality of a network proxy 109 are known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art , and their application within in the context of the present invention will be readily apparent to one of such a skill level in light of this specification . the network proxy 109 can use protocol / site upload detection plug - ins 111 ( described in greater detail below ) or definitions 113 to search outbound network data for files 102 that are being posted or uploaded to a remote site 107 . once a file 102 upload request 108 is detected , the network proxy 109 determines if the detected file 102 has already been backed up to the storage farm 103 . the proxy 109 can make this determination by examining the user &# 39 ; s 104 remote backup data 115 on the storage farm 103 , and looking for identifying information therein ( e . g ., filename , source path , content , and / or md 5 or similar hash of the content ) that matches the detected outbound file 102 . if a backed - up copy of the file 102 is not found , the original network traffic is allowed to pass through , unmodified . however , if a copy of the file 102 is already stored on the farm 103 , the proxy 109 triggers a replay backend component 117 to replay the user &# 39 ; s 102 upload request 108 , from the storage farm 103 , thus providing much faster throughput in posting to the content site 107 . the workings of the replay backend 117 are described in detail below . as noted above , in some embodiments of the present invention , the network proxy 109 utilizes one or more protocol / site upload detection plug - ins 111 and / or definition files 113 . these components provide the network proxy 109 with an extensible framework for extending support to new protocols or websites . in the case of plug - ins 113 , each plug - in 113 is responsible for translating protocol specific tasks ( detection , capture , etc .) to a normalized interface for use by the network proxy 109 . in the case of definition files 113 , each definition file 113 contains sufficient details to provide the network proxy 109 with instructions for handling a particular protocol or website . the functionality and / or content provided by these plug - ins 111 and / or definition files 113 can also be built directly into the network proxy 109 . returning now to the replay backend 117 , once the replay backend 117 finishes uploading a file 102 from the storage farm 103 to a publication site 107 , the replay backend 117 transmits the response 123 from the site 107 to the network proxy 109 , which in turn returns an appropriate response 123 to the requesting application on the user &# 39 ; s 104 local computer 106 . from the point of view of the requesting application , the process occurs just as if the entire request 108 had been made from the client 106 , and the response 123 had been transmitted to the client 106 directly from the content site 107 . thus , the network replay backend 117 is responsible for replaying user 104 generated network requests 125 , such that files 102 already backed up to the storage farm 103 are substituted for files 102 from the user &# 39 ; s 104 computer 106 . the network replay backend 117 can use one or more protocol / site upload replay plug - ins 119 or definition files 121 in the execution of its functionality . each plug - in 119 is responsible for translating protocol specific tasks ( build / modify packet , send packet , receive response , etc .) to a normalized interface for use by the network replay backend 117 . each definition 121 file contains sufficient details to provide the network replay backend 117 with instructions for modifying and replaying network communications . as with the network proxy 109 , functionality and or content provided by these plug - ins 119 and / or definition files 121 can also be built directly into the network replay backend 117 . it is important to note that the specific flow of data between the replay backend 117 and the user &# 39 ; s 104 computer 106 can vary , depending upon the particular specifications of the individual protocol or site that is being proxied and replayed . for example , in an http upload , it may be desirable to trickle progress back to the web browser to give the appearance that the upload is progressing . similarly , in an ajax based http upload , the javascript that is uploading content may utilize the same response trickle to show real - time upload speed and progress . in addition , in some embodiments the user can be provided with an email , sms , or similar notification upon completion of an upload . as will be understood by those familiar with the art , the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . likewise , the particular naming and division of the portions , modules , agents , managers , components , functions , procedures , actions , layers , features , attributes , methodologies and other aspects are not mandatory or significant , and the mechanisms that implement the invention or its features may have different names , divisions and / or formats . furthermore , as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art , the portions , modules , agents , managers , components , functions , procedures , actions , layers , features , attributes , methodologies and other aspects of the invention can be implemented as software , hardware , firmware or any combination of the three . of course , wherever a component of the present invention is implemented as software , the component can be implemented as a script , as a standalone program , as part of a larger program , as a plurality of separate scripts and / or programs , as a statically or dynamically linked library , as a kernel loadable module , as a device driver , and / or in every and any other way known now or in the future to those of skill in the art of computer programming . additionally , the present invention is in no way limited to implementation in any specific programming language , or for any specific operating system or environment . furthermore , it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art that where the present invention is implemented in whole or in part in software , the software components thereof can be stored on computer readable media as computer program products . any form of computer readable medium can be used in this context , such as magnetic or optical storage media . additionally , software portions of the present invention can be instantiated ( for example as object code or executable images ) within the memory of any programmable computing device . accordingly , the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative , but not limiting , of the scope of the invention , which is set forth in the following claims .
7
an embodiment of the present invention is explained below using drawings . this cargo pallet , as shown in fig1 , is a cargo pallet made of synthetic resin , comprising a top plate 1 and a bottom plate 2 made of synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 , as well as elastic spacers 3 made of synthetic resin that are inserted and fixed between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 , wherein such cargo pallet can be manufactured easily and is structured in such a way that the vibration applied to the articles placed and transported on the top plate 1 is absorbed effectively by the elastic spacers 3 . the synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 constituting the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 are each structured in such a way that , as shown in fig6 , many ribs 22 are erected at intervals between liners 20 , 21 ( sheet - shaped parts ) placed on top and bottom , with hollow spaces 23 formed inside . also , as shown in fig6 , the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 are each made of two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 that are oriented and stacked so that their ribs 22 run at right angles to each other and then are bonded together as such . by stacking and bonding together two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 so that their ribs 22 run at right angles to each other , the bending strength of the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 can be increased . it should be noted that , to increase the bending strength of the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 further , three or four synthetic - resin corrugated boards can be stacked and bonded together . in this case , too , the multiple synthetic - resin corrugated boards are stacked and bonded together in such a way that the ribs on the inner side are oriented to run at right angles to each other . these synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 are formed by means of integral extrusion molding using synthetic resin material such as polypropylene , polycarbonate , etc . therefore , board manufacturers can produce synthetic - resin corrugated boards in large quantities using relatively simple equipment , and currently synthetic - resin corrugated boards of various sizes and shapes are available on the market at affordable prices . accordingly , synthetic - resin corrugated boards of various sizes and shapes can be obtained easily for use in the manufacture of cargo pallets , where any commercially available synthetic - resin corrugated boards can be cut and used easily as the synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 from which to make pallets . also , used polypropylene , polycarbonate , and other thermoplastic synthetic resin materials can be cut into chips and melted by heat to be reused as recycled plastic material , and using synthetic - resin corrugated boards made of such recycled plastic material is ideal from the viewpoint of conserving resources . as shown in fig1 , four elastic spacers 3 are inserted and fixed , at roughly the four corners , between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 , each formed by stacking and bonding together two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 , with the top face and bottom face of each elastic spacer 3 bonded and fixed to the bottom face of the top plate 1 and the top face of the bottom plate 2 , respectively . this bonding can be easily achieved using synthetic resin adhesive , heat sealing , or double - sided adhesive tape , etc . in other embodiments , as shown in fig1 , the synthetic - resin board is a honeycomb board 110 ( as illustrated in ( b )) constituting the top plate 1 and / or bottom plate 2 , which honeycomb board is structured in such a way that a structure of adjoining cells 122 ( the structure replaces the ribs shown in fig6 , for example ) is interposed between upper and lower liners 120 , 121 ( sheet - shaped parts ) and bond the liners , wherein hollow spaces or cavities 123 are formed inside as illustrated in ( a ). as shown in fig2 , the elastic spacer 3 is formed by synthetic resin in the shape of a circular cylinder , with an accordion part 5 made of synthetic resin provided as the circular cylinder wall . because of this accordion part 5 , the elastic spacer 3 has appropriate spring elasticity in the vertical direction ( height direction ). the flat bottom face of the elastic spacer 3 of circular cylinder shape is closed , while an opening is formed in the flat top face which is created at the time of molding . this means that , when inserting and bonding the elastic spacer 3 between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 , the elastic spacer 3 can be bonded easily between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 of the synthetic - resin corrugated board by applying adhesive on the top face and bottom face of the elastic spacer 3 or by means of heat sealing . such elastic spacer 3 having the accordion part 5 can be manufactured relatively easily by blow molding , etc ., using vinyl chloride resin or other synthetic resin material , and currently this type of accordion part 5 is manufactured in many varieties for general purposes such as elastic members for manual air pumps , flexible covers for bending parts , and the like . accordingly , these general - purpose accordion members made of synthetic resin can be used directly as the elastic spacers 3 and they can be obtained at relatively affordable cost . as shown in fig4 , preferably the elastic spacer 3 with the accordion part 5 has a cap - shaped cover 4 placed and fixed on top . as shown in fig4 , the cap - shaped cover 4 is formed in the shape of a circular cylinder whose top face is closed , where its inner diameter is formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the elastic spacer 3 . the cap - shaped cover 4 is loosely placed on the accordion part 5 at the top of the elastic spacer 3 , and the inside bottom face of the cap - shaped cover 4 is bonded to the top face of the elastic spacer 3 . accordingly , when the elastic spacer 3 with the cap - shaped cover 4 as shown in fig4 is used , the top face of this cap - shaped cover 4 is bonded to the bottom face of the top plate 1 . when manufacturing the cargo pallet of the aforementioned constitution , an assembly jig of simple structure is placed on a manufacturing work bench and the pallet can be manufactured easily by hand on the assembly jig . the assembly jig is formed by a square baseboard of roughly the same size as or slightly larger size than the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 , with positioning walls erected at the four corners . by producing multiple assembly jigs according to the shapes and sizes of the cargo pallets to be manufactured ( shapes and sizes of the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 ), various types of cargo pallets can be manufactured easily using the assembly jigs of respective sizes . to manufacture the cargo pallet using such jig , first , two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 that have been cut to a specified shape are placed on the assembly jig ( inside of the positioning walls at the four corners ), and the two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 are bonded by applying adhesive between them or heat - sealing the two . it should be noted that the bonding of the synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 and bonding of the elastic spacers 3 can also be achieved using double - sided adhesive tape besides using adhesive or heat sealing . at this time , the two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 are oriented and stacked in such a way that their respective ribs 22 run at right angles to each other , and are bonded together as such . the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 are each formed by stacking and bonding together two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 this way . next , the bottom plate 2 produced above is placed on the assembly jig and the elastic spacers 3 coated with adhesive are placed at the four corners of the bottom plate , after which the top plate 1 is placed on top and the top faces of the elastic spacers 3 are bonded to the bottom face of the top plate 1 . this way , assembly of the cargo pallet is completed easily and quickly . as described above , cargo pallet manufacturers or businesses that use cargo pallets to transport articles can manufacture cargo pallets of various sizes and shapes with ease according to the sizes and shapes of the products to be transported . in other words , the synthetic - resin corrugated boards , elastic spacers , and assembly jigs as described above are all that are needed to manufacture cargo pallets with ease according to the sizes and shapes of the products to be transported , for use in the transporting of products . when in use for the purpose of transporting , the cargo pallet carries electrical products or other articles to be transported on top , and because the key members being the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 are formed by a stack of synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 , with the elastic spacers 3 also made of synthetic resin , the pallet offers high water resistance and permits hygienic use . additionally , the synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 and elastic spacers 3 have hollow parts and are thus lightweight but are formed with sufficient rigidity , so the pallet can be used easily and conveniently for cargo handling . furthermore , bonding of the elastic spacers 3 between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 ensures that , when the cargo pallet is transported on a vehicle , etc ., with electrical products or other articles to be transported placed on top , the elastic spacers 3 can absorb the vibration transmitted from the vehicle , etc ., and reduce the vibration applied to the electrical products or other articles to be transported . it should be noted that , although the elastic spacers 3 contract by receiving the load of the articles transported and the distance between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 becomes shorter as a result , this does not present operational problems so long as this distance is enough to insert the forks of a forklift in between . also , as shown in fig4 , installation and use of the cap - shaped covers 4 on top of the elastic spacers 3 allows the cap - shaped covers 4 to prevent lateral swaying from generating due to the elastic spacers 3 during transport . also , when the elastic spacers 3 contract by receiving the load of the articles transported , the maximum contraction band is limited by the height dimension of the cap - shaped cover 4 , which inevitably ensures a space of specific height between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 . as described above , the aforementioned cargo pallet , because its key members being the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 are formed by a stack of synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 , with the elastic spacers 3 also made of synthetic resin and formed in a circular cylinder shape , offers high water resistance and permits hygienic use , while the top plate 1 , bottom plate 2 , and elastic spacers 3 are lightweight , have sufficient rigidity , and can be manufactured at affordable cost . also , bonding of the elastic spacers 3 between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 ensures that , when the cargo pallet is transported on a vehicle , etc ., with articles placed on top , the elastic spacers 3 can absorb the vibration transmitted from the vehicle , etc ., and reduce the vibration applied to the articles . fig7 shows another embodiment of the cargo pallet , and in this embodiment , nine elastic spacers 3 are inserted and bonded between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 . as shown in fig7 , the nine elastic spacers 3 , including one placed at the center , four placed at the four corners of the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 , and the remaining four placed each at the center on each side ( center between the two corners ), are bonded at their top face and bottom face . it should be noted that , as shown in fig4 , elastic spacers 3 each with a cap - shaped cover 4 placed on top can be used for the elastic spacers 3 of the cargo pallet shown in fig7 . as described above , the cargo pallet , shaped in such a way that the nine elastic spacers 3 are inserted and bonded between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 , is suitable for placing and transporting heavier articles compared to the cargo pallet using four elastic spacers 3 as mentioned earlier , because the load of the articles transported which are placed on the top plate 1 can be distributed and received by the nine elastic spacers 3 . fig8 shows an elastic spacer 13 of square cylinder shape , and this elastic spacer 13 of square cylinder shape can be used in place of the aforementioned elastic spacer 3 of circular cylinder shape . the elastic spacer 13 of square cylinder shape is made of synthetic resin , has a top face and a bottom face formed roughly as a square , and an accordion part 15 of square cylinder shape is provided on the outer periphery . because of this , the elastic spacer 13 of square cylinder shape has appropriate spring elasticity in the vertical direction ( height direction ), just like the aforementioned elastic spacer 3 of circular cylinder shape . the flat bottom face of the elastic spacer 13 is closed , while the flat top face has an opening formed in it at the time of molding , as shown in fig8 . accordingly , these elastic spacers 13 of square cylinder shape , too , can have the same function of absorbing vibration , etc ., as mentioned above , when inserted and bonded between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 to form the cargo pallet . it should be noted that , in place of the aforementioned elastic spacers 3 , 13 , another constitution is possible where elastic spacers having spring elasticity in the vertical direction are formed by bending plastic board and these elastic spacers are installed between the top plate 1 and bottom plate 2 . fig9 show a cargo pallet representing yet another embodiment . the parts that are the same as in the aforementioned embodiments are denoted using the same symbols in the figures and are not explained . to be specific , the cargo pallet shown in fig9 is a simple pallet having only the top plate 1 and no bottom plate , where the top plate 1 is formed by synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 in the same manner as explained above . and , elastic spacers 3 made of synthetic resin are bonded at the center and four corners of the bottom face of the top plate 1 shown in fig9 . also , nine elastic spacers 3 made of synthetic resin are bonded at the center , four corners , and center on each side ( center between the two corners ) of the bottom face of the top plate 1 shown in fig1 . it should be noted that , also for the elastic spacers 3 used here , elastic spacers 3 each made by placing the aforementioned cap - shaped cover 4 loosely on the accordion part 5 at the top of an elastic spacer 3 and then bonding the inside bottom face of the cap - shaped cover 4 to the top face of the elastic spacer 3 , can be used . furthermore , elastic spacers 13 of square cylinder shape as shown in fig8 can be used in place of the elastic spacers 3 of circular cylinder shape . the top plate 1 is formed by two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 that are oriented and stacked in such a way that their respective ribs 22 run at right angles to each other , and are bonded together as such . by stacking and bonding together two synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 so that their ribs run at right angles to each other , the bending strength of the top plate 1 is increased . it should be noted that , to further increase the bending strength of the top plate 1 , three or four synthetic - resin corrugated boards can be stacked and bonded together . this cargo pallet , whose key member being the top plate 1 is formed by a stack of synthetic - resin corrugated boards 10 , 11 , with the elastic spacers 3 also made of synthetic resin , offers high water resistance and permits hygienic use , and it is lightweight , has sufficient rigidity , and can be manufactured at affordable cost . furthermore , bonding of the elastic spacers 3 to the bottom face of the top plate 1 ensures that , when the cargo pallet is transported on a vehicle , etc ., with articles to be transported placed on top , the elastic spacers 3 with the accordion parts 5 can absorb the vibration transmitted from the vehicle , etc ., and reduce the vibration applied to the articles . in the present disclosure where conditions and / or structures are not specified , a skilled artisan in the art can readily provide such conditions and / or structures , in view of the present disclosure , as a matter of routine experimentation . also , in the present disclosure including the examples described above , any ranges applied in some embodiments may include or exclude the lower and / or upper endpoints , and any values of variables indicated may refer to precise values or approximate values and include equivalents , and may refer to average , median , representative , majority , etc . in some embodiments . further , in this disclosure , “ a ” may refer to a species or a genus including multiple species , and “ the invention ” or “ the present invention ” may refer to at least one of the embodiments or aspects explicitly , necessarily , or inherently disclosed herein . the terms “ constituted by ” and “ having ” refer independently to “ typically or broadly comprising ”, “ comprising ”, “ consisting essentially of ”, or “ consisting of ” in some embodiments . in this disclosure , any defined meanings do not necessarily exclude ordinary and customary meanings in some embodiments . the present application claims priority to japanese patent application no . 2015 - 205001 , filed oct . 16 , 2015 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety including any and all particular combinations of the features disclosed therein . it will be understood by those of skill in the art that numerous and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention . therefore , it should be clearly understood that the forms of the present invention are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention .
1
the present invention discloses an improved direct digital frequency synthesizer . in the following description , numerous specific details 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 , structures , and the like are not described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention unnecessarily . fig3 is a block diagram of a direct digital frequency synthesizer ( ddfs ). a phase accumulator 10 provides a normalized angle θ to a sine / cosine generator 12 that outputs the value of the sine / cosine function at the desired angle . the sequence of normalized angle values is provided by the phase accumulator 10 at a very precisely controlled rate , which is the sample rate , provided by a clock ( not shown ). the desired output frequency of the generated sequence of sine / cosine function values is determined by the rate , relative to the sample rate , at which the values generated by the phase accumulator cycle through the ( normalized ) range of values corresponding to the range 0 to 2π . this rate and , hence , the output frequency of the generated sine / cosine signals may be adjusted by supplying different frequency control words f 0 to the phase accumulator , as shown in fig3 . fig4 is a block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the ddfs of the present invention . a normalized angle is provided by the phase accumulator 10 to a π / 4 - quadrant mirror 14 and a π / 4 - multiplier 13 whose functions will be described more fully below . components of the output of the π / 4 - multiplier 13 ( an angle θ in radians ) are provided in parallel to a plurality of stages , including a rom 16 , a plurality of butterfly stages 18 , and a plurality of carry - save stages 20 . the rom 16 , butterfly 18 and carry - save stages 20 calculate cosine and sine functions from the angle θ provided by the π / 4 - multiplier 13 . a vector merge adder (&# 34 ; vma &# 34 ;) 21 is coupled to the last carry - save stage 20 and is further coupled to an output stage 22 that maps the computed cosine / sine values in 0 , π / 4 ! to the appropriate values in 0 , 2π !. as previously described , the computation of sin θ and cos θ for the angle θ provided by the π / 4 - multiplier 13 can be viewed as the computation of the x - axis and the y - axis coordinates of a point on the unit circle , as shown in fig1 . the computation can be broken into a sequence of subrotation computations as shown in fig2 . in accordance with the present invention , each subrotation corresponds to a known angle . in general , the arbitrary angle θ (& lt ; 1 radian ) can be expressed as θ = b 1 θ 1 + b 2 θ 2 + . . . + b n θ n where b k ε { 0 , 1 } are the binary bits of the angle θ and the θ k = 2 - k are the associated positional weights . for example , for θ = 0 . 5 radian , θ =( 0 ) 2 0 +( 1 ) 2 - 1 +( 0 ) 2 - 2 +. . . ( 0 ) 2 - n which is 010000 . . . 0 represented in binary . thus b k = 1 corresponds to a subrotation by θ k = 2 - k and b k = 0 corresponds to &# 34 ; no rotation .&# 34 ; the rotation by θ can now be written as : ## equ4 ## this formula has the same form as the cordic transformation . however , unlike cordic , the coefficients b k comprise the bits of the angle representation , expressed as a base - 2 radian value , and thus each subrotation direction need not be determined iteratively by specialized circuitry as cordic requires . this is possible because the angles themselves are different from those of cordic . for example , the first cordic rotation angle is ( tan - 1 1 / 2 ) radian while our first rotation angle is 1 / 2 radian . fig5 illustrates a plurality of cascaded feed - forward butterfly stages which may be used to implement the above rotation . the stages illustrated in fig5 effect a sequence of rotations that is always started from the fixed point x 0 = 1 , y 0 = 0 , where the desired output precision determines the number of stages and the rotation angle at each stage is known ( θ k = 2 - k ). each butterfly stage corresponds to one of the transformation matrices in the above equation and the direction of rotation of each stage is determined directly by the binary representation of the angle θ expressed in radians . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , various refinements are made on the butterfly stages illustrated in fig5 . it can be shown that the binary b k ε { 0 , 1 } can be recoded into signed digits r k ε {- 1 , 1 } for an arbitrary angle θ by the mapping r k = 2b k - 1 - 1 and thus each butterfly stage , for any θ , consists of either a positive or negative θ k subrotation , depending upon the sign of r k . therefore the product k = cos ( r 2 θ 2 ) . . . cos ( r n + 1 θ n + 1 ) becomes a constant . thus , the rotations are started from the fixed point x 0 = kcosφ 0 , y 0 = ksinφ 0 rather than at the point x 0 = 1 , y 0 = 0 , where φ 0 is an initial rotation by ( 0 . 5 - 0 . 5 n + 1 ) radians . this eliminates the need to scale the final results by k . multipliers may be eliminated from the butterfly stages illustrated in fig5 by taking advantage of the approximation tan θ k = θ k . for sufficiently small θ k ( i . e ., for sufficiently large k ), the approximation tan θ k = θ k = 2 - k reduces the multiplications performed by each butterfly stage to simple shift operations by a fixed number of bits ( k bits ). this approximation causes no loss in accuracy in the tan θ k representation so long as θ k is sufficiently small that the difference ( θ k - tan θ k ) is smaller than the finite - precision limits of the data . more precisely , given a b - bit internal word length , tan 2 - k = 2 - k to the full precision of the data for all k & gt ; b / 3 . for example , fig7 shows values of tan 2 - k and 2 - k for k = 1 , . . . , 10 with 22 - bit data . for all stages where k & gt ; b / 3 = 22 / 3 ( i . e ., for k & gt ; 7 ) there is no loss of accuracy when the butterfly computations of fig5 are reduced to a pair of shift ( by a fixed number of bits ) and add operations . in a preferred embodiment , since the initial values x 0 , y 0 are always the same , the first b / 3 butterfly stages are merged together and implemented using the rom 16 , illustrated in fig4 thereby avoiding the use of any tan θ k multipliers . ( while this would require a table containing 128 = 2 7 sine and cosine entries , simulations have shown that , in fact , the required accuracy can be maintained for the final output values if only the first four stages are replaced by the rom 16 . this introduces small errors in making the tan θ ˜ θ approximation for butterfly stages 5 through 7 , but requires a table of just 16 = 2 4 sine and cosine values .) as will readily be appreciated , a multiplexer or other device may be employed instead of the rom 16 . to minimize the size of the rom 16 , it is provided with the value θ in radians as opposed to the normalized value of θ provided by the phase accumulator 10 . the rom 16 may thus be smaller since the bit patterns that represent θ in radians are fewer than those of the normalized angle . for example , the value of π / 4 in binary is 011001 . . . . thus , for radian angles used to access the 16 - word rom , the largest value the address bits can have is 1100 , which implies that only a 13 - word rom is required . ( the remaining three addresses are never used .) fig6 illustrates a preferred hardware implementation , including the refinements discussed above , of the butterfly stages 18 illustrated in fig4 . each butterfly stage comprises two multipliers 24 and 26 and two adders 28 and 30 . the multiplier coefficient c i is equal to 2 - i or - 2 - i , depending upon the value of r i = 2b i - 1 - 1 as shown . each b i value corresponds to the binary value of the i - th bit of the angle and the b i values are provided to the stages as illustrated in fig4 . with reference to fig4 the rom 16 receives the four most significant bits of the angle provided by the π / 4 - multiplier 13 which are used to select one of thirteen 22 - bit values that comprise the tangent of the angle that would otherwise result when rotating the input ( k cos φ , k sin φ ) through the angle ω using the first four butterflies . simulation results show that 16 - bit accuracy can be retained on the sine and cosine outputs while employing the tan 2 - k = 2 - k approximation for all stages beyond stage 4 with a 22 - bit internal word length . additional savings in chip area can be obtained by employing carry - save arithmetic . according to the present invention , the m final butterflies after stage i =( b - 1 )/ 2 can be merged together such that x i + m and y i + m can be obtained directly from x i and y i as follows : ## equ5 ## the above equations are obtained by applying the m butterfly rotations repeatedly until ( x i + m , y i + m ) are expressed in terms of ( x i , y i ). in doing this , all terms involving products of the form ( r k )( r k + 1 )( tan 2 - k - 1 )( tan 2 - k ) can be discarded whenever k & gt ; b / 3 and k ≧( b - 1 )/ 2 . the first inequality allows the tan θ k multipliers to be represented by a power - of - two and the second inequality ensures that the product corresponds to a shift fight by a number of bits greater than the word length of the datapath . fig1 shows a general block diagram of the carry - save stages and fig1 a - 11b illustrate the carry - save stages of the preferred embodiment of fig4 in greater detail . as shown in fig4 the &# 34 ; 1 st - quadrant π / 4 mirror &# 34 ; 14 control block receives the third most significant bit of the normalized angle and the 19 least significant truncated phase accumulator bits , denoted by θ . the third most significant bit indicates whether the desired angle is in the upper or lower half of any quadrant . the &# 34 ; 1 st - quadrant π / 4 mirror &# 34 ; 14 comprises a subtracter replacing θ by ( 1 - θ ) whenever the desired angle is in the upper half of any quadrant . the π / 4 - multiplier 13 of fig4 converts the normalized phase accumulator and π / 4 - mirror output θ to a value θ in radians . in the preferred embodiment it comprises five hard - wired partial products . by putting the 1st - quadrant mirror 14 before the π / 4 - multiplier 13 it then deals with a normalized angle θ and hence its subtracter implements the replacement of θ by ( 1 - θ ) whenever θ is greater than 1 / 2 . an alternate implementation would reverse the order of occurrence of the two blocks . this would require the π / 4 - mirror 14 to perform subtractions ( π / 2 - θ ). the ( 1 - θ ) subtraction requires less hardware to implement than the ( π / 2 - θ ) subtraction , as ( 1 - θ ) can be implemented by just performing exclusive - or operations on the bits of θ . the vma 21 illustrated in fig4 produces the final cosine / sine values from the datapath outputs . the vma 21 combines the carry and sum outputs from the carry - save stages to produce two &# 39 ; s complement values for the datapath &# 39 ; s x n and y n outputs . these output values are then used in the output - select circuit 22 , as illustrated in fig8 to map the computed x n and y n values in 0 , π / 4 ! to the appropriate cosine / sine values in 0 , 2π !. fig1 shows a block diagram of the vma 21 of the preferred embodiment . since the computed angles lie in the interval 0 , π / 4 !, and all angle rotations are performed in the first quadrant , the x k and y k values computed by the butterfly stages 18 are always positive . this has the important architectural consequence that no sign - extensions are ever required when shifting the data by k bits ( i . e ., the 2 - k multiplier ), thereby reducing the load on the msb &# 39 ; s at each stage and facilitating high - speed operation . for a ddfs where only one output is needed ( either cosine or sine ), further reduction in the amount of required hardware can be obtained . for example , to produce only the cosine output , the circuitry used to compute the sine output can be discarded after stage ( b - 1 )/ 2 where &# 34 ; butterflies &# 34 ; are no longer required and the computation can be performed in parallel using carry - save arithmetic . this , however , requires that values be computed for angles in 0 , π / 2 !, as opposed to 0 , π / 4 !, because sine output values are not available to swap with cosine values whenever the angle is in the upper half of the quadrant . an additional hardware reduction can be achieved for a ddfs which requires no butterflies after the rom implementation of the initial stages . that is , for cases where a rom is used for the initial ( b - 1 )/ 2 stages and the remaining stages can be implemented using parallel carry - save arithmetic without butterflies . one example would be a ddfs with 10 - bit output precision where a 26 - word rom is used for the first 5 stages and the remaining stages are implemented using carry - save arithmetic without butterflies . for such cases , the π / 4 - multiplier hardware that converts the normalized angle θ to a radian value θ can be eliminated by factoring out the radian conversion factor from the tan θ k rotation multipliers and including that information in the values stored in the rom table . this is valid since the stages following the rom use the tan θ k = θ k approximation and the x n and y n output values can be computed directly from the rom outputs without butterflies . to emphasize that the present invention may be implemented with hardware embodiments other than those described with reference to fig4 fig9 is a flow chart of the present invention . at block 40 , θ = b 1 θ 1 + b 2 θ 2 +. . . + b n θ n is generated where b k ε { 0 , 1 } are the binary bits and the θ k = 2 - k are the associated positional weights . at block 42 , the sine and cosine values for a subangle ω of θ are obtained through a multiplexer , table - lookup , or similar device . in a preferred embodiment , ω is chosen such that subsequent subangles that are processed obey the approximation tan θ k = θ k . at block 44 , k is set equal to m + 1 and at block 46 , the binary b k ε { 0 , 1 } are recoded into signed digits r k ε {- 1 , 1 } for an arbitrary angle θ by the mapping r k = 2b k - 1 - 1 . the sine and cosine values determined at block 42 are inputs to the formulae : where x k - 1 is the cosine value and y k - 1 is the sine value . the determined x k cosine value and y k sine value are then provided as inputs to the formulae in block 48 , repeatedly , as k is incremented , until the desired accuracy is reached , as shown at blocks 50 and 54 . at block 52 , the final x and y values , corresponding to the desired cosine and sine values , are output . although the present invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment and with reference to fig1 - 12 , it will be appreciated that various modifications and alterations might be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the invention should therefore be measured in terms of the claims which follow .
6
the following description of the preferred embodiment ( s ) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . the diagrams and discussion refer generally to ethanol and specifically to an ethanol in the form of e85 ( i . e . 85 % ethanol and 15 % gasoline ) as a type of alcohol mixed with gasoline to produce an alternative fuel . this is not intended as a limitation however , as it should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the rationalization system would equally apply to other alternative fuels including other alcohol based fuel blends such as methanol based fuel blends . the rationalization system process is initiated in step 10 . in step 12 the rationalization system checks for the addition of fuel . this may include comparing a detected change in fuel volume to a minimum fixed amount or a percentage or both in order to limit the system to activation based on a certain minimal change in fuel volume . as an alternative the system can be activated based on a simple change in fuel volume . if the system determines that insufficient fuel has been added at step 12 , the method advances to step 14 and ends pending a subsequent execution thereof . for example , the method could be run at each start - to - run transition event . still referring to step 12 , if the system determines that fuel has been added , the method continues to step 16 . in step 16 the system compares an ethanol realm counter with a calibrated value . the ethanol realm counter counts the number of times that the system determines that the fuel in the vehicle contains a specified minimum percentage of ethanol that qualifies as operating in the ethanol realm . for example , the ethanol realm can be set at a minimum value of 30 % meaning the fuel in the vehicle must be at least 30 % ethanol to be considered in the ethanol realm . the calibrated value is also a specified number corresponding to a minimum number of times that the system must determine the fuel to contain 30 % ethanol in order to disable certain functions until an ethanol “ learn ” is completed . if the ethanol realm counter is greater than the calibrated value at step 16 then it is considered that the fuel system is known to use ethanol . in this event the method advances to step 18 where the system disables onboard diagnostics ( obd ) until the fuel system “ learns ” the amount of alcohol in the system . an example of some of the obd diagnostics that may be disabled include the fuel system monitor , oxygen sensor monitor , and misfire monitor . an ethanol “ learn ” may be based on an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system of the vehicle . the ethanol learn based on an oxygen sensor may generally be characterized as measuring the level of oxygen in the combustion byproducts and calculating a percentage concentration of ethanol based on this measure . if the ethanol realm counter is less than the calibrated value at step 16 then the method moves to step 24 where the final learned ethanol percent is retrieved from memory . the final learned percent is the learned ethanol percent from the last time that it was determined . next , in step 26 , the possible concentrations of ethanol are calculated . these calculations are as follows : a first percent possibility , assuming that a first percent of ethanol is a lower percent of ethanol , such as less than 50 percent , or even 0 percent was added , equals the change in fuel volume multiplied by lower percent of ethanol ( as an example 15 %) plus the pre - fill fuel volume multiplied by the final learned ethanol percent then divided by the post - fill fuel volume . if the lower percent of ethanol is 0 percent then the first percent possibility equals the pre - fill fuel volume multiplied by the final learned ethanol percent divided by the post - fill fuel volume . a second percent possibility , assuming that a second percent of ethanol is a higher percent of ethanol , such as greater than 50 percent , or even 85 percent , was added equals the change in fuel volume multiplied by 85 % ( as an example of e85 ) plus the pre - fill fuel volume multiplied by the final learned ethanol percent then divided by the post - fill fuel volume . in these calculations an e0 - possiblity , as a first percent possiblity , represents the possibility of zero percent ethanol fuel was added to the tank . the e0 - possibility is calculated by taking the pre - fill fuel volume which is the volume of fuel prior to the most recent addition of fuel and multiplying it with the ethanol percent that is the final learned ethanol percent . this calculation is then divided by the total fuel volume . in the above calculations an e85 - possiblity represents the possibility of 85 percent ethanol fuel was added to the tank . for the e85 - possibility calculation , the delta fuel volume is the change in volume between the pre - fill fuel volume and the volume following the addition of fuel . the delta fuel volume is multiplied by 85 percent representing the percentage of alcohol in e85 fuel . this calculation is then added to the calculation of pre - fill fuel volume multiplied by the ethanol percent . the pre - fill fuel volume is the volume of fuel prior to the most recent addition of fuel . the ethanol percent is again , the final learned ethanol percent . this entire calculation is then divided by the current fuel volume in order to determine the e85 - possibility . next , in step 28 the ethanol content rationality thresholds are calculated . the thresholds are calculated as follows : a first ethanol rationality pass threshold , for instance when less than 50 % ethanol was added to the tank , such as 0 percent ethanol , equals the final learned ethanol percent minus the result of the final learned ethanol percent minus the first ethanol percent possibility multiplied by the ethanol content rationality pass threshold fraction . a second ethanol rationality pass threshold , for instance when more than 50 % ethanol was added to the tank , such as 85 percent ethanol , equals the final learned ethanol percent plus the result of the second percent possibility minus the final learned ethanol percent multiplied by the ethanol content rationality pass threshold fraction . for calculation of an e0 - rationality - pass - threshold , as a first ethanol rationality pass threshold , the starting ethanol percent is again the final learned ethanol percent . the e0 - possibility is the percent possibility calculation as determined in step 26 . the ethanol content rationality pass threshold fraction is a fixed value that is used in the calculation to factor in a degree of freedom from the base calculation . for calculation of an e85 - rationality - pass - threshold , as a second ethanol rationality pass threshold , the starting ethanol percent is the final learned ethanol percent . the e85 - possibility is the percent possibility calculation as determined in step 26 . the ethanol content rationality pass threshold fraction is preferably the same fixed value as in the preceding equation . moving to step 30 a new learned ethanol percent is determined . this may be performed by an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system of the vehicle . the oxygen sensor allows for calculating a percent of ethanol by sensing a rich or lean level of combustion . after this step the logic flows through connector 32 to fig1 a . referring now to fig1 a , in decision block 34 the new learned ethanol percent is compared to the ethanol realm threshold . the ethanol realm threshold is again the fixed percentage of ethanol ( e . g . 30 %) determined to represent the minimal percentage of ethanol necessary to consider that the fuel system is within an ethanol realm . if the learned ethanol percent in step 34 exceeds the ethanol realm threshold , then in step 36 an ethanol realm counter is incremented . the ethanol realm counter keeps track of each time that the fuel system is found in the ethanol realm . next , in step 38 the new learned ethanol percent is stored as the final learned ethanol percent for future calculations . in decision block 40 , the system checks for a fuel level fault or if the change in fuel volume is less than the minimum volume required to perform the ethanol content rationality determination . in the event of a fuel level fault or a change in fuel volume less than the minimum volume required , then in step 42 the system is stopped . otherwise , the system logic proceeds in decision block 44 where the learned ethanol percent is compared to the ethanol rationality pass thresholds calculated in step 28 . the check of decision block 40 differs from that of decision block 12 by setting a higher minimum volume requirement or other more restrictive requirements than in decision block 12 . for example , the minimum change in fuel volume may be 40 % in step 40 while the minimum change in fuel volume may be 15 % in step 12 . in step 44 a check is performed to determine if the new learned ethanol percent is within one of the first or second ethanol rationality pass thresholds or if the new learned ethanol percent is less than the ethanol realm threshold . the ethanol rationality pass thresholds were calculated in step 28 . the first part of step 44 involves comparing the new learned ethanol percent to the first and second ethanol rationality pass thresholds from step 28 . if the new learned ethanol percent is less than the first ethanol rationality pass threshold or greater than the second ethanol rationality pass threshold then the new learned ethanol percent is within one of the ethanol rationality thresholds . otherwise , the new learned ethanol percent is outside of the ethanol rationality pass thresholds and the new learned ethanol percent has failed the ethanol rationality . still referring to step 44 the ethanol realm threshold is the same as identified in step 34 . if the new learned ethanol percent is within the ethanol rationality pass thresholds or the new learned ethanol percent is less than the ethanol realm threshold ( e . g . 30 %) then the ethanol content fail counter in step 48 is decremented . alternatively , the ethanol content fail counter is incremented in step 46 . next , in connector block 50 the logic of the system continues to fig1 b . referring now to fig1 b , in decision block 52 the ethanol content fail counter is compared to zero . if the ethanol content fail counter is greater than zero , and if the ethanol content fail counter plus the ethanol realm clearing threshold are greater than the ethanol realm counter then the system logic moves to decision block 56 where the ethanol realm counter is set to zero . in step 52 the ethanol realm clearing threshold is a fixed value for example 3 representing a threshold number of times the ethanol realm counter is above the ethanol content fail counter before the ethanol realm counter is cleared to zero . step 52 is intended to protect the gasoline only user by not disabling obd monitoring when the logic of the system reaches step 16 during the next cycle of the rationalization system . next , in decision block 58 the ethanol content fail counter is compared to the fail limit . the fail limit is a fixed value representing the number of times of failure before determining that action should be taken . if the ethanol content fail counter is greater than or equal to the fail limit , then in step 60 the malfunction indicator lamp is set . if the ethanol content fail counter is less than the fail limit at decision block 58 , or after setting the process of block 60 , the method continues to terminator 62 . the process for the system stops in step 62 . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .
8
the composition of the invention includes a major amount of a base oil of lubricating viscosity . suitable base oils include any natural or synthetic s base oil or blends thereof in api categories i , ii and ii , having a kinematic viscosity at 100 ° c . of about 5 to about 16 cst and preferably about 9 to 13 cst . the lubricating oil composition of the invention contains a combination of neutral and overbased metallic detergents such as alkali metal and alkaline earth sulfonates , phenates and alkylsalicylates . the preferred metal of the detergents is calcium or barium . examples of suitable neutral metallic detergents are calcium sulfonates and calcium alkylsalicylates having a tbn of from 10 to 100 . examples of overbased metallic detergents are calcium phenates , sulphonates and alkylsalicylates having a tbn of 150 to 400 . the amount of the neutral and overbased metallic detergent is chosen having regard to the desired tbn of the final product and especially having regard to the desired sulfated ash of the final product . preferably the mixture of neutral and overbased metallic detergents is sufficient to provide the composition with a sulfated ash in the range of about 0 . 2 wt % to about 2 . 0 wt %. the composition also includes a combination of zinc dialkyldithiophosphate and zinc dialkyldithiocarbamate as antiwear agents and oxidation inhibitors . the alkyl group in the zinc compounds typically will be in the range of 3 to 12 carbon atoms . the amount of zinc dialkyldithiphosphate will be in the range of about 0 . 0 vol % to 0 . 15 vol % and the amount of zinc dialkyldithiocarbamate will be in the range of about 0 . 1 vol % to 2 . 0 vol %, based on the total volume of the composition . the composition also includes from about 0 . 5 vol % to about 2 . 0 vol % an ashless dihydrocarbylthiocarbamoyl antioxidant , or 0 . 0 vol % to about 1 . 9 vol % of phenol type antioxidant , or from about 0 . 5 vol % to about 3 . 0 vol % of mixtures thereof . the term “ phenol type ” used herein includes compounds having one or more than one hydroxy group bound to an aromatic ring which may itself be mononuclear , eg , benzyl , or polynuclear , eg naphthyl and spiro aromatic compounds . thus , “ phenol type ” includes phenol per se , catechol , resorcinol , hydroquinone , naphthol , etc ., as well as alkyl or alkenyl and sulphurised alkyl or alkenyl derivatives thereof , and bisphenol type compounds including such bi - phenol compounds linked by alkylene bridges or sulphur or oxygen bridges . alkyl phenols include mono - and poly - alkyl or alkenyl phenols , the alkyl or alkenyl group containing from about 3 to 100 carbons , preferably 4 to 50 carbons and sulphurised derivatives thereof , the number of alkyl or alkenyl groups present in the aromatic ring ranging from 1 up to the available unsatisfied valences of the aromatic ring remaining after counting the number of hydroxyl groups bound to the aromatic ring . most preferably the phenol is a hindered phenol such as di - isopropyl phenol , di - t - butyl phenol , di - t - butyl alkylated phenol where the alkyl substituent is hydrocarbyl and contains between 1 and 20 carbon atoms , such as 2 , 6 , di - t - butyl - 4 - methyl phenol , 2 , 6 di - t - butyl - 4 - ethyl phenol , etc ., or 2 , 6 di - t - butyl 4 - alkoxy phenol . where r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are the same or different and each represents an alkyl group of 3 to 30 carbon atoms , x represents s , s — s , s —(— ch 2 —)— y s , s — ch 2 ch 2 ( ch 3 )— s and y is an integer of 1 to 3 . a fully formulated oil may contain one or more gas engine oil additives including ashless dispersants , ashless antiwear additives , metal passivators , pour point depressants , vi improvers and antifoamants . the compositions of the invention have a phosphorous content of up to 0 . 015 wt %, preferably between about 0 . 005 wto to about 0 . 008 wt %. a lab nitration screener test was used to assess the oil life performance of various oil compositions . the test results identify a number of parameters including oil viscosity increase , oxidation , and nitration . all measurements are reported on a relative basis ( unless otherwise indicated ) so that results greater than unity represent greater levels of degradation . numerically lower relative results represent a measure of longer oil life . in each test , a reference oil is tested and results are reported as a ratio of the result for the test oil divided by the result for the reference oil . thus , if a tested oil has an oxidation result of 1 . 0 , then it has oxidation performance equal to that of the reference oil . if the tested oil has an oxidation result less than 1 . 0 , then the tested oil demonstrates oxidation performance superior to that of the reference oil . table 1 provides compositional details of a series of experimental formulations which demonstrate the invention . the table also sets forth test results used to evaluate the performance of the formulations of the invention and a number of comparative formulations , under nitro - oxidising conditions . the laboratory nitration screener test results are measured relative to reference oil 1 . the base oil of the compositions of table 1 was a 600n api group ii basestock . comparative oils 1 and 2 use a commercially available gas engine oil additive package , which is one of the most widely sold gas engine oil packages and therefore represents a “ benchmark standard ” against which other gas engine oil formulations may be measured . comparative oil 2 includes a sulfur containing phenolic antioxidant as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 569 , 405 . reference oil 1 represents the improved oil of u . s . pat . no . 6 , 140 , 282 . the zddp treat in the reference oil and the comparative oils was about 0 . 3 vol %, which provides about 300 ppm phosphorous . the zddp treat in the invention examples was 0 . 06 vol %, or about 60 ppm phosphorous . reference oil 1 and example oils 1 - 4 each contained the same mixture of neutral and overbased metallic detergents , ashless dispersant and pour point depressant . all of the oils in table 1 were formulated to be nominally 0 . 45 mass % sulphated ash and had substantially the same tbn . the test results show significantly superior performance for reference oil 1 over both comparative oils , in control of viscosity increase , oxidation and nitration . in turn , the invention , as represented by the non - limiting example oils 1 - 4 , demonstrated significantly superior performance to that of reference oil 1 . again , the invention &# 39 ; s superiority was demonstrated in excellent control of viscosity increase , oxidation and nitration . the small negative normalised viscosity increase value for the example 1 oil simply reflects that there was no significant change in viscosity , unlike the comparative and reference oils .
2
for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure , reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended . any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein , and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein , which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure , are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed . before the devices , systems , methods and processes for providing and reclaiming single use imaging devices are disclosed and described , it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments , configurations , or process steps disclosed herein as such embodiments , configurations , or process steps may vary somewhat . it is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims , if any , and equivalents thereof . in describing and claiming the subject matter of the disclosure , the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below . it must be noted that , as used in this specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . as used herein , the terms “ comprising ,” “ including ,” “ containing ,” “ characterized by ,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open - ended terms that do not exclude additional , unrecited elements or method steps . as used herein , the phrase “ consisting of ” and grammatical equivalents thereof exclude any element , step , or ingredient not specified in the claim . as used herein , the phrase “ consisting essentially of ” and grammatical equivalents thereof limit the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic or characteristics of the claimed disclosure . as used herein , the term “ active ” as used in relation to a device or to electronic communication refers to any device or circuit , driven by hardware or software , that has decision making or logic processing capabilities regarding its operation and / or its condition . conversely , the term “ passive ” as used in relation to an imaging device or to electronic communication refers to a hardware device that is written to and read from only , or a device that does not have any memory or other electronic , or physical tracking components and does not include any decision making or logic processing capabilities regarding its operation and / or its condition . with reference primarily to fig1 , an embodiment of the features of the disclosure will be discussed generally . fig1 illustrates a system 100 for providing a digital image using a remote imaging device 110 that may be tethered electronically and physically to a control unit 120 . the control unit 120 may be configured to exchange data with imaging device 110 in order to provide single use functionality and safety in a sterile environment , such as an operating room , a doctor &# 39 ; s office or dental office . additionally , the control unit 120 may be electrically connected to a computer 130 or external monitor 140 for increased functionality . referring now to fig2 where the imaging system 100 will be discussed in greater detail . as is illustrated in fig2 , the imaging device 110 can be connected or disconnected from the control unit 120 by way of an electronic connector 114 on the imaging device 110 that is configured to electronically and physically interact with a corresponding electronic connector 126 on the control unit 120 . the ability to disconnect the imaging device 110 from the control unit 120 provides the ability to easily replace a used imaging device 110 for a sterilized , renewed imaging device 110 . the imaging device 110 may have a head portion 112 generally positioned remotely from the electronic connector 114 , thereby allowing greater mobility of the head portion 112 during use . also illustrated in fig2 is an embodiment of the control unit 120 having an electronic connector 126 therein for receiving the corresponding electronic connector 114 of the imaging device 110 . the control unit 120 may also have a display 128 for conveying information during a procedure to an operator or user . the display 128 may also comprise interactive functionality allowing an operator to enter commands or change what information is being displayed . such functionality may be provided by a touch screen system as is commonly known . the control unit may also have video inputs 122 and video outputs 124 for transferring image data to other apparatuses for increased functionality . as illustrated in fig1 , common apparatuses may be a computer 130 or an external monitor 140 . referring now to fig3 an imaging system 300 will be discussed having wireless capability and features . as is illustrated in fig3 , the imaging device 310 may communicate with a control unit 320 by way of wireless transmissions such as wifi , infrared , bluetooth etc . other forms of wireless non - tethered connectivity may also be used for providing communication between the imaging device 310 and control unit 320 , including but not limited to , radio frequency from any available spectrum , infrared of all configurations , ultrasonic , and optical . the imaging device 310 may comprise a head portion 312 that houses an imaging sensor , memory and associated circuitry , which will be discussed in greater detail below . it will be appreciated that in a surgical application , the quality of an image and the ability to adequately view the surgical site is a priority for a surgeon . the imaging sensor used in the camera head may be a single sensor . due to the ability to make smaller sized sensors , the single sensor may be located or positioned anywhere along the endoscope . for example , the sensor may be located or positioned proximally with respect to the endoscope , or at the distal end of the endoscope without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure . in an embodiment , the imaging sensor may be located on a tip of a device , i . e ., in a chip - on - the - tip configuration , such as on the distal end of an endoscope or other component . it will be appreciated that the imaging sensor may be a combination or plurality of sensors that work together to create a three - dimensional image . the single imaging sensor or the combination or plurality of imaging sensors may be high definition sensors for purposes of creating a high quality image , such that images may be viewed in a high resolution , for example 1920 × 1080 pixels or any other high definition standard , such as 1280 × 720 pixels . the image sensor may be located on a rigid endoscopic member or a flexible endoscopic member . for example , the image sensor may be located on a distal end of an articulating member , such that the sensor may articulate or move for better positioning within a surgical site . in such a case , the camera may be a flexible camera head . it will be appreciated that as the imaging sensor is located closer to the distal end of the endoscope , visualization may be improved . improved visualization may be due to the amount of light available for the sensor to create an image when the sensor is located distally with respect to the endoscope . because the location of the sensor may be closer to where the light is being concentrated or focused there may be improved visualization . thus , in various embodiments , the imaging sensor may be located on a distal end of the endoscope . further , the imaging sensor may used in a multi - port or single port surgical application . in a single port application , there may be multiple channels through which flexible and rigid instrument delivery tubes are inserted . the head portion 312 may further comprise a wireless transceiver 314 for communicating with a corresponding wireless transceiver 322 housed in the control unit 320 . the ability to separate the head portion 312 from the control unit 320 via wireless transmissions may provide for the easy replacement of used imaging devices for sterilized and renewed imaging devices . in other words , the wireless communication may be enabled by an electronic communication circuit that is a wireless communication transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with a corresponding transceiver on said control unit using any of the above noted wireless technologies . the wireless functionality also allows for greater mobility of the head portion 312 during use . it will be appreciated that the wireless features and functionality may be incorporated into any of the embodiments disclosed herein or embodiments that fall within the scope of this disclosure . also illustrated in fig3 is an embodiment of the control unit 320 having wireless capabilities and features . a transceiver 322 may be provided in or as part of the control unit 320 for receiving and transmitting wireless data to the imaging device 310 . the control unit 320 may also have a display 328 for conveying information during a procedure to an operator or user . the display 328 may also comprise interactive functionality allowing an operator to enter commands or change what information is being displayed . such functionality may be provided by a touch screen system as is commonly known . the control unit 320 may also have video inputs 321 and video outputs 324 for transferring image data to other apparatuses for increased functionality . as illustrated in fig1 common apparatuses may be a computer 130 or an external monitor 140 . it is within the scope of this disclosure to include an imaging system comprising both wired and wireless communication capabilities . illustrated in fig4 is an embodiment of the control unit 420 disconnected from an imaging device that is illustrated as being connected to complementary apparatuses . a connector 426 may be provided therein for transferring data to and from an imaging device . the ability to separate the imaging device may provide for the easy replacement of used imaging devices with sterilized and renewed imaging devices . the control unit 420 may also have a display 428 for conveying to an operator information during a procedure . the display 428 may also comprise interactive functionality allowing an operator to enter commands or change what information is being displayed . such functionality may be provided by a touch screen system as is commonly known . the control unit may also have video inputs 421 and video outputs 424 for transferring image data to other apparatuses for increased functionality . common apparatuses may be a computer 430 or an external monitor 440 there by increasing the technical functionality of the system 400 . a computer 430 may be used for storing the digital output from the imaging system or may be used to enhance and provide further adjustment within the system . an external monitor 440 may be used to show real time digital images to aid an operator in the use of the system , or later review and study the recorded digital imagery . referring now to fig5 an embodiment of a control unit display 428 that may be part of a control unit 420 will be discussed in greater detail . the display 428 may be a digital display of liquid crystal design ( lcd ), or the display may be some other technology beside lcd , and may have touch screen functionality and capability for an operator or user to input commands into the system 400 . the embodiment discussed herein may have input portions 428 a and 428 b whereby an operator or user may input commands into the system 400 . the embodiment may further comprise a status portion 428 c informing a user about the operational status of the components of the system 400 . for example , display portion 428 c may display an error message related to the condition of an attached imaging device 410 if the imaging device 410 has already been used or has been deemed unfit for a procedure . the display 428 may also have a dedicated message portion 428 d providing instructions and further information to an operator or user . the configuration of the display 428 may change during use to accommodate further functionality . a plurality of displays 428 is contemplated by , and falls within the scope of , this disclosure and may be used alternatively or in conjunction with this embodiment . an embodiment may comprise a key pad or a button pad for control purposes within a control unit . illustrated in fig6 and 6a is an embodiment of a retractable display 428 of a control unit 420 . the display 428 may have a first or retracted position within the control unit 420 ( illustrated best in fig6 ) that may be used to protect the display 428 when it is not being used . the display 428 ′ of fig6 a illustrates how the display may be deployed into a more user readable position , as it has been extended and rotated outward . as illustrated in fig6 and 6a , the display may be slid in and out of a passage and rotated about an axis to orient the display 428 in a wide range of positions . illustrated in fig7 is a cross - sectional view of an embodiment of an imaging device head 712 . the imaging device head 712 may comprise a housing 710 made of a suitably rigid material , such as plastic or metal . the housing 710 may be sealed against fluids and gases so as to protect the internal circuitry and provide a suitable surface for sterilization and renewal . the imaging device head 712 may further comprise a user input panel 720 having buttons 721 and 722 for operation of the imaging device head 712 . additional , buttons may be provided and the functionality of the buttons can be customized for a given procedure or a given operator . the control panel 720 may be internally connected to other circuitry of the imaging device head 712 by an electrical connector 726 . as illustrated further in fig7 , imaging device head 712 may comprise an optical mount system 750 , such as a c - mount system for receiving threaded accessories , for example one inch threaded accessories . a window 755 may also be incorporated into the embodiment for facilitating the transmission of light from an optical accessory to an image sensor 775 . the image sensor 775 may be mounted to a supporting printed circuit board or supportive substrate 770 . an electronic connector 778 may be incorporated to electronically connect the image sensor 775 to a main circuit or main printed circuit board 760 . a main wiring harness 782 may be incorporated into a wired tether 780 thereby electrically connecting the components of the imaging device head 712 to a control unit . the imaging device head 712 may further comprise a memory 788 or memory circuit allowing the storage of data within the imaging device head 712 . it will be appreciated that memory may be any data storage device that is capable of recording ( storing ) information ( data ). data that may be stored or written into memory 788 may include an identifying serial number that uniquely identifies an imaging device . other data that may be stored or written into memory 788 may include data such as the amount of the time the imaging device has been used , i . e ., the hours of operation , or the amount of time the imaging device has been powered on . data that may be written into memory 788 may include sterilization data or renewal data , representing the working condition of the imaging device . data that may be stored or written into memory 788 may include data such as manufacturing date , date of last verification or quality control check , location of manufacture , i . e ., may include name , city , state , street address and so forth , last control unit that the imaging device head was attached to , imaging device head diagnostic information , specific procedural settings for the imaging device head , or preferred settings for an operator or user , such as a surgeon . data representing the above characteristics , or other indicia , of the imaging device may be recorded into memory within the imaging device . the memory 788 may be encryption protected so as to avoid tampering or unintended use and foreseeable misuse . it should be noted that a memory 788 may be placed anywhere in the imaging device and not just the imaging device head without departing from the scope of the disclosure . the memory 788 may comprise a permanent or semi - permanent portion allowing varying degrees of data durability . illustrated in fig8 is a cross - sectional view of an embodiment of an imaging device head 812 . the imaging device head 812 may comprise a housing 810 made of a suitably rigid material such as plastic or metal . the housing 810 may be sealed against fluids and gases so as to protect the internal circuitry and provide a suitable surface for sterilization and renewal . the imaging device head 812 may further comprise a user input panel 820 having buttons 821 and 822 . additional , buttons may be provided and the functionality of the buttons can be customized for a given procedure and or a given operator . the control panel 820 may be internally connected to other circuitry of the imaging device head 812 by an electrical connector 826 . as illustrated further in the embodiment of fig8 , the imaging device head 812 may comprise an optical mount system 850 , such as a c - mount system for receiving threaded accessories , for example one inch threaded accessories . a window 855 may also be incorporated into the embodiment for facilitating the transmission of light from an optical accessory to an image sensor 875 . the image sensor 875 may be mounted to a supporting printed circuit board or supportive substrate 870 . an electronic connector 878 may be incorporated to electronically connect the image sensor 875 to a main circuit or main printed circuit board 860 . in order to provide heat dissipation from the image sensor 875 and other circuitry , a heat sink 861 may be provided . the heat sink 861 may be physically connected to the image sensor 875 and it may also be connected to the housing 810 , such that heat energy can be conducted or transferred to the external portion of the imaging device head 812 . the heat sink 861 may be a neutral sensor heat sink exposed externally to ensure the camera head meets cardiac floating ( cf ) and body floating ( bf ) iso standards . an embodiment of the heat sink 861 may be made of aluminum and have fins for added heat transfer surface area . a main wiring harness 882 may be incorporated into a wired tether 880 thereby electrically connecting the components of the imaging device head 812 to a control unit . the imaging device head 812 may further comprise a memory 888 or memory circuit allowing the storage of data within the imaging device head 812 . data that may be stored or written into memory 888 may include an identifying serial number that uniquely identifies an imaging device . other data that may be stored or written into memory 888 may include data such as the amount of the time the imaging device has been used , i . e ., the hours of operation , or the amount of time the imaging device has been powered on . data that may be written into memory 888 may include sterilization data or renewal data , representing the working condition of the imaging device . data that may be stored or written into memory 888 may include data such as manufacturing date , date of last verification or quality control check , location of manufacture , i . e ., may include name , city , state , street address and so forth , last control unit that the imaging device head was attached to , imaging device head diagnostic information , specific procedural settings for the imaging device head , or preferred settings for an operator or user , such as a surgeon . data representing the above characteristics , or other indicia , of the imaging device may be recorded into memory within the imaging device . the memory 888 may be encryption protected so as to avoid tampering or unintended use and foreseeable misuse . it should be noted that a memory may be placed anywhere in the imaging device and not just the imaging device head without departing from the scope of the disclosure . the memory 888 may comprise a permanent or semi - permanent portion allowing varying degrees of data durability . illustrated in fig9 is a cross - sectional view of an embodiment of an imaging device head 912 . the imaging device head 912 may comprise a housing 910 made of a suitably rigid material such as plastic or metal . the housing 910 may be sealed against fluids and gases so as to protect the internal circuitry and provide a suitable surface for sterilization and renewal . the imaging device head 912 may further comprise a user input panel 920 having buttons 921 and 922 . additional , buttons may be provided and the functionality of the buttons can be customized for a given procedure and or a given operator . the control panel 920 may be internally connected to other circuitry of the imaging device head 912 by an electrical connector 926 . as illustrated further in the embodiment of fig9 , the imaging device head 912 may comprise an optical mount system 950 , such as a c - mount system for receiving threaded accessories , for example one inch threaded accessories . a window 955 may also be incorporated into the embodiment for facilitating the transmission of light from an optical accessory to an image sensor 975 . the image sensor 975 may be mounted to a supporting printed circuit board or supportive substrate 970 . an electronic connector 978 may be incorporated to electronically connect the image sensor 975 to a main circuit or main printed circuit board 960 . in order to provide heat dissipation from the image sensor 975 and other circuitry , a heat sink may be provided , similar to the heat sink provided in fig8 . the heat sink may be physically connected to the image sensor 975 and it may also be connected to the housing 910 , such that heat energy can be conducted or transferred to the external portion of the imaging device head 912 . a main wiring harness 982 may be incorporated into a wired tether 980 thereby electrically connecting the components of the imaging device head 912 to a control unit . the imaging device head 912 may further comprise a memory 988 or memory circuit allowing the storage of data within the imaging device head 912 . data that may be stored or written into memory 988 may include an identifying serial number that uniquely identifies an imaging device . other data that may be stored or written into memory 988 may include data such as the amount of the time the imaging device has been used , i . e ., the hours of operation , or the amount of time the imaging device has been powered on . data that may be stored or written into memory 988 may include data such as manufacturing date , date of last verification or quality control check , location of manufacture , i . e ., may include name , city , state , street address and so forth , last control unit that the imaging device head was attached to , imaging device head diagnostic information , specific procedural settings for the imaging device head , or preferred settings for an operator or user , such as a surgeon . data representing the above characteristics , or other indicia , of the imaging device may be recorded into memory within the imaging device . the memory 988 may be encryption protected so as to avoid tampering or unintended use and foreseeable misuse . it should be noted that a memory may be placed anywhere in the imaging device and not just the imaging device head without departing from the scope of the disclosure . the memory 988 may comprise a permanent or semi - permanent portion allowing varying degrees of data durability . the imaging device head 912 may comprise a ball joint 990 with a corresponding seal and socket , thereby providing increased mobility between the housing 910 and the tether 980 during articulation of the imaging device by an operator or user . with reference primarily to fig1 , an embodiment of an imaging device ball joint 990 will be discussed in further detail . fig1 is illustrative of a cross - sectional view of a ball joint 990 , which provides greater freedom of articulation for an operator when moving the imaging device head 912 relative to the wiring tether 980 . the ball joint 990 may comprise a substantially spherical rotatable portion or ball 991 . the ball 991 may be configured to mechanically operate in communication with a corresponding socket 992 , such that the ball 991 may substantially freely rotate while being retained within the socket 992 . a seal may be provided withing the ball joint 990 by the inclusion of a seal ring 993 . the seal ring 993 may also provide mechanical resistance within the ball joint 990 . the ball 991 may further include an opening 994 therethrough allowing wiring 995 to pass through the ball joint 990 . with reference to fig1 , an embodiment of an imaging device 1100 comprising wireless transmission functionality will be discussed . a cross - sectional view of an embodiment of an imaging device head 1112 is shown in fig1 . the imaging device head 1112 may comprise a housing 1110 made of a suitably rigid material such as plastic or metal . the housing 1110 may be sealed against fluids and gases so as to protect the internal circuitry and provide a suitable surface for sterilization and renewal . the imaging device head 1112 may further comprise a user input panel 1120 having buttons 1121 and 1122 . additional , buttons may be provided and the functionality of the buttons can be customized for a given procedure and or a given operator . the control panel 1120 may be internally connected to other circuitry of the imaging device head 1112 by an electrical connector 1126 . the imaging device head 1112 may communicate with a control unit by way of wireless transmissions such as wifi , infrared , bluetooth etc . other forms of wireless non - tethered connectivity may also be used for providing communication between the imaging device head 1112 and the control unit , including but not limited to , radio frequency from any available spectrum , infrared of any configuration , ultrasonic , and optical . as illustrated further in the embodiment of fig1 , the imaging device head 1112 may comprise an optical mount system 1150 , such as a c - mount system for receiving threaded accessories , for example one inch threaded accessories . a window 1155 may also be incorporated into the embodiment for facilitating the transmission of light from an optical accessory to an image sensor 1175 . the image sensor 1175 may be mounted to a supporting printed circuit board or supportive substrate 1170 . an electronic connector 1178 may be incorporated to electronically connect the image sensor 1175 to a main circuit or main printed circuit board 1160 . the circuitry of the imaging device head 1112 may electrically be connected to a wireless transceiver 1111 for transmitting and receiving data from a wirelessly configured control unit as illustrated in fig3 . the imaging device head 1112 may further comprise a memory 1188 or memory circuit allowing the storage of data within the imaging device head 1112 . data that may be stored or written into memory 1188 may include an identifying serial number that uniquely identifies an imaging device . other data that may be stored or written into memory 1188 may include data such as the amount of the time the imaging device has been used , i . e ., the hours of operation , or the amount of time the imaging device has been powered on . data that may be stored or written into memory 1188 may include data such as manufacturing date , date of last verification or quality control check , location of manufacture , i . e ., may include name , city , state , street address and so forth , last control unit that the imaging device head was attached to , imaging device head diagnostic information , specific procedural settings for the imaging device head , or preferred settings for an operator or user , such as a surgeon . data representing the above characteristics , or other indicia , of the imaging device may be recorded into memory within the imaging device . the memory 1188 may be encryption protected so as to avoid tampering or unintended use and foreseeable misuse . it should be noted that a memory may be placed anywhere in the imaging device and not just the imaging device head without departing from the scope of the disclosure . the memory 1188 may comprise a permanent or semi - permanent portion allowing a varying degrees of data durability . it will be appreciated that the ball joint illustrated in fig9 and 10 may be used by any embodiment of the disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure . thus , for example , the ball joint 990 may be used with imaging device head 712 , 812 , 912 , or 1112 . similarly , it will be appreciated that the heat sink 861 ( illustrated in fig8 ) may be used by any embodiment of the disclosure without departing from the scope of the disclosure . referring now to fig1 an embodiment of a system for acquiring imagery in a sterilized environment will be discussed . the system may comprise an imaging device 1201 having a memory 1202 , an image sensor 1204 , and supporting circuitry 1206 , including a processor . the imaging device 1201 may be an active device and may comprise a processor , a micro - processor or micro controller , a field programmable gate array ( fpga ), active circuit , or a complex programmable logic device ( cpld ). the system may further comprise and control unit 1220 having a processor 1221 , time circuit or realtime clock 1222 , a counting or incrementing circuit 1224 and a control unit memory 1226 . the components will generally be provided in a housing , but are shown hear in block diagram form for simplicity and discussion purposes . it is contemplated that any of the above circuits can operate from either a control unit or an imaging device . as can be seen in fig1 the memory 1202 of the imaging device 1201 may comprise the following arrays of data storage : i . procedural specific camera head settings ( i . e . video settings , button settings , etc . ); additional data may be stored within the memory 1202 that would enhance the imaging device and is considered to be within the scope of the disclosure . with reference to fig1 , a method of using an imaging system consistent with the embodiments disclosed herein will be discussed . in use , a sterilized single use imaging device 1201 will be provided that may comprise memory 1202 at 1410 . at 1420 a user may connect the single use imaging device 1201 to a complementary control unit 1220 both electronically and physically . at 1430 the control unit 1220 may initiate a process of reading memory 1202 and registers the serial number of the imaging device 1201 . at 1440 the system causes a value to be recorded into memory 1202 indicating that the imaging device 1201 has been used . at 1450 the system records into memory 1202 the date and time the imaging device 1201 is connected to the control unit 1220 . at 1460 a timing process is initiated by the control unit from the base line time recorded at 1450 and tracks or times the duration that the imaging device 1201 is used and the duration is recorded into memory 1202 at 1470 . after use , the imaging device 1201 is disconnected from the control unit 1220 at 1480 and then discarded for renewal or reclamation . referring now to fig1 and 15a , a method of renewing and reclaiming a single use imaging device 1201 will be discussed . at 1510 the imaging device 1201 may be connected to a testing control unit or a master control unit . at 1515 the components of the imaging system may be authenticated according to the teachings and principles of the disclosure ( see discussion in relation to fig3 below ). at 1520 the testing control unit or master control unit causes the data stored in memory 1202 to be recorded into storage on the testing control unit or master control unit as stored , in order for the specific imaging device 1201 to be renewed . at 1525 a value is placed in memory 1202 indicating that the imaging device has been renewed and is ready for use such that when connected to another control unit for use it will operate . the location and date of the renewal may then be recorded into memory 1202 at 1530 . at 1540 the imaging device 1201 can be sterilized and ( at 1550 ) placed in a protective sterilized package . with reference to fig1 an alternative embodiment of a method of use will be discussed illustrating safety settings of the embodiment . at 1610 the memory imaging device head may be stamped with time of manufacture when it is plugged into the master control unit or master console after assembly in the field , i . e ., in an operating room , and after a quality control check has been performed . at 1620 a check may be made to determine if the imaging device has been powered off for a predetermined number of minutes , such as a time frame that is close to what a typical sterilization cycle would last . at 1630 , if the imaging device has been powered off the predetermined amount of time the control unit will display an onscreen message telling the user the imaging device has already been used , and will not allow further operation , such that no image will be produced through video feed . this feature will ensure the imaging device , i . e ., the camera , will not be used more than one time per sterilization cycle . this feature also protects the patient and the doctor from an invalid or unsafe use and foreseeable misuse . referring to fig1 an embodiment of a method of use will be discussed . during use , an imaging device may be connected to a control unit . upon connection , an electronic communication connection is formed between the imaging device and the control unit . at 1702 the imaging device may be powered on by power supplied by the control unit . at 1704 a processor in the control unit may cause data regarding imaging device identification that may be stored in a memory within the imaging device to be read . at 1706 a processor in the control unit may cause data regarding the manufacturing date of the imaging device to be read from memory within the imaging device . the processor in the control unit may then compare the data to a predetermined data value range . at 1707 an error message may be displayed if the read data is outside the predetermined data value range and the imaging device will be stopped from operating . at 1708 a processor in the control unit may cause data regarding the reclamation of the imaging device to be read from memory within the imaging device . the data regarding reclamation of the imaging device may include data representing whether or not the imaging device has been previously used . the processor may then compare the data to a predetermined data value range . at 1709 an error massage may be displayed if the read data is outside the predetermined data value range and the imaging device will be stopped from operating . at 1710 a processor in the control unit may cause data regarding the reclamation date of the imaging device to be read from memory within the imaging device . the processor may then compare the data to a predetermined data value range . at 1711 an error massage may be displayed if the read data is outside the predetermined data value range and the imaging device will be stopped from operating . at 1712 a processor in the control unit may cause usage information of the current procedure to be monitored to note whether imaging device has been unpowered for a predetermined period of time and then re - powered . if this condition occurs it is possible that the imaging device has been tampered with or that an attempt has been made to sterilize the imaging device and use it a second time . the predetermined period of time may correspond to the amount of time a typical sterilization process would normally take . the processor then compares the data to a predetermined data value range . at 17013 an error massage may be displayed if the data read is outside the predetermined data value range and the imaging device will be stopped from operating . at 1714 a processor in the control unit may cause a value to be placed in memory in the imaging device indicating that the imaging device has been used . at 1716 a processor in the control unit may cause the date and time of use to be recorded in memory in the imaging device . additional information may be recorded into the memory of the imaging device such as , for example , duration of use , procedure settings , and user settings and any other data suitable for recording to memory . the imaging device may be disconnected from the control unit and thereby powered off at 1718 . referring now to fig1 a method of reclaiming an image device after use will be discussed . it should be noted that a single use imaging device may comprise the durability to be used a plurality of times , however sterilization requirements may prevent an imaging device from being used more than once without a process for reclaiming the imaging device , thereby returning it to a sterilized condition . a method of reclamation for an imaging device may comprise the process of powering on the imaging device at 1802 , when the imaging device is electrically connected to a control unit . at 1804 a processor in the control unit may cause data representing identification information for the imaging device to be stored in storage in the control unit . a control unit may be a master control unit configured for reclaiming the imaging devices . the master control unit may track a plurality of imaging devices thereby keeping a catalog of associated information such as use and condition of the device or devices . at 1806 a processor in the control unit may cause that data representing a manufacturing date to be read and compared to a predetermined value or range of values . if the read data is out of the predetermined range value , an error report may be issued at 1807 . at 1808 a processor in the control unit may cause data representing use data written in memory of the imaging device to be read and recorded into storage in the control unit . at 1810 a processor may cause data representing a date and time of reclamation to be recorded into memory in the imaging device . at 1812 a processor in the control unit may cause that data representing the number of uses of the imaging device to be read and recorded into storage in the control unit . the processor may compare the read data to a predetermined value or range of values to determine whether the imaging device is fit for continued use . if the predetermined value is exceeded an error message may be displayed ( at 1813 ) and the imaging device may be retired . at 1814 a processor in the control unit may initiate a test or quality control check of all the circuitry in the imaging device to ensure that the device is functional . at 1815 it may be determined that the imaging device failed the quality control check and an error massage may be displayed . at 1816 the imaging device can be reset for use . the resetting process may comprise writing data to the memory of the imaging device indicating that the imaging device has been reclaimed and sterilized . at 1816 the device may be disconnected from the control unit and physically sterilized and repackaged . with reference primarily to fig1 , an embodiment of a method for making an imaging device having memory therein for use in a sterilized environment will be discussed . at 1902 an imaging device may be powered on upon being connected to a control unit . the control unit may be a master control unit configured for the manufacturing process . at 1904 a processor in the control unit may cause that data representing an identification serial number for the imaging device to be written into memory of the imaging device . at 1906 a processor in the control unit may cause that data representing the location of manufacture be recorded to memory in the imaging device . at 1908 a processor may cause that data representing the date of manufacture may be recorded into memory on the imaging device . at 1910 a processor in the control unit may initiate a test or quality control check of all the circuitry in the imaging device to ensure that the device is functional . at 1912 the imaging device may be unplugged from the control and sterilized for packaging . referring to an embodiment illustrated in fig2 , a system having a security code or some other means of identifying , and validating for use , an imaging device by a control unit , in order to verify that the imaging device is authorized for use will now be described . a validating security code or procedure of validation may be distributed to control units from a central database over the internet , by direct transfer from portable storage device such as usb device containing memory , another computer , or other storage device . with reference to fig2 , an embodiment of a method for providing updates with in a medical imaging system will be discussed . at 2002 a control unit may be powered on to receive a security update . at 2004 security update data may provided comprising validation codes that correspond to imaging devices to be connected to the control unit . such validation codes may enable the system to insure that users of the system may be prevented from using imaging devices that have been selected for non - use by a manufacturer or distributor . selection criteria for non - use may include safety considerations , recall considerations , anti counterfeit measures , and sales and contract considerations . at 2006 the data may be transferred into storage or memory of the control unit in order to provide that data for later comparison to security codes provided by imaging devices . it is within the scope of this disclosure to include all means for transferring data , including but not limited to , transmission over a network , transfer via on site transmission from a storage medium that is portable , such as a disk , memory drive , or short distance wireless transmission . at 2008 the system may be powered off . with reference primarily to fig2 , an embodiment of an imaging system have the feature of updating data will be discussed . an imaging system 2100 may comprise a control unit 2102 and a data server 2104 . the control unit 2106 may be electronically in communication with the data server 2104 over a network such as the internet 2106 . the control unit 1202 may receive update data over the internet 2106 from data server 2104 . the control unit 2102 may also receive update data directly from a memory transfer device 2108 such as a memory stick , thumb drive , jump drive , hard drive , optical disk to name a few . the control unit 2102 may also receive update data from another computer or portable device 2110 such as a pda or laptop that is presented to the control unit 2102 on site . data transfer may be made with a physical connection and or by a wireless transfer of data . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a system and method for the manufacture and reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device . reprocessing may represent the reclaiming or recycling of a used surgical camera head and any associated accessories or components of said surgical camera head and may be referred to individually or collectively herein as an imaging device or a camera head . at 2202 the camera head components are assembled into a working unit having memory . at 2204 the assembled camera head is checked for proper operation and quality to ensure the assembled camera head passes a pre - determined minimum standard . at 2206 the camera head may be inserted into a production control unit or production fixture . the production control unit may check the condition of the memory within the camera head to determine whether the memory has been formatted to a predetermined operational condition . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate the camera has been used the memory will be written with a value or values allowing it function at 2208 . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate that the camera is operational or has not been used , the data in the memory will be recorded and stored in a data base while a value or values allowing it to function will be written in to the memory of the camera head at 2210 . at 2212 the camera head may be tested for video quality and other operational standards . the inspection and testing of video quality and other operational standards may include a visual inspection of the video / image quality against a known , acceptable image standard . it will be appreciated that this procedure may be automated , such that if the image does not meet a certain pre - determined quality standard the on screen check will return with a “ use or no - use ” or “ go or no - go ” on screen reply or signal . at 2214 the camera may be packaged in a container , such as a tray , pouch , bag or the like , which may be sterilized along with the components within the container . such containers may provide the ability to sanitize the camera head while inside the container . this package or container of components may then be sanitized or sterilized as noted at 2216 . it will be appreciated that in an embodiment , the components included in the container , such as a tray , pouch , bag or the like , may also include a biohazard bag or sanitation bag . the biohazard bag may be used after an imaging device and related components have been used or otherwise contaminated to return the used or contaminated imaging device , along with any components , to a reprocessing center or agent for disinfection and further reprocessing treatment . at 2216 the packaged camera head may then be sanitized or sterilized . it will be appreciated that there are many methods for sanitizing , sterilizing or otherwise eliminating ( killing ) transmissible agents , such as fungi , bacteria , viruses , bacterial spores , etc . from surgical tools and equipment . such methods are within the scope of the disclosure . sterilization may be accomplished using one or more of the following heat , chemicals , irradiation , and high pressure systems . examples of the sanitization or sterilization methods may include ethylene oxide , gamma radiation , chemicals and autoclave systems . at 2218 , the imaging device , i . e ., camera head and any accompanying components , may be further packaged and shipped to an end user . the camera head may then be used for a surgical procedure where during the procedure a camera control unit writes to the memory in the camera head where a use value or use bit may be set at 2220 . after use or contamination , the camera head may be placed in a return shipping container suitable for biohazard shipping at 2222 and shipped to a processing facility or manufacturer at 2224 . at 2226 the processing facility or manufacturer may receive the used or otherwise contaminated camera head and , at 2228 , the camera head may be unpackaged and disinfected for further processing . it will be appreciated that the disinfection process is for worker safety where handlers of the used or otherwise contaminated camera head wear protective clothing , such as gloves and gowns . the disinfection process may include chemical treatment of the used or otherwise contaminated imaging device or camera head to meet low - level or other appropriate governmental standards for disinfection . various chemicals may be used for the initial disinfection process and may include alcohols , aldehydes , and oxidizing agents . it will be appreciated that other disinfection processes may be used to initially treat the used or otherwise contaminated camera head without departing from the scope of the disclosure . at 2230 the camera head may be inspected to determined whether components need to be replaced . if it is determined that some components of the camera head need to be replaced , then at 2232 the faulty components will be replaced . for example , components that may be replaced include cables , imaging device connectors , and buttons . however , it should be noted that during this inspection all components may be replaced on an as needed basis . after the faulty components have been replaced at 2232 , the camera head may be checked for quality and functionality at 2204 , and then further processed in accordance to the illustrated system . it will be appreciated that the above system or method for the manufacture and reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device may include details relating to the camera head itself or the various processes within each step noted , which may be utilized by any of the embodiments disclosed herein and such details are incorporated into each of the embodiments . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a system for the manufacture and reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device . reprocessing may represent the reclaiming or recycling of a used surgical camera head and any associated accessories or components of said surgical camera head . at 2302 the camera head components are assembled into a working unit having memory . at 2304 the assembled camera is checked for proper operation and quality . at 2306 the camera head may be inserted into a production control unit or production fixture . the production control unit may check the condition of the memory within the camera head to determine whether the memory has been formatted to a predetermined operational condition . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate the camera has been used the memory will be written with a value or values allowing it function at 2308 . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate that the camera is operational or has not been used , the data in the memory will be recorded and stored in a data base while a value or values allowing it to function will be written in to the memory of the camera head at 2310 . at 2312 the camera head may be tested for video quality and other operational standards . at 2314 the camera may be packaged in a biohazard bag or sanitation bag . such bags may provide the ability to sanitize the camera head while inside the bag . the sanitation process may include or be accomplished using ethylene - oxide ( eo ) gas , or other fluid process corresponding to the properties of said bag or packaging . at 2316 the packaged camera head may then be sanitized . at 2318 the camera head may be further packaged such as in a tray and shipped to an end user . the camera head may be then used for a surgical procedure where during the procedure a camera control unit writes to the memory in the camera head a usage value at 2320 . after use the camera head may be placed in a return shipping container suitable for biohazard shipping at 2322 and shipped to a processing facility or manufacturer at 2324 . at 2326 the manufacturer or processing facility may receive the used camera head and at 2328 the camera head may be unpackaged and disinfected for further processing . at 2330 the camera head may be inspected to determined whether components need to be replaced . if it is determined that some components of the camera head need to be replaced , at 2332 the faulty components will be replaced . after the faulty components have been replace at 2332 , the camera head may be checked for quality and functionality at 2304 , and then further processed in accordance to the illustrated system . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a system for the manufacture and reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device . reprocessing may represent the reclaiming or recycling of a used surgical camera head and any associated accessories or components of said surgical camera head . at 2404 the assembled camera and any accessories are checked for proper operation , quality and functionality . at 2406 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inserted into a production control unit or production fixture . the production control unit may check the condition of the memory within the camera head to determine whether the memory has been formatted to a predetermined operational condition . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate the camera has been used the memory will be written with a value or values allowing it function at 2408 . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate that the camera is operational or has not been used , the data in the memory will be recorded and stored in a data base while a value or values allowing it to function will be written in to the memory of the camera head at 2410 . at 2412 the camera head and any associated accessories may be tested for video quality and other operational standards . at 2414 the camera head and any associated accessories may be packaged in a biohazard bag or sanitation bag . such bags may provide the ability to sanitize the camera head while inside the bag . the sanitation process may include or be accomplished using ethylene - oxide ( eo ) gas , or other fluid process corresponding to the properties of said bag or packaging . at 2416 the packaged camera head and any associated accessories may then be sanitized . at 2418 the camera head and any associated accessories may be further packaged such as in a tray and shipped to an end user . the camera head and any associated accessories may be then used for a surgical procedure where during the procedure a camera control unit writes to the memory in the camera head a usage value at 2420 . after use the camera head and any associated accessories may be placed in a return shipping container suitable for biohazard shipping at 2422 and shipped to a processing facility or manufacturer at 2424 . at 2426 the manufacturer or processing facility may receive the used camera head and any associated accessories , and at 2428 the camera head and any associated accessories may be unpackaged and disinfected for further processing . at 2430 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inspected to determined whether components need to be replaced . if it is determined that some components of the camera head and any associated accessories need to be replaced , at 2432 the faulty components will be replaced . after the faulty components have been replace at 2432 , the camera head and any associated accessories may be checked for quality and functionality at 2404 , and then further processed in accordance to the illustrated system . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a system for the reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device . reprocessing may represent the reclaiming or recycling of a used surgical camera head and any associated accessories or components of said surgical camera head . at 2526 the manufacturer or processing facility may receive the used camera head and any associated accessories , and at 2528 the camera head and any associated accessories may be unpackaged and disinfected for further processing . at 2530 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inspected to determined whether components need to be replaced . if it is determined that some components of the camera head and any associated accessories need to be replaced , at 2532 the faulty components will be replaced . after the faulty components have been replace at 2532 , the camera head and any associated accessories may be checked for quality and functionality at 2504 , and then further processed in accordance to the illustrated system . at 2504 the assembled camera and any accessories are checked for proper operation , quality and functionality . at 2506 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inserted into a production control unit or production fixture . the production control unit may check the condition of the memory within the camera head to determine whether the memory has been formatted to a predetermined operational condition . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate the camera has been used the memory will be written with a value or values allowing it function at 2508 . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate that the camera is operational or has not been used , the data in the memory will be recorded and stored in a data base while a value or values allowing it to function will be written in to the memory of the camera head at 2510 . a processor within a computer may be employed to read and record into storage data from said camera head at 2509 and the data may be stored for later use at 2511 . at 2512 the camera head and any associated accessories may be tested for video quality and other operational standards . at 2514 the camera head and any associated accessories may be packaged in a biohazard bag or sanitation bag . such bags may provide the ability to sanitize the camera head while inside the bag . the sanitation process may include or be accomplished using ethylene - oxide ( eo ) gas , or other fluid process corresponding to the properties of said bag or packaging . at 2516 the packaged camera head and any associated accessories may then be sanitized . at 2518 the camera head and any associated accessories may be further packaged such as in a tray and shipped to an end user . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a system for the reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device and providing updates for said camera head or imaging device . reprocessing may represent the reclaiming or recycling of a used surgical camera head and any associated accessories or components of said surgical camera head . at 2626 the manufacturer or processing facility may receive the used camera head and any associated accessories , and at 2628 the camera head and any associated accessories may be unpackaged and disinfected for further processing . at 2630 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inspected to determined whether components need to be replaced . if it is determined that some components of the camera head and any associated accessories need to be replaced , at 2632 the faulty components will be replaced . after the faulty components have been replace at 2632 , the camera head and any associated accessories may be checked for quality and functionality at 2604 , and then further processed in accordance to the illustrated system . at 2604 the assembled camera and any accessories are checked for proper operation , quality and functionality . at 2606 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inserted into a production control unit or production fixture . the production control unit may check the condition of the memory within the camera head to determine whether the memory has been formatted to a predetermined operational condition . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate the camera has been used the memory will be written with a value or values allowing it function at 2608 . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate that the camera is operational or has not been used , the data in the memory will be recorded and stored in a data base while a value or values allowing it to function will be written in to the memory of the camera head at 2610 . a processor within a computer may be employed to read and record into storage data from said camera head at 2609 and the data may be stored for later use at 2611 . at 2619 it may be determined whether the operation of the camera head is up to date . at 2613 updates may be created to improve or modify the camera head . the update may be derived from camera head data stored at 2611 and may be responsive to said camera head data . at 2615 the camera head may be updated . such updates may be written to the memory of the camera head and may be done manually , automatically , at the point of operation or over a network connection . at 2612 the camera head and any associated accessories may be tested for video quality and other operational standards . at 2614 the camera head and any associated accessories may be packaged in a biohazard bag or sanitation bag . such bags may provide the ability to sanitize the camera head while inside the bag . the sanitation process may include or be accomplished using ethylene - oxide ( eo ) gas , or other fluid process corresponding to the properties of said bag or packaging . at 2616 the packaged camera head and any associated accessories may then be sanitized . at 2618 the camera head and any associated accessories may be further packaged such as in a tray and shipped to an end user . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a system for the reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device and providing updates for said camera head or imaging device . reprocessing may represent the reclaiming or recycling of a used surgical camera head and any associated accessories or components of said surgical camera head . at 2726 the manufacturer or processing facility may receive the used camera head and any associated accessories , and at 2728 the camera head and any associated accessories may be unpackaged and disinfected for further processing . at 2730 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inspected to determined whether components need to be replaced . if it is determined that some components of the camera head and any associated accessories need to be replaced , at 2732 the faulty components will be replaced . after the faulty components have been replace at 2732 , the camera head and any associated accessories may be checked for quality and functionality at 2704 , and then further processed in accordance to the illustrated system . at 2704 the assembled camera and any accessories are checked for proper operation , quality and functionality . at 2706 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inserted into a production control unit or production fixture . the production control unit may check the condition of the memory within the camera head to determine whether the memory has been formatted to a predetermined operational condition . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate the camera has been used the memory will be written with a value or values allowing it function at 2708 . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate that the camera is operational or has not been used , the data in the memory will be recorded and stored in a data base while a value or values allowing it to function will be written in to the memory of the camera head at 2710 . a processor within a computer may be employed to read and record into storage data from said camera head at 2709 and the data may be stored for later use at 2711 . at 2719 it may be determined whether the operation of the camera head is up to date . at 2713 updates may be created to improve or modify the camera head . the update may be derived from camera head data stored at 2711 and may be responsive to said camera head data . at 2715 the camera head may be updated . at 2721 updates may be stored in an update data base such that when a camera head is found to be out of date the needed updates may be selected from the update data base and applied to the camera head . such updates may be written to the memory of the camera head and may be done manually , automatically , at the point of operation or over a network connection . at 2712 the camera head and any associated accessories may be tested for video quality and other operational standards . at 2714 the camera head and any associated accessories may be packaged in a biohazard bag or sanitation bag . such bags may provide the ability to sanitize the camera head while inside the bag . the sanitation process may include or be accomplished using ethylene - oxide ( eo ) gas , or other fluid process corresponding to the properties of said bag or packaging . at 2716 the packaged camera head and any associated accessories may then be sanitized . at 2718 the camera head and any associated accessories may be further packaged such as in a tray and shipped to an end user . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a system for updating a surgical camera head or imaging device . at 2806 the camera head and any associated accessories may be inserted into a camera control unit . the camera control unit may check the condition of the memory within the camera head to determine whether the camera head has been updated at 2808 . if the camera control unit determines that the camera head has been updated the memory will be written with a value or values allowing it function at 2808 . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate that the camera has not been updated at 2808 , the needed updates will be retrieved from an update data base at 2810 . a processor within a computer may be employed to read camera parameters at 2812 and retrieve responsive updates at 2814 . the update may be derived from camera head data stored and may be responsive to said camera head data . at 2815 the camera head may be updated . updates may be stored in an update data base such that when a camera head is found to be out of date the needed updates may be selected from the update data base and applied to the camera head . such updates may be written to the memory of the camera head and may be done manually , automatically , at the point of operation or over a network connection . at 2818 a value or values may be written to the camera head memory making the camera head ready for use . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a system for providing updates to a surgical camera head or imaging device . the camera head 2902 may be configured to operate in conjunction with a camera control unit 2904 . the system may be configured to operate as a network consistent with current network art and technologies as well as future network art and technologies that may be used in the future . the system may comprise a server 2908 configured with communication means for operating over a network and communicating with camera control units 2904 . the system may comprise a data base or a plurality of data bases for storing data such as update data and camera head parameters . the system may comprise an update data base 2912 and a camera head data base 2916 . the system comprise a computer terminal 2920 providing access to the network . the system may use a lan based method of communication between networked components and / or it may use wireless communications provide by wireless means 2924 . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of a system and method for the manufacture and reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device . reprocessing may represent the reclaiming or recycling of a used surgical camera head and any associated accessories or components of said surgical camera head and may be referred to individually or collectively herein as an imaging device or a camera head . at 3002 the camera head components are assembled into a working unit having memory . at 3004 the assembled camera head is checked for proper operation and quality to ensure the assembled camera head passes a pre - determined minimum standard . at 3006 the camera head may be inserted into a production control unit or production fixture . the production control unit may check the condition of the memory within the camera head to determine whether the memory has been formatted to a predetermined operational condition . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate the camera has been used the memory will be written with a value or values allowing it function at 3008 . if the production control unit determines that data and control values in the memory indicate that the camera is operational or has not been used , the data in the memory will be recorded and stored in a data base while a value or values allowing it to function will be written in to the memory of the camera head at 3010 . it will be appreciated that the imaging device or other component may be electronically connected to the test fixture or another component at 3006 . when components are electronically connected , the components may authenticate each other via a communication between the components at 3015 . for example , the authentication may be between the test fixture and the imaging device , but any components or devices may be authenticated with the same procedure or manner , and the authentication may be done by complying with certain encryption security protocols . in an embodiment , the security protocols originate in the imaging device . in an embodiment , the security protocols originate in the test fixture . it will be appreciated that the test fixture may be controlled with a separate computer . the separate computer may encrypt communication between the test fixture and the separate computer . it should be appreciated that the communication between the components of an embodiment may be encrypted for security and access control . by encrypting the communication data streams , a user or provider can protect against tampering and thereby control the quality of the components . it is within the scope of this disclosure to contemplate any manner of encryption and security currently available , in addition to those methods that will be developed in the future . in an embodiment the communication components may have fixed keys that allow for the transmitting component to insert obfuscating data into the data stream that will need to be removed by the receiving component of the system . without the key the data would not be readily useable . in an embodiment an imaging device , such as a camera head , may perform the insertion of the obfuscating data in the data stream . in an embodiment a control unit may perform the insertion of the obfuscating data , and typically both components will perform this roll . in use , both the output data and the instructions between components can be encrypted . the keys may be embedded in hardware components , may be firm ware , or may be software based . an embodiment may include the use of public and private keys wherein either the control unit or the imaging device is the originator of the respective keys . in an embodiment the public keys may be matched between the components from the outset of operation , or the keys may be derived on the fly having correspondence values between the components . an embodiment may comprise a method wherein the encryption originates in the imaging device . an embodiment may comprise a method wherein the encryption originates in a control unit . an embodiment may comprise additional components connected to a control unit or imaging device such as a separate computer , and in such an embodiment all or some of the communication between the components may be encrypted . an embodiment may comprise levels of encryption wherein the keys them selves are encrypted in one level and the data is encrypted in a second level . additionally , it should be noted that the encryption method may be updated and changed globally . an update may occur at the time of reprocessing or the update may occur at the time of use . such updates may be performed locally or may be performed over a network . in the event of tampering an embodiment may cause the components of the system to lock out further use or access . in another embodiment , the components may be configured to self destruct in the event of tampering . at 3012 the camera head may be tested for video quality and other operational standards . the inspection and testing of video quality and other operational standards may include a visual inspection of the video / image quality against a known , acceptable image standard . it will be appreciated that this procedure may be automated , such that if the image does not meet a certain pre - determined quality standard the on screen check will return with a “ use or no - use ” or “ go or no - go ” on screen reply or signal . at 3014 the camera may be packaged in a container , such as a tray , pouch , bag or the like , which may be sterilized along with the components within the container . such containers may provide the ability to sanitize the camera head while inside the container . this package or container of components may then be sanitized or sterilized as noted at 3016 . it will be appreciated that in an embodiment , the components included in the container , such as a tray , pouch , bag or the like , may also include a biohazard bag or sanitation bag . the biohazard bag may be used after an imaging device and related components have been used or otherwise contaminated to return the used or contaminated imaging device , along with any components , to a reprocessing center or agent for disinfection and further reprocessing treatment . at 3016 the packaged camera head may then be sanitized or sterilized . it will be appreciated that there are many methods for sanitizing , sterilizing or otherwise eliminating ( killing ) transmissible agents , such as fungi , bacteria , viruses , bacterial spores , etc . from surgical tools and equipment . such methods are within the scope of the disclosure . sterilization may be accomplished using one or more of the following heat , chemicals , irradiation , and high pressure systems . examples of the sanitization or sterilization methods may include ethylene oxide , gamma radiation , chemicals and autoclave systems . at 3018 , the imaging device , i . e ., camera head and any accompanying components , may be further packaged and shipped to an end user . the camera head may then be used for a surgical procedure where during the procedure a camera control unit writes to the memory in the camera head where a use value or use bit may be set at 3020 . after use or contamination , the camera head may be placed in a return shipping container suitable for biohazard shipping at 3022 and shipped to a processing facility or manufacturer at 3024 . at 3026 the processing facility or manufacturer may receive the used or otherwise contaminated camera head and , at 3028 , the camera head may be unpackaged and disinfected for further processing . it will be appreciated that the disinfection process is for worker safety where handlers of the used or otherwise contaminated camera head wear protective clothing , such as gloves and gowns . the disinfection process may include chemical treatment of the used or otherwise contaminated imaging device or camera head to meet low - level or other appropriate governmental standards for disinfection . various chemicals may be used for the initial disinfection process and may include alcohols , aldehydes , and oxidizing agents . it will be appreciated that other disinfection processes may be used to initially treat the used or otherwise contaminated camera head without departing from the scope of the disclosure . at 3030 the camera head may be inspected to determined whether components need to be replaced . if it is determined that some components of the camera head need to be replaced , then at 3032 the faulty components will be replaced . for example , components that may be replaced include cables , imaging device connectors , and buttons . however , it should be noted that during this inspection all components may be replaced on an as needed basis . after the faulty components have been replaced at 3032 , the camera head may be checked for quality and functionality at 3004 , and then further processed in accordance to the illustrated system . referring to fig3 - 33 illustrate embodiments of a method and system for processing medical electronic imaging devices in accordance with the teachings and principles of the disclosure . in fig3 , a method for processing an active imaging device intended for use during medical procedure is illustrated . in fig3 , a method of authenticating an active imaging device intended for use during medical procedure is illustrated . in fig3 , a method of re - setting a control value in an imaging device , which may be a passive imaging device , is illustrated . it will be appreciated that the above system or method for the manufacture and reprocessing of a surgical camera head or imaging device may include details relating to the camera head itself or the various processes within each step noted , which may be utilized by any of the embodiments disclosed herein and such details are incorporated into each of the embodiments . in the foregoing detailed description , various features of the disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure . this method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim . rather , as the disclosure reflects , inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment . thus , the following claims are hereby incorporated into this detailed description by this reference , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the disclosure . it is to be understood that the above - described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the disclosure . numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure and the disclosure is intended to cover such modifications and arrangements . thus , while the disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications , including , but not limited to , variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein .
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fig1 is an isometric view of data logger 10 having tethered communication interface ( tci ) 12 of the present invention . data logger 10 also includes top case 14 , bottom case 16 , liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 18 , start button 20 , stop button 22 , red light emitting diode ( led ) 24 and green led 26 . data logger 10 comprises a portable data monitoring device that is shipped along with environmentally sensitive goods such that the cold chain pedigree of data logger 10 and the goods can be recorded . for example , data logger 10 can be hung within a shipping container using hook 28 , or can be buried within a cargo bin amidst the goods . as such data logger 10 is exposed to the same environmental conditions as the goods , including exposure to humidity , moisture , cold and frost . cold chain pedigree data is offloaded from data logger 10 through tci 12 such that the data can be viewed , such as at a computer workstation , or communicated , such as over a network connection . top case 14 and bottom case 16 are configured to stow tci 12 within channel 30 . channel 30 is recessed within cases 16 and 18 such that tci 12 can be tucked away to reduce the potential for damage . within channel 30 , tci 12 is also sealed such that water and moisture is prevented from entering electrical components of data logger 10 and tci 12 . data logger 10 includes circuitry and microcontrollers that record pedigree data from sensors , such as temperature or humidity sensors , and timers , and that allow tci 12 to interface with computer workstations . start button 20 permits an operator to begin data tracking with data logger 10 , stop button 20 allows an operator to cease data tracking by data logger 10 , and lcd 18 allows an operator to view information relating to the data tracking of data logger 10 . tci 12 , which includes universal serial bus ( usb ) interface 32 , extends from cases 14 and 16 with cable 34 , and includes plug 35 . cable 34 and plug 35 allow data logger 10 to be easily and conveniently plugged into a computer workstation and oriented such that lcd 18 , buttons 20 and 22 and leds 24 and 26 can be readily viewed . leds 24 and 26 alert an operator to the communication status of data logger 10 and tci 12 . fig2 is a schematic diagram illustrating circuitry 36 of data logger 10 of fig1 . circuitry 36 includes sensor 38 , timer 39 , data microcontroller 40 , communications microcontroller 42 and memory device 44 , and is connected to battery 46 , start button 20 , stop button 22 , red led 24 , green led 26 , lcd 28 , usb interface 32 and cable 34 . battery 46 is connected to data microcontroller 40 and communications microcontroller 42 to supply power to data logger 10 and typically comprises a disposable or rechargeable battery that can be replaced by an operator by accessing the insides of cases 14 and 16 . data microcontroller 40 is connected with sensor 38 , which in various embodiments comprises a temperature sensor such as a thermister , or a humidity sensor , lcd 28 and timer 39 . data microcontroller thus collects raw data from sensor 38 and correlates the data to a timescale generated by timer 39 . basic information can be displayed on lcd 28 relating to the sensor and timer data . for example , lcd 28 displays a visual alarm if a minimum or maximum temperature threshold is exceeded . data microcontroller 40 is also connected to start button 20 such that an operator is able to activate operation of data logger 10 . data microcontroller 40 ceases to collect pedigree data when an operator activates stop button 22 . as data microcontroller 40 operates , communications microcontroller 42 is typically maintained dormant . communications microcontroller 42 is activated upon connection of usb interface 32 with an appropriate usb port on a computer workstation . usb interface 32 is configured for plug - and - play compatibility with computer workstations . communications microcontroller 42 includes main program 48 , which is responsible for generating and managing information files from data microcontroller 40 , and file area 50 , which provides a storage area for usb interface 32 to interact with information files and data generated by main program 48 . when usb interface 32 is connected , communications microcontroller 42 initiates production of a data report for storage in memory device 44 such that useful data may be immediately obtained from data logger 10 at the computer workstation . the data report also contains embedded secure data that may be manipulated by proprietary software programmed to interpret and manipulate the secure data . in one embodiment , usb interface 32 comprises a male usb 2 . 0 connector . leds 24 and 26 indicate the status of usb interface 32 when usb interface 32 is connected to a computer workstation . for example , green led 26 illuminates when usb interface 32 is initially plugged in . then , green led 26 is turned off , and red led 24 is illuminated to indicate that communications microcontroller 42 is generating a data report for transmission to the computer workstation . after the data report is generate , red led 24 is turned off and green led 26 is again illuminated to indicate communications microcontroller 42 is in an active communication mode with the computer workstation . once in an active communication mode , data and files , such as instructions , work orders , or invoices , can be exchanged between file area 50 and the computer workstation in a user friendly manner , such as through a conventional drag - and - drop interface on the computer workstation . thus , an operator is able to access reports generated by main program 48 and open the reports using widely disseminated open - source software such as a portable document format ( pdf ) viewer . additionally , an operator is able to access raw data for manipulation with proprietary software programs . as such , circuitry 36 is configured to collect pedigree data concerning the movement of data logger 10 and goods through a cold chain . the data is delivered to memory device 44 and stored in various formats for later manipulation by operators using various proprietary and open source software . usb interface 32 and cable 34 allow the data to be extracted from data logger 10 such that the data can be accessed and viewed in a meaningful way by an operator such as in the form of reports and charts . it is desirable for circuitry 36 to be isolated within top case 14 and bottom case 16 to insulate circuitry from environmental factors such as moisture and humidity . it is also desirable to connect data logger 10 to a computer workstation in an expedient manner that facilitates interaction with data logger 10 . cable 34 is connected to communications microcontroller 42 to extend usb interface 32 from circuitry 36 such that data logger 10 can be more readily connected to a computer workstation in a user friendly manner , while circuitry 36 in maintained isolated within cases 14 and 16 . fig3 is an exploded view of data logger 10 showing tethered communication interface 12 and circuitry 36 . data logger 10 also includes top case 14 , bottom case 16 , lcd 18 , start button 20 , stop button 22 , red led 24 , green led 26 , usb interface 32 , cable 34 , battery 36 , inlay label 52 , clean label 54 , lens 56 , padding 58 , gasket 60 , rubber pad 62 , fastener pads 64 , circuitry fasteners 66 , case fasteners 68 , and usb boot 69 . top case 14 comprises a first half of the outer shell of data logger 10 and includes ports for accessing circuitry 36 within data logger 10 . top case 14 includes usb port 70 , which comprises an access point in top case 14 into which cable 34 extends to connect usb interface 32 to circuitry 36 , and lcd port 72 , into which lcd lens 56 is fitted to shield lcd 18 . top case 14 also includes levers 74 and 76 , which comprise flexible detents such that depression of buttons 20 and 22 is transmitted to circuitry 36 , and led port 78 which allow leds 24 and 26 of circuitry 36 to shine through top case 14 . additionally , top case 14 comprises upper portion 80 of channel 30 ( fig1 ) for receiving plug 35 and cable 34 . inlay label 52 comprises a printable sheet upon which application specific information can be printed pertaining to buttons 20 and 22 and leds 24 and 26 . clean label 54 comprises a transparent layer for overlaying top case 14 and protecting lens 56 , levers 74 and 76 , and led port 78 . bottom case 16 comprises a second half of the outer shell of data logger 10 and includes trays for receiving the various components of data logger 10 . bottom case 16 includes battery tray 82 for receiving battery battery 46 , circuitry tray 84 for receiving circuitry 36 , lower portion 86 of channel 30 for receiving cable 34 , slide area 88 for receiving plug 35 , and boot tray 90 for receiving usb boot 69 . circuitry 36 , which includes button switches 92 and 94 , is fitted into circuitry tray 84 and secured with circuitry fasteners 66 , which are secured to bottom case 16 within circuitry tray 84 . button switches 92 and 94 provide tactile switches for closing circuits embedded on circuitry 36 . as described with respect to fig2 , circuitry 36 also includes various electronics , such as sensors , timers , memory devices , analog - to - digital converters and microcontrollers . gasket 60 is fitted around circuitry 36 atop circuitry tray 84 and , when top case 14 is mounted to bottom case 16 , prevents moisture from entering circuitry tray 84 and damaging circuitry 36 . circuitry 36 is fitted within circuitry tray 84 such that button switches 92 and 94 align with button levers 74 and 76 , and leds 92 and 94 align with led port 78 . battery 36 rests within battery tray 82 and is electrically connected to circuitry 36 to power leds 92 and 94 , lcd 18 and the other components of data logger 10 . lcd 18 is also electrically connected to circuitry 36 and positioned so as to be viewable through lcd port 72 and lens 56 . padding 58 maintains lcd 18 in position within circuitry tray 84 . usb boot 69 is fitted into boot tray 90 and comprises a cap for receiving usb interface 32 and preventing moisture from entering usb interface 32 . tci 12 includes grommet 96 , which is fitted into usb port 70 such that wires embedded within cable 34 are connectible to circuitry 36 . after assembly of top case 14 with its associated components and assembly of bottom case 16 with its associated components , case fasteners 68 are used to secure top case 14 to bottom case 16 . fastener pads 64 are attached to bottom case 16 over case fasteners 68 , and rubber pad 62 is affixed to bottom case 16 to provide data logger 10 with grippable surfaces for placement upon surfaces during shipping . when data logger 10 is operating within a cold chain to track data , tci 12 is tucked away within channel 30 , slide area 88 and boot 69 such that data logger is sealed from moisture and condensation , and tci 12 is protected from becoming entangled and damaged . cable 34 , however allows plug 35 to be slid away from slide area 88 and usb interface 32 removed from boot 69 such that data logger 10 can be easily connected to a usb port such as is found on a typical computer workstation . fig4 a is a top view of the inside of top case 14 of data logger 10 of fig3 . fig4 b , which is discussed concurrently with fig4 a , is a side view of top case 14 taken at section 4 b - 4 b of fig4 a showing opening 97 of circuitry compartment wall 98 . top case 14 includes usb port 70 , lcd port 72 , button levers 74 and 76 , led port 78 , upper portion 80 of channel 30 , circuitry wall 98 , outer edge 100 and recessed edge 102 . lcd port 72 , button levers 74 and 76 are contained within circuitry wall 98 , which is positioned within the interior of both outer edge 100 and recessed edge 102 . gasket 60 ( fig3 ) is positioned between circuitry wall 98 and bottom case 16 to maintain circuitry 36 sealed within data logger 10 between top case 14 and bottom case 16 when data logger 10 is assembled . as such lcd port 72 , button levers 74 and 76 and circuitry wall 98 are contained within the outer perimeter of top case 14 and data logger 10 as defined by outer edge 100 and recessed edge 102 . usb port 70 and upper portion 80 are positioned along outer edge 100 and recessed edge 102 of top case 14 to permit usb interface 32 , cable 34 and plug 35 to be withdrawn into the perimeter of top case 14 . usb port 70 comprises a notch within top case 14 where outer edge 100 and recessed edge 102 converge . usb port 70 is configured to receive grommet 96 of tci 12 ( fig3 ) so that , along with opening 97 within circuitry wall 98 , allows wires of cable 34 to engage circuitry 36 . from usb port 70 , cable 34 is permitted to flex to lie within upper portion 80 of channel 30 . when assembled with bottom case 16 , outer edge 100 is configured to contact bottom case 16 while recessed edge 102 is configured to be adjacent lower portion 86 of channel 30 ( fig3 ). upper portion 80 includes ribs 104 a - 104 d for engaging usb boot 69 such that when bottom case 16 is joined with top case 14 , usb boot 69 is secured in place and prevented from sliding out into channel 30 . fig5 is a top view of the inside of bottom case 16 of data logger 10 of fig4 . bottom case 16 includes hook 28 , battery tray 82 , circuitry tray 84 , lower portion 86 of channel 30 , slide area 88 , boot tray 90 , bottom circuitry wall 106 , outer edge 108 , recessed edge 109 , detents 110 a - 110 c , tab 111 , rib 112 and tracks 113 a and 113 b . battery tray 82 and circuitry tray 84 are contained within bottom circuitry wall 106 , which is positioned within the interior of both outer edge 108 and recessed edge 109 . gasket 60 ( fig3 ) is positioned between top circuitry wall 98 and bottom circuitry wall 106 to maintain circuitry 36 sealed within data logger 10 between top case 14 and bottom case 16 when data logger 10 is assembled . as such battery tray 82 , circuitry tray 84 and bottom circuitry wall 106 are contained within the outer perimeter of bottom case 16 and data logger 10 , as defined by outer edge 108 and recessed edge 109 . slide area 88 and lower portion 86 of channel 30 are positioned along outer edge 108 to permit usb interface 32 , cable 34 and plug 35 to be withdrawn into the perimeter of bottom case 16 . boot tray 90 is positioned within outer edge 108 , and slide area 88 is positioned along recessed edge 109 . tab 111 is positioned along lower portion 86 where outer edge 108 and recessed edge 109 converge . tab 111 comprises a flanged member that is configured to engage usb port 70 to force grommet 96 ( fig3 ) into opening 97 ( fig4 b ). from tab 111 , cable 34 is permitted to flex to lie within lower portion 86 of channel 30 . when assembled with top case 14 , outer edge 108 is configured to be adjacent outer edge 100 of top case 14 , while recessed edge 109 is configured to be adjacent recessed edge 102 of top case 14 . lower portion 86 includes rib 112 for engaging usb boot 69 such that when bottom case 16 is joined with top case 14 , usb boot 69 is secured in place and prevented from sliding out into channel 30 . slide area 88 includes tracks 113 a and 113 b which facilitate insertion of plug 35 into usb boot 69 . tracks 113 a and 113 b comprised recessed channel within slide area 88 that engage guides on plug 35 to direct usb interface 32 into usb boot 69 . tracks 113 a and 113 b include entrances 114 a and 114 b , which are wider than tracks 113 a and 113 b to facilitate insertion of plug 35 into slide area 88 . recessed edge 109 includes detents 110 a - 110 c for maintaining cable 34 recessed within channel 30 . detents 110 a - 110 c comprise small , rounded protrusions that reduce the height of channel 30 to a dimension smaller than the thickness of cable 34 . as such , cable 34 must be forcibly slid over detents 110 a - 110 c to be inserted into and removed from channel 30 . fig6 a is an isometric view of usb boot 69 for tethered communication interface ( tci ) 12 of fig1 . fig6 b , which is discussed concurrently with fig6 a , is a top view of usb boot taken at section 6 b - 6 b of fig6 a showing enclosure 115 of usb boot 69 . usb boot 69 also includes walls 116 a - 116 e , flanges 118 a and 118 b , and channels 120 a - 120 e . usb boot 69 comprises a sleeve for receiving usb interface 32 of tci 12 to seal usb interface 32 . in the embodiment shown , usb boot 69 comprises a five - sided , quadrangular enclosure having walls 116 a - 116 b that surround enclosure 115 . enclosure 115 is sized to snuggly receives usb interface 32 to prevent moisture and fluid from entering the electrical components of usb interface 32 , and to prevent usb interface 32 from easily dislodging boot 69 . in one embodiment , boot 69 is comprised of silicon rubber , which both seals and grips usb interface 32 . usb boot 69 is sized to fit within boot tray 90 of bottom case 16 ( fig5 ). the heights of walls 116 a , 116 b and 116 c are sized to fit snugly between top case 14 and bottom case 16 when data logger 10 is assembled . the widths of walls 116 a and 116 b are sized to extend boot 69 across ribs 104 a and 104 b such that wall 116 c engages rib 104 c within boot tray 90 ( fig4 a ). thus , when usb boot 69 is positioned within boot tray 90 , channels 120 a and 120 d engage rib 104 b , channels 120 b and 120 c engage rib 104 a , and channel 120 e engages rib 104 c to restrain movement of usb boot 69 within boot tray 90 . additionally , flanges 118 a and 118 b engage rib 104 d ( fig4 a ) and rib 112 ( fig5 ), respectively , to further restrain usb boot 69 . thus , usb interface 32 can be forced into enclosure 115 to seal usb interface 32 and restrain plug 35 , and usb interface 32 can be withdrawn from enclosure 115 to allow plug 35 to be positioned to engage a computer workstation . fig7 a shows a bottom view of usb interface 32 , cable 34 and plug 35 of tethered communication interface ( tci ) 12 of fig1 . fig7 b , which is discussed concurrently with fig7 a , shows a side view of tci 12 of fig4 a . tci 12 comprises a flexible and repositionable extension of circuitry 36 that permits data logger 10 to interface with a computer workstation . tci 12 includes usb interface 32 , cable 34 , plug 35 , grommet 96 , grip 122 and guides 124 a and 124 b . grommet 96 , which is configured to be inserted into usb port 70 within outer edge 100 of top case 14 , includes collar 126 that is configured to be inserted into opening 97 ( fig4 b ) within circuitry wall 98 . grommet 96 and collar 126 are force fit into usb port 70 and opening 97 , respectively , to prevent moisture and fluid from entering circuitry tray 84 . collar 126 comprises a hollow extension of cable 34 that permits wires within cable 34 to be connected to circuitry 36 . cable 34 extends from grommet 96 to plug 35 and comprises a flexible length of waterproof material , such as silicon rubber . the length of cable 34 permits plug 35 to be inserted into usb boot 69 such that any excess cord is able to be tucked into channel 30 within the confines of recessed edges 109 and 102 of top case 14 and bottom case 16 , respectively . cable 34 includes flexible collar 128 that joins with plug 35 at an angle offset from the orientation of usb interface 32 . flexible collar 128 prevents moisture and fluid from entering plug 35 from around cable 34 , and also permits cable 34 to bend with respect to plug 35 . plug 35 is shaped to permit tci 12 to be easily tucked into channel 30 and to be easily deployed from usb boot 69 . plug 35 comprises a generally flat , polygonal shaped plug for insertion into slide area 88 of bottom case 16 . plug 35 includes sidewalls 130 a and 130 b that extend generally parallel to the major axis of usb interface 32 . rear walls 132 a and 132 b extend from sidewalls 130 a and 130 b at angles such that flexible collar 128 is oblique to the direction of the major axis of usb interface 32 . for example , in one embodiment , rear wall 132 b is at an approximately thirty degree angle from the bottom edge of usb interface 32 as shown in fig , and rear wall 132 a is at an approximately sixty degree angle from the bottom edge of usb interface 32 . additionally , side wall 130 b and rear wall 132 b are contoured to match a contour along recessed edges 102 and 108 of top case 14 and bottom case 16 , respectively . grip 122 , however , is configured to extend past recessed edges 102 and 108 to extend beyond the outer perimeter of top case 14 and bottom case 16 . as such , when usb interface 32 is plugged into usb boot 69 , cable 34 is completely recessed into channel 30 and plug 35 is completely recessed into slide area 88 , but for grip 122 . grip 122 comprises a small , rounded protrusion extending from sidewall 130 b to facilitate extraction of usb interface 32 from usb boot 69 and increase the ease of use of data logger 10 for an operator . grip 122 includes small ridges to facilitate the ability of an operator to gain traction on grip 122 . grip 122 also includes guides 124 a and 124 b that facilitate insertion of plug 35 into slide area 88 . guides 124 a and 124 b comprise small protrusion that are configured to ride within tracks 113 a and 113 b of slide area 88 to align usb interface 32 with enclosure 115 of usb boot 69 . guides 124 a and 124 b comprise rectangles that have their major axes aligned parallel to the direction in which usb interface 32 extends . guides 124 a and 124 b have widths that are slightly smaller than widths of tracks 113 a and 113 b such that guides 124 a and 124 b remain approximately orthogonal to tracks 113 a and 113 b . thus , when guides 124 a and 124 b are aligned within tracks 113 a and 113 b , usb interface 32 will be aimed parallel to enclosure 115 . fig8 a shows a front view of data logger 10 of fig1 with tethered communication interface ( tci ) 12 in a stowed position . fig8 b shows a side view of data logger 10 of fig8 a with tci 12 in a stowed position . fig8 c shows a bottom view of data logger 10 of fig8 a with tci 12 in a stowed position . fig8 a - 8c are discussed concurrently . tci 12 is configured in a stowed position within channel 30 between top case 14 and bottom case 16 such that plug 35 , cable 34 , usb interface 32 and grommet 96 ( fig7 a ) are concealed within data logger 10 . grip 122 protrudes from channel 30 such that an operator or user of data logger 10 is able to interact with plug 35 to remove usb interface 32 from usb boot 69 ( fig3 ). plug 35 is however tucked within case 14 and case 16 such that cable 34 is out of harm &# 39 ; s way and less likely to be damaged during operation and use of data logger 10 . within channel 30 , usb interface 32 is secured inside boot 69 to prevent moisture from entering usb interface 32 , and to inhibit plug 35 from falling out of channel 30 . with usb interface 32 inserted into boot 69 , cable 34 is extended out along the contour of channel 30 such that slack is taken out of cable 34 . detents 110 a - 110 c maintain cable 34 positioned inside channel 30 to prevent dislodgment of cable 34 and plug 35 . tab 111 maintains grommet 96 engaged in opening 97 within circuitry wall 98 ( fig4 b ). thus , circuitry 36 ( fig3 ) is maintained sealed within circuitry walls 98 and 106 between top case 14 and bottom case 16 . in one embodiment of the invention , data logger 10 is sealed to a national electrical manufacturers association ( nema ) 6 rating for ingress protection . plug 35 extends to the outer perimeter of top case 14 and bottom case 16 such that plug 35 remains concealed , but grip 122 protrudes from channel 30 . grip 122 permits usb interface 32 to be easily slid from boot 69 such that plug 35 can be removed from channel 30 and cable 34 can be extended out from cases 14 and 16 . guides 124 a and 124 b ( fig7 a ) fit into tracks 113 a and 113 b , respectively , to facilitate easy insertion of usb interface 32 into boot 69 . usb interface 32 , plug 35 and usb cable 34 are recessed into the interior of cases 14 and 16 to give data logger 10 a compact , leak proof design . thus , data logger 10 can be connected to a computer workstation without the need for rigidly mounting cases 14 and 16 directly to the workstation . thus , data logger 10 can be mounted to workstations in which communication ports , such as usb ports , are partially concealed or in hard to reach places . additionally , cable 34 allows data logger 10 to be oriented toward a user or operator when connected to the workstation . thus , cable 34 permits data logger 10 to be extended away from usb interface 32 to facilitate easy connection and use of data logger 10 . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
6
the technical features of the present invention will be described further with reference to a preferred embodiment . the embodiment is only given as an example and should not be used to limit the present invention . it will be well understood by the skilled person in the art upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings . while the embodiment is placed in the frame of an ieee 802 . 11e network , the invention can be used in other environments . in particular , it may be applied to the data frame classification in any tcp / ip network . fig1 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a method for arranging a classification table included in the frame classification module according to the present embodiment . as shown in fig1 , in step 102 , a plurality of classifier entries are arranged in the classification table based on at least one of parameters of the plurality of classifier entries . the parameters comprise a stream id , a qos priority , and at least one classifier parameter . the classifier parameters further comprise at least one of ip classifier parameters , at least one of llc classifier parameters , and at least one of ieee 802 . 1 d / q parameters . ieee 802 . 1 d and q define virtual local area networks ( vlans ). furthermore , when it is determined that there are any two of the plurality of classifier entries with same qos priority in step 102 , proceeding goes to step 104 . in step 104 , the classifier entries with smaller length of classifier parameters are arranged before those with greater length of classifier parameters in the classification table . the length of the classifier parameters is measured by the number of bits occupied by the classifier parameters . furthermore , when it is determined that there are any two of the plurality of classifier entries with same length of the classifier parameters , the proceeding goes to step 106 . in step 106 , the classifier entries with same length of the classifier parameters are arranged in the order of one meaningful qos parameter of the classifier parameters . in the ieee 802 . 11e - 2005 specification part 11 ( wireless lan medium access control ( mac ) and physical layer ( phy ) specifications ), amendment 8 ( medium access control ( mac ) quality of service enhancements ) published nov . 11 , 2005 and available from ieee 3 park avenue new york , n . y . 10016 - 5997 , usa , a traffic classification ( tclas ) is defined to specify certain parameter values to identify the msdus ( medium access control service data unit ) belonging to a particular traffic stream ( ts ). the classification process , performed above the mac sap ( medium access control service access point ) at a qap ( an access point that is adapted to provide quality of service )), uses the parameter values for a given ts to examine each incoming msdu and determines whether this msdu belongs to that ts . the tclas element is provided in an addts ( add traffic stream ) request and addts response frames only for the downlink or bidirectional links . the addts request is sent by the qsta ( a station that implements ieee 802 . 11e qos facility ) to the qap to ask for transmission permission for the traffic stream before starting transmission . the addts response frame is transmitted , from qap to qsta , in response to an addts request frame . the structure of this element is shown in fig2 . as shown in fig2 , there are four fields in this element . the user priority ( up ) field contains the value of the up of the associated msdus . the qos facility supports eight up values . the values a up may take are the integers from 0 to 7 and generally a bigger number means a higher priority . an msdu with a particular up is said to belong to a traffic category ( tc ) with that up value . the frame classifier field comprises a classifier type , a classifier mask , and a set of classifier parameters . the classifier type is one octet in length and specifies the type of classifier parameters in this tclas . as shown in fig3 , there are three classifier types defined . for classifier type 0 , 1 , and 2 , the definitions of frame classifiers are shown in fig4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 , respectively . as shown in fig4 , for classifier type 0 , the classifier parameters have a length of 14 octets and includes source address , destination address and type . as shown in fig5 , for classifier type 1 , the classifier parameters for ipv4 have a length of 16 octets and includes version , source ip address , destination ip address , source port , destination port , dscp , protocol , and reserved , and as shown in fig6 , the classifier parameters for ipv6 have a length of 40 octets and includes version , source ip address , destination , source port , destination port , and flow label . as shown in fig7 , for classifier type 2 , the classifier parameters have a length of 4 octets and includes classifier mask and 802 . 1q tag type . the ieee 802 . 11e qos facility runs mainly on a qap with the cooperation of the qstas within a qos capable wlan . furthermore , there is an hc ( hybrid coordinator ) in a qap , which implements the frame exchange sequences , msdu handling rules and bandwidth management functions defined in the ieee 802 . 11e standard . within the hc , a combination of tsid ( traffic stream identifier — any of the identifiers usable by higher - layer entities to distinguish msdus to mac entities for parameterized quality of service within the mac data service . ), direction and non - access point qsta address , defined as stream id ( stream identifier ) in the present embodiment , identifies the traffic stream to which the traffic specification applies . accordingly , in accordance with the present embodiment , every entry in the classification table in 802 . 11e is a combination of qos priority , stream id and classifier parameters . hereinafter , the method of arranging a classification table according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to fig8 and fig9 . fig8 is a diagram illustrating an example classification table 800 according to the embodiment . firstly , a plurality of classifier entries 801 - m to 801 - n with different user priority values are arranged in the classification table according to a predetermined criterion . in this embodiment , classifier entries with different up values are placed in the classification table in the manner which is adaptively changed according to the defined criteria . for example , if the purpose is to ensure the data frames with higher qos priority will always find the matched classifier entry faster than those with lower qos priority , the classifier entries will be located in the order of descending up values ( in general , up is an integer value from 7 to 0 ). if the aim is to reduce the average classification entry matching duration to the minimum possible level , the hc will monitor the incoming data frames &# 39 ; up value distribution . then based on this measurement , the classifier entries will be sorted dynamically in the way of the most frequently emerging up value first , the least frequently emerging up value in the last place . in this embodiment , the classifier entries are sorted in the order of descending up values . according to a variant of the present embodiment , the device switches between the two sorting possibilities above according to a parameter which may be a user input . in a second step , it is determined whether there are any two classifier entries with the same up values . when there are multiple classifier entries with the same up value ( for example , up = n ), these entries will be grouped within the same one sub - table . then , as shown in fig9 , a given up = n sub - table 900 is divided into as many sub - tables as there are classifier types : up = n and classifier type 0 sub - table 904 , up = n and classifier type 1 sub - table 906 , and up = n and classifier type 2 sub - table 902 . and these sub - tables will be arranged in the following order : up = n and classifier type 2 sub - table 902 is the first one ; up = n and classifier type 0 sub - table 904 is the second one ; up = n and classifier type 1 sub - table 906 is the last one . i . e . classification is done according to increasing lengths of the classifier parameters . finally , for the entries in up = n and classifier type 2 sub - table 902 , they will be arranged in the descending order of 802 . 1q tag type values in classifier parameters ; for the entries in up = n and classifier type 0 sub - table 904 , they will be arranged in the ascending order of type values in classifier parameters ; for the entries in up = n and classifier type 1 sub - table 906 , they will be arranged in the ascending order of version values in classifier parameters firstly . furthermore , in up = n and classifier type 1 sub - table 906 , for ipv4 version number , the entries will be arranged in the descending order of dscp ( differentiated services code point ) values ; for ipv6 version number , the entries will be arranged in the descending order of flow label values . therefore , an example up sub - table in a classification table is shown in fig9 . fig1 is a flowchart of a frame classification method according to the present embodiment . the classification table is arranged as shown in fig9 . hereinafter , the procedure of a frame classification method according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to fig1 and fig1 . as shown in fig1 , in step 1002 , look for the matched classifier entry in a plurality of user priority sub - tables by examining the incoming frame against at least one classifier parameter in a classifier entry according to the order of the plurality of user priority sub - tables . as shown in fig1 , in step 1102 , search the up sub - table in the classification table by examining the incoming frame against the classifier parameters in the entry . if a matched entry is found in this sub - table in step 1102 , then in step 1104 , determining if there is an ieee 802 . 1q tag type in the frame . if the determination of step 1104 is positive , processing goes to step 1106 . in step 1106 , searching the up = n and classifier type 2 sub - table 802 which is arranged in the descending order of 802 . 1q tag type values as shown in fig9 . in this sub - table , the frame classification will sequentially examine the classification entries , until it finds a matched one and goes to step 1124 to classify the frame with the matched entry &# 39 ; s stream id directly , or it meets the first frame classifier whose 802 . 1q tag type value in classifier parameters is less than that of the frame and turns to step 1108 . if the determination of step 1104 is negative , processing goes to step 1108 . in step 1108 , in the up = n and classifier type 0 sub - table , the frame classification will sequentially check the classifier entries , which are arranged in the ascending order of type values in the ethernet header as shown in fig9 , until it finds a matched one and goes to step 1124 to classify the frame with the matched entry &# 39 ; s stream id directly , or it meets the first frame classifier whose type value in classifier parameters is more than that of the frame and turns to step 1110 . in step 1110 , in the up = n and classifier type 1 sub - table , the frame classification will check if the type filed in the frame &# 39 ; s ethernet header is 0x0800 , which indicates the payload in the ethernet frame is ipv4 packet . if it is ipv4 packet , processing goes to step 1112 , the frame classification will examine the classifier entries in ipv4 part of the sub - table . in the ipv4 part , the frame classification will sequentially examine the classification entries , which are arranged in descending order of dscp values as shown in fig9 , until it finds a matched one and goes to step 1124 to classify the frame with the matched entry &# 39 ; s stream id directly , or it meets the first frame classifier whose dscp value in classifier parameters is less than that of the frame and turns to step 1118 to determine if the next up sub - table in the classification table is available . if there exists next up sub - table , processing goes to step 1120 to begin searching the next up sub - table as the steps mentioned above . when it is determined the frame entry doesn &# 39 ; t carry an ipv4 packet in step 1110 , proceeding goes to step 1114 to determining whether the frame entry carry an ipv6 packet . if the type field is 0x86dd , which indicates the payload in the ethernet frame is ipv6 packet , the frame classification will examine the classifier entries in ipv6 part of the sub - table . in the ipv6 part , the module will sequentially examine the classification entries , which are arranged in descending order of flow label values , until it finds a matched one and goes to step 1124 to classify the frame with the matched entry &# 39 ; s stream id directly , or it meets the first frame classifier whose flow label value in classifier parameters is less than that of the frame and turns to step 1118 to determine if the next up sub - table in the classification table is available . if there exists next up sub - table , processing goes to step 1120 to begin searching the next up sub - table as the steps mentioned above . if in step 1118 , it is determined that there are not the next up sub - table in the classification table available , proceeding goes to step 1122 . in step 1122 , the frame is classified as a best - effort frame . as shown in fig1 , if a matched entry is found in the classification table , proceeding goes to step 1004 . in step 1004 , the incoming frame is linked with a stream identifier of the matched classifier entry and the matched classifier entry is passed down to the frame scheduling module . then in step 1006 , the stream identifier is associated with a set of qos parameters of the matched classifier entry and the incoming frame is transferred between llc entities by the frame scheduling module . the architecture reference model for an access point that supports the invented quality of service facility is shown in fig1 . the access point 1200 includes a frame classification entity 1201 that implements the functionality of frame classification system mentioned above and is logically located in a logical link control sublayer 1202 . the access point 1200 also includes a frame scheduling entity 1203 that will schedule the incoming frames according to the related quality of service parameters and is logically located at a medium access control sublayer 1204 . the underlying physical layer 1205 is composed of a classical physical layer convergence protocol sublayer ( not illustrated per se ) and a classical physical medium dependent sublayer ( not illustrated per se ). the frame classification entity 1201 comprises the quality of service ordered classification table 800 described earlier . the processes of fig1 , 10 and 11 are software programs run by a microprocessor of the access point . logically speaking these software programs are part of the frame classification entity 1201 of fig1 .
7
with reference to fig1 , this shows an aircraft 100 of the commercial aircraft type comprising a nose 1 according to the invention . throughout the following description , by convention x corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the aircraft , y to the horizontal direction orientated transversely with respect to the latter and z to the vertical direction or elevation , these three directions x , y and z being at right - angles to each other . in addition to this the terms “ front ” and “ rear ” are to be considered with regard to the direction of movement of the aircraft occurring as a result of the thrust exerted by the turbojets , this direction being shown diagrammatically by arrow 3 . with reference to fig1 and 2 , nose 1 first comprises in its aftermost part a pressurized zone 2 within which there is a separation floor 8 between an upper pressurized compartment 4 which is generally used for the transport of people and a pressurized compartment below floor 6 which is normally used to locate technical equipment relating to the aircraft and / or storage of the payload . more precisely , from front to rear , upper pressurized compartment 4 generally comprises cockpit 7 of the aircraft followed by passenger cabin 9 . on the other hand the pressurized compartment below floor 6 generally comprises , from front to rear , a zone known as the technical hold intended for storage of technical equipment specific to the aircraft , followed by a zone known as the cargo hold used for storage of the payload . pressurized zone 2 is bounded forward by a wall 10 which also defines to the front of it an unpressurised radome zone 14 used to house a radar unit . behind radome wall 10 the nose is radially bounded by a fuselage 15 , comprising an outer skin 16 supported on fuselage frames 17 . in front of the pressurized compartment below floor 6 there is a front landing gear housing 20 , the interior of which is preferably not pressurized . landing gear housing 20 houses front landing gear 30 , which is shown in the lowered position in fig1 . front landing gear 30 is of the conventional type and is known to those skilled in the art . overall it comprises a landing leg 32 which is mounted so that it is hinged at one of its extremities and bears a wheel assembly 34 at its other extremity . it also comprises one or more deployment pistons ( not shown ), as well as a strut breaker 36 which generally comprises two segments hinged together , the lower extremity of which is hinge mounted on leg 32 . with reference to fig2 to 6 , the environment of landing gear housing 20 , which is specific to the invention , will now be described . first of all it should be noted that this front landing gear housing 20 is of generally solid rectangular shape formed of five stiffened panels assembled together . the sixth side of housing 20 is open at the bottom for the passage of landing gear 30 . this open side corresponds to an opening 40 made in the skin 16 of fuselage 15 , again to allow the passage of front landing gear 30 . one of the special features of the invention lies in the use of a connecting frame 50 providing a mechanical interface between front landing gear housing 20 and skin 16 . more specifically connecting frame 50 has a generally rectangular shape following the perimeter of opening 40 in the skin , thus ensuring that it fills it . in transverse cross - section connecting frame 50 has the general shape of an upside - down t , with a skirt 52 facing downwards in relation to web member 54 , parallel to the z direction . the angle between the web member and the skirt is not necessarily a right angle , it may in fact be curved and inclined in such a way as to locally match the skin 16 of fuselage 15 at the perimeter of its opening 40 . in fact skirt 52 is placed on skin 16 in the z direction , there preferably being direct contact between the two elements which are attached together by means of rivets , bolts or the like . connecting frame 50 therefore comprises four sections which are joined end to end to obtain its overall rectangular shape . these sections are made of a single piece from a machined or molded element , or these four sections are welded together . frame 50 is preferably made of metal . skirt 52 of frame 50 has an inner edge 56 which internally defines a through passage 58 for the landing gear , this through passage also having a cross - section of overall rectangular shape . through passage 58 is intended to be closed off by doors 62 , for example three doors , including two side doors and a rear door . connecting frame 50 comprises supporting members which are used to hinge these doors 62 . here these are ribs 64 which are pierced for the passage of a hinge axis . alternatively they may be in the form of plates . each rib 64 is preferably borne by web member 54 and skirt 52 . the rib 64 is made of one piece with the rest of frame 50 , or applied to the web member and skirt by welding . each door 62 is fitted with several mechanical connecting members in the shape of a swan neck , reference 66 , each hinged on a rib 64 . in the closed position doors 62 close off through passage 58 in such a way as to provide a satisfactory aerodynamic junction , in particular by limiting the play between the outer edge of doors 62 and the inner edge 56 of skirt 52 . being directly mounted on the connecting frame , doors 62 are thus very precisely positioned within through passage 58 as a result of their construction . the lower end of landing gear housing 20 is attached to web member 54 of frame 50 , again by rivets , bolts or the like . this attachment is made along the entire length of the frame , in the areas of overlap between the stiffened panels of housing 20 and web member 54 . also , as mentioned above , skirt 52 of joining frame 50 is attached to skin 16 , the latter covering the skirt on the outside . as a consequence this assembly only requires little accuracy , and has no effect on the positioning of the doors , which remain perfectly centered in through passage 58 of connecting frame 50 . fitting of doors 62 and adjustment of their position is made easier , both during the assembly of nose 1 and during maintenance work with a view to dismantling / replacing the doors . in order to improve aerodynamic performance , skirt 52 is provided with a rebate 72 which receives outer skin 16 . this rebate may be replaced by a double fold when it is desired that the skirt should have a constant thickness of material . it offers continuity between the outer surface of skin 16 and the outer surface of the other part of skirt 52 , which also ensures aerodynamic continuity with the outer surface of doors 62 when in the closed position . a similar double fold or rebate may then be provided at the aerodynamic junction between the edges of doors 62 and the perimeter of opening 40 in skin 16 . finally , it is indicated that for ease of assembly , connecting frame 50 may also be fitted with bearings 51 , 51 ′ hinging the landing leg and / or strut breaker , as shown in fig3 a and 3 b . in order to do this , bearings 51 are attached to web member 54 and a strut 53 connects them to bearings 51 ′ when the latter are provided on connecting frame 50 , as is the case in the example in fig3 b . fig7 a and 7 b show several stages in a process for assembling the nose 1 of an aircraft . first of all connecting frame 50 is placed in position on the outer skin of fuselage 16 , from inside fuselage 15 . this is brought about when skirt 52 bears against the perimeter of opening 40 in skin 16 . rebate 72 may help center frame 50 in opening 40 . subsequently superimposed elements 16 , 52 are assembled by riveting or by means of a similar technique . the process is continued by attaching the landing gear housing to web member 54 of the frame , again by riveting or by a similar technique . in a second preferred embodiment of the invention shown diagrammatically in fig8 , it is skirt 52 which covers skin 16 , and not the other way round as in the first embodiment . because of this the stage of fitting and attaching frame 50 to skin 16 is carried out from outside the fuselage . furthermore landing gear housing 20 can first be attached to frame 50 in order to obtain a module which is then moved as a unit from the outside of fuselage 1 towards opening 40 . this module is secured when skirt 52 comes into contact with the perimeter of opening 40 in skin 16 , which is here provided with a rebate 72 . of course various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the invention which has just been described purely by way of non - limiting examples . while at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention ( s ) is disclosed herein , it should be understood that modifications , substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure . this disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment ( s ). in addition , in this disclosure , the terms “ comprise ” or “ comprising ” do not exclude other elements or steps , the terms “ a ” or “ one ” do not exclude a plural number , and the term “ or ” means either or both . furthermore , characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise . this disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority .
1
fig1 illustrates that the preferred embodiment of the folding table / bench of the present invention includes a seat support member 10 which is positioned at a suitable height by the legs for supporting a seat , shown generally at 12 . the seat support member extends substantially horizontally , forwardly of the seat in order to tie together and mount the remainder of the assembly . seat 12 may be constructed in any manner desired , but to give the present article of furniture the appearance of a &# 34 ; picnic table &# 34 ;, seat 12 comprises three longitudinal stringers 12a , 12b , and 12c . the seat interconnects two similar leg assemblies , resting at each end on seat support member 10 . of course the seat may be of any reasonable length desired ; the proportions shown in fig1 are that of an adult sized table about four feet long . longer units are shown in fig4 and 6 . below the seat is located seat leg 14 which is pivoted to seat support member 10 proximate the rear end thereof . a bolt 16 pivots the seat leg , faced by a washer 18 and threaded into a t - nut 20 in the seat support member . a washer 22 is located between the seat leg and the seat support member ( fig4 ). the top of the leg is chamfered at 86 to allow pivoting of the leg . the bottom of the leg is chamfered at 74 for safety and to prevent splitting . the seat leg is operable to pivot between a first position wherein it is parallel with the seat support member ( fig2 ), to a second position where it extends downwardly and rearwardly beneath the seat for supporting the seat and weight thereon . note that the angle of the seat leg is approximately 17 °, as are all the design , primarily for safety and stability , and the proper positioning of the table as explained hereinafter , but also for appearance sake and ease of manufacture . the seat legs are positioned on the outside of the seat support member on both ends , so one leg assembly is the mirror image of the other . seat legs 14 are interconnected by seat leg cross brace 24 . thus both seat legs function as a unit . as shown as an example in fig5 and 6 , the seat stringers 12a - c are connected to the seat support member 10 , and the seat leg cross brace is connected to the seat legs by fasteners denoted at 26 . these fasteners may be nails , screws , dowells , adhesive , or any other useable fastener desired . this likewise applies throughout the unit . the seat leg cross brace abuts the seat support member at a stop point denoted at 28 . this provides surety that once leg 14 is extended below the seat and bearing weight , it is solid and safe . because of the angles , there may be some wearing at the stop point after extended use , but this is to be expected and does not affect the function of the apparatus . of each leg assembly , a table leg 30 is pivoted to the seat support member 10 proximate the front end thereof . note that the table legs are on the inside of the seat support members , so that they will fold properly to be parallel with the seat support members as shown in fig2 while not interfering with the seat legs 14 . each table leg is pivoted by a carriage bolt 32 , which extends through the seat support member , the table leg , an adjuster 62 explained hereinafter , and into a handnut shown generally at 34 . the handnut comprises a block 36 of a size easy to grasp and turn by hand , the block having a hole therein for receiving a t - nut 38 as detailed in fig3 . table leg 30 is pivoted midway along its length , and is operable to pivot between a first position wherein it is parallel with the seat support member ( fig2 ), to a second position wherein the lower part of the leg extends downwardly and forwardly , and the upper part of the leg extends oppositely upwardly from the pivot point to a height suitable for mounting a table surface . washer 40 is provided between the seat support member and the table leg , as is washer 42 adjacent the handnut . table legs 30 are interconnected by a cross brace 44 , so that both table legs and all parts interconnected therewith function as a unit . moreover , the table leg cross brace 44 provides stop points 46 which abut seat support member 10 at the front end thereof to determine the folded and unfolded positions of the table leg . this is similar to the seat leg cross brace 24 , but note that the differences in length allow the overlapping folding in the folded position of fig2 . the table leg is chamfered at its top at 88 , in order to be able to pivot beneath the table , forming a somewhat rounded end . it is also chamfered at its foot at 76 , for safety and to prevent splitting . note that the table leg does not extend beyond the forward edge of the table , whereby two such tables may be abutted together forwardly , but still supports all of the weight of the table , making it very stable . a table support member 48 is pivoted to the top of table leg 30 by a bolt 50 , washer 52 and t - nut 54 . a washer 56 is between the table leg and the table support member , as shown in fig4 and 6 . the table support member mounts a table top , denoted generally at 58 . the table top may be of varied size , and of any desired type of surface , but to provide the &# 34 ; picnic table &# 34 ; appearance , the table top is illustrated as composed of elongated table stringers 58a , 58b , 58c , 58d and 58e . note that the table top overlaps the leg assemblies somewhat on its ends , as is common picnic table construction . preferably , the length of the table top is the same as the length of the seat , although this is not a requirement of the construction . a spacer 60 is affixed to the forward end of the table support member 48 , and an adjuster 62 is pivoted thereto . this , of course , is at a point spaced from the pivot of the table leg 30 with the table support member 48 . a lag bolt 64 and a washer 66 provide the pivot . washer / spacers 68 , between the adjuster and spacer 60 set the adjuster apart the appropriate distance from the table support member . the adjuster extends to the pivot point of the seat support member 10 and the table leg 30 , and there are means provided for securing the adjuster at any point along its length , which thus secures the table 58 in any of a plurality of positions . preferably , adjuster 62 has a slot 70 therein which overlaps bolt 32 and is tightened by handnut 34 . the slot provides an infinite range of adjustment , from parallel with the table leg , as shown in fig2 through the bench positions of fig6 and 7 , and to the table position of fig1 and 5 , and slightly over - horizontal to accommodate placement on uneven ground or the like . of course , any intermediate position is possible as desired by the user . adjuster 62 is chamfered at its top at 90 to round it for pivoting , and at its bottom at 80 for the purpose of safety . a washer 72 is located on bolt 32 between the adjuster and the table leg . it can be seen that the present bench / table combination may be made entirely from 2 by 4 inch dimension lumber , although any other appropriate material may instead be employed . to conserve material and facilitate construction , all cuts are made at the selected 17 ° angle . in order to prevent splitting and to promote safety , the ends of the boards forming seat support member 10 , seat leg 14 , table leg 30 and adjuster 62 are chamfered wherever there is a sharp end , at 78 , 74 , 76 and 80 respectively . the second embodiment of the folding table / bench combination of the present invention is shown particularly in fig4 and 6 . it is merely an elongated version of the unit shown in fig1 . in addition , however , is a central seat brace 82 which solidifies and supports seat 12 . note that in the unfolded condition , seat brace 82 bears against seat leg cross brace at stop point 28 &# 39 ;. likewise provided is a table brace 84 which solidifies table top 58 . the table brace is turned flat so as to not provide an obstruction on the underside of the table . more than one seat brace and table brace could be employed , depending on the length of the assembly , as needed . thus , there is provided a leg assembly at each end of the bench / table combination , including seat support member 10 , seat leg 14 , table leg 30 , table support member 48 , spacer 60 , adjuster 62 , and the appropriate connecting hardware . longitudinal members , which may be of any length desired , include seat stringers 12a - 12c , table stringers 58a - 58e , seat leg cross brace 24 and table leg cross brace 44 . it is possible to insert a third , or additional leg assembly midway in the length of the longitudinal members if desired . this is accomplished by attaching table leg cross brace 44 to a slightly lengthened seat support member 10 , instead of to table leg 30 . ( this assembly is not shown .) with such an arrangement , as many leg assemblies as needed could be used on and elongated table / bench . fig2 illustrates the manner of operation of the present invention . at the dimension illustrated , the flat folded assembly is four feet long , approximately four feet deep , and only 63 / 4 inches in thickness . it is unfolded by first pivoting the seat leg assembly in the direction of arrow a . then the table leg assembly is pivoted in the direction of arrows b . the handnuts 34 being loosened , the table top assembly may then pivot , first to the position of a bench as in fig6 and 7 , by moving to the position illustrated by the arrow c and tightening the handnuts , or swinging it on to the table position of fig1 and 5 , through the arc illustrated by the arrow d , and then tightening the handnuts . it can be seen that a very stable and efficient bench / table combination has been provided by the present invention , satisfying the objects set forth . obvious modifications may be made to the structure without departing from the intended spirit and scope of the invention .
0
as stated above , the present disclosure relates to a semiconductor structure including semiconductor fins and dielectric filler fins located on a dielectric material layer , and a method for manufacturing the same . aspects of the present disclosure are now described in detail with accompanying figures . it is noted that like and corresponding elements mentioned herein and illustrated in the drawings are referred to by like reference numerals . as used herein , ordinals such as “ first ” and “ second ” are employed merely to distinguish similar elements , and different ordinals may be employed to designate a same element in the specification and / or claims . referring to fig1 and 1a , a first exemplary semiconductor structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure contains a semiconductor substrate 10 including a plurality of semiconductor pedestals 10 p , and a plurality of oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . as used herein , a “ pedestal ” refers to a structure that protrudes from a planar surface of an underlying structure having a same material composition . as used herein , an “ oxygen - impermeable ” element refers to an element composed of a material having an oxygen diffusion rate that does not exceed 1 / 10 of the oxygen diffusion rate of a silicon nitride material formed by low pressure chemical vapor deposition ( lpcvd ) within a temperature range between 600 degrees celsius and 1 , 000 degrees celsius . a trench 11 laterally surrounds the plurality of semiconductor pedestals 10 p and the plurality of oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . the first exemplary semiconductor structure illustrated in fig1 and 1a can be formed , for example , by providing a semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor material and a planar top surface , depositing an oxygen - impermeable material layer on the planar top surface of the semiconductor substrate , patterning the oxygen - impermeable material layer into the plurality of oxygen - impermeable caps 58 , and vertically recessing physically exposed planar surfaces of the semiconductor substrate by an anisotropic etch . the oxygen - impermeable material layer can be deposited , for example , by chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ). the patterning of the oxygen - impermeable material layer can be performed , for example , by application and patterning of a photoresist layer , and transfer of the pattern in the photoresist layer into the oxygen - impermeable material layer to form the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . the thickness of the oxygen - impermeable material layer and the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 can be in a range from 30 nm to 300 nm , although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be employed . in one embodiment , the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 can include a dielectric nitride material such as silicon nitride . the semiconductor material of the semiconductor substrate can be an elemental semiconductor material such as silicon or germanium , an alloy of at least two elemental semiconductor materials , a iii - v compound semiconductor material , a ii - vi compound semiconductor material , an organic semiconductor material , or a combination thereof . in one embodiment , the semiconductor material of the semiconductor substrate can be silicon or a silicon - germanium alloy . the recessing of the physically exposed top surface of the semiconductor substrate forms a trench 11 , which can laterally surround the plurality of oxygen - impermeable caps 58 and the portions of the semiconductor substrate located above the horizontal plane including the recessed planar surface of the semiconductor substrate . the semiconductor substrate 10 includes a semiconductor material layer 10 l , which is a planar semiconductor portion located at , or below , the recessed planar surface and further includes the plurality of semiconductor pedestals 10 p . the height of the plurality of semiconductor pedestals 10 p can be in a range from 30 nm to 600 nm , although lesser and greater heights can also be employed . in one embodiment , the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 can have rectangular horizontal cross - sectional areas . the horizontal direction along which longer sides of each rectangle extend is herein referred to as a lengthwise direction of the corresponding oxygen - impermeable cap 58 . the horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of an oxygen - impermeable cap 58 is herein referred to as a widthwise direction of the corresponding oxygen - impermeable cap 58 . in one embodiment , the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 can be arranged as a linear array in which oxygen - impermeable caps 58 having a same rectangular cross - sectional area are periodically placed along a common widthwise direction of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . in one embodiment , the shapes of each overlying oxygen - impermeable cap 58 can be replicated in an underlying semiconductor pedestal 10 p , which is formed by transfer of the pattern of the overlying oxygen - impermeable cap 58 into the semiconductor substrate by an anisotropic etch . each vertical stack of a semiconductor pedestal 10 p and an oxygen - impermeable cap 58 constitutes a protruding structure , which protrudes from the bottom surface of the trench 11 . the bottom surface of the trench 11 is a top surface of the semiconductor material layer 10 l of the semiconductor substrate 10 , i . e ., the portion of the semiconductor substrate 10 located at , or below , the bottom surface of the trench 11 . referring to fig2 , oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 are formed on the sidewalls of the semiconductor pedestals 10 p and the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . each oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 is formed on sidewalls of a semiconductor pedestal 10 p . the oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 can be formed , for example , by depositing a conformal oxygen - impermeable material layer , for example , by chemical vapor deposition or by atomic layer deposition ( ald ), and anisotropically etching horizontal portions of the conformal oxygen - impermeable material layer by an anisotropic etch . the anisotropic etch may be selective , or non - selective to the semiconductor material of the semiconductor substrate 10 . the thickness of the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 is less than one half of the minimum spacing between a neighboring pair of semiconductor pedestals 10 p . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 can include a dielectric material such as silicon nitride . referring to fig3 , a masking layer 57 is applied over the vertical stacks of the semiconductor pedestals 10 p and the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 , and is patterned to form at least one opening o therein . in one embodiment , the masking layer 57 can be a photoresist layer that can be patterned lithographically . the edges of the patterned masking layer 57 can be located between neighboring pairs of oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 , each laterally surrounding a vertical stack of a semiconductor pedestal 10 p and an oxygen - impermeable cap 58 . in other words , the edges of the patterned masking layer 57 can contact the planar bottom surface of the trench 11 . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 located underneath the masking layer 57 are herein referred to as first oxygen - impermeable spacers . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 located within the at least one opening o are herein referred to as second oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 . the semiconductor pedestals 10 p located underneath the masking layer 57 are herein referred to as first semiconductor pedestals 10 p . the semiconductor pedestals 10 p located within the area of the at least one opening o are herein referred to as second semiconductor pedestals . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 located underneath the masking layer 57 are herein referred to as first oxygen - impermeable spacers . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 located within the at least one opening o are herein referred to as second oxygen - impermeable spacers . physically exposed oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 , i . e ., the second oxygen - impermeable spacers , within the at least one opening o are removed selective to the semiconductor material of the semiconductor pedestals 10 p while the first oxygen - impermeable spacers remain on the first semiconductor pedestal . the masking layer 57 can be subsequently removed , for example , by ashing . the second oxygen - impermeable spacers are removed while the first oxygen - impermeable spacers remain on the first semiconductor pedestals . referring to fig4 , physically exposed surfaces of the semiconductor material layer 10 l are recessed by an anisotropic etch , i . e ., the bottom surface of the cavity 11 is recessed by the anisotropic etch . the anisotropic etch employs the combination of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 and the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 as an etch mask . each semiconductor pedestals 10 p is vertically extended by the anisotropic etch as the trench 11 is extended downward by the anisotropic etch . thus , the height of each of the first semiconductor pedestals and the height of the second semiconductor pedestal increase by the recessing . the increase in the height can , for example , in a range from 10 nm to 1 , 000 nm , although lesser and greater height increases can also be employed . each first semiconductor pedestal 10 p includes a lower portion having sidewalls that are vertically coincident with outer sidewalls of the oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 and an upper portion that contacts inner sidewalls of the oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 . each second semiconductor pedestal 10 p includes vertical sidewalls that extend between the bottom surface of the second oxygen - impermeable cap 58 and a top surface of the semiconductor material layer 10 l of the semiconductor substrate 10 . as used herein , a first surface is vertically coincident with a second surface if there exists a vertical plane that includes the first surface and the second surface . two types of protruding structures are formed above the semiconductor material layer 10 l of the semiconductor substrate 10 . first protruding structures are formed in a first region r 1 , which is the region in which the masking layer 57 is present at the processing step of fig3 . each first protruding structure includes a first semiconductor pedestal 10 p , a first oxygen - impermeable cap 58 , and a first oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 . second protruding structures are formed in a second region r 2 , which is the region in which the at least one opening o is present at the processing step of fig3 . each second protruding structure includes a second semiconductor pedestal 10 p and a second oxygen - impermeable cap 58 . the first and second protruding structures ( 10 p , 58 , 56 ) are laterally surrounded by the cavity 11 . each first protruding structure in the first region r 1 includes a first semiconductor pedestal 10 a of integral construction with the semiconductor material layer 10 l . as used herein , a first element is “ of integral construction with ” a second element if the first and second elements are composed of a same material and are contiguous throughout the entirety thereof . each second protruding structure in the second region r 2 includes a second semiconductor pedestal 10 a of integral construction with the semiconductor material layer 10 l . referring to fig5 , the trench 11 is filled with an oxygen - permeable material to form an oxygen - permeable portion 12 . as used herein , a material is “ oxygen - permeable ” if the material has an oxygen diffusion rate that is at least ½ of the oxygen diffusion rate of a thermal silicon oxide material formed thermal oxidation of silicon as measured within a temperature range between 600 degrees celsius and 1 , 000 degrees celsius . in one embodiment , the oxygen - permeable material can be silicon oxide deposited by chemical vapor deposition . the deposited oxygen - permeable material is planarized , for example , by chemical mechanical planarization employing top surfaces of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . the top surface of the oxygen - permeable portion 12 can be coplanar with the top surfaces of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . referring to fig6 , thermal oxidation process is performed to oxidize portions of the semiconductor material layer 10 l and semiconductor pedestals 10 p that are proximal to the deposited oxygen - permeable material of the oxygen - permeable portion 12 . the processing conditions and the duration of the thermal oxidation process can be selected such that entirety of the second semiconductor pedestals 10 p in the second region r 2 into semiconductor oxide material portions 14 m , and a lower portion of each first semiconductor pedestal into semiconductor oxide pedestals 14 p by oxidation , while preventing an upper portion of the first semiconductor pedestals 10 p in the first region r 1 from converting into any other material different from the material of the first semiconductor pedestal 10 p prior to the oxidation . each remaining upper portion of first semiconductor pedestals 10 p is a semiconductor fin 10 f . as used herein , a semiconductor fin refers to a semiconductor material portion having a pair of parallel vertical sidewalls . an upper portion of the semiconductor material layer 10 l underlying the first and second semiconductor pedestals 10 p is converted into a semiconductor oxide layer 14 l that is of integral construction with the semiconductor oxide material portions 14 m and the semiconductor oxide pedestals 14 p . the entirety of the second semiconductor pedestals and the lower portions of the first semiconductor pedestals are converted into the semiconductor oxide material portions 14 m and the semiconductor oxide pedestals 14 p . the semiconductor oxide material portions 14 m and the semiconductor oxide pedestal portions 14 p include a semiconductor oxide material , i . e ., an oxide of a semiconductor material . the semiconductor oxide material portions 14 m and the semiconductor oxide pedestal portions 14 p can include an identical semiconductor oxide material . for example , the semiconductor oxide material portions 14 m and the semiconductor oxide pedestal portions 14 p can include silicon oxide if the semiconductor substrate 10 is a silicon substrate . the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l , the semiconductor oxide material portions 14 m , the semiconductor oxide pedestal portions 14 p , and any other remaining portion of the oxygen - permeable portion 12 are collectively referred to as an oxygen - permeable structure 14 ′. referring to fig7 , the oxygen - permeable structure 14 is patterned by an anisotropic etch . specifically , the deposited oxygen - permeable material is recessed by an anisotropic etch . the pattern defined by the combination of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 and the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 is transferred into the oxygen - permeable structure 14 by an anisotropic etch that etches the material of the oxygen - permeable structure 14 selective to the materials of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 and the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 . each remaining portion of the semiconductor oxide material portions 14 m underlying an oxygen - impermeable cap 58 and overlying the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l is a semiconductor oxide fin . as used herein , a semiconductor fin refers to a semiconductor oxide material portion having a pair of parallel vertical sidewalls . a trench 21 is formed such that the trench 21 laterally surrounds first protruding structures in the first region r 1 and second protruding structures in the second region r 2 . each first protruding structure in the first region r 1 includes a semiconductor oxide pedestal portion 14 p , a semiconductor fin 10 f , an oxygen - impermeable cap 58 , and an oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 . each second protruding structure in the second region r 2 includes a vertical stack of a semiconductor oxide fin 14 f and an oxygen - impermeable cap 58 . the horizontal cross - sectional area of each semiconductor oxide fin 14 f can be the same as the horizontal cross - sectional area of an overlying oxygen - impermeable cap 58 . referring to fig8 , the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 and the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 are removed selective to the semiconductor fins 10 f , the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f , the semiconductor oxide pedestal portions 14 p , and the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l . in one embodiment , the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 and the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 can include silicon nitride , and the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f , the semiconductor oxide pedestal portions 14 p , and the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l can include silicon oxide . in this case , a wet etch employing hot phosphoric acid can be employed to remove the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 and the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 selective to the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f , the semiconductor oxide pedestal portions 14 p , and the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l . referring to fig9 , a gate dielectric layer 70 and a gate conductor layer 72 can be deposited as contiguous layers over the entirety of the semiconductor fins 10 f , the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f , and the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l . each semiconductor fin 10 f is a remaining portion of a semiconductor pedestal 10 p . the gate dielectric layer 70 can include any permanent or disposable gate dielectric material known in the art . the gate conductor layer 72 can include any permanent or disposable gate conductor material known in the art . the first exemplary semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor oxide layer 14 l located on a semiconductor material layer 10 l . a semiconductor oxide fin 10 f protrudes above a planar surface of the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l . a semiconductor oxide pedestal 14 p ( e . g ., any of the illustrated semiconductor oxide pedestal 14 p ) protrudes above the planar surface of the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l . a semiconductor fin 10 f ( e . g ., any of the illustrated semiconductor fins 10 f ) contacts , and is located above , the semiconductor oxide pedestal 14 p . a topmost surface of the semiconductor oxide fin 10 f is located above the topmost portion of the semiconductor oxide pedestal 14 p . the gate dielectric layer 70 contacts the planar top surface of the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l , surfaces of the semiconductor oxide fin 14 f , surfaces of the semiconductor oxide pedestal 14 p , and surfaces of the semiconductor fin 10 f . a gate conductor layer 72 contacts surfaces of the gate dielectric layer 70 . in one embodiment , each semiconductor fin 10 f can include a pair of convex surfaces that contact surfaces of an underlying semiconductor oxide pedestal 14 p because of the oxidation process that converts the semiconductor pedestals 10 p can proceed isotropically . in another embodiment , the pair of convex surfaces can be adjoined at an edge that is parallel to a pair of vertical sidewalls of the semiconductor fin 10 f . in one embodiment , the topmost surface of the semiconductor oxide fin 14 f can be coplanar with a topmost surface of a semiconductor fin 10 f . in another embodiment , the sidewalls of a semiconductor oxide fin 10 f can be vertically coincident with sidewalls of an underlying semiconductor oxide pedestal 14 p due to the anisotropic etch process that forms the trench 21 . ( see fig7 .) in one embodiment , a portion of the interface between the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l and the semiconductor material layer 10 l can protrude downward in regions that do not underlie the semiconductor fin 10 f or the semiconductor oxide fin 14 f with respect to another portion of the interface in regions that underlie the semiconductor fin 10 f or the semiconductor oxide fin 14 f . in another embodiment , convex surfaces of the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l can contact concave surfaces of the semiconductor material layer 10 l at the interface . the non - uniform height of the interface is caused by the non - uniform areal distribution of the bottom surfaces of the oxygen - permeable portion 12 ( see fig5 ), which is the location from which oxidation of the semiconductor material layer 10 l commences during the oxidation process illustrated in fig6 . the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f are present in regions between the semiconductor fins ( 10 s , 10 d , 10 b ) as dummy structures that prevent local depression of the top surface of the gate conductor layer 72 . thus , the presence of the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f decreases topographical variations in the height of the top surface of the gate conductor layer 72 . referring to fig1 , 10 a , and 10 b , the gate conductor layer 72 and the gate dielectric layer 70 can be patterned employing methods known in the art . the remaining portion of the gate conductor layer 72 can be a gate electrode , and a remaining portion of the gate dielectric layer 70 can be a gate dielectric for a field effect transistor . a gate spacer 76 can be formed on the sidewalls of the stack of the gate dielectric and the gate electrode , for example , by deposition of a conformal dielectric material layer and an anisotropic etch that removes horizontal portions of the conformal dielectric material layer . the remaining vertical portion of the conformal dielectric material layer is the gate spacer 76 . electrical dopants can be implanted into physically exposed portions of the semiconductor fins 10 f to form source regions 10 s and drain regions 10 d prior to , and / or after , formation of the gate spacer 76 . unimplanted portions of the semiconductor fins 10 f are herein referred to as a body region 10 b . the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f are of integral construction ( i . e ., in a same contiguous structure ) as the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l , and does not contact any semiconductor material . the semiconductor oxide pedestals 14 p are of integral construction as the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l . a gate level dielectric layer 80 can be deposited over the semiconductor fins ( 10 s , 10 d , 10 b ), the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f , and a gate stack ( 70 , 72 ), and can be optionally planarized so that the top surface of the gate level dielectric layer 80 is coplanar with the top surface of the gate electrode . various contact via structures ( not shown ) can be formed through the gate level dielectric layer 80 as needed . because the presence of the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f prevents local depression of the top surface of the gate conductor layer 72 , the topographical variations in the height of the top surface of the gate level dielectric layer 80 is reduced due to the presence of the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f . the reduction in the topographical variations in the height of the top surface of the gate level dielectric layer 80 has the advantage of reducing topographical variations in the height of various metal interconnect level structures such as metal lines and metal vias , and thus , facilitates the processing steps employed to form metal interconnect structures . referring to fig1 , 11 a , and 11 b , a variation of the first exemplary semiconductor structure is illustrated , which can be formed by employing a replacement gate integration scheme . for example , the gate dielectric layer 70 and the gate conductor layer 72 can be replaced with disposable gate materials such as a silicon - germanium alloy , an amorphous carbon material , a porous or non - porous organosilicate glass , any other disposable dielectric material , or a combination thereof . after formation and planarization of the gate level dielectric layer 80 , the disposable gate materials are removed selective to the gate spacer 76 , the semiconductor fins ( 10 s , 10 d , 10 b ), and the gate level dielectric layer 80 to form a gate cavity . the gate cavity is filled with a gate dielectric 90 and a gate electrode 92 , which are herein referred to as a replacement gate dielectric and a replacement gate electrode , respectively . referring to fig1 , a second exemplary semiconductor structure according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure can be derived from the first exemplary semiconductor structure of fig2 by performing the anisotropic etch process of fig4 without forming any masking layer . physically exposed surfaces of the semiconductor material layer 10 l is recessed by an anisotropic etch , i . e ., the bottom surface of the cavity 11 is recessed by the anisotropic etch . the anisotropic etch employs the combination of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 and the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 as an etch mask . each semiconductor pedestal 10 p is vertically extended by the anisotropic etch as the trench 11 , and is extended downward by the anisotropic etch . thus , the height of each of the first semiconductor pedestals and the height of the second semiconductor pedestal increase by the recessing . the increase in the height can , for example , in a range from 10 nm to 1 , 000 nm , although lesser and greater height increases can also be employed . each semiconductor pedestal 10 p includes a lower portion having sidewalls that are vertically coincident with outer sidewalls of an oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 and an upper portion that contacts inner sidewalls of the oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 . each protruding structure includes a semiconductor pedestal 10 p , an oxygen - impermeable cap 58 , and an oxygen - impermeable spacer 56 . each protruding structure includes a semiconductor pedestal 10 a of integral construction with the semiconductor material layer 10 l . referring to fig1 , a masking layer 57 is applied over the vertical stacks of the semiconductor pedestals 10 p and the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 , and is patterned to form at least one opening o therein . in one embodiment , the masking layer 57 can be a photoresist layer that can be patterned lithographically . the edges of the patterned masking layer 57 can be located between neighboring pairs of oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 , each laterally surrounding a vertical stack of a semiconductor pedestal 10 p and an oxygen - impermeable cap 58 . in other words , the edges of the patterned masking layer 57 can contact the planar bottom surface of the trench 11 . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 located underneath the masking layer 57 are herein referred to as first oxygen - impermeable spacers . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 located within the at least one opening o are herein referred to as second oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 . the semiconductor pedestals 10 p located underneath the masking layer 57 are herein referred to as first semiconductor pedestals 10 p . the semiconductor pedestals 10 p located within the area of the at least one opening o are herein referred to as second semiconductor pedestals . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 located underneath the masking layer 57 are herein referred to as first oxygen - impermeable spacers . the oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 located within the at least one opening o are herein referred to as second oxygen - impermeable spacers . physically exposed oxygen - impermeable spacers 56 , i . e ., the second oxygen - impermeable spacers , within the at least one opening o are removed selective to the semiconductor material of the semiconductor pedestals 10 p while the first oxygen - impermeable spacers remain on the first semiconductor pedestal . the masking layer 57 can be subsequently removed , for example , by ashing . the second oxygen - impermeable spacers are removed while the first oxygen - impermeable spacers remain on the first semiconductor pedestals . referring to fig1 , the trench 11 is filled with an oxygen - permeable material to form an oxygen - permeable portion 12 . in one embodiment , the oxygen - permeable material can be silicon oxide deposited by chemical vapor deposition . the deposited oxygen - permeable material is planarized , for example , by chemical mechanical planarization employing top surfaces of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . the top surface of the oxygen - permeable portion 12 can be coplanar with the top surfaces of the oxygen - impermeable caps 58 . the processing steps of fig6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 10 a , 10 b , and optionally the processing steps of fig1 , 11 a , and 11 b can be performed to provide a structure illustrated in fig1 , 10 a , and 10 b or a structure illustrated in fig1 , 11 a , and 11 b . referring to fig1 , a third exemplary semiconductor structure can be derived from the first exemplary semiconductor structure of fig8 , or by the second exemplary semiconductor structure as provided at the processing step of fig8 , by recessing the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f employing an anisotropic etch . the planar top surface of the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l may be vertically recessed during the anisotropic etch . in this case , the height of the semiconductor oxide pedestals 14 p can increase due to the anisotropic etch . the topmost surfaces of the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f can be located below the horizontal plane including the topmost surface of the semiconductor fins ( 10 s , 10 d , 10 b ). the third exemplary semiconductor structure has the advantage of increasing the conductivity of the gate conductor layer 92 ( or a gate conductor layer 70 ; see fig1 , 10 a , and 10 b ) at the expense of increasing the topographical variations in the height of the top surface of the gate conductor layer 92 ( or the gate conductor layer 70 ) and / or in the height of the gate level dielectric layer 80 . referring to fig1 , a third exemplary semiconductor structure can be derived from the first exemplary semiconductor structure of fig8 , or by the second exemplary semiconductor structure as provided at the processing step of fig8 , by recessing the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f employing an etch process , which can be an isotropic etch or a combination of an isotropic etch and an anisotropic etch . the height and the width of each semiconductor oxide fin 14 f can decrease by the etch process . the planar top surface of the semiconductor oxide layer 14 l may be vertically recessed during the anisotropic etch . the sidewalls of the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f can be laterally recessed inward with respect to sidewalls of the overlying semiconductor fins ( 10 s , 10 d , 10 b ). in this case , the etch process can increase the height of the semiconductor oxide pedestals 14 p , and decrease the width of the semiconductor oxide pedestals 14 p . the topmost surfaces of the semiconductor oxide fins 14 f can be located below the horizontal plane including the topmost surface of the semiconductor fins ( 10 s , 10 d , 10 b ). the fourth exemplary semiconductor structure has the advantage of increasing the conductivity of the gate conductor layer 92 ( or a gate conductor layer 70 ; see fig1 , 10 a , and 10 b ) at the expense of increasing the topographical variations in the height of the top surface of the gate conductor layer 92 ( or the gate conductor layer 70 ) and / or in the height of the gate level dielectric layer 80 . while the disclosure has been described in terms of specific embodiments , it is evident in view of the foregoing description that numerous alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . each of the embodiments described herein can be implemented individually or in combination with any other embodiment unless expressly stated otherwise or clearly incompatible . accordingly , the disclosure is intended to encompass all such alternatives , modifications and variations which fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure and the following claims .
7
the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings , wherein the same or similar elements are identified with the same reference numeral . as is shown in fig1 , a carriage 10 of an ink jet printer is movable in a main scanning direction x along a guide rail 12 and carries on its bottom side a number of print heads 14 arranged to eject droplets of curable ink downwardly towards a print substrate 16 in order to print a three - dimensional object 18 by superposing a plurality of layers of ink . in the example shown , the carriage 10 has six print heads for printing with uv - curable ink in the colors cyan , magenta , blue , black and white . a sixth print head is provided for printing with transparent ink . a curing lamp 20 is provided at either end of the row of print heads 14 for curing each freshly deposited layer of ink by irradiating it with uv light . the printer is controlled by an electronic controller cont in which a software for performing the method according to the invention is loaded . the height of the object 18 in a height direction z normal to the main scanning direction x is controlled by controlling the number of ink layers that are superposed at each x - position . in the example shown , a surface 22 of the object 18 on the top side and the lateral sides is formed by a mosaic of flat facets 24 which differ in size and in their orientation in space . since fig1 shows only a two - dimensional section of the object 18 , the facets 24 appear as straight lines . fig2 shows the same sectional view of the object 18 as fig1 and further shows a bundle of parallel light rays 26 which are incident upon the surface 22 and are reflected at that surface in directions that are determined by the inclination of the facets 24 at the respective points of incidence . the rays 26 may be considered to originate from a bright illumination lamp disposed at such a large distance from the object 18 that the rays 26 are practically parallel . as is further shown in fig2 , the surface 22 , at least in the sectional plane shown in fig2 , may be divided into different regions a - e which have different reflection and gloss properties . in the region “ a ”, the surface 22 is flat and forms a relatively steep slope . the rays 26 incident in this region are all reflected in the same direction as is indicated by parallel arrows 28 with black arrow heads . thus , in this region “ a ”, the surface 22 is glossy and causes specular reflections . in the region b , the surface 22 is composed of a large number of small facets which , however , have all a very low inclination , so that the surface in the region b , as a whole , is practically horizontal . the rays 26 incident on that surface are reflected not exactly in the same direction but in very similar directions , as is indicated by arrows 30 with black arrow heads . since the arrows 30 are almost parallel to each other , the surface in the region b will also be perceived as glossy . in the neighboring region c , the surface 22 as a whole is also horizontal , but the relatively small facets have larger inclinations . as a consequence , the rays 26 incident in this region are diffusely reflected in different directions as has been indicated by arrows 32 with white arrow heads . in this region , the surface will have a matt appearance , i . e . a low gloss . in the region d , the surface as a whole is inclined , but all the facets in that region have essentially the same inclination , so that all rays 26 are reflected in the same direction , as is indicated by arrows 34 with black arrow heads . the surface in this region will therefore appear glossy . finally , in the region e , the surface as a whole is inclined , but the individual facets have inclinations that significantly differ from one another , so that the incident light is again diffusely reflected , as has been indicated by arrows 36 with white arrow heads . in this region , the surface will have a matt appearance , i . e . a low gloss . it will be understood that the object 18 and also its surface regions a - e are extended also in a direction y normal to the plane of the drawings in fig1 and 2 . the guide rail 12 shown in fig1 is therefore movable also in the direction y which is called the sub - scanning direction . fig3 shows a height map z ( x , y ) which indicates , for each point in the x - y - plane , the height of the surface of the object . what is shown in fig3 is only the part of the height map with a constant y - value that represents the sectional plane in fig1 and 2 . this height map can be used for calculating , for each point in the x - y - plane , a normal vector n ( x , y ) which is a unit vector ( length units are arbitrary ) pointing in the direction normal to the surface 22 at that point . the x - component of the normal vector may be calculated by partial differentiation of the height map z ( x , y ) in the x - direction , and the y - component of the normal vector can be obtained by partial differentiation of z ( x , y ) in the y - direction . the z - component of the normal vector may then be scaled such that the normal vector has unit length . fig3 shows examples of normal vectors n ( x , y ) for a number of selected points x 1 - x 8 on the x - axis . it can be seen that the normal vectors at the points x 1 and x 2 in the region “ a ” are identical , the normal vectors at the points x 3 and x 4 in the region b are almost identical , just as the normal vectors at the points x 7 and x 8 in the region d , whereas the normal vectors at the points x 5 and x 6 in the matt region c greatly differ from one another . thus , the normal vectors n ( x , y ) can be used for classifying the regions a - e . a first classification scheme may distinguish only between horizontal regions and non - horizontal regions . in that case , it is sufficient to consider the zenith angles φ which the normal vectors form with the vertical direction ( z ). fig4 shows the shape of the regions a - e in the x - y - plane . it turns out that the regions c and e are actually contiguous . for some of the points in the x - y - plane , fig4 shows also the projections of the normal vectors onto the x - y - plane . the length of this projection is the sine of the zenith angle φ . thus , short vectors in fig4 indicate small zenith angles and consequently an essentially horizontal surface , whereas long vectors in fig4 indicate large zenith angles and consequently a steeper slope of the surface . the pattern shown in fig4 may therefore be considered as a zenith angle map indicating the zenith angle φ ( x , y ) for each point in the x - y - plane . in order to distinguish between horizontal and non - horizontal regions , this zenith angle map may be thresholded with a suitable threshold value so as to obtain a binary zenith angle map 38 as shown in fig5 . the almost horizontal region b can be recognized , but it still contains some islands 40 where the zenith angle happens to be larger than the threshold value . conversely , all the rest of the surface 22 is basically classified as non - horizontal but still includes some almost horizontal spots 42 . in order for a horizontal surface region to be perceived as glossy or mat , it is required that the region has a certain minimum size ( e . g . 0 . 5 mm ) in both the x - direction and the y - direction . in the example shown in fig5 , the islands 40 and the spots 42 are below this minimum size and should therefore be eliminated . in practice , this can be achieved by applying a morphological opening and closing algorithm , as is well known in the art . the result is shown in fig6 , where the surface 22 of the object is segmented into the horizontal region b and all the rest which is non - horizontal . fig6 may be considered as a gloss correction map which determines where a surface treatment should be applied in order to equalize the gloss in the two regions . in practice , it may in many cases not be sufficient to identify just horizontal glossy regions , because other regions , such as the regions a and d in fig2 and 4 which are inclined but not very rough , may also have an undesired gloss . in order to be able to identify such regions , the simple classification scheme that has been described above , based on the zenith angle , may be extended to a scheme that includes more classes for the normal vectors n ( x , y ). for example , it is possible to define a number n = 5 of classes of normal vectors , in which each class is represented by a different standard normal vector . in this example , the five standard normal vectors may be considered as the normal vectors of the five faces of a four - sided truncated pyramid . then , each normal vector n ( x , y ) would be classified in the class belonging to the standard normal vector with which it has the highest similarity ( i . e . the difference between the normal vector and the standard normal vector is smallest ). this will result in a normal vector map with regions which each belong to one of five classes , one of the classes representing horizontal regions and the other four classes representing inclined regions with different orientations . then , again , a segmentation process such as morphological opening and closing may be applied in order to eliminate islands and to join closely adjacent regions which belong to the same class . of course , this scheme may be extended by increasing the number n of classes as desired . however , these schemes would only help to identify regions such as the region d which have an essentially uniform gradient . it would however not help for identifying the region “ a ” in fig4 , for example , where the normal vectors ( and also their projections on x - y - plane ) point into substantially different directions , so that different sub - regions of the region “ a ” would be classified in different classes . these sub - regions of the region “ a ” could still be recognized as glossy regions , provided that their size is still large enough . however , if the classification leads to a subdivision of the region “ a ” into ever smaller sub - regions ( which will happen when the number n is increased ), the region “ a ” will no longer be identified as a set of glossy sub - regions but will erroneously be classified as one rough , non - glossy region . it may therefore be appropriate to apply a similarity criterion that does not simply require that all normal vectors are similar to the same standard normal vector , but instead requires only that the variation of the normal vectors is slow when the coordinates x and y are varied . an example of such a scheme is shown in fig7 to 10 . fig7 shows the regions “ a ” and “ b ” which , however , have not yet been classified . the classification starts by arbitrarily selecting certain start points that are scattered over the x - y - plane , and by considering an environment 44 , 46 ( e . g . a circle with a diameter of 0 . 5 mm ) around each start point . then it is checked for each environment 44 , 46 whether the largest difference between two normal vectors in this environment is smaller than a threshold value . if this is the case , the environment becomes the nucleus of a glossy region . if the criterion is not fulfilled , the start point is randomly shifted in the x - y - plane and the process is repeated . in the example shown in fig7 , the environment 44 is classified as horizontal , and the environment 46 is classified as a slope . then , the environments are shifted as has been indicated by dotted lines in fig7 , and it is checked whether the similarity criterion is also fulfilled for the shifted environments . if yes , the old and the new environment are united ; if not , the new environment is discarded . the result of this first shift operation is shown in fig8 , where a larger horizontal environment 44 ′ has been formed whereas the environment 46 has remained the same . then , the shifting operation is repeated , possibly in a different direction , as has been indicated by dotted lines in fig8 , and the similarity criterion is applied once again in order to either enlarge the environment or leave it as it is . in this way , as is shown in fig9 , a larger horizontal environment 44 ″ is created , and the environment 46 has now also been enlarged successfully to become a new environment 46 ′. this process is iterated until an enlarged environment 44 m exhausts almost the entire region “ b ” and an enlarged environment 46 ″ exhausts almost the entire region “ a ”. then , morphological opening and closing or other techniques may be applied for closing the gaps and regularizing the borders . it is possible that , in the initial step shown in fig7 , two or more start points are selected within the same region . in that case , the enlarged environments growing from these start points will “ collide ” at some point and will then be merged . once the glossy and non - glossy regions of the surface 22 have been identified ( i . e . the gloss correction map has been established ), the object 18 is printed and a surface treatment is applied for equalizing the gloss . fig1 shows an example of a surface treatment operation which is applied to the glossy horizontal region “ b ” in order to reduce the gloss . to that end , when a top layer 48 of colored ( or black or white ) ink has been formed , a pattern of finely distributed bumps 50 or ridges is formed on the layer 48 with transparent ink . this has the effect that light beams incident upon and reflected at the layer 48 will be refracted by the transparent ink of the bump 50 and will therefore be reflected diffusely in different directions , so that the gloss value of the region “ b ” is reduced . conversely , fig1 shows an example of a surface treatment for increasing the gloss of the rough horizontal region “ c ”. in that case , the colored ink forms a rough surface with small - sized facets 24 which have different orientations , so that notches 52 are formed between the facets . these notches 52 are filled up with transparent ink so as to create a smooth surface with increased gloss . in many cases it will be sufficient to distinguish just between glossy and non - glossy surface regions , so that the gloss correction may be achieved by either applying or not applying a surface treatment . it is possible however to distinguish between different grades of gloss , for example by applying different thresholds in the assessment of similarity between the normal vectors . then , the intensity of the surface treatment may be adapted in accordance with the differences between the grades of gloss . gloss differences may also be caused by the inclination of the surface . for example , while the top layer 48 of the colored ink in fig1 forms a relatively smooth surface , a surface layer 54 in the sloping region “ a ” resembles more a staircase , due to the finite thickness of the individual ink layers . this may result in gloss differences between the regions “ a ” and “ b ” although both regions are regarded as smooth . fig1 further shows a region “ f ” where the gloss of the sloped surface has been increased by applying a layer 56 of transparent ink . the essential steps of a method according to the invention have been summarized in fig1 . in step s 1 , a height map is provided that defines the shape of the body 18 to be printed . this height map may for example be obtained by scanning a real object in order to make a replica of that object . on the other hand , when the object to be printed has been designed on a computer , the height map can readily be obtained from the computer - generated model of the object . in step s 2 , a normal map is calculated on the basis of the height map . the normal map may be a binary map distinguishing only between two types of normal vectors ( vertical and not - vertical ) or may be a multi - valued map distinguishing between different classes of normal vectors . in step s 3 , the x - y - plane , or rather the area that is covered by the object to be printed , is segmented into regions in which the normal vectors are similar in the sense that they fulfill one of the similarity criteria that have been described earlier . in step s 4 , a gloss value is estimated for each of the regions that have been identified in step s 3 . this step is trivial when the distinction is made only between two gloss values ( glossy or not glossy ). step s 5 is a step of calculating a gloss correction map which assigns a necessary amount of gloss correction to each of the regions . in a typical example , it will be the purpose of the gloss correction map to equalize the gloss on the surface of the printed object . the gloss correction map may however be calculated on the basis of other criteria when specific gloss effects are desired . finally , in step s 6 , the object 18 is printed and the surface treatment is applied as specified in step s 5 . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .
7
an air outlet assembly 10 for placement in a support 12 is generally shown in the figures . the support 12 has an outer surface 14 extending about a support opening 16 which receives the outlet assembly 10 . the outlet assembly 10 may be typically mounted in a vehicle , or may be used in other embodiments as can be appreciated by the teachings of the invention . in the preferred embodiment , the outlet assembly 10 is mounted in a support 12 forming a part of the vehicle interior , such as an instrument panel , roof space , on support pillars , etc . furthermore , the outlet assembly 10 may be located to move in the upward direction as shown in fig1 and 2 ; however , it may be also positioned upsidedown or sideways , as desired , to pop out of the support 12 . the outlet assembly 10 includes an outlet housing 18 pivotally connected to the support 12 adjacent the support opening 16 for moving between a closed position and an open position . a cover 20 is secured to the outlet housing 18 and extends substantially flush with the outer surface 14 of the support 12 covering the support opening 16 in the closed position . the cover 20 is shown in the open position in fig1 and in the closed position in fig2 . in the open position , the cover 20 allows air to pass through the support 12 and the assembly 10 , whereas in the closed position air is prevented from passing through the support 12 and assembly 10 . the outlet housing 18 includes first and second ends 22 , 24 . the first end 22 is pivotally connected to the support 12 and the second end 24 moves during positioning between the closed position adjacent the support 12 and the open position with - the second end 24 spaced away from the outer surface 14 . the outlet housing 18 also includes an air inlet 26 opposing the cover 20 and located within the support 12 , and an air outlet 28 adjacent the cover 20 in the open position allowing air to flow out of the support 12 . the air inlet 26 receives pressurized air from within the support 12 , such as from a vehicle fan , and transfers the air through the outlet housing 18 to the air outlet 28 . the outlet housing 18 is generally of a clam shape design having an open base 21 providing the air inlet 26 and an upper clam side 23 attached to and / or providing the cover 20 with the air outlet 28 at the clam open side between the base 21 and cover 20 of the clam shape . the cover 20 is fixedly connected to the outlet housing 18 or is formed as a part thereof . the outlet housing 18 is connected by pivot pins 30 ( one shown ) such that the first end 22 pivots about the pivot pins 30 . in the closed position , the cover . 20 lies flush with the outer surface 14 of the support 12 . the first end 22 remains adjacent the outer surface 14 of the support 12 in both the open and closed positions , whereas the second end 24 of the outlet housing 18 pivots between the closed position with the cover 20 flush with the outer surface 14 and the open position with the cover 20 pivoted away from the support opening 16 and the outer surface 14 with the second end 24 spaced from the surface 14 . the outlet housing pivots approximately through 450 °. the support 12 includes an arcuate guide slot 70 on each side of the assembly 10 to be engaged by a respective guide pin 72 extending from side walls 32 of the outlet housing 18 . the cover 20 comprises a generally circular or oval shaped sheet of contour to follow the outer surface 14 , which also is the shape of the outlet housing 18 in a plan view . the outlet housing 18 includes parallel side walls 32 which extend between the cover 20 and base 21 from the first end 22 toward the second end 24 or approximately 2 / 3 of the way . a plurality of vanes 34 extend across the outlet housing and are connected to the side walls 32 . in the preferred embodiment , three vanes 34 are fixedly secured to the side walls 32 of the outlet housing 18 . the vanes 34 are generally arcuate in shape to compliment the contour of the cover 20 and outlet housing 18 at the second end , and include rectangular pins 36 at the ends thereof to engage apertures 38 in the side walls 32 . in the preferred embodiment , the vanes 34 are fixedly connected and are non - moveable with respect to the outlet housing 18 by use of rectangular pins 36 and apertures 38 . however , it is to be understood that the vanes 34 may be molded integrally with the outlet housing 18 . also included are moveable louvers 40 extending between the cover 20 and the base 21 of the outlet housing 18 . in the preferred embodiment , included are three louvers 40 with a center louver 40a pivotally connected between the cover 20 and base 21 . extending outwardly from the center louver 48 is a knob 42 which extends outwardly from and between the vanes 34 to allow a user to pivot the louvers 40 into a desired position . in the preferred embodiment the knob 42 is located between the cover 20 and upper most vane 34 . the outer louvers 40 are connected to the center louver 40a by a center bar 44 connected and extending through each of the louvers 40 . it is best illustrated in fig4 and 5 , the center louver 40a includes pins 46 extending from both upper and lower ends thereof which are received within recess 50 in the cover 20 and the base 21 . it can be appreciated that the outlet housing 18 may include the cover 20 as an integral member or the cover 20 may be separately applied to the outlet housing 18 with a pop formed on the outlet housing 18 . the assembly 10 also includes torsional springs 58 operatively connected between the outlet housing 18 and the support 12 for biasing the outlet housing 18 to the open position . the spring 58 may be secured about the pivot pin 30 . the outlet assembly 10 also includes a ratchet mechanism 54 operatively connected between the outlet housing 18 and the support 12 for allowing selective positioning of the outlet housing 18 at a plurality of positions between the open and closed positions to adjust air flow through the air outlet 28 . the ratchet mechanism 54 is best illustrated in the fig3 and 6a - 6f . the ratchet mechanism 54 includes a pawl 56 biased by a torsional spring 57 which engages a generally longitudinal ratchet bar 58 . the ratchet bar 58 has a smooth contoured rear side 60 spaced from a complementary contoured channel member 62 . the spaced rear side 60 and channel member 62 provide a guide channel 64 through which the spring biased pawl 56 may move . the spring 57 biases the pawl 56 outwardly , i . e . in the horizontal direction in relation to the figures . the channel member 62 includes an arcuate lip 63 which over hangs the top of the ratchet bar 58 to guide the pawl 56 against the ratchet side 61 . furthermore , a latch 66 is included to maintain the outlet housing 18 in its closed position . the latch 66 includes a maze channel 67 having two release positions or channels a , b . the first release position a catches or latches the pawl 56 in a locked position in the latch 66 upon first full depression of the assembly 10 into the support 12 . the second release position b allows the pawl 56 to be fully released by the latch 66 and travel through and outwardly of the channel 67 . in an alternative embodiment , the ratchet mechanism 54 &# 39 ; may be formed by an integral ratchet bar 58 &# 39 ;, channel member 62 &# 39 ;, and latch 66 &# 39 ;. ( fig6 b ) the operation can be best understood by reference to fig6 a - 6f . in the closed and latched position , the pawl 56 is engaged within the latch 66 ( fig6 a ). upon depression of the cover 20 , the latch 66 releases the pawl 56 and allows the outlet housing 18 to be biased toward its open position ( fig6 b ). as the outlet housing 18 moves toward the open position , the pawl 56 slides within the channel 64 to the fully opened position ( fig6 d ). the lip 63 forces the pawl 56 out of the channel 64 ( fig6 d ), so that depression of the cover 20 downwardly allows the pawl 56 to engage the ratchet side ( fig6 e ). the user may then position the outlet housing 18 to various position by manually pressing down or pulling up the outlet housing 18 . in this operation , the pawl 56 engages the ratchet 58 to allow positioning of the outlet housing 18 . when the user is to close the outlet housing 18 , the outlet housing 18 is fully pressed into the support 12 which causes the pawl 56 to again engage the latch 66 . alternatively , the ratchet mechanism 54 may be altered to ratchet out of the closed position one step at a time as controlled by the user , and to allow retraction from full open to close without ratcheting . in other words , the ratchet bar 58 and channel member 62 may be flipped so that the ratchet is on the right ( relative to the figures ) and the smooth channel 67 in the left . upon latch release , the pawl 56 engages the ratchet . once fully open , the pawl disengages the ratchet and will enter the channel 67 upon depressing the cover 20 . the present invention has been described in an illustrative manner . it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation . many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . therefore , within the scope of the appended claims , the present invention may be practiced other than as specifically described .
1
the present invention represents a significant advancement in rapid thermal reflow processing technology , and particularly as it relates to the processing of integrated circuits . the present invention , by providing greatly increased gravitational loading on processed wafers , is able to greatly reduce thermal exposure during rapid thermal processing and to achieve better contact via fill , and greater densification and more effective planarization of thermally processed layers . in order to achieve the aforementioned results , a thermal reflow processing system is designed to have a rapidly - spinning , cylindrically - walled , drum - like chamber with a radiant heat source axially centered therein . products for which the surface thereof is to be reflowed ( e . g ., semiconductor wafers ) are positioned near the chamber wall with the surface to be reflowed facing the heat source . in the case of circular semiconductor wafers , the wafers are positioned such that the planar surface of each wafer is centered on and perpendicular to a radius of the cylindrical chamber . by performing the reflow operation while the chamber is spinning , high pseudo - gravitational forces can be generated which aid in planarization , void elimination , densification and in the filling of small aspect ratio contact via openings . ∇ p is the pressure force per unit volume ( rtp is generally performed at low pressure or in a near vacuum ); ∇· ρ are temperature - dependent shear stress tensors , which are a matrix of the gradients ∝/∝ x , ∝/∝ y and ∝/∝ z , which are actually deformation profiles of the molten material in the x , y and z directions ; the relationship ρ ∝ v /∝ t =−∇ ρ + μ ∇ 2 v + ρg , which is true for constant density and viscosity , is known as the navier - stokes equation . the term , μ ∇ 2 v , is the second derivative of v with respect to x , y and z . for this invention , the temperature effect is combined with a high pseudo - gravitational effect , which is generated by the centripetal force applied to the wafers ( or other treated objects ) by the spinning chamber . referring now to fig1 the new rapid thermal processing system is depicted in a see - through drawing . a drum - like chamber 11 , which is comprised of a cylindrical - bucket - shaped lower portion 11 a and a removable lid - like upper portion 11 b ( see fig2 and 2a ), is affixed to a base 12 via a rotating shaft 13 which coincides with the central rotational axis 14 of the chamber 11 . the rotating shaft 13 is powered by a drive motor assembly 15 . rotational movement is imparted to the chamber by the drive motor assembly 15 via the rotating shaft 13 . a plurality of planar wafer mounting fixtures 16 is attached to the wall of the chamber lower portion 11 a . each wafer 17 is affixed to its respective planar wafer mounting fixture 16 via clamps or clips 18 or an electrostatic chuck ( not shown ). a radiant heat source 19 is positioned within the chamber 11 coincident with the chamber &# 39 ; s central , rotational axis 14 , such that it is equidistant from each wafer 17 within the chamber 11 . the lid - like upper chamber portion 11 b , which may be clamped to the lower chamber portion 11 a prior to rotatably powering the chamber 11 , may also be removed in order to provide access for the loading and unloading of wafers 17 within the lower chamber portion 11 a . with the lid - like upper chamber portion 11 b clamped to the lower chamber portion 11 a using tightenable fasteners ( e . g ., threaded bolts ), which pass through the holes within the three ears 21 a on the lower chamber portion 11 a and also the holes in the matching three ears 21 b on the upper chamber portion 11 b , the chamber is hermetically sealable and may be evacuated or pressurized through a pressure line connection and valve assembly 20 . referring now to the top - view of the new rapid thermal processing system depicted in fig3 six semiconductor wafers 17 are shown affixed to the inner wall of the lower chamber portion 11 a . as previously explained , each wafer is positioned such that the planar surface of each wafer is centered on and perpendicular to a radius of the cylindrical chamber . the radiant heat source 19 , which is centered on the chamber &# 39 ; s rotational axis 14 , may be any one of a number of commercially available radiant heat sources , such as an infrared lamp , resistance wiring ( e . g ., nickel - chromium ) heating elements , or ceramic - core heating elements . referring now to the top view of an alternative embodiment depicted in fig4 a radiant heat source 41 is provided for each wafer 17 . once again , each source may consist of a battery of infrared lamps , resistance wiring , or ceramic - core heating elements . the present invention also includes the steps of a process for reflowing the surface of an article of manufacture such as a semiconductor wafer , the article having an upper surface which becomes plastically deformable upon heating . the process includes the steps of : subjecting the article of manufacture to a centripetal force that is perpendicular to and out of the surface along a single line ( the line preferably running through a center point of the surface ); heating the surface to a temperature sufficient to render the surface plastically deformable while the wafer is being subjected to the centripetal force ; and cooling the surface to a temperature sufficiently low that the surface reverts to a stable state that is not plastically deformable while the wafer is being subjected to the centripetal force . the method is implemented in conjunction with the apparatus of fig1 by loading a wafer 17 on a rotatable structure such as the rotatable chamber 11 ; imparting rotational movement to the structure at a rate of revolution calculated to produce a desired pseudo - gravitational effect ; uniformly heating material on the surface of the wafer while the structure is spinning , thus allowing the heated material to plastically deform ; allowing the heated material to cool to a stable state while the structure is still rotating ; halting the rotational movement of the structure ; and removing the wafer from the rotatable structure . one of the problems associated with the current thermal processing system is that the magnitude and direction of the centripetal force experienced by different parts of the wafer varies . this is because portions of the wafer farther removed from a line coplanar to the surface of the wafer and passing through the center of the wafer and parallel to the chamber &# 39 ; s rotational axis 14 experience a greater centripetal force than those portions on the line , as their radius of revolution is greater than those portions on the line . in addition , because the surface of the wafer is not curved , the centripetal force acts perpendicular to the surface only along a line where it is perpendicular to radii of revolution . centripetal force experienced by a point on the wafer , in terms of gravitational force equivalents g , is governed by the following equation from perry &# 39 ; s chemical engineering handbook : thus , for those portions of the wafer not on the line , there is a lateral component which tends to displace molten material on the surface of the wafer in a direction away from the line . this effect can be more easily comprehended by the extreme example where the wafer coincides with the chamber &# 39 ; s rotational axis . in such a location , there is no centripetal force perpendicular to the wafer &# 39 ; s surface . instead , the direction of the centripetal force is parallel to the wafer &# 39 ; s surface and directed perpendicularly from the center line of the wafer that is parallel to the rotational axis 14 . these effects can be mitigated by having a chamber with a radius of revolution that is large compared to the diameter of the wafer . when , for example , the wafer diameter is less than one - half the chamber &# 39 ; s radius of revolution at the center of the wafer , the differential effect is sufficiently minimal for most integrated circuit manufacturing processes . the effect can be further mitigated by slowly rotating the wafer ( at least one complete turn ) about its central axis as reflow processing proceeds . the mechanisms for imparting such rotating motion are not depicted , as there are many ways of implementing such a rotating wafer support . using such a technique , process variation is further minimized , and is at least concentrically distributed on the surface of the wafer . thus , it should be readily apparent from the above description that improved reflow processing may be accomplished with the disclosed apparatus using the disclosed method . although only several embodiments of the apparatus and method for improved reflow processing are disclosed herein , it will be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed . for example , a reflow system may be designed which does not have a rotating chamber . a rotating structure may be designed for supporting the articles having a surface to be reflowed . the rotating structure may then be enclosed within a hermetically sealable chamber . the disadvantage of such an arrangement is that for pressurized operation , rotation of the articles within the pressurized environment may cause uneven flow patterns because of flow resistance generated as the structure spins in the pressurized environment . for operations in a near vacuum , such a system and that of the disclosed preferred embodiment would have similar performance . the use of a spinning , hermetically sealable chamber provides greater flexibility of operation and permits the manufacture of a less complex apparatus .
5
example 1 sets forth a conventional procedure from the prior art for making polyiodide crystals ( particles ) and a liquid suspension of them . formulation for making polyiodide crystals and a liquid light valve suspension thereof in an appropriate size jar add , in the order shown , the following reactants : cap jar and shake for approximately ½ hour . place jar in sonicator until solution turns completely blue , about 10 hours . inspect solution under microscope to determine that the precursor , cai 2 and i 2 are fully reacted , i . e ., that there is no substantial amount of unreacted precursor . maximum yield is obtained when the initial decay time is between 8 - 15 milliseconds . if the decay time is less than 8 milliseconds rerun the formulation with about 0 . 05 g . h 2 o added after the methanol . the decay time is determined by the following procedure . a suspension of the formed particles in a light valve suspending medium is filled into a light valve cell comprising glass sheets carrying suitable electrodes , spaced 5 mils apart . the light valve suspension is illuminated with continuous illumination such as from a tungsten lamp . the suspension of particles in the light valve is energized by applying to the electrodes about 55 volts at 10 khz to a baseline measurement . about 2 - 3 milliseconds are required to reach an open state of the light valve , and approximately 20 milliseconds thereafter the electrical field is discontinued . decay to the fully closed ( off ) state of the light valve is measured thereafter . ( see col . 2 , lines 37 - 48 of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 516 , 463 .) centrifuge the solution at 11 , 500 rpm for 1 hour and discard the supernatant . drain tubes upside down on paper towel for 15 minutes . put the sediment from the tubes in tared glass jar and record the sediment weight . add 15 g . hexyl acetate for each gram of sediment . disperse sediment by shaking for ½ hour followed by 10 hours of sonication . centrifuge dispersion at 2500 rpm for 5 - 15 minutes and decant and collect supernatant . the decay time should be 8 to 12 milliseconds ; if higher , recentrifuge supernatant . centrifuge supernatant at 9 , 500 rpm for ½ hour and discard the supernatant . drain tubes upside down on paper towel for 15 minutes . collect sediment in a tared glass jar and add 10 g . of anhydrous isopentyl acetate for each gram of sediment . disperse sediment by shaking for ½ hour followed by 10 hours of sonication . this is referred to below as the “ initial concentrate ”. tri - n - pentyl - trimellitate ( tnptm ), which is a plasticizer liquid as described in col . 4 , lines 48 - 66 of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 463 , 491 , is added to the initial concentrate in an amount of 9 g ., and the combination placed in a rotovap apparatus for 2 hours at 60 ° c . to evaporate the isopentyl acetate . the amount of tnptm to be added can be determined empirically depending on how concentrated with particles one desires the resulting final concentrate ( i . e ., the dried initial concentrate ) to be . the final concentrate can then be diluted with any other desired solvent or solvents in which the concentrate polymer is soluble . of course , other plasticizer liquids can be used . to prepare a concentrate for use in an spd light valve film , however , in accordance with the teachings of one embodiment of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 463 , 492 instead of adding tnptm to the abovementioned initial concentrate before evaporating the isopentyl acetate , one can add a liquid polymer such as a copolymer of n - butyl acrylate / heptafluorobutyl acrylate / hydroxyethyl acrylate . polyiodide crystals of the particles of the present invention were prepared as in example 1 except that the mono - methyl ester , mono - ethyl ester or mono - isopropyl ester of pyrazine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylic acid was used as a modified precursor . the identity of the specific modified precursor , and the mol ratios of the precursor to modified precursor , are set forth in tables 1 and 2 , which follow example 4 . in addition some additional water is incorporated in the reaction mixture in order to compensate for the crystal growth inhibition that can be caused by the presence of the modified precursor . it is known from the prior art that an increase in the amount of water in the reaction tends to increase particle size , and hence offsets the tendency of a modified precursor to do the opposite . see u . s . pat . no . 5 , 516 , 463 . in examples 2a to 2f extra water in the amount of about 0 . 20 g . beyond the amount used in example 1 was used satisfactorily . the amount of extra water beyond what is shown in example 1 is preferably determined empirically for each different modified precursor and according to the amount of such modified precursor used . a liquid suspension of the particles of examples 2a - 2e was made by following the procedure described in example 1 . as shown in examples 2a - 2e , the modified precursor may be derivatives of the precursor , pyrazine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylic acid dihydrate . whether or not stated hereinafter , such modified precursors are preferably usually hydrates . the modified precursor could , for example , be a monoester of the precursor such as but not limited to 5 - methoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrazine carboxylic acid ; 5 - ethoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrazine carboxylic acid ; 5 - isopropoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrazine carboxylic acid ; or 5 - octanoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrazine carboxylic acid , and the like . a convenient method for making these modified precursors is to first make the corresponding diesters of the precursor , and then partially hydrolyze each such diester . examples 5 - 8 describe methods of making the diesters referred to in the preceding paragraph , and examples 9 - 12 describe methods for making the modified precursors from the corresponding diesters . example 13 describes a method of making a monamide as the modified precursor . in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present invention to enhance the stability of polyhalide particle suspensions to ultraviolet radiation and water , we have devised extremely severe accelerated tests , which measure the color change of such suspensions when subjected to such stresses . example 3 discloses a procedure for testing the stability of a polyhalide particle suspension to ultraviolet radiation and example 4 discloses a procedure for testing the stability of such a suspension to water . tables 1 and 2 summarize the test results and clearly indicate that suspensions for which the particles comprise some modified precursor have greater stability to water and ultraviolet radiation than the suspensions of the prior art , whose particles comprise no modified precursor . in these tests the prior art suspension particles comprise pyrazine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylic acid as the precursor . because delta e is a measure of the color change of a suspension ( i . e ., degradation ), the lower values of delta e indicate superior performance . procedure for testing the stability of polyhalide particle suspensions to ultraviolet radiation 1 . in a 1 oz . jar 0 . 1 grams of crystals coated with a small amount of nitrocellulose polymer and dispersed in isopentyl acetate are diluted with 9 . 9 grams of isopentyl acetate . 2 . some of the suspension from the jar is placed in a test cell made of ito - coated glass substrates with a 33 - mil internal gap and a screw cap . the cell is placed in the byk gardner colorsphere visible spectrophotometer . initial color measurements referred to as l , a , and b data are taken and saved on the computer . 3 . the cell is then placed in the hereaus suntest cps uv exposure unit . ( max . irradiance 765 w / m 2 .) 4 . after exposing the cell to uv for the desired time the cell is placed on the colorsphere , and the difference in color and light transmission from the initial measurement is output as delta e . delta e is computed as described in astm methods e805 - 94 and d2244 - 93 . 5 . the same cell is further exposed to uv for one or more additional time periods and after each such period delta e is obtained as in step 5 . procedure for testing the stability of polyhalide particle suspensions to water 1 . in a 1 oz . jar 0 . 1 grams of crystals coated with a small amount of nitrocellulose polymer and dispersed in isopentyl acetate are diluted with 9 . 9 grams of isopentyl acetate . 2 . some of the suspension from the jar is placed in a test cell made of ito - coated glass substrates with a 33 - mil internal gap . the cell is placed in the byk gardner colorsphere visible spectrophotometer . initial color measurements referred to as l , a , and b data are taken and saved on the computer . 3 . 0 . 025 grams of water is added to the jar which is capped and shaken on a vortex genie ii at a setting of 6 for a desired time . 4 . after shaking , the cell is then refilled with suspension from the jar and is then placed on the colorsphere , and the difference in color and light transmission from the initial measurement is output as delta e . shaking of the jar is recommenced . 5 . after selected time intervals additional samples are taken to obtain additional delta e values . a slurry of anhydrous 2 , 5 - pyrazine diacid ( 44 . 7 g .) and concentrated sulfuric acid ( 2 . 0 ml ) in dry methanol ( 500 ml ) was heated to reflux in a mechanically stirred 3 - neck reaction flask fitted with a reflux condenser . complete reaction was indicated by dissolution of all reactants to form a clear amber solution . this solution was neutralized by the addition of sodium hydrogen carbonate , filtered , and reduced to dryness in a rotary evaporator . the solids were redissolved in chloroform and cooled in a − 30 ° c . freezer overnight . the resulting crystals were isolated by filtration , washed with heptane and allowed to air dry . the off - white crystals melt to an amber oil at 168 ° c . to 169 ° c . 1h nmr : 9 . 29 ppm ( s , 2h ), 3 . 97 ppm ( s , 6h ). a slurry of anhydrous 2 , 5 - pyrazine diacid ( 140 . 3 g . ), ethanol ( 1 . 5 l ), toluene ( 1 l ) and concentrated sulfuric acid ( 2 . 8 ml ) was heated to reflux in a mechanically stirred 4 l 4 - port resin kettle fitted with a large dean - stark trap , reflux condenser , thermometer and septa . reflux was initiated and trap contents were collected and dried over mgso 4 before being filtered and returned to the reaction kettle . complete reaction was indicated by dissolution of all reactants to form a clear amber solution . 1 . 5 l solvent was distilled and the remaining reaction mixture was filtered hot . residual solids were washed 3 times with 50 ml aliquots of hot toluene . the solution was reduced to 300 ml in a rotary evaporator and allowed to slowly cool . the resulting crystals were isolated by filtration , washed with toluene and recrystallized from heptanes . yield 147 . 2 g . ( 79 %). the off - white crystals melt to a white oil at 61 ° c . to 62 ° c . 1h nmr : 9 . 38 ppm ( s , 2h ), 4 . 54 ppm ( q , j = 7 hz , 4h ), 1 . 47 ppm ( t , j = 7 hz 6h ). ir : 1728 ( c ═ o ), 1474 , 1326 , 1295 , 1157 cm − 1 . following the procedure for 2 , 5 - diethyl pyrazine dicarboxylate , substituting isopropanol for ethanol , the isopropyl diester was prepared in 80 % yield . the tan crystals melt to an amber oil at 79 ° c . to 82 ° c . 1h nmr : 9 . 35 ppm ( s , 2h ), 5 . 38 ppm ( heptet , j = 6 hz , 42h ), 1 . 43 ppm ( d , j = 7 hz , 6h ). ir : 1720 ( c ═ o ), 1473 , 1375 , 1275 , 1161 , 1104 cm − 1 . a slurry of anhydrous 2 , 5 - pyrazine diacid ( 10 . 072 g . ), 1 - octanol ( 30 . 0 ml ), and concentrated sulfuric acid ( 2 . 5 ml ) in xylenes ( 200 ml ) was heated to reflux in a mechanically stirred 3 - neck 250 ml reaction flask fitted with a dean - stark trap , reflux condenser and septum . complete reaction was indicated by dissolution of all reactants to form a clear amber solution . the reaction solution was filtered hot and residual solids were washed 3 times with 15 ml aliquots of hot heptanes . the solution was allowed to slowly cool and the resulting crystals isolated by filtration , washed with toluene and allowed to air dry . the off - white crystals melt to an amber oil at 93 ° c . to 95 ° c . 1h nmr : 9 . 38 ppm ( s , 2h ), 3 . 47 ppm ( t , j = 7 hz , 4h ), 1 . 84 ppm ( m , j = 7 hz , 4h ), 1 . 44 ppm to 1 . 28 ppm ( m , 20h ), 0 . 88 ppm ( t , j = 7 hz , 6h ). ir : 1728 ( c ═ o ), 1473 , 1325 , 1292 , 1156 cm − 1 . the diester and 0 . 8 equivalents koh were dissolved in dry methanol . the reaction was stirred overnight and the resulting slurry filtered and washed with cold methanol . the solids were dissolved in water and refiltered . the resulting solution was carefully acidified to ph 4 with 2 m hci . the solids isolated by filtration were washed with water , air dried and recrystallized from acetone to yield an off - white powder m . p . 183 ° c . to 185 ° c . 1h nmr : 9 . 54 ppm ( s , 1h ), 9 . 37 ppm ( s , 1h ), 4 . 11 ppm ( s , 3h ). the diester and 0 . 8 equivalents koh were dissolved in dry ethanol . the reaction was stirred overnight and the resulting slurry filtered and washed with cold ethanol . the solids were dissolved in water and refiltered . the resulting solution was carefully acidified to ph 4 with 2 m hci . the solids isolated by filtration were washed with water , air dried and recrystallized from acetone to yield an off - white powder m . p . 150 ° c . to 153 ° c . 1h nmr : 9 . 53 ppm ( s , 1h ), 9 . 38 ppm ( s , 1h ), 4 . 57 ppm ( q , j = 7 hz , 2h ), 1 . 49 ppm ( t , j = 7 hz , 3h ). ir : 3438 , 1711 , ( c ═ o ), 1699 , ( c ═ o ), 1377 , 1295 , 1346 , 1272 , 1161 cm − 1 . the diester and 0 . 8 equivalents koh were dissolved in dry isopropanol . the reaction was stirred overnight and the resulting slurry filtered and washed with cold isopropanol . the solids were dissolved in water and refiltered . the resulting solution was carefully acidified to ph 4 with 2 m hci . the solids isolated by filtration were washed with water , air dried and recrystallized from acetone to yield an off - white powder m . p . 149 ° c . to 152 ° c . 1h nmr : 9 . 53 ppm ( s , 1h ), 9 . 34 ppm ( s , 1h ), 5 . 40 ppm ( heptet , 1h ), 1 . 46 ppm ( d , 6h ). ir : 3447 , 1744 , ( c ═ o ), 1726 , ( c ═ o ), 1398 , 1375 , 1290 , 1280 , 1158 cm − 1 . the diester and 0 . 3 equivalents 18 - crown - 6 were dissolved in dry glyme ( 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane ). 0 . 9 equivalents koh were added as the solid and the reaction stirred 5 days . the resulting slurry was filtered and the solution taken to dryness with a rotary evaporator . the solids were extensively washed with hot heptane and the resulting insoluble solids dissolved in a minimum of water . the resulting solution was carefully acidified to ph 4 with 2 m hci . the solids isolated by filtration were washed with water , dried , and recrystallized from acetone to yield a white powder m . p . 142 ° c . to 143 ° c . 1h nmr : 9 . 53 ppm ( s , 1h ), 9 . 34 ppm ( s , 1h ), 5 . 40 ppm ( heptet , 1h ), 1 . 46 ppm ( d , 6h ). ir : 3447 , 1728 , ( c ═ o ), 1696 , ( c ═ o ), 1325 , 1313 , 1296 , 1281 , 116 , 1027 cm − 1 . polymeric monoesters can be synthesized either ( a ) by reacting one acid group of a precursor such as pyrazine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylic acid dihydrate with a monocarbinol terminated polymer such as monocarbinol - terminated polystyrene or monocarbinol - terminal polydimethyl siloxane to form the monoester or ( b ) reacting both acid groups with the monocarbinol - terminated polymer and then hydrolyzing one ester group . the modified precursor may comprise an amide functional group instead of an ester group . example 13 discloses a method for preparing the mono - n , n - di - n - propylamide of a precursor . a thin slurry of anhydrous pyrazine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylic acid in dry toluene was heated to 70 ° c . in a stirred reaction flask fitted with a reflux condenser and liquid addition port . one equivalent neat thionyl chloride was added slowly to this warm mixture . the reaction was allowed to reflux for 4 hours ( vapors testing negative for acidity by moist ph paper ) at which time a catalytic amount of n , n - dimethylaminopyridine was added as pyridine solution . a solution of di - n - propylamine ( 1 . 1 equivalents ) in dry pyridine ( 1 : 2 v / v ) was then added . the reaction mixture darkened and thickened appreciably with this addition . the reaction was allowed to stir overnight . the brown slurry was filtered using a buchner funnel and whatman # 52 filter paper . these solids were resuspended in acetone , stirred 5 minutes , refiltered , acetone washed and air dried . the crude mono - n , n - di - n - propyl amide of pyrazine - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylic acid was recrystallized by dissolving in a minimum of hot dmso and adding distilled water to incipient cloudiness . on cooling , filtration , and washing with copious amounts of water and acetone , followed by air drying one obtains the title compound as a free flowing brown powder . m . p . 267 ° c .- 269 ° c . ( dec .). the modified precursors described in the preceding examples 5 - 13 are examples where an acid group in the precursor has been chemically changed to become an ester or an amide group also comprising an alkyl group . to the extent that such modified precursor molecules become incorporated in the surface of polyhalide particles in place of a precursor molecule , the particle surface can be expected to become less polar and more hydrophobic . such alkyl - containing groups can also act as steric buffers and reduce particle degradation that can be caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation .
6
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 . in various embodiments , the techniques described herein are implemented in a variety of systems or forms . in some embodiments , the techniques are implemented in hardware as an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ) or a field - programmable gate array ( fpga ). in some embodiments , a processor ( e . g ., an embedded one such as an arm core ) is used where the processor is provided or loaded with instructions to perform the techniques described herein . in some embodiments , the technique is implemented as a computer program product which is embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprises computer 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 . advances in micro - miniaturization within the semiconductor industry in recent years have enabled biotechnologists to begin packing their traditionally bulky sensing tools into smaller and smaller form factors , onto so - called biochips . these chips are essentially miniaturized laboratories that can perform hundreds or thousands of simultaneous biochemical reactions . biochips enable researchers to quickly screen large numbers of biological analytes for a variety of purposes , from disease diagnosis to detection of bioterrorism agents . typically , a biochip includes a large array of cells . for example , a biochip for nucleotide sequencing may contain thousands or millions of single cells in an array . each cell includes a molecular complex composed of monomers that make up an oligomeric nanopore . each cell may further include a single strand of dna , and anything bound to that single strand of dna . the nanopore is a small hole in an electrically insulating membrane that can be used as a single - molecule detector . a nanopore may be formed using a biological material , such as α - hemolysin or mspa . a nanopore may be formed using a solid - state material , such as a semiconductor material . when a small voltage is applied across a molecular complex containing a nanopore , an ionic current through the molecular complex can be measured to provide information about the structure of a molecule transiting the molecular complex . in a single cell of the array , an electrical circuit may be used for controlling the electrical stimulus applied across a lipid bilayer which contains a nanopore , and for detecting and analyzing the electrical patterns , or signatures , of a molecule passing through the nanopore . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a system 100 for analyzing molecules using nanopore devices . system 100 includes a nanopore array 102 , a master controller 104 , a temperature controller 106 , a fluidic system 108 , a storage device 110 for storing extracted results , and a memory 112 . in some embodiments , some of the modules may be combined together as a single module , and some of the modules may be optional . in some embodiments , the cells of nanopore array 102 and the nanopore devices within the cells are individually controllable and individually addressable by other modules of system 100 , including by master controller 104 , temperature controller 106 , and fluidic system 108 . in some embodiments , performance data or other data corresponding to each of the cells may be sent from nanopore array 102 to other modules in system 100 . control , address , performance , or other data signals may be communicated between nanopore array 102 and other modules in system 100 via signal lines 114 , 116 , and 118 a , respectively . in some embodiments , the cells of nanopore array 102 and the nanopore devices within the cells are individually controllable and individually addressable by master controller 104 . this allows master controller 104 to control each of the cells or each group of cells in nanopore array 102 such that the particular cell or particular group of cells performs different functions or transits through different states independently , without affecting the functioning or progress of other cells or other groups of cells in nanopore array 102 . in one example , a mal - functioning cell in nanopore array 102 may be put in a state ( e . g ., disabled state ) by master controller 104 such that the mal - functioning cell does not affect the functioning of other cells in nanopore array 102 . for example , if a lipid bilayer fails to form in a particular cell , the cell may be disabled such that no electrical stimulus is applied to the cell ; otherwise , the cell may draw a large current , which may affect the performance of other cells in nanopore array 102 . in another example , master controller 104 may send control signals to nanopore array 102 such that different stimuli are applied to different cells or groups of cells . for example , a first stimulus ( e . g ., a voltage ) is applied to a first group of cells and a second stimulus is applied to a second group of cells at time t 1 . the first stimulus may be a stimulus corresponding to a particular state of a cell , and the second stimulus may be a stimulus corresponding to a different state of a cell . the stimulus that is applied to the first group of cells may vary over time , as the first group of cells transits from one state to another . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment for applying a voltage stimulus to a cell in nanopore array 102 . as shown in fig2 , control signals from master controller 104 may be used as input to a multiplexer 202 to select one of two voltages that can be applied to a cell in nanopore array 102 . in some embodiments , performance or other data corresponding to each of the cells may be received by master controller 104 . by monitoring the performance or other data of the cells , master controller 104 may determine any state transitions of the cells . the state information of the cells may be stored in memory 112 by master controller 104 . in addition , if the overall performance of nanopore array 102 falls below a certain threshold , master controller 104 may reset and re - initialize nanopore array 102 such that any processes running on nanopore array 102 may be terminated or restarted again . in some embodiments , nanopore array 102 may also be reused multiple times . for example , nanopore array 102 may be used for analyzing different types of samples during different runs . in another example , nanopore array 102 may be reused for analyzing a single type of samples over multiple runs . in some embodiments , nanopore array 102 may be reused after the contents in nanopore array 102 have been flushed out or rinsed out by master controller 104 and fluidic system 108 . in some embodiments , the cells of nanopore array 102 are individually controllable and individually addressable by temperature controller 106 via signal line 116 . temperature or other data corresponding to a cell may be received by temperature controller 106 via signal line 116 . depending on the state or condition of a particular cell or a group of cells , different temperature stimuli may be applied to the cell or group of cells by temperature controller 106 . in some embodiments , temperature controller 106 receives state information of the cells via signal line 120 and applies the appropriate temperature stimuli to the cells in nanopore array 102 at least in part based on the state information . in some embodiments , temperature controller 106 receives control signal via signal line 120 from master controller 104 , and then temperature controller 106 applies the appropriate temperature stimuli to the cells in nanopore array 102 based on the received control signal . in some embodiments , the cells of nanopore array 102 are individually controllable and individually addressable by fluidic system 108 . the control and address information is communicated between nanopore array 102 and fluidic system 108 via signal lines 118 a . different contents may be delivered in and out of the individual cells of nanopore array 102 via channels 118 b . the contents may be any fluids or reagents that are used for the operations within the cells of nanopore array 102 , including saline solution for rinsing , samples to be analyzed by nanopore array 102 , lipid bilayer forming reagent , nanopore forming reagent , gas catalyst , and the like . the contents delivered out of nanopore array 102 may be any molecules that are extracted from the samples that have been analyzed by nanopore array 102 , and the extracted molecules may be further delivered to a storage device 110 by fluidic system 108 . the contents may be in any form , including liquid or gas . depending on the state or condition of a particular cell or a group of cells , different fluids may be delivered to or from the cell or group of cells by fluidic system 108 . in some embodiments , fluidic system 108 receives state information of the cells via signal line 122 and delivers the appropriate fluid to or from the cells in nanopore array 102 at least in part based on the state information . in some embodiments , fluidic system 108 receives control signal via signal line 122 from master controller 104 , and then fluidic system 108 delivers the appropriate fluid to or from the cells in nanopore array 102 based on the received control signal . in some embodiments , nanopore array 102 may be reused after the contents in nanopore array 102 have been flushed out or rinsed out by master controller 104 and fluidic system 108 . nanopore array 102 includes a large array of cells . each cell includes a nanopore device for analyzing and characterizing molecules . within a nanopore device , a lipid bilayer is formed , and a nanopore structure is then formed on the lipid bilayer . the nanopore structure has a nanopore that is large enough for enclosing at least a portion of a molecule that is being analyzed or passing at least a portion of the molecule between the two sides of the lipid bilayer . the nanopore device also includes a sample chamber for holding a solution of the analyzed molecules . the solution may be provided over the lipid bilayer for introducing the analyzed molecules for characterization . the nanopore device further includes means for providing electrical stimulus , sensing electrical characteristics , detecting and processing signal of the nanopore device . fig3 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a nanopore device 300 within a cell of nanopore array 102 . nanopore device 300 includes a lipid bilayer 302 formed on a lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 of a conductive solid substrate 306 . lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 may be isolated by lipid bilayer incompatible surfaces 305 , and conductive solid substrate 306 may be electrically isolated by insulating materials 307 . lipid bilayer 302 may be surrounded by an amorphous lipid 303 formed on lipid bilayer incompatible surfaces 305 . in some embodiments , lipid bilayer 302 is embedded with a single nanopore structure 308 having a nanopore 310 large enough for passing at least a portion of a molecule 312 being characterized and / or small ions ( e . g ., na + , k + , ca 2 + , cl − ) between the two sides of lipid bilayer 302 . a layer of water molecules 314 ( also referred to as an aqueous film 314 ) may be adsorbed on lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 and sandwiched between lipid bilayer 302 and lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 . aqueous film 314 adsorbed on the hydrophilic lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 may promote the ordering of lipid molecules and facilitate the formation of lipid bilayer 302 on lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 . a sample chamber 316 may be provided over lipid bilayer 302 for introducing a sample for characterization . the sample may be a solution of molecule 312 that is being characterized . the solution may be an aqueous solution containing electrolytes and buffered to an optimum ion concentration and maintained at an optimum ph to keep nanopore 310 open . in some embodiments , sample chamber 316 receives the sample from fluidic system 108 . the sample may also be flushed out of nanopore device 300 by fluidic system 108 after the characterization of the sample has been performed . sample chamber 316 may also be rinsed with saline solution by fluidic system 108 such that nanopore device 300 may be reused again . nanopore device 300 includes a pair of electrodes 318 ( including a negative node 318 a and a positive node 318 b ) coupled to a variable voltage source 320 for providing electrical stimulus ( e . g ., voltage bias ) across the lipid bilayer 302 and for sensing the electrical characteristics of the lipid bilayer 302 ( e . g ., resistance , capacitance , and ionic current flow ). the surface of the negative positive electrode 318 b is or forms a part of the lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 . the conductive solid substrate 306 may be coupled to or forms a part of one of the electrodes 318 . nanopore device 300 may also include an electrical circuit 322 for controlling electrical stimulation and for processing the signal detected . in some embodiments , the variable voltage source 320 is included as a part of the electrical circuit 322 . the electrical circuitry 322 may include amplifiers , integrators , noise filters , feedback control logic , and / or various other components . in some embodiments , the electrical circuitry 322 may be an integrated electrical circuitry integrated within a silicon substrate 328 and may be further coupled to a computer processor 324 coupled to a memory 326 . for example , computer processor 324 may be a portion of master controller 104 , and memory 326 may be memory 112 that is coupled to master controller 104 . master controller 104 may control the various components of nanopore device 300 via electrical circuit 322 . master controller 104 may also receive data collected by nanopore device 300 via electrical circuit 322 . the lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 can be formed from various materials that are suitable for ion transduction and gas formation to facilitate lipid bilayer formation . in some embodiments , conductive or semi - conductive hydrophilic materials as opposed to insulating hydrophilic materials are preferred because they may allow better detection of a change in the lipid bilayer electrical characteristics . example materials include ag — agcl , ag — au alloy , ag — pt alloy , or doped silicon or other semiconductor materials . the lipid bilayer incompatible surface 305 can be formed from various materials that are not suitable for lipid bilayer formation and they are typically hydrophobic . in some embodiments , a non - conductive hydrophobic material is preferred , since it electrically insulates the lipid bilayer regions in addition to separating the lipid bilayer regions from each other . example lipid bilayer incompatible materials include silicon nitride ( e . g ., si 3 n 4 ) and teflon . in one particular example , nanopore device 300 of fig3 is a alpha hemolysin ( αhl ) nanopore device having a single αhl protein embedded in a diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine ( dphpc ) lipid bilayer 302 formed over a lipid bilayer compatible silver - gold alloy surface 304 coated on a copper material 306 . the lipid bilayer compatible silver - gold alloy surface 304 is isolated by lipid bilayer incompatible silicon nitride surfaces 305 , and the copper material 306 is electrically insulated by silicon nitride materials 307 . the copper 306 is coupled to electrical circuitry 322 that is integrated in a silicon substrate 328 . a silver - silver chloride electrode placed on - chip or extending down from a cover plate contacts an aqueous solution containing dsdna molecules . the αhl nanopore is an assembly of seven individual peptides . the entrance or vestible of the αhl nanopore is approximately 26 å in diameter , which is wide enough to accommodate a portion of a dsdna molecule . from the vestible , the αhl nanopore first widens and then narrows to a barrel having a diameter of approximately 15 å , which is wide enough to allow a single ssdna molecule to pass through but not wide enough to allow a dsdna molecule to pass through . at a given time , approximately 1 - 20 dna bases can occupy the barrel of the αhl nanopore . in addition to dphpc , the lipid bilayer of the nanopore device can be assembled from various other suitable amphiphilic materials , selected based on various considerations , such as the type of nanopore used , the type of molecule being characterized , and various physical , chemical and / or electrical characteristics of the lipid bilayer formed , such as stability and permeability , resistance , and capacitance of the lipid bilayer formed . example amphiphilic materials include various phospholipids such as palmitoyl - oleoyl - phosphatidyl - choline ( popc ) and dioleoyl - phosphatidyl - methylester ( dopme ), diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine ( dphpc ) dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine ( dppc ), phosphatidylcholine , phosphatidylethanolamine , phosphatidylserine , phosphatidic acid , phosphatidylinositol , phosphatidylglycerol , and sphingomyelin . in addition to the αhl nanopore shown above , the nanopore may be one of various other types of nanopores ; examples include γ - hemolysin , leukocidin , melittin , and various other naturally occurring , modified natural , and synthetic nanopores . a suitable nanopore may be selected based on various characteristics of the analyte molecule , such as the size of the analyte molecule in relation to the pore size of the nanopore . for example , the αhl nanopore is a nanopore that has a restrictive pore size of approximately 15 å . it is suitable for analyzing dna molecules since it allows a single strand dna ( ssdna ) to pass through while restricting a double strand dna ( dsdna ). fig4 a - 4c illustrate three different states of nanopore device 300 . fig4 a is a diagram illustrating that nanopore device 300 is in a state in which a lipid bilayer has not yet been formed . fig4 b is a diagram illustrating that nanopore device 300 is in a state in which a lipid bilayer 302 has been formed . fig4 c is a diagram illustrating that nanopore device 300 is in a state in which a nanopore structure 308 with a nanopore 310 has been inserted into lipid bilayer 302 . fig5 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a process 500 for analyzing molecules using nanopore devices . in some embodiments , process 500 is a process that is performed by system 100 of fig1 . at 502 , various functionalities of system 100 are verified . in some embodiments , master controller 104 may send test signals to the modules of system 100 , including nanopore array 102 , temperature controller 106 , and fluidic system 108 . in response , each module may perform verification steps at the module . for example , nanopore array 102 may measure the current flowing in a particular nanopore device . after the verification steps are performed at the modules , each of the modules may send a response back to master controller 104 for verification purposes . depending on the responses received from the various modules , master controller 104 may determine whether further verifications are needed . in some embodiments , the verification results may be stored in a log file . in some embodiments , if master controller 104 has detected any errors , then an alarm may be triggered or process 500 may be terminated . in some embodiments , verification of the different modules may be performed at different levels , and the levels may be configurable . for example , master controller 104 may verify the functionalities of nanopore array 102 at the printed circuit board level or at the semiconductor chip level . in some embodiments , master controller 104 may verify the functionalities of a group of cells . if the number of cells within the group that are functioning properly falls below a certain threshold , then master controller 104 may determine that the group of cells is mal - functioning and that the group of cells should be disabled . at 504 , lipid bilayers are assembled . in some embodiments , master controller 104 may cause fluidic system 108 to deliver a lipid forming reagent to the cells of nanopore array 102 . the lipid forming reagent is then deposited on lipid bilayer compatible surface 304 within a cell . as discussed above , the lipid bilayer may be formed using different materials , including different amphiphilic materials . depending on the type of lipid bilayers to be formed , master controller 104 may cause different stimuli ( e . g ., electrical , temperature , chemical , or gas ) to be applied to the cells to facilitate the assembling of the lipid bilayers . at 506 , it is determined whether the lipid bilayers are properly formed . depending on the type of lipid bilayers to be formed , different physical or electrical property measurements ( e . g ., resistance , current , or capacitance measurements ) may be made at the cells and then sent to master controller 104 via signal lines 114 for determining whether lipid bilayers are properly assembled . in some embodiments , steps 504 and 506 are repeated until master controller 104 has determined that lipid bilayers have been properly assembled in a minimum number of cells in nanopore array 102 . in some embodiments , if the number of cells with lipid bilayers properly assembled falls below a certain threshold after a fixed period of time , master controller 104 may terminate process 500 . in addition , an alarm may be triggered or an error message may be written to the log file . in some embodiments , if the number of cells with lipid bilayers properly assembled is above a certain threshold , master controller 104 may cause system 100 to proceed to step 508 . at 508 , nanopore structures with nanopores are inserted . in some embodiments , master controller 104 may cause fluidic system 108 to deliver a nanopore forming reagent ( e . g ., a solution containing a - hemolysin ) to the cells of nanopore array 102 . master controller 104 may cause different stimuli ( e . g ., electrical , temperature , chemical , or gas ) to be applied to the cells to facilitate the insertion of the nanopore structures into the lipid bilayers . at 510 , it is determined whether the nanopore structures are properly formed . depending on the type of nanopores to be formed , different measurements ( e . g ., resistance , current , or capacitance measurements ) may be made at the cells and then sent to master controller 104 via signal lines 114 for determining whether nanopores are properly inserted . in some embodiments , steps 508 and 510 are repeated until master controller 104 has determined that nanopores have been properly inserted in a minimum number of cells in nanopore array 102 . in some embodiments , if the number of cells with nanopores properly inserted falls below a certain threshold after a fixed period of time , master controller 104 may terminate process 500 . in addition , an alarm may be triggered or an error message may be written to the log file . in some embodiments , if the number of cells with nanopores properly inserted is above a certain threshold , master controller 104 may cause system 100 to proceed to step 512 . at 512 , samples are analyzed using the nanopores in nanopore array 102 . in some embodiments , master controller 104 may cause fluidic system 108 to deliver samples to the sample chambers 316 in nanopore array 102 . depending on different factors , including the type of samples that are being analyzed and the type of nanopores formed , master controller 104 may cause different stimuli ( e . g ., electrical , temperature , chemical , or gas ) to be applied to the cells to facilitate the manipulating , detecting , correlating , characterizing , analyzing and / or sequencing of molecules in the nanopores . different measurements ( e . g ., resistance , current , or capacitance measurements ) may be made at the cells and then sent to master controller 104 via signal lines 114 . master controller 104 may use the received measurements to detect , correlate , determine , characterize , sequence and / or discriminate various structural and chemical features of a molecule as the molecule stays inside the nanopore , traverses through the nanopore , or interacts with the nanopore . at 514 , nanopore array is reset and re - initialized for repeated uses . in some embodiments , nanopore array 102 may be reused multiple times . for example , nanopore array 102 may be used for analyzing different types of samples during different runs . in another example , nanopore array 102 may be reused for analyzing a single type of samples over multiple runs . new nanopores may be reformed in nanopore array 102 such that nanopore array 102 may be reused . new nanopores may be reformed in nanopore array 102 after the contents ( e . g ., lipid bilayers with nanopores inserted , lipid bilayers without nanopores inserted , and samples ) in nanopore array 102 have been flushed out or rinsed out ( e . g ., using saline solution ) by master controller 104 and fluidic system 108 . in some embodiments , master controller 104 may detect and determine whether there are any molecules or other contents of interest remaining in the cells of nanopore array 102 . master controller 104 and fluidic system 108 may selectively rinse out the contents ( e . g ., lipid bilayers ) within cells in which no molecules or other contents of interest are found . the molecules or other contents of interest in the remaining cells may be retrieved . in one example , the molecules may be retrieved manually . in another example , master controller 104 and fluidic system 108 may deliver the molecules or other contents of interest to storage device 110 before the remaining contents are rinsed out . after 514 , nanopore array 102 is ready for repeated uses again , and process 500 may be restarted at 502 . in some embodiments , step 514 is performed before a nanopore array 102 is used for the first time . for example , nanopore array 102 is rinsed with saline solution before the functionalities of system 100 is checked at 502 . 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 .
6
while this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms , there will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as exemplifications of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated . fig2 is a schematic diagram of a transmitting device 24 in accordance with the present invention . the terminals 26 , 28 of transmitting device 24 are connected to the outlet or electrical fixture to be tested , where terminal 26 is the hot terminal and terminal 28 is the neutral terminal . diac 30 in series with capacitor 32 is connected across terminals 26 , 28 . in operation , when a conventional power line voltage is applied to transmitting device 24 , diac 30 will initially go into conduction when the line voltage reaches approximately 120 volts . diac 30 switches on through a negative resistance region to a low on - state voltage . this causes capacitor 32 to immediately charge to the line voltage , resulting in a large amplitude current pulse which is used to identify the circuit . diac 30 will continue conducting until the current approaches 0 amps , which occurs near the peak of the power line voltage . when diac 30 is switched off , capacitor 32 will be charged at a voltage level close to the peak voltage , i . e ., approximately 150 volts . as the power line voltage decreases from 150 volts to approximately 30 volts , the voltage across diac 30 , which is the difference between the line voltage and the voltage across capacitor 32 , does not exceed its threshold voltage . thus , diac 30 remains an open circuit and capacitor 32 remains charged . when the line voltage reaches approximately 30 volts , the voltage across diac 30 reaches approximately - 120 volts . thus , diac 30 becomes a short circuit , allowing capacitor 32 to discharge quickly through terminal 28 and result in a negative current spike . due to the limited charge on capacitor 32 , the negative current spike may be smaller than the positive current spike created when charging capacitor 32 . as the capacitor 32 discharges to 0 volts , diac 30 again becomes an open circuit . a similar pattern will result in the opposite direction for the negative line voltages . thus , bidirectional current spikes are formed . this continuous action results in the formation of an identification signal on the circuit , which produces a corresponding magnetic field around the signal carrying the wire . thus , diac 30 controls the charging of capacitor 32 , which serves as the waveshaper of the unit . preferably , diac 30 is manufactured by teccor and marketed under part number p1100ea70 . with p1100ea70 , diac 30 will go into conduction when the line voltage reaches approximately ± 90 - 125 volts . fig3 a - d illustrate the voltages across transmitting device 24 , diac 30 and capacitor 32 , and the current drawn by transmitting device 24 of fig2 over time . fig4 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a transmitting device 34 in accordance with the present invention . the terminals 36 , 38 of transmitting device 34 are connected to the outlet or electrical fixture to be tested . fuse 40 protects the device 34 from any kind of damage caused by component failure , power surge , etc . resistor 42 and led 44 are connected in series across terminals 36 , 38 . diac 46 in series with capacitor 48 is also connected across terminals 36 , 38 . led 44 in transmitting device 34 indicates when the transmitting device 34 is powered . in all other respects , transmitting device 34 is the same as transmitting device 24 illustrated in fig2 . fig5 is a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a transmitting device 50 in accordance with the present invention . the terminals 52 , 54 , 56 of transmitting device 50 are connected to the outlet or electrical fixture to be tested , where terminal 52 is the hot terminal , terminal 54 is the neutral terminal , and terminal 56 is connected to ground . fuse 58 protects the device 50 from any kind of damage caused by component failure , power surge , etc . diac 60 in series with capacitor 62 is connected across terminals 52 , 54 . resistor 64 and led 66 are connected in series across terminals 52 , 56 . resistor 68 and led 70 are connected in series across terminals 52 , 54 . resistor 72 and led 74 are connected in series across terminals 54 , 56 . transmitting device 50 has two more leds than transmitting device 34 . in all other respects , transmitting devices 34 and 50 are the same . leds 66 , 70 , 74 in transmitting device 50 indicate whether the electrical connections to terminals 52 , 54 , 56 are correct . specifically , the possible connections and the resulting led indications are shown in table i below . table i______________________________________led . sub . 66 led . sub . 70 led . sub . 74 connection______________________________________on on off correct wiringoff on off open groundon off off open neutraloff off off open hoton off on hot / ground reversedoff on on hot / neutral reversed______________________________________ fig6 is a schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of a transmitting device 76 in accordance with the present invention . terminals 78 , 80 , 82 of transmitting device 76 are connected to the outlet or electrical fixture to be tested . diac 84 in series with capacitor 86 is connected across terminals 78 , 80 . diac 88 in series with capacitor 90 is connected across terminals 78 , 82 . capacitor 86 in series with diac 92 and capacitor 90 is connected across terminals 80 , 82 . transmitting device 76 is designed to form an identification signal on any one of the three terminals 78 , 80 , 82 . thus , if the outlet has been incorrectly wired , transmitting device 76 will still form an identification signal on the circuit . if terminal 78 is the hot terminal and terminal 80 is the neutral terminal , the identification signal is created by diac 84 and capacitor 86 . if terminal 78 is the hot terminal and terminal 82 is the neutral terminal , the identification signal is created by diac 88 and capacitor 90 . if terminal 80 is the hot terminal and terminal 82 is the neutral terminal , the identification signal is created by diac 92 and capacitors 86 , 90 . fig7 is a schematic diagram of a fifth embodiment of a transmitting device 94 in accordance with the present invention . terminals 96 , 98 , 100 of transmitting device 94 are connected to the outlet or electrical fixture to be tested . diac 102 in series with capacitor 104 is connected across terminals 96 , 98 . zener diode 106 in series with resistor 108 and led 110 is also connected across terminals 96 , 98 . diac 112 in series with capacitor 114 is connected across terminals 96 , 100 . zener diode 116 in series with resistor 118 and led 120 is also connected across terminals 96 , 100 . capacitor 104 in series with diac 122 and capacitor 114 is connected across terminals 98 , 100 . zener diode 124 in series with resistor 126 , led 128 and zener diode 130 is also connected across terminals 98 , 100 . leds 110 , 120 , 128 in transmitting device 94 indicate a connection from the hot terminal . zener diodes 106 , 116 , 124 , 130 prevent the dimming of leds 110 , 120 , 128 . thus , transmitting device 94 not only acts as a transmitter , but also indicates whether the wiring is incorrect . specifically , the wiring to the hot terminal and the resulting led indications are shown in table ii below . table ii______________________________________hot terminal led . sub . 110 led . sub . 120 led . sub . 128______________________________________96 on on off98 on off on100 off on on______________________________________ in all other respects , transmitting devices 76 and 94 are the same . therefore , transmitting device 94 is designed to modify the shape of the alternating current signal through the circuit , thus altering the magnetic field around the signal carrying the wire , even if the outlet has been incorrectly wired . fig8 is a schematic diagram of a sixth embodiment of a transmitting device 162 in accordance with the present invention . the terminals 164 , 166 , 168 of transmitting device 162 are connected to the outlet or electrical fixture to be tested . diode 170 in series with the parallel combination of capacitor 172 and resistor 174 , and in series with diac 176 , is connected across terminals 164 , 166 . diode 178 in series with the parallel combination of capacitor 180 and resistor 182 , and in series with diac 184 , is connected across terminals 164 , 168 . diode 186 in series with the parallel combination of capacitor 180 and resistor 182 , and in series with diac 184 , is connected across terminals 164 , 168 . transmitting device 162 forms an identification signal similar to that formed in device 10 of fig1 . transmitting device 162 , however , is designed to form an identification signal from any one of terminals 164 , 166 , 168 . therefore , similar to transmitting devices 76 , 94 , if the outlet has been incorrectly wired , transmitting device 162 will still form an identification signal on the circuit . similar to the fifth embodiment in fig7 leds in series with resistors and zener diodes may be connected across the terminals to indicate whether the electrical wiring has been incorrectly installed . fig9 is a schematic diagram of a receiving device 132 in accordance with the present invention . pickup coil or inductor 134 detects the desired magnetic field around the circuit interrupter devices . one end of pickup coil 134 is connected to ground , while the other end is connected to pin2 of timer 136 through capacitor 138 . timer 136 may be a conventional lm555 timer . in the preferred embodiment , the cmos version of an lm555 timer , i . e ., an icm 7555 , is used . as is well known in the art , an lm555 timer implements a monostable or astable multivibrator which generates a pulse in response to a trigger signal . pin2 is the input of timer 136 . the second end of pickup coil 134 is connected to potentiometer 140 in series with resistor 142 to pin4 and pin8 of timer 136 . pin4 and pin8 are connected to pin2 through resistor 144 . pin2 is also connected to ground through resistor 146 . pin6 and pin7 of timer 136 are connected to pin4 and pin8 through resistor 148 . pin6 and pin7 are also connected to ground through capacitor 150 . pin3 is the output 151 of timer 136 . thus , pin3 may be connected to audio alarm 152 &# 39 ; or led 154 &# 39 ; in series with resistor 156 &# 39 ; to pin4 and pin8 , as shown in fig1 . pin4 and pin8 are also connected to battery 158 through switch 160 . the receiving device 132 operates as a field strength indicator . since the d . c . resistance of an inductor is close to 0 ohms , resistor 142 is provided to prevent a short across the voltage lines if potentiometer 140 is at the lower end of its resistance range . when pickup coil 134 senses an electromagnetic field of a sufficient intensity , a current will flow due to electromagnetic induction . this creates a voltage across the potentiometer 140 , and thus , a voltage across pickup coil 134 , which follow the pattern of the field strength . thus , an alternating signal is ac - coupled through capacitor 138 to the junction of resistor 144 , resistor 146 and pin2 of timer 136 . the sensitivity of the circuit can be controlled by potentiometer 140 , which is manually adjustable to vary the voltage across pickup coil 134 . potentiometer 140 allows the voltage across coil 134 to be pulled up to a level which approaches the positive supply voltage limited only by the value of resistor 142 . due to the nature of the voltage divider formed by resistors 144 , 146 , the voltage on pin2 of timer 136 may be set at a predetermined value . in the preferred embodiment , this value is slightly above one - third of the circuit supply voltage . since timer 136 is triggered by a negative going edge of the input signal on pin2 , i . e ., it is triggered by a decrease in the voltage applied to pin2 , timer 136 will trigger as soon as the appearance of a signal sensed by pickup coil 134 causes a negative pulse relative to the predetermined voltage on pin2 of timer 136 . in other words , timer 136 will trigger as soon as the voltage on pin2 of timer 136 decreases to less than approximately one - third of the supply voltage . capacitor 150 and resistor 148 determine the time period , τ , of the receiving device 132 , where r is the value of resistor 148 , c is the value of capacitor 150 , and τ = 1 . 1 rc . although the supply current consumed by the icm 7555 device is very low , the total system supply can be high unless the timing components 148 , 150 have high impedances . thus , a high value for resistor 148 and a low value for capacitor 150 are typically chosen . pickup coil 134 in receiving device 132 detects the identification signal , e . g ., the current waveform shown in fig3 d , and triggers timer 136 . timer 136 is designed as a monostable oscillator with a very short timing rate . as soon as timer 136 is triggered by the coil 134 , it activates an audible signal and / or a visible signal . led 154 &# 39 ;, in series with current limiting resistor 156 &# 39 ;, is the visible indicator for the signal , while buzzer 152 &# 39 ; is the audible indicator . it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof . the present embodiments , therefore , are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein .
6
in fig1 a boot 1 is shown attached by straps 2 to an outer - sole 3 . the outer sole 3 has metal studs 4 attached to posts 5 descending from the lower tread element 6 of the outer sole . an upper sole element 7 lies bonded to the tread element 6 , suitably by glue , sonic welding or the equivalent . upwardly - curled toe 8 and heal 9 portions regions of the outer - sole 3 lie in contact with the toe 10 and heel 11 portions of the boot , pressing preferentially into such portions . in fig2 the tread element 6 of the outer - sole 3 is shown to have transverse ridges 12 which are , in this example , chevron - shaped . any other shapes adapted to provide traction on soft - soil will be suitable , the chevron format being known to release mud and snow readily . such ridges 12 are separated by inter - ridge gaps 13 that extend across the entire width of the outer - soles 3 and allow the outer - sole 3 to flex . posts 5 carry metal studs 4 which may conveniently be self - tapping metal screws . the height of each post 5 is substantially the same as the maximum height of the most proximate ridge 12 . in fig3 the upper sole 7 and lower tread 6 elements of the outer - sole 3 are shown before assembly . the upper sole element 7 may be made of a thin rubber sheet or equivalent , textured on its upper surface 13 to better engage the lower sole surface of the boot 1 . the upper sole element 7 , which may be of 3 mm thickness , is shown as being slightly shorter than the lower tread element 6 . this is to allow for stretching during the manufacturing process . on a sole of overall length of 23 cm , it has been found satisfactory for the upper sole element 7 to be shortened by about 1 / 2 cm at each end . in assembling the upper and lower sole and tread elements 7 , 6 , together , the central region 14 of the sole element 7 is first bonded to the tread element 6 , conveniently by contact cement . on a 23 cm sole this central region 14 may extend over 10 - 14 cm . after this initial bonding has set , the upper sole element 7 is stretched in its toe and heel regions and then glued , as by contact cement , to the toe and heel regions 8 , 9 of the outer sole 3 . this causes the toe and heel regions 8 , 9 of the outer sole 3 to curl upwards , and this configuration is allowed to remain until the bonding sets . the upper and lower sole and tread elements 7 , 6 are then stitched together by stitching 15 , around their outer margins . as can be seen in fig1 the effect of the curled portions is to press the toe and heel regions 8 , 9 of the outer sole 3 against the lower sole of the boot 1 , in the vicinity of its toe and heel portions 10 , 11 of the boot 1 . it has been found that the combined strengths of the materials and degree of stretching in the upper sole element 6 should produce an up - turn , at the toe and heel regions of the outer sole 3 , to an angle of about 55 degrees ± 5 degrees . the foregoing has constituted a description of specific embodiments showing how the invention may be applied and put into use . these embodiments are only exemplary , the invention in its broadest , and more specific aspects , is further described and defined in the claims which now follow .
0
a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a construction of a coordinates input apparatus as a typical embodiment of the invention . in fig1 the coordinates input apparatus comprises : a vibration pen 10 to pick up coordinates ; a vibrator driver 15 for allowing the vibration pen 10 to generate a vibration ; a processor 20 for controlling the vibrator driver 15 and for executing a processing to calculate the coordinates from a phase delay time ( t p ) and a group delay time ( t g ) which are obtained ; a wave detector 25 to detect the phase delay time and group delay time from a surface acoustic wave ; a vibration transmission plate 30 to transmit a vibration wave ; a vibration absorbing material 35 ; and sensors 41 to 44 to detect the vibration wave . the processor 20 has therein an rom 80 to store a processing program to calculate the coordinates and an ram 85 to store various data such as phase delay time ( t p ) and group delay time ( t g ) and the like . fig2 is a block diagram showing a construction of the wave detector 25 . in fig2 the surface acoustic waves detected and generated from the sensors 41 to 44 are processed . the group delay time ( t g ) is supplied from a t g detector 65 to the processor 20 . the phase delay time ( t p ) is supplied from a t p detector 75 to the processor 20 . the origin correction processing in the coordinates input apparatus having the above construction will now be described with reference to principle diagrams for the origin correction shown in fig3 a and 3b and a flowchart shown in fig4 . to simplify the explanation , the case where an attention is paid to one sensor s and the phase velocity v p changes will now be considered . first , in step s10 , a group delay time ( tgz 0 ) and a phase delay time ( tpz 0 ) at the o point are obtained using vibration pen 10 and those values are stored into the ram 85 in the processor 20 . on the basis of those values , n -[ n ] is calculated by using the equation ( 1 ) with respect to a line connecting the sensor s and the o point as shown in fig3 a , so that the result as shown by a solid line 101 shown in fig3 b is obtained . in the case of calculating the coordinate values according to the above solid line , there is a discontinuity of n -[ n ] at the point ( point a ) which is away from the o point by a distance zd , so that an error can occur . in the next step s15 , correction data of a group delay time ( tgz a ) and a phase delay time ( tpz a ) at the point a are obtained and those values are stored into the ram 85 . by calculating n -[ n ] on the basis of those values by using the equation ( 1 ) in a manner similar to step s10 , the result of a broken line 102 shown in fig3 b is derived . when comparing the above two results , at the point ( point a ) where the result of the calculation ( solid line 101 ) of n -[ n ] based on tgz 0 and tpz 0 causes a discontinuity , the result of the calculation ( broken line 102 ) of n -[ n ] based on the group delay time ( tgz a ) and phase delay time ( tpz a ) doesn &# 39 ; t cause an error ( integer error ). this means that by calculating n on the basis of tgz a and tpz a at a position near the point a and by adding the distance zd which has already been known when d n is calculated by the equation ( 2 ) as a sum or difference , the correct coordinate position can be calculated . in step s20 , a vibration is input at a position by the vibration pen 10 . thereafter , the coordinate values of this position are calculated . there are considered several methods of deciding which values of tgz 0 and tpz 0 or tgz a and tpz a are used to calculate . in the embodiment , in step s25 , the value of n 0 -[ n 0 ](= n 0 ) at the o point is calculated . subsequently , in step s30 , the value of n a -[ n a ](= n a ) at the a point is calculated . in step s35 , the values of | n 0 | and | n a | are compared . the value which is close to 0 is selected . when the value of | n 0 | is closer to 0 than the value of | n a | as a result of the comparison in step s35 , the processing routine advances to step s40 and the coordinates are calculated by using the correction data ( tgz 0 , tpz 0 ) at the o point . on the other hand , when | n a | is closer to 0 , step s45 follows and the coordinates are calculated by using the correction data ( tgz a , tpz a ) at the a point . after completion of the above processings , the processing routine advances to step s50 and the coordinate values are generated from the processor 20 . in step s55 , a check is made to see if the detection of the coordinates is continued or not . when the detection is continued , the processing routine is returned to step s20 . when the detection is stopped , the processing routine is finished . there has been described the procedure to detect the coordinate values while correcting the origin by using the method whereby the values ( n 0 and n a ) of n -[ n ] are calculated by using the correction data at the o point and the a point and either one of the value which is closer to 0 is selected . however , the origin correction and the detection of the coordinate values can be also performed by a method whereby the coordinates are calculated by using both of the correction data at the o and points a and the values of the correction point ( o point or point a in this case ) which is closer to the calculated coordinate values are selected . as further another method , a correction point different from the point a , for instance , the point b as shown in fig3 a is further added and the coordinates can be also calculated by using the a point on the side near the sensor s and by using the point b on the side away from the sensor s . by using a plurality of correction points without limiting to only one point , the discontinuous point of n -[ n ] which cannot be avoided in the case where a plurality of n -[ n ] curves are used and only one correction point is used is avoided , so that the accuracy deterioration can be prevented . the positions of the correction points such as points a and b can be set to arbitrary positions within a fluctuation width of each constant or the like of the apparatus . the discontinuous point of n -[ n ] is eliminated by using a plurality of correction points and the accuracy deterioration is prevented in the above embodiment . further , by using the values calculated by using the data at those points and by executing the calculations to correct those values , the accuracy can be further improved . referring now to fig3 b , the value of n 0 - n a is constant in a region between the o and a points . that is , however , since the discontinuity occurs in the value of n 0 at the point a by only - 1 , when a point is located on the sensor s side other point a in fig3 a , a bias value is added to n 0 , so that n 0 is calculated as n 0 + 1 . when the value of the equation ( 5 ) deviates from a predetermined value , n 0 can be corrected as mentioned above . that is , in the above case , when a discontinuity exists in the value of n 0 at a point in the direction opposite to the point a with respect to the o point as a center , a correction of n 0 = n 0 - 1 is executed . although the embodiment has been described above by paying an attention to the value of n , a distance error similar to n can also occur in the calculation of d . in the above case as well , the distance error can be reduced by providing a plurality of correction points as mentioned above . in the above description , the error is reduced by selecting the optimum one of a plurality of correction points . the error can be also reduced , however , by executing the correction by using a mean value or the like of the data derived from a plurality of correction points . the above correction can be also obviously omitted so long as a possible error doesn &# 39 ; t cause any practical problem . in the embodiment , a consideration has been made with respect to only one sensor s for simplicity of explanation . when there are a plurality of sensors , however , similar processings are executed with respect to each sensor in processing steps s10 , s15 , s25 , s30 , s40 , and s45 . in the above embodiment , the correction data have simultaneously been obtained at different points ( o point and a point ). in another embodiment , the case where a plurality of correction data are obtained at the same point under different conditions and the correction is performed will now be explained with reference to a flowchart of fig5 . in the embodiment , the coordinates input apparatus used in the foregoing embodiment is used . therefore , the same parts and components as those in the apparatus of the foregoing embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted unless otherwise specified . in the flowchart of fig5 further , the same processing steps as those in fig4 of the foregoing embodiment are designated by the same step numbers and their descriptions are omitted here . an offset deviation as shown in fig8 generally occurs by a change in angle when the vibration pen comes into contact with the vibration transmission plate , delay time of the circuit , or offset amount of the propagation delay time . to correct the offset amount , the values of tgz 0 and tpz 0 under the ordinary conditions at the o point are calculated and stored , and the correction data ( tgz off , tpz off ) under the conditions ( hereinafter , referred to as offset conditions ) including an offset occurring due to changes in angle , temperature , and the like in step s115 are derived and stored into the ram 85 . the following calculation processings are executed on the basis of the values derived as mentioned above . in step s130 , the value of n off -[ n off ](= n off ) is obtained by using the correction data under the offset conditions at the o point . when the value of the result obtained as mentioned above is compared with the value of n 0 -[ n 0 ](= n 0 ) which is obtained by using the values of tgz 0 and tpz 0 , the value of n 0 is close to 0 and the value of n off is away from 0 so long as the conditions of the apparatus upon inputting of the coordinates are close to the conditions when tgz 0 and tpz 0 are obtained . because of the above reasons , in step s135 , | n 0 | and | n off | are compared . when the value of | n 0 | is close to 0 , step s40 follows . when the value of | n off | is close to 0 , step s145 follows . in step s145 , the coordinates are calculated by using the correction data under the offset conditions at the o point . as mentioned above , the coordinates are calculated by selectively using either the correction data obtained under the ordinary conditions at the o point or the correction data under the offset conditions . thus , the accuracy deterioration occurring due to , particularly , the offset deviation can be prevented . by calculating the coordinates by using the mean value of tgz 0 and tpz 0 and the mean value of tgz off and tpz off , the processing to select the correction data which is necessary every input of the coordinates can be eliminated , so that the calculating speed can be further improved . moreover , by combining the embodiment with the foregoing embodiment and by providing the correction data at a plurality of points , the correction can be more effectively executed in correspondence to the offset deviation , changes in component elements of the apparatus , change in external environment , or the like . in the embodiment , consideration has been made with respect to only one sensor s for simplicity of explanation . however , when a plurality of sensors exist , similar processes are executed with respect to each sensor in the processing steps s10 , s115 , s125 , s130 , s140 , and s145 . therefore , according to the foregoing embodiments , the optimum correction data is selected on the basis of a plurality of origin correction data derived at the same point or a plurality of points and the coordinates calculation and the correction calculation are performed . thus , the accuracy deterioration due to a variation in component elements and a fluctuation of external factors can be prevented . the origin correction can be more precisely executed .
8
embodiments of the invention provide methods of synthesis and use of micro - sized mesoporous silicon . various compositions , methods and uses will be described below . a synthesis route for a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in scheme 1 . silicon was produced by reduction of sicl 4 with alkaline alloy reductant nak . to obtain meso - porous silicon materials with pore size & lt ; 20 nm ( measured as average pore diameter ), no external templates are needed . the pore size may be confirmed by tem microscopy and calculated results from nitrogen sorption measurement using the barrett - joynes - halenda ( bjh ) method . the reaction can be processed under heat at temperatures of between 20 - 110 ° c . in other embodiments the temperature is between 60 - 100 ° c . the si silicon from reduction is amorphous . to minimize the oxidation of si with h 2 o during the salt removal process , the raw material is treated by calcination to form a crystalline framework , which provides kinetically slower reactivity toward water and air than that of amorphous si . different calcination temperatures result in different particle size and pore size . calcination may be conducted , for example , at temperatures from 600 ° c . to 950 ° c . this creates a series of mesoporous si with different bet ( brunauer - emmett - teller method ) surface areas . the psi material is obtained by removal of salt by - products with deionized water . herein the terminology “ psi - xxx ” is used , wherein “ xxx ” is a number . this denotes the calcination temperature . therefore , psi - 600 shows a calcination temperature of 600 ° c . a more general synthesis scheme for compositions as reported herein is shown in scheme 2 . in this scheme silicon is produced by reduction of halogenated silicon with an alkaline - based reductant . no template is necessary . the halogenated silicon may be , for example , silicon tetrabromide , silicon tetrafluoride , silicon tetraiodide , or silicon tetrachloride . all of the halogen atoms need not be the same ; for example , sifcl 3 or sii 2 cl 2 may also be used . this is normally conducted in an organic solvent . toluene is one example of a suitable solvent . other suitable solvents include , for example , but are not limited to , tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) and pentane . the alkaline metal - based reductant may be , for example , sodium metal ( na ), and / or sodium naphthanide ( nac 10 h 8 ). one preferred reductant is sodium - potassium alloy ( nak ). although any nak may be used , in some embodiments the nak has silicon - halogenide to potassium ratio of 1 : 4 . the following calcination process is typically used during methods as reported herein . the calcination temperature ranges from 600 ° c . to 950 ° c . in some embodiments the temperature ranges between 650 ° c . and 900 ° c . ; or 700 ° c . and 800 ° c . the calcination process is typically taken under inert gas environment ( e . g ., either nitrogen or argon gas ) to prevent the oxidation of the materials . typically once the porous silicon material has been formed it is washed with water to remove salts . other salt removal techniques may also be used , such as hf solution etching or thermal salt sublimation . to obtain mesoporous silicon materials with pore size & gt ; 20 nm , external sio 2 templates are typically used . the synthesis is the same as described above , though with the addition of templates as indicated below . the external sio 2 templates are commercially available . for example , they may be obtained from sigma - aldrich . the external templates are mixed with sicl 4 precursor ( or another halogenated silicon precursor ) and the mixture is reduced by nak alloy ( or another alkaline alloy reductant ) in toluene ( or another organic solvent ) with or without reflux . as with the template - free synthesis reported above , calcination is required for the template process to obtain crystalline product . different calcination temperatures ( for example , different temperatures between 600 ° c . and 950 ° c .) result in different particle size and pore size , with higher temperatures tending to lead to larger particle size and larger pore size . this allows embodiments of the invention to provide a series of mesoporous silicon materials with different bet surface areas . in still further embodiments , n - type and p - type mesoporous si materials can be obtained by mixing the halogenide precursor of corresponding doping elements . for example , by using bcl 3 as the co - precursor , p - type mesoporous si will be achieved . in another embodiment , n - type mesoporous si can be prepared with pcl 3 as the co - precursor . external sio 2 templates are optional due to the need of the desired pore size . the synthesis procedures are the same as described previously . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , a silicon produced by the method described above ( in particular the initial method ), brunauer - emmett - teller ( bet ) surface area analysis indicates a high surface area of 496 . 8 m 2 g − 1 ( 1152 m 2 cm − 3 ) of the resulting porous silicon ( psi - 600 ). the bet surface area that we have achieved is substantially and surprisingly greater than those that have been achieved previously . most reported porous silicon materials have a surface area ranging from 100 m 2 g − 1 to 300 m 2 g − 1 . only few were reported with surface areas as high as around 500 m 2 g − 1 . in some embodiments our silicas have a bet surface area greater than 550 m 2 g − 1 . the highest value obtained by our novel method reaches 580 m 2 g − 1 , which is the highest among all reported meso - porous silicon materials . this is almost 20 % greater than the greatest value that has been reported , and almost 100 % more than the high end of the average range . although the materials obtained from our method are defined as porous silicon , we emphasize that the material structure , as well as pore structure , is different from other porous silicon materials . here the definition of “ porous ” should be read broadly . any materials with many pores or vacants or voids can be defined as porous structure . in addition , the concept mesoporous is based on the pore size of the materials . all the porous materials with a pore size ranging from 2 to 50 nm are mesoporous structure . a number of other analytical methods may be applied to confirm the quality and consistency of the porous silicon materials . a transmission electron microscope ( tem ) image as shown in fig2 a demonstrates that the porous material particles included nano - sized interconnected crystalline units and mostly uniform meso - pores . the high - resolution tem image of psi - 600 suggests the crystalline particles . the x - ray powder diffraction ( xrd ) pattern of psi - 600 shows crystalline phases that are assigned as silicon ( fig1 c , jcpds card no . 27 - 1402 and space group fd3m [ 227 ]). the x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps ) characterization result is shown in fig1 d . the peaks appearing at 100 ev and 104 ev are assigned to si ( 0 ) and si ( 4 +), respectively . the binding energies in between correspond to sio x ( 0 & lt ; x & lt ; 2 ). the appearance of the surface oxides , which is commonly observed in silicon nanoparticles , is also confirmed by the raman spectrum , in which a peak shoulder appeared around 350 cm − 1 attributed to amorphous sio x ( 0 & lt ; x & lt ; 2 ) and sio 2 was observed . the raman spectrum ( fig1 e ) of the psi - 600 also shows a broad peaks at 480 cm − 1 , which are considered as a layer of amorphous si covering the crystalline core . as do other porous silicon materials , the psi - 600 also contains a terminal si — h structure , which is confirmed by infrared spectroscopy ( fig1 f , ν si — h at 2100 cm − 1 and ν o — si — h at 2257 cm − 1 ). according to all characterization results , the structure of the psi material can be described as a porous micro - sized particle composed of nano - sized crystalline units and mesopores , which are pores that have a typical pore diameter between 2 and 50 nm . the structure of psi may be contrasted with the structure of a si — c composite reported in r . yi , f . dai , m . l . gordin , s . chen , d . wang , adv energy mater 2012 . both of the materials have the similar primary unit size and pore size . however , the mesopores of the psi are much more ordered and evenly distributed than those of the si — c composite . in addition , the total pore volume of psi ( 1 . 44 cm 3 g − 1 ) is much higher than that of si — c composite . one particularly useful application of porous silicon as reported here is in an anode in a li - ion battery . these anodes may be constructed , for example , by mixing the porous silicon with polymer binder and conductive carbon . suitable polymer binders include , for example , but are not limited to polyacrylic acid ( paa ), carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt ( nacmc ), and polyvinylidene fluoride ( pvdf )). the mixture may be coated on the surface of copper foil . the psi material may also be coated with a thin layer of carbon by thermal deposition of acetylene before an electrochemical performance test . the electrochemical performance of the psi and psi / c material as an anode for li - ion batteries may be tested using cr2016 coin - type half - cells . anodes according to embodiments of the invention may be tested by running multiple cycles of charging and discharging . for a typical test , the discharge - charge profiles of electrodes during the 1st , 10th , 50th , and 100th cycles at 1 ag − 1 between 0 . 01 v and 1 . 5 v are shown in fig3 a . the initial discharge and charge capacity are 1862 mahg − 1 and 1044 mahg − 1 ( 2482 mahg − 1 and 1392 mahg − 1 according to si , at current density of 0 . 4 ag − 1 ), giving a coulombic efficiency of 56 %. the discharge - charge profiles show little change from the 10th cycle to the 100th cycle . the cycling performance of the psi / c anode between 0 . 01v and 1 . 5v is shown in fig4 b . after 100 cycles , the material shows a reversible capacity of 990 mahg − 1 ( 1320 mahg − 1 based on si ) with capacity retention of 94 . 8 %. the coulombic efficiencies reach 99 % after 10 cycles and remain at & gt ; 99 %. the rate performance of the psi / c anode was also tested at current densities of 0 . 4 ag − 1 , 0 . 8 ag − 1 , 1 . 6 ag − 1 , 3 . 2 ag − 1 , and 6 . 4 ag − 1 . the results are shown in fig3 c . the capacity at current density of 6 . 4 ag − 1 is 395 mahg − 1 , which is superior to the theoretical capacity of graphite . a capacity of 1032 mahg − 1 recovers when the current density is reset to 0 . 4 mahg − 1 after 55 cycles , showing the good reversibility of the psi / c anode material . an electrochemical performance comparison between the psi / c anode and 820 ° c . product was also made . the 820 ° c . product shows a higher initial capacity of 2060 mahg − 1 , however , with poorer capacity retention which is due to the fast capacity fade . the capacity of the 820 ° c . product dropped below 380 mahg − 1 only within 40 cycles . silicon prepared according to the teachings herein may be particularly suitable for use with solar hydrogen evolution applications , which involve the use of solar energy to catalyze the split of water into oxygen and hydrogen gas . the hydrogen gas may then be used as a fuel . typically silicon is excellent for capturing photons up to the red part in the visible light area of the solar spectrum . photoelectrodes based on silicon have been prepared by bottom - up chemical methods , electrochemical or chemical etching methods have been proved to be efficient photoelectrochemical solar hydrogen evolution . however , there are few reports on photocatalytic solar hydrogen evolution . the limitation is mainly due to the small energy gap between band edge and h + / h 2 potential , as well as short working life . the porous silicons prepared herein may have an enlarged band gap relative to other silicons , and this may increase efficiency when used with the solar applications . with an enlarged band gap of 1 . 63 ev , which is calculated according to the uv - vis diffuse reflectance spectrum ( fig4 a ), psi - 600 was tested for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performances ( see experimental parts ). fig4 b shows the typical reaction time course of the photocatalytic h 2 evolution of different non - loaded psi materials . psi - 600 shows a h 2 generation amount of 1341 μmol h 2 g − 1 si in 7 hours , which is higher than that of a typical si nanopowder ( 206 μmolh 2 g − 1 si ). the photocatalytic activities are usually affected by the step of light absorption , photogenerated charge pairs separation , the amount of surface active sites , and the migration and recombination rate of photogenerated charges . according to our spectroscopy characterization , the psi - 600 contains a surface oxide layer as well as few amorphous silicon layers , which may prevent the migration of photogenerated charges and enhance the re - combination of the electrons and holes . surface oxides are typically understood to have a detrimental effect on solar uses of silicon , due to creation of a covering that reduces active sites and lowers photocatalytic performance . therefore in consideration of this effect the surface may be washed by hf to remove the surface oxides and amorphous silicon . the resulting material ( psi - 600r ) when characterized by raman , ir and xrd spectroscopy ( as shown in fig5 ) demonstrates less surface oxides and a better crystalline phase . the bet surface area of psi - 600r is slightly increased to 580 m 3 g − 1 . as a result , the photocatalytic activity of psi - 600r increased to 882 μmol g − 1 h − 1 , which is much improved and comparable with other unloaded photocatalyst ( e . g . mos 2 / tio 2 , ( agin ) x zn 2 ( 1 - x ) s 2 , cu 3 sns 4 ) for solar h 2 evolution . silicon produced according to embodiments of the invention exhibits photocatalytic activity under different illumination conditions than those of other silicon sources . unlike other tested samples , psi - 600r showed reactivity towards water even under dark conditions ( fig4 c ). in general , the natural oxidation of silicon by water is slow . the increased reaction rate of psi - 600r , however , is likely due to the enlarged surface area , which provides extra contact between the silicon and water . this relationship between surface area and reaction rate could be further demonstrated by a chemical reaction between psi - 600r with koh aqueous solution . an extremely high average h 2 generating rate reaches 47 . 5 mmolh 2 s − 1 g − 1 si , which is about 30 times that of the highest previously reported result ( 1 . 5 mmolh 2 s − 1 g − 1 si of embodiments of the invention shows photocatalytic reactivity under visible light ( fig4 c ). in contrast , no h 2 is generated under visible light from silicon nanopowders . the psi also shows a much extended working life relative to previously reported results . after 55 hours ( 3 cycles , fig4 d ), psi - 600r still shows acceptable photocatalytic h 2 evolution rate (˜ 400 μmolh 2 h − 1 g − 1 si ) under visible light . embodiments of the invention are further described by way of examples . these are not exclusive , but are instead intended to show sample embodiments . an nak alloy ( 6 g ) was added to 120 ml of toluene solution of anhydrous sicl 4 ( 4 ml , 34 mmol , aldrich 99 %) in an argon filled glovebox . this mixture was heated under reflux for 4 h . after cooling the solution down to room temperature , the mixture was moved out of the glovebox . then 20 ml of diethyl ether solution of hydrogen chloride ( 2m , aldrich ) was added slowly with stirring under the ar . the raw products were collected by filtration and annealed ( e . g . 600 ° c .) for 30 min under ar atmosphere . the final product was obtained by removing the salts by - products with deionized ( di ) water and dried in vacuum oven before use . external sio 2 template ( e . g . 200 nm size ) is used for generation of larger pores . 240 mg of sio 2 was mixed with 4 ml sicl 4 in 120 ml toluene in an ar filled glovebox . the mixture was then mixed with 6 g of nak alloy . after reflux for 4 hours , the mixture was cooled to room temperature and removed from the glovebox . then 20 ml of diethyl ether solution of hydrogen chloride ( 2m , aldrich ) was added slowly with stirring under the ar . the raw products were collected by filtration and annealed ( e . g . 600 ° c .) for 30 min under ar atmosphere . the final product was obtained by removing the salts and template with hf / hcl mixture and dried in vacuum oven before use . p - type psi was synthesized by a similar way . 0 . 4 ml bcl 3 was mixed with 4 ml sicl 4 and then reduced by 6 g nak alloy in 120 ml toluene . the following procedure was the same as described above . to remove the salts , only di water is needed . cr2016 - type coin cells consisting of the psi based electrode and lithium foil anode separated by a celgard 2400 membrane were used for battery tests . the electrode contained 60 wt % active material , 20 wt % super p and 20 wt % polyacrylic acid ( paa ). the electrolyte was 1 m lipf6 dissolved in a mixed solvent of ethylene carbonate ( ec ), ethyl methyl carbonate ( 1 : 2 , v / v ) with 10 wt % fluoroethylene carbonate ( fec ) as additive . the density of the electrode is 0 . 72 g / cm3 and the loading of the active material is 1 . 4 mg / cm2 . the cells were assembled in an argon - filled glove box ( mbraun gmbh , germany ). the charge - discharge experiments were performed on a bt2000 battery testing system ( arbin instruments , usa ) in the potential range of 0 . 01 - 1 . 5 v using galvostatic charging and discharging method with different current rates . lithium foil acted as both the reference and counter electrode . electrochemical tests were performed at room temperature . photocatalytic water splitting was performed in a gas - closed top window ( quartz glass ) pyrex cell with a side septa neck for sampling , using 300 - w xe lamp as light source . the effective area for cell is 40 . 7 cm2 . 0 . 1 ml gas samples were taken periodically and analyzed for hydrogen using a hp5890ii gas chromatograph , with a thermal conductivity detector and a 2 m msx 13 × column . in all experiments , 70 ml of deionized water containing around 0 . 02 g of catalyst and the sacrificial agent methanol ( scavenging the photogenerated holes ) were added into reaction cell . the whole system was purged with argon for 30 minutes to remove dissolved air before reaction . temperature for all photocatalytic reactions was kept at 25 ± 5 ° c . a controlled experiment was carried out before characterization , and no appreciable h 2 was detected without photocatalyst .
1
referring to fig1 a tape cassette 10 , such as is used in conjunction with the vhs videotape recording standard , includes a generally rectangular cassette housing 12 holding a supply reel 14 and take - up reel 16 therein . prior to first playing the cassette 10 , and as shown in fig1 the supply reel 14 is fully wound with a flexible magnetic tape 18 . the magnetic tape 18 passes from the supply reel 14 along a front edge 20 of the housing 12 and then is received by the take - up reel 16 . during a playing of the tape cassette 10 , the magnetic tape 18 moves from the supply reel 14 to the take - up reel 16 as indicated by arrow 23 . the supply reel 14 and take - up reel 16 include hubs 22 and 24 respectively , having splined bores ( not shown ) exposed through openings in the bottom face 26 of the tape cassette 10 . the splined bores of the hubs 22 and 24 are received by corresponding engaging shafts ( not shown ) of a tape player so as to rotate the hubs 22 and 24 , and thus the supply reel 14 and the take - up reel 16 , to move the magnetic tape 18 from the supply reel 14 to the take - up reel 16 during play . a tape follower arm 28 swings about pivot 30 attached to the top face 27 of the housing 12 so that a pad 32 , attached to the arm 28 at a position removed from the pivot 30 toward the take - up reel 16 , may swing in a generally radial direction towards the hub 24 of the take - up reel 16 so as to rest on the outer surface of the magnetic tape 18 as wound around the take - up reel 16 . thus , as magnetic tape 18 moves from the supply reel 14 to the take - up reel 16 , the tape follower arm 28 rotates clockwise in fig1 about pivot 30 , to provide an indication of the amount of tape played , as will be described below . referring now to fig2 and observing the convention that the supply reel 14 is being viewed from the top with the front edge 20 of the tape cassette 10 towards the bottom of the figure , as shown in fig2 - 5 , the supply reel 14 rotates in a counterclockwise direction 34 during a playing of the magnetic tape 18 . the tape follower arm 28 is urged by a spring 36 in a clockwise direction about a pivot 30 . thus , as described above , during the playing of the cassette 10 , the spring 36 presses the pad 32 ( shown in fig1 ) against the outer circumference of the magnetic tape 18 on the tape reel 16 . a finger 37 extending from the tape follower arm 28 in the opposite direction from the pad 32 abuts a lever portion 40 of a reverse pawl 38 . the operation of the finger 37 will be described further below . the lever portion 40 of the reverse pawl 38 connects to a toothed portion 44 of the reverse pawl , about a pivot 42 , so that both swing in unison about the pivot 42 . a spring 50 pulls the lever portion 40 of the reverse pawl 38 in a radial outward direction with respect to the hub 22 , thus also moving the toothed portion 44 generally inward toward hub 22 . the pivot 42 is further mounted on a slide block 46 which is biased by springs 48 to move the slide block 46 generally along a tangent to the rotation of the hub 22 in a counterclockwise direction . during the initial playing of the cassette 10 , the slide block 46 is positioned fully to the left along the counterclockwise tangent and the reverse pawl 38 is held in position , against the counterclockwise bias of the spring 50 , by the finger 37 of the tape follower arm 28 , which abuts the lever portion 40 of the reverse pawl 38 on its outer side with respect to the hub 22 . the toothed portion 44 of the reverse pawl 38 is thereby retracted from and does not engage a series of ratchet teeth 39 on the hub 22 . the lever portion 40 of the reverse pawl 38 is also connected , by means of a sliding hinge 52 , to one end of a release lever 54 . the release lever 54 swings about centrally located pivot 56 which bisects the length of a release lever 54 . initially , the release lever 54 is positioned along a substantially radial line from hub 22 , with its radially proximate end connected by the sliding hinge 52 to the lever portion 40 of the reverse pawl 38 . a spring 58 provides a general clockwise bias to the release lever 54 , such bias being resisted , during the initial playing of the tape cassette 10 , by the sliding hinge 52 bearing against the reverse pawl 38 . the radially outward end of the release lever 54 abuts a lever portion 60 of a play pawl 62 . the play pawl 62 is generally biased in a counterclockwise direction around a pivot 64 by a spring 66 , with the radially outward end of release lever 54 abutting the lever portion 60 of the play pawl 62 , thereby preventing the counterclockwise rotation of the play pawl 62 . opposite the pivot 64 from the lever portion 60 of the play pawl 62 is a toothed portion 66 . as blocked by release lever 54 , the toothed portion 66 of the play pawl 62 is held away from ratchet teeth 68 , the ratchet teeth facing inward from the circumference of the supply reel 14 . thus , during an initial playing of the tape cassette 10 , prior to reaching a replay limit , the supply reel 14 is free to move in either the counterclockwise play direction 34 , or a clockwise rewind direction 70 . referring to fig1 and 2 , as magnetic tape 18 moves from the supply reel 14 to the take - up reel 16 , the tape follower arm 28 will be moved in a counterclockwise direction about pivot 30 lowering the finger 37 and allowing the reverse pawl 38 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction . this counterclockwise rotation brings the toothed portion 44 progressively closer to engaging ratchet teeth 39 on hub 22 as the tape cassette 10 is played . when sufficient tape has moved from the supply reel 14 to the take - up reel 16 , the tape follower arm 28 will have rotated sufficiently in the counterclockwise direction to allow the toothed portion 44 to engage ratchet teeth 39 . the amount of magnetic tape 18 which must move to the take - up reel 16 , before reverse pawl 38 can engage ratchet teeth 39 , defines the replay limit prior to which the user of the tape may play and reverse the tape without restriction . as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , the length of playing prior to the replay limit may be readily adjusted , for example , by changing the angle between the tape follower arm 28 and the finger 37 or the length of the finger 37 . prior to the passing the replay limit , the cassette 10 may be played and rewound without restriction . referring to fig9 in one embodiment , the passage of a free preview period prior to the replay limit may be indicated to user by flag lever 146 , which moves in front of or away from a window 148 in housing 12 of the cassette 10 . the flag lever 146 is actuated by a pin 150 on the upper surface of the finger 37 of the tape follower arm 28 . as the finger 37 moves downward , it engages a handle portion 152 of the flag lever 146 , thus rotating the flag lever 146 counterclockwise about pivot 154 , to swing a flag portion 156 of the flag lever 146 in front of the window 148 . the flag portion 156 may be painted red to provide a contrast to the typically black housing 12 of the tape cassette 10 . the flag lever 146 is biased by an over center spring ( not shown ), such as is known in the art , to hold the flag portion 146 in front of the window 148 even when the tape is rewound , and the pin 150 is no longer pressing on the handle portion 152 of the flag lever 146 . as shown in fig1 , the flag lever 146 may be reset by the reset lever 72 , which includes an ear 158 having a pin 160 engaging the upper portion of the flag portion 156 of the flag lever 146 . movement of the reset slide 72 rotates the flag lever 146 in a counterclockwise direction moving the flag portion 156 away from the window 148 . again , the over center spring ( not shown ) holds the flag lever 146 in this position even after the reset slide 72 is retracted . the free preview period defines a period during which now charge is made for playing the cassette 10 ( and in fact there need be no indication that it has been played ) and the cassette may be rewound and returned . referring now to fig3 once the replay limit has passed , the tape follower arm 28 will have rotated counterclockwise to a position sufficient such that the finger 37 no longer supports the lever portion 40 of the reverse pawl 38 against the force of spring 50 ( shown in fig2 ), and the toothed portion 44 of the reverse pawl 38 may engage the ratchet teeth 39 on hub 22 . as the oblique surface of each ratchet tooth 39 strikes the inside surface of the toothed portion 44 of the reverse pawl 38 , the reverse pawl 38 rotates slightly in a clockwise direction against the force of spring 50 ( shown in fig2 ) about sliding hinge 52 . thus , as with a conventional ratchet , the interaction of ratchet teeth 39 and reverse pawl 38 is such as to permit free rotation in only one direction , in this case play direction 34 , and engage only in the rewind direction 70 , as will be described . at this point , the single - play feature of the cassette 10 is activated . referring now to fig4 at any time after the beginning of the single - play period , the cassette 10 and tape 18 may be rewound as indicated by arrow 70 . upon rewinding of the cassette 10 , the forward surface of one of the ratchet teeth 39 catches the toothed portion 44 of the reverse pawl 38 , moving the entire reverse pawl 38 in a generally clockwise or leftward direction against the action of springs 48 ( shown in fig2 ), as accommodated by movement of the slide block 46 . this motion of the reverse pawl 38 pushes the lever portion 40 against the radially inward or proximate end of release lever 54 , through the sliding hinge 52 , rotating the release lever 54 in a counterclockwise direction . the outer end of release lever 54 , previously supporting the lever portion 60 of the play pawl 62 , is now disengaged from the lever portion 60 , permitting the play pawl 62 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction , so that its toothed portion 66 moves radially outward with respect to the hub 22 to engage the ratchet teeth 68 . despite this engagement , however , the play pawl 62 does not obstruct the rewinding 70 of the cassette , but simply rotates in a clockwise direction , to move its toothed portion 66 away from the ratchet teeth 68 , when the oblique surface of the ratchet teeth 68 touch the toothed portion 66 of the play pawl 62 , as in conventional ratchet action . however , when the tape is again moved in the play direction 34 , the interaction of the ratchet 68 and the toothed portion 66 of the play pawl 62 will serve to prevent rotation in the play direction 34 , and thus serves to prevent second viewings of the program material on the tape 18 after the free preview period has expired . after the rewinding of the cassette 10 , after the start of the single - play period , the toothed portion 44 of the reverse pawl 38 is held away from the ratchet teeth 39 by the release lever 54 , which has released the lever portion 60 of the play pawl 62 . the lever portion 60 slips upward because of the urging of spring 66 ( shown in fig2 ) to prevent clockwise motion of the release lever 54 which in turn prevents re - engagement of the toothed portion 44 of the reverse pawl 38 . thus , after the predetermined replay limit has passed , the tape cassette 10 may be rewound , but not played again , until the mechanism is again reset to the configuration shown in fig2 . referring now to fig5 the resetting of the tape cassette 10 , after the single - play period , is accomplished by means of a reset slide 72 . the reset slide 72 is guided by pins 74 , so that it may slide from its retracted upward position , to push the lever end 60 of the play pawl 62 downward and clockwise , raising the toothed portion 66 of the play pawl 62 away from the ratchet teeth 68 . when the play pawl 62 is so moved , in a clockwise direction , the radially outward end of the release lever 54 may slip back to the top of the lever portion 60 of the play pawl 62 , under the urgings of the spring 58 ( shown in fig2 ). the reverse pawl 38 will have previously moved in a clockwise direction under the urging of the finger 37 of the tape follower arm 28 , the follower arm having returned to its initial more clockwise direction as a result of the rewinding of the magnetic tape 18 . thus , after the magnetic tape 18 is rewound completely , the reset slide 72 may move to reset the mechanism of the tape cassette 10 to permit free playing and rewinding , prior to the replay limit , as before . the reset slide 72 is moved by means of cam 76 , positioned to abut the upper end of the reset slide 72 , which rotates about a socket 78 accessible from outside of the housing 12 . the simple resetting of the play pawl 62 by rotating socket 78 to move the reset slide 72 , however , would provide insufficient security against resetting of the tape by unauthorized individuals . this is true even though the socket 78 is given a cross section whose outline is an irregular polygon , which prevents its engagement with common hex headed wrenches and the like . accordingly , a maze 80 , having a serpentine channel 82 cut into a plate affixed to the reset slide 72 , is attached to the reset slide 72 to move with movement of the reset slide 72 . a locking pin 84 received by the serpentine channel 82 is supported by a locking lever 86 , pivoting about pivot 88 , to be navigated therethrough . the locking pin lever 86 , on the opposite side of the pivot from the locking pin 84 , supports an electromagnet 90 that communicates with a second electromagnet outside of the cassette housing 12 to permit movement of the locking pin lever 86 as the reset slide 72 is advanced , without breaching the integrity of the housing 12 . the locking pin lever 86 moves generally in a radial path parallel to the &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; face 27 of the cassette housing 12 . it will now be understood that movement of the reset slide 72 requires rotation of the locking pin lever 86 so as to guide the locking pin 88 through the serpentine channel 82 , during the movement of the reset slide 72 and the maze 80 . the serpentine channel 82 includes dead - ends or &# 34 ; blind alleys &# 34 ; rendering this negotiation of the locking pin 84 through the serpentine channel 82 extremely difficult . after the resetting is complete , by extension of the reset slide 72 sufficiently to move the play pawl 62 away from the ratchet teeth 68 , the reset slide 72 is retracted , with the reverse sequence of movement of the locking pin 84 in the maze 80 , so that the reset slide 72 does not interfere with the action of the play pawl 62 in restricting a second viewing of the tape cassette 10 after the replay limit is next exhausted . once the reset slide 72 is withdrawn upward , the locking pin 84 is allowed to return under the influence of its biasing spring so that the locking pin 84 aligns with notch 87 in a strong locking position which prevents the motion of reset slide 72 downward and establishes the position of electromagnet 90 so that it may be subsequently located . referring to fig1 , the - previously described mechanism may be simply modified to permit multiple replays of the cassette 10 prior to locking the cassette 10 against further playing . in this embodiment , the reverse pawl 38 is modified and no longer connects directly to the release lever 54 . instead , when the finger 37 allows the toothed portion 44 of the reverse pawl 38 to engage the ratchet teeth 39 , the lever portion 40 of the reverse pawl 38 strikes a ratchet tooth 200 on a counter wheel 202 advancing the counter wheel 202 in a clockwise direction by a half step . the counter wheel 202 pivots about a pivot point 203 and has embossed on its upper surface a machine readable coding consisting of one , two or three bars corresponding roughly to the roman numerals i , ii and iii . at each full step , a different embossment is visible through a window 204 and may be read as will be described below . the counter wheel 202 initially displays the single line embossment &# 34 ; i &# 34 ; through the window 204 and with the striking of the lever portion 40 of the reverse pawl 38 against the ratchet tooth 200 , the toothed wheel 202 moves such that the window 204 displays a portion of the toothed wheel 202 between two of the embossments . referring to fig1 , as the arm 28 returns to its initial position with a rewinding of the tape and finger 37 moves towards the hub 22 , a pawl arm 206 engages one of downwardly extending pins 208 on the counter wheel 202 so as to advance the counter wheel 202 by a second half step while simultaneously disengaging reverse pawl 38 from the ratchet teeth 39 of the hub 22 . thus , for each play of the cassette , the counter wheel 202 advances by one step . at the conclusion of three steps of advancements of the counter wheel 202 , a trip pin 210 downwardly extending from the bottom surface of the counter wheel 202 strikes the release lever 54 releasing the play pawl 62 as has been previously been described thus preventing a further playing of the cassette 10 . the counter wheel 202 may be reset , bringing about the resetting of the release lever 54 and the play pawl 62 as has been previously described , by means of the ear 158 on the reset lever 72 engaging a reset pin 212 also downwardly extending from the lower surface of the counter wheel 202 which returns the counter wheel 202 to its reset and counter clockwise position . the resetting of the cassette 10 by rotation of the cam 76 , and careful movement of the locking pin lever 86 , cannot be readily performed by hand . rather , referring to fig6 and 7 , a resetting unit 92 is employed . the resetting unit 92 has a housing 94 including a cavity 96 of outline similar to the housing 12 of the tape cassette 10 for receiving the tape cassette 10 therein so that the top face 27 of the tape cassette 10 abuts a bottom wall 97 . within the bottom wall 97 of the cavity 96 is a window 98 and vertically protruding reset wrench 100 , having a cross - section conforming to the previously described socket 78 attached to the cam 76 . positioned beneath the bottom wall 97 of the cavity 96 is an electromagnet 102 supported by arm 104 on stepper motor 106 , to move in a radial path parallel to but just beneath the wall 97 . the cassette 10 is placed in the cavity 96 , so that the reset wrench 100 is received by the socket 78 , and so that the radial path of electromagnet 102 corresponds with the radial path of electromagnet 90 on the locking pin lever 86 . when the cassette is in position in the cavity 96 , the window 98 aligns with a bar code on a label positioned on the outside of the housing 12 of the tape cassette 10 permitting a bar code reader 110 , positioned beneath the bottom wall 97 within the resetting unit 92 , to read the bar code 108 . a count reader 111 aligns with the window 204 of the cassette 10 to permit the number of plays of the cassette to be read from the count wheel 202 . although the present invention contemplates that the bar code reader 110 and the counter reader 111 are optical systems reading bar codes , it will be understood that other reading systems may be used and that the term label should be considered to embrace other means of communicating the necessary information including , for example low powered radio frequency resonators ( rf tags ) and the like . power is provided to electromagnet 90 from the resetting unit 92 by means of a center conductor 118 within the reset wrench 100 and the outer conducting body of the reset wrench 100 which provides a ground path . the reset wrench 100 is also connected to a cam stepper motor unit 122 which serves to rotate the reset wrench 100 . the bar code reader 110 , the locking pin stepper motor unit 106 and the cam stepper motor unit 122 are each connected to a microprocessor unit 124 for the reading of data from and the control of these units as will be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art . the microprocessor 124 in turn communicates with a number of memory devices including electronically erasable programmable read only memory 126 (&# 34 ; eprom &# 34 ;), random access memory 128 (&# 34 ; ram &# 34 ;), read only memory 130 (&# 34 ; rom &# 34 ;) and a write once read mostly memory 132 (&# 34 ; worm &# 34 ;) in the form of a removable medium optical disc . referring now also to fig8 the microprocessor 124 executes a program contained in rom 130 . at decision block 134 of that program , the microprocessor 124 determines whether a cassette 10 is in place within cavity 96 of the resetting unit 92 . this determination is made by measuring the current flow from the reset wrench 100 through the electromagnet 90 . this determination also insures that electromagnet 90 is functioning . if no cassette is in place , determined as indicated at decision block 134 , the program loops through decision block 134 until a cassette 10 is in place . if a cassette is in place at decision block 134 , then at process block 136 , the bar code reader 110 reads the bar code 108 on the outside of the housing 12 to establish both the identity of the recorded material and a key code indicating the particular maze 80 employed with that cassette . after the identity of the recorded material is determined , data indicating a viewing of the material of the cassette 10 and relevant information identifying the cassette 10 are stored on worm 132 . audit data indicating for example simply the fact of a single resetting is stored in the eprom 126 as indicated by block 138 . this audit data provides data for checking the information stored on the worm 132 which is used for generating more detailed bills based on usage of the cassette 10 . the number of plays indicated by the count wheel 202 may also be recorded . this information may be used to provide a more accurate charging of the user for actual plays but it is anticipated will instead be used to track usage of the cassette for its value as marketing information . the audit data may likewise include general checksums of the information contained on the worm 132 . at process block 140 , rom 130 is interrogated to obtain the sequence of moves of the cam 76 based on the bar code 108 read by the bar code reader 110 and the locking pin lever 86 corresponding to the key code indicated on the bar code 108 and necessary to reset the tape cassette 10 by moving cam 76 and locking pin lever 86 . although the sequence of moves corresponding to the key code may be simply stored or programmed into the rom 130 , preferably , the rom 130 provides only a decoding sequence used to decode key codes embedded in coded form in the bar code 108 . the decoded key codes are used to access a sequence of moves of the cam 76 as stored in the worm 132 . the use of rom 130 provides an increased element of security against the unauthorized resetting of the cassettes 10 , for example , by unauthorized resetting units . it will be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art that the rom may be replaced by other readily available and equivalent electrical devices such as : programmable read only memories , erasable programmable read only memories , and even devices not strictly classified as memories such a programmable gate arrays . all such devices resist casual efforts to copy them and thus improve the security of the system and serve to match particular reset codes to corresponding key codes . each rental outlet is provided with bar codes 108 on its cassettes 10 that are unique to that outlet . although the software of a particular resetting unit 92 may be relatively easily copied , the rom 130 may be embedded in a microprocessor , for example , and thus substantially immune to copying . thus the cassettes 10 of a particular retail outlet cannot be reset by unauthorized equipment , either legitimate resetting units 92 originally associated with other outlets or reverse engineered resetting units . referring to fig1 , in the case where the reset codes of the bar code provides key codes having no relationship to the desired sequence of moves for unlocking the cassette . a given rom 130 will only recognize a limited number of the available key codes . in the case where rom 130 provides decoding information to decode the key codes into actual sequences of moves , the decoding information will only operate with a limited number of the available codes . thus when one attempts to reset a cassette from another store , the rom 130 will be unable to provide the necessary conversion of the key code into a sequence of moves . the significance of this coding structure , made possible by the construction of the present invention , is that an unauthorized machine based on the present design , or a stolen machine will only be able to reset a small portion of the circulating cassettes . thus , the incentive to construct or acquire such a machine without authorization is greatly reduced . further , in instances where there are multiple rental outlets serving given consumers , the possibility of similar cassettes being returned to and reset by the wrong machine with the attendant accounting problems is significantly reduced . it is noted that even though the reset codes for cassettes 10 associated with different resetting machines 92 are different , the actual key codes to which they are translated may be the same . thus the number of different lock mechanisms required is not unduly multiplied . at process block 142 , the unlocking sequence is started by first moving cam stepper motor 122 in a fully clockwise position against a stop ( not shown ) where the cam lobe is furthest from the reset slide . referring now to fig5 and 8 , as the cam 76 is rotated by cam stepper motor unit 122 under control of microprocessor 124 , the locking pin lever 86 is moved by stepper motor unit 106 ( through electromagnet 102 and the electromagnet 90 ) to negotiate the locking pin 84 through the serpentine path 82 of the particular maze 80 associated with that tape cassette 10 . different cassettes 10 have different maze patterns . with the cam 76 rotated to fully depress the reset slide 72 , the mechanism of play pawl 62 , release lever 54 and reverse pawl 38 is fully reset . at this point , the sequence indicated by the bar code 108 is employed in reverse order to fully retract reset slide 72 by rotation of cam 76 and movement of locking pin 84 . it will be understood then from this description that the resetting unit 92 simultaneously solves the problem of executing - the complex sequence required to reset the tape cassette 10 , while insuring an accurate auditing of the play of each cassette 10 . the data represented by the bar code 108 provides identification of the program material and the proper unlocking code thereby insuring the integrity of the audit data as to each time cassette 10 is reset . periodically , the worm 132 may be shipped to the cassette supplier to provide billing information . alternatively , the worm 132 may be interrogated via modem ( not shown ) over the telephone lines . in this case the access to the worm 132 must be controlled and such control is enforced by requiring the party reading or writing to the worm 132 to present an access code that is compared to a similar code held in eprom 126 . for added security , if the codes do not match , the eprom may be destroyed under software control to prevent repeated trials of access codes . many modifications and variations of the preferred embodiment which will still be within the spirit and scope of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . for example , the electromagnet linkage 102 and 90 may be replaced by a direct linkage through a slot with a corresponding marginal loss in the cassette &# 39 ; s resistance to tampering . in addition the maze element could be three dimensional . in order to apprise the public of the various embodiments that may fall within the scope of the invention , the following claims are made .
6
referring now to the drawings in detail , wherein like numbered elements refer to like elements throughout , fig1 through 4 illustrate a representative structure , generally identified 10 , which is a preferred embodiment of a posture correction tool table that is constructed in accordance with the present invention . generally speaking , the table 10 comprises a plurality of pads that are mounted onto a superstructure . it is this plurality of pads that support the patient during chiropractic treatment . more specifically , and moving from that forward - most point of the table 10 where the patient &# 39 ; s head ( not shown ) would rest , it will be seen that the pads comprise a head pad 40 , a cervical pad 50 , a composite thoracic pad 60 , a lumbar pad 70 , a pelvic pad 80 , a leg pad 90 , and a foot pad 100 . additionally , two semi - circular shaped arm pads 45 are located and mounted to either side of the head pad 40 . this allows the patient , who is supported in the prone position by the table 10 , to rest his or her arms on the arm pads 45 during chiropractic treatment . as shown in fig2 , the table 10 comprises a supporting super - structure generally comprising a bottom frame 20 and a top frame 30 . the bottom frame 20 comprises a plurality of longitudinally - extending bottom frame members 21 and a plurality of integrally - attached , transversely - extending bottom frame members 22 . the transversely - extending bottom frame members 22 each include castor / support subassemblies 23 . the castor / support subassemblies 23 provide for ease of mobility of the table 10 as may be desired or required . the top frame 30 comprises a plurality of vertically - disposed top frame members 31 and plurality of integrally - attached , longitudinally - extending top frame members 32 . a rail 33 is disposed forwardly of the top frame 30 , the purpose of which will be apparent later in this detailed description . the last part of the supporting super - structure of the table 10 of the present invention is the head pad frame 44 . the head pad 40 is a structure comprised of opposing outer pad portions 40 a defining a central groove 40 b . see fig3 . the head pad 40 is secured to a head pad plate 41 which is in turn attached to a top drop plate 43 by means of a plurality of cervical drop links 42 . again , see fig2 . a plurality of dome - shaped bumpers 48 are attached to the top drop plate 43 for cushioning . see also fig7 . the top drop plate 43 is attached to a portion of the head pad frame 44 . attached to the top drop plate 43 is the head and cervical drop sub - assembly 140 . refer again to fig2 . the head pad 40 is raised and lowered electrically . while the table 10 remains horizontal , the head pad 40 in the preferred embodiment and its related structures can be lowered three inches ( 3 ″) below the thoracic pad 60 or raised eight inches ( 8 ″) above the thoracic pad 60 . see fig5 and 7 , for example . this range of movement is accomplished by means of a carriage 34 that is attached to the head pad frame 44 and which is slidably and vertically movable along the rail 33 . this is accomplished by actuation of the ball drive 35 and ball screw 36 . referring now to fig9 , 10 a , 10 b , 11 a and 11 b , it will be seen that the head and cervical drop subassembly 140 comprises a drop pin 141 , a lever bottom stop 142 , a tension tube 143 and a tension knob 144 . to manually “ cock ” the head pad 40 and its related structure , the practitioner pulls upwardly on one end 146 of the cocking bar or lever 145 . it is to be understood that the table 10 of the present invention can be configured such that the head pad 40 can be favored to drop cephalad ( towards the forward portion of the table 10 ) or caudad ( towards the rearward portion of the table 10 ), depending upon the treatment that is desired or required . as is illustrated in much greater detail in fig1 a and 11a , it will be seen that the tension tube 143 houses a tensioning spring 147 that biases a release member 148 against the drop pin 141 . specifically , the drop pin 141 comprises a cylindrically - shaped and dome - topped upper portion 151 and a circumferential and outwardly tapered bottom portion 152 , the bottom portion 152 terminating in a circumferential ridge 153 and capture groove 154 . as the practitioner raises the end 146 of the cocking bar or lever 145 , as shown in fig1 a , the drop pin 141 is elevated by means of a plate that engages a collar portion 155 of the drop pin 141 . in this motion , the upper portion 151 of the drop pin 141 urges the head pad plate 41 upwardly to the pre - drop position shown . in this position , the release member 148 housed within the tension tube 143 is “ captured ” within the groove 154 of the drop pin 141 . this position is maintained until a downward force is exerted on the head pad 40 thereby urging the drop pin 141 downwardly and causing the release member 148 to be pushed into the tension tube 143 and out of the groove 154 of the drop pin 141 . at this point , it should be mentioned that the tension knob 144 covers the full spectrum of tension in just two and a quarter turns . on the lowest tension setting , the weight of the head pad 40 and its plate 41 is enough to cause the head pad 40 to drop . at its highest tension setting , the head pad 40 requires a high amount of force to get the section to drop . it does not require much rotation of the sensitive tension knob 144 to create a great change in tension setting . this functionality is also present in other portions of the table 10 , 12 will be apparent later in this detailed description , like tension knobs being bilateral , however . referring now to fig8 , for example , it will be seen that the head pad 40 can also be moved upwardly or downwardly to allow for flexion and extension of the head pad 40 relative to the horizontal . in the table 10 of the present invention , the head pad 40 can be moved into an unprecedented thirty degrees )( 30 °) in both flexion and extension . this movement is accomplished by use of the release lever 49 disposed to one side of a hydraulic tube or cylinder 46 , which use extends or retracts the rod 47 within the tube 46 . see fig8 a . more specifically , when the lever 49 is depressed upwardly , it releases the rod 47 of the gas cylinder 46 to quietly and smoothly raise , lower or angle and lock the head pad 40 . this functionality is present in other portions of the table 10 as well , as will be apparent later in this detailed description . the table 10 of the present invention also comprises a cervical instrument adjusting fulcrum in the form of a cervical pad 50 , the cervical pad 50 being supported by and rotatably mounted about a vertically - adjustable structure 52 . see fig1 and 13 . the cervical instrument adjusting fulcrum that is utilized in the table 10 of the present invention is unique . to the knowledge of this inventor , no other table of past or current manufacture includes this structure . use of this structure allows the chiropractor the ability to create the exact patient posture that is necessary in order to utilize impulse adjusting instruments to correct postural positioning of the patient . one such instrument is disclosed and claimed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 144 , 417 issued to colloca et al . during usage of such an instrument with the adjusting fulcrum and cervical pad 50 , the patient is positioned on his or her side with the patient &# 39 ; s neck being properly positioned for instrumental stimulation . prior to this innovation , chiropractors would resort to supporting the patient &# 39 ; s neck with pillows , wedges or some combination of both . use of the adjustable cervical pad 50 is novel and unprecedented . referring again to fig1 through 4 , it will be seen that the thoracic pad 60 is comprised of opposing outer pad portions 60 a and a central pad portion 60 b . the next adjacent pad is the lumbar pad 70 . see also fig1 . referring specifically to fig1 , 16 and 17 , it will be seen that the thoracic pad 60 is attached to a thoracic pad plate 61 and that the lumbar pad 70 is attached to a lumbar pad plate 71 . the thoracic pad plate 61 and the lumbar pad plate 71 are each attached to a single “ common ” thoracic - lumbar support plate 62 . the common thoracic - lumbar support plate 62 is hingedly attached to a portion of the top frame 30 by means of a primary hinge 65 . a secondary hinge 63 is also provided to allow the thoracic pad plate 61 and the lumbar pad plate 71 to each rotate upwardly from the common thoracic - lumbar support plate 62 at the secondary hinge 63 . see fig1 . as shown in fig1 , the common thoracic - lumbar support is plate 62 is rotatable about the primary hinge 65 . elevation of the common thoracic - lumbar support plate 62 is accomplished by actuation of the hydraulic tube 66 via the bilateral lever 67 . the functionality of this hydraulic tube 66 is essentially identical to that of the hydraulic tube 46 that is used with the head pad 40 and its related structure . the hydraulic tube 67 that is attached to the common thoracic - lumbar support plate 62 allows the plate 62 to be raised up to fifty - five degrees )( 55 °) above the horizontal . a plurality of bumpers 68 are disposed between the common thoracic - lumbar plate 62 and the top frame 30 to cushion the return of the plate 62 to the horizontal . referring again to fig1 , it will be seen that the common thoracic - lumbar plate 62 has a plurality of apertures 64 defined in it . the purpose of the apertures 64 is to allow for access to the thoracic pad plate 61 and to the lumbar pad plate 71 from below . situated below each of these plates 61 , 71 is a thoracic drop subassembly 160 and a lumbar drop subassembly 170 , respectively . referring again to fig1 , it will be seen that the thoracic drop subassembly 160 comprises a drop pin 161 , a lever bottom stop 162 , a tension tube 163 , a pair of bilateral tension knobs 144 ( see fig1 ) and a miter gear assembly 169 . to manually “ cock ” the thoracic pad 60 and its related structure , the practitioner pulls upwardly on one end 166 of the bilateral cocking bar or lever 165 . see also fig1 . it will also be seen that the tension tube 163 houses a tensioning spring 167 that biases a release member 168 against that drop pin 161 . the drop pin 161 comprises a cylindrically - shaped and dome - topped upper portion 181 and a circumferential and outwardly tapered bottom portion 182 , the bottom portion 182 terminating in a circumferential ridge 183 and capture groove 184 . as the practitioner raises the end 166 of the bilateral cocking bar or lever 165 , the drop pin 161 is elevated by means of a plate that engages a collar portion 185 of the drop pin 161 . in this motion , the upper portion 181 of the drop pin 161 urges the thoracic pad plate 61 upwardly to the pre - drop position shown in phantom view in fig1 . in this position , the release member 168 housed within the tension tube 163 is captured within the groove 184 of the drop pin 161 . as is also shown in fig1 , the table 10 of the present invention further comprises a lumbar drop sub - assembly 170 . the lumbar drop sub - assembly 170 comprises a drop pin 171 , a lever bottom stop 172 , a tension tube 173 , a pair of bilateral tension knobs 174 ( see fig1 ) and a miter gear assembly 179 . to manually “ cock ” the lumbar pad 70 and its related structure , the practitioner pulls upwardly on one end 176 of the cocking bar or lever 175 . it will also be seen that the tension tube 173 houses a tensioning spring 177 that biases a release member 178 against the drop pin 171 . this drop pin 171 again comprises a cylindrically - shaped and dome - topped upper portion 191 and a circumferential and outwardly tapered bottom portion 192 , the bottom portion 192 terminating in a circumferential ridge 193 and capture groove 194 . as the practitioner raises the end 176 of the cocking bar or lever 175 , the drop pin 171 is elevated by means of a plate that engages a collar portion 195 of the drop pin 171 . in this motion , the upper portion 191 of the drop pin 171 urges the lumbar pad plate 71 upwardly to the pre - drop position shown in phantom view in fig1 . in this position , the release member 178 housed within the tension tube 173 is captured within the groove 194 of the drop pin 171 . it should again be mentioned here that the tension knobs 164 , 174 illustrated in fig1 cover the full spectrum of tension in just two and a quarter turns . on the lowest tension setting , the weight of the respective pads 60 , 70 and their plates 61 , 71 is enough to cause the pads 60 , 70 to drop . at their highest tension setting , the pads 60 , 70 require a high amount of force to effect a drop . it does not require much rotation of the sensitive tension knobs 164 , 174 to create a great change in tension setting . the table 10 of the present invention further comprises a pelvic pad 80 . see fig3 , 4 and 19 through 21 in this regard . as shown , the pelvic pad 80 is supported by and attached to a pelvic pad plate 81 . the pelvic pad plate 81 is attached to a drop bracket 82 . disposed vertically below the drop bracket 82 is a pelvic column outer - housing 83 and a pelvic column inner - housing 84 . the inner - housing 84 is slideably moveable within the outer - housing 83 . disposed within the outer and inner - housings 83 , 84 is a hydraulic tube 86 that is actuated by a lever 87 . a plurality of bumpers 88 are mounted to the top frame 30 to provide cushioning for the pelvic pad plate 81 when the pelvic pad plate 81 is dropped or lowered to its bottom - most position . referring now to fig2 through 22 in particular , it will be seen that a pelvic drop sub - assembly 110 is also provided . the pelvic drop sub - assembly 110 comprises a drop pin 111 , a bottom stop 112 , a tension tube 113 , a pair of bilateral tension knobs 114 and a miter gear assembly 119 . as shown , the tension tube 113 houses a tensioning spring 117 that biases a release member 118 against the drop pin 111 . the drop pin 111 comprises a cylindrically - shaped upper portion 121 and a circumferential and outwardly tapered bottom portion 122 , the bottom portion 122 terminating in a circumferential ridge 123 and capture groove 124 . in the preferred embodiment , the cocking bar or lever ( as was used with the other pad elements previously discussed ) is replaced by a foot lever sub - assembly 130 . see fig1 , 23 and 24 . the foot lever sub - assembly 130 is attached to a link 133 which allows the drop pin 111 to be “ cocked ” by the practitioner pushing down on one of two spring - loaded bilateral foot pedals 131 . depression of the foot pedal 131 rotates a linkage 132 that elevates a plate 133 that engages a collar portion 125 of the drop pin 111 . in this motion , the upper portion 121 of the drop pin 111 urges the pelvic pad plate 81 upwardly to the pre - drop position shown in fig2 . in this position , the release member 118 housed within the tension tube 113 is captured within the groove 124 of the drop pin 111 . the drop pin 111 is further attached to a bottom - most shaft 129 by means of a pelvic drop link 89 . the bottom - most shaft 129 is also attached to the lowest portion of the hydraulic tube 86 of the pelvic drop portion of the table 10 . this results in coordinated movement between the drop pin 111 and the pelvic pad 80 . finally , disposed at the rearward - most end of the table 10 of the present invention are the leg pad 90 and the foot pad 100 . see fig3 , 4 , 25 and 26 in particular . as shown , the leg pad 90 is supported by and attached to a leg pad plate 91 . the leg pad plate 91 is attached to the top frame 30 by means of a hinge 92 . the hinge 92 allows the leg pad plate 91 and leg pad 90 to rotate about the top frame 30 . the leg pad plate 91 is variably positionable relative to the horizontal by means of a hydraulic tube 93 and actuation lever 94 of the type previously described . the foot pad 100 is attached to a supported by a foot pad bracket 101 . the foot pad bracket 101 is secured to a longitudinally - extending slide 102 , the slide being longitudinally moveable along a slide receiver 103 . this movement is shown in phantom view in fig2 and 26 . in view of the foregoing , it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved posture correction tool in the form of a chiropractic adjusting table that has certain new , useful and non - obvious features including “ flying drops ” in the thoracic and lumber sections ; pelvic elevation “ flying drop ” in the pelvic section ; a cervical instrument adjusting fulcrum ; a uniquely - movable head piece ; polyurethane pads ; and which is easy to move and eliminates conventional “ pinch points ” for enhanced safety .
0
with reference to fig1 a problem solved by the light - emitting organic component described here is explained in greater detail . with reference to fig2 , 4 , 5 exemplary embodiments of light - emitting organic components described here are explained in greater detail . with reference to fig6 and 7 further exemplary embodiments of light - emitting organic components described here are explained . elements that are identical , of identical type or act identically are provided with the same reference signs in the figures . the figures and the size relationships of the elements illustrated in the figures among one another should not be regarded as to scale . rather , individual elements may be illustrated with an exaggerated size in order to enable better illustration and / or in order to afford a better understanding . fig1 shows a light - emitting organic component comprising two non - planar light exit surfaces 6 . the light - emitting organic component comprises a first encapsulation 1 . the first encapsulation 1 can be a substrate , for example , to which the subsequent layers of the component are applied . furthermore , it is possible for the first encapsulation 1 to be an encapsulation layer which at least inhibits the passage of moisture and / or atmospheric gases into the component . the light - emitting organic component further comprises a first electrode 2 , via which a succeeding organic active region 3 can be energized . the organic active region 3 is succeeded by the second electrode 4 at that side of said organic active region which faces away from the first electrode 2 . at that side of the second electrode 4 which faces away from the organic active region 3 , said second electrode is succeeded by a second encapsulation 5 . the second encapsulation 5 can be for example a layer which prevents the passage of moisture and / or atmospheric gases into the component . alternatively , it is also possible for the second encapsulation 5 to be a substrate , to which the layers of the component , that is to say the electrodes 2 , 4 and the organic active layer 3 , are applied . the light - emitting organic component in fig1 emits from two main surfaces . it therefore comprises two light exit surfaces 6 . in this case , one of the light exit surfaces is convexly curved , and another of the light exit surfaces is concavely curved . the component in fig1 is , for example , a bent organic light - emitting diode . each region 61 , 62 at the non - planar light exit surface 6 , from which light is emitted , can be assigned an emission cone 9 , 9 ′ corresponding , for example , to a full width at half maximum of the intensity of the light emitted in these regions . the emission cones 9 , 9 ′ are merely shown schematically in the figures . the non - planar light exit surfaces 6 of the component in fig1 are free of optical structures and , therefore , the component is embodied in particular in a smooth fashion at its outer surfaces . as can be gathered from fig1 , for example for light which leaves the component in a first region 61 of the light exit surface 6 , self - illumination or so - called self - irradiation can occur in a second region 62 . as a result of the limited reflectivity of the light exit surface , only part of this light can be reflected again . particularly for light rays which require a plurality of passes as a result of reflections at the light exit surface 6 of the component , a sudden loss of light occurs as a result . solutions for avoiding this self - illumination are demonstrated in connection with the following exemplary embodiments of the component described here . fig2 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a light - emitting organic component described here . the self - illumination of the organic component is taken into consideration in this exemplary embodiment . as shown in fig1 , the component comprises a non - planar light exit surface 6 . light emerging from a first region 61 of the non - planar light exit surface 6 is emitted in the direction of a second region 62 of the non - planar light exit side and is directed away from the non - planar light exit side 6 there by optical structures 7 . in this case , the optical structures 7 are embodied as prisms in the exemplary embodiment in fig2 . on account of this local , optical microstructure , it is possible , in particular , that the light of the self - illumination can emerge from the component after a single reflection . that is to say that the number of required passes until the light can leave the component is minimized . as a result , the efficiency increases since losses as a result of absorption and transmission at the light exit surface 6 are reduced . the optical structures 7 are microlenses , for example . the size of the optical structures 7 , for example the maximum lateral extent thereof , is for example in the range of at least 5 μm and at most 50 μm , in particular in the range of at least 5 μm and at most 15 μm . the optical structures 7 are present as a foil , for example , which can be applied to the light exit surface 6 . the foil can be fixed to the light exit surface 6 for example in an optically non - coupled fashion , for example by adhesive bonding only in the edge region of said light exit surface . an air gap is then formed between the light exit surface 6 and the optical structures 7 . a further exemplary embodiment of a light - emitting organic component described here is explained in greater detail in connection with fig3 . in this exemplary embodiment , the angular distribution of the intensity of the light emitted by the non - planar light exit surface 6 is set by the optical structures 7 . in this case , the angular distribution is reduced over the entire non - planar light exit surface . for this purpose , the same optical structures can be used over the entire light exit surface . fig3 illustrates the optical structures 7 for the first region 61 by way of example . by virtue of the fact that the optical structures 7 reduce the angular distribution in the course of emergence , the probability that light can impinge again on the light exit surface 6 decreases . that is to say that the probability of the self - illumination decreases . the focusing of the light in order to generate a narrower angular distribution can be effected in this case by optical structures embodied as microlenses . in connection with fig4 , an exemplary embodiment of a light - emitting organic component described here is shown wherein an angular distribution of the intensity of the light emitted by the non - planar light exit surface 6 is set by the optical structures 7 and varies along the non - planar light exit surface 6 . emission thus takes place in the center of the light exit surface , that is to say for example in the third region 63 with a wide angular distribution , since the risk of self - illumination for light which emerges at this location of the light exit surface 6 is low . a narrower angular distribution is set in edge regions in order to reduce the self - illumination . for this purpose , in first and second regions 61 , 62 , by way of example , a lens form chosen for the optical structures is different than that chosen in the third region 63 . in this case , it is also possible that , by way of example , in the edge regions , that is to say in the first region 61 and in the second region 62 , the main emission direction of the light is changed in such a way that the probability of the self - illumination is reduced . by way of example , the main emission direction 10 for light emerging in these regions can be effected away from the center , toward the edges . this is made possible by optical structures 7 embodied asymmetrically . in connection with fig5 , an exemplary embodiment of a light - emitting organic component described here is shown wherein the non - planar light exit surface comprises a plurality of planar partial surfaces 8 , which in turn form the non - planar light exit surface . by way of example , the light - emitting component comprises two or more organic light - emitting diodes , wherein each planar partial surface 8 of the non - planar light exit surface 6 is assigned an organic active region 3 . the form of an arbitrary non - planar light exit surface 6 can then be simulated by means of the spatial arrangement of the planar partial surfaces 8 with respect to one another . for the rest , the same measures for preventing or reducing the self - illumination and for deflecting radiation from the self - illumination as in fig3 and 4 can be used . by way of example , fig5 also shows that in the first region 61 , for example , the optical structures 7 set the main emission direction 10 in such a way that a self - illumination of the light exit surface 6 is at least reduced . in this case , the main emission direction 10 can be varied along the non - planar light exit surface 6 , such that , by way of example , in the third region 63 it runs perpendicularly to the light exit surface 6 and in the first region 61 it forms an angle of less than 90 ° with the light exit surface 6 . the nearer to the geometrical center of the light exit surface 6 the emission then takes place , the nearer the angle between the main emission direction and the non - planar light exit surface 6 is to an angle of 90 °. in connection with fig6 and 7 the illustration shows that the optical structures 7 can supplement the beam shaping on account of the non - planar light exit surface . in this case , the optical structures 7 can intensify or weaken the effect of the curvature of the non - planar light exit surface 6 on the emission characteristic 11 . in this regard , fig6 shows , for example , that a concave light exit surface 6 leads to a narrowed emission profile 11 . by means of corresponding optical structures 7 , the emission profile can be narrowed further ( see at the top ) or widened again ( see at the bottom ). a convex non - planar light exit surface 6 , such as is shown in fig7 , leads to a wide emission characteristic 11 , which can be widened further ( see at the top ) or is narrowed ( see at the bottom ) by means of additional optical structures 7 at the light exit surface 6 . this patent application claims the priority of german patent application 102012210876 . 9 , the disclosure content of which is hereby incorporated by reference . the invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments by the description on the basis of said exemplary embodiments . rather , the invention encompasses any novel feature and also any combination of features , which in particular includes any combination of features in the patent claims , even if this feature or this combination itself is not explicitly specified in the patent claims or exemplary embodiments .
7
a preferred embodiment of the bag - on - valve assembly of the present invention is depicted in fig1 . the improved bag - on - valve assembly 10 includes a flexible bag 11 made of a thermoplastic multilayer film ( see fig2 ) which is affixed to valve stem 14 . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , valve stem 14 may be attached to bag 11 by any conventional method known in the art which may include , but is not limited to , heat sealing , crimping and the use of an appropriate adhesive . preferably , valve stem 14 is heat sealed to bag 11 . as depicted , bag 11 is heat sealed directly to a valve stem at valve stem body 12 positioned below valve 13 . in fig2 there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of a thermoplastic film structure for use as a flexible bag according to the present invention . as depicted , multilayer film structure 20 comprises seven layers ( in sequential order of 1 through 7 ), respectively . it will be noted layer 1 is a heat sealable layer . it will be understood the multilayer thermoplastic film suitable for use in the present invention is not limited to a seven layer film structure as illustrated by film 20 and may have as many film layers as desired . examples of preferred embodiments of film structure 20 which are non - foil - containing structures for use in the present invention are presented below as examples # 1 and # 2 in table 1 . examples of comparative non - foil - containing film structure , examples # 3 and # 4 , and an example of a comparative foil - containing film structure , example # 5 are also presented below in table 1 . “ ldpe ” is a low density polyethylene resin having a melt index of 3 . 70 g / 10 min . and density of 0 . 923 g / cm 3 . an example of suitable commercially available low density polyethylene resin includes equistar petrothene ® na216000 from equistar chemicals , llp , houston , tex ., u . s . a . “ lldpe ” is a linear low density polyethylene resin having a melt index of 0 . 9 - 1 . 0 g / 10 min ., density of 0 . 92 g / cm 3 . examples of suitable commercially available linear low density polyethylene resins include dow ™ 2645g , 2045g and dow ™ elite 5100g from the dow chemical company , midland , mich ., u . s . a , and sclair ® fp120 a from the nova chemicals , inc . calgary , alberta , canada . “ vldpe ” is a very low density polyethylene resin having a melt index of 0 . 5 - 1 . 0 g / 10 min ., density of 0 . 910 - 0 . 912 g / cm 3 . an example of a suitable commercially available very low density polyethylene resin includes dow ™ 4201g from the dow chemical company , midland , mich ., u . s . a . “ hdpe ” is a high density polyethylene resin having melt index of 0 . 850 g / 10 min . and a melting point of between 199 - 210 ° c ., and a density of 0 . 958 g / cm 3 . an example of a suitable commercially available high density polyethylene includes equistar alathon ® from equistar chemicals , llp , houston , tex ., u . s . a . “ mlldpe ” is a metallocene - catalysis ethylene / hexene copolymer resin having a melt index of 7 . 5 g / 10 min and density of 0 . 900 g / cm 3 . an example of a suitable commercially available mlldpe includes exact ® 3139 from exxonmobil chemical company , houston , tex ., u . s . a . “ mod - pe ” is an anhydride - modified polyethylene copolymer resin having a melt index of 2 . 7 - 4 . 0 g / 10 min . and density of 0 . 910 - 0 . 939 g / cm 3 . an example of a suitable commercially available anhydride - modified polyethylene copolymer resin includes equistar ™ px 3308 from equistar chemicals , llp , houston , tex ., u . s . a . “ nylon - 1 ” is a nylon 6 resin having a melt point of 263 ° c . and density of 1 . 13 g / cm 3 . an example of a suitable commercially available ionomer resin includes dupont ™ surlyn ® 1705 - 1 from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wellington , del ., u . s . a . “ nylon - 2 ” is a nylon 66 resin having a melt point of 220 ° c . an example of a suitable commercially available nylon 66 includes dupont ™ zytel ® 42a from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wellington , del ., u . s . a . “ evoh ” is an ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer resin having an ethylene content of 29 % ( mol . ), a melt index of 3 . 8 g / 10 min . and melting point of 188 ° c . an example of a suitable commercially available ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer resin having an ethylene content of 29 % ( mol .) includes soarnol ® dt2904r from soarus , llp , arlington heights , ill ., u . s . a . “ eaa ” is an ethylene / acrylic acid copolymer resin having comonomer content of between 3 . 0 and 9 . 7 %, a density of between of 0 . 926 - 0 . 940 g / cm 3 , a melt index of 11 . 00 min ., and a melting point of between 98 . 0 - 104 ° c . examples of suitable commercially available ethylene / acrylic acid copolymer resins include those materials sold under the family trademark dow ™ primacor ™ from the dow chemical company , midland , mich ., u . s . a . “ foil ” is an aluminum foil having a thickness of between 27 . 7 - 28 . 5 gauge ( 0 . 275 - 0 . 285 mils ). “ opet ” is a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film having a thickness of 48 gauge ( 0 . 48 mils ) which is supplied by mitsubishi polyester film gmbh , wiesbaden , germany . to produce the film structures of examples # 1 through # 4 , a simple coextrusion blown film process may be used , examples of which are described , in the encyclopedia of chemical technology , kirk - othmer , third edition , john wiley & amp ; sons , new york , 1981 , vol . 16 , pp . 416 - 417 and vol . 18 , pp . 191 - 192 , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . generally , the simple blown film process may include an apparatus having a multi - manifold circular die head through which the film layers are forced and formed into a cylindrical multilayer film bubble . the bubble may be quenched , e . g ., via cooled water bath , solid surface and / or air , and then ultimately collapsed and formed into a multilayer film . it is appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that cast extrusion techniques may also be used to fabricate the non - heat shrinkable thermoplastic substrates for use in the present invention . unless otherwise noted , the polymer resins utilized in the present invention are generally commercially available in pellet form and , as generally recognized in the art , may be melt blended or mechanically mixed by well - known methods using commercially available equipment including tumblers , mixers or blenders . also , if desired , well - known additives such as processing aids , slip agents , anti - blocking agents and pigments , and mixtures thereof may be incorporated into the polymer layers , by blending prior to extrusion . the resins and any additives may be introduced to an extruder where the resins are melt - plastified by heating and then transferred to an extrusion ( or coextrusion ) die for formation into a tube . extruder and die temperatures will generally depend upon the particular resin or resin containing mixtures being processed and suitable temperature ranges for commercially available resins are generally known in the art , or are provided in technical bulletins made available by resin manufacturers . processing temperatures may vary depending upon other processing parameters chosen . to produce the film structure of example # 5 , any lamination process may be used , for example , extrusion lamination , adhesion lamination , or the like may be used . all the film examples # 1 through 5 in table 1 exhibited an otr value of from about 0 - 10 . 0 cm 3 / 100 in . 2 over 24 hr . at 80 % r . h . and 23 ° c ., and wvtr value of from 0 - 10 . 0 g ./ 100 in . 2 over 24 hr . at 90 % r . h . and 38 ° c . as table 2 indicates , the values for tensile elongation in both the machine and transverse directions for non - foil containing film structures , i . e ., examples # 1 through 4 were higher and thus improved over a foil - containing film structure , example # 5 . this test simulates the action encountered in applications where moderate - velocity blunt impacts occur in relatively small areas of bag / stem assembly . the values for tensile energy to break in both the machine and transverse directions for non - foil containing film structures , examples # 1 and # 2 were higher and thus improved over the non - foil containing film structures , examples # 2 and # 3 , and foil - containing film structure , example # 5 . higher tensile elongation and tensile energy to break are both desirable characteristics in a film for use in a bag - on - valve assembly . unless otherwise noted , the physical properties and performance characteristics reported herein were measured by test procedures similar to the following astm methods . the astm test procedures are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and additions can be made to the various embodiments described above , without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention . it should be understood that this invention is not intended to be unduly limited by the illustrative embodiments set forth herein and that such embodiments are presented by way of example only with the scope of the invention intended to be limited only by the claims set forth herein as follows .
1
referring to the accompanying drawings , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described . referring to fig1 there is shown an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig2 shows the timing of the fundamental sequential operation of the atvc control . as shown in fig1 a photosensitive member 1 made of opc ( organic photoconductor ) material extends in a direction perpendicular to the sheet of the drawing and is rotatable in the direction indicated by an arrow x , as shown in fig1 . to the photosensitive member 1 , a primary charging roller 3 connected to a voltage source 4 capable of atvc control is contacted . a cpu ( central processing unit ) 8 produces a signal to actuate an unshown main motor for 6 driving the photosensitive member 1 and to energize the voltage source 4 . then , the charging roller 3 electrically charges the surface of the photosensitive member 1 to a dark potential level of - 700 v . subsequently , the electrically charged surface of the photosensitive member 1 is exposed to an imagewisely modulated laser beam l by a laser beam scanner 5 , by which the electric potential at the portion where it is exposed to the laser beam decreases , so that an electrostatic latent image is formed . with the rotation of the photosensitive member 1 , the electrostatic latent image reaches the developing device 6 , where negatively charged toner particles are supplied to the latent image . the developing operation in this embodiment is a reverse development wherein the toner particles are deposited to such portions as have the decreased potential . thus , a toner image is formed . downstream of the developing device 6 with respect to the direction of the rotational travel of the photosensitive member 1 , an image transfer roller 2 is press - contacted to the photosensitive member 1 to form a nip therebetween to constitute an image transfer position . to the transfer position , a transfer material p is introduced in timed relation with the toner image on the surface of the photosensitive member 1 . prior to the introduction of the transfer material p into the transfer position ( nip ), that is , when the transfer material is absent at the image transfer position , the constant current control is effected to the transfer roller 2 by the voltage source 4 , so that a constant current of 5 micro - amperes flows . the period in which the constant current control is effected may be at least a part of the duration other than the duration in which the image region of the photosensitive member 1 , that is , the region in which the toner image can be formed , is at the transfer position . then , the voltage source 4 detects the voltage corresponding to the voltage across the transfer roller 2 at this time . then , the constant voltage control is effected to the transfer roller 2 with the detected voltage or with a voltage corresponding to the detected voltage . in this embodiment , in order to provide an upper limit and a lower limit for the transfer bias voltage , the voltage source 4 is connected with a voltage detection circuit 9 , and the circuit 9 is connected with the cpu 8 . the voltage detection circuit 9 detects a voltage corresponding to the voltage applied to the transfer roller 2 , and when the voltage applied to the transfer roller 2 is larger than a predetermined level , for example , 3500 v , or when it is smaller than another predetermined level , that is , 750 v , for example , a signal is transmitted to the cpu 8 . the cpu 8 is responsive to the signal , so that the voltage source 4 is allowed to supply the voltage to the transfer roller 2 within the range from 750 v ( minimum ) to 3500 v ( maximum ). therefore , when the detection circuit 9 detects a voltage lower than 750 v , the transfer roller 2 is constant - voltage - controlled at 750 v by the detection circuit 9 whereas when the detected voltage exceeds 3500 v , it is controlled at the constant voltage level of 3500 v . this will be described in more detail referring to fig3 which is a graph showing the relation between the bias voltage applied to the transfer roller 2 and the current flowing through the transfer roller 2 ( v - i characteristics ). as is well known , where the transfer roller is made of epdm rubber in the form of a sponge in which metal oxide or carbon particles are dispersed or made of urethane rubber elastomer having an adjusted electric resistance by addition or polymerization of surface active agent , the electric resistance of the transfer roller changes by 2 - 3 orders due to water absorption , and therefore , the change in the v - i characteristic is remarkable . fig3 shows the v - i characteristic of the transfer roller made of urethane rubber having a specific resistance of 10 9 ohm . cm under the ambient conditions of 15 ° c . and 10 % rh ( relative humidity ), which conditions will be called hereinafter &# 34 ; l / l condition &# 34 ;. specific resistance is 10 7 - 10 8 ohm . cm under the ambient conditions of 23 ° c . and 60 % rh which will hereinafter be called &# 34 ; n / n condition &# 34 ;, and 10 6 ohm . cm under the ambient conditions of 32 . 5 ° c . and 85 % rh which hereinafter be called &# 34 ; h / h condition &# 34 ;. thus , the electric resistance changes significantly by the water absorption . many of intermediate resistance rollers having the specific resistance of approximately 10 6 - 10 10 ohm . cm exhibit generally the same resistance change . with continued reference to 0 . 5 3 , if the atvc control is effected under the h / h condition , the voltage across the transfer roller when the constant current of 5 micro - amperes flows when the transfer material is present at the transfer position , is approximately 500 v . when the constant voltage control of 500 v is effected to the transfer roller during the transfer material present period on the basis of a voltage detected corresponding to the voltage of 500 v , the current of 0 . 5 micro - ampere flows , as shown in this figure . the transfer current of 0 . 5 micro - ampere under the h / h condition is sufficient for usual transfer sheet , but where the transfer material has a high volume resistivity such as that of ohp film , hardly any current flows as shown by chain lines in fig3 even if the voltage of 500 v is applied across the transfer roller , with the result of insufficient transfer current , and therefore , improper image transfer . in the apparatus shown , however , the detection circuit 9 is effective to perform the constant voltage control at 750 v during the transfer material present period even if the detected voltage is 500 v . therefore , in this case , approximately 1 . 5 micro - ampere flows , by which the improper image transfer can be prevented because 1 . 0 micro - ampere is sufficient in the case of the ohp sheet . under the n / n condition , the constant current of 5 micro - amperes flows through the transfer roller 2 by the atvc control when the transfer material is absent at the transfer position , and at this time , the voltage of 2 kv is detected . the constant voltage control during the transfer material present period on the basis of the detected voltage provides the transfer current of 2 . 0 micro - ampere , by which sufficient image transfer operation is carried out . under the l / l condition , the atvc control similarly effects the constant current control at 5 micro - amperes to the transfer roller 2 during the transfer material absent period , and at this time the voltage of 4 kv is detected . when the constant voltage control is effected thereafter with the detected voltage level during the transfer material present period , the transfer current of 3 . 0 micro - ampere is provided , and therefore , the transfer materials including the ohp sheet can be subjected to good image transfer operation . however , when the sheet is placed under the condition for a long period of time , the surface resistance thereof is significantly high , but the volume resistivity is low . in this case , much electric charge is deposited on the surface of the sheet , and the electric charge is easily movable inside the material of the sheet . therefore , even if the transfer current is 3 . 0 micro - ampere , the current is excessive with the result of white void formed in the image . in this embodiment , however , the voltage detection circuit 9 is effective to limit the maximum of the transfer voltage , more particularly , to limit the voltage applied to the transfer roller to 3500 v . thus , the constant voltage control is effected with 3500 v at maximum , so that the transfer current is suppressed down to approximately 2 . 2 micro - amperes , whereby the void can be avoided . as described in the foregoing , according to this embodiment of the present invention , the good image transfer operation can be assured irrespective of the material of the transfer sheet or paper and irrespective of the ambient conditions . referring to fig4 there is shown another embodiment of the present invention , wherein an electric current detection circuit 10 is controlled to the voltage source 4 to detect the current which is going to flow through the transfer roller 2 . if this is outside a predetermined range , the detection circuit 10 supplies a signal to the cpu 8 , which , in turn , controls the voltage source 4 to provide the current through the transfer roller within the predetermined range . the transfer roller having the v - i characteristic shown in fig3 it will be easily understood that the similar operations as in the first embodiment is possible if the current detection circuit is so selected that the lower limit is 1 . 5 micro - ampere and the upper limit is 2 . 2 micro - ampere . fig3 shows a further embodiment of the present invention wherein the fundamental structures of the photosensitive member , the charging roller , the light image signal applying means , the developing means , the transfer roller and the like , are similar to those of fig1 embodiment , and therefore , the detailed description thereof is omitted by assigning the same reference numerals to the elements having the corresponding functions . the voltage source 4 is connected with a current detection circuit 10 . when the voltage source 4 is supplied with an image transfer signal from the cpu 8 &# 39 ;, the constant voltage control is effected to the transfer roller 2 with a predetermined voltage level of v1 during the period in which the transfer material is absent at the transfer position . in this embodiment , the applied voltage is 1000 v . the current flowing through the transfer roller 2 is detected by the current detection circuit 10 , and a transfer current detection signal is supplied to the cpu 8 &# 39 ;. in response to the signal , the cpu 8 &# 39 ; produces a voltage level signal corresponding to the detected current using a predetermined transfer voltage conversion table as shown in fig7 for example . the signal is then transmitted to the voltage source 4 , and the voltage source 4 effects the constant voltage control with the determined voltage v2 during the transfer material present period . referring to fig8 the v - i characteristic of the transfer roller 2 under various conditions will be described . the transfer roller 2 is made of the same material as in the first embodiment . under the h / h condition , the constant voltage control is carried out with 1000 v during the transfer material absent period , and at this time , the current detection circuit 10 detects the current of 12 micro - ampere . a signal indicative of the current is supplied to the cpu 8 &# 39 ;. in response to the signal , the cpu 8 &# 39 ; determines a voltage level corresponding to the detected current using the conversion table shown in fig7 . the table provides the lower limit of 750 v and the upper limit of 3500 v for the voltage applied to the transfer roller 2 . according to the conversion table of fig7 when the current detected by the current detection circuit 10 is 3 . 5 micro - ampere or greater , the voltage set is 750 v . therefore , in the above case , the voltage v2 is 750 v , and instruction of 750 v to be set is supplied to the voltage source 4 . during the transfer material present period , that is , when the transfer material is being passed through the transfer position , the constant voltage control is carried out with this voltage determined . as a result , similarly to the case of the transfer roller in the first embodiment , the good image transfer operation is assured irrespective of the thickness of the transfer material , the material thereof ( ohp sheet or the like ). under the n / n condition , the constant voltage control with 1000 v during the sheet absent period provides 2 . 0 micro - ampere , which is detected by the detection circuit 10 . as a result of the conversion by the cpu 8 &# 39 ;, the constant voltage control during the sheet present period is carried out with 2000 v which provides the transfer current of 2 . 0 micro - ampere , by which good transfer operation is effected . under the l / l condition , the detection current provided by the constant voltage control with 1000 v during the sheet absent period provides approximately 0 current which is detected by the detection circuit . using the conversion table of fig7 when the detected current is 0 . 5 micro - ampere or smaller , the voltage of 3500 v is selected as the voltage level v2 , and therefore , the constant voltage control is effected to the transfer roller with this voltage , and therefore , the transfer current is approximately 2 . 2 micro - ampere , by which the transfer operation is good , and the image void portions are not produced . in the foregoing embodiments , the latent image on the photosensitive member is developed by the reverse developing system . however , the present invention is applicable to a regular developing system wherein the latent image is developed with toner particles having the charge polarity opposite to that of the latent image . however , the present invention is particularly effective when used with the reverse development system . in the reverse development system , when the width of the transfer material is smaller than the longitudinal dimension of the transfer roller contacted to the transfer roller , both measured in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the transfer material , a part of the photosensitive member is directly contacted to the transfer roller . such a part is supplied , during the transfer operation , by the electric charge having the polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the photosensitive member , from the transfer roller . this can result in a so - called image transfer memory . if this occurs , the image density by the next image forming operation is different at such a part from that at the rest part . therefore , it is particularly effective that the voltage detection circuit or the current detecting circuit is used to detect the voltage applied to the transfer roller or the current flowing through the transfer roller , and the upper level is limited , by which such a part of the photosensitive member is prevented from being subjected to the too much current flowing therethrough from the transfer roller during the image transfer operation . in the foregoing embodiments , the upper limit and the lower limit are provided for the voltage applied to the transfer roller . however , it is effective that only one of the limits is employed depending on the nature of the v - i characteristic of the transfer roller , as will be easily understood by one skilled in the art . the transfer means has been described as a transfer roller , but it will be readily understood that it may be in the form of a transfer belt . as described according to the present invention , the good image transfer operation and properties are assured stably and at all times under wide range of ambient conditions from the high humidity to the low humidity , irrespective of the thickness and material of the materials of the image transfer medium thus , the high grade image can be provided without white void . while the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein , it is not confined to the details set forth and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims .
6
in fig1 , there is shown schematic cross - sectional view of a section of pipe 100 including a throat section or venturi 110 used to measure hold - ups and velocity of an oil , gas and water mixture using a dual - energy densitometer 120 located within the throat section . the densitometer 120 includes a radioactive source 121 generating a low - energy beam with a peak energy at 30 kev and a high energy beam at 356 kev using for example a barium ba - 133 source . a receiver 122 measures the attenuation of the beams . for the purpose of the invention the beam scattering , absorption or other related beam properties may be used instead of the attenuation . the other flow properties are calculated using the pressure gradient along the throat section 110 measured using pressure sensors or taps 111 and 112 . according to the known methods , the dual energy fraction meter ( defm ) model solves the following equations : w m he = w v he exp (− a m he ) with a m he = α w a w he + α o a o he + α g a g he w m le = w v le exp (− a m le ) with a m le = α w a w le + α o a o le + α g a g le where α w , α o , α g are the unknown volumetric fractions ( hold ups ). w m he and w m le are the ( measured ) count rates in the high ( he ) and low ( le ) energy windows . w v he and w v le are the ( calibrated ) corresponding count rates in vacuum . a w he , a w le , a o he , a o le , a g he and a g le are the ( calibrated ) attenuations in single phases . d t is the path length of the photons through the fluid ; in the above example it is the venturi throat diameter and ν is the mass attenuation coefficient . at a given energy , for any substance containing n different elements ν = ∑ i = 1 n ⁢ β i ⁢ ν i [ 3 ] where β i and ν i are the mass fraction and the mass attenuation coefficient of the i - th element respectively . the attenuation coefficient of a known molecule or composition can be derived from experiment and / or calculations using for example the tables and values provided by the united states national institute of standards and technology ( nist ) the nist plot of fig2 a shows the variation in the mass attenuation coefficient at various energies and for different compositions ( the water values are the extremes of what can be expected in the oil field ( pure water to saturated with nacl )). the oil values are c6h12 and c6h12 with dissolved hydrogen sulfate h2s . methane is presented as pure gas and contaminated with h2s . in all three cases is the pure material shown as a solid line and the contaminated mixture as dashed line . the plot shows that at energies & gt ;˜ 80 kev the mass attenuation coefficient is a constant and almost independent of composition . hence at photon energies above 80 or 100 kev ( compton scattering range ), the densitometer measures the density of the mixture flowing through the flowmeter . at energies & lt ;˜ 80 or , more preferably , 50 kev ( photoelectric effect range ) the mass attenuation coefficient is composition sensitive as shown in left hand side of fig2 a and again magnified in fig2 b using two energies , the basic model to be solved in the presence of water , oil and gas is using the same notation as above w m he = w v he exp └− d t ( α w ν w he ρ w + α oν o he ρ o + α gν g he ρ g )┘ w m le = w v le exp [− d t ( α wν w le ρ w + α oν o le ρ o + α gν g le ρ g )] which represents 3 equations in 3 unknown hold - ups α w , α o , and α g . following known methods , the model represented by [ 1b ] are solved assuming that the single phase densities are known and that the mass attenuation coefficients can be determined from the composition or by a calibration . it is now assumed that the composition of the flow has changed . in the following first example in accordance with the invention an additional fourth phase or component has been added to the flow . w m he = w v he exp └− d t ( α w ν w he ρ w + α o ν o he ρ o + α g ν g he ρ g + α x ν x he ρ x )┘ w m le = w v le exp [− d t ( α w ν w le ρ w + α o ν o le ρ o + α g ν g le ρ g + α x ν x le ρ x )] the model now includes 3 equations in 4 unknowns α w , α o , α g and α x . according to the invention this model can be solved when using values derived independently through prior knowledge and / or parallel measurement . in the present example the prior knowledge include additional information relating directly a hold - up or indirectly through the knowledge of the value of a function of one or more hold - ups : 1 ) α w = 0 : i . e . wlr = 0 2 ) α w = 1 : i . e . wlr = 1 3 ) α g known : i . e . know the gas — volume — fraction 4 ) wlr known : α w /( α w + α 0 ) known 5 ) one of α i known or a f ( α i ) known this can be applied for any fluid composition that gives a large change ( with percentage of presence ) in the mass attenuation coefficient . in for example the case of h2s and knowing that the water liquid ration wlr = 0 then the above example can be used to measure the quantity of h 2 s and track its changes . however the invention can be extended using a modified densitometer as shown in fig3 . most elements of fig3 are identical or similar to those shown in fig1 and are hence denoted using the same numerals . a modified radio source 321 however is used generating photon rays at three different energy levels , two of which are preferably within the photoelectric effect range . possible radionuclides that could enhance the emission spectrum of the source include gadolinium with peak emissions at 42 kev and 104 kev . other possibly useful radioisotopes are isotopes of americium , cobalt and caesium . in this example , the model equation ( assuming the presence of four components ) change to w m he = w v he exp └− d t ( α w ν w he ρ w + α o ν o he ρ o + α g ν g he ρ g + α x ν x he ρ x )┘ w m le1 = w v le1 exp [− d t ( α w ν w le1 ρ w + α o ν o le1 ρ o + α g ν g le1 ρ g + α x ν x le2 ρ x )] w m le2 = w v le2 exp [− d t ( α w ν w le2 + α o ν o le2 ρ o + α g νg le2 ρ g + α x ν x le2 ρ x )] the three energy measurement provides a system of four equation with four unknowns . in principle the proposed method can be extended to n x - ray or gamma - ray energies and n + 1 unknown components as because the sum of the unknown fractions is 1 by definition .
6
a control device for a switched reluctance motor in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention which is applied to , for example , a driving unit for an electric vehicle . a single switched reluctance motor 29 is provided as the drive source and is controlled by a controller 10 . the controller 10 controls the driving of the switched reluctance motor 29 on the basis of information which is fed from a shift lever ( not shown ), a brake switch ( not shown ), an accelerator switch ( not shown ) and an accelerator opening sensor ( not shown ). it will be seen that a storage battery is utilized as a power supply . as shown in fig5 the switched reluctance motor includes a housing , a stator 52 fixed to the housing and a rotor 51 disposed in the stator 52 . the rotor 51 is fixed to an output shaft which is rotatably supported on the housing and thereby is rotatably disposed in the stator 52 . the rotor 51 has four pairs of rotor pole portions 51a which project outwards in the diametrical direction and which extend in the axial direction . the stator 52 has six pairs of opposing stator pole portions 52a which projection inwardly in the diametrical direction and which extend in the axial direction . each of the stator pole portions 52a is opposed to each of the rotor pole portions 51a in response to the rotation of the rotor 51 and a certain clearance is maintained between the stator pole portions 52a and the rotor pole portions 51a which are opposed to each other . on each of the stator pole portions 52a , a coil 53 is wound thereon . the coils 53 which are wound on two pairs of opposing stator pole portions 52a are connected in series with each other to form a first phase coil 25 , a second phase coil 26 and a third phase coil 27 ( fig1 ), each of which has four coils 53 connected in series . when current is supplied to one of the first phase coil 25 to the third phase coil 27 a magnetic flux is generated between each pair of stator pole portions 52a . a magnetic attracting force results between the rotor pole portions 51a and the stator pole portions 52a which are approaching each other . this magnetic attracting force is controlled by changing over the supply of current to coil 25 to 27 in turn in response to the rotational position of the rotor 51 detected by an angle sensor 28 whereby rotary torque is produced . the controller 10 is provided with a cpu ( micro computer ) 15 , an input interface 17 , a map memory 18 , a power supply circuit 14 , a current waveform generating circuit 12 , a comparison circuit 11 , a first phase coil driver 19 , a second phase coil driver 20 and a third phase coil driver 21 . the input interface 17 receives output signals of the shift lever ( not shown ), the brake switch ( not shown ), the accelerator switch ( not shown ) and the accelerator opening sensor ( not shown ) and supplies signals to the cpu 15 . the cpu 15 formulates a target rotational speed and a target rotary torque for the switch reluctance motor 29 on the basis of information which is obtained from these signals and determines current waveform which should be supplied to each of the phase coils 25 to 27 in response to the result of the formulation . the cpu 15 reads the obtained current waveform from the map memory 18 and sets in a bi - directional memory 16 provided in the current waveform generating circuit 12 . as shown in fig3 the supply of the current to each of the phase coils 25 to 27 is controlled by the current supply timing and a pulse width modulation ( pwm ) signal which modulates the amount of the supplied current . the current supply timing is written into the bidirectional memory 16 and is compared with the detected value ( angle ) of the angle sensor 28 . when the detected value of the angle sensor 28 reaches the predetermined current supply timing , the supply of the current to each of the phase coils 25 to 27 is changed over . the comparison circuit 11 compares the current value written into the bidirectional memory 16 with an output value of each of the current sensors 22 to 24 . the pwm signal is generated in the output decision circuit 13 so as to equalize the output value of each of the current sensors 22 to 24 with the written value and is fed to each of the drivers 19 to 21 . fig2 shows a detailed block diagram of the first phase driver 19 . the second phase driver 20 and the third phase driver 21 have the same construction as that of the first phase driver 19 . the current waveform generating circuit 12 is provided with an address decoder 12a , two memories 12b and 12c , digital - analog converter 12e , output buffer 12f and and circuit 12g . in the memory 12b , a target current value corresponding to a rotational angle of the rotor fed from the cpu 15 is written at an address corresponding to the rotational angle of the rotor . in the memory 12c , a current supply timing corresponding to the rotational angle of the rotor fed from the cpu 15 is written at an address correcting to the rotational angle of the rotor . the output signal of the angle sensor 28 is converted into an address value by the address decoder 12a and designates the reading address of the memories 12b and 12c . as a result , a target current value corresponding to the rotational angle of the switched reluctance motor 29 is read from the memory 12b on all such occasions and it is read from the memory 12c whether the current should be supplied to the phase coil or not . the value which is read from the memory 12 is outputted as on - off signal 32 through the and circuit 12g . a control signal from the cpu 15 is fed to the and circuit 12g and therefore it is possible to make the on - off signal 32 by off compulsory regardless of the value of the memory 12c . a digital signal read from the memory 12b is converted into an analog signal by the digital - analog converter 12e and is fed to a non - inverting input terminal of a comparator 11a of the comparison circuit 11 as a basic current value 30 through the output buffer 12f . on the other hand , the current value which flows in coil 19d of the first phase driver 19 is detected by the current sensor 19c and is fed to an inverting input terminal of the comparator 11a as a supply current value 36 . the comparator 11a compares the basic current value 30 and the supply current value 36 and feeds the comparison result to a pwm generating circuit 13a provided in the output comparison circuit 13 as a comparing current signal 37 . fig4 shows the pwm generating circuit 13a . the pwm generating circuit 13a is provided with two flip - flops 40 and 41 , two and circuits 42 and 47 , an or circuit 43 , a 12 bit counter 44 , a latch 46 and a comparison circuit 45 . the flip - flops 40 and 41 are operated by a clock 48 . the on - off signal 32 is fed to a d terminal of the flip - flop 40 and the flip - flop 40 generates an output signal from a non - inverting output terminal in response to clock timing . the output signal from the inverting output terminal of the flip - flop 40 is fed to a d terminal of the flip - flop 41 and the flip - flop 41 generates an output signal from an inverting output terminal in response to the clock timing . the output signal from the non - inverting terminal of the flip - flop 40 and the output signal from the inverting terminal of the flip - flop 41 are fed to the and circuit 42 . thus , the and circuit 42 generates a trigger signal 49 which is a high level only for one clock , after the on - off signal 32 is changed from off to on . this trigger signal 49 is fed to a reset terminal of the 12 bit counter 44 through the or circuit 43 . the 12 bit counter 44 counts the pwm clock of 62 mhz . an overflow output signal of the 12 bit counter 44 is fed to the or circuit 43 . the 12 bit counter 44 starts to count after the 12 bit counter 44 is reset when the on - off signal 32 changes from off to on and suspends the count at the overflow . the latch 46 latches a pwm duty directions signal 33 as 12 bit signal . the comparison circuit 45 compares the pwm duty directions signal 33 latched in the latch 46 with the counted up output signal of the 12 bit counter 44 . when the counted up output signal of the 12 bit counter 44 is smaller than the pwm duty directions signal 33 , the comparison circuit 45 generates a high level signal . when the counted up output signal of the 12 bit counter 44 is not smaller than the pwm duty directions signal 33 , the comparison circuit 45 generates a low level signal . accordingly , the output of the comparison circuit 49 becomes a pwm duty signal 54 which the length of time being high level changes in response to the magnitude of the pwm duty directions signal 33 . the and circuit 47 generates on - off signal 50 in response to the and condition between the comparing current signal 37 and the pwm duty signal 54 . accordingly , in fig2 the on - off signal 50 becomes off when the supply current value 36 is larger than the basic current value . when the supply current value 36 is smaller than the basic current value , the pwm duty signal corresponding to the magnitude of the pwm duty directions signal 33 is generated as the on - off signal 50 . in fig2 the on - off signal 50 is fed to a base of the upper side transistor 19a of the first phase driver 19 . a collector of the upper side transistor 19a is connected to a high voltage line 34 supplied from the power supply circuit 14 . an emitter of the upper side transistor 19a is connected to one end of the coil 19d . the other end of the coil 19d is connected to a collector of the base of the lower side of the transistor 19f . an emitter of the lower side transistor 19f is connected to a lower voltage line 35 supplied from the power supply circuit 14 . the on - off signal 32 is fed to a base of the lower side transistor 19f . a diode 19b for a flywheel is interposed between the one end of the coil 19d and the lower voltage line 35 . a diode 19e for the flywheel is interposed between the other end of the coil 19d and the high voltage line 34 . the current value which flows in the coil 19d is detected by the current sensor 19c . in the first phase driver 19 , the current flows in the coil 19d only when the upper side transistor 19a and the lower side transistor 19f become on at the same time . namely , the upper side transistor 19a becomes on when the on - off signal 50 is on . the lower side transistor 19f becomes on when the on - off signal 32 is on . accordingly , as shown in fig3 actual current supply to the coil 19d is on only when the current supply timing ( the on - off signal 32 ) and the pwm signal ( the on - off signal 50 ) are on . as mentioned above , the on timing ( starting timing of on ) of the pwm signal ( the on - off signal 50 synchronizes with the rise timing of the on - off signal 32 . accordingly , at the timing when the current begins to be supplied , the actual supplied current waveform always becomes the same waveform and therefore , the actual starting timing for supplying the current is not changes . in the prior control device , as shown in fig6 there is a case in which the on timing of the pwm signal is shifted relative to the on timing of the current supply timing . in this case , the length of the first on signal after start of on timing of the current supply timing shortens . if such a poor condition of the on timing occurs , as shown in fig7 the rise of the actual current waveform delays relative to the target current waveform and thereby the rotary torque becomes lower than the desired rotary torque . in particular , when the switched reluctance motor is rotated at high speed , the interval of the on of the current supply timing shortens and the number of pulses of pwm signal during the on condition of the current supply timing is reduced . as a result , a ratio of decrease of the motoring torque becomes larger and the maximum rotational speed becomes lower . on the contrary , according to this embodiment , since the actual current waveform is coincided to the target current waveform , the desired rotary torque is obtained and the maximum rotational speed of the switched reluctance motor is not decreased . the above mentioned phenomenon becomes notable when the number of the stator pole portions and the number of the rotor pole portions are increased . for example , if the number of stator pole portions is increased , the angle difference between adjacent stator pole portions becomes smaller and the shape of a space between the adjacent stator pole portions in which the coil is wound approaches a rectangular shape . thus , it is possible to easily form or machine the stator , and the space between the adjacent stator pole portions becomes smaller and it is possible to wind the coil in the space while making good use of the space . furthermore , the magnetic attracting force which operates on the stator pole portions when the current is supplied to the coil wound thereon is dispersed in the circumferential direction and therefore , the strain of the stator is reduced . thus , the noise is reduced . although there are many merits to increasing the number of stator pole portions and the rotor pole portions , the number of times which the current supply timing becomes on increase per a rotation of the switched reluctance motor and therefore , the interval of the on condition of the current supply timing shortens . in such a case , according to this embodiment , since the motoring torque and the maximum rotational speed of the switched reluctance motor is not decreased , it is possible to obtain the above mentioned merits while ensuring the necessary rotary torque and the necessary rotational speed . now , in this embodiment , until the cpu 15 renews the bi - directional memory 16 , the control of the switched reluctance motor is performed by the high frequency on the basis of the current waveform written into the bi - directional memory 16 . therefore , since the processing speed of the cpu 15 is of no concern , it is possible to use a cheap cpu . when the duty ratio directed by the pwm duty directions signal 33 should be changed in response to the rotational angle , pwm duty memories which are the same as the memories 12b , 12c are added to the bi - directional memory 16 . thus , the cpu 15 reads the information from the map memory 18 and sets in the pwm duty memories . then , the pwm duty directions signal 33 is read from the pwm duty memories . as mentioned above , according to the present invention , since the pwm signal is started at the same time when the current supply timing becomes on , even if the interval of the on condition of the current supply timing shortens , it is possible to nearly coincide the actual current waveform with the target current waveform whereby it is possible to ensure the necessary rotary torque . accordingly , it is possible to obtain plural merits ( improvement of efficiency , reduction of cost , reduction of noise and so on ) while ensuring the necessary rotary torque . the principles , a preferred embodiment and modes of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing description . the invention , which is intended to be protected herein should not however be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed , as 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 and scope of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing detailed description should be considered exemplary in nature and not limited to the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim .
7
the invention will now be described with reference to examples in which a cleaning composition of the invention is applied to water system cleaning agents . two kinds ( a1 and a2 ) of polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxane , each represented by formula ( v ) and ( vi ), were prepared . then , the polyoxyalkylene denatured silicone ( a1 ) represented by formula ( v ), polyoxyalkylene denatured silicone ( a2 ) represented by formula ( vi ), sodium laurate ( b1 ) and polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether ( b2 ) ( 20 moles of polyoxyethylene ), both serving as surfactants , and water were weighed so that their ratio by weight will be 5 : 5 : 4 : 4 : 82 . thereafter , these components were charged into a homogenizing mixer for blending to obtain a water system cleaning composition p1 . the polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxane ( a1 ), the sodium laurate ( b1 ) and polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether ( b2 ), both serving as surfactants , and water were weighed so that they satisfy the composition ratio specified in table 1 . then , a water system cleaning composition p2 was obtained as in example 1 . the polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxanes ( a1 ) and ( a2 ), dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate ( b3 ) that serves as a surfactant in addition to the surfactants ( b1 ) and ( b2 ), octamethyl tetrasiloxane ( d1 ) and octamethyl trisiloxane ( d2 ), both as low molecular weight polyorganosiloxanes , and water were selectively mixed to prepare water system cleaning compositions p3 to p5 having composition ratios specified in table 1 in the same manner as that in example 1 . three kinds of water system cleaning compositions were prepared in a manner similar to that of each of the above examples except that no polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxane was mixed . the properties as a cleaning agent were evaluated as to the water system cleaning compositions of examples 1 to 5 and comparative examples 1 to 3 by the following methods . the result is also shown in table 1 . measurements were made based on the jis - specified canvas method . the smaller value means better penetrating property ; i . e ., the composition is more effective in cleaning smaller parts . a sample is prepared by applying a spindle oil over a steel strip and baking it at 135 ° c . for 48 hours . the property is evaluated by the time spent for cleaning the oil baked on the sample ( by ultrasonic cleaning ). the smaller the value is , the better the cleaning property becomes . each composition was contained in a transparent bottle of 200 ml sealed thereafter and then heated at 50 ° c . for 6 hours . after being gradually cooled from 50 ° to 25 ° c ., its appearance in the bottle is observed . table 1______________________________________ comparative examples examples 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3______________________________________composition ratio ( wt . %) polyoxyalkylenedenaturedsiliconea1 5 0 . 5 1 . 0 -- 10 -- -- -- a2 5 -- -- 1 . 0 -- -- -- -- surfactantb1 4 0 . 8 0 . 3 0 . 3 4 1 . 2 0 . 8 0 . 8b2 4 0 . 7 0 . 4 0 . 5 -- 0 . 8 0 . 7 0 . 7b3 -- -- -- -- 0 . 5 -- 0 . 5 -- water 82 98 98 98 82 98 98 98low molecularweight poly - organosiloxaned1 -- -- -- 0 . 2 3 . 5 -- -- 0 . 5d2 -- -- 0 . 3 -- -- -- -- -- evaluation resultpenetrability 7 8 4 3 2 25 22 18 ( canvas method , in second ) cleaning property 14 14 12 11 7 22 23 17 ( in minute ) stability st st st st st st st sep______________________________________ note : st : stable sep : separated as is apparent from the result shown in table 1 , the water system cleaning agent of the invention exhibits excellent cleaning capability and penetrability , attesting to its availability as a replacement for the conventional solvent based cleaning agents containing flon and the like . with its stability , it is considered a highly practical product . in contradistinction thereto , the water system cleaning agents according to comparative examples were satisfactory neither in cleaning capability nor in penetrability . an exemplary process employed to clean a specific part using a water system cleaning agent of the invention will now be described . in fabricating a liquid crystal device , a liquid crystal cell is evacuated to a high vacuum degree and a liquid crystal material is sealed in a device . in this case , the evacuation is carried out by a high performance diffusion vacuum pump . since the diffused oil enters into the vacuum system in the form of mist , the pump must be cleaned often to remove the oil . in this example , the water system cleaning agent of the invention was used in lieu of a conventional triethane cleaning agent . a pump part made of a stainless steel sus 304 and a ni - plated stainless steel sus304 material having an adhesion of silicon oil f - 4 ( trademark of shinetsu chemical ) as a diffusion oil was cleaned . the composition ratio of the used water system cleaning agent is as shown below . that is , in 80 wt . % of ion - exchanged water being sufficiently stirred at ambient temperature , 6 wt . % of the polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxane having the following chemical structure was gradually added to obtain an achromatic translucent homogenous solution . ## str8 ## on the other hand , as a surfactant , a mixture of 8 wt . % of special nonionic adecanol b - 4001 ( trademark of asahi electrochemical ) and 6 wt . % of anionic twa - 2023 ( trademark of ipposha oil and grease ) of sulfuric acid ester purlonic structure was added to the above water / siloxane solution . after diluting the water system cleaning agent thus obtained was diluted by ion - exchanged water at an arbitrary ratio , silicone oil f - 4 was cleaned using the diluted cleaning agents . as a result , the pump part was satisfactorily cleaned : through immersion by stirring for 1 minute in a 1 / 10 diluted cleaning agent at ambient temperature ; through immersion by oscillating for 1 minute in a 1 / 30 diluted cleaning agent at 40 ° c . or through 1 minute ultrasonic cleaning at 20 ° c . in the same cleaning agent ; and through 1 minute ultrasonic cleaning in a 1 / 50 diluted cleaning agent at 50 ° c ., respectively . for comparison , the pump part was similarly cleaned with compositions containing only surfactant ( s ) and no polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxane . silicone oil was not removed sufficiently with 10 or more minute immersion ultrasonic cleaning in a 1 / 10 diluted composition at ambient temperature . to remove silicone oil with this composition , it took more than 5 minutes at 65 ° c . or more . it is understood from this data that the cleaning agent that incorporates the polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxane of the invention exhibits an outstanding cleaning property . the polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxanes and the low molecular weight polyorganosiloxanes of the invention contribute to significantly improve the cleaning capability of commercially available water - soluble cleaning agents . an aqueous solution of chemiclean ms - 109 ( trademark of sanyo kasei kogyo ), which is a surfactant containing , low foaming , rust preventive cleaning agent , is typically used to clean mechanical and metallic parts . blending 3 wt . % of the polyoxyalkylene denatured silicon ( a1 ) represented by formula ( v ) in example 1 , 5 wt . % of cyclic hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane , 17 wt . % of ion - exchanged water with 65 wt . % of the above aqueous solution , a new cleaning composition was prepared . this new cleaning composition was 1 / 20 diluted by ion - exchanged water and its cleaning property was evaluated by the following method . the result is shown in table 2 . for comparison , the evaluation result of 1 / 20 diluted chemiclean ms - 109 was also shown . the following contaminants were applied to a degreased aluminum plate ( ac - 4a ) by immersing , dried by blowing , and immersed while stirred ( 400 rpm ) in respective cleaning agents ( 1 / 20 diluted ) for 15 seconds to 1 minute . then , after immersed in water , the aluminum plate was dried by blowing . each contaminant was transferred on white paper through an adhesive tape for reflectance measurement by a colorimeter thereby to calculate the cleaning rate . ______________________________________spindle oil 78 % fatty acid ester 15 % chlorinated paraffin 5 % carbon black 2 % ______________________________________ a contaminant was prepared by adding 2 % of carbon black to a water - soluble machining oil ( emulsive ), and the test was performed in a manner similar to that of cleaning test -- 1 . its cleaning rate was similarly calculated . table 2______________________________________ immersion time cleaning rate (%) ( second ) invention ms - 109______________________________________cleaning test - 1 15 72 . 4 59 . 0 30 86 . 5 65 . 2 60 100 . 0 67 . 8cleaning test - 2 15 81 . 7 58 . 0 30 93 . 8 71 . 0______________________________________ similar tests were conducted on ep - 680 ( trademark of e . p . japan ) which is a commercially available supereffective cleaning solution and water system cleaning agent ; banrise d - 20 ( trademark of joban chemical industries ) which is an emulsive degreased cleaning agent ; and hikari ace ( trademark of shoko trade ) which is a powerful special cleaning agent . as a result , these cleaning agents , when used in combination of the polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxane and the low molecular weight polyorganosiloxane of the invention , exhibited a significantly improved cleaning property . the water system cleaning agent of the invention exhibits remarkable effect on cleaning of fluxes used in mounting electronic parts on printed boards . the flux comes roughly in two types : rosin containing and water - soluble . a specific example of cleaning rosin containing fluxes , which is said to be a difficult task , will now be described . as a step prior to soldering a part on a printed board , a ww rosin ester was put on a part and immersed in a solder bath at 230 ° to 250 ° c . and then the part was mounted . it was observed that the flux was completely removed when the printed board was shower - rinsed for 35 ° c . for 45 seconds using a water system cleaning agent described below . the water system cleaning composition used here is prepared by blending 2 wt . % of the polyoxyalkylene group containing polyorganosiloxane represented by formula ( vii ), 3 wt . % of senkanol fm ( trademark of nippon senka ), which is an amphoteric surfactant , 5 wt . % of nikkol cmt - 30 ( trademark of nippon surfactant ), which is a sodium - n - cocoil methyl taurine containing nonionic surfactant , and adding ion - exchanged water to prepare 100 wt . % of the composition . ## str9 ## when acceleration aging tests which guarantees us mil - f - 4256c standard , surface insulation resistance tests , ion residual tests and the like were conducted on the above composition which was 1 / 10 diluted by ion - exchanged water , the results were satisfactory . examples in which cleaning compositions of the invention were applied to dewatering cleaning agents will now be described . octamethyltrisiloxane ( e1 ), octamethycyclotetrasiloxane ( e2 ), and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane ( e3 ) were prepared as low molecular weight polyorganosiloxanes ; polyoxyethylene oleyl ether ( f1 ) ( p . o . e = 6 moles ), and polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether ( f2 ) ( p . o . e = 10 moles ) as surfactants ; and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether ( g1 ) as a hydrophilic solvent were prepared . these components were selected and blended so that the composition ratio shown in table 3 were satisfied to obtain respective dewatering cleaning agents . flon 113 , methylene chloride , isopropyl alcohol , and ethanol were prepared as conventional dewatering cleaning agents to obtain 5 types of dewatering cleaning agents whose composition ratios were as shown in table 3 . the properties of examples 9 to 17 and comparative examples 4 to 8 were evaluated by the following methods . the result is also shown in table 3 . various pieces ( a stainless steel strip , a ceramic piece , a polycarbonate piece , a ni - plated steel strip ) were immersed in each dewatering cleaning agent after washed by water . in examples 13 to 15 , each piece was then rinsed by the low molecular weight polyorganosiloxane blended to prepare each dewatering cleaning agent . thereafter , each piece was dried in an oven at 50 ° c . the water marks ( a stain by impurities dissolved in water ) after drying each piece was observed visibly and by a scanning electron microscope and evaluated in accordance with the following criteria . xx : not evaluable due to erosion of the piece during dewatering . ∘: no water marks whose size is 50 μm or more were observed by the scanning electron microscope . a continuous dewatering test with a frequency of 50 times were conducted on a stainless steel strip and the appearance of the strip was evaluated in a manner similar to that of item ( 1 ). the stainless steel strip was immersed in each dewatering cleaning agent and dried in the oven at 50 ° c . during the drying process , the strip was touched by a finger to see the drying condition every 5 minutes and the time required for drying was recorded on a 5 - minute basis . table 3__________________________________________________________________________ examples comparative examples 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 4 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________composition ratio ( parts by weight ) low molecular weightpolyorganosiloxanee1 100 -- -- 50 100 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- e2 -- 100 50 50 -- 100 100 100 -- 50 -- -- -- -- e3 -- -- 50 -- -- -- -- -- 100 -- -- -- -- -- surfactantf1 -- -- -- -- 0 . 3 0 . 3 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- f2 -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 . 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- hydrophilic solventc1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 10 20 -- -- -- -- -- methylene chloride -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 50 100 -- -- -- freon 113 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 100 96 -- ethanol -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 4 -- isopropyl alcohol -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 100dewatering propertystainless steel ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ∘ ∘ ⊚ ⊚ . circleincircle . ceramics ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ x x ∘ ⊚ . circleincircle . polycarbonate ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ xx xx ⊚ ⊚ xx * ni plated strip ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ xx xx ⊚ ⊚ . circleincircle . continuous dewatering property ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ⊚ ◯ ◯ ⊚ ⊚ . circleincircle . drying property 10 5 10 10 10 5 5 10 15 5 5 & lt ; 5 & lt ; 5 & lt ; 5 ( 50 ° c . in oven in minute ) __________________________________________________________________________ note : * solvent cracks occurred . as is apparent from the result shown in table 3 , the dewatering cleaning agents of the invention , exhibiting satisfactory dewatering property , can be a viable substitute for organic solvent containing flon and the like based cleaning agents . dewatering cleaning agents containing methylene chloride or isopropyl alcohol ( comparative examples 4 and 5 ) rust and erode metal films and plastics . in contradistinction thereto , the dewatering cleaning agents of the invention are stable to metal films and plastics and exhibit satisfactory dewatering property even to ceramics which have large surface roughness values , thereby ensuring their reliability when applied to parts including metal , plated , electronic , semiconductor , plastic , and ceramic parts . the dewatering cleaning agent containing isopropyl alcohol permitted water to be dissolved therein , thereby causing water to present on the part again . moreover , it is understood that mixing of surfactants and hydrophilic solvents with the dewatering cleaning agents of the invention improved the dewatering property , thereby attesting to their industrial applicability . an exemplary cleaning system using a dewatering cleaning agent of the invention will now be described with reference to fig1 . a cleaning system shown in fig1 consists roughly of a cleaning / water - substituting process a and a rinsing / dewatering process b . the cleaning / water - substituting process a , which is the first process involves a first cleaning vessel 1 and a second cleaning vessel 2 , each serving both as a separator through sedimentation and a separator through overflow , and a dewatering vessel 3 . the first and second cleaning vessels 1 and 2 communicate with each other through a drain line 2a and an overflow line 2b . the first and second cleaning vessels 1 and 2 are operated together with ultrasonic , oscillating , mechanical stirring , cleaning agent heating , and brushing processes and the like , if necessary . the first and second cleaning vessels 1 and 2 respectively contain a cleaning agent d1 composed of a low molecular weight polyorganosiloxane and a surfactant , which is one of the dewatering cleaning agents of the invention . the surfactant containing cleaning agent d1 may be so prepared that its specific gravity is smaller than that of water and larger than that of an oily stain . therefore , water y introduced by an object to be cleaned x is separated by being sedimentated at the bottom of the surfactant containing cleaning agent d1 that has been charged in the first and second cleaning vessels 1 and 2 . if an oily stain z is present on the object x , the oily stain z is separated by floating upward in the surfactant containing cleaning agent d1 in the first and second cleaning vessels 1 and 2 . the water y separated by being sedimentated in the second cleaning vessel 2 is intermittently discharged to the first cleaning vessel 1 through a drain line 2a while the water y separated by being sedimentated in the first cleaning vessel 1 is intermittently discharged to a cleaning agent recycling mechanism c ( described later ) through a drain line 4 . a drain line 3a connected to the drainage vessel 3 is also connected to the cleaning agent recycling mechanism c . the oily stain z separated by floating in the first and second vessels 1 and 2 is discharged outside while continuously overflown through an overflow line 5 connected to the first cleaning vessel 1 . the surfactant containing cleaning agent d1 charged in the first and second cleaning vessels 1 and 2 is continuously circulated through a filter 6 that serves to remove solid particles , h 2 o particles , undissolved substances , and the like contained in the cleaning agent d1 . the rinsing / dewatering process b , which is the second process , involves a third cleaning vessel 7 and a shower rinse vessel 8 . below the shower rinse vessel 8 is a buffer tank 9 that communicates with the third cleaning vessel 7 through a drain line 9a and an overflow line 9b . the third cleaning vessel 7 is also operated together with ultrasonic , oscillating , mechanical stirring , cleaning agent heating , and brushing processes and the like , if necessary . the third cleaning vessel 7 contains a cleaning agent d2 consisting only of a silicone composition identical to the low molecular weight polyorganosiloxane used in the first process a . the cleaning agent d2 may be so prepared that its specific gravity is smaller than that of water and larger than that of an oily stain . therefore , as in the first process a , water y is separated by being sedimentated at the bottom of the cleaning agent d2 and the oily stain z is separated by floating upward in the cleaning agent d2 . the water y separated by being sedimentated in the third cleaning vessel 7 is intermittently discharged to the cleaning agent recycling mechanism c through a drain line 10 while the oily stain z separated by floating in the third cleaning vessel 7 is discharged outside through an overflow line 11 . the cleaning agent d2 charged in the third cleaning vessel 7 is continuously circulated through a filter 12 that serves to remove solid particles , h 2 o particles , undissolved substances , and the like contained in the cleaning agent d2 . the object to be cleaned x undergoes the first process a and then the second process b , cleaned and dewatered , and then dried by a fan forced drier ( not shown ) to complete the cleaning process . the cleaning agent used in the cleaning system is subjected to the following recycling process . as described above , the drain lines 4 , 3a , 10 of the first , second , and third cleaning vessels 1 , 2 , and 7 , and the dewatering vessel 3 are connected to the cleaning agent recycling mechanism c . the cleaning agent d1 or d2 contained in each cleaning vessel is constantly cleaned by the filters 6 and 12 . however , when heavily contaminated , the cleaning agent is introduced to the cleaning agent recycling mechanism c through drain lines 4 and 10 by a conveyer pump 13 for fractional distillation . the cleaning agent d1 deposited in the dewatering vessel 3 is also supplied intermittently to the cleaning agent recycling mechanism c . at the cleaning agent recycling mechanism c , the introduced cleaning agent is separated into liquid components and solid components by a filter 14 , and only the liquid components are forwarded to a distiller 15 with the solid components being destroyed . the distiller 15 separates various components , water , oily stains in the cleaning agent utilizing the difference in their boiling points . water and the like that remain in the distiller 15 are further separated by a decanter 16 . since the cleaning agent d1 is an agent having a surfactant added to the cleaning agent d2 that contains only the low molecular weight polyorganosiloxane , the low molecular weight polyorganosiloxane , i . e ., the cleaning agent d2 , can be extracted from both cleaning agents d1 and d2 , thereby allowing the cleaning agent d2 to be recycled . the components other than the recycled cleaning agent d2 , i . e ., the surfactant , water , and the like will be destroyed . the recycled cleaning agent d2 is forwarded to a mixer 18 from which the cleaning agent d1 is supplied to the shower rinse vessel 8 , the third cleaning vessel 7 , or the second cleaning vessel 2 through a line 17 . in the shower rinse vessel 8 , a shower rinsing process is conducted using only the recycled cleaning agent d2 or a cleaning agent d2 newly introduced through a cleaning agent supply line 19 , both being free from impurities . the mixer 18 mixes the recycled or new cleaning agent d2 with the surfactant newly supplied from a surfactant supply line 20 to prepare a new cleaning agent d1 . the new cleaning agent d1 is supplied to the second cleaning vessel 2 , if necessary . with the cleaning system of such construction as described above , the dewatering cleaning agents of the invention can be used efficiently and effectively enjoying the advantage of excellent cleaning properties . as described in the foregoing pages , the cleaning compositions of the invention , when used as water system cleaning agents , exhibit a cleaning effect equivalent to that of conventional flon containing cleaning agents and an excellent stability as a water system with no risk of environmental destruction and pollution , thereby making a viable replacement for the organic solvent based cleaning agents including flon and the like which have environmental disadvantages . in addition , the cleaning compositions of the invention , when used as dewatering cleaning agents , provide a powerful dewatering property with no risk of environmental destruction and pollution , thereby serving a viable replacement for the organic solvent based dewatering cleaning agents including flon and the like which have environmental disadvantages .
2
the invention is embodied in a larger system which will be called the entity / relationship data movement and manipulation tool ( edmm ) which is designed for use with ibm &# 39 ; s repository manager / mvs . the invention is , however , independent of the particular host tool used as the repository for the e / r data . edmm has five components . the first four components described are run - time facilities ; the fifth , pf , is used during development . each of these components is described in detail in later sections . they are : 1 . common data format ( cdf ): edmm &# 39 ; s common data interchange format , which is a means of consistently representing e / r , file record data and function call information within a data stream . 2 . builder : the function that creates a cdf data stream from e / r , file record and function call data . 3 . parser : the function that interprets and decodes information in a cdf data stream . 4 . communication facility ( cf ): the function which provides data transfer and remote function routing between work station and host platforms . 5 . productivity facility ( pf ): the facility for creating repository manager data handling functions based on the work station tool &# 39 ; s view of the e / r data . the overall structure of a host connected pws system using the invention is shown in fig1 . the invention can be used in any system requiring transmission or storage of e / r related data . thus , a pws to pws or host to host connection will work , as will any combination of networked computers . the operation of the system is controlled by a user supplied application program 26 which supplies the data and commands for the components of edmm . the components of the invention are an edmm builder , parser , and communication facility . the pws builder 11 is required to encode the raw units of data into a formatted data stream . the pws parser 15 decodes a formatted data stream . the pws communication facility ( cf ) 13 provides the high level interface to a standard computer - to - computer communication means 17 . host builder 12 , host parser 16 , and host communication function 14 provide similar function on the host side , but the internals may be different because the host computer may have an instruction set or operating system that is different than that of the pws . the host communication function also includes a router 22 , which provides means to detect the presence of and appropriately route the e / r data , function calls , and file data in the data stream . the function means 20 may be a part of edmm , may be supplied as a part of a system such as the repository manager and / or may include functions supplied by the operating system . e / r data from the pws is routed to load means 19 . the unload means 21 is used to retrieve e / r data from the repository and return it to the pws . the e / r data is stored in the repository means 18 such as is provided through ibm &# 39 ; s repository manager / mvs . file data is stored in whatever standard way is provided by the operating system such as an mvs partitioned data set ( pds ) 23 . the load , unload , and other functions may generate output which is captured and routed back to the pws through the link . a cdf data stream consists of units of binary and character data . each unit contains a self - describing prefix area followed by a variable - length data area that might contain other nested units . the prefix area contains a 4 - byte length field , a 1 - byte action field , and a 1 - byte unit identifier field . the data area may or may not contain data depending upon the type of unit being described . the cdf data stream is supported by two functions , the parser and the builder , which exist on both the work station and the host . these functions provide users with an external view of a cdf data stream by dealing with the complexities of the cdf as well as ensuring the syntactical correctness of the data stream . any function that deals with a cdf data stream must go through the builder and parser . the purpose of the builder is to build a cdf data stream one unit at a time . the purpose of the parser function is to retrieve data one unit at a time from a cdf data stream . it allows the user to interpret data in the cdf . the communication facility is the component of the edmm tool that allows the communication of remote function calls and other information between work station tools and host - based repository manager functions . this component relies on rm / pws , which is supplied with the repository manager , to communicate between the host and the work station . a tool on the work station invokes the cf function on the work station , passing it a cdf data stream containing function call information and any other data necessary to invoke that function . the host cf interprets the cdf data stream and routes the function calls to the appropriate host repository manager function . after the repository manager function ( s ) have executed , the output parameters and processing results are returned to the work station tool in another cdf data stream . the productivity facility ( pf ) is the component that enables the rapid creation of data manipulation functions based on a variety of views of e / r data in the repository . the pf creates repository manager data handling c - language functions , as described below , for any configuration of entities and relationships defined by the user . a function that retrieves a group of connected entities and relationships from the repository and translates the entity , attribute , and relationship information via the builder function into a cdf data stream . a function that interprets a cdf data stream containing entity , attribute , and relationship information , updating the repository as specified by the action field of each cdf unit . a function that deletes a group of connected entity and relationship instances from the repository . a function that copies a group of connected entity and relationship instances in the repository . to create an repository manager function using pf , the tool builder must first fully define the function to repository manager , and generate the repository manager function report . the generated repository manager report is input to the productivity facility , which produces the desired repository manager c - language function based on the tool builder &# 39 ; s view of the e / r data . a fully defined repository manager function includes the definition of templates and connections . fig2 will be used to illustrate the overall process of how a work station application and the host interact when the arbitrary function , which will be called function -- x , on the host is called from the work station . this scenario can easily be generalized for any activity requested by the application on the work station . 1 . the application on the work station uses the builder function to build a cdf data stream , specifying the function -- x function to be invoked on the host along with function -- x &# 39 ; s input parameter values 31 . the data stream may be stored temporarily ( in ram ) or more permanently on disk or tape . 2 . the application on the work station transmits the data stream to the host by invoking cf on the work station using a regular c function call , passing a pointer to the cdf data stream as input 32 . if the host uses a character set which is different from the pws , then a character set translation is performed by the pws cf before the data is transmitted . 3 . the cf function on the work station transfers the cdf data to the cdf counterpart on the host . 4 . after parsing the data stream 33 , the routing is performed 34 based on the function -- x function call information in the cdf data stream , the cf router function on the host sets up the appropriate function -- x parameter template with input parameter values from the data stream and invokes the function -- x host repository manager function . 6 . upon completion , the function -- x function sets the output parameter values and returns to the host cf function with its output parameters in the function -- x repository manager parameter template 35 . some functions might only generate a return code , but the return code will be processed through the builder the same as other types of data . 7 . the cf function on the host takes output parameters from function -- x &# 39 ; s parameter template and , using the builder function 36 , places them back into the cdf data stream to be returned to the cf function on the work station . 8 . the cf function on the host returns the cdf data stream to its counterpart cf function on the work station . if character set translation is required , it is performed by the cf afer the data is transmitted back to the pws . the cf function on the work station returns the cdf data to the application 37 . 9 . the application uses the parser function 38 to obtain results of the host function call from the cdf data stream , displaying the results to the user where necessary via dialogs , pop - up windows , etc . function calls can include e / r data or lilt data as input or out parameters . the process of handling e / r data coming from the pws is also similar , but in this case the routing will invoke the load means which places the e / r data into the repository . requesting the unload function results in outputting e / r data that is encoded and sent back to the pws . in fig3 an overview of the build process is shown . when the first unit is processed 41 the initialization of memory , etc . is performed 42 . if the last unit has been processed 43 , then the data stream is constructed from the unit data which has been previously stored in tree form in memory 44 . since the requests from the application program must be a correct sequence , the sequence must be validated 45 . the builder and parser are both driven using finite state automata techniques . the state table will be described in detail in table 1 later . since only certain state transitions are valid , these are also checked 46 . the data for the unit is then stored in a tree in memory for later use in building the final data stream 47 . the parsing process is the reverse of the build process . the application program passes the parser a pointer to a data stream in memory or gives a file name which contains the data stream . the parser returns one unit at a time back to the application program . the parser keeps its own internal pointer into the data stream . the state table of table 1 describes the details of the state transitions . fig4 shows a representation of a template tree instance which will be used as an example . the data stream built from this instance is 222 bytes long . the hexadecimal representation of this data stream is as follows : __________________________________________________________________________000000de 00020000 002f0403 d7c5d9e2 d6d54040 0000000c 0005f1f2 f4f4f5f600000015 0406d5c1 d4c54040 4040d4c9 c3c8c1c5 d3000000 150403d4 d6c4e4d3c5404000 00000700 05c10000 003f0407 f0f0f0f0 f0f0f0f0 f0f10000 001a0009d7c5d9e2 d6d54040 0000000c 0005f1f2 f4f4f5f6 00000015 0009d4d6 c4e4d3c540400000 00070005 c1000000 180403c9 d5e36dd7 d9d6c300 00000a00 05d7e4e2c8000000 3d0407f0 f0f0f0f0 f0f0f0f0 f2000000 150009d4 d6c4e4d3 c540400000000700 05c10000 00180009 c9d5e36d d7d9d6c3 0000000a 0005d7e4 e2c8000000000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000__________________________________________________________________________ in the following the hexadecimal / character representation of a cdf data stream is broken down unit . the prefix is the first 6 bytes . the length is the first 4 bytes of the prefix , the action is the next byte of the prefix , and the id is the last byte of the prefix . the rest of the line is the data ( this is of varying length ). length = 222 , action = 0 ( none ), id = 2 ( e / r 13 data -- group -- id ), data = none . length = 7 , action = 0 ( none ), id = 5 ( tmpl -- key -- id ), data = a 0000003f 0407f0f0 f0f0f0f0 f0f0f0f1 length = 24 , action = 0 ( none ), id = 9 ( relent -- key -- id ), data = int -- proc ______________________________________e / r . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id nonetmpl . sub .-- id read person tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none 124456 field . sub .-- id read name michaeltmpl . sub .-- id read module tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none arel . sub .-- id read 0000000001 relent . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none person tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none 124456 relent . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none module tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none atmpl . sub .-- id read int . sub .-- proc tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none pushrel . sub .-- id read 0000000002 relent . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none module tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none a relent . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none int . sub .-- proc tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none push______________________________________ the common data format ( cdf ) provides a consistent means of communicating data among host and work station functions . it supports communication of e / r instance data and file data . in addition , it allows work station users to indirectly invoke host functions and receive results of host function processing . the cdf will be formally described . the cdf consists of units of data used to represent entity , attribute , and relationship instance data , function call information including parameters , and file data . each cdf unit has a self - describing prefix area followed by a variable - length data area . the prefix area contains a 4 - byte length field , a 1 - byte action field , and a 1 - byte unit identifier field . the data area may or may not contain data depending upon the type of unit being described . the cdf data stream grammar is described below . functions that deal with data in the cdf should not maintain or otherwise handle the cdf data stream directly ; this information is maintained by the builder and parser functions . note also that cdf data streams consist of binary and character data . the prefix area is represented in binary and the data area in character . this section contains a formal description of the cdf grammar . it shows the units that can make up a cdf data stream as well as the semantics that go along with those units . all cdf data streams must conform to this formal grammar in order to be processed by the builder and parser functions . standard backus naur form ( bnf ) notation is used to document this description . __________________________________________________________________________ & lt ; cdf . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream & gt ; ::= & lt ; edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream & gt ; | & lt ; er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group & gt ; | & lt ; file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group & gt ;& lt ; edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream . sub .-- id & lt ; edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ;& lt ; edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ; ::= & lt ; edmm . sub .-- data & gt ; & lt ; edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ; | & lt ; edmm . sub .-- data & gt ;& lt ; edmm . sub .-- data & gt ; ::= & lt ; function . sub .-- call & gt ; | & lt ; function . sub .-- call & gt ; & lt ; er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group & gt ; | & lt ; function . sub .-- call & gt ; & lt ; file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group & gt ;& lt ; function . sub .-- call & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id fun . sub .-- name & lt ; fun . sub .-- parm . sub . -- list & gt ;& lt ; fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- list & gt ; ::= & lt ; fun . sub .-- parm & gt ; & lt ; fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- list & gt ; | & lt ; null & gt ;& lt ; fun . sub .-- parm & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- name fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- value & lt ; er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub . -- id & lt ; er . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ;& lt ; er . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ; ::= & lt ; er . sub .-- data & gt ; & lt ; er . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ; | & lt ; er . sub .-- data & gt ;& lt ; er . sub .-- data & gt ; ::= & lt ; template & gt ; | & lt ; rel & gt ;& lt ; template & gt ; ::= length & lt ; crud . sub .-- action & lt ; tmpl . sub .-- id template . sub .-- name & lt ; tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- list & gt ; & lt ; field . sub .-- list & gt ;& lt ; tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- list & gt ; ::= & lt ; tmpl . sub .-- key & gt ; & lt ; tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- list & gt ; | & lt ; tmpl . sub .-- key & gt ;& lt ; tmpl . sub .-- key & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id & lt ; temp . sub .-- key & gt ; | length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id key . sub .-- value & lt ; field . sub .-- list & gt ; ::= & lt ; field & gt ; & lt ; field . sub .-- list & gt ; | & lt ; null & gt ;& lt ; field & gt ; ::= length & lt ; crud . sub .-- action & gt ; field . sub .-- id field . sub .-- name field . sub .-- value & lt ; rel & gt ; ::= length & lt ; crd . sub .-- action & gt ; rel . sub .-- id & lt ; rel . sub .-- key & gt ; & lt ; source . sub .-- key & gt ; & lt ; target . sub .-- key & gt ; | length & lt ; cu . sub .-- action & gt ; orel . sub .-- id & lt ; rel . sub .-- key & gt ; & lt ; rel . sub .-- posn & gt ; & lt ; source . sub .-- key & gt ; & lt ; target . sub .-- key & gt ;& lt ; source . sub .-- key & gt ; ::= & lt ; relent . sub .-- key & gt ; | & lt ; relrel . sub .-- key & gt ;& lt ; target . sub .-- key & gt ; ::= & lt ; relent . sub .-- key & gt ; | & lt ; relrel . sub .-- key & gt ;& lt ; relent . sub .-- key & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; relent . sub .-- key . sub .-- id template . sub .-- name & lt ; tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- list & gt ;& lt ; relrel . sub .-- key & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; relrel . sub .-- key . sub .-- id rel . sub .-- key & lt ; file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id & lt ; file . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ;& lt ; file . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ; ::= & lt ; line & gt ; & lt ; file . sub .-- data . sub .-- list & gt ; | & lt ; line & gt ;& lt ; line & gt ; ::= length & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; line . sub .-- id line . sub .-- value & lt ; crud . sub .-- action & gt ; ::= create | read | updata | delete & lt ; cu . sub .-- action & gt ; ::= create | update & lt ; crd . sub .-- action & gt ; ::= create | read | delete & lt ; c . sub .-- action & gt ; ::= create & lt ; no . sub .-- action & gt ; ::= none & lt ; temp . sub .-- key & gt ; ::= unique . sub .-- key & lt ; rel . sub .-- key & gt ; ::= unique . sub .-- key & lt ; rel . sub .-- posn & gt ; ::= unique . sub .-- key | 0 & lt ; null & gt ; ::= terminalslength ::= binary ( 4 ) - length of unit ( including the prefix ( length ( 4 ), action ( 1 ), and unit id ( 1 )) plus data ) none ::= binary ( 1 ) 00create ::= binary ( 1 ) 01delete ::= binary ( 1 ) 02update ::= binary ( 1 ) 03read ::= binary ( 1 ) 04edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 00fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 01e / r . sub . -- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 02tmpl . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 03temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 04tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 05field . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 06rel . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 07orel . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 08relent . sub .-- key . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 09relrel . sub .-- key . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 10fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 11file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 13line . sub .-- id ::= binary ( 1 ) 14template . sub .-- name ::= char ( 8 ) - name of entity templateunique . sub .-- key ::= char ( 10 ) - a temporary unique identifier for an entity whose key has not yet been generated by the repository , or a relationship instance . allowable characters are 0 - 9 , the associated integer value must be greater than zero . key . sub .-- value ::= char (*) - value of the keyfield . sub .-- name ::= char ( 8 ) - name of a template fieldfield . sub .-- value ::= char (*) - value of the fieldfun . sub .-- name ::= char ( 8 ) - name of the function being invokedfun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- name ::= char ( 8 ) - name of a function parameterfun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- value ::= char (*) - value of a function parameterline . sub .-- value ::= char (*) - value of a line in a flat file__________________________________________________________________________ the purpose of the builder function is to build the cdf data stream one unit at a time . the units are built as specified by the function -- id passed in . this function ensures that the cdf data stream being built is valid ; if the unit built is invalid , an appropriate return code is passed back to the caller . __________________________________________________________________________int egppb100 ( unsigned short function . sub .-- id , in : function to performshort id , in : unit &# 39 ; s idshort action , in : unit &# 39 ; s actionunitdata * data , in : unit &# 39 ; s name , key , valuechar * filename , in : file namechar ** memptr , inout : ptr to block of memoryb . sub .-- hndl * handle , inout : ptr to private data areachar * cc ) out : reason code__________________________________________________________________________ note : data types unitdata and b -- hndl are defined in the egpbacdf h file . you must include this h file in your function that calls the builder . the purpose of this function is to build a cdf data stream one unit at a time . a unit is defined as an id , action , and data . a unit may be nested to contain other units . to build a nested structure , add the parent unit first , and then all of its dependents . the builder has functions that work together to build a common data format data stream , as well as functions that write the structure to memory or a file . the functions are as follows : adds the first unit to the cdf data stream . this function is only issued once during the building of a cdf data stream . the unit that accompanies the first build action only has an id ( i . e ., there is no action and no associated data ). following is a list of the allowable units with which the first function may be associated : __________________________________________________________________________edmm data stream adds an edmm data stream unit to the common data format data stream id edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream . sub .-- id action none data null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blocker data group adds an er . sub .-- data group unit to the common data format data stream id er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockfile data group adds a file data group unit to the common data format data stream id file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group action none data null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control block__________________________________________________________________________ adds an additional unit . this unit contains an id , action , and data portion . if the unit is a nesting unit , there may or may not be a data portion . following is a list of the allowable units with which the build &# 39 ; s next function may be associated : __________________________________________________________________________function call adds a function call unit to the common data format data stream id fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id action none data name = fun . sub .-- name value = null ( ignored ) temp . sub .-- key = null ( ignored ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockfunction parm adds a function parameter unit to the common data format data stream id fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id action none data name = fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- name value = fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- value temp . sub .-- key = null ( ignored ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blocker data group adds an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group unit to the common data format data stream id er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blocktemplate adds a template unit to the common data format data stream id tmpl . sub .-- id action create read update delete data name = template . sub .-- name value = null ( ignored ) temp . sub .-- key = null ( ignored ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blocktemplate key adds a template key unit to the common data format data stream . there are two allowable variations . id temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id action none data name = null ( ignored ) value = null ( ignored ) temp . sub .-- key = temp . sub .-- key rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control block or id temp . sub .-- key . sub .-- id action none data name = null ( ignored ) value = key . sub .-- value temp . sub .-- key = null ( ignored ) rel . sub . -- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockfield adds a field unit to the common data format data stream id field . sub .-- id action create read update delete data name = field . sub .-- name value = field . sub .-- value temp . sub .-- key = null ( ignored ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockrel adds a relationship unit to the common data format data stream . there are two allowable variations . id rel . sub .-- id action create read delete data name = null ( ignored ) value = null ( ignored ) temp . sub .-- key = rel . sub .-- key rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control block or id orel . sub .-- id action create update data name = null ( ignored ) value = null ( ignored ) temp . sub .-- key = rel . sub .-- key rel . sub .-- posn = rel . sub .-- posn filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockrelent key adds a relationship &# 39 ; s source / target entity instance key to the common data format data stream id relent . sub .-- key . sub .-- id action none data name = template . sub .-- name value = null ( ignored ) temp . sub .-- key = null ( ignored ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockrelrel key adds a relationship &# 39 ; s source / target relationship instance key to the common data format data stream id relrel . sub .-- key . sub .-- id action none data name = null ( ignored ) value = null ( ignored ) temp . sub .-- key = rel . sub .-- key rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockfile data group adds a file data group unit to the common data format data stream id file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockline adds a line unit to the common data format data stream . id line . sub .-- id action none data name = null ( ignored ) value = line . sub .-- value temp . sub .-- key = null ( ignored ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr null ( ignored ) handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control block__________________________________________________________________________ adds a complete , self - contained cdf data stream to the current data stream . the complete self contained data stream must have been built using the builder . this unit contains the complete unit ill a block of memory . the block of memory has all the lengths , and nested units resolved . no semantic checking will be performed on the units contained within this unit block . however , semantic checks will be performed to see if this unit is inserted in the current cdf data stream in the proper context . the add -- stream action can be used with the following units . note : memptr and filename are mutually exclusive and required . one or the other must have a value , but not both . __________________________________________________________________________er data group adds a complete self - contained er data group unit to the edmm data stream . id no . sub .-- id ( ignored ) action none data null ( ignored ) filename null or file name of er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group data stream to be inserted memptr null or pointer to er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group data stream to be inserted handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control blockfile data group adds a complete self - contained file data group unit to the edmm data stream . id no . sub .-- id ( ignored ) action none action none data null ( ignored ) filename null or file name of file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group data stream to be inserted memptr null or pointer to file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group data stream to be inserted handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control block__________________________________________________________________________ caller is requesting an abnormal end to the build process before the end of the data stream has been reached . the builder function dumps any cdf data already created into a diagnostic file . ______________________________________id no . sub .-- id ( ignored ) action none ( ignored ) data null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr ignored on input . data stream . handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control block______________________________________ writes the common data format data stream to one contiguous block of memory and returns the address . memory is allocatcd by the builder . this function can only be successfully executed once for each common data format data stream . after this call has been made , there are no other valid calls to the builder that reference the current cdf data stream . ______________________________________id no . sub .-- id ( ignored ) action none ( ignored ) data null ( ignored ) filename null ( ignored ) memptr ignored on input . data stream . handle handle to builder &# 39 ; s control block______________________________________ writes the common data format data stream to a file . the builder opens the file , writes the common data format data stream to the file , and doses the file . the file &# 39 ; s name is specified by the caller by the filename input parameter . this function can only be successfully executed once for each common data format data stream . after this call has been made , there are no other valid calls to the builder that reference the current cdf data stream . __________________________________________________________________________id no . sub .-- id ( ignored ) action none ( ignored ) data null ( ignored ) filenamename of the file to which the builder writes the common data formatdata stream . memptrnull ( ignored ) handlehandle to builder &# 39 ; s control block__________________________________________________________________________ the purpose of the parser function is to retrieve data one unit at a time from a cdf data stream . the data stream is parsed as specified by the function -- id passed in . during parsing , this function ensures that the cdf data stream is valid ; if the unit parsed is invalid , an appropriate return code is passed back to the caller . ______________________________________ sc = egppp100 ( function . sub .-- id , cdf . sub .-- file , & amp ; cdf . sub .-- mem , & amp ; handle , & amp ; id , & amp ; action , & amp ; data , cc ); ______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________int egppp100 ( unsigned short function . sub .-- id , in : function to performchar * filename , in : name of file with cdf datachar ** memptr , inout : ptr to cdf data in memoryp . sub .-- hndl * handle , inout : ptr to persistent datashort * id , out : parsed unit &# 39 ; s idshort * action , out : parsed unit &# 39 ; s actionunitdata * data , out : parsed unit &# 39 ; s datachar * cc ) out : condition code__________________________________________________________________________ the unitdata data type is defined in the egpbacdf header file . the unitdata type further defines the kinds of data that can be returned for a cdf unit ; depending upon the type of unit parsed , its data portion will be in certain fields of this structure as specified in the header file . this header file must be included in any function that interacts with the cdf data stream in any way . the purpose of this function is to parse a cdf data stream one unit at a time . a cdf unit is defined as having a length , id , action , and sometimes data . all but the length of the unit is returned to the caller from the parser function . a unit may be nested to contain other units . when parsing , the caller receives units in the order they occur in the cdf data stream . thus , the &# 34 ; nesting &# 34 ; unit is parsed before its nested &# 34 ; children &# 34 ; units . the caller has the option to skip these parent nesting units should that unit type not make sense to them . in addition to simply parsing units from the data stream , the parser also verifies the semantic correctness of the data stream at each step through parsing . if at any point during the parsing process the unit is invalid with respect to the unit previously parsed , or the unit &# 39 ; s action is invalid for the particular unit , the parsing process terminates with an appropriate condition code to alert the caller of an invalid data stream . when the parser function reaches the end of the data stream , or when an abnormal -- end function is specified , a warning code accompanied by an eop condition code is returned to the caller . the parser function is intended to provide a complete package of functions that can be executed against the given cdf data stream . the functions and their descriptions are as follows : parse the first cdf unit from the data stream . this function is only issued once during the parsing of a cdf data stream . the only units the caller can expect from a first call appear below . these units are the &# 34 ; header &# 34 ; units in the data stream . their actions are always none and they have no data . if any other unit appears first in the data stream , the parser terminates with an &# 34 ; invalid data stream &# 34 ; condition code . following is a list of the input and output data associated with a first call : __________________________________________________________________________edmm data stream the common data format data stream being parsed may contain function , e / r , and file data . function . sub .-- id first filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data stream in memory handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream . sub .-- id action none data null ( fields in structure are empty ) e / r data group the common data format data stream being parsed contains e / r data function . sub .-- id first filename name of file containing cdf data stream ( opened by parser ) memptr pointer to cdf data stream in memory ( updated as stream is parsed ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( fields in structure are empty ) file data group the common data format data stream being parsed contains file data function . sub .-- id first filename name of file containing cdf data stream ( opened by parser ) memptr pointer to cdf data stream in memory ( updated as stream is parsed ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( fields in structure are empty ) __________________________________________________________________________ parse the next unit from the cdf data stream . this function presumes that a position has already been established in the stream via the first function . if positioning has not already been established , the parser returns with an error , but the user has the ability to then issue a first to correct the problem . the unit returned contains an id , action , and data portion , if data exists for that unit . following is a list of the input and output data associated with a parser next function : __________________________________________________________________________function call the cdf data stream contains a function call data function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id action none data name = fun . sub .-- name value = null ( empty ) temp . sub .-- key = null ( empty ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) function parameter function call data in data stream contains function parameter data function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id action none data name = fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- name value = fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- value temp . sub .-- key = null ( ignored ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( ignored ) er data group the cdf data stream contains e / r data function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( empty ) template e / r data in data stream contains template instance function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id templ . sub .-- id action create read update delete data name = template . sub .-- name value = null ( empty ) temp . sub .-- key = null ( empty ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) template key template instance in data stream contains template key ( temporary or real ) function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id action none data name = null ( empty ) value = null ( empty ) temp . sub .-- key = temp . sub .-- key rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) or function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id action none data name = null ( empty ) value = key . sub .-- value temp . sub .-- key = null ( empty ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) field template instance in data stream contains field function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id field . sub .-- id action create read update delete data name = field . sub .-- name value = field . sub .-- value temp . sub .-- key = null ( empty ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) rel e / r data in data stream contains relationship instance ( two allowable variations ) function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id rel . sub .-- id action create read delete data name = null ( empty ) value = null ( empty ) temp . sub .-- key = rel . sub .-- key rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) or function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id orel . sub .-- id action create update data name = null ( empty ) value = null ( empty ) temp . sub .-- key = rel . sub .-- key rel . sub .-- posn = rel . sub .-- posnrelent key relationship in data stream has source / target that is entity instance function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id relent . sub .-- key . sub .-- id action none data name = template . sub .-- name value = null ( empty ) temp . sub .-- key = null ( empty ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) relrel key relationship in data stream has source / target that is relationship instance function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id relrel . sub .-- key . sub .-- id action none data name = null ( empty ) value = null ( empty ) temp . sub .-- key = rel . sub .-- key rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) file data group the cdf data stream contains file data function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( empty ) line file data in data stream contains line data function . sub .-- id next filename name of file containing cdf data stream memptr pointer to cdf data in memory ( updated from previous parse ) handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id line . sub .-- id action none data name = null ( empty ) value = line . sub .-- value temp . sub .-- key = null ( empty ) rel . sub .-- posn = null ( empty ) __________________________________________________________________________ return unit data for previous unit parsed from cdf data stream . this function presumes that a position has already been established in the stream via a first function . if positioning has not already been established , the parser returns with an error , but the user has the ability to then issue a first to correct the problem . the unit returned is the unit that has just been parsed ; that is , the caller can only go back one unit . the unit returned contains an id , action , and data portion , if data exists for that unit . any unit may be returned as a result of the parser previous function . refer to the lists of units for first or next for the complete list . skips the unit previously parsed from the cdf data stream . again , this function presumes that a position has already been established in the stream via a first function . this function does not return any unit data . rather , it simply skills the unit that has just been parsed ; successive skip calls to the parser do not result in several units being skipped , but only succeed in skipping the same unit over and over . a skip call can be used to skip an entire nested unit of cdf data or a single unit of data ( although skipping a single unit is an effective no - op ). copy the previous unit parsed ( including all of its imbedded units ) into a separate file or memory location as specified by the caller . this call is issued when the caller has parsed an er 13 data -- group or file -- data -- group unit and wants the entire e / r data group of file data group data stream imbedded within the cdf stream being parsed to be placed in a separate location for later access . the original data stream is not changed ; the e / r or file data being copied is skipped in the original data stream so that parsing resumes at the unit following that imbedded stream . the get -- stream function cannot be issued on any units other than er -- data -- group and file -- data -- group and these units must have first been parsed by the caller . an attempt to issue ( get -- stream on any other unit results in an error and the parser will terminate . possible values sent to and returned from the parser for get -- stream are : __________________________________________________________________________e / r data group the e / r data group , complete with imbedded template and relationship data , is copied from the cdf data stream being parsed . ( in ) function . sub .-- id get . sub .-- stream ( in ) filename name of file which is to contain copied e / r data group data stream ( null if data is to be copied to memory ) ( in / out ) memptr ignored upon input . upon output and if filename is not specified , location in memory of e / r data group copied handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( fields in structure are empty ) a subsequent next on the original data stream yields the unit immediately following the entire e / r data group . file data group the file data group , complete with imbedded lines , is copied from the cdf data stream being parsed . ( in ) function . sub .-- id get . sub .-- stream ( in ) filename name of file which is to contain copied file data group data stream ( null if data is to be copied to memory ) ( in / out ) memptr ignored upon input . upon output and if filename is not specified , location in memory of file data group copied handle pointer to parser &# 39 ; s persistent data control block id file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . sub .-- id action none data null ( fields in structure are empty ) a subsequent next on the original data stream yields the unit immediately following the entire e / r data group . __________________________________________________________________________ alerts parser function that caller has experienced problem and that parsing is to be terminated on the cdf data stream currently being parsed . when this function is specified , the parser does the necessary work to clean up all temporary and persistent data used during parsing . this enables the parsing process to begin cleanly for the same calling function on a new data stream . ( note : the processing done for this function is exactly the same as when the parser reaches the end of the cdf data stream .) the purpose of the free cdf function is to discard cdf data stream memory . ______________________________________ ( in ) cdf . sub .-- mem char * parameters descriptionscdf . sub .-- mem pointer to cdf data in memory . the invocation of the free cdf function is as follows : char * cdf . sub .-- mem ; short sc ; . . . egppafre ( cdf . sub .-- mem ); ______________________________________ note : the equivalent function , egphafre c , exists on the host for users of edmm . the purpose of the edmm communication facility is to enable a work station application to invoke a fully - integrated repository manager / mvs function on the host communicating all file and e / r data between the work station and host functions . the communication is achieved by an open / close repository , manager / mvs function that opens the repository manager , transfers the function interface , file , and e / r data to the host in a cdf data stream , invokes the host fully - integratcd rm host function specified in the data stream , returns the function interface and all data associated with the function call in a cdf data stream to the work station , and closes the repository manager / mvs . if no errors are encountered , output parameters and data , if any , for the host function , are returned to the caller in a cdf data stream . __________________________________________________________________________interface__________________________________________________________________________edmm communication facility interface ( in ) cdf . sub .-- file char 47 ( in / out ) cdf . sub .-- mem char *( out ) sc short ( out ) cc char 9parameters descriptionscdf . sub .-- file name of work station file containing cdf data stream . ( opened and closed in this function .) cdf . sub .-- file and cdf . sub .-- mem are mutually exclusive . see the description of cdf . sub .-- mem for more information about the cdf data stream content . when the edmm communication facility returns control to the caller , the output cdf data stream will usually be in memory ( i . e ., pointed to by cdf . sub .-- mem ). however , if sufficient memory is not available , the cdf data stream will be written to a file , and cdf . sub .-- mem will return a null value . as currently implemented , the output cdf file is allocated within this function and the name is hard - coded as egpptcdf . out . cdf . sub .-- mem work station address of cdf data stream in memory . cdf . sub .-- file and cdf . sub .-- mem are mutually exclusive : the caller of this function will use the builder to create a cdf data stream that contains information on the function to be invoked on the host and its parameters , possibly including an imbedded cdf data stream containing file or e / r data units . as an ouput parameter , cdf . sub .-- mem points to a cdf data stream that contains output parameters returned by the host function that was invoked on behalf of the caller . again , depending on the host function interface , the cdf data stream may also include an imbedded cdf data stream containing file or e / r data units . the caller will use the parser to retrieve this information from the cdf data stream . sc return code representing processing resultscc condition code representing processing results__________________________________________________________________________ the invocation of the edmm communication facility is as follows : # include prototype function calls for edmm , builder and parser return codes are passed back in the cc and sc fields . enables the rapid creation of data manipulation facilities based on a variety of views of e / r data in the repository and load -- bb : a function that interprets a cdf data stream containing entity , attribute , and relationship information . it updates the repository as specified by the action 1field of each cdf unit . unload -- bb : a function that retrieves a group of connected entities and relationships from the repository and translates the entity , attribute , and relationship information via the builder function into a cdf data stream . copy -- bb ; a function that copies a group of connected entity and relationship instances in the repository . delete -- bb : a function that deletes a group of connected entity and relationship instances from the repository . communication facility : the host portion of (: f that enables the function routing to your rm functions . the load -- bb function adds or updates a logical unit of data in the repository as specified by the cdf data stream . data is passed in as template and relationship units in an er data group . separate functions must be defined for each data view needed by the application ( i . e . each different template tree ). note : currently this function does not obtain any locks or perform any commits . in situations where the data must be locked before update , a lock must be separately obtained on the necessary entity instance prior to invoking the load function . a commit should be performed after invoking this function in order to make changes to the repository permanent . __________________________________________________________________________interface__________________________________________________________________________load . sub .-- bb interface ( in ) cdf . sub .-- mem fixed 32 ( in ) cdf . sub .-- file char 46 ( out ) sc fixed 16 ( out ) cc char 8parameters descriptionscdf . sub .-- mem host memory location of cdf data stream containing e / r data to be added , deleted , or updated in the repository . caller will use the builder function to put data to be loaded in a cdf data stream . note : cdf . sub .-- mem and cdf . sub .-- file are mutually exclusive . cdf . sub .-- file host file containing cdf data streamsc severity code reflecting processing resultscc condition code reflecting processing results__________________________________________________________________________ return codes are passed back in the cs and cc fields of the data stream . since the load -- bb functions are generated , each load -- bb has the same set of possible return codes . the unload -- bb function retrieves a logical unit of data from the repository and puts it in cdf data stream . data is returned as template and relationship units in an er data group . separate functions must be defined for each data view needed by the application ( i . e . each different template tree ). note : currently this function does not obtain any locks . to avoid a &# 34 ; dirty read &# 34 ; a lock must be obtained on the aggregation instance . __________________________________________________________________________interface__________________________________________________________________________unload . sub .-- bb interface ( in ) syskey fixed 31 ( out ) cdf . sub .-- mem fixed 32 ( out ) cdf . sub .-- file char 46 ( out ) sc fixed 16 ( out ) cc char 8parameters descriptionssyskey system - assigned key of the aggregation instance to be unloaded . cdf . sub .-- mem host memory location of cdf data stream containing the e / r data retrieved from the repository . caller will use the parser function to extract the data from the cdf data stream . note : cdf . sub .-- mem and cdf . sub .-- file are mutually exclusive . cdf . sub .-- file host file name of cdf data stream containing the e / r data retrieved from the repository . caller will use the parser function to extract the data from the cdf data stream . sc severity code reflecting processing resultscc condition code reflecting processing results__________________________________________________________________________ return codes are passed back in the cs and cc fields of the data stream . since the unload -- bb functions are generated , each unload -- bb has the same set of possible return codes . the purpose of the copy -- bb function is to allow the user to copy an entire object in the repository , storing the duplicate under another name . any data view ( i . e . a template tree ) can can be copied using this function . the target of the copy -- bb must not already exist . the copy -- bb functions do not copy shareable subcomponents , but will create relationships to the shared subcomponents . note : as used herein all objects and shareable subcomponents have a root template with the following attributes : name , qualifier , and level . this function and its interface will have to be modified the data view does not conform to this naming standard . note : currently this function docs not obtain any locks or perform any commits . to avoid a &# 34 ; dirty read &# 34 ; a lock must be obtained on the source aggregation instance . a commit should be performed after invoking this function in order to make changes to the repository permanent . obtained to avoid a &# 34 ; dirty read &# 34 ;. __________________________________________________________________________interface__________________________________________________________________________copy . sub .-- bb interface ( in ) syskey fixed 31 ( in ) trg . sub .-- name char 32 ( in ) trg . sub .-- qlfr char 8 ( in ) trg . sub .-- lvl char 2 ( out ) sc fixed 16 ( out ) cc char 8parameters descriptionssyskey system - assigned key of the aggregation instance to be copied . trg . sub .-- name name of target aggregation instancetrg . sub .-- qlfr qualifier of target aggregation instancetrg . sub .-- lvl level of target aggregation instancesc severity code reflecting processing resultscc condition code reflecting processing results__________________________________________________________________________ return codes are passed back in the sc and cc fields of the data stream . since the copy -- bb functions are generated , each copy -- bb has the same set of possible return codes . the purpose of the delete -- bb function is to enable the user to delete an object instance from the repository . this function can delete any data view ( i . e . template tree ). the delete -- bb functions defined here do not delete shareable subcomponents , but will delete the relationships to the shared subcomponents . the load function can be used to delete individual entity instances within an aggregation instance . note : currently this function does not obtain any locks or perform any commits . a delete lock must be obtained on the aggregation instance before invoking the function . a commit should be performed after invoking this function in order to make the delete permanent . __________________________________________________________________________interface__________________________________________________________________________delete . sub .-- bb interface ( in ) syskey fixed 31 ( out ) sc fixed 16 ( out ) cc char 8parameters descriptionssyskey system - assigned key of the aggregation instance to be deleted . sc severity code reflecting processing resultscc condition code reflecting processing results__________________________________________________________________________ return codes are passed back in the sc and cc fields of the data stream . since the delete -- bb functions are generated , each delete -- bb has the same set of possible return codes . documented below is a state table that describes the valid units and actions when parsing or building a cdf data stream . table 1__________________________________________________________________________edmm builder / parser state table nextstate cdf unit / builder / parser action state description__________________________________________________________________________ 0 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream / first 1 initial start state . er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / first 24 file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / first 31 1 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream / skip 0 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream . 2 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing a function call . fun . sub .-- parm / next 2 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / next 3 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / add . sub .-- stream 25 fun . sub .-- call / skip 26 file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / next 33 file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / add . sub .-- stream 35 final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 3 tmpl / next 4 processing an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group rel / next 7 that is paired with a orel / next 36 function . sub .-- call . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / skip 2 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / get . sub .-- stream 2 4 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 5 processing a template . tmpl . sub .-- key / next 5 ( root is an tmpl / skip 27 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 5 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing the a template tmpl / next 4 key list of a template . ( root temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 5 is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) tmpl . sub .-- key / next 5 field / next 6 rel / next 7 orel / next 36 final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 6 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing a field list of a tmpl / next 4 template . ( root is an field / next 6 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) rel / next 7 orel / next 36 final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 7 relrel . sub .-- key / next 8 processing a rel . ( root is an relent . sub .-- key / next 9 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) rel / skip 27 8 relrel . sub .-- key / next 11 processing a relrel . sub .-- key relent . sub .-- key / next 12 which is the source key of a rel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 9 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 10 processing a relent . sub .-- key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 10 which is the source key of a relent . sub .-- key / skip 28 rel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 10 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 10 processing the template key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 10 list of a relent . sub .-- key . the relrel . sub .-- key / next 11 relent . sub .-- key is the source key relent . sub .-- key / next 12 of a rel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 11 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing a relrel . sub .-- key tmpl / next 4 which is the target key of a rel / next 7 rel . ( root is an orel / next 36 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 012 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 13 processing a relent . sub .-- key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 13 which is the target key of a relent . sub .-- key / skip 27 rel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 13 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing the template key tmpl / next 4 list of relent . sub .-- key . the rel / next 7 relent . sub .-- key is the target key orel / next 36 of a rel . ( root is an temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 13 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) tmpl . sub .-- key / next 13 final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 014 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 15 processing a template . tmpl . sub .-- key / next 15 ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) tmpl / skip 2915 tmpl / next 14 processing the a template temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub . -- key / next 15 key list of a template . ( root tmpl . sub .-- key / next 15 is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) field / next 16 rel / next 17 orel / next 37 final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 016 tmpl / next 14 processing a field list of a field / next 16 template . ( root is an rel / next 17 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) orel / next 37 final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 017 relrel . sub .-- key / next 18 processing a rel . ( root is an relent . sub .-- key / next 19 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) rel / skip 2918 relrel . sub .-- key / next 21 processing a relrel . sub .-- key relent . sub .-- key / next 22 which is the source key of a rel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 19 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 20 processing a relent . sub .-- key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 20 which is the source key of a relent . sub .-- key / skip 30 rel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 20 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 20 processing the template key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 20 list of a relent . sub .-- key . the relrel . sub .-- key / next 21 relent . sub .-- key is the source key relent . sub .-- key / next 22 of a rel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 21 tmpl / next 14 processing a relrel . sub .-- key rel / next 17 which is the target key of a orel / next 37 rel . ( root is an final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 22 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 23 processing a relent . sub .-- key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 23 which is the target key of a relent . sub .-- key / skip 29 rel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 23 tmpl / next 14 processing the template key rel / next 17 list of relent . sub .-- key . the orel / next 37 relent . sub .-- key is the target key temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 23 of a rel . ( root is an tmpl . sub .-- key / next 23 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 024 tmpl / next 14 processing an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group rel / next 17 that is root unit . orel / next 37 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / skip 0 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / get . sub .-- stream 025 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 that is a complete stream . it is paired with a function . sub .-- call . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 26 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / next 3 processing a skip to the fun . sub .-- call / next 2 end of a function call . final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 27 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing a skip to the tmpl / next 4 end of a template , or rel / next 7 relation unit . ( root is an orel / next 36 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 028 relrel . sub .-- key / next 11 processing a skip to the relent . sub .-- key / next 12 end of a relent source key of a rel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 29 tmpl / next 14 processing a skip to the rel / next 17 end of a template , or orel / next 37 relation unit . ( root is an final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 30 relrel . sub .-- key / next 21 processing a skip to the relent . sub .-- key / next 22 end of a relent source key of a rel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 31 file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / skip 0 processing a file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / get . sub .-- stream 0 which is root unit . line / next 3232 line / next 32 processing a line of a final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . ( root is a file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . ) 33 file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / skip 2 processing a file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group / get . sub .-- stream 2 file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . it is paired line / next 34 with a function call . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 34 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing a line of a line / next 34 file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group . ( root is an final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 35 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing a file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 0 which is a complete stream . it is paired with a function . sub . -- call . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 36 relrel / next 38 processing an orel . ( root is relent / next 39 an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) orel / skip 2737 relrel / next 43 processing an orel . ( root is relent / next 44 an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) orel / skip 2938 relent . sub .-- key / next 41 processing a relrel . sub .-- key which is the source key of an orel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 39 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 40 processing a relent . sub .-- key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 40 which is the source key of relent . sub .-- key / skip 49 an orel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 40 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 40 processing the template key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 40 list of relent . sub .-- key . the relent . sub .-- key / next 41 relent . sub .-- key is the source key of an orel . ( root is an edmm . sub . -- data . sub .-- stream ) 41 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 42 processing a relent . sub .-- key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 42 which is the target key of an relent . sub .-- key / skip 27 orel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) 42 fun . sub .-- call / next 2 processing the template key tmpl / next 4 list of relent . sub .-- key . the rel / next 7 relent . sub .-- key is the target key orel / next 36 of an orel . ( root is an temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 42 edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) tmpl . sub .-- key / next 42 final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 043 relent . sub .-- key / next 46 processing a relrel . sub .-- key which is the source key of an orel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 44 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 45 processing a relent . sub .-- key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 45 which is the source key of relent . sub . -- key / skip 48 an orel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 45 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 45 processing the template key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 45 list of a relent . sub .-- key . the relent . sub .-- key / next 46 relent . sub .-- key is the source key of an orel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 46 temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 47 processing a relent . sub .-- key tmpl . sub .-- key / next 47 which is the target key of an relent . sub .-- key / skip 29 orel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 47 tmpl / next 14 processing the template key rel / next 17 list of relent . sub .-- key . the orel / next 317 relent . sub .-- key is the target key temp . sub .-- tmpl . sub .-- key / next 47 of an orel . ( root is an tmpl . sub .-- key / next 47 er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) final . sub .-- state . sub .-- id / final . sub .-- state 048 relent . sub .-- key / next 46 processing a skip to the end of relent source key of an orel . ( root is an er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group ) 49 relent . sub .-- key / next 41 processing a skip to the end of a relent source key of an orel . ( root is an edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- stream ) __________________________________________________________________________ 1 . from rm select a private tool group as the current tool group . 2 . from the main panel of rm enter the option to go to the logical view ( lv ). 3 . select the option to make a copy of one of the base data handling functions to your own private function . if you are creating a load function put egpload as the source function name and put the name of the function that you wish to create as the target function name . to create an unload function use egpunld , for copy use egpcopy and for delete use egpdelt for the source function name . 4 . after the function has been successfully copied return to the main lv panel and enter the name of the function you just added at the top of the panel . 5 . select the option to specify your function &# 39 ; s templates . in each template that you add make sure you add an extra field named rel -- name that is char 32 ( varying length ). 6 . from the main lv panel select the option to create the connections between your templates . ( note : your template tree can only have one root ). 7 . from the main lv panel select the option to change the program name from dwklogic to the name of the file in which your function will reside ( this can be identical to the name of the function ) and change the programming language to c . 8 . from the main lv panel select the option to bind the function . 9 . from the main lv panel select the option to create the c - language aim file ( h file ) for the function . 10 . from the main lv panel select the option to create a report on the new function . 12 . run the edmm - productivity facility program . specify the system : cms , mvs , etc . specify the the function type : unload , load , delete , copy , or cf . a function that retrieves a group of connected entities and relationships from the repository and translates the entity , attribute , and relationship information via the builder function into a cdf data stream . this function takes any root key as input ( i . e . dependent keys and / or user assigned keys ). a function that interprets a cdf data stream containing entity , attribute , and relationship information , updating the repository as specified by the action field of each cdf unit . a function that deletes a group of connected entity and relationship instances from the repository . a function that deletes a group of connected entity and relationship instances in the repository . a function that provides data transfer and remote function routing between the work station and the host platforms . enter the name of the function ( this is the target function name used above ). enter the program name ( ex . edxud00c ): enter the name of the program ( this is the name that you specified earlier , it may be identical to the function name ). enter a string that names the object that the function operates on . it does not have to be a defined aggregation name . unload generation complete . . . source code is in rm120 . edmmsrc0 ( myunload ) lel is in rm120 . edmmlel0 ( myunload ) if the function is successfully created a message will indicate where the newly created source code and lel file reside . 13 . after the new data handling function has created , compile the function using the c / 370 compiler . this section describes the work station steps necessary for invoking the host functions via edmm . this description is achieved by use or examples and comments describing the behavior . each example illustrates the use of regular parameters ( input and output ), a scenario on building the data for edmm and a scenario on parsing the data returned from the function via edmm . there are four examples : the first example demonstrates the invocation of a function without any cdf data ; the second example has cdf data as input to the host function ; the third has cdf data returned back from the host function ; and the last example includes the use of cdf data as input and output to the host function . following is the work station activity necessary to invoke a function ( delete ) that has no special cdf data . assume that the delete function interface is as follows : ______________________________________function name : delete______________________________________ ( in ) syskey fixed 31 ( in ) agg . sub .-- type char 32 ( in ) commit char 1 ( out ) sc fixed 16 ( out ) cc char 8______________________________________ 1 . the builder is invoked multiple times to build the data stream edmm . note : only input data needs to be put in the data stream . output parameters do not need to be built into the data stream . table 2__________________________________________________________________________building cdf data stream data -& gt ; name data -& gt ; valuebuilder data -& gt ; temp . sub .-- keyfunction id action data -& gt ; rel . sub .-- posn notes__________________________________________________________________________first edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- none -- tells the builder stream . sub .-- id -- to build a cdf -- data stream for -- edmmnext fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id none delete adds function -- name to the -- cdf data stream -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none syskey adds syskey 2022654 input parameter -- to the cdf data -- streamnext fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none agg . sub .-- type adds dli . sub .-- dbd . sub .-- def agg . sub .-- type -- input parameter -- to the cdf data streamnext fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none commit adds commit y input parameter -- to the cdf data -- streamwrite . sub .-- ( ignored ) ( ignored ) -- builder returnsmem -- address of the -- edmm data -- stream . ( the write . sub .-- file builder function could also have been used . . . in this case the data is returned in a file specified by the caller . ) __________________________________________________________________________ note : this table emphasizes the input parameters that pertain to this scenario . 2 . after creating the edmm data stream , the edmm communication function can be invoked : the cdf -- filename would be a null string in this case , since the edmm data stream is in the memory block pointed to by cdf -- memaddr . 3 . upon completion of the delete function , egppt00 returns with an output edmm data stream . this information can be read via multiple invocations of the parser . note : the caller must release time memory for the cdf data stream returned by edmm . a function will be provided to perform this action . table 3__________________________________________________________________________parsing output cdf data stream data -& gt ; name data -& gt ; valueparser data -& gt ; temp . sub .-- keyfunction id action data -& gt ; rel . sub .-- posn notes__________________________________________________________________________first edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- none -- stream . sub .-- id -- -- -- next fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id none delete -- -- -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none sc 0 -- -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none cc cc . sub .-- ok -- -- __________________________________________________________________________ note : this table only shows the output parameters that pertain to this scenario following is the work station activity necessary to invoke a host function that requires cdf data as input . assume that the function interface is as follows : ______________________________________function name : maintain______________________________________ ( in ) syskey fixed 31 ( in ) agg . sub .-- type char 32 ( in ) cdf . sub .-- mem fixed 32 ( in ) cdf . sub .-- file char 46 ( in ) commit char 1 ( out ) sc fixed 16 ( out ) cc char 8______________________________________ 1 . following are the steps necessary to build the data stream for edmm . note : only input data needs to be put in the data stream . table 4__________________________________________________________________________building cdf data stream for maintain data -& gt ; name data -& gt ; valuebuilder data -& gt ; temp . sub .-- keyfunction id action data -& gt ; rel . sub .-- posn notes__________________________________________________________________________first edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- none -- tells the builder stream . sub .-- id -- to build a cdf -- data stream for -- edmmnext fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id none maintain adds function -- name to the -- cdf data stream -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none syskey adds syskey 1123009 input parameter -- to the cdf data -- streamnext fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none agg . sub .-- type adds dli . sub .-- dbd . sub .-- def agg . sub .-- type -- input parameter -- to the cdf data streamnext fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none commit adds commit y input parameter -- to the cdf data -- streamnext er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group none -- if the -- er . sub .-- data . sub .-- -- group has -- already been created , a build function of add . sub .-- stream should be used to add the complete er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group data stream into the current data stream . next templ . sub .-- id update dli . sub .-- dbd adds template id -- to the cdf data -- stream -- next tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none -- adds template 1123009 key to the cdf -- data stream -- next field . sub .-- id update access updates template hdam field to the cdf -- data stream -- ( these next calls continue for each template unit and relationship ) write . sub .-- ( ignored ) ( ignored ) -- builder returnsmem -- address of the -- edmm data -- stream . ( the write . sub .-- file builder function could also have been used . in this case the data is returned in a file specified by the caller . ) __________________________________________________________________________ note : this table emphasizes the input parameters that pertain to this scenario . it should be noted here that the cdf -- file and cdf -- mem in the maintain parameter template actually refer to the host filename and the host memory location of the cdf data . since it would be unnatural for the work station application to specify these values , the edmm communication facility recognizes the cdf data group associated with the function call and sets the host function parameters with the appropriate data . 2 . after creating the edmm data stream , the edmm communication facility can be invoked : the cdf -- filename should be a null string in this case , since the edmm data stream is in the memory block pointed to by cdf -- memaddr . 3 . upon return completion of the maintain facility , egppt00 returns with an output edmm data stream . this information can be read via the parser . note : the caller must release the memory for the cdf data stream returned by edmm . a function will be provided to perform this action . table 5__________________________________________________________________________parsing output cdf data stream data -& gt ; name data -& gt ; valueparser data -& gt ; temp . sub .-- keyfunction id action data -& gt ; rel . sub .-- posn notes__________________________________________________________________________first edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- none -- stream . sub .-- id -- -- -- next fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id none maintain -- -- -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none sc 0 -- -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none cc cc . sub .-- ok -- -- __________________________________________________________________________ note : this table only shows the output parameters that pertain to this scenario following is the work station activity necessary to invoke a host function that has cdf data as output . assume that the function interface is as follows : ______________________________________function name : unload______________________________________ ( in ) syskey fixed 31 ( in ) agg . sub .-- type char 32 ( in ) locktype char 8 ( in ) holdlock char 1 ( out ) cdf . sub .-- mem fixed 32 ( out ) cdf . sub .-- file char 46 ( out ) sc fixed 16 ( out ) cc char 8______________________________________ 1 . following are the steps necessary to build the data stream for edmm . table 6__________________________________________________________________________building cdf data stream for maintain data -& gt ; name data -& gt ; valuebuilder data -& gt ; temp . sub .-- keyfunction id action data -& gt ; rel . sub .-- posn notes__________________________________________________________________________first edmm . sub .-- data none -- tells the builder stream . sub .-- id -- to build a cdf -- data stream for -- edmmnext fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id none unload adds function -- name to the -- cdf data stream -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none syskey adds syskey 6674001 input parameter -- to the cdf data -- streamnext fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none agg . sub .-- type adds dli . sub .-- dbd . sub .-- def agg . sub .-- type -- input parameter -- to the cdf data streamnext fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none locktype adds noupdate locktype -- input parameter -- to the cdf data streamnext fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none holdlock adds n holdlock -- input parameter -- to the cdf data streamwrite . sub .-- ( ignored ) ( ignored ) -- builder returnsfile -- the data in a file -- whose name is -- specified by the caller . as in the example before , the data could have been placed in memory if the write . sub .-- mem function was employed . __________________________________________________________________________ note : this table emphasizes the input parameters that pertain to this scenario . once again , it should be noted here that the cdf -- file and cdf -- mem parameters in the unload parameter list refer to the host filename and the host memory of the cdf data . since it would be unnatural for the work station application to specify these values , the edmm communication facility recognizes the cdf data group associated with the function call and sets the host function parameters with the appropriate data . 2 . after creating the edmm data stream , the edmm communication facility can be invoked : the cdf -- filename contains the name of the file that the user specified to the builder for the write -- file function . the cdf -- memptr should be set to null . 3 . upon completion of the maintain facility , egppt00 returns with an output edmm data stream . this information can be read via the parser . note : the caller must release the memory for the cdf data stream returned by edmm . a function will be provided to perform this action . table 7__________________________________________________________________________parsing output cdf data stream data -& gt ; name data -& gt ; valueparser data -& gt ; temp . sub .-- keyfunction id action data -& gt ; rel . sub .-- posn notes__________________________________________________________________________first edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- none -- stream . sub .-- id -- -- -- next fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id none unload -- -- -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none sc 0 -- -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id cc cc . sub .-- ok -- -- -- next er . sub .-- data . sub .-- group none -- -- -- -- next templ . sub .-- id dli . sub .-- dbd -- -- -- -- next tmpl . sub .-- key . sub .-- id none dli . sub .-- dbd 6674001 -- -- next field . sub .-- id none name dbdi -- -- next the rest of the `. . . ` templates and relationships for the aggregation instance . __________________________________________________________________________ note : this table only show the output parameters that pertain to this scenario . following is the work station activity necessary to invoke a host function that has cdf data as output . assume that the function interface is as follows : ______________________________________function name : srcmem______________________________________ ( in ) srclib char 44 ( in / out ) cdf . sub .-- mem fixed 32 ( in / out ) cdf . sub .-- file char 46 ( out ) sc fixed 16 ( out ) cc char 8______________________________________ 1 . following are the steps necessary to build the data stream for edmm . table 8__________________________________________________________________________building cdf data stream for srcmem function data -& gt ; name data -& gt ; valuebuilder data -& gt ; temp . sub .-- keyfunction id action data -& gt ; rel . sub .-- posn notes__________________________________________________________________________first edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- none -- tells the builder stream . sub .-- id -- to build a cdf -- data stream for -- edmmnext fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id none srcmem adds function -- name to the -- cdf data stream -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none srclib adds srclib lib1 input parameter -- to the cdf data -- streamnext file . sub .-- data . sub .-- none -- adds file group . sub .-- id -- data group -- to the cdf data -- streamnext line . sub .-- id none -- adds member member1 name as line unit -- to the cdf data -- streamnext line . sub .-- id none -- adds member member2 name as line unit -- to the cdf data -- streamnext line . sub .-- id none -- adds member membern name as line unit -- to the cdf data -- streamwrite . sub .-- ( ignored ) ( ignored ) -- builder returnsfile -- the data in a file -- whose name is -- specified by the caller . the data would have been placed in memory if the write . sub .-- mem function was employed . __________________________________________________________________________ note : this table emphasizes the input parameters that pertain to this scenario . once again , it should be noted here that cdf -- file and cdf -- mem parameters in the srcmem parameter list refer to the host filename and the host memory location of the cdf data . since it would be unnatural liar the work station application to specify these values , the edmm communication facility recognizes the file data group associated with the function call and sets the host function parameters with the appropriate data . 2 . after creating the edmm data stream , the edmm communication facility can be invoked : the cdf -- filename must contain the name of the file that the user specified to the builder for the write -- file function . the cdf -- memptr should be set to null . 3 . upon return completion of the srcmem function , egppt00 returns with an output edmm data stream . this information can be read via the parser . note : the caller must release the memory for the cdf data stream returned by edmm . a function will be provided to perform this action . table 9__________________________________________________________________________parsing output cdf data stream data -& gt ; name data -& gt ; valueparser data -& gt ; temp . sub .-- keyfunction id action data -& gt ; rel . sub .-- posn notes__________________________________________________________________________first edmm . sub .-- data . sub .-- none -- stream . sub .-- id -- -- -- next fun . sub .-- call . sub .-- id none srcmem -- -- -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none sc 0 -- -- next fun . sub .-- parm . sub .-- id none cc cc . sub .-- ok -- -- next file . sub .-- data . sub .-- group none -- -- -- -- next line . sub .-- id none -- lib2 -- -- __________________________________________________________________________ note : this table only show the output parameters that pertain to this scenario . using the foregoing specifications the invention may be implemented using standard programming techniques . the resulting program ( s ) may be stored on disk , diskettes , memory cards , rom or any other memory device . for execution , the program may be copied into the ram of the computer . one skilled in the art of computer science will easily be able to combine the software created as described with appropriate general purpose or special purpose computer hardware to create a system . while the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated in detail , it should be apparent that modifications and adaptations to that embodiment may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims .
8
fig1 illustrates one type of aircraft indicated at 1 , in which the improved payout and retrieval system and apparatus of the present invention can be utilized . the system includes a housing or canister 3 , which can have a rectangular shape as shown in fig2 , or other configurations without affecting the invention . housing 3 preferably is attached to and beneath the body of the aircraft . a decoy or other type of towed device or body indicated generally at 5 , is connected to the deployment / retrieval apparatus by a cable 7 . decoy 5 can have various constructions , and preferably contains various electronic circuitries and apparatus which sends out various jamming signals to confuse the control signals supplied to an incoming missile intended to strike the aircraft . in order to provide decoy 5 with the desired radar or other missile control jamming signals , cable 7 will contain a source of voltage as well as fiber optics to supply various signals thereto . one example of cable 7 can be of a type described in pending patent application ser . no . 60 / 428 , 156 , filed nov . 21 , 2002 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . housing 3 has top and bottom walls 9 and 10 and spaced side walls 11 and 12 which form a hollow interior 14 . as shown in fig3 , interior 14 is divided into a forward decoy storage compartment 15 , and an apparatus compartment or chamber 16 . in accordance with one of the features of the invention , a bailer mechanism indicated generally at 18 ( fig4 and 5 ), is mounted within chamber 16 . bailer mechanism 18 includes a spool 20 which contains a supply length of cable 7 and which is mounted for oscillation along a helix shaft 22 . shaft 22 preferably is formed with a double helix , and is operatively connected to spool 20 by one or more pawls 23 which are engaged in helical grooves 24 of shaft 22 . a main control shaft 26 is telescopically mounted within and extends through a hollow interior 27 of helix shaft 22 and is connected by a coupler 28 to a dc drive motor 30 . control shaft 26 is operatively connected to helix shaft 22 by a gear train indicated generally at 31 ( fig5 a ), so that rotation of shaft 26 by motor 30 will also rotate helix shaft 22 , but at a slower speed than that of control shaft 26 . control shaft 26 is mounted by a rear bearing 33 in a fixed bulkhead 34 , which is securely mounted within the interior of housing 3 . the forward end of control shaft 26 ( fig5 b ) terminates in a squared end 36 , which secures shaft 26 to a forward hub 37 so that hub 37 rotates with shaft 26 . the forward end of helix shaft 22 is rotatably supported by a bearing 28 on forward hub 37 . an outer bailer tub 40 is mounted about control shaft 26 , helix shaft 22 , and spool 20 , and is secured at its forward end to hub 37 by fasteners 41 ( fig5 b ) and at its rear end ( fig5 a ) by fasteners 42 to a collar 43 , which is rotatably mounted by a bearing ring 44 on bulkhead 34 . thus , rotation of shaft 26 will rotate bailer tube 40 , as well as rotating helix shaft 22 , all of which in turn are connected directly to dc motor 30 through coupler 28 . a plurality of cable guide rollers 46 , 47 , and 48 are mounted on bailer tube 40 or forward hub 37 to guide the cable from spool 20 through a solenoid locking mechanism and cutter mechanism described further below , for subsequent attachment to decoy 5 . an anti - rotation tube 35 is rigidly mounted at one end to bulkhead 34 ( fig5 a ) and extends about spool 20 and is formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 39 into which pins 45 extend to prevent rotation of spool 20 and assist in its oscillating movement along helix shaft 22 . pins 45 are fixedly mounted in spool hub 49 and extend outwardly therefrom and into slots 39 . referring to fig5 a and 5b , when decoy 5 is deployed from housing 3 as discussed further below , tension is applied to cable 7 and will begin to unwind from spool 22 , causing it to oscillate along helix shaft 22 , which in turn will rotate control shaft 26 through gear train 31 , which as shown in fig1 , will supply signals to the control circuitry which controls the speed of the deploying decoy . the control circuitry allows decoy 5 to fall away from the aircraft and accelerate to the aircraft &# 39 ; s speed by matching separation speed to a predetermined velocity profile . this allows a fast deployment of the decoy without requiring the use of a transmission to disconnect the retrieval system in a separate braking control mechanism as described further below . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 014 , 997 discloses one method of monitoring the velocity and total deployment distance of the ejected object for subsequent actuation of a braking mechanism upon the ejected body reaching the desired deployment speed and distance . the contents of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 014 , 997 are incorporated herein by reference . in accordance with another feature of the invention , the system of the present invention includes a unique deployment mechanism , shown particularly in fig5 c - 8 . decoy 5 , when stored in housing 3 rests upon an extendable boom , which is indicated generally at 50 . boom 50 is moveably mounted in decoy storage compartment 15 ( fig3 ) and includes a plurality of guide rollers 51 ( fig6 ) which moveably suspend boom 50 on a pair of guide rails 53 which are attached to housing top wall 9 . as shown in fig7 , boom 50 includes a pair of spaced side walls 55 and front and rear decoy rests 56 and 57 extending therebetween . an intermediate decoy capstan 59 is slidably mounted between front and rear decoy rests 56 and 57 by a pair of spaced slide rods 60 . a pair of constant force coil springs 61 are mounted on a bottom wall 62 of boom 50 and a pair of deployment spring strips 63 extend along boom 50 and connect to a pair of posts 64 which are secured to the housing side walls 11 and 12 so that springs 61 bias boom 50 in an outward forward decoy deployment direction as shown by arrow a in fig7 . thus , springs 61 bias boom 50 in the deployment direction of arrow a which supports decoy 5 in an at - rest retracted stored position within housing 3 , ready for deployment upon a deployment signal being transmitted to the bailer locking solenoid as described further below . in further accordance with another feature of the invention , when decoy 5 is supported on extendable boom 50 and stored within housing 3 , a plurality of decoy stabilizing fins 66 are in a retracted position as shown in fig6 and 8 . fins 66 are spring biased toward an outward extended position as shown by arrows b in fig8 , and when in the stored position , will engage ejection angled blocks 68 , which are mounted on housing 3 adjacent an open discharge end 69 . this relationship between spring biased fins 66 and blocks 68 further bias decoy 5 in the eject direction of arrow c , as shown in fig8 , in addition to the biasing force exerted thereon by springs 61 . in accordance with another feature of the invention , discharge end 69 of housing 3 is closed by a pair of closure doors 71 which are spring biased by springs 72 toward a closed position as shown in fig3 . doors 71 protect decoy 5 , including the associated components and electronic connections , etc . from exposure to the harsh surrounding atmosphere and weather which will be encountered when mounted beneath aircraft 1 . two such closure doors 71 are shown in fig8 , which when in the closed position , form a complete closure for end opening 69 . doors 71 are opened automatically to a position as shown in fig8 , upon boom 50 moving outwardly from housing 3 by the action of ejection springs 61 and spring biased fins 66 . in accordance with still another feature of the invention , a cutter mechanism indicated generally at 75 , is mounted within housing 3 , between decoy storage compartment 15 and bailer compartment 16 , for severing cable 7 should the need arise after the decoy has been deployed . although the present invention contemplates the retrieval of decoy 5 back into housing 3 , certain situations can arise after it has been deployed , where it becomes necessary to detach the decoy from the towing aircraft by severing cable 7 . heretofore , pyrotechnics was utilized to sever the cable , which has various drawbacks . cutter mechanism 75 includes an electric actuated rotary solenoid 77 which is mounted between a front solenoid mounting plate 78 and a rear solenoid lock plate 79 . lock plate 79 is rigidly mounted within housing 3 and is connected to bulkhead 34 by a plurality of stabilizing rods 80 ( fig5 ) extending therebetween . solenoid 77 ( fig1 ) includes a pair of rotatable disks , including a front grabber disk 81 and a spaced rear cutter disk 82 . solenoid 77 is located adjacent a cable guide bracket 84 which is formed with a pair of slots 85 and 86 . cable 7 moves through a passage 88 formed in bracket 84 and through slots 85 and 86 . a grabber blade 90 , having a saw tooth edge 91 , is mounted by a fastener 92 on disk 81 and extends outwardly therefrom , and is adapted to move into slot 85 of bracket 84 to grip cable 7 therein . a cutter blade 94 is attached to and extends outwardly from cutter disk 82 and moves into guide bracket slot 86 upon solenoid 77 being actuated . should the necessity arise for severing cable 7 , solenoid 77 is actuated which rotates disks 81 and 82 in a clockwise direction as shown in fig1 , bringing saw tooth edge 91 into gripping engagement with cable 7 which will maintain tension on cable 7 until blade 94 moves into slot 86 to sever the cable . heretofore , if a blade , whether actuated by pyrotechnics or other type of force , engages cable 7 , the cable may not have sufficient tension thereon to enable the blade to completely sever the cable , depending upon the particular position of the decoy at the time the blade is moved into severing engagement with the cable . however , by first gripping cable 7 with blade 90 , it maintains the cable under tension regardless of the position of the decoy , enabling blade 94 , which follows immediately after blade 90 grips cable 7 , to completely sever the cable . a torsional spring ( not shown ) is located between disks 81 and 82 to bias disk 81 and blade 90 in the clockwise direction so that blade 90 maintains a gripping engagement with cable 7 as cutter blade 82 rotates into cutting engagement with the cable . a plurality of arcuate slots 95 preferably are formed in grabber disk 81 and have stop pins 96 extending therethrough . this maintains grabber disk 81 in its forward - most gripping position after solenoid 77 is energized and the torsional spring continues to bias disk 81 in this grabbing direction . in accordance with still another feature of the invention , a bailer lockout mechanism indicated generally at 100 , is provided to lock bailer mechanism 18 in a fixed non - rotatable condition after the decoy has been deployed to its desired length . bailer lockout mechanism 100 is best shown in fig9 and 10 , and includes a rotary solenoid 101 , which is mounted in an offset relationship between plates 78 and 79 . solenoid 101 includes a rotatable disk 106 which drivingly engages a rotatably mounted cam or gear 111 , which in turn rotates a shaft 102 which is rotatably mounted in and extends through plate 79 . shaft 102 which is provided with gear teeth 103 ( fig5 b ), which matingly engage complementary gear teeth 104 formed on the inner end of a plurality of cams 105 . cams 105 extend radially outwardly with respect to shaft 102 , and are located within an annular recess 107 formed in the rear of plate 79 . the outer ends of cams 105 are formed with a tooth 108 which is adapted to matingly engage gear teeth 109 formed in a control ring 110 ( fig9 ) which extends into recess 107 and is fixedly connected to forward hub 37 of bailer mechanism 18 as shown in fig5 b . the extended ends of cams 105 are formed with holes 112 through which pins 113 extend to pivotally mount cams 105 on plate 79 . thus , as best shown in fig1 , upon actuation of solenoid 101 , rotation of shaft 102 will pivot cams 105 , moving teeth 108 into engagement with gear teeth 109 of control ring 110 , coupling the solenoid and in particular , cams 105 , with bailer mechanism 18 . thus , when teeth 108 are engaged with teeth 109 of control ring 110 , it will prevent the rotation of bailer tube 40 which is attached to ring 110 , and correspondingly prevent the further deployment of cable 7 from spool 20 . thus , upon the control circuitry of fig1 and as discussed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 014 , 997 , detecting that the decoy has reached the desired extended position , lock solenoid 101 is actuated by de - energizing the solenoid , which will rotate lock teeth 108 into engagement with control ring 110 to prevent any further rotation of bailer tube 40 . solenoid shaft 102 is formed with a central hole 115 through which cable 7 extends for connecting the cable to decoy 5 as shown in fig5 b and 5c . a plurality of posts 116 extend between spaced plates 78 and 79 to provide the desired spacing and stability thereto . front plate 78 is formed with a central hole 118 , which aligns with hole 115 formed in solenoid shaft 102 , to permit the passage of cable 7 therethrough . when decoy 5 is at rest within housing 3 and supported on extendable boom 50 , cable 7 is under sufficient tension to maintain the decoy in housing 3 , in which position outer doors 71 will be closed . in this position , bailer locking mechanism 100 is engaged , preventing the rotation of bailer tube 40 , and thus maintaining the desired tension on cable 7 . when in an at rest position , decoy 5 is retained within storage compartment 15 by cable 7 which is wrapped about spool 20 and which is in a locked position by bailer lockout mechanism 100 as discussed above . upon the appropriate signal being supplied to lockout mechanism 100 , solenoid 101 is energized which rotates shaft 102 in a counterclockwise direction ( fig1 ) to disengage teeth 108 from control ring teeth 109 . torsional springs 61 and spring biased fins 66 will immediately move boom 50 and supported decoy 5 forwardly in the direction of arrow c ( fig8 ) to eject decoy 5 from housing 3 . the unique combination of coil springs 61 and spring biased fins 66 increases the ejection speed of the decoy from the housing without the use of pyrotechnics . cable 7 will continue to unwind from spool 20 by oscillating along helix shaft 22 as bailer tube 40 rotates , with cable 7 moving along and in between rollers 46 , 47 , and 48 and through rotary solenoid shaft hole 102 of the bailer lockout mechanism , and through cable passage 88 formed in guide bracket 84 . decoy 5 continues to be deployed until the desired speed and length of cable 7 has been reached , as discussed above , whereupon appropriate signals are forwarded to dc motor 30 . motor 30 is energized and provides a reverse or braking effect to the motor shaft and correspondingly , to main drive shaft 26 ( fig5 a ). shaft 26 in turn , slows the rotation of helix shaft 22 through gear train 31 , and correspondingly slows the reciprocal movement of spool 20 therealong . after dc motor 30 has stopped the rotation of shafts 26 and 22 and the movement of the spool 20 preventing further payout of cable 7 therefrom , bailer lockout mechanism 100 is actuated and in particular , rotary solenoid 101 , which moves pawl teeth 108 into locking engagement with teeth 109 of control ring 110 which is fixed to bailer tube 40 , preventing any further rotation of the bailer assembly . as discussed above , should the need arise , cutter mechanism 75 can be actuated to sever the cable to release decoy 5 from being towed by aircraft 1 . however , in most situations , it is desired to retrieve decoy 5 back into housing 3 ready for redeployment . this is accomplished easily by energizing rotary solenoid 101 of bailer lockout mechanism 100 , and energizing dc motor 30 to rotate control shaft 26 in an opposite direction from that of the deployment direction , which in turn will rotate helix shaft 22 and oscillate spool 20 therealong to wind cable 7 about the spool , bringing decoy 5 back into position on decoy rests 56 and 57 and decoy capstan 59 of extended boom 50 . after decoy 5 has come to rest on extendable boom 50 , continued tension on cable 7 will move the extended boom back into housing 3 by decoy 5 being drawn further into the housing . retraction of boom 50 will rewind spring strips 63 within torsional springs 61 so that the springs are ready again to extend boom 50 should the need arise . after boom 50 is retracted , closure doors 71 are automatically pivoted to a closed position by springs 72 , sealing the end of housing 3 from contaminants . fins 66 will fold in automatically upon entering housing 3 , and will engage angled blocks 68 so that they are also in a biasing position , attempting to eject decoy 5 from housing 3 . thus , decoy 5 is in position for subsequent deployment should the need arise without requiring any further maintenance or reloading as in prior deployment systems . as shown in fig5 a , the retraction force which is exerted by control shaft 26 is coupled directly to the motor , which provides both the retraction force for retrieving decoy 5 , as well as the dynamic braking as the decoy is being deployed from housing 3 . there are existing devices employing spring loaded booms to help control the separation phase of deployment . however , none of these devices are known to use spring loaded fins to provide a share of the energy storage . also , there is no known apparatus which provides for the fast deploy , towed body assembly that uses spring loaded weather doors , zero tension cutter functionality as that of the present invention . the present invention also provides a cutter assembly that uses a holding mechanism to insert zero tension cutter functionality , and provides for severing a towed body with zero tension on the towline . also , as best shown in fig3 , the present invention provides a deployment / retrieval system and apparatus wherein the deployment and retrieval apparatus are in alignment with the decoy instead of being in a stacked relationship as in prior systems . this provides for a more streamlined and compact housing , as shown in fig2 , for mounting on an aircraft . the method of the present invention also provides for a controlled fast deployment , tow and retrieval of a towed body behind a craft without the use of a transmission to disengage the retrieval mechanism or separate brake mechanism . the device is fail safe such that in an unpowered condition the body will continue to be towed , and in the event of a failure of the spool lock actuator the body may still be retrieved . the method of the present invention also provides all the required functionality in completely recoverable form . each function operates on deployment in one direction and reverses on retraction such that the initial conditions for subsequent launches is the same as for the initial launch . while the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures , it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom . therefore , the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment , but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims . in the foregoing description , certain terms have been used for brevity , clearness , and understanding . no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed . moreover , the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described .
8
the present invention is generally applicable to components subjected to high temperatures , and are therefore often formed of a superalloy material . the advantages of this invention are particularly applicable to tbc &# 39 ; s for gas turbine engine components , such as the high and low pressure turbine nozzles and blades , shrouds , combustor liners and augmentor hardware . however , the teachings of this invention are more generally applicable to processes and apparatuses for depositing a ceramic coating . to provide the required thermal protection for a particular component , tbc &# 39 ; s are typically deposited to a thickness of about 75 to about 300 micrometers , though lesser and greater thicknesses are foreseeable . adhesion of the tbc to a superalloy substrate is typically promoted with the use of a bond coat , preferably an aluminum - rich composition such as an overlay coating of beta - phase nial intermetallic or mcralx alloy or a diffusion aluminide coating , though it is foreseeable that other bond coat materials and types could be used . these aspects of the invention are generally well known in the art , and therefore will not be discussed in further detail . to achieve a strain - tolerant columnar grain structure , tbc &# 39 ; s are deposited using a physical vapor deposition technique , such as ebpvd , though other evaporation techniques are possible and within the scope of this invention . the ebpvd process requires the presence of at least one evaporation source of the coating composition desired , and an electron beam at an appropriate power level to create a vapor of the evaporation source in the presence of the surface to be coated . fig1 schematically represents a portion of an ebpvd coating apparatus 10 , including a coating chamber 12 in which a component 14 is suspended for coating . a tbc 16 is represented as having been deposited on the component 14 as a result of melting and vaporizing a pair of ingots 18 and 20 that , in combination , provide the constituents of the desired coating material . the ingots 18 and 20 are depicted as being evaporated with electron beams 28 produced by a single electron beam gun 30 , though multiple guns could be used for this purpose . the intensities of the beams 28 are sufficient to produce a vapor cloud that contacts and then condenses on the component 14 to form the tbc 16 . the vapor cloud evaporates from pools 22 and 24 of molten ingot material contained within reservoirs formed by crucibles 26 that surround the upper ends of the ingots 18 and 20 . according to a preferred aspect of the invention , the thermal - insulating material of the tbc 16 is based on binary yttria - stabilized zirconia ( preferably zirconia stabilized by about 3 to about 8 weight percent yttria ), and further alloyed to contain at least a third metal oxide . the invention particularly pertains to the deposition by evaporation of ysz - based coatings in which one or more of the additional metal oxides have a vapor pressure that differs significantly from zirconia and yttria , defined herein as at least an order of magnitude higher or lower than zirconia and yttria . though not a necessary feature of the invention , the third oxide preferably has the effect of reducing and / or stabilizing the thermal conductivity of the tbc 16 . for this purpose , and in accordance with commonly - assigned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 586 , 115 to rigney et al ., the third oxide preferably has a sufficient absolute percent ion size difference relative to zirconium ions to produce significant lattice strains that promote lower thermal conductivities . in accordance with commonly - assigned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 808 , 799 to darolia et al ., the tbc 16 also contains entrapped carbon - containing gases ( e . g ., carbon monoxide ( co ) and / or carbon dioxide ( co 2 )) and possibly elemental carbon and / or carbides in the form of precipitate clusters , the thermal decomposition of which yields additional carbon - containing gas . in combination , the presence of entrapped co and / or co 2 , elemental carbon and / or carbide clusters , and one or more of the above - specified third metal oxides are believed to reduce the density and thermal conductivity of the ysz tbc 16 . according to the present invention , the ingots 18 and 20 can be evaporated to simultaneously deposit ysz ( or another base material ), the third oxide , and the carbon - based constituent ( s ) in controllable desired proportions as a result of the third oxide and the carbon - based constituent ( s ) evolving during evaporation from a carbide of the metallic component of the third oxide . in preferred examples , one or more oxides of ytterbium , neodymium , and lanthanum ( yb 2 o 3 , nd 2 o 3 , and la 2 o 3 ) are codeposited with ysz by simultaneously evaporating the ingots 18 and 20 , one of which may be formed of ysz while the other may be formed of one or more of ybc 2 , ndc 2 , and lac 2 . during evaporation , the carbide dissociates and the dissociated metal oxidizes to deposit as the desired oxide on the component 14 to form the tbc 16 . in so doing , elemental carbon released as a result of dissociation of the carbide ( and possibly the carbide itself ) also deposits within the tbc 16 . during deposition , the third oxide preferably solutions into the ysz to increase crystallographic defects and / or lattice strains that reduce thermal conductivity of the tbc 16 . in accordance with darolia , the presence of elemental carbon and / or carbide precipitates within the tbc 16 increases the porosity of the tbc 16 apparently as a result of a shadowing effect that occurs when two insoluble phases are deposited by pvd . more particularly , primary porosity is believed to be created surrounding deposited elemental carbon clusters ( and possibly clusters of carbides , oxycarbides , etc ., all of which are insoluble in ysz ) during ebpvd as a result of zirconia vapor flux being blocked from the immediate vicinity of the second phase clusters . another benefit of co - deposition of carbon clusters ( and possibly carbide clusters ) by ebpvd has been observed to be the formation of many additional interfaces associated with sub - grain boundaries , possibly due to what appears to be related to the presence of carbon promoting the nucleation of new sub - grains and inhibiting diffusion processes of grain growth . the result is a continuous nucleation of new grains , which produces a fine sub - grained tbc structure with numerous interfaces that reduce thermal conductivity through the tbc grains . open porosity levels observed within tbc deposited in accordance with this invention are well in excess of tbc deposited under identical conditions from only a ysz source . fine secondary porosity occurs as a result of elemental carbon ( and possibly carbides ) precipitates within the tbc 16 reacting with oxygen to form carbon monoxide and / or another carbon - containing gas ( e . g ., carbon dioxide ) during high temperature excursions ( e . g ., above about 950 ° c .). as a result of the primary porosity surrounding the deposited carbon , there is sufficient pore volume for carbon - containing gases to evolve and produce very fine pores ( micropores ) within the tbc 16 . as these gases form and some of the original primary porosity is lost as a result of shrinkage of smaller pores and growth of larger pores at the expense of smaller pores ( pore coarsening and redistribution ) during sintering , some of the gases are entrapped within the micropores . the entrapped gases are believed to counteract surface tension energies that are the driving force for the shrinkage of small pores during sintering . therefore , in addition to reducing the density and thermal conductivity of the tbc 16 , the added fine porosity is thermally stable , i . e ., less susceptible to shrinkage . while not wishing to be held to any particular theory , the above - noted carbides are believed to provide a source of carbon within the slightly oxidizing atmosphere maintained within the ebpvd chamber 12 as a result of a controlled amount of oxygen being introduced into the chamber 12 above that necessary to ensure the deposition of zro 2 . using the neodymium - based carbide ( ndc 2 ) as an example , the coating reaction is believed to be : [ zro 2 + y 2 o 3 ] matrix + 2ndc 2 + 7o →[ zro 2 + y 2 o 3 ] matrix + nd 2 o 3 + 4co in this reaction , carbon monoxide is indicated as evolving during dissociation of neodymium carbide ( ndc 2 ), so as to be co - deposited with ysz and neodymia ( nd 2 o 3 ). in addition or alternatively , clusters of elemental carbon and / or neodymium carbide may be co - deposited with ysz , such that primary porosity forms around these clusters as a result of the shadowing effect during the ebpvd process . during subsequent heating , gaseous carbon monoxide then forms in situ as a result of oxidation of the carbon and / or neodymium carbide , resulting in new secondary porosity within the tbc 16 and its grains , as well as carbon monoxide ( and / or carbon dioxide or another carbon - containing gas ) entrapped within micropores that are remnants of the original primary porosity . oxycarbides are also potential byproducts of the above reaction , and may serve to stabilize the micropore structure of the tbc 16 by anchoring and pinning the grain boundaries and pores of the tbc 16 . if a significant amount of carbon monoxide forms as a result of oxidation of carbide precipitates within the tbc 16 , the carbides of the group iii metals of the periodic table can be more beneficial as compared to other carbides , such as zrc , as these carbides tend to be relatively less stable . the basis for this belief is that carbide stability correlates with melting point , zrc has a melting point of about 3427 ° c ., while the melting points of the group iii carbides are believed to be in the range of about 2215 ° c . to about 2500 ° c . during the transformation of the carbide into the third oxide , a volume change is likely to occur that may lead to the formation of additional porosity during aging of the tbc 16 . for obtaining this benefit , the carbides of lanthanum , tantalum and neodymium are believed to be preferred as a result of their oxides being about 50 volume percent smaller than their carbides . additional benefits are possible with the present invention by co - evaporating carbides having vapor pressures and evaporation rates similar to zirconia , such that the evaporation process can be more readily controlled to yield a desired composition . for example , zrc has a vapor pressure of one order of magnitude lower than zro 2 in the temperature range of 2500 ° c . to 3000 ° c ., which appears to correlate with their different melting points ( about 2701 ° c . for zro 2 and about 3427 ° c . for zrc ). as noted above , the melting points of carbides of the group iii metals are comparable to that of zirconia , such that the vapor pressures of these carbides are closer to zirconia than zrc ( i . e ., less than one order of magnitude ), making co - evaporation of zirconia and one or more of these carbides easier than co - evaporation of zirconia and zrc . such circumstances permit the carbide and zirconia ( along with yttria ) to be contained within a single ingot , so that multiple ingots are not required to deposit the tbc 16 . while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art . for example , instead of depositing the tbc by ebpvd , other vapor deposition processes could be used . accordingly , the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims .
2
as shown in the drawings by way of illustration , the present invention is concerned with local area networks ( lans ) and particularly with lans in the form of token ring networks . fig1 shows in conceptual form a token ring network having n stations , eight of which are shown , indicated by reference numerals 10a , 10b , 10c , 10d , 10e , 10f , 10g and 10n . each station has an input port 12a , 12b and so forth , and an output port 14a , 14b and so forth , and these may be connected to a communication medium 16 . each station has associated with it a bypass switch 18a , 18b and so forth , which may be logically closed to isolate the station from the communication medium 16 . although the concept of a bypass switch associated with each station is a useful one for explaining operation of the network , in practice stations are bypassed in a concentrator . as illustrated in fig1 a , the stations 10a , 10b and so forth , are more typically connected to one or more concentrators , two of which are shown at 19 , by duplex cables 11 . the cables may be , for example , duplex fiber optic cables . the bypass switching action is performed within the concentrators 19 . stations 10 ( fig1 ) that are not bypassed are connected to the medium 16 to form an unbroken ring . the output port of each station is connected through the medium 16 to the input port of the next station . thus the ring is completed through all of the active stations . by way of conceptual illustration in fig1 the bypass switch 18b for station 10b is shown as closed , isolating station 10b from the network , and all the other bypass switches 18a , 18c - 18n are shown as open . information is transmitted around the ring from one station 10 to the next , in the form of a stream of symbols or data bits , and each station generally regenerates or repeats the symbols it receives . each station 10 has a unique address and may have connected to it multiple user devices ( not shown ) that require access to the network . an example of the format of a frame of data is shown in fig1 b . it includes a preamble , various control codes , the data itself , a destination address uniquely identifying the station and user device to receive the data , and a source address uniquely identifying the station and device sending the data . when a station acquires authority to transmit onto the network , the station transmits information onto the ring in this form . stations located &# 34 ; downstream &# 34 ; of the originating station receive the information and decode the destination address . the destination station recognizes the destination address and not only retransmits the entire frame , but also copies it as it passes . finally , when the information has traversed the entire ring , the originating station &# 34 ; removes &# 34 ; it by simply not retransmitting the frame onto the ring . authority to originate a transmission of information onto the ring is carried in a special symbol referred to as the token . a format for a token is shown in fig1 a . the token carries no real data , only a special code that uniquely identifies the frame as the token . the token follows each transmission of information , i . e . one or more frames , and is circulated with the information , but with one important exception . the token may be removed by any station wishing to originate a new transmission . a station with nothing to send will simply repeat every received frame , including the token . a station wishing to transmit its own frame will remove or &# 34 ; capture &# 34 ; the token , to temporarily deny access to downstream stations , and will transmit its own frame or frames onto the ring , ending with the transmission of a new token . a timer or other means may be used to limit the time that a station may use the communication medium before passing the token . as described in the background section of this specification , the token ring network has an inherent latency time , such that any station wishing to transmit will have to wait until the token is received . this latency time increases with the circumferential length of the ring , the number of stations connected to it , and the amount of message traffic on the ring . fig2 shows , by way of contrast , two stations 20a , 20b connected together by a duplex cable pair 22 , providing physical communication paths 24 , 26 in both directions between the two stations . stations 20a and 20b are physically connected by a full duplex communication path . if the stations themselves are capable of sending and receiving simultaneously , full duplex communication can be established between them . this mode of communication is highly desirable in some situations . full duplex mode provides a higher bandwidth and completely overcomes any latency delays , since each station may begin transmitting as soon as it has data to send . however , removing stations from a network to physically establish point - to - point full duplex communication is both costly and inconvenient . a simpler approach is therefore needed to provide full duplex communication in a token ring network environment . in accordance with the invention , a token ring network can be automatically reconfigured to operate in full duplex mode without physically reconfiguring the network and without the need for complex additional hardware or software fig3 shows how the token ring network of fig1 might be logically reconfigured to operate in full duplex mode between two stations 10a and 10b . all of the other stations 10c - 10n have their associated bypass switches 18c - 18n closed , to isolate the stations from the network . therefore , the ring medium 16 provides a bidirectional path between the two active stations 10a and 10b . however , if token ring protocols continue to be observed , the configuration shown in fig3 will still not operate in full duplex mode . only one of the two active stations can have the token at any time . therefore , only one station can transmit at any time and operation is still only in half duplex mode . as will shortly become apparent , the present invention provides a simple technique for operating the configuration of fig3 in full duplex mode whenever the need arises . fig4 is a diagram similar to fig3 but showing two stations 30a , 30b logically connected in full duplex mode through a concentrator 32 . concentrators are used in token ring networks to avoid an inherent weakness of the ring configuration : that a break anywhere in the ring can render the entire network inoperative . as mentioned earlier with reference to fig . la , in a concentrator configuration each station 30a , 30b is connected to the concentrator 32 by its own bidirectional communication channel 34a , 34b . thus the network has the same apparent topology of a star network , with communication channels radiating out from a central point , but is in fact still a ring network , since the channels 34a , 34b are connected to complete a loop within the concentrator 32 . the principle of the present invention applies equally to concentrator configurations like that of fig1 a and 4 , and to the more easily recognizable ring configuration of fig1 and 3 . the present invention permits stations on a token ring network to operate in one of three modes : the conventional token ring mode , a full duplex autoconfiguration mode , and a full duplex fixed mode . the full duplex auto - configuration mode allows two stations to negotiate , initialize and synchronize each other in order to operate in the full duplex mode . operation in full duplex mode can begin only if there are just two active stations on the network . once the full duplex mode is entered , the stations operating in the full duplex mode will revert to the token ring mode if one of the stations decides to switch to the token ring mode , or if a third station is connected to the network . the functions of the invention now to be described in detail may be integrated into the network architecture in a variety of different ways . as discussed in the background section of this specification , most network architectures are designed in layers conforming in some degree to the international standards organization ( iso ) open systems interconnection ( osi ) reference model . in the ( fddi ) network also discussed earlier , there is a station management ( smt ) protocol that provides control at a station level to manage operation of the station , including connection management , station insertion and removal , and so forth . details of the smt are available in a published draft proposed american national standard document entitled fddi station management ( smt ), designated x3t9 . 5 / 84 - 89 , rev . 5 . 1 , sept . 5 , 1989 . fig5 shows diagrammatically an fddi station 50 , including a station management ( smt ) protocol 52 and some of the lower layers of the network architecture . these include the mac ( media access control ) sublayer 54 , a physical layer ( phy ) 56 , and sublayer beneath the physical layer known as the physical medium dependent ( pmd ) layer 58 . these layers are defined in detail in american national standards ansi x3 . 148 - 1988 and ansi x3 . 139 - 1987 . the station management ( smt ) entity controls and manages other protocol entities , such as the media access control ( mac ) sublayer 54 , the physical layer ( phy ) 56 , the physical medium dependent ( pmd ) object 58 , a configuration switch 60 , and the bypass switch 18 . some of the functions and protocols performed by smt are ring management ( rmt ) 52 . 1 , connection management ( cmt ) 52 . 2 , and smt frame services 52 . 3 . smt frame services include the execution of frame - based protocols , such as the transmission and reception of neighbor information frames ( nifs ). the most convenient way to integrate the functions of the invention into the architecture of a token ring network such as the fddi , is primarily within the station management protocol 52 and at the mac sublayer level . however , the invention is not limited to this implementation . for example , it is possible to use a physical - layer - based protocol to ascertain whether or not a two - station configuration exists and whether the two stations are willing to operate in full duplex mode . the connection management ( cmt ) interface 52 . 2 in some networks uses physical layer signals to perform link quality tests , exchange topology information , connection type , fault status propagation , and synchronization of the physical link . in the discussion that follows , it will be assumed that data frames are transmitted and received without error it will be understood , however , that frames containing detected errors may be ignored or discarded . as will be further described , some frames generated in accordance with the invention will be retransmitted if necessary fig6 depicts station functions pertaining to a full duplex auto - configuration mode sequence . first , as shown in block 70 , conventional station initialization functions are performed . then the station begins a conventional series of steps , as indicated at 72 , to enter the token ring mode , and the ring is initialized in block 74 . basically , in the fddi system , token ring initialization includes the &# 34 ; claim token &# 34 ; process , in which each station &# 34 ; bids &# 34 ; for the right to initialize the ring by continuously transmitting claim frames that contain a bid value of a target - token rotation time ( ttrt ). the upper bound for the token rotation delay for the ring is twice the ttrt time . generally the lowest ttrt bid wins the right to initialize the ring , but there are prearranged arbitration rules to break a tie between two or more equal bids . the winning station in the claim token process completes initialization of the ring by issuing a token onto the ring . the station is at this point in token ring mode , as indicated at 76 . next , as indicated in block 78 , the station performs a two - station test , to be described in more detail . if the two - station test is unsuccessful in the sense that a different number of stations are detected in the test , the test is repeated until performed successfully . this is not meant to imply that all other processing in the station ceases . the flowchart of fig6 represents only one of many parallel processing paths followed by the station in conformance with the network protocols . if the two - station test detects more than two stations , processing will continue in the token ring mode , but the two - station test will be continually repeated . if the two - station test of block 78 is unsuccessful because of the detection of a ring initialization condition , control is transferred back to block 74 , through connector x , to reinitialize the ring . if the two - station test is successful , an additional test is posed , in block 80 , to ascertain whether a ring initialization condition has been detected . in this specification , the term &# 34 ; ring initialization condition &# 34 ; means either : ( 1 ) the reception of a ring initialization frame , which may be a claim token frame , a beacon frame , or other frame defined by the token ring protocol being used ; ( 2 ) the expiration of a token ring protocol timer or the detection of other token ring protocol error conditions ; or ( 3 ) other implementationdependent conditions requiring ring initialization . if a ring initialization condition is detected in block 80 , control is returned to the token ring mode initialization steps , at block 74 . if no such condition is detected , a full duplex initialization protocol is executed , as indicated in block 82 , and will be described in more detail . if the full duplex initialization protocol of block 82 is unsuccessful , control is transferred back to the two - station test , in block 78 , since at this point the full duplex mode has not been initiated and operation in token ring mode may continue until such time as only two stations are detected . if the full duplex initialization is successful , the station enters into and begins operating in full duplex mode , as indicated in block 84 . once the full duplex mode is entered , a periodic test of full duplex mode is conducted , as indicated in block 86 . if the test fails or if a ring initialization condition is detected , as determined in block 88 , control is transferred back to block 74 to begin token ring mode initialization again . in summary , the auto - configuration mode sequence of fig6 brings each station up in the token ring mode ; then continually tests to ascertain if only two stations are active . if only two stations are found to be active , the sequence tries to initialize full duplex operation between the two . if successful , the sequence enters its station into full duplex operation , but returns to token ring mode if the full duplex operation ceases or if a third station signals an attempt to reinitialize the token ring . fig7 shows in more detail the functions performed in the two - station test 78 of fig6 . first , in block 100 , performance of the test is delayed until the ring is operational , as indicated by an internal flag in each station . if the ring is operational , a neighbor information frame ( nif ) is transmitted , as indicated in block 102 and an nif transmit timer is started , to set a maximum time for which another nif would be transmitted . for example , the nif transmit timer might be set to 30 seconds . in the next sequential block , at 104 , it is determined whether an nif has been received at this station . if not , the next block , at 106 , determines if a ring initialization condition has been detected . if so , the &# 34 ; unsuccessful &# 34 ; exit is taken , through connector x , and the ring is reinitialized , in block 74 ( fig6 ). if no nif frame has been received and no ring initialization condition has been detected , the next question posed is whether the nif transmit timer has expired , as indicated in block 108 . if it has not , control is transferred back to block 104 , to check whether an nif has been received if the timer has expired , control is transferred back to block 102 and a new nif is transmitted . it will be seen from these described steps that the station sends an nif every 30 seconds , for example , depending on the timer value used , and continually checks for the receipt of an nif from another station . the format of these nifs is shown in fig1 c . each nif is transmitted under the token ring protocol , i . e . the station sending the nif has to wait for a token before sending the nif . the nif differs from ordinary data frames in that the destination station may not be known . the destination address can be specified as a &# 34 ; broadcast &# 34 ; address , for any station to receive , and the frame can be specified as for &# 34 ; next station addressing ,&# 34 ; which means that only the next downstream station will receive it . nifs can be put to a number of uses , such as generation of a ring map in each station , and duplicate address detection . stations may be required to send an nif response directed specifically to the source address of an nif request . this provides each station with information about its downstream neighbor . in the present invention the nif is used to obtain the identity of the upstream neighbor of the source station , i . e . the upstream neighbor of the upstream neighbor . when a received nif is detected in block 104 , its message field is examined to determine whether the upstream neighbor address ( una ) is the same as the address of this station , as indicated in block 110 . as shown in fig1 c , the nif includes a source address , identifying the station that transmitted the frame , and a message field that includes the address of the upstream neighbor ( una ) of the source station . if the upstream neighbor address of the source of the received nif is the same as the address of the local station in which this protocol is being executed , then there must be only two stations on the ring . for example , if only stations # 2 and # 4 are connected to the ring and they both send nif frames , the frame received by station # 2 will show the source address as station # 4 and the una as station # 2 , its own address . upon detection of a two - station configuration in block 110 , the full duplex neighbor address , obtained from the source address in the nif , is saved , as in block 111 , and the &# 34 ; successful &# 34 ; exit is taken from this set of processing steps , through connector y . the full duplex initialization protocol of block 82 in fig6 is shown in detail in fig8 together with more detail of the processing blocks 84 , 86 and 88 , relating to periodic testing of the full duplex mode . in particular , processing blocks 112 through 120 depict the full duplex initialization of block 82 in more detail , and processing blocks 122 through 136 show more detail of blocks 84 , 86 and 88 in more detail . first , as indicated in block 112 , a check is made to determine if a request fdx or an ack fdx ( acknowledge full duplex ) frame has been received . the &# 34 ; handshake &# 34 ; performed by the two stations in establishing full duplex operation involves the exchange of request fdx and acknowledge fdx frames . each station will independently and asynchronously ascertain that a two - station configuration exists , and , depending on their relative timing , one or both of them will send a request fdx frame . a typical timing diagram of this frame exchange will be discussed with reference to fig1 . for purposes of discussion of the processing steps followed in fig8 it will first be assumed that no incoming request of ack fdx frame has been received . the next step , shown in block 113 , is to transmit a request fdx and to start a request transmit timer . then , in block 114 , a check is made to determine if a ring initialization condition has been detected . if so , full duplex operation is temporarily abandoned and an &# 34 ; unsuccessful &# 34 ; exit is taken , through connector z to block 78 , where the two - station test is repeated . next , in block 116 , a check is made to determine if a request fdx frame or an acknowledgment frame , ack fdx frame , has been received . if not , a check is made in block 118 to determine whether the request transmit timer has expired . if the request transmit timer has not expired , control is transferred back to block 114 , to continue waiting for an incoming frame . if the timer has expired , control is transferred back to block 113 to send another request fdx frame . the value set in this timer is typically a few seconds . thus , every few seconds a request fdx frame will be transmitted , and there will be continual monitoring for the receipt of an acknowledgment frame or a request frame from the other station . if a request fdx or an ack fdx frame is received , as detected in block 116 , the next step , indicated in block 120 , is to compare the source address of the received frame with the address of the fdx neighbor saved in block 111 of fig7 . if there is a match , full duplex communication can be initiated , as indicated at 84 , but a further periodic exchange of frames is required to sustain operation in the full duplex mode . as indicated in block 122 , an fdx keep - alive timer is started , and , in block 124 , an ack fdx frame is transmitted and an ack transmit timer is started . the ack transmit timer typically will be reset with the same value as the request transmit timer , i . e . a few seconds , and will be used to initiate retransmission of the ack fdx frame every few seconds the keep - alive timer will typically take a longer period to expire ; for example 10 - 12 seconds . in block 126 , after transmitting the ack fdx frame in block 124 , a check is made for the receipt of an ack fdx frame . if none has been received , a further check is made for the detection of a ring initialization condition ( in block 128 ), and if one has been received , control is transferred back to initialize the token ring mode ( through flowchart connector x to block 74 of fig6 ). if no ring initialization condition has been detected at this point , the ack transmit timer is checked , in block 130 . if this timer has expired , control is transferred back to block 124 to transmit another ack fdx frame . if the ack transmit timer has not expired , the keep - alive timer is checked , in block 132 . if it has expired , the token ring mode is initialized again , by transferring control to block 74 of fig6 ( through flowchart connector x ). when an ack fdx frame is received , as detected in block 126 , the source address is compared with the saved fdx neighbor address , in block 134 . if there is a match , the fdx keep - alive timer is restarted , in block 136 , and control is transferred to block 128 , to check for a ring initialization condition and , in subsequent block 130 , to determine whether the ack transmit timer has expired . basically , during operation in the full duplex mode each station sends periodic ack fdx frames , and continually checks for the receipt of an ack fdx frame from the other station . if no ack fdx frame is received during a preselected time interval , such as 12 seconds , it is assumed that full duplex communications are to be discontinued . a typical sequence of operations of the full duplex initialization protocol is shown in fig1 . it is assumed that station a is first to discover that there are only two stations on the ring , and to send a request fdx frame , as indicated at 150 . station b receives the request fdx frame , recognizes it to be from its only neighbor , enters full duplex mode , and transmits an ack fdx frame , as indicated at 152 . station a , meanwhile , has been waiting the return of an ack fdx frame . on receiving it , station a also enters full duplex mode , and transmits back another ack fdx frame , as indicated at 154 . thereafter , both stations are in the full duplex mode and continue transmitting periodic ack fdx frames to maintain full duplex operation . in another embodiment of the invention , full duplex stations may attempt to enter full duplex mode immediately upon station initialization , as shown in the flowchart of fig9 . this may be referred to as the full duplex fixed mode sequence of operations . after station initialization , indicated at 160 , each station performs a full duplex initialization sequence , as indicated in block 162 . this is basically the same as the initialization depicted in fig8 except that no &# 34 ; unsuccessful &# 34 ; exit is contemplated and no return to token ring mode is made . moreover , no check is made for the presence of only two stations . after the successful exchange of request fdx and ack fdx frames in the initialization phase in block 162 , the full duplex mode is entered , as indicated in block 164 . optionally , a periodic test of full duplex operation is performed , as shown in block 166 . if the test is failed , as ascertained in block 168 , the process is started over with another attempt at full duplex operation , in block 162 . if the test is passed , operation continues in the full duplex mo de , and the test is repeated periodically . for the fixed full duplex mode , various embodiments of the invention are possible , resulting in various degrees of adaptability of the &# 34 ; fixed &# 34 ; mode . the principal design issues here are whether and when to return to the token ring mode . periodic testing of the full duplex mode may be omitted altogether , or may be included . if it is included , expiration of the keep - alive timer may result in return to the token ring , or a return to attempt full duplex initialization , with possible reporting or logging of the event . similarly , the &# 34 ; fixed &# 34 ; mode may include continual checking for a ring initialization condition , with reversion to token ring mode ( the preferred method ) or reporting of the event , or disconnection from the network , or may omit this check altogether . when two stations operate in full duplex mode , the communication channel is immediately available to either station wishing to transmit . clearly , this mode of operation is simpler from the standpoint of the communication services that have to control station access to the transmission medium . in most network architectures , these communication services are provided by data link layer protocols and , in the case of the fddi token ring network , by the media access control ( mac ) sublayer of the data link layer . in normal token ring operation , part of the mac sublayer has to observe the token ring protocols , waiting until a token can be captured from the ring before a transmission may be sent . in full duplex mode , this mac task is simplified , since no token is needed for transmission . once a decision has been reached by a station to switch to the full duplex mode , the transition can be simply made by setting an appropriate control flag in the mac entity . when this flag is set , the mac protocols are effectively simplified to the full duplex mode , and tokens are ignored . to initiate operation in full duplex mode , the mac protocol for the station has only to wait until there is no transmission activity at the station ( a transmit - idle state ), and then make the change to full duplex . even though the other station may not have quite completed its transition to full duplex mode , this procedure provides a simple and convenient transition . an alternative would be to wait for the token to arrive , and then to provide for a further &# 34 ; handshake &# 34 ; between the mac entities of the two stations , to try to ensure that no full duplex transmission is made until the other station is ready to receive it . this further level of complexity is not believed to be necessary since , as is conventional , there are various levels of error detection and recovery in the event of lost or erroneous transmissions . to summarize , the present invention operates to establish and maintain full duplex communication automatically and transparently to the user of the data link layer . that is to say , protocol layers above the data link layer , including the network layer and higher layers , are not affected by the automatic transition to full duplex operation , except to the extent that they benefit in performance . the same frame format is used for data transmission in the full duplex mode as in the token ring mode . moreover , operation in full duplex mode is also transparent to the physical layer , which needs no modification for the invention to operate . although a fixed full duplex mode is available using the principles of the invention , the preferred approach is to use the auto - configuration full duplex mode , in which any two stations will automatically discover that full duplex operation is possible , and will automatically negotiate for and enter into the full duplex mode . return to the token ring mode is also automatic , upon the detection of a third station , or when one of the full duplex stations fails to maintain the full duplex data link , which requires periodic acknowledgment frames to be sent by both stations . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that the present invention represents a significant advance in the field of local area networks . in particular , the invention provides for automatic full duplex operation of two stations connected to a token ring network , when no other stations are active in the network . it will also be appreciated that , although a number of embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims .
7
organic molybdenum compound : the lubricant compositions according to the invention may comprise any organic molybdenum compound soluble in oil , notably and not in a limiting way , molybdenum dithiophosphates and dithiocarbamates and various organic complexes of molybdenum such as molybdenum carboxylates , esters , amides , which may be obtained by reaction of molybdenum oxide or of ammonium molybdates with fats , glycerides or fatty acids , or with fatty acid derivatives ( esters , amines , amides . . . ). preferentially , the lubricant compositions according to the invention comprise complexes of molybdenum free of sulfur and of phosphorus , with ligands of the amide type , mainly prepared by reaction of a molybdenum source , which may for example be molybdenum trioxide , an amine and fatty acid derivative for example comprising from 4 to 28 carbon atoms , preferentially from 8 to 18 carbon atoms , such as for example fatty acids contained in vegetable or animal oils . the synthesis of such compounds is for example described in patents u . s . pat . no . 4 , 889 , 647 , ep0546357 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 412 , 130 , ep1770153 . ( i ) of a fat of the mono -, di - or tri - glyceride or fatty acid type , ( ii ) of an amine source of formula ( i ): wherein x1 and x2 are either o or else n and n and m = 1 when x1 or x2 is o , and n and m = 2 when x1 or x2 is n , ( iii ) and of a molybdenum source selected from molybdenum trioxide or molybdates , preferentially ammonium molybdate in a sufficient amount in order to provide 0 . 1 to 20 . 0 % of molybdenum based on the weight of the complex . they generally comprise between 7 and 8 . 5 % by weight of molybdenum based on the weight of the complex . in particular , according to an embodiment , the organic molybdenum compound of the compositions according to the invention consists of at least one of the following compounds , alone or as a mixture : wherein r1 and r2 are fatty hydrocarbon chains comprising between 3 and 27 carbon atoms , preferentially between 7 and 17 carbon atoms . according to an embodiment , the molybdenum complexes of the compositions according to the invention are prepared by reaction : ( i ) of a fatty acid of the mono -, di - or tri - glyceride or fatty acid type , ( ii ) of diethanolamine or 2 -( 2 - aminoethyl ) aminoethanol , ( iii ) and a molybdenum source selected from molybdenum trioxide or molybdates , preferentially ammonium molybdate , in a sufficient amount in order to provide 0 . 1 to 20 . 0 % of molybdenum based on the weight of the complex . in particular , according to an embodiment , the organic molybdenum compound of the compositions according to the invention consists of at least one of the following compounds ( iv ) or ( v ) alone or as a mixture . wherein r1 is a fatty hydrocarbon chain comprising between 3 and 27 carbon atoms , preferentially between 7 and 27 carbon atoms . the content of organic molybdenum compound in the compositions according to the invention is adjusted so that the molybdenum mass content of said compositions is comprised between 90 and 350 ppm , preferentially between 100 and 200 ppm , even more preferentially between 140 and 180 ppm . a too low molybdenum content generates problems of synchronizer blocking and potential wear of the cone - ring assembly of the synchronizer . a too strong molybdenum content on the other hand has an unfavorable effect on flaking . thia ( di ) azoles : thia ( di ) azoles are compounds which contain both a sulfur and a nitrogen atom in a ring of five atoms . benzothiazoles are a particular type of thia ( di ) azoles . this term of thia ( di ) azole includes , in addition to the cyclic compounds containing a sulfur atom and a nitrogen atom per ring of 5 atoms , also thiadiazoles which contain sulfur and two nitrogen atoms in such a ring . these compounds may be non - substituted or substituted with hydrocarbon compounds which increase their solubility in oil . according to an embodiment , the thia ( di ) azoles of the lubricant compositions according to the invention are non - substituted benzothiazoles , thiazoles , thiadiazoles . according to a preferred embodiment the thia ( di ) azoles of the compositions according to the invention are dimercaptothiadiazoles , for example 2 , 5 - dimercapto - 1 , 3 , 4 - thiadiazole , 3 , 5 - dimercapto - 1 , 2 , 4 - thiadiazole , 3 , 4 - dimercapto - 1 , 2 , 4 - thiadiazole , 4 , 5 - dimercapto - 1 , 2 , 3 - thiadiazole , 3 - methylmercapto -, 5 - mercapto - 1 , 2 , 4 - thiadiazole . all these compounds may be used alone or as a mixture . typically , thia ( di ) azoles represent between 0 . 35 and 1 % by mass of the compositions according to the invention . preferentially , the compositions according to the invention contain between 0 . 35 and 1 %, preferentially between 0 . 34 and 0 . 45 % by mass of dimercaptothiadiazoles . phosphorus - containing or phosphor - sulfur compounds : phosphorus - containing compounds of the lubricant compositions according to the present invention are anti - wear and extreme pressure additives such as phosphates , phosphites , or phosphonates . these terms both designate phosphoric , phosphorous , phosphonic acids , their mono -, di - and tri - esters , for example alkyl phosphates , alkyl phosphonates , alkyl phosphonates , and their salts , for example amine salts . the phosphor - sulfur anti - wear and extreme pressure additives used in the present invention are ( mono - or di -) thiophosphates and thiophosphites , these terms including thiophosphoric and thiophosphorous acids , the esters of these acids , their salts , dithiophosphites and dithiophosphates . according to a preferred embodiment , the phosphor - sulfur anti - wear and extreme pressure additives of the compositions according to the invention are thiophosphates , corresponding to the formula ( vi ) wherein x3 and x4 are independently of each other s or o , one of them at least being s , r3 and r4 are either hydrogen or alkyl groups having between 1 and 22 carbon atoms , m is a metal of the iia , iii , va , via , ib , vib , viii groups of the periodic table , n being the valence of said metal , or else m is an ammonium formed from a primary , secondary or tertiary amine of formula ( r5 )( r6 )( r7 ) n , wherein r5 , r6 , r7 are either hydrogen or an alkyl group including from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and then n = 1 . more preferred compounds are the dithiophosphates ( x3 and x4 are sulfur ), preferentially of zinc or of an amine . amine dithiophosphates are more preferred compounds . as examples of phosphor - sulfur anti - wear and extreme pressure additives , mention may be made of monobutylthiophosphate , monooctylthiophosphate , monolaurylthiophosphate , dibutylthiophosphate , dilaurylthiophosphate , tributylthiophosphate , trioctylthiophosphate , triphenylthiophosphate , trilaurylthiophosphate , monobutylthiophosphite , monooctylthiophosphite , monolaurylthiophosphite , dibutylthiophosphite , dilaurylthiophosphite , tributylthiophosphite , trioctylthiophosphite , triphenylthiophosphite , trilaurylthiophosphite and salts thereof . examples of esters of thiophosphoric acid and of thiophosphorous acid are those obtained by reaction with a nitrogen - containing compound such as ammonia or an amine , or zinc oxide or zinc chloride . preferentially , the amount of these additives is adjusted so that the phosphorus mass content of the oils according to the invention is comprised between 500 and 700 ppm , preferentially between 520 and 650 ppm . a too low content of the anti - wear and extreme pressure element ( sulfur and phosphorus ) will generate flaking problems . moreover , a too strong content of anti - wear and extreme pressure elements , ( as well as of a friction modifier , including an organic molybdenum compound ), will have an unfavorable effect on changing gears : the cone - ring friction coefficient will be too low , which prevents synchronization of the gears and therefore changing of the gears . moreover , it is desirable for environmental reasons to limit the sulfur and phosphorus content in the lubricant compositions to what is required . this , in combination with the molybdenum content of the lubricants according to the invention gives the possibility of obtaining both better anti - flaking , synchro - anti - wear properties and of avoiding synchronizer blockings . the most efficient compromise between these 3 properties therefore depends on a specific dosage of the friction modifier , anti - wear and extreme pressure compounds and therefore of the mo , s and p elements from these compounds . bases : the compositions according to the invention may contain any type of animal or plant , synthetic or natural mineral lubricant base , adapted to their use . the base oil ( s ) used in the compositions according to the present invention may be oils of mineral or synthetic origin of the groups i to v according to the classes defined in the api classification ( or their equivalents according to the atiel classification ), as summarized below , alone or as a mixture . the mineral base oils according to the invention include all types of bases obtained by atmospheric and vacuum distillation of crude oil , followed by refining operations such as extraction with a solvent , deasphalting , deparaffining with a solvent , hydrotreatment , hydrocracking and hydroisomerization , hydrofinishing . the base oils of the compositions according to the present invention may also be synthetic oils , such as certain esters of carboxylic acids and alcohols , or polyalphaolefins , the polyalphaolefins used as base oils , are for example obtained from monomers having from 4 to 32 carbon atoms ( for example octane , decene ), and a viscosity of 100 ° c . comprised between 1 . 5 and 15 cst . their average weight molecular mass is typically comprised between 250 and 3 , 000 . mixtures of synthetic and mineral oils may also be used . there is no limitation as to the use of such and such lubricant base for producing the compositions according to the invention , if not that they should have properties , notably of viscosity , viscosity index , sulfur content , resistance to oxidation . . . adapted to a use in a gear box , in particular for automobile vehicles , in particular a manual gear box . preferentially , the lubricant bases represent at least 50 %, preferentially at least 60 %, or further at least 70 % by mass of the lubricant compositions according to the invention . typically , they represent between 75 and 90 % by mass of the compositions according to the invention . preferentially , the lubricant compositions according to the invention comprise mineral bases of group i and / or iii , or synthetic bases of group iv according to the api classification . other additives : the lubricant compositions according to the invention may also contain any type of additive adapted to their use , for example amine or phenol antioxidants such as diphenylamines , or phenols substituted on at least one of their ortho positions with alkyl groups , detergents , for example sulfonates . agents for improving the viscosity index ( vi enhancing agents ) are preferentially present at contents comprised between 5 and 25 % by mass , so as to impart viscosimetric properties adapted to the use in a gear box , in particular an automobile gear box , preferentially a manual gear box , such as for example polymethacrylates ( pma ), polyisobutenes ( pib ), or fatty acid esters . . . . the mass compositions and performances as regards synchro wear , synchro blocking , flaking of the prepared lubricant compositions are shown in table 1 hereafter . bcfp sermes bench renault jr5 - 125 gear box , 1 pair of differentials 14 × 63 , secondary shaft 8200280045 and ring 8200280134 , 3 pairs 28 × 37 of primary shafts 8200107846 and idler pinions 3 ° 7700114048 2 . 3 liters of oil , oil temperature 110 ° c . input torque : 148 mn primary speed 3 , 000 rpm duration : 3 phases of 142 hours every 142 hours , changing of the primary shaft , of the idler pinion 3 ° and the roller bearings . final score after 426 hours of the pinion / differential ring pair , score after 142 hours of 3 pairs 28 × 37 primary shafts / idler pinion 3 ° depending on the result of the score of these parts , it is said to pass ( satisfactory scores ) or to fail ( too large flaked surface ). the tests for blocking the synchronizers were carried out on a cone - ring pair under the following conditions ( sync - 40 procedure ): threaded brass ring of 54 mm , e . g . ref 7700 708 152 or 7700 869 430 cone of idler pinion gear box jxx , stoned rectified carbonitride steel , e . g . ref 7700 867 612 or 7700 740 880 oil : 250 ml of oil , oil level at the middle of the pinion and of the ring sae2 / a machine sae / 2 synchro adapter i = 0 . 155 m 2 / kg n = 300 rpm f = 60 dan t = 6s ( consecutive period between two consecutive braking operations ) n = 10 , 125 gear changing cycles ( 21 hours ) the synchro blocking test is passed , if , during 10125 gear - changing cycles , the number of cycles wherein disengagement between the cone and the ring requires the application of a counter - torque of more than 2 mn is at most 100 cycles . the synchronizer wear tests were carried out on a cone - ring pair under the following conditions ( procedure sync - 13 , sae 2 - a )): threaded brass ring of 54 mm , e . g . ref 7700 708 152 or 7700 869 430 cone of idler pinion gear box jxx , stoned rectified carbonitride steel , e . g . ref 7700 867 612 or 7700 740 880 huile : 125 ml of oil , oil level of the lower portion of the ring sae2 / a machine sae / 2 synchro adapter i = 0 . 155 m 2 / kg n = 600 rpm f = 60 dan t = 3 . 5s ( consecutive period between two consecutive braking operations ) n = 20 , 000 gear changing cycles ( 20 hours ) at the end of these 20 , 000 cycles : the axial wear of the synchronizer ring / gear cone pair is measured in mm . it should be at most of the order of 0 . 30 mm in order to be acceptable ( pass ). a wear of less than 0 . 15 mm is an excellent performance . a wear of more than 1 mm is disqualifying ( guard compensation ). discussion : the oils a and b are oils according to the invention : the oils c and d are borate oils , sensitive to water . the oils a and b have a performance level as regards wear of synchronizers , equivalent to that of borate oils , and pass the tests of blocking and of flaking in the same way . the oil e contains the same anti - wear and extreme pressure additives as oil a , also with phosphorus - containing compounds of the phosphite / phosphate type ; this oil e does not contain any friction modifier with molybdenum . the wear of the synchronizers is at an unacceptable level ( 0 . 84 mm ). the oils f , g , h have the same additivation in sulfur - containing and phosphor - sulfur anti - wear and extreme pressure agents as the oils according to the invention , but contain various friction modifiers without molybdenum . the wear of the synchronizers is very significant with these oils . the oils i and l have the same additivation as regards sulfur - containing and sulfur - phosphor anti - wear and extreme pressure agents as the oils according to the invention , and contain a friction modifier with molybdenum of the ester amide type . the ester mo content of the oil i is 400 ppm , and this oil fails as regards flaking . the mass mo content of the oil l is 80 ppm , and this oil fails as regards synchroblocking . oil j has the same additivation of sulfur - containing and phosphor - sulfur anti - wear and extreme pressure agents as the oils according to the invention , but do not contain any molybdenum . a fatty acid mono - ester is present as a friction modifier . this oil fails as regards synchronizer blocking . the oil k has the same additivation of sulfur - containing and phosphor - sulfur anti - wear and extreme pressure agents as the oils according to the invention , and does not contain any molybdenum . it does not contain any friction modifier . this oil fails as regards synchroblocking . the oils m and n do not contain any thiazole as a sulfur - containing compound . the oil m is also free of molybdenum . these oils have obtained a particularly catastrophic result as regards flaking . it should be noted that these oils do not contain any dimercaptothiadiazole .
2
the following detailed description , the accompanying drawings and the above - set - forth brief description of the drawings are intended to describe some , but not necessarily all , examples or embodiments of the invention . the contents of this detailed description , the accompanying drawings and the above - set - forth brief description of the drawings do not limit the scope of the invention in any way . a number of the drawings in this patent application show anatomical structures of the ear , nose and throat . in general , these anatomical structures are labeled with the following reference letters : fig1 shows a schematic diagram of the general working environment of an example of a system for catheter - based minimally invasive sinus surgery being used to perform a sinus surgery on a human patient . the human patient is treated by a working device 10 . working device 10 may be connected to one or more auxiliary devices located on a treatment tray 12 . a c - arm fluoroscope 14 provides fluoroscopic visualization of anatomical regions during the procedure . an instrument console 16 comprising one or more functional modules 18 may also be present . examples of functional modules that can be used with the invention are : 1 . suction pump for delivering a controlled amount of negative pressure or vacuum to a suction device , 2 . irrigation pump to deliver saline , antibiotic solution or other suitable irrigation medium , 3 . power module to supply power to drills or other electrical devices , 4 . storage modules for storing instruments , medications etc ., 5 . energy delivery module to provide radiofrequency , laser , ultrasound or other therapeutic energy to a surgical device , 6 . fluoroscope , mri , ct , video , endoscope or camera or other imaging modules to connect or interact with devices used during various diagnostic or therapeutic procedures , 7 . display module e . g . a lcd , crt or holographic screen to display data from various modules such as an endoscope , fluoroscope or other data or imaging module , 8 . remote control module to enable an operator to control one or more parameters of one or more functional modules 18 , 9 . programmable microprocessor that can store one or more operation settings for one or more functional modules 18 etc ., and 10 . stabilization device for holding various apparatuses during the procedure which may include a stabilization arm , table , clip , intranasal or extranasal inflatable support or robotically controlled apparatus , 11 . rotary drive module for rotating rotatable device such as a drill or auger ( e . g ., a motor having a rotation drive shaft or drive cable attached thereto . one or more functional modules 18 may be connected to the working device 10 . instrument console module 16 can be controlled by console control means 20 , e . g . a foot pedal controller , a remote controller etc . instrument console 16 may be fitted with wheels to enable an operator to change the position of the instrument console 16 in an operating area . in one embodiment , instrument console module 16 and c - arm fluoroscope 14 are integrated in a single unit . fig1 a shows a magnified view of region 1 a of fig1 showing a system for catheter - based minimally invasive sinus surgery of a human patient . in fig1 a , a balloon catheter is used as an example of working device 10 . working device 10 has attachments for a variety of auxiliary devices such as a balloon inflation syringe 22 , a guidewire 24 and a suction or irrigation tube 26 . working device 10 and the auxiliary devices may be detachably attached to treatment tray 12 . treatment tray 12 may comprise one or more treatment tray controllers 28 to control one or more treatment parameters . treatment tray 12 may comprise one or more storage modules to store devices used during a surgery e . g . irrigation bottles , swabs etc . fig1 b shows a perspective view of a treatment tray for catheter - based minimally invasive sinus surgery of a human patient . treatment tray 12 comprises one or more device holders 30 to detachably hold devices during the surgery . in one embodiment , device holders 30 are detachably attached to device holder slots 32 on treatment tray 12 . thus the position of device holders 30 on treatment tray 12 can be changed by removing a device holder 30 from a device holder slot 32 and transferring to a new device holder slot 32 . fig2 a shows a portion of a stabilizing device 100 comprising a stabilizing member 102 . stabilizing member 102 comprises a lumen through which working device 10 can be introduced . in this example , stabilizing member 102 is located in a nostril . alternatively , stabilizing member 102 may be located in other suitable regions of the head e . g . the nasal passages . stabilizing member 102 may be oriented to stabilizing device 100 in a variety of orientations . also , the stabilizing member can be used to stabilize more than one working device . fig2 b - 2d show various alternate embodiments of stabilizing member 102 of fig2 a . fig2 b shows an embodiment of a radially symmetrical stabilizing member 104 , wherein the axis 106 of stabilizing member 104 is substantially parallel to the axis 110 of stabilizing device 100 . fig2 c shows an embodiment of a radially symmetrical stabilizing member 112 . the axis 114 of stabilizing member 112 is substantially non - parallel to the axis 116 of stabilizing device 100 . fig2 d shows an embodiment of a stabilizing member 118 , wherein stabilizing member 118 comprises two lumens enclosing a first stabilizing device 120 and a second stabilizing device 122 . suitable materials that can be used for constructing the stabilizing members are : foam materials such as polyurethane foam , polyvinyl chloride foam , thermal - reactive foam ™ etc ., inflatable members such as compliant or non - compliant balloons , moldable materials such as silicone rubber or wax , metals such as stainless steel or super - elastic or shape memory metals such as nitinol thermoplastic elastomers such as block copolymers e . g . styrene - butadiene - styrene ( sbs ) rubber or ionomers etc . fig2 e - 2g show perspective views of various embodiments of inflatable occluding devices . fig2 e shows a partial view of an occluding device 124 comprising an inflatable occluding member 126 . inflatable occluding member 126 may be made of compliant materials e . g . silicone rubber , or non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ). inflatable occluding member 126 can be inflated through an inflation port 127 located on the occluding device 124 . occluding device 124 can have one or more device insertion ports . the device insertion ports can be used to insert a variety of diagnostic or therapeutic devices such as endoscopes , guidewires , catheters etc . in this example , occluding device 124 has a first device insertion port 128 and a second device insertion port 130 . the device insertion ports may comprise one or more flush ports . in this example , occluding device 124 comprises a first flush port 132 located on first device insertion port 128 and a second flush port 134 located on second device insertion port 130 . such an occluding device may be used for occluding one or two nostrils to provide a gas - tight or liquid - tight seal against the nostril or to stabilize devices that are passed through the device insertion ports on the occluding device . the inflatable occluding member may be made of variety of shapes . fig2 f shows an occluding device 136 comprising an inflatable occluding member 138 of an elongated shape wherein the diameter of the inflatable occluding member 138 tapers along the length of occluding device 136 . inflatable occluding member 138 may also be spherical , disk shaped , cylindrical , conical etc . the inflatable occluding member may comprise a variety of surface features . for example , fig2 g shows an occluding device 140 comprising an inflatable occluding member 142 . inflatable occluding member comprises a series or parallel circular ribs on its surface . other surface features such as coatings ( e . g . friction increasing coatings , abrasion resisting coatings , puncture resisting coatings , conductive coatings , radiopaque coatings , echogenic coatings , thrombogenicity reducing coatings and drug releasing coatings etc . ), braids , grooves etc . may also be present on inflatable occluding member 142 . fig3 a - 3 d ′ show embodiments of stabilizing members comprising an adhesive element . fig3 a shows front view of an embodiment of a stabilizing member 200 comprising a pair of upper wings 202 and a pair of lower wings 204 . in this embodiment , upper wings 202 are larger than lower wings 204 . stabilizing member 200 further comprises one or more orifices 206 through which one or more working devices can be introduced . stabilizing member 200 is made of a light weight , flexible material that conforms to the contours of the patient &# 39 ; s body . examples of such materials are woven and non - woven fabrics , plastic films ( e . g . polyvinylchloride films , polypropylene films etc . ), cellulose , paper etc . stabilizing member 200 may have a porous structure for increased transmission of water vapor produced in perspiration from the skin under stabilizing member 200 . one surface of stabilizing member 200 is coated with an adhesive to enable stabilizing member 200 to adhere to a surface on a patient &# 39 ; s body . a non - allergenic adhesive is used to minimize skin irritation . examples of such adhesives are non - allergenic pressure - sensitive adhesives such as silicone pressure sensitive adhesives , rubber pressure sensitive adhesives and acrylic or hydrogel pressure sensitive adhesives . stabilization member 200 may also be lubricated with a silicone or other biocompatible lubricant at the orifice to allow easier introduction and removal of devices . stabilizing member 200 may be used to stabilize one or more working devices . fig3 b shows a front view of stabilizing member 200 of fig3 a with two working devices : a first working device 208 and a second working device 210 . fig3 c shows a front view of the stabilizing member 200 of fig3 a with a single working device 212 . fig3 d shows a side view of stabilizing member 200 of fig3 a attached to a patient &# 39 ; s body . upper wings 202 are attached on the nose of the patient . lower wings 204 are attached above the upper lip of the patient . a working device 10 is introduced through the orifice 206 into the patient &# 39 ; s nose . fig3 d ′ shows a front view of stabilizing member 200 of fig3 a attached to a patient &# 39 ; s body . fig4 a and 4b show perspective views of an occluding device in deflated and inflated states respectively . occluding device 300 comprises a shaft 302 and an inflatable balloon 304 located on distal region of shaft 302 . shaft 302 has a diameter d . sub . 1 and inflatable balloon 304 has a diameter d . sub . 2 in the deflated state , wherein d . sub . 2 is greater then d . sub . 1 . inflatable balloon 304 can be made of compliant materials e . g . polyurethane , silicone etc . or non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . inflatable balloon 304 can be inflated through balloon inflation port 306 located on proximal region of occluding device 300 . the inflated diameter d . sub . 3 of the inflatable balloon is greater than d . sub . 2 and is particularly suitable for occluding the nasopharynx . occluding device 300 further comprises a series of aspiration ports 308 located proximal to inflatable balloon 304 . aspiration ports 308 are connected to an aspiration lumen 310 to aspirate contents proximal to inflatable balloon 304 . any diagnostic or therapeutic device disclosed herein may comprise one or more malleable regions . for example , fig5 shows a perspective view of a guide catheter comprising a plastically deformable ( malleable ) region . guide catheter 400 comprises a shaft 402 comprising a malleable region 404 located on distal region of shaft 402 . shaft 402 may comprise stiffening elements e . g . a braid , hypotube etc . malleable region 404 may comprise malleable metallic tubes , rods ( e . g . rods embedded in shaft 402 etc . ), wires etc . examples of metals that can be used for constructing malleable region 404 are malleable stainless steel , fully annealed stainless steel , copper , aluminum etc . guide catheter 400 further comprises a threaded luer 406 located on proximal end of shaft 402 . in this example , malleable region 404 is located on distal end of guide catheter 400 . malleable region 404 can also be located on proximal region or any other intermediate region on shaft 402 . shaft 402 may also comprise more than one malleable regions . such a design comprising one or more malleable regions can be used for any of the devices mentioned herein such as catheters with working elements , guide catheters , guide catheters with a pre - set shape , steerable guide catheters , steerable catheters , guidewires , guidewires with a pre - set shape , steerable guidewires , ports , introducers , sheaths or other diagnostic or therapeutic devices . fig6 shows a perspective view of a guide catheter comprising a lubricious layer . guide catheter 500 comprises a shaft 502 comprising a threaded luer 504 located on the proximal end of the shaft 502 . fig6 a shows a crossectional view of the guide catheter of fig6 through the plane 6 a - 6 a . shaft 502 comprises a braid 506 embedded in the shaft . shaft 502 further comprises a lubricious layer 508 located on the inner surface of shaft 502 . lubricious layer 508 may be made of suitable materials such as teflon liners , teflon coatings or teflon sheaths . such a design comprising one or more lubricious layers can be used for any of the devices mentioned herein such as catheters with working elements , guide catheters , guide catheters with a pre - set shape , steerable guide catheters , steerable catheters , guidewires , guidewires with a pre - set shape , steerable guidewires , ports , introducers , sheaths or other diagnostic or therapeutic devices . fig7 shows perspective view of an embodiment of a guide catheter comprising a straight hypotube . guide catheter 600 comprises a tubular element 602 and a hypotube 604 attached to the external surface of tubular element 602 . suitable materials for constructing hypotube 604 are stainless steel 304 , nitinol etc . in one embodiment , hypotube 604 is annealed to the external surface of tubular element 602 . tubular element 602 can be made from a variety of materials including pebax , hdpe etc . tubular element 602 may comprise a braid or a jacket . in an embodiment , tubular element 602 comprises a lubricious coating 605 on its inner surface . the lubricious coating 605 can be made of suitable lubricious materials such as teflon . in an embodiment , tubular element 602 comprises a bent or angled region near the distal end of tubular element 602 . the bent or angled region may enclose an angle from 0 degrees to 180 degrees . further this bent or angled region may be further bent out of plane to present a compound three - dimension end shape . hypotube 604 can be malleable or substantially stiff . a malleable hypotube can be used in situations where the guide catheter 600 has to be bent or distorted to optimize its shape to conform to a patient &# 39 ; s anatomy . examples of materials that can be used to make a malleable hypotube are malleable stainless steel , fully annealed stainless steel , copper , aluminum etc . a substantially stiff hypotube can be used in situations where extra support is needed for introduction or removal or devices through guide catheter 600 . examples of materials that can be used to make a substantially stiff hypotube are stainless steel 304 , nitinol etc . hypotube 604 may be bent to a two - dimensional or three - dimensional shape . distal tip of tubular element 602 may comprise a radio - opaque marker 606 e . g . a standard radio - opaque marker band . the proximal region of tubular element 602 comprises a threaded luer . fig7 a shows a crossectional view of guide catheter 600 of fig7 through plane 7 a - 7 a . the crossection of guide catheter 600 shows an outer hypotube 604 enclosing a tubular member 602 which in turn comprises a lubricious coating 605 located on the inner surface of tubular member 602 . fig8 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a guide catheter comprising a straight hypotube . guide catheter 700 comprises a hypotube 702 . proximal end of hypotube 702 may comprise a threaded luer 704 . hypotube 702 encloses a tubular liner 706 that protrudes from the distal end of hypotube 702 . suitable materials for constructing tubular liner 706 are ptfe , nylon , peek etc . distal region of tubular liner 706 is covered with a tubular element 708 . tubular element 708 may be constructed of suitable materials such as pebax , hdpe , nylon etc . and may comprise a braid . proximal end of tubular element 708 may be bonded to distal end of hypotube 702 or may overlap distal region of hypotube 702 . in one embodiment , distal region of tubular element 708 comprises a bent or angled region . in another embodiment , stiffness of tubular element 708 varies along the length of tubular element 708 . tubular element 708 may comprise a radio - opaque marker band 710 near distal end of tubular element 708 . fig8 a shows a crossectional view of guide catheter 700 of fig8 through plane 8 a - 8 a showing hypotube 702 and tubular liner 706 . fig8 b shows a crossectional view of guide catheter 700 of fig8 through plane 8 b - 8 b showing tubular element 708 and tubular liner 706 . the hypotubes disclosed above may be malleable or non - malleable . they may also comprise one or more bent or angled regions . for example , fig8 c shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a guide catheter comprising a curved or bent hypotube to facilitate access to the frontal sinuses . guide catheter 712 comprises a hypotube 714 comprising a threaded luer 716 at the proximal end of hypotube 714 . hypotube 714 may comprise one or more bent or angled regions . in this embodiment , the bent or angled region encloses an angle ranging from 60 degrees to 180 degrees . hypotube 714 may be malleable or non - malleable . in this example , hypotube 714 encloses a tubular element 718 . tubular element 718 may be constructed of suitable materials such as pebax , hdpe etc . the distal region of tubular element 718 comprises a bent or angled region . in this embodiment , the bent or angled region encloses an angle ranging from 60 degrees to 170 degrees to facilitate access to the frontal sinuses using guide catheter 712 . distal region of tubular element 718 may comprise a radio - opaque marker 720 . fig8 d shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a guide catheter comprising a curved or bent hypotube to facilitate access to the sphenoid sinuses . the catheter construction is similar to the catheter in fig8 c except the bent or angled region of hypotube 714 encloses an angle ranging from 90 degrees to 180 degrees and the bent or angled region of tubular element 718 encloses an angle ranging from 120 degrees to 180 degrees . fig8 e shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a guide catheter comprising two bent or angled or curved regions to facilitate access to the maxillary sinuses . guide catheter 740 comprises a tubular element 742 comprising a threaded luer 744 at the proximal end of tubular element 742 . tubular element 742 further comprises a proximal bent , curved or angled region 746 enclosing an angle ranging from 90 degrees to 180 degrees and a distal bent , curved or angled region 748 enclosing an angle ranging from 90 degrees to 180 degrees . tubular element 742 can be constructed from a variety of biocompatible materials such as pebax , hdpe , nylon , peek etc . and may comprise a braid . the inner surface of tubular element 742 may comprise a lubricious layer e . g . a teflon layer . a curved region 750 is attached to the distal end of tubular element 742 . curved region 750 may enclose an angle ranging from 75 degrees to 180 degrees . the stiffness of curved region 750 is more than the stiffness of tubular element 742 so that there is no significant change to the shape of curved region 750 during the operation of guide catheter 740 . the distal end of curved region 750 comprises a soft , atraumatic tip 752 . the distal end of curved region 750 may also comprise a radiopaque marker . guide catheter 740 may be further bent out of plane to present a compound three - dimension end shape . fig8 f shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a guide catheter comprising two bent or angled or curved regions and a hypotube to facilitate access to the maxillary sinuses . the construction of guide catheter 754 is similar to guide catheter 740 in fig8 e except that guide catheter 754 further comprises a hypotube 756 on the outer surface of the proximal region of guide catheter 754 . fig8 g shows a coronal section of the paranasal anatomy showing a method of accessing a maxillary sinus ostium using guide catheter 754 of fig8 f . guide catheter 754 is introduced through a nostril and advanced in the paranasal anatomy such that atraumatic tip 752 is located inside or adjacent to a maxillary sinus ostium mso . proximal bent , curved or angled region 746 allows guide catheter 754 to be positioned around the inferior turbinate it . similarly , distal bent , curved or angled region 748 allows guide catheter 754 to be positioned around the middle turbinate mt . a guidewire or a suitable diagnostic or therapeutic device may then be introduced through the lumen of guide catheter 754 into the maxillary sinus ms . fig8 h shows a sagittal section of the paranasal anatomy showing the method of fig8 g to access a maxillary sinus ostium using guide catheter 754 of fig8 f . fig8 i shows a perspective view of an example of a guide catheter comprising a common proximal portion and a plurality of detachable distal tips . distal end of common proximal portion 760 attaches to proximal end of a first detachable tip 762 by an attachment mechanism . first detachable tip 762 comprises an angled , curved or bent region enclosing an angle of 80 - 110 degrees suitable for access to the frontal and ethmoid sinuses . similarly , distal end of common proximal portion 760 attaches to proximal end of a second detachable tip 764 by an attachment mechanism . second detachable tip comprises two angled , curved or bent regions enclosing angles of 80 - 110 degrees and 80 - 110 degrees respectively . such a design is suitable for access to the maxillary sinuses . examples of attachment mechanisms are screw mechanisms , snap fitting mechanisms , slide fit mechanisms etc . distal end of first detachable tip 762 and second detachable tip 764 may comprise a radiopaque marker such as a radiopaque band . such a design comprising detachable distal regions can be used in a variety of diagnostic or therapeutic devices discloses herein . it can be used for easy access to one or more anatomical regions in the ear , nose , throat or mouth by using multiple detachable distal tips , wherein each detachable tip is optimized for access to a particular anatomical region . fig9 shows a perspective view of a set of devices to dilate or modify ostia or other openings in the ear , nose , throat or mouth structures . guide catheter 800 comprises a shaft 802 comprising a threaded luer 804 at proximal end of shaft 802 . distal end of shaft 802 comprises a radio - opaque marker band mb to enable the physician to identify the tip of shaft 802 in a fluoroscopic image . the distal end of shaft 802 may be substantially straight or may comprise one or more bent or angled regions . one or more distance markings dm may also be located on the shaft 802 . an optional subselective catheter 806 may also be present in the set of devices . subselective catheter 806 comprises a shaft 808 comprising a threaded luer 810 at the proximal end of shaft 808 . inner diameter of shaft 808 is smaller than inner diameter of shaft 802 . distal end of the shaft 808 comprises a radio - opaque marker band mb to enable the physician to identify the tip of shaft 808 in a fluoroscopic image . distal end of shaft 808 may be substantially straight or may comprise one or more bent or angled regions . one or more distance markings dm may also be located on the shaft 808 . working device 812 comprises a shaft 814 comprising a working element 816 located on distal region of shaft 814 and a threaded luer 818 located on proximal end of shaft 814 . in this example , the working element 816 is a dilating balloon . other examples of working elements include dilating stents , suction or irrigation devices , needles , polypectomy tools , brushes , brushes , energy emitting devices such as ablation devices , laser devices , image - guided devices containing sensors or transmitters , endoscopes , tissue modifying devices such as cutters , biopsy devices , devices for injecting diagnostic or therapeutic agents , drug delivery devices such as substance eluting devices , substance delivery implants etc . the distal end of shaft 814 may be substantially straight or may comprise a bent or angled region . one or more distance markings dm may also be located on shaft 814 . the set of devices further comprises a guidewire 820 . guidewire 820 may be substantially straight or may comprise a bent or angled region . one or more distance markings dm may also be located on guidewire 820 . in one embodiment of a method using the abovementioned set of devices , guide catheter 800 is introduced into a patient &# 39 ; s body so that distal end of guide catheter 800 is in the vicinity of an anatomical opening ( e . g . an ostium ) of an anatomical region ( e . g . a paranasal sinus ). thereafter , guidewire 820 is introduced through guide catheter 800 into the anatomical region e . g . the paranasal sinus . if necessary , guide catheter 800 may be removed and the smaller subselective catheter 806 may be introduced over guide wire 820 into the paranasal sinus . thereafter , working device 812 is introduced over guidewire 820 into the paranasal sinus and a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is performed by working device 812 . in another embodiment of a method using the abovementioned set of devices , subselective catheter 806 is introduced into a patient &# 39 ; s body so that distal end of subselective catheter 806 is in the vicinity of an anatomical opening ( e . g . an ostium ) of an anatomical region ( e . g . a paranasal sinus ). thereafter , guidewire 820 is introduced through subselective catheter 806 into the anatomical region e . g . the paranasal sinus . thereafter , subselective catheter 806 is removed . larger guide catheter 800 is then introduced over guide wire 820 . working device 812 is then introduced over guidewire 820 into the paranasal sinus and a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is performed by working device 812 . this method embodiment enables a user to introduce larger working device 812 in the anatomical region . fig1 shows a perspective view of a probing device . the probing device 900 comprises a probing element 902 and a detachable handle 904 . probing element 902 comprises an atraumatic tip 906 located on the distal end of probing element 902 . in one embodiment , atraumatic tip 906 is spherical . probing element 902 can be made from a variety of biocompatible materials such as metals ( e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nitinol etc .) or polymers ( e . g . pebax , polyethylene etc .). probing element 902 may be rigid or flexible or malleable . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the distal region of the probing element 902 is malleable . this enables a physician to adjust probing device 900 for a patient &# 39 ; s unique anatomy . probing element 902 may comprise one or more curved or angled regions . length of probing element 902 can range from 10 centimeters to 30 centimeters . detachable handle can be attached to the probing element 902 by a variety of attachment mechanisms including screw arrangement , clipping mechanism etc . the tip of the probing element may further be modified to include a marker , sensor or transmitter capable of being tracked using one or more imaging modalities , such as x - ray , electromagnetic , radio - frequency , ultrasound , radiation , optics , and / or similar modalities . fig1 a - 10c show various steps of a method of using the probing device shown in fig1 to access an anatomical region . in fig1 a , probing device 900 is advanced in to a patient &# 39 ; s frontal sinus ostium through the nasal cavity . atraumatic tip 906 prevents the probing device 900 from perforating and damaging healthy tissues . thereafter , in fig1 b , detachable handle 904 is detached from probing element 902 . thereafter , in fig1 c , a working device 908 e . g . a catheter is advanced over the probing element 902 into the patient &# 39 ; s frontal sinus ostium . working device 908 can then be used to perform a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure or introduce other devices . in this example , probing device 900 was used to access the patient &# 39 ; s frontal sinus ostium . other anatomical locations in the patient &# 39 ; s body e . g . ostia of other paranasal sinuses , ostia of lachrymal ducts , regions in the eustachian tube , ducts of salivary glands , etc . may be accessed by similar methods . it is also possible that working device 908 may be preloaded over probing element 902 and maintained in a retracted position relative to the probing element until distal portion of the probing element 902 is introduced into a desired location . further , multiple working devices may be inserted within working device 908 or over working device 908 once it is properly positioned . fig1 a shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a dual balloon catheter that can be used to perform a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure . catheter 1000 comprises a catheter shaft 1002 and a proximal balloon 1004 and a distal balloon 1006 located on catheter shaft 1002 . a variety of diagnostic or therapeutic modules may be located in the inter - balloon region 1008 located between proximal balloon 1004 and distal balloon 1006 . examples of such diagnostic or therapeutic modules are dilating or occluding balloons , dilating stents , suction or irrigation devices , needles , polypectomy tools , energy emitting devices like ablation devices , laser devices , image - guided devices containing sensors or transmitters , imaging devices , endoscopes , tissue modifying devices like cutters , biopsy devices , devices for injecting diagnostic or therapeutic agents , lavage devices , drug delivery devices such as substance eluting devices , substance delivery implants etc . etc . a catheter hub 1010 is located on the proximal end of catheter shaft 1002 . catheter hub 1010 comprises a balloon inflation port 1012 that can be used to inflate both proximal balloon 1004 and distal balloon 1006 . fig1 b shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a dual balloon catheter that can be used to perform a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure . the catheter 1014 shown in this embodiment further comprises a second balloon inflation port 1016 . balloon inflation port 1012 is used to inflate proximal balloon 1004 and second balloon inflation port 1016 is used to inflate distal balloon 1006 . in one embodiment of a method using catheter 1014 , distal balloon 1006 is inflated before proximal balloon 1004 . fig1 c - 11e show perspective views of third , fourth and fifth embodiments respectively of dual balloon catheters for dilating an anatomical region . in fig1 c , catheter 1020 comprises a catheter shaft 1022 comprising a catheter hub 1024 at the proximal end of catheter shaft 1022 . the distal region of catheter shaft 1022 comprises a proximal balloon 1026 and a distal balloon 1028 . proximal balloon 1026 and distal balloon 1028 can be made from compliant or non - compliant materials . catheter shaft 1022 further comprises a dilating balloon 1030 located between proximal balloon 1026 and distal balloon 1028 . dilating balloon 1030 is constructed from suitable non - compliant materials such as polyethylene terephthalate etc . the balloons are inflated through three balloon inflation ports located on catheter hub 1024 . a first balloon inflation port 1032 is used to inflate proximal balloon 1026 , a second balloon inflation port 1034 is used to inflate distal balloon 1028 and a third balloon inflation port 1036 is used to inflate dilating balloon 1030 . fig1 d shows a perspective view of catheter 1020 in fig1 c further comprising a stent 1038 disposed on dilating balloon 1030 . several types of stent designs can be used to construct stent 1038 such as metallic tube designs , polymeric tube designs , chain - linked designs , spiral designs , rolled sheet designs , single wire designs etc . these designs may have an open celled or closed celled structure . a variety of fabrication methods can be used for fabricating stent 1038 including but not limited to laser cutting a metal or polymer element , welding metal elements etc . a variety of materials can be used for fabricating stent 1038 including but not limited to metals , polymers , foam type materials , plastically deformable materials , super elastic materials etc . some non - limiting examples of materials that can be used to construct stent 1038 are nitinol , stainless steel , titanium , polyurethane , gelfilm , polyethylene and silicones e . g . silastic . a variety of features can be added to stent 1038 including but not limited to radiopaque coatings , drug elution mechanisms etc . fig1 e shows a perspective view of catheter 1020 in fig1 c wherein proximal balloon 1026 and distal balloon 1028 are conical . dual balloon catheters may also be used to deploy self - expanding stents at a target anatomical region . fig1 f - 11j show the various steps of a method of dilating an anatomical region using the catheter of fig1 d . in fig1 f , catheter 1020 is introduced into an anatomical region to be dilated . in one embodiment , catheter 1020 is introduced over a guidewire 1040 . in fig1 g , distal balloon 1028 is inflated through second balloon inflation port 1034 . thereafter , catheter 1020 is pulled in the proximal direction till distal balloon 1028 gets lodged in the anatomical region to be dilated . thereafter in fig1 h , proximal balloon 1026 is inflated through first balloon inflation port 1032 . this enables catheter 1020 to be securely lodged in the anatomical region to be dilated . thereafter in fig1 i , dilating balloon 1030 is inflated through third balloon inflation port 1036 . inflated dilation balloon 1030 exerts an outward force on the anatomical region and causes it to dilate . this step also deploys stent 1038 . thereafter in fig1 j , proximal balloon 1026 , distal balloon 1028 and dilating balloon 1030 are deflated and catheter 1020 is removed by pulling catheter 1020 in the proximal direction . fig1 a - 12c show the various steps of a method of deploying a stent in the ear , nose , throat or mouth using a working catheter comprising a locating mechanism . in this example , the locating mechanism is a locator balloon . a working device 1100 is provided that comprises a locator balloon 1104 and a stent 1106 located on a stent deploying balloon 1108 located on a catheter shaft 1110 . locator balloon 1104 is located on the distal region of the catheter shaft 1110 and stent 1106 is located proximal to the locator balloon 1104 . in fig1 a , the working device 1100 is inserted into an anatomical region through an anatomical opening 1111 such that the locator balloon 1104 is located distal to anatomical opening 1111 . examples of the anatomical region are paranasal sinuses , eustachian tubes , lachrymal ducts and other structures in the ear , nose , throat or mouth etc . examples of anatomical opening 1111 are ostia of paranasal sinuses , ostia of lachrymal ducts etc . in fig1 b , locator balloon 1104 is inflated . the inflated diameter of the locator balloon is greater than the diameter of the anatomical opening . working device 1100 is then pulled in the proximal direction such that locator balloon 1104 presses against the anatomical opening 1111 . this enables stent 1106 to be positioned accurately in a desired location relative to anatomical opening 1111 . in fig1 c , stent deploying balloon 1108 is inflated to deploy stent 1106 . thereafter , stent deploying balloon 1108 and locator balloon 1104 are deflated and the working device 1100 is removed by pulling it out in the proximal direction . similar working catheters comprising locating mechanisms can also be used to deploy self - expanding stents . in this example , the locating mechanism was a locator balloon . other examples of locating device are deployable elements such as wire meshes , radially projecting wires , deployable devices located on guidewires ( e . g . balloons , wire meshes etc . ), devices deployed on pull - elements ( e . g . radially expandable elements etc .) etc . fig1 d - 12h show the various steps of a method of dilating an anatomical opening in the ear , nose , throat or mouth using a combination of a dilating device and an anchoring device . in this example , the dilating device is a dilating balloon catheter and the anchoring device is an anchoring balloon catheter . in fig1 d , an anchoring balloon catheter 1120 comprising a catheter shaft 1122 and an anchoring balloon 1124 is inserted over a guidewire gw into an anatomical opening . in one embodiment , shaft 1122 of anchoring balloon catheter 1120 is coated with a lubricious coating such as teflon . in this example the anatomical opening is the sphenoid sinus ostium sso of a sphenoid sinus ss . in fig1 e , anchoring balloon 1124 is inflated . the inflated diameter of anchoring balloon 1124 is greater than the diameter of the anatomical opening . thereafter , anchoring balloon catheter 1120 is pulled in the proximal direction so that anchoring balloon 1124 is anchored in the anatomical opening . in fig1 f , a dilating balloon catheter 1126 comprising a shaft 1128 and a dilating balloon 1130 is advanced in the proximal direction over shaft 1122 of anchoring balloon catheter 1120 . dilating balloon catheter 1126 is advanced till the distal portion of dilating balloon catheter 1126 touches anchoring balloon 1124 . this design accurately positions dilating balloon 1130 in a target location in the anatomical opening . thereafter , in fig1 g , dilating balloon 1130 is inflated to dilate the anatomical opening . thereafter , in fig1 h , the dilating balloon 1130 and anchoring balloon 1124 are deflated and dilating balloon catheter 1126 and anchoring balloon catheter 1120 are withdrawn from the anatomical opening by pulling them in the proximal direction . dilating balloon 1130 can be made of suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . anchoring balloon 1124 can be made of suitable compliant materials e . g . polyurethane , silicone etc . or non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . examples of anchoring devices are catheters comprising balloons , deployable elements such as wire meshes , radially projecting wires ; deployable devices located on guidewires ( e . g . balloons , wire meshes etc . ); devices deployed on pull - elements ( e . g . radially expandable elements etc .) etc . such a combination of an anchoring device and a working device inserted along the anchoring device can be used for a variety of other methods and devices disclosed herein for treating anatomical openings such as ostia of paranasal sinuses , ostia of lachrymal ducts , ducts of salivary glands , eustachian tubes and other ear , nose , throat or mouth structures etc . fig1 shows a perspective view of a dilating device comprising an electrode element to reduce restenosis . dilating device 1200 comprises a shaft 1202 and a dilating element 1204 located on the distal region of shaft 1202 . examples of dilating elements are non - compliant dilating balloons , mechanically expandable elements etc . dilating device 1200 further comprises an electrode element 1206 located on dilating element 1204 . electrode element 1206 in combination with one or more surface electrodes attached to a surface of a patient &# 39 ; s body delivers electrical energy to an anatomical region to be dilated . the electrical energy causes a controlled destruction of the adjacent anatomical region thereby reducing the risk to restenosis of the dilated region . electrode element 1206 may have a variety of configurations including meshes , wires wound in a spiral configuration , wires wound in a sinusoidal configuration etc . electrode element 1206 can be constructed from a variety of biocompatible metallic materials such as platinum - iridium alloys ( e . g . 90 % platinum / 10 % iridium ) etc . dilating device 1200 may further comprise an insulating layer between electrode element 1206 and dilating element 1204 . in one embodiment , electrode element 1206 is located on a sheath that can be advanced over dilating device 1200 such that electrode element 1206 is located above dilating element 1204 . fig1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a balloon catheter comprising a sizing balloon and a dilating balloon . a portion of the sizing balloon has been removed to show the dilating balloon underneath the sizing balloon . balloon catheter 1300 comprises a shaft 1302 and a dilating balloon 1304 located on distal region of shaft 1302 . dilating balloon 1304 can be made of suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate , nylon etc . dilating balloon 1304 is inflated through a first balloon inflation opening 1305 . balloon catheter 1300 further comprises a sizing balloon 1306 located around dilating balloon 1304 . sizing balloon 1306 is made from a compliant or semi - compliant material such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . sizing balloon 1306 is inflated through a second balloon inflation opening 1307 . dilating balloon 1304 and sizing balloon 1306 enclose an inter - balloon volume 1308 . fig1 a shows a crossection of the balloon catheter in fig1 through plane 14 a - 14 a . shaft 1302 comprises a guidewire lumen 1310 , a first inflation lumen 1312 that terminates distally in first balloon inflation opening 1305 of fig1 , and a second inflation lumen 1314 that terminates distally in second balloon inflation opening 1307 of fig1 . fig1 b - 14d show the various steps of dilating an anatomical opening using the balloon catheter in fig1 . in fig1 b , balloon catheter 1300 is introduced over a guidewire gw into an anatomical opening 1316 to be dilated . examples of the types of anatomical openings 1316 that may be dilated by this invention include ostia of paranasal sinuses , eustachian tubes , ostia of lachrymal ducts , etc . thereafter , in fig1 c , sizing balloon 1306 is inflated using an imagable inflating medium . examples of suitable imagable inflating media are saline with a radiopaque contrast agent , carbon dioxide gas etc . distal region of balloon catheter 1300 is subsequently imaged using a suitable imaging modality such as fluoroscopy or x - rays . this enables an operator to accurately estimate the size of anatomical opening 1316 . such a balloon catheter is also suited for estimating the diameter of the narrowest region in a tubular anatomical region e . g . a eustachian tube prior to performing a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure such as balloon dilation . on the basis of information obtained during step 14 c , balloon catheter 1300 may be repositioned and step 14 c repeated if necessary . thereafter , in step 14 d , sizing balloon 1306 is deflated . also in step 14 d , dilating balloon 1304 is inflated to dilate a target region in anatomical opening 1316 . thereafter , dilating balloon 1304 is deflated and balloon catheter 1300 is withdrawn from anatomical opening 1316 . in one embodiment , sizing balloon 1306 may be reinflated after a balloon dilation procedure to obtain feedback about the performance of the balloon dilation procedure . fig1 shows a perspective view of a balloon catheter 1400 for delivering diagnostic or therapeutic agents . this balloon catheter 1400 comprises a catheter shaft 1402 which may be flexible , malleable or rigid , and a dilating balloon 1404 located on the distal region of shaft 1402 . dilating balloon 1404 can be made of any suitable compliant or non - compliant materials ( e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc .). an outer balloon or sheath 1406 covers the dilating balloon 1404 , as shown in the cut - away view of fig1 . sheath 1406 can be made of suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . or compliant or semi - compliant materials such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . sheath 1406 comprises one or more pores 1408 through which diagnostic or therapeutic agents can be delivered to the surrounding anatomy . pores 1408 may have a pore size ranging from sub - micron to a few microns . dilating balloon 1404 is inflated by a balloon inflation lumen 1410 . the diagnostic or therapeutic agents can be delivered to the region between sheath 1406 and dilating balloon 1404 by an agent delivery lumen 1412 . in this particular embodiment , sheath 1406 is attached to shaft 1402 . fig1 a shows a crossection through the plane 15 a - 15 a of fig1 showing shaft 1402 comprising balloon inflation lumen 1410 , agent delivery lumen 1412 and a guidewire lumen 1414 . fig1 shows a perspective view of a balloon catheter comprising one or more agent delivery reservoirs . balloon catheter 1500 comprises a shaft 1502 and a balloon 1504 located on the distal region of shaft 1502 . balloon 1504 may be made from suitable compliant or semi - compliant material such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon , etc ., or from non - compliant materials such as polyurethane , etc . balloon catheter 1500 further comprises one or more agent delivery reservoirs 1506 located on balloon 1504 . agent delivery reservoirs 1506 contain one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents absorbed in a matrix . examples of diagnostic or therapeutic agents are contrast agents , pharmaceutically acceptable salt or dosage form of an antimicrobial agent ( e . g ., antibiotic , antiviral , anti - parasitic , antifungal , etc . ), a corticosteroid or other anti - inflammatory ( e . g ., an nsaid ), a decongestant ( e . g ., vasoconstrictor ), a mucous thinning agent ( e . g ., an expectorant or mucolytic ), an anesthetic agent with or without vasoconstrictor ( e . g ., xylocaine with or without epinephrine , tetracaine with or without epinephrine ), an analgesic agent , an agent that prevents of modifies an allergic response ( e . g ., an antihistamine , cytokine inhibitor , leucotriene inhibitor , ige inhibitor , immunomodulator ), an allergen or another substance that causes secretion of mucous by tissues , anti - proliferative agents , hemostatic agents to stop bleeding , cytotoxic agents e . g . alcohol , biological agents such as protein molecules , stem cells , genes or gene therapy preparations etc . when balloon 1504 is inflated to dilate an anatomical region , it exerts pressure on agent delivery reservoirs 1506 . this pressure squeezes out the one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents absorbed in the matrix and causes them to be released into the anatomical region . in one embodiment , agent delivery reservoirs 1506 comprise diagnostic or therapeutic agents absorbed in a porous matrix formed of a porous material such as a flexible or rigid polymer foam , cotton wadding , gauze , etc . examples of biodegradable polymers that may be foamed or otherwise rendered porous include polyglycolide , poly - l - lactide , poly - d - lactide , poly ( amino acids ), polydioxanone , polycaprolactone , polygluconate , polylactic acid - polyethylene oxide copolymers , modified cellulose , collagen , polyorthoesters , polyhydroxybutyrate , polyanhydride , polyphosphoester , poly ( alpha - hydroxy acid ) and combinations thereof . examples of non - biodegradable polymers that may be foamed or otherwise rendered porous include polyurethane , polycarbonate , silicone elastomers etc . fig1 a shows a crossection view through plane 16 a - 16 a of fig1 showing shaft 1502 comprising a balloon inflation lumen 1508 and a guidewire lumen 1510 . fig1 shows a perspective view of a balloon catheter comprising a balloon comprising one or more micropores or openings . balloon catheter 1600 comprises a shaft 1602 comprising a dilating balloon 1604 located on the distal region of shaft 1602 . dilating balloon 1604 can be made of suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . dilating balloon 1604 comprises one or more micropores 1606 of a pore size ranging from submicron ( e . g . 0 . 5 micron ) to a few microns . micropores 1606 can be formed on material of dilating balloon 1604 by various processes including mechanical punching , mechanical drilling , irradiation e . g . directing a laser beam or an ion or electron beam at the balloon material etc . dilating balloon 1604 is inflated using an inflating medium comprising one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents to be delivered to a target anatomical region such as ostia of paranasal sinuses , ostia of lachrymal ducts , ducts of salivary glands , eustachian tubes etc . examples of diagnostic or therapeutic agents are contrast agents , pharmaceutically acceptable salt or dosage form of an antimicrobial agent ( e . g ., antibiotic , antiviral , anti - parasitic , antifungal , etc . ), an anesthetic agent , an analgesic agent , a corticosteroid or other anti - inflammatory ( e . g ., an nsaid ), a decongestant ( e . g ., vasoconstrictor ), a mucous thinning agent ( e . g ., an expectorant or mucolytic ), an agent that prevents of modifies an allergic response ( e . g ., an antihistamine , cytokine inhibitor , leucotriene inhibitor , ige inhibitor , immunomodulator ), an allergen or another substance that causes secretion of mucous by tissues , anti - proliferative agents , hemostatic agents to stop bleeding , cytotoxic agents e . g . alcohol , biological agents such as protein molecules , stem cells , genes or gene therapy preparations etc . when dilating balloon 1604 is inflated , a portion of the inflating medium seeps out of dilating balloon 1604 through micropores 1606 and thus is delivered to the adjacent anatomical regions . thus dilation and agent delivery can be achieved in a single step . fig1 a shows a crossectional view through the plane 17 a - 17 a of fig1 showing shaft 1602 comprising a guidewire lumen 1608 and a balloon inflation lumen 1610 . fig1 shows a balloon catheter comprising a balloon having an outer coating of diagnostic or therapeutic agents . balloon catheter 1700 comprises a shaft 1702 and a dilating balloon 1704 located on the distal region of shaft 1702 . dilating balloon 1704 can be made of suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . dilating balloon 1704 comprises a coating 1706 of one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents on the outer surface of dilating balloon 1704 . coating 1706 may comprise diagnostic or therapeutic agents located in a suitable carrier medium . in one embodiment , the carrier medium is a hydrogel . in another embodiment , the carrier medium is a solid having the consistency of wax e . g . sterile bone wax . in another embodiment , the carrier containing the agents can be deposited on the outer surface of dilating balloon 1704 just before balloon catheter 1700 is used for performing a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure . coating 1706 may be present on the surface of dilating balloon 1704 in a variety of configurations . in one embodiment , coating 1706 is in the form of parallel strips of a carrier medium comprising one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents . the coating may also be in the form of an annular layer , a plurality of discrete spots etc . when dilating balloon 1704 is inflated to dilate an anatomical region , coating 1706 comes into contact with the adjacent anatomical region . a portion of coating 1706 is deposited on the adjacent anatomical region which delivers the diagnostic or therapeutic agents to the adjacent anatomical region . thus dilation and agent delivery can be achieved in a single step . in one embodiment , coating 1706 comprises a hemostatic material with a consistency of bone - wax . fig1 a - 18c show the steps of a method of using the balloon catheter of fig1 to dilate an anatomical region . in fig1 a , balloon catheter 1700 is introduced in an anatomical region 1708 . balloon catheter 1700 is positioned such dilating balloon 1704 is located in the target region to be dilated . thereafter , in fig1 b , dilating balloon 1704 is inflated . this dilates anatomical region 1708 and deposits a portion of coating 1706 on the dilated region . thereafter , in fig1 c , dilating balloon 1704 is deflated and balloon catheter 1700 is withdrawn from anatomical region 1708 leaving behind a deposited layer 1710 of coating 1706 on the dilated anatomical region 1708 . fig1 a shows a perspective view of a lavage catheter . lavage catheter 1800 comprises a shaft 1802 and an occluding balloon 1804 located on the distal region of shaft 1802 . occluding balloon 1804 can be made of suitable compliant materials e . g . polyurethane , silicone etc . or non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . lavage catheter 1800 further comprises a flushing tip 1806 and an aspiration tip 1808 located on the distal end of shaft 1802 . in fig1 a , lavage catheter 1800 is introduced over a guidewire gw into an anatomical region e . g . a sphenoid sinus ss through an anatomical opening e . g . a sphenoid sinus ostium sso . fig1 b shows a crossectional view through the plane 19 b - 19 b of fig1 a . shaft 1802 comprises an aspiration lumen 1810 , a flushing lumen 1812 and a guidewire lumen 1814 . distal end of aspiration lumen 1810 opens at the distal end of aspiration tip 1808 and distal end of flushing lumen 1812 opens at the distal end of flushing tip 1806 . fig1 c shows the method of operation of lavage catheter 1800 of fig1 a to lavage an anatomical region . in fig1 c , occluding balloon 1804 is inflated and lavage catheter 1800 is pulled in the proximal direction till occluding balloon occludes the anatomical opening e . g . sphenoid sinus ostium sso . thereafter , a flushing medium introduced in the anatomical region through flushing tip 1806 . the flushing medium may be introduced in lavage catheter 1800 from a flushing medium container 1816 e . g . a saline bag connected to the proximal region of lavage catheter 1800 . the flushing medium is aspirated from the anatomical region through aspiration tip 1808 . the proximal end of lavage catheter 1800 may be connected to a collection vessel 1818 to collect the aspirated flushing medium . in one embodiment , collection vessel 1818 is further connected to wall suction . fig2 a shows a perspective view of the distal end of a second embodiment of a lavage catheter . lavage catheter 1900 comprises a tubular member 1902 comprising a one or more openings 1904 located on the distal region of tubular member 1902 . tubular member 1902 may be made from a variety of materials such as silicone elastomers , pebax , hdpe etc . distal region of tubular member 1902 may comprise a curved or bent region . tubular member 1902 comprises a first lumen connected to openings 1904 . suitable diagnostic or therapeutic fluids can be introduced or removed through openings 1904 . examples of such fluids are saline , pharmaceutically acceptable salt or dosage form of an antimicrobial agent ( e . g ., antibiotic , antiviral , anti - parasitic , antifungal , etc . ), a corticosteroid or other anti - inflammatory ( e . g ., an nsaid ), a decongestant ( e . g ., vasoconstrictor ), a mucous thinning agent ( e . g ., an expectorant or mucolytic ), an agent that prevents of modifies an allergic response ( e . g ., an antihistamine , cytokine inhibitor , leucotriene inhibitor , ige inhibitor , immunomodulator ), an allergen or another substance that causes secretion of mucous by tissues , a contrast agent , an anesthetic agent with or without vasoconstrictor ( e . g ., xylocaine with or without epinephrine , tetracaine with or without epinephrine ), an analgesic agent , hemostatic agents to stop bleeding , anti - proliferative agents , cytotoxic agents e . g . alcohol , biological agents such as protein molecules , stem cells , genes or gene therapy preparations etc . in one embodiment , tubular member 1902 comprises a second lumen that acts as a guidewire lumen . fig2 b shows a perspective view of the distal end of the lavage catheter of fig2 a introduced in an anatomical region . in this example , the anatomical region is a maxillary sinus ms comprising a maxillary sinus ostium mso . lavage catheter 1900 may be introduced into the anatomical region by an over - the - wire method , through a cannula , or by a variety of methods disclosed in this patent application and in the patents documents incorporated herein by reference . other examples of anatomical regions that can be treated using lavage catheter 1900 are other paranasal sinuses , lachrymal ducts , eustachian tubes , and other hollow organs in the ear , nose , throat or mouth . fig2 c shows an embodiment of the lavage catheter of fig2 a being used to lavage an anatomical region . in this embodiment , lavage catheter 1900 further comprises an outer sheath 1910 comprising an occluding balloon 1912 located on the distal region of outer sheath 1910 . occluding balloon 1912 may be made from suitable compliant or semi - compliant material such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . or from non - compliant materials such as polyurethane etc . outer sheath 1910 covers tubular member 1902 such that outer sheath and tubular member 1902 enclose a suction lumen 1914 between them . tubular member 1902 is used to introduce a lavage fluid 1916 into the anatomical region through openings 1904 . suction lumen 1914 is used to remove lavage fluid 1916 from the anatomical region . fig2 d shows a sagittal section of a human head showing the general working environment of the lavage devices of fig2 a - 20c . distal end of lavage catheter 1900 is introduced into an anatomical region such as ethmoid air cell eac . lavage catheter 1900 may be introduced into the eac by an over - the - wire method , through a cannula , or by a variety of methods disclosed in this patent application and in the patents documents incorporated herein by reference . proximal end of lavage catheter 1900 is detachably connected to a irrigation and suction apparatus 1918 . irrigation and suction apparatus 1918 provides lavage fluid 1916 to lavage catheter 1900 and also provides suction to remove lavage fluid 1916 from the eac . lavage catheter 1900 may similarly be used to diagnose or treat other paranasal sinuses , lachrymal ducts , ducts of salivary glands , eustachian tubes , and other hollow organs in the ear , nose , throat or mouth . fig2 shows a perspective view of a cutting device comprising cutting jaws . cutting device 2000 comprises a shaft 2002 comprising an upper jaw 2004 and a lower jaw 2006 located on the distal end of shaft 2002 . proximal region of shaft 2002 comprises a scissor - like device with handles or other suitable control apparatus 2008 that is useable to control the movement of upper jaw 2004 and / or lower jaw 2006 . upper jaw 2004 and lower jaw 2006 are hinged together so that they can be opened or closed by scissor handles 2008 to bite , grip or cut tissue . in one embodiment , the edges of upper jaw 2004 and lower jaw 2006 are provided with a series of cutting teeth . alternately , the edges of upper jaw 2004 and lower jaw 2006 may be provided with sharp edges , blunt gripping teeth etc . shaft 2002 comprises a lumen 2010 . this enables cutting device 2000 to be advanced over an access device such as a guidewire to access a target anatomical region . examples of materials that can be used to construct cutting device 2000 are stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 316 , titanium , titanium alloys etc . fig2 a shows a perspective view of the distal region of the cutting device of fig2 wherein the cutting jaws are closed . fig2 b shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the jaws of the cutting device of fig2 . upper jaw 2004 comprises an upper jaw notch 2012 . in one embodiment , upper jaw notch 2012 is semicircular in shape . similarly , lower jaw 2006 comprises a lower jaw notch 2014 . in one embodiment , lower jaw notch 2014 is semicircular in shape . this design enables a guidewire to pass through a gap in the distal end of the cutting device 2000 even when upper jaw 2004 and lower jaw 2006 are closed . in another embodiment , a guidewire passes through an opening located on either upper jaw 2004 or lower jaw 2006 . upper jaw 2004 and lower jaw 2006 can also be square , ovoid , trapezoidal or circular in shape . fig2 c shows a crossectional view of the cutting device in fig2 through plane 21 c - 21 c . shaft 2002 of cutting device 2000 comprises a lumen 2010 for an access device such as a guidewire . shaft 2002 further comprises one or more pull wires 2016 that connect upper jaw 2004 and lower jaw 2006 to control apparatus 2008 . when the control apparatus 2008 is moved , pull wires 2016 transmit the movement to upper jaw 2004 and lower jaw 2006 causing them to open or close . fig2 a shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a device comprising cutting or gripping jaws . cutting device 2100 comprises a shaft 2102 . distal end of cutting device 2100 comprises an upper jaw 2104 and a lower jaw 2106 that are hinged together at a first hinge 2108 . proximal end of upper jaw 2104 comprises a first elongate member 2110 and proximal end of second jaw 2106 comprises a second elongate member 2112 . the proximal end of first elongate member 2110 is connected to a second hinge 2114 which in turn is connected to a third elongate member 2116 . proximal end of second elongate member 2112 is connected to a third hinge 2118 which in turn is connected to a fourth elongate member 2120 . the proximal ends of third elongate member 2116 and fourth elongate member 2120 are connected by a fourth hinge 2122 to pull wire 2124 that passes through shaft 2102 . fig2 a shows cutting device 2100 wherein the upper jaw 2104 and lower jaw 2106 are in an open configuration . when pull wire 2124 is pulled in the proximal direction , fourth hinge 2122 is pulled inside shaft 2102 . this causes the distal ends of third elongate member 2116 and fourth elongate member 2120 to come closer to each other . this in turn causes the proximal ends of first elongate member 2110 and second elongate member 2112 to come closer to each other . this in turn causes upper jaw 2104 and lower jaw 2106 close . similarly , pushing pull wire 2124 in the distal direction causes upper jaw 2104 and lower jaw 2106 to open . in one embodiment , cutting device 2100 comprises a spring mechanism located between pull wire 2124 and shaft 2102 that biases upper jaw 2104 and lower jaw 2106 in an open or closed configuration . fig2 b shows a perspective view of the device of fig2 a wherein the jaws of the cutting device are in a closed configuration . fig2 a - 23c show the various steps of a method of puncturing an anatomical region using a flexible , rotating drill shaft . in fig2 a , an access catheter 2200 is introduced through a nostril to a location adjacent to an anatomical region 2202 to be punctured . in this example , anatomical region 2202 is a maxillary sinus having a maxillary sinus ostium 2204 . other examples of the types of anatomical regions 2202 are other paranasal sinuses , lachrymal ducts , bony structures in the ear , nose , throat or mouth etc . access catheter 2200 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials having a sufficient stiffness such as malleable stainless steel tubes ; titanium tubes ; fully annealed stainless steel tubes ; copper tubes ; aluminum tubes ; tubular elements made of pebax , hdpe etc . comprising a hypotube ; etc . one or more regions of access catheter 2200 may be shapeable or malleable to allow a user to adjust the shape of access catheter 2200 to a patient &# 39 ; s unique anatomy . a substantially stiff access catheter 2200 can be used in situations where extra support is needed for introduction or removal or devices through access catheter 2200 . in an embodiment , a lubricious coating e . g . a teflon coating is present on the inner surface of access catheter 2200 . the lubricious coating can be made of suitable lubricious materials such as teflon . in fig2 b , a flexible drill shaft 2206 is introduced through access catheter 2200 . access catheter 2200 helps to align flexible drill shaft 2206 in the anatomical region 2202 in a desired orientation . flexible drill shaft 2206 can be designed for efficient transfer of unidirectional or bidirectional torque . flexible drill shaft 2206 can be made from a suitable material having a high torsional stiffness such as heat treated spring steel . proximal end of flexible drill shaft 2206 is connected to a reversible drive motor that is used to rotate flexible drill shaft 2206 at a desired angular velocity . flexible drill shaft 2206 comprises a drill bit 2208 located on the distal end of flexible drill shaft 2206 . drill bit 2208 can range from 0 . 5 mm - 5 mm in diameter . drill bit 2208 may be made from suitable materials such as tungsten carbide , carbon steel , diamond powder coated metal etc . drill bit 2208 can have a drill bit design such as twist drill bit , masonry drill bit , spur point bit , step drill bit etc . flexible drill shaft 2206 is introduced through access catheter 2202 till drill bit 2208 touches a target location on anatomical region 2202 to be punctured . in fig2 c , flexible drill shaft 2206 is rotated so that drill bit 2208 punctures anatomical region 2202 . such a method and device can be used for a minimally invasive puncturing of suitable anatomical regions for drainage , aeration , introduction of diagnostic or therapeutic devices etc . such a device and method can also be used for enlarging or clearing natural or artificial openings in anatomical regions . after a desired opening is created or enlarged , access catheter 2200 and flexible drill shaft 2206 are withdrawn from the anatomy . in one embodiment , flexible drill shaft 2206 is a non - rotating shaft having high column strength and comprising a puncturing tip at the distal end of flexible drill shaft 2206 . in another embodiment , flexible drill shaft 2206 acts as an ultrasonic drill by connecting the proximal end of flexible drill shaft to an ultrasonic generator . in another embodiment , access catheter 2200 comprises one or more bearings that reduce friction between access catheter 2200 and flexible drill shaft 2206 . fig2 d shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a drilling device . drilling device 2220 comprises a shaft 2222 comprising a proximal rigid portion 2224 and a distal rigid portion 2226 . shaft 2222 may comprise a deformable ( e . g ., corrugated , plastically deformable , malleable , etc .) portion 2228 between proximal rigid portion 2224 and distal rigid portion 2226 . plastically deformable region 2228 allows the shape of drilling device 2220 to be adjusted to facilitate advancement of the device through tortous anatomy , to access to a target anatomical location and / or to achieve a desired positioning or attitude of the bit 2230 within the subject &# 39 ; s body . proximal rigid portion 2224 , distal rigid portion 2226 and plastically deformable or malleable region 2228 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials such as stainless steel e . g . fully annealed stainless steel , copper , aluminum etc . drilling device 2220 further comprises a rotating drill bit 2230 located at distal end of a rotatable drive member of shaft 2222 . rotating drill bit 2230 can be made from suitable materials such as tungsten carbide , carbon steel , diamond powder coated metal etc . rotating drill bit 2230 can be an abrasive coated spherical ball or a twist ( e . g ., helical ) drill bit , masonry drill bit , spur point bit , step drill bit etc . proximal region of rotating drill bit 2230 is in contact with distal end of shaft 2222 . in order to reduce friction between rotating drill bit 2230 and shaft 2222 , the contact surfaces between rotating drill bit 2230 and shaft 2222 comprise a lubricious coating e . g . a teflon coating . proximal region of rotating drill bit 2230 is also attached to a flexible drive shaft 2232 that supplies torque to the rotating drill bit 2230 . in one embodiment , flexible drive shaft 2232 comprises a coil assembly with high torsional stiffness and column strength . in another embodiment , flexible drive shaft 2232 comprises a heat treated spring steel cable . proximal end of flexible drive shaft 2232 is connected to a reversible drive motor . in one embodiment , rotating drill bit 2230 and flexible drive shaft 2232 comprise a coaxial lumen to enable drilling device 2220 to be introduced over a guidewire into a target anatomy . such a device can be used for a minimally invasive puncturing of suitable anatomical regions for drainage , aeration , introduction of diagnostic or therapeutic devices etc . such a device can also be used for enlarging or clearing natural or artificial openings in anatomical regions . it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that , although this device 2220 is referred to herein as a “ drilling device ” it may be used for numerous purposes other than “ drilling .” for example , this device 2220 may be used to cut , grind , polish or create grooves or depressions in bone , cartilage or other tissue and / or may be used as a screw driver . thus , in some applications , this drilling device 2220 may alternatively be aptly referred to as a cutter , grinder , rotating rasp , rotating brush , dremmel , polisher , burnisher , boring tool , grooving tool , etc . also , in some embodiments , the bit may comprise a drive bit that is useable to drive a permanent or resorbable bone screw or other type of screw or anchor . also , the bit 2230 may be interchangeable and a variety of different bits 2220 may be provided to accomplish various different applications ( e . g ., grinding , polishing , burnishing , grooving , boring , rasping , debulking , forming indentations or depressions , driving screws , etc .). fig2 a - 24c show a sagittal section of an ethmoid sinus showing various methods of treating ethmoid sinus diseases by a minimally invasive approach . fig2 a shows a sagittal section of an ethmoid sinus comprising an anterior ethmoid air cell 2300 , a posterior ethmoid air cell 2302 and an intermediate ethmoid air cell 2304 located between anterior ethmoid air cell 2300 and posterior ethmoid air cell 2302 . a guide catheter 2306 is introduced to a region inferior to the basal lamella of a middle turbinate . guide catheter 2306 may comprise a design selected from the various guide catheter designs disclosed herein and in the patent documents incorporated herein by reference . thereafter , an introducer needle 2308 is introduced through guide catheter 2306 . introducer needle 2308 comprises a lumen through which devices such as guidewires can be introduced . introducer needle 2308 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials such as stainless steel , nitinol , polymers , polymer - metal composites etc . introducer needle 2308 is advanced through guide catheter 2306 such that the distal tip of introducer needle 2308 punctures a wall of an ethmoid air cell e . g . anterior ethmoid air cell 2300 and enters the ethmoid air cell . thereafter , a guidewire 2310 is introduced through introducer needle 2308 into the ethmoid air cell e . g . anterior ethmoid air cell 2300 . thereafter , introducer needle 2308 is removed from the anatomy . in fig2 b , a working device is introduced over guidewire 2310 into the ethmoid air cell . an example of a working device is a balloon catheter 2312 comprising a dilating balloon 2314 . thereafter , the working device is used to perform a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure e . g . balloon dilation of the introducer needle puncture site to create a drainage channel for sinus secretions . similarly , other working devices such as dilating or occluding balloons , dilating stents , suction or irrigation devices , needles , polypectomy tools , brushes , energy emitting devices such as ablation devices , laser devices , image - guided devices containing sensors or transmitters , imaging devices , endoscopes , tissue modifying devices such as cutters , biopsy devices , devices for injecting diagnostic or therapeutic agents , lavage devices , drug delivery devices such as substance eluting devices , substance delivery implants etc . may be used to perform diagnostic or therapeutic procedures . the method shown in fig2 a - 24b may also be used to create an opening of a suitable diameter to facilitate insertion of other working devices into the ethmoid air cells . for example , fig2 c shows a method of treating ethmoid sinus diseases by a rongeur . in this method , rongeur 2316 having a distal cutting tip 2318 is introduced through guide catheter 2306 into an ethmoid air cell via the introducer needle puncture site . thereafter , rongeur 2316 is used to remove tissue from the ethmoid air cell . fig2 a ′- 24 a ″″ show a method of creating drainage channels for sinus secretions in ethmoid sinus . in fig2 a ′, guide catheter 2306 is introduced to a region inferior to the basal lamella of a middle turbinate . thereafter , introducer needle 2308 is advanced through guide catheter 2306 such that the distal tip of introducer needle 2308 punctures a wall of an ethmoid air cell e . g . an intermediate ethmoid air cell 2304 and enters the ethmoid air cell . in fig2 a ″, introducer needle is used to create internal channels in the ethmoid sinus by puncturing walls of adjacent ethmoid air cells e . g . anterior ethmoid air cell 2300 , posterior ethmoid air cell 2302 etc . in fig2 a ′″, introducer needle 2308 and guide catheter 2306 are removed leaving behind internal channels that allow drainage of sinus secretions through the introducer needle puncture site in the intermediate ethmoid air cell 2304 . sinus secretions from anterior ethmoid air cell 2300 or posterior ethmoid air cell 2302 flow into intermediate ethmoid air cell 2304 from which they flow out of the ethmoid sinus . the internal channels as well as the introducer needle puncture site in the intermediate ethmoid air cell 2304 may be dilated using a balloon catheter as shown in fig2 a - 24b . in fig2 a ′- 24 a ′″, introducer needle 2308 was introduced into the ethmoid sinus through intermediate ethmoid air cell 2304 . similar procedures may be performed by introducing introducer needle 2304 into the ethmoid sinus through anterior ethmoid air cell 2300 or posterior ethmoid air cell 2302 . in one embodiment , anterior ethmoid air cell 2300 , posterior ethmoid air cell 2302 and intermediate ethmoid air cell 2304 are punctured separately through the basal lamella of a middle turbinate to create separate drainage channels for each ethmoid air cell as shown in fig2 a ″″. fig2 a shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a microshaver or ostium enlarger device 2400 . device 2400 comprises a proximal portion 2402 and a distal portion 2403 . proximal portion 2402 is hollow and comprises a proximal cutting surface 2404 e . g . sharp cutting teeth etc . located on the distal end of proximal portion 2402 . distal portion 2403 comprises a distal cutting surface 2406 e . g . sharp cutting teeth etc . located on the proximal end of distal portion 2403 . distal portion 2403 is further connected to a pull shaft 2408 that encloses a guidewire lumen 2410 . guidewire lumen 2410 allows microshaver 2400 to be introduced over a guidewire gw into a target anatomy . the region between pull shaft 2408 and proximal portion 2402 encloses a suction lumen 2412 . suction lumen 2412 can be used to remove solid debris or liquids from the target anatomy by suction . proximal portion 2402 , distal portion 2403 and pull shaft 2408 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials such as stainless steel . fig2 b shows a crossection of a paranasal sinus showing one way in which the device 2400 of fig2 a may be used to remove tissue or matter . the device 2400 is introduced over a guidewire gw into paranasal sinus 2414 . the device 2400 is then positioned such that the tissue or matter is located between proximal cutting surface 2404 and distal cutting surface 2406 . thereafter , in this embodiment , pull shaft 2408 is pulled in the proximal direction . this causes movement of distal region 2403 in the proximal direction with respect to proximal portion 2402 . this in turn forces cylindrical distal cutter 2406 to be retracted into the interior of the cylindrical proximal cutter 2404 , thereby cutting off or breaking tissue or matter that is captured therebetween . optionally , in this embodiment , the cylindrical distal cutter 2406 cylindrical proximal cutter 2404 may be rotated relative to the other to further cut or shave tissue . also , optionally in this embodiment , suction lumen 2412 can be used to remove any solid debris or liquids generated during the procedure . fig2 c and 25d show an example of another way in which the device 2400 may be used — i . e ., to shave tissue or matter . examples of anatomical structures that may be shaved by this device 2400 include bone , cartilage and soft tissues of eustachian tubes , turbinates , lachrymal ducts , anatomical openings such as ostia of paranasal sinuses , ostia of lachrymal ducts , etc . and other regions in the ear , nose , throat or mouth . as shown in fig2 c , in this embodiment , there need not be a proximally moveable pull shaft 2408 , but rather the distal cutting surface 2406 may remain positioned within the cylindrical proximal cutting surface 2404 . the cuffing surfaces are positioned adjacent to the tissue or matter to be shaved and the cylindrical distal cutter 2406 and / or cylindrical proximal cutter 2404 is / are rotated to shave the tissue or matter . suction may be applied through lumen 2412 to draw the tissue or matter into slots 2409 such that it will be shaved by the rotating proximal cutter 2404 . fig2 a - 26c show a device and method for treating a mucocyst of other flowable substance - containing structure ( e . g ., cyst , hematoma , pustule , etc .) located within a paranasal sinus , ear , nose or throat . in general , the device comprises an elongate shaft 2500 , a penetrator such as a needle 2502 that is advanceable from and retractable into the shaft 2500 to form an opening in the mucocyst or other structure , and a compressor such as a balloon 2506 that is useable to compress the mucocyst or other structure to force its contents to flow out of the opening created by the needle 2502 or other penetrator . specifically , as shown in the example of fig2 a , a guide catheter 2500 is introduced into an anatomical region through an anatomical opening . the outer diameter of guide catheter 2500 is less than the inner diameter of the anatomical opening . in fig2 a - 26c , frontal sinus fs is used as an example of an anatomical region . other examples of anatomical regions are other paranasal sinuses , lachrymal passages , eustachian tubes and other structures in the ear , nose , throat or mouth etc . guide catheter 2500 may comprise a design selected from the various guide catheter designs disclosed herein and in the patent documents incorporated herein by reference . a puncturing needle 2502 is then introduced through guide catheter 2500 into the frontal sinus fs . puncturing needle 2502 has a sharp distal tip and can be made from a variety of materials such as hardened tool steel , stainless steel etc . puncturing needle 2502 is navigated through the frontal sinus fs such that the distal tip of puncturing needle 2502 punctures a mucocyst 2503 in the frontal sinus fs . thereafter , puncturing needle 2502 is withdrawn . in fig2 b , a guidewire gw is introduced into the frontal sinus fs . thereafter , a balloon catheter 2504 comprising a balloon 2506 is introduced over guidewire gw into the frontal sinus fs . balloon 2506 can be made of suitable compliant or semi - compliant materials such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon , etc . balloon 2506 is then inflated . inflated balloon 2506 compresses the punctured mucocyst 2503 . this causes drainage of mucocyst secretions into the frontal sinus fs . in fig2 c , balloon 2506 is inflated further so that it occupies a volume in the frontal sinus fs and displaces the mucocyst secretions from the frontal sinus fs out through the frontal sinus ostium fso . fig2 a - 27b show various steps of a method of treating a mucocyst by a balloon catheter comprising a deployable puncturing needle . in fig2 a , a guide catheter 2600 is introduced into an anatomical region through an anatomical opening . the outer diameter of guide catheter 2600 is less than the inner diameter of the anatomical opening . in fig2 a - 27b , frontal sinus fs is used as an example of an anatomical region . other examples of anatomical regions are other paranasal sinuses , lachrymal passages , eustachian tubes , other ear , nose , throat and mouth structures etc . guide catheter 2600 may comprise a design selected from the various guide catheter designs disclosed herein and in the patent documents incorporated herein by reference . a balloon catheter 2602 comprising a balloon 2604 and a deployable puncturing needle 2606 is then introduced through guide catheter 2600 into the frontal sinus fs . balloon 2604 can be made of suitable compliant or semi - compliant materials such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon , etc . deployable puncturing needle 2606 can be made from a variety of materials such as hardened tool steel , stainless steel etc . balloon catheter 2604 is oriented in a desired orientation and deployable puncturing needle 2606 is advanced such that the distal tip of deployable puncturing needle 2606 punctures the mucocyst mc . thereafter , deployable puncturing needle 2606 is withdrawn into balloon catheter 2602 . in fig2 b , balloon 2604 is inflated . inflated balloon 2604 compresses the punctured mucocyst mc . this causes drainage of mucocyst secretions into the frontal sinus fs . balloon 2604 is then inflated further so that it occupies a volume in the frontal sinus fs and displaces the mucocyst secretions from the frontal sinus fs out through the frontal sinus ostium fso . in one embodiment , deployable puncturing needle 2606 is located in a needle lumen . deployable puncturing needle 2606 may be advanced or withdrawn by advancing or withdrawing deployable puncturing needle 2606 through the needle lumen . fig2 a - 28c show various embodiments of catheters comprising agent delivery needles . in fig2 a , catheter 2700 comprises a shaft 2702 having a guidewire lumen . catheter 2700 further comprises a deployable injecting needle 2704 made from suitable biocompatible materials such as stainless steel . deployable injecting needle 2704 comprises a lumen for injecting one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents 2706 into the adjacent anatomy . deployable injecting needle 2704 is deployed at any suitable angle to the longitudinal axis of shaft 2702 , for example such angle may range from 0 degrees to 135 degrees . in one embodiment , deployable injecting needle 2704 is located in a needle lumen . deployable injecting needle 2704 is deployed or withdrawn by relative motion of deployable injecting needle 2704 with respect to shaft 2702 . in another embodiment , deployable injecting needle 2704 can be deployed or withdrawn by inflating or deflating a deploying balloon . the deploying balloon can be made from suitable materials such as polyimide , parylene ( e . g . c , d , n ), silicone , polyurethane , polyethylene terephthalate etc . catheter 2700 is introduced into a target anatomy and deployable injecting needle 2704 is deployed . deployable injecting needle 2704 penetrates into the adjacent anatomy . one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents 2706 are then injected into the adjacent anatomy . in one embodiment , catheter 2700 may be introduced in an anatomical region through a guide catheter 2708 . fig2 b shows a perspective view of catheter 2700 of fig2 a wherein catheter 2700 further comprises a second deployable injecting needle 2710 . second deployable injecting needle 2710 comprises a lumen for injecting one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents 2712 into the adjacent anatomy . in one embodiment , diagnostic or therapeutic agents 2712 are the same as diagnostic or therapeutic agents 2706 . fig2 c shows a perspective view of catheter 2700 of fig2 a wherein catheter 2700 further comprises a balloon 2714 . in one embodiment , balloon 2714 is a dilating balloon made of suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . this embodiment can be used for both balloon dilation and agent delivery . in another embodiment , balloon 2714 is an anchoring balloon made of suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . or suitable compliant or semi - compliant materials such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . the anchoring balloon can be used to stabilize the position and orientation of catheter 2700 before agent delivery . examples of diagnostic or therapeutic agents that can be delivered by the catheters in fig2 a - 28c are pharmaceutically acceptable salt or dosage form of an antimicrobial agent ( e . g ., antibiotic , antiviral , anti - parasitic , antifungal , etc . ), an anesthetic agent with or without a vasoconstriction agents ( e . g . xylocaine with or without epinephrine , tetracaine with or without epinephrine , etc . ), an analgesic agent , a corticosteroid or other anti - inflammatory ( e . g ., an nsaid ), a decongestant ( e . g ., vasoconstrictor ), a mucous thinning agent ( e . g ., an expectorant or mucolytic ), an agent that prevents of modifies an allergic response ( e . g ., an antihistamine , cytokine inhibitor , leucotriene inhibitor , ige inhibitor , immunomodulator ), an allergen or another substance that causes secretion of mucous by tissues , hemostatic agents to stop bleeding , anti - proliferative agents , cytotoxic agents e . g . alcohol , biological agents such as protein molecules , stem cells , genes or gene therapy preparations , viral vectors carrying dna , proteins or mrna coding for important therapeutic functions or substances etc . catheters in fig2 a - 28c can be used to diagnose or treat anatomical regions such as paranasal sinuses , regions in the eustachian tubes , lachrymal ducts , ducts of salivary glands , anatomical openings such as ostia of paranasal sinuses , ostia of lachrymal ducts , other regions in the ear , nose , throat or mouth etc . fig2 a illustrates an embodiment of a displacement catheter to displace and remove secretions in an anatomical region . displacement catheter 2800 comprises an outer sheath 2802 that encloses a balloon catheter 2804 . outer sheath 2802 may be flexible or substantially rigid . outer sheath 2802 may be made of suitable materials such as pebax , hdpe etc . outer sheath 2802 may comprise a hypotube made of suitable biocompatible materials such as stainless steel , nitinol etc . balloon catheter 2804 comprises a catheter shaft 2806 and a balloon 2808 located on the distal region of catheter shaft 2806 . catheter shaft 2806 may be made of suitable materials such as pebax , hdpe etc . balloon 2808 may be made from suitable compliant or semi - compliant material such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . fig2 b shows a sectional view of an anatomical region showing a method of displacing secretions by the displacement catheter of fig2 a . displacement catheter 2800 is introduced in an anatomical region . in fig2 b , a maxillary sinus ms is used as an example of an anatomical region . other examples of anatomical regions that can be treated using displacement catheter 2800 are other paranasal sinuses , lachrymal passages , eustachian tubes etc . displacement catheter 2800 can be advanced into an anatomical region through natural openings e . g . ostia of sinuses or artificially created openings . in this example , displacement catheter 2800 is advanced into the maxillary sinus through a natural opening such as a maxillary sinus ostium mso such that the distal end of displacement catheter is near the distal region of maxillary sinus ms . outer diameter of outer sheath 2802 is less than inner diameter of maxillary sinus ostium mso . thereafter , outer sheath 2802 is withdrawn gradually by pulling outer sheath 2802 in the proximal direction over balloon catheter 2804 . simultaneously , balloon 2808 is inflated by a suitable inflating medium such as saline mixed with radiographic contrast . this causes distal region of balloon 2804 to inflate before the proximal region of balloon 2804 . balloon 2804 gradually begins to occupy available volume in the maxillary sinus ms and thus displaces secretions 2810 out of the maxillary sinus ms through the maxillary sinus ostium mso . in one embodiment of balloon 2804 , distal region of balloon 2804 has a higher compliance than proximal regions of balloon 2804 . in another embodiment , balloon 2804 comprises multiple compartments such that each compartment can be inflated independently of other compartments . balloon 2804 may be detachably connected to catheter shaft 2806 to enable permanent occlusion of the anatomical region . balloon 2804 may also comprise a variety of drug delivery mechanisms including drug eluting coatings , drug eluting pores for eluting a drug dissolved in the inflating medium etc . fig3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an ultrasonic drilling device . drilling device 2900 comprises a rigid or flexible drilling shaft 2902 . drilling shaft 2902 can be made of suitable materials such as tungsten carbide flexible wire . the proximal end of drilling shaft 2902 is connected to a piezoelectric crystal 2904 such as a quartz ( sio2 ) or barium titanate ( batio3 ) crystal . piezoelectric crystal 2904 may have a layer of backing material 2906 on the proximal surface of piezoelectric crystal 2904 . piezoelectric crystal 2904 is connected by electrodes 2908 to an electric power source 2910 . electric power source 2910 delivers a suitable current via electrodes 2908 to piezoelectric crystal 2904 to cause piezoelectric crystal 2904 to vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency . the vibration of piezoelectric crystal 2904 is transmitted to drilling shaft 2902 . in one embodiment , drilling shaft 2902 is connected to piezoelectric crystal 2904 by a coupler 2912 . fig3 a - 30b show a sectional view of an anatomical region showing a method of enlarging a natural or artificially created anatomical opening using the drilling device of fig3 . the drilling device may also be used to create new openings in an anatomical region . distal part of drilling device 2900 comprising drilling shaft 2902 of diameter d . sub . 2 is positioned such that the distal end of drilling shaft 2902 touches an anatomical opening e . g . a sphenoid sinus ostium sso to be dilated . the anatomical opening has an initial diameter d . sub . 1 . thereafter , current from electric power source 2910 is switched on , which in turn causes drilling shaft 2902 to vibrate in the axial direction . the vibration of drilling shaft 2902 causes distal tip of drilling shaft 2902 to impact the anatomical opening . in fig3 b , the impact of drilling shaft 2902 causes dilation of the anatomical opening from an initial diameter d . sub . 1 to a diameter d . sub . 2 . similarly , other embodiments of drilling devices may be used to puncture , remodel or change the shape , size or configuration of anatomical structures such as paranasal sinuses , eustachian tubes , middle ear , nasopharynx , lachrymal ducts or other anatomical regions in the ear , nose , throat or mouth . such drilling devices may comprise for example elements for ablation or delivery of energy such as laser , rf , thermal shock waves etc . fig3 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a catheter for providing an internal cast for fractured bony cavities . catheter 3000 comprises a shaft 3002 comprising a plurality of inflating elements e . g . inflating balloon in the distal region of shaft 3002 . in the example shown in fig3 , catheter 3000 comprises a proximal interior balloon 3004 , a distal interior balloon 3006 and an intermediate interior balloon 3008 located between proximal interior balloon 3004 and distal interior balloon 3006 . catheter 3000 further comprises an intermediate balloon 3010 covering proximal interior balloon 3004 and intermediate interior balloon 3008 as shown in fig3 . catheter 3000 further comprises an outer balloon 3012 that covers intermediate balloon 3010 and a portion of distal interior balloon 3006 as shown in fig3 . the balloons on catheter 3000 can be inflated independently of each other . for example proximal interior balloon 3004 can be inflated by a proximal interior balloon lumen 3014 , distal interior balloon 3006 can be inflated by a distal interior balloon inflation lumen 3016 and intermediate interior balloon 3008 can be inflated by an intermediate balloon inflation lumen 3018 . the balloons on catheter 3000 may be made from suitable compliant or semi - compliant material such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . or from suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . the balloons on catheter 3000 may be coated with a variety of coatings including lubricious coatings , drug eluting coatings etc . fig3 a shows a crossection through the outer balloon 3012 in the catheter 3000 of fig3 through plane 31 a - 31 a . outer balloon 3012 comprises a balloon material 3020 made from suitable compliant or semi - compliant material such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . or from suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate etc . a coating 3022 is located on the outer surface of balloon material 3020 . examples of materials that can be used in coating 3022 are contrast agents , pharmaceutically acceptable salt or dosage form of an antimicrobial agent ( e . g ., antibiotic , antiviral , anti - parasitic , antifungal , etc . ), an anesthetic agent with or without a vasoconstriction agents ( e . g . xylocaine with or without epinephrine , tetracaine with or without epinephrine , etc . ), an analgesic agent , a corticosteroid or other anti - inflammatory ( e . g ., an nsaid ), a decongestant ( e . g ., vasoconstrictor ), a mucous thinning agent ( e . g ., an expectorant or mucolytic ), an agent that prevents of modifies an allergic response ( e . g ., an antihistamine , cytokine inhibitor , leucotriene inhibitor , ige inhibitor , immunomodulator ), an allergen or another substance that causes secretion of mucous by tissues , hemostatic agents to stop bleeding , anti - proliferative agents , cytotoxic agents e . g . alcohol , biological agents such as protein molecules , stem cells , genes or gene therapy preparations etc . fig3 b - 31d shows various steps of a method of providing an internal cast for a fractured bony cavity using the catheter shown in fig3 . in fig3 b - 31d , maxillary sinus ms is used as an example of bony cavity that can be treated using catheter 3000 . fig3 b shows a patient with a fractured bony cavity e . g . a fractured maxillary sinus ms having one or more fractured bones 3024 . in fig3 c , catheter 3000 is introduced into the maxillary sinus ms through a natural opening e . g . an ostium or an artificially created opening . in fig3 d , one or more balloons on catheter 3000 are sequentially inflated to push fractured bones 3024 into their original un - fractured configuration . catheter 3000 may then be left in place for a desired period ranging from a few minutes to several days during which fractured bones 3024 begin to heal in their original un - fractured configuration . after catheter 3000 has been left in place for the desired period , catheter 3000 is removed by deflating the balloons and withdrawing catheter 3000 from the anatomy . thus , catheter 3000 provides an internal cast for a fractured bony cavity . various embodiments of catheter 3000 may be used for crating internal casts for fractured paranasal sinuses , lachrymal passages , eustachian tubes , other structures in the ear , nose , throat , mouth etc . the various devices and methods disclosed herein may be used in conjunction with various surgical navigations systems . fig3 and 32a show an embodiment of a surgical navigation system comprising electromagnetic sensors . examples of electromagnetic sensors that can be used with the present invention are electromagnetic sensors of an electromagnetic surgical navigation system such as ge instatrak ™ 3500 plus system etc . fig3 shows a perspective view of a patient &# 39 ; s head showing the location of external ear canal electromagnetic sensors 3100 and teeth electromagnetic sensors 3102 . external ear canal electromagnetic sensors 3100 are introduced through an ear canal into a region adjacent to a tympanum . teeth electromagnetic sensors 3102 are attached to one or more teeth of the patient . in one embodiment , teeth electromagnetic sensors 3102 are attached to teeth using an adhesive . in an alternate embodiment , teeth electromagnetic sensors 3102 are attached to braces or caps which in turn are attached to teeth . the braces or caps can be made of suitable materials that cause minimal artifacts on ct or mri images . an example of such a material is aluminum alloy 2017 - t4 which causes minimal artifacts on a ct scan image . other locations of electromagnetic sensors include skin ( e . g . a skin patch comprising an electromagnetic sensor ), a head frame etc . the patient &# 39 ; s head is imaged using an imaging modality such as ct or mri . external ear canal electromagnetic sensors 3100 and teeth electromagnetic sensors 3102 are passively imaged by the imaging modality and thus act as fiducial markers . fig3 and 32a illustrate a surgical navigation system comprising fiducial markers that have electromagnetic sensors . various other embodiments of fiducial markers such as passively imaged fiducial markers or active sensors or transmitters may be used in conjunction with the various methods and devices disclosed herein . the fiducial markers may be located on relevant anatomical regions such as teeth , ear canals , skull bones , frames fixed to rigid bones etc . the fiducial markers may be used with a variety of modalities including but not limited to electromagnetic , infrared , ultrasonic , radio - frequency , mri , ct , fluoroscopic or other 2d or 3d image guided systems for the head , neck or other anatomical regions manufactured by companies such as biosense , stryker , brainlab , xomed , ge / vti etc . fig3 a shows an enlarged view of region 32 a in fig3 . teeth electromagnetic sensors 3102 are connected to the electromagnetic surgical navigation system by removable leads 3104 . in another embodiment , external ear canal electromagnetic sensors 3100 or teeth electromagnetic sensors 3102 are connected to the electromagnetic surgical navigation system by telemetry . during a procedure , external ear canal electromagnetic sensors 3100 and / or teeth electromagnetic sensors 3102 are actively imaged by suitable electromagnetic surgical navigation systems such as ge instatrak ™ 3500 plus system etc . thereafter , data from imaging modality such as ct or mri and the electromagnetic surgical navigation system is merged to obtain a three dimensional map of the anatomy showing the electromagnetic sensors . the three dimensional map can then be used for image guided procedures such as diagnostic or therapeutic procedures of paranasal sinuses , eustachian tubes , lachrymal ducts , other ear , nose , throat or mouth structures etc . other image guided surgery systems such as infrared sensor based systems e . g . stryker leibinger ® navigation system can also be used in conjunction with one or more methods or devices disclosed herein . fig3 shows a section of the anatomical region around a eustachian tube ( et ) showing a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure being performed by devices inserted through the pharyngeal ostium of the eustachian tube . fig3 shows a guidewire gw inserted into a desired region in the et through the nasopharynx and a diagnostic or therapeutic being performed by a device introduced into the eustachian tube over guidewire gw . fig3 a shows an enlarged view of region 33 a in fig3 showing the anatomical region around a eustachian tube ( et ) showing a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure being performed by devices inserted through the pharyngeal ostium of the eustachian tube . in one embodiment , guidewire gw comprises an anchoring balloon 3200 located on the distal region of guidewire gw . anchoring balloon 3200 is inflated after positioning guidewire gw at a target location . anchoring balloon 3200 anchors guidewire gw to the adjacent anatomy and prevents accidental repositioning of guidewire gw during a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure . anchoring balloon 3200 may be made from suitable compliant or semi - compliant material such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . guidewire gw may comprise anchoring elements other than anchoring balloon 3200 such as a notch on guidewire gw , a bent region on guidewire gw , a self expanding element , a hook , a coiled element etc . in another embodiment , guidewire gw comprises a sensor 3202 located on the distal region of guidewire gw . sensor 3202 enables guidewire gw to be used in conjunction with a suitable surgical navigation system . in one embodiment , sensor 3202 is an electromagnetic sensor used in conjunction with an electromagnetic surgical navigation system such as ge instatrak ™ 3500 plus system etc . one or more sensor 3202 or other types of surgical navigation sensors or transmitters may also be located on other diagnostic or therapeutic devices disclosed herein . sensor 3202 may be used in conjunction with a stationary sensor 3204 located in the external ear . the combination of sensor 3202 and stationary sensor 3204 enables guidewire gw to be accurately positioned in a target region . in an embodiment , a radiopaque plug 3206 is inserted from the external ear to a region adjacent to an eardrum . radiopaque plug 3206 serves as a fiducial marker during preoperative scanning of the patient and thus enables a physician to accurately position a diagnostic or therapeutic device close to the eardrum . other image guidance methods and devices can also be used in conjunction with diagnostic or therapeutic procedures disclosed herein . fig3 a also shows a diagnostic or therapeutic device 3208 comprising a shaft 3210 and a working element 3212 e . g . a dilating balloon being introduced over guidewire gw . diagnostic or therapeutic device 3208 may comprise a radiopaque marker 3214 . fig3 b shows a front view of a human head with a portion of the face removed to show an embodiment of a method of introducing a guidewire into a eustachian tube . in fig3 b , a guide catheter 3250 is introduced through a nostril into the nasopharynx . distal portion of guide catheter 3250 may comprise a bent or angled region . for example , such bent or angled region may form e an internal angle ranging from 45 degrees to 150 degrees . guide catheter 3250 can be constructed using one of the various designs disclosed herein and in the patent documents incorporated herein by reference . guide catheter 3250 is positioned in the nasopharynx such that the distal tip of guide catheter 3250 is located near a nasopharyngeal opening of a eustachian tube . thereafter , a guidewire gw is introduced through guide catheter 3250 into the eustachian tube . guidewire gw can then be used to advance one or more diagnostic or therapeutic devices into the eustachian tube to perform one or more diagnostic or therapeutic procedures . fig3 a - 34d illustrate various examples of working elements that can be located on the diagnostic or therapeutic device in fig3 . fig3 a shows an example of a working element comprising a dilating balloon . dilating balloon 3312 can be made from a suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate , nylon etc . similarly , devices shown in fig1 , 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 may also be used to treat a eustachian tube as shown in fig3 . fig3 b shows an example of a working element comprising a dilating balloon loaded with a balloon - expandable stent . dilating balloon 3314 can be made from a suitable non - compliant materials e . g . polyethylene terephthalate , nylon etc . several types of stent designs can be used to construct stent 3316 such as metallic tube designs , polymeric tube designs , chain - linked designs , spiral designs , rolled sheet designs , single wire designs etc . these designs may have an open celled or closed celled structure . a variety of fabrication methods can be used for fabricating stent 3316 including but not limited to laser cutting a metal or polymer element , welding metal elements etc . a variety of materials can be used for fabricating stent 3316 including but not limited to metals , polymers , foam type materials , plastically deformable materials , super elastic materials etc . a variety of features can be added to stent 3316 including but not limited to radiopaque coatings , drug elution mechanisms to elute anti - inflammatory agents , antibiotics etc . in one embodiment , stent 3316 is bioabsorbable . working elements may also comprise a self - expanding stent instead of a pressure - expandable stent . fig3 c shows an example of a working element comprising a lavage element . lavage element 3318 comprises a plurality of lavage openings 3320 . lavage openings are connected to a lavage lumen in shaft 3210 through which suitable ravage media such as solutions containing contrast agents , pharmaceutically acceptable salt or dosage form of an antimicrobial agent ( e . g ., antibiotic , antiviral , anti - parasitic , antifungal , etc . ), an anesthetic agent with or without a vasoconstriction agents ( e . g . xylocaine with or without epinephrine , tetracaine with or without epinephrine , etc . ), an analgesic agent , a corticosteroid or other anti - inflammatory ( e . g ., an nsaid ), a decongestant ( e . g ., vasoconstrictor ), a mucous thinning agent ( e . g ., an expectorant or mucolytic ), an agent that prevents of modifies an allergic response ( e . g ., an antihistamine , cytokine inhibitor , leucotriene inhibitor , ige inhibitor , immunomodulator ), an allergen or another substance that causes secretion of mucous by tissues , hemostatic agents to stop bleeding , anti - proliferative agents , cytotoxic agents e . g . alcohol , biological agents such as protein molecules , stem cells , genes or gene therapy preparations etc . can be delivered . in one embodiment , a fraction of lavage openings 3320 are connected to an aspiration lumen to aspirate the lavage media out of the eustachian tube . fig3 d shows an example of a working element comprising a substance delivery reservoir . substance delivery reservoir 3322 may be fully or partially biodegradable or non - biodegradable . in one embodiment , substance delivery reservoir 3322 is made of a suitable biocompatible material such as hydrogel ( e . g . collage hydrogel ). in another embodiment , substance delivery reservoir 3322 comprises a porous matrix formed of a porous material such as a flexible or rigid polymer foam , cotton wadding , gauze , etc . examples of biodegradable polymers that may be foamed or otherwise rendered porous include polyglycolide , poly - l - lactide , poly - d - lactide , poly ( amino acids ), polydioxanone , polycaprolactone , polygluconate , polylactic acid - polyethylene oxide copolymers , modified cellulose , collagen , polyorthoesters , polyhydroxybutyrate , polyanhydride , polyphosphoester , poly ( alpha - hydroxy acid ) and combinations thereof . examples of non - biodegradable polymers that may be foamed or otherwise rendered porous include polyurethane , polycarbonate , silicone elastomers etc . substance delivery reservoir 3322 may also include one or more embodiments disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 912 , 578 entitled “ implantable device and methods for delivering drugs and other substances to treat sinusitis and other disorders ” filed on aug . 4 , 2004 , the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference . the substance delivery reservoir 3322 or any substance delivery devices described in this application may be used to deliver various types of therapeutic or diagnostic agents . the term “ diagnostic or therapeutic substance ” as used herein is to be broadly construed to include any feasible drugs , prodrugs , proteins , gene therapy preparations , cells , diagnostic agents , contrast or imaging agents , biologicals , etc . such substances may be in bound or free form , liquid or solid , colloid or other suspension , solution or may be in the form of a gas or other fluid or nan - fluid . for example , in some applications where it is desired to treat or prevent a microbial infection , the substance delivered may comprise pharmaceutically acceptable salt or dosage form of an antimicrobial agent ( e . g ., antibiotic , antiviral , antiparacytic , antifungal , etc . ), a corticosteroid or other anti - inflammatory ( e . g ., an nsaid ), a decongestant ( e . g ., vasoconstrictor ), a mucous thinning agent ( e . g ., an expectorant or mucolytic ), an agent that prevents of modifies an allergic response ( e . g ., an antihistamine , cytokine inhibitor , leucotriene inhibitor , ige inhibitor , immunomodulator ), etc . some nonlimiting examples of antimicrobial agents that may be used in this invention include acyclovir , amantadine , aminoglycosides ( e . g ., amikacin , gentamicin and tobramycin ), amoxicillin , amoxicillin / clavulanate , amphotericin b , ampicillin , ampicillin / sulbactam , atovaquone , azithromycin , cefazolin , cefepime , cefotaxime , cefotetan , cefpodoxime , ceftazidime , ceftizoxime , ceftriaxone , cefuroxime , cefuroxime axetil , cephalexin , chloramphenicol , clotrimazole , ciprofloxacin , clarithromycin , clindamycin , dapsone , dicloxacillin , doxycycline , erythromycin , fluconazole , foscarnet , ganciclovir , atifloxacin , imipenem / cilastatin , isoniazid , itraconazole , ketoconazole , metronidazole , nafcillin , nafcillin , nystatin , penicillin , penicillin g , pentamidine , piperacillin / tazobactam , rifampin , quinupristin - dalfopristin , ticarcilliniclavulanate , trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole , valacyclovir , vancomycin , mafenide , silver sulfadiazine , mupirocin ( e . g ., bactroban nasal ®, glaxo smithkline , research triangle park , n . c . ), nystatin , triamcinolonelnystatin , clotrimazole / betamethasone , clotrimazole , ketoconazole , butoconazole , miconazole , tioconazole , detergent - like chemicals that disrupt or disable microbes ( e . g ., nonoxynol - 9 , octoxynol - 9 , benzalkonium chloride , menfegol , and n - docasanol ); chemicals that block microbial attachment to target cells and / or inhibits entry of infectious pathogens ( e . g ., sulphated and sulphonated polymers such as pc - 515 ( carrageenan ), pro - 2000 , and dextrin 2 sulphate ); antiretroviral agents ( e . g ., pmpa gel ) that prevent retroviruses from replicating in the cells ; genetically engineered or naturally occurring antibodies that combat pathogens such as anti - viral antibodies genetically engineered from plants known as “ plantibodies ;” agents which change the condition of the tissue to make it hostile to the pathogen ( such as substances which alter mucosal ph ( e . g ., buffer gel and acidform ); non - pathogenic or “ friendly ” microbes that cause the production of hydrogen peroxide or other substances that kill or inhibit the growth of pathogenic microbes ( e . g ., lactobacillus ); antimicrobial proteins or peptides such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 716 , 813 ( lin et al .) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference or antimicrobial metals ( e . g ., colloidal silver ). additionally or alternatively , in some applications where it is desired to treat or prevent inflammation the substances delivered in this invention may include various steroids or other anti - inflammatory agents ( e . g ., nonsteroidal anti - inflammatory agents or nsaids ), analgesic agents or antipyretic agents . for example , corticosteroids that have previously administered by intranasal administration may be used , such as beclomethasone ( vancenase ® or beconase ®), flunisolide ( nasalide ®), fluticasone proprionate ( flonase ®), triamcinolone acetonide ( nasacort ®), budesonide ( rhinocort aqua ®), loterednol etabonate ( locort ) and mometasone ( nasonex ®). other salt forms of the aforementioned corticosteroids may also be used . also , other non - limiting examples of steroids that may be useable in the present invention include but are not limited to aclometasone , desonide , hydrocortisone , betamethasone , clocortolone , desoximetasone , fluocinolone , flurandrenolide , mometasone , prednicarbate ; amcinonide , desoximetasone , diflorasone , fluocinolone , fluocinonide , halcinonide , clobetasol , augmented betamethasone , diflorasone , halobetasol , prednisone , dexamethasone and methylprednisolone . other anti - inflammatory , analgesic or antipyretic agents that may be used include the nonselective cox inhibitors ( e . g ., salicylic acid derivatives , aspirin , sodium salicylate , choline magnesium trisalicylate , salsalate , diflunisal , sulfasalazine and olsalazine ; para - aminophenol derivatives such as acetaminophen ; indole and indene acetic acids such as indomethacin and sulindac ; heteroaryl acetic acids such as tolmetin , dicofenac and ketorolac ; arylpropionic acids such as ibuprofen , naproxen , flurbiprofen , ketoprofen , fenoprofen and oxaprozin ; anthranilic acids ( fenamates ) such as mefenamic acid and meloxicam ; enolic acids such as the oxicams ( piroxicam , meloxicam ) and alkanones such as nabumetone ) and selective cox - 2 inhibitors ( e . g ., diaryl - substituted furanones such as rofecoxib ; diaryl - substituted pyrazoles such as celecoxib ; indole acetic acids such as etodolac and sulfonanilides such as nimesulide ) additionally or alternatively , in some applications , such as those where it is desired to treat or prevent an allergic or immune response and / or cellular proliferation , the substances delivered in this invention may include a ) various cytokine inhibitors such as humanized anti - cytokine antibodies , anti - cytokine receptor antibodies , recombinant ( new cell resulting from genetic recombination ) antagonists , or soluble receptors ; b ) various leucotriene modifiers such as zafirlukast , montelukast and zileuton ; c ) immunoglobulin e ( ige ) inhibitors such as omalizumab ( an anti - ige monoclonal antibody formerly called rhu mab - e25 ) and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor ) and d ) syk kinase inhibitors such as an agent designated as “ r - 112 ” manufactured by rigel pharmaceuticals , inc , or south san francisco , calif . additionally or alternatively , in some applications , such as those where it is desired to shrink mucosal tissue , cause decongestion or effect hemostasis , the substances delivered in this invention may include various vasoconstrictors for decongestant and or hemostatic purposes including but not limited to pseudoephedrine , xylometazoline , oxymetazoline , phenylephrine , epinephrine , etc . additionally or alternatively , in some applications , such as those where it is desired to facilitate the flow of mucous , the substances delivered in this invention may include various mucolytics or other agents that modify the viscosity or consistency of mucous or mucoid secretions , including but not limited to acetylcysteine ( mucomyst ™, mucosil ™) and guaifenesin . in one particular embodiment , the substance delivered by this invention comprises a combination of an anti - inflammatory agent ( e . g . a steroid or an nsaid ) and a mucolytic agent . additionally or alternatively , in some applications such as those where it is desired to prevent or deter histamine release , the substances delivered in this invention may include various mast cell stabilizers or drugs which prevent the release of histamine such as cromolyn ( e . g ., nasal chrom ®) and nedocromil . additionally or alternatively , in some applications such as those where it is desired to prevent or inhibit the effect of histamine , the substances delivered in this invention may include various antihistamines such as azelastine ( e . g ., astylin ®), diphenhydramine , loratidine , etc . additionally or alternatively , in some embodiments such as those where it is desired to dissolve , degrade , cut , break or remodel bone or cartilage , the substances delivered in this invention may include substances that weaken or modify bone and / or cartilage to facilitate other procedures of this invention wherein bone or cartilage is remodeled , reshaped , broken or removed . one example of such an agent would be a calcium chelator such as edta that could be injected or delivered in a substance delivery implant next to a region of bone that is to be remodeled or modified . another example would be a preparation consisting of or containing bone degrading cells such as osteoclasts . other examples would include various enzymes of material that may soften or break down components of bone or cartilage such as collagenase ( cgn ), trypsin , trypsin / edta , hyaluronidase , and tosyllysylchloromethane ( tlcm ). additionally or alternatively , in some applications , the substances delivered in this invention may include other classes of substances that are used to treat rhinitis , nasal polyps , nasal inflammation , and other disorders of the ear , nose and throat including but not limited to anti - cholinergic agents that tend to dry up nasal secretions such as ipratropium ( atrovent nasal ®), as well as other agents not listed here . additionally or alternatively , in some applications such as those where it is desired to draw fluid from polyps or edematous tissue , the substances delivered in this invention may include locally or topically acting diuretics such as furosemide and / or hyperosmolar agents such as sodium chloride gel or other salt preparations that draw water from tissue or substances that directly or indirectly change the osmolar content of the mucous to cause more water to exit the tissue to shrink the polyps directly at their site . additionally or alternatively , in some applications such as those wherein it is desired to treat a tumor or cancerous lesion , the substances delivered in this invention may include antitumor agents ( e . g ., cancer chemotherapeutic agents , biological response modifiers , vascularization inhibitors , hormone receptor blockers , cryotherapeutic agents or other agents that destroy or inhibit neoplasia or tumorigenesis ) such as ; alkylating agents or other agents which directly kill cancer cells by attacking their dna ( e . g ., cyclophosphamide , isophosphamide ), nitrosoureas or other agents which kill cancer cells by inhibiting changes necessary for cellular dna repair ( e . g ., carmustine ( bcnu ) and lomustine ( ccnu )), antimetabolites and other agents that block cancer cell growth by interfering with certain cell functions , usually dna synthesis ( e . g ., 6 mercaptopurine and 5 - fluorouracil ( 5fu ), antitumor antibiotics and other compounds that act by binding or intercalating dna and preventing rna synthesis ( e . g ., doxorubicin , daunorubicin , epirubicin , idarubicin , mitomycin - c and bleomycin ) plant ( vinca ) alkaloids and other antitumor agents derived from plants ( e . g ., vincristine and vinblastine ), steroid hormones , hormone inhibitors , hormone receptor antagonists and other agents which affect the growth of hormone - responsive cancers ( e . g ., tamoxifen , herceptin , aromatase inhibitors such as aminoglutethimide and formestane , triazole inhibitors such as letrozole and anastrozole , steroidal inhibitors such as exemestane ), antiangiogenic proteins , small molecules , gene therapies and / or other agents that inhibit angiogenesis or vascularization of tumors ( e . g ., meth - 1 , meth - 2 , thalidomide ), bevacizumab ( avastin ), squalamine , endostatin , angiostatin , angiozyme , ae - 941 ( neovastat ), cc - 5013 ( revimid ), medi - 522 ( vitaxin ), 2 - methoxyestradiol ( 2me2 , panzem ), carboxyamidotriazole ( cai ), combretastatin a4 prodrug ( ca4p ), su6668 , su11248 , bms - 275291 , col - 3 , emd 121974 , imc - 1c11 , im862 , tnp - 470 , celecoxib ( celebrex ), rofecoxib ( vioxx ), interferon alpha , interleukin - 12 ( il - 12 ) or any of the compounds identified in science vol . 289 , pages 1197 - 1201 ( aug . 17 , 2000 ) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference , biological response modifiers ( e . g ., interferon , bacillus calmette - guerin ( bcg ), monoclonal antibodies , interluken 2 , granulocyte colony stimulating factor ( gcsf ), etc . ), pgdf receptor antagonists , herceptin , asparaginase , busulphan , carboplatin , cisplatin , carmustine , chlorambucil , cytarabine , dacarbazine , etoposide , flucarbazine , fluorouracil , gemcitabine , hydroxyurea , ifosphamide , irinotecan , lomustine , meiphalan , mercaptopurine , methotrexate , thioguanine , thiotepa , tomudex , topotecan , treosulfan , vinblastine , vincristine , mitoazitrone , oxaliplatin , procarbazine , streptocin , taxol , taxotere , analogs / congeners and derivatives of such compounds as well as other antitumor agents not listed here . additionally or alternatively , in some applications such as those where it is desired to grow new cells or to modify existing cells , the substances delivered in this invention may include cells ( mucosal cells , fibroblasts , stem cells or genetically engineered cells ) as well as genes and gene delivery vehicles like plasmids , adenoviral vectors or naked dna , mrna , etc . injected with genes that code for anti - inflammatory substances , etc ., and , as mentioned above , osteoclasts that modify or soften bone when so desired , cells that participate in or effect mucogenesis or ciliagenesis , etc . additionally or alternatively to being combined with a device and / or a substance releasing modality , it may be ideal to position the device in a specific location upstream in the mucous flow path ( i . e . frontal sinus or ethmoid cells ). this could allow the deposition of fewer drug releasing devices , and permit the “ bathing ” of all the downstream tissues with the desired drug . this utilization of mucous as a carrier for the drug may be ideal , especially since the concentrations for the drug may be highest in regions where the mucous is retained ; whereas non - diseased regions with good mucous flow will be less affected by the drug . this could be particularly useful in chronic sinusitis , or tumors where bringing the concentration of drug higher at those specific sites may have greater therapeutic benefit . in all such cases , local delivery will permit these drugs to have much less systemic impact . further , it may be ideal to configure the composition of the drug or delivery system such that it maintains a loose affinity to the mucous permitting it to distribute evenly in the flow . also , in some applications , rather than a drug , a solute such as a salt or other mucous soluble material may be positioned at a location whereby mucous will contact the substance and a quantity of the substance will become dissolved in the mucous thereby changing some property ( e . g ., ph , osmolarity , etc ) of the mucous . in some cases , this technique may be used to render the mucous hyperosmolar so that the flowing mucous will draw water and / or other fluid from polyps , edematous mucosal tissue , etc ., thereby providing a drying or desiccating therapeutic effect . additionally or alternatively to substances directed towards local delivery to affect changes within the sinus cavity , the nasal cavities provide unique access to the olfactory system and thus the brain . any of the devices and methods described herein may also be used to deliver substances to the brain or alter the functioning of the olfactory system . such examples include , the delivery of energy or the deposition of devices and / or substances and / or substance delivering implant ( s ) to occlude or alter olfactory perception , to suppress appetite or otherwise treat obesity , epilepsy ( e . g ., barbiturates such as phenobarbital or mephoobarbital ; iminostilbenes such as carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine ; succinimides such as ethylsuximide ; valproic acid ; benzodiazepines such as clonazepam , clorazepate , diazepam and lorazepam , gabapentin , lamotrigine , acetazolamide , felbamate , levetiraceam , tiagabine , topiramate , zonisamide , etc . ), personality or mental disorders ( e . g ., antidepressants , antianxiety agents , antipsychotics , etc . ), chronic pain , parkinson &# 39 ; s disease ( e . g ., dopamine receptor agonists such as bromocriptine , pergolide , ropinitrol and pramipexole ; dopamine precursors such as levodopa ; comt inhibitors such as tolcapone and entacapone ; selegiline ; muscarinic receptor antagonists such as trihexyphenidyl , benztropine and diphenhydramine ) and alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease , huntington &# 39 ; s disease or other dementias , disorders of cognition or chronic degenerative diseases ( e . g . tacrine , donepezil , rivastigmine , galantamine , fluoxetine , carbamazepine , clozapine , clonazepam and proteins or genetic therapies that inhibit the formation of beta - amyloid plaques ), etc . the working element need not necessarily be a substance delivery reservoir 3322 . for example , another type of working element useable in this invention is a laser device . in one embodiment , the laser device may comprise an optical fiber that delivers laser energy through the distal region of the optical fiber . typical examples of lasers that can be used in the present invention are nd : yag lasers , ho : nag lasers , short pulsed laser systems such as excimer lasers ( wavelength : 308 nm , pulse length full width at half maximum height : 60 ns ), dye lasers ( wavelength : 504 nm , pulse length full width at half maximum height : 1200 ns ), tunable die lasers , ktp lasers , argon lasers , alexandrite lasers ( wavelength : 755 nm , pulse length full width at half maximum height : 300 - 500 ns ) etc . such a laser device may also be used in conjunction with or as a part of any method , system or device disclosed in this patent application for laser - assisted ablation or cutting , laser - assisted cauterization or other laser - assisted methods of treating sinusitis , mucocysts , tumors , polyps , occlusions , obstructions , edema or other conditions of the paranasal sinuses , eustachian tubes , lachrymal ducts , salivary glands and other hard or soft ear , nose , throat or mouth structures . such devices , systems and methods may also be used for performing other diagnostic or therapeutic procedures of eustachian tubes , tympanums and middle ear structures . examples of such procedures are biopsies , microendoscopy of the eustachian tube and the middle ear structures , diagnosis and / or treatment of roundwindow ruptures , auditory - ossicle dislocations after tympanoplasty , prothesis dislocation after stapeclotomy , neuroradiologically undetectable liquorrhea caused by otobasal fractures , progressive disorders of the sound - conducting apparatus , dysplasia of the ear , chronic otitis media mesotympanalis , cholesteatoma , presurgical evaluation of pathologic findings of both the mucosal lining and the ossicular chain , epitympanic retraction pockets of the ear drum , all chronic and recurrent ventilation or drainage disorders of eustachian tubes etc . fig3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a guidewire comprising a sensor used for surgical navigation . guidewire 3400 comprises a sensor 3402 located on the distal region of guidewire 3400 . sensor 3402 enables guidewire 3400 to be used in conjunction with a suitable surgical navigation system . in one embodiment , sensor 3402 is an electromagnetic sensor used in conjunction with an electromagnetic surgical navigation system such as ge instatrak ™ 3500 plus system . in one embodiment , guidewire 3400 comprises an anchoring balloon 3404 located on the distal region of guidewire 3400 . anchoring balloon 3404 is inflated after positioning guidewire 3400 at a target location . anchoring balloon 3404 anchors guidewire 3400 to adjacent anatomy and prevents accidental repositioning of guidewire 3400 during a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure . anchoring balloon 3404 may be made from suitable compliant or semi - compliant material such as crosslinked polyethylene or other polyolefins , polyurethane , flexible polyvinylchloride , nylon etc . in one embodiment , guidewire 3400 comprises a soft distal tip . in another embodiment , guidewire 3400 comprises a curved distal end e . g . a “ j ” shaped distal end . sensors similar to sensor 3402 may be present on other diagnostic or therapeutic devices disclosed herein such as balloon catheters etc . similarly , the devices disclosed herein may comprise other types of sensors or transmitters such as electromagnetic , rf , piezoelectric , magnetic etc . the sensors or transmitters may be in the form of a variety of configurations including but not limited to single coils , multiple coils , antennae etc . the sensors or transmitters may be oriented in a variety of configurations including but not limited to nested , paired , orthogonal to each other , etc . fig3 a shows an enlarged view of an embodiment of a low profile proximal region of the guidewire in fig3 . the proximal region of guidewire 3400 comprises a distal electrical contact 3406 and a proximal electrical contact 3408 . distal electrical contact 3406 and proximal electrical contact 3408 are connected to sensor 3402 by conducting wires that run along guidewire 3400 to provide electrical energy to sensor 3402 . distal electrical contact 3406 and proximal electrical contact 3408 are connected to an external electrical supply by detachable electrodes . distal electrical contact 3406 and proximal electrical contact 3408 can be made of suitable conducting materials such as stainless steel , silver - palladium alloys , silver - platinum alloys etc . distal electrical contact 3406 and proximal electrical contact 3408 are separated from each other by a first insulating element 3410 . in one embodiment , guidewire 3400 further comprises a second insulating element 3412 located on the proximal end of guidewire 3400 . a low profile proximal region allows for the introduction of diagnostic or therapeutic devices over guidewire 3400 . fig3 b shows a perspective view of a method of advancing a diagnostic or therapeutic device over the guidewire in fig3 . in this example , the diagnostic or therapeutic device is a balloon catheter 3414 comprising a shaft 3416 having a balloon 3418 at the distal region of shaft 3416 and a hub 3420 at the proximal end of shaft 3416 . balloon catheter is advanced into a target anatomical region over the guidewire 3400 . in this example , guidewire 3400 comprises a low profile proximal end so that devices can be introduced in an over - the - wire manner into a target anatomy . fig3 c shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a combination of a guidewire comprising a sensor having a diagnostic or therapeutic device preloaded on the guidewire . in this example , the diagnostic or therapeutic device is balloon catheter 3414 . the proximal end of guidewire 3400 is connected to an external electrical supply 3422 by conducting wires 3424 . in this example , guidewire 3400 does not have a low profile proximal end so that devices cannot be introduced in an over - the - wire manner into a target anatomy . thus , balloon catheter 3414 is preloaded on guidewire 3400 by inserting proximal end of balloon catheter 3414 over distal end of guidewire 3400 . fig3 d shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a combination of a guidewire comprising a sensor having a diagnostic or therapeutic device preloaded on the guidewire . in this example , the diagnostic or therapeutic device is balloon catheter 3414 . the proximal end of guidewire 3400 is connected by conducting wires 3426 to plug 3428 . plug 3428 detachably fits into an external power supply 3430 . in this example , guidewire 3400 does not have a low profile proximal end so that devices cannot be introduced in an over - the - wire manner into a target anatomy . thus , balloon catheter 3414 is preloaded on guidewire 3400 by inserting proximal end of balloon catheter 3414 over distal end of guidewire 3400 . one or more flexible regions especially flexible distal regions on the diagnostic or therapeutic devices disclosed herein may comprise bending or deflecting elements . examples of such bending or deflecting elements are one or more pull wires etc . made of suitable materials such as stainless steel flat wire etc . the abovementioned devices and methods may also be used for diagnosing or treating other conditions caused by narrowing or blockage of structures in the ear , nose , throat or mouth such as choanal atresia . various devices described herein such as catheters may comprise one or more lumens such as end - to - end lumens , zipper lumens , rapid exchange lumens , parallel lumen surrounded by a jacket etc . it is to be appreciated that the invention has been described hereabove with reference to certain examples or embodiments of the invention but that various additions , deletions , alterations and modifications may be made to those examples and embodiments without departing from the intended spirit and scope of the invention . for example , any element or attribute of one embodiment or example may be incorporated into or used with another embodiment or example , unless to do so would render the embodiment or example unsuitable for its intended use . all reasonable additions , deletions , modifications and alterations are to be considered equivalents of the described examples and embodiments and are to be included within the scope of the following claims .
0
fig1 shows an exemplary shrouded blade 20 . the exemplary blade is generally representative of one prior art first stage hpt blade used on various members of the pratt & amp ; whitney jt8d engine family . however , the methods described below may be applied to other blades . the blade may be made as a superalloy casting ( e . g ., of a nickel - base superalloy such as mar - m - 200 + hf originally developed by lockheed martin or pwa1447 of pratt & amp ; whitney ), optionally coated ( e . g ., with a thermal barrier coating such as pwa70 / 73 dual coating , pwa 270 / 273 dual coating , or pwa 36095 platinum aluminide , all of pratt & amp ; whitney ). the exemplary blade 20 has an airfoil 22 extending radially outward from an inboard end 24 at an outboard surface 26 of a platform 28 . the radial direction is defined relative to an engine centerline when the airfoil is mounted to a disk ( not shown ). the blade includes a fir tree attachment root 30 depending from an inboard surface ( underside ) 32 of the platform 28 . the blade includes an od shroud 34 at the outboard end 36 of the airfoil . the shroud underside 38 and platform outboard surface 26 locally define respective outboard and inboard extremes of the engine core flowpath . the airfoil includes a leading edge 40 , a trailing edge 42 . the airfoil has a generally concave pressure side 44 and a generally convex suction side 46 extending between the leading edge 40 and the trailing edge 42 . for reference , fig2 shows an afterward / generally downstream direction 500 and the radial ( radially outward ) direction 502 . fig2 shows the shroud 34 as having a central radially - outwardly projecting spoiler 50 generally formed as a segment of an annular flange . the spoiler 50 has an outboard surface 52 , a radially - extending forward / upstream / leading surface 54 , and a radially - extending aft / downstream / trailing surface 56 . on a leading side of the spoiler , the shroud includes a leading portion 60 extending to a leading rim 62 and having an outboard surface 64 . on a trailing side of the spoiler , the shroud includes a trailing portion 70 extending to a trailing rim 72 and having an outboard surface 74 . fig3 shows the spoiler 50 as including a lightening compartment 80 extending inward from the surface 52 . fig3 further shows the shroud as including first and second circumferential ends 82 and 84 , respectively associated with pressure and suction sides of the airfoil . the ends 82 and 84 are convoluted to permit a preloaded interlocking nesting between shrouds of adjacent blades in the blade stage . the interlocking aligns the surfaces 52 , 54 , 56 , 64 , and 74 with their counterparts of the remaining blades in the stage . the rim 62 is essentially annular so that the assembled shroud formed by the shrouds 34 has an annular leading rim formed by the rims 62 . the rim 72 is mostly annular ( e . g ., annular along a majority of its circumferential span ) but protrudes along a protruding portion 90 at a trailing portion of the airfoil . thus , the assembled shroud formed by the shrouds 34 has a generally annular trailing rim formed by the rims 72 with an array of protrusions . a direction of rotation 504 of the blade stage is also shown . fig4 shows the blade 20 in an installed position within an engine case 100 . the case carries a circumferentially segmented seal carrier 102 . the seal carrier carries honeycomb seal elements 104 , 106 , and 108 respectively facing and sealing with the leading rim 62 , the leading portion outer surface 64 , and the spoiler outer surface 52 . fig5 shows wear patterns that have been observed on the shroud 34 . a significant region of wear is a region 110 in the surface 64 adjacent a corner 112 of the shroud leading portion 60 formed by the rim 62 and the end 82 . wear in the region 110 ( shown approximately bounded by a dashed line ) is characterized by a combination of deep circumferential scoring ( e . g ., 120 and 122 ) and more generalized thinning wear 126 ). a less significant wear region 130 is shown in the surface 64 adjacent a corner 132 of the shroud leading portion 60 formed by the rim 62 and the end 84 . when the stage is assembled , this region 130 is contiguous with the adjacent region 110 of the adjacent blade . scoring 140 and 142 in this region may be continuations of the scoring of the adjacent region 110 of the adjacent blade . there may also be thinning wear 144 . wear has also been observed in a region 150 shown in the surface 74 adjacent a corner 152 of the shroud trailing portion 70 formed by the rim 72 and the end 84 . due to factors not fully understood , the wear in the region 110 may be particularly significant . there may be a relationship to the relative thinness of the shroud in this region as further influenced by dynamic factors . fig6 and 7 show exemplary details of a restoration process . after any cleaning and inspection ( e . g ., to assess damage and confirm restorability ), the worn areas may be machined to create a base surface for laser cladding . in fig6 , the region 110 has been completely removed by such machining ( e . g . machining all the way through to the underside 38 ). the exemplary machining is down to facets 180 and 182 to define a notch 184 relative to the original platform contour . the exemplary facet 182 extends to the rim 62 so that an exemplary 10 - 33 % ( more narrowly , 17 - 27 %) of the rim 62 is removed by the notch 184 . similarly , the facet 182 extends from the end 82 , just ahead of the surface 54 to the facet 180 . the exemplary facet 182 is located so that the notch 180 removes an exemplary 60 - 100 % ( more narrowly 75 - 95 %) of the end 82 along the leading portion 60 . although not required , fig6 also shows an exemplary machining to remove the area 150 . this machining involves a single facet 190 having removed a corner region . after any further cleaning , restoration material may be built up atop the machined facets . fig7 shows a buildup 200 filling the notch 184 . the buildup 200 is formed by a series of laser clad beads starting with a first bead 202 formed atop the facets 180 and 182 . exemplary second , third , fourth and fifth / final beads 204 , 206 , 208 , and 210 , respectively are formed on atop the other until sufficient material is applied . depending upon the damage extent , exemplary restoration may involve an exemplary 2 - 10 beads ( more narrowly 3 - 7 ). fig7 also shows a buildup 220 applied atop the facet 190 and including beads 222 , 224 , and 226 . exemplary laser cladding techniques and apparatus are disclosed in u . s . patent application publication 20050178750a1 , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth at length . exemplary cladding material has a composition that is preferably essentially the same as the base material of the blade at the facets . after buildup , the buildups may be machined to restore the original local contour . the machining may involve a slight machining along non - built - up areas ( e . g ., intact portions of the surfaces 64 and 74 for continuous circularity ). after machining , the blade may be locally or generally recoated . relative to tungsten inert gas ( tig ) welding laser cladding is believed to generate a substantially smaller heat affected zone in the area being repaired . as a result , there is a reduction in post - weld stress and the structural integrity of the part is not compromised . there is also reduced or eliminated chances of distortion of the part which may be encountered with tig welding . laser cladding also offers a fast cycle time and high repeatability . one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , the nature of particular damage may influence the appropriate repair . the choice of any particular known or yet - developed laser cladding apparatus may also influence details . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .
1
in one embodiment , the invention is a method and apparatus for context - aware tagging for augmented reality environments . embodiments of the invention perform context recognition by cross - relating collected geo - location information ( e . g ., longitude , latitude , altitude , direction , etc . as obtained from an open - air tracking system such as a global positioning system , bluetooth beacons , cellular communications towers , radio frequency identification tags , or the like ) with classified tag markers ( e . g ., bar codes , color codes , or the like ) in a captured image . the tag markers may utilize visual , electronic , radio , infrared , ultraviolet , and / or other communications techniques . in some embodiments , the tag identifiers are non - unique , but uniqueness is resolved based on geographic and / or directional context . this creates a context within which the physical elements in the captured image can be classified . fig1 is a block diagram depicting one example of a network 100 within which embodiments of the present invention may be deployed . the network 100 may be any type of communications network , such as for example , an internet protocol ( ip ) network ( e . g ., an ip multimedia subsystem ( ims ) network , an asynchronous transfer mode ( atm ) network , a wireless network , a cellular network , a long term evolution ( lte ) network , and the like ). an “ ip network ” is broadly defined as a network that uses internet protocol to exchange data packets . additional exemplary ip networks include voice over ip ( voip ) networks , service over ip ( soip ) networks , and the like . in one embodiment , the network 100 may comprise a core network 102 . the core network 102 may be in communication with one or more access networks 120 and 122 . the access networks 120 and 122 may include a wireless access network ( e . g ., a wifi network and the like ), a cellular access network , a cable access network , a wired access network and the like . in one embodiment , the access networks 120 and 122 may all be different types of access networks , may all be the same type of access network , or some access networks may be the same type of access network and other may be different types of access networks . the core network 102 and the access networks 120 and 122 may be operated by different service providers , the same service provider or a combination thereof . in one embodiment , the core network 102 may include an application server ( as ) 104 and a database ( db ) 106 . although only a single as 104 and a single db 106 are illustrated , it should be noted that any number of application servers 104 or databases 106 may be deployed . for instance , in one embodiment , the core network 102 comprises a portion of a cloud environment in which services and applications are supported in a highly distributed manner . in one embodiment , the as 104 is a content server . for instance , the as 104 may run queries against the db 106 to locate content based on tag and / or location data , as discussed in further detail below . in one embodiment , the db 106 is a tag database that stores a content with which tags have been associated . in one embodiment , the db 106 stores the relationship between tag identifier (“ tag - id ”), location , and elements for each item of content . in a further embodiment , the db 106 also stores a distribution of similar tags for a given location or region . in one embodiment , the db 106 stores content relating to a plurality of subjects . in a further embodiment , multiple dbs 106 may each store content relating to a different specific subject . additionally , the db 106 may store augmented content generated by user endpoint devices according to methods of the present invention that are described in greater detail below . this information may be stored in encrypted form in order to protect any information that is deemed to be sensitive ( e . g ., geolocation data ). in one embodiment , the access network 120 may be in communication with one or more user endpoint devices ( also referred to as “ endpoint devices ” or “ ue ”) 108 and 110 . in one embodiment , the access network 122 may be in communication with one or more user endpoint devices 112 and 114 . in one embodiment , any of the user endpoint devices 108 , 110 , 112 and 114 may comprise a general purpose computer , as illustrated in fig3 and discussed below . in one embodiment , the user endpoint devices 108 , 110 , 112 and 114 may perform , in conjunction with the as 104 , the methods and algorithms discussed below related to context - aware tagging . for instance , at least some of the user endpoint devices 108 , 110 , 112 and 114 may comprise mobile devices having integrated sensors that capture information from which context can be inferred . in one embodiment , the user endpoint devices 108 , 110 , 112 and 114 may be any type of endpoint device that is capable of accessing services from a cloud - based service provider , such as a desktop computer or a mobile endpoint device such as a cellular telephone , a smart phone , a tablet computer , a laptop computer , a netbook , an ultrabook , a portable media device ( e . g ., an mp3 player ), a gaming console , a portable gaming device , and the like . it should be noted that although only four user endpoint devices are illustrated in fig1 , any number of user endpoint devices may be deployed . in one embodiment , any of the user endpoint devices may have one or more sensors integrated therein . these sensors may include , for example , location sensors , environmental sensors , acoustic sensors , position sensors , optical sensors , pressure sensors , proximity sensors , imaging sensors , and the like . the as 104 may subscribe to the outputs of these sensors . it should be noted that the network 100 has been simplified . for example , the network 100 may include other network elements ( not shown ) such as border elements , routers , switches , policy servers , security devices , a content distribution network ( cdn ) and the like . fig2 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 200 for context - aware tagging , according to the present invention . the method 200 may be executed , for example , by any of the user endpoint devices 108 , 110 , 112 and 114 illustrated in fig1 . as such , and for the purposes of illustration , reference is made in the discussion of the method 200 to exemplary user endpoint device 108 . however , it will be appreciated that the method 200 may be executed on devices other than or in addition to the user endpoint device 108 . the method 200 begins in step 202 . in step 204 , the user endpoint device 108 captures an image of an object in proximity to the user endpoint device 108 . the image is captured using an imaging sensor ( e . g ., camera ) integrated in the user endpoint device 108 . the image includes at least one tag ( e . g ., a bar code , a color code , or the like ). for instance , the image may depict a tree to which a machine readable label is affixed . in step 206 , the user endpoint device 108 identifies its current location ( i . e ., the location from which the image is captured in step 204 ) and orientation using one or more geolocation sensors integrated in the user endpoint device ( e . g ., a location sensor , an environmental sensor , a position sensor , a proximity sensor , an accelerometer , or the like ). for instance , a global positioning sensor may provide the user endpoint device &# 39 ; s current positional coordinates ( e . g ., latitude , longitude , altitude , direction , etc . ), while an accelerometer may provide the current orientation of the user endpoint device 108 . in one embodiment , the location and orientation are periodically saved to local storage ( e . g ., cache ) on the user endpoint device 108 , and the user endpoint device 108 simply retrieves the most recent saved location and position in step 206 . in another embodiment , the current location and position are identified on - demand in step 206 and subsequently saved to the local storage . in step 208 , the user endpoint device 108 extracts the tag from the image captured in step 204 . in one embodiment , the tag is extracted using one or more image processing techniques that recognize the tag and identify its features . in step 210 , the user endpoint device 108 retrieves data about the object from the user endpoint device &# 39 ; s local storage ( e . g ., cache and / or tag database ). this data may be retrieved by querying the local storage for content whose tags match the tag extracted from the image in step 208 . the query also includes the current position and orientation of the user endpoint device 108 . in one embodiment , the data retrieved in step 210 includes content identified based on statistical analysis of possible tags associated with the current location , based on similarity of elements present in the current location . for instance , continuing the above example , the probability of the image depicting a specific species of tree can be inferred based on a model of the statistical distribution of similar species present in the current location ( e . g ., models of biomass distribution ). in optional step 212 ( illustrated in phantom ), the user endpoint device 108 retrieves data about the object from remote storage , such as the db 106 . this data may be retrieved by querying the remote storage for content whose tags match the tag extracted from the image in step 208 . the query also includes the current position and orientation of the user endpoint device 108 . in one embodiment , the data retrieved in step 212 includes content identified based on statistical analysis of possible tags associated with the current location , based on similarity of elements present in the current location . in one embodiment , at least some of the data retrieved from the remote storage is subsequently stored in the local storage ( along with its tag ( s ) and related location / position data ). in one embodiment , step 212 is only performed when the data retrieved in step 210 is determined to be insufficient and / or incomplete . in step 214 , the user endpoint device 108 generates augmented content in accordance with the image captured in step 204 and the data retrieved in steps 210 and / or 212 . for instance , based on the example described above , the augmented content may comprise an image of the tree with information about the tree ( e . g ., name , genus , species , group , etc .) visually superimposed over the image . in step 216 , the user endpoint device 108 outputs the augmented content . for instance , the user endpoint device 108 may display an augmented image of the object on a display of the user endpoint device 108 . in one embodiment , the augmented content is stored either locally on the device or remotely ( e . g ., on the db 106 ). as discussed above , various data that facilitates context - aware tagging , including the location and position of the user endpoint device 108 and content retrieved from remote storage , is saved in the local storage of the user endpoint device 108 . in one embodiment this data is saved only temporarily . for instance , the data may be deleted from the local storage if it reaches a certain age or is not accessed for a threshold period of time . in a further embodiment , data that relates to objects that are outside a threshold radius from the user endpoint device &# 39 ; s current location (“ proximity region ”) is also deleted . thus , the method 200 provides a hybrid approach augmented reality that combines positioning information with context - based local tags . local and remote content is interwoven expedite recognition of context and to reduce the need for communication with remote devices . specifically , the method 200 first attempts to recognize context and satisfy data requests using locally stored content before querying remote data sources . any data that is retrieved from remote sources is stored locally at least temporarily , based on the immediate needs to the user endpoint device 108 . the user endpoint device 108 can therefore accurately recognize context and satisfy data requests while minimizing the size of the tag database that ( e . g ., local and remote storage ) that must be maintained to do so . moreover , by cross - relating geolocation and tag - captured information , the amount of processing and communications required to recognize context and satisfy data requests can be significantly reduced . this allows the amount of information required to be stored with the tags to be likewise reduced , accepting non - uniqueness in tag identifiers . the above - described advantages make the present invention especially well - suited to mobile devices and other small form factor devices that are characterized by limited memory and / or communication capabilities , although the present invention is not so limited . fig3 is a high - level block diagram of the context recognition method that is implemented using a general purpose computing device 300 . the general purpose computing device 300 may comprise , for example , any of the user endpoint devices 108 , 110 , 112 and 114 illustrated in fig1 . in one embodiment , a general purpose computing device 300 comprises a processor 302 , a memory 304 , a context recognition module 305 and various input / output ( i / o ) devices 306 such as a display , a keyboard , a mouse , a sensor , a stylus , a microphone or transducer , a wireless network access card , an ethernet interface , and the like . in one embodiment , at least one i / o device is a storage device ( e . g ., a disk drive , an optical disk drive , a floppy disk drive ). in one embodiment , the memory 304 includes cache memory , including a tag database that stores the relationship between tag identifier , location , and elements . in a further embodiment , the tag database also stores a distribution of similar tags for a given location or region . it should be understood that the context recognition module 305 can be implemented as a physical device or subsystem that is coupled to a processor through a communication channel . alternatively , the context recognition module 305 can be represented by one or more software applications ( or even a combination of software and hardware , e . g ., using application specific integrated circuits ( asic )), where the software is loaded from a storage medium ( e . g ., i / o devices 306 ) and operated by the processor 302 in the memory 304 of the general purpose computing device 300 . thus , in one embodiment , the context recognition module 305 for context - aware tagging for augmented reality environments , as described herein with reference to the preceding figures , can be stored on a tangible computer readable storage medium or device ( e . g ., ram , magnetic or optical drive or diskette , and the like ). it should be noted that although not explicitly specified , one or more steps of the methods described herein may include a storing , displaying and / or outputting step as required for a particular application . in other words , any data , records , fields , and / or intermediate results discussed in the methods can be stored , displayed , and / or outputted to another device as required for a particular application . furthermore , steps or blocks in the accompanying figures that recite a determining operation or involve a decision , do not necessarily require that both branches of the determining operation be practiced . in other words , one of the branches of the determining operation can be deemed as an optional step . while the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention , other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof . various embodiments presented herein , or portions thereof , may be combined to create further embodiments . furthermore , terms such as top , side , bottom , front , back , and the like are relative or positional terms and are used with respect to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures , and as such these terms may be interchangeable .
6
turning now to the drawings , wherein like reference characters designate identical or corresponding parts , and more particularly to fig1 thereof , a light air defense system is shown mounted on a mobile vehicle , such as a hmmwv . the hmmwv is a standard four - wheel drive military vehicle that is fast and agile over rough terrain . it &# 39 ; s speed , range and agility make it an ideal carrier for a light air defense system although , until now , no light air defense system has been small or light enough , or adapted to the highly maneuverable hmmwv to be mounted thereon . to be adaptable for carriage by the hmmwv the weight of the light air defense system must be substantially less than the maximum weight that the hmmwv can carry , and its center of gravity must be low enough so as not to create an unstable load on the hmmwv when it is traversing the steepest slope for which it is designed , at the maximum speed for that slope . accordingly , it is necessary that the light air defense system , fully loaded with a full complement of gunner , operator , supplies and ammunition , have a center of gravity such that the desirable characteristics and mobility of the hmmwv are not adversely affected . to this purpose , the light air defense system is designed so as to position the elements of greatest mass as low as possible and to distribute the mass of the rotating structure symmetrically about the vertical axis of rotation of the cabin so that the balance of the system is approximately equal regardless of the orientation of the cabin about its vertical axis . this mass distribution will be illustrated more clearly in the following drawings and also in the following description thereof . the light air defense system turret includes a cabin 10 mounted for rotation about a vertical axis 11 on a base 12 by means of a ring gear / bearing 14 . a height - adjustable seat 13 is mounted in the cabin for supporting a gunner in position to scan the sky through a transparent canopy 17 . the base 12 is mounted on the bed of the hmmwv 15 by means of a self - aligning , quick attachment and release , mounting hardware shown partially in fig1 and 2 , and more particularly described in the copending patent application for self - aligning , quick disconnect mount filed concurrently herewith by william s . riippi and john w . rose , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein . the ring gear / bearing 14 supports the cabin 10 for rotation about the vertical axis 11 by way of the outer bearing race 16 fastened to the under surface of the cabin substructure 18 , as more particularly shown in the aforesaid patent application of riippi et al . an azimuth drive motor 20 , supported by the cabin substructure 18 has a depending pinnion 22 engaged with the ring gear 14 fixed to the base 12 , whereby the cabin may be rotated about the vertical axis 11 on the base 12 . the drive motor 20 is energized to rotate in one direction or the other , depending on the desired direction of rotation , by a power supply and turret control unit 24 under the command of a control system 26 mounted in a gunners console 27 . a pair of munitions arms 28 is mounted on the cabin 10 , one on each lateral side thereof , for rotation about a horizontal axis 29 . a horizontal , transversely extending torque tube 30 extends between and connects the munitions arms 28 to each other so that they elevate synchronously , one with the other . a sector gear 32 is keyed to the torque tube 30 , and an elevation drive motor 34 having a pinnon 36 engaged with the sector gear 32 drives the torque tube for rotation about its axis . the drive motor 34 is supported on a bracket 38 which hangs from the torque tube 30 by way of journal bearings , and is coupled to the cabin frame at the other end of the bracket and spring biased against the sector gear 32 so that the motor stays in contact with the sector gear regardless of deflections of the torque tube while the vehicle is in motion over rough terrain . in this way , the elevation drive motor 34 can reliably drive the sector gear 32 and rotate the torque tube in whatever direction is desired at all times . the drive motor 34 is energized by the turret control unit 24 under control of the control means 26 . an optical sight 40 is linked to the torque tube 30 as shown more particularly in the copending application of riippi and rose , entitled torque tube elevation drive means filed concurrently herewith , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . a gyroscope 42 is mounted on the torque tube 30 for sensing the rate of rotation of the torque tube 30 , and hence the munitions arms 28 . another gyroscope 44 is mounted on the frame of the cabin for sensing rate of rotation of the cabin about its vertical axis 11 . the torque tube gyro 42 and the cabin gyro 44 are connected by conductors ( not shown ) to the control means 26 to provide the control means with data about the elevation and azimuth angular acceleration of the munitions arms 28 relative to the position of the vehicle . a hand controller 46 is provided in the cabin 10 to enable the operator to operate the azimuth and elevation drive motors by manual controls . the hand controller , shown in fig3 and more particularly in fig4 has two hand grips 48 and 48 &# 39 ; projecting laterally from two sides of a body 50 . the hand grips can be rotated together about a laterally extending horizontal axis 52 , and the body 50 can itself be rotated about a fore - and - aft horizontal axis 54 orthogonal to the horizontal axis 52 of the hand grips 48 and 48 &# 39 ; by rotating the hand grips about the axis 54 . rotation of the hand grips about their axis of rotation 52 causes the arms to nod or elevate about their horizontal axis of rotation , and rotation or revolving the handgrips 48 and 48 &# 39 ; about the axis 54 causes the azimuth drive motor to drive the turret in the counterclockwise direction ( looking down ) when the hand controller is rotated in the counterclockwise direction ( looking forward ) and visa versa . a forward looking infared ( flir ) scanner / seeker 56 is mounted on one of the munitions arms 28 and pointed in the same direction that the missile are mounted on the munitions arms are pointed . a screen in the cabin 10 produces an image of the infrared view scanned by the flir scanner / seeker to give the gunner an infrared view of the section of the sky in which the missiles are pointed . in this way , the light air defense may be operated at night almost as effectively as in the day time . the flir scanner / seeker has a mosaic of infrared detectors which is scanned electronically for infrared signals . when a signal is detected , the image appears on the screen 88 in cabin 10 at the position corresponding to the position on the infrared detected mosaic where the infrared image is focused . the signal from the flir scanner / seeker can be used in an automatic tracking mode to drive the cabin and arm drive motors . the detector mosaic is laid about two orthogonally centered x - y axes and an infrared image which is not centered on the x - y axes produces off - axis x signals and / or off - axis y signals which are used by the control means 26 to produce signals to the drive the turret control unit 24 to operate the drive motors 20 and 34 to rotate the cabin and elevate the munitions arms to center the flir scanner / seeker on the infrared image . in this way , the signals from the flir scanner / seeker can be used to automatically control the turret so that the turret automatically follows the target across the sky . there is an infrared seeker mounted in the stinger missile nose which produces elevation and azimuth error signals to control the missile fins so that the missile automatically follows an infrared source on which it is locked . the error signals in the stinger seeker can be used by the control means to automatically control the cabin drive means and the munitions arm elevation means to follow the target across the sky in the same manner that the flir error signals are so used . a static azimuth sensor 58 provides precise information as to the azimuth of the cabin and a static elevation sensor provides information about the elevation of the arms . the static azimuth sensor includes an optical disk ( not shown ) having concentric rings , each marked with regularly alternating light and dark areas . the light and dark area repetitions double in number with each succeeding ring . the azimuth sensor disk is optically scanned to produce a unique signal for each sector of angle . an eight ring array will produce a unique signal for each sector of 1 . 4 °; a nine ring array will produce a unique signal for each sector of 0 . 7 °. the static position sensor 59 for the torque tube 30 is a d / c potentiometer having a stationary pickup in contact with a coil mounted on the torque tube . the d / c signal produced by the potentiometer is directly proportional to the angle of the munitions arms above the horizontal . the cabin azimuth and arm elevation can be displayed on the gunner &# 39 ; s console in the cabin 10 . the position indicating signals are also inputted to the control means 26 as discussed below . a power system for provided electrical power to the light air defense system shown in fig1 is shown schematically in fig6 and includes a conventional alternator and battery combination in the vehicle which is connected by a cable 66 and a connector 68 to a cable 70 on the lads . a set of batteries 72 , sufficient to enable operation of the lads for at least 45 minutes with the air conditioner operating , and over two hours without the air conditioner , is connected in parallel to the power cable 70 . the cable is electrically connected , by way of a slip ring assembly 74 , to the main power cable 76 of the cabin 10 . a prime power unit 78 is connected in parallel to the main power cable 76 and provides electrical power for operation of the lads and also can provide power for the electrical system of the vehicle back through the slip ring 74 in the event that the vehicle electrical system is inoperative . the prime power unit 78 is a diesel engine powered electic generator having a three kilowatt capacity , consuming fuel at about 0 . 7 pounds per kilowatt - hour . the fuel tank capacity is 34 pounds which provides more than enough fuel to operate the system for 24 hours of a high intensity aerial assault scenario . the parallel connection between the vehicle electrical system and the lads electrical system provides redundant electrical capability for operating the lads in the event that its fuel tank is exhausted or its electrical supply system becomes inoperative . an electrically operated air conditioner unit 80 is mounted on the rear platform on the fuel tank for the prime power unit 78 . the air conditioner unit 80 is connected in an air circulation system for the cabin 10 which includes a vent which can be open to allow circulation of fresh air through the air conditioner into the cabin 10 , or can be closed to allow a closed loop circulation of air within the cabin and through the air conditioner to prevent the entrance of air from outside the cabin when such outside air would inimical to the well - being of a gunner , such as when the missiles are fired or when the lads is operating in an area under enemy attack using gas or biological warfare agents . the target acquisition system is shown schematically in fig7 . the system includes an optical / visual sight 40 and a forward looking infrared sensor / seeker 56 . the two systems are combined in a heads - up transparent sight glass 82 to enable the gunner to coordinate both the target acquisition system and the automatic tracking system to be described below in an integrated manner so that the operation of the lads is fast and uncomplicated . the optical / video target acquisition system uses a video camera 84 in one of munitions arms 28 pointed in the same direction that the munitions and the arms are pointed . the camera 84 has at least two fields of view so that the gunner may use the wide field of view for first acquiring a target and then a narrow field of view for precise tracking . the image produced by the video camera 84 is displayed on a screen 88 in the cabin and also can be projected on a transparent sight glass 82 which is linked to the sight arms so that the sight glass is raised and lowered in synchronism with the munitions arms 28 . the mechanism for controlling the angle of the sight arm and synchronizing its movement with the missile arms 28 is shown more particularly in the aforementioned co - pending application of riippi et al . entitled torque tube elevation mechanism . a driven reticle projector is shown in fig8 . the projector includes a servoed reticle drive driven by the signals from the scanner / seeker . it projects a reticle on the sight glass so that the gunner has the confirmation that the scanner / seeker in the missile or flir and his own visual line of sight through the sight glass are aligned . when the gunner is satisfied that the scanner / seeker is aimed at the target which he has selected , he can uncage the seeker which will then automatically track the target . the driven reticle driven from the azimuth and elevation error signals from the seeker confirms for the gunner that the missile seeker remains locked on the target that the gunner has selected . if the driven reticle and the optical image begin to diverge , the gunner can then recage the seeker so that he can force it back onto the target which has selected . the preferred munitions for the lads disclosed is the stinger missile made by general dynamics . the stinger missile has an infrared sensor / seeker which produces azimuth and elevation error signals that are used by the missile to control the missile fins so that it can home in on a infrared - emitting target . these elevation and azimuth error signals can also be used by the lads for the same purpose mentioned above and can also be used for manual or automatic bore sight correction in a system shown in fig7 . bore sight correction is the correction of the slight misalignment of the missiles or missile optics in the missile pod , which causes them to be launched slightly misaligned from the target direction . this usually does not cause a problem but occasionally a missile will miss the target because it looses contact with the infrared signal because of the combination of the bore sight misalignment and the misalignment incurred by reason of the low speed and low temperature stinger boost launcher . as shown in fig7 the flir 56 produces a signal to a signal processor 86 which converts the flir signal to a visual image which is sent to a video display 88 in the cabin 10 . the flir image is also sent to a comparator 90 in which the flir image is compared to the image which is produced by the stinger infrared sensor / scanner 91 to produce an error signal which is sent to a bore sight correction unit 92 , which aligns the stinger missile accurately within the launch pod . the signal from the signal processor 86 is also sent to a reticle and display driver 92 shown schematically in fig8 which aims the visual image corresponding to the infrared image to be protected by the flir or the stinger seeker 91 , or both , on the sight glass 82 . when the sensor / seeker is uncaged so that it can follow the target , the image will be projected on the sight glass at a position corresponding to the position of the target relative to the aiming point of the missile pods . in this way , the gunner can be informed as to the exact position of the infrared target and can correct the aiming position of missile pod by use of his hand station . the missile fire control system , illustrated in fig9 is under the overall control of the control means 26 which initiates all missile preparation actions and reserves for gunner action only those functions requiring human judgement . specifically , the missile sensor / seeker 91 produces a signal which is conditioned by the control electronics 26 to produce a display on the sight glass so that the gunner can tell what target the missile sensor / seeker is locked on after the sensor / seeker is uncaged . the contol electronics also initiates the iff interrogation signal from the iff unit 96 and confirmation of the response . the interrogation signal and the inhibition of missile fire until confirmation of enemy identity is controlled automatically and very rapidly by the control electronics in the missile fire sequence or when initiated manually by the gunner . the missile fire sequence is controlled by the control system 26 in an automatic sequence that reduces the missile firing time to less than one quarter of the time required for the &# 34 ; manpad &# 34 ; firing mode . during manual tracking and when automatic tracking is initiated , the contol electronics continuously samples and stores the elevation and azimuth tracking rates . when the gunner has acquired a target , he activates a missile by pushing the missile activate button . the contol electronics causes the pre - selected bore sight correction to be inserted or , if the flir bore sight correction scheme is employed , it is used to correct any bore sight misalignment . the control electronics 26 causes the missile gyroscope to be spun up and missile seeker / sensor 91 to be cooled so that it can sense infrared targets . a missile tone is audible to the gunner through his helmet earphones and the gunner can center the turret aiming point on the infrared target at a position which maximizes the tone . at that point , the gunner sqeezes the missile uncage trigger , which uncages the missile and the uncage verify tone is heard by the gunner in his earphones . if the gunner has not yet switched his safe / on switch to on , the control electronics flashes an image on the display console to warn him that the missile is not armed . the gunner then switches the switch to the arm position and the safe light goes off , and the arm light goes on . with the missile uncaged , the gunner can now switch to missile autotrack which disables the hand controller and switches the azimuth and elevation drive control to the control electronics 26 . when the gunner presses the fire button on the hand contoller , the control electronics compares the azimuth and elevation inputs with any preselected fire control limits recorded in the memory and , if the missile pods are out of the authorized fire sector , the firing sequence will be halted and the display will appear on the console &# 34 ; out of fire sector &# 34 ;. the missile pod will continue to track the target until it is either out of range or within the target limits . the control electronics then clears whether the range safety officer has authorized missile firing . if not , the message on the console will flash &# 34 ; rso inhibit &# 34 ; and the target will continue to be tracked . if the range safety officer has authorized firing , the computer then queries whether the target is a helicopter or a fixed wing target . depending on whether it is helicopter or fixed wing , and whether the target is moving to the right or to the left , the computer inserts the correct lead angle for the optimal accuracy for the missile . the elevation and lead angle are inserted automatically by a signal from the control electronics 26 to the azimuth and elevation motor controls 24 which cause the missile pods to lead the target by the correct amount . the computer signals to the air conditioner to close the vent so as to prevent inhalation of missile exhaust into the cabin . the fire command is issued to the missile which activates the heat battery , which is a chemical battery having a life of 30 seconds or so to provide power to the missile electronics and actuators . when the missile battery is up to temperature and producing full voltage , the control electronics issues the missile booster fire command which causes the electrical umbilical to be jerked loose from the missile and the missile booster to be fired . the missile booster ejects the missile from the pod and , when it is clear of the pod , the missile rocket motor fires and propels the missile toward the target under control of the missile seeker . the contol electronics selects the next missile to be activated and activates that missile . the gyroscope in that missile is spun up and the sensor cooled and at the same time super elevation and lead are removed so that the turret returns to the position it would have had , had the tracking continued . the gunner hand controller is reactivated so that the turret tracking is again under the control of the gunner . the gunner verifies visually that the target has been destroyed and immediately slews the turret to engage the next target . a laser range finder 100 , shown in fig1 , uses a co 2 laser having a narrow beam transmission to minimize interception and detection by attacking enemy units . the narrow beam of the laser would ordinarily make its use on an air defense system impractical , but the extremely stable platform provided by the turret stabilization system of this invention makes the use of the laser rangefinder feasible . an infrared tracking unit which rapidly scans a 2 ° by 2 ° field of view provides target information to the control electronics which in turn generates beam steering commands to direct the laser range finder beam very accurately to the target . this resolves the aiming problem of the convention laser range finder . the laser range finder includes a sensor which measures the light transmission time and provides extremely accurate information as to the range of the target from the laser range finder . the laser range finder is integrated into the control electronics to provide an inhibit signal when the target is detected to be out of range of the missile . in addition , the control electronics can calculate , from the range information provided by the laser range finder and also the azimuth and elevation rates of change , the course of the target and the anticipated interception position so that the missile can be fired at the earliest possible time to engage the target as far as possible from the light air defense system . it is anticipated that the lads of this invention may be provided with a high rate of fire machine gun for close engagement . the laser range finder is particularly useful for providing information to the control electronics to calculate the proper elevation and lead angles for the machine gun to provide unerring accuracy to the automatic elevation and azimuth lead controls when a machine gun is to be used . further refinement may be included by providing an input for wind velocity and direction input to the control electronics , and also vehicle motion sensors for inputting the speed and direction of the vehicle into the control electronics . in this way , the corrections for wind velocity and also for vehicle motion may be accommodated . it is desirable in many circumstances to operate the lads turret from a remote position . the remote position may be as close as the vehicle cab and as far away as a fortified bunker at some distance from the turret . in addition , it is useful to provide the capability of monitoring the controls and displays of the turret from a remote position for purposes of training . a remote control system for the lads is shown in fig1 . as shown , the remote control communications are by way of cable , but it could be done by other forms of communications such as radio and laser communication . the remote control system uses a standard computer interface , such as an rs232 , which is cable connected to a similar rs232 port on the remote processor 108 which enables the remote console 110 to control the functions of the control means 26 from the remote console . the remote console 110 can be an exact duplicate of the console in the cabin 10 or it can be a suitcase type which can be carried either in the vehicle cab or located in a central command and control center . the hand controller 46 &# 39 ; of the console 110 is identical to the hand station in the cabin console and is operated identically to the cabin hand station 46 . these signals from the hand station are sent via the cable to the control means 26 in the cabin which functions as though the gunner were in the cabin . a headset 112 is provided which will give the remote gunner the same audio signals that the gunner in the cabin would have received . since the gunner is not actually in the cabin , his visual acquisition of the target will have to depend on the camera 84 in the missile pod , which is inferior to direct line of sight acquisition of the target , but in some circumstances is preferred to a direct line of sight form . likewise , the flir image can be displayed on the remote video display screen by way of signals over the cable to the remote display . once a target is acquired by a particular lads system , the on - board auto track function can be initiated for automatic target tracking . the auto track can be accommplished using either the missile seeker or the flir contrast tracking functions . the flir display and the video camera image can both be displayed in the control center for visual target recognition . the firing of system missiles or other air defense weapons can be controlled from the control center . this flexibility enables the use of the lads without subjecting the operators to the danger of air attack from attacking aircraft , and also enables larger weapon systems , such as large guns or large rocket pods that would otherwise cause a weight or volume problem on vehicle mounted applications to be utilized . the control electronics 26 is shown in fig1 with its inputs and outputs and the internal signal conditioning and processing functions illustrated . the signals from the hand controller 46 and from the flir and missile target seeker are conditioned by a signal conditioner 120 and multiplexed in a analog multiplexer 122 . they are converted to digital signals in a a / d converter 124 . the control signals from the cpu 126 responsive to the signal inputs are delivered through an a / d converter to the turret azimuth and elevation drive circuits 24 , the control panel controls and to the missile control electronics . the cpu 126 uses plug - in cards and can readily be reprogrammed to accommodate changes in munitions such as the aforementioned machine gun and also updated or other missile munitions . the operation of the invention will now be outlined by reference to the logic flow diagram in fig1 . in the normal defensive situation , the gunner will be cued as to direction of the attacking aircraft . the cueing is normally done by a ground or airborne based radar installation , but can also be done by a central command and control installation or by radio warning by other friendly units in the area . if the gunner has not alreadly activiated the missile , he will do so at that time and switch the systems switch to the engage mode . he sqeezes the palm grips on the hand controller 46 and slews the turret to face the anticipated approach direction of the attacking aircraft . the transparent canopy 13 of the cabin has a forwardly and upwardly facing view so the gunner can visually scan a sector of the sky wide enough to see all approaching aircraft from the direction from which the aircraft will appear . the console will display the missile status so that the gunner will be able to confirm that a missile gyro is spun up and cooled and is ready to be fired . also , the gunner will have ensured that the flir is cooled and is operational , especially if the attack is at night , so that he will have the infrared target acquisition capabilities . when the target comes into view , the gunner is ready for him and has the advantage of preparation . he has the target in his sights and will have locked on long before the target even knows that the lads is there . this is especially true in a static situation when the lads can be camouflage since it is small , passive as to its sensors , and ready for the target . the attacking aircraft , on the other hand , is fast , but is easily seen and is expected . the flir will be in its wide field of view and the laser range finder will be off so that no tell - tale light beam is produced by the lads . when the target comes over the horizon , normally at a low angle and a high rate of speed , it will be acquired immediately on the flir and also will be sighted visually by the gunner looking through the transparent canopy . the gunner slews the cabin to line up the azimuth with the approaching target direction , and raises the munitions arms to center the target on the flir . he kicks the button which switches the flir to the narrow field of view and continues tracking the target manually by use of the hand controller 46 . he pushes the iff button and the target is immediately identified as unfriendly . the target can further be identified by way of a radio frequency interferometer to positively identify the target as unfriendly . the laser range finder is now turned on and the control electronics has information as to range , azimuth , elevation , and rate of change of range , azimuth and elevation so that the trajectory of the target is known . if the gunner has not already done so , he now switches the safe / arm switch to arm and pushes the helicopter button if the target is a helicopter . the bore sight correction is applied by the comparison of the two sensor / seekers or by a predetermined bore sight correction , whichever is appropriate . a symbol is projected on the sight glass to confirm for the gunner that a missile has been selected and activated and is ready to fire . in addition , for purposes of training or for defensive situations where a gunner has sector responsibility , a symbol will also be projected on the sight glass indicating that the turret is aimed in a direction in which fire permission has been preauthorized . in a training situation the symbol will indicate that the range safety officer has authorized missile firing . when the missile gyro is spun up , the missile electronics produces a tone , indicating to the gunner that the missile sensor / seeker has centered on a hot ir source . the auditory tone varies according to the relative position of the sensor / seeker relative to the center of the ir source . this provides another confirmation to the gunner that the missile sensor / seeker is aimed at a target which it can track . when the gunner has maximized the tone , that is when he has centered the missile sensor / seeker on the target , he squeezes the hand grip to uncage the missile seeker . the uncaged missile seeker then centers itself on the ir source and the missile electronics produces a tone in the gunner &# 39 ; s earphone which verifies that the missile is uncaged . in addition , a symbol is projected on the sight glass which verifies to the gunner visually that the missile is uncaged . the reticle projected on the transparent sight glass indicates any divergence between the aiming point of the missile seeker / sensor and the aiming position of the sight glass . in this way the gunner can verify that the target which he has acquired visually is the same target which the missile sensor / seeker is locked on . if the reticle and the target image does not remain centered on the sight glass , the gunner will know immediately that missile sensor seeker is locked on the wrong target and he releases the &# 34 ; uncage &# 34 ; button to recage the seeker sensor and thereby center it again on the same target that the gunner is tracking . when the gunner has verified that the missile sensor / seeker is locked on the same target that he is tracking , he pushes the auto track select button . at this point , the control electronics begins utilizing the error signal produced by the missile sensor / seeker or the flir sensor / seeker to cause the elevation and azimuth error signals from the chosen sensor / seeker to be used by the azimuth and elevation control means to automatically track the target . the gunner is now free to concentrate on command , control , communications , and timing functions , that is , those functions which require human judgment , and he is free from the mechanical functions of target acquisition and tracking . the laser range finder will inform the gunner whether the target is within missile range , and , if so , the gunner can launch the missile or he can wait for the target to approach closer to improve the chances of the kill . there may be circumstances in which the gunner elects to let one aircraft pass by unmolested so as not to alert the enemy that the area is defended . then , when a large attacking force appears , they can all be destroyed before they have organized a coherent attack . if the gunner elects to fire his missile , he pulls the fire trigger and initiates the automatic fire sequence . the computer samples and stores the azimuth and elevation rates at which the cabin and arms are changing position . the hand controller azimuth and elevation signals are disabled and the computer continues the azimuth and elevation rate of changes at the same rate that the turret was executing when the fire button was pushed . the optimum azimuth and elevation lead angles are calculated for the type of target , whether helicopter or fixed wing aircraft , and depending on the direction , the speed and the elevation of the target , and the optimal lead angles are inserted by providing an impulse to the elevation and azimuth control system 24 which indexes the turret to produce the correct lead angle . the air conditioner vent is closed and the fire command is issued to the missile electronics . meanwhile , the turret continues to track at the same rate of elevation and azimuth that existed when the fire command was pushed . the missile electronics initiates the battery heating sequence and the electrical umbilical unplug actions . when the battery is producing a voltage at the required level , the missile booster is fired to eject the missile from the launch tube . the next missile in sequence is activated and ready to fire virtually instantly . the ejected missile , after it clears the launch tube , fires its rocket motor and is guided by its sensor / seeker toward the target . immediately after it is launched , the computer causes the elevation and azimuth of the missile pods to return to the predetermined tracking trajectory so that the gunner can fire the next missile in case the first missile misses the target . the gunner confirms visually that the missile has destroyed the target and simultaneously prepares himself to slew the cabin to the next target . when he confirms that the first target is destroyed he immediately operates the hand controller to slew the cabin toward the next target and the sequence begins again . after a short predetermined time period which has been predetermined to insure that the immediate vacinity is clear of missile exhaust fumes , the air conditioner vent reopens so that fresh air can be vented into the cabin . if no other targets are in sight and the gunner is not advised that he should prepare for other targets to enter his sector of responsibility , he releases the palm grips or pushes the &# 34 ; deactivate &# 34 ; button so that next missile which has been activated can be deactivated and therefore preserve coolant . the invention disclosed herein is small , lightweight and easily transported by many existing military air transports . it can be mounted on a variety of existing military carriers for a highly mobile and readily concealed air defense system . it is the first effective missile based air defense system which can be fired while the carrier is on the move and therefore provides the first mobile air defense missile based system for protecting convoys , attacking military formations and other mobile military assets . it utilizes to a larger extent predeveloped military hardware and weapon subsystems such as the stinger missile , so its reliability is virtually preascertained and the development cost is low . the entire system is extremely inexpensive and of diminutive size and weight for an air defense system of its effectiveness . it is an uncomplicated system and very easy to learn , and the training of gunners has been proven to be fast and sure . it is an ideal air defense system for united states forces because it may be procured in large numbers and provide redundance and overlapping sectors of responsibility in air defense systems around many military assets because of its low cost and ease of training the gunners to operate . it is also ideally suited for many allied military forces because of its low cost and suitability for local manufacturing of many of its components . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiment will occur to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure . accordingly , it is expressly to be understood that these modifications and variations , and the equivalents thereof , may be practiced while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined in the following claims .
5
the microscopic and macroscopic uniformity of copper film after electrodeposition step is critical for the performance of cmp to efficiently polish copper from the whole wafer without excessive overpolish . the present invention is aimed at controlling the growth rate of copper deposition over the high density feature areas by applying a series of reversed potential pulse sequences to eliminate or reduce microscopic thickness non - uniformities over the dense array of small features . by selecting an optimized reverse potential pulse sequence , bump formation , which is defined in the background section , could be eliminated or minimized over the features narrower than about 10 microns , preferably narrower than 5 microns and therefore the micro - scale planarity of the film could be highly improved . fig3 illustrates a substrate 100 having a copper layer 102 deposited in accordance with the principles of the present invention . the substrate 100 is a semiconductor substrate , preferably silicon , comprising an insulating layer 104 such as a dielectric layer , for example sio 2 , on top of it . the dielectric layer 104 is previously patterned and processed with known semiconductor process technologies to form exemplary first , second and third feature or cavity arrays 106 , 108 and 110 . accordingly , the first , second and third feature arrays are comprised of small width ( about 0 . 05 – 0 . 5 microns ) or small , medium width ( about 0 . 5 – 2 microns ) or medium and large width ( 2 – 5 microns ) or large trenches 107 , 109 and 111 , respectively . the trenches 107 , 109 and 111 and surface 112 of the dielectric layer 104 are lined with a barrier layer 114 , for example ta or tan or both , and a copper seed layer 116 on top of the barrier layer . it is understood that the substrate 100 , the layers on top it and the way they are processed are the same as the substrate shown in fig1 . however , in order to describe the present invention in detail and more clearly , different reference numerals are used . the electrodeposition process of the present invention will be described in connection with fig3 and 4 . the graph 200 in fig4 shows an exemplary electric field waveform used in the present invention . referring to fig3 , the electrochemical deposition of the copper layer 102 may be described using a multi - step selective filling process that fills each feature group in predetermined time intervals . after filling of the features that are approximately less than 5 – 10 microns in width with the process of the present invention , the process may proceed with a selected conventional electroplating process to fill the features having more than 10 microns feature widths . of course , although the exemplary process of the present invention has three process steps , depending on the number of feature array groups of interest , the process may have multiple process steps to fill features grouped according to their sizes . the electrodeposition is carried out from a copper ion containing plating or electrolyte solution having accelerator and suppressor species . the electrolyte solution may not include levelers , although their inclusion does not affect the process of the present invention . during the process , either the substrate is immersed in the electrolyte , or the seed layer lined surface of the substrate is contacted with the electrolyte . an electrode is also immersed in the electrolyte , and the substrate to be plated and the electrode are connected to a power supply that is able to apply a voltage , or able to reverse or pulsate the voltage , between the electrode and the substrate . during the electroplating process , the electrode functions as an anode while the conductive substrate surface becomes cathode . accordingly , in a first exemplary process step , a first copper layer 118 is deposited over the substrate to completely fill the small trenches 107 in the array 106 . as shown in fig3 and 4 , the plating is initiated by applying a cathodic voltage to the substrate with respect to the electrode ( not shown ). during the process , copper first starts to deposit conformally , and then bottom - up growth is initiated and the small trenches 107 are quickly filled by the time t 1 . as shown in fig4 , this stage of the process comprises a first cathodic waveform 202 . the waveform may be a rectangular dc wave form as shown in fig4 , however , any waveform , dc or ac or varying may be used to fill the features . it should be understood that the prior art defect - free filling of the small features that is mentioned in the background section is carried out before the time t 1 . therefore , the prior art does not address the bump formation problem , which occurs after the time t 1 . time t 1 is a predetermined filling time and depends on the width of the trench . once the small trenches 107 are filled with the layer 118 , a first set of anodic pulses 204 are applied until a predetermined time t 1 ′. the set of pulses may comprise at least one pulse of 0 . 5 to 5 seconds in duration , preferably 1 to 2 seconds . the application of pulsed waveform 204 prevents bump formation over the layer 118 above the array 106 when the deposition is continued . as mentioned before , in the prior art applications , the accelerator species that are responsible for bottom - up fill of the features can cause a bump or overfill over the small trenches , as the deposition progresses after the filling of the smaller features . in the present invention , use of pulsed wave forms advantageously reduce accelerator concentrations over the deposited layer and hence inhibit bump formation , when the deposition process continues . although the pulses shown in fig4 are preferably completely anodic , it is also possible to have cathodic components of these pulses . after the application of pulsed waveform 204 , in a second step of the process , a first leveled deposition layer 119 is initially formed on the copper layer 118 . in this step , a second cathodic wave form 206 is applied to initiate deposition of the layer 119 over the first layer 118 which is treated with pulsed wave 204 to assure flatness of the subsequently deposited layer 119 . as shown in fig4 , the second cathodic waveform 206 is applied between the time t 1 ′ and the time t 2 , and the first leveled deposition layer 119 is formed between time t 1 ′ and t 1 ″. as can be seen from fig3 , at time t 1 ″, although the small trenches are filled and successfully covered with the first leveled deposition layer 119 , which is bump free and flat , the medium and larger trenches are still not fully filled with copper . deposition is then continued with the waveform 206 to fill the medium trenches 109 with a second copper layer 120 . during the deposition of the second copper layer 120 on the layer 119 , between time t 1 41 and t 2 , copper starts filling the remaining unfilled upper portions of the medium trenches and large trenches , and by the time t 2 , the medium trenches 109 are completely filled . once the medium trenches 109 are filled , the second step of the process is continued by applying a second set of anodic pulses 208 to treat the second copper layer 120 until a predetermined time t 2 ′. as in the previous step , the application of pulsed waveform 208 prevents bump formation on the layer 120 over the array 108 when the plating continues with deposition of a new copper layer on top of the layer 120 . after the application of pulsed wave form 208 , in a third step of the process , a second leveled deposition layer 121 is formed over the second layer 120 , as a third cathodic wave form 210 is applied to initiate copper deposition over the second layer 120 which is pulsed wave treated . as shown in fig4 , plating process comprises application of a third cathodic waveform 210 between the time t 2 ′ and the time t 3 . in particular , the second leveled deposition layer 121 is formed between time t 2 ′ and t 2 ″ over the pulsed wave treated copper layer 120 . as can be seen from fig3 and 4 , at time t 2 ″, although the second leveled deposition layer 121 , which is flat , is formed over the small and medium arrays 106 and 108 , the large trenches 111 in large array 110 are still not fully filled with copper . the third process step is then continued with deposition of a third copper layer 122 over the second leveled layer 121 to completely fill the large trenches 111 . as shown in fig4 , this stage of the process is performed within the third cathodic waveform 210 between the time t 2 ″ and the time t 3 . during the deposition of the third copper layer 122 , between time t 2 ″ and t 3 , copper starts filling the remaining unfilled upper portions of the large trenches and by the time t 3 , the large trenches 111 are completely filled . once the large trenches 111 are filled , the third step of the process is continued by applying a third set of anodic pulses 212 until a predetermined time t 3 ′. as in the previous steps , the application of pulsed waveform 212 prevents bump formation on the layer 122 when the plating continues with deposition of a new copper layer on top of the layer 122 . up to this point of the process of the present invention fills the features that are approximately less than 10 microns in width . the process proceeds with the conventional electroplating process to fill the features having more than 10 microns feature widths so that after the application of pulsed waves , a third leveled deposition layer 123 over the layer 122 may be formed to continue deposition process . the third leveled deposition layer 123 may be formed by the time t 3 ″ using for example a fourth cathodic waveform 214 . in all above steps of the present invention , time spent to fill feature arrays 106 , 108 and 110 using forward cathodic waveform depends on the size of the features . further , it is understood that although the waveforms 202 , 206 and 210 are dc waveforms with equal magnitude , this is not necessary to perform the process of the present invention . the process can be performed using any dc or ac waveform having different magnitudes . as a result of electroplating process of the present invention , the copper layer 102 is formed over the feature arrays 106 , 108 and 110 , which have approximately less than 10 microns width or preferably less than 5 microns width , in a planar manner without bumps . although various preferred embodiments have been described in detail above , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications of the exemplary embodiment are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention .
7
the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it will be apparent , however , to one skilled in the art , that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details . in other instances , well known process steps and / or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention . various embodiments are described herein below , including methods and techniques . it should be kept in mind that the invention might also cover articles of manufacture that includes a computer readable medium on which computer - readable instructions for carrying out embodiments of the inventive technique are stored . the computer readable medium may include , for example , semiconductor , magnetic , opto - magnetic , optical . or other forms of computer readable medium for storing computer readable code . further , the invention may also cover apparatuses for practicing embodiments of the invention . such apparatus may include circuits , dedicated and / or programmable , to carry out tasks pertaining to embodiments of the invention . examples of such apparatus include a general - purpose computer and / or a dedicated computing device when appropriately programmed and may include a combination of a computer / computing device and dedicated / programmable circuits adapted for the various tasks pertaining to embodiments of the invention . when so programmed , logic is configured in these apparatus to perform different tasks at the same or different times according to the programming code . embodiments of the invention relate to apparatus and methods for servicing url rating requests and url rating responses using one or both of http - based url filtering and dns - based url filtering . generally speaking , http - based url filtering employs a http - based url rating server that rates http - based url requests . as is known , http - based url requests are requests that are transmitted using the http protocol , which is based on the transmission control protocol ( tcp ). likewise , dns - based url filtering employs dns - based url rating server that rates dns - based url requests . as is known , dns - based url requests are requests that are transmitted using the dns protocol , which is based on the user datagram protocol ( udp ) and / or transmission control protocol ( tcp ). as discussed , the http protocol can transport any length url . on the other hand , the dns protocol , when based on udp , tends to carry the payload in the text record data field of the udp packet and thus can transport around 255 characters per packet . in contrast to the prior art approach of employing http protocol for all requests and responses , the invention may employ the dns protocol for some requests and responses . by employing the dns protocol , network bandwidth usage is reduced . the reduction in network bandwidth usages is due to dns based requests and responses being fairly light weight and having low latency . furthermore , since dns - based url rating requests are less than about 255 characters , less computing resource is required in process these shorter dns - based url rating requests . accordingly , congestion is reduced at a typical dns - based url rating server compared to the congestion level at a http - based url rating server . the features and advantages of the invention may be better understood with reference to the figures and discussions that follow . fig2 shows , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , an example of dns url filtering involving a client 202 , a gateway with url filtering 204 , and a dns - based url rating server 214 , representing an example url filtering method employing the dns protocol . in dns - based url filtering , url filtering client 204 intercepts the url forwarded by client 202 that is attempting to access the website associated with the url . once the url is intercepted by the gateway with url filtering 204 , gateway with url filtering 204 may forward the url request using the dns protocol , which is based on udp and / or tcp , to a dns - based url rating server 214 . dns - based url rating server 214 then employs a rating scheme to categorize / rate the url . after the categorizing / rating for the url is generated , dns - based url rating server 214 then delivers a dns response back to gateway with url filtering 204 . gateway with url filtering 204 subsequently receives the dns response from dns - based url rating server 214 and applies the policy accordingly to either allow or deny access of the url by client 202 . generally speaking , dns - based responses and requests are fairly light weight and has low latency , therefore , network bandwidth usage is reduced . this is because udp - based dns packets tend to be small ( 51 . 2 bytes ) and can typically carry only about 255 characters of information , such as the url information . accordingly , one requirement of dns - based url filtering is the requirement that the url be less than or equal 255 characters in length for url filtering requests , and that the url rating information is less than or equal to 255 characters . however , since dns - based url rating requests and responses are less than about 255 characters , less computing resource is required to process these shorter dns - based url rating requests and responses . because less computer resource is required to process these shorter dns - based url rating response , congestion may be reduced at a typical dns - based url rating server . fig3 shows , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , an example of a hybrid url filtering arrangement involving a client 302 , a gateway with hybrid url filtering 304 , dns - based url rating server 316 , and http - based url rating server 318 . as shown in fig3 , a url request is generated by client 302 and intercepted by gateway with hybrid url filtering 304 before access to the website is granted or denied . gateway with hybrid url filtering 304 then computes the length of the url string . if the length of the url string is equal or less than 255 characters , gateway with hybrid url filtering 304 forwards the url request by way of the internet 314 , using the dns protocol , to a dns - based url rating server 316 . in contrast , if the length of the url string is greater then 255 characters , gateway with hybrid url filtering 304 may forward the url request by way of the internet , using the http protocol , to a http - based url filtering server 318 . once the url request is received by the url rating server ( either the dns - based url rating server or the http - based url rating server ), the url rating server than employs a rating scheme to categorize / rate the url . in one or more embodiments , if the url rating request is sent via the dns protocol , the corresponding url rating response is returned via the dns protocol . likewise , if the url rating request is sent via the http protocol , the corresponding url rating response is returned via the http protocol . irrespective whether the http protocol or the dns protocol is employed for the url rating response , gateway with hybrid url filtering 304 receives the url rating response and applies the access policy accordingly to either allow or deny access by client 302 to the website represented by the url . fig4 shows , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , a flowchart of the hybrid url filtering method . as shown in fig4 , the hybrid url filtering method starts with step 402 , at which a url filtering client 202 ( as shown in fig2 ) receives the url request to be rated . gateway with url filtering 204 is different from the client browser , and may be implemented at any node on the network ( such as gateway device or router ). url filtering client 204 may also be implemented , if desired , in the same client machine that provides the client browser . url filtering client 204 then computes the length of url string 406 . if the length of the url string is equal or less than 255 characters 420 , url filtering client 204 may forward the url request using the dns protocol to a dns - based url rating server 424 . in contrast , if the length of the url string is greater then , 255 characters 418 , url filtering client 204 may forward the url request using the http protocol to a http - based url filtering server 414 . once the url has been forwarded to dns - based url rating server 424 , dns - based url rating server 424 then employs a rating scheme to categorize / rate the url . after the categorizing / rating for the url is generated , dns - based url rating server 424 then delivers a dns response back to url filtering client 204 . similarly , if http - based url rating server 414 is employed to rate the url requested , http - based url rating server 414 then employs a rating scheme to categorize / rate the url . after the categorizing / rating for the url is generated , http - based url rating server 414 then delivers a http response back to url filtering client 204 . in one or more embodiments , if the url rating response is shorter than or equal to 255 characters , then the ms protocol may be employed to transmit the categorizing / rating back to url filtering client 204 . in one or more embodiments , if the url rating response is longer than 255 characters , then the http protocol will be employed to transmit the categorizing / rating back to url filtering client 204 . the table of fig5 shows , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , a comparison between http url filtering , dns url filtering , and hybrid url filtering . as shown in the table of fig5 , under the column labeled “ http / tcp ” 504 and in the row labeled “ scalability ” 510 , the scalability of employing just the http protocol to transmit the url rating requests or responses is average . this is because http is a fairly heavy - weight protocol , and the larger payload of http requires a lot of processing power on the part of the http - based url rating server to service a given number of url rating requests / url rating responses , thereby limiting the scalability of a http - based url rating arrangement . the table of fig5 further shows , under the column labeled “ dns / udp ” 506 and in the row labeled “ scalability ” 510 , the scalability of employing just the dns protocol to transmit the url requests or responses to be relatively high . this is because the udp - based dns is highly efficient , both in terms of the transmission bandwidth and in terms of the lower processing power requirement on the part of the dns - based url rating server . in contrast , by employing the hybrid url filtering apparatus and method , which may involve both the http protocol and the dns protocol as transport , the scalability may increase to about above average , which is greater than employing http protocol alone . this is because , in an embodiment , the gateway url filtering device intelligently and selectively picks the more efficient transport of the two protocols ( e . g ., dns over http ) whenever possible . with respect to latency , the use of the hybrid url filtering apparatus and method also results in an improvement . as shown in the table of fig5 , under the column labeled “ http / tcp ” 504 and in the row labeled “ latency ” 518 , the latency of employing just the http protocol to transmit the url requests or responses is high . this is because , as mentioned earlier , http is capable of carrying a greater payload but requires more transmission bandwidth and greater processing power on the part of the http - based url rating server . these requirements translate into a higher latency . the table of fig5 also shows , under the column labeled “ dns / udp ” 506 and in the row labeled “ latency ” 518 , the latency of employing just the dns protocol alone to transmit the url requests or responses to be relatively low . again , the transmission bandwidth efficient udp - based dns protocol , with its characteristic low processing load , results in lower latency . when both http and dns are employed to service url rating requests and / or url rating responses , the hybrid url filtering apparatus and method , which may include both http protocol and dns protocol , results in a latency that is about average , which is greater than the latency experienced when employing the dns protocol alone . however , this is an acceptable trade - off since the hybrid url filtering apparatus and method can accommodate both short url rating requests / responses ( via dns ) as well as longer url rating requests / responses ( via http ). if dns had been the sole transport , url rating requests and / or url rating responses having a length longer than the dns payload size ( about 255 characters in an embodiment ) would have been disadvantageously dropped , i . e ., unserviced . as shown in the table of fig5 , under the column labeled “ http / tcp ” 504 and in the row labeled “ reliability ” 526 . the reliability of employing just http protocol to transmit the url requests or responses is high . this is because the tcp - based http protocol , although heavy weight , is configured to retransmit dropped packets , thereby ensuring a high degree of transmission reliability . in contrast , the table of fig5 shows , under the column labeled “ dns / udp ” 506 and in the row labeled “ reliability ” 526 , the reliability of employing just the dns protocol alone to transmit the . url requests or responses tends to be about average . by employing the hybrid url filtering apparatus and method , which may include both btu protocol and dns protocol , the reliability may increase to about above average , which is higher than the reliability that results from employing the dns protocol alone . the improvement in reliability may be attributable to the use of the http protocol to transmit larger url rating requests and / or larger url rating responses , i . e ., the larger url rating requests and / or larger url rating responses do not have to be dropped . the improvement in reliability may also be attributable to the use of the retransmit facility of http . as shown in the table of fig5 , under the column labeled “ http / tcp ” 504 and in the row labeled “ support url maximum length ” 534 , the http protocol is capable of supporting urls of greater lengths , up to any arbitrary size url rating request / url rating responses in an embodiment . in contrast , the table of fig5 shows , under the column labeled “ dns / udp ” 506 and in the row labeled “ support url maximum length ” 534 , the dns protocol is shown to be incapable of supporting long urls ( i . e ., those larger than the dns packet payload ). by employing the hybrid url filtering apparatus and method , which may include both http protocol and dns protocol , urls of maximum length can be supported by http while shorter urls can be supported by dns . as can be appreciated from the foregoing , embodiments of the invention flexibly and selectively employ the strengths of http and dns in servicing url rating requests and / or url rating responses . in so doing , embodiments of the invention enjoy the scalability , low latency , and efficiency advantages of the dns protocol when relatively short url rating requests and / or url rating responses are involved . if the size of the url rating requests and / or url rating responses exceeds the payload capacity of the dns packet payload , embodiments of the invention take advantage of greater payload capacity of the http protocol , as well as the reliability of the http protocol , in order to service the longer url rating requests / url rating responses . by combining both protocols , embodiments of the invention offer advantages not found when employing either protocol alone as the transport mechanism for url filtering . while this invention has been described in terms of several embodiments , there are alterations , permutations , and equivalents , which fall within the scope of this invention . it should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention . further , it is intended that the abstract section , having a limit to the number of words that can be provided , be furnished for convenience to the reader and not to be construed as limiting of the claims herein . it is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , permutations , and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention .
7
the invention is compositions and methods for release of bonding agents from contacted substrates . the composition of the invention comprises lecithin and a hydrophobic carrier , along with any adjuvants which may be desired . also included are methods for removing bonding agents from the various substrates of machinery such as packaging equipment . the method includes applying a releasing composition to the substrate ; using the equipment ; and removing any bonding agent from treated surfaces . the composition of the invention generally comprises an active releasing agent , comprising lecithin . lecithin functions to effect release of the bonding agent adhesives from areas unintended for application , in the packaging environment . lecithin provides the necessary polarity to attach to any variety of substrates and , in turn , forms a barrier layer which precludes adhesion . lecithin also has the appropriate heat stability to maintain a barrier layer in a variety of thermal conditions ( preferably as high as 275 ° c .). depending upon the adhesive as well as the environment of use , there are any number of theories of adhesion . the diffusion theory assumes mutual solubility of the substrate and the adhesive to form a true interface between adhesive and substrate . the electrostatic energy theory is based on the difference in electronegativities between two adhering materials . the theory of surface activity is based on the effect of intermolecular and interatomic forces on the surface energies of the adhesive and the substrate and the interfacial energy between the two provide a theoretical basis for adhesive action . finally , the theory of adhesion based upon mechanical interlocking looks at the physical properties of the substrate and adhesive as well as the geometric arrangement of these two components within the adhesive bond . applicants do not know , and do not wish to be bound to , a theory of activity of the composition of the invention . however , it is believed that the composition of the invention forms a barrier layer on the surface of application which effectively precludes the formation of an adhesive bond . it is believed that lecithin functions to reduce the structural integrity or efficacy of the bond created by the bonding agent in the packaging environment . lecithin is a complex mixture of acetone - insoluble phosphatides ( phospholipids ) comprised mostly of phosphatidylcholine and lesser amounts of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol . lecithin is also comprised of varying amounts of other materials such as triglycerides , diglycerides , monoglycerides , free fatty acids , free sterols and carbohydrates . commercially available lecithins generally fall into three classes ; natural lecithins , refined lecithins and chemically modified lecithins , and are available in fluid form containing the above components in various combinations and proportions dissolved in soybean oil , usually containing from about 50 to 65 percent acetone - insolubles ( phospholipids ) by weight of lecithin including the oil . in liquid form , the lecithin is available in different viscosities . the lecithin may be unbleached or , in order to lighten its color , it may be bleached , usually by peroxides , and may be filtered or otherwise refined . lecithin contains different functional groups that make it reactive in a number of chemical reactions . chemically modified lecithins suitable for use in the composition of this invention include by way of example and not be way of limitation , acylated , preferably acetylated lecithin , hydroxylated lecithin , and acetylated and hydroxylated lecithin . these lecithins are commercially available and sold , for example , under the trade name centrophase hr ( an acetylated lecithin ) and centrolene a ( a hydroxylated lecithin ), both available from central soya co ., inc ., metarin ™ da51 and metarin ™ ha - 51 available from lucas meyer , and thermolec wfc ( an acetylated - hydroxylated lecithin ) available from archer daniels midland company . the composition of the invention may generally contain any range of concentrations of lecithin . generally , the concentration of lecithin may range from about 5 wt -% to 95 wt -%, preferably from about 10 wt -% to 50 wt -%, and most preferably from about 20 wt -% to 30 wt -%. we have found that concentrations of lecithin lower than those provided above may be used . however , lowering the concentration of lecithin has a tendency of reducing the release properties of the bonding agent from the substrate . using concentrations of lecithin higher than those provided above may also be undertaken in accordance with the invention . however , higher concentrations of lecithin may result in no increased efficacy with the release agent composition of the invention . higher concentrations of lecithin also have a tendency to affect the properties of the composition of the invention by increasing viscosity and reducing the efficiency and ease with which the composition of the invention may be applied to any substrate . in order to ease application of the lecithin used in the composition of the invention as well as facilitate the formation of a barrier layer , the composition of the invention also comprises a carrier . the carrier functions to modify the physical properties of the lecithin compound to make it more spreadable and less viscous . further , the carrier facilitates and increases the properties of the composition once applied to the substrate of choice . further , the carrier may be used to effect changes in barrier properties such as heat tolerance and overall physical integrity of the composition of the invention once applied as a barrier layer . the carrier used in the composition of the invention is preferably hydrophobic . in this context , hydrophobicity means that any carrier constituent has a solubility in water of less than 1 wt -% ( 0 . 01 gms per fluid cc ). preferably , the carrier is also generally recognized as safe in food contact and food preparation environments including those environments where food packaging and sealing is completed . general families of carriers which may be used in the context of this invention include aliphatic hydrocarbon oils such as vegetable oils , mineral oils , mineral seal oil and other nonvolatile solvents which have a hydrophobic character . also useful are various aliphatic hydrocarbon - based vegetable oils such as those containing carboxylic acids including butyric , caproic , caprylic , capric , lauric , lauroleic , myristic , myristoleic , pentadecanoic , palmitic , palmitoleic , margaric , stearic , oleic , linoleic , linolenic , ricinoleic , dihydroxystearic , licanic , eleostearic , arachidic , eicosenoic , dicosapolyenoic , behenic , erucic , docosapolyenoic , lignoceric , tetracosenoic , and tetracosapolyenoic , among others . these carboxylic acids are the basis for any number of oils which may be used as the carrier in the composition of the invention . such oils include babassu , butterfat , castor , cocoa butter , coconut , corn , cottonseed , herring , lard , linseed , menhaden , mustard seed , neats foot , oiticica , olive , palm , palm kernel , peanut , perilla , rapeseed , rice bran , safflower , sardine , sesame , soybean , sperm - body or - head fatty acids , sunflower , tall oil , tallow , tung oil and whale oil , among others . useful aliphatic esters having carboxylic acid - derived portions of more than seven carbons include vegetable oils and animal - derived fatty materials . useful vegetable oils include soybean oils , cotton oils , other vegetable cooking or salad oils . useful animal - derived fatty materials include lard , butter , and beef suet . preferred hydrophobic carriers include white mineral oil having a specific gravity of 0 . 83 - 0 . 90 at 20 ° c . and a viscosity of 150 - 220 cps at 72 ° f . ; isoparaffinic solvents such as isopar ® m available from exxon corporation ; mineral seal oil such as that available from ashland chemical , inc . ; high stability salad oil available from karlshamns under the tradename clarity ; sunflower oil available from svo specialty products , inc . under the tradename trisun ® 80 , partially hydrogenated soybean oil available from van den bergh food ingredients group under the tradename durkex ® 100 ; and soybean oil having a specific gravity of 0 . 91 - 0 . 93 at 20 ° c ., an iodine value of 103 - 115 ( for a 1 . 5 gm sample ), an acid value 0 . 1 maximum ( for a 15 gm sample ), and a saponification value of 189 - 195 ( for a 4 - 5 gm sample ). mineral oil used in the context of the invention is preferably a white mineral oil , food grade , typically having a viscosity at 72 ° f . in the range of from about 150 - 220 and a specific gravity at 20 . 0 ° c . of from about 0 . 85 to about 0 . 9 . the concentration of carrier used in the composition of the invention may range from about 5 wt -% to 95 wt -%, preferably from about 50 wt -% to 90 wt -%, and most preferably from about 70 wt -% to 80 wt -%. when the composition of the invention comprises mineral oil , the mineral oil is generally present at a concentration ranging from about 5 wt -% to 95 wt -%, preferably from about 50 wt -% to 90 wt -%, and most preferably from about 70 wt -% to 80 wt -%. when the carrier of the invention comprises a vegetable oil , the vegetable oil is generally present at a concentration ranging from about 5 wt -% to 95 wt -%, preferably from about 50 wt -% to 90 wt -%, and most preferably from about 70 wt -% to 80 wt -%. when the carrier of the invention comprises a soybean oil , the soybean oil will be present in a concentration ranging from about 5 wt -% to 95 wt -%, preferably from about 50 wt -% to 90 wt -%, and most preferably from about 70 wt -% to 80 wt -%. use of concentrations greater than these provided above may reduce the release activity of the lecithin . further , higher concentrations of carrier may also deleteriously affect the physical properties of the barrier layer ultimately formed on the substrate of choice . the use of concentrations lower than those provided above for the carrier of the composition of the invention may result in undesirable increases in viscosity in the composition of the invention . further , the use of lower compositions of carrier may also affect the barrier properties of the composition of the invention in a way unintended by the user . table 1______________________________________wt % more mostconstituents preferred preferred preferred______________________________________lecithin 5 - 95 10 - 50 20 - 30carrier 5 - 95 50 - 90 70 - 80______________________________________ the composition of the invention may be formulated through any means known to those of skill in the art by combining the desired concentrations of lecithin and carrier with manual or automated mixing . if higher concentrations of lecithin are used , heating up to 140 ° f . has been used to blend lecithin and carrier into a homogenous state . high speed automated mixing may also be used to blend the composition of the invention . the composition of the invention may be applied to any number of substrates such as those provided in this disclosure . the application of the composition may be completed through spraying , wiping , and brushing among other processes . the composition may be applied at any temperature suitable to facilitate the formation of a barrier layer of the appropriate thickness . preferably , the barrier layer has a thickness ( measured in thousandths of an inch ) ranging from about 1 mils to about 20 mils , more preferably from about 2 mils to 15 mils , and most preferably from about 2 . 5 mils to 12 mils . the composition of the invention may be applied to any equipment substrate in the packing or packaging environment . prior to application , the composition of the invention generally has a viscosity of 5 to 1200 cps at 25 ° c ., preferably has a viscosity of 10 to 500 cps at 25 ° c ., and most preferably has a viscosity of 80 to 200 cps at 25 ° c . application of the composition of the invention may be completed by any means known to those of skill in the art including spray pump , aerosol without commingling the propellant and release composition , wipe , brush , or immersion among other methods . as the composition of the invention does not crosslink or cure , there is no set - up time after application . the composition of the invention should be applied to a clean , dry surface for best efficacy . the composition of the invention may be applied to both flexible and inflexible surfaces such as hardened metal , plastic , or composite surfaces or more flexible conveyor or partition materials . the following working examples are provided to illustrate the various aspects of the invention . however , these working examples should not be viewed as limiting of the invention as only the claims define the invention disclosed herein . an analysis was undertaken using the composition of the invention which was applied to the panels before applying the labeler glue . two panels were coated with the composition of the invention , formulated to include soybean oil ( 70 wt -%), and lecithin ( 30 wt -%), which was drained from the panels . subsequently , labeler glue was applied to these panels . two other panels were coated with the composition of the invention and then allowed to dry for several hours ( undrained ) before applying the glue . all four panels were allowed to sit over night to let the glue set up . the composition of the invention did not appear to dissolve the glue . but when one edge of the glue was picked up , the whole piece came off the panel . both the drained and undrained panels gave good results in glue removal . another analysis was undertaken comprising a set of panels each coated with corn oil , drained and undrained as with example 1 . after applying the glue the day before , an attempt was made to remove the glue . it was discovered that the glue could not be removed . additional samples of other types of labeler glues were obtained . two of the glues were hard , glue gun - like pellets obtained from swift adhesives as brand 80863 . the additional glue source was a liquid adhesive obtained from h . b . fuller as brand xr 6324 . the composition of the invention was spread on stainless steel panels using a towel . small amounts of the liquid glue were coated onto panels that had been coated with the composition of the invention as well as panels which remained uncoated . the next day the glue had set up on both group panels . the panels pretreated with the composition of the invention allowed for immediate removal of the set - up glue . on the panels which were uncoated with the composition of the invention , the glue could not be removed . the pellet - style glues were then melted and coated on a panel which had one - half of its area coated with the composition of the invention , while the remaining area of the panel was left untreated . once the glue cooled , an attempt was made to remove it . one could easily tell where the composition of the invention started and finished on the panel . the glue on the coated part of the panel lifted right off , while the glue on the uncoated portion remained firmly attached . three sets of panels were prepared to compare silicon - based compositions to those of the claimed invention in using them as adhesive removal agents . the first set of panels was treated with a composition known as clearko , available from clearko products of pennsylvania . the second set of panels was treated with the composition of the invention and the third set of panels was treated with a wesson cooking spray which contains silica . each of the three sets of panels then had applied to it a thin film and a thick film of hot melt adhesive . the adhesive was allowed to set up . in the instance of the clearko - treated panels , the thin film popped off of the panel and there was no resistance to removal of the thick film . in the instance of the composition of the invention , the thin film glue came off with some effort , while the thick film came off without any resistance . with the wesson cooking spray - treated panels , more effort was needed to remove the thin film of adhesive from these panels than that necessary to remove the thin film of adhesive from the panels treated with the composition of the invention . with regard to the thick film , there was no resistance to removal of this film from the panel treated with the wesson cooking spray . following from the procedure of working example 4 , additional compositions were tested . ______________________________________working example composition______________________________________5a 70 % mineral oil , 30 % lecithin5b 70 % mineral seal oil , 30 % lecithin5c 70 % isopar , 30 % lecithin5d 90 % mineral oil , 10 % lecithin5e 90 % mineral seal oil , 10 % lecithin5f 90 % isopar , 10 % lecithin______________________________________ in each instance , panels were treated with examples 5a - 5e as was done in example 4 . with regard to example 5a , the film of glue was peeled off with a definite sign of oil remaining on the panel . with regard to example 5b , the film also was easily peeled off . with regard to 5c , the glue was pulled off with less ease . with regard to example 5d , the glue was peeled off easily . with regard to example 5e , the adhesive would not peel off the panel . with regard to example 5f , the adhesive film was not as easily removed . in subsequent testing , an attempt was made to use the carriers used in example 5 without lecithin . there was no release of the adhesives without the lecithin present in the system . the above discussion , examples and embodiments illustrate our current understanding of the invention . however , since many variations of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , the invention resides wholly in the claims hereafter appended .
2
referring now to fig1 , a proton therapy machine 10 may include a gantry 12 having a modulator 14 that may orbit 16 about a patient ( not shown ) on a patient support table 18 . the modulator 14 receives a source of protons from a proton source conduit 22 that may receive a pencil beam of protons from a synchrotron , cyclotron or the like . the pencil beam of protons may be curved through the gantry 12 by means of bending magnets 23 to direct the pencil beam along axis 21 toward the patient support table 18 at all positions of the gantry 12 within the orbit 16 . during treatment , the pencil beam of protons is received by the modulator 14 which converts the pencil beam into a fan beam 20 and individually modulates beamlets 24 within the fan beam 20 in both energy and intensity . the energy and intensity of the beamlets 24 is under the control of a control computer 25 receiving control sinograms 26 providing data indicating desired intensities and energies of each individual beamlet 24 as a function of an angle of the gantry 12 within the orbit 16 . referring now to fig2 , the modulator 14 which rotates with the gantry 12 , receives a pencil beam 30 along axis 21 at a scattering foil 32 or the like which spreads the pencil beam 30 into an area beam 34 . the area beam 34 may be collimated to provide a generally rectangular cross - sectional area extending latitudinally 36 and longitudinally 38 . after collimation , the area beam 34 may be received by an intensity modulator 40 that provides for a set of latitudinally adjacent and longitudinally extending proton - opaque shutters 42 . each of the shutters 42 may , for example , be a rectagular block of ion blocking material ( for example a dense metal ) having its longest dimension aligned with the longitudinal direction and its latitudinal width defining the width of a beamlet 24 . the shutters 42 may slide against each other at abutting latitudinal edges . each shutter 42 may be connected to an electronic or pneumatic actuator 44 controlled by the control computer 25 to move a distal end of the shutters 42 to different longitudinal distances within the area beam 34 while maintaining the proximal end of the shutters 42 outside of the area beam 34 . as depicted , the actuators 44 are represented as motors ( for example servomotors or stepper motors ) connected to the shutters 42 by a machine screw mechanism . it will be understood that other well - known actuator systems including , for example , linear motors , pneumatic cylinders , or standard rotary motors with pulley or rack systems may be used in an open or closed loop fashion , the latter providing sensors such as optical or lvdt sensors , to close the feedback loop . when all the shutters 42 are fully extended into the beam 34 , they wholly block protons of the area beam 34 . when all of the shutters 42 are wholly retracted , they allow unimpeded passage of the area beam 34 . normally the shutters 42 will partially block portions of the area beam 34 as determined by their extended length controlled by the actuator 44 . in this latter case , the average intensity of the protons within an area 43 potentially occluded by a given shutter 42 will vary continuously depending on the percentage of this area blocked by the shutter 42 and thus the amount the shutter 42 has been extended into the area beam 34 by its actuator 44 . the average intensity within this area 43 results from two regions of discontinuous intensity : one region 45 a fully blocked by the shutter 42 and the other region 45 b not blocked by the shutter 42 . thus , the intensity within this area 43 is not uniform . the area beam 34 ′ as modulated by the modulator 40 is then received by a lens array 46 comprised of two quadrupole magnet 48 a and 48 b of a type known in the art . each quadrupole magnet 48 a and 48 b is aligned along the common axis 21 and aligned in rotation with respect to the other so that the first quadrupole magnet 48 a has opposed north poles along an axis 50 a and the second quadrupole magnet 48 b , beneath the first quadrupole magnet 48 a , has a corresponding axis 50 b aligned with axis 50 a . the effect of this lens array 46 is that the area beam 34 is reformed into a fan beam 52 . the fan beam 52 also extends along axis 21 but has a larger latitudinal dimension than the area beam 34 ′ and a much narrower longitudinal dimension than the area beam 34 ′. as a result , each of the longitudinally extended areas 43 controlled by each shutter 42 in the intensity modulator 40 are compressed severely in the longitudinal direction . this compression creates the fan beam 20 of multiple controllable beamlets 24 each having an area 54 corresponding generally to one of the areas of 43 . the focusing effect of the lens array 46 also results in the discontinuous intensities of regions of 45 a and 45 b of areas 43 produced by the intensity modulator 40 being blurred so that the intensities of the beamlets 24 within the areas 54 are substantially uniform . the instantaneous intensity of the beamlets 24 in areas 54 thus will be equal to the average intensity of the beam in area 43 multiplied by the area of area 43 and divided by the area of area 54 . this results from a substantially equal flux of protons passing through areas 43 and 54 . the lens system may be implemented by other elements including gratings and / or scattering foils and collimation plates to provide a blurring and collimation of the area beam into a fan beam (?). each of the beamlets 24 defined by an area 54 is then received by an energy modulator 60 . for clarity , only one energy modulation element of the energy modulator 60 for one beamlet 24 corresponding to a particular area 54 is depicted as also shown in fig3 . each element of the energy modulator 60 provides for two opposed wedges 62 and 64 overlapping within the area 54 with their narrowest portions ( measured along axis 21 ) directed toward each other . referring to fig3 , each wedge 62 and 64 may provide a right triangle of radiation attenuating material , with one wedge inverted with respect to the other along the longitudinal axis and rotated by 180 ° along the axis of the beamlet 24 so that their hypotenuses slide along each other and their bases remain parallel . in this way , a thickness of material of the combined wedges 62 and 64 within the fan beam 52 is constant throughout the area 54 . the wedges 62 and 64 are each connected to actuators 66 which work to move the wedges 62 and 64 in opposite directions , both moving out of and into the beamlet 24 in synchrony so that the total thickness of the wedge material may be controlled . the wedges 62 and 64 serve only to slow the protons rather than block them completely and thus provide for energy modulation or range control of the protons indicated by arrows 68 . the actuators 66 also connect to the control computer 25 so that both the intensity and the energy of each beamlet within the fan beam 52 may be independently controlled during treatment . it will be understood that these wedges need not be shaped like a wedge ( necessary for uniform wedge material ) but may be , for example , constructed of materials with variable attenuation to act like a wedge while being shaped differently . it is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims .
0
in fig1 a sickle or knife assembly for cutting hay , grain or other crop plants is indicated generally at 10 and is made up of a plurality of sickle modules , for example , a drive head sickle module 11 , and intermediate sickle module 12 , and an outer end sickle module 13 . the knife assembly 10 , and each of the sickle modules 11 , 12 and 13 are made to be used with conventional knife guards ( not shown ) and driven from a reciprocating drive pitman or crank . the sickle modules include a standard cross - sectional size knifeback or bar and standard size knife sections , except that in the splice areas between sickle modules , a knife section having additional holes for fasteners for making the splice is provided . the knifeback , as used herein , is the elongated bar member on which the knife sections are mounted , through the use of rivets or bolts . as shown in fig1 the drive end sickle module 11 has a plurality of standard knife sections 16 thereon , and also has a knife drive head 17 mounted at the end of the sickle bar assembly 10 in a conventional manner . the knife drive head 17 has a drive hub member 18 that is coupled to a reciprocating drive so that the knife assembly is reciprocated back and forth along its longitudinal axis during operation as indicated by the double arrow 20 . it should be noted that the knife head 17 has an elongated shank 21 that is attached to the modular sickle section 11 through a substantial number of bolts indicated generally at 22 which are sufficient in number so that the frictional holding force between the shank 21 and the knife sections , and thus with respect to the knifeback , will be adequate to carry the loads needed for reciprocating the knife assembly of the desired length when in use . a substantial number of bolts 22 are needed to provide the friction loading between mating surfaces to transmit the loads encountered in using a long knife assembly . the intermediate sickle module 12 is coupled to the drive end sickle module 11 at a splice covered by a splice knife section 25 , at the end of the intermediate sickle module adjacent the knife head module . the intermediate module 12 is also coupled with a splice knife 25 at its outer end to the outer sickle module 13 . the outer sickle module 13 and the intermediate or center sickle module 12 are both of length to have a plurality of knife sections 16 thereon . the drive head module will be long preferably , and so will the intermediate modules . these long modules will be between six and eight feet . for example , sickle modules in six , seven and eight foot lengths can be utilized , and the outer or end sickle modules 13 and drive head modules 11 will be separately constructed from the center sickle modules 12 , which can be universal and used with different types of outer or knife head modules . the outer module 13 will usually have a half knife section at its outer end as shown in fig1 . half knife sections can be at either end of the knife assembly . the end module can be made very short and can be selected so when a long drive end module and a reasonable length second module is used , the outer module will provide the desired overall length of the knife assembly . the junction or splice knife sections 25 overlie the splices of the adjacent individual sickle modules , and as shown in fig2 and 3 , the knife sections 16 are preassembled and mounted onto knifeback portions 30 and 31 , respectively . the knifeback portion 31 forms the outer end of the drive sickle module 11 , as shown , and the knifeback portion 30 forms the knifeback for the intermediate sickle module 12 . these knifeback portions 30 and 31 each have an integral splice plate 30a and 31a , respectively , formed therein as can be seen in fig3 . the splice plates are made by reducing the thickness of the knifeback to one - half the normal thickness and making the splice plate portions complemental so the splice plates form overlapping splice portions . when the splice plates are overlapped , one on top of the other , the total thickness of the knifeback in the splice area is equal to that of the individual knifeback portions 30 and 31 . the integral splice plates 30a and 31a join with the main parts of the knifeback portions through smooth radius junction areas 30b and 31b , respectively , so there are no sharp corners that result in stress raisers at the splices . the individual sickle modules are factory fabricated , as stated , with the knife sections 16 fastened onto the respective knifeback portions through the use of fasteners such as bolts indicated at 33 , or with suitable rivets , as desired . the sickle modules are preferably factory assembled for reduced costs , and when the individual sickle modules are to be joined together , the complemental splice plates formed at the adjoining ends of the knifeback portions 30 and 31 are overlapped , so that openings indicated at 34 and 35 in the splice plate 31a , and at 34a and 35a in the junction plate 30a , align . the knifeback portions 30 and 31 are placed along a straight edge to make sure that the knife assembly is straight . then , a splice knife section 25 , which has four openings or holes therein , as shown , is placed over the overlapped splice plates . the four holes in the knife section 25 are made so that two outer holes are the same spacing as the holes for receiving bolts in the standard knife section 16 , and two center holes align with , overlie , and provide for placing fasteners through the holes 34 , 34a and 35 , 35a . the fasteners can be suitable bolts that are placed through these openings and secured . these bolts or rivets 42a - 42d can be the same as the standard bolts or rivets 33 . the assembly of the two sickle modules is then completed . all that is necessary is to place the modules with the integral splice plates overlapping , straighten the modules longitudinally , put a splice knife section in place , and put in four fasteners , such as bolts , through the splice knife section 25 and aligning splice plate openings . the overlapping of the splice plates 30a and 31a provides a substantial area of mating normally flat surfaces which are frictionally held together by the splice bolts 42b and 42c . the surfaces which mate can be milled rough , roughened or knurled for added holding power . it can be seen that because the splice knife section 25 has separate bolts 42a and 42d in the respective knifeback portions 30 and 31 , as well as two bolts 42b and 42c that pass through the splice plates , any shear loads will be carried through five shear surfaces of the bolts . in other words , assuming that the drive load is on the knifeback portion 31 , the shear load is carried through a shear surface of the bolt 42a passing through one hole , in knifeback portion 31 and the hole of splice knife section 25 adjacent the knife head and through two shear surfaces on each of the splice plate bolts shown at 42b and 42c . the longitudinal reciprocating load carrying capability of the splice is kept high because the surface area for friction forces resisting longitudinal axial loads is substantial between the mating surfaces of the overlapping splice plates . the knifeback portions 30 and 31 are the same cross - sectional size as the standard knifeback , and the ability to carry necessary loads indicated by the double arrow 20 is maintained . the splice knife section overlapping the splice , also helps to strengthen the splice . for example , the breakage of a knifeback is most likely to occur where the splice plates 30a and 31a from the main knifeback portions or across one of the holes in the splice plates . if the knifeback fails at its junction with a splice plate , for example , its region 30b , bolt 42d will have to shear as well , because splice knife section 25 spans the region 30b . if failure in splice plate 30a occurs , across hole 35a , for example , bolt 42d again will have to shear and thus additional load carrying ability is provided by the splice knife section and its fasteners . another feature of having long sickle modules at the drive end ( as long as permissible shipping length ) is that the very high loads that are carried by the knife head 17 , which are proportional to the length of the knife assembly for a given cutting condition , reduce as a function of distance from the knife head , so that at the outer end of the drive sickle module 11 , the longitudinal loads on the knifeback have been reduced . if , for example , the first splice is 8 feet from the drive head , on a 16 foot sickle bar assembly , the load at the splice between the outer sickle module to the drive sickle module would only be one - half of the load carried by the knife head . thus , the splice strength not only is increased over the prior art , but the loads are reduced at the splice over the types of knife assemblies shown in the prior art where very short , individual knifeback portions are used . rigidity also is substantially increased because the splice plates have mating , longitudinally extending generally flat surfaces which can be tightly clamped together . there are three or more splices in a very long knife assembly . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
0
the new projectile includes a casing 36 &# 39 ;, the wall thickness of which steadily increases from a front edge 36 &# 34 ; rearwardly to a region 37 &# 34 ; while the exterior diameter of the casing remains essentially constant . the casing 36 &# 39 ; has , in the vicinity of the forward edge 36 &# 34 ;, an exterior thread 37 which serves for a detachable connection between a ballistic hood 44 and the casing 36 &# 39 ;. the ballistic hood 44 is provided in a region 45 with an internal cylindrical bore surface 45 &# 39 ; which extends forwardly up to an edge 43 . from this edge 43 forwardly the ballistic hood has a uniform wall thickness and extends up to a nose point region 46 . the nose penetrator 10 has a forwardly projecting cylindrical portion 10 &# 39 ; which has an outer cylindrical surface 13 &# 39 ; that is in intimate contact with the inner cylindrical surface 45 &# 39 ; of the ballistic hood 46 so as to jointly form a tight fit . an end face 12 &# 39 ; of the projecting portion 10 &# 39 ; has a circular cutting edge 13 where the end surface 12 &# 39 ; meets with the cylindrical peripheral surface 13 &# 39 ;. the projecting portion 10 &# 39 ; is adjoined rearwardly by a frusto - conically shaped portion 10 &# 34 ; with which it is integral . the next rearwardly following pre - penetrator elements 20 , 70 to 80 also have frusto - conical shapes . the abutting surfaces of these contiguous pre - penetrator elements are of equal size and have not been designated in the drawing with special reference numbers . the peripheral surfaces of the front - most pre - penetrator element portion 10 &# 34 ; and the pre - penetrator elements 20 and 70 to 78 are matingly contacted by the inner surfaces of the casing 36 &# 39 ; so as to form a tightly fitted assembly . while the forward region 81 of the pre - penetrator element 80 is still tightly enclosed by the inner surface of the casing 36 &# 39 ;, a rearward continuation of this casing to the rear annular end face 37 &# 39 ; is of a cylindrical shape and has an internal thread thereby surrounding the rearward edges of the pre - penetrator element 80 as well as the forwardly projecting cylindrical portion 30 &# 39 ; of a main penetrator body 30 , the exterior diameter of which corresponds to the external diameter of the casing 36 &# 39 ;. a forwardly facing annular surface 34 &# 39 ; of the main penetrator body 30 is in intimate contact with the rearwardly facing surface 37 &# 39 ; of the casing 36 &# 39 ;. the forwardly projecting portion 30 &# 39 ; of the main penetrator body 30 , with which it is integral has an external thread and the casing 36 &# 39 ; has a mating internal thread in its rear portion as illustrated in fig3 . by providing a threadably detachable connection between the ballistic hood 46 and the casing 36 &# 39 ; it is quite easy to exchange in the field the pre - penetrator elements 20 , 70 to 80 for other pre - penetrator elements of different material or length and thereby facilitate the adjustment of the mass of the projectile to different targets . by forming the abutting surfaces of adjoining pre - penetrator elements as a pivot joint ( i . e . spherical - concave ) it is possible at a skewed impact on a target to achieve a re - orientation of each part following a pre - penetrator in the flight direction so that an indistorted penetration results and a premature breaking up of the following penetrator element is avoided . the afore - described arrangement can , in case of need , make possible an exchange in the field of the pre - penetrator elements 10 , 20 , 70 to 80 , in order to adapt the projectile to conditions arising in the field and in particular with respect to a sighted target . in order to effectuate such an exchange , no additional auxiliary means are necessary . since the largest diameter of the pre - penetrator element 10 provides for a corresponding penetration cross - section in a pre - armor , the following pre - penetrator element 20 , 70 to 80 can without any significant hindrance be effective against numerous armor platings that are arranged behind the pre - armor . this favors the effectiveness of the main penetrator body 30 against the main armor . the threads 37 and 39 &# 39 ; are arranged on corresponding intermediate regions 40 &# 34 ; and 42 &# 34 ;. the mass relationship of the pre - penetrator cores can be 1 : 1 . 2 : 6 , whereby the first numerical value represents the first pre - penetrator 10 , the second numerical value the second pre - penetrator element 20 and the third numerical value the main penetrator 30 . the main penetrator 30 is preferably made out of a high - strength ductile heavy metal alloy , for example a sintered alloy having a tungsten content of , for example 90 to 98 % tungsten with up to 3 . 5 % nickel , up to 1 . 5 % fe and under certain circumstances 1 % of co , whereas the pre - penetrator elements are made of a material with reduced ductility , for example 99 % tungsten and traces of ni + fe . when the projectile of the invention impacts on a target at a scewed angle sufficient forces act transversely to the longitudinal axis of the projectile ( see fig1 ) to break the casing successively in the region of the respective separating planes of the contiguous pre - penetrator elements . the casing 36 , made out of a ductile material of sufficient strength , can in such a case absorb a portion of the transverse forces by deformation and serves for a maximum force transfer between the adjoining surfaces of the pre - penetrator cores . thereby it is assured that an axial impact - force component of sufficient size effectively acts against the target . the fracture zones in the region of the corresponding separating surfaces of abutting pre - penetrator elements only becomes effective when the corresponding separating region reaches a penetration channel of the target which has been formed by the effect of the pre - penetrator element 10 on the target and , in the preponderance of cases , is inclined with respect to the flight path of the projectile . in this manner fragments from the pre - penetrator element 10 can no longer hinder the next - following pre - penetrator element 20 during its further penetration work on the target . although the embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specification , it is to be especially understood that various changes , such as in the relative dimensions of the parts , materials used , and the like , as well as the suggested manner of use of the apparatus of the invention , may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art .
5
the present invention relates to computer control devices , and particularly , to data entry devices that are used for one or more functions such as two or three dimensional control of a cursor or marker on a computer display , and selection of program control signals like macros , textual display , and selection of program control signals like macros , textual display selection , and others . exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to specific configurations . those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments while remaining within the scope of the present invention . a first embodiment is described with reference to fig1 a - b . fig1 a depicts a computer system 10 according to one embodiment of the invention . similar computer systems are described in kley , u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 935 , 728 and 4 , 782 , 327 incorporated herein by reference . computer system 10 includes a computer 12 that has a central processing unit ( cpu ) 14 , a memory 16 , a network interface 18 and user interface 20 . computer 12 is capable of running operating system software and operates device drivers that interpret signals from devices attached to the user interface 20 . a keyboard , display , 34 and cursor controller ( pointing device ) 50 are all part of the user interface , and are coupled to computer 12 via cables 38a , 38b and 38c . cable 38a is a standard 101 keyboard cable , cable 38b can be a serial cable ( e . g . rs - 232 ), a special mouse connector cable ( e . g . ps / 2 mouseport ), a mac adb bus cable , or a bus mouse cable , and cable 38c is a vga or svga video type cable . display 34 has a cursor 36 shown as an arrow . the cursor 36 can be any of a variety of cursors including a character or a highlighted menu item . when the cursor controller 50 is manipulated , the cursor 36 moves on the display 34 . fig1 b depicts a computer system with a keyboard having an integrated cursor controller 50 . cursor controller 50 transmits puck position signals over cable 38a to computer 12 . the cursor controller 50 , as shown in fig1 - 3 includes a puck 64 , which may be gripped by the user &# 39 ; s fingers , and moved within a rectangular or square horizontal area of movement , such as a 1 inch square horizontal area having a 323 by 323 optical grid . the puck 64 includes a molded handle member 66 , see also fig4 and 5 , which has a plurality of downward extending fingers 68 surrounding a tubular stem 70 extending upward from a slidable cover plate 72 . two of the fingers 68 include inward projections 74 which are resiliently interlocked with recesses 76 on the tubular stem 70 for retaining the handle member 66 on the stem 70 . a switch button 78 has a pivot member 80 retained within snap recess 82 in a forward end of the handle member 66 . a resilient tactile cone - shaped member 84 is interposed between the upper side of the center finger support of the handle portion 66 and the bottom side of the button 78 for urging the button 78 upward . the rear end of the button 78 has a projection 86 for engaging the underside of an inward - extending lip 88 of the handle portion 66 for limiting upward movement of the button 78 while permitting downward pivoting movement . a pin member 90 is slidably mounted within the passageway of the stem 70 and is biased upward against the button 78 by a compression spring 92 which is interposed between a collar 94 on the pin 90 and an inner ledge 96 within the passageway of the tubular stem 70 . a lower end portion 98 of the pin 90 has a reduced cross - section and extends through a slot 100 in a guillotine member 102 with inward extending lips 100 defining the slot being secured between the bottom end of the enlarged upper portion of the pin 90 and a pair of projections 104 extending beneath the lips 100 . the guillotine member 102 is contained within a housing 106 along with a pair of sliding plate members 108 and 110 with a cover 112 secured on top of the housing . a downward projecting tubular portion 114 of the slide plate 72 has its outer periphery with a square configuration and extending through respective slots 116 and 118 in the lower and upper plate members 108 and 110 . the lower plate member 108 is retained by walls of the housing 106 for sliding motion in one orthogonal direction 120 , see fig2 while the other plate member 110 is retained within the housing 106 for sliding motion in the direction 122 . when the puck 64 is moved in the direction 122 , the lower portion 114 of the member 72 slides freely within the slot 116 , and when the puck 64 is moved in the direction 120 , the lower portion 114 slides within the slot 118 . the guillotine member 100 is slidable within the housing in the direction 120 , while the lower portion 98 of the pin 90 slides within the slot 100 during movement of the puck 64 in the direction 122 . however , the guillotine member 102 is movable in an up and down direction , as viewed in fig3 so that when the button 78 is pressed the pin 90 is pressed against the bias of the spring 92 and the guillotine member 102 is lowered to interrupt a light path of light impinging upon a light sensor or phototransistor 124 from a light emitting diode 126 , see fig9 . a more detailed description of the structure and operation of the housing 106 , slide plates 108 and 110 , guillotine 100 , cover 112 , and slide member 72 is contained in kley , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 782 , 327 . the housing 106 , as well as the leads of the electrical components contained within the housing 106 are suitably mounted on a printed circuit board 130 which is in turn mounted in an enclosure 132 , fig2 . the top wall 134 of the enclosure 132 contains a square opening 136 through which the stem 70 projects . the horizontal planar area of movement of the stem 70 is determined by the opening 136 and / or an opening 138 formed in the top 112 of the housing 106 . each of the sliding plate members 108 and 110 , as shown for the plate member 110 in fig6 and 8 , has an elongated head portion 140 which contains an longated groove 142 extending parallel to the direction 122 and into which extend a air of photodiodes 144 and 146 . a stationary member 150 , also mounted in the pointer housing , has a recess 152 with a pair of light sensors or phototransistors 154 and 156 mounted therein in alignment with the respective leds 144 and 146 . the head portion 140 has an outer wall 160 extending parallel to the direction 122 , while the stationary member 150 contains a wall 162 extending parallel and adjacent the wall 160 . gratings are created in the walls 160 and 162 for detecting puck movement by modulating light from the leds 144 and 146 to generate quadrature related signals from the phototransistors 154 and 156 . gratings in the walls 160 and 162 in the present embodiment are formed by molded undulations in the outer surfaces of the walls which are formed from a transparent plastic material , such as polycarbonate . as shown in fig8 these undulations include valleys 164 , first sloping side surfaces 166 , hill top surfaces 168 and second sloping side surfaces 170 , with the surfaces 164 , 166 , 168 and 170 being elongated or running vertically . the dimensions of the surfaces 164 , 166 , 168 and 170 extending in the direction 122 are all equal , except for one valley surface 172 formed in the wall 162 of the stationary member 150 between the photosensors 154 and 156 ; this wall portion 172 has a dimension in the direction 122 which is one - half of the dimension of the surfaces 164 , 166 , 168 and 170 in the direction 122 to thus form two gratings , which are phase - shifted 90 degree ( s ) relative to each other , on the member 162 . as an example , 80 gratings per inch are satisfactory to provide good cursor control , while up to 1100 or more gratings per inch can be constructed if extremely fine control is desired . light passing through the wall 160 from the leds 144 and 146 is internally reflected when it strikes one of the sloping surfaces 166 or 170 , but passes through the valley and hilltop surfaces 164 and 168 which are parallel to the direction 122 and perpendicular to the direction of light emitted by the leds 144 and 146 . light that passes through the wall 160 and is emitted from the surfaces 164 and 168 is partially reflected and partially refracted if it strikes one of the sloping surfaces 166 or 170 of the wall 162 , but passes through the wall 162 to the corresponding phototransistor 154 and 156 if the light impinges upon one of the valley surface 164 or hill top surface 168 of the stationary member wall 162 . due to the light reflection and refraction , movement of the wall 160 in the direction 122 causes the light impinging upon the light sensors 154 and 156 to be modulated . since the surfaces 164 , 166 , 168 and 170 of the member 162 in line with the light sensor 154 from the led 144 are 90 degree ( s ) out of phase relative to the corresponding surfaces of the wall 162 in front of the phototransistor 156 , the signals generated by the sensors 154 and 156 by movement of the slide member 110 will be 90 degree ( s ) out of phase with each other . one complete cycle is defined by a valley surface 164 and a first sloping side surface 166 passing a point while a second complete cycle will occur when the succeeding hill top and second sloping surface pass the point . binary signals generated for 11 / 4 cycles are illustrated in fig1 . the circuitry employed in the pointing device 50 is illustrated in fig9 wherein the outputs of phototransistors 154 and 156 generating the respective phases a and b of the quadrature signals indicating movement in the corresponding x and y directions of the respective sliding plates 108 and 110 are connected by respective auto gain circuits 176 , 178 , 180 and 182 to corresponding inputs of a computer 184 such as type mc16c54 integrated computer from microchips technology . the invert terminal of the auto gain circuits is coupled to the led emitter circuit to bias the auto gain circuits to properly detect puck motion and avoid false detection . moreover , each of the auto gain circuits includes an amplifier and feedback resistor , as common in many amplifier circuits . the auto gain circuits deliver a pulsed signal to the processor when the puck is moved by the user . processor 184 receives the pulsed signals from the auto gain circuits and counts the number of pulses . this correlates to puck motion and processor 184 temporarily stores this information . the processor 184 receives an input from a clock circuit 226 which has a frequency selected to read the quadrature inputs at a rate which exceeds the rate of generation during normal fast pointer movement , for example 12 . 5 khz . the processor 184 also receives inputs from optional normally open push button switches 230 , which are normally biased positive by resistances the associated resistors . these optional push button switches 230 are mounted on top of the enclosure 132 adjacent to the puck 64 so that the switches 230 may be readily operated by a finger of the operator . any desired number of these switches 230 may be provided . outputs of the processor 184 are connected to an interface circuit 250 that matches the impedance and drives the output signal over cable 38b . processor 184 can generate any required output to computer 12 . for example , the processor 184 includes a serial output which is connected by an interface circuit 250 to an output line 38b which is then connected to a serial port of computer 12 . additionally , processor 184 may receive instructions and information from computer 12 over serial line 38b . the computer 184 contains a rom which contains its basic operating program . the main program loop of the computer 184 is illustrated in fig1 . upon reset , step 260 instructs the computer 184 to perform an initialization of its ports , timer registers , and ram locations used to store variables and constants utilized by the program . during initialization , the input buffers for the x and y directions are initially set to one - half the maximum count , i . e ., the puck is assumed to be centered within its area of movement . from step 260 , the program proceeds to step 262 which is the first step of the main program loop . in step 262 , the condition of the straps 222 are detected to determine the particular mode of operation of the pointer and to set various flags and various constants used in the program required by the particular mode of operation , described below under modes of operation . in the next step 264 the condition of the switches , including the output of the phototransistor 124 which detects the condition of the handle button 78 , together with the switches 230 , 232 , 234 , 236 and 238 is detected and stored . in step 266 the computer determines if a complete instruction , which may be formed by several data words , has been received in an input buffer , and , if so , the program branches to step 268 where the command is executed . the receiving of bytes over serial line 252 is generally handled by an interrupt procedure . the commands can change the serial baud rate , can change the operating mode or can change the rate or scale that the output bears to incremental movement of the puck . when a command changes the operating mode it will override the mode selected by the strap condition step 262 . thus , the user can command the pointer device 50 to generate an output signal on a scale and format which the user desires . following step 266 or step 268 if step 266 is true , the program proceeds to step 270 where pointer coordinates are transferred from an input buffer to a program buffer . an input count , or x and y coordinates , are maintained in an input buffer in accordance with an interrupt procedure . however , since this count can vary based upon quadrature input readings during interrupts which occur at a rate of clock 226 which can be substantially faster than the cycle time of the program of fig1 , the program in step 270 reads this input buffer and stores the reading in a program buffer which is changed only during step 270 in the cycle of fig1 . thus , the main computer program and its procedures are not affected by changes in the count occurring during movement of the puck during steps of the main cycle . in the following step 272 the computer then examines the computer coordinates transferred in step 270 and makes the appropriate conversions in accordance with the mode of operation as determined by step 262 or 268 , described below under modes of operation . also the program in step 272 transfers pointer coordinates , pointer differential , user differential , or user coordinates to an output buffer and initiates interrupt controlled procedures which operate either the quadrature outputs or the serial outputs of the computer 184 . the interrupt procedure for maintaining the input count from the quadrature input is illustrated in fig1 . processor 184 samples the puck position at a rate sufficiently high to insure that puck movement is accurately tracked by the processor , for example 12 , 500 times per second . the sampling rate can be modified to accommodate different optical grid sizes , optical grid resolutions and various predicted motion rates of the puck . in the first step 280 , the quadrature inputs of computer 184 are read . in step 282 these inputs are then compared to the previous input and if the same , the program executes a return from interrupt to return to the program step where the interrupt occurred . if step 282 is false , the program then proceeds to step 284 where a determination is made about whether the count in the input buffer should be incremented or decremented , i . e ., whether the quadrature input indicates that the puck is being moved in the positive or negative direction of the corresponding x or y direction . in fig1 there is illustrated the changes that can occur over 11 / 4 cycles of the a and b inputs of the x quadrature inputs . it is noted that the up direction is always characterized by the a bit being equal to the previous b bit , whereas the down direction always has the a bit not equal to the previous b bit . thus , if the a bit is equal to the previous b bit in step 284 the program proceeds to step 286 where the count in the input buffer is incremented . conversely , if the a bit is not equal to the previous b bit the program proceeds to step 288 where the count in the in the input buffer is decremented . from step 286 , the program proceeds to step 290 where the count in the input buffer is compared with the maximum allowable count , e . g ., 324 , and if the count exceeds the maximum count the program proceeds to step 292 where the count is set at the maximum count . if the count was decremented in step 288 , the program proceeds to step 294 where the count is compared with zero and if less will proceed to step 296 where the count is set to zero . fig1 depicts a flowchart for providing cursor control . in this embodiment , the dimensions of the support optical grid are approximately one inch square . the relatively small area facilitates convenience by the user since the user is required to move the puck only a small distance to achieve a satisfactory movement of the cursor 36 on the computer display 34 . in the one inch dimension , 316 grid partitions are created . by using the one inch dimension , the user can move the cursor 36 anywhere on display 34 . since a typical display is 480 by 640 pixels , processor 184 must compare the movement of the puck 46 on the grid 42 to convert puck movement to cursor movement . to accomplish this , a multiplier ( mpr ) is chosen . for example , a mpr of 2 . 025 would convert 316 to 640 , and a mpr of 1 . 519 would convert 316 to 480 . it is acceptable to have an x mpr and y mpr that are different than one another . the point is that the mpr should be chosen to give accurate conversion from the optical grid 42 to the display size 34 so that the cursor 36 can be positioned where the user desires . fig1 is a flow chart showing operation of the cursor controller of fig3 . in step 360 , the display position ( dp ) is set to the puck position ( pp ) plus an offset ( of ). the offset is determined by puck movement and the uncertainty of puck position on the optical grid relative to the cursor . in step 362 , if dp is less than or equal to pp times a multiplier ( mpr ), then the procedure goes to step 366 . mpr is discussed above and represents the ratio of the screen resolution to the arena grid resolution . if dp is greater than pp times mpr , step 364 sets dp to pp times mpr and sends the procedure to step 370 . in step 366 , if pp times mpr minus differential zero ( dz ) is less than or equal to dp , then the procedure goes to step 372 . dz is an accommodation factor that accounts for overflow in the processor 184 , and is defined as : if pp times mpr minus dz is greater than dp , step 368 sets dp equal to a raw position ( rp ) times mpr minus dz . the raw position is simply the raw position where processor 184 detects the puck . this is based on the assumption that during startup , the puck was centered in optical grid . step 370 sets of to dp minus pp . step 372 returns the procedure to the beginning step 360 to continue determining the puck position to generate the cursor position . where dp is display position , pp is puck position , of is offset , mpr is multiplier , and dz is differential . another feature of the embodiment is that when mpr is chosen to have extra grid lines 42 beyond the boundaries of the display 34 , the extended grid positions can be interpreted as the user requesting a large movement in the cursor position . for example , if a user is drafting a large figure that is larger than the display , the user can quickly and accurately move to another position on the figure that is beyond the portion of the workspace presented on the display 34 . in this case , the processor 184 interprets the movement of the puck into the extended grid positions as requesting an accelerated cursor movement . for example , if mpr is chosen as 2 . 089 , then the puck 46 can be interpreted as requesting up to 660 pixels . when the puck 46 is moved to the edge , into the extended grid area , the computer 12 is instructed to scroll the information projected on the display 34 in order to position the cursor 36 at a user desired location . when the user desired location becomes present on the display 34 , the user moves the puck handle off the extended grid into the center of the arena and the scrolling stops . then the user can move the puck handle to adjust the cursor to the user desired position . this feature can be accomplished by reserving an extended grid of approximately 5 grids that represent the edge area . this division creates an active area where the cursor tracks the puck movement and an edge area where the screen scrolling is performed . two modes of operation are anticipated : an absolute mode , and a relative mode . in the absolute mode the output corresponds to the position of the puck 64 within its rectangular area , for example , x y coordinates . in a relative mode , the output generally corresponds to movement of the puck . the quadrature output modes are relative type modes . additionally , the modes can be classified as either pointer modes or user modes . in a pointer mode the output will correspond to the actual count or differential in count from the last output stored by the processor 184 based upon changes made in the quadrature input signals . in user modes , the actual pointer count or the differential in pointer count is converted into a user scale , for example , by multiplying or dividing the actual count or differential . additionally , user output modes can include a zoom mode wherein movement of the puck under certain conditions is translated into movement of the cursor or marker within a small portion or area and where incremental change in cursor position varies with a detected pointer rate of movement or a pointer position in an edge of its area of movement . when the mode is absolute , processor 184 sends the present position to computer 12 . if the puck is in the active area , the cursor tracks the puck very accurately . if the puck is positioned at the edge , a predetermined signal is sent to the computer 12 depending on the initial parameters . the predetermined signal may instruct the computer to scroll the screen if the computer workspace is larger than a single screen . the signal is sent at a rate of 100 times per second . when the mode is relative , processor 184 calculates a change in puck position over time , or differential position ( ddp ). this is the velocity of the puck . the processor 184 stores the differential position ( ddp ) based on the velocity of the puck . in the relative mode , when the puck is positioned at the edge area , a signal based on the ddp is sent to the computer 12 depending on the initial parameters . the ddp signal may instruct the computer to scroll the screen if the computer workspace is larger than a single screen . the scrolling can be based on the velocity of the puck when it was moved to a position at the edge . for example , if the user quickly moves the puck to the edge , the screen scrolls quickly , while if the user slowly moves the puck to the edge , the screen scrolls slowly . this feature provides the user with an easily controllable scrolling feature . the signal is sent at a rate of 40 times per second . an anticipated feature is one that permits the user to change modes . one aspect of this feature is enabled by the user changing a setting in the device driver to select desired modes . another aspect of this feature is enabled by utilizing a button on the puck 64 to select desired modes . another aspect of this feature is enables by utilizing a macro procedure , explained below , to select desired modes . note that steps 282 , 284 , 286 , 288 , 290 , 292 , 294 and 296 illustrate the maintenance of the count in one buffer or one coordinate direction , such as the x direction . these steps are repeated for each additional coordinate direction such as the y direction . an interrupt program , shown in fig1 , is called when a serial byte is received over cable 54 from the pointer 50 . this embodiment employs a sequence of five bytes sent by the pointer 50 wherein the first byte contains information concerning push button status on the pointer 50 , the second and third bytes contain the respective low and high bytes of x pointer coordinate position , and the fourth and fifth bytes contain the respective low and high bytes of y coordinate information . the procedure saves a count or index of the number of bytes received and after retrieving the byte from the input register in step 450 uses an indexed jump in step 452 to jump to one of the steps 454 , 455 , 456 , 457 and 458 in accordance with whether the byte was the first , second , third , fourth or fifth byte of the series of bytes sent by the pointer device 50 . the pointer device 50 has its straps set , or is commanded by serial transmission from the computer 52 during initialization step 440 , such that the pointer device is in either the x , y , z mode to call step 388 of fig1 to transfer pointer position coordinates to the output buffer upon a change in button status or position of the puck 64 or in an absolute freeze mode to call step 392 of fig1 where the data from the pointer is a product of the pointer position coordinates times a user rate or step . in the particular procedure employed in fig1 , an embodiment of the pointer device shown in fig2 is employed which does not include any of the membrane switches 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 and 240 of fig1 . instead , additional buttons , where desired by the user program , are designated by one or more edge regions . as shown in fig1 , the previous x and y coordinate data received by the computer 52 from the pointer indicates a particular position of the puck 64 within a square area of movement . when the pointer is at an edge of its area of movement , for example when the x or y value is equal to or less than 4 , or equal to or greater than 320 , then the pointer will be within one of twelve edge regions 461 - 472 defined around the periphery of the area of movement . these edge regions are selected so that four of the regions 461 , 464 , 467 and 470 are defined by the respective corners of the area of movement which are easy to determine by the user by feel in moving the puck 64 since the corners can be easily located . further areas on either side of each corner area , such as edge regions 463 and 465 on the opposite sides of the corner region 464 are readily locatable by simply moving the pointer 78 from the corner 464 along the upper edge of movement to region 463 or along the right edge of movement to region 465 . thus , conveniently the regions along each edge can be formed by dividing the maximum coordinate lengths to four equal divisions ; for example if the y coordinate of the pointer is equal to or greater than 320 , an x coordinate value between 0 and 80 indicates that the pointer is at edge region 461 , an x coordinate value between 80 and 162 indicates that the pointer is in edge region 462 , an x coordinate value between 162 and 244 indicates that the pointer is in edge region 463 and an x value greater than 244 indicates that the pointer is in edge region 464 . furthermore , pressing of one of several keys , such as the control key , the left shift key , the alternate key and the right shift key can be used to multiply the number of regions , for example to 60 possible edge regions . in this example edge regions 1 - 12 are defined with no keys depressed , edge regions 14 - 24 are defined when the control key is depressed , edge regions 25 - 36 are defined when the shift left key is depressed , edge regions 37 - 48 are defined when the alt key is depressed , and edge regions 49 - 60 are defined when the right shift key is depressed . one or more of these 60 edge regions can be designated as a button region . thus , step 454 determines if the pointer is in an edge region designated as a button , and if true , proceeds to step 478 where the button status information is changed to indicate that this edge button has been selected . this edge button region is utilized in the same manner as if one of the buttons 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 and 240 of the embodiment of fig1 had been depressed and this information contained in the first input byte . from step 478 or step 476 if false , the program proceeds to step 480 where it is determined if a precision button region has been selected . one of the 60 edge regions can be designated as a precision button , which when selected proceeds to step 482 where the precision status is toggled . precision status concerns fine and coarse cursor positioning modes . in the fine positioning mode the movement of the pointer 64 within its area of movement results in moving the cursor 58 within a small region , i . e ., only a small portion of the total screen area of the display 58 , so that the cursor 58 may be very precisely positioned , such as for use with forming drawings and the like on the display . in the next step reached after step 482 or step 480 , if false , the status of one or more selected function keys is determined . this status results from a procedure illustrated in fig2 and to which the normal keyboard interrupt of the computer 52 is directed by changing the corresponding vector during initialization . in the interrupt procedure the first step 486 determines if the interrupt was caused by pressing one of the selected function keys and if true proceeds to step 488 where this change in function key status is saved after which the program executes a return from interrupt . if a designated function key has not been selected then the program proceeds to step 490 where the interrupt procedure jumps to the normal keyboard routine handling the interrupt so that pressing of other keys are . handled in a conventional manner . referring back to fig1 , if the status recorded in step 488 indicates that a selected function key or keys have changed condition , then the program proceeds to step 492 where these function key changes are recorded and may be utilized as additional push button data or macro selection . from step 492 or step 484 if false , the program proceeds to step 494 where the button status is saved , and then to step 495 where the index or count of the bytes received is incremented after which a return from the serial input interrupt is performed to return to the program where the interrupt occurred . upon receipt of the next byte , corresponding to the low byte of the x coordinate , the program of fig1 jumps in step 452 to the step 455 where this byte is saved . from step 455 the program proceeds to step 495 where the index count is incremented . similarly , steps 456 and 457 result in saving of the high byte of the x coordinate and saving of the low byte of the y coordinate followed by incrementing of the index count in step 495 . when the last byte is received and saved in step 458 the interrupt procedure then proceeds to process the received information . the first step 496 following step 458 is a check button procedure which is illustrated in detail in fig1 . if in a first step 498 of the button procedure the program determines if a button status , such as the pointer button 78 or one of the function keys , has changed . if true , the program proceeds to step 500 where it is determined if a macro should be picked . a macro is an instruction or series of instructions to be sent to the keyboard buffer for use by the user program . if the pointer or puck 64 is in one of the 60 edge regions , and if the program is not waiting for the selection of a point after picking a macro , the program proceeds to step 502 where a macro picked flag is set . certain macro instructions may require that the instruction be performed at a desired point on the screen . in that case , once the macro has been selected , step 500 is false and the program will proceed to step 504 where a subsequent button operation will result in a true and proceed to step 506 where a point picked flag is set . from step 502 or step 506 the program proceeds to step 508 where the pointer position or x and y coordinates are saved for use by the user program . from step 508 , step 498 if false , or step 504 is false , the program returns to the procedure of fig1 . in step 510 the program determines if the cursor control and macro operating portions of the driver program are enabled and , if true , will perform the procedures of step 512 where positioning of the cursor or display marker is performed and where macro instructions are displayed and selected . following step 512 , or step 510 if false , the program proceeds to step 514 where the index count is reset to zero to ready the driver to receive the next sequence of data from the pointing device . from step 514 the program executes the return from interrupt to return to the program where the interrupt was called . some user programs may utilize the values saved in steps 494 , 455 , 456 , 457 and 458 for moving the cursor or marker and for performing program functions . the main update cursor and macro procedure 512 , as shown in fig1 begins with step 520 which is a power span calculation procedure . the power span procedure basically determines the pointer differential by calculating the x and y coordinates by subtracting the previous coordinates from the new coordinates just received in steps 455 - 458 of fig1 . the next step 594 determines whether the pointer 64 is within an outer ring of the pointer area movement . it is noted that the width of the ring has a value which is predetermined and which is selected in accordance with the user &# 39 ; s desire to provide for full movement of the cursor or marker within the screen area while providing a sufficient area for fine cursor adjustment . if the pointer is within this outer ring , step 594 is true and the program sets a power span flag is set indicating a power span mode . the program then proceeds to step 602 where the program determines whether the particular application or user parameters call for a normal zoom procedure for fine cursor adjustment or a normal zoom procedure for normal cursor adjustment . following the cursor adjustment , step 630 calls the macro procedure which is illustrated in detail in fig2 . in step 632 the program determines if the pointer 64 is at an edge of its area of movement , for example , if the x or y coordinate is less than 4 or greater than 320 . if true , the program proceeds to step 634 where the particular edge region among the 60 possible edge regions is determined as has been described above in connection with fig1 and 18 . then in step 636 it is determined if the pointer has moved into a new edge region and if true , the program proceeds to step 638 where a corresponding macro is displayed on the screen . the macros are contained within a memory file which is loaded during the initialization of the pointer driver . this file contains the actual text of the macros at locations as determined by an index table in the file . each corresponding edge region is designated as being a macro with the corresponding text of the macro together with an indication indicating whether the macro requires specific point selection , indication if the edge region corresponds to a button together with information identifying the button , or indication if the edge region is a null region . for a null region , the step 638 will not display any macro . if step 632 is false , the program proceeds to step 640 where it is determined if the pointer has just moved from an edge . if true , the program proceeds to step 641 where any displayed macro is erased and then to step 642 where it is determined if the program is now waiting for a point selection , i . e ., a macro has been picked that requires a point and the pointer is being moved to select a point . if waiting for a point selection then the program proceeds to step 644 where a &# 34 ; point &# 34 ; message is displayed . one procedure for displaying macros on the involves transferring the text of the macro to the keyboard input buffer of the computer operating system . this results in the macro being displayed on the command line of the program . entry of a macro into the program generally requires sending an enter character such as by pressing the enter key or space bar . thus , for displaying a macro , such characters will not be passed to the buffer so that the macro is not invoked in the user program until an enter character is passed to the buffer . erasing the macro display is performed by passing destructive back space characters to the operating system keyboard buffer equal to the number of characters in the macro . from step 638 or 644 , or from step 636 , 640 , or 642 if false , the program proceeds to step 646 where it is determined if the macro picked flag is set , such as by the step 502 of fig1 . if a macro has been picked the program proceeds to step 648 where it is determined if the point picked flag has been set such as by step 506 in fig1 . if a point has not been picked the program proceeds to step 650 where it is determined if the edge region which has been picked is a macro region . if true , the program goes to step 652 where it is determined if the macro region is a point type macro region requiring the selection of a point prior to sending the macro to the user . if false from step 652 or true from step 648 the program proceeds to step 654 where the sending of the macro to the user program will be completed , for example , by transferring an enter character to the operating system buffer to actuate operation of the user program . if step 650 is false or if step 652 is true , the program proceeds to step 656 where it is determined if there is a desire to clear any macro flags , for example a function key may be designated as a key for canceling any macro which has been picked but for which a point is required but not yet been picked . from step 656 , if true , or from step 654 the program proceeds to step 658 where the flags such as the macro picked flag and the point picked flag are reset and then to step 660 where any macro display is erased in the same manner as performed in step 641 . from step 660 or from steps 646 and 656 if false , the program return to the procedure of fig1 and then to the procedure of fig1 . advantages of the invention include comfortable , quick and accurate positioning of the cursor by the user controller , and quick and accurate selection of data that the user wishes to manipulate . having disclosed exemplary embodiments and the best mode , modifications and variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims .
6
[ 0016 ] fig1 shows a circuit schematic diagram of a read system 10 embodying the present invention . read system 10 includes parallel amplifier circuits 12 and 14 , coupling circuits 16 and 18 , input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 , output signal nodes vo 1 and vo 2 , bias voltage vbias , and voltage potentials vcc and vee . parallel amplifier circuit 12 includes transistors q 1 and q 3 , resistor r 1 , and current generator i 1 . transistors q 1 and q 3 are npn bipolar junction transistors each having a base , a collector , and an emitter . the emitter of transistor q 1 is connected to input signal node vmr 1 , and the collector of transistor q 1 is connected to the emitter of transistor q 3 . the base of transistor q 3 is connected to bias voltage vbias , and the collector of transistor q 3 is connected to voltage potential vcc through resistor r 1 . current generator i 1 is connected between the emitter of transistor q 1 and voltage potential vee . output signal node vo 1 is connected to the collector of transistor q 3 . parallel amplifier circuit 14 includes transistors q 2 and q 4 , resistor r 2 , and current generator i 2 . transistors q 2 and q 4 are npn bipolar junction transistors each having a base , a collector , and an emitter . the emitter of transistor q 2 is connected to input signal node vmr 2 , and the collector of transistor q 2 is connected to the emitter of transistor q 4 . the base of transistor q 4 is connected to bias voltage vbias , and the collector of transistor q 4 is connected to voltage potential vcc through resistor r 2 . current generator i 2 is connected between the emitter of transistor q 2 and voltage potential vee . output signal node vo 2 is connected to the collector of transistor q 4 . coupling circuit 16 includes transistor q 5 , capacitor c 1 , and current generator i 3 . transistor q 5 is a npn bipolar junction transistor having a base , a collector , and an emitter . the base of transistor q 5 is connected to input signal node vmr 2 , the collector of transistor q 5 is connected to voltage potential vcc , and the emitter of transistor q 5 is coupled to the base of transistor q 1 through capacitor c 1 . current generator i 3 is connected between the emitter of transistor q 5 and voltage potential vee . coupling circuit 18 includes transistor q 6 , capacitor c 2 , and current generator i 4 . transistor q 6 is a npn bipolar junction transistor having a base , a collector , and an emitter . the base of transistor q 6 is connected to input signal node vmr 1 , the collector of transistor q 6 is connected to voltage potential vcc , and the emitter of transistor q 6 is coupled to the base of transistor q 2 through capacitor c 2 . current generator i 4 is connected between the emitter of transistor q 6 and voltage potential vee . in operation , the voltage across an mr head is related to the signal that is retrieved from a data pattern on an adjacent magnetic disk surface . this voltage across the mr head is represented in fig1 at input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 . the voltage difference between input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 is the input signal that is sensed by read system 10 . variations in the voltage difference between input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 lead to variations in the currents through parallel amplifier circuits 12 and 14 , due to the constant values of resistors r 1 and r 2 . these variations in currents lead to voltage variations across resistors r 1 and r 2 , which in turn lead to variations in the voltage difference between output signal nodes vo 1 and vo 2 . transistor q 3 and resistor r 1 form a collector circuit , as do transistor q 4 and resistor r 2 . transistors q 3 and q 4 form a differential common - base stage , otherwise known as a cascode stage . the load resistance seen by transistor q 1 is not resistor r 1 but is the much lower input resistance of transistor q 3 . similarly , the load resistance seen by transistor q 2 is not resistor r 2 but is the much lower input resistance of transistor q 4 . because load resistance is inversely proportional to upper cutoff frequency for bipolar junction transistors , these reductions in the effective load resistances of transistors q 1 and q 2 lead to a considerable improvement in the amplifier circuit frequency response . transistors q 5 and q 6 are the most important features of the present invention . by coupling input signal node vmr 2 to the base of transistor q 1 using both transistor q 5 and capacitor c 1 , the input capacitance of transistor q 1 is reduced compared to using a capacitor alone . this is because transistor q 5 is connected as an emitter follower and provides an emitter - base capacitance that , when connected in series with capacitor c 1 , reduces the net capacitance between input signal node vmr 2 and transistor q 1 . similarly , by coupling input signal node vmr 1 to the base of transistor q 2 using both transistor q 6 and capacitor c 2 , the input capacitance of transistor q 2 is reduced compared to using a capacitor alone . this is because transistor q 6 is connected as an emitter follower and provides an emitter - base capacitance that , when connected in series with capacitor c 2 , reduces the net capacitance between input signal node vmr 1 and transistor q 2 . because input capacitance is inversely proportional to upper cutoff frequency for bipolar junction transistors , these reductions in the effective input capacitances of transistors q 1 and q 2 lead to a higher upper cutoff frequency and thus a considerable increase in the bandwidth of the input stage , which in turn decreases high frequency noise . when analyzing transistor circuits , small - signal equivalent circuit models are often used to express the components of the transistors in terms of model parameters . in this way , it is possible to understand the signal operation of the transistors , and reduce the circuit to an equivalent circuit model consisting of more basic circuit elements . model parameters which are useful in analyzing the effects of coupling circuits 16 and 18 of read system 10 include both the base - emitter input resistances and the base - emitter capacitances of transistors q 1 , q 2 , q 5 , and q 6 . the small - signal input resistance between the base and the emitter of a bipolar junction transistor , looking into the base , is denoted by rpi . the emitter - base capacitance of a bipolar junction transistor is denoted by cpi . [ 0025 ] fig2 a shows an equivalent input circuit schematic diagram of read system 10 . equivalent input circuit 20 includes input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 , capacitors cc 1 , cc 2 , cpi 1 , cpi 2 , cpi 5 , and cpi 6 , and resistors rpi 1 , rpi 2 , rpi 5 , and rpi 6 . capacitor cpi 1 and resistor rpi 1 ( parameters representing transistor q 1 ) are connected in parallel between input signal node vmr 1 and capacitor cc 1 ( parameter representing capacitor c 1 ). capacitor cpi 6 and resistor rpi 6 ( parameters representing transistor q 6 ) are connected in parallel between input signal node vmr 1 and capacitor cc 2 ( parameter representing capacitor c 2 ). capacitor cpi 2 and resistor rpi 2 ( parameters representing transistor q 2 ) are connected in parallel between input signal node vmr 2 and capacitor cc 2 . capacitor cpi 5 and resistor rpi 5 ( parameters representing transistor q 5 ) are connected in parallel between input signal node vmr 2 and capacitor cc 1 . the value of capacitors cc 1 and cc 2 each greatly exceed the value of capacitors cpi 1 , cpi 2 , cpi 5 , and cpi 6 . [ 0026 ] fig2 b shows a simplified input circuit schematic diagram of read system 10 . simplified input circuit 22 is a reduced form of equivalent input circuit 20 . capacitors cc 1 , cc 2 , cpi 1 , cpi 2 , cpi 5 , and cpi 6 of equivalent input circuit 20 can all be reduced to a single effective capacitance ceff . this is because capacitors connected in series can be replaced by a single equivalent capacitor , which is related to the individual capacitors by the formula and capacitors connected in parallel can be replaced by a single equivalent capacitor which is equal to the sum of the individual capacitors . similarly , resistors rpi 1 , rpi 2 , rpi 5 , and rpi 6 of equivalent input circuit 20 can all be reduced to a single effective resistance reff . this is because resistors connected in series can be replaced by a single equivalent resistor which is equal to the sum of the individual resistors . and resistors connected in parallel can be replaced by a single equivalent resistor , which is related to the individual resistors by the formula simplified input circuit 22 includes input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 , capacitor ceff , and resistor reff . capacitor ceff and resistor reff are connected in parallel between input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 . the value of capacitor ceff is equal to 3 ( cpi 1 )/ 2 , where capacitor cpi 1 is from equivalent input circuit 20 . the value of resistor reff is equal to the value of re in parallel with the value of rpi 1 , which is approximately re ( the value of rpi 1 greatly exceeds the value of re ), where resistor re is the small - signal base - emitter input resistance of transistor q 1 looking into the emitter , and resistor rpi 1 is from equivalent input circuit 20 . in order to appreciate the improvements of the present invention , the input capacitance , bandwidth , and noise of read system 10 are compared to the same characteristics of a prior art read system shown in fig3 . [ 0030 ] fig3 shows a circuit schematic diagram of a prior art read system 30 . prior art read system 30 is similar to read system 10 with the exception that transistors q 5 and q 6 , and current generators i 3 and i 4 are not present . instead , capacitor c 1 is directly connected between input signal node vmr 2 and the base of transistor q 1 , and capacitor c 2 is directly connected between input signal node vmr 1 and the base of transistor q 2 . due to the lack of additional emitter - base capacitances between the input signal nodes and the input transistors , prior art read system 30 lacks the reduced input capacitance caused by the emitter - base capacitances of transistors q 5 and q 6 in read system 10 . because input capacitance is inversely proportional to upper cutoff frequency for bipolar junction transistors , prior art read system 30 possesses a more limited high frequency bandwidth than read system 10 , and therefore exhibits greater high frequency noise than read system 10 . [ 0031 ] fig4 a shows an equivalent input circuit schematic diagram of prior art read system 30 . equivalent input circuit 40 includes input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 , capacitors cc 1 , cc 2 , cpi 1 , and cpi 2 , and resistors rpi 1 and rpi 2 . capacitor cpi 1 and resistor rpi 1 ( parameters representing transistor q 1 ) are connected in parallel between input signal node vmr 1 and capacitor cc 1 ( parameter representing capacitor c 1 ), and capacitor cc 1 is connected to input signal node vmr 2 . capacitor cpi 2 and resistor rpi 2 ( parameters representing transistor q 2 ) are connected in parallel between input signal node vmr 2 and capacitor cc 2 ( parameter representing capacitor c 2 ), and capacitor cc 2 is connected to input signal node vmr 1 . the value of capacitors cc 1 and cc 2 each greatly exceed the value of capacitors cpi 1 and cpi 2 . [ 0032 ] fig4 b shows a simplified input circuit schematic diagram of prior art read system 30 . simplified input circuit 42 is a reduced form of equivalent input circuit 40 . for similar reasons discussed above , capacitors cc 1 , cc 2 , cpi 1 , and cpi 2 of equivalent input circuit 40 can all be reduced to a single effective capacitance ceff , and resistors rpi 1 and rpi 2 of equivalent input circuit 40 can be reduced to a single effective resistance reff . simplified input circuit 42 includes input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 , capacitor ceff , and resistor reff . capacitor ceff and resistor reff are connected in parallel between input signal nodes vmr 1 and vmr 2 . the value of capacitor ceff is equal to 2 ( cpi 1 ), where capacitor cpi 1 is from equivalent input circuit 40 . the value of resistor reff is equal to the value of re in parallel with the value of rpi 1 , which is approximately re ( the value of rpi 1 greatly exceeds the value of re ), where resistor re is the small - signal base - emitter input resistance of transistor q 1 looking into the emitter , and resistor rpi 1 is from equivalent input circuit 40 . comparing simplified input circuit 22 of the present invention to simplified input circuit 42 according to the prior art , it can be seen that the value of capacitor ceff of simplified input circuit 42 is approximately 33 % greater than the value of ceff of simplified input circuit 22 . therefore , the input capacitance of prior art read system 30 is approximately 33 % greater than the input capacitance of read system 10 . [ 0034 ] fig5 shows a graph comparing the frequency response 50 of read system 10 to the frequency response 52 of prior art read system 30 . the graph shows the gain ( db ) as a function of frequency ( hz ). the band of frequencies over which the gain is almost constant , to within a certain number of decibels , is called the bandwidth . the bandwidth of read system 10 extends approximately from 2 * 10 6 hz to 2 * 10 9 hz . the bandwidth of prior art read system 30 extends approximately from 2 * 10 6 hz to 1 * 10 9 hz . therefore , the bandwidth of read system 10 extends approximately 1 * 10 9 hz further than the bandwidth of prior art read system 30 . [ 0035 ] fig6 shows a graph comparing the input referred noise 60 of read system 10 to the input referred noise 62 of prior art read system 30 . the graph shows the noise ( 10 − 9 v ) as a function of frequency ( hz ). the range of frequencies over which read system 10 exhibits noise less than 1 . 0 * 10 − 9 v extends approximately from 1 . 6 * 10 7 hz to 1 . 2 * 10 9 hz . the range of frequencies over which prior art read system 30 exhibits noise less than 1 . 0 * 10 − 9 v extends approximately from 1 . 6 * 10 7 hz to 6 * 10 8 hz . therefore , the range of frequencies over which read system 10 exhibits less than 1 . 0 * 10 − 9 v of noise extends approximately 4 . 2 * 10 8 hz further than the range of frequencies over which prior art read system 30 exhibits less than 1 . 0 * 10 − 9 v of noise . therefore , the present invention provides a read system having a cross - coupled input stage with improved bandwidth and high frequency noise performance . by implementing coupling circuits with both emitter followers and capacitors , the read system allows a reduced net capacitance between the input signal nodes and the input transistors . the reduced effective input capacitances extend the upper cutoff frequencies of the input transistors , and increase the bandwidth of the read system . this results in reduced high frequency noise , and greater accuracy and capability in detecting data recorded on a magnetic disk with an mr head . although the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown using npn bipolar technology , the present invention may also be practiced using pnp bipolar and fet technologies , the topology for either being readily derived from the small - signal models associated with the npn embodiment . furthermore , the present invention may be practiced using either discrete or integrated circuit designs . workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
6
in fig1 there is shown a downhole tool 10 suspended in the borehole 12 from the lower end of a logging cable 15 that is connected in a known fashion using wireline or coiled tubing to a surface system 18 incorporating appropriate electronics and processing systems for control of the tool . the tool 10 includes an elongated body 19 which encloses the downhole portion of the tool control system 16 . the body 19 also carries a selectively extendible fluid admitting assembly 20 ( for example as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 860 , 581 , incorporated herein by reference ) and a selectively extendible anchoring member 21 which are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the body 19 . the fluid admitting assembly 20 is equipped for selectively sealing off or isolating portions of the wall of the borehole 12 such that pressure or fluid communication with the adjacent earth formation is established . a fluid analysis module 25 is also included within the tool body 19 , through which the obtained fluid flows . the fluid can then be expelled through a port ( not shown ) back into the borehole , or can be sent to one or more sample chambers 22 , 23 for recovery at the surface . control of the fluid admitting assembly , the fluid analysis section and the flow path to the sample chambers is maintained by the control systems 16 , 18 that may utilize electrical or fiber optic data telemetry architectures . the fluid analysis module 25 as found in the mdt mentioned above , determines the identity of the fluids in the mdt flow stream and quantifies the oil and water content . in particular , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 994 , 671 ( incorporated herein by reference ) describes a borehole apparatus which includes a testing chamber , means for directing a sample of fluid into the chamber , a light source preferably emitting infrared rays , a spectral detector , a data base means , and a processing means . fluids drawn from the formation into the testing chamber are analyzed by directing the light at the fluids , detecting the spectrum of the transmitted and / or backscattered light , and processing the information accordingly ( and preferably based on the information in the data base relating to different spectra ), in order to quantify the amount of water and oil in the fluid . thus , the formation oil can be properly analyzed and quantified by type . the following fig2 a and 2b illustrate two different variants of the ir measurement , transmission spectroscopy and attenuated total internal reflectance ( atr ). in both variants the sample flows through a pipe 30 connected to the fluid admitting assembly 20 of the device of fig1 or a similar device . further common elements in both variants are one or more sources 31 of mid - ir emissions and one or more detectors 32 . for example , typical blackbody sources can be used as a source to generate ir radiation as is well known . a standard ir source is a glow bar . glow - bars are round rods with a thin resistance incandescent part in the middle and thicker metallized ends for the supply connections . the rods are made of silicon carbide . by varying the current through the glow bar it is possible to set the temperature of the part from 1000 to 1500 k . the corresponding maximum emission is given by wiens displacement law where the wavelength of maximum emission ( in cm ) is roughly given by ( 0 . 3 )/ t where t is temperature . at 1000 k , the maximum emission is 3 microns , very close to the carbonyl band . in an alternative arrangement ( not shown ), the source can be one beam of a fourier transform ir spectrometer . in such a spectrometer a single ir beam is split into two beams using a partial reflector . the path length of one of these beams is then altered and afterwards the beams are recombined coherently . for a single frequency , sweeping the pathlength causes the coherent recombination to alternate between in phase and out of phase addition giving the characteristic beat pattern . for multiple frequencies one obtains a superposition of beat frequencies . placing the sample in one of the beam paths causes optical absorption at particular frequencies such as at the carbonyl absorption frequency . this frequency appears then preferentially removed from the beat pattern . fourier transform ir spectroscopy is a routine measurement in surface laboratories and allows rapid spectral measurements to be made . given that the mid - ir carbonyl bands are strong absorbers , naphthenic acids can be present in the sample in low or high concentrations . as the overall optical absorption is the product of the concentration times the absorption strength , acids can be detected using either through a transmission or reflectance methods . if only low concentrations of organic acids are present in the sample flow , then transmission spectroscopy is likely preferred where an ir beam traverses the sample as illustrated by the configuration of fig2 a . a beam of ir light passed through windows 33 of , for example , quartz or sapphire in the pipe and the flow , while the detectors 32 register the intensity of the transmitted radiation at one or more or even a continuum of wavenumbers or frequency . the spectrum is for practical purposes divided into measuring channels , each represented by a wavenumber . if the concentration of organic acids is sufficiently high , then it is anticipated that an atr method may be applied where much shorter path lengths of the solution are investigated . in atr methods the ir beam is launched in a prismatic window 34 of ir transparent material , e . g . quartz or sapphire at an angle such that the beam undergoes total internal reflection at the window - flowstream interface . the beam intensity can be reduced if the evanescent field is absorbed by species in the flow line . by measuring absorption versus wavelength an atr optical absorption spectrum can be measured . in addition , it is also known that organic acids are highly interfacially active . consequently , one can use an optical window of sapphire or quartz where ionic interfacial compounds such as organic acids might accumulate . such a process assists with detection of the acids . the performance of the methods as described above can be improved by further steps . for example , in the presence of many components in the flow , the detection of naphthenic acids in the flow can become more difficult even if the ir spectrum is registered at many different wavelengths . to overcome this problem a multi - wavelengths calibration regression method such as the known pca ( principal component analysis ) or pcr ( principal component regression ) can be applied . the application of such a method is described in fig3 and 4 . as naphthenic acids have a broad ir spectrum with several peaks as shown in fig3 , the absorption spectrum can be sampled at different wavelengths . modern downhole spectrometers operating in the optical and near - ir range can provide between 16 and 20 channels in this range . the optical resolution is in the range of 0 . 5 cm − 1 . as illustrated by fig4 , a calibration matrix can obtained from a set of experimental spectrum measurement 43 , 44 with different known concentrations for the different components of the mixture including naphthenic acids ( steps 41 , 42 ). if these measurements are performed using an ir spectrometer different from the one downhole or under different pressure or temperature conditions , the spectra as measured can be convolved 45 with an appropriate tool response function to determine spectra as measured at a downhole location . the spectra can be solved 46 for the concentration of the original mixtures resulting in a calibration matrix 47 for naphthenic acids , which when applied to an unknown spectrum transforms the spectrum into concentration values for naphthenic acids . due to the linear relationship between absorption and concentration , the equation system is essentially linear and therefore , in theory four absorption measurements and hence a 4 × 4 calibration matrix would be enough for the estimation of four composition parameters corresponding to c1 , c2 , c3 - c5 and c6 +, where cn denotes the number of carbon atoms of the species measured . using more wavelengths makes the calculation more robust against noise , instrument drift , and other errors . using more wavelengths also allows the calculation of concentration of other species as long as their spectrum is distinct from the oil components one . given the clear distinction between absorption spectrum of the purely hydrocarbon phase of oil and naphthenic acid , the calibration matrix can be extended to include other components of the sampled reservoir fluid . therefore , by introducing in the calibration set mixtures with naphthenic acid and for example low molecular weight fractions of hydrocarbons such as c1 , c2 , c3 - c5 and c6 + and using the same calibration method as before a new calibration matrix can be calculated . this matrix will allow the calculation of naphthenic acid and c1 , c2 , c3 - c5 and c6 + concentrations . again to be accurate , the calibration of spectroscopic response using known concentrations of naphthenic acid in hydrocarbon oil requires measurements at downhole temperature , pressure and ph conditions or a suitable tool response function which transforms the spectroscopic measurement between laboratory conditions and downhole conditions . spectral tools and measurements as described above can be used to quantify the concentration of unknown naphthenic acid concentrations in hydrocarbon oil while the spectroscope is downhole . in a further optional step these naphthenic acid measurements downhole are then correlated to estimate the total - acid number ( tan ) of the hydrocarbon oil as produced from the formation . the tan can be used in the downstream or refining industry as a parameter to determine the commercial value of the produced oil or as a parameter to determine the further processing of the crude oil . while the invention is described through the above exemplary embodiments , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that modification to and variation of the illustrated embodiments may be made without departing from the inventive concepts herein disclosed . moreover , while the preferred embodiments are described in connection with various illustrative processes , one skilled in the art will recognize that the system may be embodied using a variety of specific procedures and equipment and could be performed to evaluate widely different types of applications and associated geological intervals . accordingly , the invention should not be viewed as limited except by the scope of the appended claims .
4
a ceramic paint or slip for curtain coating consists of a suspension of ceramic particles in a liquid that includes a binder and a surfactant dissolved in a non aqueous vehicle . such paints are described by hurley in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 717 , 487 issued feb . 20 , 1973 and by burn in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 510 , 175 issued apr . 9 , 1985 . both patents are assigned to the same assignee as is the present invention . referring to fig1 the paint 10 is loaded into the reservoir 12 . the paint 10 spills over the dam formed by the wier bar 14 at the short wall of reservoir 12 and forms a falling sheet or curtain 16 of the paint 10 . a conveyor belt carries cardboard substrates 20 through the paint curtain 16 in the direction of arrow 22 . the paint coating 24 deposited on the belt 18 and substrates 20 has a thickness that is a function of the speed of the belt 18 and the thickness of the paint curtain 16 . excess paint 10 drops into the pan 26 and is pumped back into the reservoir 12 . the thickness of the curtain 16 is directly related to the rate of pumping . each substrate 20 is re - passed through the falling sheet until a build - up of 1 to 2 mils ( 25 to 50 microns ) is obtained . the build - up is dried to remove the vehicle . an electroding ink comprising a fine powder of a silver / palladium alloy and an organic vehicle is selectively screen printed in a matrix pattern of ink film patches onto the surface of the green ceramic build - up . the substrate is then passed again through the falling paint curtain 16 , dried and screen printed with another pattern of ink patches registered with the underlying first one . this sequence is repeated until the stack contains a desired number n of &# 34 ; active dielectric layers &# 34 ; and n + 1 electrode patterns . then a few more passes through the curtain 16 are made without more electroding ink to complete the stack . during the application of each succeeding ceramic layer the stack is maintained at a temperature of between about 55 °- 80 ° c . to facilitate removal from each coating of the solvents in the paint as well as those in the ink . the final stack and substrate are mounted on a horizontal table that is movable in a horizontal direction . a single , long , sharp razor blade is pushed down through the green ceramic stack , sometimes referred to as the cake . the blade is withdrawn ; the table is moved a predetermined distance in said direction that is perpendicular to the vertical plane of the blade ; and the blade is lowered to cut through the ceramic cake again and withdrawn . the table is again moved the predetermined distance in the same direction and the process is repeated until the blade is near the edge of the cake . the substrate and cake are rotated ninety degrees on the table and the above - noted sequential cutting process is run again except the table is moved each time another predetermined distance , usually different than the first predetermined distance because it is usually desired the each body have a different dimension in width than in length . the substrate is then demounted from the cutting table , and the diced green ceramic cake is removed from the substrate 20 by flexing the cardboard and / or by pushing the cake relative to the substrate in a direction in the plane of the interface there between . the above - noted electroding ink patterns are designed such that the above - noted cutting may be co - registered with the ink patterns to the effect that each individual cut - apart green capacitor body contains a first set of buried electrodes extending only to one cut edge and a second set of buried electrodes interdigitated with the first and extending to the opposite cut edge . the green bodies are then baked out at 800 ° c . for a few hours to remove essentially all of the organic materials and are then sintered to maturity at from 1100 ° c . to 1250 ° c . a silver paste was applied to the opposite pair of cut edges at which the buried electrodes extend . the bodies were again fired at 750 ° c . for a few minutes to form silver terminations and complete the manufacture of these monolithic multilayer ceramic capacitors . a paint - curtain - thickness measuring device has a light source ( or source of radiation at other wavelengths ) 30 held to shine on one side of the paint curtain 16 and a light detector or sensor ( or detector of said other wavelengths ) 32 is held at a point on the other side of the curtain 16 opposite the source 30 to receive light having been transmitted from the source 30 through the curtain 16 . the source 30 and the detector 32 are mounted respectively on rods 34 and 36 and thereby maintained opposite each other . the rods 34 and 36 are held fixed relative to each other by a commonly attached bar 38 and are supported in bushings 40 and 42 respectively that permit rods 34 and 36 to be moved in an axial direction as indicated by arrows 44 and 46 . by pushing or pulling the rods 34 and 36 , the source 30 and detector 32 are moved horizontally from one point in the paint curtain to the other . it should be noted that the transmissivity to radiation of a paint curtain will vary as a function of paint formulation . for example , the ratio of the ceramic particles to paint vehicle by volume is a determinant of paint transmissivity . thus for absolute measurements of curtain thickness , the measurement instrument of this invention must be calibrated for each paint formulation . a shield 28 is placed about the curtain 16 to shield against ambient radiation that may be detectable by the sensor 32 and cause an erroneous measure of curtain thickness . a curtain coating machine was equipped with a source of steady ( regulated ) infrared radiation ( 30 ) comprised of a standard electrical cartridge heater and an infrared pyrometer ( 32 ), model os - 600 made by omega engineering in stamford , conn . both are mounted as shown in fig1 and 2 . at the level of about 1 mil ( 25 microns ) coating thickness as sintered , the resolution obtained using a strip chart recorder connected to the pyrometer output was better than 1 . 0 micron . in the case of the deposition of a coating that was 1 mil thick after sintering , the curtain thickness was 5 . 5 mils ( 137 microns ) and the wet coating thickness was 4 mils ( 100 microns ). thicker curtains become so opaque that this instrument becomes relatively insensitive and ineffective . in order to control the thickness of the coating being deposited as a function of time , the paint pumping rate may be adjusted to maintain the paint curtain thickness constant . an increase in pumping rate causes a thickening of the curtain and of the coating . an amplifier may be connected between the infrared sensor 32 and the paint pump ( not shown ) to provide automatic means of paint curtain thickness control . otherwise , the sensor 32 may drive a voltmeter and an operator may adjust the pump speed to keep the voltmeter indication constant . by moving the radiation source 30 and sensor 32 from near one edge to the other edge of the curtain 16 differences in curtain thickness may be detected and eliminated by adjusting the tilt of the paint dam 14 . an alternative means for measuring the thickness near the left and right curtain edges is the use of separate but fixed and equally brilliant sources of radiation ( not illustrated ) at the two edges . two fixed and equally sensitive sensors are then provided in corresponding positions , respectively , on the oppostie curtain side . the difference in output from these two sensors is then the measure of an unsymmetrically thick paint curtain . the uniformity of a coating thickness of 6 microns could be maintained uniform to within less than 0 . 02 microns . as the curtain becomes thinner and more transparent , the resolution improves so that the usefulness of this instrument for even thinner coatings will be enhanced where it is needed most . in a variation on the method of this invention the paint reservoir may be one of the closed type having instead of a wier , an essentially horizontal slot out of which the paint is forced to exit and from which it falls in the form of a thin curtain . here again the paint pumping rate or rate at which paint is forced into the closed reservoir determines the rate at which it exits the slot and the thickness of the curtain . in this case the dimensions of the slot may be adjusted to adjust the symmetry as well as the average thickness of the falling curtain . otherwise , curtain symmetry may be adjusted by tilting the slot relative to a horizontal plane because the thickness at any point in a falling curtain diminishes as a function of the distance it has fallen .
8
reference herein to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment , nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments . [ 0030 ] fig1 is a top - level view 100 of a typical redundantly connected , protected optical network of the prior art showing detail for two clients ( client a and client b ) that are participating in a two - way communication . transmitter 104 of client a 102 sends data to receiver 118 of client b 116 through transceiver ( xcvr ) 108 , optical network 110 , 2 × 1 optical switch 112 , and xcvr 114 . transmitter 120 of client b 116 sends data to receiver 106 of client a 102 through xcvr 122 , optical network 110 , 2 × 1 optical switch 124 , and xcvr 126 . a simplified block diagram of xcvr 108 of fig1 including the components of a conventional optical translation unit ( otu ), is illustrated by fig2 . fig2 shows xcvr 108 receiving optical input signal 202 on a given wavelength wl . optical - to - electrical ( oe ) unit 204 converts optical input signal 202 to the electrical domain for further processing . the resulting electrical signal 208 feeds external modulator 210 ( typically implemented using a single - or dual - output mach - zehnder modulator ) which then modulates the output of local cw laser source 206 of wavelength w2 , where w2 is typically but not necessarily a different wavelength from the input wavelength w1 . the output of modulator 210 then feeds optical splitter 212 which optically splits its input signal into two roughly identical output signals . these output signals then drive two separate fibers representing the service channel s 214 and the protection channel p 218 , respectively . as illustrated by the representative waveform 216 for the service channel s and the representative waveform 220 for the protection channel p , the two outputs of splitter 212 are in phase ( i . e ., of the same polarity ). suitable alternative devices may be substituted for external modulator 210 of this illustration including any devices from the classes known as electro - absorption and electro - optic modulators , the former class including devices composed of materials used in semiconductor lasers , and the latter class composed of materials whose refractive index can be altered by an applied electric field . the waveforms are provided for the purpose of illustration of polarity and represent only approximately the amplitude vs . time plot for an optical signal driven by a bit pattern of “ 1 , 0 , 1 , 0 , 1 , 0 , 1 ”. details of framing and protocol encapsulation are not illustrated . additionally , in this simplified illustration , for clarity , details of optical amplification , wavelength selection , demodulation , error detection / correction , and other standard processes that typically occur within a transceiver are not explicitly shown in fig2 . referring back to fig1 it should be understood that the signal carried on the protection channel p is typically an in - phase ( i . e ., same polarity ) approximate copy of the signal that is driving the service channel s . the protection channel is typically on a different fiber , and that fiber is typically carried in a different bundle along a unique path from the service channel ( i . e ., path diversity ). in the event of a failure on the service channel s , for example , in a transmission from client a 102 to client b 116 , the redundant copy of the service signal carried on the protection channel p can optionally be selected ( via appropriate control of 2 × 1 switch 112 ) until such time as the service channel is recovered . typically a microcontroller or microcomputer will be used in combination with a performance monitor ( pm ) to assess the relative signal quality of s and p . this arrangement is illustrated by the fig3 which represents a simplified view of xcvr block 128 of fig1 . as shown in fig3 pm 310 will typically sample both service channel s 302 and protection channel p 304 at a receiving node prior to , or in common with input to 2 × 1 switch 112 . samples 306 of s and samples 308 of p will feed pm 310 , which will report the relative signal quality of s and p to microcontroller 326 via reporting interface 324 . microcontroller 326 will respond to the information received from pm 310 and in accordance with its software programming and in consideration of other information available to it ( for example , via interface 328 with management interface unit ( miu ) 330 ), control 2 × 1 switch 112 to select the signal carried on either s 302 or p 304 to drive oe unit 312 . output 314 of oe unit 312 will control the modulation by modulator 322 of output 320 of local cw laser 318 . this selection ultimately determines signal 316 , which exits xcvr 114 . similarly , referring back to fig . a , for transmission from client b 116 to client a 102 , s and p are sampled just prior to input to 2 × 1 switch 124 by a performance monitor ( detail not shown ) associated with xcvr 126 and an appropriate selection made by a microcontroller ( detail not shown ) via control of 2 × 1 switch 124 . optical network cloud 110 of fig1 redundantly connects the nodes in the network via wavelength or physically distinct paths , either in a ring , mesh , or other optical network topology , whereby the protection channel , which provides protective coverage for one or more service signals , and the service channel itself , may reach a destination node directly or via multiple hops through intermediate nodes . in one embodiment of this invention , the combination of external modulator 210 and optical splitter 212 of fig2 is replaced with a dual - output mach - zehnder modulator ( mzm2 ). this is illustrated by fig4 where mzm2 410 is shown driving both service channel s 412 and protection channel p 416 fibers directly , without the need for an intervening splitter in the path . mzm2 410 serves as both modulator and splitter with the exception that the two signals generated by mzm2 410 are inverted versions of each other as illustrated by waveform 414 representing the polarity of the service signal that is carried on the service channel s and waveform 418 which represents the opposite polarity that is carried on the protection channel p . depending on the implementation , the amplitudes of the service signal , and its substantially inverted representation that is carried on the protection channel , may be the same or different . analogous to xcvr 108 of fig2 in fig4 optical input 402 to xcvr 400 feeds oe 404 , which then outputs modulator control 406 . also analogous to xcvr 108 of fig2 in fig4 cw laser 408 provides an output for modulation . however , in xcvr 400 , the output of laser 408 is modulated by mzm2 device 410 under the control of oe output 406 . accommodation of the protection signal as a substantially inverted copy of the service signal can be made with minor additional system cost . the result of the invention is thus the replacement of two components , i . e ., a modulator and a splitter with one mzm2 , yielding a reduced component cost in a typical transceiver . additionally , because the power loss of a single mzm2 can be much less than that of the modulator - splitter solution of the prior art , the overall system cost of the invention might also be reduced relative to the prior art since less amplification may be required in the end - to - end optical pathways . to accommodate the signal on the protection channel p of a network incorporating the xcvr configuration of this invention as illustrated by fig4 an inversion or “ righting ” of the signal carried on p might need to be done prior to delivery to a final destination at a client . note that , in the hybrid electro - optical networks of today , optical - to - electrical and electrical - to - optical conversion of a signal is done repeatedly in client - to - client communications . thus , the signal on p will find itself represented electrically at many points in the network . inversion in the electrical domain is a low - cost operation . additionally , because differential transport is commonly encountered at various points along a hybrid electro - optical network for purposes of noise immunity and signal recovery , it is typical for both physical - layer protocols and the devices that interface to these protocols to include inversion detection and correction mechanisms . thus , to a certain extent , the circuitry and protocols defined for these communications systems intrinsically tolerate or correct inversion , and for those cases where they do not , a means to detect and correct the inversion is inexpensive to implement . as an example , in sonet networks , a basic sts - 1 frame repeats every 810 bytes and begins with the start - of - frame delimiter 0xf628 or 1111 , 0110 , 0010 , 0100b . the inverted version of this delimiter is 0000 , 1001 , 1101 , 1011b or 0x09db . a circuit that detects the pattern 0x09db at a recurring 810 - byte interval can determine that the signal is inverted and can right the signal before transmitting it further or dropping it to a local destination . this circuit can be incorporated in a client as illustrated by inversion detection block 806 and inversion correction block 808 of fig8 or alternatively , the inversion can be handled at any point within a xcvr where the inverted service signal is represented in the electrical domain ( not illustrated ). it is an aspect of many of the protection schemes in use in networks today ( e . g ., 1 + 1 ) that switching to the protection channel can be accomplished autonomously via local performance monitoring and microcomputer control . for such networks , carrying of an inverted copy of the service signal on the protection channel p , according to this invention , can be used as part of an operations , administration , maintenance , and provisioning ( oam & amp ; p ) scheme whereby the failure of s is indicated by a xcvr to a client implicitly by the presence of the inverted signal . for example , as discussed previously , if there is a failure on s , a 2 × 1 switch and xcvr combination as illustrated previously by fig3 will select the signal on p to pass along to the client along interface 316 . for systems that use the xcvr configuration of this invention as illustrated by fig4 this signal will be inverted with respect to the service signal . the presence of an inverted signal at a client can thus be used as an indicator of the presence of a failure on the primary or service path s . this indicator can be communicated to the client without the need for additional circuitry or bandwidth associated with a separate management interface and could in some cases eliminate the need for a management interface at the xcvr . [ 0045 ] fig5 provides additional detail on one implementation of modulator 210 and splitter 212 of fig2 where modulator 210 is a single - output mach - zehnder modulator ( mzm1 ). in fig5 cw laser input 502 is first split 504 by mzm1 210 into two legs . following modulation and relative phase shifting , the two legs are recombined 506 before being output from the mzm 1 . finally single output 508 of mzm 1 is then input to splitter 212 where it is again split 510 into two legs . in contrast , fig6 illustrates one view of the internal structure of a modified or dual - output mach - zehnder modulator ( mzm2 ) 410 of fig4 . in fig6 cw laser input signal 602 is split 604 as in the prior art and the two legs subjected to modulation and phase shifting as before . however , in mzm2 410 , the two legs are each individually output 606 from the device . note that the losses intrinsic to mzm1 210 of fig5 and mzm2 410 of fig6 are nearly identical and that , although mzm2 410 of fig5 exhibits roughly the same loss as mzm1 210 of fig6 the prior art implementation depicted by fig5 is further burdened by the additional lossy component , splitter 212 . the end result , as stated previously , is that two devices associated with the prior art implementation are replaced with a single device with a resulting decrease in power loss . although fig5 illustrates an implementation of the external modulator 210 of fig2 in terms of an mzm1 , as discussed earlier , any of the classes of electro - absorption and electro - optic modulators could instead have been substituted in accordance with the present invention . another embodiment of this invention makes use of the inverted nature of one output of a mzm2 to provide for the simplified detection of the insertion of preemptive or low - priority traffic into the network and simplifies the architecture for carrying either keep - alive or preemptive traffic . fig7 illustrates a transceiver 700 that can be used instead of xcvr 108 and / or xcvr 122 in network 100 of fig1 according to this embodiment of the present invention . as in the prior embodiment , an optical signal 704 of wavelength w1 is input to xcvr 700 . the signal is converted to the electrical domain by oe device 712 and the result 714 is used to modulate the output of cw laser 716 using mzm2 718 to produce a service path signal 726 of wavelength w1 which can be different from w2 and an inverted approximation thereof 722 . however , in this embodiment , in contrast to the embodiment of this invention illustrated by fig4 in fig7 the inverted output 722 of mzm2 718 does not drive the protection path directly . instead , it feeds one input of 2 × 1 switch 724 where the other input is fed with preemptive traffic ( pt ) input 720 . as illustrated by fig7 pt is the result of the modulation 708 of the output of local cw laser 706 under control of the output of oe device 710 with external input 702 of wavelength w3 , where w3 can be different from w1 and / or w2 . alternatively , the modulator for the signal pt may be external to transceiver 700 . microcontroller 736 is used at the xcvr ( alternatively remote computational / control resources ( not shown in fig7 ) may be utilized ), optionally in combination with information received via management interface unit 734 , to select whether the inverted version of service signal 722 or signal pt 720 is used to drive protection channel p 730 . the waveform 732 of the signal carried by p 730 tracks either pt 720 or the inverted version 722 of the service signal s carried by 726 . waveform 728 represents the polarity of the service signal s . pt 720 may contain bursty or low - bandwidth traffic that is opportunistic and whose quality of service ( qos ) is not necessarily guaranteed . in the event that the service channel s is fault free , the protection path p can be used to carry preemptive traffic pt at little additional cost to the network provider by utilizing otherwise unutilized bandwidth . this reduces the steady state 100 % overhead burden on the network of carrying a duplicate ( albeit in this application inverted ) version of the service signal on the protection channel p . [ 0050 ] fig8 illustrates a simplified block diagram of the receive - side of an exemplary client according to this invention analogous to receiver ( rx ) 118 of fig1 . in the previous embodiment discussed in the context of the xcvr of fig4 where the keep - alive signal carried on the protection path was simply an inverted version of the service signal and there was no facility for carriage of preemptive traffic on p , the presence of an inverted signal at the input to a client would unambiguously indicate a failure on s . as illustrated by fig8 and as discussed earlier , inversion on the input signal 802 could be detected by inversion detection circuitry 806 after conversion of the optical signal to the electrical domain by oe 804 . the presence of the inversion would be communicated via signal 820 to microcontroller 814 which in turn would command inversion circuitry 808 via signal 818 to correct the polarity of the signal prior to passing it on to be further processed ( e . g ., reassembly , etc ., in hardware or software ) by processing block 810 and ultimately passed on to the client &# 39 ; s local intelligent agent 812 ( e . g ., the microcontroller ). the presence of the inverted signal might also be communicated to microcomputer 812 and / or management interface unit ( miu ) 816 for reporting purposes as part of an oam & amp ; p scheme . this reporting might be via separate lan , wan , internet , etc ., interface 822 or “ in - wavelength ” inserted as part of the outbound traffic to the network on the transmit side of the client ( not shown ). in the current embodiment , however , where the simplified xcvr of the prior embodiment of this invention ( as illustrated by fig4 ) is replaced with the xcvr of fig7 the interpretation of the input to a client becomes more complex . input 802 to the client of fig . f is the output of a performance - monitoring combination of a 2 × 1 switch and xcvr such as that illustrated by fig3 where the signal carried on p can be either an inverted version of the service signal s or preemptive traffic ( pt ). in this case , the presence of an inverted signal at the input of a client still indicates a failure on s but the presence of a non - inverted signal at the input to a client might indicate either service traffic or preemptive traffic . this last ambiguity can be sorted out by the client during the reassembly process or via appropriate communication of the state of the 2 × 1 switch state in the local xcvr serving the client , as communicated to the client from miu 330 over management interface 332 in fig3 . in the event of a failure on s , xcvr 128 of fig3 will select p at 2 × 1 switch 112 to be ultimately driven to the client via output 316 . in this case , it should also report the failure on s via management interface 332 so that the inverted version of the service signal can be switched back into p at the sourcing xcvr , illustrated in this example by fig7 . alternatively , 2 × 1 switch 724 in sourcing xcvr 700 of fig7 can be cycled back and forth under control of microcontroller 736 via control signal 738 between driving p 730 with preemptive traffic 720 and driving p 730 with an inverted version 722 of the service signal . the duty cycle and frequency of this cycling or toggling can be varied to compromise between providing bandwidth for preemptive traffic and providing an inverted signal that the client at the receiver can unambiguously interpret as associated with a failure on s . again , in this scheme , the detection of a failure on s ( potentially at device 128 of fig3 or by virtue of an inverted signal detection at the client of fig8 ) in this embodiment should be generally followed by an oam & amp ; p communication to the xcvr that is sourcing this toggled signal ( in this example , the xcvr of fig7 ) that there is a failure on the service channel and that preemptive traffic insertion must cease in order to accommodate the use of p exclusively for carriage of the ( inverted ) service signal . this can be done via in - band or out - of - band signaling around the network . after recovery from the failure on s , the transmission on p of preemptive traffic or a combination of preemptive traffic and inverted service signal can resume . generally , preemptive traffic is received from the protection channel p by an additional preemptive traffic receiver ( not shown ) that serves a preemptive signal destination client ( also not shown ). another embodiment of this invention involves an enhancement to the transceiver of fig3 that supports concurrent reception of the service signal and the preemptive signal . assuming there is no failure on the service channel s , this enhanced transceiver can serve both a service signal destination client and a preemptive signal destination client . fig9 illustrates transceiver 900 . in xcvr 900 , 2 × 2 switch 902 replaces 2 × 1 switch 112 of fig3 . in addition , xcvr 900 includes a second oe conversion and modulation block 908 . 2 × 2 switch 902 in xcvr 900 is set via control 914 by microcontroller 912 in consideration of various factors including the relative quality of the signals on the service channel s and the protection channel p . the settings of 2 × 2 switch 902 are summarized in table a below . in table a , the switch setting under normal circumstances ( e . g ., where the service channel is of sufficient quality for normal operation relative to the protection channel ) will be designated by “ normal .” if the service channel degrades sufficiently either in absolute terms , or relative to the quality of the protection channel , the switch setting will be changed . this new setting is designated by “ failure ” in table a . if the switch setting is “ normal ,” the protection channel p is connected via 2 × 2 switch 902 to oe - modulator 908 input port 904 and ultimately output via interface 910 to the preemptive signal destination client . at the same time , the service channel s is connected via 2 × 2 switch 902 to oe - modulator 114 input port 906 and ultimately output via interface 316 to the service signal destination client . if the switch setting is “ failure ,” the protection channel p is again connected via 2 × 2 switch 902 to oe - modulator 908 input port 904 and ultimately output via interface 910 to the preemptive signal client . at this same time , the protection channel p is additionally connected via 2 × 2 switch 902 to oe - modulator 114 input port 906 and ultimately output via interface 316 to the service signal destination client . table a to preemptive signal to service signal switch setting destination client destination client normal p s failure p p in an alternative implementation ( not illustrated ), since the protection channel p signal is fed to the preemptive signal destination client independent of the setting of 2 × 2 switch 902 , p could be optically split into two legs at the input to xcvr 900 with one leg hardwired to input 904 of oe - modulator 908 . the other leg of p and the service signal s could be input to a 2 × 1 optical switch that could select under the control of microcontroller 912 which of those inputs would drive input 906 of oe - modulator 114 to supply signal to the service signal destination client . in another alternative implementation ( not illustrated ), the signals carried by the service channel s and the protection channel p can be converted from the optical domain to the electrical domain at the front - end of xcvr 900 producing electrical service and protection signals se and pe , respectively . pe could then be used directly to control the modulator of oe modulator 908 . additionally , se and an electronic copy of pe could feed an electronic 2 × 1 switch under the control of microcontroller 912 whose output would control the modulator of oe - modulator 114 . depending on the application , the signals processed in accordance with the present invention may be analog or digital . note that throughout this document the terms copy , version , and approximation have been used with regard to the service signal to denote a reasonable approximation to the service signal or to an inverted copy thereof . these signals should be understood to be sufficiently similar to or substantially the same as the service signal or the inverted service signal , as the case may be , such that recovery of these signals is reasonably achievable using electrical and optical components of the current state of the art or reasonable extensions thereof . also note that , throughout this document , the laser and modulator are depicted in separate boxes . depending on the implementation , different parts of those components may be implemented in the same or different housings , circuit packs , circuit cards , multi - chip modules , substrates , or mixed - mode asics , potentially along with other circuitry . in one possible implementation , the laser and the modulator are integrated together onto the same substrate . the present invention may be implemented using mach - zehnder modulators of the lithium niobate type , although other suitable types of mz modulators and suitable modulators other than mz modulators may also be used . although this invention has been described broadly with respect to optical networks , it should be understood by one skilled in the art that it is equally applicable to related optical subsystems , including synchronous optical network ( sonet ) add - drop multiplexers and optical internet - protocol ( ip ) routers . as used in the claims , the term “ network ” should be interpreted to cover any of these different subsystems . 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 of the described embodiments , as well as other embodiments of the invention , which are apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are deemed to lie within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims . although the steps in the following method claims , if any , are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling , unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those steps , those steps are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence .
7
the aims and objects of the invention are achieved , in a preferred embodiment of the invention , by providing a plug or applicator which is readily securable , frictionally , to constitute a fluid - flow regulating mechanism bridging the open mouth of the bottle or other container which serves as the reservoir for a liquid which is to be applied to a body surface . the plug is formed with through pores or ducts the physical dimensions of which are such that surface tension and capillary forces present are effective to overcome the gravitational force acting upon the contained liquid when the applicator assembly is inverted . it is an important feature of the invention that , as a result of the specific mechanical structure , the flow of fluid from the reservoir , through the applicator pores , occurs only when the applicator face is brought proximate the surface to which the fluid is to be applied , so that actual contact occurs between that surface and the fluid restrained by the applicator plug . referring now to the drawings , and particularly to fig1 and 5 , there is shown , for illustrative purposes , a container 10 with one embodiment of the applicator 20 of the invention secured thereto . in the particular example illustrated , the fluid container 10 constitutes an elongated generally cylindrical vial 24 which serves as the reservoir for the liquid 26 to be dispnsed . the vial 24 is integrally formed at its upper end with a neck 30 having an open mouth 32 . the neck is formed with encircling outer threads 36 for mating threaded engagement with internal threads , ( not shown ) of a closure or cap 40 . in the embodiment of the invention depicted in fig4 and 5 , the applicator 20 constitutes a generally cylindrical or tubular body wall 42 surmounted by an integrally formed , generally planer , horizontally extending top wall 46 . in the specific form of the applicator shown , the lower , depending end portion of the cylindrical wall 42 is angled or tapered inwardly to define a skirt 50 having a somewhat reduced overall diameter to facilitate the forced insertion of the cylindrical wall into the neck 30 of the container 10 to establish fluid - tight contiguous contact with the internal , annularly coextensive wall face 54 thereof , as shown in fig4 . a radially outwardly extending circumferential flange projects , as a continuation of the top wall 46 of the applicator and serves as a cap for the end face 60 of the bottle neck 30 so that the composite assembly presents a pleasing and aesthetic overall appearance . there is formed in the top wall 46 of the applicator plug 20 a plurality of liquid - permeable ducts 66 , each duct 66 communicating through a fluid inlet port 68 to the interior 70 of the fluid reservoir or container 10 . at their opposite ends , the ducts 66 communicate with the ambient atmosphere at fluid discharge ports 74 . the ducts 66 are characterized in that they function so as to prevent through fluid flow under one set of conditions while permitting fluid passage under a second set of conditions . specifically , the physical dimensions of the ducts 66 are such as effectively to establish surface tension molecular forces including capillary forces which act on liquid contained on the ducts 66 and at the discharge ports 74 thereof to oppose and to overcome gravitational forces acting on the liquid 26 contained in the duct 66 ( fig5 ) when the container 10 is an inverted disposition , to prevent unrestricted , free flow of liquid through the duct 66 and from the discharge port 74 . as indicated schematically in fig5 with the container in an inverted position and the liquid 26 of the container filling the neck portion 78 of the container 10 , the resultant of capillary forces , surface tension forces , and gravitational forces , is to produce a quasi - stable meniscus 80 depending from the exit port 74 and beyond the outer , limiting planar surface 84 of the top wall 46 of the plug 20 . in the absence of actual contact between the hanging surface of the meniscus 80 and a mechanical object ( e . g ., a surface to be coated ), the system remains in equilibrium and static . no fluid flow occurs . however , when a surface , such as a body surface ( not shown ) to which the fluid is to be applied is brought into contact with the meniscus 80 , the equilibrium is upset and flow of fluid through the ducts 66 is initiated and continues as the applicator plug 20 is wiped across the surface to be wetted . in order more effectively to control the rate of release of fluid through the ducts 66 and to control the degree of contact between the surface to be wetted and the depending meniscus 80 , in the particular preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated , the container - spanning or bridging wall 46 of the applicator 20 is formed on its outer planar face with an upstanding , annular ring 90 which serves as spacer means establishing a fixed spatial relationship between the contacting surface and the proximate , depending meniscus 80 . it will be appreciated that upon contacting the ring 80 against a body surface , the application of even the slightest pressure will cause a projection or invasion of the mobile skin interiorly of the ring 90 and into contact with the meniscus 80 of the fluid 26 , upsetting the existing equilibrium and causing the fluid to flow through the feed ducts 66 , consistent with established principles of fluid flow dynamics and physics . upon physical displacement of the ring 90 from the body surface , the flow through the duct 66 will immediately terminate . in the light of the present disclosure , it will be appreciated that there is a critical relationship between the fluid flow properties through the ducts 66 and the physical dimensions of the ducts , as well as their configurations . it will also be appreciated that the specific dimensions will depend in part upon the nature of the fluid being dispensed including the surface tension and viscosity of that fluid . in the case of a cologne , it has been found , that a satisfactory duct dimension is one in which the through thickness of the duct 66 is about 0 . 4 inch and in which the duct defines in cross section a passage which tapers outwardly from the inner surface to the outer surface of the outer wall 46 from an inlet port 68 having a transverse dimension of about 0 . 02 inch diameter to an outlet port 74 having a transverse diametric dimensions of about 0 . 06 inch . the ducts 66 taper or flare outwardly toward the discharge ports 74 , the duct walls defining , in vertical cross section , an angle of about 60 °. this angle may be varied in the range from about 45 ° to about 120 °. based upon the information provided herein , those skilled in the art will have little difficulty in arriving at suitable dimensions for other liquid compositions , all without exercise of the inventive faculty . in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig2 a somewhat modified form of applicator 20a is shown . the principal difference in this structure is that it attaches as an oversleeve , being formed with an integral generally cylindrical wall 42a which slidably and frictionally overrides the neck 30a of the bottle or container 10a . in this particular embodiment of the assembly , the container 10a is conveniently formed with encircling external threads 94 adapted to mate with and interengage cooperating internal threads formed on a cap or cover ( not shown ) serving as a closure for the assembly . from a functional standpoint , the applicator 20a of fig2 operates essentially in the same manner as described with reference to the embodiment of fig4 and 5 . in the applicator plug structures shown in the fragmentary views , fig6 and 7 , parts corresponding to those depicted in fig4 and 5 carry the suffices &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;. in the embodiment of the applicator shown in fig6 the ducts 66b are essentially of constant cross sectional area . in fig7 the ducts 66c taper inwardly from the interior to the exterior surface of the outer wall 46c of the applicator plug 20c . the foregoing invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment , and numerous equivalents thereof can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .
1
fig1 shows a water treatment system 2 from a top view . the water treatment system 2 has one or more filtration tanks 4 . if there are multiple tanks 4 , they may be aligned in parallel and separated by a partition wall 3 . each tank 4 accepts feed water through an inlet 6 . water may be removed from a tank 4 through one or more of a permeate withdrawal system , a drain and a recycle conduit , which are not shown to simplify fig1 since they are conventional parts of a water treatment system using immersed membranes . the tank 4 has one or more membrane assemblies 8 shown in dashed lines in fig1 . during filtration , the membrane assemblies 8 are used to withdraw permeate from water in the tank 4 while rejecting solids , which remain in the tank 4 until they are digested , drained or removed in a recirculation line . an aerator assembly 10 is associated with each membrane assembly 8 . the aerator assembly 10 provides bubbles which rise through the associated membrane assembly 8 to scour or clean its membranes . the aerator assembly 10 may include a plurality of aerators of various types , including for example a network of pipes with holes drilled in them to emit bubbles as will be described in more detail in relation to fig3 . to provide air to the aerator assembly 10 , air is drawn in through an air inlet 12 to a set of blowers 14 . the blowers 14 may operate at a generally constant speed , thus providing a generally constant flow rate of air . by turning off one or more of the blowers 14 , or reducing the speed of one or more of the blowers , a different flow rate of air can be provided . however , turning a blower 14 on an off frequently , or varying its speed often , can reduce the life of the blower 14 . accordingly , it is preferable to leave the blowers 14 either on or off , and operate them at a constant speed , for at least an hour or more at a time . alternatively , systems can be provided to supply other gases , such as nitrogen , oxygen or oxygen enriched air or biogas . the gas travels through a blower outlet pipe 16 to one or more manifolds 22 . the manifolds 22 deliver the gas to one or more inlets 26 of one or more plenums 30 . gas accumulates in the plenum 30 by increasing in pressure , optionally in combination with expansion of the plenum 30 . when gas is released from the plenum 30 , the gas flows through a plenum outlet 32 to one or more of the aerator assemblies 10 . as will be described further below , gas is released from the plenum 30 in bursts , causing corresponding bursts of bubbles to be emitted from the one or more aerator assemblies 10 connected to the plenum 30 . fig2 shows the water treatment system 2 of fig1 in a cross sectioned end view . as shown , a membrane assembly 8 is positioned above an aerator assembly 10 , although the aerator assembly 10 may also be integrated with the membrane assembly 8 . the aerator assembly 10 is connected to a plenum outlet 32 by a feeder pipe 33 . the plenum 30 is located outside of the tank , where it can be reached for servicing and operate under ordinary atmospheric pressure . bubbles released from an aerator assembly 10 float towards the surface of the water in the tank 4 . as they do so , the bubbles pass through the membrane assembly 8 to scour the membranes , thus cleaning them or decreasing their rate of fouling . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the aerator assembly 10 provides bubbles to a volume of water defined by a depth of water covering an area , in plan view , spanned by the aerator assembly . a column of bubbles may expand horizontally as it rises , but the span 11 of the aerator assembly 10 can be considered to be the horizontal distance across the aerator assembly , or more conservatively between two openings on opposite sides of the aerator assembly 10 . if the span 11 could be measured along one of multiple lines drawn across the aerator assembly 10 , then the smallest of these lines is used to measure the span 11 . if a set of multiple aerator assemblies 10 are connected to a common plenum 30 , then they are considered as one assembly and the span is measured across the set . the span 11 is preferably significant in length relative to the depth of submergence of the one or more aerator assemblies , which is typically also related to the height of membrane assemblies 8 . for example , the span 11 may be one quarter or more , or one third or more , or one half or more , of either the depth of submergence of the aerator assembly 10 or the height of a membrane assembly 8 . the extent to which a column of bubbles rising through one membrane assembly 8 could lift water in an adjacent membrane assembly 8 depends in part on the vertical distance that the bubbles rise through . providing a significant span 11 relative to that vertical distance inhibits bubbles produced from one aerator assembly 10 from causing water to rise over an adjacent aerator assembly 10 . water in a membrane assembly 8 can therefore come closer to being still between bursts of air from its associated aerator assembly 10 . when a burst of bubbles is provided to a membrane assembly 8 , the bubbles are released into water that does not already have a significant upwards velocity . in addition to the comment mentioned previously in international publication number wo 2008 / 153818 , the potential benefit to releasing bubbles into still water , rather than rising water , was discussed in reexamination of the gas sparging mechanism for membrane fouling control , by masao kondo et al . in operation , gas is emitted from a plenum 30 , and bubbles are provided from an aerator assembly 10 , at a rate that varies in repeated cycles . each cycle may include a period during which gas accumulates in the plenum 30 , followed by the release of a burst of the gas . alternatively , a cycle may be described as having an “ air - on ” time and an “ air - off ” time . the flow rate during the burst , or air on time , could be generally constant or might rise to a peak flow rate and then decline again . there may be an abrupt transition to the accumulation stage , or air off time , during which the flow of gas may be completely stopped . alternatively , the flow rate in the air on time may decrease gradually and the air air - off time may be deemed to occur when the rate of gas flow from the outlet 32 of a plenum 30 is 10 % or less of the peak gas flow rate in the air on time . the duration of the burst , or air on time , may be between 0 . 5 and 20 seconds or between 0 . 5 and 4 seconds . the duration of the accumulation stage , or air off time , may be between 5 and 40 seconds . in the system 2 shown in fig1 , the timing of bursts of gas from the various plenums 30 is not intentionally synchronized . although aerator assemblies 10 might emit their first burst of bubbles at the same time , over time the cycles of different aerator assemblies 1 may diverge from each other . however , due to the spacing of the aerator assemblies 10 relative to their depth of submergence , each membrane assembly 8 experiences flows of bubbles and entrained water that are determined primarily by its associated aerator assembly 10 . fig3 shows an aerator assembly 10 in greater detail . the aerator assembly 10 has a header pipe 34 . the header pipe 34 is connected to the feeder pipe 33 shown in fig2 and so receives gas from the outlet 32 of the plenum 30 . a plurality of individual aerators 36 extend from the header pipe 34 . each of the aerators 36 shown is essentially a section of pipe having holes 38 provided in its sides to release bubbles into the water , although other types of aerators may also be used . fig4 shows a membrane assembly 8 in greater detail . the membrane assembly 8 has a plurality of membrane modules 40 arranged side by side . the modules 40 may be connected to each other or to a common frame ( not shown ). each of the plurality of membrane modules 40 has hollow fiber membranes 42 oriented generally vertically between two potting heads 44 . the ends of the membranes 42 are connected to potting heads 44 by a watertight connection that allows permeate to be collected in at least one of the potting heads 44 . a potting head 44 may have a spigot 46 which is connected to one or more permeate collection pipes 48 . the permeate connection to only one of the modules 40 is shown to simplify fig2 but typically all of the modules 40 in an assembly 8 would be connected at some point to a common permeate collection pipe 48 . the permeate collection pipes 48 are connected to a permeate pump 50 . when the permeate pump 50 is operated , a negative pressure is created in the membranes 42 relative to water in the tank 4 surrounding the membranes 42 . the resulting transmembrane pressure draws water through the membranes 42 . a membrane assembly 8 can also be made according to other configurations . for example , modules 40 of vertically oriented membranes 42 may be round or square and connected together in rows or grids to form a assembly 8 . module 40 may have also have hollow fiber membranes 42 oriented horizontally . modules 40 with horizontal membranes may arranged into an assembly 8 by placing them side by side or in grids , or by stacking them on top of each other , or both . modules 40 may also have flat sheet membranes , and may be arranged into an assembly 8 by placing them side by side or in grids , or by stacking them on top of each other , or both . fig5 a to 5d show an example of a plenum 30 in sequential stages of operation . the plenum 30 of fig5 a to 5d has a flexible membrane 52 with a first end 54 connected to an inlet 26 . a second end 56 of the flexible membrane 52 is connected to the an outlet 32 . a stopper 58 is provided at the second end 56 . the stopper 58 and the second end 56 cooperate to form a valve which prevents air from exiting from the flexible membrane 52 until a threshold pressure within the flexible membrane 52 is reached . when the threshold pressure is reached , the second end 56 expands so that the seal between the stopper 58 and the second end 56 is released . as shown in fig5 b , the flexible membrane 52 expands as air accumulates therein . in fig5 c , the air pressure in the flexible membrane 52 reaching the threshold pressure causes the second end 56 to expand and release the seal with the stopper 52 . when this happens , air passes by the stopper 52 and through the outlet 32 . a burst of air is released from the flexible membrane 52 . as the air exits from the flexible membrane 52 , the flexible membrane 52 contracts to its initial unpressurized state as shown in fig5 d . the stopper 58 again forms a seal with the second end 56 and the process of filling the flexible membrane 52 with air repeats . alternatively , a plenum 30 in the form of a generally rigid tank or reservoir may be provided and a more conventional valve can be provided between the plenum 30 and the outlet 32 . the valve may be configured to open automatically when the threshold pressure is reached , and to stay open until a lower threshold pressure is reached . this may be done mechanically using a pressure sensitive valve , or by using a pressure sensor , a controller and an actuated valve . alternatively , the valve may be opened by a timer , and kept open for a pre - determined period of time . in a case where air is released when the air reaches a threshold pressure , the frequency or timing of busts of gas can be controlled by controlling the flow rate of gas to the plenum 30 , or possibly by venting gas from the plenum 30 or before it reaches the plenum 30 . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims , and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims .
1
some various embodiments of the present invention can provide a knife gate valve apparatus and method that is capable of sealing in dual directions , that is , with the high pressure side on ether side of the blade , and in some embodiments can overcome the disadvantages mentioned above with respect to the prior art . some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures , in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout . turning to fig1 , a knife gate valve 10 to according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . the knife gate valve 10 can include a valve body 12 that has a flange 14 to which is mounted a packing and stuffing box 16 . a knife gate 18 , also referred to as a blade 18 , has an end 20 protruding from the packing and stuffing box 16 . the end 20 of the blade or knife gate 18 can be connected to a reciprocating actuator to extend the blade 18 into the valve to close it , and to extract or retract the blade or knife gate 18 in the opposite direction to open the valve . the blade or knife gate 18 has another end 22 , also referred to as a tip , which may be slightly beveled as shown . the body 12 supports a first metal seat ring 24 and second metal seat ring 26 . the first metal seat ring 24 is press - fit into a corresponding groove in the body 12 and retained therein as shown . the second seat ring 26 is press - fit into a corresponding receiving shape in the body 12 and also retained in place . a first elastomeric sealing ring 30 is provided adjacent the first seating ring 24 and a second elastomeric sealing ring 32 is provided adjacent the second seat ring 26 . turning now to fig2 , a detailed view is illustrated , including the body 12 , the lower first seat ring 24 , the second seat ring 26 , the first elastomeric ring 30 and the second elastomeric ring 32 . the blade or knife gate 18 is also illustrated in a closed position . it will be appreciated that the first and second elastomeric rings 30 and 32 can in fact be similar structures to each other simply having been “ flipped ” inside out . this provides one advantage of this embodiment of the invention , wherein a single elastomeric ring - type can be manufactured and can be used as both the first and second elastomeric rings 30 and 32 in the preferred embodiment . the elastomeric rings 30 and 32 can be made by any suitable method , but in one example are made by extruding elastomeric material , then cutting it to a proper length , and then bonding the two ends to form a ring . turning , for example , to the first elastomeric ring 30 , it will be appreciated that this elastomeric ring 30 has an ear 36 . the second elastomeric ring 32 has a similar ear 38 . the ear 36 fits in a retention groove 40 , and the ear 38 fits in a retention groove 42 , with each of the retention grooves 40 and 42 retaining the respective ring via a mechanical fit . the retention groove 40 is a groove formed in the first seat ring 24 . the retention groove 42 is a groove formed in the body 12 . the interaction of the ears 36 and 38 with their respective retention grooves 40 and 42 serves one or more of several functions . in particular , the interaction of the ears 36 and 38 with their retention grooves 40 and 42 , respectively , serves both to provide some sealing and also to retain the elastomeric rings 30 32 mechanically in their location . for example , this interaction prevents the elastomeric rings 30 and 32 from moving axially and sliding out of their mounted orientation when the valve 10 is open . this can provide an improvement compared to bonding via gluing or another adhesive agent of sealing rings in some cases . the mechanical retention shown in this preferred embodiment can , in some cases , be more durable then bonding or gluing . also replacement of the elastomeric rings can be accomplished without needing to clean off adhesive residue . however , some embodiments of the invention can use bonding instead of mechanical retention . the valve 10 also includes a first o - ring 50 and a second o - ring 52 , with each o - ring 50 and 52 providing a seal between the body 12 and one of the upper and lower seat rings 24 and 26 , respectively . for example , o - ring 50 sits in a channel in the body 12 and seals against the side of the first seat ring 24 . o - ring 52 sits in a channel in the body 12 and seals against a face of the second seat ring 26 . it will be appreciated that the combination of the two elastomeric rings 30 and 32 as well as the two o - rings 50 and 52 provides adequate sealing without requiring the blade 18 to necessarily have complete sealing contact with both of the sealing rings 30 or 32 at the same time . that is , in an example where the second seat ring 26 is on the high - pressure side , it will be appreciated that the blade 18 will tend to be urged downward in the drawing figure . fluid may tend to leak past the gap between the blade 18 and the seat ring 26 . however , such fluid will tend to be stopped by the sealing between the second elastomeric ring 32 and the blade 18 . any fluid that does extend past this seal will , if it is directed upwardly , next tend to be stopped by the mating of the ear 38 and the groove 42 , and if any fluid pressure escapes past this seal it will be stopped by the o - ring 52 . the other fluid flow escape path direction is around the tip 22 of the blade 18 and will tend to be stopped by the seal between the first elastomeric ring 30 against the blade 18 . any fluid that does escape past this seal will tend to be stopped by the mating of the ear 36 and groove 40 , and also by the o - ring 50 . therefore , complete sealing by the elastomeric ring against the blade is not required , because secondary sealing is provided by the continuation of the ears and the o - rings . in one preferred embodiment , the valve body 12 may be made of any suitably rigid structure including , for example , plastic or metal . the first and second seat rings 24 and 26 are typically made of metal , and the knife gate or blade 18 is also typically made of metal . the elastomeric rings 30 and 32 , as well as the o - rings 50 and 52 , are typically rubber . however , other materials may be utilized as is suitably desired . fig3 is a detailed view illustrating a second preferred embodiment of the present invention . the body 112 , blade or knife gate 118 , and seat rings 124 and 126 substantially correspond to those in the first embodiment . the difference relative to the first embodiment is that the elastomeric rings 130 and 132 are different from each other in this embodiment . that is , rather than there being a single elastomeric ring design , which is flipped inside out depending on its installation , in this embodiment , two structurally different and symmetrically opposed elastomeric rings 130 and 132 are utilized . in this embodiment , the ears 136 and 138 , respectively , are each directed radially inward . each sits in a groove in its respective seat ring 124 or 126 . while this embodiment requires the construction of two different elastomeric ring types , it also provides the benefit that the grooves that receive the ears are located on the seat rings 124 and 126 and there is no need for a retaining groove on the body 112 . this permits modification and / or retrofit of existing bodies 112 to have the ear and groove configuration without requiring any changes to the structure of the body 12 itself . since the seat rings 124 and 126 , as well as the elastomeric rings 130 and 132 , are replaceable components ( compared to the body 112 ), this can provide an advantageous future in some situations . fig4 is a view showing the valve of either embodiment in an open configuration . in fig4 the elastomeric rings are shown schematically without detail ; in the first embodiment , the ears would face in different directions , and in the second embodiment , they would both face radially inward . fig5 shows the two different elastomeric ring cross - sections of the second preferred embodiment , depicting elastomeric rings 130 and 132 as well as their inwardly directed ears 136 and 138 . the many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification , and thus , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention .
5
in a preferred embodiment of the invention there is described a basic design and assembly execution of a fast , pulsed excitation , electromagnetic undulator or wiggler assembly , which may have either constant or variable period lengths , and which makes use of geometrically alternating substacks of substantially identical ferromagnetic - material laminations . the fast - pulsed current excitation capability of such assemblies , in combination with the shaped ferromagnetic material laminations and their unique sequential arrangements within the undulator or wiggler assembly substacks is designed to yield assemblies that are capable of spacially alternating , high - field flux magnitudes . as described herein , two different types of specifically configured ferromagnetic laminations are used to form substack laminae assemblies for an undulator or wiggler structure constructed according to the invention . it will be understood that in alternative embodiments of the invention , other shapes of such lamina for the substacks may be utilized , following the teachings of the invention presented herein . the basic substacks of the first disclosed embodiment of the invention make use of a generally c - shaped magnet configuration , whereas the second disclosed embodiment makes use of a generally asymmetric h - shaped magnet lamina configuration . these two configurations are shown respectively in fig1 a and 1b . as shown in fig1 a , the c - shaped lamina 1 is illustrated in top plan view , and as shown in fig1 b , the generally asymmetric h - shaped lamina 2 is also shown in top plan view . in the preferred embodiments being described , a suitable conventional material for forming the laminae 1 and 2 is that sold under the trade name supermendur , and the laminae may , for example , have a material thickness of about 0 . 01 inch . fig1 a and 1b also illustrate , relative to a laminae substack cross section , with an adjacent substack being outlined in phantom , the straight - sided , parallel sides of a single - loop energizing conductor 3 ( in fig1 a ) and 4 ( in fig1 b ). the orientation of these conductors is more clearly illustrated in fig3 a and 3b , which will be described more fully below . four tie rods , 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 are shown in fig1 a , disposed through aligned apertures in the substack assemblies , for securing the assemblies in their assembled position . similarly , 6 tie rods 9 - 14 are illustrated in fig1 b for holding the substacks of that assembly in aligned position . of course , other securing arrangements may be utilized in alternative embodiments of the invention . the basic configurations of the magnetic laminae substack assemblies of the invention , and their associated energizing conductors , develop two - dimensional magnetic field distributions that are shown respectively in fig2 a and 2b . the flux lines are designated generally by the number 15 in fig2 a and by the number 16 in fig2 b . it will be understood that the flux lines 15 &# 39 ;, and 16 &# 39 ;, respectively in fig2 a and 2b , extend outward from the illustrated substacks of laminae 1 and 2 into the airspace above the outline of the adjacent substack assemblies that are illustrated in the respective drawings . fig3 a and 3b illustrate a basic assembly sequence in simplified outline form , for both of the disclosed types of magnetic laminae configuration . in the illustrated assemblies , the laminae substacks are pre - assemblied in quarter period length ( λ / 4 ) thickness substacks , where λ is the period length . although it is not specifically so illustrated in fig3 a and 3b , in the preferred embodiments of the invention each of the laminae substacks are separated by having inserted between them a sheet of dielectric material such as a suitable , high compression plastic sheet , so that upon compression of a lamination stack assembly , a desired &# 34 ; block &# 34 ; integration of the overall assembly is achieved . a single loop energizing conductor is illustrated in fig3 a as comprising four straight sided current conductor sections , each of which are parallel to the axis of the composite wiggler or undulator assembly , and each of which are interconnected only at the opposite ends of the total assembly , as shown by the dotted lines for the conductor 3 &# 39 ; in fig3 a and for the conductor 4 &# 39 ; in fig3 b . the arrows 3 &# 34 ; in fig3 a and 4 &# 34 ; in fig3 b indicate the direction of energizing current through the respective single excitation loops for the associated undulator or wiggler assemblies . such a simplified design arrangement permits ease of substack assembly and compression and final integration of the overall structural assembly . although only three laminae substacks 1a , 1b , 1c , and 2a , 2b , and 2c are shown respectively in fig3 a and 3b , it will be understood that in alternative embodiments of the invention different numbers of such substack assemblies may be readily used to form different period lengths for the desired undulator or wiggler structural assembly . these view of the preferred embodiments of the invention also make it clear that in fig3 a , the substacks 1a and 1c are arranged to face in an opposite direction to that of substack 1b , and a similar opposite facing arrangement for the substacks 2a and 2c versus substack 2b is illustrated in fig3 b , according to the basic teaching of the present invention . thus , a major advantage of the present invention is seen to be the extreme simplicity of its structural geometry and the resultant ease of employing either constant period length or sequentially varying period length for undulator or wiggler structural assemblies , because of the laminated nature of the substack assemblies and the configuration of the associated excitation current loop . a further major advantage of the present invention is that the longitudinal &# 34 ; coupling &# 34 ; of the transverse ( up - down ) magnetic field distributions will diminish the maximum achievable field magnitude in the undulator or wiggler , for a specific excitation current . this effect has been measured in simple short ( 2 . 5 period lengths ) models of prototypes of the devices of the invention , and it has been found to be less than 5 % for a period length of λ = 3 . 8 cm test model . a measured axial field distribution of such a prototype model is shown in fig4 . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in their excitation time structures , the devices of the invention are well matched for use in a fel system , or alternatively for a specific use in conjunction with an inverse free electron laser electron accelerator . the novel basic design and assembly arrangement of either a constant or a variable period length , fast - pulsed excitation , electromagnetic undulator or wiggler , according to the invention , makes use of geometrically alternating substacks of identical magnetic material laminations , in the novel arrangements illustrated in the drawings and described above . a particular advantage of the disclosed assembly arrangement is that it involves the use of fast - pulses excitation , in combination with the use of specially shaped magnetic material laminations and their unique manner of assembly in &# 34 ; block &# 34 ; integrated , compressed substacks , which are designed to lead to the achievement of undulators and wigglers with high field , variable period length products , which not only may be especially matched to their use in conjunction with and inverse free electron laser electron accelerator , or in conjunction with a free electron laser type radiation source , but also may reveal new paths in the development of compact , lightweight , high power efficiency , electromagnetic radiation devices when combining an undulator or wiggler of the type described herein with a pulsed excitation electron accelerator . implicit in the basic geometry of the assemblies of the invention , in both of its disclosed embodiments , is a resultant assembly that lends itself to the use of a superconducting current loop , instead of a fast - pulsed excitation loop . accordingly , the present invention forms a basic design for an embodiment of a direct current excitation superconducting undulator or wiggler assembly . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various alternative forms and modifications of the invention may be developed from the teaching presented herein ; accordingly , it is my intention to encompass within the following claims the true spirit and scope of the invention .
7
a flashlight assembly according to the present invention is shown generally at 10 in fig1 . the other referenced components of the invention in the drawings are as follows : ______________________________________12 a flashlight bulb 14 a rechargeable battery16 recharging circuitry 18 flashing circuitry20 a general accessory battery 21 a first switch powered device 20 &# 39 ; a modified accessory device22 a casing 23 a second switch24 a handle 24 &# 39 ; a handle portion26 a charger input 27 a current - limiting resistor28 a light - emitting diode 30 a terminal jack32 power supplying means 34 an internal light source36 a photocell 37 a light - tight casing38 a &# 34 ; flashing &# 34 ; contact 39 an &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; contact40 an &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; contact 42 a first capacitor44 a relay coil 45 a moveable relay contact46 a first stationary contact 47 a second stationary contact49 a push - to - talk switch 50 a speaker microphone51 an antenna 53 a sound emitting means54 amplifier circuitry 55 a second capacitor56 a resistor 57 a gate amplifier60 a second accessory device 61 a third switch62 a cigarette lighter______________________________________ the flashlight bulb 12 is mounted in the front of the casing 22 , the handle 24 is mounted on top of the casing 22 , the first and second switches 21 , 23 are mounted on opposite sides of the handle portion 24 &# 39 ; on top of the casing , and the light - emitting diode 28 and the charger input 26 are mounted on back of the casing . when the accessory device 20 is a wireless transmitting and receiving device , a speaker - microphone 50 therefor is mounted on one side face of the casing 22 and the device is readily utilizable in the positions shown in fig1 . the accessory device 20 may also include a sound emitter assembly 20 &# 39 ; ( see fig4 ) including an amplified sound emitting means 43 for emitting audio signals at frequencies which repel mospuitoes ( the means 53 mounted in place of speaker - microphone 50 ). the device 20 may also comprise an a . m . and / or f . m . radio , in which case the speaker therefor may also be provided on a side of the casing 22 . while the accessory device 20 may also comprise a battery - operated cigarette lighter 62 , preferably the second accessory device 60 comprises the cigarette lighter 62 . the lighter 62 may be mounted on the rear of the casing 22 , with the third switch 61 for control thereof mounted adjacent thereto . whatever type of accessory device 20 is utilized , the assembly 10 functions as a convenient multi - purpose unit , especially useful for hunters , search and rescue teams , campers , and the like . the handle 24 is affixed to the casing 22 , and the bulb 12 and accessory device 20 ( and controls therefor ) are mounted so as to facilitate ready manipulation and utilization of the bulb 12 and the accessory device 20 . the light - emitting diode 28 indicates when the battery 14 ( which preferably is a gel cell type ) is recharging to insure that a proper connection is made between terminal jack 30 and charger input 26 . the power source 32 for the terminal jack 30 may take a variety of forms . for instance , it could be a conventional automobile cigarette lighter adapter for plugging in to the cigarette lighter of a vehicle , or it could be a conventional solar cell , or it could be conventional a . c . adapter with a plug for connection to a wall socket . the flashing circuitry 18 is provided since a flashing light is more readily detectable in an emergency situation , and the particular flashing circuitry 18 illustrated in fig3 is especially adaptable to the assembly of the present invention since it has low - current drain when the flasher is being used compared to other systems , and therefore it will flash for a longer period of time . with the first switch 21 in the &# 34 ; flashing &# 34 ; position 38 , current from battery 14 illuminates internal light source 34 , the light from source 34 is sensed by photocell 36 and its resistance decreases until the coil 44 is energized causing the movable contact 45 ( which is normally biased into engagement with the first stationary contact 46 by its inherent resiliency ) to move out of engagement with first contact 46 , and into engagement with second stationary contact 47 . when this occurs , current no longer flows through source 34 , whereby the coil 44 is de - energized and the movable contact 45 returns under the influence of its inherent bias into engagement with first stationary contact 46 . the cycle is then repeated . the coil resistance of relay 44 , and the value of first capacitor 42 determine the rate at which bulb 12 will flash . when the first switch 21 is in the &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; position 39 , the bulb 12 is not energized ( although the accessory device 20 and the second accessory device 60 may be utilized ), and when the first switch 21 is in the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position 40 , the current passes directly through moveable contact 45 and first stationary contact 46 and continuously energizes the bulb 12 . it will thus be seen that according to the present invention a flashlight assembly has been provided that includes a number of conveniently utilized functioning devices , all of the functioning devices operated from the same rechargable battery , provides for sure , ready recharging of the battery , and provides for low - current drain flashing of the flashlight bulb . while the invention has been herein shown and described in what is presently conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment thereof , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications may be made thereof within the scope of the invention , which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent structures and devices .
7
the orthopedic device of the present invention is discussed herein with reference to a preferred embodiment adapted to be used in a linear distraction of a mandible . however , it will be clear that the invention is not limited to mandibular distraction , or indeed to distraction generally , but rather finds general application for use with any orthopedic device that involves anchoring devices to bone . as seen in fig1 - 3 , the orthopedic system 10 generally consists of distraction assembly 12 , proximal and distal foot plates ( or bone plates ) 14 and 16 , respectively , and proximal and distal fasteners 18 and 20 , respectively . the distraction assembly 12 has a proximal , or adjustment end 22 , and a distal end 24 . the orthopedic system 10 is affixed to mandible 5 by bone screws 8 which are inserted through screw - holes in foot plates 14 and 16 . in use , the entire orthopedic system 10 is implanted subcutaneously , except for the adjustment end 22 of the distraction assembly 12 , which extends subcutaneously through a small incision in the skin . it will be understood that with reference to the various elements of the present invention , the term proximal is used to refer to the end of the device associated with the proximal end of the distraction assembly that extends outwards transcutaneously , and the term distal is used to refer to the other end of the device . turning now to the details of the orthopedic system 10 as best illustrated in fig2 and 3 , the distraction assembly 12 generally consists of a lead screw 102 , an outer sleeve 202 , and an inner sleeve 302 . as described in detail below , lead screw 102 is journaled within in outer sleeve 202 , such that screw 102 can rotate , but not translate axially , relative to sleeve 202 . inner sleeve 302 has internal threading which interacts with the external threading 106 on screw 102 . thus , in the assembled distraction assembly 12 , rotation of screw 102 is translated to linear motion of the inner sleeve 302 , like a nut being driven on a bolt , causing telescopic expansion or contraction of the overall assembly 12 . lead screw 102 has a distal shaft portion 104 provided with external screw threading 106 , an enlarged - diameter intermediate portion 108 , a proximal shaft portion 110 , and a proximal , or adjustment end 112 . adjustment end 112 is provided with a tool interface 114 , such as a hexagonal surface which can be driven a standard hexagonal driving tool . the outer sleeve 202 has two different inside cavity portions . the proximal cavity portion 206 has an inside diameter sized so as to slidably accept the proximal shaft portion 110 of the screw 102 . the distal cavity portion 208 has an inside diameter sized so as to slidably accept the inner sleeve 302 . inner sleeve 302 is provided with internal threading that matches the external threading 106 on screw 102 , and an exterior surface 306 which is generally smooth except for longitudinal slot 308 . slot 308 extends from the proximal end 310 of the sleeve towards the distal end 312 . the proximal fastener 18 is best understood by reference to fig6 a and 6b . it has a device - connecting portion comprising an internally - threaded bore 188 which accepts the external threading on the distal end of the outer sleeve 202 . the proximal fastener also has a bone anchor - connecting portion comprising shoe 182 . the shoe may have a rectangular shape , as shown in fig6 b , or may have a tapered shape , depending on the shape selected for the cavity 142 in proximal bone plate 14 . this shoe 182 is provided with a sprung arm 184 , on the end of which is a projection 186 . the operation of the sprung arm and projection in forming a detent mechanism coupling the fastener 18 to the plate 14 is discussed in detail below . fig9 shows the fastener 18 in an intermediate stage of being releasably mechanically coupled or uncoupled from plate 14 . the distal fastener 20 is best understood by reference to fig7 a and 7b . it has a device - connecting portion comprising a bore 28 which accepts the distal end of the inner sleeve 302 . the distal fastener also has a bone anchor - connecting portion comprising shoe 220 . the shoe may have a substantially rectangular shape , as shown in fig8 b , or a substantially tapered shape , as shown in fig7 b . the shape of the shoe is selected to correspond to the shape of the cavity 162 in the plate 16 . fig1 shows the fastener 20 in an intermediate stage of being releasably mechanically coupled or uncoupled from plate 16 . the proximal shaft portion 112 of lead screw 102 is slideably received within the proximal cavity portion 206 of outer sleeve 202 , such that screw 102 is free to rotate relative to the outer sleeve 202 . a region of the proximal shaft portion 110 , and the adjustment end 112 of screw 102 extend out from the proximal end 204 of the sleeve . a collar 116 is attached to the screw on the extending region of the proximal shaft portion by pin 118 . the collar 116 and the enlarged - diameter intermediate shaft portion 108 prevent axial translation of the screw 102 relative to outer sleeve 202 . in this way , screw 120 is effectively journaled within the outer sleeve 202 . the internal threading of inner sleeve 302 interacts with the external screw threading 106 of lead screw 102 , while at the same time the smooth exterior surface 306 of the inner sleeve is in sliding relation with the smooth inner surface of the proximal cavity portion 208 of outer sleeve 202 . in this way , inner sleeve 302 is in sliding , telescoping relation with outer sleeve 202 . guide pin 210 is press - fit into a hole which extends through the thickness of the outer sleeve 202 . the end of the guide pin which extends inwards projects sufficiently beyond the inner surface of the outer sleeve so as to interact with the longitudinal slot 308 provided on the exterior surface of the inner sleeve 302 . thus , it will be appreciated that the interaction of longitudinal slot 308 and guide pin 210 form a keyway which prevents relative rotation of the sleeves about the longitudinal axis x - x of the device ( designated x - x in fig3 ). foot plates 14 and 16 serve as the bone anchors , and can be made from any biocompatible material such as metal , plastic , or composites . in a preferred embodiment , the foot plates are bone plates made of a titanium alloy . in an alternative embodiment discussed in more detail below , the foot plates can be made from a bio - absorbable material . the choice of material from which to construct the foot plates is a routine design matter which depends purely on the particular medical application in which the system according to this invention is used . as shown in fig1 the foot plates are provided with screw holes 9 to accept the bone screws 8 which affix the device to the bone on either side of the patient &# 39 ; s bone repair site . these holes are preferably countersunk to reduce the height of projection of the screw heads above the foot plate surface after the device is fully implanted . the foot plates have a bottom , or bone - contacting surface 15 which may be flat or may be shaped to conform to the contours of the bone to which it is being attached . the distal foot plate 16 is provided with a fastener - connecting portion comprising the slot - like engagement cavity 162 which accepts the shoe 220 of the distal fastener . the engagement cavity may have a substantially rectangular shape in this case , the side walls 166 of the cavity are parallel with the longitudinal axis x - x of the device , as shown in fig8 a , and the shoe 220 has a substantially rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the cavity 162 . the shape and size of the shoe is selected to allow the shoe 220 to be slidingly received by the cavity 162 , creating a slip lock of the fastener 20 to foot plate 16 . the slip lock is a releasable mechanical coupling which is easily released by the application of a force separating the fastener 20 from foot plate 16 . in an alternate embodiment , the engagement cavity may have a substantially tapered shape , in which case side walls 166 are tapered relative to the longitudinal axis x - x of the device , as shown in fig5 a . the shoe 220 in this embodiment has a substantially tapered shape corresponding to the shape of cavity 162 . the shape and size of the shoe in this embodiment creates a frictional lock of the fastener 20 to the foot plate 16 . the frictional lock is a releasable mechanical coupling , but requires more separating force to achieve the release than does the coupling in the slip lock embodiment described above . if the device is to be used in the standard distraction procedure ( i . e ., a procedure in which the device is to apply a tensile force to the bone repair site ), then the foot plate is mounted with the open end of the cavity facing the bone repair site , that is , the orientation shown in fig1 . in this way , as the distraction device is activated , the distraction force will tend to drive the shoe 220 of the distal fastener 20 into the engagement cavity 162 , resulting in a releasable mechanical coupling of the fastener 20 and plate 16 resulting from the interaction of the shoe 220 with the cavity 162 . conversely , if the device were to be used in a compression mode , the foot plate could be mounted with the open end of the cavity facing away from the bone repair site , such that the compression force would tend to produce the above - described coupling . as shown in fig5 a , the screw holes of plate 16 are located around the cavity 162 . this geometry has been found to provide a good combination of accessibility to the screws and holding strength when the device of the present invention is used in the distraction of a mandible . however , it is to be understood that the location of the screw holes and the contoured shape of the plate 16 as seen in fig5 a is not a critical aspect of the present invention ; other screw hole placements and plate shapes could be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . the proximal foot plate 14 is also provided with a fastener - connecting portion comprising an engagement cavity 142 . this engagement cavity may utilize the tapered wall geometry similar to that of the cavity 162 as described above and shown in fig5 a , in which case the proximal fastener 18 would have a wedge - shaped shoe similar to that of fastener 20 , as shown in fig7 b . the activation force applied to the device would then result in a frictional lock providing a releasable mechanical coupling of the fastener 18 to the plate 14 . in a preferred embodiment , however , the cavity 142 will utilize side walls 144 which are parallel to the longitudinal axis x - x of the device , and the releasable mechanical coupling will be a slip lock . this detent mechanism is comprised of parts of the proximal foot plate 14 , proximal fastener 18 , and also sleeve 202 . the bottom surface 145 of the cavity is provided with a depression 147 , which may be in the form of a truncated spherical volume section . the shoe 182 of proximal fastener 18 is provided with a naturally sprung arm 184 . arm 184 is provided on its bottom surface with a “ bump ” or projection 186 complementary to the shape of depression 147 . when the shoe 182 is slid into the cavity 142 , the projection 186 and depression 147 operate as a detent mechanism to prevent axial separation of fastener 18 from plate 14 . as can be understood from fig6 a , when the sleeve 202 is not threaded into the bore 188 , the spring arm 184 may deflect upwards such that the projection 186 becomes disengaged from depression 147 , thus disengaging the detent mechanism . the force provided by spring arm 184 alone can serve to hold the detent mechanism in the engaged position under low forces . furthermore , when sleeve 202 is threaded into bore 188 , it completely prevents upwards motion of arm i 84 , thus preventing disengagement of the detent mechanism even when subjected to substantial forces , such as those generated during when the device is removed from the patient . only when the sleeve 202 is sufficiently unthreaded from bore 188 can the arm 184 again deflect upward sufficiently to allow the detent mechanism to be disengaged , which in turn permits the shoe 182 to slide out of cavity 142 . in other words , when the sleeve is screwed into the fastener , it locks the fastener to be plate 14 . as shown in fig4 a , the screw holes of plate 14 are offset both to one side of axial centerline x - x of the device , and are placed such that the plate as a whole takes on the shape similar to an upper case “ y ”. this geometry has been found to provide a good combination of accessibility to the screws and holding strength when the device of the present invention is used in the distraction of a mandible . however , it is to be understood that the location of the screw holes and the contoured shape of the plate 14 as seen in fig4 a is not a necessary part of the present invention ; other screw hole placements and plate shapes could be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . it is important to note that the fasteners and foot plates of the system of the present invention are separate parts , as opposed to being integrally formed . furthermore , due to the way in which they are mechanically joined in an conveniently releaseable locked way , they are capable of being separated after the device has served its purpose in the orthopedic procedure — the fasteners and foot plates are not permanently joined , for example by welding , nor are they joined by some other means which would make their separation difficult or inconvenient . furthermore , the mechanical coupling of the fasteners and foot plates of the present invention does not require any additional parts to achieve the coupling . in order to use the device of the present invention in a typical distraction procedure , the surgeon makes an incision , performs the distraction , permits consolidation , then removes the distraction assembly , leaving the foot plates affixed to the bone , and closes the incision . to assemble the system , the lead screw 102 is first inserted into the outer sleeve 202 , after the sleeve has first been provided with guide pin 210 . the collar 116 is installed on the region of the proximal shaft portion 112 which extends out from the proximal end 204 of the outer sleeve 202 . the collar 116 is captivated on the shaft by pressing a pin through matching holes in the collar and proximal shaft portion . the outer sleeve 202 is then threaded into the proximal fastener 18 , after the fastener has first been slid into , and lockingly engaged with , foot plate 14 ( using the detent mechanism described above ). the lead screw 102 is then threaded into inner sleeve 302 , care being taken that the longitudinal slot on sleeve 302 is properly engaging with guide pin 210 . the distal fastener 20 is then pressed and pinned onto the distal end of the inner sleeve 302 , and finally , is engaged with the distal foot plate 16 . to implant the device , a small incision is made of appropriate size to permit access to the bone necessary to attach the foot plates , and in a location appropriately offset from the bone repair site bearing in mind that only the proximal end of the distraction device will extend percutaneously through the incision once implanted . the assembled system is carefully guided into the percutaneous opening and positioned relative to the bone repair site . the foot plates are then affixed to the bone using bone screws , and the incision is closed , with only the proximal end of the device extending percutaneously . the distraction osteogenesis procedure is performed by turning the lead screw using the tool interface 114 . counter - clockwise rotation of the screw will result in axial lengthening of the device , resulting in a distraction force being communicated to the bones through the foot plates . after the distraction and consolidation phase of the procedure is complete , the device is removed , or disengaged , by reversing the direction of rotation of the lead screw 102 . the amount of reverse ( i . e ., clockwise ) rotation depends on the thread pitch of the lead screw , but typically , at least ten full clockwise rotations will be required to cause the distal fastener 20 to disengage from the distal foot plate 16 the sleeve 202 is unthreaded from fastener i 8 sufficiently to allow sprung arm 184 to flex , such that when the device is now pushed towards the bone surface , the detent mechanism holding proximal fastener 18 to corresponding proximal foot plate 14 is released , unseating the device from the proximal foot plate . the entire activation portion of the device ( lead screw , sleeves , and fasteners ) is now disengaged from the patient , and can now be gently removed through the percutaneous port , leaving only the foot plates ( and associated bone screws ) in the patient . as a final step , the percutaneous port is closed using standard surgical procedures . in one embodiment of the present invention , the foot plates 14 and 16 may be formed of a bio - absorbable material . any bio - absorbable material may be used , either natural or synthetic ( for example polylactides , polyglycolides , or polyesteramides ). by forming the foot plates from a bio - absorbable material , the foot plates may be left in situ after the completion of the distraction osteogenesis . by appropriate selection of the bio - absorbable materials , the foot plates will begin to absorb after their mechanical strength is no longer required for the procedure , and over time the foot plates will substantially or totally be resorbed by the body . by eliminating the need for a second surgical procedure to remove the foot plates , this invention advantageously reduces health care costs as well as the medical risks associated with even the most carefully performed surgery . in addition , the bone screws 8 used to affix the foot plates to the bone may also be made of bio - absorbable material , either the same material as the foot plates , or a different material . in this case , it may be desirable to select the bio - absorbable materials such that the screws are not absorbed until after the foot plates are substantially absorbed . if the screws were to be absorbed first , this would create the undesirable situation of the foot plates coming loose from the attachment site and being free to migrate subcutaneously . it should be emphasized that the above described embodiment of the present invention is merely one specific example adapted for a specific application in the human skeletal system . the modifications appropriate for other applications may readily be realized by those who are skilled in the art and who have been equipped with the understanding of the structure and operation of the present invention as set forth in the above description . for example , the particular linear distractor embodiment shown in fig1 could be used , without any structural modifications , in well - known orthopedic applications other than mandibular distraction ; for example it is entirely appropriate for use in the distraction of long bones . in addition , it is evident that various other well - known distraction and fixation assemblies could be substituted for the distraction assembly 12 described above , without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . for example , instead of a simple linear distraction assembly , an assembly providing both linear and angular distraction could be provided to bridge the bone repair site and mechanically link the foot plates . accordingly , it should be understood that the embodiment herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention . various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and the scope thereof .
8
the therapeutic ointment includes ( a ) a skin protecting agent , ( b ) an anti - inflammatory agent , and ( c ) an antibiotic composition . the purpose of the skin protecting agent is to protect the mammal &# 39 ; s skin from , e . g ., water , sun , chemicals , and the like while the skin is healing from the infection . an example of a useful skin protecting agent is zinc oxide . the purpose of the anti - inflammatory agent is to reduce inflammation and itching that often accompanies infection . examples of useful anti - inflammatory agents include steroids such as hydrocortisone . the purpose of the antibiotic composition is to attack and eliminate the underlying cause of the infection , including bacteria and fungi . preferably , one or more antibiotic agents are used in combination with each other to achieve the desired therapeutic effect . examples include a triple antibiotic ointment featuring bacitracin zinc , neomycin , and polymyxin b sulfate . the relative amounts of the three components ( skin protecting agent , anti - inflammatory agent , and antibiotic composition ) are selected to give the desired therapeutic and protective effects . for example , in some embodiments , the ratio of skin protecting agent to anti - inflammatory agent to antibiotic composition is about 4 : 1 : 1 , on a volume basis . the ointment may further include a fungicide such as miconazole nitrate . the ointment may further include a number of inactive ingredients . examples include ointment bases ( e . g ., methylparaben , paraffin , petrolatum , white petrolatum , microcrystaline wax , bees wax , carnauba wax , and the like ), plasticizers ( e . g ., triacetine , diacetyl ethylene glycol , diethyl sebacate , diethyl phthalate , dibutyl phthalate , diisopropyl adipate , dibutyl succinate , and the like ), surfactants ( e . g ., polyoxyl stearate 40 , polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil , polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycol , polysorbate , sucrose esters of fatty acids , and the like ), stabilizers ( e . g ., calcium disodium edetate ), antioxidants ( e . g ., bha , bht , and the like ), emollients and humectants ( e . g ., lanolin , glycerin , aloe , and the like ), rheology modifiers ( e . g ., talc ), cod liver oil , shark liver oil , and mineral oil . the ointment is prepared by admixing the various components , typically at room temperature . in use , the affected area is typically washed gently with a mild soap , rinsed well , and dried , after which the ointment is smeared over the area . in general , the ointment is applied once a day until the infection has healed . a therapeutic composition was prepared by blending the following ingredient ( all amounts are weight percent unless otherwise noted ): active ingredients zinc oxide 40 % hydrocortisone 10 mg bacitracin zinc 400 units neomycin 3 . 5 mg polymyxin b sulfate 5000 units white petrolatum , aloe extract , bha , cod liver oil , lanolin , methylparaben , talc , purified water , mineral oil . the ointment was applied to the skin of horses suffering from scratches . within 1 - 2 days , the infected area exhibited a noticeable improvement . a number of embodiments of the invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .
0
the apparatus represented in fig1 has in its center the plasma vessel 1 which is surrounded by a single - turn radio - frequency coil 2 consisting of a strip of flat metal . the control of the plasma 5 produced in the inner chamber 4 and indicated by the pattern of dots is performed by means of a probe 3 . the plasma vessel 1 is equipped with lateral flanges 6 and 7 . a sample entrance lock 8 is mounted on the flange 6 . this lock comprises the lock base body 9 , the valve 10 and an intermediate chamber 11 which is connected by the opening 12 in flange 6 to the inner chamber 4 of the plasma vessel 1 . through the lock base body 9 , the intermediate chamber 11 and the opening 12 in flange 6 extends the sample rod 13 shown in the position for measurement , on which the sample 14 is mounted . the sample holder generally represented by 15 is shown on a larger scale in fig2 . the connections 16 and 17 on the lock base body 9 and 18 on the intermediate chamber 11 serve for the connection of vacuum pumps . additional connections 19 and 20 on flange 6 serve respectively for the measurement of pressure and the admission of a working gas , preferably argon , for the plasma 5 . on the opposite side of the plasma vessel 1 a casing 21 for a mass spectrometer is fastened to flange 7 . the mass spectrometer comprises a quadrupole mass filter 22 in front of which is an ion lens 23 extending through the flange 7 with its entrance aperture reaching all the way to the plasma 5 , for the placement of an energy window . in back of the quadrupole 22 is another ion lens 24 which deflects the ions which are to be registered to an axially offset multiplier 25 . the casing 21 is equipped with the connection 26 for the attachment of a high - vacuum pump . the evacuation of the inner chamber 4 of the plasma vessel 1 is performed by the vacuum pumps attached to the connections 18 and 26 . lock 8 , plasma vessel 1 , ion lens 23 and quadrupole 22 are disposed equiaxially . the axis of the entire system is generally designated by 27 . in addition to the mass spectrometer , an ion gun 28 is mounted to the casing 21 . this is arranged such that its focal point is on the sample 14 in its position of measurement as represented . the sample can be mounted for tilting ( arrow 29 ) so that it can be aligned perpendicular to the direction of the impinging ions . furthermore , a secondary electron detector 30 is mounted on the flange 7 . it can be made displaceable so that it will be in its measuring position only in the case of the recording of secondary electron images . in plasma operation it is withdrawn and protected against sputtering by means of a mask which is not shown . fig2 shows the configuration of the sample end of the sample rod 13 . on it is a sample holder 31 , on which the sample 14 is fastened by a clamp which is not shown . a supply of coolant for the inner chamber 33 of the sample holder 31 is delivered through one inlet and two outlet lines 32 . the lines 32 as well as the mountings 34 of the sample holder 31 comprise electrically insulating material , so that the sample holder 31 and with it the sample 14 can be set at a specific potential . with the sample 14 there is also associated a cap 35 with a bombardment opening 36 , which is displaceable axially . this displaceable cap has the purpose of permitting a uniform ablation of the sample ( appl . phys . 20 ( 1979 ), pp . 55 - 60 ). the sample surface can be tilted ( e . g ., perpendicular to the impinging ion beam or parallel to the aperture of the ion lens ). an example of this is shown in fig3 . the sample holder 31 includes for this purpose a dome 41 with a correspondingly shaped component 42 sliding thereon , on which the sample 14 is mounted . the component 42 also bears the cap 35 on a ceramic ring 43 . to analyze a sample 14 by the dbm / snms method with the apparatus represented in fig1 the one - turn coil 2 is supplied with current in a known manner such that the plasma 5 is formed . the ion gun 28 is shut off . the sample 14 and its sample holder 31 are applied to such a potential ( e . g ., some 10 volts to a few kilovolts ) that the ions of the plasma 5 strike the sample 14 . in the direct bombardment mode , a dc voltage , and in the case of insulators a radio - frequency ac voltage , is applied . neutral particles thus formed , and flying in the direction of the ion lens 23 , are ionized and separated according to their mass in the connected mass spectrometer 22 . if the sample is to be tested immediately thereafter by the sbm / snms method , first it is necessary to reduce the potential difference between sample 14 and plasma 5 such that ions of the plasma either will no longer reach the sample or will strike it only with such low energy that neutral particles or secondary ions will no longer be emitted . furthermore , the ion gun 28 is to be placed in operation . the sample is bombarded by means of ions produced therein , e . g ., 1 to 5 kev argon ions . the sputtered neutral particles flying in the direction of the ion lens 23 are ionized in the plasma 5 and analyzed in the mass spectrometer . to separate the undesired secondary ions from the desired neutral particles ionized by the plasma 5 on their way to the ion lens 23 , an energy window is set by means of the ion lens 23 . this measure suffices to suppress undesired secondary ions , since they have different energy distributions , as a rule , from the desired neutral particles . lastly , the sample 14 can be analyzed by the sims process by means of the apparatus according to the invention , in the measurement position represented . for this purpose it is necessary , starting out from the sbm / snms process , to interrupt the current in the winding 2 and thus to extinguish the plasma . the plasma can also be extinguished by interrupting the supply of the working gas . by bombardment with ions from the ion gun 28 , secondary ions are released from the sample 14 . secondary ions flying in the direction of the ion lens 23 are analyzed for mass in the spectrometer that follows . with the secondary ion lens , an energy window suitable for sims analysis is set . in previously known arrangements , microanalysis by means of finely focusing ion sources is hardly possible on account of the more unfavorable transmission conditions , since the achievable absolute ion currents in such ion sources are lower by several orders of magnitude than the large - area ion guns utilized in the snms measurements performed heretofore . in the embodiment represented , the sample is in the most favorable position as regards transmission , both for snms measurements and for sims measurements , so that the use of fine - focusing ion guns with low current provides substantially better results than formerly . lastly , secondary electron pictures can be taken with the fine - focusing ion source and the secondary electron detector 30 . for this variant kind of measurement , the individual components also have a favorable arrangement with respect to one another . in comparison with the formerly known apparatus , in the present system the solid angle definition by the diaphragm is eliminated , and the aperture of the ion lens is better filled out by the sputtered particles . the gain in intensity thereby achieved for sims and dbm / snms amounts to approximately two orders of magnitude . only one sample transfer system is required for all possible analyses . another important advantage is achieved in the testing of samples of electrically insulating material . samples of this kind have the disadvantage , in analysis by the formerly known sbm / snms method , that they are charged up by the ion bombardment . to prevent this , the additional use of electron guns for charge compensation is known . the charge compensation can also be accomplished by extraction of plasma electrons by means of the electrical diaphragm . in working with the apparatus according to the invention , this is not necessary , since the sample is located within the plasma and its charging is prevented by the electrons present in the plasma . with the apparatus described , a great variety of analyses and ablation conditions can be applied in combination with one another or successively , e . g . : high rates of ablation by dbm ( by applying a sample potential in the case of conductive samples , or by rf sputtering , for example , in the case of insulators ), followed by a static sims or snms analysis in dbm ; high rates of ablation by dbm followed by a microanalysis of the bombardment crater . these two examples show that the apparatus configuration proposed by the invention , in comparison to previously known snms arrangements , permits completely novel analytical experiments , inasmuch as the recording of secondary electron images is possible at any time without reconstruction . for this purpose the electron detector 30 is brought into its working position and turned on . with ions from the ion source 28 , whether or not it is configured as a finely focused ion source , the sample is scanned in a raster . secondary electrons thus formed are registered by the detector 30 and provide a picture of the surface of the sample . 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 changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention , and it is , therefore , aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .
0
an exemplary implementation of the method of the invention is described with reference to a digital telephone answering device 10 shown in fig1 . when device 10 answers an incoming call to record a message , analog - to - digital converter ( adc ) 11 samples analog speech from a telephone handset 12 at a given sampling rate ( e . g ., 8 khz ), converts the analog samples to digital values , and supplies the digital values to a speech encoder , such as digital signal processor ( dsp ) 14 . encoder 14 encodes the supplied values according to a predefined data framing protocol and the resulting encoded bit stream is stored in a digital memory storage component 15 . during play - back , the encoded bit stream is retrieved from memory 15 and supplied to a speech decoder which reverses the encoding process . the decoder may be the same digital signal processor 14 that does the encoding . digital - to - analog converter ( dac ) 17 synthesizes analog speech from the speech decoder output for replay over speaker 18 . a low - pass , anitaliasing filter ( not shown ) filters the analog speech signal input to analog - to - digital converter 11 . a high - pass , second order biquad filter ( not shown ) filters the digitized samples from analog - to - digital converter 11 . the high pass filter attenuates d . c . or hum contamination that may occur in the incoming speech signal . the compression method of the invention is implemented in conjunction with encoding and decoding , by additional processing performed by the digital signal processor 14 executing program statements . digital signal processor 14 first acts to encode sampled speech data according to a predefined data framing protocol to provide a speech data record f , shown in fig2 which has a sequence of n consecutive frames ( f 1 , f 2 , . . . , f n ) of m bits each , indexed with b ji corresponding to the i th bit of the j th frame . thus , as shown in fig2 the first ( or &# 34 ; base &# 34 ;) frame f 1 has m bits identified as b 11 through b 1m , the second frame f 2 has m bits identified as b 21 through b 2m , the j th frame f j has m bits identified as b j1 through b jm , and the n th frame f n has m bits identified as b n1 through b nm . in accordance with the invention , a method is provided to compress ( viz . further compress or &# 34 ; recompress &# 34 ;) the already encoded binary data record f of n × m bits , using the redundancy contained between successive frames and the statistical properties of the compressed speech record itself . further in accordance with the invention , a method is provided to restore the original record from the compressed record , giving fill reproduction of the original , with no loss of information or degradation of quality . as an initial step in the compression process , the compressed record f is used to construct an xored ( exclusive or function ) speech record xf having n consecutive frames ( xf 1 , xf 2 , . . . , xf n ) of m bits each , indexed with xb ji corresponding to the i th bit of the j th frame of the xored record xf . as indicated schematically in fig3 the m bits of the first frame xf 1 of the record xf are the same as the m bits of the base frame f 1 of the starting record f . the bits of the remaining frames xf 2 through xf n are obtained by applying the xor binary function ⊕ to the bits of the corresponding frames f 2 through f n of the f record , to derive the j th frame xf j ( for j = 2 to n ) of the xored speech record xf , as follows : thus , as shown in fig4 the bits of the xored speech record xf are : the value of the bits xb ji indicate whether the i th bit of frame f j has &# 34 ; flipped &# 34 ; ( i . e . changed state ) from the previous frame f j - 1 . for example , if the i th bit of frame f j is a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and the corresponding i th bit of frame f j - 1 is also a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the value of the i th bit of frame xf j will be a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;; whereas if the i th bit of frame f j is a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and the corresponding i th bit of frame f j - 1 is a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the value of the i th bit of frame xf j will be a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. the next step is to construct an activity vector for each bit position i = 1 to m of the xored frame set xf . the purpose here is to acquire an indication of how many times each bit position i has flipped in going from one frame f j to the next successive frame f j + 1 , through all the frames xf 1 through xf n . this is done by accumulating m activity values a i for i = 1 to m corresponding to each bit position of the m - bit frame structure , by adding the xf bits as follows : ## equ1 ## an activity array ( or list ) a is then constructed , formed of the ordered pairs ( a i , i ) corresponding to each bit position 1 through m : the next step is to group the least active bits by sorting the activity array a in ascending priority order according to the first argument of the ordered pairs , to get a sorted array sa defined as : where a pr ≦ a ps for every r & lt ; s for all 1 ≦ r , s ≦ m . an index array r is then constructed from the sorted array sa , as follows : the index array r indicates that bit position b pr of the frames of speech record f flips the same amount or less ( has less activity ) than bit position b ps if r & lt ; s for all r , s between 1 and m , inclusively . the next step is to obtain the output speech record ( compressed record ) of by reordering the bits of the frames of the xored frame record xf according to the index array r , dividing the frames into subframes , compressing the bit patterns of lower order ones of the subframes , and storing the resulting bits . the base frame xf 1 = f 1 can be treated the same as the other frames , or simply by storing its unaltered or reordered bit pattern with no further compression as the first m bits of the output speech record of 1 . fig5 and 6 illustrate the case where the reordered bits of frame xf 1 are stored , without further compression , as the base frame of the output speech record of 1 . each other frame xf j ( j = 2 to n ) is divided into l subframes sf tj ( see fig6 ) of length w t for t = 1 to l , where w t is the number of bits in each subframe sf tj . the reordered frame xf 1 has m bits xb 1p . sbsb . k for k = 1 to m ( where the p k is the bit position order taken from the index array r ), and each subframe sf tj has w t bits , as follows : with the bit values defined by ## equ2 ## for each subframe sf tj for t = 1 to l - 1 , sf tj is compressed using the bit - location compression scheme described below , to get a corresponding compressed sorted array subframe csf tj . csf tj is then stored in consecutive bits of the output speech record of as shown in fig7 . for a typical stored speech record , the number of bits in the compressed subframe csf tj will on the average be less than the number of bits w t of the corresponding subframe sf tj . the choice of which frames xf 1 to xf n to reorder and divide into subframes and which subframes sf tj to compress may , however , be varied to match the characteristics of the type of data involved and the degree to which compression can be achieved . for typical compressed speech records , statistically , the first subframes sf tj for small t ( 1 , 2 , etc .) have very few , if any , bits that are &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. the compression scheme takes advantage of this and encodes the locations of the &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; in the lower order subframes . for a small number of &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; ( 0 , 1 , 2 , etc .) occurring in a subframe , fewer bits will be needed on the average to show the number and placements of the non &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; bit locations than the total number of bits w t in the subframe , thereby resulting in compression . consider an example bit - location compression applied to a subframe sf of length w t = 16 bits as input and a compressed subframe csf as output . for this example , subframe sf has 16 possible bit locations for a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; appearing in subframe sf and each location is to be identified by a binary encoding of q = 4 bits per location , [ 0000 ] for 1st position through [ 1111 ] for 16th position . first , the number count c of &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; in the subframe sf is determined . if there are no &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ;, c = 0 and no bit locations need be identified . thus , using a two - bit binary indication for &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bit number count , the compressed subframe is csf =[ 00 ], with two bits used for the binary representation of the number of &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; ( 00 = no &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ;) and no bits needed to show the locations of any &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; positions . if there is one &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the number count c = 1 and the compressed subframe csf =[ 01x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 ] is six bits long ( a 10 - bit savings ); with [ 01 ] being the binary indication for one &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, and [ x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 ] being the four - bit binary encoding , going from left to right in subframe sf , of the single &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; location in the 16 - bit long subframe sf . if there are two &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ;, c = 2 and csf =[ 10x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 y 1 y 2 y 3 y 4 ] is 10 bits long ( a six - bit savings ), with [ 10 ] indicating two &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ;, [ x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 ] being the four - bit binary encoding of the first &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; location , and [ y 1 y 2 y 3 y 4 ] being the binary encoding of the second &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; location . for this example , the encoding scheme has been chosen so that , if there are more than two &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; in the subframe , location information is not used and the actual bit values are shown . thus , where there are three or more &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ;, c & gt ; 2 is indicated by [ 11 ], and csf =[ 11s 1 s 2 . . . s 16 ], where s 1 through s 16 are the pass - through bit values of the subframe sf . here , the frame csf is 18 bits long ( a two - bit deficit ). a generalization of this scheme has two variations : case 1 for a subframe of width ( number of bits ) w , where 2 q - 1 & lt ; w ≦ 2 q so that binary encoding is available in q bits to directly uniquely identify each possible bit location 1 through w ( e . g ., four bits are used to identify &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; locations in a 16 - bit subframe ), and case 2 for a subframe of width w , where w = 2 q + i for i = 1 , 2 , etc . for which the bit location bits are insufficient for direct unique identification of identify all possible locations ( e . g ., four bits are used to identify &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; locations in a 20 - bit subframe ). let sf =[ s 0 s 1 . . . s 2 . spsb . q - 1 ] be a subframe which is 2 q bits long . first , the count number c of &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; in subframe sf is determined . if c = 0 , then the output compressed subframe csf =[ 00 ]. if c = 1 , then csf =[ 01x 1 x 2 . . . x q ], where [ x 1 x 2 . . . x q ] is the encoded location of the single &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bit position in sf ( i . e ., index of the bit s i = 1 , i ). if c = 2 , then csf =[ 10x 1 x 2 . . . x q y 1 y 2 . . . y q ], where [ x 1 x 2 . . . x 3 x q ] and [ y 1 y 2 . . . y q ] are the respective four - bit encoded locations of the first and second &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bit positions in sf . if c & gt ; 2 , then csf =[ 11s 0 s 1 . . . s 2 . spsb . q - 1 ]. let sf =[ s 0 s 1 . . . s 2 . spsb . q + i - 1 ], where i is a small integer 1 , 2 , . . . , 2 q - 1 determined from the statistics of the compression and histogram of the count c . first , the count number c of &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; in subframe sf is determined . then , if c = 0 , the output csf =[ 00 ]. if s 0 = s 1 = s i - 1 = 0 and c = 1 , then csf =[ 01x 1 . . . x q ], where [ x 1 . . . x q ] is the location of the first &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in bits [ s i . . . s 2 . spsb . q + i - 1 ] where location = i - i if s i = 1 . if c = 2 and loc1 - loc2 & lt ; 2 q and loc2 & gt ; i , where loc1 is the location of the first &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and loc2 is the location of the second &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the subframe sf , then xloc2 =( 2 q + i - 1 )- loc2 ; dloc = loc2 - loc1 ; and then csf =[ 10x 1 . . . x q y 1 . . . y q ] where [ x 1 . . . x q ] is the q - bit encoding of xloc2 and [ y 1 . . . y q ] is the encoding of dloc . for c & gt ; 2 , csf =[ 11s 0 . . . s 2 . spsb . q + i - 1 ]. consider an encoding scheme for the case of , for example , q = 4 , i = 4 , with up to three &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; bits encoding : let c be the number of &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; in the subframe sf ; and let loci be the location of the s i th bit that is equal to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in subframe sf . going from left to right ; e . g ., for q = 4 , i = 4 in a 20 - bit sample [ 0001 0000 0001 0100 0000 ], there are three &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; respectively located at the s 3 , s 11 , and s 13 bit locations . so , c = 3 and loc1 = 3 , loc2 = 11 , and loc3 = 13 . consider , also , instead of a straight ( e . g ., c = 0 , e 0 =[ 00 ]; c = 1 , e 1 =[ 01 ]; c = 2 , e 2 =[ 10 ]; and c = 3 , e 3 =[ 11 ]) encoding of the count number c , a different , uniquely decipherable ( going from left to right ) variable bit - length encoding scheme , such as c = 0 , e 0 =[ 0001 ]; c = 1 , e 1 =[ 01 ]; c = 2 , e 2 =[ 001 ]; and c = 3 , e 2 =[ 0000 ] and , for all uncompressed instances , e 4 =[ 1 ];. given the subframe sf , encoding can then be done , for example , according to the following rules : if c = 1 and loc1 ≧ i , then csf =[ 01x 1 . . . x q ]; where , e . g ., [ 01 ]= e 1 and where [ x 1 . . . x q ] is the binary encoding of loc1 . if c = 2 , loc2 - loc1 ≦ 2 q , loc2 ≧ i j ; then csf =[ 001x 1 . . . x q y 1 . . . y q ]; where [ 001 ]= e 2 , xloc = w - 1 - loc2 with [ x 1 . . . x q ] being the binary encoding of xloc ; and yloc = loc2 - loc1 - 1 with [ y 1 . . . y q ] being the binary encoding of yloc . if c = 3 , loc3 - loc2 ≦ 2 q , loc2 - loc1 ≦ q , and loc3 ≧ i j ; then csf =[ 0000x 1 . . . x q y 1 . . . y q z 1 . . . z q ]; where [ 0000 }= e 3 , [ x 1 . . . x q ] is the binary encoding of xloc = w - 1 - loc3 , [ y 1 . . . y q ] is the binary encoding of yloc = loc3 - loc2 - 1 , and [ z 1 . . . z q ] is the binary encoding of zloc = loc2 - loc1 - 1 . for all other cases , if none of the above conditions is satisfied , then csf =[ 1s 0 . . . s w - 1 ]; where [ 1 ]= e 4 . the number count encoding is preferably chosen , as done above for e 0 through e 4 , using a set of uniquely decipherable codes . the exemplary series 0001 , 01 , 001 , 0000 and 1 meet this criterion by providing unambiguous deciphering in detecting the first &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; moving from left to right . a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the first bit position immediately and unambiguously identifies e 4 ; a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the second position , e 1 ; a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the third position , e 2 ; a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the fourth position , e 0 ; and the absence of a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; after four bit positions , e 3 . those skilled in the art to which the invention relates will appreciate that the particular number count encoding scheme can be varied , and that other number location identification schemes are also possible . fig8 summarizes the flow of steps in the compression procedure of the described data compression method . the procedure flow for recovering the original record f from the compressed record of is shown in fig9 . the output frames of 1 through of n are retrieved ; all compressed csf subframes are expanded to their uncompressed sf counterparts ; the original ordered xf frame is then reconstructed from the restored sf record , using the index array r to reorder the bit positions ; and , finally , the original f record is recovered by applying the same exclusive - or operation on the xf record that was performed on the f record to obtain the xf record in the first place , i . e . f1 = xf1 and f j = xf j ⊕ xf j - 1 for j = 2 to n . fig1 through 16 show the application of the procedure flow of fig8 to achieve compression of a record f having eight frames f 1 through f 8 of 16 - bits each . the starting bit positions are indicated as 1 through 16 in fig1 . to get corresponding xored frames xf 1 through xf 8 , the 16 bits of frame f 1 are used as the 16 bits of the frame xf 1 and the xor operation is applied to corresponding bits of the frames and prior frames for f 2 through f 8 to construct the frames xf 2 through xf 8 . activity vector a is then constructed by exanination of the value change activity of each bit position 1 through 16 . for implementations which divide the base frame xf 1 into subframes sf and apply compression to those subframes , the &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; in the base frame should be counted as flips . however , where , as here , the bit values of the base frame will be transferred directly to the output record base frame without compression , the occurrences of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the base frame can be counted , or not . the activity vector a in fig1 was derived counting the base frame xf 1 &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; as &# 34 ; flips .&# 34 ; next , the array a is sorted by ascending number of &# 34 ; flips ,&# 34 ; into the sorted array sa shown in fig1 . the bit locations of the bit positions in the sorted array are then used to construct the reordering index r of fig1 . ( for clarity , the numbers in fig1 - 14 are given as decimals , though it is understood that the actual implementations will use corresponding binary representations .) fig1 shows the reordered frames xf 1 through xf 8 , still each with 16 bits ; however , with the bit patterns reordered according to the priorities established by the index r of fig1 . the reordered frame xf 1 is not divided into subframes . the reordered frames xf 2 through xf 8 are divided into two eight - bit subframes sf 1j and sf 2j each . the output record of is then constructed with output frame of 1 defined by the 16 - bit pattern of reordered frame xf 1 and the remaining frames of 2 through of 8 are established by applying a bit - location compression scheme to the first subframes sf 1j but not to the second subframes sf 2j . the compression is shown in fig1 for a uniquely decipherable number count encoding scheme of c = 0 , e 0 =[ 00 ]; c = 1 , e 1 =[ 01 ]; and c ≧ 2 , e 2 =[ 1 ]; and a sequential three - bit location identification scheme to identify the eight bit locations as [ 000 ] through [ 111 ]. the results of applying the compression are shown in fig1 . the bit savings is 15 bits over a total sample of 128 bits , chosen randomly but with some short term constancy from frame to frame . the savings for similar statistical compressions applied to much larger encoded speech records , having many more frames and much longer bit streams per frame , is expected to be even better . a reasoned approach can be taken in deciding what parameters are appropriate . given a number of speech frame / records representative of an application such as the shown digital telephone answering device , for instance , for each of those records , the maximum number of subframes sf can be chosen to be l = m / wmin , where wmin is typically 8 . for example , if m = 56 , l = 7 , and wmin = 8 , then , for all subframes of width w i ε [ 8 , 16 , 20 , 24 , 32 ] that start at bit s i of the frame xf j , where i = p * 8 for p = 0 , 1 , etc ., the histogram ( pdf or probability distribution finction ) is obtained of the count c of the number of &# 34 ; 1 &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; in each subframe of width w i . a typical pdf may look something like that shown in fig1 . selecting e 0 - e 4 depends on the pdf of each subframe . different selections of e &# 39 ; s will generate different numbers of bits for each case or value of c . different encodings can be tried based on the shape of the pdf . shorter codes are assigned higher p . sub . ( n ). given the illustrated pdf , and for the two encoding schemes case 1 and case 2 , above , the number of bits ( nb ) used to encode each count is known , as follows : for c = 0 and e 0 =[ 00 ], csf =[ 00 ], and the number of encoding bits nb ( 0 )= 2 ( which represents 14 fewer bits than in the original ). for c = 1 and e 1 =[ 01 ], csf =[ 01x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 ] and nb ( 1 )= 6 ( 10 fewer bits ). for c = 2 and e 2 =[ 10 ], csf =[ 10x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 y 1 y 2 y 3 y 4 ] and nb ( 2 )= 10 ( 6 fewer bits ). and , for c ≧ 3 and e 3 [ 11 ], csf =[ 11s 0 . . . s 15 ] and nb ( 3 )= 18 ( 2 more bits ). for c = 0 and e 0 =[ 0001 ], csf =[ 0001 ], and the number of encoding bits nb ( 0 )= 4 ( which represents 16 fewer bits than in the original ). for c = 1 and e 1 =[ 01 ], csf =[ 01x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 ] and nb ( 1 )= 6 ( 14 fewer bits ). for c = 2 and e 2 =[ 001 ], csf =[ 001x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 y 1 y 2 y 3 y 4 ] and nb ( 2 )= 11 ( 9 fewer bits ). for c = 3 and e 3 =[ 0000 ], csf =[ 0000x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 y 1 y 2 y 3 y 4 z 1 z 2 z 3 z 4 ] and nb ( 3 )= 16 ( 4 fewer bits ). and , for c & gt ; 3 and e 4 =[ 1 ], csf =[ 1s 0 . . . s 19 ] and nb ( 4 )= 21 ( 1 more bit ). for each encoding scheme , w eff is then calculated : ## equ3 ## where nb ( n ) is the number of bits used to encode a subframe . for all subframes and for each encoding scheme , w eff . sbsb . average is then found . for all combinations of subframes , such that ## equ4 ## and all bits are covered , the total ## equ5 ## is then determined . this process is repeated for all speech records , and the combination of subframes that results in the minimum w eff . sbsb . average tot average is selected for encoding . experiments were conducted with melp encoded speech records using five representative speech records having m = 56 bits per frame , varying the number of frames per record used in gathering statistics , from n = 100 to n = 1088 . the top two combinations were w 0 = 16 , w 1 = 16 , w 2 - 5 = 0 and w 6 = 24 , with w eff tot = 47 . 7 and encoding case 1 , above , used for w 0 and w 1 and none for w 6 ; and w 0 = 16 , w 1 = 20 , w 2 - 5 = 0 and w 6 = 20 with w eff tot = 47 . 2 and encoding w 0 with case 1 , above , and case 2 , above , and w 6 with no encoding . simulations carried out in matlab © indicated about 15 % savings in storage requirement . this means that the amount of required memory can be reduced or additional speech time can be stored in the same amount of memory . particularly for off - line storage , the recompression scheme can be run when the processor is in an idle mode . the overhead for the demonstrated recompression mechanism was only one frame of speech and one index vector for each 112 bits of conventional speech storage . the additional memory overhead to store the copy of speech before compressing can be cut by using the segmented approach presented above . this also gives better savings . the specific implementation discussed above , by way of example , is a very basic encoding procedure , and it will be appreciated that modifications are possible which may produce even greater savings .
7
the apparatus for detecting belleville spring stiffness will be described in detail in conjunction with the drawings . the apparatus for detecting belleville spring stiffness comprises : a universal material testing machine 1 , a loading beam 2 of the universal material testing machine , a first fixing rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 3 , a first movable clamping rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 4 , a first dial gauge 5 , a loading linkage 6 , a spherical squeezing head 7 , a second dial gauge 8 , a cup - shaped loading barrel 9 , a belleville spring 10 , a guide base 11 , a second movable clamping rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 12 , and a second fixing rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 13 . the guide base 11 is placed on the table portion of the universal material testing machine 1 , with the axis of the guide base 11 coincident with that of the loading beam 2 of the universal material testing machine . the guide base 11 is a shaft with stepped structure and smooth surface . belleville spring 10 is placed on the guide base 11 . by adjusting the relative position of the belleville spring 10 in relation to the guide base 11 , the axis of the belleville spring 10 is made coincident with that of the guide base 11 . the cup - shaped loading barrel 9 is placed on the belleville spring 10 . as a cylinder with stepped structure , the cup - shaped loading barrel 9 is provided with a spherical recess at the center of its bottom surface , which mates with the spherical squeezing head 7 to eliminate biased loading . one end of the loading linkage 6 is coupled to the loading beam 2 of the universal material testing machine by means of thread connection , and the other end is coupled to the spherical squeezing head 7 also by means of thread connection . the first fixing rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 3 and the second fixing rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 13 are symmetrically fixed on the table portion of the universal material testing machine at two sides of the guide base 11 . the first movable clamping rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 4 is mounted on the first fixing rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 3 . the first dial gauge 5 is then clamped on the first movable clamping rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 4 . by adjusting the first fixing rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 3 , the first movable clamping rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 4 and the first dial gauge 5 , the first dial gauge 5 is put into good contact with the outer surface of the bottom of the cup - shaped loading barrel 9 and is kept with a pre - compression of 1 - 2 mm . the second movable clamping rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 12 is mounted on the second fixing rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 13 . then , the second dial gauge 8 is clamped on the second movable clamping rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 12 . by adjusting the second movable clamping rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 12 , the second fixing rod of bracket for belleville spring deformation detection 13 and the second dial gauge 8 , the second dial gauge 8 is put into good contact with the outer surface of the bottom of the cup - shaped loading barrel 9 and is kept with a pre - compression of 1 - 2 mm . load is applied by means of the loading beam 2 of the universal material testing machine 1 , which is then transmitted onto the cup - shaped loading barrel 9 via the loading linkage 6 and the spherical squeezing head 7 , then evenly onto the belleville spring 10 via the cup - shaped loading barrel 9 . the deformation amount of the belleville spring 10 is obtained by readings of the first dial gauge 5 and the second dial gauge 8 . at the same time , the value of force exerted by the universal material testing machine 1 is recorded . the stiffness value of the belleville spring could be calculated by introducing the deformation amount value and the force value into calculation formulas .
6
certain embodiments of the present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . the matters defined in the description , such as a detailed construction and elements thereof , are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the invention . thus , it is apparent that the present invention may be carried out without those defined matters . also , descriptions of well - known functions and constructions are omitted to provide a clear and concise description . fig2 is a schematic view of an image photographing apparatus 200 applying a paper pick - up unit 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a perspective view of the paper pick - up unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 and 3 , an image forming unit 210 includes a photoconductive medium 211 and a development part 213 . a laser scan unit 220 emits a laser beam to the photoconductive medium 211 to form an electrostatic latent image . the electrostatic latent image of the photoconductive medium 211 is developed to a visible image with a toner by the development part 213 , and the visible image is transferred to a paper p that passes between the photoconductive medium 211 and a transfer roller 230 rotating in contact with the photoconductive medium 211 . the paper p is then fed through a fuse unit 240 . the paper p stacked in a paper feeding cassette 250 is picked up sheet - by - sheet by a paper pick - up unit 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the picked - up paper is fed along a paper transmission path 260 , and transferred to the image forming unit 210 by a transmission unit having a plurality of transmission rollers 271 and 272 . the paper pick - up unit 300 includes a pick - up rubber 310 , a pick - up housing 320 , a pick - up shaft 330 and pick - up idlers 340 and 340 ′, as shown in fig3 and 4a . the pick - up rubber 310 is wrapped around the pick - up housing 320 , and directly contacts the paper p . the pick - up rubber 310 is preferably made from ethylene propylene diene monomer ( epdm ) in view of friction with the paper p . the pick - up rubber 310 may be averagely used for approximately fifty thousand to sixty thousand sheets of paper p . the pick - up housing 320 takes on an elliptical configuration and has a first shaft opening 321 and a second shaft opening 323 to be selectively engaged with the pick - up shaft 330 . the elliptical pick - up housing 320 may be manufactured as follows . first , two circles of substantially the same diameter are partially overlapped with each other , with the center of each circle positioned in the partially overlapped portion . the other portions except for the overlapped portion are removed , and the first shaft opening 321 and the second shaft opening 323 are formed at the center of each circle . due to the presence of the pick - up housing 320 , only the first arcuate part 310 a of the pick - up rubber 310 contacts the paper p when the pick - up shaft 330 is rotated in engagement with the first shaft opening 321 . the first shaft opening 321 is a center of the first arcuate part 310 a of the pick - up rubber 310 . alternatively , only the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 contacts the paper p when the pick - up shaft 330 is rotated in engagement with the second shaft opening 323 . the second shaft opening 323 is a center of the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 . if the aforementioned structure is applied , the life span of the pick - up rubber 310 becomes twice as long as a pick - up rubber 111 ( refer to fig1 ) of a conventional pick - up unit . this is because the first arcuate part 310 a and the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 may be used in turn . each of the first shaft opening 321 and the second shaft opening 323 is open at one side and connected with each other by a connection opening 327 extended therebetween . accordingly , a user may more easily use the first arcuate part 310 a and the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 in turn . a user does not need to separate the pick - up shaft 330 from the pick - up housing 320 , but simply moves the pick - up shaft 330 from the first shaft opening 321 of the pick - up housing 320 to the second shaft opening 323 , or vice versa along the connection opening 327 . the connecting opening 327 takes on the configuration of a quadrangular opening and is sized for the pick - up shaft 330 to be rotated by an angle of 180 degrees . the pick - up shaft should be rotated by an angle of 180 degrees in the connecting opening 327 to use the first arcuate part 310 a and the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 in turn , and the detailed description thereof will follow below . lock protrusions 326 protrude inwardly from both ends of open side of the first shaft opening 321 and the second shaft opening 323 , respectively , to lock the pick - up shaft 330 in its respective opening . when the pick - up shaft 330 is engaged with the first shaft opening 321 or the second shaft opening 323 , movement of the pick - up shaft 330 is prevented due to the lock protrusions 326 . the lock protrusions 326 are preferably elastic such that the pick - up shaft 330 may move from the first shaft opening 321 to the second shaft opening 323 , or from the second shaft opening 323 to the first shaft opening 321 . for example , if the pick - up shaft 330 engaged with the first shaft opening 321 moves to the connecting opening 327 , the pick - up shaft 330 moves over the lock protrusions 326 . the lock protrusions 326 are elastic and resilient enough to bend and then recover after the pick - up shaft 330 moves over the lock protrusions 326 . as such , the thickness of the lock protrusions 326 is set in view of proper elasticity . additionally , hollow spaces 325 may be formed on an upper portion and a lower portion of the pick - up housing 320 having the lock protrusions 326 , to provide the lock protrusions 326 with more elasticity . the pick - up shaft 330 is a rotation shaft having a substantially flattened u - shape cross section that receives a driving force from a driving device ( not shown ) and provides the pick - up rubber 310 with a rotation force to transfer the paper p to the image forming unit 210 . the driving device may include a gear , a clutch and a solenoid . normally , the pick - up rubber 310 and the pick - up housing 320 do not rotate due to the clutch , and then are rotated once by the operation of the solenoid to pick up the paper p . the pick - up idlers 340 and 340 ′ are engaged with the pick - up shaft 330 and regulate contact between the pick - up rubber 310 and the paper p . for example , if the pick - up shaft 330 is engaged with the first shaft opening 321 of the pick - up housing 320 , only the first arcuate part 310 a of the pick - up rubber 310 contacts the paper p . although the pick - up idler 340 and 340 ′ are rotated , the second arcuate part 310 b , which is the opposite side of the first arcuate part 310 a , of the pick - up rubber 310 does not contact the paper p because the diameter of the rotation orbit of the second arcuate part 310 b is smaller than that of the pick - up idlers 340 and 340 ′. as such , contact between the pick - up rubber 310 and the paper p is regulated . referring to fig2 and 3 , as the driving device ( not shown ) rotates the pick - up shaft 330 in a direction indicated by arrow r , the pick - up housing 320 and the pick - up idlers 340 and 340 ′ engaged with the pick - up shaft 330 are rotated by the rotating of the pick - up shaft 330 . at this time , the pick - up rubber 310 wrapped around the pick - up housing 320 contacts the paper p to transfer the paper p to the development unit 240 . if the pick - up shaft 330 is engaged with the first shaft opening 321 , only the first arcuate part 310 a of the pick - up rubber 310 contacts the paper p . the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 does not contact the paper p because the diameter of the rotation orbit of the second arcuate part 310 b is smaller than that of the pick - up idlers 340 and 340 ′. as such , only the first arcuate part 310 a of the pick - up rubber 310 is stained and abraded by paper powder , and finally used up . meanwhile , the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 maintains the initial status ( that is , abrasion of the second arcuate part 310 b is substantially prevented since the second arcuate part is not being used to pick up paper ). as such , when the life span of the first arcuate part 310 a of the pick - up rubber 310 is ended , the paper pick - up unit 300 is set for the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 to contact the paper p . referring to fig4 a , when the life span of the first arcuate part 310 a contacting the paper p of the pick - up rubber 310 is ended by abrasion and stain , a user moves the pick - up housing 320 in a direction indicated by arrow a with a certain force to unlock the pick - up shaft 330 engaged with the first shaft opening 321 from the first shaft opening 321 . at this time , the pick - up shaft 330 engaged with the first shaft opening 321 moves past the lock protrusions 326 . the elasticity and resiliency of the lock protrusions 326 causes the lock protrusions to return to their original position after the pick - up shaft 330 moves over the lock protrusions 326 . referring to fig4 b , when the pick - up shaft 330 moves to the connecting opening 327 , a user rotates the pick - up housing 320 by an angle of approximately 180 degrees in a direction indicated by arrow b for the second arcuate part 310 b of the pick - up rubber to contact the paper p . as such , the position of the abraded first arcuate part 310 a of the pick - up rubber 310 and the non - used second aruatec part 310 b of the pick - up rubber 310 are changed to opposite positions with regard to the paper p . referring to fig4 c , when the position of the second arcuate part 310 b and the first arcuate part 310 a of the pick - up rubber 310 is changed with respect to the paper p , a user moves the pick - up housing 320 in a direction indicated by arrow c to lock the pick - up shaft 330 to the second shaft opening 323 . in the above process , the pick - up shaft 330 moves over the lock protrusions 326 . the lock protrusions 326 return to their original position due to their elasticity and resiliency after the pick - up shaft 330 moves over the lock protrusions 326 . by the above method , the first arcuate part 310 a is replaced with the second arcuate part 310 b to contact and pick up the paper p . referring to fig5 , a key 460 may be used instead of the lock protrusions 326 ( refer to fig3 ), to lock or unlock a pick - up shaft 430 in a first shaft opening 421 and a second shaft opening 423 of a pick - up housing 420 . key grooves 429 are formed at a mouth part of the first shaft opening 421 and the second shaft opening 423 to mount the key 460 locking or unlocking the pick - up shaft 430 . referring to fig6 a , when the life span of the first arcuate part 410 a of the pick - up rubber 410 is ended , a user removes the key 460 from the key grooves 429 in a direction indicated by arrow e and then moves the pick - up shaft 430 in a direction indicated by arrow f into the connecting opening 427 to unlock the pick - up shaft 430 from the first shaft opening 421 . referring to fig6 b , when the pick - up shaft 430 moves to the connecting opening 427 , a user rotates the pick - up housing 420 in a direction indicated by arrow g by an angle of approximately 180 degrees for the second arcuate part 410 b of the pick - up rubber 410 to contact the paper p . as such , the position of the abraded first arcuate part 410 a and the second arcuate part 410 b to maintain the initial status of the pick - up rubber 410 is changed in the opposite direction with regard to the paper p . referring to fig6 c , when the first arcuate part 410 a is replaced with the second arcuate part 410 b , a user moves the pick - up housing 420 in a direction indicated by arrow h and then inserts the key 460 into the key grooves 429 in a direction of arrow i to lock the pick - up shaft 430 into the second shaft opening 423 . accordingly , the second arcuate part 410 b of the pick - up rubber 410 replacing the first arcuate part 410 a now contacts the paper p to pick up the paper p . as described above , both of the first arcuate part and the second arcuate part of an elliptical pick - up rubber may be used according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention . therefore , the life span may be extended and the material costs may be reduced . additionally , a user may easily replace the first arcuate part and the second arcuate part of the pick - up rubber such that the use convenience of an image forming apparatus may be highly improved . the foregoing exemplary embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention . the present teaching may be readily applied to other types of apparatuses . also , the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative , and not to limit the scope of the claims , and many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art .
1
the present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which various aspects of a wall charger are shown . this invention , however , may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited by the various aspects of the wall charger presented herein . the detailed description of the wall charger is provided below so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art . the detailed description may include specific details for illustrating various aspects of a wall charger . however , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in some instances , well known elements may be shown in block diagram form , or omitted , to avoid obscuring the inventive concepts presented throughout this disclosure . various aspects of a wall charger may be illustrated by describing components that are coupled together . as used herein , the term “ coupled ” is used to indicate either a direct connection between two components or , where appropriate , an indirect connection to one another through intervening or intermediate components . in contrast , when a component referred to as being “ directly coupled ” to another component , there are no intervening elements present . relative terms such as “ lower ” or “ bottom ” and “ upper ” or “ top ” may be used herein to describe one element &# 39 ; s relationship to another element illustrated in the drawings . it will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of a wall charger in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings . by way of example , if a wall charger in the drawings is turned over , elements described as being on the “ bottom ” side of the other elements would then be oriented on the “ top ” side of the other elements . the term “ bottom ” can therefore encompass both an orientation of “ bottom ” and “ top ” depending on the particular orientation of the apparatus . various aspects of a wall charger may be illustrated with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments . as used herein , the term “ exemplary ” means “ serving as an example , instance , or illustration ,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments of a wall charger disclosed herein . the wall charger is compact and portable so that it can easily be stowed for transport , greatly enhancing a consumer &# 39 ; s ability to use the wall charger to recharge or power one or more portable electronic devices ( peds ) that rely on a usb port for power and recharging . the wall charger is configured to provide up to two usb 5v ports for connecting to one or more peds when plugged into an ac circuit . a removable 12v charger may be disconnected from the 12v docking port and used separately to connect to a 12v dc circuit for use with generators or vehicles , for example , such as automobiles , trucks , and boats . fig1 - 7 provide various views of a wall charger 10 configured to connect to an ac circuit and provide two usb 5v connection ports , 30 and 130 . the wall charger 10 includes a body 20 and a removable 12v charger 100 . the body 20 comprises a permanent usb 5v connection port 30 and a 12v dc docking port 105 ( see fig8 ). prongs 40 are provided on a rear surface of the body 20 for plugging directly into an ac power source . as shown in fig6 , the prongs 40 may be collapsible and the body 20 may comprise prong channels 42 for seating the prongs 40 in a compact and unobtrusive manner , for example . furthermore , although shown throughout the figures herein as having two prongs 40 that may , for example , collapse into prong channels 42 , other features in accordance with aspects of the present invention may include , among others , three or more prongs , prongs arranged on different surfaces of the body , or prongs that are rotatable . the prongs 40 are connected to the electrical circuitry enclosed in the body ( not shown ) for providing a charging current to the 12 v docking port 105 and the permanent usb 5v connection port 30 . as shown in fig1 - 7 , the wall charger 10 is formed so that when the collapsible prongs 40 are received into the body 20 , or when the wall charger is plugged into a wall socket , the overall shape of the charger has the appearance of a jukebox , with an arched upper end 21 opposite a stepped port end 22 connected by a front surface 23 having beveled edges , a rear surface 24 , and side surfaces 25 and 26 . as shown in fig3 - 6 , the rear surface 24 may be provided with a protruding surface 28 . the protruding surface 28 serves as a spacer and may gently rise from the rear surface 28 with circular dimension , for example , to aesthetically match the geometric dimensions of the body 20 . the body 20 may have an outer casing made of nonconductive material with a smooth finish , for example . the outer casing can be formed by a combination of two molded shells or any other method of forming an enclosure to house and protect the interior electrical circuitry for propagating the necessary electrical current from the ac power source to the 12 v docking port 105 and the permanent usb 5v connection port 30 . the permanent usb 5v connection port 30 may be a usb type a receptacle for receiving a usb type a plug , but any suitable receptacle may be provided , including type b , mini - a and mini - b , or micro connectors , for example . as shown in fig1 , 4 and 7 , the stepped port end 22 of the body 20 may be dimensioned so that the depth of the step matches the thickness of a mating flange 110 on the removable 12v charger 100 when the removable 12v charger 100 is fully inserted into the 12v dc docking port 105 . fig8 - 10 show the feature of the 12v removable charger 100 removed from the 12v dc docking port 105 , in accordance with aspects of the present invention . the removable charger 100 may be formed with a tubular body 120 and the mating flange 110 . the tubular body 120 may be cylindrical in shape and have an outer casing made of nonconductive material with a smooth finish , for example . the outer casing of the body 120 of the removable charger 100 can be formed by a combination of two molded shells or any other method of forming an enclosure to house and protect the interior electrical circuitry for propagating the necessary electrical current from the 12 v dc docking port 105 to the removable usb 5v connection port 130 . the removable usb 5v connection port 130 may be a usb type a receptacle for receiving a usb type a plug , but any suitable receptacle may be provided , including type b , mini - a and mini - b , or micro connectors , for example . as shown in fig1 , the body 120 of the removable charger 100 may be provided with two side apertures to permit dual side ground contacts 125 . a power tip 130 may extend from the insertion end of the body 120 . the side ground contacts 125 and the power tip 130 may be spring loaded , for example , to ensure a tight , solid mechanical and electrical connection when the removable charger 100 is inserted and seated in the 12 v docking port 105 . another variation in accordance with aspects of the present invention may be a light emitting diode ( led ) on one or both of the removable charger 100 and the body 20 to indicate that one or both of the usb 5v connection ports , 30 and 130 , are receiving power . in another variation in accordance with aspects of the present invention , one or both of the removable charger 100 and the wall charger 10 may be provided with a built - in light . light emitting diode ( led ) technology , for example , may be used in the light because of the reduced current requirements and the lower level of lighting generally desirable in a light that may be used at night . but any soft glow lighting mechanism may be incorporated . fig1 provides a circuit block diagram illustrating the basic electrical components of the wall charger 10 , including those of the separately removable charger 100 . when the wall charger 10 is plugged into an ac outlet , a rectifier in the body 20 of the wall charger 10 converts the ac to dc for supplying current , preferably in the range of 1 amp , to the usb 5v connection ports 30 and the 12v dc docking port 105 . dc to dc converters are used to provide an output dc voltage to the permanent usb 5v connection port 30 of 5v and an output dc voltage to the 12v dc docking port 105 of 12v . a separate dc to dc converter is provided in the removable charger 100 so that when the charger is connected to the 12v dc docking port 105 of the wall charger 10 , or any other 12v power source , an output dc voltage of 5v is provided to the removable usb 5v connection port 130 . the previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein . various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments . thus , the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein , but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims , wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “ one and only one ” unless specifically so stated , but rather “ one or more .” all structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims . moreover , nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims . no claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 u . s . c . § 112 , sixth paragraph , unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “ means for ” or , in the case of a method claim , the element is recited using the phrase “ step for .”
7
in the following figures , the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components . in the following description , various operating parameters and components are described for different constructed embodiments . these specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting . in general , the disclosed invention provides a system and method for allowing the occupant of a vehicle to avoid engagement with either the grab handle or a pillar such as an a - pillar . the disclosed inventive embodiments provide advancements in the art of known curtain airbags according to the prior art illustrated in fig1 and 2 . referring to the prior art curtain airbag shown in fig1 , an environmental view of the passenger side of a vehicle interior of a vehicle 10 is illustrated . the view of the passenger side shown in fig1 is in an elevated view taken from the driver &# 39 ; s side of the vehicle . as is known in the art , the vehicle 10 includes a roof rail 12 . the roof rail 12 includes a forward portion 14 and a rearward portion 16 . an a - pillar 18 extends from the forward portion 14 while a b - pillar 20 extends from a point on the roof rail 12 intermediate the forward portion 14 and the rearward portion 16 . a grab handle 22 is fitted to the a - pillar 18 but it is to be understood that the placement on the a - pillar 18 may be other than that shown . furthermore , the b - pillar 20 may be fitted with a grab handle as well . a curtain module 24 is conventionally provided and is substantially embedded within the roof rail 12 . as is known in the art , the curtain module 24 includes an inflator 26 and an inflatable curtain 28 made from a resilient flexible material such as reinforced nylon . the inflatable curtain 28 is shown rolled up as shown . a sail cloth 30 attached to the inflatable curtain 28 and is also rolled up within the a - pillar 20 . referring to fig2 , the inflatable curtain 28 includes a main body 32 . the main body 32 includes a leading edge 36 . extending from the leading edge 36 of the main body 32 of the inflatable curtain 28 is the sail cloth 30 . in an impact event the inflator 26 is signaled by an impact sensing system ( not shown ) to cause the curtain filling gas to enter and fill the inflatable curtain 28 . the sail cloth 30 either peels through the trim of the a - pillar or the cover of the a - pillar may be hingedly attached , thus allowing at least a portion of the cover to pivot out of the way , thus allowing deployment of the sail cloth 30 as illustrated in fig2 . the inventive concept of the disclosed embodiment provides of elongated and inflatable extensions of different lengths that extend from an inflatable curtain . this concept is illustrated in fig3 through 6 . referring to fig3 and 4 , an inflatable curtain assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept is generally illustrated as 50 . the inflatable curtain assembly 50 is shown in fig3 and 4 in its fully deployed condition . the inflatable curtain assembly 50 includes an inflatable curtain 52 having an inflatable cushion main body 54 . the inflatable cushion main body 54 has a leading edge 56 . an elongated and inflatable medium - length extension 58 extends vehicle forward from the inflatable cushion main body 54 . while the shape of the inflatable extension 58 is illustrated as being tubular it is to be understood that the shape of the inflatable extension 58 may be rectangular , triangular or virtually any other shape that may be appropriate for this component . the elongated and inflatable medium - length extension 58 includes a trailing edge 60 that is also attached to the inflatable cushion main body 54 at the leading edge 56 . attachment of the elongated and inflatable extension 58 to the inflatable cushion main body 54 may be made in any known fashion including stitching or riveting provided that a fluid - passing channel is formed between the elongated and inflatable extension 58 and the inflatable cushion main body 54 to allow inflating gas to enter the elongated and inflatable extension 58 from the inflatable cushion main body 54 upon inflation by the inflator 26 . as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the elongated and inflatable medium - length extension 58 partially covers the grab handle 22 when the inflatable curtain assembly 50 is in its illustrated deployed condition . as discussed below and as illustrated in fig5 and 6 , the length of the elongated and inflatable extension and thus its position over the grab handle 22 when deployed may be varied by design . regardless of the length of the elongated and inflatable extension 58 , the objective of minimizing or eliminating the risk of the occupant &# 39 ; s head from impacting any of the roof rail 12 , the a - pillar 18 , or the grab handle 22 is achieved as the occupant &# 39 ; s head is deflected from any of these components in an impact event . an optional triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 62 may be fitted to the inflatable curtain assembly 50 . if so fitted , the triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 62 may be inflatable or non - inflatable . when provided , the extension or sail cloth 62 extends vehicle forward from the inflatable cushion main body 54 . the triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 62 preferably includes an upper tether 64 that may or may not be attached to the lower edge of the elongated and inflatable extension 58 and a lower tether 66 . both the upper tether 64 and the lower tether 66 as well as the extension or sail cloth 62 are attached to the leading edge 56 of the inflatable cushion main body 54 . if the extension or sail cloth 62 is inflatable then the attachment to the inflatable cushion main body 54 is made in such a way that that a fluid - passing channel is formed between the inflatable cushion main body 54 and the triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 62 to allow inflating gas to enter the triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 62 from the inflatable cushion main body 54 upon inflation . as noted above , the length of the elongated and inflatable medium - length extension can be other than that illustrated in fig3 and 4 . particularly , and with respect to fig5 , an inflatable curtain assembly according to an alternate embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept is generally illustrated as 70 . the inflatable curtain assembly 70 is shown in its fully deployed condition . the inflatable curtain assembly 70 includes an inflatable curtain 72 having an inflatable cushion main body 74 . the inflatable cushion main body 74 has a leading edge 76 . an elongated and inflatable full - length extension 78 extends vehicle forward from the inflatable cushion main body 74 . while the shape of the inflatable extension 78 is illustrated as being tubular it is to be understood that the shape of the inflatable extension 78 may be rectangular , triangular or virtually any other shape that may be appropriate for this component . the elongated and inflatable full - length extension 78 includes a trailing edge 80 that is also attached to the inflatable cushion main body 74 at the leading edge 76 . attachment of the elongated and inflatable extension 78 to the inflatable cushion main body 74 may be made in any known fashion including stitching or riveting provided that a fluid - passing channel is formed between the elongated and inflatable extension 78 and the inflatable cushion main body 74 to allow inflating gas to enter the elongated and inflatable extension 78 from the inflatable cushion main body 74 upon inflation by the inflator ( not shown ). the elongated and inflatable full - length extension 78 almost entirely covers the grab handle 22 when the inflatable curtain assembly 70 is in its illustrated deployed condition . an optional triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 82 may be fitted to the inflatable curtain assembly 70 . if so fitted , the triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 82 may be inflatable or non - inflatable . when provided , the extension or sail cloth 82 extends vehicle forward from the inflatable cushion main body 74 . the triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 82 preferably includes an upper tether 84 that may or may not be attached to the lower edge of the elongated and inflatable extension 78 and a lower tether 86 . both the upper tether 84 and the lower tether 86 as well as the extension or sail cloth 82 are attached to the leading edge 76 of the inflatable cushion main body 74 . the length of the elongated and inflatable extension can also be shorter than that illustrated in fig3 , 4 and 5 . particularly , and with respect to fig6 , an inflatable curtain assembly according to an alternate embodiment of the disclosed inventive concept is generally illustrated as 90 . the inflatable curtain assembly 90 is shown in its fully deployed condition . the inflatable curtain assembly 90 includes an inflatable curtain 92 having an inflatable cushion main body 94 . the inflatable cushion main body 94 has a leading edge 96 . an elongated and inflatable shorter extension 98 extends vehicle forward from the inflatable cushion main body 94 . while the shape of the inflatable shorter extension 98 is illustrated as being tubular it is to be understood that the shape of the inflatable shorter extension 98 may be rectangular , triangular or virtually any other shape that may be appropriate for this component . the elongated and inflatable shorter extension 98 includes a trailing edge 100 that is also attached to the inflatable cushion main body 94 at the leading edge 96 . attachment of the elongated and inflatable shorter extension 98 to the inflatable cushion main body 94 may be made in any known fashion including stitching or riveting provided that a fluid - passing channel is formed between the elongated and inflatable shorter extension 98 and the inflatable cushion main body 94 to allow inflating gas to enter the elongated and inflatable shorter extension 98 from the inflatable cushion main body 94 upon inflation by the inflator ( not shown ). as illustrated , the elongated and inflatable shorter extension 98 partially covers the grab handle 22 when the inflatable curtain assembly 90 is in its illustrated deployed condition . optionally the elongated and inflatable shorter extension 98 may not cover the grab handle 22 at all . an optional triangular - shaped extension or sail cloth 102 may be fitted to the inflatable curtain assembly 90 . if so fitted , the triangular - shaped extension or sail 102 may be inflatable or non - inflatable . when provided , the extension or sail cloth 102 extends vehicle forward from the inflatable cushion main body 94 . the triangular - shaped extension 102 preferably includes an upper tether 104 that may or may not be attached to the lower edge of the elongated and inflatable extension 98 and a lower tether 106 . both the upper tether 104 and the lower tether 106 as well as the extension or sail 102 are attached to the leading edge 96 of the inflatable cushion main body 94 . the disclosed inventive concept as set forth above overcomes the challenges faced by known curtain airbag arrangements for vehicles which offer limited protection to an occupant of a passenger seat during an impact event . the disclosed inventive concept either eliminates or significantly reduces the possibility of the head of the vehicle passenger seat occupant impacting the grab handle fitted to the vehicle &# 39 ; s a - pillar . of course , while the arrangement of the disclosed inventive concept is shown in relation to the vehicle &# 39 ; s a - pillar , it could easily be positioned as well relative to the pillars , including , for example , the vehicle &# 39 ; s b - pillar . thus the disclosed inventive concept has broad application to a variety of vehicle pillar arrangements . in addition , the width of the elongated and inflatable extension may be varied . furthermore , the disclosed inventive concepts may find application in vehicles having roof rail and pillar configurations other than that shown and described herein are possible and that the disclosed inventive concept may be adapted to such alternative configurations without deviating from the spirit or scope of the disclosed inventive concept . accordingly , one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion , and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes , modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims .
1
main load chute 1 is welded in a vertical position to a mounting plate 10a , that is bolted to the top of the main support structure ( frame ) 10 . a combination positive and negative air line 36 is welded to an aperture opening into the main load chute 1 and the air line extends down inside the chute . the positive air line is controlled by a valve 35 . the negative air line is controlled by a valve 34 . loading through the main load chute 1 , flow is controlled by an air - activated butterfly valve assembly 17 , 18 including the valve 19 per se . the main load chute 1 is surrounded by an air - activated sliding nose cone 5 actuated by a double - acting air cylinder 20 , fig2 . between the air cylinder 20 and the nose cone 5 there is a dual cable sling including a pair of cables 3a and 3b running over pulley assemblies 2 , 3 and 22 . the cables are connected at one end to a flange 9 on the nose cone and at the opposite end are connected to an adjustable coupling 23 which connects to the frame 10 using a connection block 24 . the cables may be actuated , either extended or slackened , by an air cylinder 20 as will be described . embracing the nose cone in a displaceable complemental fit are a pair of semicircular clamps or collars 6 , each carried by an arm 7 . each arm 7 is secured at its upper end on a rock shaft 8 supported for rotation in pillow blocks 28 in turn supported by flange 9 welded to the nose cone . the clamps are opened and closed by an air cylinder 26 . the nose cone 5 has eight casters ( not shown ) inside of the cone which ride in tracks 38 , fig2 on the main load chute 1 . there are stoppers as 38a at the top and bottom of tracks 38 limiting movement of the nose cone in each direction . the apparatus has a fully adjustable frame and bag support system as follows : the bag supports allowing split fork assemblies to be used are 30 , 31 and 39 , four sets . 39 is a short slide tube , presenting a pin hole for receiving an adjusting pin 32 ; this slide is able to slide on the cross brace support tube 11 which is apertured for the adjusting pin 32 . a pair of laterally projecting strap support rods 31 are welded to a bracket 30 , welded to the related slide tube 39 . the slide tubes 39 may be positioned laterally and held by pins 32 for bags of different size . the support tubes 11 are also adjustable laterally for bags of different size . thus , the ends of the tubes 11 have apertured ears 11e welded thereto , projecting outward , fig1 and these slide on an apertured cross bar 11r , the adjusted position being held by a pin 11p . the frame structure includes uprights 11a which are also apertured at 11b . by telescoping the uprights 11a into the vertical tubes 10 to complete the framework , and by providing apertures in selected of the tubes 10 to mate with the apertures 11b additional pins 32a may be used to adjust the frame vertically for bags of different size . a bottom support plate 14 is welded to the bottom of the frame which assures a flat bottom bag during and after filling . there is a weighing system which consists of four floor - supported load cells 15 connected to a control panel ( not shown ). the bulk - bag comprises an outer bag 40 of sturdy construction and an inner more flexible liner 41 , such as the construction noted above . each has an open mouth at the top and the two are connected at the bottom only , 43 . four loop straps 45 of strong webbing are sewn to the outer bag and can be easily looped over the four sets of support fingers or bars 31 . it can be seen that forklift forks can be easily entered into the loop straps when hung on the supports 31 . the air cylinder 20 which raises and lowers the nose cone is secured and centered at one side of the machine frame so its piston can be extended ( down ) or withdrawn ( up ) on a vertical axis . a horizontal arm ( not shown ) is secured to the free end of the piston and this arm carries a pulley 22 at each end . the cables 3a and 3b are played around these pulleys before being connected to their couplers 23 . ( 1 ) the machine in fig2 is at full rest position . switch the system to &# 34 ; power on &# 34 ; position ( on panel not shown ). ( 2 ) turn the remote station switch 37 ( fig1 ) to &# 34 ; clamp open &# 34 ; position . this actuates a double - acting air cylinder 26 and related piston supported between and linked to the cranks 7 depending from the rock shaft 8 , opening the clamps 6 . ( 3 ) place the bulk bag onto the frame by hooking the support straps 45 of the bag to the bag support assemblies on the machine . the bag should hang about two inches off of the base 14 . pull the neck of the liner 41 through the the top of the bag 40 and slide the neck of the liner up inside of the clamping assembly 6 which has been opened . ( 4 ) turn the remote station switch 37 to &# 34 ; clamp closed &# 34 ; position . this activates the air cylinder 26 which is gauged to slowly close the clamp , giving the operator ample time to remove his hands from the clamp area . the inner liner is soon clamped firmly to the nose cone . ( 5 ) press the &# 34 ; auto tare &# 34 ; button ( on the control panel not shown ). this automatically deducts or makes allowance for the weight of the machine , bag and liner . ( 6 ) press the &# 34 ; auto load &# 34 ; button ( on the control panel not shown ). this starts the fully automated load cycle , which is as follows : the cylinder 20 is actuated to draw the cables 3a and 3b up and the nose cone is raised by the cables to lift the container to its preload position . the outer bag will usually be about two inches above support 14 ; the inner liner a little more . the raised liner will pull the bottom sections of the liner and bag tight where they are fastened together ( fig2 ). as the nose cone reaches preload position a limit switch ( not shown ) is activated sending a signal to start the timed air inflation period . the positive air line valve 35 opens and the negative line valve closes . air under pressure is admitted to inflate the liner 41 as seen in fig2 . this removes folds and wrinkles so there can be effective filling . when the inflation cycle is timed as complete , a signal is generated which activates the butterfly valve 17 - 18 to one - quarter open piston (&# 34 ; trickle &# 34 ; load ) on the main load chute and the positive air valve closes . the same signal that starts the air inflation cycle starts a timer to delay the dedust control valve from opening until the flow has been established . this avoids a vacuum in the liner . the dedust ( negative air ) valve 34 stays activated ( open ) until the system goes to full rest position ( off ). this is a health feature to avoid ambient dust . the four load cells mounted between the frame and the floor measure the preload flow into the liner in pounds . when the system reaches the first predetermined ( preloaded ) set point ( in pounds ) the nose cone air cylinder 20 is reversed and returns the nose cone toward home or full - load position . the butterfly valve is turned to full open position for bulk loading and as the bag fills it stretches to rest on the support plate 14 so there will be a flat bottomed bag when full . when the weighing system reaches the second predetermined set point ( in pounds ) signifying a nearly full load in the bag a signal is generated to close the butterfly valve to its one - fourth open position , reestablishing the controlled trickle rate to ensure close accuracy in final filling . when the third predetermined set point ( in pounds ) is reached the system returns to &# 34 ; rest &# 34 ; position . this restores the sliding nose in a down position and the negative air valve and butterfly valve are closed as seen in fig2 . ( 7 ) turn the remote station switch to &# 34 ; clamp open &# 34 ; position , which opens the clamping assembly 6 - 9 to release the liner so it can be tied off . ( 8 ) the full bag can now be removed with a fork truck by driving the forks through the openings in the straps , lifting the forks to the split fork assemblies so the bag assembly may now be supported on the forks . the truck is backed out slowly and transports the bag to the distribution point . this arrangement eliminates the need for pallets .
1
fig2 shows a block diagram for the nqr detection system for a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a radio frequency source 60 , a pulse programmer and rf gate 50 and an rf power amplifier 40 are provided to generate a train of random or pseudo - random radio frequency pulses having a predetermined frequency distribution to be applied to irradiating and detecting means ( typically a coil ) 10 . a coupling network 20 conveys the train of radio frequency pulses from the radio frequency source 60 , the pulse programmer and rf gate 50 and the rf power amplifier 40 to the coil 10 . the coupling network 20 also conducts the signal to the receiver / rf detector 30 from the coil 10 while a specimen is irradiated with the train of radio frequency pulses . a central processing unit ( cpu ) 70 controls the radio frequency source 60 and the pulse programmer and rf gate 50 to a predetermined frequency which coincides or is near to an nqr frequency of the type of explosive ( e . g ., all rdx - based explosives ) or narcotic desired to be detected . the cpu 70 also processes the data and compares the nqr signal with a predetermined threshold value . when the predetermined threshold value is exceeded , an optional alarm 80 is activated in response to the comparison by the cpu 70 . the receiver / rf detector 30 , the rf power amplifier 40 , the pulse programmer and rf gate 50 , the radio frequency source 60 , the cpu 70 and the alarm 80 may be contained in a console 100 with only the coil 10 and the coupling network 20 being outside of the console 100 . although in this embodiment the same means is used for both irradiating the sample with the excitation radiation and detecting the nqr signal ( e . g ., one coil is used for both functions ), this is not a requirement of the invention . separate irradiation and detection means ( e . g ., separate irradiation and detection coils ) may be employed if desired . for simplicity , only one coil is used typically . the train of radio frequency pulses is preferably a pseudo - random train of pulses , ( such as the pseudo - random train of radio frequency pulses shown in fig4 upper trace , discussed infra ) may be generated using a shift - register pseudo - random sequencer , such as the one shown in fig3 . as shown in fig3 a shift - register pseudo - random sequencer 200 has several ( as shown here , six ) stages 210 . each stage 210 has an input 212 , a clock connection 214 , and an output 216 . the stages are connected in series , with the output of the ith stage connected to the input of the ( i + 1 ) th stage . with each clock 218 pulse , the input from the previous clock cycle is transferred to the output , and thus transferred to the input of the next stage . the outputs of the nth and nth - 1 stages are input to an exclusive or ( xor ) gate 220 , and the output of this xor gate 220 is input to a not gate 222 . the not gate 222 output is input to the first stage in the sequencer 200 . typically , the clock 218 is connected in parallel to the clock connections 214 . more typically , this circuit is a software - generated virtual circuit . the pulses in this pseudo - random pulse train will have equal amplitude and pseudo - randomly shifted phase ( shifted between 0 ° and 180 °). see generally lancaster ttl cookbook pp . 277 - 83 ( howard w . sam & amp ; co . 1979 ). see also paff et al . adv . in magn . & amp ; optical reson . 17 1 ( 1992 ) and blumich , prog . nmr spectrosc . 19 331 ( 1987 ). as used herein , a pseudo - random pulse train will have a selected pulse width τ and a selected interval δt between pulses . the pseudo - random pulse train will have a selected number of steps to go through before the sequence repeats . the maximum number of steps for an n - stage shift - register pseudo - random sequencer is given by 2 n - 1 . a pseudo - random sequencer with this number of steps is referred to herein as a maximal length pseudo - random sequencer . there are several characteristic features to this pseudo - random pulse train . one is that for any short (& lt ; δt ·( 2 n - 1 )) sample , this pulse train will look and behave like random noise , but it will repeat every 2 n - 1 clock cycles . during excitation by a stochastic ( random or pseudo - random ) rf pulse train , a sample containing a quadrupolar target will return a stochastic response curve ( such as the one shown in fig4 second trace , discussed infra ). in the case of pseudo - random excitation , this stochastic response curve preferably may be cross - correlated to the free induction decay curve using a hadamard transform . a hadamard transform converts a stochastic response vector x into a free induction decay curve y , according to the equation : y = hx where h is a hadamard matrix . a hadamard matrix is a unique square n × n matrix for a given pseudo - random sequence of n steps , where the first row is the sequence , the second row is the sequence shifted by 1 , the third row is the sequence shifted by 2 , and the nth row is the sequence shifted by n - 1 . alternatively , or in the case where true random excitation is used , true cross - correlation may be used to generate the free induction decay curve . in true cross - correlation , the signal output y ( t ) is correlated to the input sequence x ( t ) via the memory function k ( τ ) such that ## equ1 ## the free induction decay curve is a time domain curve . by performing a fourier transform on this curve , a frequency domain nqr spectrum of the target species may be obtained . having described the invention , the following examples are given to illustrate specific applications of the invention , including the best mode now known to perform the invention . these specific examples are not intended to limit the scope of the invention described in this application . pseudo - random stochastic nqr analysis was performed on a 74 g sample of para dichlorobenzene ( pdcb ). the 35 cl resonance is at 34 . 27 mhz at room temperature . the rf coil used was a four - turn ribbon wire solenoid with an internal copper sheath , to provide a coil volume of about 225 cm 3 . the coil was overcoupled to reduce the quality factor , q , to 40 . results are shown in fig4 . the upper trace shows the pseudo - random excitation pulse train , the second trace shows the stochastic response of pdcb to this excitation , the third trace shows the fid of this stochastic response , and the bottom trace shows the frequency spectrum of pdcb . a 127 - step maximal length pseudo - random binary sequence was used to modulate the rf phase by 0 ° or 180 °. the rf pulses were 5 μs long , and the time between pulses was 40 μs , providing a nyquist frequency of 12 . 5 khz ( 25 khz bandwidth ). the tip angle of the rf pulses was approximately 5 °. the peak rf power was about 170 w . for a coil of this volume , the conventional single - pulse nqr approach would require a peak power of 55 kw (!) for a 5 μs 90 ° pulse . the 127 - step sequence was repeated every 5 ms . here , 128 sequences were co - added to improve the s / n ratio . the nqr signal at 34 mhz was demodulated ( conventionally ) and a 100 khz low pass filter was applied . the response of the spin system is shown as the stochastic response . when cross - correlated against the stochastic excitation , the conventional free induction decay ( fid ) is obtained . in this case , however , a hadamard transform was used in place of the conventional cross - correlation . the fid was then conventionally fourier transformed to produce the spectrum of the nqr signal . note that the baseline in fig4 is reasonably flat , an advantage characteristic of the stochastic approach . this particular spectrum is rather broad , with intensity in the wings due to stray magnetic field of about 5 gauss across the sample . this example compares the nqr fid of the 34 . 27 mhz 35 cl resonance of a 74 g sample of pdcb obtained by conventional one - pulse and stochastic methods . the top trace in fig5 is the conventional response to a one - pulse excitation . the bottom trace in fig5 was the result of stochastic excitation and was obtained by cross - correlating the stochastic nqr response with the stochastic pseudo - random excitation sequence , as described in example 1 . note that the s / n ratios are comparable : the stochastic approach is shown to be as efficient as the conventional one - pulse method . the experimental parameters in the two sequences were shown to facilitate comparison for an equivalent sampling time , with the parameters separately optimized on both the one - pulse and stochastic sequence to provide optimal signal - to - noise ratios . for the one - pulse sequence , an equivalent recycle delay of 25 ms was chosen to approximate the nqr t 1 value ( 22 ms ) in order to maintain the maximum signal - to - noise ratio per unit time for the 90 ° excitation . the one - pulse sequence was repeated 20 times for a total sampling time of 0 . 5 s . a 5 ms duration , 127 - step pseudo - random pulse train was used for the stochastic experiment , with a 5 ° rf pulse . the sequence was repeated 100 times , for a total sampling time of 0 . 5 s . in both cases , a 100 khz low pass filter was applied to the demodulated nqr signals . obviously , many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described .
6
the following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense , but is made for the purpose of describing the general principles of the present disclosure . the scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the claims . exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings , like aspects and identifiers being used to refer to like and corresponding parts of the various drawings . and although the present disclosure is described with reference to specific embodiments and components , one skilled in the art could apply the principles discussed herein to other solar cell structures and materials ( e . g ., mono crystalline silicon or multi - crystalline silicon ), fabrication processes ( e . g ., various deposition methods and materials such as metallization materials ), as well as alternative technical areas and / or embodiments without undue experimentation . rear wide band gap passivated - passivated emitter rear cells perc , referred to as rgp - perc herein , structures and fabrication solutions are provided . the solar cell structure solutions leverage the relative simplicity of the perc cell to increases cell efficiency while reducing the number of fabrication process steps — in other words the solutions provided both reduce the complexity and improve the efficiency of the standard perc cell . rgp - perc not only allows for cell efficiency much higher than a standard perc cell , rgp - perc also allows for cell efficiency higher than the more complex , expensive , and traditionally higher efficiency perl cell architecture — in other words the innovative solution outlined in this document allows solar cells to achieve performance better than that possible by perl , yet at a substantially reduced number of process steps . the present application provides a wide bandgap rear passivation which provides not only high quality passivation to silicon , but at the same time provides superior contact to the right type of carriers thus obviating the need of patterning dielectrics and doping areas in the back as it relies on blanket depositions of the film . the wide band gap semiconductor passivation in the back is different material / film for p - type and n - type substrate . additionally , high quality solar cell front ( frontside ) passivation and doping is provided which may further reduce fabrication process steps . forming doped al 2 o 3 on the cell frontside ( e . g ., doped al 2 o 3 deposited using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition apcvd ) provides superior passivation and also provides a dopant source ( for n - type solar cell having a boron based emitter ) thus further reducing fabrication process steps . fig2 is a cross - sectional diagram showing a high - level rgp - perc cross - section using an n - type substrate having blanket back metal . n - type substrate 2 has a front side emitter layer 8 and front side passivation layer or stack 10 ( e . g ., al 2 o 3 ). front metal 12 contact front side emitter layer 8 through front side passivation layer or stack 10 . rear ( or back ) wide band gap layer or stack 4 ( e . g ., tio x ) is on the rear ( or back ) of n - type substrate 2 . blanket back metal 6 is on wide band gap layer or stack 4 . fig3 is a cross - sectional diagram showing a high - level rgp - perc cross - section using an n - type substrate having patterned back metal . n - type substrate 14 has a front side emitter layer 20 and front side passivation layer or stack 22 ( e . g ., al 2 o 3 ). front metal 24 contact front side emitter layer 20 through front side passivation layer or stack 22 . rear ( or back ) wide band gap layer or stack 16 ( e . g ., tio x ) is on the rear ( or back ) of n - type substrate 14 . patterned back metal 18 is on wide band gap layer or stack 16 . the device is possible for both n and p - type silicon substrates . a defining characteristic of the rgp - perc structure is that it is passivated in the back / rear ( non - sunnyside ) of the silicon semiconductor using a single wide band gap semiconductor / dielectric or a multi - layer dielectric stack which consists of a wide bandgap semiconductor . this is followed by a suitable metal on the back which may be either blanket ( as shown in fig2 ) or patterned ( as shown in fig2 ). patterned metal allows for a bifacial solar cell implementation by letting the light through . for example , in consideration of other factors such as cell structure and fabrication , the rear passivating wide band gap semiconductor / dielectric of the rgp - perc should satisfy the following three important properties : it should allow the passing of the suitable photo carrier ( electrons for n - type and holes for p - type ) with minimal contact resistance ; it should be a high quality passivation layer with low surface recombination velocity ( e . g ., a surface recombination velocity srv less than 20 cm / s ); it should present a large and effective barrier for the other photo carrier which is not supposed to go to the rear contact ( holes for n - type and electrons for p - type semiconductor ). the rgp - perc using an n - type substrate may have a wide band gap semiconductor such as titanium oxide tiox followed by metal on the rear side . this allows the rear stack to be simple while at the same time , because the surface passivation is excellent , hole rejection is superior , and contact resistance to electrons is relatively low , the stack provides a relatively high performance from the stand point of voc and ff . note , in a conventional traditional solar cell scheme this type of performance for n - type substrates would be accomplished with a perl design requiring complex steps ( for example , laser fired doping ) to create heavy n + doping under the metal on the rear side while using passivation , such as al 2 o 3 + sin , everywhere else on the cell rear side . not only is this conventional traditional solar cell scheme more cumbersome , the quality of the passivation under the contact with n + is inferior to that created using tio x . it should be noted that tio x is an example of a wide band gap material that may be used for this purpose . in general , a single or multi - layer stack ( such as , but not limited to , al 2 o 3 + tio x or al 2 o 3 + zno or any combinations ) which satisfies the properties following may be used to form rgp - perc . key properties for this rear single or multi - layer material stack are : there should be at least one wide bandgap material which creates a large band offset with holes ; the stack creates reasonably good passivation to n - type silicon ( e . g ., srv less than 200 cm / s ); and , the stack gives reasonable contact resistance to electrons . in a specific and particularly advantageous embodiment for an n - type silicon perc , the rear wide band gap semiconductor material is titanium oxide tio x deposited using atomic layer deposition ( ald ) which serves as an n - doped wide bandgap semiconductor . alternative deposition techniques such as physical vapor deposition pvd of tio x may also be suitable if the qualities of the deposited film may be similar to those obtained using ald . the tio x may be annealed at a temperature in the range of 375 to 450 ° c . either in n 2 or in a forming gas anneal fga environment ( e . g ., 400 ° c . in fga ) to activate it . the bandgap of tio x is approximately 3 . 2 ev with majority of the band discontinuity in the valence band with silicon ( e . g ., approximately 2 . 1 ev ). the conduction band of the tio x tends to line up with the conduction band of silicon . this band alignment presents an excellent low contact resistance flow of carriers for electrons ( superior ohmic contact ) and a large barrier of approximately 2 . 1 ev to holes . this large barrier to holes serves as a superior rejection of the holes from the back side base . in addition , ald deposited tio x has the property of being an excellent passivation , for example providing srv less than 50 cm / s while being relatively thin ( e . g ., having a thickness less than 5 nm ). the relative thin thickness is also an attribute provides the aforementioned low contact resistance . thus , tio x satisfies the aforementioned properties and attributes of an rgp - perc single or multi - layer material rear stack . for tio x , the cell backside metal may be for example either aluminum , titanium by itself or followed by another metal such as aluminum to increase conductivity . the addition of tio x wide bandgap semiconductor unpins the fermi level of the metal and raises it close to the charge neutrality level cnl of tio x which itself is close to the conduction band of silicon . this substantially lowers the barrier for electrons to flow between metal and silicon . alternatively nickel may be used as a backside metal . although , nickel &# 39 ; s vacuum workfunction is close to the valence band of silicon , it is likely that when deposited on top of a material like tio x , nickel &# 39 ; s workfunction gets pulled toward the cnl of tio x which is near the conduction band of silicon — thus providing a lower barrier for electrons . nickel as a backside may be advantageous as there are relatively easy patterned deposition schemes available with nickel ( e . g ., nickel deposition using ink jet ). in another embodiment , a rear wide band gap semiconductor / dielectric ( and passivation ) may be al 2 o 3 , for example an atomic layer deposited ald al 2 o 3 . alternatively al 2 o 3 deposition techniques such as metal organic chemical vapor deposition mocvd may be used . because al 2 o 3 is a true insulator , it is imperative that an al 2 o 3 layer be thin ( e . g ., having a thickness less than 3 nm ) to ensure that the contact resistance may be low because of tunneling . al 2 o 3 also serves as an excellent passivation for n - type silicon . a tradeoff with al 2 o 3 is that as it gets thinner its passivation quality reduces . however , there is a possibility of an optimization with respect to al 2 o 3 thickness such that both passivation and contact resistance are sufficient for rgp - perc . in yet another embodiment of the rgp - perc , the back side deposited wide bandgap semiconductor / dielectric may be a bilayer of al 2 o 3 and tio x . this bilayer having a thin al 2 o 3 ( e . g ., having a thickness less than 2 nm ) is characterized is a high quality passivation and contact for electrons . in one possible fabrication process flow , the bilayer may be deposited in - situ inside an ald reactor . other bilayers such as al 2 o 3 and zno or a combination of al 2 o 3 , zno , tio in single or multi - layer formation which meet the properties of hole rejection , passivation quality , and contact resistance may be used as a rear single wide band gap semiconductor / dielectric or a multi - layer dielectric stack . a bifacial solar cell is compatible with all the rear wide band gap / dielectric embodiments provided herein . functionally , the back side of the solar cell structure provided may be bifacial to allow the light to be captured from the rear side . this may be accomplished by patterning the backside metal in a grid or other pattern to allow light to come through . alternatively a patterned metal may be deposited using techniques such as inkjet or screen printing . an additional indium tin oxide ito layer may be deposited on the solar cell backside as an anti - reflection coating arc . for example , ito may be grown using ald reactor in - situ with the other wide band gap semiconductors or ito may be sputtered deposited . silicon nitride sin may also be used as a solar cell backside arc . relating to the n - type silicon solar cell frontside , solar cells having doped al 2 o 3 which serves the dual function of being a superior passivation and the dopant source for the emitter while allowing for the reduction fabrication process steps are provided . for example , atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition apcvd deposited al 2 o 3 despite being driven at a high temperature retains its passivation quality yielding positive jos on boron emitter down to less than 20 fa / cm 2 . additionally , the jo values are found to remain low with the anneal apcvd al 2 o 3 for lower sheet resistivity ( rho ) emitters down to 50 ohms / sq . thus providing a high performance without necessarily going to a selective emitter process , thus saving additional process steps . front side options for combination with the aforementioned backside options of an rgp - perc include a standard perc non - selective emitter and selective emitter and non - selective emitter option using apcvd doped al 2 o 3 . front side embodiments which may be used with the rear side stack include , but are not limited to : al 2 o 3 selective emitter , non - selective emitter , apcvd al 2 o 3 emitter , and non al 2 o 3 standard stacks with sin . note , a class of front side possibilities include options where the boron , p + emitter is passivated using al 2 o 3 ( followed by an arc in the form of sin or ito ) are used in combination with the rgp - perc rear side . another class includes sin or a thin sift layer followed by sin used for this purpose . with both of these options , either selective or non - selective emitter options are possible . two manufacturing solutions for an al 2 o 3 boron passivated front side for selective and non - selective emitter are provided . these fabrication solution options allow for reducing manufacturing steps and when taken in conjunction with the rear side fabrication solution options provided herein dramatically reduce the processing steps and cost for manufacturing an rgp - perc solar cell . an al 2 o 3 boron passivated front side is currently viable with an n - type substrate as it is applicable for a boron doped emitter . inventive aspects pivot on the fact that an apcvd doped al 2 o 3 is used as both the passivation and the dopant source . al 2 o 3 is doped with boron and is initially deposited using apcvd . it is then annealed at a high temperature ( e . g ., a temperature in the range of 950 to 1100 ° c .) to drive the boron into silicon and form an emitter . conventional traditional wisdom is that since al 2 o 3 will start to crystallize at these temperatures , the passivation quality may deteriorate thus requiring the al 2 o 3 to be stripped and a fresh al 2 o 3 deposited . however , an optimal anneal temperature is used where despite al 2 o 3 crystallizing , its passivation quality remains relatively superior thus obviating the need for stripping it . passivation quality has been measured to have a jo of less than 15 fa / cm 2 . the mechanism is thought to be related to the interfacial layer . apcvd deposited interfacial layer becomes richer in si as it approaches silicon . the silicon richness allows the interfacial layer to not crystallize during anneal and thus retain its passivation qualities . this film may also be used as an adequate arc when an adjusted thickness of sin is formed on top . using these properties , a non - selective emitter front side may fabricated simply by using the following steps . note the sequence may be altered when integrated with rgp - perc fabrication as described below . 2 . anneal at an optimal temperature ( 950 to 1100 ° c .) in n2 environment if appropriate metallization paste is used , the laser opening can be eliminated and paste can be fired through the sin / al 2 o 3 stack thus reducing the process flow above to four steps . while the above non - selective emitter may be expected to be superior as compared to a conventional non - selective emitter because of the ability for al 2 o 3 to passivate boron emitter with a low jo despite the doping concentration increasing , if selective emitter may be fabricated , for example , with the following modification to the process outlined above . 1 . apcvd lightly boron doped al 2 o 3 2 . laser open areas where there is heavily doped emitter 3 . apcvd heavy boron doped al 2 o 3 4 . anneal at an optimal temperature ( 950 to 1100 ° c .) in n2 environment 5 . sin deposition ( thickness of sin adjusted to provide high quality arc along with the already present al 2 o 3 ) 6 . laser ablation using pico second laser or skip if suitable firing paste is used 7 . metallization ( screen printed or pvd ) from device point of view , whenever non - selective emitter is used for cost reasons as compared to a selective emitter , the following trade - offs in performance must be considered : jo of emitter ( voc ); jo of contact recombination ( voc ); sheet resistance of the emitter ( ff ); contact resistance of the emitter ( ff ); and , blue response of the cell ( jsc ). out of the these five device factors , jo of contact recombination , contact resistance of the emitter , and sheet resistance of the emitter prefer heavier doping ( smaller sheet rho ), while jo of emitter and blue reasons of the cell prefer light doping ( higher sheet rho ). with a selective emitter and by having an option of putting a heavier doping under the contact and a lighter doping in the emitter passivation areas , all five parameters may be optimized . non - selective emitters may not have this option . however , going to al 2 o 3 with apcvd , the emitter jo may remain despite emitter sheet resistance as low as 50 - 70 ohms / sq . this helps expand the process window for optimization without a selective emitter . with a non - selective emitter and apcvd al 2 o 3 , by going to lower sheet resistivity ( rho ), the listed parameters outside of blue response above are addressed while the blue response needs to be optimized . thus , apcvd doped al 2 o 3 with non - selective emitter for the perc cell not only reduces the number of process steps compared to a non - selective emitter standard perc but also may provide performance approaching that of a selective emitter . in the case of a p - type silicon solar cell rgp - perc , nickel oxide nio may be used for the rear wide bandgap semiconductor / dielectric and al 2 o 3 plus nio for the front side structure . representative exemplary fabrication process flows are provided below organized by relevancy to n - type silicon . n - type silicon fabrication process flows may be categorized according to the following characteristics : whether the emitter is passivated by al 2 o 3 + sin or only sin ; whether the device has a selective emitter ; whether the device is bifacial or unifacial ; and , the metallization strategy . relating to metallization strategy , exemplary backside metallization fabrication options and material choice for an rgp - perc with n - type substrate include pvd of aluminum , titanium , or titanium plus aluminum or nickel inkjet deposition . exemplary frontside metallization fabrication options and material choice for an rgp - perc with n - type substrate may be characterized the use of laser processing . for example , if suitable metallization paste is used and no laser opening of the frontside layer or stack ( e . g ., al 2 o 3 ) is used on the front then aluminum paste may be screen printed and fired . if laser ablation is used to open the frontside layer or stack , the following example metals and deposition methods may be performed : a patterned screen print of aluminum ; patterned pvd of aluminum , copper , titanium , or nickel ; or , patterned metal inkjet of nickel . subsequently , to increase conductivity , additional metal may be formed on top of already patterned metal . whether or not laser is used , the metal may be built up for example by screen printing silver or plating copper on the previously formed front side metal . relating to the backside metal choice , it may be advantageous that the selected metal for use alongside tio x has a workfunction which is closer to that which aligns with the conduction band of silicon . hence , al ( 4 . 1 ev ) and ti (˜ 4 . 3 ev ) may be considered ideal materials for this purpose . however , ni may also be used albeit with a slightly higher but acceptable contact resistance . for example , when tio x is inserted between silicon and the metal , the work function of the metal tends to gravitated toward the charge neutrality level ( cnl ) of tio x independent of the vacuum work function of the metal . the cnl of tio x is relatively close to the conduction band of silicon , hence despite that nickel &# 39 ; s vacuum workfunction is close to the valence band of silicon , nickel &# 39 ; s workfunction tends to approach the conduction band of silicon when on top of tio x . in addition to the above listed deposition techniques for the backside ( e . g ., screen printing ), other suitable deposition techniques which may provide direct patterned metallization deposition or blanket metallization deposition and subsequent metallization patterning are implicitly included . for n - type substrates , front metal makes contact to the boron doped emitter . thus front side metal material should be selected such that it makes high quality contact to p - type boron doping , for example al , ni , and ti . in cases where there is no explicit opening of the frontside layer or stack ( e . g ., al 2 o 3 ), the metal may need to be fired ( e . g ., using standard paste screen print / fire sequence with a fritted paste or using a laser ). for the case where an explicit contact is opened using a laser , similar metal types are possible including materials such as al , ti , and ni . however , in this case there is a larger availability of deposition techniques as the metal need not be fired and is in direct contact with the emitter . in an advantageous fabrication process , a patterned seed layer is first deposited ( e . g ., a patterned see layer deposited using techniques such as inkjetting of , for example , nickel , or direct patterned screen printing of , for example , aluminum ). subsequently , additional metal may be deposited , for example , using screen printing of silver or plating to dramatically increase the conductivity to levels less than 5 ohm / sq sheet resistance to allow single digit metal coverage ( to obtain high jsc ). the following tables are provided as descriptive process flow examples for making an rgp - perc . the process flows provided herein are representative flows serving as examples and should not be interpreted in a limited sense . tables 1 and 2 show representative fabrication flows for making an rgp - perc on n - type silicon without an explicit frontside passivation opening process . tables 3 through 8 show representative fabrication flows for making an rgp - perc on n - type silicon with laser opening and various metallization options and no selective emitter and al 2 o 3 passivated emitter . other deposition techniques and adjusted process sequence may be possible and apparent by those skilled in the art . for example instead of an arc using pecvd sin arc an ito based arc using either pvd deposition or ald deposition may be utilized . several fabrication steps in the process flows provided are not explicitly mentioned . for example , these may include edge isolation , saw damage removal , and an anneal of tio 2 film after ald if the sin deposition temperature does not anneal tio 2 film . if a tio 2 film anneal is required , it may be performed in an fga or n62 environment at temperatures in the range of 375 to 450 ° c . ( e . g ., 425 ° c . in fga environment ). advantageous aspects of the metallization options provided herein may include cases where the back metal is pvd al , pvd ti / al , or inkjet ni ( if the contact resistance is found to be acceptable with ni on tio x ), and cases where the front metallization fabrication uses contact opening process to open a contact to p - doped silicon through the front passivation using laser . subsequently , either al paste , patterned pvd , or ni inkjet followed by either ag screen print or plating may be used ( only if conductivity requirements are high ) to form the front metal . al paste which can be fired in temperature ranges between 510 to 560 ° c . and makes an excellent contact to p - type silicon down to 180 ohms / sq sheet resistance may be used . the conductivity of this al paste may be brought down to 50 uohm - cm . this al paste may serve as an excellent patterned metal seed along with patterned nickel inkjet to make high quality contact to the silicon emitter . subsequently , metal for increased conductivity may be formed using techniques such as , but not limited to ag screen print or cu plating . tables 9 through 14 show representative fabrication flows for making an rgp - perc on n - type silicon where the emitter doping layer is stripped and a new al 2 o 3 layer is deposited . while the re - deposited al 2 o 3 may be advantageously deposited using ald , other techniques such as pecvd al 2 o 3 followed by sin or apcvd al 2 o 3 may also be used . note , that if ald al 2 o 3 is performed , it is desirable that the al 2 o 3 thickness be greater than 10 nm to provide high quality passivation . optionally , ald al 2 o 3 and ito may be performed in - situ in the ald reactor . ito may form the arc and obviate the need for sin . table 9 shows a representative fabrication flow with al 2 o 3 and sin passivation stack on the cell front side and advantageous metallization fabrication of al paste print followed by ag paste print on the front side after opening the contact . al is formed by pvd on the cell back side on top of tio x . alternatively , as previously described , ni inkjet may be used as a seed layer followed by plating or screen print of ag . tables 10 through 14 shows representative fabrication flows with a stripped dopant source and using ito arc instead of sin arc and where the ito is deposited in - situ in the ald reactor after al 2 o 3 . fabrication flows of tables 10 through 14 show al 2 o 3 passivated emitter and non - selective emitter . in the case of complexity of firing the metal paste through ito , the contact may be opened ( e . g ., laser opening ) and sin may be used as arc . a parallel set of process flows where the arc is sin instead of ito may be obtained by the person skilled in the art . various exemplary fabrication flows provided above ( particularly those involving ito ). a bifacial cell rgp - perc is similar to a unifacial rgp - perc with two noted modifications . a bifacial rgp - perc may benefit from an arc on the back side which for example , in one advantageous embodiment may be grown in - situ with the tio x in the back in the same ald reactor . alternatively , ito may also be sputtered on top of tio x . the second noted modification is that the metal in the back should not be blanket but instead patterned so that the light can get through . tables 15 through 18 show representative fabrication flows for making a bifacial rgp - perc on n - type with al 2 o 3 passivated emitter and non - selective emitter ( nse ). metallization schemes mentioned for the unifacial cell may be applicable also be applicable in the fabrication of a bifacial structure . additionally , the stripped apcvd al 2 o 3 fabrication processes may also be applicable . among other embodiments , the following exemplary embodiments are specifically provided herein . for a non - bifacial with single dielectric stack ( tio x , nio , and al 2 o 3 ) specific embodiments include , but are not limited to the following : a front contact solar cell where the non - sunny ( rear ) interface consists of silicon , wide - bandgap semiconductor and metal a . a front contact silicon solar cell where the silicon is n - doped with a wide band gap semiconductor and metal constitute the rear interface b . where the wideband gap semiconductor such that its conduction band lines up with silicon for n - type solar cell and valence band exhibits a large band discontinuity with silicon &# 39 ; s valence band i . where wide bandgap semiconductor provides excellent passivation to silicon ii . where wide band gap semiconductor provides a high rejection barrier for holes iii . where the wide band gap semiconductor is titanium oxide deposited by atomic layer deposition iv . where the wide band gap dielectric is aluminum oxide deposited by atomic layer deposition c . where the metal in the back is blanket and consists of a vacuum workfunction which is close to the conduction band of silicon i . where the metal in the back is aluminum deposited using physical vapor deposition ii . where the metal in the back is al deposited using screen printing metal paste . iii . where the metal in the back is titanium deposited by various deposition schemes such as ink jet and pvd . d . where the metal in the back is patterned , thus forming a bifacial cell , and consists of a workfunction which is close to the conduction band of silicon , i . where the metal in the back is aluminum deposited using physical vapor deposition ii . where the metal in the back is al deposited using screen printing metal paste . iii . where the metal in the back is titanium deposited by various deposition schemes . a front contact silicon solar cell where the silicon is p - doped with a wideband gap semiconductor and metal constitute the rear interface i . where wide bandgap semiconductor provides excellent passivation to p - type silicon ii . where wide bandgap semiconductor provides a high rejection barrier for electrons iii . where the wide bandgap semiconductor is nickel oxide deposited by atomic layer deposition or other means iv . where the wide bandgap dielectric is al 2 o 3 deposited using ald or other means . b . where the metal in the back is blanket and consists of a workfunction which is close to the valence band of silicon i . where the metal in the back is ni deposited using physical vapor deposition ii . where the metal in the back is ni deposited using inkjet . c . where the metal in the back is patterned forming a bifacial cell and consists of a workfunction which is close to the valence band of silicon . i . where the metal in the back is nickel deposited using physical vapor deposition ii . where the metal in the back is ni deposited using inkjet for a front contact solar cell where the front ( sunny - side ) emitter passivation is al 2 o 3 in combination with the rear ( non - sunny side ) interface consisting of silicon , wide - bandgap semiconductor , and metal a front contact solar cell where the front al 2 o 3 is deposited using apcvd a front contact solar cell where the al 2 o 3 which is the passivation also serves as a dopant source for emitter formation a front contact solar cell , where the al 2 o 3 is deposited using ald , apcvd , or pecvd after dopant sources have been stripped . where combination of al 2 o 3 and sin serve as the arc a front contact solar cell where both selective and non - selective emitter perc designs are combined with the non - sunny ( rear ) interface consisting of silicon , wide - bandgap semiconductor , and metal . a front contact solar cell where the non - sunny ( rear ) interface consists of silicon , a multi - layer dielectric stack including a wide - bandgap semiconductor , and a metal a . where the stack for n - type is al 2 o 3 / tio x / al or al 2 o 3 / tio x / ti a front contact solar cell where the front ( sunny - side ) emitter passivation is al 2 o 3 in combination with the rear ( non - sunny side ) interface consisting of silicon , a multi - layer dielectric stack including a wide - bandgap semiconductor , and a metal . a . where the stack for n - type is al 2 o 3 / tio x / al or al 2 o 3 / tio x / ti a front contact solar cell where both selective and non - selective emitter perc designs are combined with the non - sunny ( rear ) interface consisting of silicon , a multi - layer dielectric stack including a wide - bandgap semiconductor , and metal . a . where the stack for n - type is al 2 o 3 / tio x / al or al 2 o 3 / tio x / ti for a bifacial structure having a single stack ( for n - type and p - type silicon ): a bifacial solar cell ( not limited to perc ) where the bifaciality is achieved by growing a wide band gap semiconductor and ito in - situ in an ald reactor and using a patterned metal on top . a bifacial solar cell where the rear side ( non - sunny side ) stack consists of silicon semi - conductor , a wide bandgap semiconductor / dielectric such as tio x on n - type and nio on p - type , and al 2 o 3 for both n and p - type , and an optional transparent conducting oxide ( tco ) such as ito , and a patterned metal . a . where the tco layer on the rear side ( non - sunny side ) is optional , but the patterned metal is a must . b . where the tco layer , when present is ito and is optimized to serve as an arc . c . where the ito layer , when present , is deposited in - situ along with the wide bandgap semiconductor in the ald reactor d . where the ito layer , when present , is deposited separately using a different deposition scheme such as pvd . e . where the patterned metal is a metal with a vacuum workfunction close to the conduction band edge of silicon for n - type silicon i . where this metal is aluminum deposited using pvd , screen print , or other means ii . where this metal is titanium deposited using pvd f . where the patterned metal is a metal with a vacuum workfunction close to the conduction band edge of silicon for the p - type silicon i . where this metal is nickel deposited using pvd , inkjet , or other means . a bifacial solar cell where the rear side ( non - sunny side ) stack consists of silicon semi - conductor , a multi - layer dielectric stack with a wide bandgap semiconductor / dielectric such as tio x on n - type and nio on p - type along with thin al 2 o 3 , and an optional transparent conducting oxide ( tco ) such as ito , and a patterned metal . the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the claimed subject matter . various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use of the innovative faculty . thus , the claimed subject matter is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein .
8
the following description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting . numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding . however , in certain instances , well known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description . references to one or an embodiment in the present disclosure are not necessarily references to the same embodiment ; and , such references mean at least one . reference in this specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment , nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments . moreover , various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others . similarly , various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments . this application is related to an fr patent number fr2996034 bi that has been incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes . referring now to fig1 , a flow chart of a method 100 for enhancing quality of an image media is illustrated , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . image media can be a video or burst images . the image media is storable in a digital file in a conventional picture or video encoding format such as e . g . raw , jpeg or png , avi , mov , etc . further , this image media is also displayable on conventional and new age displays such as a display screen . at step 102 , image media is acquired by a processor to initiate enhancement of the image media . the image media acquired can be previously stored as digital files , or from an imaging sensor . however , preferably , the image media includes images that can be stored in digital files in a conventional picture encoding format such as e . g . raw , jpeg or png , avi , mov , etc . also , such image media can also be displayed on a conventional display device such as a screen . the image media may also be encoded in 8 bits , or 16 bits per color . also , the enhanced version of the image media will also be encoded in same format as the image media . hence , the image media and the enhanced version are coded pictures on a comparable number of color intensity levels . the image media includes a plurality of image frames . further , at step 104 , a plurality of neighboring frames within the image media identified are isolated or identified by the processor . exposure level of a frame is a function of the amount of light or light energy received at the imaging sensor , for an incident light intensity on the given optical imaging system . this exposure level depends in particular the opening of the imaging device and the exposure time of the sensor . as a general practice in photography , the exposure level is expressed in indices ev il , i . e . ‘ exposure value ’ ev . a +/− 1 ev ( or +/− 1 ev ) of the exposure level corresponds respectively to a making half or double of the amount of light incident on the imaging sensor ( for a light intensity incident on the optical system data imaging ). it is preferable that the neighboring images to be as similar as possible . neighboring images can be acquired for e . g . in burst mode or continuous acquisition mode with a digital camera , in a very short time interval . there are various devices available in the market that can acquire up to 60 frames per second or even more , and / or create videos at 24 or 60 frames / s . this allows to acquire images with short exposure time ( 1 / 1000 for instance ), and so it helps in minimizing blur due to movements . at step 106 , a processed neighboring image is formed . for this step , each pixel of the neighboring image out of the plurality of neighboring images is moved . the movement of pixels is so as to correspond completely to the image media identified to be enhanced . thereafter at step 108 , the previous process of step 106 is re - executed for all the plurality of identified neighboring frames . hence forming a set of processed neighboring frames . further , at step 110 , all the processed neighboring frames , are stacked up together to generate a composite image at a further step 112 . this composite image is the enhanced version of the image media . the composite image is on the same format as the acquired image media . summation of each pixel of the neighboring frames is performed . this summation generates a noise only due to the addition of each pixel noise and no additional noise are created as a result of the summation . it follows that the signal to noise ratio of n neighboring frames snrc ( x , y ) in each pixel of the composite image obtained by combination of n neighboring frames is equal to : snrc ( x , y )= n /✓( n )× snr ( x , y ), where snr ( x , y ) is the signal to noise ratio of the pixel in the neighboring frames in the image media . in other words , by normalizing the intensity levels , there is a net reduction of the noise level by a factor of a square root of n ( 1 /✓( n )). the improved signal to noise ratio improves representation of the scene in low - risk areas of the composite image , compared to the image media . it also lowers the exposure limit at which an object is detected in the composite image , which limit being about snrc = 1 . therefore , an object can be detectable in the composite image , whereas in the image media the object is not clearly detected because it is buried in noise . this process of digital summation of n processed neighboring frames generates , for low lights , a result comparable with that , which would produce an increase by a factor of n exposure level on the imaging sensor in the acquisition of image media , albeit with significant advantages :— the motion sensitivity is less , since acquisitions can be done with short exposure time and the neighboring frames are readjusted before to be combined , there is no saturation effects in the highlights because there is no coding dynamic problems . in practice , using a number n ( for example lets take n = 10 ) of neighboring images , a composite image is obtained with a noise level reduced by a factor 1 /✓( n ) ( approximatively 3 in this case when n = 10 ). further at step 114 , an image sequences is created using the enhanced composite images . referring now to fig2 , a flow chart of a method 200 to enhance image quality is illustrated , in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . at step 202 image media is acquired by a processor . details of this step have been described earlier in conjunction to fig1 . thereafter , at step 204 , the processor performs isolation of neighboring frames . details of the step have been described above in conjunction with fig1 at step 206 , forms processed neighboring frames . the processed neighboring frames are formed by moving entire pixel map or all the neighboring frames in order to correspond to the image media to be enhanced . each pixel of the neighboring frame is moved to correspond to the image media . the image media acquired , thereafter at step 204 , undergoes an identification , wherein the processor further identifies an image sequence within the image media that needs to be enhanced . this is done by determining and comparing moisture , dust spots and pixels within the image sequence . thereafter , at step 208 , stacking of these processed neighboring frames takes place . the changed pixel map of each processed neighboring frames is placed one over the other in order to produce an enhanced or composite image . summation of each pixel of the neighboring frames is performed . the summation generates a noise only due to the addition of each pixel noise and no additional noise are created as a result of the summation . it follows that the signal to noise ratio of n neighboring frames snrc ( x , y ) in each pixel of the composite image obtained by combination of neighboring frames is equal to : snrc ( x , y )= n /✓( n )× snr ( x , y ), where snr ( x , y ) is the signal to noise ratio of the pixel in the neighboring frames in the image media pixel . in other words , by normalizing the intensity levels , there is a net reduction of the noise level by a factor of a square root of n ( 1 /✓( n )). the improved signal to noise ratio improves representation of the scene in low - risk areas of the composite image , compared to the image media . it also lowers the exposure limit at which an object is detected in the composite image , which limit being about snrc = 1 . thereafter , at step 210 , an enhanced composite image is formed . this composite image has very less noise level . therefore , an object can be detectable in the composite image whereas , in the image media the object is not clearly detected because it is buried in noise . this process of digital summation of n processed neighboring frames generates for low lights , a result comparable with that , which would produce an increase by a factor of n exposure level on the imaging sensor in the acquisition of image media , albeit with significant advantages :— the motion sensitivity is less , since acquisitions can be done with short exposure time and the neighboring frames are readjusted before to be combined , there is no saturation effects in the highlights because there is no coding dynamic problems . in practice , using a number n ( for example lets take n = 10 ) of neighboring frames , and a composite image is obtained with a noise level reduced by a factor 1 /✓( n ) ( approximatively 3 in this case when n = 10 ). method 200 , further involves a step 212 , wherein high dynamic range ( hdr ) images of the composite image are processed . the composite image as obtained at step 210 includes all the useful information in areas of low , medium and high exposure . however , the composite image is coded high dynamics that is for e . g . 32 bits so as to be directly displayed on a display device with both the shadowed areas and highlight areas distinctly reproduced . therefore , an hdr image , that can be stored in a digital file with a classic encoding format that is 8 or 16 bits per color . whereas correct representation of areas of high and low lights is allowed . according to embodiment of the invention , multiple composite images correspond to images of different exposure levels . it recreates images as they would have been obtained by varying the exposure . for example :— to reproduce the equivalent of shooting with levels of one show + 1 , 0 , − 1 ev , it must generate three composite images with at least 1 , 2 , and 4 neighboring frames to obtain the equivalent of shooting with exposure levels of + 2 , 0 , − 2 ev , it must generate three composite images with at least 1 , 4 and 16 images . the composite images are then normalized on a dynamic of mi levels corresponding to the dynamics of the hdr image . this standardization is carried out to reproduce the sensor saturation process :— the pixels of the composite image whose intensity level is lower than the peak intensity levels m , retain their value , the pixels of the composite images , whose intensity level is higher than the maximum level of intensity m , take the maximum level of intensity m . if the composite image of lower dynamic is generated from 5 to more than a picture of acquisition , intensity levels are also normalized accordingly . the hdr image is then generated by using an exposure fusion technique (‘ exposure blending ’):— the light areas corresponding to areas of low lights of the scene are taken from the composite image with the highest level of exposure , and the light areas corresponding to areas of medium stage lights are extracted from the composite image with the average level of exposure , the light areas corresponding to highlight areas of the scene are taken from the composite image with the level of the lowest exposure , that is to say one that is generated with one image acquisition . the extractions of the light areas are based on the levels of intensity of the pixels that compose them . the light areas corresponding to zones of low , medium and high lights are then combined to generate the hdr image . thereafter , at step 214 , all hdr images processed are patched together to form a sequence of images may be in burst mode or in a video . referring now to fig3 , a block diagram of an image media 300 is illustrated , in accordance to an embodiment of the invention . image media 300 , as displayed , includes multiple neighboring frames 302 a - 302 n which will be collectively named as neighboring frames 302 . these neighboring frames have similar properties . these properties include exposure levels . so all the neighboring frames are of similar exposure . these neighboring frames 302 are then processed , wherein each and every pixel of the neighboring frames 302 are moved so that they correspond to the image media 300 . the processed neighboring frames 304 a - 304 n are then stacked together as displayed in fig3 to obtain a final enhanced composite image 306 . in further steps , these composite images 306 can be further processed to obtain hdr images or videos . aspects of the present subject matter are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods and apparatus ( systems ) according to embodiments of the subject matter . 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 . while there has been shown and described herein what are presently considered the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims . 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 subject matter . 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 . while certain embodiments have been described , these embodiments have been presented by way of example only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure . indeed , the novel methods , devices , and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms . furthermore , various omissions , substitutions , and changes in the form of the methods , devices , and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure . the accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure .
6
the pneumatic tire or radial ply tire 1 illustrated in fig1 for vehicle wheels , not illustrated further , has a torus - shaped body 2 of elastomeric material with beads 3 formed on it for engaging the wheel , not shown . embedded in each bead 3 there is a core or wire 4 of inextensible material such as wire rope . extending within the torus - shaped body from bead to bead is a cord insert 5 which serves as a kind of protection or reinforcement for the rubber material of the torus - shaped body 2 . within the torus - shaped body 2 and underneath the tread 6 of it there is embedded in the rubber material in addition to a circumferential belt , not shown here , a belt - shaped reinforcing insert 7 which is described in the following in detail in conjunction with three embodiments by way of example illustrated in fig2 and 4 . in the embodiment according to fig2 the belt - shaped insert 7 comprises a flat strip 8 which can be made of steel or of synthetic resin and extends in the direction of the circumference of the tire 1 as a transverse strip of the belt . this strip 8 contains a multitude of strip - shaped or slot - like openings 9 which extend transverse to the circumferential direction of the tire 1 and thereby of the insert 7 . these openings are arranged in successive rows and within these rows they are offset parallel to one another in a transverse direction , as can be seen in fig2 . between adjacent openings 9 in each row of openings there are webs 10 which separate the openings 9 from one another and which , as a consequence of their zig - zag sequence , hold the strip 8 together as a whole . in this arrangement each web 10 lies opposite an opening 9 of the adjacent row of openings so that elastic extension of the strip 8 in a longitudinal direction or also elastic compression is achieved by the co - operation of the individual openings 9 and the webs 10 lying opposite them . at the longitudinal edges 11 of the strip 8 there are outwardly open notches 9a in every second row of openings 9 so that also in the region of the side edges or longitudinal edges 11 of the strip 8 the desired elastic extensibility , pre - loadability , restoring action and compression ability of the strip 8 in a longitudinal direction is achieved . between the rows of mutually offset openings 9 and 9a there are respective uninterrupted transverse webs 21 which extend from one longitudinal edge 11 of the strip 8 to the other and take care of providing the transverse stiffness of the strip 8 . by matching the material thickness of the strip 8 and the relationship of the dimensions of the openings 9 , the webs 10 and the transverse webs 21 there can be set a predetermined progressive tangential spring characteristic of the strip 8 which if necessary makes it possible to do without further tangential spring elements of the belt without adversely affecting the lateral stiffness of the belt and thereby of the radial ply tire 1 as a whole . the spring characteristic of the strip 8 according to fig2 can furthermore be modified by the shore hardness of the rubber mixture and its coating thickness . thus , for a given rubber mixture , thin rubber layers engaging the strip 8 on both sides stiffen the spring characteristic of the strip 8 as a consequence of their low deformation clearance whereas thicker layers of the same mixture engaging against the strip lead to a softer spring characteristic . accordingly , the volume and thereby also the weight of the belt and of the tire as a whole can be significantly reduced . in the embodiment according to fig3 the strip 8 forming the belt - shaped insert 7 is formed as an endless filament 12 which follows a zig - zag path . at the side edges 11 of the strip 8 there are arcuate reversals of direction 13 which on the one hand take care of providing sufficient lateral stability and on the other hand achieve the elastic stretchability , pre - load ability and restoring action of this particular strip . in the embodiment according to fig4 the belt - shaped insert 7 is manufactured from a strip - shaped body 14 of stiff synthetic resin or steel . this metal - strip - shaped or foil - shaped strip 14 contains , extending alternately from its side edges 15 and 16 , substantially rectangular deep inwards cuts 17 and 18 , which overlap one another , so that the strip - shaped body 14 comprises meandering web - shaped portions 19 extending parallel to one another and transversely with respect to the strip 14 and alternating with these there are webs 20 connecting them at one or the other side edge 15 or 16 . accordingly , the strip 14 is capable of stretching and contracting or squeezing together in a longitudinal direction but is laterally stable in a transverse or lateral direction . in the embodiments according to fig3 and 4 the filaments 12 ( fig3 ) or the web - shaped portions 19 ( fig4 ) which run in a direction transversely with respect to the strip take care of providing the necessary transverse stiffness of the strip in question . in a most preferred embodiment , the strip has substantially transversely extending stiffening portions having opposed ends , each end of a stiffening portion being joined to a corresponding end of an adjacent stiffening portion , whereby the stiffening portions are joined alternately by the ends . preferably , in all the foregoing embodiments the slot - like structured strip is dimensioned , for example by material strength and relationship between width and length of the webs such that under tangential tension loading ( through internal pressure in the tire and centrifugal force ) of the strip the transversely extending webs lift away somewhat from their flat state and thereby allow bulging respectively between the nodes or webs that connect them together in an offset manner , so that an elastic spring action arises as a result of this deformation of the webs . therefore the webs alter their angle with respect to the circumferential curvature of the tire under tension loading . a transverse belt strip of such dimensions is preferably applied to the carcass blank in a stress - free and therefore flat condition with a circumferential length corresponding to 100 % of the shaped body ( hot mould ) so that the transversely extending webs remain flat and therefore free of stress when the tire has been vulcanized . when a radial ply tire manufactured in such a way as described immediately above and provided with a rate of resistance to or allowable extension of around 101 to 104 %, is put under tension loading in operation , it stretches its transversely extending webs in a circumferential direction with a change in angle . in this process the transverse belt strip increases its structural height significantly as a consequence of the radially rising webs . from the flat strip which lies in a single plane there is produced by deformation of the transverse belt under tension a geometrically three - dimensional structure . when the transverse belt strip structured with slits and deformed under , tension loading in accordance with the invention is subjected radially to a large force as is the case in the supporting surface of the tire by carrying the wheel load , the upstanding transversely extending webs are thereby pressed back from their increased structural height again into their original flat position , whereby however , simultaneously in this loaded portion of the circumference of the belt the elastic stretching of for example 102 % to 100 % allowed by the alteration in angle previously of the transversely extending webs is mechanically restored . by this mechanical load - controlled forced return deformation of the transverse belt strip the spring action of the circumferential belt is kinematically extremely effectively assisted . in the tire as ready for use there result for the slit - shaped structured transverse belt strip according to the invention thereby in the transverse and longitudinal section two geometrically completely independent shapes : a ) in the unloaded periphery the transverse belt strip receives as a consequence of the elastic extension caused by the tension load a radially increased structural height through the alteration in angle of the webs . this geometrical alteration acts significantly on the inherent oscillation behavior of the belt , which suppresses premature occurrence of resonance nodes ( standing waves ). b ) in the loaded state the radially acting wheel load forces the mechanical kinematic shortening of the transverse belt strip back - into the original flat structural height . in this flat state the slot - shaped structured transverse belt strip can also very easily match itself to all unevenesses which occur in the ground by local bending actions ( within the composite structure ). therefore in the unstressed state the transverse belt strip extends flat in one plane and alters itself under tension load , in modified embodiments , by increasing the web angle radially in its structural height , that is three - dimensionally , and can thereby stretch elastically . in the elastically stretched state of the strip the webs are deformed back by radial loading again flat into the original plane , whereby the circumferential stretching is kinematically forcibly restored . the transverse belt strip is incorporated in the tire blank in its flat condition with a circumferential length which is about 100 % with reference to the dimension of the shape of the tire press and under operating conditions it can stretch elastically up to 105 %. in operation the structural height of the belt strip alters between the loaded and unloaded circumference and thereby its longitudinal section . in a preferred embodiment , the strip is adapted to stretch by up to about 4 % in a circumferential direction from a stress - free rest condition . in a most preferred embodiment , the strip is adapted to stretch by up to about 2 % in a circumferential direction from a stress - free rest condition .
8
while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , a specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail . it should be understood , however , that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed , but on the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . it is known in the art to receive information in units called packets in a packetized communication system and to recognize valid information by analysis of a header portion of a received packet . valid information so recognized is then passed to other elements in a receiving node for processing of the information content of the received packet . invalid packets not recognized are ignored by the receiving node . recognition of valid and invalid packets may include recognition of an address field indicative that the particular receiving node is to process the packet as well as recognition of particular types of packets which are to be processed by the receiving node . both such recognition approaches involve analysis of the header portion of a received packet . in particular , a fibre channel packetized communication system may recognize received transmissions by analysis of the received ordered set -- a 32 bit word which defines the type of information transmitted . ordered sets may indicate the start of further data transmissions , or may constitute a completed transmission in and of themselves . recognition of valid packets has been performed in the past by &# 34 ; hard - wired &# 34 ; logic ( e . g . electronic circuits which are designed to recognize certain valid packets or by fixed parser programmed instructions in a data processing element ). such hard - wired logic is complex and costly to change as new packet types ( ordered sets ) are added to the protocol implemented by the receiving node . for example , if the underlying communication protocol implemented by the receiving node is changed the hard - wired logic must be redesigned at potentially significant cost to support the new features . the present invention provides for flexibility in the update of the receiving node to recognize new types of packets ( ordered sets ). in particular , a filtration table structure of the present invention has one or more entries each of which define a type of packet and associated rules to be applied to recognize a packet type . a recognition filter element processes the filtration table entries responsive to receipt of a packet to determine if the received packet is recognized by the receiving node . in addition , each entry of the filtration table defines actions to be initiated automatically in response to receipt of a particular recognized packet . actions to be automatically initiated may include generation and transmission of a response packet , or starting or stopping of processing of particular packet types by modification of the filtration table entries . a programmable register file associated with the communication system receiving node allows for programming of parameters in the transmission of packets from the receiving node . such transmission parameters may include , for example , controls related to the number of times a packet is transmitted . fig1 is a block diagram of a receiving node 100 operable in accordance with the present invention . transmission source 140 sends packets to receiving node 100 over link 150 and receives replies ( and other transmissions ) from receiving node 100 over link 152 . one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that links 150 and 152 may be any physical link medium appropriate to the communication application . in fibre channel applications of the present invention , links 150 and 152 provide a connection between a device and the corresponding network topology ( e . g . the fabric or an arbitrated loop ). a packet received in receiving node 100 over link 150 is first applied to , and processed by , packet recognition filter 106 to determine if the packet is recognized by the receiving node 100 for further processing . packets which are recognized by packet recognition filter 106 are applied over bus 154 to recognized packet processing element 108 . packets not wholly processed within receiving node 100 may then be applied over bus 158 to a host computer system 120 to complete further processing . replies generated by processing of a received and recognized packet within recognized packet processor element 108 or host computer system 120 are applied via bus 156 to packet generator parameters 110 . packet generator parameters 110 then controls automated transmission aspects of applying the generated packet to link 152 . for example , depending upon the parameters defined in the packet generator parameters 110 , the packet may be applied once to link 152 or may be applied multiple times to link 152 with the termination conditions for such repetitive transmission being defined by the packet generator parameters 110 . packet recognition filter 106 determines the validity of the received packets by applying various rules and masks defined by each entry 104 in a filtration table 102 stored in a memory ( not shown ) associated with the receiving node 100 . the filtration table 102 may be easily altered to add , delete , or modify entries therein . such simple alteration of the filtration table 102 enables extension or modification of the underlying communication protocol implemented by the receiving node 100 . new packet types to be recognized by the receiving node require the simple addition of new entries 104 to the filtration table 102 . changes in underlying communication protocol require simple deletion or modification of entries to the entries 104 of the filtration table 102 . control bus 160 permits recognized packet processor element 108 or host computer system 120 to manipulate entries in either filtration table 102 or packet generator parameters element 110 . this control enables the recognition of valid packets to be modified by alteration of the contents of filtration table 102 . in addition , parameters of packet generation and transmission may be modified as packets are generated in response to received packets . fig2 depicts an exemplary entry 200 of the filtration table 102 of fig1 . filtration table entry 200 is comprised of a number of fields defining the conditions required for recognizing a received packet and actions to be initiated automatically in response to recognition of a received packet . packet mask 202 is a mask field which is applied to a portion of a received packet to determine if the packet is of interest to the receiving node . packet mask 202 may include , for example , a bit field relevance mask which defines the relevant bits to be tested by the application of the mask and an expected value compared with the masked relevant bits . the packet header is bitwise and &# 39 ; d with the relevance mask and that result is compared with the expected value . depending upon the result of the comparison , the packet may not be of interest to the receiving node in accordance with the corresponding filtration table entry ( other entries may then be similarly applied to recognize a received packet ). field 204 represents a variable number of rules ( denoted rule1 . . . rulen in fig2 ) which serve to further qualify recognition of a received packet . a packet which qualifies for recognition by application of the packet mask field 202 described above must also qualify for recognition by the further application of the rules field 204 . the rules defined by rules field 204 are specific to the particular protocol implemented within receiving node 100 of fig1 . actions field 206 represents a variable number of actions to be initiated automatically in response to recognition of a valid received packet by application of packet mask 202 and rules field 204 as described above . exemplary of such automatic actions is the automatic generation and transmission of a reply packet responsive to receipt of a recognized packet . fig3 is a flowchart describing the methods of the present invention operable within packet recognition filter 106 of fig1 to recognize valid received packets by use of the entries 200 of filtration table 102 . responsive to receipt of a packet ( or a header portion of a packet ), element 300 is first operable to initialize a local flag variable , recognized , to indicate that the packet is not yet recognized by operation of the method . elements 302 - 320 are then operable iteratively until each entry 200 in the filtration table 102 has been processed . element 302 is operable to determine whether all entries 200 in the filtration table 102 have been processed by the remaining elements 304 - 320 . if all entries 200 in filtration table 102 have been processed by elements 302 - 320 , then processing of the packet by the packet recognition filter 106 is completed . otherwise processing continues with element 304 to attempt recognition of the received packet . element 304 is operable to retrieve the next entry 200 from the filtration table 106 . element 306 is then operable to apply the packet mask field 202 of the next entry 200 to the received packet . application of the packet mask field 202 , as discussed above , may involve isolating the relevant bits from the header portion of the packet and then comparing the isolated , relevant bits to an expected value corresponding to the particular entry 200 being processed . element 308 then determines whether the application of the packet mask field 202 results in a potentially recognized packet ( i . e . the result of the comparison operations discussed above ). if element 308 determines that the application of the packet mask 202 field of the current entry 200 being processed does not identify a potentially recognized packet , then processing continues by looping back to element 302 to process other entries 200 in the filtration table 102 . if the application of the packet mask field 202 of the current entry 200 identifies a potentially recognized packet , then element 310 and 312 are next operable to determine if the packet is in fact recognized according to the rules field 204 of the current entry 200 . the rules field 204 defines a number of rules specific to the particular protocol implemented within receiving node 100 to further qualify a potentially recognized packet in the context of the protocol state . in effect , the rules in the rules field 204 define a state machine for determining the specific context in which a received packet may be recognized . as noted above , the filtration table 102 of the present invention may be easily modified to alter the protocol implemented by the receiving node 100 of fig1 . such alterations may include dynamic redefinition of the mask and rules for recognition of packets based upon the reception of other earlier packets . in this manner , the entries of the filtration table 102 may implement a state machine for the dynamic recognition of packets based upon state information and context of the receiving node in the form of the present entries in the filtration table 102 . in particular , element 310 applies the rules field 204 of the current entry 200 being processed . element 312 is then operable to determine whether the application of the rules in the rules field 204 resulted in recognition of the received packet . if the application of the rules field 204 by operation of element 310 resulted in recognition of a valid packet , then processing continues with element 314 discussed below , otherwise processing continues by looping back to element 302 to evaluate other entries 200 in the filtration table 102 . if the packet mask 202 and rules field 204 of the current entry 200 being processed recognize the received packet , then element 314 is next operable to determine whether the packet was already recognized by application of the mask and rules of another entry 200 in the filtration table 102 . specifically , element 314 tests the local flag variable , recognized to determine whether an earlier entry processed by elements 302 - 320 already recognized the packet as valid . if the packet was already recognized by processing of an earlier entry 200 in filtration table 102 , then processing continues with element 320 discussed below . otherwise , element 316 is operable to set the local flag variable recognized to boolean true to indicate that the received packet has now been recognized . element 318 is then operable to pass the received packet on to the recognized packet processor element 108 of fig1 to further process the received packet . element 320 is next operable to perform all actions defined by the actions field 206 of the current entry 200 of the filtration table 102 . as noted above , the actions field 206 of the entry 200 defines actions to performed automatically in response to the recognition of a valid received packet . exemplary of such actions may be the automatic generation and transmission of a reply packet in response to the recognition of a valid received packet . processing of the method of the present invention then continues by looping back to element 302 to process other entries in the filtration which may recognize the received packet . although only one entry 200 in the filtration table 102 need recognize the received packet to permit the packet to be passed on to the recognized packet processor element 108 for further processing , each entry 200 in the filtration table is processed to assure performance of all automatic actions defined by the actions field of each entry which recognizes the received packet . one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many variations of the methods described above with respect to fig2 and 3 . for example , the specific data structure used to represent fields in the various entries 200 as well as the data structures used to store entries 200 in filtration table 102 may be varied widely within the intended scope of protection of the present invention . one of ordinary skill will readily recognize many equivalent data structures and variations in the method to provide the same function and result , namely recognizing received packets while providing flexibility through the use of a modifiable filtration table structure . fig4 and 5 depict a variation of the structures and methods depicted and described by fig2 and 3 as applied to fibre channel communications . in standard fibre channel communication , information exchange is framed by 32 bit words called &# 34 ; ordered sets .&# 34 ; ordered sets provide control information pertaining to the fibre channel protocols operable over the link medium . ordered sets are 32 bit values encoded into 40 bit values using the well known 8b / 10b encoding methods . valid values for fibre channel ordered sets are sparsely distributed through the range of possible values of the 32 bit word . fig4 depicts an exemplary structure of an entry 400 in a filtration table 102 of fig1 adapted to represent information required to recognize valid ordered sets received from a fibre channel transmission node . entry 400 is similar in overall structure to the more general structure depicted in fig2 . ordered set mask field 402 , like packet mask field 202 , is used to determined that a received ordered set is potentially recognized depending upon the application of the protocol specific rules . as above , the ordered set mask field 402 may be implemented by a relevance bit mask to isolate relevant bits from the received ordered set . also as above , an expected value is compared against the isolated relevant bits to recognize the received ordered set . the sequence field 404 , similar to the rules field 204 described above , defines a fibre channel protocol specific rule for further qualifying the recognition of a received ordered set . some ordered sets , as defined by the fibre channel specification , require that a particular ordered set be received three times in sequence to be properly recognized by the receiving node . if set , the sequence field 404 indicates that the ordered set potentially recognized by application of the ordered set mask field 402 must be received three times in sequence to be properly recognized by the fibre channel receiving node . the fill field 406 , if set , indicates to the transmission portion a new ordered set value is to be used as the current fill word . like actions field 206 of fig2 the fill field 406 defines an action applicable to fibre channel applications to be automatically initiated in response to the recognition of the corresponding ordered set . count field 408 is used as discussed below in conjunction with the sequence field 404 to count the number of sequential receptions of a potentially recognized ordered set . the count field is incremented responsive to each reception of a particular ordered set if the sequence field 404 flag is set . when the count field 408 reaches a value of three ( for example ), the ordered set is recognized as valid for further processing . fig5 is a flowchart describing the method of the present invention operable within packet recognition filter 106 of fig1 to recognize valid ordered sets received from a fibre channel transmission source . the flowchart of fig5 is similar to that of fig3 but is adapted to process filtration table entries 400 as defined above to recognize valid ordered sets in a fibre channel receiving node . element 500 is first operable in response to receipt of an ordered set to determine whether further entries 400 remain to be processed in the filtration table 102 . if all entries 400 in the filtration table 102 have been evaluated and the received ordered set is not recognized , then the method of fig5 is completed and the ordered set is not recognized as valid for further processing by the receiving node . if further entries 400 remain to be processed in the filtration table 102 , then elements 500 - 512 are operable iteratively until all entries are processed or until an entry is encountered which recognizes the received ordered set as valid . element 502 is next operable to retrieve the next entry 400 in the filtration table 102 . element 504 is then operable to apply the ordered set mask field 402 to the received ordered set to determine whether the received ordered set is potentially recognizable by the receiving node as valid for further processing . as above , the application of the ordered set mask 402 may include the bitwise and &# 39 ; ing and comparison of the ordered set to determine if relevant bits in the ordered set are set to expected values . element 506 is then operable to determine if the application of the ordered set mask by operation of element 504 results in potential recognition of a valid ordered set . if the received ordered set is not recognized by application of the ordered set mask field 402 , then processing continues by looping back to element 500 to process other entries 400 in the filtration table 102 . if elements 504 and 506 potentially recognize the received ordered set by application of the ordered set mask field 402 , element 508 is then operable to determine if the sequence flag field 404 is set for the corresponding entry 400 in the filtration table 102 . if the sequence flag field 404 is not set , processing continues with element 516 , discussed below , to process the valid recognized ordered set . if the sequence flag field 404 is set , the element 510 is next operable to increment the count field 408 of the entry 400 being processed . if element 512 next determines that the received ordered set has not yet been received three times in sequence , then processing continues by looping back to element 500 to process other entries 400 in the filtration table 102 . if the received ordered set has now been received three time as determine by element 512 , then processing continues with element 514 operable to reset the count field 408 to zero in preparation for recognition of another ordered set . elements 516 - 520 are next operable in response to recognition of a valid received ordered set . in particular , element 516 is operable to determine whether the fill action flag field 406 is set in the entry 404 currently being processed . if the fill flag field 406 is set , then processing continues with element 518 to alter the fill ordered set value for the transmission portion . processing then continues with element 520 to pass the valid , recognized ordered set on to the recognized packet processor element 108 of fig1 for further processing of the recognized ordered set . one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many variations of the methods described above with respect to fig4 and 5 . for example , the specific data structure used to represent fields in the various entries 400 as well as the data structures used to store entries 400 in filtration table 102 may be varied widely within the intended scope of protection of the present invention . one of ordinary skill will readily recognize many equivalent data structures and variations in the method to provide the same function and result , namely recognizing ordered sets received from a fibre channel transmission source while providing flexibility through the use of a modifiable filtration table structure . fig6 depicts an exemplary register file shown as packet generator parameters 110 of fig1 . ordered set word register 612 is programmed to the desired 32 bit ordered set data word by the generator of the ordered set ( for example a host computer system 120 of fig1 or the packet processor element 108 of fig1 ). parameter register 600 of fig6 provides a plurality of programmable bits useful in a fibre channel communication node for automated control of the generation of ordered sets ( or generation of other packets in other packetized communication systems ). the sc bit field 602 of parameter register 600 indicates that the transmitter is to transmit the provided ordered set word ( in register 612 ) continuously . the sf bit field 604 indicates that the provided ordered set word is to be transmitted continuously until the same ordered set word is received at the receiving node ( unaltered ) in a loop topology . the sa bit field 606 indicates that the provided ordered set word is to be transmitted once , and the operation completed when the transmitted word is received ( unaltered ) by the receiving node in a loop topology . the s3 bit field 608 and the s1 bit field 610 indicate , respectively , that the provided ordered set word be transmitted three times and one time . these parameter register 600 control bits are programmed by the generator of the ordered set word along with the ordered set word 612 register to control automated transmission of the desired ordered set word according to rules of the fibre channel protocol . one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the particular control bit fields are peculiar to the particular communication protocol implemented within the receiving node . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , such illustration and description is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment and minor variants thereof have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected .
7
fig1 which shows a top view of a card inserting and ejecting unit of a cash dispenser ( remote teller ) indicates in connection with the cross section of fig4 how a credit card can be inserted into the machine . a front plate 2 which has an inner block portion 4 forms the outside of the unit . a slot 6 which is illustrated in fig4 but not actually visible in fig1 extends through the front plate 3 with its block portion 4 so as to allow lengthwise insertion of a credit card . a frame 8 with posts 10 is provided to hold an upper movable portion 12 and a complementary lower portion 14 , which portions are superimposed and engage each other at a vertical line 16 when the unit is in its closed position ( fig2 ). beveled planes 18 ( fig2 , 5 and 6 ) allow relative movements of the movable portions 12 and 14 against one another , thus causing an aperture a between them ( fig3 and 6 ). each of the movable portions 12 and 14 has on its front side a block attached thereto . block 20 at the upper movable portion 12 and block 22 at the lower movable portion 14 are visible in fig1 and 3 . block 20 also appears in fig4 . the blocks have inclined surfaces 26 suitable for engagement with the edges of an inserted credit card . the movable portions 12 and 14 are pressed together by spring means 24 which urge them against each other so that they are kept inter - engaged in normal position which means that no slot is formed between them . at the rear side of the portions 12 and 14 there are inclined edges 28 ( fig4 ) along the vertical line 16 . their purpose is explained under &# 34 ; operation &# 34 ;. when a credit card c is inserted into slot 6 in the front plate 2 , the card is urged against the inclined surfaces 26 of the blocks 20 and 22 . by pushing the card further into slot 6 , the upper movable portion 12 is urged sideways against the tension of spring means 24 due to the card &# 39 ; s engagement with block 20 . the lower movable portion 14 is urged sideways in the opposite direction due to the card &# 39 ; s engagement with block 22 . this is the case because in normal position the distance between the ends of blocks 20 and 22 is smaller than the width of the inserted credit card . by pressure of the card &# 39 ; s edges against the inclined surfaces 26 of the blocks 20 and 22 a relative movement of the two portions 12 and 14 occurs which is schematically illustrated in fig6 . it is obvious that by such outward movement of both portions a slot is formed which is just wide enough to let the credit card enter into the machine . the anti - vandal effect of the device can now be clearly seen . if any other object than a credit card of correct width is inserted , the blocks 20 and 22 are not engaged . this means that no opening pressure is exerted upon them and the movable portions 12 and 14 remain in interengagement along line 16 ( no slot opening ) as schematically illustrated in fig5 . in this manner all attempts by vandals to immobilize a cash dispenser by means of inserting foreign objects , like coins , are foiled . it is shown in fig4 that by means of the inclined edges 28 at the rear side of the movable portions 12 and 14 the inserted credit card can be pushed back so as to exit from slot 6 without the need of any opening mechanism of the type provided by blocks 20 and 22 .
6
embodiments of a memory transfer controller and method of transfer control of video line data and macroblock data are described herein . in the following description , numerous specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention . one skilled in the relevant art will recognize , however , that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details , or with other methods , components , materials , etc . in other instances , well - known structures , materials , or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention . reference throughout this specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” 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 , the appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ” or “ in an embodiment ” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . furthermore , the particular features , structures , or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . an embodiment of the invention is described in relation to fig1 , which shows a mpeg - 2 video compression system 100 , including a video pre - processor sub - system 101 and video encoder sub - system 102 . the video pre - processor sub - system 101 makes a set of video line data transfer requests in each line period while the video encoder sub - system 102 makes a set of macroblock line transfer requests in each macroblock period . the data requests of the two sub - systems 101 , 102 are handled by a dedicated hardware block , referred to as memory transfer controller 103 , that receives data requests from the sub - systems 101 , 102 , prioritizes them , initiates bus protocols and schedules data transfers to the memory 105 via a shared system bus 104 . the status of each transfer request may then be fed back to the sub - systems 101 , 102 through path 106 , for example via a peripheral bus . an example embodiment of the video pre - processor sub - system 101 is shown in fig2 . a video input interface 201 extracts video data and synchronization signals from a real time digital input . a spatio - temporal noise filter 202 reduces spatial and temporal noise on the video image . a film detector 203 performs inverse 3 : 2 pulldown and a format converter 204 filters and decimates the original video to a desired format for encoding . when a video pre - processor sub - system 101 is processing a field n , an example set of possible data transfers includes luminance and chrominance video line data of the previous field n - 1 205 and n - 2 206 for noise reduction and inverse 3 : 2 detection , chroma - sampled and noise - filtered luminance and chrominance video line data output 207 of a main picture and chroma - sampled and noise - filtered luminance and chrominance video line data output 208 of a “ picture in picture ” application ( for example , where a small picture is laid on top of the main picture , which is a full screen picture running at the refresh video rate ). an example embodiment of the video encoder sub - system 102 is shown in fig3 . the video encoder sub - system 102 includes a motion estimator 301 that searches for motion vectors and generates prediction data from the searched motion vectors , a dct loop encoder 302 that performs discrete cosine transformation , quantization , and motion compensation on the video data and reconstructs the video data that appears on the decoder , and a variable length coder 303 that performs zigzag scan , run length and huffman encoding to form mpeg - 2 bitstreams . for the video encoder sub - system 102 , the possible data transfers include the loading of the reference luminance and chrominance macroblock data 304 into the motion estimator for coding and prediction data generation , the updating of the search window 305 for the motion vector search and the storing of computed motion vectors 306 . the reconstructed luminance and chrominance macroblock data 307 is output from the dct loop encoder 302 for motion compensation and the motion vectors 308 are input to the variable length coder 303 for variable length coding outputs of the encoded mpeg - 2 bitstreams 309 . the video line transfers occur at a line frequency determined by the real time constraint of the input video format . as an example , a pal system has a line period of 1 /( 625 lines per frame * 25 frames per second )= 64 : s while an ntsc system has a line period of 1 /( 525 lines per frame * 30 frames per second )= 63 . 5 : s . as an embodiment , the macroblock data transfers can occur at a macroblock frequency that is designed to satisfy the maximum processing period of macroblock data for each component in the video encoder sub - system 102 , the period required for maximum sum of all i / o transfers that may occur in processing a macroblock and the software processing overhead time incurred for each macroblock . the chosen macroblock period is under the real time constraint of 1 /( 1350 macroblocks per ntsc frame * 30 frames per second ) or 1 /( 1620 macroblocks per pal frame * 25 frames per second )= 24 . 7 : s in an embodiment . excess macroblock periods other than 1620 per pal frame or 1350 per ntsc frame are also be considered in order to be able to respond to additional bus loads and frame and or slice processing . the data transfers occur at different rates and size on the system bus 104 that has a maximum bandwidth capacity defined as the multiple of the width and clock frequency of the bus . ideally , the system bus 104 should be designed to operate efficiently at 100 % capacity but there are overheads in bus hand - shaking protocols . the lower operating frequency of the memory and memory operation overheads like row activation in double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory ( ddr - sdram ) results in a lower memory access bandwidth capacity than system bus 104 bandwidth capacity . due to the changing bus load conditions , an average memory access bandwidth that guarantees relatively constant bus loads in a time period can be defined as an alternative target . the peak memory access bandwidth , defined as the maximum memory access bandwidth at any point in time , should be below the capacity of the system bus . by dividing each set of video line data to be transferred within the video line period according to multiples of the macroblock period within the video line period , the peak memory access bandwidth can be reduced and then an average memory access bandwidth is achieved . for a line period of 64 : s and a macroblock period of 23 . 1 : s , there are at least two and sometimes three macroblock clock edges between two line clock edges . as an example embodiment , the set of video line data transfers can be divided into two subsets : one comprising of input video line data of field n - 1 , output luminance video line data of main picture and picture in picture ; and the other comprising of the input video line data of field n - 2 , output chrominance video line data of main picture and picture in picture . for each entity of data transfer , there is an associated latency between the time when the request is first activated on the system bus and when the first response packet is received , depending on the architecture of the bus node ( e . g ., the number of arbiters and size of buffers , number of peripherals on the shared bus , number , size and pre - emption of requests granted currently and priority , size and grouping of data requests ). the entity of data transfer can be implemented as a series of short transfers driven by fullness of buffers at the bus interface or as one long transfer at a pre - determined time coupled with double buffering at the bus interface . the latter , known as burst mode transfer , is used in the present invention to reduce the overhead memory operations in for example ddr - sdram and thus utilize the memory access bandwidth more efficiently . by aligning the burst transfers of a divided set of video line data transfers and an original set of the macroblock data to the macroblock period , the two subsets of the video line data can be aligned to the first and second macroblock periods encountered in the line period , and prioritization of each entity of data transfer relative to the set of data transfers within the macroblock period can be done . the sequence of data transfers within each set can be fine - tuned for more graceful degradation measures . degradation here refers to the processing of erroneous data by the video pre - processor arising when the video line i / o transfers are not completed within a line period . some measures to minimize the impact of erroneous data can include software programming of the transfer controller in order to effect more quality - critical i / o transfers prior to less quality - critical i / o transfers . burst transfers of the divided set of video line data are processed before the set of macroblock data as the video pre - processor sub - system 101 has a tighter real time constraint of line period whereas the video encoder sub - system 102 is designed to have spare macroblock periods . for higher differentiation of priorities , the set of video line data transfers can be given higher priority than other data requests on the system bus 104 including the macroblock data from the video encoder sub - system 102 . the burst transfer of two sets of data transfers are initiated at the start of each macroblock period consecutively , increasing the maximal response time of data transfers and thus reducing the possibility of the data transfer not being completed before it is required by the peripherals . in the event that the macroblock data transfers are not completed before the start of the next macroblock cycle where they are processed , the video encoder sub - system 102 holds the processing of the next macroblock data for one macroblock period and the memory transfer controller 103 delays the onset of the next set of macroblock transfers so that there is an additional macroblock cycle time to complete the current macroblock data transfers . by designing spare macroblock cycles in the video encoder sub - system 102 , the occasional higher system bus traffic or worst case bandwidth can be handled without the need for any degradation mechanisms in the video encoder sub - system 102 or faster or wider memory access , thus increasing the robustness of the video compression system 100 at little implementation cost . a more graceful degradation mechanism is included as a separate embodiment for the video line data transfers that have a more critical real time constraint . the n divided sub - sets of a set of video line transfers can be classified into the first n - 1 subsets and the nth subset for handling of the worst case bandwidth . the former has to complete the data transfers within one macroblock period while the latter has to complete the data transfers before the start of the next line period . in the event that the former does not meet the macroblock period constraint , the next subset of video line data transfers ( instead of the current macroblock data transfers ) is initiated immediately after the current subset of video line transfers completes . in this case , the current macroblock data transfers are delayed until the next subset of video line transfers completes and the video encoder sub - system 102 is on hold as described previously . the priority inversion of current macroblock data transfer and the subset of video line data transfer is done in view of the more critical time constraint of the preprocessor sub - system 101 . in event that the latter does not meet the line period constraint , the memory transfer controller 103 ignores the incoming video line data , terminates any outstanding requests of the current sub - set to the memory and enters a waiting state until all granted requests have been handled before resuming normal operation . the double buffering of the bus interface of peripherals for burst transfer mode localizes the outstanding data transfers to the current line period . this degradation is transparent to the preprocessor sub - system 101 as operations continue as normal ( except if worse case bandwidth is prolonged ). in a further embodiment , the invention may be implemented using a video compression system 400 having a memory transfer controller 401 as illustrated in fig4 . in this particular embodiment , the video compression system has an overall system processor 402 that controls the operation of the video pre - processor sub - system 403 , the video encoder sub - system 404 and the memory transfer controller 401 and is responsible for generating data transfer requests . double buffering of macroblock data is done at the interface between the video encoder sub - system 404 and the memory transfer controller 401 while double buffering of video line data is done at the interface between the video preprocessor sub - system 403 and the memory transfer controller 401 to facilitate the burst transfers of the macroblock data and video line data . the double buffer accumulates the output macroblock data and video line data for transfer to memory in the next macroblock period and various macroblock periods of the next line , respectively . similarly , the double buffer collects the input macroblock data and video line data from memory for the video encoder sub - system 404 processing in the next macroblock period and the video preprocessor sub - system 403 in the next line period . the data transfers for both sub - systems 403 , 404 can be made programmable by the system processor in the form of dma command registers , downloaded via path 406 for macroblock data transfers to an encoder command fifo buffer 408 and path 405 for video line data transfers to a pre - processor command fifo buffer 407 , whereby the memory transfer controller hardware schedules individual data transfers according to the method described above . the software flexibility of this scheme allows for fine prioritization by sequential ordering within the set of data transfers . the macroblock data transfers are processed with respect to the macroblock clock as shown in fig5 . in an example macroblock period 501 , the system processor 402 generates the macroblock data requests of all sub - blocks for a macroblock processing in the video encoder sub - system 404 , organizes the i / o information in registers and sends them to memory transfer controller 401 via path 406 for storage in the encoder command fifo buffer 408 . in the next macroblock period 502 , the memory transfer controller 401 reads from the fifo buffer 408 and services the data transfers sequentially according to their priority so that data is ready in the video encoder sub - system 404 before the start of the one after the next macroblock period 503 for further processing . the video line data transfers , on the other hand , are processed with respect to both the macroblock clock and line clock , as shown in fig6 . for an example line period of 64 : s and macroblock period of 23 . 1 : s , the set of video line transfers is processed in two macroblock periods . the system processor 402 checks a new line indication flag given by the memory transfer controller 401 . if a new line 601 is detected at the start of the macroblock period , the software of the system processor 402 has the flexibility to generate half of the vpp requests for the line in the current macroblock period 602 and the other half in the next macroblock period 603 . the detection of the new line is at 601 , which is the start of the first macroblock period 602 after the line clock trigger . similarly , the memory transfer controller 401 determines the first two macroblock periods 605 , 606 of the next new line 604 to service half the video line data transfers for the current line in each macroblock period so that the data 608 is ready in the video pre - processor sub - system 403 before the start of the next line period 607 for further processing . the advantages of the scheme are to minimize peak bandwidth usage of system bus and to simplify the design of memory transfer controller and simplify the scheduling of processes in the system processor . when triggered by the macroblock clock , the memory transfer controller 401 reads the command entries from the two command fifos 407 and 408 through a prioritization logic circuitry 410 ( the function of which is described by the state machine of fig7 ). the memory transfer controller 401 is normally reset to mtc_idle state 701 . on detecting a macroblock clock signal , the memory transfer controller 401 moves to mtc_vpp state 702 to process video line data requests if a vpp_done signal is low or there are video line data transfers for the current macroblock period in the pre - processor command fifo buffer 407 . after the completion of burst transfer of all video line data and if enc_done is low or there are macroblock data transfers for the current macroblock period in the encoder command fifo buffer 408 , memory transfer controller 401 moves to a mtc_enc state 703 to process macroblock data requests , else if enc_done is high or there are no macroblock data transfers , the memory transfer controller resets back to mtc_idle 701 . otherwise on detecting a macroblock clock in mtc_idle state , if vpp_done is high or there are no video line transfers and enc_done is low or there are macroblock data transfers for the current macroblock period in the encoder command fifo buffer 408 , the memory transfer controller moves to mtc_enc state 703 to process video line data requests and moves back to mtc_idle on completion . a command processor 409 co - ordinates the operation of the memory transfer controller 401 , interprets the command entries from the fifo buffers 407 , 408 , initiates the burst transfers of the macroblock and line data transfers and provides feedback response on the operation status of the system processor 402 , video pre - processor sub - system 403 and video encoder sub - system 404 . the memory transfer controller 401 employs a centralized data transfer scheme . a bus request module 411 handles the bus request protocols and interfaces with the peripheral devices to download data to system bus 413 for a store operation . a prioritization field may also be set for individual data transfers to facilitate an arbitration scheme for the system bus 413 . on the other hand , a bus response module 412 receives the response packets from the system bus and interfaces with the peripheral devices to upload data for load operations . the situation when the macroblock data transfers are not completed before the start of the next macroblock cycle where they are processed is defined as enc_panic , as illustrated in fig8 . in the example illustration of fig8 , macroblock data transfers enc1 are serviced in the first macroblock period . more macroblock data transfers enc2 and a first subset of video line data transfers vpp1 are serviced in the second macroblock period . a second subset of video line data vpp2 is serviced in the third macroblock period . the state diagram in fig9 illustrates the operation of the memory transfer controller 401 . on software reset , the memory transfer controller 401 enters a mtc_idle state 901 and waits for events to trigger its operation . in response to a first macroblock clock trigger ( e . g ., as shown in fig8 ) the memory transfer controller 401 enters a mtc_enc state 903 where enc1 is serviced immediately in the first macroblock period as there are no vpp requests to be serviced . after completion of the i / o transfer , the memory transfer controller 401 transits back to the mtc_idle state 901 . in response to the second macroblock clock trigger ( in fig8 ), memory transfer controller 401 transits from the mtc_idle state 901 to a mtc_vpp state 902 where vpp1 is serviced first in the second macroblock period ( as it has higher priority than macroblock data transfer requests ), after which it transits to the mtc_enc state 903 where enc2 is serviced in the same macroblock period . in this case enc2 did not complete within the same macroblock period and this gives rise to the enc_panic situation . on detecting enc_panic , the memory transfer controller 401 transits back to the mtc_vpp state 902 immediately and gives priority 905 to the processing of video line data transfers vpp2 aligned to the next macroblock period , stalling current macroblock data transfers temporarily . in addition , the memory transfer controller 401 raises the hold signal 801 and outputs the same hold signal 414 to the system processor 402 and video encoder sub - system 404 that can be used to disable generation of macroblock data transfer requests in the system processor 402 and or can be used to mask out the macroblock clock to the video encoder sub - system 404 ( as indicated by the masked macroblock clock signal at 802 ) such that the current macroblock processing is extended automatically by one macroblock period . a degradation handling method for the video line data transfer is shown in fig1 . in this example , there are five video line transfer request grants rg1 to rg5 in the respective time periods as shown by example 1001 . during normal operation ( example 1002 ), the video line data request services rs1 to rs3 are completed before the macroblock data request services ( denoted by e ). however , if the first n - 1 divided subsets of video line transfers ( in this example , the request service 1 , or rs1 ) are not completed before the start of the next macroblock period , the memory transfer controller 401 continues rs1 and gives priority to request service 2 ( rs2 ) over the current outstanding set of macroblock data transfers service e , as illustrated by example 1003 . on the other hand , if the nth divided subset of video line transfers ( in this example rs2 ) is not completed before the start of the next line period , the vpp_panic situation is defined ( as illustrated by example 1004 ) and the memory transfer controller 401 transits from the mtc_vpp state 902 to a mtc_recover state 904 , where it completes the current bus request . the memory transfer controller 401 flushes the remaining video line data transfer requests for the current line in the fifo buffers and does not upload the received previous line data to the video pre - processor sub - system 403 . additionally , the vpp_panic_hold signal 1005 is raised . normal operation only resumes when all pending system bus transactions are received and the memory transfer controller 401 then makes a transition back to the mtc_vpp state 902 for processing the video line data request service rs3 . the scheme has the added advantage that it is transparent to the system processor 402 and video pre - processor sub - system 403 and the line error is localized by the double buffering of the interfaces . however , if the worst case bandwidth is prolonged and new video line data transfer requests for the next line are continuously generated in the two constrained macroblock periods , there may exist a situation when the pre - processor command fifo buffer 407 overflows and the system processor 402 is interrupted at 1006 via a hardware pin 415 to resend its video line data transfer request at a later point of time . ideally , this situation should not happen given careful consideration of the fifo buffer size and the detailed simulation of possible bus traffic conditions . the operation of the memory transfer controller 401 , including handling of both vpp_panic and enc_panic situations is represented in the state diagram of fig1 . the occurrence of enc_panic causes a transition from the mtc_enc state 902 to a mtc_vpp state 903 to process the next sub - set of video line data transfers ( if necessary ) before the current set of macroblock data transfers . however , both operational states mtc_vpp 902 and mtc_enc 903 transition to the mtc_recover state 904 during vpp_panic , as it has the highest priority . on recovery , the memory transfer controller 401 transitions to mtc_vpp state 902 if there are outstanding video line data transfers , or else to mtc_enc state 903 if there are outstanding macroblock data transfers , or else back to the reset mtc_idle state 901 if there are no data transfers to be performed . an embodiment of the present invention advantageously provides a higher resolution of memory access bandwidth control at the macroblock level for video line data and video macroblock data memory read / write transfers . it advantageously enables operation of systems at a peak close to or equal to the average memory access bandwidth . the operation of the video compression system 400 described above may alternatively be embodied in a video decompression system having corresponding video decoder and post - processing sub - systems . all of the above u . s . patents , u . s . patent application publications , u . s . patent applications , foreign patents , foreign patent applications and non - patent publications referred to in this specification and / or listed in the application data sheet , are incorporated herein by reference , in their entirety . the above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention , including what is described in the abstract , is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . while specific embodiments of , and examples for , the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes , various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention and can be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . these and other modifications can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description . the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims . rather , the scope of the invention is to be determined entirely by the following claims , which are to be construed in accordance with established doctrines of claim interpretation .
7
referring now to the figures , and in particular to fig1 which discloses a display device 10 affixed upon a shelf 12 normally found in a supermarket . the forward facing edge 14 of the shelf 12 has affixed thereon a pricing sticker 16 that is divided into two portions 18 and 20 which contain , respectfully , the unit pricing indicia thereon and the cost of the particular object mounted on the shelf thereabove . the pricing sticker is required to be visible to the customer at all times as he approaches the shelf to make his selection of an object mounted thereon . thus , the need arises for a display device , such as that of the instant invention , which will catch the customer &# 39 ; s eye as he is walking down the aisles in a supermarket , as well as , maintain the pricing sticker in clear view as he approaches the shelf . the extending portion 22 of the display device may include indicia thereon such as printed slogans , prices , photographs , etc ., adapted to attract the customer as he walks down the aisle . pricing information such as for example , a special sale occuring on a particular day or week may also be indicated and appear on the extending portion 22 of display device 10 . additionally , the extending portion 22 may be provided with a plurality of slits 24 which are placed diagonally proximate the edges thereof . if the material of the display device 10 is transparent then a card or paper 26 with indicia thereon may have its corners tucked into the slits 24 and held in position thereon . the card or paper 26 may be removed as desired when the sale is over or when different material is to be placed on the shelf . preferably , the display device is fabricated from paper or cardboard having sufficient weight and stiffness to allow it to stand in an upright position when mounted on the shelf 12 . it may also be fabricated from a transparent material such as vinyl , celluloid or any other transparent material to create different effects or permit the insertion of a card 26 thereon . the material preferably , should be flexible so that a customer brushing against the sign , would not destroy it ; instead , it should snap back into its normal position where it extends into the aisle . the cost of manufacturing this display device is minimal and the display device may be readily removed from the shelf and disposed of . the manner in which the display device 10 is fabricated , assembled , and made available for affixing to the shelf 12 , is more clearly shown in fig2 , and 4 . fig2 is a perspective view of the display device 10 as it appears prior to assembly for installation on a shelf . the display device 10 , is fabricated from a unitary sheet material preferably rectangularly shaped , although it may be fabricated in any other shape desired to create novel effects . a cut 28 extends inwardly from one edge 30 for approximately one - half the distance between edges 30 and 32 . another cut 34 extends inwardly from the opposite edge for a distance approximately equal to one - fourth of the distance between edges 30 and 32 . cuts 28 and 34 are coaxially aligned leaving a non - cut portion 36 defining an elongated section 38 , which is partially severed from the extending portion 22 of the material . the elongated section 38 is divided into four equal parts by three score lines 28 , 50 and 52 that divide the elongated section 38 into parts which are equal in length , width and to each other . preferably , the elongated section is one - fourth the distance between edges 54 and 56 , with the remaining area of material being in the extending portion 22 available for advertising indicia , which may be provided on both sides of the display device 10 . an adhesive means 58 , which preferably is double sided adhesive tape , is applied along the longitudinal axis of the elongated section 38 extending from edge 30 to edge 32 . a covering 60 is placed over the adhesive tape 58 during shipment or storage of the display device 10 . prior to mounting the display device on the shelf 12 the adhesive covering 60 is removed exposing the adhesive material 62 . in order to prepare the display 10 for installation on a shelf 12 , parts 40 and 42 are simultaneously bent in the direction of arrow 64 along score line 50 until parts 42 and 44 cooperate with each other and are bound together by the adhesive 62 leaving parts 46 and 54 to be bent in the direction of arrows 66 and 68 , which is opposite in direction to arrow 64 . the parts 46 and 54 thus , extend outwardly from the plane of the extending protion 22 with the adhesive contact material 62 exposed and available for mounting the display device on to a shelf 12 as desired , as shown in fig1 . hereinbefore has been disclosed a display device which is inexpensive , disposable , and readily adaptable for mounting on supermarket shelves . this display device may contain an assortment of indicia to attract the attention of a consumer walking down the aisle . it will be understood that various changes in the details , materials , arrangement of parts and operating conditions which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the prinicpals and scope of the present invention .
6
a stereo speaker system 10 in accordance with the present invention in fig1 through 3 removably mounted in position on the backrest 30 of an overstuffed easy chair c . as a setting for the present invention , the chair c is conventional and includes a seat portion 24 , arm rests 26 , 28 , backrest 30 , and legs 32 . in turn , the basic components of the stereo speaker system 10 primarily comprise two speaker housings 12 , 14 supported in spaced - apart relation over the chair c by support arms 16 , 18 , attached to mounting bracket 11 . mounting bracket 11 includes a front portion 20 adjustably attached to the rear portion 22 by bolt 70 and nut 72 . the front portion 20 includes a horizontal section 34 and two spaced - apart members 36 , 38 extending downwardly from the forward edge of the horizontal section 34 for gripping the front surface of the seat back 30 , and the rear portion 22 likewise includes a horizontal section 54 and a rear gripping member in the form of a back plate 56 extending downwardly from the rear edge of the horizontal section 54 for gripping the rear surface of the seat back 30 . the distal ends 37 , 39 of members 36 , 38 , respectively , and the distal end 57 of member 56 are curved slightly outwardly to minimize the possibility of those ends tearing or causing wear spots in the fabric of the chair as said members are being slipped into position on the chair or while mounted in that position . also , the mounting bracket 11 can be formed with a slightly obtuse angle between the horizontal section 34 and each gripping member 36 , 38 , respectively , of the front portion 20 , and an acute angle between the horizontal section 54 and gripping member 56 of rear portion 22 to more closely conform to a chair c with its back 30 inclined slightly backward , as shown in fig2 . a slotted hole 64 with its longer dimension oriented forward and backward in relation to the chair c is provided through the horizontal section 54 of rear portion 22 , and a hole 35 is provided through horizontal section 34 of front portion 20 in alignment with slotted hole 64 . the front and rear portions 20 , 22 are adjustably secured together by bolt 70 which extends through both slotted hole 54 and hole 35 , and can be snugly tightened against each other by nut 72 threaded on bolt 70 . consequently , the distance between the front gripping members 36 , 38 and the rear gripping member 56 can be adjustably varied to accommodate different sized backrests 30 of different chairs by loosening the nut 72 on bolt 70 , sliding the front portion 20 in relation to the rear portion 22 , and when the proper distance in obtained to securely clamp the mounting bracket 11 onto the backrest 30 , and then securely tightening down nut 72 . in order to maintain the front gripping members 36 , 38 , in parallel relation with the rear gripping member 56 , ribs 50 , 52 are provided on the lower surface of horizontal section 34 of the front portion 20 , and mating grooves 60 , 62 of corresponding size and shape are provided in the upper surface of horizontal section 54 of rear portion 22 . when the front portion 20 and back portion 22 are properly aligned , ribs 50 , 52 protrude into mating engagement with grooves 60 , 62 , respectively . consequently , relative forward and backward motion between the front portion 20 and rear portion 22 is allowed , but relative lateral or twisting movement is prevented . as best seen in fig6 one set of rib 50 and groove 60 is located in spaced relation to one side of the slotted hole 64 , and the other set of rib 52 and groove 62 is located a spaced distance on the opposite side of slotted hole 64 . also , as best seen in fig6 slotted hole 64 includes a widened portion 65 in the lower surface of horizontal section 54 to accomodate the head 71 of bolt 70 both to keep the head 71 from protruding below the remainder of the horizontal section 54 to preclude undue wearing or marking of the fabric on the chair c , and to retain the bolt 70 from turning as the nut 72 is screwed on or off . two speakers 90 , 92 , preferably a woofer and a tweeter , are mounted in each speaker housing 12 on a facia panel 93 . the facia panel 93 is comprised of two panel segments 96 , 98 in a concave configuration enjoined together at 97 , as best seen in fig8 . grille screens or fabric 94 , 95 are stretched over the speaker openings in panel 93 in the conventional manner to protect the speakers 90 , 92 from dust or damage . this concave configuration of the facia panel 93 results in both speakers 90 . 92 being aimed substantially at a focal point near the listener &# 39 ; s head . as best seen in fig7 a cylindrical sleeve 100 with a bore 102 extending inwardly from one end is integrally molded in the upper section of speaker housing 12 . a radial internally threaded hole 104 is included in the wall of the sleeve 100 , and a set screw 105 is threaded therein . one end 80 of a support arm 16 is slidably inserted into the sleeve 100 and can be secured in any desired position therein by tightening set screw 105 onto the arm 16 . the left speaker housing 14 is also provided with a similar sleeve 101 and set screw 107 for receiving the end 84 of the left support arm 18 , as best seen in fig1 through 3 . the opposite ends of support arms 16 , 18 are adjustably attached to the mounting bracket 11 as best seen in fig1 through 3 . for this adjustable attachment , an elongated sleeve 40 is rigidly attached on the upper surface of horizontal section 34 of front portion 20 . the cylindrical sleeve 40 has a bore 41 extending longitudinally therethrough from right end 42 to left end 44 . ( see also fig4 .) the ends 82 , 86 of support arms 16 , 18 , respectively , opposite those attached to the speaker housings 12 , 14 , respectively , are received in opposite ends 42 , 44 of sleeve 40 . end 82 of support arm 16 is slidably inserted into end 42 of sleeve 40 , and end 86 of support arm 18 is slidably received in end 44 of sleeve 40 . sleeve 40 also includes two spaced - apart internally threaded holes 46 , 48 into which set screws 47 , 49 , respectively , can be screwed for snugly engaging support arms 16 , 18 , respectively . thus , speaker housings 12 , 14 can be adjustably set inwardly and outwardly in relation to the chair c by sliding their respective ends 82 , 86 in sleeve 40 , and they can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly by rotating arms 16 , 18 in sleeve 40 . speaker housing 12 , 14 can also be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly by sliding arms 16 , 18 respectively the desired distances into sleeves 100 , 101 , respectively . also , by rotating speaker housing 12 , 14 on support arms 16 , 18 , respectively , the speakers 90 , 92 can be adjustably directed upwardly or downwardly . these adjustable features allow an individual listener some latitude for positioning the respective speaker housing 12 , 14 in locations that best suit his particular height , position of most comfort in the chair , and hearing ability in each ear . although not shown , it can be readily understood by one skilled in the art that electrical wires must be provided to power the speakers . the support arms 16 , 18 are fabricated with hollow cores to accommodate passage of wires therethrough from the mounting bracket 11 to the respective speaker housings 12 , 14 and appropriate conduits or ducts can be provided in the bracket 11 and speaker housings 12 , 14 to lead the wires into the support arms and to the speakers 90 , 92 . the components of the alternate embodiments illustrated in fig9 through 12 are quite similar to those just described in the preferred embodiment , including speaker housings 12 , 14 , support arms 16 , 18 , and mounting brackets 11 with front portion 20 and back portion 22 . however , instead of the slotted adjustment hole 64 in the preferred embodiment , the alternate embodiment includes a plurality of individual internally threaded holes 66 through the horizontal section 54 of rear portion 22 . a set screw 68 is inserted through the hole 35 in horizontal section 34 of front portion 20 and is screwed into a selected one of the holes 66 which provides the desired spacing between the front gripping legs 36 , 38 and the rear gripping plate 56 . also , as best seen in fig1 and 12 , the support arms 16 , 18 are asjustably connected to the speaker housings 12 , 14 , respectively , and to the mounting bracket 11 by ball and socket joints . an enlarged ball insert 83 is provided on the rear end 82 of support arm 16 and is positioned in a correspondingly sized and shaped socket 130 on the horizontal section 34 of front portion 20 . an annular lip 134 retains the ball insert 83 in socket 130 , but rotational as well as forward / backward and up / down adjustment of support arm 16 in socket 130 is accommodated . a spring 146 in chamber 144 can be provided to bias the ball insert 83 against lip 135 to frictionally maintain support arm 16 in the desired set position . a radial internally threaded hole 138 can also be provided in the wall of socket 130 for receiving a set screw 140 to maintain support arm 16 in the desired adjusted position as an alternative to or in addition to the bias spring 146 . a conduit 148 is also provided through which electrical wires can be run into the hollow core support arm 16 to the speakers 90 , 92 . the rear end 86 of support arm 18 is similarly adjustably connected to mounting bracket 11 with socket 132 and annular lip 136 and set screw 142 for a bias spring ( not shown ) to retain the support arm 18 in position . a similar ball joint connection is provided to attach speaker housing 12 to support arm 18 as best seen in fig1 . an enlarged ball - shaped insert 81 is provided on the forward end 80 of support arm 16 and is positioned in the correspondingly sized and shaped socket 110 in speaker housing 12 . an annular lip 112 retains the ball insert 81 in socket 110 , and a spring 120 in chamber 118 biases the ball insert 81 against the lip 112 to frictionally retain it in any desired adjusted position . also , a set screw 116 can be threaded into a radial hole 114 in the socket wall to engage ball insert 81 to retain it in the desired adjusted position either in addition to or an alternative to the spring 120 . the conduit 122 is provided to lead the electrical wires from support arm 16 into the speaker housing 12 for connection to speakers 90 , 92 . 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 and structure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof .
7
a ) a kinetic biological component : refers to any cellular component which executes is biological function by moving from one location in the cell ( site of origin or s . o ) to another location ( site of destination or s . d ). and binding to that location . the process of movement is called translocation . the kinetic component can therefore be a protein , a polypeptide , a carbohydrate , a mucopolysaccharide , lipids or lipoproteins , nucleic acids , histones or non - histones , or components termed receptors . b ) ligand : specific ligands are those which upon binding to the normal kinetic component initiates the intracellular movement of that protein from s . o to its s . d . control ligands are those which do not bind or initiate movement of the kinetic component . ligands belong to the category of steroids hormones or non - steroid hormones , metals such as iron , molybdenum , zinc , calcium , phosphorus , or polypeptides , histones , nonhistones , nucleic acids , polynucleotides , either naturally occuring in the cells or their synthetic analogs . attachment or removal of phosphate groups also acts to trigger intracellular movement of a kinetic component ( 21 ). c ) normal versus abnormal variety of translocation : normal translocation is the pattern of translocation observed for the kinetic component found in the normal cell and is known to be crucial for the execution of its biological function . abnormal varieties refer to any deviation from that normal pattern . example : movement of the kinetic component from s . o to s . d in the absence of the specific ligand or an absence of movement of the kinetic component to s . d even in the presence of inducers . abnormalities of er translocation have been identified in malignant tissues and found to be predominant among hormone therapy resistant er + breast cancers . studying normal and abnormal translocation of the kinetic protein er and sub - classification er + breast cancers on the basis of er translocation . imprints are made from either fresh or cryopreserved ( at - 80c or lower temperature ) breast cancer biopsies on to histological glass slides . 1 . replicates of tumor imprints are made on plain glass slides for examining the cellular location of er as they exist in the tumor . 2 . replicates of tumor imprints are made on glass slides pre - coated with saline solution ( 0 . 9 % sodium chloride in distilled water ) and transferred to moisture chamber and kept at 37c for 30 minutes , to examine the effect of exposure to ligand - free saline solution at 37c . 4 . replicates of imprints are made on glass slides precoated with specific ligands to study their effect on er translocation . ( for pre - coating , saline solution of estrogen or des ( 1 - 5 nanomolar concentration ) are allowed to coat the entire surface of the glass slides and allowed to air dry ) the imprints are incubated at 37c for 30 minutes in moisture chamber . 5 . replicates of imprints are made on glass slides precoated as described above , with 1 - 5 nanomolar solution of the drug tamoxifen , to study its effect on tumor er translocation and incubated at 37c for 30 minutes . 6 . replicates of imprints are made on glass slides pre - coated with solutions of control ligands ( 1 - 5 nanomolar concentrations of org 2058 or r5020 which are specific ligands for pr , but control ligands for er ); these slides help verify whether or not tumor er translocation requires specific ligand . all the slides are processed by ethanol dehydration - rehydration procedure as described under &# 34 ; automation with varistain &# 34 ; in the specification section of this report or manually , as described in prior publications ( 1 , 3 , 5 - 7 ,). this mode of tissue fixation is mandatory for detection of er with the rabbit polyclonal ( 1 - 3 , 5 - 7 ) and monoclonal anti - er antibody 1 - f11 ( 19 , 20 ). note : ethanol dehydration rehydration procedure can be replaced with other modes of tissue fixation , previously found suitable for immunohistochemical detection of the kinetic component under scrutiny . the fixed slides are washed in saline 3 times and incubated with rabbit polyclonal or monoclonal 1 - f11 anti - er antibody ( ie : primary antibody ) for 30 minutes at 37c in moisture chamber . unbound antibody is removed by 3 saline washes and the cellular location of the antibody - bound er is detected by one of the conventional staining procedures known to prior art : indirect immunofluorescence or immunoperoxidase procedure or biotin - avidin amplified immunofluorescent or immunoperoxidase procedure , or with the use of chemiluminescent probe labelled antibodies . for staining er in tumor imprints , biotin - avidin immunoperoxidase technique was routinely employed ( 19 , 20 ). the slides were incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature , with biotin - labelled secondary antibodies ( ie : anti - rabbit antibodies , if rabbit polyclonal anti - er antibodies were employed as primary antibodies ; anti - mouse immunoglobulins , if mouse monoclonal antibody 1 - f11 was used as primary anti - er antibody ). after washing 3 times in saline to remove the excess secondary antibodies , the slides are incubated for 30 minutes with avidin which is labelled with either fluorescein or chemiluminescent probe ( immunoflourescent detection ) or enzymes ( eg : immunoperoxidase ( 19 , 20 ). detection of fluorescence is done uv microscope after removing the excess avidin reagent by three sline washes . when enzyme labelled avidin is used , the slides after washing in saline 3 times , are soaked in substrate buffer ( 0 . 1 m tris , ph 7 . 6 ) for 5 minutes , followed by five minutes in the substrate solution ( dab for peroxidase ) to allow color development , and counter stained for 5 - 8 minutes with 1 % methyl green solution ( purchased from kirkegaard and perry laboratories ). excess methyl green is washed off by rinsing the slides quickly through 90 % ( 2x ), absolute ethanol ( 3x ) and xylene ( 2x ). the slides are mounted with permount and viewed under the light microscope for brown stain indicative of peroxidase activity . color development is different , dependent upon the enzyme and the substrate system chosen for immunodetection . for each tissue specimen , an antibody - negative control is prepared as follows : one of the replicates of slides with the imprint , crysection or cell is exposed to 1 mg / ml gelatin solution made in saline instead of the primary antibody . these slides are subsequently processed identical to other slides as described above . any staining observed in these slides is to be interpreted as non - immunospecific and therefore caused by secondary reagents . these antibody control slides should be negative before the staining in other slides processed with the primary antibody is accepted as antibody specific or immunospecific staining . the stained slides are examined microscopically and percent tumor cells in which the immunospecific staining is exclusively cytoplasmic ( c + n -), both cytoplasmic and nuclear ( c + n +), or exclusively nuclear ( c - n +) are are recorded either manually or with the aid of any commercially available protocols for computerised image analysis systems . tumors in which no immunospecific staining is seen are recorded as er (-) tumors . following the protocol detailed in background section of the specification and as published previously ( 6 , 7 ), the er + tumors are subclassified as either tr + l ( with normal , ligand mediated translocation ), tr + nl ( with abnormal , non - ligand mediated translocation ) or tr (-) ( abnormal , with no evidence of translocation ). this subclassification step is accomplished either manually or with the aid of computerised image analyser . tr + l : in the absence of the specific ligand the staining is cytoplasmic ( c + n -); only in tissues on the ligand coated slides , the staining is either c + n + or c - n + among & gt ; 30 % of stained ( er +) cells . the tumor cell er is normal requiring specific ligand binding for its transformation and translocation to the nucleus and nuclear binding . tr + nl : in all the tumor cells incubated at 37 ° c ., immunospecific staining is either c + n + or c - n + among ≧ 30 % of stained ( er +) tumor cells . the tumor cell er is abnormal because translocation and nuclear binding occurs in the absence of specific ligand . tr (-): in all the slides , the immunospecific staining is c + n - among ≧ 70 % of er + cells . er is abnormal because it is unable to either transform or translocate and bind to the nucleus . method for prediction of clinical response to hormone therapy for evaluating the value of this mode of subclassification in prospective clinical trials : the mode of prediction is based on the correlative results obtained in the pilot study of retrospective analysis of 25 patients treated with hormone therapy ( 7 ). the primary tumors of these patients were among the 88 er + tumors subclassified as tr + l , tr (-) or tr + nl ( 6 , 7 ), employing polyclonal anti - er antibodies and immunofluorescent detection technique . when the tumors recurred or metastasied after surgical removal of the primaries ( as was the normal clinical practice ), these patients were treated with hormone therapy ( 7 ). current practice is to treat immediately after surgery . tr + l : tumors in this subgroup are predicted to respond to hormone therapy ( 5 / 6 patients in this category responded in the pilot study ). specific ligand is essential for er to translocate and bind to the er specific sites in the tumor cell nucleus . hormone therapy , either estrogen deprivation ( eg : surgical or chemical oophorectomy ), or oral intake of antiestrogen tamoxifen is predicted to be an effective treatment in these tumors because , er in the absence of estrogen or blocked by antiestrogen , is unable to execute its biological function . the tumor is unable to grow . tr + nl : tumors in this subgroup are predicted to fail hormonal treatment because er is able to bind to the nucleus even in the absence of specific ligand . either estrogen deprivation or antiestrogen blockers will not affect the ability of this tumor er to execute its function and therefore the cells will continue to grow under these conditions . ten out of ten patients with tr + nl tumors failed to respond to hormone therapy . tr (-): tumors in this subgroup are likely to fail hormone therapy . six out of nine patients in this category failed to respond to hormone treatment ( 7 ). er , although can bind the specific ligand , is unable to translocate and bind to the tumor cell nucleus . in the absence of normally functioning er , the tumor cells continue to grow . therefore , neither estrogen deprivation , nor antiestrogen block aborts the tumor growth . quality assurance procedures : inter - assay variability , inter - assesor consistency in sub - grouping , are performed as described in detail ( 6 ) to maintain high quality of performance . automation of the procedural steps and computerization of data collection ( computerized image analysis ) ensure high degree of reproducibility . use of staining procedures such as immunoperoxidase staining , allows storage of slides for extended period , repeat review of slides if necessary . for objective evaluation of the predictive significance of this subgrouping via clinical trials , following parameters are to be recorded for each tumor . when clinical responses are ready and available , correlation between various subgroups and clinical response , correlation between predicted clinical outcome with the observed clinical results are determined . statistical significance of the correlative data are calculated as described for retrospective analysis ( 7 ). procedure for identifying abnormalities in kinetic components other than steroid hormone receptors : illustrative example : identification of abnormalities in the translocation from cytoplasmic transcription factors associated with interferon alpha response to the cell nucleus . interferon alpha is known to prevent virus entry into normal healthy cells . interferon alpha therapy therefore became popular for certain types of cancers . not all tumors responded to this therapy . recent advances in technology has revealed that a kinetic protein , the transcription factor tf ( also called isgf3 or interferon stimulated growth factor )) is important for the functioning of interferon alpha to prevent virus entry into the cell ( 21 ). immunohistochemical test described in this invention will be useful for identifying the abnormalities in the translocation of tf which will render the cells unresponsive to interferon alpha . in the normal cell , the enzyme tyrosine kinase associated with the cell surface interferon alpha receptor is activated when the interferon ( ligand ) binds to its receptor . the activated enzyme phosphorylates the cytoplasmic tf . phosphorylated tf then translocates to the cell nuclei where it binds to interferon - responsive nuclear sites . any defect either in the interferon receptor , its tyrosine kinase , or mutation in the tf will manifest itself as a translocation abnormality of tf : inability of tf to translocate to the nucleus ; or translocation of tf in the absence of interferon binding to its receptor . in either case , the cell will be unresponsive to interferon therapy . procedural steps to identify whether or not tf shows normal or abnormal transclocation in the malignant tissue , are identical to the those described above for er , with the following modifications : interferon alpha serves as the specific ligand for coating ligand coated slides . interferon beta serves as the control ligand . imprints of tumors to be examined are made on these slides . cell smears from normal body fluids , made on ligand coated and control ligand coated slides serve as a reference standard for demonstrating normal kinetics of tf in non malignant cells . polyclonal antibodies to tf which are capable of reacting with unphosphorylated and phosphororylated forms of tf whether it is cytoplasmic or bound to the cell nuclei are used to the location of tf ( anti - tf described by chris schindler et al as referenced in the publication by jean marx ( 21 ). the processing of the slides after ligand incubation step is identical to what is described for er . the sub - classification of tf + cells is done similarly and the groups are tr + l ( normal , showing translocation only in interferon - alpha coated slides ), tr + nl ( abnormal , translocating to the nucleus in the absence of ligand ) and tr (-) ( abnormal , showing no translocation ). application of immunohistochemical test for first level screening of drugs in order to select those which have the capcity to alter the intra - cellular translocation of kinetic components found in malignancies . definitions : a drug is a pharmaceutical compound ; a component of an extract of a biological source ; a synthetic polypeptide , a polynucleotide , a mineral , metal , a nucleic acid , a carbohydrate or a lipid . a drug binds to any site present either on the kinetic component or on cellular factors which are necessary for the translocation of the kinetic component and thereby either inhibits the translocation process , or alters the abnormal patterns of translocation exhibited by the kinetic component . the term &# 34 ; pilot drug screening &# 34 ; refers to the process of examining an array of several drugs to detect which ones among them , when used in the immuno - histochemical assay system show evidence of inhibiting or altering the translocation process of the kinetic component under study . the term &# 34 ; pilot screening &# 34 ; does not include the process of proving the efficacy of the drug as a therapeutic drug via in - vivo experiments and clinical testing . procedural modifications consistent with the use of immunohistochemical test as a drug screening test include the following : a ) in addition to the specific ligand coated and control ligand coated slides , slides coated with the solution of the drug / s to be tested are included . b ) imprints of tumors pre - tested and found to contain normal or abnormal variety of translocation are made on each one of the drugs and the results compared . c ) either cryosections of normal tissues which contain the kinetic component or cell smears made from normal body fluids serve as reference standards to study effect of the drug on translocation of kinetic component expressed by normal tissues . to achieve this purpose , cryosections are thaw mounted or cell smears are made on drug coated slides and on plain glass slides for comparison . the incubation steps , tissue fixation , primary and secondary antibody application , immunostaining , sub - grouping , data collection are identical to those decribed previously for procedure a . a ) in the tr (-) tumor imprints , ( but not in the normal tissue samples ) an identification of c + n + or c - n + immunostaining in & gt ; 50 % of er + cells only in the drug coated slides is an indication of drug induced in - vitro translocation of otherwise non - translocating er . absence of such an effect in normal tissues indicates that the drug alters only the defective tr (-) variety of er found in malignancy . this drug is therefore selected for additional scrutiny for in - vivo studies . b ) in the tr + nl tumor imprinted on the drug - coated slides , an observation of c + n - immunospecific staining among & gt ; 50 % of stained cells is indicative of inhibition of abnormal nuclear binding by the drug . this drug is therefore selected for evaluating its effect on normal ligand induced nuclear binding . this is accomplished by imprinting tr + l tumors on slides coated with a mixture of the drug and specific ligand solution , in addition to the ligand coated and control ligand coated slides which are routinely included in the procedure . on comparative analysis of results , a pre - dominence of c + n + and c - n + staining in all the ligand coated slides ( whether or not drug was also present ) is indicative of exclusivity of the drug &# 39 ; s inhibitory effect to the abnormal nuclear binding only . this drug is therefore selected for further in - vivo testing . instead , a presence of predominant c + n - staining in tumor imprinted on the &# 34 ; drug plus ligand &# 34 ; slides demonstrates an inhibition of even normal nuclear binding by the drug . this drug is therefore likely to be toxic to the normal cells . table 3 illustrates these points of interpretation succintly . table 3______________________________________reference + both ligand std : type (-) ligand (+) ligand (+) drug and drug______________________________________tr (-) c + n - c + n - c + n +, c - n + c + n +, c - n + tr + nl c + n +, c - n + c + n +, c - n + c + n - c + n - tr + nl c + n - c - n + c + n - c - n + ______________________________________ note : normal type of translocation is unaffected , while the abnormal types are altered in the presence of the drug . this type of staining in the presence of the drug , even when either one of the two abnormal types of translocation are altered , the drug is to be selected for additional in - vivo studies . application of immunohistochemical test to identify the presence of components ( toxins ) in drinking water , food extracts , solutions of non - prescription drugs , food dyes , serum or plasma collected from individuals . definition of a toxin : &# 34 ; toxin &# 34 ; as specified with reference to the kinetic substances , is a component which is capable of interacting with the normal kinetic substance and inhibiting its normal ligand mediated translocation from s . o to s . d . for example , with reference to er , its ligand mediated nuclear binding is prevented . alternately , the toxin , is a component which promotes the translocation of a kinetic component in the absence of its specific ligand , thus coverting tr + l to tr + nl variety . definition of &# 34 ; toxin screening &# 34 ; as specified in this report , is restricted to the process of identification of the presence of a component in the test sample which is detrimental to the normal translocation of kinetic substances . the definition does not include the process of identifying which component is the toxin . preliminary screening as described below is the initial step towards the identification and purification of the toxin . procedural modifications are identical to those described for drug screening but the end point is different . the desirable effect of a drug is its capacity to affecting the abnormal while a toxin identified by its ability to alter the normal to abnormal . instead of drug coated slides , the solutions or body fluids to be examined for the presence of &# 34 ; toxins &# 34 ; are coated on the slides . the tr + l variety of tumor is imprinted or normal cells are smeared on these slides , along with the experimental set of slides described for procedure a . in addition , another slide is precoated with a mixture of ligand and the solution to be tested for toxin . the tr + l tumor imprinted or normal cells smeared on this slide as well . incubations , fixation , immunostaining and sub - grouping steps are performed as described for procedure a . criteria for labelling a sample as containing &# 34 ; a toxin &# 34 ; are the following : a ) presence of c + n - staining among & gt ; 50 % of er + normal cells or the reference tumor of tr + l type in the presence of a mixture of specific ligand and the solution being tested , is indicative of inhibition of normal ligand mediated translocation by the toxin . b ) the presence of c + n + or c - n + staining in normal cell smears or tr + l tumor imprints on slides coated only with the solution being tested for toxins is indicative of induction of translocation in the absence of specific ligand . in either of the situations described above , the the solution is said to contain a component which affects the translocation pattern and is therefore selected for additional verification by in - vivo culture studies . identification of the toxin - positive sample by first level screening is an initial step essential for purification of the toxic components . definition : hybridoma screening as specified in this report refers to the selection of monoclonal hybridomas which secrete anti - er antibodies with unique features : broad spectrum reactivity with both cytoplasmic and nuclear er , ligand complexed or uncomplexed ; or narrow spectrum antibodies which are specific to only defective er of tr (-) variety ; or to tr + nl variety . broad spectrum antibodies are essential for use in immunohistochemical procedures utilized for sub - classifying kinetic components on the basis of translocation abnormalities . thus , hybridoma screening does not refer to production of hybrids and selection of clones by sub - cloning , nor to the differential selection of antibody secretors from non - secretors . immunohistochemical procedure was successfully employed to screen and select a hybridoma which secretes monoclonal anti - er antibody molecules , as described in prior publications ( 19 , 20 ). the unique feature of this antibody designated 20 - f8 - 1 - g7 - 1 - f11 ( abbreviated 1 - f11 ) for which it was selected , is its ability to bind specifically to cytoplasmic er , uncomplexed or complexed with the specific ligand and with the uncomplexed or ligand complexed nuclear bound er equally well ( 19 , 20 ). in this respect , 1 - f11 , although monoclonal , is similar to the rabbit polyclonal anti - er antibody which was the primary antibody in the immunohistochemical procedure to sub - group er + tumors ( 5 , 6 , 7 ), and as reference antibody for screening 1 - f11 . this unique feature is attributed to the fact that the epitope in the er molecule which is recognized by 1 - f11 is unaffected by ligand binding , transformation and nuclear binding of er and therefore always antibody - accessible . the specificity of 1 - f11 antibodies to er and only er was documented by a variety of standard procedures known to prior art : 1 ) demonstration of ability to complex with radio - ligand bound er by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and by non - denaturing acrylamide gel electrophoresis ; c ) reduced , sds denatured cytosolic er derived from human breast tumors ; an absence of reactivity with cytosolic proteins derived from er negative tumors ; recognition of a single 65 - 69 kilodalton protein in the reduced and sds denatured cytosol of er + lamb uterine tissue and of mcf - 7 cells ; identification of a single 65 - 69 k protein in the reduced sds extracted antigen , dissociated from 1 - f11antibody - sepharose beads reacted with crude extracts of lamb uterus . 4 ) immunohistochemical procedures to show the antibody recognition of un - liganded , or ligand complexed cytosolic and nuclear er of mcf - 7 cells and to demonstrate ligand mediated translocation of er in them . 5 ) immunohistochemical procedure to document the utility of 1 - f11 antibody to identify defective er among the cell lines of human origin : mcf - 7 cells were found to contain predominantly of tr + l variety of er with polyclonal anti - er antibodies and with 1 - f11 monoclonal anti - er antibody ; anti - estrogen resistant cell line , ly - 2 was found to contain tr (-) variety of defective er with the use of polyclonal antibodies , as with 1 - f11 antibody . 6 ) immunohistochemical procedure to demonstrate the utility of 1 - f11 antibody , to sub - classify the er + breast tumors , as defective tr (-) or tr + nl or normal tr + l . the screening of hybridoma supernates ( diluted 6x or 1ox ) at the first and second level cloning resulted in the identification of 20 - f8 - 1 - g7 hybrid and subsequent selection of the final clone of 20 - f8 - 1 - g7 - 1 - f11 hybridoma ( monoclonal with igg - 1 isotype ) as a broad spectrum anti - er antibody secretor was achieved in the following manner as described in the abstracts ( 19 , 20 ). the hybridoma supernates , free of dyes were reacted with 5 micron sections of several paraffin embedded er + human breast tumors and er (-) tumors and antibody binding verified by biotin - avidin amplified immunoperoxidase staining . those hybridoma supernates which were non - reactive with er (-) tumors but were immunoreactive with all er + tumors were further examined for their recognition of cytosolic er complexed with radioactive estradiol with biochemical procedures and selected if positive , for final cloning . the secretory product of the final clones ( 1 - f11 is an example ) was additionally scrutinised for its monospecificity to er , its capacity to react with and bind to ligand - free , ligand bound , cytosolic and nuclear - bound er by a variety of biochemical and immunohistochemical procedures outlined above . the antibodies were also verified for their capacity to recognize er in the cryosections or in the imprints of tr + l , tr + nl and tr (-) sub - classes of er + tumors when tested by immunohistochemical ( procedure a ) and by biochemical procedures . procedural steps for screening hybridomas : selection of broad spectrum versus narrow spectrum monoclonal antibodies . 1 . hybridoma culture medium containing the antibody secreted by monoclonal hybridomas are dialyzed in 0 . 1m tris - edta - borate buffer ( teb ), ph 8 . 0 to remove all the phenol red dye and other small molecules . only dialyzed culture supernates are utilized for screening . 2 . employing steps described in procedure a , one set of coated slides are to be prepared for each culture supernate to be evaluated . 3 . tumor imprints are made from tumors which were pre - tested employing polyclonal anti - er antibody and classified as tr + l ( 90 % of the tumor cells showing tr + l variety of er ). 4 . after ligand incubation and fixation steps , one set of slides are to be incubated with the reference antibody ( polyclonal anti - er antibody ); each of other sets should receive one of the hybridoma culture supernates . 5 . the immunostaining procedure and data collection is the same as described for procedure a . 6 . those culture supernates which yield results identical to the reference antibody are selected as broad spectrum antibodies . these will stain cytoplasmic er in slides without the specific ligand and nuclear bound er in the ligand coated slides . 1 ) instead of tumor imprints , cultured cell lines known to be uniformly tr + l and grown on histological slides are also suitable for hybridoma screening . specific ligand or control ligand is introduced in the growth medium as described previously for mcf - 7 cells ( 3 ). slides are to be thoroughly washed free of phenol red prior to incubation with the hybridoma culture supernate . immunohistochemical staining steps and data collection are as described for procedure a . 2 ) identification of tr (-) specific or tr + nl specific hybridomas is by repeating the procedure with either imprints of tumors with these type of defects or cultured cells pre - tested to contain one of those defective types of er . hybridoma culture supernates which stain only the tr (-) or tr + nl tumors or cell lines are chosen as narrow spectrum antibodies . the selected hybridomas are expanded in tissue culture or ascites employing standard hybridoma technology known to prior art . their secretory products are re - evaluated for monospecificity to er , by employing procedures described above for 1 - f11 or as consolidated in the book &# 34 ; immunology of steroid hormone receptors vol i : estrogen receptors &# 34 ; ( 22 ). although this invention is disclosed with reference to particular embodiment , the principles involved are susceptible for use in numerous other embodiments which will be apparent to persons skilled in art . a few of those embodiments are outlined below to demonstrate the scope of this invention . the invention however is to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims . 1 . the immunohistochemical procedure described is the most economical way to detect the presence of translocation defects in a kinetic component . prior knowledge of what causes the translocation defect or the exact location of the defect are not necessary . what is required is a broad spectrum antibody , either poly or monoclonal , which reacts with both the normal and defective kinetic component . therefore , an immunohistochemical staining kit can be devised containing the embodiments of this procedure for detecting translocation defects of kinetic component . 2 . either the polyclonal anti - er antibodies ( 1 - 3 , 5 - 7 ) or monoclonal anti - er antibodies designated 1 - f11 , may be used in a kit either as a whole molecule , as fab fragments which retain the antibody &# 39 ; s unique characterisitics , or as genetically engineered antibody fragment with identical properties , for predicting which among er + malignancies are clinically susceptible to hormone therapies and which will be resistant to such therapies . thus , these antibodies or their biologically active fragments may be supplied in a kit designed as predictive kit for cancers of the breast , endometrium , prostate or cancers of the nervous system and of those tissues which are er + and hormone therapy is offered as a treatment modality . 3 . the embodiments of this procedure may be included in a kit for sub - classification of er + malignancies , a kit to screen for drugs which may have potential use to treat those malignancies , or a kit intended for both subclassificaton of tumors and for drug screening . this procedure offers a convenient method for simultaneous screening of er + malignancies for defective and non - defective er and for customising a most effective drug treatment for each tumor . testing the efficacy of the drug to alter the nuclear binding of er in each tumor can be achieved with this method . 4 . the embodiments of this procedure may be included in a kit for use in the identification of toxins in food , drinks , drinking water or in non - prescription drugs , since this procedure offers an economical method for screening for toxins which affect the translocation process of kinetic components , including steroid hormone receptors . 5 . the embodiments of this procedure may be included in a kit for hybridoma screening because this procedure is useful for selecting hybridomas which secrete broad spectrum antibodies specific to any kinetic component ( example : interferon induced translocation of transfer factors ) or cellular factors related to kinetic components which are capable of interacting with and binding to a kinetic component whether it is ligand free , or ligand bound ; whether it is present in s . o or as bound to s . d . 6 . the immunohistochemical procedure can be applied to identify whether or not a newly discovered gene product is a kinetic component ; if it is , to define inhibitors and inducers of its intracellular translocation ; to detect abnormalities of translocation in diseased tissues in which the component is present . 7 . with the described procedure , the individual chromosomes to which a nuclear binding component binds , can easily be identified ; abnormalities in chromosome binding of the component detected . diseases in which erroneous binding of a regulatory protein to a ` wrong ` chromosome or to a wrong location in the ` right ` chromosome can easily be identified with the use of cells which are programmed to enter the growth phase . 7 . the immunohistochemical procedure should become an excellent tool for molecular biologists and biochemists who are investigating gene regulation and signal transduction . identification of transcription factors which are essential for transcribing a newly discovered regulatory pathway or a gene product , is an expensive multistep process , with biochemical or molecular cloning approaches . applying the immunohistochemical procedure as described , equipped with a broad spectrum antibody to a kinetic regulatory protein , a straight forward identification of defects in its translocation are identified first . next , a comparison of structural components of a normal translocator versus defective non - translocator will provide a clue regarding those transcription factors which are essential to induce intracellular translocation of a nuclear binding component .
8
hereinafter , a description will be made to embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a steam turbine to which the present invention may be applied . in fig1 , a reference numeral 1 denotes a steam turbine , which comprises a high - pressure turbine 2 , a middle - pressure turbine 3 , and two low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b . among those , the geothermal steam supplied e . g . from a geothermal fluid production well 5 of a geothermal power plant is separated by a high - pressure separator 6 into steam and hot water . the separated steam is washed and supplied to the high - pressure turbine 2 through a scrubber 7 to remove mist . with the steam supplied to the high - pressure turbine 2 , a turbine rotor 2 r is rotated . the steam of which kinetic energy for rotating the turbine rotor 2 r is released in the high - pressure turbine 2 is then supplied to the middle - pressure turbine 3 where a turbine - rotor 3 r is rotated . the steam of which kinetic energy for rotating the turbine rotor 3 r is released in the middle - pressure turbine 3 is finally supplied to the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b where a turbine rotor 4 r is rotated . then , the steam of which most of kinetic energy is exhausted that is emitted from the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b is condensed by a steam condenser 8 for condensation and the condensed water is heated by a hot well pump 9 . the greater part of the heated condensed water is in turn supplied to a cooling tower 10 for cooling , and the residual is reheated by a condensed water re - injection pump 11 . the reheated condensed water is supplied to an injection well 12 to ultimately return buck to the underground . cold water cooled in the cooling tower 10 is returned buck to a water sprinkle header 8 a of the steam condenser 8 . hereupon , each of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b , as shown in fig2 , is provided with casing 21 and a turbine rotor 4 r rotatably arranged within the casing 21 . the casing has a steam inlet 22 formed at its center to which steam supplied from the middle - pressure turbine 3 flows . at a position opposed to the steam inlet 22 of the turbine rotor 4 r , a pair of reaction blades 23 is provided . further , at the outside of the reaction blades 23 of the turbine rotor 4 r , a low - pressure blade cascade 24 is respectively provided as a turbine blade cascade , and at a shaft end of the low - pressure blade cascade 24 , a steam outlet 25 is formed . the low - pressure blade cascade 24 , as shown in large sizes in fig3 , is alternately provided with a moving blade 24 m mounted on the turbine rotor 4 r and a static blade 24 s mounted on the casing 21 . the length of the moving blade 24 m and and the static blade 24 s in a radial direction is set such that the length gets longer in order as it goes toward outside from the center of the turbine rotor 4 r . here , the turbine rotor 4 r is made e . g . of 1 % crmov steel and 12 % cr steel , etc ., and the moving blade 24 m is made e . g . of 13 % cr steel . at an upper position at a rotor fitting section side in an inner peripheral surface of the casing 21 that is positioned close and opposite to a tip of the moving blade 24 m at the center in an axial direction of the low - pressure blade cascade 24 , a corrosion factor measuring device 31 of a corrosion factor monitoring device 30 is arranged . as shown in fig3 and 4 , the corrosion factor measuring device 31 has a communication hole 32 open to an inner peripheral surface of the casing 21 drilled at a position shifted to the inside in an axial direction from the tip of the moving blade 24 m which is provided in an inner wall 21 a of the casing 21 . further , the corrosion factor measuring device 31 , as shown in fig4 , has a condensing mechanism 33 which communicates with an inner end of the communication hole 32 . the condensing mechanism 33 has a condensation chamber 34 communicating with the communication hole 32 and a temperature control section 35 surrounding the communication chamber 34 . the condensation chamber 34 comprises a condensed water storage 37 , one end of which communicates with the communication hole 32 and the other end of which communicates with a low - pressure side of the inside of the casing 21 via a single - stage or a multi - stage orifice 36 to extend in an axial direction of the turbine rotor 4 r ; and a condensation chamber 38 upwardly extending from a middle part of the condensed water storage 37 . herein , the condensed water storage 37 is configured to have a structure for imitating a clearance gap of corrosive - prone parts at an inner peripheral side of the casing 21 . an example of the structure imitating the clearance gap includes fitting clearance formed between the moving blade 24 m and the turbine rotor 4 r , and a clearance gap formed between the tip of the moving blade 24 m and the casing inner wall 21 a of the casing 21 , etc . the temperature control section 35 comprises a cooling section 39 surrounding the condensing section 38 , and a communicating section 40 communicating with the cooling section 39 to further communicate with the outside of the casing 21 . in the cooling section 39 , a peltier element 41 is arranged , as a cooling member , at the outside of a peripheral wall of the condensation section 38 . the cooling section 39 and the communicating section 40 have at an outer peripheral side an air passageway 42 to supply cooled air from the outside of the casing 21 to the cooling section 39 , the inside of which is communicated with an air inlet of a heat radiating fan 43 . this emits toward the outside air within the cooling section 39 by activating the heat radiating fan 43 , which is heated by a heating section at the outer peripheral side of the peltier element 41 . then , a tip of a corrosion potential sensor 51 , a ph sensor 52 , and a chloride ion sensor 53 as a corrosion factor sensor is immersed into the condensed water stored in the condensed water storage 37 . the corrosion potential sensor 51 has a sample member electrode 51 a made of the same material ( 13 % cr steel ) as that of the moving blade 24 m serving as a structural member , and a reference electrode 51 b . lead wires 51 c , 51 d , 52 a , and 53 a pulled out from the corrosion ion sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 are extended to the outside of the casing 21 , through the inside of the cooling section 39 and the communicating section 40 , and are connected to the corrosion factor analyzer 54 . in the corrosion factor analyzer 54 , evaluation and judgment processing of the corrosion factors is performed based on corrosion potential , ph , and chloride ion concentration detected by the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 . ( a ) an account is given of plural corrosion factors ( corrosion potential , ph , and chloride ion concentration ) of the steam turbine . the chloride ion concentration is a main corrosion factor of the steam turbine , which brings about formation of chloride , generation of hydrogen ion by hydrolysis of the chloride , a rise in hydrogen ion concentration . that is , in the event of occurrence of corrosion pitting caused by chloride ion , it tends to rise in the chloride ion concentration in the corrosion pitting . ph is representative of the hydrogen ion concentration in solution . the raise in the hydrogen ion concentration ( i . e ., ph decrease ) accelerates ionization ( i . e ., oxidation reaction ) of a member . the corrosion potential is indicative of corrosivity versus the solution to which each member is touched . the higher the potential is , the larger the corrosion - prone is . the higher the hydrogen ion concentration is , the higher the corrosion potential is . ( b ) as for a specific corrosion factor , the geothermal steam turbine includes carbonic dioxide gas and hydrogen sulfide . the carbonic dioxide gas changes into carbonic acid in the condensed water where hydrogen ion is generated . the hydrogen sulfide constitutes iron sulfide that plays a role of protection of a surface of the member , but may decompose by an action of chloride ion , causing pitting corrosion . as stated in the above , the corrosion potential is affected by chloride ion concentration and ph , and therefore it could be a parameter representing to what extent corrosion is progressed in the member . what is important from a prevention maintenance standpoint is to know a primary factor of corrosion potential fluctuations . measuring basic factors such as the ph and the chloride ion concentration provides more accurate understanding and prospection of corrosion conditions , and improves the accuracy of what for attention should be paid in steam environment , which helps precise determination as to which countermeasures have to be taken to operation and maintenance . hereupon , the measures to operation and maintenance include setting of a replacement cycle of the moving blade 24 m and injection control of corrosion protection chemicals , etc . as evaluation and judgment processing of the corrosion factors , the processing involves measuring by means of a potentiometer corrosion potential by measuring potential of the sample member electrode 51 a and potential of the reference electrode 51 b detected by the corrosion potential sensor 51 for measuring corrosion potential ; comparing fluctuations of the measured corrosion potential with fluctuations of simultaneously measured ph and chloride ion concentration ; determining whether fluctuation factors of the corrosion potential are due to a decrease in a ph and a rise in the chloride ion concentration ; and conducting injection control of corrosion protection chemicals efficacious to suppress the ph decrease and the rise in the chloride ion concentration depending on the determined results . the corrosion factor analyzer 54 is provided with the residual life diagnostic equipment for predicting the life of the moving blade 24 m using e . g . the corrosion potential and damage degradation characteristic data for the moving blade 24 m . herein , the damage degradation characteristic data which is data obtained e . g . by experimentally finding in advance a correlation between a damage degradation rate indicative of influence on corrosion damage to the moving blade 24 m and the corrosion potential for representing the correlation as a characteristic map or a prediction model formula . the characteristic map or the prediction model formula is previously stored in a storage device . by referring to the characteristic map based on the measured corrosion potential , or by substituting the measured corrosion potential for the prediction model formula , a prediction is made about to what extent the damage degradation is progressed in the moving blade 24 m , thus predicting the residual life of the moving blade 24 m . subsequently , based on the predicted residual life of the moving blade 24 m , a replacement period of the moving blade 24 m is set . moreover , the corrosion potential analyzer 54 has a corrosion environment state determining device installed therein for comparing the corrosion factor measured data , such as corrosion potential , ph , and chloride ion concentration , etc ., measured by the corrosion factor measuring device 31 with a range of control criterion of a corresponding corrosion factor , and for raising an alarm when the corrosion factor measured data goes beyond the range of control criterion . an explanation will next be made to an operation of the above - mentioned embodiment . as shown in fig1 , geothermal steam belched out from the geothermal fluid production well 5 is separated by the high - pressure separator 6 into steam and hot water , and the separated steam is supplied to the scrubber 7 where the steam is washed to remove mist , and thereafter flows to the high - pressure turbine 2 of the steam turbine 1 . the steam causes the turbine rotor 2 r of the high - pressure turbine 2 to rotate where kinetic energy of the steam is released to rotate the turbine rotor 2 r , then is supplied to the middle - pressure turbine 3 to rotate the turbine rotor 3 r , and finally is supplied to the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b to rotate the turbine rotor 4 r . the steam of which most of energy is exhausted that is emitted from the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b is condensed by the steam condenser 8 for condensation and the condensed water is heated by the hot - well pump 9 . the greater part of the heated condensed water is supplied to the cooling tower 10 for cooling , and the residual is reheated by the condensed water re - injection pump 11 to supply to the injection well 12 . the reheated residual is ultimately returned back to the underground . steam temperature of the steam turbine 1 in operation reaches 500 to 600 ° c . or so at a high temperature section , and rises to 100 to 200 ° c . at a low pressure section as well . the reason why the corrosion factors occur and progress are primarily due to condensation of steam , a change into aqueous solution , production of water , occurrence of an electrochemical corrosion reaction of the member , and progress of the corrosion reaction . there is some possibility that the condensed water could occur incidental to temperature reduction within the turbine in suspension , or in fitting clearance between the moving blade 24 m and the turbine rotors 2 r to 4 r in operation . the condensed water is more likely to occur in the low - pressure section at which temperature in the turbine is relatively low . therefore , with measurement of the corrosion factors at the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b , it enables understanding of corrosion environment conditions . in the present embodiment , as shown in fig3 and 4 , the corrosion factor measuring device 31 of the corrosion factor monitoring device 30 is arranged , which communicates with an inner peripheral surface opposing , at slight intervals , a tip of the moving blade 24 m of the turbine rotor 4 r of the casing 21 of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b , for allowing introduction of steam thereinto . in the corrosion factor measuring device 31 , steam is introduced through a communication hole 32 formed in an inner peripheral wall of the casing 21 into the condensation chamber 34 . more particularly , the steam introduced through the communication hole 32 enters a condensing section 38 provided upward thereof via the condensed water storage 37 at its low pressure side end of which an orifice 36 is provided . in the condensing section 38 , a peltier element 41 is arranged therearound . thus , supplying a direct current to the peltier element 41 exhibits its cooling effect , and cools the inside of the condensing section 38 . this condenses steam into condensed water , and then is stored in the condensed water storage 37 . at that moment , the heating section at the outer periphery side of the peltier element 41 generates heat , but heated air in the temperature control section 35 is suctioned by the heat radiating fan 43 to the outside of the casing 21 by actuating the cooling fan 43 . in keeping with this , cooling air standing outside of the casing 21 is introduced through an air passageway 42 into the cooling section 39 . since in the condensed water storage 37 , the tip of the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 as a corrosion factor sensor is immersed into the condensed water , it allows detection of corrosion potential , ph , and chloride ion concentration , during operation of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b , by means of the corrosion potential sensors 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the corrosion potential sensor 53 . these sensors 51 , 52 , and 53 are coupled to the corrosion factor analyzer 54 arranged outside of the casing 21 through the cooling section 39 and the communicating section 40 of the temperature control section 35 . on this account , in the corrosion factor analyzer 54 , a potential difference between the sample member electrode 51 a and the reference electrode 51 b of the corrosion potential sensor 51 is measured by the potentiometer for measuring corrosion potential . the measured corrosion potential is stored in a corrosion factor memory area in the storage device , and an input ph value and a chloride ion concentration value are also stored simultaneously in the corrosion factor memory area . in this way , since the corrosion potential , the ph , and the chloride ion concentration are stored , at predetermined time intervals , in the corrosion factor memory area , comparing the present corrosion potential , the ph , and the chloride ion concentration with the past corrosion potential , the ph , and the chloride ion concentration stored in the corrosion factor memory area allows correct understanding of fluctuations of the corrosion potential , the ph , and the chloride ion concentration . at this time , the comparison of fluctuations of the corrosion potential with the fluctuations of the ph and the chloride ion concentration enables discrimination of whether fluctuation factors of the corrosion potential are due to a rise in hydrogen ion concentration caused by ph a decrease , due to a rise in hydrogen ion concentration caused by a rise in the chloride ion concentration , or due to the both of the ph decrease and the rise in the chloride ion concentration . for this reason , if the fluctuation factors are due to the ph decease , injection of corrosion protection chemicals , efficacious to increase ph , into a steam system of the steam turbine 1 is controlled to suppress the rise in hydrogen ion concentration . otherwise , if the fluctuation factors of the corrosion potential are due to the rise in the chloride ion concentration , injection of corrosion protection chemicals , efficacious to suppress the rise in the chloride ion concentration , into the steam system of the steam turbine 1 is controlled for carrying out corrosion protection processing . by referring to a characteristic map of the damage degradation characteristic data stored in the storage device based on the measured corrosion potential , or by substituting the measured corrosion potential for a prediction model formula , the residual life of the moving blade 24 m is predicted and a replacement period of the moving blade 24 m is set based on the predicted residual life of the moving blade 24 m . in this manner , according to the above - mentioned embodiment , the condensing mechanism 33 is provided within the casing 21 of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b of the steam turbine 1 to introduce steam standing between the moving blade 24 m and a casing inner wall 21 a for condensation . therefore , it is allowed to produce condensed water by condensing steam by means of the condensing machine 33 during operation of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b ; detect the corrosion potential , the ph , and the chloride ion concentration , as corrosion factors , contained in the produced condensed water by means of the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 , respectively ; and supply a detection signal to the corrosion factor analyzer 54 . thus , it enables at all times correct measurement of the corrosion factors contained in the steam in the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b in operation . consequently , it makes it possible to take an exact measure of operation and maintenance such as prediction of the residual life of the moving blade 24 m , and injection control of the corrosion prevention chemicals by the corrosion factor analyzer 54 based on the measured corrosion factors . what is more , since it is configured to energize the peltier element 41 to the condensing section 38 in the condensing mechanism 33 to cool steam for condensation , downsizing of the arrangement of the condensing mechanism 33 can be achieved . moreover , since the orifice 36 is provided at the low - pressure side of the condensed water storage 37 in the condensing mechanism 33 , it prevents a direct outflow of steam having relatively high pressure supplied from the communication hole 32 to the low - pressure side in the casing 21 . this keeps pressure in the condensed water storage 37 at a relatively high level , thereby exerting no influence on the steam within the casing inner wall 21 a of the casing 21 . while in the aforesaid embodiment , a description was made , giving an example , where the heat radiating fan 43 is provided to introduce cooling air into the temperature control section 35 , not limited thereto , a blower fan may of course be communicated with the air passageway 42 , in place of the heat radiating fan 43 . further , in the aforesaid embodiment , while a description was made , giving am example , where the corrosion factor analyzer 54 is provided in both of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b to analyze corrosion factors of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b in operation , not limited thereto , it may of course analyze the corrosion factors of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b by one corrosion factor analyzer 54 . furthermore , a description was made , giving an example , where the damage and degradation life of the moving blade 24 m is predicted based on a measured value of the corrosion factors in operation by the corrosion factor analyzer 54 . in this occasion , it may sample the condensed water produced with temperature reduction of steam in the casing 21 when the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b are stopped , detect corrosion factors of the sampled condensed water by means of the corrosion potential sensor , the ph sensor , and the chloride ion sensor , supply the corrosion factors to the corrosion factor analyzer 54 . subsequently , a correlation between a corrosion factor measured value in operation and a corrosion factor measured value of the condensed water sampled from an actual machine in suspension is found to take it as a management factor , which strives for accuracy improvement of the measured value of the corrosion factors . in this case , as a candidate of condensed water sampling parts by the actual machine , it would be preferable to select corrosion - prone parts , including a fitting clearance gap formed between the moving blade 24 m and the turbine rotor 4 r , a surface of the moving blade 24 m , and a surface of the turbine rotor 4 r , etc . further , while in the aforesaid embodiment , a description was made , giving an example , where the corrosion factor analyzer 54 is installed outside of the casing 21 , not limited thereto , it may of course install the corrosion factor analyzer 54 inside of the casing 21 , on condition that one takes measures so as not to be subject to influence of temperature and humidity . moreover , since in the aforesaid embodiment , the condensed water storage 37 is provided in the condensing mechanism 33 , with any condensed water sampling mechanism provided to take out , outside of the casing 21 , the condensed water stored in the condensed water storage 37 , it allows sampling of the condensed water in operation . besides , with the corrosion factors of the sampled condensed water detected by the corrosion factor sensor , it becomes possible to determine aging degradation of the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 of the corrosion factor measuring device 31 , thereby correcting detected values from each sensor 51 to 53 . an explanation will next be made to a second embodiment of the present invention in terms of fig5 . the second embodiment is excogitated for ease of replacement of the corrosion factor sensor . namely , in the second embodiment , as shown in fig5 , it is configured to arrange a conduit 61 in the casing 21 of the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b , which extends from an outermost periphery outer casing 210 to the condensed water storage 37 of the condensing mechanism 33 passing through the inner casing 21 i ; insert the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 , as a corrosion sensor , into the conduit 61 to immerse a lower end of these sensors 51 to 53 into the condensed water stored in the condensed water storage 37 . an end projecting from the outer casing 210 of the conduit 61 is sealed by a detachable sealing lid 62 for holding lead wires 51 c , 51 d of the corrosion potential sensor 51 , a lead wire 52 a of the ph sensor 52 , and a lead wire 53 a of the chloride ion sensor 53 , with inserting these lead wires thereinto . the conduit 61 is movably attached between a condensed water blocking position at which a lower surface of the conduit 61 contacts the base of the condensed water storage 37 and a condensed water passing position at which the passing position is substantially flush with an upper surface of the condensed water storage 37 . according to the second embodiment , when replacing one or plural sensors consisting of the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 , the lower surface of the conduit 61 first contacts the base of the condensed water storage 37 to thereby block intrusion of high - pressure steam within the casing inner wall 21 a . in this state , the sealing lid 62 is detached from an upper end of the conduit 61 to open the upper end of the conduit 61 , and a lead wire of the sensor to be replaced is pulled out . thereby , the sensor to be replaced is taken out outside of the outer casing 210 from the conduct 61 and the lead wire is also removed from the sealing lid 62 . then , a new lead wire of the sensor is inserted into the sealing lid 62 , a sensor is inserted into the conduit 61 , under conditions where the sensor is adjusted to the length enough for the sensor to immerse into the condensed water , the sensor is inserted into the conduit 61 , and the sealing lid 62 is attached on the upper end of the conduit 61 . next , the conduit 61 is raised such that its lower surface is substantially flush with the upper surface of the condensed water storage 37 , and condensed water is poured into the conduit 61 , so that the lower surface of the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 is immersed into the condensed water . in this wise , constructing the conduit 61 in a movable fashion between the condensed water blocking position and the condensed water passing position blocks outflow of steam inside of the casing inner wall 21 a to the outside of the casing 21 , through the conduit 61 , even when the low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b are in operation . this ensures easy and safety once or multiple times replacements of the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 serving as a corrosion factor sensor . it is to be noted that while in the first and the second embodiments , a description was made , giving an example , where the three sensors consisting of the corrosion potential sensor 51 , the ph sensor 52 , and the chloride ion sensor 53 are applied , as a corrosion factor sensor , not limited thereto , only the corrosion potential sensor 51 may be provided , or may be added an electric conductivity sensor to detect electric conductivity of the condensed water , to simultaneously measure electric conductivity of the condensed water in order to aim at accuracy improvement of the corrosion factor analysis . in addition , where steam contains carbonic dioxide gas and hydrogen sulfide as in the case of steam of a geothermal plant facility , it may also add a carbonic dioxide gas sensor and a hydrogen sulfide sensor , as a corrosion factor sensor , for the purpose of further improving accuracy of corrosion factor analysis . further , whereas in the first and the second embodiments , a description was made , giving an example , where the steam turbine 1 is applied to the geothermal plant facility , not limited thereto , the steam turbine 1 may apply to a thermal power station facility and another any facilities . furthermore , while in the first and the second embodiments , a description was made , giving an example , where the steam turbine 1 is provided with two low - pressure turbines 4 a and 4 b , not limited thereto , the present invention may be applied to an instance where only one low - pressure turbine is provided . moreover , while in the first and the second embodiments , a description was made , giving an example , where the peltier element is applied as a cooling member of the condensing mechanism 33 , not limited thereto , another cooling device may be applied . industrial applicability according to the present invention , the present invention may provide the corrosion environment monitoring system and the corrosion environment monitoring method capable of measuring corrosion factors within the steam turbine for ensuring accurate corrosion environment monitoring . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims , which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law .
6
a system in accordance with the invention receives information in an open , non - proprietary form , concerning articles and circumstances affecting articles . this information becomes physical objects and context objects , and their attributes , in the system . in this specification , the term ‘ physical object ’ will be used to refer to data that corresponds to and is used as a representation of any article . in any particular implementation , a physical object can be implemented as an object in the object - oriented programming sense of the term ; however , it can also be implemented in any other convenient way , for example , by a record in a database . similarly , the term ‘ context object ’ will be used to refer to data that corresponds to and is used as a representation of tangible and intangible things , including , by way of example , relationships and events . physical and context objects may also be referred to as virtual articles and virtual circumstances . generally , context objects are created and maintained because they represent something — which may generically be called a circumstance — that has the potential of affecting an article represented by a physical object . one example of circumstances are geospatial events , which can include , for example , hurricanes which can impede the transit of a transport ship carrying the articles being tracked , a labor strike which can prevent the unloading of the articles from the transport ship , and a traffic accident which can delay delivery of the articles . the term hierarchies refers to associations or relationships between and among articles and circumstances . for example , given a can in a pallet of cans , events that affect the pallet also affect the can . context objects can represent hierarchies . the system receives information from a variety of sources , which can be coupled to the system through a network such as the internet or directly . the system can be configured to receive information from sources with proprietary or non - open interfaces , in which case the format of the information is converted to be compatible with the system . the system includes data input devices , for example , tag readers , sensors , and scanners . through such devices , the system can continuously track and log the state of the articles and circumstances represented by physical and context objects . the state of an article can includes its status , attributes , and location . as shown in fig1 a context - aware and real - time tracking system in accordance with the invention can be implemented with a tagging component (“ tc ”) 102 , an object interface component (“ oic ”) 104 , a communication middleware component (“ cmc ”) 106 , a context - aware intelligence component (“ caic ”) 108 , and a human interface component (“ hic ”) 110 . in an alternative implementation , the hic 110 is integrated with the other components . each of these components can be implemented as computer programs executing on one or more computers and controlling devices performing data acquisition , output , and transmission functions . fig1 also shows communication flows ( represented by arrows ) between and among the components of the context - aware and real - time tracking system as well as between the system and external applications 112 , external marketplaces 114 , and other , external context - aware and real - time tracking systems 116 . the communication flows can be implemented in any convenient , open fashion , such as through the exchange of xml documents . the components are arranged in a distributed , real - time , and event - based architecture . each or all components or any combination of the system &# 39 ; s components can be implemented on a micro up to a macro level . micro level implementation refers to implementation on a single device and macro level implementation refers to implementation on multiple devices such as computers in a network . each component can be distributed across multiple devices , including computers , that are interconnected by a network . each component can be made up of , that is , implemented as , multiple different applications , which in the aggregate perform the functions of the component . the described component architecture allows the system to group and scale functionality from a local to a global level while assuring that hardware and software can be readily integrating using non - proprietary , standard interfaces . a component can include software systems — which includes any software , applications , computer program products — and related devices . for example , a software system can be applications and servers operating on an enterprise - level . communication between or among software systems can take place through a communications network . the components expose non - proprietary , open interfaces for services that are accessible through a network , such as one based on open standards like xml over http . the following text further describes the components . articles introduced to the system are tagged with a unique identifier by any available article - level tagging technology , for example , active and passive radio frequency identification (“ rfid ”) tags , barcodes , and tags that can be applied on a molecular basis . when the system first becomes aware of an article or circumstance , it will be said to be introduced to the system ; and a corresponding object is created . this physical or context object will also be said to be introduced to the system , and it will be referred to as an “ introduced object .” the system assigns a specific dynamic n - dimensional context and attribute space to introduced objects . for example , the system can assign owner , price , lot number , and temperature to an introduced object . optionally , the system attaches specific rules to the introduced objects . for example , the system can attach a rule specifying that if the temperature of the corresponding article reaches level y , then cause action z . the tc 102 of a particular implementation specifies in an open way which tagging technologies can be used with the system and how they are used . the tc 102 includes a distributed knowledge system based on internet technology . specifically , the tc 102 generally will include and provide a specification of the globally unique identifier and how to apply it ; catalogues describing the specifications of compliant tags , their reader / writer hardware and all aspects concerning their use ; specific standards and laws that apply to the tagging of articles ; specifications of standardized communication and context data formats and interfaces ; specifications of read and write processes , processing and transmission requirements for active tags , and telemetry data specifications ; best industry practices , that is , knowledge relating to selection and deployment of tags and tag content ; security and authorization requirements and standards ; benchmarks ; implementation guides ; and frequently asked questions . in addition , the tc 102 can provide tools , content , software development kits , and applications that enable manufacturers , system integrators , and customers to identify , validate , and implement optimal article - tag - reader / writer combinations and standards for specific scenarios . the tc 102 can be built with any software development environment to fulfill the above - mentioned requirements . the oic 104 transforms data from attached hardware to the system and vice versa . the oic 104 can also perform any required local processing . the oic 104 is a sophisticated , generic , bi - directional , and smart software interface between the system and the real world . here , physical objects and context objects are introduced to the system and their status and telemetry data are received , filtered , transformed , pre - processed , and processed as necessary . because physical objects and context objects can be implemented to carry rules that can trigger alert events or cause actions depending on current context or status data , the oic 104 can be implemented to embed or link to a rule engine to process these kinds of rules . by customizing the oic 104 , customers can specify what the oic 104 should do if one of the customer &# 39 ; s tag readers detects an article tag — which will have an identifier that the system can map to a unique system identifier (“ uid ”)— for the first time . such actions can include communication with external applications , for example , erp ( enterprise resource planning ) applications . the oic 104 also generically specifies and validates how tag interface hardware , for example , rfid readers , barcode scanners , polymer tag readers , and sensors , and its operating software communicate with the system . consequently , oic 104 acts as a generic software wrapper around all tag - specific read / write devices , which provides standardized integration ; data validation , filtering , and transformation ; bi - directional , event - based secure communication ; and data pre - processing . because the oic 104 is not only able to receive data but also can send data to hardware and software attached to the system , and ultimately to the tagged articles themselves , the system can use the oic to write data to such articles or control them remotely , if they are configured for such control . the oic 104 can apply and enforce a sophisticated security scheme for all inbound and outbound communication , for example , one based on digital certificates . the oic 104 can be built with any software development environment that fulfills the above - mentioned requirements . the components communicate by sending and receiving standardized events , which the components can send and receive through a network . the cmc 106 validates and routes standardized events between the oic 104 and the caic 108 ( which will be described below ) and , in general , between or among any of the system components . the cmc 106 can also validate and route standardized events between or among any of the system components and other applications , devices , and components . the cmc 106 performs functions such as data and authentication validation , storage and retrieving , archiving , data decryption / encryption , and multicasting of events . the cmc 106 can apply and enforce a sophisticated security scheme for all inbound and outbound communication , e . g ., one based on digital certificates . the cmc 106 can be built with any software development environment that fulfills the above - mentioned requirements . the caic 108 includes logic that provides the intelligence for the system to receive , process , and respond to queries concerning what , where , and how tagged articles represented by introduced objects are , were , or will be at a specific time in relation to each other or in relation to features of the real world . the caic 108 offers open internal and external interfaces to plug - in additional features such as applications and rules , extending its generic set of services . as mentioned earlier , the system can include context objects that represent events that potentially can affect articles . examples of such events include hurricanes , points or areas of high temperatures , and slow traffic . context objects can also describe a specific relationship between or among articles . context objects can also describe attributes of articles . examples of attributes include a geospatial route , a velocity , and a destination . telemetry readings of sensors can also be introduced as context objects . the caic 108 includes a database that allows the system to store and retrieve the current state of introduced objects as well as the history of state changes of these objects . this database can process geospatial data and can be distributed over multiple computers and multiple sites . the caic 108 can apply and enforce a sophisticated security scheme , such as one based on digital certificates , for all inbound and outbound communications . the caic 108 can be built with any software development environment that fulfills the above - mentioned requirements . the hic 110 generically integrates a multitude of technologies suited to allow human beings easy access to and control of the system . these technologies include , e . g ., html or xml - based , voice controlled , stylus controlled and multi - modal human interfaces including all kinds of data visualization technologies and the like . the hic 110 separates the application and infrastructure layer from the representation and human interaction layer . the hic 110 can apply and enforce a sophisticated security scheme , such as one based on digital certificates , for all inbound and outbound communication . the hic 110 can be built with any software development environment that fulfills the above - mentioned requirements . in operation , physical and context objects can be introduced to the system using standardized parameterized events that include at least a system uid . additionally , specific attributes , methods , and rules can be attached to the introduced object ( e . g ., current temperature , current owner , manufacturer , temperature exceptions , alerts , rules , data access , and authority specifications ). the system maps all introduced objects to a system uid . for the system to be able to scale from a local to a global level and also integrate satisfactorily with other systems , this identifier should be globally unique . if the referent of the object has a tag with an identifier that is globally unique , that identifier can be — but need not be — used as the uid . one such unique identifier is the electronic product code ( epc ) of the mit ( massachusetts institute of technology ) autoid center . fig2 illustrates the format of the epc . one way of uniquely tagging articles is to attach rfid chips to them . these electronic chips hold at least a relatively unique identifier that can be read by specific reader devices . more sophisticated chips feature dynamic data storage with external read / write abilities and smart chips include built - in processing power . one advantage of rfid technology is the ability to automatically identify a multitude of articles over a distance without the need to disassemble or unpack them . alternatively , the system can use other technologies , such as item - level bar codes , magnetic tags , and polymer tags , to tag physical objects with identifiers that can be mapped to a system uid . the system communicates internally and externally by using events . table 1 provides an example an xml document representing such an event . any convenient form of representing events can be used . the system maps every introduced object to system - wide standardized dimensions of time , space ( 3 - d ), unique identity ( uid ), and context . the system saves input data with system - wide synchronized time stamps . space refers to everything from a point ( pure location ) to a complex three - dimensional polyhedron in a three - dimensional space ( representing , e . g ., location , size , and shape of an article ). context can be n - dimensional ( representing , e . g ., attributes such as temperature , velocity , and weight ). each dimension is measured in system - wide standard units , e . g ., units based on international standards like coordinated universal time (“ utc ”), and the international system of units (“ si ”). because time and space are universal dimensions , the system &# 39 ; s core space is compatible with all other systems , such as gis , that also work in these dimensions or subsets of them . introduced objects can be part of dynamic hierarchies . hierarchies can be described by context objects . based on internal or external event data , the system tracks and logs the state of articles represented by introduced objects within the above - described space . it is then able to answer questions or provide alerts about the state of , and relationships between , introduced objects in that space , such as : where are all articles ( uid ) of type x within a radius of y of address z ? where are the nearest spare parts for asset x and how fast could they be delivered to plant y ? where are all delivered products with lot number x right now ? where is the nearest demand for my products x with an expiration date before y ? alert ! chemical assets x and y are stored too close to each other . alert ! employee x is not allowed to carry laptop y out of building z . based on historical data , statistical or other methods , the system can also derive the future state or behavior of introduced objects or groups of them . the location of articles can be described to the system in a variety of ways . an example for a direct description is a latitude , longitude , and altitude data set configured in a standard way . an example for a derived location description is the street address of a facility where a tag reader is located . the system maps the street address of the tag reader to the system &# 39 ; s standard coordinate system , assumes that the article ( as represented by its uid ) encountered by the tag reader is near the tag reader , and associates the reader &# 39 ; s location with the article &# 39 ; s location . the object model may include a uid , attributes , and a definition of which system users have read / write / change authorities of which attributes , methods , and rules . the system assigns to each of its users a globally unique identifier , which may be based on the electronic product code ( epc ), the epc manager part of the epc , or the like . depending on the assigned authorization and using standardized parameterized events , system users write , read , and change data of introduced objects . object data access is dependent on defined authorization settings . table 2 provides an example an xml document representing a physical object implementing the described authorization model . this is just an example , however , and any convenient representation can be used . the system includes a generic authentication and security scheme ( such as one based on digital certificates and encryption ) for communication with and between the components and for communication to other systems and external devices . one application of the system will now be described in which the system tracks and logs location and temperature of high quality fish products that a shipper y is transporting from a manufacturer x to a retailer z . the following generally describes how the system accomplishes the described functions . manufacturer x boxes the products and attaches a rfid tag to each box . the rfid tag includes a uid and , in addition , can store an expiration date , a maximum temperature threshold , and a maximum encountered temperature reading ( t max ). manufacturer x loads the boxes on pallets and attaches an active , recyclable temperature - sensor device to each pallet . alternatively , and at greater expense , such a sensor could be attached to each box . these devices have an rfid tag attached that includes a uid and , in addition , can store temperature readings and a maximum encountered temperature reading ( t max ). the devices periodically measure the current temperature and store the readings on their attached rfid tag . alerts are triggered when temperature exceeds a specific threshold . upon arrival at the retailer , updated expiration dates and maximum encountered temperature data based on the temperature history logs of the sensor devices is written to the rfid tags of each box . manufacturer x wants to decrease the number of boxes rejected by retailer z (“ rejects ”) for which shipper y is to be held responsible , for example , boxes exposed to high temperatures during shipping . shipper y wants to gain market share by providing better customer satisfaction by ensuring full visibility of the current location and temperature of shipments . in addition , shipper y wants to detect quality problems and theft caused by contractors . retailer z wants to be able to identify and reject spoiled products upon arrival and , thus , cut costs by decreasing returns while , at the same time , achieve higher customer satisfaction . the following describes in detail how the system helps each party achieve its goals . fig3 illustrates one implementation in which manufacturer x , shipper y , and retailer z procure and implement a local installation of the object interface component ( oic ) 34 x , 34 y , 34 z of the system behind their respective firewalls 33 x , 33 y , 33 z . in addition , they jointly use the tagging component ( tc ) 32 , communication middleware component ( cmc ) 36 , context - aware intelligence component ( caic ) 37 and human interface component ( hic ) 38 of an external application service provider , who provides these services through a network such as the internet . alternatively , each party can subscribe to an implementation of the system which is provided by a service provider . in this latter case , each party need not procure and install an oic . in yet an another alternative , one or more of the parties can install all five component of the system for use by all of them . in this case , the parties need not subscribe to a service provider ; their cmcs can communicate by sending events over a network such as the internet . based on the specifications , standards , best industry practices , and other information obtained from the tc , manufacturer x procures read - write rfid tags and interrogators compliant with the above - described product and scenario requirements ( e . g ., active or passive rfid tag , frequency , reader range , temperature sensor built - in , memory size , price point , case material , and bonding requirements ). based on the specifications , standards , best industry practices , and other information obtained from the tc , shipper y and retailer z each procure a number of rfid interrogators ( which can be read - only ) that are compliant with the rfid tags of manufacturer x and the system . when manufacturer x produces a box of products , manufacturer x attaches one rfid tag and introduces to the system its unique identifier , allowed temperature ranges , and initial expiration date to the system . fig4 illustrates this introduction operation . a box is manufactured and a tag is attached ( step 20 ). the manufacturer &# 39 ; s oic - connected tag reader senses the tag and reads its uid ( step 21 ). the oic generates and sends a seen event including the uid to the cmc ( step 22 ), which routes it to the caic ( step 23 ). if an object for the uid is known , the caic updates the status and status history log of the object according to the input data (“ yes ” branch of step 24 ; step 28 ); otherwise , the caic determines whether the event is a new physical object event ( decision step 25 ). if the event is a new object event , the caic generates a new physical object for the uid according to the specified data ( step 26 ) and stores the new object data ( step 27 ). otherwise , the following actions occur . the caic sends an object unknown event for the uid to the cmc ( step 46 ). the cmc routes this event to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s production system ( step 45 ), which generates an introduce physical object event for the uid with attributes , access rights , rules , and alerts and sends this event to the cmc ( step 44 ). the cmc routes this event to the oic ( step 43 ), which generates and sends a new physical object event for the uid to the cmc ( step 42 ). the oic also determines whether there is a request to write data to the tag ( step 41 ). if there is , the oic writes the data to the tag ( step 40 ). in this illustration , the data is a “ good until ” date , a temperature threshold , and a maximum encountered temperature reading ( step 40 ). in any case , the new physical object event is routed by the cmc to the caic ( step 23 ) for handling as has been described . as shown in fig5 when manufacturer x loads a pallet for delivery , manufacturer x attaches an active temperature sensor to the pallet , resets the memory of the sensor and activates it ( step 50 ). the sensor measures temperature on a time schedule ( step 52 ), saving the measured temperatures with time stamps to a history log on the tag ( step 54 ). if the temperature exceeds the maximum encountered , this new maximum is also stored on the tag ( step 56 ). [ 0103 ] fig6 illustrates the system &# 39 ; s response to the loading of boxes onto the pallet with a sensor ( step 60 ). the manufacturer &# 39 ; s oic - connected tag reader senses the tags and their uids ( step 62 ) and generates seen events for the uids that it sends to the cmc ( step 64 ). the cmc routes these events to the caic ( step 66 ). the caic updates the status and status history log of the objects identified by the sensed uids according to the input data from the events ( step 68 ). when shipper y &# 39 ; s oic - connected readers sense a tag , the caic updates the system . fig7 illustrates this update operation . the shipper &# 39 ; s oic - connected tag reader senses the tags of the boxes on the pallet including the sensor tag , reading their uids and t max data ( step 70 ). the oic generates and sends seen events to the cmc with the data ( step 71 ). the cmc routes the events to the caic ( step 72 ). the caic updates the status and history log of the corresponding objects according to the received input data ( step 73 ). the caic determines whether the t max is within limits ( step 74 ). if not , the caic sends an alert event to the cmc (“ no ” branch from step 74 ; step 75 ), and the cmc routes the alert to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s and the shipper &# 39 ; s erp applications ( step 76 ). on receipt of the shipment , retailer z reads and validates the products &# 39 ; actual maximum temperature data from the attached rfid tags and expiration date . fig8 also illustrates this reading operation . when spoiled boxes are detected , they are identified and the caic alerts the store manager using the hic component . sms ( short message service ) messages , pager messages , or any other convenient form of message transmission , can be used for this purpose . fig8 also illustrates this alert operation where a retailer &# 39 ; s oic - connected tag reader senses and reads the uids of tags of boxes on a pallet include a sensor tag carrying a uid , a maximum temperature t max and a temperature history t history ( step 80 ). the oic generates and sends to the cmc seen events with the uid , t max and t history information ( step 81 ). the cmc routes the events to the caic ( step 82 ). the caic updates the status and history log of objects according to the input data ( step 83 ). the caic also computes a new expiration date for each box based on the t max and t history information and the manufacturer &# 39 ; s rules ( step 84 ). if the caic determines that the box is spoiled (“ yes ” branch from decision step 85 ), the caic sends an alert event with uid and t max to the cmc ( step 86 ), which routes the alert to the hic ( step 87 ). the hic then sends an sms message alerting the retail store manager ( step 88 ). whether or not the box is spoiled , the oic determines whether there is a request that data be written to the tag ( step 89 ), and if it there is , the caic generates and sends write data events with the uid and data for the tags to the cmc ( step 90 ). the cmc routes these events to the oic ( step 91 ), which writes “ good until ” and t max data to the tags ( step 92 ). the system can receive context information from third party providers , for example , traffic or weather information . in general , information can be brought into the system either by having the providers push the information , or having the system pull the information . having such information enables the system to report or forecast shipping delays or other situations that can affect the movement or condition of introduced articles . fig9 illustrates this implemented with the providers feeding information into the system . in this illustration , a traffic information provider generates an introduce context object event with a uid and attributes and sends the event to the cmc ( step 120 ), which routes the event to an oic ( step 122 ). the receiving oic generates a new context object event with uid to the cmc ( step 124 ), which routes the event to the caic ( step 126 ). the caic determines that the event is of the type new context object event (“ yes ” branch of decision step 128 ), generates a new context object for the uid according to the specified data ( step 130 ), and stores the new object data ( step 132 ). the system can provided data flow and bi - directional data flow on tags . fig1 illustrates one scenario . a tag 152 is attached to a box 150 . the tag contains a uid , and , in addition , can store an expiration date , a maximum temperature threshold , a maximum encountered temperature reading , and a price . the temperature data on tag 152 can be updated as often as the temperature of box 150 is measured , e . g ., at a temperature measuring station that can write its readings to tag 152 or , by a temperature sensor operably coupled to tag 152 . the data on tag 152 can be automatically read by tag reader 158 , e . g ., using rfid technology . in one embodiment , tag reader 158 periodically “ scans ” its environment within a specific range . in another embodiment , tag reader 158 is triggered to scan its environment , e . g ., by a proximity sensor . if a scan returns valid read data ( through communication 154 ), e . g ., because tag 152 has been moved into the scanned range , tag reader 158 will send the received data to system 166 ( through communication 162 ). for this example , it is assumed that the system 166 maintains a physical object 168 previously introduced by an external application 174 ( through communication 172 ) and that the external application 174 also defined and attached a rule 170 to physical object 168 . rule 170 is defined as “ if the maximum encountered temperature of the box as stored on its tag is higher than 45 degrees fahrenheit , then write the current date as new expiration date to its tag .” rule 170 can be defined in any format , syntax or computer code that is compatible with system 166 . whenever system 166 receives new data read from tag 152 , it will execute rule 170 . if rule 170 returns a positive result , system 166 will compute a new expiration date , such as the current date , send the new expiration date and the uid of tag 152 to tag writer 160 ( by communication 164 ), and cause tag writer 160 to write the new expiration data to the expiration data field on the tag 152 ( through communication 156 ). [ 0110 ] fig1 illustrates another scenario , in which external application 174 periodically queries system 166 for the latest status of the maximum encountered temperature of the box 150 as stored on its tag 152 . in this scenario , the logic , which may again be identified as a rule 171 , is part of the external application 174 . the external application 174 transmits an event to system 166 that contains the uid of tag 152 , a new expiration date , an updated price , and updated regulatory information . this event triggers system 166 to send the received expiration date , price , and uid to a tag writer 160 ( through communication 164 ). the system 166 then causes the tag writer 160 to write the received data to the corresponding data fields on the tag 152 . the communications that have been mentioned can take place through any communication medium , including over a network , for example , the internet . in these scenarios , with a tag reader that is able to read the data stored on the tag 152 , a receiver of the box 150 will be able to identify an expiration date and price that is based on the temperature that the box 150 has been exposed to during tracking . [ 0112 ] fig1 illustrates one aspect of the process of data flow . in an illustrative example , the system receives attribute information for a first article including its uid by reading a first tag bound to the first article ( step 1202 ). the system similarly receives attribute information for a second article and context information derived from data read automatically from a sensor coupled to the second article ( step 1204 ). the system maintains a virtual first and second article using this information ( step 1206 ). the system also receives relationship information specifying a relationship between the articles and maintains a virtual relationship ( step 1208 ). having this information , the system can recognize an alert condition relating to the first article based at least in part on one of the virtual articles ( step 1210 ). in response to the alert condition , the system generates updated attribute information to be written to the first article ( step 1212 ). the system then detects the presence of the first tag at a tag writer station ( step 1214 ) and causes the tag writer station to write the updated information to the first tag ( step 1216 ). in these scenarios , the alert condition can be recognized , and the rules for responding to the alert and computing updated information , in the system itself , or this can be done in an application external to the system . in the latter case , the application receives from the system information from objects maintained by the system and generates the updated attribute information and provides it to the system with a request that it be written to the first tag . [ 0114 ] fig1 illustrates another aspect of the process of data flow . in an illustrative example , the system receives attribute information for a first article derived from tag data read automatically by a first tag reader from a first tag bound to the first article ( step 1302 ). the system also receives updated attribute information for the first article ( step 1304 ). the system later detects the presence of the first tag at a different tag writer station ( step 1306 ) and causes the tag writer station to write the updated information to the first tag ( step 1308 ). in this scenario , the updated information can be computed in the system itself , or this can be done in an application external to the system . in the latter case , the application receives from the system information from objects maintained by the system and generates the updated attribute information and provides it to the system with a request that it be written to the tag . the system can be applied to other scenarios . the system supports the development of a range of new and enhanced applications across industries on a local to global scale . other applications of the system includes supply chain management , asset tracking management , security and access control , transportation , toll collection , point of sales applications , and baggage handling . these examples are further described below . rfid systems are ideally suited for the identification of high - unit high - value products moving through an assembly process ( such as automobile or agricultural equipment production ). rfid systems also offer the durability essential for permanent identification of product carriers such as boxes , crates , and pallets . other applications within supply chain management include work - in - progress tracking and parcel delivery . asset tracking and management applications include those for monitoring the flow of equipment , people , and documents within a space such as a building , yard , or terminal , for example , to tighten control over assets and keep good track of articles , including individuals . specific applications within asset management include : records / document tracking , people tracking , yard management , and equipment tracking . the movement and use of valuable equipment and personnel resources can be monitored through transponders attached to equipment or carried by the equipment or personnel . transponders can also be embedded in credit card size security badges . home security call systems and building access are two examples of security and access control applications . transponders can be attached to vehicles ( e . g ., aircraft , rail cars , trucks ) and can contain important information about the vehicle and its contents . transportation applications include aircraft identification , rail car and shipping container tracking , public transportation ticketing , and weigh station applications . toll collection applications involve attaching a transponder to a vehicle . the transponder transmits a code , which identifies a prepaid account , to a reader which automatically deducts the toll from the prepaid account . these applications include electronic surveillance of retail items , forgery prevention , and sales transactions and usually involve tagging individual retail items with low cost transponders , which are essentially active tags . in a baggage handling application , airline luggage is tagged with rfid transponders such as smart labels to allow airline baggage handling operations to track baggage from the moment a traveler checks into an airport to the moment the traveler reaches his final destination . the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments . other embodiments are within the scope of the claims . for example , the steps of the invention can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results . the system is flexible and offers many business methods for tracking articles . in one method , one or more customers subscribe to the system , which is provided by a service provider who distributes the services over a network such as the internet . in this case , the customers need not procure components or the entire system , thereby saving capital costs . alternatively , the customers procure components of or the entire system , thereby saving operational cost . alternatively , the system can support any combination of the described business methods . for example , some customer can subscribe to the system and some customer can procure components or the entire system .
6
in fig1 an electric guitar 1 is illustrated comprising a head 2 at one end , a body 3 at the other end , with a neck 4 extending between the head and the body . six strings 6 extend from head 2 to body 3 over neck 4 . neck 4 forms fret board 5 for guitar 1 . at head 2 , each of the strings extends over nut 7 forming the first critical point for the strings . nut 7 is located at the transition of neck 4 to head 2 . each string 6 is secured on the head by anchor 8 and each anchor has a corresponding tuner 9 . on the body 3 , strings 6 are secured to fulcrum tremolo 12 . fulcrum tremolo 12 has arm 11 for pivoting the tremolo and providing the vibrato effect on the strings . fulcrum tremolo 12 has six intonation modules 13 . the intonation modules present improvements to the macro - tuning invention which incorporates the function of the bridge element and tail - piece in its structure as well as the capacity to adjustably secure the individual strings to the instrument . the intonation modules are movable and thereby provide a means to change the distance between the first and second critical points or the harmonic tuning as such . the invention is shown for us on electric guitar 1 and it should be understood that the invention could be used on a variety of stringed musical instruments . in the following description , fulcrum tremolo 12 will be described in greater detail . fulcrum tremolo 12 forms a second critical point for strings 6 , sometimes characterized as an intonation point or bridge point . in fig2 fulcrum tremolo 12 is shown on an enlarged scale compared to fig1 . fig3 displays fulcrum tremolo 12 of fig2 in a cross - section view . the second critical point is located near the front intonation modules 13 . outwardly from intonation modules 13 on each side of the opposite sides of base plate 14 extending in the direction of the strings there are bearing housings 30 . the bearing housing 30 supports base plate 14 pivotally relative to body 3 . global tuner 50 is positioned between spring block 40 extending downwardly from the bottom of base plate 14 and counter springs 44 connected to instrument body 3 . in fig2 and 3 , one of the intonation modules 13 is shown including a shaped barrel - like base 10 with a second critical point formed at string opening 17 . base 10 is adjustably secured to base plate 14 of fulcrum tremolo 12 by machine screws 28 through slots 29 . loosing machine screws 28 permits longitudinal movement of base 10 and associated parts for harmonic tuning of string 6 . adjustment bolt 18 first passes through opening 20 in base 10 and threaded portion 19 of adjustment bolt 18 is engaged with threaded portion 21 of string tensioning element 22 within sleeve - like portion 23 of base 10 . string 6 of the musical instrument makes critical contact with base 10 at the string opening 17 to passageway 15 sloping downwardly and rearwardly through base 10 until the string passes into a sleeve - like portion 23 . string 6 continues passing through clamping point 16 of string tensioning element 22 , through slots 25 between upper fork 72 and lower fork 73 of fork - like string clamping means 24 , through string passageway 27 of string tensioning element 22 and is secured at exit 26 . annular flange - like portion 71 of fork - like string clamping means 24 of string tensioning element 22 is in bearing contact with restricted portion 70 of sleeve - like portion 23 of base 10 . threading adjustment bolt 18 displaces the string tensioning element 22 relative to string opening 17 providing an adjustment whereby tension or pull on string 6 is applied and varied for raising and adjusting the strings 6 from an untensioned condition to a pitched string condition ; simultaneously , annular flange - like portion 71 of fork - like string clamping means 24 of string tensioning element 22 is drawn within restricted portion 70 of sleeve - like portion 23 , clamping string 6 between upper fork 72 and lower fork 73 at clamping point 16 adjacent to string opening 17 . in fig2 , 4 and 5 outwardly from intonation modules 13 on each side of the opposite sides of base plate 14 shown at the forward end of fulcrum tremolo 12 extending in the direction of the strings , there is bearing housing 30 . bearing housing 30 is adjacent to base plate 14 . housing 30 is adjustably supported relative to body 3 of the instrument by threaded post 31 with annular flange 32 . post 31 is threaded into insert 33 in body 3 . by threading post 31 into insert 33 , the spacing between body 3 and housing 30 is selectively adjustable . adjustment of post 31 is effected through an oval opening 34 in the top of housing 30 . in housing 30 rearward post 31 , there is opening 76 extending transversely of the string direction of guitar1 containing bearing assembly 35 , formed by four side - by - side roller bearings 36 . insert 37 fits into cut - out 38 in the side of base plate 14 with pin 39 with annular flange 39a extending outwardly through bearings 36 . annular flange 39a on pin 39 spaces the side - by - side roller bearings 36 from base plate 14 . accordingly , by manipulating tremolo arm 11 , fulcrum tremolo 12 can be pivoted about pin 39 to achieve the desired tremolo effect . as can be seen in fig2 and 3 there is spring attachment means 40 extending downwardly from base plate 14 . the preferred embodiment incorporates thumb screw 42 with shaft 45 threadedly engaged with threaded opening 47 in spring block 40 on one side of thumb screw 42 and another shaft 46 with reverse threads in the opposite direction of shaft 45 threadedly engaged with reverse threaded opening 48 in spring holder 41 . counter springs 44 are attached at one end to spring holder 41 and to body 3 on the other end of counter springs 44 . guide pin 43 extending outwardly from spring block 40 towards spring holder 41 passes through guide pin opening 49 in spring holder 41 limiting longitudinal rotational movement of spring holder 41 relative to spring block 40 . by threading thumb screw 42 clockwise relative to spring holder means 41 , spring holder 41 moves closer to spring block 40 increasing the tension of the counter springs 44 and by threading thumb screw 42 counter - clockwise relative to spring holder means 41 , spring holder 41 moves away from spring block 40 decreasing the tension of the counter springs 44 providing the means to adjust the equilibrium point and globally tune fulcrum tremolo 12 . fig6 displays an improved &# 34 ; semi - headless &# 34 ; tuner arrangement for stringed musical instruments . in fig7 at the end of 4 is shown with strings 6 each of a different size . the strings 6 pass over nut 7 and each string is secured by string tensioning tuning device 51 , a &# 34 ; semi - headless tuner &# 34 ; adjacent the nut . there is a separate macro - tuning device 52 for each string . the devices , as set forth in fig6 & amp ; 7 includes bracket 53 secured to and projecting from the end of neck 4 . l - shaped lever 54 is pivotally connected by pin 55 as shown in fig6 . the other or second arm 56 of lever 54 extends from pivot pin 44 toward the end of neck 4 . at the end of second arm 56 there is sleeve - like portion 57 . string slot 58 extends longitudinally along sleeve - like portion 57 continuing disposed at an angle towards the top of the sleeve . slot 59 at the free end of the sleeve extends towards the connected end of second arm 56 . adjacent the free end and within sleeve - like portion 57 , there is string clamping means 60 with fork - like portion 61 with upper fork 62 and lower fork 63 and at the opposite end there is threaded opening 64 . thumb screw 65 passes through slot 59 in sleeve - like portion 57 and through unthreaded opening 66 in upper fork 62 and is threadedly engaged with threaded opening 67 in lower fork 63 . string 6 is arranged through slotted opening 58 and into slotted opening 75 between upper fork 62 and lower fork 63 . threading thumb screw 65 clamps the upper fork 62 and lower fork 63 on string 6 , securing string 6 to string clamping means 60 . adjustment bolt 68 is adjustably mounted within sleeve - like portion 57 opposite the free end . threaded portion 69 of adjustment bolt 68 is threadedly engaged with threaded opening 64 adjustably securing string clamping means 60 to macro - tuner 52 . by threading adjustment bolt 68 the clamping means can be displaced relative to nut 7 wherein the tension on string 6 can be raised and varied whereby the macro tuning can be achieved . in fig8 shows a single macro - tuning device where string 6 passes through slots 58 of sleeve - like portion 57 and is arranged between upper fork 62 and lower fork 63 of fork - like portion 61 of string clamping means 60 and clamped and secured by thumb screw 65 wherein threaded portion 69 of adjustment bolt 68 is threadedly engaged with threaded opening 64 of string clamping means 60 . by threading adjustment bolt 68 the position of string clamping means 60 relative to the anchoring means at the opposite end string 6 is increased and varied whereby tension or pull on string 6 is applied and varied for raising and adjusting the strings 6 from an untensioned condition to a pitched string condition . while specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles .
6
the receiver of fig1 comprises an antenna 10 for receiving a broadcast television signal s1 having a teletext component . signal s1 is applied to a television signal processing unit which includes a tuner and associated circuits for providing a baseband video output signal s2 that is applied to a switch 14 and to a pulse code modulation ( pcm ) detector 16 . for normal viewing of entertainment programming , switch 14 is placed in the &# 34 ; tv &# 34 ; position of coupling signal s2 to a display unit 18 ( e . g ., a kinescope and associated drive circuitry ). for teletext viewing , switch 14 is placed in the &# 34 ; teletext &# 34 ; position ( as shown ) for coupling a teletext video output signal s3 , processed in accordance with the invention , to display unit 18 . the signal s3 comprises a teletext video component s4 produced by a teletext decoder 20 and a cursor video component s5 produced by a teletext page selection unit 30 . decoder 20 is of conventional design and comprises pcm detector 16 which detects luminance signal level variations of the baseband signal s2 and provides a digital output signal s6 representative of teletext information transmitted during a selected line ( or lines ) of the vertical interval of signal s2 . signal s6 is supplied to a control unit 22 ( e . g ., a microprocessor ) and to a page memory 24 . unit 22 has an input port 23 coupled to an output port 32 of page selection unit 30 for receiving a selection code signal s7 . in response to the selection code s7 , unit 22 supplies a write enable signal s8 to memory 24 which causes pages of information conveyed by signal s6 and which correspond to the selection code to be stored in memory 24 . the user controls the selection code , as will be explained , and thus controls what portions of the information conveyed by signal s6 are stored in memory 24 and ultimately displayed on unit 18 . the information stored in memory 24 may receiver further processing by control unit 22 to place it in a desired form for display purposes ( e . g ., the &# 34 ; pages &# 34 ; may be reordered or reformatted , overlays may be added and so forth ). when the pages are in a form for display , memory 24 is &# 34 ; read &# 34 ; by control unit 22 and a teletext data signal s9 is applied to pixel ( picture element ) generator 26 which translates signal s9 to form appropriate character and graphic symbols representative of the stored page information . a typical graphic / character display format might comprise , illustratively , a 6 × 10 array of bits for each character or graphic symbol . the translated symbol signal s10 produced by pixel generator 26 is stored in a bit map memory 27 . memory 27 is the principal means for refreshing display unit 18 during the teletext operating mode . illustratively , memory 27 may be organized to provide storage of 21 lines of symbols with 42 symbols per line and four bits per symbol added to convey color or brightness information . the stored symbols ( alphanumerics and graphaics , for example ) are read from memory 27 at video rates in a timed relationship with the scanning of display 18 to provide an output signal s11 conveying the stored teletext information in raster scan form . signal s11 is applied to a video display processor 28 which translates the digital signals to a video format ( analog ) in which each pixel and its associated color are represented by appropriate luminance and chrominance components to thereby form the teletext video output signal s4 . signal s4 , as previously noted , is combined with the cursor signal s5 for display of the teletext information on unit 18 . teletext page selection unit 30 provides the functions of generating the cursor signal s5 and the teletext page selection code s7 in accordance with proximity of the cursor with certain predefined symbols displayed on unit 18 . the selection unit comprises an output port 32 coupled to the input port of control unit 22 for supplying the selection code thereto , and input port 34 coupled to the output of pixel generator 26 for receiving the teletext data signal s10 ( i . e ., symbols and display addresses ) therefrom , an input terminal 36 coupled to the output of video display processor 28 for receiving the teletext video signal s4 therefrom and a video output terminal 38 coupled to switch 14 for supplying the composite teletext video and cursor signals thereto ( i . e ., signal s3 ). the cursor control signal is initiated and controlled by means of a remote control unit 60 comprising a vertical position control 62 , a horizontal position control 64 and a select key 66 . unit 60 may comprise , illustratively , a &# 34 ; joy stick &# 34 ; type of control wherein controls 62 and 64 are potentiometers providing analog output voltages proportional to the joy stick position and wherein key 66 is a push button switch . alternatively , unit 60 may comprise other suitable means for providing vertical and horizontal control and selection signals such as a &# 34 ; track ball &# 34 ;, a &# 34 ; mouse &# 34 ;, a simple key pad or the like . the output signals of remote control 60 are applied to a coupling unit 40 which conditions the signals for use by an address decoder 42 and a gate 44 . unit 40 may comprise a sonic or infra - red transmission system or the like . where , as assumed , control 60 comprises a joy stick , unit 40 would include analog to digital conversion means for converting the output voltages of the vertical and horizontal position controls to digital signals . the &# 34 ; select signal &# 34 ; s12 , being produced by a switch closure , need only be translated in unit 40 to an appropriate logic level for use by gate 44 . the cursor address signal s13 is applied to a cursor generator unit 46 which receives vertical and horizontal timing information from display unit 18 and generates a cursor video signal s5 in timed relationship with scanning of the display . ( to simplify the drawing , raster scan timing signals are not shown ). the cursor , symbol , illustratively , may be of block form or of some other suitable shape so as to be visible when displayed with the teletext video signal . the cursor signal s5 is added to the video signal s4 by means of an adder 48 which supplies the resultant combined signals s3 to display 18 via switch 14 . generation of the selection code signal s7 involves determination of the proximity of the cursor to specific displayed teletext symbols which represent user choices of information to be displayed . to facilitate this , the teletext data signal s10 is applied to a read / write control unit 50 which is coupled to a &# 34 ; vocabulary &# 34 ; read only memory ( rom ) 52 and to a random access memory ( ram ) 54 . vocabulary rom 52 is programmed with data corresponding to the &# 34 ; working vocabulary &# 34 ; of the control symbols in the teletext system syntax ( i . e ., number and control words or symbols corresponding to user information access or control commands ). unit 50 compares the teletext data at port 34 with the contents of rom 52 and if there is a match stores in ram 54 the identities and addresses of all teletext control symbols which are displayed on unit 18 . ram 54 must have sufficient data which does not correspond to a recognized control symbol ( or word ) is not stored in ram 54 but is simply ignored by unit 50 . the addresses of the data stored in ram 54 are continuously compared with the cursor address provided by decoder 42 by scanning through the memory addresses of ram 54 by scanning means ( not shown ) to produce symbol address information which is supplied to address compare logic unit 56 . any control data in ram 54 having an address equal to or within a predetermined vertical and horizontal range of the cursor address will cause logic unit 56 to supply a priming signal pulse s15 to gate 44 . if , at the same time , the user has depressed select key 66 in remote control 60 , the select signal s12 will cause gate 44 to transfer the control code from ram 54 to the teletext selection code input port 23 of control unit 22 in the teletext decoder 20 . unit 22 , in turn , will interpret the selection code and load page memory 24 with teletext information in accordance with the selection code and the information will be processed and displayed on unit 18 as previously described . the &# 34 ; proximity &# 34 ; feature of the invention with regard to the address comparison provided by logic unit 56 enables the user to err to a certain extent in the placement of the cursor on the screen of display unit 18 . it is only necessary for the user to place the cursor near the desired page or menu selection symbol to effect the desired control function . an examplary comparison range is 5 scan lines vertically and 16 &# 34 ; pixels &# 34 ; horizontally . the use of a range of values for address comparison frees the user from any need to exactly position the cursor over a desired control function word or symbol and greatly enhances the speed and ease of use of the selection system . fig2 and 3 provide further illustration of the operation of the teletext page selection unit of the invention . in fig2 a television receiver 202 equipped with a teletext decoder and a page selection unit as described in shown in operation displaying a page of weather information transmitted via teletext . the remote control unit 60 is of the joy stick type previously described . the text of the weather report is seen to include the words &# 34 ; next &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; more &# 34 ;. these words are also control words in the teletext system vocabulary and appear in the prompting area at the bottom of the screen . in this example , the control word next , when selected as a system command will cause the next forecast to be displayed . the control word more will cause a summary to be displayed . selection of the controls or commands next or more may be made by placing the cursor 204 close to the desired word either in the text area or in the prompt area of the displayed message . this is done by manipulation of the joy stick 62 / 64 . when cursor is positioned near the desired word , the user depresses the select push button switch 66 and the control system will implement the choice as previously described . if the cursor should be misplaced then depression of switch 66 will have no effect since gate 44 will not be primed by signal s15 unless the cursor is near a recognized &# 34 ; command &# 34 ; word in the system vocabulary stored in rom 52 . fig3 provides a more detailed view of the proximity of the cursor 204 to the command word next . the center of the word is defined by a vertical line aa corresponding to a horizontal address and a horizontal line bb corresponding to a vertical address . an address field is formed corresponding to all addresses falling within five scan lines vertically and sixteen pixels horizontally of the intersection of aa and bb . if the cursor address equals any member of the address feild 206 when switch 66 is activated , then gate 44 will transfer the command code for &# 34 ; next &# 34 ; to control unit 22 for effecting the control function so identified . to further facilitate selection of control functions by means of a cursor , the system of fig1 may be modified so as to place cursor 204 in the center of the selected word &# 34 ; next &# 34 ; whenever the generated cursor address lies within any portion of the address field 206 . this is illustrated by the position of the cursor 204 &# 39 ; in fig3 which is centered with respect to lines aa and bb . in this mode of control the cursor 204 , in effect , &# 34 ; jumps &# 34 ; to the center of any word in the command vocabulary of the teletext system when the cursor address is within the address field of the word . this provides a positive indication to the user that he has placed the cursor on a system command word ( or other symbol ) and thus eliminates any doubt as to what function will be implemented when switch 66 is depressed . additionally , to provide a further indication that a given symbol corresponds to a particular page or menu selection code ( or some other function ) the cursor appearance may also be altered after the cursor jump to a code symbol location . it is also possible to alter the appearance of the displayed word or symbol as will be explained . fig4 provides an illustration of how the cursor jump and appearance alteration may be implemented by modifying the page selection unit of fig1 . the modification comprises the addition of an address gate 70 having inputs coupled to the address information output lines of ram 54 and decoder 42 and an output coupled to supply selected ones of the addresses to cursor generator 46 . gate 70 is controlled by the signal s15 which indicates proximity of the cursor address to the displayed information address . when signal s15 is low , indicating that the cursor is not near a control symbol , gate 70 couples the cursor address s13 to cursor generator 46 which functions as previously described to cause the cursor to be displayed at the address produced by the remote control unit 60 . however , when signal s15 is high ( indicating proximity of addresses ) gate 70 couples the address of the control symbol produced by ram 54 to the cursor generator thereby causing a &# 34 ; jump &# 34 ; of the displayed cursor to the symbol address . this jump is illustrated in fig3 by the position of cursor 204 &# 39 ; which , as shown , is centered with respect to the control symbol ( word ) next . to prevent the ram address from changing after the &# 34 ; jump &# 34 ; signal , signal s15 is applied to an address change inhibit input 55 of the ram . accordingly , as long as there is no change in the cursor address signal , s15 will remain high and the cursor will remain centered on the control symbol . if the cursor address changes by an amount such that the true address is outside the address field 206 then signal s15 will go low and the cursor will &# 34 ; jump &# 34 ; to its actual address as determined by signal s13 . to highlight the cursor mode ( i . e ., its true address versus its ram controlled address ), the signal s15 is applied to a luminance level control input of the cursor generator 46 . the generator may include an interruptor or modulator responsive to the signal s15 for altering the cursor luminance signal level thereby causing the cursor to blink when in the ram addressing mode . this provides a further alert to the user of the system that the cursor is properly positioned with respect to the control word ( or other control symbol ). in the alternative ( or in addition ) to blinking the cursor , the cursor generaator 46 may include suitable shape altering circuitry responsive to signal s15 for providing a visible alteration of the appearance of the cursor when in the ram address control mode . the shape alteration may comprise a change from a &# 34 ; block &# 34 ; cursor ( as shown in fig3 ) to an underline cursor , for example . another alternative would be to alter the appearance of the displayed word or symbol by applying the signal s15 to decoder 20 to effect a video reversal or other change . it will be appreciated that the principles of the invention are of general utility and may be applied to videotext as well as to teletext systems and to other systems in which a control symbol vocabulary is defined and used to facilitate system information selection or some other control function . the various control functions in the information selection unit may be combined and executed by different structure than that shown . for example , a microprocessor , suitably programmed in accordance with the invention , may be used for providing the ram read / write control functions as well as the rom comparison function and the address comparison function and the cursor address decoding function . the remote control 60 may comprise a simply joy stick as discussed or some other means such as a three key keyboard having up / down and left / right rocker type keys plus a &# 34 ; select &# 34 ; key .
7
referring to fig1 the load 1 is shown as an elongated cylindrical body . load 1 is suspended from a parachute 2 by a belt assembly having three longitudinal belts 4 which are coupled together at the top of the load 1 by a further belt 3 . the ends 5 of belts 4 are provided with loops . belt ends 5 are connected together on the lower front surface 6 of the load 1 by a connecting component or coupling mechanism 7 so that the load is retained between the belt parts 3 , 4 and 5 . if the connection of the belt ends 5 established by connecting component 7 is broken the load 1 falls free from the belt assembly . an impact component in the form of impact plate 8 is attached to the load and spaced from the lower front surface 6 thereof . the parachute 2 is dimensioned with respect to the size of the load so that the load is stabilized after being dropped and arrives safely on the ground with its lower end ( i . e . the impact plate 8 ) first , as shown in fig2 . as indicated by the force arrows in fig2 the side of the impact plate 8 is bent upward by the impact of the edge of the impact plate 8 with the ground . thus , the impact plate 8 is deformed by absorbing the shock of the landing impact . understandably , there is allowance for greater landing angles . moreover , the invention is operable in the case where the load is stabilized by the parachute in such a way that it hits the ground with the edge of its lower front surface or impact plate at considerable horizontal speed . as shown in fig4 the ends 5 of the belts 4 are guided in groove - like recesses 9 in the area of the lower front surface 6 of the load 1 so that the ends 5 are not jammed between the impact plate 8 and the lower front surface 6 upon distortion of the impact plate 8 as shown in fig2 and therefore the ends 5 may easily slip away from each other upon disconnection . the releasable coupling mechanism 7 is located at the middle of the lower front surface 6 of the load 1 , the coupling mechanism providing for the connection and separation of the belt ends 5 with one another respectively . the mechanism 7 includes a body 10 which is centrally disposed and securely mounted to the front surface 6 . body 10 defines three pairs of guide grooves 12 which have center lines angularly spaced at about 120 degrees . grooves 12 extend radially from an intersection point 11 located within a centrally located circular recess . as shown in fig3 the center line of each pair of grooves 12 is aligned with one of the groove shaped recesses 9 which receives a belt end 5 . a cord 13 is passed through all the loop - like belt ends 5 and fed along the grooves 12 as shown in fig3 . since the cord 13 is positioned in opposite aligned grooves 12 , the lengths of the cord intersect in a central region of body 10 of coupling mechanism 7 . the ends of cord 13 are secured together by a knot 14 or the like . the region of intersection 11 is defined by a central recess in body 10 which is limited laterally by a straight side wall or walls 15 . the walls 15 form a guide for a cylindrical knife body 16 with a ring - shaped cutting edge 17 , cutting edge 17 facing inwardly towards the base 18 of the recess and the intersecting lengths of cord 13 . the knife body 16 is biased away from the base 18 of the recess by a compression spring 19 so that its cutting edge 17 is in a state of rest at a safe distance from the cord 13 . the knife body 16 is supported , at the end disposed oppositely with respect to its cutting edge 17 , by a cap member which defines a capping point 20 . capping point 20 is coaxial with the cylindrical knife body 16 and is defined by a projection which contacts the impact plate 8 . besides the spring 19 , an additional force can be provided to prevent the knife body when in a resting state from approaching the cord 13 as , for example , in the form of a graduated narrowing of the wall 15 . as shown in fig4 the impact plate 8 is mounted on three bolts 21 which are generally spaced about the perimeter of the impact plate . the bolts 21 are surrounded by deformable protective plastic casings 22 . the bolts 21 thus define the resting place of the knife body 16 . since the plastic casings 22 are deformable in response to an applied compressive force , the edges of the impact plate 8 affected directly by an impact with the ground can be distorted as represented in fig2 . any impact which produces movement or distortion of the landing shock absorber will cause the central portion of the plate 8 to drive the knife body 16 inwardly such that , upon impact of the edge of the plate 8 with the ground , the plate 8 presses the knife body 16 into the guide 10 so that the cutting edge 17 strikes through the overlying lengths of the cord 13 . in order to ensure a safe cut , the guide 10 , or at least the bottom surface of the base 18 of recess 11 thereof opposite the cutting edge 17 , consists of soft material such as plastic or light metal so that the cutting edge can penetrate when cutting in order to separate the last thread of the cord 13 with certainty . when the cord 13 is cut the belt ends 5 fall free from one another and the parachute will be released from the load on the moment of impact and without any delay . the cap 20 of the knife body is , when the cord cutting stroke is complete , at a predetermined distance from the lower front surface 6 of the load 1 which is more than half the distance of the impact plate 8 from the load front surface 6 in its original or resting place . therefore , as disclosed in fig2 the bending of the plate upon impact absorbs the forces produced whereupon the releasable coupling mechanism of the present invention may also function as a landing shock absorber for the load 1 . the above - described embodiment of the invention has the further advantage that the compressing force for moving the knife body and cutting the rope can easily be calculated and determined to insure an adequate amount of force even under the most unfavorable conditions . the above - described device for separating the connecting belt ends 5 is centrally disposed between the impact plate 8 and the lower front surface 6 of the load and such positioning has the advantage that the separating device can be made very small and very uncomplicated and that the risk of error in the transferral of energy is minimal . the further embodiments of the invention hereinafter described also have this advantage . referring to fig5 an alternate embodiment of the invention is shown wherein the cord 23 which connects the belt ends 5 takes the form of a continuous , non - circular loop and the knife body , which is developed as a guide pin 25 disposed in an axial bore 24 , holds one ( or more ) radially extending blades 26 which preferably travel in guide slots . the operation of this embodiment is essentially the same as that of the embodiment of fig3 and 4 . referring to fig6 and 7 , a further embodiment is shown wherein loops 27 formed from rope or cord are affixed to and define extension of the belt ends . the loops 27 may be comprised of elastic material , by springs or may include springs . a support finger 28 passes through all of the loops 27 . the forces applied to the loops , by the belts are adjusted to be substantially equal . accordingly , the support finger 28 is required only to transfer force from loop to loop and not from the belts to the load . the support finger 28 extends axially through a bore 29 in a cover 30 which extends over a recess 31 and is secured to a support plate 32 within the recess 31 . the support plate 32 is biased outwardly by the force of a compression spring 33 as shown in fig7 so that the support finger 28 extends beyond the outer surface of the cover 30 as far as possible . a plurality of actuator pins 34 are affixed to support plate 32 and extend outwardly through apertures in cover 30 . pins 34 are evenly spaced about the periphery of plate 32 and extend approximately to the impact plate 8 . the position of plate 8 is defined by a plurality of mounting bolts . each of the mounting bolts is encircled by a compression spring 35 , the springs urging plate 8 outwardly . in the manner described above in the discussion of fig2 if the impact plate 8 is deformed on the landing of the load , at least one of the pins 34 will be forced upwardly thus causing support plate 32 to move against the bias of spring 33 toward the bottom of recess 31 . accordingly , the loop retaining support finger 28 will be withdrawn into the recess 31 through the bore 29 . as the rope loops 27 are not able to follow the loop retaining support finger 28 , the loops 27 are released whereupon the parachute and belts are freed from the load . as an alternative construction , three support fingers may be distributed nonconcentrically and in the form of an angle on the support plate 32 , namely one for each loop . if deemed necessary , provision can be made to prevent or delay the return of the loop retaining support finger 28 to the locking position thereby ensuring that the loops 27 will always be moved away out of the center of the cover 30 before the support finger 28 re - emerges from the bore 29 . such provision is not required in the described device in general since the support plate 32 assumes a non - parallel relationship to impact plate 8 upon impact because one or at the most two pins 34 will be pushed upwardly upon an impact . accordingly , as soon as the support finger 28 is withdrawn to the inside of cover 30 through the bore 29 the plate 32 will be displaced diagonally and the support finger will no longer be aligned with the bore 29 and cannot return to the locking position . referring to a still further embodiment in fig8 the impact plate 8 is supported from three long plungers 36 movably mounted within a cover 37 which is concentric with the load 1 . the plungers 36 are guided for movement in a longitudinal direction and define , if necessary with the use of bias springs as shown in fig7 the stable or &# 34 ; rest &# 34 ; position of the impact plate 8 . on the upper end of each plunger 36 , a cutting edge 38 is provided . a securing cord 39 is tied about the circumference of load 1 . securing cord 39 passes through the loops formed on the ends of belts 40 which are connected to the parachute lines . cord 39 is positioned , by suitable supports , immediately above the cutting edges 38 . on landing , the load is shifted by the force of impact at least to one of the plungers 36 , whereby the cutting edge 38 runs through the area of the support in which the cord 39 is located so that the cord 39 is severed . in order to limit the cord cutting stroke , and also to employ the deformation of impact plate 8 to absorb landing shock , a stop 41 can be provided on the central lower front surface 6 of the load 1 . the above - description of the impact component 8 as a plate should not be construed as limited to being a disc shaped member . to the contrary , component 8 may have an irregular shape such as , for example , a star or may be in the form of a ring , a cap or the like . where an embodiment of the invention is indicated as having a destructible connecting link for connecting the belt ends , i . e ., a severable cord or the like , it is preferable that a separate element of the belt ends be provided although , alternately , the belt ends which are not yet in an uninterrupted separated condition ( for example as a traversing belt ) may proceed into one another and then take on the character of the belt ends . before separation , there can be no outward differentiation between belt , belt end and connecting link .
1
fig1 is a block diagram of a contact center environment 100 . the contact center 100 is staffed by agents who handle incoming and / or outgoing contacts . although the traditional and most common form of contact is by phone , other types of contacts can be used , such as text chat , web collaboration , email , and fax . an agent workspace includes an agent phone 110 and a workstation computer 120 . a network 130 connects one or more of the workstations 120 . a contact router 140 distributes or routes contacts ( incoming or outgoing ) to an agent position . voice over internet protocol ( voip ) calls and computer - based contacts ( e . g ., chat , email ) are routed over one or more data networks , and distributed over network 130 to one of the agent workstations 120 . contact router 140 may include an automatic call distributor ( acd ) 120 to route phone contacts . the embodiments described herein will refer to the acd 120 instead of contact router 140 , but analogous contact router actions and operations are intended to be captured by this disclosure . if an agent is not available to handle a particular call , acd 120 puts the call into a queue , which effectively places the caller on hold . when an agent is available , acd 120 connecting the outside trunk line 150 carrying the phone call to one of the agents . more specifically , acd 120 connects the outside trunk line 150 to the trunk line 160 of the selected agent . when an agent is ready to handle contacts , the agent first logs into the contact router 140 . this login notifies the contact router 140 that the agent is available to generate outgoing contacts or to handle incoming contacts . an agent &# 39 ; s state with respect to the router changes throughout the workday , as the agent performs work activities such as handling calls , performing after - call work , and taking breaks . an example list of states includes available , busy , after - call work , and unavailable . while handling a contact , the agent interacts with one or more applications 170 running on workstation 120 . by way of example , workstation applications could provide the agent with access to customer records , product information , ordering status , and transaction history . the applications may access one or more business databases ( not shown ) via network 130 . the contact center 100 also includes a work force management system ( wfms ) 180 . wfms 180 performs many functions . one of these functions is calculating staffing levels and agent schedules based on historical patterns of incoming calls . another function of wfms 180 is collecting call center contact statistics and providing this information , both historical and real - time , to the call center supervisor or manager . some of these statistics are typically displayed on a periodic basis in a “ pulse ” window . the pulse window is used by a call center manager to obtain a quick summary of call center operations during the last period . one statistic commonly shown in a pulse window is an actual staff count for the last period . the wfms 180 also maintains a list of agents and skills associated with each agent . examples of agent skills include knowledge of a particular product or process ( e . g ., customer service or sales ), and the ability to speak a particular language ( e . g ., spanish ). this agent - skill association information is provided to contact router 140 so that contact router 140 can route calls based on agent skills , as shown in fig2 . as each agent 210 begins work in the contact center , the agent 210 logs in to contact router 140 . contact router 140 uses the agent login information to determine the skills associated with an agent . each skill is associated with one or more queues 230 . for example , the scenario shown in fig2 includes four agents ( 210 a - d ) and three queues ( 230 a - c ). agent 210 a has only one skill ( 1 ), and is therefore associated with queue # 1 ( 230 a ). agent 210 b has two skills ( 1 , 2 ) and is therefore associated with queue # 1 ( 230 a ) and queue # 2 ( 230 b ). agent 210 c also has two skills ( 2 , 3 ), and is therefore associated with queue # 2 ( 230 b ) and queue # 3 ( 230 c ). finally , agent 210 d has a single skill ( 3 ), and is therefore associated with queue # 3 ( 230 c ). the contact router 140 receives incoming contacts and distributes each contact 220 to one of a set of queues 230 , where each queue 230 is associated with a particular agent skill . the contacts 220 remain queued until an agent 210 with appropriate skills is available . to determine in which queue 230 a contact is to be placed , the contact router 140 identifies which agent skills the contact relates to . the contact router 140 makes this determination by classifying the contact based on various parameters , such as customer input ( e . g ., touchtone or interactive voice recognition ) or contact information ( e . g . called number or calling number ). based on this classification , the contact is then distributed to a particular queue 230 , handled by agents having that skill . two simple examples of classification are : customer presses 1 for english , or 2 for spanish ; customer dials one toll - free number for sales or a different number for customer service . in that example , contacts classified as “ spanish ” would be routed to a queue associated with an agent having a spanish - speaking skill . as an agent 210 becomes available to handle a contact 220 , the contact router 140 routes , to that agent 210 , the next contact in one of the queues 230 associated with that agent 210 . in this scenario , all four agents are available to handle contacts . thus , the first contact in queue # 1 ( 220 a ) could be routed to agent 210 a or agent 210 b . the first contact in queue # 2 ( 220 b ) could be routed to agent 210 b or agent 210 c . the first contact in queue # 3 ( 220 c ) could be routed to agent 210 c or agent 210 d . fig3 is a block diagram showing several components of the wfms 180 , including an activity collector 310 , an activity database 320 , a staff statistics calculator 330 , and a user interface 340 . as an agent handles contacts throughout a workday , the contact router 140 reports changes in the state of the agent &# 39 ; s phone to the wfms 180 , as acd events 350 p . as an agent interacts with various applications 170 on his workstation 120 , an application monitor 360 tracks and reports application events 350 a to the wfms 180 . in some embodiments , the granularity of application events 350 a is application - level , so that events describe when applications start and exit , and when a user switches from one application to another . in other embodiments , the granularity is screen - level ( events describe a particular screen displayed within an application ) or low - level ( events describe input and / or output associated with each application such as keystrokes , mouse clicks , and screen updates ). the collector 310 receives these events 350 from multiple sources . an event 350 has an occurrence time and a descriptor which includes fields such as event source ( e . g ., acd , application monitor ), type , and agent identifier . if the event 350 does not include an agent identifier , the collector 310 maps the phone or workstation identifier to a corresponding agent identifier based on information obtained at agent login . thus , the event 350 indicates , either directly or indirectly , an agent identifier . from the reported events 350 , the collector 310 creates agent activity records 370 , and stores them in the database 320 . in some embodiments , the activity records 370 stored in the database 320 include an agent identifier , an activity source , an activity code , a start time , a stop time , and a duration . the database 320 stores various other types of records also . a contact center manager uses the user interface 340 to create agent records 375 , each of which includes the skill ( s ) possessed by each agent . the user interface 340 is also used to create campaign records 380 , each of which includes a set of acd queues which is associated with the campaign . a person of ordinary skill in the art of software development will understand that the data organization described above is only one way among many to organize database 320 . database 320 can be organized in many other ways that allow the same relationships to be expressed , and all such organizations are intended to be captured by this disclosure . the staff statistics calculator 330 uses the information provided by the activity records 370 , agent records 375 , and campaign records 380 to calculate per - queue staff statistics 390 for a staffing interval . the staff statistics calculator 330 produces queue - specific staff counts for the interval , based on activity records , skill sets associated with agents , and skill sets associated with contact queues . in some embodiments , staff statistics 390 include a body , or staff , count . as will be understood by one skilled in the art , a staff count is the number of agents logged into a queue in some time interval . the body count does not take into account the fact that agents with multiple skills can handle multiple queues , and therefore divide their time among specific queues ( associated with the agent &# 39 ; s skills ). in some embodiments , staff statistics 390 include a full - time equivalent ( fte ) count . as will also be understood by one skilled in the art , an fte count is the number of dedicated agents needed to achieve the service levels being seen on a queue . thus , the fte count does take into account the way agents divide their time among queues , and that agents with multiple skills are more efficient . in some embodiments , the calculation of staff statistics 390 is run periodically , and in others the calculation is performed on demand . the staff statistics calculator 330 will now be described in further detail . although an activity record 370 describes which agent 210 performed the activity , an activity record 370 does not directly specify which of the queues 230 the agent was servicing at the time associated with the activity . therefore , the staff statistics calculator 330 performs further processing to determine which acd queue or queues 230 an agent 210 is counted against when calculating the per - queue staff statistics 390 . fig4 is a flowchart depicting functionality of an embodiment of the staff statistics calculator 330 . at block 410 , the activity records 370 for an agent 210 are retrieved . next ( block 420 ), the activity records 370 are examined to determine the duration of all activities occurring within the desired time period . at block 430 , the total duration is compared to a threshold . if the threshold is not met , then processing continues with the next agent 210 , at block 410 . if the total duration threshold is met , then processing continues at block 440 , where a subset of queues is selected . the queue selection process will be described in further detail later , in connection with fig5 . next ( block 450 ), the body count in each of the per - queue staff statistics 390 is incremented by one for each of queues selected in block 440 . at block 460 , the full time equivalent ( fte ) count in the per - queue staff statistics 390 is calculated for each of queues selected in block 440 . by way of example , calculation of fte counts can be performed using a reverse erlang c formula , as follows p c = e n n ! × n n - e ∑ ( e x x ! + ( e n n ! × n n - e ) ) where p c is the probability that a customer will experience a non zero delay , e is the total traffic offered ( in erlangs ), and n is the total number of resources available . one of ordinary skill in the art should understand erlang calculations , so this will not be discussed in further detail . at block 470 , a determination is made as to whether all agents 210 have been processed . if yes , then processing is finished . if no , then processing continues with the next agent 210 , at block 410 . fig5 is a data flow diagram of an embodiment of the queue selection process 440 . an agent record 510 is provided as input to the queue selection process 440 . in the implementation shown in fig5 , the agent record 510 has an association ( 520 ) with one or more campaign records 530 , and each campaign record 530 has an association ( 540 ) with one or more queue records 550 . thus , each agent record 510 is associated , through one or more campaign records 530 , with a set ( 560 ) of one or more queue records . in another implementations ( not shown ), the campaign feature may not be present , thus an agent can be directly associated with a queue . using information in the agent record 510 , a subset 570 of the set 560 of queue records is selected for update as follows . for each queue record 550 in the set 560 , the skill list ( 580 ) of the queue record 550 is compared with the skill list ( 590 ) of the agent record 510 . in the case of a queue skill list 580 with no skills , then the queue record 550 is put into the selection subset 570 . otherwise , the matching queue record 550 goes into the selection subset 570 if all skills in the queue skill list 580 are found in the agent skill list 590 . instead of adding queues to an initially - empty selection subset , an alternative embodiment could instead produce a selection set by removing queues with non - matching skills from the original set 560 of queue records . for example , in the scenario shown in fig5 , agent record 510 has an association with two campaigns ( 530 a , 530 b ). campaign 530 a has an association with two queues ( 550 a , 550 b ). campaign 530 b has an association with two queues ( 550 c , 550 d ). the original queue set 560 thus comprises four queues , 550 a - d . the agent skill list 590 includes two skills : 2 and 5 . only one of the four queues has a skill list 580 that includes both skill 2 and skill 5 : queue 550 a . thus , queue 550 a goes into the selection subset 570 . queue 550 d also goes into the selection subset 570 because queue 550 d has no skills in the queue skill list 580 . another implementation of queue selection process 440 ( not shown ) handles distributed campaigns . a distributed campaign uses at least one distributed queue , which is represented as a parent queue having a list of ( normal ) child queues . in this implementation , queue selection process 440 further expands the selection subset 570 by including in the selection subset 570 the parent of each child queue record . thus , the staff statistics 390 are incremented for the parent queue as well as the child queue . in another variation of staff statistics calculator 330 , each contact queue 230 is associated with a media type ( e . g ., phone , e - mail , or chat ). the staff statistics calculator 330 in this embodiment computes the staff counts for a particular media , or across all media ( a feature called “ combined staffing ”.) when this multi - media embodiment is combined with a distributed campaign embodiment , the staff statistics 390 for the child queue are incremented only if that queue is associated with the same data source as the agent under consideration . fig6 is a hardware block diagram of a general - purpose computer 600 which can be used to implement the system and method for calculating workforce staffing statistics from activity records . the computer 600 contains a number of components that are well known in the art of contact center software , including a processor 610 , a network interface 620 , memory 630 , and non - volatile storage 640 . examples of non - volatile storage include , for example , a hard disk , flash ram , flash rom , eeprom , etc . these components are coupled via a bus 650 . the memory 630 contains instructions which , when executed by the processor 610 , implement the system and method for calculating workforce staffing statistics from activity records such as the process depicted in the flowcharts and dataflow diagrams of fig4 and 5 . omitted from fig6 are a number of conventional components , known to those skilled in the art , that are unnecessary to explain the operation of system 600 . the systems and methods for calculating workforce staffing statistics from activity records disclosed herein can be implemented in software , hardware , or a combination thereof . in some embodiments , the system and / or method is implemented in software that is stored in a memory and that is executed by a suitable microprocessor situated in a computing device . however , the systems and methods can be embodied in any computer - readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . such instruction execution systems include any computer - based system , processor - containing system , or other system that can fetch and execute the instructions from the instruction execution system . in the context of this disclosure , a “ computer - readable medium ” can be any means that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by , or in connection with , the instruction execution system . the computer readable medium can be , for example but not limited to , a system or propagation medium that is based on electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor technology . the functionality could also be implemented in logic embodied in hardware or software - configured media . specific examples of a computer - readable medium using electronic technology would include ( but are not limited to ) the following : an electrical connection ( electronic ) having one or more wires ; a random access memory ( ram ); a read - only memory ( rom ); an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ). a specific example using magnetic technology includes ( but is not limited to ) a portable computer diskette . specific examples using optical technology includes ( but are not limited to ): an optical fiber ; and a portable compact disk read - only memory ( cd - rom ). any process descriptions or blocks in flowcharts should be understood as representing modules , segments , or portions of code which include one or more executable instructions for implementing specific logical functions or steps in the process . as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of the software development , alternate embodiments are also included within the scope of the disclosure . in these alternate embodiments , functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed , including substantially concurrently or in reverse order , depending on the functionality involved . this description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed . obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiments discussed , however , were chosen to illustrate the principles of the disclosure , and its practical application . the disclosure is thus intended to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to use the disclosure , in various embodiments and with various modifications , as are suited to the particular use contemplated . all such modifications and variation are within the scope of this disclosure , as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly and legally entitled .
6
the embodiment example shows a workpiece mounting for a laser working machine . in particular with this working machine heavy workpieces can be worked . the working machine can be used , for example for the purpose of eliminating and reworking by means of laser beams defects in injection mold form tools . underneath the conventional laser beam generator and focusing unit , not shown in the drawing , is disposed a horizontal table surface 10 . the table surface 10 is produced of metal sheets adhered one to the other under pressure and comprises a planarity of better than 0 . 1 mm . on the table surface 10 is disposed an x - y conveying unit , which comprises an x linear guidance 12 and a y linear guidance 14 . the y linear guidance 14 comprises a positioning drive 16 fixed on the table surface 10 , which comprises an electric motor and a position sender serving for feed back . the positioning drive 16 drives via a spindle 18 , for example a ballscrew , a linearly guided y carriage 20 . the y carriage 20 carries a positioning drive 22 , which also comprises an electric motor and a position sender for reporting - back . the positioning drive 22 drives via a spindle 24 , for example a ballscrew , a linearly guided x carriage 26 . due to the linear guidances 12 and 14 disposed at right angles to one another , the x carriage can be moved via the positioning drives 16 and 22 with coordinate control on the plane of the table surface 10 . the coordinate control can take place via a joy stick , if an individual manual positioning of the workpiece to be worked is desired . a coordinate control via a programmable cnc control is also possible . the linear guidances 12 and 14 are structured in a manner known per se such that a detailed description is not required . for chucking the workpiece a circular mounting plate 28 is provided which has a diameter adapted to the application purpose , for example a diameter of approximately 350 mm . the mounting plate 28 carries at its top side a pattern of apertures known per se which serves for inserting chucking means for the workpiece to be chucked . formed on at the circumference of the mounting plate 28 is a margin 30 directed downwardly , into which is set a base of a porous sintered aluminum plate . via a ( not shown ) connection line and a controllable magnet valve , air under pressure , for example at a pressure of approximately 3 bar , is introduced into the hollow body formed by the mounting plate 28 and the base . this air emanates through the porous base over its entire surface and forms an air cushion which bears the mounting plate 28 with an air gap 32 of up to approximately 0 . 2 mm between the table surface 10 and the base , or the lower edge of margin 30 . if the compressed air is introduced under the mounting plate 28 , the mounting plate 28 is supported in this way through the air cushion and is mounted freely floating and thus free of friction . at an air consumption of approximately 17 l / min at a pressure of 3 bar , a bearing force of the mounting plate 28 is obtained of , for example , up to 200 kg . if the air supply is switched off via the magnet valve , the mounting plate 28 becomes deposited with its margin 30 on the table surface 10 and is seated immovably and securely . when the air cushion under the base of the mounting plate 28 is built up , the mounting plate 28 , due to its friction - free air support , can readily be displaced manually on the table surface 10 and be rotated about its vertical axis . by rotating the mounting plate 28 , in this way a workpiece chucked on the mounting plate 28 can be aligned , in particular in its angular position , such that the axes of the workpiece correspond to the x and y axes of the linear guidances 12 and 14 . as soon as the mounting plate 28 is manually aligned , it is clamped on the x - y conveying unit in order to be securely connected with it . for this purpose the mounting plate 28 comprises at the outer circumference approximately at half the height of its margin 30 a flange 34 extending over the entire circumference and projecting radially outwardly . on the x carriage 26 , displaceable on the x linear guidance 12 , is fastened a metal connection sheet 36 projecting parallel to the plane of the table surface 10 . the metal connection sheet 36 is , as evident in fig3 bolt - connected with the x carriage 26 and projects from it . on the outer edge facing away from the x carriage 26 , of the metal connection sheet 36 is fastened a seat 38 on the underside of the metal connection sheet 36 , which has the form of a circular arc segment with the radius of the mounting plate 28 . if the mounting plate 28 while being air supported is slid against the seat 38 , the seat 38 extends under the flange 34 of the mounting plate 28 and comes to rest on the outer circumference of the margin 30 . outside of the outer circumference of flange 34 are provided in the seat 38 , offset angularly with respect to one another in the circumferential direction , two threaded bores 40 . onto the metal connection sheet 36 are set clamping jaws 42 in such position that a vertical continuous bore 44 of the clamping jaw 42 is axially aligned with one of the threaded bores 40 of the seat 38 . clamping levers 46 are each inserted with a threaded bolt 48 through the bores 44 and screwed into the threaded bores 40 . the clamping levers 46 are each seated on the clamping jaws 42 , in order to tension these axially against the seat 38 . each of the clamping jaws 42 comprise a jaw segment 50 , which extends over the flange 34 and is in contact on the outer circumference of margin 30 . if the mounting plate 28 is slid with its flange 34 against the seat 38 , such that it extends beneath the flange 34 , the jaw segments 50 are set on the flange 34 . by tightening the clamping levers 46 , the jaw segments 50 are tensioned against the flange 34 such that this flange 34 and , consequently , the mounting plate 28 is clamped on the seat 38 and is securely connected with the x carriage via the metal connection sheet 36 . through the clamping the mounting plate 28 is attached torsionally tight on the x carriage and thus on the conveying unit . via the positioning drives 16 and 22 the mounting plate 28 can be moved under control in the x and y direction . the metal connection sheet 36 has sufficient elasticity in the vertical z direction , perpendicular to the plane of the table surface 10 , such that the mounting plate 28 can move vertically over the height of the air gap 32 without a force being transmitted in the z direction onto the x - y conveying unit . the present invention having been herein described in reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to this invention without departing from the scope of the following claims .
1
in order to facilitate the reader &# 39 ; s understanding of the present invention , the following list of acronyms and their general meanings are provided : ac if — aircraft interface atflir — a targeting pod developed by raytheon . ccd - tv — charged couple device television cp — core pod flir — forward looking infrared red ins — inertial navigation system lantirn — a lockheed martin developed targeting pod . litening — a northrop grumman developed targeting pod . ofp — operational flight program pvi — pilot vehicle interface sniper — a lockheed martin developed targeting pod . a “ host aircraft ” is defined to be any known family of aircraft . a “ host aircraft variant ” is defined to be any existing variation of interface signal protocol to the above - mentioned known family of aircraft . a “ virtual translation layer ” is defined to be a plurality of store interface objects utilizing inherited attributes of a parent interface class to isolate host aircraft commands and status from a predefined core store protocol . an “ auto detection scheme ” is defined to be a method by which the specific host aircraft and host aircraft variant can be determined . a “ store ” is defined to be a targeting pod , a weapon system or other device interfacing to a predetermined suite of host aircraft and host aircraft variants . an “ object ” means a self - contained module of data and its associated processing . objects are the software building blocks of object technology . “ encapsulation ” means the creation of self - sufficient modules that contain the data and the processing ( data structure and functions that manipulate that data ). these user - defined , or abstract , data types are called “ classes .” the term “ functionally mapped ” means commanded data is translated to a subsystem software module . the term operational flight program “ ofp ” is the terminology the u . s . air force uses to describe the software programmed into avionics systems . such software is often reviewed and updated regularly . referring now to fig1 a , an illustration of an aircraft 10 having a targeting pod 11 is provided . while the present invention is described in the context of the aircraft 10 and the targeting pod 11 , it should be understood that the present invention is applicable to any aircraft store including a missile , a bomb , a radar system , an electronic warfare system , a telecommunication system or any other device attached to or disposed in an aircraft or other vehicle . referring now to fig1 b , a block diagram of the hardware and software of the targeting pod 11 is provided . the targeting pod 11 includes a resident central electronics unit ( ceu ) 13 and a single operational flight program ( ofp ) 14 . the ofp 14 comprises pod software 15 having an aircraft interface ( acif ) software object and a core pod ( cp ) object . referring now to fig2 , a block diagram illustrates the details of the pod software 15 including the acif software object 20 and the core pod object 25 . the acif software object 20 preferably performs functions that are spread across three layers . these layers include a passive auto detection layer 21 , a dynamic object instantiation layer 22 , and a dynamic translation layer 23 . the acif software object 20 receives input from the aircraft crew , performs the necessary interface unique functions and transmits messages to the core pod object 25 . the core pod object 25 processes these messages and provides input to or receives output from the pod 11 via the internal pod interfaces . referring now to fig3 , a more detailed block diagram illustrates the cp object 25 as being embedded within two processors 26 , 27 disposed within the ceu 13 of the pod 11 . the system control processor 26 contains the acif object and a first portion of the cp object 25 . the track control processor 27 contains a second portion of the cp object 27 and interfaces with the internal pod interfaces . the processors 26 , 27 may be a single cpu or distributed among multiple processor configurations . referring now to fig4 , a flow chart illustrates the operation of the acif interface software object 20 and the core pod software object 25 . this flowchart is described in the context of an exemplary 1553 physical interface . it should be noted that other physical interfaces could be used in place of the 1553 physical interface . the acif interface software object 20 provides a first auto - detection layer 21 which is initiated with the execution of the start step 41 . in step 42 , the targeting pod 11 is powered on . in step 43 , the terminal address of the aircraft 10 is evaluated , and in step 44 , 1553 messages are transmitted between the aircraft 10 and the targeting pod 11 . in step 45 , there is an interrogation of the 1553 message characteristics / behaviors which completes the auto - detection layer 21 . the event completion within the auto - detection layer 21 , however , will vary depending upon which type of aircraft 10 acts as the host . in step 46 , the software enters a dynamic instantiation layer 22 in which the matching acif object 20 , corresponding to the host aircraft 10 , is dynamically instantiated . in object technology , instantiate means to create an object of a specific class . this is essentially a one - time event . in step 51 , the software enters a translation layer 23 , by capturing the currently received 1553 messages from the aircraft 10 . in step 52 , the received 1553 messages are translated to the targeting pod 11 . in step 53 , the targeting pod 11 responds to the translated messages . in step 54 , the pod status is translated to a 1553 message . in step 55 , the pod status is transmitted via a 1553 message to the aircraft 10 . the steps 51 - 55 of the translation layer 23 are a continuous series of events which occur as long as the pod 11 is operational . the auto detection interrogation scheme of the store or pod 11 dynamically determines the host aircraft type from a predetermined suite of host aircraft via 1553 multiplexer protocol or other protocol . the auto detection is accomplished without the use of jumpers or other non - 1553 hardware components . the specific host aircraft 10 is determined by evaluating a predetermined suite of known terminal addresses and polling the 1553 mux traffic until a valid command / response is received from the mated host 10 . the resultant host / terminal address pairing can then be validated by evaluating specific message protocol and characteristic . this validation step is necessary to prevent a potential host / terminal address pairing to a non - unique terminal address . different host platforms may share a terminal address with existing stores . a predetermined timeout for each terminal address is preferably utilized to provide for sufficient response time . once the host aircraft 10 is identified via valid communication , the specific host variant can be determined , if necessary . the store utilizes predetermined and unique interface protocol attributes possibly relating to message size and number of host sub - addresses to identify the correct host variant . once auto detection is complete and has identified the mated host aircraft 10 and host variant , the acif object 20 is instantiated to provide specific translation between host aircraft 10 and store 11 . the architecture of aircraft interface software object 20 is designed to provide an encapsulated isolation layer comprising layers 21 - 23 so future and current aircraft platforms and interface variants can be configured and adapted into the software core baseline with minimal modifications . this encapsulation layer truly isolates and adapts the aircraft interface software object 20 from core pod functionality of cp object 25 . the key features of the software architecture include the ability to auto detect aircraft platform and variant , the aircraft interface ( ac if ) modularity , and the intelligent pod functional mapping . the ability to auto detect aircraft platform and variant is a distinct and desirable feature . the use of c ++ development software , however , provides the ability to encapsulate the auto - detected aircraft interface into an acif object 20 separate from the other pod control functions ( core pod functionality ) of the cp object 25 to provide a modular design . therefore , using the power of object inheritance , two objects 20 and 25 are used to create the software interface between the aircraft 10 and the pod 11 . referring to fig5 , the acif object 20 preferably contains two objects consisting of a first communication control object 27 and a second translation object 28 the first acif object 27 inherits the properties of the aircraft interface object class ( parent ) and captures the incoming control computer data from the host aircraft 10 . the second object 28 inherits the properties of the pod level commands object class ( parent ). this second object 28 translates the control computer data captured in the first object 27 into the functionally mapped pod software architecture to be used by the pod 11 . referring now to fig6 , a simplified block diagram illustrates the hardware of the pod 11 . the pod 11 may include a laser control module 31 for laser tracking and a flir sensor 32 for imaging . the flir sensor 32 is coupled to a digital video module 33 which processes the image data and preferably records it on a recorder 34 . both the laser module 31 and the digital video module 33 are coupled to an ins / navigation system 35 . the term “ functionally mapped ” means commanded data is translated to a subsystem software module . for example , ins data would be mapped to the ins / navigation module 35 , laser data would be mapped to the laser control module 31 . pod functionality can also be increased or decreased without affecting the ac if control layer because of this modularity . overall , the two part encapsulated modular aircraft interface of the present invention ensures the core pod control software has no direct interaction with the specific control computer of the aircraft 10 . this architecture allows the present invention to operate on multiple platforms and variants with minimal or no core software modifications . the present invention allows for highly efficient “ asset pooling ” of delivered assets . a single pod 11 with one software executable will configure and adapt automatically to all defined host aircraft platforms . a “ common hardware adapter ” may be required to adapt the pod 11 mounting surface to multiple bomb and wing rack mounting points on the aircraft 10 . moving an atp targeting pod 11 from one aircraft host 10 to another , however , does not require reprogramming and can be accomplished by remounting to the second host aircraft 10 and powering up the pod 11 . this entire operation should take less than fifteen minutes . this is a capability unique in the embedded targeting pod product suite and allows for a smaller number of assets to be shared among host platforms or aircraft 10 during deployment and training exercises . the software associated with the present invention provides maximum host / variant encapsulation in the virtual space of the targeting pod 11 . more specifically , hardware , except for common mounting is not needed for translation of messages between the aircraft 10 and the pod 11 . the software of the present invention provides auto detection of host / variant for each pod application . minimal modification of the software is necessary when the new hosts / variants are developed , since less than 5 % of the total ofp is dedicated to aircraft interface software . when the core pod functionality is updated , there is a minimal impact to existing hosts / variants . in addition to the ease of modifying the software of the present invention , certain characteristics are isolated to the host interface . for example , issues relating to pvi switchology , host ins / gps characteristics , sub - address / message content are minimized as a result of host isolation . in addition , isolation facilitates pod functions related to multiplexer timing , units / scale , change requests , and symbology characteristics . the ability to have one evolving ofp for all aircraft hosts and variants provides several advantages over the prior art . a single ofp minimizes customer cost to formally re - validate every change , and it maximizes the ability to quickly integrate new capabilities into user pod suite . since the host interface suite is entirely located on one cpu , there is no global data connecting the host interfaces to pod functions . since the acif class is object oriented and highly encapsulated , it provides strong virtual separation from core system functionality . moreover , all core capabilities are retained for all hosts making it possible to interface the targeting pod with multiple hosts and variants .
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 . improving the contrast ratio is reduced when using the column spacers improves the quality of large - area ips - mode liquid crystal display devices . however , there are realistically few methods for effectively removing a region where the rubbing is incompletely performed because of the column spacers . the most efficient method is that an incomplete rubbing region ( alignment defective region ), that is , a region where light leakage occurs , is located at a region where a black matrix is formed . since such a method can eliminate the alignment defective region by simply blocking the inferior alignment region without changing a structure or a process ( because the alignment defective region exists in the pixel ), the contrast ratio can be improved without a cost increase or yield deterioration . in addition , since an additional black matrix is not formed but the already formed black matrix blocks the alignment defective region , the contrast ratio can be improved without reducing an aperture ratio . by changing a location where a column spacer is formed or by changing a shape of a data line , the column spacer is aligned with a black matrix formed along the column spacer to thereby prevent light leakage . in addition , light leakage is prevented by aligning column spacers which are formed not inside a pixel but outside an liquid crystal panel with column spacers inside the pixel , that is , with the black matrix formed along the data line . hereinafter , with reference to the accompanying drawings , the present invention will be described in more detail . fig3 is a view illustrating a structure of an ips - mode liquid crystal display device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig3 , an ips - mode liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a plurality of pixels defined by a plurality of gate lines 103 and a plurality of data lines 104 . a thin film transistor 110 which includes a gate electrode 111 , a semiconductor layer 112 formed on the gate electrode 111 and forming a channel layer , which is activated when a scan signal is applied , and a source electrode 113 and a drain electrode 114 formed on the semiconductor layer 112 is disposed on the crossing of the gate line 103 and the data line 104 in the pixel . the data line 104 is bent in a zigzag shape to divide a pixel into two domains . that is , the pixel is bent at a certain angle on the basis of the center of the pixel and therefore is symmetric , so that the pixel is divided into two domains which compensate a main viewing angle . the data line 104 has a bending direction opposite to the data line of the related art ips - mode liquid crystal display device illustrated in fig1 . that is , in the related art ips - mode liquid crystal display device , a bent portion of the data line is convex toward a region where the thin film transistor is formed ( i . e ., the right region of the data line ), while in the present invention , a bent portion of the data line 14 is convex toward a region where the thin film transistor 110 is not formed ( i . e ., the left region of the data line ). in other words , the bending direction of the data line 104 in the present invention is opposite to that of the data line in the related art ips - mode liquid crystal display device illustrated in fig1 . a common electrode 105 and a pixel electrode 107 substantially parallel with the data line 104 is disposed in the pixel . like the data line 104 , the common electrode 105 and the pixel electrode 107 are also bent to be convex toward the region where the thin film transistor 110 is not formed . in addition , a common line 116 connected to the common electrode 105 is disposed at an upper portion of the pixel . a pixel electrode line 117 connected to the pixel electrode 107 is disposed on the common line 116 , so that an accumulated capacity is formed between the common line 116 and the pixel electrode line 117 . as shown in fig3 , a column spacer 118 is formed on the gate line 103 on the left of the data line 104 . that is , the column spacer 118 is formed on the gate line 103 where the thin film transistor 110 is not formed . since the column spacer 118 is formed at each pixel , the column spacers are arranged in a line along a direction of the y - axis on the left side of the data line 104 over the liquid crystal panel 101 . the column spacer 118 is formed of a thermosetting resin . the thermosetting resin and the like is applied and then patterned to form the column spacer 118 . formed by the patterning , the column spacer 118 is also referred to as a patterned spacer . at this time , the column spacer 118 may be formed on the first substrate where the thin film transistor 110 is formed or on the second substrate 130 where the black matrix 132 and the color filter layer 134 are formed . when the liquid crystal panel 101 is rubbed , a region where the rubbing is incompletely performed ( i . e ., an alignment defective region ) is formed on the left side of the data line 104 along a direction where the column spacer 118 is arranged . as a result , light leakage occurs on the liquid crystal panel through the alignment defective region and therefore a light leakage region 119 in a band shape is formed on the left side of the data line 104 in the direction of the y - axis . meanwhile , the common electrodes 105 are arranged adjacent to both sides of the data line 104 . the common electrode 105 prevents distortion of a horizontal electric field generated between the common electrode 105 and the pixel electrode 107 by shielding an electric field generated therebetween . accordingly , since a black matrix ( not shown ) formed on the data line 104 region blocks not only light transmitted through the data line 104 region but also light transmitted through the common electrode 105 regions disposed at both side surfaces of the data line 104 , the black matrix should be formed to cover the common electrodes 105 formed at both side surfaces of the data line 104 as well as the data line 104 . as shown in fig3 , the light leakage region 119 is arranged along the data line 104 and the common electrode 105 disposed on the left side of the data line 104 . the light leakage region 119 is arranged by the data line 104 whose bent portion protrudes toward the left region ( i . e ., a region where the thin film transistor is not formed ). such an arrangement of the light leakage region 119 will be clearly shown in comparison with the ips - mode lcd device in the related art . as the light leakage region 119 is arranged along the data line 104 and the common electrode 105 on the left side of the data line 104 , the light leakage region 119 is arranged substantially along the black matrix . thus , the black matrix blocks light which leaks outside the liquid crystal panel 101 . meanwhile , the ips - mode lcd device in accordance with the present invention has almost the same structure of the ips - mode lcd device illustrated in fig2 , other than a planar structure of the data line 104 , the common electrode 105 , and the pixel electrode 107 . however , the ips - mode lcd device of the present invention is not limited to such a structure . as shown in fig4 a , in the ips - mode liquid crystal display device of the present invention , the common electrode 105 may be formed on a first substrate 120 by the same process as the gate electrode 111 of the thin film transistor , and the pixel electrode 107 formed of a transparent conductive material such as ito ( indium tin oxide ) or izo ( indium zinc oxide ) may be formed on the passivation layer 124 . alternatively , as shown in fig4 b , both the common electrode of 105 and the pixel electrode of 107 formed of the transparent conductive material such as ito ( indium tin oxide ) or izo ( indium zinc oxide ) may be formed on the passivation layer 124 . the common electrode 105 and the pixel electrode 107 are formed of the transparent conductive material so as to improve brightness and aperture ratio of the ips - mode lcd device . as described , the ips - mode lcd device in accordance with the present invention can block the light leakage region by the black matrix by allowing bending direction of the data line 104 , the common electrode 105 and the pixel electrode 107 to be opposite to that of the ips - mode lcd device of the related art and aligning the column spacer 118 with the data line 104 . thus , the ips - mode lcd device in accordance with the present invention can improve the contrast ration of the liquid crystal panel 101 . in terms of alignment of column spacer 118 and the data line 104 , when the column spacer is formed on the right side of the data line , not on the left side thereof , that is , when the column spacer is formed on a region where the thin film transistor is formed , the column spacer and the data line are also aligned with each other to thereby block the light leakage region effectively . the liquid crystal display device having this structure can be included as another embodiment of the present invention . in addition , in terms of alignment of the data line and the column spacer , or alignment of the black matrix and the column spacer which are formed on the data line region , in which a column spacer 218 is formed at an intersection of a gate line 203 and a data line 204 is shown in fig5 . in such a structure , a black matrix formed along the data line 204 can block a light leakage region 219 because the light leakage region 219 formed by the column spacer 218 is disposed along the data line 204 . meanwhile , the ips - mode lcd device of the present invention is not limited to a bent structure illustrated in fig3 and 5 . fig6 shows an ips - mode lcd device having a structure in which a data line 304 , a common electrode 305 and a pixel electrode 307 are not bent . since a column spacer 318 is formed at the crossing of a gate line 303 and the data line 304 like the structure illustrated in fig5 , a rubbing defective region resulting from the column spacer 318 is formed along the data line 304 . thus , the rubbing defective region is blocked by a black matrix formed long the data line 304 , thereby preventing a decrease of a contrast ratio which results from light leakage . as described , the ips - mode lcd device of the present invention may have various forms of a data line , a common electrode and a pixel electrode , and besides a column spacer may be disposed at various locations . in addition , the common electrode and the pixel electrode may be also formed on various locations ( e . g . ; a first substrate , a gate insulating layer or a passivation layer ). the ips - mode lcd device of the present invention , view in this light , is not limited to a specific structure illustrated in the drawings or described above . though only the ips - mode lcd device having a two - block ( bock means a region where an image is substantially implemented ) structure where two common electrodes and one pixel electrode are disposed in a pixel is illustrated in fig3 , 5 and 6 , a four - block ips - mode lcd device where three common electrodes and two pixel electrodes are disposed or a six - block ips - mode lcd device where four common electrodes and three pixel electrodes are disposed , or an ips - mode lcd device having more blocks may be included in the present invention . meanwhile , processes for fabricating an ips - mode lcd device is substantially performed on a glass substrate . that is , after a thin film transistor process and a color filter process are performed on the glass substrate where a plurality of liquid crystal panels are formed , the ips - mode lcd device is completed by separating the glass substrate into unit panels . however , as the demand for a large - area ldc device increases , the glass substrate also increases in size and accordingly in weight . thus , when processes are performed on a unit of the glass substrate , though the column spacer is formed on a panel region , it is hard to main a desired cell gap , because of the weight of the glass substrate . to solve such a problem , a uniform cell gap of the overall glass substrate , not of the liquid crystal panel , should be maintained by forming a column spacer on a dummy area where the liquid crystal panel is not formed . as shown in fig7 , a large - area glass substrate 400 where a plurality of liquid crystal panels 401 are formed is illustrated . though only four liquid crystal panels 401 are formed on the glass substrate 400 in fig7 for the purpose of simplicity , two , six or more liquid crystal panels 401 may be formed on the glass substrate 400 . as shown in fig7 , column spacers 458 are formed on a dummy area 450 where the liquid crystal panel 401 is not formed . the column spacers 458 of the dummy area 450 support the glass substrate of the dummy area 450 and maintain a cell gap of the overall glass substrate , thereby maintaining a uniform cell gap inside the liquid crystal panels 401 . a rubbing process carried out on an alignment layer formed on the liquid crystal panels 401 is performed by a unit of the glass substrate 400 , not by units of one liquid crystal panel 401 . in other words , an alignment direction of each liquid crystal panels 401 is determined by rubbing the overall glass substrate 400 by using a large - size rubbing roll . however , since the column spacers 458 are disposed on the dummy area 450 of the glass substrate 400 , an alignment defective region 419 is formed by the column spacers 458 during the rubbing . since the alignment defective region 419 of the dummy area 450 which is formed by the column spacers 458 is formed on the entire glass substrate 400 along a rubbing direction , the liquid crystal panels 401 also has the alignment defective region 419 . accordingly , since the column spacers 458 of the dummy area 450 cause the same problem as the column spacers disposed in the pixel , light leakage due to the column spacers disposed on the dummy area 450 of the glass substrate 400 should be eliminated in order to improve the ips - mode lcd device in quality . fig8 is an enlarged view of an a area of fig7 . as shown in fig8 , a plurality of column spacers 458 are formed on the dummy area 450 of the glass substrate adjacent to the liquid crystal panel 401 . although the liquid crystal panel has the structure illustrated in fig3 , it may have the structures illustrated in fig5 and 6 . a column spacer 418 is arranged on the left side of a data line 403 , that is , on a gate line 404 where a thin film transistor 410 is not formed . the column spacer 458 of the dummy area 450 is also aligned with the column spacer 418 of the liquid crystal panel 401 . accordingly , when a rubbing process is performed on the glass substrate , an alignment defective region resulting from the column spacer 418 of the liquid crystal panel 401 and an alignment defective region resulting from the column spacer 458 of the dummy area are formed on the same location 419 in the pixel . meanwhile , since the alignment defective region 419 is disposed along a black matrix formed along a data line 404 ( a black matrix formed over the data line 404 and common electrodes 405 at both side surfaces of the data line 404 ), the black matrix blocks light leakage through the alignment defective region 419 . consequently , a contrast ratio can be improved by removing the light leakage region . as described , in the present invention , the light leakage region can be effectively eliminated by aligning the column spacer 458 formed on the dummy area 450 of the glass substrate with the column spacer 458 of the liquid crystal panel 401 ( i . e ., by aligning the column spacer 458 of the dummy area 450 with the black matrix of the liquid crystal panel 401 ). the column spacer 458 of the dummy area 450 may be formed at various locations according to a structure of the liquid crystal panel 401 . in other words , when the liquid crystal panel 401 is formed of the structure of fig5 or 6 , a location where the dummy area 450 is formed may change according to a location of the column spacer 418 formed on the panel having the corresponding structure . since the column spacer 418 formed on the liquid crystal panel 401 is aligned with the data line 404 , the column spacer 458 of the dummy area 450 which is aligned with the column spacer 418 may be considered to be aligned with the data line 404 of the liquid crystal panel 401 , strictly speaking , with the black matrix formed along the data line 404 . as described so far , since a column spacer formed on a liquid crystal panel and a column spacer of a dummy area are aligned with a black matrix formed along a data line , a light leakage region resulting from an alignment defective region by the column spacer is blocked by the black matrix . as a result , light leakage occurring on a screen can be blocked in a normally black mode , thereby improving a contrast ratio of an ips - mode lcd device . as the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof , it should also be understood that the above - described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description , unless otherwise specified , but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims , and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims , or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims .
6
hereinafter , the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawing accompanying the most preferred embodiments which those skilled in the art practice the present invention easily . [ 0030 ] fig1 is a block diagram of lcd driving structure according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 the lcd includes an lcd panel 1 , a gate driver 2 , a data driver 3 , a von voff vcom generator 4 , a timing controller 5 , and a gray voltage generator 6 . the lcd panel 1 receives data signals from the data driver 3 and scanning signal from the gate driver 2 . the data driver 3 transmits data signals to the lcd panel 1 . the gate driver 2 transmits gate signals to the pixels to turn on or off a thin film transistor ( tft ) . the von voff vcom generator 4 generates von voltage for turning on the gate , voff voltage for turning off the gate , and vcom voltage as a reference voltage for the tfts . the timing controller 5 generates timing control signals to controls the timing of the data inputted to the data and gate drivers 2 and 3 . the gray voltage generator 6 generates gray voltage inputted to the data driver 3 . [ 0032 ] fig2 shows a schematic structure of lcd according to a first embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 the lcd includes a tft array panel 110 , a printed circuit board ( pcb ) 120 , and a signal transmission film f disposed between the tft array panel 110 and the pcb 120 . the tft array panel 110 includes a plurality of gate driving ics 21 ˜ 2 m located at one edge thereof , a plurality of first data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k located at another edge thereof , a plurality of second data driving ics 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n located proximal to the plurality of first data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k , and a display region 100 at the middle thereof . the display region 100 includes a plurality of gate lines 111 in the horizontal direction and a plurality of date lines 112 in the vertical direction . the plurality of the gate lines 111 are connected to the plurality of the gate driving ics 21 ˜ 2 m . the plurality of data lines 112 are connected to the plurality of the first data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and the plurality of the second data driving ics 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the plurality of first date driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k , the plurality of second data driving ics 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n , and the plurality of gate driving ics 21 ˜ 2 m are mounted in the form of a chip on glass ( cog ) on the tft array panel 110 , and connected to the pcb 120 through the signal transmission film f . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the signal transmission film f includes at least two signal transmission films f 1 and f 2 . the first transmission film f 1 includes a first lead wire for transmitting scanning signals and data signals ( gray data ) provided from the printed circuit board 120 to the plurality of gate driving ics 21 ˜ 2 m and the plurality of first data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k , respectively . the second transmission film f 2 includes a second lead wire for transmitting data signals provided from the printed circuit board 120 to the plurality of second data driving ics 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the first and the second transmission films f 1 and f 2 can be a merged type or a separate type . the first and second transmission films f 1 and f 2 are preferably electrically connected to the tft array panel 110 through an anisotropic conducting film ( acf ) ( not shown ). however , one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the first and second transmission films f 1 and f 2 can be connected in a number of different ways to the tft array panel 110 . the first lead wire is connected to a gate signal wire of the first gate driving ic 21 and a data signal wire of the first data diving ic 31 of the plurality of first data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k for transmitting scanning signals and data signals , respectively . the second lead wire is connected to the nth data driving ic 3 n of the plurality of second data driving ics 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n for transmitting data signals . therefore , the scanning signals and data signals passed through the first transmission film f 1 are inputted to the first gate driving ic 21 and the first data driving ic 31 , respectively . the scanning signals are shifted by the first gate driving ic 21 , the shifted gate signals are transmitted to the second gate driving ic 22 , and finally transmitted to the mth gate driving ic 2 m by shift operation . the data signals are shifted by the first data driving ic 31 , the shifted data signals are transmitted to the second data driving ic , and finally transmitted to the 3 kth data driving ic 3 k by the shift operation . the data signals transmitted through the second transmission film f 2 are inputted to the nth data driving ic 3 n , shifted by the nth data driving ic 3 n , and transmitted to the ( n − 1 ) th data driving ic by the shift operation . the shifted data signals from the nth data driving ic are transmitted from the nth data driving ic 3 n to the ( k + 1 ) th data driving ic 3 k + 1 . that is , according to an embodiment of the present invention , the plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n are disposed in parallel , data signals are inputted from both sides concurrently and shifted , wherein k and n are integers with 0 & lt ; k & lt ; n and k is preferably n / 2 . [ 0037 ] fig3 is a schematic diagram of wire connections of a plurality of data driving ics according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 each data driving ic can shift data signals in forward direction , that is , from left side to right side . alternatively , each data driving ic can shift data signals in the reverse direction , that is , from right side to left side . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the shift direction is determined by a signal applied to a shift direction selecting terminal s formed of the plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n . either a vdd or a gnd voltage is applied to the shift direction selecting terminal s of the data driving ics to thereby select the shift direction . according to an embodiment of the present invention , a power wire l vdd and a ground wire l gnd are formed in the tft array panel 110 or in the pcb . the shift direction selecting terminal s is selectively connected to the power wire l vdd and the ground wire l gnd . when data signal is shifted forwardly from the first data driving ic 31 to the kth data driving ic 3 k , the shift direction selecting terminal s is connected to the power wire l vdd . when scanning signal is shifted backwardly from the nth data driving ic 3 n to the ( k + 1 ) th data driving ic 3 k + 1 , the shift direction selecting terminal s is connected to the ground wire l gnd that is , each of the shift direction selecting terminal s of the plurality of first data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k is connected to the power wire l vdd for shifting data signals transmitted through the first transmission film f 1 , and each of the shift direction selecting terminal s of the plurality of second data driving ics 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n is connected to the ground wire lgnd for shifting data signals transmitted through the second transmission film f 2 . therefore , data signals are inputted concurrently to both sides of the plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n , thereby fast and constantly transmitting the data signals to each of the plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n . an operation of the lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below . referring again to fig1 and 2 , a timing controller 5 on the printed circuit board 120 receives image signals from a signal source ( not shown ) and generates data signals for supplying to the tft array panel 110 . and the timing controller 5 also generates a variety of timing signals , for example , scanning signals necessary to drive the tft array panel 110 . in the following , for the simplicity of explanation , data signals transmitted through the lead wire on the first transmission film f 1 are called “ the first data signals ”, and data signals transmitted through the lead wire on the second transmission film f 2 are called “ the second data signals ”. the scanning signals generated from the timing controller 5 are inputted to the first gate driving ic 21 through the first transmission film f 1 , the inputted scanning signals are shifted by the first gate driving ic 21 , and then transmitted to the mth gate driving ic 2 m . also , the first data signals are inputted to the first data driving ic 31 through the first transmission film f 1 , the inputted first data signal is shifted by the first data driving ic 31 , and then transmitted to the kth data driving ic 3 k . since the shift direction selecting terminal s of the first data driving ic 31 to the kth data driving ic 3 k is connected to the power wiring l vdd , the first data signal inputted to the data driving ic 31 is shifted forwardly and transmitted to the kth data driving ic 3 k . on the other hand , the second data signals transmitted is inputted to the nth data driving ic 3 n through the second transmission film f 2 , and the nth data driving ic 3 n shifts the inputted second data signal backwardly and transmits it to the ( 3 k + 1 ) th data driving ic . since the shift direction selecting terminal s of the ( 3 k + 1 ) th data driving ic 31 to the nth data driving ic 3 n is connected to the ground wiring l gnd , by the shift operation , the first and second data signals are inputted serially to each of the first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n . the timing controller 5 outputs the first data signals in reverse order and the second data signals sequentially so that the first and second data signals are inputted serially to the first data driving ic 31 to the nth data driving ic 3 n disposed in parallel . for example , a first to an eighth data driving ics are disposed in parallel , when data signals of “ a , b , c , d , e , f , g , h ” are provided to each of the data driving ics , the first data signals of “ a , b , c , d ” are provided sequentially in reverse order as “ d , c , b , a ”, then first transmitted data signal “ d ” is inputted to the fourth data driving ic , the second transmitted data signal “ c ” is inputted to the third data driving ic , and the third and fourth transmitted data signals “ b ” and “ a ” are inputted to the second and first data driving ics , respectively . also , the second data signals of “ e , f , g , h ” are provided in forward order , then the first transmitted data signal “ e ” is inputted to the fifth data driving ic , the second transmitted data signal “ f ” is inputted to the sixth data driving ic , and the third and fourth transmitted data signals “ g ” and “ h ” are inputted to the seventh and eighth data driving ics , respectively . as described above , the first data signals are transmitted in reverse order and the second data signals are transmitted in forward order , thereby data signals are serially inputted to the first to the eighth data driving ics as a whole . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n store data signals provided from the timing controller 5 in the shift register ( not shown ) and transmit voltages corresponding to each of the data signals to the display region 100 . the plurality of gate driving ics 21 ˜ 2 m selectively turns on the tft ( not shown ) of each pixel so that the voltage is applied to the pixel according to signals transmitted from the plurality of gate driving ics 21 ˜ 2 m . according to such an embodiment of the present invention , since the signal transmission film f for transmitting data signals from the pcb 120 is connected to both sides of the plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n , the structure having the plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n in parallel and mounted on the tft array panel 110 , can remarkably reduce the number of the signal transmission film in contrast to the structure in which the transmission film is connected to each of the data driving ics to apply data signals . as a result , the cost of manufacturing is decreased , and the mounting space reduced , thereby the overall structure is simplified and operates effectively . further , since data signals are not inputted to only one side of a plurality of data driving ics disposed in parallel but inputted to both sides thereof , the same level of voltage is applied , thereby reducing errors in operations . although the embodiment mentioned above has been explained with the structure of a plurality of data driving ics being disposed in parallel , and data signals are inputted to both sides , and are shifted forward the middle , the present invention is not limited to such configuration but includes a configuration wherein data signals are inputted to any two of a plurality of data driving ics and shifted toward a centralized portion of the selected data driving ics . [ 0052 ] fig4 shows a schematic structure of an lcd according to a second embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 the lcd includes a tft array panel 110 , a pcb 120 , and a signal transmission film having first signal transmission film f 1 and a second signal film f 2 . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the structure of the lcd of the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment of the present invention except an arrangement of the signal transmission film having the first signal transmission film f 1 and a second signal film f 2 . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the first transmission film f 1 includes a third lead wire for transmitting scanning signals provided from the pcb 120 to the plurality of the gate driving ics 21 ˜ 2 m . the third lead wire is connected to a signal wire of the first gate driving ic 21 for transmitting scanning signals . the second transmission film f 2 includes at least two lead wires , such as a first lead wire connected to the kth data driving ic 3 k for transmitting first data signals and a second lead wire connected to the ( 3 k + 1 ) th data driving ic 3 k + 1 for transmitting second data signals provided from the pcb 120 . thus , scanning signals are transmitted through the first transmission film f 1 and inputted to the first gate driving ic 21 , and the scanning signals are transmitted to the mth gate driving ic 2 m by shift operation like the first embodiment . the first and second data signals are transmitted through the second transmission film f 2 and inputted to the kth data driving ic 3 k and the ( k + 1 ) th data driving ic 3 k + 1 , respectively , and the inputted first and second data signals are transmitted to the first driving ic 31 and the nth driving ic 3 n , respectively . that is , the plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n are disposed in parallel , data signals are inputted to specific data driving ics disposed adjacently , then diverged from the specific data driving ics to both ends which are the opposite sides . accordingly , the first data signals transmitted through the second transmission film f 2 is inputted to the kth data driving ic 3 k and transmitted to the first data driving ic 31 , and the second data signals transmitted through the second transmission film f 2 is inputted to the ( k + 1 ) th data driving ic 3 k + 1 and transmitted to the nth data driving ic 3 n , wherein k is 1 & lt ; k & lt ; n ( k and n are integers ). preferably , k is n / 2 . similarly to the first embodiment , the direction of shift of the respective plurality of first and second data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n is determined according to whether a vdd or a gnd voltage is applied to the shift direction selecting terminal s of the plurality of first and second data driving ics . according to an embodiment of the present invention , a timing controller 5 of the pcb 120 outputs the first data signals forwardly and the second data signals backwardly so that the first and second data signals are sequentially inputted to the first data driving ic 31 to the nth data driving ic 3 n disposed in parallel . that is , as illustrated by example in the first embodiment , when data signals of “ a , b , c , d , e , f , g , h ” are provided , the first data signals of “ a , b , c , d ” are provided in order of “ a , b , c , d ”, then the first transmitted data signal “ a ” is inputted to the fourth data driving ic and shifted to the first data driving ic , and the second transmitted data signal “ b ” is inputted to the second data driving ic , the third transmitted data signal “ c ” is inputted to the third data driving ic , and the fourth transmitted data signal “ d ” is inputted to the fourth data driving ic . also , the second data signals of “ e , f , g , h ” are provided in reverse order , then the first transmitted data signal “ h ” is inputted to the fifth data driving ic , and the second transmitted data signal “ g ” is inputted to the seventh data driving ic , with the result that “ e , f , g , h ” is inputted to the fifth to the eighth data driving ic , respectively . the input order of the first and the second data signals is controlled by the shift direction selecting terminal s , and respective data signals are applied to pixels by data driving ics depending on gate signals like the first embodiment . according to an embodiment of the present invention , one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the second transmission film f 2 can be connected to the plurality of data driving ics in other ways . for example , the first lead wire of the second transmission film f 2 can be connected to the first data driving ic 31 for transmitting the first data signals and a second lead wire of the second transmission film f 2 can be connected to the nth data driving ic 3 n for transmitting the second data signals . in accordance with the second embodiment , like the first embodiment , the structure of the plurality of data driving ics 31 ˜ 3 k and 3 k + 1 ˜ 3 n being disposed in 5 parallel and mounted on the tft array panels reduces the transmission frequency of the data signal , and reduces the error rate due to differing levels of voltages applied to each of the data driving ics . alternatively , the lcd according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to low voltage differential signaling ( lvds ) and reduced swing differential signaling ( rsds ), and thereby the data signal can be transmitted to the plurality of data driving ics as described above . as described above , the present invention , in the lcd of a plurality of data driving ics being disposed in parallel , reduces the number of transmission films needed for connecting the pcb with the plurality of gate and data driving ics . advantageously , the illustrative structure according to the present invention is less error prone and is less expensive in cost of manufacturing . since data signals are transmitted from both sides of the plurality of the data driving ics , it is possible to transmit data signals at high speed . since resistance of wires is reduced , the same level of data signals is transmitted . also , since the transmission frequency of data signals can be decreased , it is possible to overcome the limit of frequency , and the number of transmission films is smaller to thereby reduce the time of manufacturing and to minimize poor connection . while the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims .
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fig1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the system includes a plurality of traffic management centers 2 (&# 34 ; tmc &# 34 ;) located throughout a region of interest . the tmc &# 39 ; s act as local data processing stations for communicating both with vehicles in the area ( via a communication service provider ), as well as with other sources of traffic information and tmc &# 39 ; s , to calculate an optimal routing scheme . the function of the tmc &# 39 ; s is to provide traffic congestion modelling , trip planning and route selection for vehicles in the system . this information is conveyed to the vehicles in the form of path vectors , travel advisories , mayday responses and gps differential correction data . the tmc &# 39 ; s are nodes on a wide area network ( e . g ., advantis ), with communication capability being provided by , in a preferred embodiment , a fixed data network 4 ( e . g ., a cellular wireless network ) by means of an rf network message switch 5 . the network 4 also provides means for tmc communication with a plurality of in - vehicle communication and processing units 6 located in vehicles participating in the system via a wireless data network service provider . the wired and wireless network communication service providers are connected (&# 34 ; bridged &# 34 ;) together as is the practice today . the network includes a plurality of base stations 8 located in strategic geographic locations as is common in the existing cellular mobile phone system to ensure broad , uninterrupted coverage of a particular region . a preferred tmc 2 is shown in fig2 . each tmc comprises a base processing unit 10 . in a preferred embodiment , the base processing unit is an ibm rs6000 workstation , but any comparable device can be employed without departing from the spirit or the invention . the processing unit 10 is connected via a wide area network to public safety and emergency service providers , such as local police , fire and ambulance services , as well as to private service sources such as road service providers . the processing unit 10 also receives , via antenna 12 , positioned at a known location , global positioning system ( gps ) signals from gps satellites , and acts as a differential gps correction data reference receiver for determining precise locations of vehicles within its geographical area . a wireless cellular digital packet data communication modality e . g ., cdpd ( cellular digital packet data ) is used which can support short but frequent communications between vehicles equipped with mobile computers and one of the tmc &# 39 ; s . each tmc is responsible for servicing the travel data needs of the vehicles in a unique geographic territory . the communication protocols can follow the tcp / ip suite of open protocols used in the internet wide area data network communication scheme . in this way , each tmc is assigned an &# 34 ; internet protocol (&# 34 ; ip &# 34 ;) address &# 34 ;, and likewise each vehicle computer is assigned an ip address . each base unit is equipped with a complete database of road segments (&# 34 ; links &# 34 ;) for the entire nation . each road segment is a uniquely numbered record in the database that includes a latitude and longitude for each end of the road segment , and a pair of pointers to two lists of record numbers each representing other road segments connected to either end of the road segment . in this way , the database contains the most essential geometric information to detail the connectivity of any location on a road segment to any other road segment . in addition to this specific static data , fields are provided in the database for dynamic road segment attributes (&# 34 ; link time &# 34 ;) such as time required to transit the road segment in either direction , and fields to represent expected occupancy of the road at future times as a result of vehicle travel plans computed by a tmc . a field is also provided to indicate the geographic tmc territory ( tmc id ) that a road segment resides in . each link record may have additional attributes that make the link &# 34 ; navigable &# 34 ;, such as one - way restrictions , physical turn restrictions , administrative turn restrictions , etc . the tmc is provided with route planning algorithms so that an optimal or near optimal shortest time route can be selected for a vehicle based on the road database static connectivity information and individual road segment expected delay times . the tmc may also be equipped with algorithms to optimize routes based on other criteria , possibly selected by the driver , such as cheapest route ( shortest time constrained to minimize cost ), or least acceleration / deceleration ( to minimize pollution and / or fuel consumption ). fig3 shows a preferred in - vehicle communication and processing unit 20 for use in the system . the unit preferably is an ibm thinkpad computer , but any comparable computing unit equipped with a communications and location determination interface can be used without departing from the invention . the in - vehicle unit includes a wireless data modem 22 acting as an interface between the unit 20 and the wide area network antenna 33 . a gps receiver 24 is provided for generating vehicle position data , which , when combined with gps differential correction data of the local tmc , will yield precise vehicle position . the gps receiver 24 is linked with the in - vehicle unit via pcmcia slot 26 , but any other data interface would not depart from the scope of the invention . it is , therefore , the function of the in - vehicle units to provide the tmcs with trip planning , location and route guidance information . this information is in the form of destinations and travel preferences , actual link travel times and intersection delay queues ; and also mayday requests . it should be understood by those skilled in the art that alternative position sensing means can be employed without departing from the scope of the invention . for instance , the following are acceptable positioning systems : solid - state gyroscope for inertial dead reckoning ; solid - state gyroscope and odometer for inertial dead reckoning ; wheel encoder and flux gate compass for dead reckoning ; gps or differential gps augmented by any dead reckoning method . the in - vehicle unit is augmented with a keyboard 30 to allow the operator to give simple commands to the computer while driving , such as : repeat last instruction ; repeat remaining instructions ; give current location ; and next navigation way point . in an alternative embodiment , vehicles can be supplied with low - end personal computers ( e . g ., notebook computers or palm - top computers ) running a simple dos operating system . in addition , a cost reduced version could be implemented that does not have a general purpose computer at all , but rather an &# 34 ; application - specific &# 34 ; electronic &# 34 ; navigation computer &# 34 ;. this computer or application - specific unit would connect to or have integrated therewith an antenna for the wireless data communication means , and possibly in addition an antenna or other sensor connections for the position / location subsystem . a speaker and microphone system 28 are provided to allow interaction between the driver and in - vehicle unit . the unit can be provided with speech recognition and synthesis capability to allow the driver to communicate a desired destination , route , speed , etc ., and in turn receive synthesized instructions for reaching the destination . other driver interfaces are possible and would not depart from the scope of the invention . the optimal and stable route planning system of the present invention works as follows . before proceeding with a trip , the driver , using his mobile computer , interacts with the tmc 2 over the wireless system to identify a destination . the starting location is communicated to the tmc from the vehicle position subsystem . subsequently , the tmc computes a &# 34 ; best &# 34 ; route based on the driver &# 39 ; s criteria ( e . g ., &# 34 ; shortest time &# 34 ;) and the tmc &# 39 ; s awareness of the routes selected by other travelers , and then sends to the in - vehicle computer a list of road segments and their expected characteristics ( e . g ., time to transit ) that the in - vehicle computer can use to assist the driver in navigating . the driver begins the trip , following detailed navigation instructions &# 34 ; spoken &# 34 ; by the mobile computer . instructions may be spoken as taught in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 177 , 685 &# 34 ; automobile navigation system using real time spoken driving instructions ,&# 34 ; incorporated herein by reference . the frequency of the instructions can be presented to the driver in descending logarithmic distance to each waypoint , for example : the driver can select the logarithmic spacing of the navigation instructions to suit personal preferences . as each road segment is transited by the vehicle , the on - board computer records the time it took to transit the road segment , and transmits this information over the wireless communication means to the tmc , which uses this information to update its model of the road segment for future travel planning . in this way , each vehicle acts as a probe to measure the real - time dynamic transit information of the road network . the probe data is also used to update the location of the vehicle and its expected future progress through the road network . the tmc 2 is programmed to sense significant changes in the transit time of a road segment , due perhaps to a non - recurring incident . this program is able to filter out &# 34 ; outlier &# 34 ; events due to vehicles stopping for random events that do not impact traffic flow ( e . g ., pulling over to the side of the road to pickup or discharge passengers or cargo ). when the tmc detects a significant change in a road segment &# 39 ; s traffic parameters , it searches its list of travel plans to see if any en route vehicles would be affected , and if so , it computes new travel plans for those vehicles . if the new travel plans result in significantly better performance based on the driver &# 39 ; s criteria , the new plan and an explanation for the change will be sent over the wireless means to the vehicle &# 39 ; s mobile computer . the travel advisory explanation can also be enunciated to the driver using the synthesis means , along with the new travel plan and specific navigation directions . the specific details of guiding a driver using computer generated instructions to follow a particular route are well known in the art and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 031 , 104 , 4 , 992 , 947 , 4 , 939 , 662 , 4 , 937 , 751 , 4 , 782 , 447 and 4 , 733 , 356 , incorporated herein by reference . each tmc computer has a geographic territory for which it is responsible . each tmc operator updates the static information ( e . g ., road geometry , one - way restrictions , etc .) in his tmc computer &# 39 ; s database to correspond to the actual road infrastructure . changes to the static part of the road database will be broadcast to all the other tmcs over the wide area network . when a tmc is computing a route for a client vehicle in its territory , and the destination ( or any part of the route ) is outside the territory , the optimum path algorithm will request over the wide area network dynamic data for specific road segments from the tmc that owns the territory in which the road segment resides . furthermore , when a route is selected , the tmcs owning the selected road segment will be notified of the expected time that the vehicle will be occupying the specific road segments , so that a properly timed &# 34 ; token &# 34 ; can be instantiated in the database record to allow for the expected occupancy of the vehicle at an approximate time . when substantial numbers of vehicles cross the boundaries of tmcs , it may be necessary to implement an even tighter coupling of the operations of several contiguous tmcs , involving a cooperative computation of the routes for all the client vehicles in a set of cooperating tmcs . such cooperative processing can be implemented , for example , over a high - bandwidth , asynchronous transfer mode ( atm ) network . in order to enhance the reliability of the system , the dynamic data in each tmc can be shadowed in at least one other tmc , so that if any tmc should become unavailable due to maintenance or failure , the load can be picked up by another tmc . this will require a high availability message &# 34 ; router &# 34 ; 11 to be associated with each tmc . the message router senses when a tmc is non - operational , then forwards messages for a particular tmc to the designated backup tmc . high availability routers can be constructed using any of a number of techniques well known in the art ( e . g ., triple modular redundancy and uninterruptable power supplies ), and in general will be expected to be much cheaper to construct than a high availability tmc . when a vehicle sends a message to a tmc ( such as a transit time message ) that should be redirected to a different tmc ( such as when a vehicle crosses a tmc territorial border ), the message is forwarded to the correct tmc , and the vehicle computer is sent a message indicating the correct address for the tmc controlling the territory it has just entered . the algorithmic task of route selection for a large number of drivers is fairly complex , if one wishes to achieve global optimization of a system involving many drivers . moreover , the optimization may be difficult to achieve if a large number of drivers choose not to follow the routing instructions provided by the tmc . for this reason , a route selection process which results in a very complex path involving many turning movements may be unattractive to drivers , particularly if it does not ultimately result in very superior performance . another factor pointing to the desirability of selecting relatively &# 34 ; smooth &# 34 ; route choices is the possible desire of drivers to confine their choice of routes to a few relatively known alternatives . for these reasons , a possible choice of implementation of the invention involves offering drivers an indication of the best of several pre - designed route choices from a given origin to a given destination . a variant of this alternative , applicable to arbitrary origins and destinations , is to offer drivers the best of a few alternate routes between key &# 34 ; nodes &# 34 ; in a network , plus an optimum route from the driver &# 39 ; s origin to a starting node , and from a terminal node to the driver &# 39 ; s destination . many methods for computing optimal shortest time ( or shortest distance ) routes between two locations on a map are known in the art . one of the earliest , known as the &# 34 ; djikstra &# 34 ; algorithm , begins with one of the locations and expands from that point perimeters of &# 34 ; iso - time &# 34 ;. that is , it takes exactly the same time to get to any location on the iso - time perimeter . the perimeter is continuously expanded one road segment at a time , until an iso - perimeter intersects the destination . finally , the route to the destination is computed by &# 34 ; backtracking &# 34 ; from the last iso - time perimeter ( which represents the total travel time ) to the first iso - time perimeter ( which represents the first route segment ). an iso - time configuration is shown in fig5 . fig6 and 7 show how the djikstra algorithm works in the presence of blocked streets . the x &# 39 ; s in the grid indicate streets that are closed . like numerals indicate a like iso - time perimeter , i . e ., the same amount of time to reach that destination from the origin o . as shown in fig6 various ones of the streets could also be slower or faster , accumulating more or less time to transit . in the invention , the queue delay at intersections will be accumulated as well , considering the different delays for left turns , right turns and no turns . fig7 shows how the djikstra algorithm works in the presence of one - way streets . fig7 indicates that there are two alternative routes from the given origin to the destination . based on the actual congestion on the individual links , resulting in longer link travel times , one of the routes may be significantly shorter . if the tmc has already assigned routes to vehicles on one of the routes , the resulting marginal expected congestion caused by these vehicles occupying the links may cause the next routed vehicle to be assigned the alternate route ( as the best available route ). fig4 shows a typical relationship of several link characteristics by time - of - day . such relationships are well known in the traffic monitoring art . vehicle demand is shown in this example to have an am and pm &# 34 ; rush hour &# 34 ; of about 1800 cars / hour ( per lane ). at night , the demand drops to under 200 cars / hour . vehicle speed at night when uncongested has a &# 34 ; freeflow &# 34 ; of about 80 mph ( although drivers will generally limit their speed by &# 34 ; speed limits &# 34 ;) but during the rush hours the free flow speed drops to about 20 mph . transit time for this one - mile segment is inversely proportional to speed , and varies from about 42 seconds at night to about 2 minutes during the rush hour peaks . note that the predicted periodic characteristics for each link will vary based on link geometry and periodic travel demand . in addition , if a large number of vehicles are guided by the tmc , the tmc may be able to influence actual link transit times by diverting vehicles from links with high demand to links with lower demand , thus balancing the load on the road network , resulting in lower travel times for guided vehicles ( as well as the beneficial side effect of lower travel times for unguided vehicles since the guided vehicles will be diverted from congested links , leaving them with less congestion ). the tmc is also provided with databases which allow the driver to easily specify locations in latitude and longitude , an address to latitude / longitude database , possibly augmented with a phone number to address database , etc . these databases and their use are well known in the art . while the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art the modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention .
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