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fig1 - 4 illustrate pharmaceutical tablet 20 having bevel edge 22 disposed about the bottom peripheral edge thereof with bevel edge 24 disposed about the top peripheral edge . these bevel edges may vary as desired and typically range from about 25 ° to about 50 ° from the horizontal plane . one side of pharmaceutical tablet 20 is defined by vertical wall 26 , intermediately disposed vertical score 28 and second vertical wall 30 . similarly , the opposite side of pharmaceutical tablet 20 is essentially the same configuration except defined by vertical wall 32 , intermediately disposed vertical score 34 , and second vertical wall 36 . the end sections of tablet 20 are defined by vertical walls 44 and 46 respectively . the top and bottom surfaces of pharmaceutical tablet 20 also approximately duplicate each other with the top surface defined by horizontal planar surface 38 , intermediate horizontal planar surface 40 and second horizontal planar surface 42 . the horizontal planar surface 38 is joined to the intermediate horizontal planar surface 40 by transversely disposed top score 48 whereas intermediate horizontal planar surface 40 is joined to the second horizontal planar surface 42 by transversely disposed second top score 50 . similarly , the bottom surface of pharmaceutical tablet 20 is defined by bottom horizontal planar surface 52 which joins transversely disposed bottom score 54 and bottom intermediate horizontal planar surface 56 . this latter surface joins together a second transversely disposed bottom score 58 and second horizontal planar surface 60 . for consumption purposes , pharmaceutical tablet 20 may be administered as a unitary dosage . in the event a half dosage is desired , the tablet may be fractured conveniently along score markings 28 - 34 , while one - third dosages may be administered by fracturing the tablet respectively along score markings 48 - 54 and 50 - 58 . it will also be appreciated that a one - third dosage may be administered by fracturing the tablet along , for example , score markings 48 - 54 , with the remaining two - third dosage unit being separately consumed . fig5 - 8 illustrates an embodiment pharmaceutical tablet 62 of the present invention having bevel edge 64 , similar to that of tablet 20 , disposed about the bottom peripheral edge , with bevel edge 66 correspondingly positioned about the top peripheral edge . one side of pharmaceutical tablet 62 is defined by vertical wall 68 , intermediately disposed vertical score 70 and second vertical wall 72 . similarly , the opposite side of pharmaceutical tablet 62 is essentially the same configuration except defined by vertical wall 70 , intermediately disposed vertical score 72 , and second vertical wall 74 . the essential distinction of the tablet structure 62 over the tablet structure 20 resides in the significant depth of the score markings 70 - 72 . these score markings may be impressed to depths beyond the bevel edge as opposed to the score markings 28 - 34 which essentially project to the horizontal planar surface of the top and bottom portions of tablet 20 . score markings 70 - 72 may be at a v - groove angle of about 40 ° to 50 °, and preferably about 45 °, with each v - groove depth being about 1 / 4 to about 1 / 3 the width of the tablet . the top and bottom surfaces of pharmaceutical table 62 also approximately duplicate each other , with the top surface defined by horizontal planar surface 76 , intermediate horizontal planar surface 78 and second horizontal planar surface 80 . the horizontal planar surface 76 is joined to the intermediate horizontal planar surface 78 by transversely disposed top score 82 , again similar to the corresponding score marking 48 of tablet 20 , whereas intermediate horizontal planar surface 78 is joined to the second horizontal planar surface 80 by transversely disposed second top score 84 . similarly , the bottom surface of pharmaceutical tablet 62 is defined by bottom horizontal planar surface 90 which join transversely disposed bottom score 92 and bottom intermediate horizontal planar surface 94 . this latter surface joins together a second transversely disposed bottom score 96 and second horizontal planar surface 98 . the end walls of tablet 62 are defined by vertical walls 86 and 88 respectively . again , for consumption purposes , pharmaceutical tablet 62 may be administered as a unitary dosage . in the event a half dosage is desired , the tablet may be fractured conveniently along score markings 70 - 72 , while one - third dosages may be administered by fracturing the tablet respectively along score markings 82 - 92 and 84 - 96 . it will also be appreciated that a one - third dosage may be administered by fracturing the tablet along , for example , score markings 82 - 92 , with the remaining two - thirds dosage unit being separately consumed . fig9 - 12 illustrate an embodiment pharmaceutical tablet 100 of the present invention having bevel edge 102 disposed about only the top peripheral edge . one side of pharmaceutical tablet 100 is defined by arcuate vertical wall 104 , intermediately disposed vertical score 106 and second arcuate vertical wall 108 . similarly , the opposite side of pharmaceutical tablet 100 is essentially the same configuration except defined by arcuate vertical wall 124 , intermediately disposed vertical score 126 , and second arcuate vertical wall 128 . the end portions of tablet 100 appear as substantially vertical wall surfaces 120 and 122 respectively . the vertical score markings 106 and 126 of tablet 100 are configurated similar to score markings 70 and 72 of tablet 62 . correspondingly , the size and angle dimensions are similar for practical purposes of construction . the top and bottom surfaces of pharmaceutical tablet 100 present a significant contrast in that the top surface is defined by horizontal planar surface 110 , intermediate horizontal planar surface 112 and a second horizontal planar surface 114 . the horizontal planar surface 110 is joined to the intermediate horizontal planar surface 112 by transversely disposed top score 118 , whereas intermediate horizontal planar surface 112 is joined to the second horizontal planar surface 114 by transversely disposed second top score 116 . score markings 116 and 118 are deeply grooved indentations having a v - groove angle of about 55 ° to about 65 °, with an angle of about 60 ° being preferred . the depth of these v - grooves may vary from about 1 / 4 to about 5 / 8 of the thickness of the tablet . the bottom surface of pharmaceutical tablet 100 is defined by a slightly arcuate surface 130 which joins transversely disposed bottom score 132 and bottom intermediate surface 134 . this latter surface joins together a second transversely disposed bottom score 136 and second slightly arcuate surface 138 . the v - groove score markings 132 and 136 vary from an angle of about 55 ° to about 65 ° with about 60 ° being preferred . however , and significantly , score markings 132 and 136 only slightly indent into the bottom surface of tablet 100 . typically , this depth varies from about 1 / 8 to about 1 / 4 of the thickness of this tablet . for consumption purposes , pharmaceutical tablet 100 may be also administered as a unitary dosage . in the event a half dosage is desired , the tablet may be fractured conveniently along score markings 106 - 126 , while one - third dosages may be administered by fracturing the tablet respectively along score markings 118 - 132 and 116 - 136 . it will also be appreciated that a one - third dosage may be administered by fracturing the tablet along , for example , score markings 118 - 132 , with the remaining two - third dosage unit being separately consumed . fig1 - 15 illustrate yet another embodiment pharmaceutical tablet 140 which approximates the configuration of tablet 62 except the correspondingly defined top and side score markings are shifted 90 degrees to the side and bottom surfaces respectively . the remaining bottom and opposite side score markings are also transposed that same extent . pharmaceutical tablet 140 includes bevel edge 142 disposed about the top peripheral edge thereof , also similar in configuration to the bevel edge 24 of tablet 20 . the top and bottom surfaces of pharmaceutical tablet 140 have correspondingly configurated surfaces in that the top surface is defined by horizontal planar surface 144 , and a second horizontal planar surface 148 . the horizontal planar surface 144 is joined to the second horizontal planar surface by transversely disposed top score 146 . the front and rear surfaces of pharmaceutical tablet 140 also approximately duplicate each other with the front surface defined by vertical surface 154 , intermediate vertical surface 160 and second vertical surface 164 . the vertical surface 154 is joined to the intermediate vertical surface 160 by score marking 158 , whereas intermediate vertical surface 160 is joined to the second vertical surface 164 by second score marking 162 . similarly , the opposite side surface of pharmaceutical tablet 140 is defined by vertical surface 166 which joins first score marking 168 , and intermediate vertical surface 170 . this latter surface joins together a second score marking 172 and second vertical surface 174 . the corner edges of tablet 140 may also be tapered as desired such as elements 156 illustrating a taper of approximately 45 degrees . score markings 158 , 162 , 168 and 172 are all correspondingly configurated with v - grooves having an approximate v - angle of about 40 to about 50 degrees , with an angle of about 45 degrees being preferred , with each v - groove depth being about 1 / 4 to about 1 / 3 the thickness of the tablet . score markings 146 and 178 may be configurated similarly to the related score markings 82 of the tablet 62 . the dosages which may be extracted using tablet 140 approximately correspond to that of tablet 62 except , however , accounting for the 90 degree transposition of surfaces . fig1 - 18 illustrate pharmaceutical tablet 186 having bevel edge 188 disposed about the upper peripheral edge thereof with bevel edge 205 disposed about the bottom peripheral edge . these bevel edges may vary as desired and typically range from about 25 ° to about 50 ° from the horizontal plane . one side of pharmaceutical tablet 186 is defined by vertical wall 200 whereas the opposite side is defined by vertical wall 204 . in similar regard , the front surface of tablet 186 is defined by vertical wall 206 whereas the oppositely disposed rear portion is defined by vertical wall 208 . the top surface of pharmaceutical tablet 186 is uniquely distinct from the bottom thereof . the top surface is defined by horizontal planar surface 190 , intermediate horizontal planar surface 192 and second horizontal planar surface 194 . planar surface 190 is joined to the intermediate horizontal planar surface 192 by means of score marking 196 , whereas the intermediate planar surface 192 is joined to the second horizontal planar surface 194 by means of second score marking 198 . the bottom surface of pharmaceutical tablet 186 is defined by a first bottom planar surface 210 , joined by a longitudinally disposed score marking 216 to a second bottom planar surface 214 . score markings 196 , 198 and 216 may have similar v - groove configurations and for constructions purposes , are similarly configurated to score markings 48 and 50 of tablet 20 . for consumption purposes , pharmaceutical tablet 186 may be administered as a unitary dosage . in the event a half dosage is desired , the tablet may be fractured conveniently along score marking 216 , while one - third dosages may be administered by fracturing the tablet respectively along score markings 196 and 198 . it will also be appreciated that further sub - dosage units may be administered by fracturing the tablet along , for example , score markings 196 , 198 as well as 216 . the present multi - fractionable tablet structure includes specially positioned score markings for either at least an accurate bisectional fracture of the tablet or accurate trifunctional fracture . it will be apparent that with the same convenience , positioning of the score markings may permit fracture of pharmaceutical tablet 186 into as many as six substantially equivalent dosages . correspondingly , the remaining pharmaceutical tablets , namely , 20 , 62 , 100 and 140 may be fractured readily into two pairs of equivalent dosages with , for example , fracture along score markings 48 - 54 and score markings 50 - 58 of pharmaceutical tablet 20 defining one pair of dosage units with further fracture along score markings 28 - 34 defining the second pair of dosage units . tablets of the present invention may be composed of a variety of ingredients such as one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients , fillers , lubricants , carriers , flavoring ingredients or the like as desired . these materials are well known to skilled tablet formulators . although it has not been specially disclosed herein , it will be appreciated that the present multi - fractionable tablet structure may be specially marked with a corporate logo or otherwise colored as desired to reflect particular dosage units being consumed . also , the present tablet may be coated with suitable materials well known in the tablet formation art . having described the present invention with particular reference to the disclosed embodiments , it will be obvious to those skilled in this art , that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is disclosed and claimed herein . | 0 |
volatile insect repellents which are of value in this invention are those which have the combined characteristics of insect repellency and safety and which can be applied to mammalian skin . the formulation of this invention contains an alkylated polyvinyl pyrrolidone copolymer and a volatile insect repellent . this formulation is characterized by high residual action , low skin penetration , and high resistance to removal by water . other volatile materials such as fragrances may be formulated in the compositions of this invention . such compositions are non - greasy and are easily applied to the skin . by way of example and not by limitation , insect repellents which are valuable in the invention include : n , n ′- diethyl toluamide , commonly known as deet ; ethyl hexanediol ; 2 -( octylthio ) ethanol ; dimethyl phthalate ; di - n - propyl - 2 , 5 - pyridine dicarboxylate ; 1 , 5a , 6 , 9 , 9a , 9b - hexahydro - 4a ( 4b )- dibenzofuran carboxaldehyde ; citronellal ; citronellol ; geraniol ; nerol ; and linalool . other insect repellents recognized in the art , may be used in this invention . the concentrations of the repellent in the compositions of this invention may be varied , and are limited only by their presence in the composition in such quantities that they will provide effective relief from the targeted insect or insects to be repelled and the concentration of the other ingredients of the formulation . thus , the concentration of the insect repellent may be from 1 to 90 %, however a range of 1 to 25 % is preferred . alkylated polyvinylpyrrolidones which may be used include copolymers of polyvinylpyrrolidone and an alpha olefin of chain length of 4 to 30 carbons . preferred embodiments of this invention are the hexadecene copolymer of polyvinylpyrrolidone ( pvp ), the eicosene copolymer of pvp and the 1 - triacontene copolymer of pvp . the silicone polymers which are useful in the present invention include dimethicone ( dow corning 200 fluids ), dimethicone and trimethylsiloxysilicate ( dow corning 593 fluid ), stearoxy dimethicone ( sws 755 wax ), cyclomethicone ( dow corning 344 or 345 fluid , union carbide 7158 fluid , ge sf 1173 , 1202 or 1204 ), polysiloxane ( dow corning 3225c fluid ), cyclomethicone and dimethicone ( dow corning x2 - 1401 ) and dimethicone ( ge se30 , 76 gums , ultrahigh molecular weight dimethicone ) and mixtures thereof . silicone polymers which are preferred in the invention include polysiloxane ( dow corning 3225c fluid ) and polydimethylcyclosiloxane ( dow 344 or 345 fluid ). the silicone polymers may be present in the range of 1 to 60 %. preservatives which are know in the art to be useful in the present invention include : quaternium 15 ( dowicil 200 ), methyl paraben , propyl paraben , dihydroxydimethyl hydantoin , benzyl alcohol , methyl chloroisothiazolinone and methyl isothiazolinone , butyl paraben , imidazolidinyl urea , diazolidinyl urea , disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid and tetrasodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid and mixtures thereof . the quantities of such agents used may vary depending on the combination and the levels required to prevent microbial growth . oils which are useful in the present invention may be present in the range of up to 50 % of the composition of the present invention . a preferred range is up to 30 %. other ingredients which are known in the art to be useful in the preparation of acceptable cosmetic formulations may also be included in the present invention to provide cosmetically acceptable formulations . the following examples are given by way of illustration and not of limitation . the following formula was prepared by heating the water in a to 85 ° c . with agitation and adding carbomer 940 ( a trademark of b . f . goodrich for acrylic acid , homopolymer ). after the carbomer 940 was dissolved , the triethanolamine was added . in a separate container , a mixture , b , of dimethicone , glyceryl stearate se , pvp / eicosene copolymer ( ganex v - 220 , a trademark of gaf ), deet and myristyl myristate was heated with stirring until the mixture was uniform . mixtures a and b were added together with stirring and allowed to cool while continuing the stirring . at around 40 ° c ., the mixture c , consisting of diazolidinyl urea , methylparaben and propylparaben in propylene glycol was added . the whole was cooled to room temperature with continued stirring . this material was equal in effectiveness of repelling mosquitoes to a 100 % deet solution at 1 hour . a mixture of cyclomethicone , cyclomethicone and dimethicone copolyol , deet and pvp / polyeicosene copolymer were heated with stirring until the mixture was a homogeneous solution . at that time the solution was allowed to cool to room temperature . tests for effectiveness of mosquito repellant activity were conducted by using freshly pupated adult mosquitos caged such that a human volunteer &# 39 ; s arm could be placed into the cage . each volunteers arm was treated with a standard 90 % deet / 10 % alcohol solution and a formulation to be tested . both materials were applied in approximately 2 inch circles , with both standard and formulation on the same arm . the volunteer &# 39 ; s arm was covered in all areas not treated . mosquito bites in each area were recorded for comparison and a percentage of protection was calculated per time of exposure based on bites recorded on a non - treated area of the volunteer &# 39 ; s other arm . this formula was equal in efficacy to that of the 100 % deet solution . to qualitatively determine skin penetration , a human volunteer , known to be sensitive to deet , was blindfolded and comparative solutions were placed on the volar forearm . the volunteer was asked to identify the solution containing deet , compared to a known deet solution or a non - deet solution . the burning sensation was found to be clearly indicative of deet at a level of 2 % or above in the formulation . this formula was superior in lack of skin penetration as indicated by no reaction in the human volunteer . a mixture of cyclomethicone , cyclomethicone and dimethicone copolyol , deet , pvp / polyeicosene copolymer and fragrance were heated with stirring until the mixture was a homogeneous solution . at that time the solution was allowed to cool to room temperature . tests for effectiveness of mosquito repellant activity were conducted by using freshly pupated adult mosquitos caged such that a human volunteer &# 39 ; s arm could be placed into the cage . each volunteer &# 39 ; s arm was treated with a standard 90 % deet / 10 % alcohol solution and a formulation to be tested . both materials were applied in approximately 2 inch circles , with both standard and formulation on the same arm . the volunteer &# 39 ; s arm was covered in all areas not treated . mosquito bites in each area were recorded for comparison and a percentage of protection was calculated per time of exposure based on bites recorded on a non - treated area of the volunteer &# 39 ; s other arm . this formula was equal in efficacy to that of the 100 % deet solution . to qualitatively determine skin penetration , a human volunteer , known to sensitive to deet , was blindfolded and comparative solutions were placed on the volar forearm . the volunteer was asked to identify the solution containing deet , compared to a known deet solution or a non - deet solution . the burning sensation was found to be clearly indicative of deet at a level of 2 % or above in the formulation . this formula was superior in lack of skin penetration as indicated by no reaction in the human volunteer . the following ingredients were placed in a container and heated with stirring to 80 ° c . and then cooled to room temperature while continuing to stir . this formula was equal in efficacy to that of the 100 % deet solution in field conditions . in the test described in example 2 , this formula was superior in lack of skin penetration as indicated by no reaction in the human volunteer . the following ingredients were prepared and agitated with a propeller stirrer . solution a was prepared and heated to 80 ° c . and then solution ( b ) was headed to 80 ° c . and added to solution a . the mixture was allowed to cool to 40 ° c . and solution c was added and the whole was allowed to cool to room temperature with continued agitation . this formula was equal in efficacy to that of the 100 % deet solution in field conditions . in the test described in example 2 , this formula was superior in lack of skin penetration as indicated by no reaction in the human volunteer . the following ingredients were prepared and agitated with a propeller stirrer . solution a was prepared and heated to 80 ° c . and then solution ( b ) was headed to 80 ° c . and added to solution a . the mixture was allowed to cool to 40 ° c . and solution c was added and the whole was allowed to cool to room temperature with continued agitation . this formula was equal in efficacy to that of the 100 % deet solution in field conditions . in the test described in example 2 , this formula was superior in lack of skin penetration as indicated by no reaction in the human volunteer . a mixture of deet , pvp / eicosene copolymer and chloroform was prepared as shown in the table below . absorbent paper sticks were dipped in the solution and placed in an oven at 36 ° c . with a light flow of air . the weights of material absorbed were determined by weighing the total quantity of solution before and after dipping the paper stick in the solution . the paper sticks were checked periodically for the presence of deet odor . the results obtained are shown in the table . this shows that the presence of the polymer in the formulation retards the evaporation of the deet . a formulation containing polymer and 0 . 0013 g of deet retained its activity as long as a formulation which contained 0 . 15 g of deet but no polymer . the following ingredients were prepared and agitated with a propeller stirrer . solution a was prepared and heated to 80 ° c . and the mixture was allowed to cool to 40 ° c . and solution b was added and the whole was allowed to cool to room temperature with continued agitation . this formula was equal in efficacy to that of the 100 % deet solution in field conditions . in the test described in example 2 , this formula was superior in lack of skin penetration as indicated by no reaction in the human volunteer . since the above disclosure is subject to variations , it should be understood that the above examples are merely illustrative and that the invention disclosed herein should be limited only by the claims . | 8 |
referring initially to fig1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings , the applicator illustrated includes a rectangular base frame 10 on which is mounted an upright front frame 11 carrying apertured lugs 12 for the attachment of the apparatus to the three - point linkage system ( not shown ) at the rear of a tractor part of which is indicated in broken outline at 13 . a tank 14 for liquid weedicide is mounted in a cradle 15 on the base frame 10 , the outlet from the tank being connected through a control valve 16 to a feed hose 17 . a supply tube 18 is connected hingedly to one side of the base frame 10 , and normally extends laterally from it , as shown . the supply tube 18 may suitably consist of a length of round - section pipe with a narrow longitudinal division 19 in its normally lowermost part , and , within its upper part , an integrally formed longitudinal holder projection 20 , the ends of the tube being closed by an inner cap fitting 21 and an outer cap fitting 22 , which may be secured and sealed adhesively . the cap fittings 21 and 22 are axially apertured to accept a feed tube 23 which passes coaxially through the supply tube 18 and is locked in place by a nut 24 screwed onto its inner end and a cap nut 25 screwed onto and closing its outer end . the feed hose 17 is releasably connected to the feed tube 23 by a snap - lock connector 26 of well - known type . a series of spray nozzles 27 are connected to the feed tube 23 in equally spaced arrangement and are arranged to direct sprays of liquid onto the upper part of a swabbing brush 28 . this brush consists of a large number of pliable filaments 29 which may be extruded of a suitable plastics material , preferably to the cruciform cross - section shown in fig5 the filaments being of uniform length and clamped at one end in a channel piece 30 which is slidably engaged and held in the holder projection 20 within the supply tube 18 . the swabbing brush 28 extends downwardly within the front part of the supply tube 18 , which it leaves through the narrow division 19 . the inner end of the supply tube assembly 18 is connected to the off - side of the base frame 10 by a universal joint indicated generally at 31 ( see particularly fig3 ). this joint includes a pair of arms 32 secured to the front and back of the inner end cap 21 and extending towards the base frame 10 . these arms 32 are pivoted by coaxial trunnion bolts 33 to the sides of a u - shaped stirrup 34 . the stirrup is fixed on an upright shaft 35 which is rotatable in a bearing block 26 and retained by a nut 37 , the block 36 being fixed on the horizontal flange of an angle member 38 mounted on the off - side of the base frame 10 . the supply tube 18 is supported more or less horizontally by a cable 39 connected to the top of an inverted u - shaped standard 40 mounted on the angle member 38 , and to an intermediate position on the supply tube . a pair of helical tension springs 41 connected to front and back of the inner end cap 21 of the supply tube 18 are tensioned forwardly and rearwardly and anchored adjustably to the front and rear parts of the angle member 38 . light compression springs 42 in parallel apertures in the bearing block 35 urge bearing balls 43 upwards so that , when the supply tube 18 is in the laterally extending position shown in fig1 and 2 , the bearing balls engage in recesses 44 in the underside of the stirrup 34 . although the supply tube is thus biassed to and held in its laterally extending position , it can be deflected pivotally forwards or back relative to the base frame 10 , the balls 43 being depressed by the turning stirrup 34 . a deflector wheel 45 is rotatably mounted on a normally vertical axle 46 secured to and extending up from the outer end cap 22 of the supply tube 18 , and extends forwards , outwards and rearwards beyond the outer end of the supply tube assembly . in use , as the apparatus is moved along an orchard , for example , between rows of trees , the control valve 16 is opened to desired extent so that weedicide from the tank 14 flows from the feed hose 17 into the feed tube 23 and thence is directed through the spray jets 27 onto the upper part of the swabbing brush 28 which is within the supply tube 18 . the liquid runs down the filaments 29 which are trailed over the ground to be treated , and in this manner the weedicide is applied with a swabbing action directly to the weeds with little likelihood , in the normal conditions under which the apparatus would be used , of any significant amount of weedicide being air - borne . the supply tube 18 , if brought against a tree of the orchard , will be deflected rearwards relative to the base frame 10 and the deflector wheel 45 will ensure that the swabbing brush is not trailed against the tree . when the deflector wheel 45 has been moved clear of the three , the supply arm 18 is swung back to initial position by the leading spring 41 , the effect of which is damped by the trailing spring 41 . when the tractor is to be driven through a gateway , or along a road , the supply tube 18 may be hingedly raised and held in this position by the engagement of any suitable catch 47 on the supply tube with the top of the standard 40 . the embodiment of the invention shown in fig6 will be found suitable for use on a fairly small area such as a lawn . in this form of the invention , a supply tube 50 is closed at its ends by end caps 51 from each of which there extends a stub axle 52 carrying a land wheel 53 . along its bottom part the tube 50 is formed with a longitudinal division 54 , and a swabbing brush 55 , composed by a large number of filaments as before described , has its upper part secured within a longitudinal holder projection 56 within the upper part of the supply tube , the brush filaments passing closely through the trailing from the bottom division 54 . an adaptor nut 57 , which is capable of being engaged on the end of the nozzle carrier tube 58 of a knapsack spray ( not shown ), is connected centrally to a feed pipe 59 which leads to two spray nozzles 60 within the supply tube 50 and directed towards the upper part of the swabbing brush 55 . by operation of the knapsack spray trigger ( not shown ), weedicide from the tank of the knapsack spray is directed , as and when required , to the feed pipe 59 and by way of the nozzles 60 onto the upper part of the swabbing brush , flowing down the filaments of the brush onto a lawn over which the apparatus is propelled . in this way a lawn may be effectively treated with weedicide without danger of wind - borne spray damaging nearby garden plants . the applicator shown in fig7 is suited to the application of weedicide or other treating liquid to small areas and again has an adaptor nut 61 applicable to the tubular nozzle carrier tube 62 of a knapsack spray or other portable spraying device to connect the device &# 39 ; s tank to a single nozzle 63 within a short supply tube 64 , closed at its ends by caps 65 and containing the upper part of a swabbing brush 66 which extends through and trails from a longitudinal division 67 in the lower part of the supply tube . this embodiment may be suited , for example , to the eradication of patches of weeds in a paved area or along pathway edges . the invention is applicable , of course , to the application of liquids other than weedicides . for example , compounds for the treatment of soil against nematodes , or liquid fertilizers and the like , may be applied by apparatus according to the invention . it should be understood , too , that the particular embodiments of the invention herein described and illustrated may be subject to many minor modifications of construction detail and design , which will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention hereinafter claimed . | 0 |
fig3 is a perspective view of a horn or blade of the scraper device of the invention . the horn 332 is typically constructed of a single piece of titanium and is shaped to provide a specific resonant frequency . the horn 332 comprises a pointed edge or tip 334 that , as will be explained in farther detail below , is placed in close proximity to a sheeter roller . the horn 332 is attached at a butt end 336 to a device for producing ultrasonic vibration . a suitable horn 332 is a ten inch , half wave titanium guillotine horn manufactured to increased precision dimensional tolerances by dukane corporation of st . charles , ill . fig4 a and 4 b are schematic side views of the horn 442 in a relative position to the sheeter roller 440 . fig4 b is a magnified view of the portion of fig4 a identified by a dashed circle . the long axis of the horn 432 must be placed at an optimal angle 443 to the horizontal plane in order to insure an optimal scraping angle near the surface of the sheeter roller 440 . in one embodiment , it has been determined that an angle 443 of approximately 12 ° to 16 ° results in the best scraping angle for the apparatus . it should also be noted that the blade tip 434 is placed in close proximity , but not in contact with , the sheeter roller 440 . this placement is critical , as allowing the blade tip 434 to contact the sheeter roller 440 dampens the horn vibration . with the horn 432 vibration dampened , masa can quickly build - up on the underside 438 of the horn 432 . conversely , if the blade tip 434 is placed too far away from the sheeter roller 440 , the device will not efficiently strip the dough product from the surface of the sheeter roller 440 . it has been determined in one embodiment of the invention that an ideal distance 445 ( not shown to scale ) between the blade tip 434 and the surface of the sheeter roller 440 is approximately 0 . 004 to 0 . 011 inches . fig5 is a side view of a single scraper device 552 in close proximity to a sheeter roller 540 . the sheeter scraper device 552 comprises the horn or blade 532 which is attached to a booster 554 . the booster tunes vibrations produced by a probe 556 . the probe 556 and booster 554 are in turn connected to a bracket assembly 558 . the probe 556 is electrically connected to a power supply by a cord 590 . a suitable probe 556 and booster 554 assembly is a 41530 sealed probe stack manufactured by dukane corporation of st . charles , ill . fig6 is an overhead view of several of the single scraper devices 652 mounted in series to a stationery bar 667 , thereby forming a scraper assembly 663 . the assembly 663 requires a small separation 646 ( not shown to scale ) between each individual horn 632 . the individual horns 632 cannot be allowed to contact each other , as such contact would result in dampening the beneficial vibration of the horns 632 . however , the gap 646 between adjacent horns 632 should be as small as possible to accomplish this separation in order to avoid any noticeable effect , such as a seam , on the sheeted dough . an acceptable distance 646 between adjacent horns 632 has been found to be approximately 0 . 004 to 0 . 011 inches . this separation issue is eliminated in an alternative embodiment that comprises a single horn that is sufficiently wide to span the sheeting length required . also , gap 646 tolerances might be less crucial and could be widened if full width sheeting is not required . fig7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention showing a scraper assembly 763 producing a fall - width , continuous sheet of masa 721 . it should be noted that the sheeter 710 does not require bands or a sheeter wire . consequently , practically all of the dough fed into the sheeter 710 is actually sheeted and placed on the conveyor 730 . it is preferable , however , to leave a thin circulating ribbon of masa 765 on either end of the sheeter roller 740 such that the edges of the sheeted masa 721 are clean and uniform . this is accomplished by keeping the aggregate blade content width of the scraper assembly slightly narrower than the width of the sheeter roller 740 . clean and uniform edges on the masa sheet 721 allow for the use of a die cutting device that can take advantage of the linear geometry of the edge of the sheeted masa 721 in cutting shapes out of said sheet 721 . the full - width sheeting capability of the invention can be used to produce a full - width sheet 721 of dough . this may be preferable when it is desired to cook or partially cook the dough in its sheeted form prior to cutting or further processing . alternatively , the invention can also be utilized to scrape cut dough off of the sheeter roller 740 , using a cutter roller such as the one shown in fig2 . as previously noted , the scraper assembly 763 comprises a series of scraper devices 752 , all attached from their respective brackets 758 to a stationary bar 767 . this bar 767 is mounted to two side brackets 791 , 792 in order to precisely hold the entire assembly 763 in relative position to the sheeter roller 760 such that the angles 443 illustrated in fig4 a and distance 445 illustrated in fig4 b can be precisely maintained . the key to the invention is the use of scrapers or horns that are allowed to constantly vibrate in the ultrasonic or other suitable range . in one embodiment of the invention , the ultrasonic vibration produced was in the frequency range of 10 khz to 40 khz and amplitude of 0 . 001 inches to 0 . 004 inches . the preferred frequency range for the ultrasonic vibration is from 20 khz to 40 khz . one preferred embodiment of the invention operates at 20 khz . the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration embodiment is preferably at least 0 . 001 inches . the preferred embodiment that operates at a frequency of 20 khz operates at an amplitude of 0 . 003 inches . with the distances and angles previously described , this frequency and amplitude promotes the clean and uniform stripping of the dough product 721 off of the sheeter roller 740 without any residual buildup of the dough on the horns 732 . in one preferred embodiment , the sheeter roller 740 is sandblasted . a sandblasted surface promotes the desired scrapping of the invention . since the sheeter device 710 of the invention requires no bands or sheeter wire , the sheeter 710 can be operated continuously . this continuous operation in combination with the fact that little masa is returned to the sheeter results in an individual sheeter device 710 producing a substantially higher amount of sheeted product 721 over a given time period . further , component wear is minimal , since the horns are never in contact with the sheeter roller 740 . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
the present photo ionization detector provides a detector body for dual discharge photo ionization detector with two or more collecting electrodes and a method of use for gas chromatography . referring to fig1 , an illustration of a detector body of the present photo ionization detector using pulsed discharge as the first and second ionization sources , the dual ionization source ionization detector body 102 includes an enclosed elongated chamber 104 having a chamber first end 106 and a chamber second end 108 , a first ionization source 112 , a second ionization source 118 , a column gas inlet piping 114 , a first collecting electrode 138 having a first collecting electrode end 120 which may be constructed to function as a combined bias / collecting electrode , and a second collecting electrode 140 having a second collecting electrode end 122 which may be constructed to function as a combined bias / collecting electrode , and an outlet piping 136 from the enclosed elongated chamber 104 . the detector body may further include a first discharge gas inlet 110 and a second discharge gas inlet 116 . the first discharge gas inlet 110 may be positioned into or at the enclosed elongated chamber 104 proximate , i . e at or near , the chamber first end 106 . the second discharge gas inlet 116 may be positioned into or at the enclosed elongated chamber 104 proximate , i . e at or near , the chamber second end 108 . the first discharge gas inlet 110 may therefore provide a pathway into the enclosed elongated chamber 104 proximate the chamber first end 106 for a first discharge gas while the second discharge gas inlet 116 provides a pathway into the opposing end of enclosed elongated chamber for a second discharge gas proximate the chamber second end 108 . the first ionization source 112 is positioned in the enclosed elongated chamber 104 adjacent the chamber first end 106 and , in operation , downstream of the first discharge gas inlet 110 while the second ionization source 118 is positioned in the enclosed elongated chamber 104 adjacent said chamber second end 108 , which , in operation , will also be downstream of the second discharge gas inlet 116 . as can be appreciated , this positions , in operation , the first ionization source 112 downstream of the first discharge gas inlet 110 and the second ionization source 118 downstream of the second discharge gas inlet 116 . the column gas inlet piping 114 is positioned between the first ionization source 112 and the second ionization source 118 . this further positions , in operation , the column gas inlet piping 114 downstream of the first discharge gas inlet 110 . in operation , the column gas inlet piping 114 provides a pathway into the enclosed elongated chamber 104 , which should be positioned closer to first ionization source 112 than the second ionization source downstream of the first ionization source 118 . the first collecting electrode end 120 is exposed to the enclosed elongated chamber 104 and , in operation , downstream , with respect to the first discharge gas , of the column gas inlet piping 114 and the first discharge gas inlet 110 , thus between the column gas inlet piping 114 and the outlet piping 136 . the second collecting electrode end 122 is exposed to the enclosed elongated chamber 104 and , in operation , positioned downstream , with respect to the first discharge gas , of the column gas inlet piping 114 , the first discharge gas inlet 110 , and the first collecting electrode end 120 , so as to be between the first collecting electrode 138 and the second discharge gas inlet 116 , when present . the first ionization source 112 may be between the first collecting electrode end 120 and the second ionization source 118 . the outlet piping 136 is positioned in or at the enclosed elongated chamber 104 , which should be between the second ionization source 118 , such as the second pair of spaced - apart electrode tips 126 , and the second collecting electrode end 122 , and therefore the column gas inlet piping 114 . the column gas inlet piping 114 and the outlet piping 136 are hollow and / or cylindrical tubing . further , a first biasing - or - ground electrode 152 is positioned in the column gas inlet piping 114 so its end is at least adjacent , i . e ., in or at the edge , of the enclosed elongated chamber 104 . similarly , a second biasing - or - ground electrode 154 is positioned in the outlet piping 136 so its end is at least adjacent , i . e ., in or at the edge of , the enclosed elongated chamber 104 . described with reference to the position of the components , the dual ionization source ionization detector body 102 first includes an enclosed elongated chamber 104 having a chamber first end 106 and a chamber second end 108 . a first discharge gas inlet 110 provides an inlet into the enclosed elongated chamber 104 near , which necessarily includes at , adjacent to and abutting , the chamber first end 106 . a second discharge gas inlet 116 provides an inlet into the enclosed elongated chamber 104 near the chamber second end 108 . a first ionization source 112 is positioned in or about the enclosed elongated chamber 104 adjacent the chamber first end 106 and / or between the first discharge gas inlet 110 and the chamber second end 108 so as to provide ionization energy into the enclosed elongated chamber . a column gas inlet piping 114 provides an inlet from a gas chromatography column into the enclosed elongated chamber 104 between the first ionization source 112 and the chamber second end 108 through the wall of the side of the detector body 102 . a first collecting electrode end 120 is exposed to the enclosed elongated chamber 104 between the column gas inlet piping 114 and the chamber second end 108 . a second collecting electrode end 122 is exposed to the enclosed elongated chamber 104 between the first collecting electrode end 120 and second ionization source 118 or the chamber second end 108 and / or adjacent the chamber second end 108 . an outlet piping 136 , to provide venting or outflow from the enclosed elongated chamber 104 is positioned in the elongated chamber 104 between the second collecting electrode end 122 and chamber second end 108 , or more narrowly , the second discharge gas inlet 116 . finally , a second ionization source 118 is positioned in the enclosed elongated chamber 104 between the outlet piping 136 and the chamber second end 108 . the dual ionization source ionization detector body 102 may be further defined by the first discharge gas inlet 110 being positioned in the enclosed elongated chamber 104 near the chamber first end 106 , and the chamber second end 108 being positioned in the enclosed elongated chamber 104 near the chamber second end 108 . the chamber 104 may have a chamber first end 106 and a chamber second end 108 . the first discharge gas inlet 110 may be positioned proximate , that is on , at , abutting , is close proximity , near , or adjacent to , the chamber first end 106 . the second discharge gas inlet 116 may be positioned proximate , that is on , at , near , or adjacent to , the chamber second end 108 . the flow rates associated with the first discharge gas inlet 110 and the second discharge gas inlet 116 need not be equivalent , but provide better results when non - equivalent . the outlet piping 136 has a sufficient flow rate for outflow , whether by size or pressure differential , to permit outflow at a rate equivalent to the inflow at both the first discharge gas inlet 110 and the second discharge gas inlet 116 . the first ionization source 112 and the second ionization source 118 use ultraviolet light ( photons ) to ionize gas atoms . the discharge of ultraviolet light may be may be obtained by various technology known in the art . these include electrical discharge , particularly generation of an electrical spark between two electrodes as well as ultraviolet lamps , also known as glow - discharge lamps , wherein typically a lamp is filled with a low - pressure inert gas , which when energized , such as by electrodes within the lamp or by an external radiation source produces ultraviolet spectral radiation . in the case of electrical discharge , the wavelength of the emitted photos is dependent on the discharge gas flowing about the discharge . in the case of the glow - discharge lamp , the wavelength is determined by the gas in the lamp . for example , when excited krypton will emit 123 . 9 nm and 116 . 9 nm radiation , or the equivalent of 10 ev and 10 . 6 ev . in the case of electrical discharge , the wavelength of the emitted photos is dependent on the discharge gas flowing about the discharge . in the case of the glow - discharge lamp , the wavelength is determined by the gas in the lamp . for example , when excited krypton will emit 123 . 9 nm and 116 . 9 nm radiation , or the equivalent of 10 ev and 10 . 6 ev . the first ionization source 112 and the second ionization source 118 need not be of an identical type of ionization source and , depending on first discharge gas and second discharge gas selected , need not be of equivalent energies . the first discharge gas may be helium while the second discharge gas is selected , in connection with the second ionization source 118 , to transmit lower photonic energy . this may be accomplished by doping pure helium with a second noble gas , such as argon , kypton , neon and xenon , in connection with electrical pulsed discharge or by using pure helium with a ultraviolet radiating lamp . utilizing a different type of ionization source for the second ionization source 118 permits operation of the detector body with a single discharge gas source , particularly helium , and therefore eliminating the need for a second discharge gas source and the associated equipment . as depicted in fig1 , the first ionization source 112 may be a pulsed discharge system , and may include a first pair of spaced - apart discharge electrode tips 124 , positioned sufficient for spark formation therebetween within the enclosed elongated chamber 104 for pulsed discharge . likewise , the second ionization source 118 may also be a pulsed discharge system , which may include a second pair of spaced - apart discharge electrode tips 126 , positioned sufficient for spark formation therebetween within the enclosed elongated chamber 104 for pulsed discharge , in which case the discharge gas would be helium with a dopant . the enclosed elongated chamber 104 may be divided to include a first ionization chamber section 128 , a reaction chamber section 130 and a second discharge chamber section 132 , and may be have an enclosed elongated chamber longitudinal axis 134 . the first discharge chamber section 128 is located between the chamber first end 106 and the column gas inlet piping 114 . the first discharge section 128 may be further identified according to its first discharge chamber section cross sectional area perpendicular to the enclosed elongated chamber longitudinal axis 134 , which is generally constant throughout the first discharge chamber section . similarly , the second discharge chamber section 132 is located between the chamber second end 108 and the outlet piping 136 . the second discharge section 128 may also be further identified according to its second discharge chamber section cross sectional area perpendicular to the enclosed elongated chamber longitudinal axis 134 , which is generally constant throughout the second discharge chamber section . the second discharge chamber section cross sectional area should be equivalent to the first discharge chamber section cross sectional area . while the reaction chamber section 130 intermediate the first discharge chamber section 128 and the second discharge chamber section 132 may have a reaction chamber section cross sectional area perpendicular to the enclosed elongated chamber longitudinal axis 134 equivalent to the first discharge chamber section cross sectional area or the second discharge chamber section cross sectional area , the reaction chamber section cross sectional area should be greater than the first discharge chamber section cross sectional area or the second discharge chamber section cross sectional area . the first collecting electrode end 120 may be the end of a first collecting electrode 138 , which is a combined voltage - biased bias / collecting electrode in electrical connection with a first voltage bias source and for transmittal of the current collected at the first collecting electrode 138 . similarly , the second collecting electrode end 122 may be the end of a second collecting electrode 140 , which is a combined voltage - biased bias / collecting electrode in electrical connection with a second voltage bias source and for transmittal of the current collected at the second collecting electrode 140 . referring to fig2 , an illustration of a detector body of the present photo ionization detector using pulsed discharge as the first ionization source and a lamp as the second ionization source , the general structure of the detector body 102 is maintained with changes pertinent to selection of a glow - discharge lamp 204 as the second ionization source 118 . as the glow - discharge lamp , positioned at the chamber second end 108 , contains the second discharge gas , no second discharge gas inlet 116 is needed . by virtue of this structure , two chromatograms may be generated in operation , differing as a result of the differing ionization energy transmitted from the two discharge gases and the responses generated from different constituent compounds in the sample . a current of higher intensity will be generated in the first collecting electrode 138 at its first collecting electrode end 120 . this higher intensity current is due to the interaction of the sample compounds and the ionized pure helium used in the first discharge chamber section 128 , which produced higher ionization energy . conversely , a current of lower intensity will be generated in the second collecting electrode 140 at its second collecting electrode end 122 . this lower intensity current is due to the interaction of the sample compounds and the ionized noble gas combination used in the second discharge chamber section 132 , which produced lower ionization energy . notably , while this structure provides a higher intensity for each electrode , some constituent compounds in the sample exhibit different responses , such as substantially increased peaks , to the two different ionization levels . thus , in operation using dual pulsed discharge ionization sources , helium is flowed through the first discharge gas inlet 110 into the first discharge chamber section 128 at the chamber first end 106 of the enclosed elongated chamber 104 while a combination of helium and a second noble gas is flowed through the second discharge gas inlet 116 into the second discharge chamber section 132 at the chamber second end 108 of the enclosed elongated chamber 104 in an opposing direction of the helium and therefor towards it . the helium is ionized in the first discharge chamber section 128 as it passes the first ionization source 112 while the combination of helium and a second noble gas , a noble gas combination ) is ionized in the second discharge chamber section as it passes the second ionization source 118 . a carrier gas with sample compounds or constituents ( also known as an analyte ) is introduced into the enclosed elongated chamber 104 through the column gas inlet piping 114 , associated with a gas chromatography column which has already separated the various compounds or constituents of the sample according to various properties of each , and which thereby flows counter to the flow of the two discharge gases . the sample compounds are ionized by the photons emitted by the ionized helium and by the ionized noble gas combination . as the column gas approaches the first collecting electrode end 120 its compounds are ionized by the photons according to the ionization potential of each . as each ionized compound passes the first collecting electrode end 120 an electric current is generated . the retention time and intensity of each current discharge is indicative of the compound . as the column gas approaches the second collecting electrode end 122 its compounds are now ionized by the ionized noble gas combination , having lower ionization energy , according to the ip of each . as each ionized compound passes the second collecting electrode end 122 a second electric current is generated . the retention time and intensity of each current discharge in this second current , represented as a peak on a chromatogram , is also indicative of the compound . the response from the first collecting electrode 138 and the response from the second collecting electrode 140 are then used for identification . a chromatogram for each collecting electrode may be generated by displaying , by printing or by depiction on a computer screen , the collected current intensity in relation to retention time . referring to fig3 and table 1 , two chromatograms generated by the operation of the present photo ionization detector are illustrated , showing current intensities as a function of retention time of the first collected current ( e1 ) at the first collecting electrode 138 and the second collected current ( e2 ) at the second collecting electrode 140 during operation of the present photo ionization detector with helium as a first discharge gas at the first discharge inlet 110 with krypton as a second discharge gas at the second discharge inlet 116 with operation of and the first ionization source 112 and the second ionization source 118 , showing the results at the first collecting electrode 138 and at the second collecting electrode 140 . the constituents associated with each peak and associated data are presented in table 1 . referring to fig4 , a ratio of the first collected current ( e1 ) to the second collected current ( e2 ) may be determined and used in identification , as depicted in table 2 . referring to table 2 as depicted in fig4 , the response ratio ( e1 / e2 ), which covers a wide concentration range , may be used to confirm the compound identifies indicated by the retention time . while the response ratio varies with the intensities of the first ionization source 112 and the second ionization source 118 , and with the geometry of the ionization detector body 102 , namely the distance between the ionization source 112 , 118 and the end 120 , 122 of the respective collecting electrode 138 , 140 , these characteristics are generally fixed . beneficially , the response ratio is independent of flow , temperature and concentration changes . the variance due to intensities of the first ionization source 112 and the second ionization source 118 may be eliminated by normalizing the values to a known standard , such as benzene . the scale factor necessary for normalizing may be obtained by dividing the ionization potential for benzene according to the second collecting electrode 140 by the ionization potential for benzene according to the first collecting electrode 138 . the response ratio for a compound , whether normalized or not , is basically dependent on the ionization potential of the compound and its structure , as illustrated in fig4 . the constituents in a sample may thus be identified by providing a detector according to the structure provided above , flowing discharge gases and the sample therethrough and displaying or visually representing to the user the results on a computer screen , or printer , or other display options perceivable by the user . this may be accomplished by providing an enclosed elongated chamber , the chamber having a first end and a second end ; providing a first discharge gas inlet into the enclosed elongated chamber proximate the chamber first end ; providing a first ionization source , the first ionization source positioned in the enclosed elongated chamber downstream of the first discharge gas inlet ; providing a column gas inlet into the enclosed elongated chamber downstream of the first ionization source ; providing a second discharge gas inlet into the enclosed elongated chamber proximate the chamber second end ; providing a second ionization source , the second ionization source positioned in the enclosed elongated chamber downstream of the second discharge gas inlet ; providing an outlet from the enclosed elongated chamber positioned between the column gas inlet and the second ionization source ; providing a first collecting electrode end in the enclosed elongated chamber and downstream of the column gas inlet and between the column gas inlet and the outlet ; and providing a second collecting electrode end in the enclosed elongated chamber and between the first collecting electrode end and the second ionization source and , when the second ionization source 118 is pulsed discharge , downstream of the second discharge gas inlet . the relevant gases may be flowed through the detector and the electrical output obtained . this includes flowing helium through the first discharge gas inlet into the enclosed elongated chamber ; ionizing the flowing helium , the first discharge gas , as it passes the first ionization source to generate photons ; flowing a combination of helium and a second noble gas through the second discharge gas inlet into the enclosed elongated chamber ; ionizing the flowing combination of helium and a second noble gas , the second discharge gas , as it passes the second ionization source to generate an ionized noble gas combination ; flowing a carrier gas and sample compounds mixed therewith through the column gas inlet into the enclosed elongated chamber for exposure to the photons to generate high - ionized sample compounds and for exposure to the ionized noble gas combination to generate lower - ionized sample compounds ; applying a first bias voltage to a first collecting electrode associated with the first collecting electrode end ; applying a second bias voltage to a second collecting electrode associated with the second collecting electrode end ; generating over time a first time - dependent current at the first collecting electrode end from interaction with the high - ionized sample compounds , and generating over time a second time - dependent current at the second collecting electrode end from interaction with the lower - ionized sample compounds . the method of use is completed by displaying or visually representing to the user the first time - dependent current as a function of time and the second time - dependent current as a function of time . the method of use may be continued by determining a time - dependent current ratio of each peak in the first time - dependent current to each peak in the second time - dependent current , each time - dependent current ratio indicative of the ionization potential of the constituent associated with the each peak , and displaying or visually representing to the user a visual representation of the time - dependent current ratio . additionally , the structure may be used in connection with a method to identify separated constituents in a carrier gas . the method includes the steps of : a . flowing the separated constituents in a carrier gas through the column gas inlet into an enclosed elongated chamber having a chamber first end , a chamber second end , and an outlet , b . first ionizing those constituents by a first ionization source , positioned between the column gas inlet and the chamber first end , such as by interaction with a first discharge gas ionized by the first ionization source , c . applying a first bias voltage to a first collecting electrode having a first collecting electrode end positioned between the column gas inlet and the outlet , d . generating over time a first time - dependent current at the end of the first collecting electrode from interaction with said constituents ionized by interaction with the first discharge gas ionized by the first ionization source , e . secondly ionizing the constituents by a second ionization gas , positioned between the end of the first collecting electrode and the chamber second end , ionized by a second ionization source , f . applying a second bias voltage to the second collecting electrode having a second collecting electrode end positioned between the end of the first collecting electrode and the outlet , g . generating over time a second time - dependent current at the end of a second collecting electrode from interaction with said constituents ionized by interaction with the second discharge gas ionized by the second ionization source , h . flowing the separated constituents in the carrier gas out of the enclosed elongated chamber at the outlet , where the outlet is positioned between the end of the second combined collecting electrode and the second ionization source , and i . displaying or visually representing to the user , whether on a computer display or printout , a visual representation of the first time - dependent current as a function of time and said second time - dependent current as a function of time . j . determining a time - dependent current ratio of each peak in the first time - dependent current to each peak in the second time - dependent current , and k . displaying or visually representing to the user a visual representation of that time - dependent current ratio as a function of ionization potential , whether on a computer display or printout . in those additional steps , each time - dependent current ratio is indicative of the ionization potential or the constituent associated with each peak . as provided above , the first ionization source 112 may comprise a first pair of spaced - apart discharge electrode tips 124 positioned sufficient for spark formation therebetween for pulsed discharge or may comprise a lamp . similarly , the second ionization source may comprise a second pair of spaced - apart discharge electrode tips 126 positioned sufficient for spark formation therebetween for pulsed discharge , or a lamp , for radiation of less phonotic energy that the first ionization source . the terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation , and there is no intention , in the use of such terms and expressions , of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof . | 6 |
the focus calibration embodiments are described herein primarily in the context of movie cameras . however , nothing limits the claims or the invention to movie cameras . the disclosure is also applicable to any camera including emulsion film and digital moving image or still image cameras — or , indeed in any optical instrument — for which it is desirable to obtain a fine - tuned focus adjustment . fig1 depicts a simplified movie camera incorporating a focus calibration apparatus 105 . a camera lens 110 connects to a camera body 100 . the focus calibration apparatus 105 comprises a rotatable ring 130 and a first threaded disc 140 . the focus calibration apparatus 105 additionally comprises a second threaded disc — not visible in this figure — that is positioned between the first threaded disc 140 and an image plane on the camera . the second threaded disc mounts the focus calibration apparatus 105 to the camera body 100 at a mounting point 120 . the camera lens 110 is mounted onto the first threaded disc 140 . the “ mountings ” carried by the focus calibration apparatus 105 for mounting to the camera and to the lens may be any of a variety of conventional connections known to persons skilled in the art . the mounts may include fixed mounts , like screws , pins , rivets , welds , or solder joints . or , the mounts may include detachable mounts , like clasps , snaps , bayonet , breach , friction , tabbed , or threaded mounts . detachable mounts will often be suitable for the camera lens mount . however , focus calibration apparatuses of the present disclosure might also be suitable for a fixed lens , where environmental factors like thermal expansion make fine adjustments to the focal length between lens and sensor advantageous . the focus calibration apparatus may be integral with either the camera body 100 or the camera lens 110 . fig2 depicts a movie camera with an exploded view of one implementation of a focus calibration apparatus . a camera body 200 connects to a camera lens 210 . the focus calibration apparatus connects to a mount point 220 on the camera body 200 a camera - mount disc 242 has a plurality of pins or holes 251 that mesh with complementary mounting structures such as holes 252 on the camera such as on the camera body 200 . pins , rivets , screws , or other fasteners are all appropriate mechanisms to connect the camera - amount disc 242 to the camera body 200 . alternatively , the camera - mount disc 242 is secured onto the camera body 200 such as by welding or adhesives , or formed integral with the camera body 200 . as described herein , the mounting to the “ camera body ” refers to mounting in a manner that fixes the camera mounting such as camera mount disc 242 with respect to the image sensor . this may be achieved by direct mounting to the camera housing , or to a mounting surface on the camera that is distinct from the housing . the camera - mount disc 242 has threads 244 on its outer perimeter that mate with a rotatable ring 230 . a rotatable ring 230 threadably engages the threads 244 of the camera - mount disc 242 with threads 234 on the interior of the ring 230 . the rotatable ring 230 has a second set of internal threads 233 into which a lens - mount disc 241 is screwed . the lens - mount disc 241 has exterior threads 243 that mate with the internal threads 233 of the rotatable ring 230 . one or two or more pins 261 ( e . g . four ) rotationally link the lens - mount disc 241 with the camera - mount disc 242 . the pins 261 are inserted through a first plurality of pin holes 262 in the lens - mount disc 241 and a second plurality of pin holes 263 in the camera - mount disc . the pins 261 maintain the lens - mount disc 241 in the same rotational orientation as the camera - mount disc 242 , but are slideably engaged with at least one of the discs 241 and 242 to permit axial adjustment along the optical path . the camera lens 210 mounts to the lens - mount disc 241 . because the camera - mount disc 242 is fixedly attached to the camera , the lens - mount disc 241 and also the lens 210 are maintained in the same rotational orientation as the camera body 200 . in this embodiment , the pitch of the rotating ring &# 39 ; s first set of internal threads 233 and second set of internal threads 234 are oriented in opposite directions . one set of threads are right - handed , and the other set of threads are left - handed . thus , when the rotating ring 230 is turned by an operator in a first direction , the lens - mount disc 241 and camera - mount disc 242 move longitudinally away from one another , relative to the rotating ring 230 , along the optical axis . the change in the focal length between lens and sensor is the sum of the longitudinal movement along the first set of internal threads 233 and the second set of internal threads 234 . thus , the precision of the adjustments that can be made in this embodiment depends , among other things , on the size of the threads as will be discussed further below . fig3 depicts an assembled focus calibration apparatus . a rotatable ring 330 encloses a lens - mount disc 341 . the lens - mount disc 341 connects to a camera - mount disc , behind the lens - mount disc , with four pins 361 . the four pins 361 are inserted into a plurality of holes 362 in the lens - mount disc 341 . the rotatable ring 330 may be provided with any of a variety of surface structures or features to facilitate gripping and rotating the ring 330 to accomplish the fine calibration described herein . for example , ridges , grooves , knurling , or other friction enhancing surface structures or textures may be utilized . fig4 depicts a focus calibration apparatus as in fig3 , illustrating rotational movement 471 of a focus ring 430 to make fine adjustments to the focal length between a camera lens and sensor . the focus ring 430 has two sets of internal , opposed threads . one set of internal threads mates with the threads 443 on the perimeter of a lens - mount disc 441 . the other set of internal threads on the focus ring 430 mates with the threads 444 on the perimeter of a camera - mount disc 442 . the lens - mount disc 441 and the camera - mount disc 442 maintain their rotational relationship to one another with four pins 461 that are placed through holes in each disc . in this figure , the pins 461 are inserted through a first set of holes 462 in the lens - mount disc 441 and a second set of holes 463 in the camera - mount disc . as the focus ring is rotated 471 , the opposed threads of the ring push the two threaded discs longitudinally apart 472 , or pull them together if the ring 430 is rotated in a second , opposite direction , without rotational movement of the discs themselves . the pitch on the threads 443 of the lens - mount disc 441 and the threads 444 on the camera - mount disc 442 are generally no more than about 3 mm , often no more than about 2 mm , and , in one embodiment , no more than about 1 mm . one revolution of the focus ring 430 having a 1 mm pitch on each end produces 2 mm of longitudinal lens travel — 1 mm of travel by the lens - mount disc 441 and 1 mm of travel by the camera - mount disc 442 . of course , grosser or finer pitches may be suitable , depending on the particular application . the rotatable ring 330 may be provided with any of a variety of visual or tactile indicium of the amount of adjustment that has been accomplished . for example , a calibration scale such as a plurality of lines may be provided on the rotatable ring 330 or a non - rotatable adjacent component , with a line or marker on the other of the rotatable ring or non - rotatable structure . the calibration scale may be calibrated to allow a user to make adjustments in the axial length of the optical path either continuously or in increments of 0 . 001 inches , 0 . 0005 inches , or other distance . tactile feedback may be provided by including a plurality of detents between the rotatable ring and a non - rotatable component so that the user may hear and / or feel as the rotatable ring 330 clicks or snaps in predetermined increments as the ring is rotated . in general , the focus calibration apparatus will be calibrated to allow changes in the axial length along the optical path between the lens and the sensor in a controllable fashion as low as 0 . 002 inches , preferably as low as 0 . 001 inches , and , in some embodiments , as low as 0 . 0005 inches or less . the total adjustment range for the change in length is generally no greater than about 0 . 10 inches , and in many applications , the adjustment length will be no more than about 0 . 020 inches or 0 . 010 inches or less . thus , the calibration adjustment achieved by the present invention is not intended as a substitute for conventional focus adjustment achieved by the lens . a user calibrates focus by adjusting the focus ring and comparing the focus level to a visual pattern placed at a known distance . alternatively , the focus calibration apparatus has indices indicated on the barrel , such that the user can determine an objectively correct focus calibration . indices of this sort are useful , for instance , if the user has a set of lenses used on the same camera , and knows to which index the focus calibration apparatus was set the last time a lens was used . in other embodiments , it is possible to double the resolution of the focus ring for a given thread pitch by using only one threaded disc . the simplest way of accomplishing this is to axially fix either the lens - mount disc or camera - mount disc in the focus ring while continuing to permit relative rotation . either the lens - mount disc or camera mount disc may rotatably travel in one or a plurality of annular grooves , rather than on threads . thus , the focus ring merely spins about the disc , with no longitudinal travel , as the user adjusts the focus ring . fig5 depicts an exploded view of a focus calibration apparatus similar to the one shown in fig4 , but with twice the sensitivity for a given thread pitch . a focus ring 530 has a first set of internal threads 533 that mate with the threads 543 on the perimeter of a lens - mount disc 541 , as has been discussed . the focus ring 530 has a second set of internal annular ridges and grooves 534 which are parallel to each other and mate with corresponding ridges and grooves 544 on the perimeter of a camera - mount disc 542 . the lens - mount disc 541 and the camera - mount disc 542 are connected with four pins 561 . the pins 561 are inserted through a first set of holes 562 in the lens - mount disc 541 and a second , parallel set of holes 563 in the camera - mount disc 542 . the pins 561 maintain the lens - mount disc 541 and the camera - mount disc 542 in the same rotational relationship even as the user rotates the focus ring 530 . because the camera - mount disc 542 is fixedly attached to the camera at a plurality of attachment points 551 , the lens - mount disc 541 will maintain its relative rotational orientation to the camera , even as rotation of the ring 530 causes the disc to travel longitudinally . since the internal annular ridges and grooves 534 on the focus ring 530 are parallel with each other , the focus calibration apparatus of this embodiment cannot be assembled by threading the focus calibration ring 530 over the camera - mount disc 542 . thus , the ring 530 is provided with one or two or more part lines 536 at which the ring is separable into two or more components . in this manner , the ring may be partially or completely opened and mounted over the annular ridges and grooves 544 and thereafter reclosed into an annular structure and bonded such as by welding or other technique at part line 536 . fig6 a and 6b depict two cross - sectional views of a focus calibration apparatus such as that illustrated in fig3 . a focus ring 630 has a first set of internal threads 643 that mate with the threads on the perimeter of a lens - mount disc 641 . the focus ring 630 also has a second set of internal threads 644 that mate with the threads on a camera - mount disc 642 . the lens - mount disc 641 and the camera - mount disc 642 are maintained in the same rotational relationship with a plurality of axially slidable pins 661 . the pins 661 fit through holes 662 in the lens - mount disc 641 and another set of holes 663 in the camera - mount disc 642 . fig7 depicts an embodiment of a focus calibration apparatus that includes a lock such as a clamp for retaining a desired adjustment . a focus ring 730 has two sets of internal threads — each opposed to the other — that mate with the threads on a lens - mount disc 741 and the threads on a camera - mount disc 742 . the lens - mount disc 741 and the camera - mount disc 742 are maintained in the same rotational relationship with four pins 761 . the pins 761 are inserted through a set of holes 762 in the lens - mount disc 641 and another set of holes in the camera - mount disc 742 that are not visible in this figure . in addition to these features , which are similar to those present in other embodiments described herein , the focus ring 730 has a clamping mechanism . the focus ring 730 in this embodiment is not complete circle , but has a gap 784 . on one side of the gap are one or two or more receivers 782 that accept corresponding screws 783 . on the other side of the gap are corresponding sockets 781 into which the screws 783 are screwed to tighten the gap 784 in the focus ring 730 . as the screws 783 are tightened , the ring 730 tightens around the lens - mount disc 741 and the camera - mount disc 742 . this tightening action prevents the ring 730 from being inadvertently turned by the user or anything else , causing unintended longitudinal movement of the lens - mount disc 741 and the camera - mount disc 742 . other examples of locking features , besides the clamp depicted in fig7 , include clasps , locking pins , or switches . indeed , any of a variety of mechanisms that lock the focus calibration ring in place , such that it cannot be inadvertently adjusted , may be utilized . in other embodiments , no locking feature is built onto the ring , but the ring turning mechanism has high friction , or is detented , such that the ring is unlikely to move without an intentional application of force . various embodiments have been described above . although described with reference to these specific embodiments , the descriptions are intended to be illustrative and are not intended to be limiting . various modifications and applications may occur to those skilled in the art . | 6 |
&# 34 ; vaccine &# 34 ; is defined herein in its broad sense to refer to any type of biological agent in an administratable form capable of stimulating an immune response in an animal inoculated with the vaccine . for purposes of this invention , the vaccine may comprise either the virus itself or an immunogenic ( antigenic ) component of the virus . the vaccine may also be produced from a vector having inserted therein a gene which encodes an immunogenic component of the virus . the term &# 34 ; revertant &# 34 ; is intended to refer to a subculture of an attenuated virus , the subculture being characterized by increased virulence and increased in vivo replication as compared to the attenuated form . the term is used herein generically to encompass both true revertants and apparent revertants , the latter being derived from a population of viral particles rather than from a cloned virus . as previously mentioned , the md11 / 75c / r2 / 23 and md11 / 75c / r2 / 29 clones are derived from the md11 / 75c / r2 ( r2 ) revertant virus of witter ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 895 , 717 ), supra . they were obtained by serially passing r2 in chicken embryo fibroblasts ( cef ), and at passage 100 isolating cell - free virus . as with the r2 , there appears to be a positive correlation between increase in replicative ability in vivo and increase in protectivity against challenge viruses . thus , replicative rate may be used as an indicator of protectivity against challenge viruses . as derivatives of the very virulent md11 strain , both r2 clones should have good homology with other viruses of this pathotype . they are attenuated to the point where , except on rare occasion , no gross or histological lesions are induced even in genetically susceptible , maternal antibody negative chickens . both reverted to greater virulence upon backpassage in chickens , but the danger associated with such reversion is minimized by the failure of either virus to spread to uninoculated chickens . the concern for pathogenicity of the clones is especially minimized for chickens protected either by maternal antibodies or by genetic resistance . the viruses replicate well in vitro and induce readily detectable viremias in vivo . both induce levels of protection against early challenge with very virulent md viruses that exceed that of hvt alone and do not differ significantly from those of hvt + sb - 1 bivalent or r2 vaccines . a cell - associated vaccine can be prepared directly from in vitro culture cloning medium . to prepare cell - free virus inocula , cells from infected host tissue or cell culture are sonicated or otherwise disrupted . the cellular debris is removed by centrifugation and the centrifugate recovered as the inoculum . for a cell - free inoculum , the virus can be isolated as previously described . it is also an embodiment of the invention to prepare vaccines from the killed virus or from immunogenic components separated from the virus . for example , a subunit vaccine can be prepared by separating from the killed virus one or more purified viral proteins identified as having immunogenic properties . it is envisioned within the ambit of the invention that the gene or genes encoding the immunogenic component or components responsible for the protective ability of the cloned viruses could be inserted into a suitable vector system by recombinant techniques as known in the art . the methodology involving recombinant dna techniques has now become routine in science and has been successfully demonstrated in analogous applications e . paoletti et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 81 : 193 - 197 ( 1984 )!. specifically , the process would first involve the identification of proteins or other components of the clone that are critical to the induction of protective immunity . next , specific regions of the viral genome ( genes ) along with an endogenous promoters would be identified and characterized through mapping with restriction endonucleases and determination of the nucleotide sequences . the identified gene or genes would then be spliced into expression vectors such as bacterial plasmids ( to produce a killed protein product ) or live viruses such as avian herpesviruses or avian poxviruses ( to produce a live recombinant dna vaccine virus ). other types of expression vectors could also be used . once properly constructed with the necessary promoter sequences , the expression vector will produce the product of the inserted gene ; namely , the critical immunizing protein or proteins of the clone . if produced by a vector grown in vitro , the immunizing protein will be obtained from the culture medium , purified , and used with appropriate adjuvants and diluents as a killed vaccine for the immunization of chickens . other vectors , chosen for their natural infectivity for chickens , will be inoculated directly into chickens as a recombinant live virus vaccine . the vaccine will then produce the immunizing protein in vivo , thus causing protection directly and without the need for additional inoculations . thus , it is apparent from the above discussion that viral agents contemplated within the scope of the invention originating from the r2 / 23 and r2 / 29 clones include both cell - free and cell - associated virus and also live and killed virus . also contemplated as the viral agent are antigens which are effective to elicit an immune response in chickens to marek &# 39 ; s disease virus , whether those antigens have been derived directly from the r2 / 23 or r2 / 29 clones , or expressed by a recombinant virus as described , supra . the viral agent is prepared for administration by formulation in an effective immunization dosage with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent , such as physiological saline or tissue culture medium . the expression &# 34 ; effective immunization dosage &# 34 ; is defined as being that amount which will induce immunity in a chicken against challenge by a virulent strain of md . immunity is considered as having been induced in a population of chickens when the level of protection for the population is significantly higher than that of an unvaccinated control group . one measure of the level of protection is the protective index ( pi ), which is calculated as the md in unvaccinated , md virus challenged controls minus the md in vaccinated , md virus challenged groups , and the difference divided by the percent md in unvaccinated , md virus challenged controls , with the result multiplied by 100 . typically , the vaccine will contain at least about 1500 pfu ( plaque - forming units ) of the virus , and preferably between 2000 and 5000 pfu . the vaccine can be effectively administered anytime after the chicken attains immunocompetence , which is at about the 18th day of incubation ( 3 days prehatch ); but it is normally administered by inoculation within 24 - 48 hrs after hatching . appropriate adjuvants as known in the art may also be included in the vaccine formulation . in many cases , the vaccinal efficacy can be enhanced by combining the r2 / 23 or r2 / 29 with other viral agents into bivalent or polyvalent vaccines . the following examples are intended only to further illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims . two clones useful as vaccines in accordance with this invention were produced from md11 / 75c / r2 ( designated hereafter as r2 ) by serially passing the r2 revertant in cef . at passage 100 , cell - free virus was isolated from sonicated , heavily - infected cef culture and used to initiate 30 clones , each of which was grown into stocks for evaluation at passage 101 . these clones were designated r2 / 1 - r2 / 30 . the 30 clones obtained in example 1 were split into groups and each evaluated in one of six trials for inducement of viremia , gross lesions and histological lesions in chickens . the chickens used for this experiment were f 1 progeny ( 15 × 7 ) of regional poultry laboratory line 15i5 5 males and line 7 1 females . the parent females were unvaccinated breeder hens that were free of antibodies to md virus and hvt and the progeny chickens were considered negative for maternal antibodies ( ab -). the chickens were inoculated intraabdominally with 20 , 000 pfu of virus at 1 day of age . after being held in isolators for 8 wks , they were killed and examined for gross lesions . blood samples were obtained for measuring viremia , and tissues were examined for histological lesions . controls for each trial included two lots inoculated with r2 ( used at the 87th passage ), one lot inoculated with md5 , and one uninoculated lot . the md5 virus stock was a suspension of infected tissue - culture cells cryopreserved with 10 % dimethylsulfoxide at - 196 ° c . the results of the evaluations are given in table i below . nine preparations induced detectable viremia in the absence of gross md lesions , characteristics considered desirable for candidate vaccine viruses . the absence of gross lesions was considered significant because the parent r2 virus induced gross lesions in one or more chickens in each of 12 replicate trials . clones r2 / 13 , r2 / 22 , r2 / 23 , and r2 / 29 were selected for further evaluation as candidate vaccine viruses . chickens ( 15 × 7 ab -) as described in example 1 were inoculated intraabdominally with 20 , 000 pfu virus at 1 day of age . after being held in isolators for 2 , 4 , 8 , or 18 wks , the chickens were killed and examined for viremia , gross lesions , and histological lesions as in example 2 . the reported viremia values are mean pfu counts of two white blood cell ( wbc ) pools ( three birds each ), 10 6 buffy coat cells / culture . for each treatment , body weights were determined as the means of all survivor birds at 17 wks , adjusted for sex . the results are reported in table ii . in contrast to the trial in example 1 , clones r2 / 13 and r2 / 22 produced gross and histological lesions at frequencies similar to that of the r2 parent virus . however , clone r2 / 23 induced no gross or microscopic lesions . clone r2 / 29 also appeared relatively apathogenic although one chicken died at 17 wks , apparently with gross md lesions . this chicken was not examined histologically and may have been misdiagnosed , considering the absence of gross or histological lesions in cagemates killed at 18 wks . both r2 / 23 and r2 / 29 induced viremias , but at lower titers than r2 or the other clones . body weights of the groups did not differ from that of the uninoculated controls . clones r2 / 23 and r2 / 29 were deposited under the budapest treaty , in the american type culture collection , 10801 university boulevard , manassas , va . 20110 - 2209 , on may 22 , 1991 , assigned accession nos . atcc vr 2328 and atcc vr 2327 , respectively . data were analyzed by bonferroni &# 39 ; s modification of student &# 39 ; s t - test , in which the value of t for two groups was based on a variance computed from all groups , and the values of t required for statistical significance were adjusted for the number of paired observations made . a series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the ability of r2 / 23 and r2 / 29 to immunize chickens against challenge with virulent md viruses . the chickens were 15 × 7 as used in example 2 except they were obtained from breeder hens vaccinated with all three md serotypes , i . e ., md11 / 75c ( serotype 1 ), sb - 1 ( serotype 2 ), and fc126 ( serotype 3 ) at a dose of 1000 pfu for each virus and were considered positive for maternal antibodies ( ab +). in the first experiment , each chicken was inoculated at 1 day of age with 2000 pfu of r2 , r2 / 23 , r2 / 29 , fc126 / 2 , or fc126 / 2 + sb - 1 ( 2000 pfu of each ) and placed in a modified horsfall - bauer isolator . the fc126 / 2 is a clone of fc126 . at 5 days post vaccination , each chicken was challenged with 500 pfu of md5 virus . the birds were held for about 56 days post challenge , killed and necropsied , and the presence of gross lesions was recorded . birds dying during the experiment were examined for gross lesions . the birds considered to be at risk were those positive for md lesions plus those survivors without lesions . the percent protection was calculated as the percent md in unvaccinated , challenged controls minus the percent md in vaccinated , challenged groups divided by the percent md in unvaccinated , challenged controls multiplied by 100 . three replicate treats were run , and the pooled results are reported in table iii below . both the r2 / 23 and r2 / 29 clones provided protection that was greater than that of hvt ( fc126 / 2 ) alone , and was not statistically different from that of r2 or hvt + sb - 1 vaccines . a second challenge experiment was conducted substantially as described in example 4 , except serotype 1 challenge viruses rb1b , 295 , and 287l were substituted for md5 . the results are reported in table iv below . a third challenge experiment was conducted substantially as described in example 4 , except protection was evaluated in various chicken strains . the strains used were 15 × 7 ab + and two commercial white leghorn stocks , wl - a , and wl - b . both wl - a and wl - b were from parents that received serotype 2 and 3 md vaccines and , consequently , were considered positive for maternal antibodies . the results are reported in table v below . clones r2 / 23 and r2 / 29 were evaluated to determine if protection was diminished by additional passage of the virus stocks in cell culture . the procedure of example 4 was repeated , except the clones were carried through to either passage 105 or passage 115 . the results are reported in table vi below . the r2 clones , plus low passage md11 as a positive control , were backpassaged in ab - chickens as described in example 2 to monitor the ability of the viruses to revert to greater virulence . the inocula for passages 2 , 3 , and 4 were derived from an inoculated chicken in the previous passage . in addition , each group contained contact control chickens to monitor the ability of the viruses to spread by a natural route . viremia was determined from buffy - coat cells from one 0 . 2 - ml sample of blood pooled from two representative chickens . the blood was collected at 2 wks in each backpassage . assays were conducted in triplicate by standard procedures on chicken or duck embryo fibroblast cultures . antibodies were detected in sera of test chickens by an indirect immunofluorescence test using antigen consisting of cells infected with r2 virus . the results of backpassaging are shown in table vii . pathogenicity and viremia titers of both r2 clones increased with backpassage ; most of the increase occurred between the first and second backpassages . based on the frequency of gross md lesions in chickens inoculated in backpassages 2 - 4 , the virulence of clone backpassaged r2 / 29 ( 16 / 36 positive ) appeared greater than the virulence of backpassaged clone r2 / 23 ( 6 / 36 positive ) ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). importantly , neither r2 clone was spread horizontally as indicated by the lack of gross lesions or antibodies through 8 wks in contact control chickens at any backpassage . a trial was conducted to test whether additional in vitro passages would change the avirulent nature of the r2 clones . ab + chickens were inoculated and challenged as described in example 4 . no differences between passages 105 and 115 were observed for either virus in gross or histologic lesions , body weights , or viremias . both viruses were less pathogenic and induced lower viremia titers than the parent r2 virus . curiously , body weights were higher in virus - inoculated chickens than in uninoculated controls . the results are reported in table viii below . the growth rate of r2 , r2 / 23 , and fc126 / 2 in chicken embryo fibroblast cultures was compared . cultures were inoculated with about 100 pfu of each virus , and six replicate cultures per virus were assayed for cell - associated infectivity on days 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 , and 9 . the results were expressed as a ratio of pfu to the input pfu , as determined by titration of the original inoculum . on day 7 , an additional 6 replicate cultures per virus were assayed for cell - free infectivity . for cell - free virus assay , the designated plates were trypsinized and the cell harvest was resuspended in 1 . 0 ml of spga buffer , treated in two cycles ( 15 sec and 5 sec ) with a sonifier ( heat systems ultrasonic , farmingdale , n . y .) at a power setting of 2 and a wattage setting of 40 , and centrifuged at 6000 × g for 10 min . the supernate was removed and assayed by inoculation of drained cultures with 0 . 1 ml . medium was replenished after absorption for 30 min . the comparative rates of in vitro replication of r2 / 23 , r2 , and fc126 / 2 are given in table ix . titers ( pfu / input pfu ) of r2 / 23 were somewhat lower than that of r2 on days 1 , 3 , and 5 ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ), but did not differ from r2 on days 7 and 9 . neither serotype 1 virus at any time replicated to as high a titer as did fc126 / 2 . however , it is likely that differences in pfu per input pfu may reflect differences in infection efficiency than in rate of replication . cell - free virus recovery by sonication of infected cultures 7 days post inoculation was negligible for both serotype 1 viruses and was considerably less cored to that of fc126 / 2 ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). cef cultures in 96 - well plates were infected with selected md viruses of serotypes 1 , 2 , and 3 and fixed in cold acetone - alcohol when plaques became apparent . the cultures were stained by indirect immunofluorescence with serial dilutions of serotype specific monoclonal antibodies h19 and 2bn90 ( serotype 1 ), y5 ( serotype 2 ), and l78 ( serotype 3 ). titers were the highest dilution of antibody that produced a positive reaction on the infected cell antigen . antigenic analysis by serotype - specific monoclonal antibodies as reported in table x showed that r2 / 23 , r2 / 29 , and the parent r2 virus gave similar results ; each reacted strongly with serotype 1 - specific antibodies h19 and 2bn90 but not with antibodies of other serotypes . in accord with other reports in the literature , cvi988 / rispens and cvi988 / c both lacked reactivity with h19 antibody but could be classified as serotype 1 strains by their reactivity with 2bn90 . control antibodies y5 and l78 stained only serotype 2 and 3 antigens , respectively . it is understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that modification and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . table i______________________________________evaluation of r2 derivative clones in ab - chickens gross histo viremia lesions lesionsclone passage +/ tot mean pfu +/ tot +/ tot______________________________________random clonesr2 / 1 101 0 / 5 0 . 0 0 / 12 0 / 12r2 / 2 101 0 / 4 0 . 0 3 / 11 ndr2 / 3 101 0 / 4 0 . 0 0 / 11 0 / 11r2 / 4 101 0 / 3 0 . 0 3 / 11 ndr2 / 5 101 2 / 4 1 . 2 3 / 12 ndr2 / 6 . sup . c 101 2 / 5 3 . 2 0 / 11 4 / 11r2 / 7 101 0 / 4 0 . 0 0 / 12 ndr2 / 8 101 0 / 5 0 . 0 0 / 12 ndr2 / 9 101 6 / 6 6 . 0 1 / 12 ndr2 / 10 101 6 / 6 16 . 3 1 / 11 3 / 12r2 / 11 101 6 / 6 8 . 2 1 / 11 ndr2 / 12 101 6 / 6 19 . 0 3 / 12 ndr2 / 13 . sup . cd 101 5 / 6 12 . 0 0 / 9 3 / 9r2 / 14 101 6 / 6 26 . 8 1 / 12 ndr2 / 15 101 4 / 6 4 . 2 1 / 12 ndr2 / 16 101 6 / 6 8 . 0 1 / 11 2 / 11r2 / 17 101 6 / 6 56 . 2 6 / 11 ndr2 / 18 101 6 / 6 9 . 3 2 / 12 6 / 12r2 / 19 101 6 / 6 6 . 0 1 / 12 ndr2 / 20 101 5 / 6 33 . 3 1 / 12 ndr2 / 21 . sup . c 101 1 / 6 0 . 3 0 / 12 ndr2 / 22 . sup . cd 101 6 / 6 10 . 8 0 / 10 2 / 10r2 / 23 . sup . cd 101 4 / 6 2 . 0 0 / 11 1 / 11r2 / 24 101 6 / 6 45 . 7 2 / 12 ndr2 / 25 101 4 / 6 10 . 3 1 / 12 1 / 12r2 / 26 101 4 / 5 15 . 5 1 / 12 ndr2 / 27 . sup . c 101 3 / 6 2 . 0 0 / 12 0 / 12r2 / 28 . sup . c 101 3 / 6 0 . 8 0 / 11 1 / 11r2 / 29 . sup . cd 101 4 / 6 0 . 7 0 / 12 0 / 12r2 / 30 . sup . c 101 1 / 6 0 . 2 0 / 11 ndcontrol r2r2 88 5 / 6 9 . 5 4 / 12 7 / 12r2 88 3 / 6 19 . 3 4 / 11 5 / 11r2 88 4 / 6 4 . 8 1 / 12 4 / 12r2 88 5 / 6 9 . 7 1 / 11 7 / 11r2 88 6 / 6 21 . 8 3 / 12 4 / 12r2 88 4 / 6 33 . 7 3 / 11 7 / 11r2 88 6 / 6 118 . 0 2 / 12 8 / 12r2 88 6 / 6 41 . 2 5 / 12 9 / 12r2 89 5 / 6 38 . 2 2 / 11 4 / 11r2 89 6 / 6 8 . 3 3 / 11 5 / 11r2 89 6 / 6 10 . 7 1 / 12 8 / 12r2 89 6 / 6 11 . 2 3 / 12 7 / 12control md5md5 7 nd nd 10 / 11 ndmd5 7 nd nd 12 / 12 ndmd5 7 nd nd 11 / 11 ndmd5 7 nd nd 10 / 10 ndmd5 7 nd nd 12 / 12 ndmd5 7 nd nd 12 / 12 nduninoculated controls . . . nd nd 0 / 11 0 / 11 . . . nd nd 0 / 12 0 / 12 . . . nd nd 0 / 12 0 / 12 . . . nd nd 0 / 10 0 / 10 . . . nd nd 0 / 10 0 / 10 . . . nd nd 0 / 12 0 / 12______________________________________ . sup . a chickens negative for materal antibodies inoculated with 20 , 000 pf of virus at 1 day of age . obsesvations made 8 wks post inoculation . a series of six trials was conducted ; controls for each trial included two lots inoculated with r2 , one lot inoculated with md5 and one uninoculated lot . . sup . b nd = not done . . sup . c clones inducing viremia in absence of gross lesions . . sup . d clones selected for further study . table ii______________________________________pathogenicity of four r2 clones . sup . a gross histo adjusted lesions lesions viremia body wt . clone wks +/ tot % +/ tot % pfu . sup . b g . sup . c______________________________________r2 2 0 / 3 0 1 / 3 33 218 . 5 4 0 / 4 0 0 / 4 0 19 . 8 8 1 / 8 13 5 / 5 100 77 . 8 18 10 / 25 40 2 / 6 33 12 . 8 1502 ar2 / 13 2 6 / 4 0 0 / 4 0 137 . 3 4 0 / 4 0 1 / 4 25 36 . 0 8 1 / 9 11 3 / 6 50 69 . 0 18 6 / 24 25 2 / 6 33 39 . 5 1449 abr2 / 22 2 0 / 6 0 0 / 6 0 127 . 0 4 0 / 6 0 2 / 6 33 29 . 5 8 1 / 7 14 2 / 3 67 76 . 0 18 8 / 22 36 4 / 6 67 64 . 5 1559 ar2 / 23 2 0 / 6 0 0 / 6 0 19 . 3 4 0 / 5 0 0 / 5 0 1 . 0 8 0 / 9 0 0 / 6 0 6 . 3 18 0 / 21 0 0 / 6 0 2 . 0 1593 acr2 / 29 2 0 / 5 0 0 / 5 0 31 . 0 4 0 / 6 0 0 / 6 0 8 . 3 8 0 / 9 0 0 / 6 0 5 . 0 18 1 / 22 . sup . d 5 0 / 6 0 6 . 3 1593 acnone 2 0 / 5 0 0 / 5 0 0 . 0 4 0 / 6 0 0 / 6 0 0 . 0 8 0 / 6 0 0 / 6 0 0 . 0 18 0 / 22 0 0 / 6 0 0 . 0 1534 a______________________________________ . sup . a chickens negative for maternal antibodies inoculated at 1 day of age with 20 , 000 pfu of each virus . . sup . b viremias are mean pfu counts of two wbc pools ( three birds each ), 10 . sup . 6 buffy coat cells / culture . . sup . c body weights are means of all survivor birds at 17 wks , adjusted for sex . means with different letter designations differ by bonferroni ttest ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). . sup . d bird died at 17 wks with enlarged vagus , sciatic , and brachial nerves . no histology was done . table iii______________________________________comparative efficacy of vaccines from attenuatedr2 clones . sup . atrial md response survivor weightsvaccine +/ tot % md % protection n g______________________________________r2 11 / 50 22 . 0 . sup . 78 b . sup . b 48 700 . 3 br2 / 23 16 / 51 31 . 4 69 b 49 708 . 2 br2 / 29 17 / 51 33 . 3 67 b 49 705 . 1 bfc126 / 2 39 / 51 76 . 5 24 a 50 707 . 6 bfc126 / 2 + sb1 11 / 50 22 . 0 78 b 49 716 . 8 bnone 51 / 51 100 . 0 45 523 . 8 anone ( no chall ) 0 / 15 0 . 0 15 759 . 6 b______________________________________ . sup . a chickens positive for materal antibodies were inoculated at 1 day of age with 2000 pfu of each virus , challenged with 500 pfu of md5 virus at 5 days post vaccination , and evaluated at 8 wks post challenge . . sup . b statistics by chisguare ( protection ), bonferroni ttest ( weights ). values with different letter designations differ ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). table iv______________________________________protection by r2 clones against differentchallenge viruses . sup . a % pro - vaccine challenge +/ tot % md tection______________________________________r2 / 23 rb1b 8 / 17 47 . 1 50 a . sup . br2 / 29 6 / 17 35 . 3 63 afc126 / 2 8 / 17 47 . 1 50 afc126 / 2 + sb - 1 0 / 17 0 . 0 100 bnone 16 / 17 94 . 1r2 / 23 295 8 / 17 47 . 1 38 ar2 / 29 11 / 16 68 . 8 10 afc126 / 2 11 / 17 64 . 7 15 afc126 / 2 + sb - 1 10 / 17 58 . 8 23 anone 13 / 17 76 . 5r2 / 23 287l 6 / 17 35 . 3 62 ar2 / 29 4 / 17 23 . 5 75 afc126 / 2 9 / 17 52 . 9 44 afc126 / 2 + sb - 1 9 / 17 52 . 9 44 anone 15 / 16 93 . 8r2 / 23 total 22 / 51 43 . 1 51 ar2 / 29 21 / 50 42 . 0 52 afc126 / 2 38 / 51 54 . 9 38 afc126 / 2 + sb - 1 19 / 51 37 . 3 58 anone 44 / 50 88 . 0______________________________________ . sup . a chickens positive for maternal antibodies were inoculated at 1 day of age with 2000 pfu of each virus , challenged with 500 pfu of the appropriate virus at 5 days post vaccination , and evaluated at 8 wks post challenge . . sup . b statistics by chisguare . values witn different letter designations differ ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). table v______________________________________protection by r2 clones against mdin different chicken strains . sup . a % pro - vaccine chicken +/ tot % md tection______________________________________r2 / 23 15 × 7 ab + 4 / 17 23 . 5 76 b . sup . br2 / 29 8 / 17 47 . 1 53 abfc126 13 / 17 76 . 5 24 afc126 + sb - 1 3 / 16 18 . 8 81 bnone 17 / 17 100 . 0r2 / 23 wl - a 0 / 16 0 . 0 100 ar2 / 29 1 / 17 5 . 9 94 afc126 4 / 17 23 . 5 75 afc126 + sb - 1 1 / 16 6 . 3 93 anone 14 / 15 93 . 3r2 / 23 wl - b 2 / 16 12 . 5 82 ar2 / 29 1 / 16 6 . 3 91 afc126 3 / 17 17 . 6 75 afc126 + sb - 1 0 / 17 0 . 0 100 anone 12 / 17 70 . 6pooled data : r2 / 23 6 / 49 12 . 2 86 br2 / 29 10 / 50 20 . 0 77 abfc126 / 2 20 / 51 39 . 2 55 afc126 / 2 + sb - 1 4 / 49 8 . 2 91 bnone 43 / 49 87 . 8______________________________________ . sup . a chickens positive for maternal antibodies were inoculated at 1 day of age with 2000 pfu of each virus , challenged with 500 pfu of md5 virus at 5 days post vaccination , and evaluated at 9 wks post challenge . . sup . b statistics by chisquare . values with different letter designations differ ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). table vi______________________________________effect of additional cell culturepassage on protection . sup . a % pro - vaccine passage +/ tot % pos tection______________________________________r2 / 23 105 16 / 34 47 . 1 53 a . sup . br2 / 23 115 12 / 34 35 . 5 65 ar2 / 29 105 12 / 32 37 . 5 63 ar2 / 29 115 17 / 34 50 . 0 50 anone 34 / 34 100 . 0______________________________________ . sup . a chickens positive for maternal antibodies were inoculated at 1 day of age with 2000 pfu of each virus , challenged with 500 pfu of md5 virus at 5 days post vaccination , and evaluated at 8 wks post challenge . data pooled from two replicate trials . . sup . b statistics by chisquare . values with different letter designations differ ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). table vii__________________________________________________________________________backpassage of r2 clones inoculates contacts back - anti - gross anti - grossvirus passage viremia . sup . a body . sup . b lesions . sup . c viremia body lesions__________________________________________________________________________r2 / 23 1 0 6 / 7 0 / 7 0 0 / 7 0 / 6 2 150 8 / 12 3 / 12 ( 0 ) 0 0 / 10 0 / 12 3 67 12 / 12 1 / 12 0 0 / 12 0 / 12 4 57 12 / 12 2 / 12 ( 0 ) 0 0 / 11 0 / 11r2 / 29 1 3 6 / 7 0 / 7 0 0 / 6 0 / 6 2 375 11 / 12 4 / 12 ( 0 ) 0 0 / 11 0 / 11 3 46 8 / 12 4 / 12 ( 0 ) 0 0 / 12 0 / 12 4 98 12 / 12 8 / 12 ( 0 ) 0 0 / 12 0 / 12md11 1 8 1 / 1 6 / 6 ( 6 ) 0 4 / 6 6 / 6 ( 0 ) 2 213 0 / 1 11 / 11 ( 11 ) 0 8 / 11 12 / 12 ( 0 ) 3 380 nd 12 / 12 ( 12 ) 0 8 / 11 10 / 11 ( 0 ) 4 382 nd 11 / 11 ( 11 ) 0 8 / 11 10 / 12 ( 1 ) control 1 0 0 / 4 0 / 5 2 0 0 / 12 0 / 12 3 0 0 / 11 0 / 12 4 0 0 / 12 0 / 12__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . a pfu from 10 . sup . 6 buffy coat cells from one sample of blood pooled from two representative chickens and assayed in triplicate . blood collected at 2 wks ( backpasage 1 - 4 ). . sup . b antibody detected by indirect immunofluorescence on antigen consisting of cells infected with r2 virus . sera collected at 8 wks . number positive / number tested . . sup . c gross md lesions at 8 wks . number positive / number examined . number dead in parentheses . table viii______________________________________effect of additional tissue culture passage on pathogenicityand replication of r2 clones . sup . a gross lesions histo lesions body wt . viremiavirus passage +/ tot % +/ tot % g pfu______________________________________r2 / 23 105 0 / 10 0 . 0 0 / 10 0 . 0 . sup . 580 . 5 b . sup . b 1 . 4 br2 / 23 115 0 / 10 0 . 0 0 / 10 0 . 0 569 . 7 b 11 . 1 br2 / 29 105 0 / 10 0 . 0 0 / 10 0 . 0 604 . 7 b 17 . 5 br2 / 29 115 0 / 8 0 . 0 0 / 8 0 . 0 549 . 3 b 8 . 9 br2 89 3 / 10 30 . 0 6 / 10 60 . 0 685 . 0 c 180 . 7 cnone 0 / 10 0 . 0 0 / 10 0 . 0 521 . 5 a 0 . 0 a______________________________________ . sup . a chickens positive for maternal antibodies were inoculated at 1 day of age with 2000 pfu of each virus , challenged with 500 pfu of md5 virus at 5 days post vaccination , and evaluated at 8 wks post challenge . . sup . b statistics by bonferroni ttest . values with different letter designations differ ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). table ix______________________________________replication of r2 clones cell - associated cell - freevirus day 1 day 3 day 5 day 7 day 9 day 7______________________________________r2 / 23 3 . 5a . sup . a 82 . 1a 296 . 7a 718 . 0a 1052 . 8a 1 . 4ar2 8 . 0b 163 . 2b 588 . 2b 833 . 4a 1481 . sa 1 . 4afc126 / 2 13 . 6c 237 . 3c 1119 . 3c 1323 . 5b 1905 . 6b 100 . 5b______________________________________ . sup . a values for same day followed by different letter are different ( p 0 . 05 ) by bonferroni ttest . values are means of six replicates and are expressed as pfu per input pfu . table x______________________________________antigenic analysis of r2 clones by monoclonal antibodies monoclonal antibodyvirus h19 2bn90 y5 l78______________________________________r2 102400 . sup . a 25600 & lt ; 50 & lt ; 50r2 / 23 51200 25600 & lt ; 50 & lt ; 50r2 / 29 51200 25600 & lt ; 50 & lt ; 50cvi988 / rispens & lt ; 50 12800 & lt ; 50 & lt ; 50cvi988 / c & lt ; 50 12800 & lt ; 50 & lt ; 50sb - 1 & lt ; 50 & lt ; 50 12800 & lt ; 50fc126 / 2 & lt ; 50 & lt ; 50 & lt ; 50 25600______________________________________ . sup . a titers are reciprocal of highest dilution of antibody reacting wit viral antigen in indirect immunofluorescence assay . | 2 |
an improved feedthrough capacitor filter terminal assembly is provided for use in active implantable medical devices ( aimds ) and the like , such as in a cardiac pacemaker , an implantable defibrillator , a congestive heart failure device , a hearing implant , a cochlear implant , a neurostimulator , a drug pump , a ventricular assist device , an insulin pump , a spinal cord stimulator , an implantable sensing system , a deep brain stimulator , an artificial heart , an incontinence device , a nerve stimulator , a bone growth stimulator , a gastric pacemaker , or a prosthetic device . a prior method of resolving the issues of leak testing is depicted in fig5 , 6 and 7 , taken from co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 161 , 198 , the contents of which are incorporated herein . these figures depict a unipolar feedthrough terminal assembly 60 similar to that shown in fig3 and 4 . however , a non - conductive and non - adhesive washer 62 has been added and is pressed firmly against the top surface of the alumina insulator 64 , and one or more adhesive layers 66 have been placed on top of the washer 62 . the capacitor 68 is then seated into place on top of the adhesive layers 66 . the top surface of the adhesive layer 66 laminates to the bottom of the capacitor 68 and the bottom surface of the adhesive layer 66 laminates to the top of the washer 62 . the bottom surface of the washer 62 is not laminated to the top surface of the insulator 64 . this construction leaves a laminar delamination gap 70 that is a very thin gap which is sufficient to readily allow helium atoms to pass during a helium leak detection test without permitting the passage of larger molecules or compounds , i . e ., water , sodium bicarbonate , etc . electromechanical connection material 72 is spaced around the perimeter of the capacitor 68 similar to the gaps left around the circumference of connection material 46 in fig3 and 4 . these gaps provide helium leak detection pathways to permit helium ( or similar ) atoms to pass during a leak detection test . however , the presence of the thin air gap 70 can still lead to high voltage field enhancement and arcing . in accordance with the present invention , and as shown in fig8 - 18 , there are three categories of breathable materials utilized in feedthrough terminal assemblies embodying the present invention : 1 ) the first category is breathable electromechanical connections . these electrical - mechanical connections , in general , connect between the capacitor active electrode plate set and one or more lead wires . the electromechanical connections can also be used to connect between the capacitor ground electrode plate set and the overall electromagnetic ground plane shield and / or ferrule of the hermetic terminal . 2 ) the second category is breathable washers . these washers may be preformed or dispensed . they can be thermosetting , b - staged , compressible or rigid with adhesive coatings . such breathable washers lay intermediate between the ceramic feedthrough capacitor and its underlying mounting surface . in general , for an emi filtered hermetic terminal for an aimd , these washers are intermediate between the ceramic capacitor and the alumina or glass hermetic seal . 3 ) the third category is breathable coatings and breathable conformal coatings that are placed on top of the ceramic capacitor ( the surface disposed toward the inside of the aimd housing ). these breathable coatings provide mechanical strength , improve the cosmetic appearance and also improve the high voltage characteristics of the capacitor . for the present invention , breathable means “ free to pass detection gas , such as helium , during a standard pressurized or vacuum pull leak detection test ”, which typically is performed in less than one minute . breathable electromechanical connections mainly consist of a thermosetting conductive material , such as a conductive epoxy , conductive polyimide , conductive silicone or the like . in general , these dispersible materials are conductive because they have been loaded with metallic flakes or spheres , such as silver or the like . in order to make these electromechanical connection materials porous in accordance with the present invention , porous fillers are added . this includes the entire category of breathable fillers , examples of which include porous carbon spheres , carbon nanotubes , open cell microspheres , microtublets , talc , porous filaments , carbon nanofoams , porous fibers or the like . for example , carbon nanofoams are electrically conductive , have high capacitance , and have continuous porosity and nanometer - scale dimensions . alternatively , pores can be formed in the thermosetting material using a variety of methods . in one such method , pores with either submicrometer - sized closed - cell structure or a bicontinuous percolating structure (“ canallike ”) can be formed in an electrically - conductive epoxy - amine cross - linked matrix utilizing the polymer additives poly -( vinyl methyl ether ) ( pvme ) and a diamine monomer ( such as polyoxyproylene diamine or polyoxyprolene triamine ), and a two - step temperature cure : a polymerization - induced phase separation at a moderate temperature ( 100 - 120 ° c .) of a thermoplastic , . . . pvme . . . , in an epoxy - amine matrix followed by a high - temperature treatment ( above 200 ° c . ), as disclosed in loera et al . porous epoxy thermosets obtained by a polymerization - induced phase separation process of a degradable thermoplastic polymer . macromolecules 2002 , 35 , 6291 - 6297 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . the two - step temperature cure will not only allow the formation of pores within the epoxy , but also provides an additional safeguard to prevent sodium bicarbonate contamination , in that cleaning can be performed after bonding to the ceramic at the moderate temperature ( before the pores are formed ), after which the material can be treated at the higher temperature , allowing pore formation . a different technique for forming porous epoxy thermoset , in which a solvent ( thf ) is used to selectively remove the hyperbranched polymer phase of a cured electrically - conductive epoxy / hyperbranched polymer blend , is also known , as disclosed in guo et al . phase separation , porous structure , and cure kinetics in aliphatic epoxy resin containing hyperbranched polyester . journal of polymer science : part b : polymer physics 2006 , vol . 44 , 889 - 899 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . breathable washers include materials that can be dispensed , can be set in place as a solid object , or compressed . certain breathable washer materials include the same group as previously described for electromechanical connections except that in this case they are insulative ( not filled with silver spheres or flake ). this would include thermosetting epoxies , polyimides , plastics , silicones and the like . to make them breathable , they are filled with one or more porous fillers , including breathable fillers , porous insulative spheres , porous insulative nanotubes , open cell microspheres , microtublets , talc , porous filaments , porous fibers , silica powder , silica aerogel , or the like . alternatively , pores can be formed in the thermosetting material using a variety of methods . in one such method , pores with either submicrometer - sized closed - cell structure or a bicontinuous percolating structure (“ canallike ”) can be formed in an epoxy - amine cross - linked matrix utilizing the polymer additives poly -( vinyl methyl ether ) ( pvme ) and a diamine monomer ( such as polyoxyproylene diamine or polyoxyprolene triamine ), and a two - step temperature cure : a polymerization - induced phase separation at a moderate temperature ( 100 - 120 ° c .) of a thermoplastic , . . . pvme . . . , in an epoxy - amine matrix followed by a high - temperature treatment ( above 200 ° c .) ( loera et al . macromolecules 2002 , 35 , 6291 - 6297 ). the two - step temperature cure will not only allow the formation of pores within the epoxy , but also provides an additional safeguard to prevent sodium bicarbonate contamination , in that cleaning can be performed after bonding to the ceramic at the moderate temperature ( before the pores are formed ), after which the material can be treated at the higher temperature , allowing pore formation . a different technique for forming porous epoxy thermoset , in which a solvent ( thf ) is used to selectively remove the hyperbranched polymer phase of a cured epoxy / hyperbranched polymer blend , is also known ( guo et al . journal of polymer science : part b : polymer physics 2006 , vol . 44 , 889 - 899 ). additionally , foamed hot - melt adhesives , formed by first stabilizing a dispersion of gas bubbles in a molten thermoplastic by incorporating in the molten thermoplastic a surfactant in a sufficient gas - stabilizing amount , subsequently pressurizing said dispersion to form a hot solution of the gas in the molten thermoplastic , dispensing said hot solution under lower pressure whereby said gas is released from said solution to form a hot foamed material , and compressing the hot foam between two substrates to force the gas from the foam and to form a bond between the substrates , can be used , as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 259 , 402 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . there is another group of washers that includes the group of compressible gas permeable gaskets and membranes . for example , a thick layer of gore - tex ( a gas permeable membrane ) could be compressed between the ceramic capacitor and an alumina ceramic insulator . this would require that the capacitor be seated under pressure while the electromechanical connections are made between the capacitor outer diameter and the ferrule and / or the capacitor inner diameter hole ( s ) and lead wire ( s ). this would keep the capacitor firmly seated against the compressible porous membrane in a way that water and other contaminants are precluded from entering between the surfaces of the ceramic capacitor and the compressed membrane . however , in this case , the membrane would be semi - permeable or breathable . this would allow helium to freely pass while at the same time firmly seating the ceramic capacitor . firmly seating the ceramic capacitor against these compressible surfaces eliminates small air gaps which cause high voltage stress risers in implantable defibrillator applications or in the case where external defibrillation is applied to a patient . breathable washers also include the group of breathable thermoplastics and breathable membranes . these breathable thermoplastics and breathable membranes can be coated with very thin layers of thermosetting adhesives . this allows these washers to be bonded both to the ceramic feedthrough capacitor and to the insulator bonding surfaces thereby preventing the formation of thin air gaps as mentioned above . as long as the thermosetting adhesive layer is kept very thin , this will still allow the leak detection gas , typically helium atoms , to pass quickly through . another category of breathable washers includes structurally formed washers , including hot or heat - seal installation and fabrication methods . this includes fiber washers , double corrugated washers , perforated washers and post casting stretched membranes which create mircoperforations . in accordance with the invention , breathable coatings and breathable conformal coatings are generally used to coat the top surface of the capacitor . this is the surface that is pointed towards the inside of the amid . the purpose of these coatings or conformal coatings is three fold : that is , to provide mechanical protection against handling for solvent cleaning during manufacturing of the aimd , to provide a nice cosmetic finished appearance , and to improve the high voltage characteristics of the ceramic capacitor . in general , it is preferred that these coatings be very thin because they are mismatched in thermal coefficient of expansion with the underlying ceramic capacitor . a thin layer does not induce microfractures in or pull away from the relatively brittle ceramic capacitor materials . conformal coatings are highly desirable in high voltage applications . this is because of the relatively high dielectric constant or permeability of the ceramic capacitor itself . the ceramic capacitor , for example , can have a dielectric constant ( k ) in excess of 2500 . air only has a dielectric constant of 1 . when high voltage fields make a transition from such a high k material to a relatively low k material , field enhancements occur which can lead to arc - overs , surface cracks or even catastrophic high voltage avalanche breakdown of the ceramic capacitor . by adding a material of intermediate dielectric constant , such as an epoxy , polyimide , plastic or silicone material , the high voltage field is relaxed thereby creating much less tendency for arcing or high voltage breakdown to occur across the capacitor surface . in accordance with the present invention , these coatings and conformal coatings are breathable . in order to make them breathable such that helium can pass through readily , they are in general loaded with a breathable filler , including the group of porous insulative spheres , carbon nanotubes , shortcut aligned fibers or whiskers that are porous , open cell microspheres , microtublets , talc , porous filaments , porous fibers , silica powder , silica aerogel , or the like . alternatively , pores can be formed in the thermosetting material using a variety of methods . in one such method , pores with either submicrometer - sized closed - cell structure or a bicontinuous percolating structure (“ canallike ”) can be formed in an epoxy - amine cross - linked matrix utilizing the polymer additives poly -( vinyl methyl ether ) ( pvme ) and a diamine monomer ( such as polyoxyproylene diamine or polyoxyprolene triamine ), and a two - step temperature cure : a polymerization - induced phase separation at a moderate temperature ( 100 - 120 ° c .) of a thermoplastic , . . . pvme . . . , in an epoxy - amine matrix followed by a high - temperature treatment ( above 200 ° c .) ( loera et al . macromolecules 2002 , 35 , 6291 - 6297 ). the two - step temperature cure will not only allow the formation of pores within the epoxy , but also provides an additional safeguard to prevent sodium bicarbonate contamination , in that cleaning can be performed after bonding to the ceramic at the moderate temperature ( before the pores are formed ), after which the material can be treated at the higher temperature , allowing pore formation . a different technique for forming porous epoxy thermoset , in which a solvent ( thf ) is used to selectively remove the hyperbranched polymer phase of a cured epoxy / hyperbranched polymer blend , is also known ( guo et al ., journal of polymer science part b : polymer physics 2006 , vol . 44 , 889 - 899 ). also , breathable conformal coatings for the purpose of aiding hermeticity testing can be formed by a composition / formulation containing a rubber , siloxane or urethane oligomer modified epoxy and an organic hardener , and optionally an organic diluent and a curing catalyst or a composition / formulation containing a silicone elastomer or gel and a metal chelate catalyst , and optionally a silica filler , a diluent and an adhesion promoter or coupling agent , as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 989 , 433 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . with specific reference to a first preferred embodiment illustrated in fig8 - 10 , a unipolar feedthrough terminal assembly 74 is shown which is similar to the terminal assemblies 22 , 42 and 60 described above . however , there are a number of important improvements . where electrical connection material 46 and 72 had previously been spaced with discontinuous gaps around the perimeter of the capacitor 44 and 68 , it can now be a continuous uninterrupted ring of breathable conductive electromechanical connection material 76 . additionally , a breathable washer 82 is provided between the insulator 80 and the capacitor 78 to provide a pathway for helium atoms during a leak detection test . the main difference between the present invention and the prior art is that the breathable electromechanical connection material 76 and the breathable washer 82 each include porous fillers or membranes , as described above , that create a high bulk permeability such that the leak detection gas , typically helium atoms , can readily pass through . the breathable washer 82 is either bonded to or firmly pressed against the bottom of the capacitor 78 and the top of the hermetic seal insulator 80 such that there is no gap formed that could trap contaminants or lead to high voltage field enhancement . it will be appreciated that the passageways through the breathable electromechanical connections 76 and the breathable washer 82 are generally too small to allow water , sodium bicarbonate , solids or other contaminants to pass to the interior of the assembly 74 . the passageways create a relatively high bulk permeability of the breathable electromechanical connection material 76 and breathable washer material 82 to leak detection gasses , such as helium . such breathable materials 76 and / or 82 can be used in any type of feedthrough terminal assembly to permit passage of helium atoms under pressure during a leak detection test . referring back to fig9 , breathable electromechanical connection material 76 a may also be used to connect the lead wire 83 to the first set of electrode plates in the capacitor 78 . in this manner , helium atoms may permeate through additional seals to provide great opportunity for detecting leaks . fig1 , 12 and 13 are similar to fig2 , 29 and 30 of u . s . pat . no . 6 , 765 , 779 ( the contents of which are incorporated herein ), and illustrate another embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment includes a protective and cosmetic non - conductive breathable coating or breathable conformal coating 84 in accordance with the present invention dispensed over the top of the capacitor 86 . a non - conductive breathable washer 88 in accordance with the present invention is placed or dispensed onto the insulator 90 into which the capacitor 86 is seated into place . both the top and bottom surfaces of the breathable washer 88 laminate both to the bottom of the ceramic capacitor 86 and to the top of the hermetic insulator 90 during curing . in accordance with the present invention , this breathable washer 88 has sufficient permeability to readily allow helium atoms to pass during a helium leak detection test . breathable electromechanical connection materials 92 and 94 also permit helium atoms to permeate through the materials 92 and 94 during a leak detection test . one can see that if either gold braze hermetic connection 96 or 98 is defective , then helium atoms will readily pass through the breathable materials 88 , 92 and / or 94 and through the breathable coating or conformal coating 84 , wherein they would be readily detected and the device would fail the leak test . a significant advantage of this is that the gaps around the perimeters of the capacitors 40 and 68 in the connection material 46 and 72 previously described above in connection with fig3 through 7 has been eliminated in the preferred embodiments . by providing breathable conductive electromechanical connection materials 76 , 92 and / or 94 , or breathable non - conductive washer materials 82 , 84 , 88 , ( fig8 - 13 ), water has been generally precluded from entering the space between the breathable washer 82 , 88 and the insulator 80 , 90 ; however , helium is free to flow . this is also very important during water cleaning after sodium bicarbonate blasting . additionally , since water molecules do not readily penetrate the porous fillers of the breathable electromechanical connection materials , this also means that the sodium bicarbonate , salts , or other solids which may be contained in the water , will not pass through . referring to the electrically conductive breathable connection materials such as those illustrated in fig1 as materials 92 and 94 , they can be made breathable by any of the aforementioned techniques of making the membranes breathable . they can also be made breathable by the addition of carbon monofilaments or carbon fibers that are porous in nature . carbon is both conductive but can be made porous to allow helium to readily pass . the geometries and shapes of the unipolar assemblies , as illustrated in fig8 - 13 , can be extended to a variety of geometries and shapes including quadpolar , dual inline octapolar , inline nine polar and the like . in other words , the principles described herein can literally be applied to any feedthrough capacitor terminal assembly for human implant . fig1 illustrates the breathable washer 82 of fig9 and 10 , and / or the breathable washer 88 in fig1 - 13 , which have a selective area adhesive 100 . the selective area of adhesive 100 surrounds the center hole 101 through which the lead wire 83 will pass . referring back to fig9 , one can see that there is a conductive electrical attachment material 76 a , which can be a thermal setting conductive adhesive such as a conductive polyimide , a solder or the like . during manufacturing , this thermal setting conductive material is typically centrifuged in place which puts great force on it . in the alternative case , during soldering , there may be fluxes or solder that would tend to flow down in the gap underneath the feedthrough capacitor . it is undesirable to have electrical conductive materials 76 a disposed in places where it doesn &# 39 ; t belong ( for example , underneath the capacitor where it could create short circuits ). additionally , it is relatively undesirable to adhesively coat the entire surface of the washer 82 . the reason for this is the adhesive coating material 100 would tend to flow into and block some of the pores or porosity of the breathable washer itself . accordingly , it is a feature of the present invention to selectively place adhesives 100 in such a way that they allow helium to pass but they also selectively block the flow of the electrical conductive materials 76 a and keep them in their proper locations . fig1 is one such embodiment where the adhesive has been selectively placed in a circumferential manner to block said flow . fig1 shows the reverse side of the washer depicted in fig1 , illustrating the placement of selective adhesive dots 102 . these , of course , can be of any shape and any location . the purpose of these dots 102 is to mechanically attach the breathable washer 82 to its substrate mounting surface , for example , the alumina ceramic insulator 80 using selectively placed dots 102 , this prevents the entire surface of the breathable washer 82 from becoming sealed or saturated such that most of its pores will remain open . in other words , there are still plenty of areas where helium is free to pass . fig1 is an alternative embodiment relative to fig1 , showing stripes 104 instead of dots 102 . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these stripes 104 could be squiggles or any other patterns that could be made with adhesive attachments . fig1 is an adaptation of a breathable washer 106 to a multi - polar feedthrough capacitor . multi - polar feedthrough capacitors are well known in the art and include bipolar , quadpolar , hexipolar and like configurations . in fig1 , squiggle patters of adhesive material 108 have been placed in such a way so that there is a laminated barrier between the adjacent apertures 101 . this is very important in high voltage implantable defibrillator applications in order to prevent high voltage flashover between adjacent high voltage pins . fig1 shows the reverse side of the washer 106 of fig1 . this washer is designed to be laminated and sandwiched between the feedthrough capacitor and its mounting surface which is typically the alumina ceramic insulator . one can see that there is a series of circumferential areas of adhesive 100 which would be laminated against the bottom of the feedthrough capacitor . this would have the same purpose as previously described in connection with fig1 , thereby preventing the flow of electrical conductive materials 76 a to areas where it is not desired . in summary , adhesives can be selectively distributed as to simulate porosity enabling the filter to washer attachment to be made without compromising permeability and leak testability of the surrounding breathable medium . although several embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration , various modifications of each may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited , except by the appended claims . | 7 |
with reference now to the drawings , the container and closure assembly ( 10 ) will be described . the container ( 14 ) is generally bowl - shaped having a base ( 16 ) connected to an upwardly extending annular wall ( 18 ). the wall terminates in an outwardly flared rim ( 20 ) which defines the opening of the container . the uppermost point of the rim comprises an annular top edge sealing surface ( 24 ) that is preferably flat . extending vertically downward from the top edge is an outer face ( 22 ). the face is preferably smooth and ring - like in shape . a feature of the invention is the wall thickness of at least the container rim ( 20 ). except for uppermost surface ( 24 ), it is the same substantially . as shown in fig3 the annular wall ( 18 ) and base ( 16 ) are also uniform in thickness throughout their longitudinal extent . the container base is provided with a support ring ( 54 ) that extends downwardly from the base underside . for purposes to be hereinafter described , the ring is concentric with the center axis of the bowl . the container closure ( 12 ) is preferrably round and overlies the container opening . it includes a center portion ( 26 ) that merges into a concentric upraised annular shoulder ( 28 ). extending radially outward and upward from the shoulder is ridge ( 30 ). connecting the ridge to the inverted u - shaped peripheral rim structure ( 32 ) is an annular top wall region shown by reference numeral ( 31 ). the peripheral rim structure is adapted to sealingly engage and hermetically seal with the entire container rim structure in a manner to be hereinafter described . the rim structure ( 32 ) comprises a downwardly extending inner sealing ring ( 34 ) having a deflectible free end ( 36 ). extending transversely outward from the base of the ring is web ( 38 ). extending downwardly from the web is outer rim wall ( 40 ). at the lower end of the rim wall is an inwardly directly bead ( 42 ) and an outwardly extending skirt portion ( 52 ). the bead includes an upwardly inclined surface ( 48 ) which terminates at its lowest point at bead innermost edge ( 50 ). the rim wall has an inside face ( 46 ) having a vertical extent at least equal to , and preferrably slightly greater than , the vertical outer face ( 22 ) of the container rim . web ( 38 ) is also provided with an underside having a planar surface corresponding to the flat container top edge ( 24 ). the innermost edge and sealing ring free end ( 36 ) are spaced apart by the web ( 38 ) a distance less than the thickness of the container rim ( 20 ). in this manner , the rim will be securely engaged therebetween by the compressive forces of the resilient plastic material comprising the closure rim structure . as such , a strong highly effective double seal is created . the aforementioned innermost edge ( 50 ) is vertically below the free end ( 36 ) of the sealing ring . with such disposition and the resilience of the rim wall pushing edge ( 50 ) against the curved outer surface of the flared rim , an upward force will result causing a positive seal between the top edge ( 24 ) and web underside ( 44 ). connecting the closure ( 12 ) to the container ( 14 ) can best be described with reference to fig6 and 7 . the closure is placed loosely over the container opening and one may grasp the skirt underside , shown by reference numeral ( 56 ), and pull upwardly and outwardly while simultaneously pressing downwardly upon web ( 38 ). such action will allow the bead ( 42 ) to slip over face ( 22 ) and engage the underside of the flared rim with innermost edge ( 50 ). simultaneous with the above distortion will be the deflection of sealing ring free end ( 36 ) against the inner wall of container rim ( 20 ). after the aforementioned engagement at a portion of the rim structure , one may progressively apply force to the top of web ( 38 ) about the remaining periphery of the rim structure . this will result in the aforementioned distortion and allow complete engagement of the closure to the container with the concomitant formation of at least a triple seal . such seal exists between the outer surface of the flared rim and innermost edge ( 50 ). it further exists between the top edge face ( 24 ) and web underside ( 44 ). it also occurs between the inner surface of the flared rim and the outer surface of deflectible free end ( 36 ). still further , it may also exist about the opposing faces of the rim wall ( 46 ) and flared rim face ( 22 ). as mentioned hereinabove , the container base includes a support ring ( 54 ) and the closure includes an annular shoulder ( 28 ). both of the above structures are positioned concentric to the center axis of the assembly and the circular diameter of each are constructed to be about equal . in this manner , ring ( 54 ) will rest upon shoulder ( 28 ) so that several like containers can be stacked upon each other . further , due to the upraised ridge ( 30 ), the ring structure will not be readily dislodged from its place on shoulder ( 28 ). in preferred embodiments of the invention , the container and closure assembly are constructed of resilient plastic and are round or oval in shape . in this regard , it will be noted that the base ( 16 ) is convex in cross - section as is the closure center portion ( 26 ). such configuration allows for an enhanced resilience and encourages an effective seal between the closure and container . further , having the center portion ( 26 ) convex in shape and by having the annular to wall region in the shape of a truncated dome , one can readily depress the closure during insertion upon the container rim and expel air during the closing procedure . this action further enhances an air tight seal by creating a slight vacuum therein . while the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . as such , it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the aforementioned specific embodiments but only by the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
referring to fig1 , an alerting device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a band selector 2 , an interference detector 3 , an interference decision section 4 , and an interference indicator 5 . in this embodiment , the alerting device 1 is further provided with a baseband transceiver 6 , a radio - frequency transmitter 7 , a recording medium 8 , a receiving antenna 10 , an input terminal 11 , a transmitting antenna 12 , and an input / output terminal 13 . the above functions of the alerting device 1 may be implemented with hardware or software . a program - controlled processor ( not shown ) may be provided in the alerting device 1 to implement the above functions and perform the interference monitoring and alert generating operations by running corresponding programs that are previously stored in the recording medium 8 . hereafter , the interference monitoring and alert generating operations will be described with reference to fig2 . referring to fig2 , it is determined whether identifier information for identifying a target radio communication system is inputted at the input terminal 11 ( step s 1 ). the identifier information includes three items of information as follows : 1 ) center frequency of a frequency band used by the target radio communication system , 2 ) band width of the frequency band , and 3 ) interference level affecting the target radio communication system . alternatively , the alerting device 1 inputs only an identifier for identifying a target radio communication system and convert it to the above three items of information . when the identifier information is inputted ( yes in step s 1 ), the information of center frequency fc and bandwidth w are output to the band selector 2 and the interference level li is output to the interference decision section 4 . the band selector 2 inputs received radio signals from the antenna 10 and selects a radio signal on a band including a target band used by the target radio communication system depending on the information of center frequency fc and bandwidth w that are inputted through the input terminal 11 ( step s 2 ). the received signal selected by the band selector 2 is output to the interference detector 3 . the interference detector 3 detects an interference level from the received signal to output it as an interference level signal to the interference decision section 4 ( step s 3 ). the interference decision section 4 inputs the detected interference level signal from the interference detector 3 and the interference level li from the input terminal 11 . the interference decision section 4 compares them to determine which is greater ( steps s 4 and s 5 ). when the detected interference level signal is greater than the interference level li ( yes in step s 5 ), it is determined that interference occurs and the interference decision section 4 outputs an interference occurrence signal to the interference indicator 5 ( step s 6 ). when receiving the interference occurrence signal from the interference decision section 4 , the interference indicator 5 notifies a user of occurrence oh interference by appropriate means , for example , sound , light , vibration or the like . the alerting device 1 according to the present embodiment is integrated with a radio transceiver for the target radio communication system . for this , the alerting device 1 is provided with the baseband transceiver 6 , the radio - frequency transmitter 7 , the transmitting antenna 12 , and the input / output terminal 13 . since the signals selected by the band selector 2 include signals on the band used by the target radio communication system , it is possible to perform a receiving operation of the transceiver by the baseband transceiver 6 demodulating the received signal to produce a baseband received signal , which is output to the input / output terminal 13 . a transmission operation of the transceiver can be performed by the baseband transceiver 6 modulating a transmission signal inputted through the input / output terminal 13 to produce a high - frequency transmission signal , which is transmitted by the rf transmitter 7 through the transmitting antenna 12 . referring to fig3 , the band selector 2 is composed of an oscillator 21 , a down converter 22 , and a band - pass filter 23 . the band selector 2 inputs received radio signals from an input terminal 20 connected to the receiving antenna 10 . an oscillation frequency of the oscillator 21 and a passing frequency band of the band - pass filter 23 are controlled depending on respective ones of the center frequency fc and bandwidth w determined by the identifier information inputted through the input terminal 11 . accordingly , the received radio signals are converted into intermediate - frequency signals by the down converter 22 and then the intermediate - frequency signals are restricted by the band - pass filter 23 into signals on a controlled band and bandwidth that are used in the target radio communication system . at the same time , noise and other interference components can be filtered out by the band pass filter 23 . the received signal in this way is output to the interference detector 3 and the baseband transceiver 6 through an output terminal 24 . referring to fig4 , the interference detector 3 is composed of an envelope detector 31 , and an analog - to - digital converter 32 . the interference decision section 4 is composed of a threshold memory 41 and a comparator 42 . the envelope detector 31 inputs the selected signal from the band selector 2 through an input terminal 30 and detects an envelope thereof . for example , a log amplifier may be used as the envelope detector 31 . the detected envelope env is converted into digital by the ad converter 32 and is then output to the comparator 42 of the interference decision section 4 . the interference decision section 4 inputs the interference level li from the input terminal 11 and stores it in the threshold memory 41 . the comparator 42 compares the detected envelope env inputted from the ad converter 32 of the interference detector 3 with the interference level li stored in the threshold memory 41 . when env & gt ; li , it is determined that interference occurs and the comparator 42 outputs an interference occurrence signal to the interference indicator through an output terminal 43 . according to a second embodiment of the present invention , an alerting device 100 can notify users of not only occurrence of interference but also source of interference . the details of the second embodiment will be described hereinafter . referring to fig5 , the alerting device 100 includes a receiving antenna 110 , an input terminal 111 , a band selector 200 , an interference analyzing section 300 , an interference detector 400 , an interference decision section 500 , and an interference indicator 600 . in fig5 , the receiving antenna 110 , the input terminal 111 , the band selector 200 , and the interference detector 400 have the same functions as those of the first embodiment as shown in fig1 and therefore the details thereof will be omitted . as in the case of the first embodiment , it is possible to integrate the above functions with a radio transceiver for the target radio communication system . the above functions of the alerting device 100 may be implemented with hardware or software . a program - controlled processor ( not shown ) may be provided in the alerting device 100 to implement the above functions and perform the interference monitoring and alert generating operations by running corresponding programs that are previously stored in the recording medium 700 . hereafter , the interference monitoring and alert generating operations will be described with reference to fig6 . in fig6 , steps s 11 – s 13 are the same as the steps s 1 – s 3 of fig2 . briefly , it is determined whether identifier information for identifying a target radio communication system is inputted at the input terminal 111 ( step s 11 ). the identifier information includes three items of information as follows : 1 ) center frequency of a frequency band used by the target radio communication system , 2 ) band width of the frequency band , and 3 ) interference level affecting the target radio communication system . when the identifier information is inputted ( yes in step s 11 ), the information of center frequency fc and bandwidth w are output to the band selector 200 and the interference level li is output to the interference analyzing section 300 and the interference decision section 500 . the band selector 200 inputs radio signals from the antenna 110 and selects signals including signals on a target band used by the target radio communication system depending on the information of center frequency fc and bandwidth w that are inputted through the input terminal 111 ( step s 12 ). the received signal is output to the interference analyzing section 300 and the interference detector 400 . the interference detector 400 detects an interference level from the received signal to output it as an interference level signal to the interference analyzing section 300 and the interference decision section 500 ( step 313 ). the interference analyzing section 300 analyzes the received signal inputted from the band selector 200 using interference level l 1 inputted from the input terminal 111 and the interference level signal inputted from the interference detector 400 to estimate a source of interference ( step s 14 ) the estimation result is output to the interference decision section 500 . the interference decision section 500 inputs the detected interference level signal from the interference detector 400 , the estimation result from the interference analyzing section 300 , and the interference level li from the input terminal 111 . the interference decision section 500 compares the detected interference level signal with the interference level li to determine whether interference occurs ( steps s 15 and s 16 ) when the detected interference level signal is greater than the interference level li ( yes in step s 16 ), it is determined that interference occurs , and the interference decision section 500 outputs an interference occurrence signal to the interference indicator 600 . in addition , the interference decision section 500 outputs interference source information to the interference indicator 600 based on the estimation result inputted from the interference analyzing section 300 ( step 317 ). when receiving the interference occurrence signal and the interference source information from the interference decision section 500 , the interference indicator 600 notifies a user of not only occurrence of interference but also its interference source by appropriate means , for example , sound , light , vibration or the like . referring to fig7 , the interference analyzing section 300 includes a time - domain analyzer 320 a frequency - domain analyzer 330 , and an interference analyzer 340 . the received signal is inputted from the band selector 200 through an input terminal 311 and are transferred to both the time - domain analyzer 320 and the frequency - domain analyzer 330 . the interference level signal is inputted from the interference detector 400 through an input terminal 312 and is transferred to the frequency - domain analyzer 330 . the interference level li is inputted from the input terminal 111 through an input terminal 313 and is transferred to both the time - domain analyzer 320 and the frequency - domain analyzer 330 . based on these signals , the time - domain analyzer 320 and the frequency - domain analyzer 330 analyze the received signal to produce a duration of interference and a frequency spectrum thereof . these analysis results are output to the interference analyzer 340 . the interference analyzer 340 estimates an interference source based on the time - domain analysis result and the frequency - domain analysis result and outputs the estimation result to the interference decision section 500 through an output terminal 314 . referring to fig8 , the time - domain analyzer 320 includes a comparator 321 , a threshold memory 322 , an adder 323 , a maximum - value holding ( max - hold ) circuit 324 , a memory 325 , and a timer 326 . interference level signals are inputted from the interference detector 400 through an input terminal 327 and sequentially enter the comparator 321 . the interference level li is inputted from the input terminal 111 through an input terminal 328 and is stored as a threshold value in the threshold memory 322 . the comparator 321 sequentially compares the interference level signals with the interference level li stored in the threshold memory 322 . when an interference level signal is greater than the interference level li , the comparator 321 sets its output to 1 . when the interference level signal is not greater than the interference level li , the comparator 321 sets its output to 0 . the adder 323 adds the comparison output of the comparator 321 to a currently held value . stored in the memory 325 and the resultant value is stored in the memory 325 again . in other words , a currently held value of the memory 325 is incremented when the comparator 321 outputs 1 . when the comparator 321 output 0 , the memory 325 is reset to 0 . accordingly , the output of the adder 323 indicates the number of times the comparator 321 has successively outputted 1 . the output of the adder 323 is held in the max - hold circuit 324 , which holds the maximum number of times the comparator 321 has successively outputted 1 . the timer 326 is set for a predetermined measurement time period . when time - out occurs , the value held in the max - hold circuit 324 is output as a time domain analysis result to the interference analyzer 340 through an output terminal 329 . accordingly , the time - domain analysis result indicates a maximum time length during which the detected interference level signal exceeds the threshold value ( interference level li ). in the words , the time - domain analysis result indicates a duration of interference . referring to fig9 , the frequency - domain analyzer 330 has an input terminal 3301 for inputting the interference level li from the input terminal 111 , an input terminal 3300 for inputting a detected interference signal from the interference detector 400 , and an input terminal 3302 for inputting a received signal from the band selector 200 . the interference level li is inputted through the input terminal 3301 and is stored as a threshold value in the threshold memory 3312 . the detected interference signal inputted through the input terminal 3300 enters a gain controller 3305 , which controls the gain of a variable - gain amplifier 3303 . the variable - gain amplifier 3303 amplifies the received signal with a controlled gain . in other words , the received signal is adjusted to an appropriate level based on the interference level signal detected by the interference detector 400 . the received signal amplified by the variable - gain amplifier 3303 is quadrature - demodulated into a demodulated signal composed of i and q - components by a quadrature demodulator 3304 . the quadrature demodulator 3304 outputs the demodulated signal composed of i - and q - components ( denoted by a slashed signal line in fig9 ) to a low - pass filter 3306 . the low - pass filter 3306 filters out components of double the frequency of the demodulated signal . the demodulated signal passing through the low - pass filter 3306 is converted to a digital signal by an analog - to - digital converter 3307 . the digital signal is outputted to a serial - to - parallel ( s / p ) converter 3308 , where the digital signal is converted every n serial signals to n parallel signals . the n parallel signals are output to a fast - fourier transform circuit ( fft ) 3309 . the fft 3309 performs fft computation for n points to produce n frequency components included in the n serial signals which are output to a corresponding one of n power detectors 3310 - 1 through 3310 - n . the detected power for each signal is output to a corresponding one of comparators 3311 - 1 through 3311 - n , where the detected power is compared with the threshold value ( the interference level li ) stored in the memory 3312 . a comparator 3311 - i ( i - 1 , 2 , . . . , n ) outputs 1 when a corresponding detected power is greater than the interference level li and outputs 0 otherwise . then output values each being 1 or 0 of the comparators 3311 - 1 through 3311 - n are converted to n serial values by a parallel - to - serial converter 3313 , for example , such that the n output values are sorted in ascending order of frequency . the parallel - to - serial converter 3313 outputs a reset signal to a counter 3314 before outputting the n serial values . the counter 3314 is incremented when inputting “ 1 ” and is reset when inputting “ 0 ”. the count value of the counter 3314 is outputted to a max - hold circuit 3315 . such an arrangement causes the max - hold circuit 3315 to hold a value indicating the number of consecutive bands having components exceeding the interference level li . in other words , this value is equal to a maximum frequency bandwidth causing interference . a timer 3316 is set for a predetermined measurement time period . when a time - out occurs , the value held in the max - hold circuit 3315 is output as a frequency - domain analysis result to the interference analyzer 340 through an output terminal 3317 ( see fig7 ). referring to fig1 , the interference analyzer 340 may be composed of an interference pattern memory 343 , the interference pattern memory 343 inputs time - domain and frequency - domain analysis results from the time - domain and frequency - domain analyzers 320 and 330 through input terminals 341 and 342 , respectively . more specifically , the interference pattern memory 343 retrievably stores data of interference sources generating interference patterns , each of which is identified by a pair of time - domain and frequency - domain analysis results inputted from the time - domain and frequency - domain analyzers 320 and 330 . accordingly , the time - domain and frequency - domain analysis results cab be used as an access address of the interference pattern memory 343 to estimate an interference source radiating that interference . an example of the data stored in the interference pattern memory 343 is shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , the interference pattern memory 343 stores a table containing data of interference sources such as wireless lan conforming to ieee802 . 11b , bluetooth ™, and typical home - use microwave oven . the - rows of the table are labeled with frequency bandwidths in ascending order obtained by the frequency - domain analysis result and the columns are labeled with durations in ascending order obtained by the time - domain analysis result . therefore , by inputting a pair of time - domain and frequency - domain analysis results , an interference source radiating the interference in question can be estimated . for example , when the time - domain analysis result indicates that a duration of interference is 1000 μsec and the frequency - domain analysis result indicates that a frequency bandwidth is 8 mhz , the interference source is estimated to be “ microwave oven ”. referring to fig1 , the interference decision section 500 includes a threshold memory 504 , a comparator 505 , and a multiplexer 506 . the interference level li is inputted through an input terminal 501 and is stored as a threshold level in the threshold memory 504 . the detected interference level signal inputted from the interference detector 400 through an input terminal 502 enters the comparator 505 . the comparator 505 compares the detected interference level signal with the threshold level ( interference level li ) stored in the memory 504 . when the detected interference level signal is greater than the threshold level ( interference level li ), it is determined that interference occurs and the comparator 505 output 1 to the multiplexer 506 . when the detected interference level signal is not greater than the threshold level ( interference level li ), it is determined that no interference occurs and the comparator 505 output 0 to the multiplexer 506 . the multiplexer 506 inputs the comparison result form the comparator 505 and the interference source estimation result from the interference analyzing section 300 through an input terminal 503 . the multiplexer 506 multiplexes the comparison result and the interference source estimation result to output it to the interference indicator 600 . referring to fig1 , a indicates an envelope of a signal radiated by microwave oven , b by bluetooth ™- compliant device , and c by ieee802 . 11b - compliant device . envelope level patterns of radiated signals vary by electronic equipment . a signal envelope of a signal radiated by ordinary home - use microwave oven is a pulse - like signal having a width of approximately 20 msec , as indicated in ad kamerman , nedim erkocevic , “ microwave oven interference on wireless lans operating in the 2 . 4 ghz ism band ” ( ieee , personal , indoor and mobile communications , 1997 . waves of the year 2000 , pimrc &# 39 ; 97 ., the 8th ieee international symposium on , volume : 3 , 1997 ). as for bluetooth ™, a signal envelope of a radiated signal varies depending on a length of data to be transmitted . in the case of 1500 - byte data , its signal envelope is a pulse - like signal having a width of approximately 1 msec . in the case of ieee802 . 11b , the length of a transmission signal is defined to be one of 625 μsec , 625 × 3 ( μsec ) and 625 × 5 ( μsec ). accordingly , its envelope of a radiated signal is a pulse - like signal having a width of one of these . referring to fig1 , d - 1 , d - 2 and d - 3 indicate an example of spectrums on three ones of fourteen channels defined in ieee 802 . 11b , f - 1 and f - 2 are an example of spectrums in bluetooth ™, and e is an example of spectrum of a signal radiated by a microwave oven . a spectrum of iee802 . 11b has a bandwidth of 20 mhz per channel , a spectrum of bluetooth ™ has a bandwidth of 1 mhz per channel , and a spectrum of home - use microwave oven has a bandwidth of the order of 15 mhz . accordingly , it is possible to estimate an interference source by analyzing a frequency band used by a target communication system with respect to pulse length on time axis and spectrum on frequency axis . for example , when a microwave oven is estimated to be an interference source , it is easy for a user in an ordinary household to take an appropriate step , for example , to stop usage of the microwave oven . in this manner , the alerting device according to the present invention allows easy detection of interference in a radio communication system and can suggest what to do so as to avoid deterioration in communication quality cause by interference . | 7 |
the mrt test relies in large part upon the performance of the test described in my co - pending pct application , and reference is made thereto for a more complete understanding of the mechanics of the testing being done . the following is presented for convenience of reference . ( supplies and instrumentation may vary to some extent and depend on the type of testing instrument employed for the mrt test . in this case i have chosen the semi - automated sts100 manufactured by signet diagnostic corporation , and the following description is made with that device as a reference ). 10 - 20 ml dispenser , e . g . an oxford pipetor to dispense the electrolytic solution mixed with a lysing agent 10 lysing reagent ( as described in my prior patents ) 8 ml vial testing cuvettes with reagents . the reagents are dried and diluted food extracts , e . g . by alk or bayer . their concentration varies from 1 : 400 to 1 : 2 , 000 . 000 depending upon their toxicity i . draw 5 - 10 ml of blood into a vacutainer containing 3 . 8 % citrate solution without the &# 34 ; buffer &# 34 ; ( citric acid , which may , itself , be an allergen ). iii . using the multi - pipette , transfer 700 μl of diluted blood into panels of control and sample cuvettes ( each panel will have at least one control cuvette and at least one sample cuvette ). control samples contain no reagent . test samples contain a small amount of a substance being evaluated , the &# 34 ; reagent &# 34 ;. the control sample serves as a fingerprint of the patient &# 39 ; s blood . the test sample provides information related to the reaction of the tested substance to the reagent being tested . iv . after transferring blood to all tested samples , mix all cuvettes and cap them . v . place tray on the top of the rotator in the incubator . turn the rotator on . vii . remove from incubator and follow by 30 minutes room temperature incubation . total of 60 minutes incubation . the mrt test , the new proprietary laboratory method , can be described in the following fashion : a . incubation of predetermined amount of blood in its native form which serves as the fingerprint for the test . b . incubation of a predetermined amount of blood mixed with tested substance ( at least 1 test sample ). c . measure total volume of liquid and / or solids in native blood sample by means of the method described in my prior pct application . d . measure total volume of liquid and / or solids in the mixture of blood and tested substance sample . if in step &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, you measure liquids , then do so here . likewise with solids , so that comparisons may be made &# 34 ; like - to - like &# 34 ;. e . repeat step &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; for each tested substance . this may be done in parallel , i . e . several test measurements taken at the same time , or one after another . the parallel arrangement , however , is the most time - effective . f . identify volumetric differences of liquid volume and or solid volume between native blood sample and the tested blood sample . h . identify the positive and negative reactions , by noting which reagents produced a measurable reaction , i . e . one greater than the standard deviation expected for the test , calculated in known fashion . the in vitro trend in the field of allergy , is to measure levels of specific immunoglobulins and detect the presence of individual mediators . in my research studies , i have identified that more then one mechanism may be employed in adverse reactions to foreign substances . by measurement of volumetric differences in plasma we may deliver more comprehensive answers . fig1 represents a small cuvette containing 1 ml of heterogeneous fluid . the liquid portion is equivalent to 700 μl . the balloon filled with black ink has an equivalent volume of 300 μl . note that for purposes of measurement the balloon would be considered as a solid entity . fig2 represents the same cuvette after the balloon has released 200 μl of its ink into the external liquid . the total volume of suspension is still 1 ml . the volume of the liquid has increased to 900 μl and the volume of the balloon has decreased to 100 μl . this example illustrates how human blood cells react in the body . when the reacting substance is introduced to the blood , it triggers a series of complex reactions . in the end , the intracellular fluids will be released into the plasma , changing the original ratio of solids to liquid . the ratio is the key for identifying the malady ( the intracellular liquids contain the mediators causing the clinical symptomology ), but the ratio can be determined easily from a measurement of either the solid or the liquid volume per unit volume of the blood suspension . there are many instruments widely used in the field of hematology , which employ the electrical resistance principal of counting and sizing . it is based on the fact that human cells are poor conductors of electricity , while plasma is a good conductor . the basic apparatus is shown in my prior pct patent application , and includes an aperture tube in which the blood suspension is drawn into an orifice and along an aperture . an electromagnetic field is imposed upon the aperture , and the blood suspension is drawn through the field . since the liquid of the suspension is essentially homogeneous , and conductive , while the blood cells are resistive , with their resistivity varying with their size , the size of the blood cells passing through the aperture may be calculated by measuring the perturbation of the field as the particles pass therethrough . as cells pass through the aperture , the change of voltage that occurs is registered by the instrument . all instruments known prior to my inventive method ( described in my co - pending pct application ) measure the peak of the impulse produced by the resistance of cell . a specific threshold is set during calibration which controls the minimum level of signal detection . this in turn lowers the presence of the electronic &# 34 ; noise &# 34 ;. when the voltage change exceeds the level of the threshold , the instrument will identify the peak of that impulse . this method is commonly called the &# 34 ; impedance &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; peak detection method &# 34 ;. to conduct the mrt test , one needs a very precise measurement of the volumes of liquids and solids in tested fluid . common hematology instrumentation does not posses high precision for volumetric measurement and even though they are accepted in the hematology field , they cannot register very small volumetric changes occurring in cells during reactions . for that reason i developed my new ( pct ) patent pending method for measuring the volume of solids in a suspension . like many hematology instruments , it employs the principal of resistance , illustrated by ohm &# 39 ; s law : the new method does not adhere to the standard peak detection . it continuously measures the flow of volume of liquid and solids in the tested liquid . the actual measurement will appear , if taken graphically , to be the same as an oscilloscope reading in time and resembles a continuous electrical wave signal ( see the actual computer printout identified as fig3 ). the series of spikes represent particles causing small disturbances in the electrical field . the longer and higher the pulse , the greater the volume of the particle ( see printout identified as fig4 ). accordingly , a smaller particle will create a shorter disturbance of a smaller magnitude , and a larger particle will cause a longer disturbance of a greater magnitude . there is a definite relationship between the length , height and volume of the tested particle . since the sts200 apparatus measures with a frequency better then 1 mhz , it is easy to identify the relationship between the size of the particle and the time it will need to pass through the orifice . fig5 explains how the mrt measurement works and how it differs from the coulter method . a disturbance caused by particle &# 34 ; p1 &# 34 ; produces the spike with the peak high &# 39 ; s marked &# 34 ; h 1 &# 34 ;. it is measured from the base level up to the peak of the signal . after the particle travels the length of the aperture , the measured signal experiences a &# 34 ; bounce &# 34 ; in which the measured signal goes below the original baseline , and gradually goes on an upward gradient towards the original baseline . but a subsequent particle may often enter the aperture before the &# 34 ; bounce &# 34 ; is over . for example , in fig5 second particle &# 34 ; p2 &# 34 ; starts its disturbance below the static base level . the height of h 2 is measured from the baseline and clearly shows , that the result is not very accurate since the true disturbance commences below that level . the third particle ( p3 ) is a platelet and its electrical disturbance is entirely below the base level , due to the large &# 34 ; bounce &# 34 ; caused by p2 , and so is invisible to the instrument . the lower size limit of particles which may be measured is determined by the static noise threshold established during calibration . the upper size limit is related to the physical size of the aperture . a major problem associated with electric resistance particle counting and sizing becomes evident when attempts are made to evaluate two dissimilar particle sizes at the same time using the same aperture , e . g . simultaneous measurement of erythrocytes and platelets . after cells pass through the orifice , some re - enter the electrical field with the pulse resembling the size of platelets . threshold and electrical &# 34 ; noises &# 34 ; are also a substantial problem . a specific constant threshold is set during the calibration which controls the minimum level of signal detection . this in turn lowers the presence of the electronic &# 34 ; noise &# 34 ;. when the voltage change exceeds the level of the threshold , the instrument will identify the peak of that impulse . this is the basis of the peak detection method . according to the inventive method , an instrument continuously measures the level of the electromagnetic field as the suspension flows through the orifice , regardless of the level of the signal . examples of the signal measurement are represented by &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; in fig5 . compare this reading with the prior art method represented by &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. after the particle &# 34 ; p1 &# 34 ; passes through the orifice , the signal dips down below the threshold and the baseline . the coulter method stops the measurement when the signal goes below the threshold level , but the new measurement follows the signal and measures the time of impulse &# 34 ; p1 &# 34 ; which is &# 34 ; v s1 &# 34 ;, the time it takes for particle p1 to stop disturbing the measured signal . the time is measured as the duration of the interval commencing when the gradient of the curve begins to indicate the presence of a particle until the measured signal returns to its original level . the presence of the particle is indicated when the gradient increases for a predetermined period , preferably corresponding to at least three consecutive measurement clock cycles . as the particle leaves the orifice , the instrument measures time identified as &# 34 ; v l2 &# 34 ;. this is the time it takes fluid to pass through the orifice . as we approach the point &# 34 ; v s2 &# 34 ;, another particle &# 34 ; p2 &# 34 ; enters the orifice . the signal is still below the static threshold and the static baseline , but the sts100 instrument recognizes the condition and begins to measure the solid particle . this establishes a dynamic baseline , which is defined as the value of the measured signal when the gradient of the curve begins to increase . the height of the perturbation of the signal is therefore measured as h 2 , from the dynamic baseline , rather than from the static baseline as shown by h 2 . this more accurately reflects the true size of the perturbation of the signal , and therefore the size of the particle . the duration of the signal identified as &# 34 ; v l2 &# 34 ; is another important part of the measurement . if we look at signal &# 34 ; p3 &# 34 ;. it is evident , that the whole impulse is contained below the baseline . the volume of the solid , identified by time &# 34 ; v s3 &# 34 ; arid measured from the dynamic baseline becomes part of the measurement . the mrt ribbon method thus correctly measures all particles suspended in the electrolytic solution . there is a definite relationship between the length , height and volume of the tested particle . since the sts200 apparatus measures with a frequency greater then 1 mhz , it is easy to identify the relationship between the size of the particle and the time it will need to pass through the orifice . also the flow of fluid is identified . it has been determined , as well , that the gradient of the curve on the upward slope of the curve when a particle is present also varies with the size of the particle , larger particles having a steeper slope . the exact relationship depends upon the configuration of the system , and may be determined with some minor experimentation depending upon the parameters of the equipment being used . thus , the gradient may also be used to calculate the size of the particles . one point should be made about correction of the rough signal shown in fig4 . as described in my earlier pct application , the actual size of a particle is represented by the &# 34 ; trough &# 34 ; between the peaks of the measurement curve shown on either the right or left of the figure . the value of the trough is the one selected to represent the corrected height of the curve . the flow of fluid is also identified . fig6 graphically represents how the sts200 identifies the volume of solid and the volume of liquid . v l = volume in time in which an instrument measures the liquid v s = volume in time in which an instrument measure the solid particle . total measured volume : during the measurement , the fluid flows through the orifice . the liquid portion is characterized by the flat impulse line and the solid portion is characterized as the visual disturbance in the flat impulse signal . as the 1 ml ( volume of 1 ml is given only as an example ) of diluted blood passes through the orifice , the computer software program quantifies the cumulative volume of liquid and cumulative volume of solids in accordance with the rules established , here . there are at least three different ways of data collection and results presentation : 1 . measure 1 ml ( or other predetermined volume ) of the diluted blood sample . calculate the total volume of all solids and subtract them from 1 ml . from the difference , the total volume of liquid in the 1 ml of blood suspension will be given and the volume of liquids in the control and test sample can be compared ; or 2 . compare only the total volume of solids in the two samples ; or 3 . compare the ratio of solids to liquids ( or liquids to solids ) in the two samples . each of these measurements is essentially the same , and any one ( or more ) of them may be used at the convenience of the user , as desired . for purposes of visualization i will describe the mrt procedure conducted on the sts200 continuous flow instrument . after proper test preparation ( see section 2 ), take incubated cuvette identified as a &# 34 ; control &# 34 ; and gently mix . draw 100 μl of diluted blood and transfer it into empty cuvette . you will have two control cuvettes , one containing 600 μl and another 100 μl of diluted blood . dispense 10 ml of isotonic solution into each cuvette . additionally add 100 μl of lysing agent to the cuvette containing 600 μl of suspended blood . place both cuvettes on the stage and start the test run . an instrument will measure the volume of one ml of the suspended blood in both cuvettes one after another and will display detailed information on how many femtoliters ( fl ) of liquid is present in one milliliter of suspended whole blood . the next step repeats the preparation process of the sample cuvette . draw 100 μl of diluted blood from the incubated sample test cuvette . transfer it into the empty cuvette . dispense 10 ml of isotonic solution into each cuvette . add 100 μl of lysing agent into the cuvette containing 600 μl of suspended blood . place both cuvettes on the stage and run the test . repeat the cycle for each additional sample tested . results will be calculated from the information obtained from all samples , by comparing the total volume of liquid of control sample to the total volume of liquid of the substance sample . we will obtain two results from each substance . one sample will give us information on the activities of the red blood cells ( rbc ) and another sample will inform us on reactions of all other then rbc blood components in presence of tested substance . it is not mandatory to conduct the mrt test in this exact fashion . per individual need , one can conduct the partial test obtaining results from the first or the second solution only . the computer will establish the volumetric baseline of the plasma ( liquid ) present in one cubic millimeter of control blood sample . once the baseline is established , the actual volume of plasma present in each milliliter of each blood sample will be calculated and compared against the actual volume of plasma in the control sample . if liquid volume in the control sample significantly varies from liquid volume in the test sample , the tested substance is identified as reacted . a significant reaction would be one greater than could be attributed to the known instrumentation error plus the standard deviation for similar measurements . any difference of less than that amount would not necessarily indicate a positive reaction , since it could be attributed to statistical or instrumentation error . fig7 portrays the measurement of the blood sample distribution of the control and test samples . the differences between the distribution patterns would be due to the exposure of the test sample to the tested substance . the computer program will calculate the variation and save it as the results data . interpretation of results will be based on the standard deviations and other generally accepted laboratory methods of results interpretation . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the measurements of the electromagnetic signal described above may be made of either the voltage or the current , since it is the resistance within the aperture which changes and the imposed field is otherwise constant . having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
in describing preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings , specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity . however , the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner . referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views , particularly to fig5 , an illustration showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention as a temperature detector circuit . fig5 illustrates an example configuration of a temperature detector circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention . depression type n channel transistors m 1 and m 2 are connected in series between the second power supply terminal vdd and the first power supply terminal vss . a drain of the transistor m 1 is connected to the high - voltage terminal vdd , and a sauce of the transistor m 2 is connected to the low - voltage terminal vss . the gate and the sauce of the transistor m 1 and the gate and the drain of the transistor m 2 have a common connection to output voltage va . in the above - mentioned configuration , when power supply voltage is high enough , the transistor m 1 may operate in a satiety region , and the transistor m 2 may operate in a variable resistor domain . to the voltage va , currents i 1 and i 2 which penetrates the transistors m 1 and m 2 , respectively , are sought by the following formulas : , where μ n is a surface mobility of electron , c ox is a gate capacity per unit area , a 1 and a 2 are channel width w / channel length l ( i . e ., an aspect ratio ) of the transistors m 1 and m 2 , v t1 and v t2 are threshold of the transistors m 1 and m 2 . if the formula explaining the output of the temperature sensor include the mobility μ n or the gate capacity c ox , a calculated value may change with the variations of μ n or c ox , or output characteristics may be influenced by the change of the mobility μ n due to temperature change . it is desirable to eliminate these , if possible , and it is preferable to reduce influences by variations in a process . in the above - mentioned formulas , a value calculated by multiplying by the mobility μ n the gate capacity cox per unit area , and the aspect ratios a 1 and a 2 of a channel is generally called a channel conductance . if the same type transistors are formed in adjacent area on a semiconductor board in same physical and electric conditions , their element values , such as the mobility μ n , the gate capacity c ox , and the threshold may be substantially equal in each transistors on the same type element values . where i 1 = i 2 , v t2 =−| v t1 |= v td , a next formula holds : , where v td is a threshold of a depression type transistor . a 1 and a 2 are channel width w / channel length l ( i . e ., an aspect ratio ) of the transistors m 1 and m 2 . an inclination of the a 1 and a 2 may be controlled by adjusting the size . the temperature inclination of va may be given by a following formula : an absolute value of output voltage va and the conditional expression of a temperature inclination are determined only by a threshold and an aspect ratio of a channel of a depression type transistor , and may not be affected by a mobility . it is known generally that a temperature inclination of a mobility is nonlinear , and that a temperature inclination of a threshold may be linear of about − 1 to − 2 mv /° c . as a realistic value , if the aspect ratio of m 1 and m 2 is 1 : 8 , then the value of output voltage va may be | 2 × v td | and a temperature inclination may be given by − 2 times of the temperature inclination of a same threshold . it is greatly effective that an output characteristic may be simply set up using the aspect ratio . for example , an output sensitivity may be secured by the darlington connection etc . using a bipolar transistor in conventional technology , the detection means of this example embodiment simply need to change the aspect ratio of both transistors to secure the output sensitivity . further , it is not necessary to verify a current domain where a transistor operates at this time . thus , in the circuit of this embodiment , since the temperature detector circuit is composed of one kind of depression type transistor , a mobility may not intervenes when determining an output voltage and output characteristics , just a threshold of the depression type transistor and an accuracy of the ratio may determine the output voltage and the output characteristics . for this reason , there are few elements changed with manufacture variation , and a stable output is obtained . it is not necessary to limit the range of the current value which penetrates the inside of a detector circuit to a specific domain , and a temperature detection means which has high design flexibility may be offered . fig6 a to 6d illustrate another example configuration of a temperature detector circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention . as for the above - mentioned embodiment , it is ideally desirable for a back gate of the transistor m 1 to be va potential . however , in a cmos process using p base , it generally becomes vss potential in the example , and errors may be produced in output voltage due to a base bias effect of the transistor m 1 . in such a case , it may be a configuration that includes current which penetrates the transistor m 1 as a current mirror to the transistor m 2 . a circuit in fig6 a has a configuration including a series connection of a depression type n channel transistor m 1 and a p channel transistor m 3 between power supplies , a series connection of a depression type n channel transistor m 2 and a p channel transistor between power supplies , a gate and a sauce of the transistor m 1 and a sauce of the m 2 to a low power supply terminal vss , a sauce of the transistors m 3 and m 4 which constitute a current mirror to a high power supply terminal vdd , a gate of the transistors m 3 and m 4 to a drain of the m 3 and m 1 , and a gate and a drain of the transistor m 2 and a drain of the transistor m 4 to an output terminal a . in this example , using a current ratio of a current mirror enable to set up an output voltage and a temperature inclination other than a technique using an aspect ratio of a channel like the former example . for example , if aspect ratios of the transistors m 1 and m 2 are in equal and a current ratio is 1 : α , then next formula about an output voltage va holds : further , a temperature inclination of va is given by a following formula : an output voltage va and output characteristics are determined only by a threshold and an aspect ratio of a channel of a depression type transistor , and may not be affected by a mobility . according to this example , although the numbers of elements and current paths of a detection means increase in number , it may respond even if a base bias effect influences , and it enable to set up an output voltage and output characteristics using a ratio of a current mirror or an aspect ratio of a channel . in this example , a function of the current mirror is produced by only using the transistors m 3 and m 4 . in the circuit in fig6 a , the voltage between sauce - drains of both transistors is not in agreement in many power - supply - voltage conditions , and there is a problem that a current ratio of the current mirror is not reproduced correctly . in this case , output voltage may separate from a theoretical formula , or may include power - supply - voltage dependability . when using this example embodiment in a wide power - supply - voltage range , it is effective to change the configuration of a current mirror into circuits in fig6 b to 6d . fig6 b illustrates a configuration of a temperature detector circuit which includes a wilson current mirror circuit . it is realizable only by adding one p channel transistor m 5 to the circuit in fig6 a . a threshold of the transistor m 5 may cause a little gap to remain in the voltage between sauce - drains of transistors m 3 and m 4 , a slight error may occur in output voltage , and the minimum operation voltage may rise by the threshold of the p channel transistor . fig6 c illustrates a configuration of a temperature detector circuit which includes a cascode current mirror circuit . in this circuit , a p channel transistors m 6 is connected between a transistor m 3 and a high power supply terminal vdd , and a p channel transistors m 7 is connected between a transistor m 4 and the high power supply terminal vdd , and a common connection of a gate of m 6 and m 7 is connected with a sauce terminal of the transistor m 3 . according to this circuit , since the voltage between sauce - drains in the transistor pair of right and left of a current mirror circuit is kept in high accuracy , a current ratio may be reproduced correctly and the accuracy of output voltage may improve . however , the rise of the minimum operation voltage is the same level in fig6 b . fig6 d illustrates a configuration of a temperature detector circuit which includes a cascode current mirror circuit corresponding to low - voltage operation . a common connection of a gate of transistors m 6 and m 7 is connected with a drain terminal of a transistor m 3 . a constant voltage generated in another circuit such as a circuit 20 shown in this fig6 d is input into gates of transistors m 3 and m 4 . according to this example , a current ratio may be kept in high accuracy in a wide power - supply - voltage range , and a rise of the minimum operation voltage may also be controlled . fig7 illustrates another example configuration of a temperature detector circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention . this example amplifies an output signal of the temperature detection means in former examples using an amplification circuit 31 which includes resistances r 31 and r 32 and an operation amplifier 30 so as to raise an output sensitivity to temperature . in former examples , since the temperature detection means may set up output sensitivity by using an aspect ratio of a channel , arbitrary sensitivity setup may be possible theoretically . however , a setup of an extreme aspect ratio may cause the influence of a processing accuracy in a manufacturing process to be imbalanced between transistors , and an assumed characteristic may not be acquired . in such a case , an out output sensitivity at the rate of amplification set up by resistance may be realized by using the circuit of this example which set up the aspect ratio of a temperature detection means as a suitable value . for example , if a large aspect ratio of the channel is taken as 1 : 100 in former examples in fig6 a to 6d , sensitivity may increase about 9 times as converted value as a threshold , but accuracy may fall . for this reason , using the circuit in fig7 , controlling the rate of amplification of the temperature detection means as twice ( i . e . 1 : 8 as an aspect ratio ), the amplification circuit 31 may amplify 4 . 5 times . it may has a configuration which adopts a variable resistor or a trimming means as a part of resistance , and adjusts the rate of amplification . otherwise , it is also possible to change the connection place of r 32 in giving dc - offset as fixed potential other than vss or in combining the known addition circuit . fig8 a illustrates another example configuration of a temperature detector circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig8 b also illustrates another example configuration of a temperature detector circuit as an application of the example in fig8 a . the example in fig8 a is the temperature detector circuit including the temperature detection means of former example which has output voltage va ′ and the reference voltage vref prepared independently , comparing both outputs va ′ and vref through an a / d converter 41 , and outputting the comparing result as digital data . in this example , the input reference voltage vref may be , for example , voltage generated using a well - known reference voltage generating circuit , or a fixed potential provided physically . further , when the reference voltage has a little temperature dependency , it may increase the rate of amplification of the circuit means which includes a configuration of former example in fig7 according to the accuracy of the reference voltage , and errors due to the temperature dependency of the reference voltage vref may be set as the level which does not cause a problem substantially . for example , when using a depression type transistor which has a condition that v td =− 0 . 3 v and the temperature dependency of a threshold is − 1 . 2 mv /° c . setting about 4 times of output sensitivity , an output value va ′ may be about 1 . 2 v , and a temperature inclination may be 4 . 8 mv /° c .= 4000 ppm /° c . in normal temperature . when comparing the reference voltage which has a range of ± 100 ppm /° c . fluctuation with this , it may be a calculation which changes from normal temperature to ± 40 ° c . with an error of 1 ° c . further , when having a configuration in fig8 b , a next formula holds : therefore , it may be possible to increase only a temperature inclination without changing an output value in normal temperature , for example , it may also be possible for ± 80 ° c . change with an error of 1 ° c . at 8000 ppm /° c . although vbias in fig8 b may be a form of a buffer output here , it also may be given with a regulator output or a fixed power supply , and it may be used together with other addition circuits . fig9 illustrates a configuration of a clock generator or a real - time clock which includes a temperature detector circuit of a former example in fig8 a and 8b . this example is a clock generator or a real - time clock equipped with a means which compensates oscillation frequency using a digital output of the temperature detector circuit in fig8 a and 8b . it is known that oscillation frequency of a clock generator or a real - time clock using a piezoelectric vibrator may be fluctuated based on temperature . as a general method of rectifying this oscillation frequency , there is a method in which oscillation capacity is changed according to acquired temperature information with a temperature detector circuit , in addition , there is another method in which time information is compensated with adjusting frequency divider . in a real - time clock , since it may be driven full - time in a equipment , it is important that it has low consumption current . the temperature detector circuit in fig8 a and 8b uses mos transistors which run in low consumption current . thus , when using a configuration of this embodiment in a real - time clock and a clock generator equipped with a correction means for temperature , whole consumption current may be controlled in low . numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the disclosure of this patent specification may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . this patent specification is based on japanese patent application , no . jpap2005 - 206581 filed on jul . 15 , 2005 in the japan patent office , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein . | 6 |
fig3 a and 3b illustrate the features of a security tag 20 fabricated in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention . as is well known in the art , the tag 20 is adapted to be secured on / in or otherwise borne by an article or item , or the packaging of such article , for which security or surveillance is sought . the tag 20 may be secured to the article or its packaging at a retail or other such facility , or as is often preferred , secured or incorporated into the article or its packaging by either the manufacturer or wholesaler of the article or a packaging specialist engaged by them . the tag 20 is employed in connection with an electronic article security system ( not shown ), particularly an electronic article security system of the radio frequency or rf type . such electronic article security systems are well known in the art and therefore a complete description of the structure and operation of such electronic article security systems is not necessary for an understanding of the present invention . suffice it to say that such electronic article security systems establish a surveilled area or zone defined by portals generally positioned at an entrance or exit of a facility such as a retail store . the security system &# 39 ; s function is to detect the presence within the surveilled zone of an article having an active security tag secured thereto or secured to the corresponding packaging . with reference to fig4 an electrical schematic diagram of the security tag 20 is shown . in the case of the present embodiment , the security tag 20 includes components , hereinafter described in greater detail , which establish a resonant circuit 15 that resonates when exposed to electromagnetic energy at or near a predetermined detection resonant frequency . a typical electronic article security system employing the tag 20 includes means for transmitting into or through the surveillance zone electromagnetic energy at or near the resonant frequency of the security tag 20 and means for detecting a field disturbance that the presence of an active resonant circuit security tag causes , thereby establishing the presence of a security tag 20 and thus a protected article within the surveillance zone . the resonant circuit 15 may comprise one or more inductive elements electrically connected to one or more capacitive elements . in a preferred embodiment , the resonant circuit is formed by the combination of a single inductive element , l , electrically connected with a single capacitive element or capacitance c in a series loop . however , multiple inductor and capacitor elements could alternatively be employed . the size of the inductor l and the value of the capacitor c are determined by the desired resonant frequency of the resonant circuit . in the presently preferred embodiment , the tag 20 preferably resonates at or near 8 . 2 mhz , which is one commonly employed frequency used by electronic security systems from a number of manufacturers . it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art , however , that the frequency of the eas system may vary according to local conditions and regulations . thus , this specific frequency is not to be considered a limitation of the present invention . deactivation of the tag , which typically occurs at the point of sale or checkout counter , prevents the resonant circuit from resonating within the detection frequency range so that the electronic security system no longer detects the article passing through the surveillance zone of the electronic security system . fig3 a and 3b illustrate opposite sides or principal surfaces of a preferred physical embodiment of the security tag 20 . in its preferred embodiment ., the tag 20 comprises a generally square , planar insulative or dielectric substrate 21 which maintains its dielectric integrity when flexed . the substrate 24 may include any inorganic or polymeric material as long as the substrate is insulative and has suitable dielectric and mechanical properties . ideally , the substrate consists of an extremely thin layer ( less than 0 . 2 micron thick ) of a flexible insulating material with a low dissipation factor ( a property that enhances the q of a resonant circuit ). in this invention the preferred embodiment of the substrate can take either of two forms , one incorporating inorganic materials , the other incorporating polymeric mat materials . in the preferred embodiment incorporating inorganic dielectric materials , the substrate 21 can be fabricated by first applying a small dot of suitable marking material to one surface of a sheet or web of aluminum foil 2 mils thick . the aluminum foil with the dot is then anodized by the same type of electrochemical process that is used to convert aluminum foil into substrate materials for wound electrolytic capacitors . the process can be precisely controlled to develope on the surface of the aluminum foil a uniform , pinhole - free insulating layer of alumina ( aluminum oxide ) that is only a few hundred angstroms thick . in this thickness range , alumina has a breakdown voltage in the range of 30 - 100 volts , which is well within the range of voltages induced in the resonant tag circuits by the output of the conventional deactivation units that are widely installed in retail electronic article surveillance systems . the dot is then removed by chemical or mechanical means , leaving a void or via hole in the layer of anodized material . the anodized layer is then vacuum metalized with a layer of aluminum or copper 1500 - 3000 å thick to form a second conductive layer , a process which also metallizes the via hole to interconnect the two layers of conductive material . since this metalized substrate construction incorporates a dielectric layer that is less than { fraction ( 1 / 100 )} th of the 1 mil thickness of a conventional polyethylene dielectric layer , it is well - suited to the fabrication of capacitor elements that call for high capacitance values in a small area . the ability to form a small via hole to interconnect the two conductive surfaces of the substrate also addresses the goal of maximizing the tag surface area available for the inductor pattern . the preferred use of an aluminum anodizing process to form insulating layer 21 suggests that other aluminized materials , such as electrodeposited copper foil vacuum metalized with aluminum on one side or aluminum clad copper foil , could also be used as the starting material . indeed , because electrodeposited copper is easier to etch in fine line patterns than rolled aluminum foil and presents less of a problem with regard to disposal of the spent etchant , there is much to recommend the first of these two alternative starting materials . the alumina layer can alternatively be formed by sputtering aluminum in a reactive atmosphere to produce the aluminum oxide layer . the sheet or web need not be aluminum or aluminum coated but can be any metal on which the sputtered layer is applied . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that other inorganic dielectric materials such as tantalum oxide , silica or zirconial or multilayer combinations of such materials may alternatively be employed to form the insulating layer 21 . these materials may be applied by sputtering or vacuum deposition methods , as is also the case with alumina . in addition to aluminum and copper other conductive materials such as gold , nickel and tin can be applied to insulating layer 21 without changing the nature of the resonant circuit or its operation . these conductive materials can be applied to the surface of insulating layer 21 by any one or a combination of methods known to those familiar with printed circuit fabrication practices , among them but not limited to : coating ; screen printing ; electrochemical deposition ; vacuum deposition ; etc . in the preferred embodiment incorporating polymeric dielectric materials , the substrate layer 21 can be formed by using a flexographic printer to apply to the surface of the aluminum foil a toluene - based solution of polystyrene modified by a small amount , 1 - 2 % by weight , of a flexibilizing agent such as kraton rubber . the printed coating , which incorporates a via hole , is then dried to form a uniform , pinhole - free dielectric layer . the surface of the polystyrene is then vacuum metalized with a layer of aluminum or copper 1500 - 3000 å thick to form a second conductive layer , a process that also metallizes the via hole to interconnect the two layers of conductive material . although much thicker than the angstrom level thickness of the inorganic dielectric layer , the polymer dielectric layer described above is still only 10 % of the thickness of a conventional 1 mil thick polymer dielectric layer ; as such , it is also well - suited to the fabrication of capacitor elements that call for high capacitance values in a small area . alternatively , the starting foil may be copper or some other appropriate metal in a suitable gauge . the dielectric layer may also be formed by extrusion coating the polymeric material onto the surface of the starting toil , then opening via holes in the coating with a laser or other means . those skilled in the art will also recognize that other polymeric materials such as polyethylene , polypropylene , or their co - polymers , as well as any of several fluoropolymers may alternatively be employed in forming the substrate 21 and that two or more layers of different polymeric materials may be employed in the form of a multilayer dielectric composite . it is also contemplated that a treatment layer may be applied to a surface of the base metal to enhance the bonding of the base metal to the particular polymeric material . each side of the metalized composite substrate is then printed with a uv - curable etch resist in its respective circuit pattern , surface 23 of substrate 21 , the 2 mu thick aluminium foil layer , is printed with an image that includes the inductor - capacitor patterns 22 , 29 and via hole land 31 ; surface 25 of substrate 21 , the thin second conductive layer , is printed with an image that includes the matching capacitor plate 27 , via hole land 30 , and connection segment 26 . the resist - coated substrate is then exposed to a brief chemical etching step which completely removes the unprotected areas of the angstrom - thick metal on surface 25 of the substrate . since this brief exposure removes only a thin layer from the unprotected areas of the aluminum foil on surface 23 , the mechanical integrity of the composite substrate is maintained for handling purposes a sheet of 1 mil thick polyethylene film coated with a pressure - sensitive adhesive is then laminated to surface 25 , thereby encapsulating the circuit elements formed thereon . in addition to forming the second side outer layer in the finished tag construction , the laminated polyethylene film provides mechanical support for the substrate in the next chemical etching step wherein the unprotected 2 mil thick aluminum on surface 23 is selectively removed to form the inductor and capacitor plate patterns . a sheet of label stock paper coated with a pressure - sensitive adhesive is then laminated to this side to complete the construction of the finished tag . the first side ( 22 , 29 , 31 , and 32 ) and second side ( 26 , 27 , and 31 ) conductive ! patterns establish at least one resonant circuit , such as the resonant circuit 15 , having a resonant frequency within the predetermined detection frequency range of an electronic article surveillance system used with the security tag 20 . as previous discussed in regard to fig4 the resonant circuit 15 is formed by the combination of a single inductive element , inductor , or coil l , electrically connected with a single capacitive element or capacitance c in a series loop . the inductive element l is formed by coil portion 28 of the first side conductive pattern 22 . the capacitive element c is comprised of a first plate formed by the beginning segment 29 of coil pattern 28 and a second plate formed by a corresponding segment 27 . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the first and second plates are in registry and are separated by the dielectric substrate 21 . the first plate of the capacitor element c , conductive segment 29 , is integral with and therefore electrically connected to inductor coil 28 . the second plate of the capacitor element c , conductive segment 27 , is electrically connected to land 30 by conductive segment 26 . land 30 contains a conductive element 31 that passes through the substrate 21 and forms an electrical connection to land 32 on surface 23 . land 32 forms the other end of inductor coil 28 and thereby completes the circuit path connecting the inductive element l to the capacitor element c in series to form the resonant circuit 15 . in the preferred embodiment the conductive element 31 is formed by vacuum metallizing the walls of a via hole formed in the insulative substrate 21 . however , conductive element 31 can be formed by a variety of methods well known to those skilled in the art of printed circuit fabrication , among them electroless metal deposition , elecrolytic plating , welding , soldering . staking , crimping , conductive polymers , etc . it will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that the positions of the capacitor plates and land area containing the side - to - side connection can be interchanged relative to the inductor coil without changing the nature of the resonant circuit or its operation , i . e ., the capacitor plates can be located within the coil and the land area containing the side - to - side connection placed within the initial segment 29 of the coil . when security tag 20 embodying the present invention is subjected to a radio - frequency signal at the resonant frequency of its resonant circuit , of relatively low intensity , but still sufficient to enable an electronic anti - shoplifting system to detect the tag &# 39 ; s presence , then the capacitor element c formed by plate segments 27 and 29 will remain unaffected , and the tag will remain capable of causing an alarm . the capacitor element will likewise remain unaffected by exposure to static discharge . on the other hand , when the tag 20 is subjected to a radio - frequency signal at the same frequency but of sufficiently increased intensity by a deactivating unit provided for that purpose , then the very thin dielectric layer separating the plates of capacitor element c will break down under the stress of the induced voltage , causing the capacitor to short circuit and rendering the resonant circuit tag incapable of causing an alarm . the invention is not to be limited by the embodiments which have been shown and described and is intended to embrace the full spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
fig2 is a simplified functional block diagram of an embodiment of the system of the present invention . data content 11 from a content provider 12 is sent through a service 13 , core 14 , and radio network 15 . at the radio network , the content is broadcast / multicast from a base transceiver station ( bts ) 16 to four mobile clients 17 - 20 , and three out of the four clients ( 17 - 19 ) receive the content correctly . it should be recognized that although a bts is illustrated and described herein as the means by which the content is transmitted , other transmission nodes may also be utilized . for example , the invention may utilize a wideband code division multiple access ( wcdma ) node b , or wlan radio equipment . the client 20 that did not receive the content , or did not receive it correctly , sends a query 21 to the network requesting the content from the nearest client capable of providing the content to him . the network sends an instruction 22 to the nearest client 19 that has the content , instructing the nearest client to send the content to the requesting client 20 . the content 11 is redistributed from the nearest client to the requesting client . the present invention integrates anycasting , which is well known from the internet , into the plmn . mobile clients register to an anycast group and can be contacted via the anycast address . the anycast registration is performed on the ip application layer , whereas the anycast transmission in the plmn is performed on the ip transport level . fig3 is a simplified block diagram of an overall architecture of a wireless data network in which anycasting has been implemented . mobile clients 31 - 35 operate in plmns 36 and 37 , which are served by ggsns 38 and 39 , respectively . each of the ggsns may be associated with a respective anycast database 41 and 42 . the ggsns communicate with each other and with other network entities through a backbone network 43 capable of carrying anycast messages . a home subscriber server ( hss ) 44 stores subscriber profile and location information , and a master anycast database 45 stores anycast registration information . different variations of the anycasting procedure are possible . in a first embodiment , the following procedures are utilized : ( 1 ) retrieval of distance information by determining the distances between the bts / node bs in the plmn and the ggsn ; ( 2 ) registration of mobile hosts in the anycast group ; ( 3 ) propagation of anycast membership information by the ggsn onto the backbone network ; and ( 4 ) reception and processing of anycast data in the plmn . in order to limit the signaling and processing delay when mobile hosts register to the anycast group , it is more efficient to determine the distance between the bts / node bs in advance . note that this determination can also be done when a mobile host registers from a specific bts / node b . the information can then be stored for later reference . there are two basic approaches for the ggsn to determine the distances ( e . g . delay distance ) towards the bts / node bs . first , based on the known configuration of the network , depending on the ip routing protocol used within the plmn , the ggsn may implicitly know the distance towards each of the routers in the bts / node b from the routing protocol tables . second , bts / node bs may register with the ggsn as transport anycast group members by means of the internet group management protocol ( igmp ), the neighbor discovery protocol , the multicast listener discovery protocol ( mld ), or any dedicated protocol . fig4 is an illustrative drawing of a protocol stack utilized to transport an anycast stream between network elements in the plmn . the registration of mobile stations ( mss ) may , for example , be performed by utilizing a new message in the igmp or the mld . currently in the specifications , the ggsn does not have information about the cell ( bts / node b ) where the mobile is roaming . however , the sgsn has the cell id stored in the packet data protocol ( pdp ) context information for the mobile host . furthermore , the sgsn knows the bts / node b that belongs to the cell id . in case of an ip - based radio network , the sgsn knows the ip address of the bts / node b . the ggsn retrieves the ip address of the bts / node b from the sgsn by means of new gprs tunneling protocol ( gtp ) information elements or messages , or by means of a dedicated request / reply protocol between the ggsn and the sgsn . optionally , the sgsn performs subscription or charging analyses and replies with a positive or negative anycast registration result to the ggsn . the ggsn optionally then informs the mobile host about the outcome . additionally , the ggsn also performs analyses and completes the anycast registration . the mobile hosts are added to a table in the ggsn . if more than one mobile host is registered for the same anycast group in the same bts / node b , or if multiple hosts are registered to the same anycast group with the same distance between the ggsn and the corresponding bts / node bs , the ggsn may , for example , apply a round - robin scheduling to select one of the anycast group members . optionally , other characteristics , as shown in table 1 below , are taken into account for the selection . it is anticipated that the “ qos profile negotiated ” information element will be used most often to select anycast group members . the ggsn propagates the anycast membership information for the first member in the plmn towards the backbone network . at reception of data for the anycast group in the ggsn , the ggsn determines the corresponding nearest or optimal anycast group member , depending on a predefined metric . this determination is may be made , for example , by looking in the established anycast distance tables for the mobile host that belongs to the nearest bts / node b . further processing of the data towards that mobile host is then performed according to the current standards . this architecture and methodology provide an efficient and flexible selection mechanism to determine the appropriate , i . e . the nearest , host from an anycast group in a plmn . the nearest can be defined according to any metric applicable to the routing protocols . fig5 is a signaling diagram illustrating the flow of signaling messages between various network entities in the embodiment of the present invention shown in fig2 . the entities include the content provider 12 , a charging and billing ( c & amp ; b ) server 51 , a broadcast / multicast service center ( bmsc ) 52 as defined in the mbms standards , a cache control server 53 , and the bts / node b 16 . for illustrative purposes , three mobile clients 18 - 20 are also shown . at 54 , the content provider sends the content to the bmsc . the content may be files , multimedia messages ( e . g ., coming from a multimedia messaging centre , mmc ), short messages , streaming video or audio , and the like . in addition to the actual content , the content provider sends a distributed caching request ( dcr ) indicator to inform the bmsc that distributed caching is preferred . optionally , the dcr indicator may be generated by the bmsc . in another option , the bmsc may remove the dcr when the bmsc , for some reason , does not desire to have clients cache and redistribute the content . at step 55 , the bmsc 52 forwards the content and the dcr indicator to a corresponding geographical area ( broadcast ) or forwards the content to those geographical areas that have many registered clients ( multicast ). furthermore , an anycast address is included and used by the clients 18 - 20 to inform the network ( for example , the dedicated cache control server 53 in the network ) that they are willing to cache and redistribute the content . the clients may be , for example , mobile phones with a 128 mb sony memory - stick that enables the phones to store the content for some time . in this example , the content is correctly received by mobile clients 18 and 19 . at step 56 , the receiving clients register with the network , their willingness to cache and redistribute the content . the clients may register using anycast messages or other suitable registration mechanisms . when using anycast , either the cache control server or the bmsc stores the broadcast - anycast or multicast - anycast address combinations for later use . additional information may be sent together with this anycast message , as preferred by the sending client . the additional information may include , for example , the capabilities of the client to redistribute the content using a variety of communication protocols such as gsm , wcdma , and bluetooth , as well as information such as presence information , times when the client is available , and the like . at step 57 , the mobile client 20 that did not receive the content , or did not receive the content correctly , requests the network to redistribute the content . this may also be a general request to the network like “ has any news for multicast group 123 been distributed in the last 24 hours ?” a web page may contain a table with entries that reflect the times when content was distributed for a specific broadcast or multicast address . alternatively , a regular notification message may contain this information . the request to redistribute the content may include redistribution preferences like the bearers , the time , presence information , and the like . alternatively , a link may be provided to the presence information in order for the network to retrieve the information from there . in case multicasting is being used , the cache control server 53 may optionally check with the bmsc 52 at step 58 to determine whether the requesting client 20 is part of the multicast group . whether or not multicasting is being used , the cache control server may also check with other servers to determine whether the requesting client is otherwise authorized to receive the content . after an analysis , the bmsc ( or other server ) returns the result back to the cache control server at step 59 . in case of an unsuccessful analysis result , the cache control server may optionally inform the requesting client that the content is not available . in case of a successful result , the cache control server instructs one of the registered redistributing clients such as client 19 to send the content to the requesting client at step 61 . the selection of the redistributing client 19 may be based on the criteria for anycasting in a plmn or on the preferences sent by the requesting client . at step 62 , the redistributing client 19 sends the content to the requesting client 20 . this may be done via any of the available circuit - switched or packet - switched bearers or a combination of these . at step 63 , the cache control server sends a charging record to the c & amp ; b server 51 so that the requesting client 20 may be charged for the content . in addition , a predefined incentive may be provided to the redistributing client 19 . the predefined incentive is preferably handled in the c & amp ; b server , and may include for example , upgrading the client &# 39 ; s account , reducing a previous charge , or reducing or eliminating the charge for the current content that is being forwarded . in case drm applies , the content and the rights are treated separately . the sequence shown in fig5 describes the redistribution of the content , but the requesting client 20 still needs to retrieve the rights to be able to use the content . the bmsc 52 and the cache control server 53 may be collocated in a single unit . at step 56 , instead of anycasting , a client capable of redistributing content may inform the network of its availability through a basic messaging system . in case of an unsuccessful analysis result at step 59 , the optional message to the requesting client may contain the address of the content provider 12 ( forwarded from the bmsc via the cache control server ). the requesting client can then use this address to retrieve or attempt to retrieve the content from the content provider directly . following delivery of the content at step 62 , the requesting client may optionally send a content reception confirmation to the cache control server , upon which the cache control server informs the c & amp ; b server 51 to modify the charging accordingly . fig6 is a simplified functional block diagram of another embodiment of the system of the present invention . data content 11 from the content provider 12 is sent through the service 13 , core 14 , and radio network 15 . at the radio network , the content is broadcast / multicast from the bts 16 to four mobile clients 17 - 20 , and three out of the four clients receive the content correctly . the client 20 that did not receive the content , or did not receive it correctly , transmits requests 65 locally in search of clients that can redistribute the content to him . a client 19 that hears this request first informs the network at 66 that it cached the content , and then redistributes it to the requesting client . the network is notified so that charging data can be handled accordingly . fig7 is a signaling diagram illustrating the flow of signaling messages between various network entities in the embodiment of the present invention shown in fig6 . in this embodiment , a local interface such as , for example bluetooth , is utilized between the requesting and redistributing client . at 71 , the content provider 12 sends the content and dcr indicator to the bmsc 52 . optionally , the dcr indicator may be generated by the bmsc . in another option , the bmsc may remove the dcr when the bmsc , for some reason , does not desire to have clients cache and redistribute the content . at step 72 , the bmsc 52 forwards the content , the dcr indicator , and an anycast address to a plurality of clients using suitable transmission methods . for example , the content and dcr indicator may be forwarded to a corresponding geographical area ( broadcast ) or forwarded to those geographical areas that have many registered clients ( multicast ). in this example , the content is correctly received by mobile clients 18 and 19 . at step 73 , the mobile client 20 that did not receive the content , or did not receive the content correctly , determines whether other nearby clients received the content . this check can be based on the same request messages as described in step 57 of fig5 . an example of technology that may be utilized here is bluetooth . redistribution characteristics ( e . g . bearer , qos , time , etc .) may be agreed upon via this local interface . the check may ask whether any receiving client is part of a particular multicast group , and if someone answers , the requesting client may further inquire whether the answering client cached any content within a predefined time period such as , for example , three days . the mobile client 20 may also send a general request to the network inquiring whether any new content has been distributed . at step 74 , a redistributing client 19 that receives the request and is able and willing to redistribute the content , first contacts the cache control server 53 with an offer to redistribute the content in order to get permission to do so . the permission request message optionally includes the agreed redistribution characteristics . if multicasting is being used , the cache control server 53 checks with the bmsc 52 at step 75 to determine whether the requesting client 20 is part of the multicast group . whether or not multicasting is being used , the cache control server may also check with other servers to determine whether the client is otherwise authorized to receive the content . after an analysis , the bmsc ( or other server ) returns the result back to the cache control server at step 76 . at step 77 , the cache control server provides permission for the redistributing client 19 to redistribute the content to the requesting client 20 . at step 78 , the redistributing client sends the content to the requesting client via the local interface unless another way of redistributing was previously agreed upon . the requesting client confirms the reception of the content from the redistributing client at step 79 , and at step 80 , the cache control server sends a charging record to the c & amp ; b server 51 so that the requesting client 20 may be charged for the content . in addition , a predefined incentive may be provided to the redistributing client 19 . in case drm is applied , and the rights are separated from the content , steps 74 - 77 may be omitted because the network knows from the confirmation at step 79 that a content redistribution has taken place . fig8 is a simplified functional block diagram of another embodiment of the system of the present invention . data content 11 from the content provider 12 is sent through the service 13 , core 14 , and radio network 15 . at the radio network , the content is broadcast / multicast from the bts / node b 16 to four mobile clients 17 - 20 , and three out of the four clients receive the content correctly . in this embodiment , clients 17 - 19 that received the content successfully , and that support the distributed cache methodology , send messages 81 to a content retrieval registry ( crr ) 82 , registering the fact that they have the content available . the crr may be a central registry , may be co - located in the content server or the cache control server , or may be a distributed registry . at 83 , the client 20 that did not receive the content , or did not receive it correctly , asks the crr which of the mobile clients has the content available . preferably , the identification of the nearest client capable of redistributing the content is then provided to the requesting client at step 84 . the requesting client then contacts the nearest client at 85 , and the content 11 is then redistributed to the requesting client from the nearest client having the content available . fig9 is a signaling diagram illustrating the flow of signaling messages between various network entities in the embodiment of the present invention shown in fig8 . for illustrative purposes , three mobile clients 18 - 20 are also shown . at 91 , the content provider sends the content to the bmsc 52 . in addition to the actual content , the content server sends a dcr indicator to inform the bmsc about this preference . optionally , the dcr indicator may be generated by the bmsc . in another option , the bmsc may remove the dcr when the bmsc , for some reason , does not desire to have clients cache and redistribute the content . at step 92 , the bmsc forwards the content and the dcr indicator to a plurality of clients using suitable transmission methods . for example , the content and dcr indicator may be forwarded to a corresponding geographical area ( broadcast ) or forwarded to those geographical areas that have many registered clients ( multicast ). furthermore , an anycast address may be included and used by the clients 18 - 20 to inform the network ( for example , the dedicated cache control server 53 in the network ) that they are willing to cache and redistribute the content . in the example shown , mobile clients 18 and 19 receive the content . the mobile clients 18 and 19 send messages 81 to the crr 82 , registering the fact that they have the content available . at step 83 , the client 20 that did not receive the content , or did not receive it correctly , transmits a request for the content to the crr 82 . the mobile client 20 may also send a general request to the network inquiring whether any new content has been distributed . at step 93 , the crr queries the cache control server 53 to determine whether the requesting client 20 is authorized to receive the content . if multicasting is being used , the cache control server 53 checks with the bmsc 52 at step 94 to determine whether the requesting client 20 is part of the multicast group . whether or not multicasting is being used , the cache control server may also check with other servers to determine whether the client is otherwise authorized to receive the content . after an analysis , the bmsc ( or other server ) returns the result back to the cache control server at step 95 . in case of a successful result , the cache control server informs the crr that the requesting client is authorized to receive the content at step 96 . in case of an unsuccessful analysis result , the cache control server or crr may optionally inform the requesting client that the content is not available . at step 84 , the identification of the nearest client capable of redistributing the content is then provided to the requesting client . at step 85 , the requesting client then requests the content from the nearest client 19 , and at step 97 , the content is redistributed from the nearest client 19 to the requesting client 20 . at step 98 , the requesting client informs the crr that the content has been received . at step 99 , the crr sends an indication to the cache control server indicating that the redistribution is complete . at step 100 , the cache control server then sends a charging record to the c & amp ; b server 51 so that the requesting client 20 may be charged for the content . fig1 is a simplified functional block diagram of a mobile client 19 modified to cache and redistribute data content according to the present invention . radio frequency signals are transmitted and received through an antenna 102 , which is connected through a multiplexer circuit 103 to a transmitter 104 and a receiver 105 . the transmitter and receiver are connected to and controlled by a processor 106 . a user interface 107 includes a display 108 and a keypad 109 . the processor may retrieve programming instructions from a read only memory ( rom ) 111 . data content 11 received by the mobile client is stored in a data content memory 112 . the processor 106 may optionally be programmed with an anycast function 113 that enables the mobile client to receive and understand anycast addresses , and to access the nearest of a group of mobile clients that share the same anycast address . the processor is also programmed with a redistribution function 114 that enables the mobile client to receive and understand the distributed caching request ( dcr ) indicator , to send messages to the cache control server 53 or the crr 82 offering to redistribute cached content , to respond to instructions from the cache control server or crr to redistribute the content to an identified requesting client , and to respond to requests from a requesting client to redistribute content to the requesting client . the present invention provides an efficient solution for content providers and / or network operators to guarantee content reception at a later stage when content is distributed to a plurality of clients . it provides this guarantee when the content was not received at all or was not received correctly ( and thus may not be usable ). the solution is efficient because the content redistribution path is shortened in many cases , and no network resources are used for caching and redistributing the content . instead , client devices that probably store the content for some time anyway , redistribute the content when requested . thus , the content provider and / or network operator save network resources and thus money by applying such a distributed content cache . therefore , the content provider and / or network operator may provide various incentives to clients who cache and redistribute the content . for example , the content provider may provide content or user rights free of charge , or the operator may provide a deduction on a client &# 39 ; s monthly bill whenever the client volunteers or actually forwards the content to a requesting client . although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to only a few exemplary embodiments , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications can be made without departing from the invention . accordingly , the invention is defined only by the following claims , which are intended to embrace all equivalents thereof . | 7 |
fig1 is a block diagram of an optical signal quality monitoring apparatus according to the invention . the apparatus includes an optical splitter 1 , a delay unit 2 , a phase shift unit 3 , an optical coupler 4 and a measurement unit 5 . the optical splitter 1 divides an input optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal , outputs the first optical signal to an optical route 11 , and outputs the second optical signal to an optical route 12 . the optical coupler 4 couples the first optical signal passing through the optical route 11 with the second optical signal passing through the optical route 12 , and the measurement unit 5 measures the quality of the input optical signal based on an optical signal from the optical coupler 4 . the delay unit 2 delays the first optical signal such that the first optical signal is delayed for the integral multiple of the symbol period of the input optical signal compared to the second optical signal at the coupler 4 . in other word , the amount of delay of the first optical signal with reference to the second optical signal at the coupler 4 is n *( 1 / s ), where n is an integer and s is a symbol rate of the input optical signal . the phase shift unit 3 shifts the phase of the first optical signal . in the embodiment , the delay unit 2 and the phase shift unit 3 are provided on the same optical route . however , the delay unit 2 and the phase shift unit 3 can be provided on different optical routes . further , in the embodiment , the phase shift unit 3 is placed downstream of the delay unit 2 . however , the phase shift unit 3 can be placed upstream of the delay unit 2 . for the normal demodulation process , the amount of delay at the coupler 4 is one symbol period . however , the purpose of the invention is not to demodulate the optical signal , but to determine the quality of the optical signal by monitoring the waveform . thus , the amount of delay can be the integral multiple of the symbol period . therefore , it is possible to monitor a plurality of optical signals having different symbol rates without changing the amount of delay introduced at the delay unit 2 by setting the amount of delay equal to the least common multiple of symbol rates of optical signals to be monitored to the delay unit 2 . fig2 shows periodically varying phase shift added or introduced by the phase shift unit 3 . the phase shift unit 3 is for example a heater , which changes refractive index of the optical fiber by adding a heat , and introduces a phase shift , the amount of which is periodically varied in the range of at least 0 to π , into the optical signal passing through it . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the amount of phase shift is changed between 0 and 2π periodically . one period of the phase shift , i . e . the time from 0 shift to 2π shift in the embodiment , should be large enough compared to the symbol period of the input optical signal to be monitored . for example , for the optical signal having symbol rate more than 10 gbaud , one period of the phase shift is set to more than 1 second . in the embodiment , the change of phase shift is ramp - shaped . however , the invention is not limited to this , and it is possible to use other shape like sinusoidal - shaped or triangle - shaped . further , nonperiodic phase variation can be used . fig3 is an explanation drawing of the quality monitoring for an optical dpsk modulation signal according to the invention . in fig3 , the optical signal shows optical phases of the optical dpsk signal corresponding to data sequence indicated at the first line . at the optical coupler 4 , the optical signal is coupled with another optical signal , which is delayed for several bits at the delay unit 2 . however , the amount of delay introduced by the delay unit 2 is not accurate , and there is some phase error at the optical coupler 4 . in fig3 , the delayed optical signal shows the optical phases of a 1 bit delayed optical dpsk signal at the optical coupler 4 , and it has the offset by a due to above - described reason . in a normal demodulator , the phase offset or error is compensated using a complex and expensive feedback loop . however , the apparatus according to the invention uses the phase shift unit 3 , which shifts optical phase as shown in fig2 , instead of the complex feedback loop . because of the phase shift introduced by the phase shift unit 3 , the phase offset a at the optical coupler 4 varies 0 to 2π . fig3 also shows waveforms output from the optical coupler 4 , in case the offset α equal to 0 , π / 4 , π / 2 and 3π / 4 , respectively . in case the offset α equals to 0 , the optical coupler 4 outputs an optical ask signal , which is used in the normal demodulation process . with increasing the offset α from 0 , the maximum amplitude of the ask signal decreases , and the minimum amplitude of the ask signal increases , as shown in case of α = π / 4 . when the offset α becomes π / 2 , the maximum amplitude is the same as the minimum amplitude as shown in fig3 . with increasing the offset α from π / 2 , the optical coupler 4 outputs the ask signal , the maximum and the minimum amplitude of which are inverted compared to the signal while the offset α is in the range of 0 to π / 2 , as shown in case of α = 3π / 4 . the measurement unit 5 receives the optical signal output from the optical coupler 4 , and determines the maximum eye opening points of the signal . here , the maximum eye opening points means signal points that the difference between the maximum amplitude and the minimum amplitude becomes the maximum . more specifically , the maximum eye opening points are instants when the offset α is 0 or π according to the embodiment . the measurement unit 5 uses each predetermined period of the signal from the coupler 4 including the determined maximum eye opening point for measuring q factor of the input optical signal . more specifically , the measurement unit 5 extracts a clock signal and a trigger from the optically sampled optical signal , for example , using the method described in akihito otani et al ., “ demonstration for far - end 160 - gb / s waveform measurement after 508 - km transmission in field trial without traditional clock recovery ”. further , the measurement unit 5 converts the optical signal to an electrical signal , and samples the electrical signal . then , the measurement unit 5 determines maximum eye opening points of the sampled electrical signal , determines parts of the sampled electrical signal used for q factor measurement based on the maximum eye opening points , and measures q factor from a distribution of the maximum amplitude and minimum amplitude in the determined parts of the signal . for example , the period of the signal for q factor measurement is decided by the phase shift period of the phase shift unit 3 . further , the period of the signal for q factor measurement can be decided based on the ratio of eye opening to the maximum eye opening . in other word , q factor measurement is performed while difference between the maximum and the minimum amplitude is more than the value , which is decided based on the maximum eye opening . fig4 a and 4 b are explanation drawings of the quality monitoring for an optical dqpsk modulation signal according to the invention . in the demodulation process of the optical dqpsk signal , the optical dqpsk signal is divided to a first dqpsk signal and a second dqpsk signal . then , the first dqpsk signal is delayed for 1 bit , and phase - shifted by + π / 4 or − π / 4 . finally , the second dqpsk signal is coupled with the delayed and phase - shifted first dqpsk signal at a coupler to output an optical ask signal . for example , in case the optical dqpsk signal uses optical phases of 0 , π / 2 , π and 3π / 2 , optical phases of the first dqpsk signal is π / 4 , 3π / 4 , 5π / 4 and 7π / 4 at the coupler as indicated by coordinates 51 , 53 , 54 and 52 in fig4 a , respectively . the coupler combines the first dqpsk signal having an optical phase of π / 4 , 3π / 4 , 5π / 4 or 7π / 4 with the second dqpsk signal having an optical phase of 0 , π / 2 , π or 3π / 2 . in fig4 a , only an optical phase 0 is indicated by a reference numeral 50 for the second dqpsk signal . as apparent from fig4 a , amplitude of the coupled signal output from the coupler has 2 levels . in case the optical phase of the second dqpsk signal is 0 as shown in fig4 a , the maximum level is output when an optical phase of the first dqpsk signal is π / 4 or 7π / 4 , and the minimum level is output when an optical phase of the first dqpsk signal is 3π / 4 or 5π / 4 . however , as already explained , there is some phase offset at the coupler . fig4 b shows optical phases of the first dqpsk signal at the coupler , in case there is a phase error or offset β . in this case , as apparent from fig4 b , the coupler outputs a signal , amplitude of which has 4 levels . that is the eye opening become smaller . in the apparatus , an input optical dqpsk signal is divided into a first dqpsk signal and a second dqpsk signal at the optical splitter 1 . the first dqpsk signal passes through the optical route 11 , and the second dqpsk signal passes through the optical route 12 . one or more bits delay and the phase shift shown in fig2 are introduced into the first dqpsk signal by the delay unit 2 and the phase shift unit 3 . thus , the optical coupler 4 outputs the ask signal when the phase offset β is 0 , π / 2 , π or 3π / 2 , and outputs the signal having 4 levels in other cases . the measurement unit 5 receives the optical signal output from the optical coupler 4 , determines the maximum eye opening points of the signal , determines parts of the signal used for q factor measurement based on the maximum eye opening points , and measures q factor from a distribution of the maximum amplitude and minimum amplitude in the determined parts of the signal . in case of the dqpsk signal , the maximum eye opening points are obtained when the signal becomes 2 levels . as described above , the apparatus according to the invention can monitor both optical dpsk and dqpsk signals . since the complex feedback loop is not required for the apparatus , it is possible to reduce the cost of the apparatus . further , the apparatus can monitor a plurality of optical signals having different symbol rates by setting the integral multiple of the symbol period for the amount of delay to the delay unit 2 . fig5 is a block diagram of an optical signal quality monitoring apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention . the apparatus according to the embodiment can monitor an optical ask signal in addition to the optical dpsk and dpqsk signals . in fig1 and 5 , the same reference numeral is used for the element having the same or similar function , and hereinafter the explanation is omitted for the element having the same reference numeral in fig1 . in the embodiment , an optical splitter 6 further divides the first optical signal to a third and a fourth optical signal , outputs the third optical signal to an optical route 111 , and outputs the fourth optical signal to an optical route 112 . a phase shifts unit 31 shifts the optical phase of the third optical signal , and a phase shift unit 32 shifts the optical phase of the fourth optical signal . an optical coupler 7 couples the third optical signal with the fourth optical signal , and outputs the coupled signal to the optical coupler 4 via the optical route 11 . in the embodiment , the phase shift unit 31 shifts the phase of the optical signal passing through it . the amount of phase shift introduced by the phase shift unit 31 is varied at least in the range of 0 to π . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the amount of phase shift is changed between 0 and π . the phase shift unit 32 also introduces the phase shift into the optical signal passing through it . the phase shift unit 32 is adapted to introduce the same phase shift or reverse phase shift with reference to the phase shift introduced by the phase shift unit 31 . more specifically , in case of monitoring the optical dpsk or dqpsk signal , the amount of phase shift introduced by phase shift units 31 and 32 are the same . on the contrary , in case of monitoring the optical ask signal , the amount of phase shift introduced by the phase shift units 32 is reversed compared to the amount of phase shift introduce by the phase shift unit 31 . in other words , when the phase shift unit 31 shifts the phase by θ , the phase shift unit 32 shifts the phase by θ + π . in case the phase shift units 31 and 32 introduce the same phase shift , the optical coupler 7 outputs the same signal , but phase shifted , as the input to the optical splitter 6 . therefore , an arrangement having the optical splitter 6 , the phase shift unit 31 , the phase shift unit 32 and the optical coupler 7 is equivalent to the phase shift unit 3 in fig1 , and works as the same way as already explained using fig1 . in case the phase shift units 31 and 32 introduce reverse phase shift , the optical coupler 7 does not output a signal . therefore , the optical coupler 4 just outputs the optical signal from the optical route 12 , i . e . the input optical ask signal . therefore , in either case , the optical coupler 4 outputs the optical ask signal to the measurement unit 5 . in the embodiment , the amount of phase shift introduced by the phase shift unit 32 is switchable between in phase and reverse phase with reference to the one introduced by the phase shift unit 31 , and control unit , not shown in figures , selects in phase or reverse phase based on the modulation format applied to the input optical signal . with this configuration , it is possible to monitor the optical ask signal in addition to the optical dpsk and dqpsk signals . in fig5 , the arrangement having the optical splitter 6 , the phase shift unit 31 , the phase shift unit 32 and the optical coupler 7 is provided on the optical route 11 . however the arrangement can be provided on the optical route 12 . further the arrangement can be provided upstream of the delay unit 2 . many modifications and variations will be apparent those of ordinary skilled in the art . the embodiments was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention . it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in the specification , except as defined in the appended claims . for example , the phase shift range in the embodiment described above is at least 0 to π . however , it is possible to use π to 2π . in other words , it is possible to apply any range if the difference between the maximum phase shift and the minimum phase shift introduced by the phase shift unit is more than or equal to π . further , in case only optical dqpsk and ask signals are monitored , the phase shift range in the phase shift unit can be , for example , 0 to π / 2 . in this way , the required phase shift range depends on modulation formats to be monitored , and the person in the art can select the range based on signals to be monitored . | 7 |
a constant goal in the development of recording heads is to increase the density of recorded data . one way of achieving this has been to reduce the thickness of as many of the layers making up the gmr structure as possible . one possible candidate for such thickness reduction is the material that makes up the free layer . however good magnetic softness is hard to get if cofe or cofex are used for the free layer . a structure made up of seed layer / nife / cofe / cul pinned layer is widely used in today &# 39 ; s gmr head manufacturing . by adjusting the nife and cofe thickness the gmr ratio can be changed as well . this is shown in table i . 75 å ta / x nife / y cofe / 30 å cu / 20 å cofe / 200 å mnpt / 50 å ta , h e = inter - layer coupling field ( oe ), and r s = sheet resistance ( ohm / sq .). table i shows that when cofe gets thicker the gmr ratio will be larger . however the b - h curve will also show less anisotropy as free layer cofe thickness increases , suggesting that the free layer cofe thickness cannot be increased further in a spin valve structure because of problems with said magnetic hardness and low anisotropic constant . the present invention shows how to retain the large gmr ratio together with the cofe anisotropy and softness . this is accomplished by inserting a “ seed enhancement ” layer of a material having a face - centered cubic crystal structure ( fcc ) between the seed layer and the cofe or cofex free layer , no nickel - iron being needed . our preferred material for this seed enhancement layer has been a nickel - copper alloy but other fcc material such as copper , rhodium , palladium , silver , iridium , platinum , gold , and their alloys could also have been used . the effectiveness of the fcc seed enhancement layer is illustrated in table ii below : 75 å ta / a nicu / 30 å cofe / 30 å cu / 20 å cofe / 200 å mnpt / 50 å ta , h e = inter - layer coupling field ( oe ), r s = sheet resistance ( ohm / sq . ), and h c = free layer coercivity ( oe ) from table ii we can see that δr / r is 6 . 45 % for a spin valve with nicux underneath a 30a cofe free layer , compared to 5 . 68 % for a spin valve without nicux . other measurements ( not shown ) confirm that gmr sensor magnetic softness and anisotropy are much better in this structure . this confirms that inserting a seed enhancement layer promotes proper fcc growth of cofe or cofex which in turn provides the needed properties for optimum performance of the spin valve even for a very thin free layer . additionally , cofe has higher moment than nife which is another factor that allows the total thickness of the sensor to be reduced . we now present a description of a process for manufacturing the structure of the present invention . this will also serve to disclose the structure of the present invention . referring , now to fig3 the process of the present invention begins with the provision of substrate 21 on which is deposited seed layer 22 , consisting of tantalum , an alloy of nickel and iron , an alloy of nickel , iron , and chromium , or zirconium . the seed layer is deposited to a thickness between about 10 and 150 angstroms . then , as a key feature of the present invention as well as a departure from the prior art , seed enhancement layer 33 is deposited over seed layer 22 . this seed enhancement layer must be a material that has a face - centered - cubic ( fcc ) crystal structure . examples of materials suitable for use as a seed enhancement layer include nickel - copper , copper , rhodium . palladium , silver , iridium , platinum , gold , and their alloys . the seed enhancement layer is deposited to a thickness between about 3 and 80 angstroms . by providing a more perfect crystal environment for the growth of the free layer , the seed enhancement layer enables the spin valve structure to function with a thinner free layer because of spin filter effects . free layer 23 is then deposited on the seed enhancement layer 33 . examples of materials suitable for the free layer include cobalt , cobalt - iron , alloys that include cobalt and iron , laminates of nickel - iron with cobalt - iron , laminates of nickel - iron with alloys that include cobalt and iron , and laminates of nickel - iron with cobalt . the free layer is deposited to a thickness between about 5 and 150 angstroms , following which magnetically neutral copper layer 24 ( between about 10 and 50 angstroms thick ) is laid down . the remaining steps in the process are essentially routine for the art . thus , magnetically pinned layer 25 is deposited on copper layer 24 . the magnetically pinned layer is deposited to a thickness between about 5 and 80 angstroms . examples include cobalt , cobalt - iron , alloys that include cobalt and iron , and nickel - iron . then , pinning layer 26 is deposited on pinned layer 25 . this pinning layer is deposited to a thickness between about 20 and 400 angstroms and candidates include iridium - manganese , iron - manganese , nickel - manganese , manganese platinum , manganese - platinum - chromium , and manganese - platinum - palladium . note that layers 25 and 26 may be implemented as either a conventional pinned structure ( ferromagnetic / antiferromagnetic ) or as a synthetic structure ( ferromagnetic / ruthenium / ferromagnetic / antiferromagnetic ). in either case , the process concludes when cap layer 27 is deposited on pinning layer 26 , the cap layer is the same material as the seed layer and has a thickness between about 5 and 100 angstroms . the net effect of using the above process ( specifically including the step of inserting the seed enhancing layer ) is to enable the formation of a spin valve structure that keeps the same gmr ratio even for a cofe or cofex free layer having a thickness down to about 10 angstroms . confirmation of the effectiveness of the present invention is illustrated in the data summarized in fig4 and 5 . in both figures the structure had a 75 angstrom tantalum seed , a lower free layer of cofe ( whose thickness was varied ), separated by 30 angstroms of copper and topped with a 20 angstrom cofe pinned layer with 200 angstroms of mnpt serving as the pinning layer . a 50 angstrom ta cap completed the structure . in fig4 we show the effect of varying the free layer thickness on δr . curve 41 represents the prior art while curve 42 shows the result of including a 14 angstrom thick seed enhancing layer . as can be seen , δr for the prior art structure is quite sensitive to the free layer thickness , particular at the low values that would be desirable for an ultra thin device , whereas it hardly changes for the structure of the present invention . even better characteristics over the prior art are seen when δr / r is plotted as a function of free layer thickness ( see fig5 ). this clearly shows that , for a device without the seed enhancement layer , δr / r goes from a low of 2 % to a high of 6 . 8 % over a range of from 10 to 40 angstroms for the free layer whereas , with a seed enhancement layer included , δr / r goes from 6 % to 6 . 8 % over the same range . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
a preferred embodiment of the present invention schedules a group of employees for a number of jobs over some period , e . g ., one week , in order to satisfy a set of workforce requirements for those jobs . the scheduler must not break any constraints involving employee availability , skills , weekly hours , daily hours , breaks and minor rules . in addition the scheduler must try to satisfy employee preferences as closely as possible in seniority order as defined by the user . the dynamic scheduling algorithm of an embodiment of the present invention uses a heuristic algorithm known as “ simulated annealing ” to create a schedule that satisfies both labor requirements and employee preferences . this approach deals with the problem as a typical optimization problem , where an attempt is made to minimize some “ objective function ,” subject to a set of constraints . the solution is not necessarily the optimal solution , but it is usually very close to optimal . finding the solution is an iterative process where it is never known how close the solution is to the true optimum . one embodiment always gives the same solution under the same exact circumstances every time , by using a fixed random sequence , and a fixed number of iterations , specified by the user , and by controlling roundoff error at every step . fig1 provides an overview of an embodiment of the present invention . given a set of workforce requirements 4 , produced , for example , by a forecasting program , a set of constraints 6 , and employee preferences 7 , a scheduler 2 produces a workforce schedule 8 . fig2 illustrates a portion of an exemplary workforce requirement 4 for a single job , say a cashier , although it will be understood that each of a plurality of jobs has its own requirements . as seen in fig2 on the particular day shown , no cashiers are needed before 7 : 45 am ( period 10 ). from 7 : 45 am until 8 : 45 am ( period 12 ), one cashier is needed . from 8 : 45 am until 9 : 30 am ( period 14 ), two cashiers are needed , and from 9 : 30 am until some later time ( period 16 ), four cashiers are needed . fig3 illustrates an exemplary schedule 8 for employees a , b , c and d , as produced by the scheduler 2 of fig1 . employee b is scheduled to work as a cashier from 7 : 30 am until 9 : 45 am , and as a bagger from 9 : 45 am until some later time . a 15 - minute break 7 has also been scheduled for employee b starting at 9 : 15 am . similarly , employees a , c and d have been scheduled to work as cashiers starting at 9 : 30 am , 9 : 00 am and 10 : 00 am respectively . fig4 a is a more detailed view of the embodiment of fig1 while fig4 b is a flowchart of the corresponding process . simulated annealing is a general trial and error approach used to find a solution to an optimization problem . during the process , three solutions to the problem are maintained : a trial solution s trial , 51 , a current or incumbent solution s current 52 , and the best solution obtained so far s best 53 . first , the current solution s current 52 and s best 53 are set to some initial solution ( step 201 ), for example , an empty schedule . then , a function f , called the “ objective ” function , and described in much greater detail below , is calculated for this initial solution and the value saved as f current 62 ( step 203 ) and as f best 63 . at step 205 , a trial schedule generator 101 generates a trial solution s trial 51 from s current 52 by modifying s current 52 using a heuristic which performs local optimizations at step 207 , an objective function calculator 103 calculates a value f trial 61 for the trial solution s trial 51 based in part on employee preferences 7 . at step 209 , a comparator 105 compares f trial 61 with f best 63 . if f trial 61 is less than f best 63 , that is , if s trail 51 is a better solution than s best 53 , then at steps 210 and 214 , the comparator output 121 causes s trial 51 to be copied into both s best 53 and s current 52 , as indicated by dashed lines 123 . similarly , the corresponding objective function value f trial 61 is copied into f current 62 and f best 63 , as indicated by dashed lines 125 . if , at step 209 , it is determined that f trial 61 is not less than f trial 63 , then at step 211 , comparator 105 compares f trial 61 with f current 62 . if f trial 61 is less than f current 62 , that is , s trial 51 is better than s current 52 but not as good as s best 53 , then step 214 is executed , and the comparator output 121 causes s trial 51 to be copied only to s current 52 . similarly , the corresponding objective function value f trial 61 is copied into f current 62 . otherwise if f trail 61 is greater than f current 62 , that is , s trial 51 is worse than s current 52 , a decision is made at step 213 by the annealing temperature comparator 107 , which applies an “ annealing function ” to the current and trial values f current 62 and f trial 61 respectively , to determine whether to keep s trial 51 . the reason for keeping s trial 51 is that ultimately , it could lead to a better solution . the annealing function of a particular embodiment is exp (( f current − f trial )/ t a ) where t a is the annealing temperature . this number starts out high and “ cools down .” at step 213 , the value of the annealing function is compared to a randomly generated number ranging from 0 . 0 to 1 . 0 . if the annealing function is higher than this number , then s trail 51 is not discarded and is copied to s current 53 ( step 214 ), as controlled by the output 129 of the annealing temperature comparator 107 . at step 217 , the number of iterations executed thus far is compared with some predetermined threshold i max . if i max iterations have executed , the process is complete , and the best solution so far determined , saved in s current 53 becomes the final schedule 8 . if , on the other hand , i max iterations have not been executed , the annealing temperature t a is updated by the annealing temperature updater 109 , and the process repeats from step 205 . a defining aspect of the simulated annealing approach is that it explores solutions that would be rejected by other algorithms and it does not get trapped in a local minimum . the annealing function prevents the process from spending too much time looking at bad solutions , especially towards the end of the process as the annealing temperature cools down . generating an initial solution ( part of step 201 ) presents a problem if the initial solution must be a strictly “ feasible ” solution , that is , a solution that satisfies all constraints . for example , the simplest initial solution is to generate an empty schedule in which no employees are schedule to work . however , this solution is infeasible because it breaks a minimum - hours - per - week constraint . fortunately , this problem can be ignored in step 201 because step 205 ensures that any solution is a feasible solution . since no evaluations are performed until step 207 , a feasible solution is not required in step 201 . in order to handle this situation correctly however , an artificial cost is added to the objective function f for breaking the minimum - hours - per - week constraint , as discussed below . the objective function calculator 103 of fig4 a calculates , for a given set of workforce requirements and a trial schedule s trial 51 , the value of an objective function . fig5 illustrates a preferred objective function , which expresses the goals of satisfying both labor requirements and employee preferences : f = w ro σσo ij + w ru σσu ij + w d σw k d k ( eq . 1 ) here , f is the cost , or objective , function to be minimized , and is the output of the objective function calculator 103 , corresponding to f trial 61 ( fig4 a ). assuming for the sake of discussion that 15 - minute intervals are used , σσo ij is the total number of overscheduled minutes 501 for all 15 - minute periods i and all jobs j , calculated by the summation 503 , that is , for i = 1 to 672 ( where there are 672 15 - minute intervals in a week ), and for j = 1 to n jobs , where n jobs is the total number of jobs . of course , periods other than one week and intervals other than 15 - minute intervals can also be used . w ro 505 is a weighting factor or penalty factor associated with overscheduling any job during any period . σσu ij is the total number of underscheduled minutes 507 for all 15 minute periods i and all jobs j , that is for i = 1 to 672 and for j = 1 to n jobs , and is calculated by the summation 509 . w ru 511 is a weighting factor or penalty factor associated with underscheduling any job during any period . σw k d k is the sum of dissatisfaction d k 513 of each employee k weighted by w k 515 for k = 1 to n employees where w k reflects seniority , work status , etc ., and is calculated by the summation 517 . w d 519 is an overall weighting of total employee dissatisfaction . summation 521 adds the weighted overs , unders and dissatisfaction to produce the resulting f trial 61 . fig6 shows a preferred embodiment in which four factors contribute to a determination of employee dissatisfaction d k : d k = w ak d ak + w jk d jk + w ok d ok + w hk d hk ( eq . 2 ) d ak is the number of hours that employee k spends working outside his preferred availability ; d jk is the number of hours that employee k spends working outside his preferred jobs ; d ok is the number of hours that employee k spends working on his preferred day off ; and d hk is the difference between an employee &# 39 ; s preferred number of hours and the number of hours actually scheduled for the employee , that is , d hk = abs ( scheduled − preferred ) hours for the week for employee k . w ak , w jk , w ok and w hk are weighting factors 527 for preferred availability , preferred job , preferred days off , and preferred hours per week for employee k , respectively . summation 529 adds the weighted dissatisfaction costs to produce a total dissatisfaction cost d k for employee k . note that weighting factors for the labor requirements could be assigned for each individual job or for each period of the day . for example , different jobs could have different associated weighting factors for overs and unders . finally , certain periods of the week could be favored over others by varying the distribution of the weights , that is , by assigning different weighting factors to different periods . looking again at fig5 in order to deal with the three main weighting factors , i . e ., w ro 505 , w ru 511 and w d 519 , assume for discussion that overscheduled intervals (“ overs ”) are just as undesirable as underscheduled intervals (“ unders ”), i . e ., w ro = w ru . looking at the objective function of eq . ( 1 ), it is obvious that all three factors can be arbitrarily scaled by the same number without affecting the solution . since dissatisfaction is preferably in terms of hours , while overs and unders are in minutes , let w ro = w ru ={ fraction ( 1 / 60 )}. this normalizes eq . ( 1 ) so that w d now represents a ratio r d of the relative importance of employee satisfaction to satisfying work requirements . this ratio can be assigned by the user . thus , w d = r d is a user - configurable ratio from 0 . 0 to 1 . 0 , where r d = 0 . 0 means employee satisfaction has no importance , and r d = 1 . 0 means employee satisfaction is roughly as important as workforce requirements . the dissatisfaction weighting factors w ak , w jk , w ok , w hk 527 can be assigned by a user in several ways . these weighting factors still do not take into account preference by seniority scheduling . to accomplish this , the user can configure the seniority order and an additional weighting factor is applied to each employee that reflects his position in the order . in one embodiment , this weighting factor is simply 1 / k for the k &# 39 ; th employee . the 1 / k factor strongly favors employee satisfaction at the high end . alternate schemes can be used that are not so top heavy . however , the user can always turn off this progression completely for one or more work statuses . this forces all employees in a work status to have the same dissatisfaction weighting factors . the 1 / k factor also tends to weaken the overall employee satisfaction component of the objective function . to account for this , w d can be further scaled by the following factor : f d = n / ( ∑ i = 1 n 1 / i ) where n is the number of employees , so that now , w d = f d * r d where r d is the user configured ratio ranging from 0 . 0 to 1 . 0 . preferably , there is one additional consideration in calculating the dissatisfaction for non - preferred jobs w jk * d jk . that is , d jk is not exactly the number of minutes worked outside of the employees preferred job . this is because jobs are not simply configured as preferred or non - preferred . instead , jobs are ranked or scaled by a factor which ranges from 0 to 100 , 0 for a job that is completely dissatisfying and 100 for a job that is completely satisfying . thus , if an employee ranks a job as 50 and works 10 hours in that job and spends the rest of the week working in jobs that are rated 100 then the d jk = 10 * 50 %= 5 hours . other factors may also be used to adjust the weight , such as seniority , work status , age and / or commuting distance . there are several different types of constraints that a solution must satisfy . for example , availability constraints , i . e . times during the week that an employee can work , include all availability periods as specified in the base cycle , base override , personal cycle and personal override configurations for each employee . every employee that is to be scheduled for the week can be thought of as having a set of availability periods for that week . skill constraints comprise , for example , the set of jobs that an employee can work , or is capable of working . hours rules constraints include maximum and minimum shift length , preferably not including breaks ; maximum hours and maximum overtime ( ot ) hours per day ; minimum time between shifts , etc . minor rule constraints , that is , rules pertaining to minors , are , generally , overrides to availability and hours rulesets . other constraints include meal / break rules for each employee , shift transition time which are short periods of time that may occur at the beginning or end of a shift to allow an employee to prepare for the beginning or end of a shift , and rounding rules which allow a user to specify values for rounding a resulting schedule , for example , shifts limited to multiples of 1 hour , 30 minute or 15 minute periods , or paid and unpaid breaks limited to multiples of 1 hour , 30 minute , 20 minute , 15 minute , 10 minute or 5 minute periods . the purpose of the heuristic used by the trial schedule generator 101 is to generate a new trial solution s trial that is better than the current solution s current . as fig7 illustrates , this is done in a three - step process , performed by the trial schedule generator 101 of fig4 a and corresponding to step 205 of fig4 b first , at step 240 , the highest cost shifts , i . e ., shifts that increase the overall value of the objective function , are removed . these are replaced by adding , at step 242 , low cost shifts , i . e . shifts that reduce the overall value of the objective function the most or increase it the least . finally , at step 244 , the algorithm attempts to find replacement shifts for each and every shift in the trial schedule . the remove shifts step 240 attempts to remove some of the most costly shifts . it removes these one at a time in a loop that first searches for the topmost cost - reducing shifts and then picks one of these at random for removal . the randomness introduced as part of the simulated annealing approach prevents the algorithm from getting stuck in a local optimum . after some fraction of the shifts are removed , this procedure stops . if it were allowed to continue indefinitely , removal would no longer be cost reducing . fig8 is a flowchart of an embodiment the remove shifts step 240 of fig4 b . a minimum number ( mindrop ) of shifts is dropped , after which additional shifts are dropped until either dropping shifts no longer lowers the cost function value or a maximum number ( maxdrop ) of shifts have been dropped . in step 253 , mindrop is set to some minimum percentage of nshifts , the number of shifts currently scheduled , and maxdrop is set to some maximum percentage of nshifts , so that mindrop and maxdrop form lower and upper limits respectively to the number of iterations to be executed . the number of shifts dropped or removed so far , numdropped , is initialized to zero . if mindrop iterations have not yet occurred , i . e ., numdropped & lt ; mindrop ( step 255 ), or if maxdrop iterations have not yet occurred and lastcost & lt ; 0 , i . e ., ( numdropped & lt ; maxdrop ) and ( lastcost & lt ; 0 ) ( step 257 ), then a shift is removed , beginning with step 259 . otherwise the remove shifts process 240 is complete . at step 259 , the n most cost - reducing shifts are found , for some number n , for example , by selecting each shift one at a time and recalculating the objective function as if that shift were removed . at step 261 , one of the n cost - reducing shifts found in step 259 is randomly selected and removed . the cost of dropping the removed shift , that is , the difference between the cost function values with and without the shift , is determined as the value lastcost . finally , at step 263 , numdropped is incremented to indicate the completion of another iteration . note that it may be necessary to break the minimum hours per week constraint in order to remove the maxpercentage of the shifts . for this reason , a new component is added to the dissatisfaction cost , discussed below . this cost is proportional to the number of hours below the minimum hours per week that the employee is scheduled . this is usually a strong enough factor to naturally drive the solution back to a feasible state during the add shifts step 242 . however if the solution is still not feasible after the add shifts phase , it is forced to be feasible by adding additional shifts in the replace phase . in any event , at the end of step 205 of fig4 b , a feasible solution exists that can be evaluated . the add shifts step 242 ( fig7 ) is naturally the most complex aspect of the algorithm . it is , after all , creating the schedule . it is responsible for generating low cost shifts that satisfy all constraints . before a discussion of this step , however , it is important to understand three important objects that add shifts depends on . these are a scheduled employee list , a shift lookup table , and period totals . fig9 illustrates a schedule employee list 70 , which is a list of schedule employee objects . for example , row 71 of the schedule employee list 70 references a schedule employee object 72 for employee k . each schedule employee object 72 maintains all of the constraints and preferences 73 , e . g ., availability , minimum and maximum hours , shift lengths and dissatisfaction weighting factors , etc . for an individual employee . from the scheduler &# 39 ; s point of view , each employee has his own individual constraints and preferences , even though they may be derived from a common ruleset or base schedule . each schedule employee object 72 maintains a copy of the current schedule 74 , the trial schedule 76 and the best schedule 78 for each employee . fig1 illustrates the first step in creating a shift lookup table . the shift lookup table allows the scheduler to express availability , skill set and shift length constraints very efficiently so that only shifts that satisfy these constraints are created . it also provides an efficient way to quickly determine which employees can work a specific shift . first , a list 80 of all possible shifts that could be scheduled is generated . this list can be generated , for example , by determining every possible unique combination of start time , duration and job . each combination can be mapped , for example , to a unique 32 - bit integer shift identifier 81 . the result is a set of unique shift ids from 0 to s − 1 ( for s shifts ) that describe every possible shift that can be worked , and that are used to reference the shift lookup table . a shift is characterized by its start time 85 , length 87 and job 89 . if a shift can start on any 15 - minute period within one week , then there are 672 possible start times . of course , other periods such as ½ hour or 1 hour can be used , in which case the number of possible start times is only 336 or 168 respectively . the number of possible shift lengths is much more limited . for a 2 hr minimum and 8 hour maximum , using 15 - minute intervals , there are only 25 possibilities . the number of possible jobs is nearly always less than 100 and more likely less than 20 . in a worst case scenario using 15 - minute intervals with 100 jobs to schedule , there are 672 * 25 * 100 = 1 , 680 , 000 possibilities . this a very large number but not unmanageable . a more realistic case using 30 - minute intervals and 20 jobs to schedule leaves only 87 , 360 possibilities . each of these shifts can be assigned a unique identifier 81 which references a row of the shift lookup table . the trial shift generator 101 can quickly obtain information about a particular shift , such as the feasibility of a shift or which people are available to work the shift , by using this index to reference the shift lookup table . the shift lookup table is an array of pointers indexed by a shift identifier 81 . each pointer points to a bitmap region that indicates which employees can work the associated shift . if no one can work the shift , then the pointer is null . in addition to the employee bitmap , each region keeps a total count of how many employees can work the shifts . using this approach many , of the pointers will point to the same region , thereby conserving memory . fig1 illustrates how in one embodiment , to create a shift lookup table , a temporary bitmap 90 is first created for each employee . each bitmap 90 represents every possible shift that the corresponding employee can work . this can be done , for example , by scanning each employee &# 39 ; s availability periods and minimum and maximum shift length in the employee &# 39 ; s associated schedule employee object 72 ( fig9 ), and then setting the corresponding bit in the shift lookup table . for example , employee 1 is available to work shifts identified by identifers 0 , 1 , 2 and 3 . employee 2 is available to work shifts identified by identifiers 0 and 1 , but not shifts 2 or 3 . similarly , employee n is not available to work any of shifts 0 - 3 . for a large number of employees , for example , 1000 , this can be an unreasonable and impractical amount of data , consuming on the order of 20 mb . this large amount of data can be greatly condensed by taking advantage of the fact that a large number employees will always have a significant amount of overlap between the shifts that they can work . thus , in a particular embodiment , shifts can be grouped into “ regions ” that are characterized by a common set of employees that can work that shift . every shift belongs to one and only one region and many shifts will belong to a common region . a region is characterized by a bit map where each employee is represented by one bit . for example , 125 bytes are required to represent 1000 employees . the present invention takes advantage of the fact that many employees can work a common set of shifts . the larger the number of employees , the truer this is . shifts can be grouped into “ regions ” that are characterized by a common set of employees who can work those shifts . every shift belongs to one and only one region . but an employee can belong to many regions . therefore , the set of shifts can be represented as a simple , single dimensional array from 0 to s − 1 , where each element points to a region . the region reveals every possible employee that can work that shift . each region can be represented by a bit map that is n / 8 bytes long for n employees . depending on how much overlap there is , and there is typically quite a bit , not all that many regions are needed . the worst case is n regions , but his would be extremely unlikely in a real life situation with many employees . for example , for a set of 100 very diverse employees , a typical number of regions is between 20 and 30 . the ratio improves greatly as n gets larger . for example , for 1 , 0000 employees , the number of regions will likely be less than 100 . fig1 is a flowchart demonstrating how the shift lookup table is created . at step 275 , a shift which has not yet been mapped is selected . if there are no more unmapped shifts , the process is done . otherwise , at step 277 , a bitmap 90 ( fig1 ) is determined for the selected shift , indicating which employees are available to work that shift . the resulting bitmap is compared against existing bitmaps of existing regions in step 279 . if there is a match , as determined in step 281 , then in step 283 , a pointer to the region is associated with the shift , by storing the pointer in the row of the shift lookup table indexed by the shift &# 39 ; s identifier . if no match was found in step 281 , then at step 285 , a new region is created and a pointer to the new region is stored , or associated , with the shift . the scheduler generates each shift / employee combination one at a time until the requirements are satisfied , and then repeatedly takes shifts away from employees and reassigns completely new shift / employee combinations until it comes up with the best solution it can find in some predetermined number of iterations . in order to do this , the scheduler must be able to generate candidate lists of shift - employee combinations very quickly . the shift lookup table enables this speedy generation . fig1 illustrates a particular embodiment of a shift lookup table 91 . each entry 92 in the table corresponds to a particular shift , and is referenced by the identifier for that shift . furthermore , each entry 92 contains a pointer to a region . for example , shifts 3 and 4 each contain a reference to region x 93 while shift 2 contains a reference to region y 95 . it can be seen that , for example , employee 2 is available to work any shift belonging to region x 93 , including shifts 3 and 4 . similarly , employees 1 and 4 are available to work any shift belonging to region y 95 , including shift 2 . thus , by using the shift lookup table 91 , it is possible to determine , given a shift identifier , which employees are available to work the associated shift , without the necessity of maintaining a separate bitmap for each shift . for each and every period of the week , regardless of whether periods are measure in 15 - minute intervals , 30 - minute intervals or some other interval , various key totals are tracked for each job . thus , for each type of total , there is actually an array of size njobs × nperiods , where nperiods is the number of periods in the week . for example , required [ i , j ] is the total workforce requirement , in minutes , for period i and job j . similarly , bestscheduled [ i , j ] is the total number of minutes scheduled for the best solution , currscheduled [ i , j ] is the total number of minutes scheduled for the current solution , and trialscheduled [ i , j ] is the total number of minutes scheduled for the trial solution . availability [ i , j ] is the total number of available minutes , i . e ., the number of minutes in the period times the number of available employees . filldifficulty [ i , j ] is a measure of the difficulty of filling a particular slot , and is calculated as ( required [ i , j ]− trialscheduled [ i , j ])/ availability [ i , j ]. the add shifts step 242 ( fig7 ) schedules shifts that reduce the cost of underscheduled periods (“ unders ”) by finding the “ area ” that needs the most coverage . an area is defined by a job , a start slot and an end slot . an attempt is then made to find the most cost - reducing shift to schedule in this area . this process is repeated until no more low - coverage areas can be found . if no shift can be found for an area , that area is marked as unfillable and ignored during the search for new areas . the unfillable status is cleared at the end of the add shifts routine so that these areas can be explored again later . fig1 is a flowchart of the add shifts step 242 of fig7 . at step 300 , the area having the most unfilled required coverage is determined . this is described in more detail below with respect to fig1 . at step 302 , if no area is found , the process is complete . if , however , an area is found , then at step 304 , the most cost - reducing shifts in the area are determined . step 304 is described in more detail below with respect to fig1 . if , at step 306 , no cost - reducing shifts are found , the area is marked as unfillable at step 310 . on the other hand , if cost - reducing shifts are found , then at step 308 , one of the seven lowest - cost shifts is randomly selected and added to the trial schedule s trail . this process repeats until no more areas are found in step 302 . fig1 is a flowchart showing the details of step 300 of fig1 , in which the area having the most unfilled required coverage is determined . first , at step 320 , a variable maxfilldifficulty is initialized to zero . at step 322 , a determination is made as whether there are any jobs which have not been processed . if there are more jobs , one is selected and at step 324 , all continuous sets of slots ( or periods ) are found , where a continuous set of slots is a set of contiguous slots where each slot &# 39 ; s filldifficulty is greater or equal to 0 , and each slot &# 39 ; s unfillable status , which is a temporary variable described more fully below , is false . at step 326 , one of these continuous sets is selected , and at step 328 , a totalfilldifficulty is calculated by summing all filldifficulty &# 39 ; s over all periods of the selected set . if , at step 330 , this total totalfilldifficulty is found to be greater than some threshold , maxfilldifficulty , then at step 332 , the threshold is updated to the value of totalfilldifficulty , and the start and end slots of the selected set , and the job , are recorded . if total fill difficulty does not exceed the threshold , step 332 is skipped . at step 334 , if another set is available for processing , control returns to step 326 and a new set is selected . on the other hand , if there are no more sets for the current job , control loops back to step 322 , and the process is repeated for the next job . if there are no more jobs , the area needing the most coverage has be found . thus , in step 302 of fig1 , if maxdifficulty is 0 , no areas have been found . fig1 is a flowchart showing the details of step 304 of fig1 , in which the most cost - reducing shift in the area found in fig1 is determined . first , in step 350 , a shift candidate list , that is , a list of shifts which could be scheduled in the area is generated . this is described in greater detail below with respect to fig1 . the shift candidate list holds the shift with the best coverage from each region . by generating the list in this manner , the widest possible set of employees to fill each of these shifts is obtained . next , the loop from step 352 to step 358 is executed for each shift in the shift candidate list . at step 354 , the most cost - reducing person in the region to fill that shift is found . at step 356 , if the overall cost of adding this shift is less than any of the seven lowest cost shifts determined so far , the shift with the highest cost of the seven is removed from the list of seven , and replaced with this new shift ( step 357 ). otherwise , step 357 is skipped . of course , such a list could retain more or less than seven shifts . note that some randomness is introduced just as with the remove shift routine to keep the solution from getting stuck in a local optimum . fig1 is a flowchart of step 350 of fig1 . the loop defined by steps 370 through 376 is executed for every possible shift that could be scheduled in each area . in step 372 , the average coverage of the shift , avgcoverage , is calculated , where avgcoverage = σ ( required − trialscheduled )/ shiftlen , over all periods in the selected shift , and where shiftlen is the length of the shift . at step 374 , the shiftlookuptable is used to track the highest avgcoverage by shift region . fig1 a and 18b together are a flowchart of the replace shifts method 244 of fig7 . the replace shifts method 244 tries to find a replacement shift for each and every shift in the trial schedule , by first stretching , shrinking or moving breaks around within the shift . it does this efficiently by keeping track of the marginal costs in the period totals and the marginal dissatisfaction costs in the employee schedule object . initially , a replacement shift is found and a replacement cost is calculated for every shift whose cost can be reduced . then , repeatedly , the lowest cost replacement is found , the replacement is performed , and the replacement cost of the other shifts is recalculated if necessary . the cycle stops when no further cost reducing replacement shifts can be found . after the replacements are made , every shift is analyzed to see if the shift can be swapped with that of another employee . in a preferred embodiment , the swapping transaction can be up to three stages deep , for example where employee a swaps with b , b swaps with c and c swaps with d . next the loop formed by steps 405 - 411 is performed repeatedly for each scheduled shift . at step 409 , a cost reducing replacement shift is determined . step 409 is discussed in greater detail below with respect to fig1 . at step 411 , the original shift , the replacement shift and cost reduction resulting from the replacement are saved . note that if the determined replacement shift is null , the old shift is deleted but not replaced . finally , at step 413 , the highest cost reduction is tracked , that is the cost reduction is saved if it is the highest encountered thus far . after all shifts have been processed , the loop formed by steps 415 - 423 is executed iteratively until the highest cost reduction is zero . at step 417 , the replacement associated with the highest cost reduction is performed . at step 419 , all other replacement cost reductions affected by this action are updated . at step 421 , all marginal costs affected by this action are updated . at step 423 , the new highest cost reduction is determined . finally , when the highest cost reduction is zero , the loop terminates and , at step 425 , shifts are swapped . step 425 is discussed in greater detail below with respect to fig2 . fig1 is a detailed flowchart of the process of finding a cost - reducing replacement shift , step 409 . first , at step 427 , best cost reduction is set to 0 , and best shift is set to none . at step 429 , the best breaks , i . e ., the best positions for breaks , are found . if , at step 431 , best breaks cost reduction & gt ; best cost reduction , then step 433 is executed , in which best cost reduction is set equal to replace breaks cost reduction , and best shift is set equal to best breaks shift . execution proceeds to step 435 , regardless of the determination at step 431 . at step 435 , the cost reduction of removing the shift is determined . if , at step 437 , it is determined that remove shift cost reduction & gt ; best cost reduction , then at step 439 , best cost reduction is set to remove shift cost reduction and best shift is set to null . otherwise , step 439 is skipped . at step 441 , the best replacement shift is found and the cost reduction of adding the replacement shift , replacementshiftcostreduction , determined . step 441 is discussed in greater detail below , with respect to fig2 . if , at step 443 , it is determined that replacementshiftcostreduction & gt ; best cost reduction , then at step 445 , best cost reduction is set to best replacement shift cost reduction , and best shift is set to best replacement shift . otherwise , step 445 is skipped . at step 447 , the bestshift is returned to the calling routine . fig2 is a detailed flowchart of step 441 . beginning , at step 451 , with the original shift , the lowest over / under cost start time is determined by evaluating different scenarios in which the shift &# 39 ; s start time is moved earlier and later by up to 2 hrs within constraints . similarly , at step 453 , the lowest over / under cost end time is determined by evaluating different scenarios in which the shift &# 39 ; s end time is moved earlier and later by up to 2 hrs within constraints . at step 455 , if lower costs were found by moving both start time ( step 451 ) and end time ( step 453 ), then combinations of these moves , within the constraints , are examined . at step 457 , the entire shift is moved earlier or later by up to 2 hrs within constraints to determine the lowest over / under cost . at step 459 , the most cost reducing shift is selected from all of the above . the best breaks for this shift are determined for this new best replacement shift . the over / under cost reduction is recalculated and added to the dissatisfaction cost reductions to yield the best cost reduction . at step 461 , the best replacement shift and best cost reduction are returned . fig2 is a detailed flowchart of step 425 , in which employees are swapped between shifts in an effort to improve dissatisfaction costs . note that this routine only performs swapping and has no effect on the over / under cost . the goal here is only to improve the dissatisfaction cost . at step 463 , the average dissatisfaction cost of all the scheduled shifts is calculated . at step 465 , the top dissatisfying shifts are determined . one of these shifts is randomly selected , and an attempt to swap the employee assigned to it with another employee is made as described next . the loop defined by steps 467 - 479 is repeated until the process has attempted to swap all shifts whose dissatisfaction cost is greater than average . at step 467 , the dissatisfying shift is removed from the person to whom it is currently assigned . now the shift is unassigned . to assign the shift , steps 469 , 471 and 473 are repeated recursively up to 3 levels deep or until there are no unassigned shifts . at step 469 , all of the employees who can work this shift are obtained from the shift lookup table . for each employee , an attempt is made to add this shift to the employee &# 39 ; s schedule . the employee with the lowest cost is assigned to the shift and the assignment is complete . if , on the other hand , the shift could not be added , then at step 471 , an attempt is made to swap it out . the most cost - reducing swap is found , but a swapped shift which can be added back to the original dissatisfied person &# 39 ; s schedule is always favored . after exiting the loop of steps 469 - 473 , at step 475 , any shift that was involved in this swap move is marked so that a loop involving the same shifts does not occur . at step 477 , if the swap move that was found is feasible and cost - reducing , then it is committed , and the top dissatisfying shifts are recalculated . step 479 causes the loop of steps 467 - 479 to repeat until the process has attempted to swap all shifts whose dissatisfaction is greater than average . it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that methods involved in the scheduler may be embodied in a computer program product that includes a computer usable medium and wherein the steps of the method disclosed herein are performed by a computer . for example , such a computer usable medium can include a readable memory device , such as a hard drive device , a cd - rom , a dvd - rom , or a computer diskette , having computer readable program code segments stored thereon , the computer readable medium can also include a communications or transmission medium , such as a bus or a communications link , either optical , wired , or wireless having program code segments carried thereon as digital or analog data signals . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims . | 6 |
fig3 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission system whereby a first data processing unit ( dpu ) 20 can communicate with a second data processing unit 21 over a network link 22 . each data processing unit comprises a cpu 23 , 24 which is connected via a memory bus 25 , 26 to a pci controller 27 , 28 . the pci controllers control communications over respective pci buses 29 , 30 , to which are connected nics 31 , 32 . the nics are connected to each other over the network . other similar data processing units can be connected to the network to allow them to communicate with each other and with the dpus 20 , 21 . local random access memory ( ram ) 33 , 34 is connected to each memory bus 25 , 26 . the data transmission system described herein implements several significant features : ( 1 ) dynamic caching of aperture mappings between the nics 31 , 32 ; ( 2 ) a packet oriented setup and teardown arrangement for communication between the nics ; and ( 3 ) the use of certain bits that are herein termed “ nonce bits ” in the address space of one or both nics . a small number of aperture mappings can be stored efficiently using a static table . to implement this , a number of bits ( the map bits ) of an address are caught by the address decode logic of an nic and are used as an index into an array of memory which contains the bits that are used for reversing the mapping ( the remap bits ). for example , in a system of the type illustrated in fig3 an nic might receive over the pci bus 29 a request for reading or writing data at a specified local address . the nic stores a mapping that indicates the remote address that corresponds to that local address , the transformation being performed by substituting one or more of the bits of the local address . for example , the second and third nibbles of the address could be substituted . in that case to access the remote address that corresponds to a local address of 0x8210beec the nic would access the mapping table , determine the mapping for bits “ 21 ” ( suppose that is bits “ 32 ”) and then address the corresponding remote address ( in this example 0x8320beec ). ( see fig4 ) this method is scalable up to a few hundred or thousand entries depending on the implementation technology used ( typically fpga or asic ) but is limited by the space available within the device that is used to hold the mapping table . a superior method of implementation is to store the mappings in a larger store ( to which access is consequently slower ) and to cache the most recently used mappings in an associative memory that can be accessed quickly . if a match for the bits that are to be substituted is found in the associative memory ( by a hardware search operation ) then the remap is made very quickly . if no match is found the hardware must perform a secondary lookup in the larger memory ( in either a table or tree structure ). typically the associative memory will be implemented on the processing chip of the nic , and the larger memory will be implemented off - chip , for example in dram . this is illustrated in fig5 . this method is somewhat similar to the operation of a tlb on a cpu ; however here it is used for an entirely different function : i . e . for the purpose of aperture mapping on a memory mapped network card . in practice , the mapping information must contain all the address information required to transmit a packet over a network . this is discussed in more detail below . a protocol will now be described for establishing a connection between two applications &# 39 ; address spaces using apertures , where there are two administration domains ( one belonging to each of the communicating hosts ). the general arrangement is illustrated in fig6 . in domain a there is a host a having a virtual address space a and an nic a that can access the virtual address space . in domain b there is a host b having a virtual address space b and an nic b that can access the virtual address space . the nics are connected together over a network . in this example mapping entries for devices in domain a can only be set by the operating system on host a . a further implementation in which an application a running on host a is allowed to set some ( but not all ) bits on an aperture mapping within domain a is described below . the connection protocol to be described uses ip ( internet protocol ) datagrams to transfer packets from one host to another ( just as for standard ethernet networks ). the datagrams are addressed as & lt ; host : port & gt ; where & lt ; host & gt ; is the network identifier of the destination host and & lt ; port & gt ; is an identifier for the application ( nb each application may have a number of allocated parts corresponding to different network connections ) within the host . it will be appreciated that the present protocol could be used over other transport protocols than ip . in the present protocol the connection setup proceeds as follows , assuming host a wishes to make an active connection to a passive ( accepting ) host b on which an application b is running . 1 . application b publishes its accepting internet address & lt ; host b : port b & gt ; this can be accessed over the network in the normal way . 2 . application a ( which for convenience will be referred to as host a ) presents a request to operating system a for the creation of an incoming aperture onto memory within host a to be used for communication . once this aperture has been defined its details are programmed on nic a so that incoming network writes that are directed to addresses in that virtual space will be directed onto the corresponding real addresses in memory a . the aperture will be given a reference address : in - index a . 3 . the host a sends an ip datagram to & lt ; host b : port b & gt ; which contains : the connect message : note that the full ip datagram will also contain source and destination ip addresses ( and ports ), as normal . 4 . the connect message is received by application b . the message may be received either directly to user level or to the operating system ( according to the status of the dual event queue ) as described later . 5 . host b recognises the message as being a request to connect to b , offering the aperture in - index a . using rules pre - programmed at b ( typically for security reasons ) host b will decide whether to reject or accept the connection . if b decides to accept the connection , it creates an ( or uses a pre - created ) incoming aperture which is mapped onto memory b and is given reference address : in - index b . host b may choose to create a new port for the connection : port ′ b . host b sends back to host a an accept message as an ip datagram : to host a . note that the full ip datagram will also contain source and destination ip addresses ( and ports ), as normal . once this has been received , each host has created an aperture , each nic is set up to perform the mapping for requests to read or write in that aperture , and each host knows the reference address of the other host &# 39 ; s aperture . 6 . following the messaging discussed so far , both hosts create outgoing apertures . a creates an aperture which maps application a &# 39 ; s virtual address space onto nic a outgoing aperture out_index a . this outgoing aperture maps onto [ host b : in - index b ] which maps onto memory b . host b creates a similar outgoing aperture out - index b which maps onto memory a . by this means , bi - directional communication is possible through the memory mapped regions . at any time the applications may send a message to the port , which is associated with the memory mapping . these may be used to guarantee out of band data for example : ( i ) a close message to indicate that the connection and hence memory mappings should be closed down ( ii ) an alive message to request a response from an non - responding application [ aliveack would be the response ] ( iii ) an error message which us generated by any hardware element on the data path which has detected a data transfer error . this message is important because it allows feedback to be provided from the memory mapped interface . note that where an application already has a virtual address mapping onto an outgoing aperture , step 6 reduces to a request for the nic to map the outgoing aperture onto a particular host &# 39 ; s incoming aperture . this is described further in terms of user level connection management below . in the present context a port will be considered to be an operating system specific entity which is bound to an application , has an address code , and can receive messages . this concept is illustrated in fig7 . one or more incoming messages that are addressed to a port form a message queue , which is handled by the operating system . the operating system has previously stored a binding between that port and an application running on the operating system . messages in the message queue for a port are processed by the operating system and provided by the operating system to the application to which that port is bound . the operating system can store multiple bindings of ports to applications so that incoming messages , by specifying the appropriate port , can be applied to the appropriate application . the port exists within the operating system so that messages can be received and securely handled no matter what the state of the corresponding application . it is bound ( tethered ) to a particular application and has a message queue attached . in traditional protocol stacks , e . g . in - kernel tcp / ip all data is normally enqueued on the port message queue before it is read by the application . ( this overhead can be avoided by the memory mapped data transfer mechanism described herein ). in the scheme to be described herein , only out of band data is enqueued on the port message queue . fig7 illustrates this for a connect message . in fig7 , an incoming packet e , containing a specification of a destination host and port ( field 50 ), a message type ( field 51 ) and an index ( field 52 ), is received by nic 53 . since this data is a connect message it falls into the class of out of band data . however , it is still applied to the message queue 54 of the appropriate port 55 , from where it can be read by the application that has been assigned by the operating system to that port . a further enhancement is to use a dual queue , associated with a port . this can help to minimise the requirements to make system calls when reading out of band messages . this is particularly useful where there are many messages e . g . high connection rate as for a web server , or a high error rate which may be expected for ethernet . at the beginning of its operations , the operating system creates a queue to handle out of band messages . this queue may be written to by the nic and may have an interrupt associated with it . when an application binds to a port , the operating system creates the port and associates it with the application . it also creates a queue to handle out of band messages for that port only . that out of band message queue for the port is then memory mapped into the application &# 39 ; s virtual address space such that it may de - queue events without requiring a kernel context switch . the event queues are registered with the nic , and there is a control block on the nic associated with each queue ( and mapped into either or both the os or application &# 39 ; s address space ( s )). a queue with control blocks is illustrated in fig8 . the queue 59 is stored in memory 60 , to which the nic 61 has access . associated with the queue are a read pointer ( rdptr ) 62 a and a write pointer ( wrptr ) 63 a , which indicate the points in the queue at which data is to be read and written next . pointer 62 a is stored in memory 60 . pointer 63 a is stored in nic 61 . mapped copies of the pointers : rdptr ′ 62 b and wptr ′ 63 b are stored in the other of the nic and the memory than the original pointers . in the operation of the system : 1 . the nic can determine the space available for writing by comparing rdptr ′ and wrptr , which it stores locally . 2 . nic generates out of band data when it is received in a datagram and writes it to the queue 59 . 3 . the nic updates wrptr and wrptr ′ when the data has been written , so that the next data will be written after the last data . 4 . the application determines the space available for reading by comparing rdptr and wrptr ′ as access from memory 60 . 5 . the application reads the out of band data from queue 59 and processes the messages . 6 . the application updates rdptr and rdptr ′. 7 . if the application requires an interrupt , then it ( or the operating system on its behalf ) sets the irq 65 a and irq ′ 65 b bits of the control block 64 . the control block is stored in memory 60 and is mapped onto corresponding storage in the nic . if set , then the nic would also generate an interrupt on step 3 . if an interrupt is generated , then firstly the pci interrupt line is asserted to ensure the computer &# 39 ; s interrupt handler is executed , but also a second message is delivered into the operating system &# 39 ; s queue . in general , this queue can handle many interrupt types , such as hardware failure , but in this case , the os queue contains the following message [ odbdata : port ] indicating that out of band data has been delivered to the application queue belonging to [ port ]. the os can examine the data in queue 59 and take appropriate action . the usual situation will be that the application is blocked or descheduled and the os must wake it ( mark as runnable to the scheduler ). this dual queue mechanism enables out of band data to be handled by the application without involving the os — while the application is running . where the application ( s ) is blocked , the second queue and interrupt enable the os to determine which of potentially many application queues have had data delivered . the overall arrangement is illustrated in fig9 . 1 . error events associated with the port 2 . connection setup messages and other signalling messages from the network and other applications 3 . data delivery events , which may be generated either by the sending application the nic or the receiving os . if the queue is to contain variable sized data then the size of the data part of each message must be included at the start of the message . when applications are to communicate in the present system over shared memory , a single work queue can be shared between two communicating endpoints using non - coherent shared memory . as data is written into the queue , write pointer ( wrptr ) updates are also written by the transmitting application into the remote network - mapped memory to indicate the data valid for reading . as data is removed from the queue , read pointer ( rdpr ) updates are written by the receiving application back over the network to indicate free space in the queue . these pointer updates are conservative and may lag the reading or writing of data by a short time , but means that a transmitter will not initiate a network transfer of data until buffer is available at the receiver , and the low latency of the pointer updates means that the amount of queue buffer space required to support a pair of communicating endpoints is small . the event mechanism described above can be used to allow applications to block on full / empty queues and to manage large numbers of queues via a multiplexed event stream , which is scalable in terms of cpu usage and response time . variable length data destined for an event queue would be delivered to a second queue . this has the advantage of simplifying the event generation mechanism in hardware . thus the fixed size queue contains simple events and pointers ( size ) into the variable length queue 1 . as shown in fig1 , the difference between rdptr , and wrptr , indicates the valid events in the queue , and also the number of events because they are of fixed size . 2 . the event var 10 ( for illustration ) indicates that a variable sized event of size 10 words has been placed on the variable sized queue . 3 . the difference between wrptr 2 and rdptr 2 indicates only the number of words which are in the variable sized queue , but the application is able to dequeue the first event in its entirety by removing 10 words . 4 . the application indicates processing of an event to the nic by updating the rdptr on the nic &# 39 ; s memory ( a ) for the static queue by the number of events processed multiplied by the size of each event ( b ) for the variable sized queue by the number of words consumed ( i . e . the same for both cases ) 5 . the data on the variable length queue may also contain the size ( e . g . if it is a udp / ip packet ) in this implementation , additional bits , termed “ nonce bits ” are provided in order to protect against malfunctioning or malicious hardware or software writing inadvertently to apertures . to illustrate this , the following network mapping will be discussed : when performing the mapping to & lt ; host in - index & gt ; the nic is able to create an outgoing packet which is addressed by & lt ; host : in - index & gt ;. this will be recognized by the nic that receives the packet as being a packet intended for processing as an aperture packet , rather than as a packet intended to pass via a port to a corresponding application . thus the packet is to be presented to the incoming aperture lookup hardware . it should first be noted that under the scheme described above , the pci address to which the data is sent encodes both the aperture mapping and an offset within the aperture . this is because the nic can form the destination address as a function of the address to which the message on the pci bus was formed . the address received by the nic over the pci bus can be considered to be formed of ( say ) 32 bits which include an aperture definition and a definition of an offset in that aperture . the offset bits are also encoded in the outgoing packet to enable the receiving nic to write the data relative to the incoming aperture base . in the case of a data write the resulting network packet can be considered to comprise data together with a location definition comprising an offset , an in - index and an indication of the host to which it is addressed . at the receiving nic at the host this will be considered as instructing writing of the data to the pci address that corresponds to that aperture , offset by the received offset . in the case of a read request the analogous operation occurs . this feature enables an aperture to be utilized as a circular queue ( as described previously ) between the applications and avoids the requirement to create a new aperture for each new receive data buffer . in this implementation the network packet also contains the nonce bits . these are programmed into the aperture mapping during connection setup and are intended to provide additional security , enabling apertures to be reused safely for many connections to different hosts . the processing of the nonce bits for communications between hosts a and b is as follows : 1 . at host a a random number is selected as nonce a . 2 . nonce a is stored in conjunction with an aperture in - index a 3 . a connect message is sent to host b to set up communications in the way generally as described above . in this example the message also includes nonce a . thus the connect message includes port b , in - index a , nonce a . 4 . on receiving the connect message host b stores in - index a and nonce a in conjunction with outgoing aperture b . 5 . host b selects a random number as nonce b 6 . nonce b is stored in conjunction with an aperture in - index b 7 . an accept message is sent to host b to accept the set up of communications in the way generally as described above . in this example the message also includes nonce b . thus the accept message includes port b ′, in - index b , nonce b . 8 . host a stores in - index b and nonce b in conjunction with outgoing aperture a . once the connection is set up to include the nonce bits all packets sent from a to b via outgoing aperture a will contain nonce b . when received the nic b will look up in - index b and compare the received nonce value with that programmed at b . if they differ , the packet is rejected . this is very useful if a malfunctioning application holds onto a stale connection : it may transmit a packet which has a valid [ host : in - index ] address , but would have old nonce bits , and so would be rejected . remembering that the user level application has a control block for the out of band queue , this control block can also be used to allow control of the apertures associated with the application , in such a way that connection setup and tear down may be performed entirely at user level . note that some parts of the aperture control block only are user programmable , others must only be programmed by the operating system . a ) base address of incoming aperture ( this prevents an application from corrupting memory buffers by mistake or malintent ) b ) source host bits ( this prevents an application from masquerading as originating from another host ). for an untrusted application , kernel connection management would be performed . this means that out of band data would be processed only in the kernel , and no programmable bits would be made available to the application . an example of an outgoing aperture table is shown in fig1 . each row of the table represents an aperture and indicates the attributes of that aperture . it should be noted that : 1 . a number of aperture sizes may be supported . these will be grouped such that the base address also gives the size of the aperture . alternatively , a size field can be included in the aperture table . 2 . the type field indicates the ethernet type to use for the outgoing packet . it also indicates whether the destination address is a 4 byte ipv4 address or a 16 bit cluster address . ( ipv6 addresses or other protocol addresses could equally be accommodated ) the type field also distinguishes between event and data packets within the cluster . ( an event packet will result in a fixed size event message appearing on the destinations event queue ). 3 . the pci base address is os programmable only , other fields may be programmed by the application at user level depending on the system &# 39 ; s security policy . 4 . source ethernet address , source ip and cluster address and possibly other information is common to all entries and stored in per nic memory . 5 . in all cases addressing of the outgoing ethernet packet is either & lt ; ethernet mac & gt ;& lt ; ip host : ip port & gt ; ( in the case of a tcp / ip packet ) & lt ; ethernet mac & gt ;& lt ; ci host : ci in - index : ci nonce : ci aperture offset & gt ; ( in the case of a ci ( computer interface ) packet ) 6 . each aperture is allocated an initial sequence number . this is incremented by the hardware as packets are processed and are optionally included in cluster address formats an example of an incoming aperture table is shown in fig1 . each row of the table represents an aperture and indicates the attributes of that aperture . the incoming aperture is essentially the reverse of the outgoing aperture . it should be noted that : 1 . as well as the size being optionally encoded by having fixed size tables , the ethtype can be optionally encoded by grouping separate aperture tables 2 . the sequence number fields are optional and the receiver can set ( a ) whether sequence checking should be done ( b ) the value of the initial sequence number if done this must also be communicated as part of the connection protocol , which could conveniently be performed in a similar way to the communication of nonce values from one host to another . 3 . similarly to outgoing apertures , some information is per - nic e . g . ip address , ethernet address . 4 . for application level robustness it is possible to “ narrow ” down an aperture by specifying an address and size which specifies a range which lies within the default range . this might be done when the application level data structure is of a size smaller , or different alignment , than the default aperture size and fine grained memory protection is required . 5 . the map address is either the pci address which the nic should emit in order to write to memory for the aperture , or else a local ( to the nic &# 39 ; s sram ) pointer to the descriptor for the event queue . a pci write for an outgoing aperture is processed as shown in fig1 . the steps are as follows . 1 . a pci burst is emitted whose address falls within the range allocated to the nic 2 . the nic &# 39 ; s address decoder captures the burst and determines that the address is within the range of the apertures . ( it could otherwise be a local control write ). 3 . depending on the aperture size ( which is coarsely determined from the address ), the address is split into & lt ; base : offset & gt ;. e . g . for a 1 k aperture , the bottom 10 bits would be the offset . the base is fed into the aperture table cache to match the required packet header information . 4 . depending on the ethernet packet type field either an ip / ethernet or ci / ethernet packet header is formed . 5 . the ci packet would for instance , include the following fields : data ( containing the data payload of the pci burst ) checksum ( calculated by hardware over the contents of the header ) offset ( by the address decoder ) sequence number nonce aperture index ci host cluster address 6 . if a number of pci bursts arrive for a particular host , then they may be packed into a single ethernet frame with compression techniques applied to remove redundant header information 7 . in the present system a system - specific crc or checksum is used to provide end - to - end protection and is appended to the data portion of the packet . although the ethernet packet also contains a crc , it may be removed and recalculated on any hop ( e . g . at a switch ) and so does not provide protection against internal ( e . g . switch - specific ) corruptions . 8 . if the sequence number is applied , then it is incremented and written back to the aperture table entry for incoming packets , the reverse operation takes place . the incoming aperture is looked up and checked to be : ( a ) valid ; ( b ) sequence number expected matches that of the packet ; ( c ) nonce matches ( or port ); ( d ) expected ethernet source address ; ( e ) expected ip or ci source addresses ( which may be specified as a netmask to allow a range of source addresses to be matched ); any one or more of these checks may be implemented or omitted , depending on the level of security required . this lookup returns a field of : ( base + extent ) for the aperture . the offset is checked against the extent to ensure out of aperture access is not made and a pci write is formed and emitted on the receiver &# 39 ; s pci bus with the format if the pci bus is stalled , ( say on data n ) a new pci transaction will be emitted . similarly if consecutive ci data packets arrive they may be coalesced into larger pci bursts simply by removing the redundant intermediate headers . the applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features , to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art , irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein , and without limitation to the scope of the claims . the applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features . in view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention . | 6 |
fig3 shows first embodiment in accordance with this invention . in fig3 element 1 is a logic output terminal ; element 2 is a capacitor ; element 3 is a precharging transitor ; element 4 are logic input terminals ; element 5 is a partial logic gate ; element 6 is a bipolar transistor ; element 7 is a transistor which operates as a discharge device for discharging the charge stored in the base of the bipolar transistor , and element 8 is a power supply . first , with the clock φ at &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the transistors 3 and 7 are turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. the transistor 6 is cut - off due to the low voltage between its base and its emitter , and no collector current flows . if the current flowing between the two terminals 5a and 5b of the partial logic gate 5 is either cut off are at a much lower value than the precharge current of the transistor 3 , precharging occurs , and the capacitor 2 is charged and the logic output becomes a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. when the clock φ is switched to a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the transistors 3 and 7 turn &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, and if the two terminals 5a and 5b of the partial logic gate 5 are conducting current , the current flowing between the two terminals become the base current of the bipolar transistor 6 , and the amplified base current becomes the collector current and rapidly discharges the capacitor 2 . this is a salient feature of this invention and causes the logic output to be generated at a higher speed than is possible with a conventional type of gate . incidentally , the capacitor 2 was not installed expressly , but it signifies an inherently formed capacitance , such as the parasitic capacitance of a transistor or a wiring capacitance . next , the speed improvement is shown more specifically . in fig4 the partial logic gate 5 as shown in fig3 has been replaced by a specific mos transistor 50 . in order to simplify the following explanation , one input and one transistor are used . since the precharge operation time is the same , the time for the logic - generating period is compared . first , a conventional circuit composed of mos transistors alone is shown in fig5 and the speed of this circuit is calculated . in fig5 when the capacitance of the capacitor 2 is c and the voltage of the power supply 8 is v cc , the voltage of the logic output terminal rises to v cc during the precharge period . if the clock φ is switched in this state , the charge on capacitor 2 is discharged by the transistor 50 , and a logic output is obtained . if we assume the logic threshold to be 1 / 2 v cc , the delay time t pd until a logic output is obtained is expressed by the following equation ( 3 ) denoting the discharge current as i d ( t ). ## equ1 ## v cc is impressed between the gate and the source of the mos transistor 50 , and if we assume that this transistor operates in a saturation region , the discharge current i d ( t ) is expressed by the following equation ( 4 ). ## equ2 ## in equation ( 4 ), β is a gain factor , v gs is the voltage between the gate and the source , and v t is the threshold voltage of the transistor . from equations ( 3 ) and ( 4 ), the delay time t pd is expressed by the following equation ( 5 ). ## equ3 ## next , as for the delay time in the examples of this invention , the base current i b of the bipolar transistor 6 is equal to the current drain of the mos transistor 50 , and considering the fact that the source potential of this transistor is higher than the ground potential by the voltage v be between the base and the emitter of the bipolar transistor 6 , the delay time can be expressed by the following equation ( 6 ). ## equ4 ## in addition , the collector current i c can be approximated by the following equation ( 7 ). ## equ5 ## where h fe is the current amplification , and f ti is the intrinsic cut - off frequency . based on this , the following equation ( 8 ) will hold regarding the delay time t pd . ## equ6 ## in equation ( 8 ), if we assume ## equ7 ## and approximate , t pd can be obtained from equation ( 5 ) shown by the following equation ( 9 ). from equation ( 9 ) that gives the delay time in this invention and equation ( 5 ) that gives the delay time of a conventional circuit using a mos transistor , we define a figure of merit k given by the following ( 10 ). k shows how much greater acceleration has been achieved by the circuit as compared to a conventional circuit . ## equ8 ## in addition , the gain factor β is expressed by the following equation ( 11 ). ## equ9 ## where μo is the carrier mobility , c ox is the unit capacity of the gate , w is the gate width , and l is the gate length . next , if we assume v . sub . cc = 5v , v . sub . be = v . sub . t = 0 . 8v , . sub . ti = 5g hz , ## equ10 ## equation ( 10 ) can be reduced to the following equation ( 12 ). ## equ11 ## consequently , if the conditions of the following equation ( 13 ) holds , the delay time t pd of this invention would be smaller than that of a conventional circuit . ## equ12 ## ( c is in pf ) if we assume w / l to be 10 , the capacitance c is more than 20 pf , and the delay time is smaller in this invention than in the conventional case . this means that the delay time is usually smaller in this invention than the conventional case . in fig6 a simulation was performed using a computer . it shows the load capacity dependency of the delay times of this intention shown in fig4 compared to the conventional case shown in fig5 . in most regions , the delay time of this invention is lower than that of the conventional case ; at a capacitance of 3 pf , if it about 1 / 8 that of the conventional case . consequently , when this invention is used , not only is a sharp increase in speed accomplished by a slight increase in the circuit scale , but less speed degradation occurs as compared to a conventional circuit even when the transistor channel width is reduced . therefore , it is very effective for the reduction of lsi chip area . this is very effective for he reduction of lsi chip area . this is an important feature of this invention , and it is made possible for the first time by the high - speed nature of a bipolar transistor . in addition , in the case of a circuit using bipolar transistors , the phenomenon of increased delay time is likely to occur due to transistor saturation . however , in the simulation , such a phenomenon does not occur . this is due to the fact that the mos transistor 50 composing the partial logic gate 6 is connected to the bipolar transistor 6 between the base and the collector . when the collector voltage drops , the mos transistor voltage between the drain and the source v ds drops , and the current flowing through the base decreases accordingly . when the voltage between the base and the collector becomes zero , the base current also becomes zero , and the collector - emitter voltage of the bipolar transistor 6 is maintained at about 0 . 6 v at a minimum . consequently , saturation of the bipolar transistors 6 does not occur , and high - speed logic operation is possible . fig7 is a dynamic logic gate of a second embodiment in accordance with this invention . as opposed to the first example , a transistor 10 is installed between the partial logic gate 5 and the bipolar transistor base and is as a switching device used to cut off the current between the partial logic gate 5 and the bipolar transistor base during the precharge period of the clock and to conduct during other clock periods . during the precharge period , since the clock φ becomes a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and the clock φ becomes a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the transistors 3 and 7 turn &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, and transistor 10 turns &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;. unlike the first example of this invention , it is not necessary to cut off the current flowing between the two terminals 5a and 5b of the partial logic gate 5 or to limit the current flowing to a value lower than the precharge current of the precharge transistor 3 . an electric charge is stored in the capacitor 2 in this state , and the logic output becomes a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. when the clock φ switches to a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the transistors 3 and 7 turn &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, and the transistor 10 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. if the two terminals 5a and 5b of the partial logic gate 5 are conducting current , as in the first example of this invention , the current flowing between the two terminals 5a and 5b becomes the base current of the bipolar transistor 6 , and the amplified base current becomes the collector current and rapidly discharges the capacitor 2 . therefor , a logic output is generated at a high speed . fig8 is a carry look ahead circuit , which is a third embodiment in accordance with this invention . a carry look ahead circuit is used in an adder - subtracter ; fig8 has a 4 - bit configuration . the carry output c 4 of this circuit can be expressed by a logic expression as shown in the following equation ( 14 ) by means of a carry generating input gi ( i = 1 - 4 ), a carry propagating input pi ( i = 1 - 4 ), and a carry signal from the previous step c o . c . sub . 4 = g . sub . 4 + p . sub . 4 ·( g . sub . 3 + p . sub . 3 ·( g . sub . 2 + p . sub . 2 ·( g . sub . 1 + p . sub . 1 · c . sub . o ))) ( 14 ) in addition , when a multiple - bit configuration is used , the logic gate is built as a cascade connection . in the third example of this invention , elements 60 - 68 satisfy the logic expression shown in equation ( 14 ). transistors 11 and 12 composing the partial logic gate are transistors forming an inverter circuit installed to obtain positive logic outputs . the rest of the circuit of fig8 is identical to the second embodiment in accordance with this invention as shown in fig7 . during the precharge period with the clock pulse φ inverts to a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the transistors 3 and 7 turn &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, and the transistor 10 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. therefore , when equation ( 14 ) is true , the base current of the transistor 6 flows , and the collector current of the transistor 6 rapidly removes out the precharged charge , thereby changing the inverter output c 4 to a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. fig9 shows a conventional carry look ahead circuit used for a performance evaluation of the third embodiment in accordance with this invention . the transistors 60 - 68 effecting equation ( 14 ) and the inverter circuit are identical to the third embodiment in accordance with this invention as shown in fig8 . fig1 compares the delay time with respect to word length of the carry look ahead circuit of this invention as shown in fig8 with the conventional carry look ahead circuit as shown in fig9 using the channel width w of the transistors 60 - 68 as a parameter . at a channel length of 1 . 2 μm , the speed increase with approximately 4 - fold , and even at a channel width of 10 μm , it was as high as 2 . 7 - fold . consequently , the carry look ahead circuit of this invention is designed for a sharp increase in speed as compared to a conventional circuit , and it also has the advantage of building higher density circuits since speed does not decrease markedly even when the channel width of the transistor is small . fig1 shows a diagram of dynamic logical circuit of a precharge means in which the pmos 3 own in fig3 is replaced by a bipolar transistor 100 . by employing a precharge means consisting of the bipolar transistor 100 having a driving capability higher than that of the pmos 3 , a precharge at a speed substantially higher than that of the dynamic logical circuit shown in fig3 can be realized . with this circuit construction , due to the presence of the base - emitter voltage which equals to approximately 0 . 7 volt , the precharge voltage at the logic output terminal 1 is lower by 0 . 7 volt than the source voltage which is 8 volts . as a consequence of this , while the timing of the logic generation of the output signal is effected in a shorter period , the threshold voltage between gate and source of a pmos transistor 105 having a cmos gate formed by the pmos transistor 105 and an nmos transistor 106 becomes higher than the threshold voltage of the transistor 105 , and this produces an unfavorable situation where the pmos transistor 105 is not completely turned off , yielding a very high sustained through - current which brings its power consumption upward . this drawback is eliminated by employing a precharge means shown in fig1 ; that is , a precharging resistor is disposed between the base and emitter of precharging transistor 100 employed in the precharge means shown in fig1 . by employing this circuit construction , when the precharge clock voltage rises to the voltage of the power supply 8 , and the precharge voltage appearing at the logic output terminal 1 is lower than the power supply voltage by more than 0 . 7 volts , a high speed precharge similar to that of the precharge circuit shown in fig1 can be obtained via the emitter current of the precharge transistor 100 . moreover , when the precharge voltage is lower than the power supply voltage by more than 0 . 7 volts , the precharge transistor 100 is brought into a cut - off condition , and the precharge voltage becomes equal to the power supply voltage by means of a current which passes through the precharge resistor 101 during a period of the precharge clock φ . as described above , while a precharge which fully is swung to the supply voltage becomes possible by providing the precharging resistor 101 , a high - speed precharge which is a principal advantage of the present invention without the conventional problem of precharge means shown in fig1 can be accomplished . fig1 shows a diagram of a dynamic logic circuit in which the discharge means consisting of a discharge transistor 7 used to discharge the base charge of the bipolar transistor 6 shown in fig3 to ground , is replaced by a discharge means consisting of a discharge transistor 7 connected to a second power supply 102 in addition to the modification of the above described precharge means . this discharge means is characterized by the setting of the second power supply voltage at about 0 . 5 volts , and the discharge of the base charge of the bipolar transistor 6 to the second power supply 102 through the discharge transistor 7 . since the bipolar transistor becomes conductive when the base - emitter voltage becomes more than 0 . 7 volts and becomes non - conductive ( that is - in an off state ) at a base voltage of less than 0 . 7 volts , an adequately stable off state can be attained when the power supply voltage is set at about 0 . 5 volts . when the clock φ becomes a low ( l ) level and the base current is injected into the base of transistor 6 from partial logic gate 5 according to the logic state of logic input terminal 4 , a large collector current produced by the current amplification function of the bipolar transistor discharges the charge of the capacitor 2 , and a logic output corresponding to the state of logic input terminal 4 is produced at the logic output terminal 1 . in the sequence shown above , by utilizing the discharge means of the present invention , signal generation at a speed higher than that obtained by the discharge means shown in fig3 can be attained . the reason for this is explained by the following . while the collector current of bipolar transistor 6 starts its flow if the base - emitter capacitance is charged by the current supplied from the partial logic gate 5 and the base - emitter voltage is brought to above 0 . 7 volts , the base - emitter capacitance has to be charged up to 0 . 7 volts starting from an initial voltage of 0 volt when the discharge means shown in fig3 is employed . however , the base - emitter capacitance has to be charged up to 0 . 7 volts starting from an initial voltage of 0 . 5 volts when the discharge means shown in fig1 is employed . therefore , signal generation at a higher speed becomes possible by employing this discharge means , and , by employing the discharge means shown in fig1 . the high speed of the dynamic logic gate which is a feature of this invention can be further utilized effectively . moreover , the precharge means encircled by a broken line in fig1 , the precharge means encircled by a broken line in fig1 , and the discharge means encircled by a broken line in fig1 can also be similarly applied to the embodiments of the present invention shown in fig3 , 7 , and 8 respectively . as described above , it is possible , with this invention , to build a high - speed logic circuit in a simple configuration by directing the current that flows through the partial logic gate to the base of a bipolar transistor , and using the current amplifying action of the bipolar transistor to rapidly discharge the capacitor charge with the collector of the transistor . for example , if applied to the carry look ahead circuit , it is possible to design a logic gate with a 2 . 70 - to 4 - fold increase in speed compared with the conventional logic gate configured only with cmos devices . in addition , even with a reduced channel width of the mos transistors composing the partial logic gate , speed is compromised less in this invention than in a conventional circuit , which enables designing at higher density and miniaturizing the circuit . furthermore , since this invention does not specify a logic format for the partial logic gate , it is possible to apply it to specific logic gates such as a half adder , full adder , or decoder circuit , etc . or to a general logic gate such as a logical sum or logical product device , etc . in all cases , it is possible to design higher speed , higher density , and smaller circuits , and it has considerable industrial application . | 7 |
in fig1 , the battery cells , which are arranged in two parallel rows , are provided with reference signs 1 to 6 , battery cells 1 to 3 forming a first row and cells 4 to 6 a second row . the cells can be high power cells of any desired construction and mode of chemical operation . they are , for example , cylindrical , and extend either over the entire length of the battery or , as in the illustrative embodiment shown , are composed of a plurality of , in particular three , individual cells arranged in series . apart from cylindrical cells , battery cells with a square or prismatic cross section are also conceivable , however . there is no need to give details of the electrical connections and terminals because they are not essential to the invention . extending between two rows of cells , over the entire length , is a cooling element 8 or support plate , through which the coolant flows in a manner that will be described below . said cooling element is an extruded section , preferably composed of light alloy , or some other suitable material . producing the cooling element by extrusion makes it possible to produce a hollow body that is open at both ends and has a complex cross section with a low outlay on production . a section produced in this way and cut into pieces of the same length as the battery unit is closed at its two end faces 9 , 10 thus formed by covers or covering caps 11 and 12 respectively ( see fig5 ). the covering caps 11 , 12 can also be designed in such a way that they hold and / or fix the cells 1 to 6 , in particular in the longitudinal direction thereof . the two covering caps 11 , 12 are held together by first tensile elements 13 ( long threaded bolts , for example ). for this purpose , the covers 11 , 12 are provided with holes 18 at the edge and holes 19 in the central region of the support plate 8 . all the cells 1 to 6 of the battery are pressed against the cooling element 8 and held together by second or outer tensile elements 14 , in this case tension straps . mounted between each of the second or outer tensile elements 14 and that contour of the cells to 6 which faces away from the support plate 8 there is an approximately triangular hollow longitudinal profile 15 . the word “ approximately ” is used because two sides form concave cylindrical surfaces which come to rest against two cells in each case . also provided in the front covering cap 11 are holes 16 , 17 for connection to the cooling circuit , the lower hole ( 16 ) being for the inlet and the upper hole ( 17 ) being for the outlet . fig2 shows the same battery with the front covering cap 11 removed , exposing the end face 9 of the extruded section and hence its cross section to the observer . in fig3 , it is shown on an enlarged scale and without the cells . the front end face 9 of the extruded section is shown separately in fig3 , and the rear end face 10 of the extruded section is shown separately in fig4 . the outer wall , denoted overall by 20 , of the extruded section forms recesses 21 to 26 in the form of circular arcs for the cells 1 to 6 , which are thus arranged back - to - back and adjacent to one another in pairs . the outer wall 20 furthermore forms a lower transverse wall ( 28 ) and an upper transverse wall ( 29 ). holes 18 for additional first tensile elements are made at the transition from the recesses to the transverse walls 28 , 29 . a number of cooling channels ( 44 - 53 ) extending in the longitudinal direction are formed within this outer wall 20 by means of various walls . thus , there is a first tubular profile 31 between the lower transverse wall 28 and the parts forming the recesses 23 , 26 , said profile making contact with the three outer wall parts and forming as it were an inscribed circle . an exactly similar first tubular profile is arranged between the upper transverse wall 29 and those parts of the outer wall 20 which form the recesses 21 , 24 . a second tubular profile 33 is formed between the wall parts that here form the recesses 21 , 22 , 25 and 24 , at the widest point , at the level of the ridges 27 . intermediate walls 37 , 38 project out in a star shape to the outer wall parts forming the recesses . in the same way , a second tubular profile 32 with the intermediate walls 35 , 36 is formed between the recesses 22 , 23 , 25 , 26 . there are partition walls 39 , 40 , 41 at the approximately narrowest points of the extruded section . these intermediate walls 35 - 38 and partition walls 39 - 41 form mutually separate flow channels , in which , according to one illustrative embodiment , the direction of flow alternates between adjacent flow channels . the directions of flow are indicated in the conventional manner in fig3 : a circle containing a dot represents an arrow pointing toward the observer while a circle containing a cross indicates an arrow pointing away from the observer . in fig4 , which shows the rear end face 10 , the symbols for the direction of flow in one and the same channel are the reverse of those in fig3 . in this way , the following channels are formed : two symmetrical first channels 44 , through which the flow is toward the rear end face 10 ; a second channel 45 , through which the flow is toward the front end face 9 ; a third channel 46 , through which the flow is toward the rear end face 10 ; two symmetrical fourth channels 47 , through which the flow is toward the front end face 9 ; a fifth channel 48 , through which the flow is toward the rear end face 10 ; a sixth channel 49 , through which the flow is toward the front end face 9 ; two symmetrical seventh channels 50 , through which the flow is toward the rear end face 10 ; an eighth channel 51 , through which the flow is toward the front end face 9 ; a ninth channel 52 , through which the flow is toward the rear end face 10 ; and two symmetrical tenth channels 53 , through which the flow is toward the front end face 9 . to redirect the flow at the end faces , corresponding redirection channels could be milled into the inside of the covering caps 11 , 12 . according to the invention , however , they are produced by means of notches in the intermediate walls and partition walls of the extruded section 8 , said notches starting from the end faces 9 , 10 . since all these notches start from one of the two end faces 9 , 10 , they can be made with little outlay in terms of production , e . g . by milling . in fig3 , the notches starting from the front end face 9 are provided with the following reference signs : 60 in the tubular profile 31 for the purpose of connecting the inlet 16 to the first channels 44 ; 63 in the partition wall 39 for the purpose of connecting the second channel 45 to the third channel 46 ; 65 in the intermediate walls 35 for the purpose of connecting the two fourth channels 47 to the fifth channel 48 ; 67 in the intermediate walls 37 for the purpose of connecting the sixth channel 49 to the two seventh channels 50 ; 69 in the partition wall 41 for the purpose of connecting the eighth channel 51 to the ninth channel 52 ; 72 for the purpose of connecting the two tenth channels 53 to the outlet 17 . instead of using notches 60 , 62 , 70 , 71 , the tubular wall parts 31 , 34 can be set back in the longitudinal direction . fig4 shows the notches in the rear end face 10 : 61 and 62 for the purpose of connecting the two first channels 44 to the second channel 45 ; 64 in the intermediate walls 35 for the purpose of connecting the third channel to the two fourth channels 47 ; 66 in the partition wall 40 for the purpose of connecting the fifth channel 48 to the sixth channel 49 ; 68 in the intermediate walls 38 for the purpose of connecting the seventh channels 50 to the eighth channel 51 ; 70 and 71 in the tubular profile 34 for the purpose of connecting the ninth channel 52 to the two tenth channels 53 . the notches in the first tubular profiles 31 , 34 result in a special feature which will be explained with reference to fig5 . fig5 shows that the first tubular profile 31 , which is connected to the inlet 16 of the coolant , has respective plugs 75 , 76 in the vicinity of the front cover 11 and in the vicinity of the rear covering cap 12 . these plugs 45 , 46 separate an entry space 78 on one side and a passage space 79 on the other side from a closed space 77 , through which there is no flow , between the two plugs 75 , 76 . thus , the cooling liquid entering through the inlet 16 flows into the entry space 78 and , from the latter , through the notches 60 ( see fig3 ) into the two first channels 44 , which are situated in front of and behind the plane of the figure in fig5 , and on both sides of the first tubular profile in fig3 . at the other end of the first channels 44 , the cooling medium flows through the notches 61 into the passage space 79 and , from the latter , via notch 62 into the second channel 45 . at the front end face 9 , the cooling medium then flows through notch 63 into the third channel 46 , and so on . the flow in the first tubular profile 34 is directed to the outlet 17 in a similar way , except in the opposite direction . this is one illustrative embodiment . as a departure from the latter , it is also possible , within the scope of the invention , for the cells to be arranged in more than two rows and / or offset relative to one another and for the support plate to be shaped in an appropriately different way . in this case too , it is possible , given suitable arrangement of the internal walls , to achieve a situation where the directions of flow in adjacent channels are mutually opposed . uniform temperature distribution at the surface of the support plate will thereby be achieved while keeping production as simple and cheap as possible . fig6 shows another possible embodiment of a modular battery unit 80 according to the invention . here , a plurality of battery cells 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 are arranged on a cooling element 85 . here , the battery cells are adhesively bonded or pressed onto the cooling element 85 or brought into contact therewith in some other way , thus enabling heat generated by the battery cells during operation to be transferred to the cooling element 85 . as can be seen from fig6 , a plurality of battery cells 81 , 82 , 83 can be arranged in series on the cooling element 85 , along the longitudinal side of the latter . this is advantageous particularly in the case where the cooling element is formed from an extruded section , for example , and its length can be adapted to the available installation space . this enables the extruded section to be cut to the required length . given that battery cells are generally available only in standard sizes , a plurality of relatively short battery cells are in this way arranged in series in order to make the best possible use of the full length of the cooling element and the available installation space . a vertical longitudinal section through the cooling element 85 along a center plane is shown in fig7 . this shows the channels 86 , 87 formed in the cooling element 85 . in the schematic representation in fig7 , the directions of flow of the cooling medium are furthermore indicated by corresponding arrows 88 , 89 in the channels 86 , 87 . it can be seen here that , in a first , upper zone , the cooling medium fed into the covering cap 91 via an inlet 90 a is distributed in a separate distribution space 92 in the covering cap 91 before being passed to the opposite side of the cooling element 85 via the channels 86 , 87 of the cooling element 85 and into a defined distribution space 93 in the second covering cap 94 . from this distribution space 93 , the cooling medium is then passed once again to the opposite side and into a collecting space or distribution space 94 in the first covering cap 91 . from this collecting space 94 , the cooling medium is discharged from the battery unit via an outlet 90 b arranged in or at the covering cap 91 . the cooling element is thus divided vertically into two , whereby a cooling medium flows from a first to a second side in a first , upper zone , and cooling medium flows back from the second to the first side in a second , lower zone . in fig8 , a plurality of modular battery units 95 , 96 , 97 are combined to form a battery system . for this purpose , the inlets and outlets 98 are connected to one another by suitable distributor rails 98 , 99 , which preferably have integrated seals , e . g . o - rings . as can be seen from fig8 , an upper distributor rail 98 is provided for the purpose of connecting the inlets , and a lower distributor rail 99 is provided for the purpose of connecting the outlets . in another embodiment , the positions of the inlets and outlets can , of course , be interchanged . each battery unit preferably already incorporates parts of the distributor rails 98 , 99 and is therefore equipped with a first and a second distributor rail element 100 , 101 on its covering cap 85 , as illustrated schematically in fig6 , thereby enabling the distributor rails to be formed essentially by plugging the distributor rail elements of the battery units into one another . one particular advantage of the embodiment according to the invention of the modular battery unit is the fact that it can be adapted in a simple manner to the available installation space . given that the cooling element is generally produced from an extruded section , it can be cut to size or fitted in in virtually any length . depending on the installation space , it is accordingly possible to produce battery units 102 , 103 of any desired length , as illustrated in simplified form in fig9 . depending on the length of the cooling element , suitable battery cells are used or a plurality of battery cells is arranged in series in order as far as possible to make use of the full length of the cooling element . for this purpose , a first embodiment of a battery unit is illustrated at the top in fig9 , in which battery unit 3 rows of battery cells are arranged in series on the cooling element while , at the bottom , in a second embodiment , 4 rows of vertically arranged battery cells are arranged in series on the cooling element . as can be seen , although the two embodiments differ in terms of their length and of the length of their cooling elements , the cooling element is identical in terms of its profile and , in particular , is produced from a single extruded section . the battery cells used in the two embodiments do not differ either . according to another preferred embodiment of the invention , the battery units are arranged in series and , if appropriate , are connected on the one hand by their inlets and on the other hand by their outlets . in this way , it is possible to implement large battery systems with a correspondingly high power . another possible embodiment of a cooling element 104 is illustrated schematically in fig1 . as in fig7 , this figure likewise shows a longitudinal section through one possible embodiment of a cooling element . this embodiment differs from the other illustrative embodiments shown in that the inlet 105 is arranged in or at a first covering cap 106 and the outlet 107 is arranged in or at the opposite , second covering cap 108 . as can furthermore be seen from fig1 , the cooling medium is carried through the cooling element 104 in the same direction in substantially parallel channels 110 , as illustrated by arrows 109 to indicate the direction of flow of the cooling medium . in the covering caps 106 , 108 there are what are referred to as distribution or collecting spaces 111 , 112 in order , on one side , to distribute the cooling medium from the inlet 105 to the individual channels 110 and , on the opposite side , to collect the cooling medium from the channels 110 and direct it to the outlet 107 . fig1 shows a modular battery system 113 with six battery modules 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 . as illustrated by way of example by battery module 114 , battery module 114 has a cooling element 120 , through which a coolant 121 flows along a cooling channel ( not shown ). as regards the cooling channel , attention is drawn to the illustrative embodiments in fig3 - 10 . arranged on the cooling element 120 is a number of battery cells 122 ( for the sake of clarity , only some of these are referenced in fig1 ) and , in the case illustrated , 6 battery cells are arranged on each of the two sides of the cooling element 120 . as can be seen from fig1 , the battery modules 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 are arranged in series in two rows . as can be seen in fig1 , the battery cells 122 are here aligned along the line of sight of the observer . as can furthermore be seen from fig1 , a coolant distributor 123 is arranged between the two rows of battery modules . the coolant 125 is fed to the coolant distributor 123 via a feed module 124 . the feed module 124 can be used to connect a coolant supply device , in particular a coolant pump and / or a coolant reservoir ( not shown ), for example . fig1 shows a longitudinal section through one possible embodiment of a coolant distributor 123 according to the invention . in the view according to fig1 in conjunction with fig1 and 14 , it is possible to see in the cross section of the coolant distributor 123 that the coolant distributor 123 has two flow channels 126 , 127 . a preferred direction of flow of the coolant is indicated by direction arrows 121 in fig1 to 19 . a first flow channel 126 is formed by a first tubular conduit 128 , which is in turn surrounded at least partially by a second tubular conduit 129 , within which the second flow channel 127 is formed . as can be seen in fig1 - 15 , the coolant distributor 123 has a substantially cylindrical outside diameter 130 or a first tubular profile to form the second flow channel 127 , and a substantially cylindrical inside diameter 131 or a second tubular profile to form the first flow channel 126 . in this arrangement , the second flow channel 127 at least partially surrounds the first flow channel 126 . as is readily apparent in fig1 , the coolant carrier , in the present case the coolant distributor , has two separate cavities in cross section , said cavities forming the corresponding flow channels . it is furthermore apparent in fig1 that , in the region of the connection of one or more cooling elements , the outer cavity or second flow channel has at least one and , in the illustrative case shown , two openings 135 , via which the coolant distributor can supply one or more cooling elements with the coolant . to ensure the supply to the cooling element , suitable connection pieces are furthermore provided between the opening of the coolant distributor and the cooling channel of the cooling element , if required . in the region of the feed 124 , the coolant 121 is first of all introduced into the first flow channel 126 and is carried therein as far as the front end 132 of the coolant distributor 123 . in fig1 , the path of the coolant 121 in the coolant distributor 123 is indicated in simplified and illustrative form by a dashed arrow 121 . the coolant distributor 123 has an end piece 133 with a deflection device 134 , thereby enabling the direction of flow of the coolant to be changed substantially by 180 °. the deflection is shown by way of example in fig1 and fig1 using two different embodiments . according to a special embodiment , the deflection device 134 has an at least partially rounded and , in particular , at least partially spherical surface , by means of which the direction of flow of the coolant can be changed in an appropriate manner . by means of appropriate rounding and the associated guidance , it is possible to counteract the formation of a high backpressure during the deflection of the coolant . the deflection device 134 can be used not only to deflect the direction of flow of the coolant but also to introduce the coolant into the second flow channel 127 . in the second flow channel 127 , the coolant 121 subsequently flows back in the direction of the feed . however , the second flow channel is closed with respect to the feed , with the result that the coolant can flow into the cooling element 120 , in particular into the cooling channel of the cooling element 120 , via suitable lateral openings 135 in the second flow channel or the second tubular conduit forming the second flow channel 127 , in order to ensure cooling at said cooling element . after flowing through the cooling element 120 , the coolant is discharged once again from the battery modules via a coolant collector 136 , which is likewise of tubular construction , and is passed to a coolant supply device , in particular a coolant reservoir and / or a coolant pump , for example . as can be seen in fig1 , the coolant collector 136 likewise has one or more lateral openings 144 for this purpose , via which openings the coolant can flow out of the cooling element 123 , in particular out of the cooling channel of the cooling element 123 , into the coolant collector 136 . as can be seen schematically from fig1 , the illustrated possible embodiment of a battery system is distinguished particularly by its modularity . by joining up the battery modules 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 in series , it is possible to produce battery systems of any desired complexity . the modularity of the battery system also manifests itself in the modularity of the cooling system . as can be seen from fig1 , the coolant carriers , i . e . the coolant collector and / or the coolant distributor , each have coolant carrier modules which , through assembly , form the ready - to - operate coolant carrier . for this purpose , in the case of the coolant distributor 123 , individual coolant distributor modules 137 , 138 are provided , which optionally already form part of the battery modules and / or are connected to the battery module and / or to the cooling element , as shown in fig1 using battery module 115 and coolant distributor module 138 as examples . according to another embodiment , the coolant distributor modules can be connected as additional or separately assembled parts to the battery modules , in particular to the cooling elements of the battery modules . the second case is shown in fig1 using battery module 114 and coolant distributor module 137 as examples . the coolant distributor modules 137 , 138 each have at both ends connection surfaces 139 , at which a further coolant distributor module ( using the connection surface thereof ), an end piece 133 , a feed module 124 or some other connected part can be arranged , if appropriate . according to a preferred embodiment , the coolant collector 136 has the same modularity as the coolant distributor 123 . the coolant collector modules 140 therefore likewise have suitable connection surfaces 141 , at which further coolant collector modules , end pieces 142 or discharge modules 143 for carrying the coolant away from the coolant collector 136 , in particular to a coolant supply device , preferably a coolant reservoir and / or coolant pump , can be arranged . according to a special embodiment , an illustrative coolant collector module 140 , as shown in a longitudinal section in fig1 , has at least one lateral opening 144 , through which coolant flows out of the battery module 114 , in particular the cooling element 120 , into the coolant collector 136 and can be discharged from the latter . in the illustrative embodiment shown in fig1 to 19 , the coolant distributor 123 is constructed with two flow channels , which make it possible for the coolant to flow in opposite or approximately opposite directions , at least in a partial area or longitudinal portion of the coolant carrier . according to another possible embodiment , it is , of course , also possible to fit the coolant distributor , the coolant collector or both coolant carriers at least partially with two or more than two flow channels , as appropriate . according to one embodiment of the invention , the aim is to match the flow length of the coolant between the feed 124 and the discharge module 143 through the various battery modules , in particular through the various cooling elements . by means of the solution illustrated , it is possible to ensure that the flow path of the coolant 121 through each of the cooling elements of the battery modules is at least approximately the same length . this is important particularly when the feed and discharge are on the same side of the battery system since , otherwise , the battery modules positioned close to the feed and discharge would represent a significantly shorter flow path for the coolant and would therefore receive preferential cooling . battery modules that were positioned further away from the feed and / or discharge would thus receive little and , possibly , insufficient cooling . according to a special embodiment of the invention , a tube - in - tube system with at least two rows of battery modules is provided , in which any number of modules can be plugged into one another in series . the coolant is first of all carried in an inner tube to the opposite side from the feed and , after deflection in the opposite direction , is distributed between the battery modules . this ensures the same conduit length for all the battery modules and cooling elements . at the same time , the plug - in coolant carrier tube sections make it possible to plug any number of modules into one another in series , without the need for additional components . | 7 |
the invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals have like meanings . fig1 shows a general processing scheme of the invention having a regenerative volatile organic compound destroyer (&# 34 ; rvd &# 34 ;) 10 depicted in the center of the figure . in one embodiment the rvd 10 is divided into two process zones and contains a bed containing adsorbent and catalytic processing material . an industrial or commercial process effluent 20 , which contains volatile organic compounds (&# 34 ; vocs &# 34 ;), is fed to a first processing zone of the rvd 10 . in this zone vocs are removed from the effluent using the adsorbent material of the bed , thereby emitting a vocs - free effluent 30 . the temperature in this zone is so low that the bed exhibits little to no catalytic activity and the vocs are concentrated on the surface of the adsorbent materials in the bed . simultaneously , an oxygen - containing gas stream 40 such as air or pure oxygen , is fed to a second zone of the rvd where the catalytic oxidation - destruction of the vocs occurs . the oxygen - containing gas stream is heated to at least the temperature necessary for initiating the catalytic reaction . once the catalytic reaction is initiated , the bed will heat up , due to the exothermic oxidation reaction , to the operating temperature . the &# 34 ; previously adsorbed &# 34 ; vocs are desorbed from the adsorbent material and catalytically converted into carbon dioxide and water to form a second vocs - free stream 50 . this second vocs - free stream 50 may be later combined with vocs - free effluent 30 and released to the atmosphere or utilized elsewhere in the process so that its energy content may be recovered . the simultaneous adsorption and conversion processes are accomplished through the relative movement between the processing material and the processing zones . this mechanism is described in greater detail below . fig2 a shows one embodiment of the rvd 10 . the structure is shown as an upright cylindrical housing or shell 101 having a top wall 102 , a bottom wall 103 , an upper divider wall 110a , and a lower divider wall 110b . the divider walls ( 110a and 110b ) are constructed such that the interior of the rvd 10 is divided into two processing zones : an adsorption zone 200 for removing vocs from an effluent , which typically has the greater volume , and a regeneration zone 300 to desorb the vocs from the adsorbent material and to catalytically convert the vocs into harmless gases . a bed 100 is supported for rotation within the structure of the rvd 10 and contains adsorbent and catalytic processing material 400 for the collection and elimination of vocs . the bed 100 divides the rvd 10 into upper and lower portions wherein the lower portion consists of inlet chambers 200b , 300b that receive incoming streams prior to treatment and the upper portion consists of outlet chambers 200a , 300a that conduct the outgoing post - treatment streams from the rvd 10 to downstream devices or the atmosphere . in this embodiment , dividing walls ( 110a and 110b ) and bed 100 define four chambers within rvd 10 that are described below . regarding the adsorption zone 200 , inlet adsorption chamber 200b is bounded by the housing 101 , lower divider wall 110b , bottom wall 103 , and the lower portion of bed 100 ; and outlet adsorption chamber 200a is defined by housing 101 , upper divider wall 110a , top wall 102 , and the upper portion of bed 100 . the regeneration zone 300 also includes two process zones : inlet regeneration chamber 300b is bounded by the housing 101 , lower divider wall 110b , bottom wall 103 , and the lower portion of bed 100 ; and outlet regeneration chamber 300a is defined by the housing 101 , upper divider wall 110a , top wall 102 , and the upper portion of bed 100 . these zones are sealed from each other and in fluid communication with different portions of the rotating bed at any given time during operation . the operational relationship among these four chambers is described below . the effluent 20 is conducted to the rvd 10 through effluent inlet 120 into inlet adsorption chamber 200b and then to the rotating bed 100 . after the rotating bed 100 removes the vocs , through the process of adsorption , the vocs - free effluent 30 is conducted through outlet adsorption chamber 200a to effluent outlet 130 . at the same time a heated , oxygen - containing gas stream 40 is conducted to the rvd 10 through heated gas inlet 140 into inlet regeneration chamber 300b and then to rotating bed 100 . the gas stream may be heated by any conventional heating apparatus known in the art . it may also be effective to heat the bed using electric heaters in the presence of oxygen . the heated gas stream 40 raises the temperature of the bed , desorbs the vocs ( thereby regenerating the bed ), and catalytically converts the vocs into harmless gases 50 that are then conducted through outlet regeneration chamber 300a to the atmosphere or other downstream device ( s ) through heated gas outlet 150 . the bed 100 rotates through the adsorbent and regeneration zones in either a continuous or step - wise manner such that an effluent may be continuously treated in the adsorption zone and the processing material 400 may be continuously regenerated in the regeneration zone . the effluent may be conducted through the rvd 10 in any known manner , such as by the suction of an exhaust fan disposed downstream of the rvd 10 or by the positive pressure generated by a fan disposed upstream of the rvd 10 . the structure of this embodiment of the invention is shown in greater detail in fig3 . a bed support 450 may be rotatably mounted within the rvd 10 such that it supports the processing material 500 found within bed 100 . the outer periphery of the bed support 450 is disposed closely adjacent to the housing 101 and forms a seal such that process streams are unable to bypass the bed 100 . alternatively , a mechanical or fluid seal can be formed which is opened during movement of the bed and closed during operation . one manner of effecting rotation of the rotating bed 100 is illustrated in which the bed support 450 is supported for rotation within the housing 101 by a bearing device 65 . a drive mechanism 60 is provided for rotating the bed support 450 through various processing zones such as adsorption zone 200 and a regeneration zone 300 and can be driven in a continuous or step - wise manner by any conventional means known in the art . of course , the bed 100 could be stationary and suitable structure , such as a rotary feed system , could be provided instead for sequentially directing the process flow streams to separate portions of the bed 100 . the bed support 450 is more clearly illustrated in fig4 . the bed support 450 may be a wheel - like structure defining individual , triangular or pie - shaped processing segments 160 that support and retain the processing material 500 . the bed support 450 includes an outer annular wall or rim 452 that is closely spaced to the inner surface of housing 101 as is shown in fig3 . spoke - like radial walls 454 extend from the central portion of the support 450 to the rim 452 to divide the bed support into processing segments 160 . an open , grate - like floor 456 is attached to the bottom portions of both the rim 452 and walls 454 that is strong enough to support the processing material 500 and sufficiently open to allow ample throughput of process flow streams . such a mesh or porous material can be additionally provided above the processing material 500 . although the bed support 450 is shown in a horizontal position , it could be oriented in vertical or other positions . the operation of this embodiment of the rvd 10 is discussed below . in the case of a step - wise rotation , at any one time three segments , e . g ., 160a - 160c , may be located within the adsorption zone 200 while one segment , e . g ., 160d , may be disposed within the regeneration zone 300 . this is depicted in fig4 by effluent streams 20 and gas streams 40 . effluent streams 20a , 20b , 20c are transported from inlet adsorption chamber 200b and are treated in segments 160a , 160b , 160c , respectively . conversely , gas streams 40d are conducted from inlet regeneration chamber 300b and operate upon segment 160d . after an adsorption cycle is complete the bed may be rotated one segment ( 900 in this embodiment ). in this manner , a single revolution of the bed support 450 in the direction of arrow 170 represents four operational cycles . for example , during any four cycles segment 160a will spend three cycles in the adsorption zone 200 and one cycle in the regeneration zone 300 . the precise size and number of segments and processing zones , as well as the retention time in a particular zone , may be varied based on the particular application and design considerations including the process operating conditions such as temperature and pressure , effluent and gas stream velocities and concentrations , adsorbent concentration and particle size , efficiency of the adsorbent and catalytic material , and characteristics specific to the regeneration of the adsorbent material . another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig2 b . in this embodiment , the rvd is divided into three zones : an adsorbing zone , a regeneration zone , and a cool down zone . the bed portion enters the cool down zone after being treated in the regeneration zone and before re - entering the adsorption zone . the cool down zone serves the dual purposes of ( 1 ) cooling down the bed portion therein from the catalytically active temperatures attained in the regeneration zone and ( 2 ) heating the oxygen - containing gas stream 40 . specifically , in fig2 b , the rvd comprises a vertical cylinder with wall 101 , top 102 and bottom 103 . a circular segment bed 510 , which contains the adsorbent and catalytic processing material , can be rotated via a coaxial shaft . the structure contains radial vertical dividers above and below the bed with the capability to seal the contact area between the dividers and the bed 510 . dividers 210a , b and 212a , b define zone 200 of the bed 510 and permit the incoming contaminated gas 20 to flow through the open area 200b , through the bed segments contained by 210a , b and 212a , b , and into open area 200a as a cleaned gas . the voc - free gas exits the structure as clean stream 30 . dividers 211a , b and 212a , b define zone 300 which contains the portion , typically one segment , of the bed to be regenerated . heated oxygen - containing gas 45 enters the open area 300a , passes through that portion of bed 510 contained within zone 300 to desorb and convert the vocs therein , and finally leaves the structure via open area 300b as stream 50 . the combustion products of the vocs are carried away in stream 50 dividers 210a , b and 211a , b define zone 400 which is the cool down zone . the oxygen - containing gas 40 enters the open area 400b of zone 400 and passes through the bed portion contained in zone 400 , which is usually only one segment of the bed , and into open area 400a . the bed portion in zone 400 is hot from its previous residence in zone 300 . the oxygen - containing gas is thus heated as it passes through this hot , voc - free bed and correspondingly cools the bed to vocs adsorption temperature levels . the heated oxygen - containing gas leaves open area 400a as stream 45 and enters open area 300a of zone 300 as described above . if additional heat is required for stream 45 , electrical heating can be supplied in , for example , open area 400a . at any one time , the majority of the segments of bed 510 are in service in zone 200 adsorbing vocs , while one or more segments are in service in the regeneration phase , zone 300 , and one or more segments are in service in the cool down phase , zone 400 . the number of pie - shaped segments within bed 510 typically ranges from 3 to 12 , although more segments can be used if desired . the sequence of segment service in this embodiment is as follows : 1 . the majority of segments are in service as adsorption units , exposed to the flow of the relatively low temperature , contaminated gas in zone 200 . inasmuch as the temperature is low , e . g . less than about 65 ° c ., only the adsorption component of the bed is active . the catalytic component is inactive because the temperature is below the catalytic activity temperature range . 2 . the bed is rotated one segment when the adsorption wave front is close to , but has not penetrated , the bed segment with the longest exposure time . 3 . the segment entering the regeneration zone 300 is subjected to a flow of preheated oxygen - containing gas , preferably air . the air is preheated by being passed through the bed segment in the subsequent cool down zone 400 , which segment entered the cool down zone simultaneously with the entry of the bed segment into the regeneration zone 300 . once the adsorbed vocs are stripped by the preheated air , the mixture enters into a reaction phase wherein the catalyst enhances the oxidation - destruction of the vocs . the heat released by this reaction further brings this segment of the bed into its equilibrium temperature . 4 . after vocs desorption and destruction in zone 300 , the regenerated bed segment is rotated into the cool down zone 400 . air is passed over the regenerated bed segment for preheating as described above . this preheating also cools the bed , which is initially hot after being in the regeneration zone 300 . 5 . finally , the cool and regenerated segment is rotated back into the adsorption zone 200 where it will collect vocs by removing them from a contaminated effluent as in 1 . the processing material 500 that is selected for use in this process and apparatus includes homogenous and heterogeneous beds of adsorbents and oxidation catalysts capable of adsorption and catalytic conversion of vocs . a heterogeneous bed would typically contain a uniform mixture of adsorbents and catalysts , although non - uniform mixtures are contemplated . a homogenous bed is comprised of either a single layer of a material having both adsorbent and catalytic properties or multiple layers , each comprised of a single material . in the latter case , for example , a catalytic layer is placed below an adsorbent layer so that process effluent 20 flows through the materials consecutively . typical adsorbents include the materials found in the classes of activated carbons , aluminosilicates ( molecular sieves ), silica gels , siliceous materials or beads , activated aluminas and bauxites , and other adsorbents where the adsorptive capacities are high at ambient temperatures and the adsorbed materials are desorbed at temperatures in the range of about 100 ° c . to about 350 ° c . typical catalysts include rare earth elements ( lanthanide series ) and their compounds , transitional metals and their compounds , transitional elements and their compounds , noble metals and their compounds and other catalysts that are activated in the range of about 150 ° c . to about 350 ° c . the phrase &# 34 ; and their compounds &# 34 ; relates to compositions formed from or containing the previously named material . examples of suitable combinations of adsorbents and catalysts are : 1 ) deposited transitional metal oxides on molecular sieves ; 2 ) deposited rare earth metals and their compounds on alumina or activated carbon ; 3 ) deposited transitional elements and their compounds on adsorption materials such as silica gel , siliceous materials , molecular sieves and the like ; 4 ) noble metals and their compounds on adsorption materials such as alumina , silica gel , siliceous materials , molecular sieves and the like ; and 5 ) deposited rare earth metals and their compounds on adsorptive materials such as alumina , silica gel , siliceous materials , molecular sieves , and the like . the regenerating operations of the invention provide for a voc removal system that functions without having to interrupt the effluent flow . therefore the adsorption , regeneration , and optional cool down operations should proceed simultaneously to enable essentially continuous vocs removal . consequently , appropriate sealing arrangements are necessary to keep the flow streams between these operating zones separated . the timing and duration of the periodic desorption and conversion operations in the regeneration zone depend upon numerous design and operating conditions unique to any particular application , which are readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art . such conditions include , but are not limited to , the adsorption capacity of the adsorption material , concentration and characteristics of the incoming material , effluent gas volume , processing material size and configuration , temperature and flowrate of heated gas stream , peripheral equipment capacities ( fan pressures , heating capacity , heat transfer coefficients , etc .) and the like . in addition , any number of additional operations may be performed on the effluent and / or processing material by appropriate separation of the flow streams in rvd 10 . examples of such operations are cooling of the processing material , providing separate adsorption zones for removal of different types of compounds , and multiple fluid treatments of the processing material with the same or different fluids . the drive and regenerating operations may be automatically controlled by a computer or microprocessor programmed to control the rotation of the bed in a timed sequence , the temperature and flowrate of the heated gas stream , and other operations based upon inputs gathered from process conditions . the following examples are set forth for the purpose of illustrating the present invention , which should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof . using an apparatus essentially as shown in fig2 b , an effluent was treated for the removal of toluene . the process and apparatus conditions are summarized below : ______________________________________inlet gas ( 20 ) flow 10000 cfm temp 27 ° c . humidity 30 % rh contaminant toluene concentration 500 ppm dv regeneration air ( 40 ) flow 1000 cfm temp 27 ° c . humidity 30 % rh bed size 15 ft . diameter 18 &# 39 ; bed depth segments 8 6 in adsorption zone 1 in cool down zone 1 in regeneration zone rate of rotation 1 segment every 20 minutes bed composition 10 inch layer of activated carbon 6 inch layer of pt on alumina catalyst operating conditionsgas velocity in adsorption 75 fpm in reaction 82 fpm in cool down 45 fpm to 82 fpm temperature of bed adsorption 25 - 30 ° c . reaction 210 - 240 ° c . cool down 240 ° c .- 40 ° c . space velocity in catalyst 5500 hr . sup .- 1 bed______________________________________ ______________________________________outlet gas ( 30 ) flow 10000 cfm temp 25 - 30 ° c . humidity 30 % rh contaminant toluene concentration 20 ppm dv regeneration outlet gas ( 50 ) flow 1760 cfm temp 240 ° c . concentration - contaminant 0 ppm dv system pressure drop 8 m . w . g . ______________________________________ using an apparatus essentially as shown in fig2 b , an effluent was treated for the removal of butyraldehyde . the process and apparatus conditions are summarized below : ______________________________________inlet gas ( 20 ) flow 5000 cfm temp 30 ° c . humidity 60 % rh contaminant butyraldehyde concentration 300 ppm dv regeneration air ( 40 ) flow 400 cfm temp 25 ° c . humidity 30 % rh bed size 12 ft . diameter 15 inch bed depth segments 8 6 in adsorption zone 1 in cool down zone 1 in regeneration zone rotation 1 segment every 25 minutes bed composition 9 inch layer of molecular sieve - absorbent 6 inch layer of pd on silica catalyst operating conditionsgas velocity adsorption 70 fpm reaction 65 fpm in cool down 34 fpm to 65 fpm temperature of bed adsorption 30 - 35 ° c . reaction 275 - 290 ° c . cool down 290 ° c .- 40 ° c . space velocity in catalyst 4200 hr . sup .- 1______________________________________ ______________________________________outlet gas ( 30 ) flow 10000 cfm temp 30 - 35 ° c . humidity 60 % conc . contaminant 10 ppm vd butyraldehyde regeneration outlet gas ( 50 ) flow 1915 cfm temp 285 ° c . contaminant conc . 0 contaminant pressure drop 7 m . w . g . ______________________________________ the invention having been thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in numerous ways by workers skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . all such variations are included in the present invention as defined in the following claims . | 1 |
fig1 is a schematic flow diagram of an embedded cooling system 100 used by a piston engine 300 , according to a first embodiment of the present invention . different types of cooling fluid can be used by the cooling system 100 . for illustrative purposes , lubrication oil is chosen to describe various embodiments of the present invention . in the first embodiment , lubrication oil flows through the piston engine 300 to reduce its temperature . after exiting the piston engine 300 , the heated lubrication oil flows back to the pressure lubrication system 100 . before being re - used by the pressure lubrication system 100 , the lubrication oil flows through an oil filter 118 along an oil flow path 115 and is then pressurized by an oil pump 117 or other pressure control device to maintain a high fluid pressure within the embedded cooling system . the lubrication oil is cooled - down by passing it through a heat exchanger 119 to remove at least some heat transferred from the piston engine 300 . the cooled lubrication oil then passes into the piston engine 300 to remove more heat generated by the piston engine . a more detailed discussion about the oil flow inside the piston engine 300 is provided below in connection with fig3 and 4 . in this embodiment , the lubrication oil flow from the piston engine 300 flows directly to the inlet of the oil pump 117 , thereby significantly reducing the amount of lubrication oil that must be collected from the crankcase for a dry sump system . this configuration significantly reduces the dimensions of the scavenge pump and the oil reservoir and therefore increases the engine &# 39 ; s power - to - weight ratio . the reduced cooling flow also reduces the power consumption of the lubrication pressure pump . fig2 is a schematic flow diagram of an embedded cooling system used by a piston engine , according to another embodiment of the present invention . the returned lubrication oil is first collected by a dry sump 212 and then directed to a lubrication system storage reservoir 216 through a scavenge pump 214 . since the lubrication oil flow returned to the reservoir 216 does not mix with any crankcase ambient air , it does not require any further conditioning processes such as air / oil separation . before being re - injected into the piston engine 300 by the pressure lubrication system 200 , the oil flows through an oil filter 218 , an oil pump 117 , and a heat exchanger 219 to be cooled down . this cooling process effectively removes at least some of the heat which was transferred to the lubrication oil from the piston engine . the removed heat can then dissipate to atmosphere or be used , such as to heat the interior of a vehicle . in both embodiments , the cooling system allows the cooling lubrication oil to directly contact a large surface area within the piston head for a predetermined length of time . this , when combined with a predetermined flow rate , optimizes the heat transfer process and minimizes the amount of cooling lubricant required to maintain the piston engine at the desired temperature . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of the piston engine 300 that uses either embedded cooling system 100 or 200 , according to some embodiments of the present invention . the piston engine 300 includes one or more pistons 301 . each piston 301 includes a piston head 321 coupled to a piston connecting rod 311 . each piston connecting rod 311 is rotatably coupled to a crankshaft 307 . each piston head 321 contains one or more flow channels 302 , 303 at its rear ( crankcase side ) face , i . e ., disposed behind the front face 305 of each piston . these channels allow pressurized lubrication oil to flow from a pressure lubrication system as shown in fig1 and 2 to a cooling chamber behind the piston &# 39 ; s front face 305 . in some embodiments , each piston head 321 includes a cooling chamber 304 behind its corresponding front face 305 . a piston head inlet channel 302 introduces cooled lubrication oil into the cooling chamber 304 , while a piston head outlet channel 303 allows heated lubrication oil to be expelled from the cooling chamber 304 . the cooling chamber 304 is configured to include appropriate flow channels and / or interleaved cooling fins 313 , 314 to maximize heat transfer from the piston head 321 to the lubrication oil , e . g ., by increasing the contact area between the piston head and the lubrication oil . sometimes , the space or compartment defined in the cooling chamber 304 is reduced to a tortuous flow path from the piston head inlet channel 302 to the piston head outlet channel 303 . a more detailed description of the cooling chamber 304 is provided below in connection with fig4 . as shown in fig3 , the piston head inlet channel 302 is fluidly coupled to a connecting rod inlet channel 310 passing through the length of the connecting rod 311 . similarly , the piston head outlet channel 303 is fluidly coupled to a connecting rod outlet channel 312 that also passes through the length of the connecting rod 311 . the connecting rod inlet channel 310 and connecting rod outlet channel 312 are fluidly coupled to a respective crankshaft inlet channel 306 and crankshaft outlet channel 308 via rotatable seals or oil journals 309 . during operation of the piston engine 300 , pressurized lubrication oil flows under pressure from the crankshaft inlet channel 306 , through an inlet oil journal 309 , through the connecting rod inlet channel 310 and the piston head inlet channel 302 and into the cooling chamber 304 . as the pressurized lubrication oil flows through the cooling chamber 304 , heat is transferred to the lubrication oil from the piston head 321 . the lubrication oil exiting the cooling chamber 304 flows through the piston head outlet channel 303 , through the connecting rod outlet channel 312 and an outlet oil journal 309 and into the crankshaft outlet channel 308 . in some embodiments shown in fig1 , the lubrication oil exiting the crankshaft outlet channel 308 directly flows into an oil filter 117 , while in some other embodiments shown in fig2 , the lubrication oil exiting the crankshaft outlet channel 308 directly flows into a dry sump 212 from where it is recycled by the pressure lubrication system . note that the inlet flow paths of cooling lubrication oil within different pistons 301 of fig3 are fluidly coupled in parallel , not in series . in other words , the lubrication oil entering the cooling chambers 304 within different piston heads 321 shares a similar set of parameters including pressure , temperature , flow rate , etc ., thereby rendering a substantially uniform heat exchange rate within different piston heads 321 . this configuration allows each piston head 321 to be cooled to substantially the same temperature , thereby increasing performance uniformity across all of the pistons and reducing thermal warping and system failures caused by temperature differentials . as mentioned above in connection with fig3 , the cross - sectional view of the cooling chamber 304 includes a tortuous path to increase the surface contact area between the lubrication oil and the piston head . fig4 shows such a cross - sectional view of a piston head 321 of the piston engine 300 taken along line a – a ′ of fig3 . lubrication oil flows into cooling chamber 304 from the piston head inlet channel 302 . in some embodiments , there are two sets of interleaved cooling fins , one set of cooling fins 313 attached to the ceiling of the cooling chamber 304 and the other set of cooling fins 314 attached to the floor of the cooling chamber 304 . in some other embodiments , the two sets of interleaved cooling fins are alternatively attached to two opposing walls of the cooling chamber . the dots and crosses in fig4 depicts that lubrication oil flows up and down in the cooling chamber to navigate through the two sets of interleaved cooling fins before reaching piston head outlet channel 303 . heat generated by the piston engine is therefore conducted from the fins to the lubrication oil , which transfers the heat out of the cooling chamber 304 . this type of chamber profile or cross - sectional area prolongs the contact period during which the lubrication oil is exposed to the hot piston head 321 . the longer the exposure period , the more heat is removed from the piston head through the lubrication oil . for simplicity , the piston head shown in fig4 has a square contour , but it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that this approach is applicable to any shape of piston head . the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . obviously many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings . for example , the pressure lubrication system 100 or 200 may include more or less components depending on the overall working environment . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents . | 5 |
while the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms , there is shown in the accompanying drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated . the invention will now be described with reference to the following figures , where like parts are uniformly numbered throughout . now referring to fig1 and 2 , a rifle 10 is illustrated incorporating the present invention which comprises an interchangeable barrel action 12 inclusive of receiver 14 , interchangeable barrel 16 , and pinch lug 20 . the receiver and the barrel are joined in the stock 18 . in accordance with an aspect of this invention , an accu - lug , which is essentially a pinch lug or pinch clamp 20 is attached to a forward end of the receiver , e . g . by welding . for sake of clarity , it is noted that fig3 represents an exploded view of an assembled rifle including the accu - lug , subsequent to all welding , machining , cutting , threading , and the like . as illustrated in exploded view fig3 , the pinch lug 20 and a portion of the receiver 14 ( not shown ) are threaded internally . an external end portion of the interchangeable barrel is also threaded . the exterior thread pattern of the barrel and the interior thread pattern of the pinch lug and the receiver are complimentary so the barrel may be readily and securely attached to the pinch lug and receiver . the interior surface of the pinch lug and receiver are illustrated as having , but are not limited to , a series of fine pitch 60 ° “ v ” threads 22 which have a generally triangular cross - section . these threads are selected from the unf or fine thread series . this combination provides the advantage of a strong coaxial alignment between the barrel and the receiver . while the 60 ° unf threads are preferred , other types of screw threads may be employed such as acme screw threads , centralizing acme screw threads and buttress threads . the unique mechanical advantage of the 60 ° unf threads is that the internal threads of the pinch lug and receiver are compressed into the external threads of the barrel such that a self centering action of the barrel results . this acts to sufficiently bind the receiver , the pinch lug and the barrel in substantially invariant coaxial alignment without the requirement of excessive torque during tightening . this provides the advantage of repeatable accuracy in firing with any given barrel . the compression of the threads of the pinch lug and receiver into the threads of the barrel is accomplished by providing the pinch lug with a split portion and providing a split portion along a portion of the receiver . as seen in fig4 & amp ; 5 , the pinch lug or pinch clamp 20 is formed with a barrel encircling portion 24 and an elongate lug portion 26 . the pinch lug or clamp 20 includes a front or proximal face 31 and a rear or distal face 33 . faces 31 and 33 are parallel to each other , as seen in fig4 and 5 , and transverse or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 35 extending along the barrel and receiver of the firearm . the pinch lug is attached to one end of the receiver by any appropriate method such as welding or similar means such that it becomes integral with the receiver . prior to attachment the pinch lug is a single piece , as particularly illustrated in fig4 . after attachment to the receiver the interior of the barrel encircling portion of the pinch lug and a portion of the interior of the receiver are threaded , as illustrated in fig5 . this prevents any misalignment between the pinch lug and the receiver so that the barrel 16 may be attached to the receiver 14 , through the pinch lug 20 , without encountering any break in the thread pattern and consequently no variation in the coaxial alignment of the barrel and the receiver . subsequent to the threading , a cut 29 is formed in the pinch lug and a portion of the receiver , as shown in fig3 & amp ; 5 . the two portions of the lug 28 and 30 are connected with a standard threaded fastener 32 . one of the lugs 28 is provided with an aperture which does not threadably engage the fastener and the other lug 30 is threaded to receive the threaded fastener . the head of the fastener engages the one lug 28 such that when the fastener is turned in one direction the two lugs are drawn together thereby drawing together the threaded portion of the pinch lug . this action decreases the diameter of the barrel encircling threaded portion of the pinch lug , applying uniform circumferential pressure , and avoiding the sideways pressure point of the prior art devices . as a result of this circumferential pressure , force is applied to the threads of the pinch lug which brings them into greater frictional engagement with the threads of the barrel , and is effective to maintain the barrel and pinch lug in substantially invariant coaxial alignment . when the fastener is turned in the opposite direction the two lugs are permitted to relax , wherein the threaded portion of the pinch lug increases in diameter thereby loosening its engagement with the threads of the barrel . as a result the barrel may be readily removed and another barrel with a different caliber installed in its place . the head of the fastener may be designed to receive and be turned by an allen wrench or a similar tool . the pinch lug is located in the stock of the rifle and the fastener is accessed through a hole in the stock 34 as shown in fig1 . as a result of the pinch lug being integrally attached to the end of the receiver and the end of the receiver being split along part of its length , whenever the barrel encircling portion of the pinch lug expands or contracts the end portion of the receiver also expands or contracts thereby tightening or loosening its grip on the threaded barrel . whenever it is desired to change the barrel of the firearm the user inserts a tool into the hole 34 in the stock 18 of the firearm and loosens the fastener 32 of the pinch lug , as seen in fig2 . the barrel 16 is then unscrewed and removed from the receiver . a new barrel with a different caliber bore is then screwed onto the receiver . the barrels may vary in caliber from . 20 to . 458 . the fastener of the pinch lug is then tightened and the bore of the barrel is brought into precise coaxial alignment with the receiver . if a scope 36 is employed , it is mounted on the receiver utilizing mounts 38 and does not need to be calibrated to the new barrel . an indicator , such as an arrow 40 a , is formed upon an exterior portion of the barrel 16 adjacent the end which will abut against the pinch lug 22 . another indicator , such as an arrow 40 b , is formed on the exterior surface of the pinch lug 20 adjacent the end which will abut the barrel 16 . when the barrel is screwed onto the receiver and the two arrows align with each other the pinch lug can be tightened and the barrel will be in precise coaxial alignment . if the arrows are in alignment and there is a space between the pinch lug and the barrel it is an indication that the barrel has not been completely screwed onto the receiver . this feature ensures zeroed accuracy for each barrel upon interchange thereof . as illustrated in fig6 , a case 42 may be provided for containing a plurality of interchangeable barrels 16 . all patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . all patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference . it is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated , it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings / figures included herein . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as those inherent therein . the embodiments , methods , procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments , are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope . changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments . indeed , various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims . | 5 |
in order that the present invention might be better appreciated , reference is made to fig1 which illustrates , in a sectional drawing , the interior of a tooth ( herein a molar ). tooth 2 is anchored into gum 4 and adjacent jaw bone 6 . surrounding the tooth 2 is a periodontal membrane 8 which forms an envelope around the roots 10 of tooth 2 . at the surface of the jaw bone , the periodontal membrane merges into the gum as at 12 . tooth 2 includes enamel 14 , forming the hard , exterior of the tooth 2 , and is composed mostly of the mineral calcium . under enamel 14 is dentin 16 which forms the main core of tooth and it is composed generally of calcified tissue , calcium and phosphorous . the dentin 16 is highly sensitive and includes a labyrinth of tubules for the circulation of lymph . the central structure of the tooth 2 is the nerve or , more commonly , the pulp 18 . pulp 18 is contains nerves , lymph , blood vessels and fibrous tissue . the pulp 18 is connected to the life systems through the pulp ( or root ) canal 20 which extends about 75 % of the length of the tooth , down into the root 10 via the pulp canal 24 . the pulp canal terminates in apical foramen ( holes ) 26 at the tip of roots 10 and through which the nerves , blood vessels and lymph join their respective systems in the body . lining the pulp cavity is a layer of odontoblasts , whose original function was to produce the dentine and which may be activated again by such as injury or tooth decay to again begin producing a secondary , protective layer of dentin . with appreciation of the nature of the composition and extent of the pulp canal , the present invention may be better appreciated as providing an instrument which can assist the dentist in removing all of the soft tissue and contained microorganisms from the canal and dry it such that a successful sealing and immobilization of the canal may be achieved . referring now to fig2 a dental point utilized according to the method of the present invention is illustrated . the present invention utilizes in a root canal ( endodontic procedure ) an absorbent dental point 30 ( more commonly referred to as a paper point ). absorbent dental points are conventionally 28 mm to 30 mm in length , as measured from tip 32 to head end 34 , and are available from a variety of sources such as johnson & amp ; johnson , caulk , kerr and diadent . absorbent dental point 30 used according to the present invention is illustrated as including a graduated depth scale 36 having indicators 38 disposed in ascending or descending relation on shaft 40 of point 30 . indicators may be placed upon point 30 in a variety of ways , well known in the art , including marking by dyes or inks or by such as scribing an imprint or indentation ( e . g ., engraving ) into the surface of the shaft 40 . in a preferred method of use in an endodontic procedure , the present invention makes use of a scale 36 which is made up of depth indicators 38 , placed on point 30 in separated groupings , 42a and 42b . in the illustrated embodiment of dental point 30 , indicators 38 are spaced at locations indicating a depth ( or operational length of point 30 below the specific indicator ) of 18 , 19 , and 20 mm and 22 and 24 mm , as measured from tip 32 . as should be appreciated , during the carrying out of a root canal procedure , the mouth cavity becomes quite congested with equipment and instruments , including the suction tube for aspirating debris and fluids from the site , a frame and rubber dam around the subject tooth to shield the rest of the mouth from by - products of the procedure and the dentists fingers and instruments as the procedure is carried out . by providing scale 36 having separate groupings ( 42a and 42b ) of indicators 38 , a determination of the depth of the tip 32 of point 30 is more readily observed . as was previously discussed , drying of the cleaned canal 24 requires the same precise use of instrument in order that the tip 32 does not intrude beyond apical foramen 26 causing injury or trauma to periodontium 8 . the inclusion of a readily observable and readable scale on the point 30 allows the dental surgeon to precisely confine the drying activity of point 30 within the working distance established as previously discussed . by being able to rely on the readable scale 36 , resort to repeated placement of cotton pliers on points 30 is avoided , thereby greatly accelerating the procedure and offering the avoidance of error in the cumbersome use of the plier - loaded point . in the embodiment wherein three indicators are placed in a grouping ( at one millimeter intervals in the illustrated embodiment ) as at 42a and two indicators are placed in a grouping ( at a two millimeter spacing in the illustrated embodiment ) as at 42b , the observation and distinguishing the depth value of a particular indicator 38 on scale 36 as determinative of the depth of tip 32 is readily accomplished . since the depth indicators 38 of grouping 42a are at one millimeter increments , this grouping is readily differentiated from grouping 42b , in which lines are spaced in two millimeter increments . likewise , since the numbers of depth indicators 38 within each grouping are limited to two and three indications ( i . e ., a different number ), the distinguishing of the relevant indicator 38 on scale 34 and the accurate measurement of the depth of the canal is readily accomplished . one skilled in the art will recognize that distinguishable groups of other combinations and values of indicators 38 are within the scope of the present invention . since the absorbent dental point of the present invention allows the dentist to quickly and reliably measure the depth of the root canal on each and every insertion of a point 30 into the root canal , the effective cleaning , drying and coating of a canal may be reliably performed . as will be apparent to persons skilled in the art , various additional modifications , adaptations and variations of the foregoing specifically disclosed embodiments and methods of coating removal may be made without departing form the objectives and scope of the present invention . various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein by those skilled in the art and such are contemplated by the present invention and are to be understood as included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
[ 0031 ] fig1 illustrates a narrowing vessel 52 , such as the internal carotid artery , having a wide region 56 , a narrowed region 58 , and a stenosis ( not shown ) somewhere in between , i . e ., in the cross - hatched region . the narrowing vessel of fig1 illustrates the geometry as found in an ostium at the bifurcation of the left common carotid 57 , where blood flows from the left common carotid artery 57 into the left internal carotid artery 59 . the bifurcation also opens into the left external carotid artery 60 . an ordinary stent with sufficient force to hold open the wide region 56 would have greater force than necessary to hold open the narrowed region 58 . [ 0032 ] fig2 a illustrates a plot 66 a of outward radial force f along a tapered , expanded stent length l for a stent embodying the present invention . the stent has a greater force in end region 68 a than at the opposite end region 70 a . a tapered stent having the force curve of fig2 a is suitable for bridging a stenosis as illustrated in fig1 having sufficient force to hold open the wide region 56 of a vessel and less force in the narrow healthy tissue region 58 of the vessel , where less is required . [ 0033 ] fig3 illustrates in schematic fashion a preferred nitinol stent embodiment of the invention producing a force distribution as illustrated in fig2 . self - expanding stent 80 includes a conformable distal end 82 for contacting healthy vessel tissue , and a stiffer , closed - cell proximal region 88 for providing increased plaque support . it has upon expansion a tapered diameter as shown . for example , a 0 . 236 inch distal diameter and a 0 . 354 inch proximal diameter might be typical . these dimensions can be varied . stent 80 is positioned on the distal end of a delivery catheter , covered with a removable sheath , advanced to a stenosis to be crossed , and exposed for self - expansion by removal of the sheath . stent 80 expands radially to its memorized tapered shape pushing against the stenosis and vessel wall . [ 0034 ] fig4 illustrates in more detail the nitinol unexpanded stent embodiment of fig3 in flat plan view as a stent 100 , having a middle region 104 and end regions 106 and 108 . stent 100 has a tubular shape , shown in fig5 formed of several serpentine segments 105 , 107 , 109 , 111 and 113 , having a zig - zag pattern , each segment radially encircling a portion of stent 100 . referring again to fig4 segments 113 are longitudinally interconnected by connectors 110 , whereas the serpentine segments 105 , 107 , 109 and 111 are all interconnected as shown in fig4 a and 4 b by direct connections 112 . a preferred material for constructing stent 100 is nitinol . in this embodiment , the stent is formed by laser cutting a continuous - walled nitinol tube of diameter 0 . 081 inches having a wall thickness of 0 . 006 inches , leaving only the stent structure as shown . typical dimensions of various elements of the stent are shown in the figure by way of example . referring now to fig6 the stent of fig4 is shown expanded and tapered . since nitinol is a shape memory metal it can be formed into the shape and size shown in fig4 placed over a tapered tool and expanded to a desired enlarged shape and size , such as the 0 . 236 inch distal diameter and 0 . 354 inch proximal diameter previously mentioned , heated to a high temperature such as 500 ° c . to give it the memorized size and shape on the tool . the stent is then removed from the tool and can be compressed for mounting on the delivery catheter . by starting with a stent of nitinol having the dimensions set forth in fig4 the expanded condition provides a stent having the desirable properties described hereinbefore with reference to fig3 . all dimensions in the figure are in inches . of course , this is but one example of a stent according to the invention . [ 0037 ] fig7 similarly to fig1 illustrates a narrowing vessel 52 having a wide region 56 , a narrowed region 58 , a branching vessel 55 and a stenosis ( not shown ) somewhere in between regions 56 and 58 , i . e ., the cross hatched region . again , narrowing vessel of fig7 illustrates the geometry as found at the bifurcation of the left common carotid artery 57 , where blood flows from the left common carotid artery 57 into the left internal carotid artery 59 . [ 0038 ] fig2 b illustrates a plot 66 b of outward radial force f along a tapered , expandable stent length l for a stent embodying the present invention . the stent has a greater force in its middle region 67 b than at its end regions 68 b and 70 b . a tapered stent having the force curve of fig2 b is suitable for bridging a stenosis as illustrated in fig7 having sufficient force to hold open the wide region at the ostium of internal carotid 59 and less force in healthy tissue at wide end 56 and narrow end 58 . a stent for use in this cross hatched region will have properties such as those to be described with reference to fig8 and 9 , which will be different from the stent previously described with reference to fig1 - 6 . referring now to the fig8 schematic , stent 80 includes a middle region 84 and end regions 86 and 87 . the amount of radial force exerted per unit length of stent is greater in regions having shorter and wider struts . as schematically illustrated in fig8 stent 80 has shorter and wider struts in center region 84 than in end regions 86 and 87 . thus , stent 80 has a greater outward radial force and compression resistance in center region 84 than in end regions 86 and 87 making it particularly useful for stenting in the cross - hatched region of fig7 . [ 0041 ] fig9 illustrates in more detail the nitinol unexpanded stent embodiment of fig8 in flat plan view as a stent 100 having a middle region 104 and end regions 106 and 108 . stent 100 has a tubular shape , shown in fig1 , formed of several serpentine segments 105 , 107 , 109 , 111 and 113 , having a zig - zag pattern , each segment radially encircling a portion of stent 100 . segments 111 and 113 are respectively longitudinally interconnected by several connectors 110 whereas serpentine segments 105 , 107 and 109 are all interconnected as shown in detail in fig9 a and 9 b by direct connections 112 . this embodiment is also formed by laser cutting a continuous - walled nitinol tube of diameter 0 . 081 inches having a wall thickness of 0 . 006 inches , leaving only the stent structure as shown . typical dimensions of various elements of the stent are shown in fig9 by way of example . similarly to the stent embodiment of fig4 as expanded to a tapered shape shown in fig6 the stent of fig9 can be provided with a tapered memorized shape in the expanded condition . the stent will exhibit all of the desirable proportions heretofore described , particularly as discussed with reference to fig2 b . all dimensions in fig9 are in inches . the present invention provides a stent which when expanded to its tapered configuration , provides a radial force varied along stent length for use in tapered anatomies . the stent has been described , in use , as bridging stenosed vessel regions for illustrative purposes . another use in maintaining open channels through otherwise restricted body conduits . stents used for other purposes are explicitly within the scope of the invention . it should be noted that although self - expanding stents have been shown herein to illustrate the present invention , so called balloon expandable stents can also include the variable radial force feature as described herein . in the case of balloon expandable stents , however , these forces in general will be less than are necessary to expand the stent and thus the balloon will be used as known to those skilled in the art to complete the expansion of the stent . to obtain the tapered shape , two balloons of different diameter may be used to expand each end of the stent . these balloon expandable stents may be advantageously deployed in areas of a vessel such as at an ostium where a stent having more rigid or heavy members is desirable in the region of the stenosis , and enhanced flexibility in the distal portion of the stent is desired . for example , a balloon expandable stent can be made of stainless steel to the design and dimensions shown in either fig4 or fig9 . it should be understood therefore , that balloon expandable stents are also within the scope of the present invention . in use , a stent of the self - expanding type , in unexpanded form , is placed on a delivery catheter and covered with a retractable sheath . the catheter is introduced into a vessel and advanced to a region of bifurcation ( ostium or bifurcation placement ). the sheath is retracted , typically by pulling it in the proximal direction , to expose the stent . the stent then self - expands to contact the vessel wall and stenosis . in the case of a self - expanding stent such as the nitinol type described herein , the stent expands to the tapered configuration upon being exposed and exhibits the desired proportion described hereinbefore . a sheath is typically used for constraining a self - expanding stent . a balloon expandable stent is typically crimped on to the balloon and not covered by a sheath . in the case of a non - self - expanding stent , a balloon or other radial force means is inflated within the stent to expand it . in the case of the stents described herein , two balloons may be used sequentially to accomplish this . for example , a small balloon may be used to expand the stent at the small diameter end of the tapered configuration . then , a larger balloon may be used to expand the stents at the large end of the tapered configuration . the catheter ( s ) are withdrawn , leaving the stent implanted in the vessel . the method is adaptable depending on whether an ostial version or a bifurcation version of the stent is being implanted . numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention covered by this application have been set forth in the foregoing description . it will be understood , however , that this disclosure is , in many aspects , only illustrative . changes may be made in details , particularly in matters of shape , size , and arrangement of parts and in materials without exceeding the scope of the invention . the invention &# 39 ; s scope is , of course , defined in the language in which the appended claims are expressed . | 0 |
referring now to the figures and in particular to fig1 and 2 , a mirror assembly 10 according to the invention is shown attached to a motor vehicle 12 in a conventional fashion . the mirror assembly 10 comprises a housing 14 enclosing a reflective element 16 attached to a glass case 20 which is tiltably mounted to a tilt actuator assembly 22 supported within a tilt actuator assembly chamber 30 comprising a portion of an internal mounting frame 18 . the internal mounting frame 18 comprises a support end 26 which is attached to the vehicle 12 , a cantilever end 28 which extends away from the vehicle 12 , and a glass case side 48 intermediate the support end 26 and the cantilever end 28 and facing a reflector side 24 of the glass case 20 . in the embodiment shown in the figures , the tilt actuator assembly 22 is located proximate the support end 26 . the tilt actuator assembly 22 comprises an upper jackscrew 32 and a lower jackscrew 34 which extend through jackscrew apertures 49 in the glass case side 48 and are pivotably attached to the frame side 24 of the glass case 20 for tilting the glass case 20 and the reflective element 16 when the jackscrews 32 , 34 are selectively extended and retracted . the tilt actuator assembly 22 can comprise a single motor or a dual motor tilt actuator assembly . an example of a suitable tilt actuator assembly is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 60 / 319 , 753 , filed dec . 4 , 2002 , entitled “ bottom - load actuator for vehicular rearview mirror ,” which is incorporated herein by reference . as shown also in fig3 and 5 , a positional memory module 40 according to the invention is also supported within a generally rectilinear memory module chamber 42 comprising a portion of the internal mounting frame 18 at the cantilever end 28 . extending outwardly of the internal mounting frame 18 adjacent the memory module chamber 42 is a flexible finger 44 having a hook 46 at a free end thereof for engaging the positional memory module 40 in an interference fit as hereinafter described . the internal frame 18 is also provided with a pivot pedestal 38 which is pivotably attached to the frame side 24 of the glass case 20 and comprises a fixed point about which the glass case 20 and the reflective element 16 can pivot . as shown in fig4 , the tilt actuator assembly 22 is enclosed within the internal mounting frame 18 so that the jackscrews 32 , 34 define a jackscrew axis 36 which is oriented generally vertically when the mirror assembly 10 is attached to the motor vehicle 12 . the pivot pedestal 38 is attached to the internal mounting frame 18 so that the pivot pedestal 38 and the upper jackscrew 32 define a horizontal pivot axis 39 which is orthogonal to the jackscrew axis 36 . referring now to fig6 – 8 , the positional memory module 40 comprises a generally rectilinear memory module base 50 , adapted for slidable insertion into the memory module chamber 42 , and a generally rectilinear removable memory module cover 142 , the memory module base 50 and the memory module cover 142 defining a chamber 143 enclosing a first plunger 100 , a second plunger 102 , and a circuit board 160 . the memory module base 50 comprises a front wall 52 , a first sidewall 54 and a second sidewall 56 in parallel , spaced - apart juxtaposition extending orthogonally away from the front wall 52 , and a rear wall 58 extending from the first sidewall 54 to the second sidewall 56 in parallel , spaced - apart juxtaposition to the front wall 52 . the walls 52 – 58 transition to a bottom wall 60 extending orthogonally thereto . in the preferred embodiment , the front wall 52 is provided with a front cover slot 62 extending therethrough , and a plurality of wiring pass - throughs 98 . in the preferred embodiment , the side walls 54 , 56 are provided with side cover slots 64 , 66 , respectively , extending therethrough , and the rear wall 58 is provided with a rear cover slot 68 extending therethrough . the walls 52 – 60 define a first plunger chamber 70 and a second plunger chamber 72 in spaced - apart juxtaposition . the first plunger chamber 70 comprises a first plunger cradle 74 having a first cylindrical portion 78 and a first cradle extension 82 to define a first plunger seat 86 . the second plunger chamber 72 comprises a second plunger cradle 76 having a second cylindrical portion 80 and a second cradle extension 84 to define a second plunger seat 88 . referring specifically fig8 , a first rib 90 is an elongated protuberance extending from the first sidewall 54 into the first plunger chamber 70 in spaced - apart juxtaposition to the rear wall 58 to define a first slot 94 . a second rib 92 is an elongated protuberance extending from the second sidewall 56 into the second plunger chamber 72 in spaced - apart juxtaposition to the rear wall 58 to define a second slot 96 . fig6 and 7 show a first plunger 100 in cooperative association with the first plunger chamber 70 and a second plunger 102 in cooperative association with the second plunger chamber 72 . fig9 – 11 show the plungers 100 , 102 in detail , the plungers 100 , 102 being identical . the first plunger 100 is an elongated , generally cylindrical member comprising a cylindrical first shaft 104 transitioning at a first end to a first ball 106 and at a second end to a first plunger bead 124 comprising a somewhat enlarged collar - like portion encircling the shaft 104 and having a diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the shaft 104 . similarly , the second plunger 102 is an elongated , generally cylindrical member comprising a cylindrical second shaft 106 transitioning at a first end to a second ball 108 and at a second end to a second plunger bead 126 comprising a somewhat enlarged collar - like portion encircling the shaft 106 and having a diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the shaft 106 . preferably , the plungers 100 , 102 are fabricated of a rigid thermoplastic material having suitable strength for the purposes described herein . the first plunger 100 is provided with a first sweeper support 112 extending radially outwardly of the first shaft 104 adjacent the first plunger bead 124 . the first sweeper support 112 is provided with a planar first inclined surface 120 and a first sweeper lug 116 extending away from the first inclined surface 120 . the second plunger 102 is provided with a second sweeper support 114 extending radially outwardly of the second shaft 106 adjacent the second plunger bead 126 . the second sweeper support 114 is provided with a planar second inclined surface 122 and a second sweeper lug 118 extending away from the second inclined surface 122 . the sweeper support 112 , 114 is adapted for fixedly attaching a sweeper as hereinafter described . the first plunger 100 is adapted for slidable communication between the first plunger bead 124 and the first cylindrical portion 78 of the first plunger cradle 74 . the first sweeper support 112 is adapted for slidable communication with the first cradle extension 82 . the first plunger 100 can thus slidably translate within the first plunger opening 86 . similarly , the second plunger 102 is adapted for slidable communication between the second plunger bead 126 and the second cylindrical portion 80 of the second plunger cradle 76 . the second sweeper support 114 is adapted for slidable communication with the second cradle extension 84 . the second plunger 102 can thus slidably translate within the second plunger opening 88 . a sweeper is a generally u - shaped , platelike body , fabricated of an electrically - conductive material such as steel or copper , comprising a crosspiece 132 having an elongated lug aperture 140 therethrough , and a pair of parallel , spaced - apart sweeper arms 134 extending orthogonally from the crosspiece 132 . each sweeper arm 134 terminates in a plurality of parallel , spaced - apart sweeper fingers 136 , shown in fig1 as numbering three per arm 134 . each sweeper finger 136 terminates in a contact 138 extending orthogonally thereto . the lug aperture 140 is adapted for slidable receipt of a sweeper lug 116 , 118 . the sweeper 128 , 130 is attached to the sweeper support 112 , 114 by inserting the sweeper lug 116 , 118 into the lug aperture 140 so that the sweeper 128 , 130 is in cooperative communication with the inclined surface 120 , 122 , respectively . the sweeper 128 , 130 is retained against the inclined surface 120 , 122 by welding , heat deformation of the sweeper lug 116 , 118 , or other suitable means . the circuit board 160 comprises a platelike , generally rectilinear body comprising a generally conventional printed circuit board substrate material 188 . the circuit board 160 is adapted for slidable insertion into the slots 94 , 96 parallel to and spaced somewhat away from the rear wall 58 . a plurality of contact strips , conductive leads , and conductive contacts are applied to the substrate material 188 in a conventional manner , such as by sputtering or printing . it will be understood that the circuit board 160 , although shown by example in the drawings as a printed circuit board with conductive / resistive strips on only one side , the circuit board 160 can also have the conductive / resistive strips on both sides of the printed circuit board as would be known to one skilled in the art . the circuit board 160 comprises a first outer contact strip 164 and a first inner contact strip 168 in parallel , spaced - apart juxtaposition along a first edge of the circuit board 160 for cooperative association with the first plunger chamber 70 when the circuit board 160 is inserted into the memory module base 58 . similarly , the circuit board 160 comprises a second outer contact strip 162 and a second inner contact strip 166 in parallel , spaced - apart juxtaposition along a second edge of the circuit board 160 for cooperative association with the second plunger chamber 72 when the circuit board 160 is inserted into the memory module base 158 . preferably , the inner contact strips 166 , 168 comprise an electrically - resistive material whose electrical resistance varies along the length of the strip 166 , 168 . preferably , the outer contact strips 162 , 164 comprise an electrically - conductive material . the first outer contact strip 164 is connected through a connecting lead 170 to the second outer contact strip 162 . the second outer contact strip 162 is connected through a connecting lead 172 to a second conductive contact 174 . the first outer contact strip 164 is also connected through a connecting lead 176 to a first conductive contact 178 . the first inner contact strip 168 is connected through a connecting lead 180 to a first resistive contact 182 , and of the second inner contact strip 166 is connected through a connecting lead 184 to a second resistive contact 186 . the contacts 174 , 178 , 182 , 186 , are connected through suitable electrical wiring passing through the wiring pass - throughs 98 for integration into a wiring harness or other suitable electrical connector for operable communication with the vehicle control system . the contact strips 162 – 168 are adapted for slidable communication with the contacts 138 when the plungers 100 , 102 are inserted into the plunger chambers 70 , 72 . the inclination of the sweepers 128 , 130 due to the inclination of the inclined surfaces 120 , 122 ensures that the contacts 138 are in suitable electrical communication with the contact strips 162 – 168 . an alternative , preferred embodiment of the circuit board 160 is shown in fig1 in which like reference numerals are used to identify like elements between the embodiments of the circuit board 160 shown in fig1 and 13 , respectively . the embodiments are very similar but differ in that the resistive strips are located as the first and second outer contact strips 162 , 164 and the conductive voltage strips are provided as the first and second inner contact strips 166 and 168 . the first and second inner contact strips 166 and 168 are interconnected by the common connecting lead 170 . the common circuitry defined by the common connecting lead 170 and the first and second inner contact strips 166 and 168 initiate and terminate in contacts 178 and 184 which are respectively connected to a positive voltage source and ground as indicated in fig1 . contacts 182 and 186 are interconnected to a mirror position control unit and supply a signal representative of the position of the mirror with respect to horizontal and vertical axes as is described further herein . a schematic of both of the embodiments in fig1 – 13 is shown in fig1 wherein like reference numerals are employed to identify elements common to the schematic and the fig1 – 13 embodiments . the memory module cover 142 is a generally rectilinear , plate - like body comprising a circular first plunger aperture 144 and a circular second plunger aperture 146 extending therethrough in spaced - apart juxtaposition for cooperative association with the first plunger chamber 70 and the second plunger chamber 72 , respectively . the memory module cover 142 also comprises a front cover tab 148 for interference - type communication with the front cover slot 62 , a first side cover tab 150 for interference - type communication with the side cover slot 64 , a second side cover tab 152 for interference - type communication with the side cover slot 66 , and a rear cover tab 154 for interference - type communication with the rear cover slot 68 . a pair of rubber seals 156 , 158 are adapted for liquid - tight insertion into the plunger apertures 144 , 146 , respectively , and slidable , generally liquid - tight receipt of the shafts 104 , 108 , respectively , of the plungers 100 , 102 , respectively . the memory module cover 142 is used to close the chamber 143 after the placement of the plungers 100 , 102 and the circuit board 160 in the chamber 143 so that the plungers 100 , 102 extend through the rubber seals 156 , 158 . the memory module 40 is then slidably inserted into the memory module chamber 42 so that the plungers 100 , 102 extend through suitable apertures ( not shown ) in the mounting frame 18 toward the frame side 24 of the glass case 20 and the hook 46 engages the bottom wall 60 to retain the memory module 40 in the memory module chamber 42 . referring again to fig4 , the first plunger 100 is aligned with the horizontal pivot axis 39 intermediate the pivot pedestal 38 and the upper jackscrew 32 , and the second plunger 102 is aligned with the pivot pedestal 38 to define a vertical pivot axis 37 orthogonal to the horizontal pivot axis 39 and parallel to the jackscrew axis 36 . the balls 106 , 110 are then pivotably attached in a generally conventional manner to the glass case 26 so that , when the glass case 20 is pivoted by the extension and retraction of the jackscrews 32 , 34 , the plungers 100 , 102 will be urged into and out of the plunger chambers 70 , 72 , respectively . as an example , referring to fig4 , if the glass case 20 is tilted about the horizontal pivot axis 39 through the operation of the lower jackscrew 34 , the second plunger 102 will be moved with the tilting of the glass case 20 . as the lower jackscrew 34 is extended , the second plunger 102 will be extended . conversely , as the lower jackscrew 34 is retracted , the second plunger 102 will be retracted . similarly , if the glass case 20 is tilted about the vertical pivot axis 37 through the operation of both the jackscrews 32 , 34 , the plunger 100 will be moved with the tilting of the glass case 20 . the plunger 102 will not be moved since it lies along the vertical pivot axis 37 . as the jackscrews 32 , 34 are extended , the plunger 100 will be extended . conversely , as the jackscrews 32 , 34 are retracted , the plunger 100 will be retracted . with reference now to fig9 and 12 , the circuit board 160 is electrically powered by the vehicle &# 39 ; s electrical power system ( typically 5 - volt , 12 - volt or other suitable electrical configuration ) so that an electrical current flows across the connecting leads 170 , 172 , 176 , 180 and energizes the contact strips 162 – 168 . while the description herein is with respect to the embodiment of the circuit board 160 in fig1 , the description can be equally applied to the embodiment for the circuit board 160 shown in fig1 without departing from the scope of this invention and as would be apparent to one skilled in the art . current can flow between a pair of inner and outer contact strips , such as the second outer contact strip 162 and the second inner contact strip 166 , through the second sweeper 130 . thus , current can flow across the second conductive contact 174 through the connecting lead 172 to the second outer contact strip 162 , across the second sweeper 130 to the second inner contact strip 166 , through the connecting lead 184 and across the second resistive contact 186 . as the plungers 100 , 102 are extended and retracted as described above , the contacts 138 will move along the contact strips , such as the second outer contact strip 162 and the second inner contact strip 166 . because the inner contact strip 166 comprises a resistive material , as the contacts 138 move along the inner contact strip 166 , the resistance of the inner contact strip 166 will change . thus , the voltage across the contacts 174 , 186 will vary with the variation in resistance resulting from the movement of the second sweeper 130 along the second inner contact strip 166 . this voltage can be measured and its value stored , and will correspond to a first selected horizontal and / or vertical tilt position , and a first plunger position . if the reflective element 16 and the glass case 20 have been tilted to a second selected horizontal and / or vertical tilt position , thereby moving the plungers 100 , 102 to a second plunger position , the tilt actuator assembly 22 can be activated so that the plungers 100 , 102 are returned to the first plunger position . the tilt actuator assembly 22 can be programmed to stop when the voltages from the positions of the plungers 100 , 102 match the stored voltage values for the selected horizontal and / or vertical tilt position . the positional memory module 40 described herein comprises a separate module from the tilt actuator assembly 22 so that a mirror assembly 10 can be readily provided with or without the positional memory module 40 . the positional memory module 40 can be optimally positioned relative to the pivot pedestal 38 regardless of the size of the internal mounting frame 18 or the mirror assembly 10 . the use of a separate positional memory module 40 eliminates the necessity of having a combined tilt actuator and positional memory device in a range of sizes for different sized mirror assemblies , as well as the increased design and tooling complexity and costs , including the increased sealing complexity , inherent in a combined tilt actuator and positional memory device . the positional memory module 40 can also be readily removed for repair and / or maintenance without the necessity of removing the tilt actuator assembly 22 , or without the necessity of replacing both the tilt actuator and positional memory device when only the positional memory device needs replacing . while particular embodiments of the invention have been shown , it will be understood , of course , that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art , particularly in light of the foregoing teachings . reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 1 |
fig1 schematically shows an embodiment of a singularizing device 1 consisting of a trough 2 and a motor 3 . the trough is secured to the motor 3 via a shaft 13 ( fig5 ) defining a rotational axis 10 . the motor 3 can rotate the trough 2 about the rotational axis 10 which coincides with the longitudinal axis 30 of the trough 2 . the back - and - forth rotary movement of the trough 2 is indicated by the curved , double - headed motion arrow 5 . bulk material 4 is disposed in the trough and consists of individual objects 4 which are to be singularized . fundamentally to this end , the trough 2 -- also in all other examples -- is somewhat sloped along an inclined plane so that the lower discharge edge or end of the trough is at a lower level than the upper end of the trough into which the bulk material is admitted . when the trough is at rest , the frictional force of the bulk material or the individual objects against the bottom of the trough is greater than the potential energy of the individual objects 4 due to the slope of the trough so that these remain at rest and do not automatically slide down to the lower end of the trough under the influence of gravity . if the trough 2 is now rotated back - and - forth on its longitudinal axis 30 according to the curved double - headed motion arrow 5 , then the individual objects in fig3 and 4 slide down the inclined plane under the influence of gravity , on the one hand . on the other hand , a lateral back - and - forth movement is respectively superimposed on this downward movement as indicated by the vectors q , r , s , t and v in fig4 . an individual object 4 moves along the vector q , for example , during the forward movement and along the vector r during the backward movement so that the individual object 4 assumes the position 4 &# 39 ; after the first back - and - forth movement and the position 4 &# 34 ; after the second back - and - forth movement . the object slides down a short span of the inclined plane during travel from the position 4 to the position 4 &# 39 ; and from the position 4 &# 39 ; to the position 4 &# 34 ;, respectively . the vectors q , r , s , t and v thus form a meandering path with constant change in direction which is likewise shown in fig3 and 4 . a force which is indicated by the directional arrow 6 in fig1 and is directed transverse to the direction of the inclined plane is accordingly exerted on the individual object 4 during each back - and - forth movement . if , during downward movement of the objects , an individual object becomes laterally surrounded by an accumulation of others , the objects bang into one another during each back - and - forth movement with the result that they push each other away and become singularized as illustrated in fig1 . the objects ultimately slide down the inclined plane . this procedure is most effectively assisted and improved when the trough has an arcuate cross section and is constructed as a cylindrical tube , for example . during each back - and - forth movement of the trough on its longitudinal axis as an axis of rotation , the individual objects then move up the wall to a degree and thereby acquire , in addition to their kinetic energy , a potential energy which , upon reversal of the movement of the trough , is again converted into kinetic energy . those elements which have experienced the greatest increase in potential energy laterally now also possess greater kinetic energy to effectively push away laterally accumulated objects and thereby highly effectively accelerate the singularizing procedure . due to the arcuate wall of the trough -- regardless of whether this is cylindrical or oval -- objects lying at different distances from the central axis of the trough also acquire different incremental amounts of potential so that , upon conversion of this potential energy into kinetic energy , the objects experience different accelerations and speeds when sliding down the side walls . the object with the greatest kinetic energy can accordingly force its way into the stream or line of objects along the center line of the trough while pushing neighboring objects to the side thereby leading to a rapid and highly effective singularization of the objects within a short singularizing span . the curvature of the trough , in particular , causes a shortening of the singularizing span for an individual object because the different incremental potential energy imparted to each object allows the same to accelerate and move at different rates in directions of movement transverse to the longitudinal direction of the trough . fig2 shows a trough 8 whose cross section is enlarged in the region of the lower discharge edge . as a result , further specific variations in movement are achieved . for example , as compared to the embodiment of the trough in fig1 the individual objects are drawn farther apart . fig5 to 7 illustrate a preferred industrial embodiment of a trough 11 which is rotatable using its longitudinal axis 30 as an axis of rotation . the singularizing device of fig5 to 7 consists of a trough 11 which is preferably a cylindrical tube . the cylindrical jacket has an elongated opening 16 in its upper region so that the cylindrical jacket is divided into two arcuate side walls 14 , 15 . the lower portion of the trough is covered with a cover 17 ( fig6 ) extending from top to bottom at an inclination while leaving a gap 34 through which the singularized objects of the bulk material can fall out over the discharge edge 33 . fig7 is a view of this slit 34 and the trough 11 from the front . the opening 16 serves for filling of the trough 11 . a motor 12 is appropriately held in a pivotable holder 26 and the motor 12 has a projecting rotary motor shaft 13 . a disc - shaped holder 35 is mounted on the rotary motor shaft 13 and has a central rod 18 which constitutes an extension of the rotary motor shaft 13 and thus likewise extends in the direction of the rotational axis 30 of the trough 11 . the upper end of the trough 11 is preferably slipped onto the holder 35 and tightly screwed by means of screws 28 , 29 . the motor 12 can set the rotary motor shaft 13 into back - and - forth rotary movements at a predetermined frequency , which can be low , and the rotary movements are transmitted to the trough 11 ; a movement cycle of the trough 11 , that is , a complete back - and - forth movement , is preferably carried out in 0 . 5 to 3 seconds . accordingly , the trough 11 performs back - and - forth rotary movements on its longitudinal axis 30 . the motor 12 can advantageously be a stepping motor whose rotary motor shaft 13 is capable of performing a large number of steps at small to very small angles of rotation per step . the steps are transmitted to the trough 11 as a light or fine chatter which additionally helps singularization of the objects of the bulk material in an advantageous manner . on the rod 18 are two circular discs 19 , 22 whose diameter is equal to or less than the inner diameter of the trough 11 although , if necessary , the discs 19 , 22 can project beyond the upper edge of the opening 16 as seen in fig5 . each of the discs 19 , 22 has a respective peripheral passage 21 , 24 which is situated approximately in the area of the deepest location of the respective disc 19 , 21 or of the trough 11 . the passages 21 , 24 of the two discs can be so arranged relative to one another that they form a baffle in axial direction , i . e ., that the two passages are offset in a projection of the discs upon one another . this has the result that the individual objects of the bulk material can only pass by the discs bit - by - bit thereby already preparing for singularization . this construction makes it possible to fill a large quantity of bulk material into the receiving chamber 20 . if necessary , a hopper can be installed above the receiving chamber . the disc 19 , together with the associated walls 14 , 15 of the trough 11 , defines a collecting or receiving chamber 20 for the bulk material . the two discs 19 and 22 , together with the associated walls 14 , 15 of the trough 11 , enclose a further collecting chamber 23 which serves to already thin out the bulk material . a singularizing chamber 25 of length 1 ( fig5 ) can adjoin the disc 22 and its passage 24 and extends from the disc 22 to the lower discharge edge 33 of the trough 11 . a conveyor belt 27 , onto which the singularized , individual objects of the bulk material fall , can be located below the discharge edge 33 in conventional fashion . falling of the individual objects can be monitored and recorded in known manner by means of a recording instrument . bulk material is fed into the receiving chamber 20 through the opening 16 of the trough 11 . if the trough 11 is now rotated back - and - forth on its rotational axis 30 by the motor 12 , singularized objects of the bulk material arrive in the collecting chamber 23 through the first passage 21 in the disc 19 . this singularization is assisted by the light or fine chatter imparted to the trough 11 when a stepping motor is employed . from there , the objects arrive , via the passage 24 of the disc 22 , at the actual singularizing chamber 25 and the singularizing span or path 1 after being singularized once again . during the back - and - forth rotary motion , which is divided into a large number of steps , the individual objects are now moved down the inclined plane of the trough 11 while being pushed , and moved up and down the side walls 14 , 15 , as described with reference to fig1 and 4 . due to the lateral movements , which are symbolized by the vectors q , r , s , t and v in fig4 the objects push away from one another completely and are singularized and thus fall down over the discharge edge 33 of the trough 11 onto the conveyor belt 27 individually . preferably , a complete motion cycle of the trough -- divided into a large number of steps -- lasts between 0 . 5 and 3 seconds . the invention can be used wherever bulk goods of relatively small volume , particularly pills , tablets or suppositories , must be singularized in order to inspect or pack a specified number of the same . this is the case especially in the pharmaceutical industry where pills , tablets or suppositories must be tested in accordance with a number of criteria after production . thus , the weight and the crushing strength of tablets or suppositories must be continuously monitored during production . to this end , a specific number are sorted from the continuous production line using statistical methods and subsequently sent to a testing machine after being strictly singularized . the invention is particularly well - suited to strictly singularize such samples for a following testing machine such as a tablet testing machine . | 1 |
the aspects , features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated when considered with reference to the following description of preferred embodiments and accompanying figures . in describing the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the figures , specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity . however , the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected , and it is to be understood that each term selected includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose . fig1 illustrates a perspective front - angle view of the charging cradle device 22 for charging an electronic stylus pen 26 . as shown in fig1 , the charging cradle device 22 includes the front usb ports 13 a , 13 b , 13 c , 13 d , 13 e . the usb ports 13 a , 13 b , 13 c , 13 d , 13 e may be varying types , varying amounts , changed locations , be spaced at different intervals or be removed . the receiving slot 12 for the electronic stylus pen 26 is on the top of the charging cradle device 22 . the magnets 11 a , 11 b protrude through the top of the charging cradle device 22 in order to make contact with the metal contacts on the electronic stylus pen 26 . while fig1 shows the charging cradle device 22 having a specific size , receiving slot 12 , location of charging magnets 11 a , 11 b , and shape , it should be understood that the charging cradle device 22 is not limited to this particular size , receiving slot 12 , location of charging magnets 11 a , 11 b , or shape and may instead be of any material , configuration and design such that it can enable charging of an electronic stylus pen 26 . fig2 illustrates an exploded view of the charging cradle device 22 . the top of the charging cradle device 27 connects to the bottom of the charging cradle device 28 with the pcba ( printed circuit board assembly ) 20 inside the charging cradle device 22 . the pcba board 20 rests on the stand offs 21 on the inside bottom of the charging cradle device 28 . varying methods to place or secure the pcba 20 inside the charging cradle device 22 can be employed . the pcba 20 has the front usb ports 13 a , 13 b , 13 c , 13 d , 13 e ; the side usb port 15 ; the micro usb port 16 ; the hc sd reader 17 : the led light 14 ; and the magnets 11 a , 11 b . the usb ports 13 a , 13 b , 13 c , 13 d , 13 e ; the side usb port 15 ; the micro usb port 16 ; the hc sd reader 17 : and the led light 14 can be of varying types , or amounts , be spaced at different intervals or locations or any or all can be removed . two magnets 18 a , 18 b , used to help secure the charging cradle device 22 to a magnetic metal surface , attach to the outside bottom of the device 22 with anti - skid tape 19 a , 19 b , covering those magnets 18 a , 18 b . the magnets 18 a , 18 b can be located inside or other various locations , they can be increased or decreased in number , they can be varying sizes , shapes , material , magnetic pull , or thicknesses or they can be removed from the charging cradle device 22 . the anti - skid tape 19 a , 19 b , used to help prevent slippage of the charging cradle device 22 , can be of varying sizes , types , shapes , consistencies , materials , tensile strengths , adhesiveness , temperature use ranges , backings , physical properties , thicknesses , amounts , locations , etc . or can be removed from the charging cradle device 22 . thus , in one alternative embodiment , the anti - skid tape 19 a , 19 b could be replaced with any form of anti - skid material . fig3 shows the pcba board 20 that sits inside the charging cradle device 22 . the magnets 11 a , 11 b ; the front usb ports 13 a , 13 b , 13 c , 13 d , 13 e ; the side usb port 15 ; the hc sd card reader 17 ; and the led light 14 will be powered through the pcba board 20 which receives power from an external computer 23 ( shown in fig4 ) through the micro usb port 16 . alternately , the charging cradle device 22 may have varying types of an led light 14 . the led light 14 can be different colors or shapes or replaced by laser diodes , oled &# 39 ; s , passive - matrix or active - matrix liquid crystal displays , or other electric lighting sources . the led light 14 can be removed or additional led lights can be added or replaced or added to by various color or shape laser diodes , oled &# 39 ; s , passive - matrix or active - matrix liquid crystal displays , or other electric lighting sources . the placement of the led light 14 or the placement of additional led lights or laser diodes , oled &# 39 ; s , passive - matrix or active - matrix liquid crystal displays , or other electric lighting sources can be moved to various places on or in the device . the led light 14 can be replaced with various indicator mechanisms or can be removed . thus , in one alternative embodiment , various selecting or indicating mechanisms for various functions can be added to the charging cradle device 22 . the selecting mechanism can be any kind of selecting mechanism , including a mechanical selector such as a switch , toggle , dial , jog shuttle or slide button . alternatively , the selecting mechanism may be an electronic selector such as a programmable “ soft button ” or “ soft key ” that may be interoperable with a user interface of the charging cradle device 22 . fig4 shows the device 22 and the items that will work with the device 22 . the illustrated electronic stylus pen 26 makes contact with the magnets 11 a , 11 b for charging of the electronic stylus pen 26 . the micro usb port 16 will get power through an external usb cable 24 that will be connected to an external computer 23 . alternately , differing power capabilities can be added to or take the place of the existing power input to the charging cradle device 22 such as ac power , or batteries for internal or external power . the sd card 25 will be placed into the hc sd card reader 17 and transfer data to and from the external computer 23 through the usb cable 24 connected to the micro usb port 16 . alternately , a usb cable can be incorporated in the device instead of or in addition to or in place of the usb ports in the device . thus , in one alternative embodiment , wireless capabilities can be added to the charging cradle device 22 for data transfer . fig5 shows the top 27 view of the charging cradle device 22 . it shows the receiving slot 12 for the electronic stylus pen 26 and the magnets 11 a , 11 b that make contact with the electronic stylus pen 26 . the magnets 11 a , 11 b on the pcba board 20 that make contact with the electronic stylus pen 26 can be different materials , heights , sizes , magnetic pull , or thicknesses , lengths , depths , widths or shapes . thus , in one alternative embodiment , a cover for the charging cradle device 22 of various materials , shapes , attachment techniques , sizes , or colors can be added to the charging cradle device 22 . fig6 shows the bottom view of the charging cradle device 22 . it shows the magnets 18 a , 18 b and the anti - skid tape 19 a , 19 b that cover the magnets 18 a , 18 b . fig7 shows the front view of the charging cradle device 22 . it is shows the top 27 and bottom 28 of the charging cradle device 22 . it also shows where the front usb ports 13 a , 13 b , 13 c , 13 d , 13 e are placed . fig8 shows the back view of the charging cradle device 22 . it shows the top 27 and the bottom 28 of the charging cradle device 22 . it also shows where the hc sd card reader 17 and the led light 14 are placed . fig9 shows the right view of the charging cradle device 22 . it shows the top 27 and the bottom 28 of the charging cradle device 22 . it also shows where the side usb port 15 is placed . fig1 shows the left view of the charging cradle device 22 . it shows the top 27 and the bottom 28 of the charging cradle device 22 . it also shows where the micro usb port 16 is placed . although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments , it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention . it is therefore to be understood that modifications or changes may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings , a copying machine incorporating the present invention is shown to comprise a copier unit 10 and a feed module 12 mounted upon the copier unit for movement between the closed position ( fig2 and 6 ) and an open position ( fig1 ). for purposes of illustrative disclosure , the copier unit 10 is of the electrostatic type wherein an original document is illuminated and an image of any indicia thereon is projected through an optical system to light sensitive copy paper , the resultant latent electrostatic image then being developed by the application of toner particles to the paper in a manner well known in the art . more particularly , the copier unit 10 illustrated herein ( see fig1 ) includes a substantially rectangular housing including side walls 14 , 16 . a copy paper transport system 18 is provided to transport a length of copy paper along a pathway from a copy paper input 20 to a copy paper output 22 , the copy paper being stored in a roll 24 supported on a spindle . the copy paper transport system 18 is further defined by co - operating pairs of feed rollers 26 , 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 spaced apart along the pathway and which serve to convey the copy paper past a corona discharge station 36 , an image receiving station 38 , a developing station 40 and , finally , to an output conveyor 42 leading to the copy paper output 22 . a knife 44 is positioned in the copy paper pathway between feed roller pairs 26 and 28 to sever the copy paper to a length corresponding to that of the original document . the top face of the copier unit 10 is constituted a feed deck 45 and by a set of transversely extending guide plates 46 , 48 and 50 and feed rollers 52 , 54 , 56 and 58 . this guide plate and feed roller set in cooperation with a corresponding set of guide plates and feed rollers of the module 12 to be described hereinafter forms an original document transport system for transporting original documents along a straight line document path to and past an illuminating station , defined by scanning window 60 . as will be described hereinafter , travel of the original document along the straight line original document path is synchronized with that of the copy paper along the copy paper path . briefly , the timed relationship is such that at the time the original document reaches the scanning window 60 , a corresponding length of copy paper ( severed by knife 44 ) has travelled past the corona discharge section 36 so as to be charged thereby and has reached the image receiving station 38 . when the original document reaches the scanning window 60 , it is illuminated by a high intensity exposure lamp 62 . light reflected from the original document is transmitted through an optical system , including mirror 64 and lens 66 , onto the sensitized copy paper passing across the image receiving station 38 . the developer station 40 includes a receptacle 68 containing toner solution 70 . feed roller pair 34 squeeze the toner back into the receptacle and transfer the copy paper on to the output conveyor 42 . the feed module 12 basically comprises a pair of complementary shaped side frame walls 72 , 74 interconnected by a pair of the bars 76 and 78 , a tie rod 80 and a horizontal base plate 82 . supported between the side frame walls 72 , 74 and below the base plate 82 is a set of transversely extending guide plates 84 , 86 and 88 and feed rollers 90 , 92 , 94 and 96 . as stated hereinabove this guide plate and feed roller set cooperates with the guide plate and feed roller set of the copier unit 10 to define the original document transport system . as will be discussed below , the feed module 12 further includes facility for receiving a feed table or chute for supporting a stack of original documents , and a feed system , including a document separator mechanism and a transport guide system , for automatically feeding original documents successively from the feed table to the original document transport system . with reference to fig2 and 3 the feed table or chute 98 is shown in its normal inserted position within the module 12 . the chute 98 comprises a unitary , generally channel shaped structure that includes a pair of complementary shaped , downwardly extending side walls 100 , 102 and a top wall 104 which serves as a bottom support table for stacked original documents . the chute 98 is supported between the side frame walls 72 , 74 of the module 12 by locating pins 106 , 108 extending inwardly from the side frame walls and by tie bar 78 , the leading edge regions of the side walls 100 , 102 having arcuate cut out portions s to receive and seat upon the locating pins 106 , 108 and the bottom rear edge regions of the side walls 100 , 102 being shaped to seat upon tie bar 78 . elongated angle shaped guides 110 , 112 attached to the inner faces of side frame walls 72 , 74 facilitate insertion of the chute therebetween . a pair of document side guides 114 , 116 are mounted upon the top wall 104 of the chute . the side guides 114 , 116 are generally angle - shaped in configuration , each comprising an upstanding wall 118 having an inwardly turned leading edge region 120 and an inwardly extending bottom wall 122 . provision is made for adjustable transverse movement of the side guides 114 , 116 so that documents of various widths can be accommodated by the chute . to this end a transverse slot is formed in the top wall 104 of the chute through which extend sliders 124 , one for each of the document side guides , which are fixed to the underside of the bottom walls 122 of the document side guides . downwardly turned portions 126 , 128 of the top wall 104 of the chute both define the above mentioned slot and define runners for the sliders . each slider is provided a thumb screw 129 which extends through a transverse slit in wall portion 126 to enable sidewise adjustment of the document side guides . the document separating arrangement of the document feed system includes a feed tire 130 of relatively soft , high friction rubber , supported on a wheel 132 that is fixed on rotatable shaft 134 extending between journals ( not shown ) supported by the side frame walls 72 , 74 . completing the document separating arrangement , a mount 136 carries a pair of friction bars 138 , 140 in flanking relationship with respect to the feed tire 130 . proper spacing , to be discussed hereinbelow , between the friction bars is maintained by virtue of a spacer plate 142 affixed to mount 136 . a channel shaped bracket 144 and cooperating thumb screw 146 maintain the friction bars positionally upon the mount and permit adjustable movement thereof along the direction of feed ( i . e . to the left or right in fig2 ). the friction bars are disposed , as best shown in fig2 such that the plane defined by the upper surfaces thereof slightly intercepts the outer periphery of the feed tire . to permit adjustment in the amount of such intercept , screws 148 and 150 extend through slots in the mount so that the entire mount can be shifted in the direction of feed . such adjustment need only be made once . with reference to fig3 and 6 , it will be noted that the plane of the support table 104 of chute 98 is slightly inclined with respect to the plane defined by the flat top surfaces of bars 138 and 140 and is substantially tangent to the tire 130 . it will also be noted that the forward region of the support table is cut out to define an opening 104a such that , when the chute is in place , the bars 138 and 140 can freely extend through the cut out region and above the plane of the support table 104 . a tongue 104b of the support table 104 extends into the cut out region between the bars 138 and 140 to the point where the plane defined by the upper surfaces of bars 138 and 140 intercepts the plane defined by the upper surface of support table 104 . this point is slightly short of the region of pinch p ( see fig5 ) between the bars 138 and 140 and feed tire 130 ( i . e . the length region along bars 138 and 140 below the top surface of which the feed tire dips ). in the presently referred form illustrated herein , the feed tire 130 and wheel assembly is a conventional assembly commonly used in various feeding applications , the tire being of pure gum rubber and having a width of 1 / 2 &# 34 ; and the wheel - tire assembly having a diameter of 1 - 9 / 16 inches . with particular reference to fig4 a sectional view through the axis of the tire 130 and along a line normal to the plane of support table 104 , the bars 138 and 140 are positioned in the illlustrated embodiment to afford a penetration by the tire 130 below the upper surfaces thereof of approximately 1 / 32 inch and a clearance between the feed tire and each of the bars of approximately 1 / 16 inch . in the embodiment disclosed herein the bars are formed of aluminum with an approximately 1 / 16 inch thick top layer of rubber bonded thereto . the rubber constituting the upper surface of bars 138 and 140 in the embodiment illustrated herein is 70 durometer neoprene exhibiting a surface friction greater than that of paper . ( it has been found that the surface friction of such rubber purchased in strip form from suppliers can vary . whether the neoprene is suitable can quickly be determined upon pushing one &# 39 ; s finger with gentle pressure over the surface . if the finger slides along smoothly , the rubber will not be satisfactory . if the finger bumps along the surface , the rubber will be satisfactory ). the above described feed tire and friction bar arrangement enables , as stated hereinabove , proper feeding of a stack of documents and requires no adjustment to maintain such proper feeding even though the thicknesses of documents being fed vary from that of vellum to that of relatively heavy cardstock such as punch cards and the like . the reason for this attribute can be best understood with reference to fig2 and 4 . as is conventional , any stack of documents to be fed is first fanned ( i . e . slanting the stack so that the leading edge of the upper of any two adjacent sheets of the stack slightly overhangs the leading edge of the lower of such adjacent sheets ) and then slid into the supply chute 98 . because the stack has been fanned , the leading edges of the upper documents will be urged downwardly by the pressure of the feed tire on the upper leading edge region of the topmost sheet . depending upon considerations such as the height of the stack and the extent to which the stack has been fanned , the leading edge of the topmost document may or may not initially be located at or near the pinch area p ( see fig5 ). likewise , if the stack has not been perfectly fanned , the leading edge of the topmost document may not overhang or lead the leading edge of the sheet immediately therebelow . in any case , upon rotation of the feed tire 130 ( clockwise direction in fig2 ) the topmost document will be drawn in the feed direction . if the leading edge of the topmost document initially was at the pinch area p , immediately upon being drawn the upper surfaces of friction bars 138 and 140 , and particularly the upper edges thereof adjacent the tire 130 , will engage spaced apart localized underside regions of the sheet being drawn to maintain such regions in a plane that slightly intercepts the perimeter of the tire . such results in a slight bending of the sheet between such spaced apart regions by the pressure of the feed tire upon the topside of the sheet , as well as pinching forces acting between the inner edge regions of the bars and the underside of the sheet and acting between the tire and topside of the sheet . the rolling coefficient of friction of the tire , being greater than that of the sliding coefficient of friction of the rubber , forming the top inner edge region of the bars 138 and 140 , the sheet will continue to be drawn by rotation of the tire . if the leading edges of two sheets simultaneously reach the area of pinch p , rotation of the feed tire will draw only the upper of the two documents because the pinching forces and higher coefficient of friction of the rubber of bars 138 and 140 , as compared with that of paper , almost immediately causes a condition of slide between the sheets . it has been found that the document separating and feeding mechanism illustrated herein results in no damage to the sheets being fed . in this connection it should be noted that the feed tire , being of resilient material ( pure gum rubber in the illustrated embodiment ) will tend to flatten against a relatively stiff document rather than bend it enough to cause any creasing . testing has shown that the amount of bending inflicted upon sheets of thin , flexible material is insufficient to cause permanent creasing or other damage . document separating and feeding mechanisms , such as that disclosed herein , have been found to be capable of several thousand successive operations on documents of variable thickness prior to a misfeed . the mechanism will begin to occasionally misfeed after the top inner edges ( i . e . the neoprene ) of the bars 138 and 140 wear down to the extent that insufficient pinching action is available . with the arrangement illustrated herein , when such wear has occurred ; the thumb screw 146 can be loosened and the position of the bars 138 and 140 adjusted so as to present unworn top inner edge regions in the pinch area p . in this connection the disposition of the elongated bars illustrated herein need only be such as to afford edge regions in the pinch area . the choice of neoprene to serve as the edge regions was made after determining that such material exhibited excellent wear characteristics as well as suitable frictional characteristics . in similar vein the configuration of the bars 138 and 140 was selected in order to afford the ability to easily replace worn edges in the pinch area p . fine abrasive stone would be a suitable alternative to the neoprene except that it exhibits less desirable wear characteristics . the transport guide system of the document feed system includes a pair of receiving guides 152 , 154 ; a pair of direction reversing guides 156 , 158 ; and feed roller pair 160 , 161 , all of which extend between the side frame walls 72 , 74 of the feed module 12 . in order to afford access to the document reversing path , reversing guide 156 is removably secured in spaced relation to guide 158 by a pair of thumb screws 159 which are in threaded engagement with annular seats 159a fixed to guide 158 . the seats 159a are located near the side frame walls 72 , 74 so as not to impede the document path . completing the document feed system , a switch 162 mounted upon the base plate 82 of the feed module , has a wire trip arm 164 extending through aligned slits 166 , 168 of reversing guides 156 , 158 so as to be deflected upon passage of a document therebetween . as will be explained hereinbelow , when trip arm 164 is deflected , switch 162 acts to prevent feed tire 130 from operating to further separate documents from the document stack . referring now particularly to fig6 and 7 , the mechanical drive means for the original document transport system and the copy paper transport system will be described . a motor ( not shown ) drives a main sprocket 182 , which in turn drives a continuous revolving drive chain 184 . the rollers 52 , 54 , 56 and 58 of the copier unit 10 are linked to the chain 184 respectively by sprockets 186 , 188 , 190 and 192 . operating driving force is imparted to the document feed system of the feed module through the engagement of driven feed roller 52 of the copier unit 10 with feed roller 90 of the feed module 12 . the rotary motion , imparted to roller 90 , is transmitted via a gear train comprising input gear 170 ( which is fixed to rotate with roller 90 ), idler gears 172 , 174 , driven gear 176 ( which is fixed to rotate guide roller 161 ) and driven gear 178 . gear 178 is connected through an electrically operated clutch 180 such that it is connected to drivingly rotate shaft 134 when clutch 180 is engaged . one roller each of roller pairs 26 , 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 of the copy paper transport system are similarly linked to the chain 184 respectively by sprockets 194 , 196 , 198 , 200 and 202 . the other roller of each cooperating pair is an idler roller . a copy paper clutch , indicated generally by the reference numeral 204 ( fig7 ) couples and decouples sprocket 194 from the shaft of the input drive roller of roller pair 26 . when the clutch energizes , the input roller pair 26 pulls the copy paper from the roll 24 into the copy paper pathway and past the knife 44 toward the roller pair 28 . a document - switch 206 ( fig2 ) is centrally positioned between sidewalls 14 , 16 of the copier unit adjacent to the input drive roller 52 . switch 206 includes a trip arm 208 and stationary terminals 210 and 212 . arm 208 is depressed by the leading edge of an original document from an original - position in contact with terminal 210 to a copy - position in contact with terminal 212 . when switch 206 initially switches into the copy - position , clutch 204 , a knife relay 214 and a first solenoid stop means 216 energize . the knife relay 214 controls switches 218 and 220 . switch 218 includes a switch arm 221 and contacts 222 and 224 ; and switch 220 includes switch arm 226 and contacts 228 and 230 . switch arm 221 is connected to terminal 232 of a knife solenoid 234 . the energizing or de - energizing of the solenoid 234 causes knife switch 236 to open and close . the other terminal 238 of knife solenoid 234 is connected to line 1 of the ac power . contact 222 is connected to contact 210 of switch 206 , and contact 224 is unconnected . switch arm 226 is connected to line 2 of the ac power . contact 228 is connected to contact 212 of document - switch 206 , to input power terminal 240 of the first solenoid stop means 216 and a terminal 242 of knife switch 236 . the other input power terminal 244 of the stop means 216 is connected to ac line 1 . contact 230 is connected to input power terminal 246 of a second solenoid stop means 248 . input power terminal 250 of knife relay 214 is connected to ac line 1 and input terminal 252 is connected to switch arm 254 of knife switch 236 and terminal 256 of copy clutch 204 . a light relay 258 includes a switch 260 having a switch arm 262 moving between contacts 264 and 268 . switch arm 262 is connected to ac line 1 ; contact 264 is connected to input power terminal 270 of the second solenoid stop means 248 , to the corona power supply 36 &# 39 ; and to the high intensity exposure lamp 62 ; and contact 268 is connected to a heater unit 272 . input power terminals 274 and 276 of relay 258 are connected respectively to ac line 2 and contact 278 of a copy - switch 280 . contact 282 of copy - switch 280 is connected to terminal 284 of clutch 204 ; and switch arm 286 of copy - switch 280 is connected to ac line 1 . the corona power supply 36 &# 39 ; and exposure lamp 62 are turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; when switch arm 286 connects with contact 278 . a cam - switch control cooperates with the copy - switch 280 to primarily control the &# 34 ; on - off &# 34 ; of the corona and the exposure lamp . the switch control means comprises a cam 290 comprising an outward extending neck portion 292 having an arcuate outer edge . the leading side edge 294 of the cam abuts fingers 296 , 298 ( see fig6 ) respectively of the first and second solenoid stop means 216 and 248 at different times of the copy cycle . the outer edge of neck portion 292 depresses the switch arm 286 of the copy - switch 280 . the fingers 296 , 298 respectively of solenoid stop means 216 and 248 block the cam 290 when in a de - energized condition and release the cam in an energized condition . a gear train indicated generally by reference numeral 300 links cam 290 with the chain drive 184 ( fig6 ). gear train 300 comprises an input gear 302 , output gear 304 , and intermediate gears 306 and 308 . input gear 302 meshes with chain coupling gear 310 which is fixed to the shaft of the driven roller of roller pair 30 . sprocket 198 linked with main chain 184 is also mounted on such shaft . output gear 304 and cam 290 are mounted on a stub shaft 312 . intermediate gear 308 is linked with intermediate gear 306 and the output gear 304 . the rotational speed of cam 290 is the same as the rotational speed of the output gear 304 . the speed of the output gear with respect to the speed of the chain 184 or a gear directly linked with the chain is determined by the size of the coupling gear 310 , the input gear 302 , the intermediate gear 306 and the output gear 304 . gear 308 functions primarily as a transmission gear . the feed tire clutch 180 has one of its terminals 314 directly connected to a terminal 316 of a male plug 318 that is fixed to project through the underside of the feed module 12 and engage with a female socket 320 fixed to the topside of the copier unit 10 . the other terminal 322 of clutch 180 is connected to switch arm 164 of switch 162 . terminal 324 of switch 162 is connected to the other terminal 326 of plug 318 . terminal 328 of female socket 320 is normally connected to ac line 1 while its other terminal 330 is connected through a low paper switch 332 to terminal 210 of switch 208 . switch arm 334 of low paper switch 332 is operable to break the connection between terminal 210 and 330 when the supply of copy paper on roll 24 is nearly exhausted . a low paper by - pass switch 336 can be used to override low paper switch 332 . operation of the sequential switching of the machine will be first described for the manual mode of operation . all switches in fig7 are shown in their respective positions prior to inserting an original document into the machine for reproduction . when the original document is inserted , its leading edge depresses arm 208 of document - switch 206 from the original - position to the copy - position , causing the clutch 204 , the knife relay 214 and the first solenoid stop means 216 to energize . the energized clutch 204 enables input roller pair 26 to pull the copy paper into the copy paper transport system . in the energized or &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; state for knife relay 214 , switch 218 provides a pathway from ac line 2 to terminal 232 of the knife solenoid 234 , which becomes the sole pathway to line 2 for the knife solenoid after the document - switch 206 is switched back to its original position ; and switch 220 provides a pathway from ac line 2 to terminal 252 of the knife relay 214 via knife switch 236 , to maintain the knife relay 214 energized for the time interval after the document - switch 206 has returned to its original position and prior to the operation of the knife solenoid 234 of knife 44 . prior to the release of the first solenoid stop means 216 from contact with the cam 290 , the outer edge of neck portion 292 of the cam maintains switch arm 286 in connection with contact 282 of the copy - switch 280 , which is its initial - position . when the first solenoid stop means 216 is energized , finger 296 is moved out of contact with cam 290 . the cam now free of contact with finger 296 rotates clockwise until the leading edge 294 of neck portion 292 abuts the second finger 298 of the second solenoid stop means 248 . during the cam movement between the first and second stop means 216 and 248 , the neck portion 292 moves out of contact with the copy - switch 286 . when this occurs , the copy - switch 280 switches into its operational - position , thereby severing the path between ac line 2 and clutch 204 and energizing the light relay 258 . when the clutch is de - energized , the driven roller of roller pair 26 is decoupled from chain 184 and the copy paper is primarily pulled along the guide path by roller pair 28 . when light relay 258 is energized , relay switch 260 severs the path between the heater means 272 and ac line 2 and connects ac line 2 with the corona high voltage power supply 36 &# 39 ;, the exposure lamp 62 , and terminal 270 of the second solenoid stop means 248 . when the trailing edge of the original document has moved past the document - switch 206 , switch arm 208 returns to to its original position ; thereby providing a current path between ac line 2 and terminal 232 of knife solenoid 234 via switch 218 of knife relay 214 . this energizes the knife solenoid 234 , causing a length of copy paper to be severed from the roll and the solenoid switch 236 to &# 34 ; break open &# 34 ;. when solenoid switch 236 is open , the path between terminal 252 of the knife relay 214 and ac line 2 is severed , causing the knife relay 214 to de - energize . switch 220 , in its de - energized or &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; state , severs the ac link with the first solenoid stop means 216 and provides a link between ac line 2 and terminal 246 of the second solenoid stop means 248 , causing respectively the first stop means 216 to de - energize and the second stop means 248 to energize . when the second stop means 248 is energized , finger 298 is moved out of contact with cam 290 . the cam , now free of contact with finger 298 , continues its clockwise rotation until contacting finger 296 of the first stop means 216 . prior to reaching finger 296 , the cam switches the copy - switch 280 from the operational - position to the initial position . when the copy - switch 280 switches back to the initial - position , light relay 258 is de - energized , thereby turning off the corona power supply 36 &# 39 ; and the exposure lamp 62 . now the machine is in stand by awaiting another original document . operation for the power feed or automatic feed mode is the same as the manual mode except that the sequence is initiated by the feed tire 130 drawing the uppermost from a stack of documents located in the chute into the nip of roller pair 160 , 161 . when the leading edge of such document reaches the trip arm 164 of feed roller switch 162 , the trip arm is depressed by the document which breaks the connection between terminal 314 of the feed tire clutch 180 and ac line 1 thereby deactivating the feed tire and preventing it from drawing another document . travel of the previously drawn document continues under the influence of roller pair 160 , 161 until such document is guided into the original document transport path and into the nip of roller pair 52 , 90 . the leading edge of the document depresses trip arm 208 which breaks the connection between terminal 322 of the feed tire clutch 180 and ac line 2 thereby preventing feed tire 130 from further drawing another document . when the trailing edge of the document passes trip arm 208 , terminals 314 and 322 are both connected with their respective ac lines and feed tire 130 is operable to draw a subsequent document from the stack . the distance between trip arms 164 and 208 is preferably slightly less than the minimum length of original document recommended for use in order to insure that trip arm 164 is not released until trip arm 208 is depressed . this distance is 5 - 1 / 4 inches in the illustrated embodiment . with reference to fig1 and 2 it will be noted that when the feed module 12 is swung to its open condition the set of guide plates 46 , 48 and 50 and feed rollers 52 , 54 , 56 and 58 are completely free so as to permit their utilization for the purpose of making copies of documents which are not in sheet form . to make a copy of a book page , for example , the operator need only rest the book upon the feed deck with the leading edge of the book page to be copied atop roller 52 and initiate the copy sequence . the operator , by maintaining light downward pressure on the book , allows the roller 52 to move the book toward roller 54 and ultimately to rollers 56 and 58 past the illuminating window 60 in proper timed relationship with the copy paper . it will now be apparent that there has been provided a photocopy machine which avoids the disadvantages of prior constructions and which achieves the foregoing objects . in this connection it should be understood that , while a specific preferred embodiment has been disclosed herein , various changes and variations may readily be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
the measuring arrangement shown in fig1 includes a laser 10 which constitutes a source of monochromatic coherent electromagnetic radiation . the light beam 12 emitted by laser 10 passes through a pin diaphragm 14 to a beam splitter 16 . beam splitter 16 divides beam 12 into two beams of equal energy content , namely a measuring beam 18 and a reference beam 20 . of course the energy applied to the beam splitter could be apportioned differently between the measuring and reference beams . in the illustrated example , beam splitter 16 is made up of two right angle prisms . other suitable beam splitters could of course be substituted . the intensity of the reference beam is controlled by a rotatable polarizer 22 . after passing through polarizer 22 , beam 20 impinges upon a mixer 24 which is constructed in identical fashion to beam splitter 16 . measuring beam 18 passes through a pin diaphragm 26 and a deviating element , here illustrated as a right angle prism , 28 . the beam is deviated by 90 degrees from its original direction of propagation and impinges upon a biconvex lens 30 in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the latter . a cylindrical measuring cell 32 is arranged at the focal point of lens 30 . the cylinder axis is perpendicular to the optical axis 34 of lens 30 and extends in the direction parallel to the direction of beam 12 . measuring cell 32 contains the test particles which will move in the direction parallel to the cylinder axis under the influence of a voltage applied to electrodes 36 and 38 . a biconvex lens 40 , a right angle prism 42 , and a pin diaphragm 44 , respectively identical to lens 30 prism 28 and pin diaphragm 26 , are arranged on the side of measuring cell 32 facing away from lens 30 . specifically , they are so arranged as to form the mirror image of these elements relative to a plane passing through the cylinder axis of the measuring cell in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper . measuring beam 18 after deviation by prism 28 is again deviated by lens 30 in a direction towards its optical axis . it passes through the common focal point f of lenses 30 and 40 . measuring beam 18 is scattered by the particles moving in measuring cell 32 , the frequency of the scattered light being shifted by the doppler effect because of the movement of the scattering particles . the scattered light emanating from the measuring cell in the vicinity of the focal point f falls on lens 40 and emerges from lens 40 in a direction parallel to the optical axis 34 . the part of the light beam emerging from lens 40 which falls on prism 42 is deviated by 90 degrees towards pin diaphragm 44 . beam 46 emerging from diaphragm 54 falls onto beam mixer 24 in such a way that it , together with reference beam 20 whose direction of propagation was changed at the diagonal surface 48 of beam mixer 24 , pass through a pin diaphragm 50 and fall on the photocathode 52 of a detector 54 . since the frequency of the scattered beam 46 differs slightly from the frequency of reference beam 20 , detector 54 receives a signal whose amplitude is modulated by the beat frequency . this signal is used to derive the frequency spectrum from which can then be derived the doppler frequency shift and therefrom the velocity of the moving particles . evaluation stage 56 in which these computations are carried out is not illustrated in detail since it is a known unit and since the present invention is not concerned with this evaluation , but rather with a particularly simple way of causing the correct signal to fall on photocathode 52 , without adjustment of reference beam 20 , regardless of the scattering angle through which the measurement is being taken . the light from measuring beam 18 which enters measuring cell 32 is , in principle , scattered in all directions . the scattering takes place in the main in the forward direction when the particles are larger than the wave lengths of the impinging laser beam . in order to determine the doppler frequency shift resulting from the scattering by the moving particles of the light falling into measuring cell 32 , a knowledge of the scattering angle and the scattering vector is required . scattering angle θ is the angle between the direction of the incoming beam and the direction of the particular scattered beam being observed , that is the angle between the incoming beam and the direction relative to the incoming beam at which the scattering volume is being observed . the scattering angle thus also constitutes the measuring angle . in fig1 the angle θ between the direction of measuring beam 18 and the selected scattered beam 46 is illustrated . the scattering vector k results from the difference between the wave vector of the impinging wave and the wave vector of the scattered wave . the reasons which will be explained in greater detail below , the direction of scattering vector k is in the direction of the cylinder axis of measuring cell 32 in the arrangement illustrated in fig1 . if it is now desired to carry out a series of measurements at different scattering angles , this can be done in a very simple way with the arrangement illustrated in fig1 . specifically , it is only necessary that prism 42 be shifted in the direction towards beam mixer 24 . if prism 42 is moved from the position shown in fig1 in solid lines to the position shown in broken lines , then a scattered beam 46 &# 39 ; having a smaller scattering angle θ &# 39 ; will be detected . however , this changed position of prism 42 does not result in any change in either the direction or the position of the measuring beam coming from prism 42 . the latter thus always impinges upon beam mixer 24 in the same location . it thus always combines properly with reference beam 20 without necessitating any change in the reference beam location or direction for a change in measuring angle . prism 42 and diaphragm 44 thus constitute an optical arrangement which allows selection of light scattered at a particular measuring angle for measuring purposes . reference to fig1 will show that prism 28 which deviates measuring beam 18 towards lens 30 is also adjustable in position , namely in the direction of the propagation of laser beam 12 . specifically , prisms 48 and 42 are both fastened on to a carriage 58 which may be moved by a schematically illustrated calibrated fine control 60 . therefore prisms 28 and 42 are always moved by an identical distance , as is indicated by the positions of the prisms shown by the broken lines . because of this symmetrical arrangement and symmetrical movement of prisms 28 and 42 , the scattering vector k always points in the direction of the cylinder axis of measuring cell 32 and is therefore always parallel to the velocity vector v which indicates the velocity of the particles in measuring cell 32 . if measuring beam 18 would always impinge in the same direction onto measuring cell 32 , then , for different scattering angles θ , the scattering vector would change its direction by an amount θ / 2 . it must be stressed again , that laser 10 , beam splitter 16 , beam mixer 24 , detector 54 , measuring cell 32 and lenses 30 and 40 remain in the same position throughout the whole measuring series . a change in the measuring angle is effected solely by moving the carriage 58 with prisms 28 and 42 . therefore , in order to carry out a whole measuring series for different measuring ( scattering ) angles , it is only necessary to move drive 60 , which is a calibrated drive , by an amount required for the particular desired angular change . a change in the direction or position of the reference beam and therefore an adjustment of the optical elements determining the path of the reference beam is not required . this results in a considerable shortening of the time required for carrying out this series of measurements . fig7 shows a variation of the arrangement shown in fig1 . corresponding elements are labelled with the same reference numerals . the difference between the embodiment shown in fig7 and that shown in fig1 is , that in fig7 prisms 28 and 42 are mounted in a fixed position , while lenses 30 and 40 together with measuring cell 32 are mounted on a carriage 59 . carriage 59 is movable by a fine drive 61 in a direction parallel to the direction of propagation of beams 18 and 46 . if the carriage with lenses 30 and 40 and measuring cell 32 is moved from the position shown in solid lines to that indicated by broken lines , a beam 46 &# 39 ; with a scattering angle θ &# 39 ; will fall onto prism 42 instead of beam 46 with scattering angle θ . this arrangement has the advantage that the carriage 59 carrying the lenses and the measuring cell is smaller than the carriage 58 which carries prisms 28 and 42 as shown in fig1 . the arrangement shown in fig1 and 7 allow measurement of movement of particles in the horizontal direction , as is for example required in the measuring of electrophoretic mobility of the particles . it is however also possible with the apparatus of the present invention to measure the sedimentation rate of the particles , that is the speed with which the particles move in the test fluid under the influence of gravity . for example , the blood sedimentation rate may be measured . this is a clinically important parameter . in order to conduct an angle - dependent measurement of a vertical velocity , prisms 28 and 42 ( fig1 ) or lenses 30 and 40 ( fig7 ) are moved so that the beam coming from prism 28 and the beam entering prism 42 propagate along the optical axis of lenses 30 and 40 . in order to have a vertical scattering angle and to change the scattering angle , the cylindrical measuring cell whose axis in the arrangement shown in fig1 is in the same plane as the optical axis of lenses 30 and 40 is shifted in the vertical direction as shown in fig2 . under these conditions the measuring beam 18 does not pass through the cylindrical measuring cell in a straight line , but rather the path of propagation shown in fig2 results . if a denotes the vertical movement of the measuring cell from its original position , r denotes the outer radius of the measuring cell and n denotes the index of refraction of the glass wall of the measuring cell , then , if it is assumed that the index of refraction of the glass wall is approximately equal to the index of refraction of the test fluid , the following equation will be a good approximation : ## equ1 ## from this equation it is seen that up to an angle θ of approximately 20 °, the scattering angle θ is proportional to the change in position a . thus measuring cell 32 is mounted in such a way that it can be shifted in the vertical direction by the aid of a calibrated drive 62 , schematically indicated in fig2 . it is necessary for this type of measurement that the outer radius r of the measuring cell is constant throughout . if a measuring cell with plane parallel surfaces is used instead of cylindrical measuring cell 32 , a vertical scattering vector can be created by mounting lenses 30 and 40 as well as the measuring cell in such a way that their position in the vertical direction can be changed together . for this purpose lenses 30 and 40 and the holder for the measuring cell are arranged on a table 64 which is movable in the vertical direction by means of a fine drive 66 . in fig1 a second detector 68 is arranged at right angles to detector 54 . the two detectors may be operated in parallel , or may be used to analyze the polarized and unpolarized components of the scattered light simultaneously by use of polarizers at 90 ° angles relative to each other . such an arrangement is important for the measurement of anisotropic molecules or particles . the main advantage of the above described apparatus is thus that a change in the measuring angle is achieved either by a linear movement of prisms 28 and 42 relative to lenses 30 , 40 or a linear movement of measuring cell 32 . all other units of the apparatus remain fixed and calibrated as originally set . no goniometer is required . it is true that for the arrangement shown in fig1 scattering a angle θ of at the most 60 ° can be measured . apparatus in which measuring of larger scattering angles is also possible will now be described with reference to fig3 and 4 . in fig3 a central column 72 is screwed on to a table 70 . also mounted on table 70 , coaxially to central column 72 and on a ball bearing 76 , is a disc 74 . disc 74 is maintained in a fixed position in the axial direction of central column 72 by a nut 78 , a further ball bearing 80 being arranged between nut 78 and disc 74 . in this arrangement laser 10 , diaphragm 14 , beam splitter 16 and a deviating prism 82 for reference beam 20 are mounted fixedly on table 72 . a measuring cell arrangement including measuring cell 32 is mounted at the upper end of column 72 . the measuring cell is made of a thin glass tube whose axis is arranged intersecting the axis of rotation 86 of disc 74 at right angles . detector 54 , beam mixer 24 and a deviating prism 85 for the scattered measuring beam 46 are arranged on disc 74 . the detector can thus be rotated around axis 86 jointly with the beam mixer , in order to intercept scattered beams at different scattering angles . in conventional arrangements of this type it is necessary to adjust the position of the reference beam in accordance with the rotational position of the above mentioned elements , that is the optical elements which determined the direction of propagation of the reference beam have to be adjusted . the need for this adjustment is avoided in the present invention . specifically , reference beam 20 emerging from beam splitter 16 is deviated by a prism 82 and is focused by lens 88 onto a glass capillary tube 90 . capillary tube 90 is mounted coaxially to the axis of rotation 86 . the reference beam is scattered by the capillary tube . specifically , propagation of reference beam 20 takes place in a slit 91 which extends in the horizontal direction over half the cross - section of surface of column 72 . as is particularly clearly shown in fig4 at the input side of measuring cell 32 measuring beam 18 and reference beam 20 are in a vertical plane containing the axis of rotation 86 . similarly , the scattered beam 46 and reference beam 20 at the output side of measuring cell 32 are in a vertical plane containing axis 36 . however , the latter plane is rotated relative to the first mentioned plane by the scattering angle θ . the two planes therefore intersect along axis 86 . since scattering of the reference beam takes place at the point of intersection of the reference beam with axis 86 , a scattered part of reference beam 20 will fall on beam mixer 24 regardless of scattering angle θ . that means that no optical element determining the direction of propagation of the reference beam need be readjusted or recalibrated when disc 74 turns . the reference beam and the desired measuring beam always fall on the same point of beam mixer 24 , independent of the selected measuring angle θ and from there impinge upon detector 54 in a direction independent of the angle of rotation of the disc . it is obvious that with this arrangement measurements at scattering angles of more than 90 ° can readily be carried out . if the scattering vector k is to remain parallel at all times to the direction of movement of the particles , measuring cell 32 must be turned by an angle θ / 2 when the disc is turned by an angle θ . this requirement can be met without difficulty by use of gearing having a suitable gear ratio between the disc and a mounting for the measuring arrangement 84 . adjustment of the position of measuring arrangement 84 on the column can be achieved by two carriages 81 arranged at right angles to each other . it is a particular advantage of the arrangement according to fig3 and 4 that the optical paths for the measuring and reference beam are exactly identical because of prisms 82 and 85 and beam splitter 16 and beam mixer 24 . this allows optimum use of the length of coherence of the laser beam . this is not the case with the arrangement shown in fig1 and 2 . however , even the latter arrangement can be so compactly built that the difference in the path length between the measuring beam and the reference beam is relatively small and that , for a length of coherence for the laser beam of several meters , no serious difficulties arise . it is also to be noted that a grey filter 83 is arranged in the path between beam splitter 16 and deviating prism 82 so that the intensity of the reference beam may be varied . instead of scattering the reference beams by means of capillary tube 90 , the reference beam could be applied to beam mixer 24 by means of optical fibers . since the optical fibers are very flexible it is again possible to rotate disc 74 without requiring a further adjustment of the path of the reference beam . if optical fibers are used the additional advantage results that the length of path of the reference and measuring beams can be adjusted to be exactly equal . in fig1 through 4 the measuring cell is schematically pictured as a tube . a particular arrangement for mounting the measuring cell will now be described relative to fig5 and 6 . this arrangement allows the electrophoretic velocity of the particles to be measured very easily and also allows a quick and convenient changing of the test samples . referring now to fig5 and 6 , a housing 92 is shown which is in the form of a right parallelepiped . housing 92 has two open chambers 94 and 96 which are separated by a block 98 from each other . block 98 has a cylindrical bore 100 for receiving a cylindrical cell holder 102 . bore 100 extends through the whole block 98 , but has a shoulder 104 against which one face of cell holder 102 abuts , so that the latter is exactly positioned in the axial direction within bore 100 . cell holder 102 also has a radial bore 106 which extends in the direction perpendicular to the cylinder axis . bore 106 receives measuring cell 32 , which is a capillary glass tube . bore 106 has a conical shape at its radial extremities . cell holder 102 further has an axial hole which is constituted by a bore 108 which is continued by an oblong reamed hole 110 . bore 108 faces the incident measuring beam , while opening 110 is on the side of the scattered measuring beams . reamed hole 110 increases the angle and thereby the possible measuring region which may be scanned without adjustment of housing 92 . two pins 112 are arranged diametrically opposite one another at the outer surface of cell holder 102 . a key applied to pin 112 allows the cell holder to be turned within bore 100 . turning of cell holder 102 within bore 100 allows measuring cell 32 in its vertical position to be aligned with a lower inlet channel 114 and an upper outlet channel 116 within block 98 . both of channels 114 and 116 are widened in a conical shape towards the outside , to allow application of a syringe . if it is desired to replace measuring cell 32 , cell holder 102 may be pushed out of bore 100 . each of the walls of housing 92 away from block 98 has a threaded hole 118 whose axis extends through measuring cell 32 when the latter is turned in the horizontal direction . electrode holders 120 , each carrying an electrode 122 at its inner extremity , can be screwed into threaded holes 118 . each electrode holder 120 consists of a cylindrical knob which has a knurled outer surface . a socket 124 is arranged on the side of electrode holder 12 which is away from the electrode , and is electrically connected to the latter through electrode holder 120 . when electrode holder 120 is screwed into bore 118 , a ring shaped seal 126 is inserted between the wall of the housing and electrode holder 120 . this prevents buffer fluid from escaping from chambers 94 and 96 . as shown in fig6 the walls of chambers 94 and 96 adjacent to block 98 are of cylindrical shape , the axis of the cylinder being perpendicular to the axis of bore 100 . this cylindrical surface is so arranged that it intersects the cylindrical bore . this creates two openings 128 located diametrically opposite one another which constitute a connection between chambers 94 and 96 and bore 100 and therefore create the possibility of a connection between measuring cell 32 and chambers 94 and 96 . openings 128 are sealed by dialytic membranes 130 . the latter are pressed by membrane retaining members 132 against the contacting surface 134 formed by the semi - cylindrical wall of the chamber . the side of membrane retaining pieces 132 which abuts membranes 130 is also of cylindrical shape , the radius of curvature being matched to the curvature of surface 134 . in the region of bore 128 , the membrane retaining members have a recess 136 into which the cell holder 102 project ( see fig5 ). commercially available dialytic membranes can be used to constitute the above described membranes . members 132 are pressed against surface 134 by a clamping arrangement . this arrangement includes a bushing 138 which has an open end fastened to the wall of the housing which faces away from block 98 , mounted coaxially with bore 118 . the closed end of bushing 138 has a threaded bore 140 in a direction coaxial to its longitudinal axis . a hollow screw 142 may be screwed into bore 140 . as shown in fig5 when screw 142 is screwed out of bushing 138 , membrane holder 132 is pressed against surface 134 thereby clamping membrane 130 tightly between surface 134 and member 132 to form a tight seal . to allow current to flow between electrodes 122 through measuring cell 32 , a through channel 144 is provided in membrane holders 132 , the channel being aligned with the inside bores of hollow screw 142 and bushing 138 . in order to allow a buffer solution to flow into the through channel , through openings 146 are provided in bushing 138 and the membrane holder . these through openings also allow air to escape which may have been enclosed in the hollow spaces . turning of the hollow screw can be effected with the aid of a pin which is inserted into radial bores 148 of the screw . it is a great advantage of the present invention that the test fluid may be replaced without affecting the buffer solution in chambers 94 and 96 . cell holder 102 can even be pushed out of board 100 without allowing buffer fluid to enter the board . thus the fluid test samples can be exchanged rapidly , again increasing the speed with which a series of measurements can carried out . the housing is preferably made of acrylic glass . a preferred material for manufacturing cell holder 102 and membrane holder 132 is polytetrafluor ethylene since it is impervious to fluid and slides readily . the measuring cell can be a glass capillary tube of , for example , 0 . 8 mn inside diameter whose inner surface is coated with , for example , a hydrogel in order to prevent electrosmosis by shielding the charges on the glass walls . the electrodes may consist of a silver / silver chloride electrode pair or a platinum / platinum electrode pair . fig8 shows an alternate embodiment of the measuring cell arrangement , in a partly sectional side view , the same elements again having the same reference numerals . in the measuring cell arrangement shown in fig8 the blocked - shaped housing 92 is contained within an outer casing generally denoted by reference numeral 150 . casing 150 has a base plate 152 and two lateral guides 154 . base plate 152 may , for example , be fastened to table 64 in the measuring arrangements shown on fig1 and 7 . a horizontal cross sectional view of lateral guides 154 present a substantially c - shaped profile , the distance between the legs of the c being equal to the width of housing 92 . thus , housing 92 may be inserted into the outer casing from the top between the lateral guides 154 as between two tracks and will be retained in a fixed horizontal position by the lateral guides . a check bolt 156 prevents movement of housing 92 in a vertical direction . check bolt 156 passes through a bore 158 and lateral guide 154 in the right hand side of fig8 and has a free end 160 which engages a substantially circular recess 162 in the side of housing 92 facing lateral guide 154 . the position of check bolt 156 shown in fig8 can be fixed by means of a locking pin 164 in a type of bayonet catch arrangement . turning locking pin 164 through a predetermined angle frees it , allowing check bolt 156 to be pulled out of recess 162 . in order to clamp housing 92 fixedly within outer casing 150 , the free end 160 of check bolt 156 is eccentric to its axis , the position of the eccentric being such that check bolt 156 abuts the lower portion of recess 162 when in its final position and thereby presses housing 162 against base plate 152 . conductors 165 are imbedded in base plate 152 , for connecting contacts 166 on the bottom of base plate 152 with sliding contacts 168 arranged on the inner side of lateral guides 154 . each side of housing 92 facing a lateral guide 154 has a contact pin 170 which is connected to the electrode 122 projecting into buffer chambers 94 and 96 respectively . chambers 94 and 96 are each cylindrically shaped . membrane holder 132 is a half cylinder whose edges 172 are inclined at an angle relative to the cylinder axis . holder 132 is pressed against the wall of chamber 94 by means of a half cylindrical clamp 174 whose edges 176 are inclined at an angle complementary to the angle of the edges of membrane holder 132 . when clamp 174 is inserted into a chamber 96 , it acts as a wedge which pushes membrane holder 132 against the membrane . in the measuring arrangement according to fig8 the inlet channel 114 ends on one side of housing 92 , a bore 178 aligned with inlet channel 114 being provided in lateral guide 54 , so that , for example , a syringe with the material to be examined can be inserted into inlet channel 114 . an opening for cleaning purposes which can be closed by a plug 180 is situated at the intersection of the horizontal part of inlet channel 114 and a vertical rise thereof . the measuring arrangement shown on fig8 functions in the same way as that shown in fig5 and 6 . while the invention has been illustrated in preferred embodiments , it is not to be limited to the circuits or structures shown , since many variations thereof will be evident once skilled in the art and are intended to be encompassed in the present invention as set forth in the following claims . | 6 |
hereinafter , the present invention is further described in detail . the component ( a ) is an organopolysiloxane which has at least two alkenyl groups bonded to a silicon atom and at least one fluorine - containing substituent bonded to a silicon atom , in one molecule , and has a fluorine content of from 20 to 40 % by weight . if the fluorine content exceeds 40 % by weight , the organopolysiloxane may become insoluble in a non - fluorine solvent . if the fluorine content is less than 20 % by weight , releasability of the cured coating from silicone adhesives may become poor . as the organopolysiloxane of component ( a ), those represented by the following formula may suitably be used . in the formula above , r 2 is an alkenyl group having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms . illustrative examples thereof include a vinyl group , an allyl group , a hexenyl group and the like . r 3 is an unsubstituted or substituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms , excluding unsaturated aliphatic groups . illustrative examples thereof include alkyl groups ( e . g ., a methyl group , an ethyl group , a propyl group , a butyl group and the like ), cycloalkyl groups ( e . g ., a cyclohexyl group and the like ), aryl groups ( e . g ., a phenyl group , a tolyl group and the like ), as well as the groups in which a part or all of the hydrogen atoms of these groups are substituted with a hydroxy group , a cyano group and the like ( e . g ., a hydroxypropyl group , a cyanoethyl group and the like ). the symbol b is 1 , 2 or 3 , and x , y and z are respectively integers of 0 ≦ x ≦ 5 , 1 ≦ y ≦ 1000 and 2 ≦ z 23 2000 , preferably integers of 0 ≦ x ≦ 2 , 10 ≦ y ≦ 500 and 20 ≦ z ≦ 1000 . rf 2 is at least one member selected from the groups represented by the following formulae ( 1 ) to ( 6 ). ( in the formulae above , n is an integer of from 1 to 5 , and m is an integer of from 3 to 10 . the plural number of “ n ” may be the same or different from each other and the plural number of “ m ” may be the same or different from each other .) the organopolysiloxane of the component ( a ) may be either a straight chain or branched chain . illustrative examples thereof include those represented by the following formulae . ( in the formulae above , rf 2 is as defined above , vi represents a vinyl group , and x , y1 , y2 , y3 , z1 , z2 , z3 are respectively integers of 0 ≦ x1 ≦ 5 , 1 ≦ y1 ≦ 1000 , 1 ≦ y2 ≦ 200 , 1 ≦ y3 ≦ 1000 , 2 ≦ z1 ≦ 2000 , 2 ≦ z2 ≦ 500 , and 2 ≦ z3 ≦ 2000 . the organohydrogenpolysiloxane of the component ( b ) has at least three hydrogen atoms bonded to a silicon atom in one molecule . a cured coating is formed by the addition reaction between this sih group with the alkenyl group in the component ( a ). from the viewpoint of compatibility with the organopolysiloxane of component ( a ), it is preferable that this organohydrogenpolysiloxane has a fluorine content of 0 to 40 % by weight or less . also , this organopolysiloxane may have any of straight , branched and cyclic structures . illustrative examples of the organohydrogenpolysiloxane of the component ( b ) include those represented by the following formula . in the formula above , r 4 is at least one group selected from the same groups with r 3 and rf 2 , c is 0 or 1 , p and q are respectively integers of 1 ≦ p ≦ 200 and 0 ≦ q ≦ 100 , provided that 3 ≦ p + 2c . illustrative examples of the organohydrogenpolysiloxane of the component ( b ) include those represented by the following formulae . ( in the formulae above , me is as defined above , and p1 , p2 , p3 , p4 , q1 , q3 , r1 and r4 are respectively integers of 1 ≦ p1 ≦ 100 , 1 ≦ p2 ≦ 100 , 1 ≦ p3 ≦ 100 , 1 ≦ p4 ≦ 100 , 1 ≦ q1 ≦ 50 , 1 ≦ q3 ≦ 50 , 1 ≦ r1 ≦ 50 , and 1 ≦ r4 ≦ 50 ) the organopolysiloxane of the component ( b ) is blended preferably in an amount of from 0 . 1 to 20 parts (“ parts ” means “ parts by weight ”, the same shall apply hereinafter ), particularly from 0 . 2 to 10 parts , based on 100 parts of the component ( a ). when the blending amount is less than 0 . 1 part or exceeds 20 parts , both of the cases may sometimes cause deterioration in the curing characteristics of the silicone composition or in physical properties of the cured product . the straight - chain perfluoropolyether anti - foaming agent of the component ( c ) is used for preventing foaming which occurs when the composition is homogeneously dissolved in a non - fluorine solvent and subjected to roller coating . the straight - chain perfluoropolyether anti - foaming agent of the component ( c ) is preferably a compound represented by the following formula ( 7 ). ( in the formula above , rf 1 is a perfluoropolyether group , r 1 is a lower alkyl group , and a is 1 or 2 .) in the formula above , rf 1 is a monovalent or divalent straight - chain perfluoropolyether group , and perfluoropolyether groups of various chain lengths are included . preferably , rf 1 is a monovalent or divalent straight - chain perfluoropolyether having , as a repeating unit , a perfluoropolyether group having approximately from 1 to 4 carbon atoms . in this case , each of k , l , s , t , k ′, s ′, t ′ in the above chemical structural formulae is an integer of 1 or more . illustratively , k , l , s , t , k ′, s ′ and t ′ are preferably integers within the ranges of 1 ≦ k ≦ 30 , 1 ≦ l ≦ 40 , 1 ≦ s ≦ 30 , 1 ≦ t ≦ 30 , 1 ≦ k ′≦ 30 , 1 ≦ s ′≦ 30 , 1 ≦ t ′≦ 30 , respectively . in this regard , the molecular structure of perfluoropolyether is not limited to those exemplified above . r 1 is a lower alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms . illustrative examples thereof include a methyl group , an ethyl group , a propyl group and the like , and a methyl group is particularly preferable . the molecular weight of the straight - chain perfluoropolyether anti - foaming agent is not particularly limited . by taking the solubility in non - fluorine solvents , the defoaming performance and the like into consideration , the suitably molecular weight is from 100 to 10 , 000 , preferably from 500 to 5 , 000 , as a number average molecular weight . the straight - chain perfluoropolyether anti - foaming agent of the component ( c ) is added preferably in an amount within the range of from 1 to 5 , 000 ppm , preferably from 50 to 1 , 000 ppm , based on the component ( a ). the intended defoaming effect may not be obtained when the amount is less than 1 ppm . the properties of the cured product may be deteriorated in some cases when the amount exceeds 5 , 000 ppm . the platinum group metal catalyst of the component ( d ) is a catalyst for accelerating the addition reaction of the component ( a ) with the component ( b ). any compound commonly known as a catalyst for the reaction can be used . examples of such a platinum group metal catalyst include platinum catalyst , palladium catalyst , rhodium catalyst and the like , of which a platinum catalyst is particularly preferable . examples of such a platinum catalyst include chloroplatinic acid , an alcohol solution of chloroplatinic acid , and a complex of chloroplatinic acid with various types of olefin or vinylsiloxanes . the amount of these platinum group metal catalysts may be a catalytically effective amount . in view of the reactivity for obtaining a cured coating and the economical aspect , it is preferable to set the amount of the catalyst within a range of from 1 to 1 , 000 ppm as the amount of platinum group metal based on the component ( a ). the composition of the present invention is obtained by blending predetermined amounts of the aforementioned components ( a ) to ( d ). optional components other than the above components , such as activity - controlling agents ( e . g ., various organic nitrogen compounds , organic phosphorus compounds , organic silicon compounds , acetylene compounds , oxime compounds and the like ) may be added for the purpose of controlling the catalytic activity of the platinum group metal catalyst . among these activity - controlling agents , acetylene compounds ( e . g ., 3 - methyl - 1 - butyn - 3 - ol and the like ) and silylation products thereof , and silicon compounds ( e . g ., divinyl tetramethyldisiloxane , tetravinyltetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane and the like ) are suitably used . the activity controlling agent is blended preferably in an amount of from 0 . 05 to 3 parts based on 100 parts of the component ( a ). the silicone composition may sometimes cause gelation when the amount is less than 0 . 05 part . curing of the silicone composition may be inhibited in some cases when the amount exceeds 3 parts . in addition , the other optional components may be added generally in the amounts within such a range that they do not spoil the effects of the present invention . for the preparation of the silicone composition of the invention , it is preferable that the component ( a ), the component ( b ) and the component ( c ) are homogeneously mixed in advance and then the component ( d ) is added . the respective components may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more . for applying the silicone composition prepared in this manner to a substrate , the silicone composition is dissolved in a solvent in order to make its application easy by the homogeneous dilution . the silicone composition of the present invention can be dissolved in non - halogen solvents . the non - halogen solvent means that a halogen atom is not substantially contained in the molecule of the solvent . illustrative examples of the non - halogen solvent include aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents ( e . g ., hexane , heptane , octane , isooctane , petroleum benzin , ligroin , industrial gasoline , naphtha solvent and the like ), aromatic hydrocarbon solvents ( e . g ., toluene , xylene and the like ), ether solvents ( e . g ., diethyl ether , diisopropyl ether , dibutyl ether , dioxane and the like ), ketone solvents ( e . g ., acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , cyclohexanone and the like ), and ester solvents ( e . g ., methyl acetate , ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate , butyl acetate , methyl propionate and the like ). ether , ketone and ester solvents are preferable . the solvent can be used alone or as a mixture of two or more . when the silicone composition of the present invention is used as a release agent , the silicone composition is applied preferably to a polyester film from the viewpoint of heat resistance . in such a case , it is preferable to use an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent as the non - halogen solvent in view of its wettability to the polyester film substrate . the non - halogen solvent is used preferably in such an amount that the viscosity of the silicone composition after dilution becomes 100 cp or less , in view of the workability and easy control of the amount to be applied during application of the silicone composition dissolved with this solvent . it is preferable to use it in an amount of from 100 to 20 , 000 parts based on 100 parts of the component ( a ). a product prepared by applying the silicone composition of the present invention to a substrate and curing it to form a releasable cured coating on the substrate surface may be used as a release paper . examples of the substrate include plastic films and sheets obtained from synthetic resins ( e . g ., polyester , polypropylene , polyethylene , poly ( vinyl chloride ), polytetrafluoroethylene , polyimide and the like ), paper materials ( e . g ., glassine paper , kraft paper , clay coat paper and the like ), laminate paper materials ( e . g ., polyethylene laminated paper , polyethylene laminate kraft paper and the like ), and metal foils ( e . g ., aluminum foil and the like ). the silicone composition may be applied to these substrates by utilizing conventionally known methods such as roller coating , gravure coating , wire doctor coating , air knife coating , dipping coating and the like . a cured coating of the silicone composition of the present invention on a substrate may be formed , for example , as described below . a releasable cured silicone coating can be formed on the substrate surface by curing of the silicone composition through the heating of a silicone composition - applied substrate at a temperature of from 80 to 250 ° c . for a period of from 2 to 60 seconds , or through the irradiation of ultraviolet rays for 0 . 2 second or more from an ultraviolet ray irradiator ( e . g ., a high pressure mercury lamp or the like ) after evaporation of the aforementioned non - halogen solvent . since the silicone composition of the present invention can give a cured coating having excellent releasability with no pin holes and repelling , it is suitable for the application to a release paper which is used for a pressure - sensitive adhesive tape or label . the silicone composition of the present invention can also be suitably used in applications such as a mold releasing agent for dies used in molding rubber , plastics and the like , an agent for treating fibers such as of paper , fabric and the like , as well as a water repelling agent , an oil repelling agent and a heat resistant coating for food packaging and the like . the present invention is illustratively described below with reference to test examples , examples and comparative examples , but the present invention is not limited to the following examples . unless otherwise indicated , the ratios , percentages , parts , and the like used in this specification are by weight . an organohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by the following formula ii was mixed with an organopolysiloxane represented by the following formula i containing an alkenyl substituent and a fluorine - containing substituent , ( the fluorine content : 38 . 4 %), to an si — h group / si — ch ═ ch 2 group molar ratio of 2 . 5 . then , 15 parts of the mixture was diluted with 85 parts of a non - halogen mixed solvent ( mixed at isopropyl ether / methyl isobutyl ketone = 70 / 30 % by weight . then , 0 . 1 part of 3 - methyl - 1 - butin - 3 - ol was added , followed by the addition of a complex salt of chloroplatinic acid with vinyl siloxane in an amount of 30 ppm as a platinum quantity . next , a straight - chain perfluoropolyether having methyl ester on both termini and having a number average molecular weight of 2 , 000 ( fomblin z deal : manufactured by solvay solexis ) in an amount of 0 . 01 part , 0 . 05 part or 0 . 1 part was added based on 100 parts of the organopolysiloxane containing an alkenyl substituent and a fluorine - containing substituent . the resulting mixtures were used as samples 1 to 3 . defoaming characteristics , the presence or absence of pin holes and repelling phenomenon , peel force and residual adhesive ratio of the silicone composition solutions obtained in this manner were measured by the methods described below . these results are shown in table 1 . a silicone composition solution ( sample 4 ) was prepared in the same manner as in example , except that the straight - chain perfluoropolyether having methyl ester on both termini and having a number average molecular weight of 2 , 000 of example was not added . defoaming characteristics , the presence or absence of pin holes and repelling phenomenon , peel force and residual adhesive ratio of the resulting silicone composition solution were measured by the methods described below . these results are shown in table 1 . a silicone composition solution ( sample 5 ) was prepared in the same manner as in example , except that 0 . 05 part of a branched - chain perfluoropolyether having a number average molecular weight of 1 , 500 ( fomblin y - 04 : manufactured by solvay solexis ) was added instead of the straight - chain perfluoropolyether having methyl ester on both termini and having a number average molecular weight of 2 , 000 of example . defoaming characteristics , the presence or absence of pin holes and repelling phenomenon , peel force and residual adhesive ratio of the resulting silicone composition solution were measured by the methods described below . the results are shown in table 1 . a 50 g portion of each of the samples ( 15 % in concentration ) prepared in the aforementioned examples was put into a 100 ml capacity glass bottle with a transparent lid and shaken for 5 minutes on a shaker to measure the period of time until the foam completely disappeared . ( b ) the presence or absence of pin holes and repelling phenomenon each of the samples prepared in the aforementioned examples ( 15 % in concentration ) was diluted 3 times with a non - halogen mixed solvent ( mixed at isopropyl ether / methyl isobutyl ketone = 70 / 30 % by weight ), and a 50 g portion of the resulting sample ( 5 % in concentration ) was put into a 100 ml capacity glass bottle with a transparent lid and shaken for 5 minutes on a shaker . then it was immediately subjected to coating on a pet film having a thickness of 38 pm to a coating amount of 0 . 5 g / m 2 using a wire doctor no . 7 . after the coating , this was treated at 150 ° c . for 60 seconds to prepare a release film . thereafter , the presence or absence of pin holes and repelling phenomenon on the cured surface was observed with the naked eye . a silicone pressure - sensitive adhesive tape of 19 mm in width ( nitofulon no . 903ul , manufactured by nitto denko corporation ) was put on the release film obtained in ( b ) and stuck at 25 ° c . or 70 ° c . for 20 hours under a load of 25 g / cm 2 to effect aging . using a tensile testing machine , the laminated tape was peeled at an angle of 180 degree and at a peeling rate of 0 . 3 m / minute to measure the force required for peeling ( n / 19 mm ). a pressure - sensitive adhesive tape similar to the case of the peeling measurement was put on the release film obtained in ( b ) and stuck at 70 ° c . for 20 hours under a load of 25 g / cm 2 to effect aging . after the aging , the pressure - sensitive adhesive tape was peeled and stuck on an sus plate . using a tensile testing machine , this pressure - sensitive adhesive tape was peeled at an angle of 180 degree and at a peeling rate of 0 . 3 m / minute to measure the force required for peeling ( n / 19 mm ). on the other hand , the force required for peeling the same pressure - sensitive adhesive tape , but not stuck on the release film , from the sus plate ( n / 19 mm ) was measured and their ratio was calculated and expressed by percentage . while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope thereof . this application is based on japanese patent application no . 2003 - 079127 filed mar . 20 , 2003 , the entire contents thereof being hereby incorporated by reference . | 2 |
as shown in fig1 engine 10 , which is illustrated as a v - block engine , has cylinder block 12 with coolant intake 14 , radiator 16 and coolant pump 18 . those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that a coolant pump according to the present invention could be employed with other types of engines including inline engines and other types of liquid cooled engines . fig2 illustrates the component parts of the present cooling system pump 18 . the pump is driven by pump drive 20 which may comprise either a drive belt connected solely between pump drive shaft 26 and the engine &# 39 ; s crankshaft ( not shown ), or by other belt or gear arrangements driven by the crankshaft or camshaft of the engine . furthermore , pump drive 20 could comprise an electric motor , powered by a vehicle &# 39 ; s electrical system or a hydraulic motor powered by a pump such as a power steering or transmission pump . these and other sorts of drives known to those skilled in the art would be suggested by this disclosure . pump 18 has housing 22 , with driveshaft 26 inserted axially therein . driveshaft 26 has bearing and seal assembly 32 , which allows driveshaft 26 to be rotated without allowing the escape of pressurized coolant from the front of pump 18 . liquid coolant entering inlet 36 , which is connected with radiator 16 , first enters mixed flow transition section 28 , where the fluid flow is converted from predominantly radially directed flow to predominantly or primarily an axially directed flow . the final direction of the flow is performed by upstream transitional stator 52 , which has a plurality of curved blades as illustrated in fig4 . each of blades 64 is attached to a central hub 55 at one end , and to a common peripheral ring shroud 56 at the other end . upstream transitional stator 52 as noted above , straightens the flow and increases the axially directed flow component . in other words , the velocity of the flow in the axial direction which is parallel to the center line of driveshaft 26 , is increased . upon leaving upstream transitional stator 52 , the flow encounters propeller 40 , which includes a plurality of blades 42 having a profile as illustrated in fig3 . it is understood that fig3 is a wire - frame drawing of the blades suitable for use on propeller 40 , which is a type of axially directed rotary pumping element . those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that blades having other types of profiles could be employed within axial directed rotary pumping element according to the present invention . propeller 40 as noted above , has a plurality of blades 42 with each of the blade having a first inner end attached to a central hub 44 , and an outboard end attached to ring shroud 46 . those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that other types of propeller configurations producing axially directed flows could be employed with a pump according to the present invention . upon leaving axially directed pumping element 40 , coolant encounters downstream flow straightening stator 62 , which contains a plurality of curved blades 64 attached to a central hub 66 , and which has a ring shroud 68 . stators 52 and 62 may be formed as unitary structures from stamped metal or plastic or other materials suitable for stamping , or could be cast from metals or non - metallic materials such as plastic composite . in any event , it is expected that the stators will have blades of the configuration shown in fig4 or some other types of configuration known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure . the purpose of downstream flow straightening stator 62 is to function as an exit flow regenerator which recovers momentum and utilizes the recovered momentum to increase the flow velocity in the axial direction . in other words , flow in directions other than axial e . g . radially directed flow , is converted to axial flow , thereby increasing the velocity profile of the coolant leaving pump 18 and entering coolant intake port 14 on cylinder block 12 . although the present invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments thereof , it is to be understood that various modifications , alterations , and adaptations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . by way of example , the present coolant pump need not be mounted to an engine block , and could be located adjacent an engine within a common compartment . it is intended that the invention be limited only by the appended claims . | 5 |
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . while the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments , it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments . on the contrary , the invention is intended to cover alternatives , modifications and equivalents , which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . furthermore , in the following detailed description of the present invention , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well known methods , procedures , components , and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the current invention . some portions of the detailed descriptions which follow are presented in terms of procedures , logic blocks , processing , and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory . these descriptions and representations are the means generally used by those skilled in data processing arts to effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . a procedure , logic block , process , etc ., is here , and generally , conceived to be a self - consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result . the steps include physical manipulations of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical , magnetic , optical , or quantum signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and otherwise manipulated in a computer system . it has proven convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to these signals as bits , values , elements , symbols , characters , terms , numbers , or the like . it should be borne in mind , however , that all of these and similar terms are associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions , it is appreciated that throughout the present application , discussions utilizing terms such as “ processing ”, “ computing ”, “ calculating ”, “ determining ”, “ displaying ” or the like , refer to the action and processes of a computer system , or similar processing device ( e . g ., an electrical , optical , or quantum , computing device ), that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical ( e . g ., electronic ) quantities . the terms refer to actions and processes of the processing devices that manipulate or transform physical quantities within a computer system &# 39 ; s component ( e . g ., registers , memories , other such information storage , transmission or display devices , etc .) into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within other components . the present invention facilitates effective and secure information protection . in one embodiment , the present invention directs secure setting and protection of confidential information and permission sticky bits . the permission sticky bits are set by an information creator during a system reset and secure settings can not be altered until the next system reset process . in one exemplary implementation , software applications are prevented from accessing and / or altering a permission sticky bit after system reset . in one embodiment , a sticky bit permission indicator is flexibly set initially by a software application at system reset and thereafter the sticky bit setting and corresponding confidential information are secured by hardware based protection mechanisms in accordance with the initial settings . if the initial sticky bit permission disables read and write permission , hardware protects both the sticky bit and confidential information from access by software and / or operating systems intrusion or hacking fig1 a is a block diagram of an exemplary confidential information protection scheme 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . confidential information protection scheme 100 includes confidential information 111 , 112 , 113 and 114 , read permission sticky bits 121 , 122 , 123 , and 124 , and write permission sticky bits 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . read sticky bit 121 and write sticky bit permission bit 131 are associated with confidential information 111 . read sticky bit 122 and write sticky bit permission bit 132 are associated with confidential information 112 . read sticky bit 123 and write sticky bit permission bit 133 are associated with confidential information 113 . read sticky bit 124 and write sticky bit permission bit 134 are associated with confidential information 114 . it is appreciated that a variety of different types of confidential information can be associated with the permission sticky bits . in one embodiment , the confidential information includes encryption / decryption keys . in one exemplary implementation the confidential information includes initialization vectors . it is appreciated that access permission sticky bit assignment can be partitioned into groups or regions . fig1 b is a block diagram of an exemplary confidential information protection scheme 190 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . confidential information protection scheme 190 includes confidential information 171 , 172 , 173 and 174 , read permission sticky bits 181 , and 184 , and write permission sticky bits 191 and 193 . confidential information protection scheme 190 is similar to confidential information protection scheme 100 except access permission is partitioned and access indications are assigned to a plurality of discrete confidential information as a group . in one exemplary implementation , the access permission is partitioned into a secure partition ( e . g ., 171 and 172 ) and non - secure partition ( e . g ., 173 and 174 ). the secure partition is granted read permission in accordance with permission sticky bit 181 and write permission sticky bit 191 . the secure partition is granted read permission in accordance with permission sticky bit 183 and write permission sticky bit 193 . fig2 is a block diagram of exemplary confidential information protection method 200 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in one embodiment of exemplary confidential information protection method 200 is applied to permission sticky bits associated with an encryption key and an initialization vector . in block 210 , a permission sticky bit flag is set to a default state upon system set up or reset . in one embodiment the default state is full read permission or the default state is full write permission . the permission sticky bit is set to a logical value indicating corresponding permission . by way of example , the permission sticky bit can be set to a logical 1 to indicate a read permission and / or write permission or a logical zero to indicate a read permission and / or write permission is not available or granted . in one exemplary implementation , permission sticky bits associated with a key table entry and initialization vector are cleared before the default is set . in block 220 , the permission sticky bit flag access permission indication is adjusted to an initial setting in accordance with an application instruction at system reset . in one embodiment , a permission sticky bit that is set to a default permit access ( e . g ., read or write ) in block 210 is altered ( e . g ., changed to an initial setting ) to prohibit access in block 220 . in one exemplary implementation , the access permission indication can correspond to a read permission or a write permission . in one embodiment , the information creator indicates the level of security associated with the information and sets the initial security levels appropriately ( e . g ., in block 210 at system reset ). in one exemplary implementation , the initial security level settings of the permission sticky bits is hardware managed and hence not susceptible to hacking of the operating system or alteration ( e . g ., retracting the setting , etc .) by rogue information . even the software associated with the secure information creator can no longer retract initial security settings that deny read access and / or write access . hence , while allowing flexible initial permission setting , the present scheme provides a very high level of security for subsequent operations . in block 230 , the permission sticky bit is protected from adjustment in violation of the permission indication . if a permission sticky bit is changed to prohibit access at a system reset the permission sticky bit indication can not be altered by software again until another system reset . in one embodiment , access to the permission indication sticky bits is restricted to hardware engines after initial setting in step 210 and protected from software or operating system alteration . in addition , since the permission sticky bit is cleared upon a system reset , a rogue application may attempt to reset an individual module but since it is not a system reset ( e . g ., whole soc reset , etc .) the information permission sticky bit is not cleared and the information is protected . in one exemplary implementation , the hardware engine is built for a specific functionality and the confidential information is protected from utilization beyond the initial permission setting of the sticky bits . it is appreciated that the confidential information protection method 200 can be applied to systems that include multiple processors . in one embodiment , the protection restrictions are applicable to a plurality of processors . for example , the protection restrictions can be applicable to central processing unit , graphics processing unit , audio - video processor , etc . fig3 is an exemplary block diagram of system 300 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . system 300 includes system - on - a - chip 301 , power source 303 ( e . g ., power cell , battery , connection to a continuous or utility power , etc . ), memory 304 and uart 305 . the system - on - a - chip 301 includes always on power domain 310 and main power domain 320 . the main power domain 320 includes cpu 321 , gpu 322 , security engine module 324 , and non - power gated components 323 . it is appreciated system 300 can include a plurality of processors ( e . g ., cpu 321 , gpu 322 , an audio video processor , etc .). the components or system 300 cooperatively operate to implement efficient and effective protection of confidential information utilizing permission sticky bits . power source 301 supplies power . always on domain 310 primarily stores information associated with power states of components and initiates of an expedited recovery from a reduced power state . main domain is a power domain for other components of system 300 . central processing unit cpu 321 and graphics processing unit ( gpu ) 322 process information . security engine module 324 performs operations associated with confidential and secure information in accordance with permission sticky bit indications . non - power gated island 324 includes a variety of components for performing a variety of operations . non - power gated island 324 can include a cache memory , memory controller , interrupt controller , peripheral controller , etc . universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter ( uart ) 304 is a communication interface . external memory 305 stores information . in one embodiment , an information security block protects secure information utilizing secure access permission sticky bits . it is appreciated that various components of system 300 can utilize present permission sticky bit schemes to protect confidential information . for example , security engine 324 limits access to confidential information ( e . g ., encryption / decryption keys , initialization vectors , etc .) in accordance permission sticky bits 325 . in one embodiment , the indication of permission sticky bits 325 is retrieved from iram 327 on a system reset . in one embodiment , the hardware of the security engine can access and change the initialization vector regardless of the access permission sticky bit indication while protecting the information from un - permitted access by software applications . it is appreciate that the security engine 324 can by implemented to perform a variety of confidential and security related operations including encryption and decryption ( e . g ., aes , des , 3des , etc .). it is also appreciated that present protection schemes are readily adaptable for utilization in a variety of components . in one exemplary implementation , always on component 310 can also store confidential information that is protected by permission sticky bits 311 . in one embodiment , a hardware engine has access to the confidential information , even at higher security levels and the confidential information can be use d by said hardware engine according to the usage the hardware engine is designed for including maintaining states . in one exemplary implementation a sticky bit can be utilized to lock a secure engine disable bit and no access is granted to the secure engine . if the system detects or receives and indication there is an attempt to hack the secure engine , a secure engine disable sticky bit is asserted and the secure engine can not be access again until a system reset . in one embodiment , an initialization vector ( iv ) is not unique . there is an original that the application uses at the beginning and then there is an iv that gets updated after every iteration . the security or permission sticky bit indications are defined for both them independently . fig4 is a block diagram of exemplary secure encryption method 400 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in block 410 an indication to perform an encryption is received . in block 420 encryption key information is retrieved in accordance with a permission sticky bit indication . in block 430 encryption operations are performed if said permission sticky bit indication allows said encryption key to be read . in one embodiment there are four security related contexts . in one exemplary implementation , the security related context includes input data pointer , output data pointer ( for memory to memory ), a security key and initialization vector ( iv ). in one exemplary implementation , a cooperative context switch is performed and data pointers are handled appropriately while the security engine takes care of the keys and iv . keys that are fixed between vectors for the same context can be easily handled . for modes other than ecb , an initialization vector is updated on a vector basis . it can be either the previous cipher text vector or clear text vector . at the time of a context switch the initialization vectors can be handled in a variety of ways . a security driver can handle re - initializing the iv . the security engine can automatically save the iv internally and restore it when needed again . the security engine can also keep an internal copy of the first iv and the last iv . it is appreciated that an iv for secure keys can be handled in utilizing a variety of techniques . in one embodiment , the iv is kept updated locally in scratch registers . during context switching , the iv register value is cleared . to reach the same state , the security engine does not decrypt the previous data and reach the current state . in another embodiment , a copy of the first iv and the updated iv is kept . at the time of switching back to a context , the software can choose which iv to use . the security engine maintains both the iv &# 39 ; s . in one exemplary implementation , it is not possible for software to update the iv &# 39 ; s when a secure iv update disable sticky bit is cleared . in one embodiment , sticky bit values are “ reset ” during the system reset and can be set at any time a system desires . any software application that wants to protect information puts it in the confidential information location and protects it in accordance with the sticky bits . in one exemplary implementation , other software applications can decide to protect its information , when they are invoked from the user to do so . thus , the present invention facilitates enhanced information protection . access to confidential information is protected in accordance with secure permission sticky bit indications . in one embodiment , hardware protects the permission sticky bit indicators from unauthorized alteration by rogue software applications and / or hacked operating systems . the permission sticky bit indications are secure and restrictive permissions can not be altered by unauthorized software attempts during normal operations after being set at system reset . the information is protected while allowing the information creator a significant degree of flexibility in setting initial permission indications . if an information creator indicates confidential information is to be protected in accordance with a high restriction ( e . g ., read and write permission disabled or denied ) then the information and permission sticky bit are not accessible by hacking software or even the application that indicated the initial permission sticky bit setting . the present permission sticky bit scheme also facilitates a variety of security partitions and organizational groupings at different levels of granularity . the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents . the listing of steps within method claims do not imply any particular order to performing the steps , unless explicitly stated in the claim . | 6 |
in fig1 there is indicated , generally at 10 , a conference environment in which a plurality of endpoints 12 ( designated as endpoints a to f ) are connected via a network 14 which may be a local area network or wide area network such as the internet . each endpoint 12 is shown as a personal computer terminal which has standard input and output facilities enabling a user ( not shown ) at the endpoint to communicate with other users via the network 14 . communications can be by voice , video or other multimedia data types . a conference bridge 16 controls conference facilities between the endpoints 12 and enables a plurality of users to communicate simultaneously with one another in a private conference environment . conference bridge 16 provides all of the usual facilities which are generally known in the art to the skilled person . unlike conventional monaural ( or mono ) voice conferencing , the endpoints 12 are each provided with a stereo output ( such as a set of speakers or headphones ). in this way , audio signals which are received in can be played to the user to provide the impression of spatial positioning of the sounds . it is in this context that the invention operates so that users who are engaged in a conference which includes an audio component are provided with the perception that other conferees are distributed spatially around them . referring to fig2 , the operation of the invention will be described with reference to a flowchart of the steps taken by the conference server 16 . when an endpoint 12 joins the conference , step 20 , the server assigns the endpoint to a port . in a typical conference there will be three or more endpoints , each assigned to a different port . in this way , the conference server can distinguish between the signals coming from each endpoint according to the port at which they are received , or using calling line id , ip address etc . the conference bridge also assigns a stereo position to the endpoint , step 24 . this step will be described further below , but suffice to say that each endpoint can be assigned a unique stereo position , or endpoints can be grouped together and assigned one of a number of common positions . the assigned stereo position is notified to the endpoint , step 26 , and the records of the assigned stereo positions are updated at the server , step 28 . the server then awaits the next endpoint while conducting conference processing as uaual . referring to fig3 , a representation of the server records of assigned stereo positions is shown . a set of twenty - one stereo positions are provided . the first row shows the position number assigned to each stereo position ranging from 1 to 21 . the second row of the table shows the relative left channel signal strength of a bipolar ( i . e . left - right ) stereo signal for each assigned stereo position . similarly , the third row shows the relative right channel signal strength for each position . thus , for example , assigned stereo position no . 4 ( as indicated in the column which is headed “ 4 ”) is generated as an 85 : 15 ratio of left to right channel volume . assigned stereo position 11 is a 50 : 50 or equally balanced mix . assigned stereo position 21 is a 0 : 100 mix , i . e . has all of the audio signal carried in the right channel of the bipolar stereo signal and no signal in the left channel . in this way , any one of twenty - one spatially distinct stereo positions can be assigned to each endpoint . it will be appreciated that fewer or more positions can be provided as appropriate and more sophisticated systems or different representations can also be used . in a multi - channel stereo system such as dolby 5 . 1 or 6 . 1 surround sound (“ dolby ” is a trademark of dolby laboratories ), there will be potential to create a greater number of distinct stereo positions , and appropriate records and spatial separation between the various positions can be generated according to the wishes of the system designer . as indicated in fig2 , each endpoint is assigned a stereo position when it joins the conference . thus endpoint a is at position 6 ( a left : right mix of 75 : 25 ), endpoint b is at position 13 ( 40 : 60 ) and so on as indicated in the fourth row of the table shown in fig3 . if a new endpoint joins the conference it can either be fitted into an empty position or each of the endpoints can be shifted to provide the best spatial separation for all endpoints . to give an example , a conference with three participants might employ positions 5 , 11 and 17 respectively for the three participants so that one participant dominates the left end of the spectrum , one dominates the right end of the spectrum and one is in the centre . if a fourth participant joins , it may be preferred to shift each of the three existing participants slightly to accommodate the new participant . thus , the three existing participants could be shifted from positions 5 , 11 and 17 to positions 4 , 13 and 18 and to place the new participant at position 8 . this would place the various participants at wide left , centre left , centre right and wide right , respectively . the algorithm for assigning endpoints can be as sophisticated or simple as desired . turning now to fig4 , the processing of the audio signals themselves is illustrated . as indicated previously , each endpoint has a stereo position assigned to it and notified to it in step 26 of fig2 . the stereo position can be communicated as an identifier ( e . g . a number , letter or other identifier which has an understood meaning by all of the endpoints , an example being position no . 5 or position no . 15 as shown in fig3 ), or it can be communicated as a set of instructions ( such as “ assign 90 % of the signal power to the left channel and 10 % of the signal power to the right channel ”). the telephony or conferencing software on the client device encodes an audio signal as normal and then applies the necessary stereo processing to comply with the instructions received . referring to fig4 , the stereo audio signal is received from each endpoint , step 40 . optionally , in step 42 , one or more active endpoints is designated based on the most recent speaker , the three loudest speakers , or any other suitable conferencing algorithm . the signals from all active endpoints are then added together , step 44 , and this generates a single composite signal for each of the inactive endpoints , step 46 . the conference bridge or server is also adapted to process mono signals and in the event that an endpoint is not stereo capable it will simply transmit in mono and this signal can be added into the mix without being panned to a specific stereo position . the bridge could also generate a stereo signal from the received mono signal , as in the prior art , and add this in , but for the reasons already discussed this is less preferable than having stereo capable endpoints . for the active endpoints , a slightly different signal is generated , in which the signal which originally emanated from that endpoint is subtracted from the mix to assist in echo reduction . alternatively , rather than first adding all the signal together and subtracting that endpoint &# 39 ; s signal , one can simply generate a composite signal for each active endpoint by adding together the signals from all of the other active endpoints . the composite signal generated in step 48 can therefore be transmitted to the active endpoints to result in an echo - free signal . finally , the composite signal or signals are transmitted to the endpoints , where they can be decoded and played in stereo without any further significant processing . the described process is , of course , a very simple description of the signal processing . there can be more sophisticated steps including error correction , level adjustment , noise reduction and so on . a modified process is shown in fig5 . rather than providing every endpoint with a unique stereo position , the stereo position is used simply to distinguish similar - sounding voices . thus , an endpoint joins the conference , step 60 and is assigned to a port on the bridge , step 62 . the voice signal from the endpoint is then analysed , step 64 and compared with existing voice signals , step 66 to arrive at a determination of whether or not it is sufficiently different , step 68 . if the signal is considered to be sufficiently different from each other signal currently involved in the conference , it is processed as normal , step 70 . otherwise , the endpoint is notified of a stereo position at which it should output , step 72 . optionally , the or each other endpoint having a similar voice signal ( as recognised in the comparison and determination steps 66 and 68 ) can similarly be assigned a unique stereo position in step 72 . the stereo records are updated in step 74 and the server then processes the signals while awaiting the next endpoint , step 76 . in this way , all of the endpoints which sound reasonably different to one another ( so that a listener would have no difficulty in distinguishing the voices ) can transmit as a monaural signal or a stereo signal which is equally balanced between left and right channels . when two voices are recognised to be sufficiently similar to give rise to a likelihood of confusion , they are spatially separated in the stereo spectrum to enable users to distinguish more easily between the speakers . the determination and comparison can be conducted using any conventional signal processing steps . for example , a fast fourier transform could be carried out on each signal to provide a frequency fingerprint and criteria can be assigned to determine whether two fingerprints are considered similar or different . a further alternative or additional way of processing signals is shown in fig6 . this is a more generalised case of the process of fig5 . accordingly , steps 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 and 68 are carried out identically to determine whether each new signal is similar to or distinct from the other signals in the conference . if a signal is recognised to be sufficiently different from all of the other conference signals then it is processed as normal , step 70 . if it not sufficiently different , then in step 172 the endpoint is notified to modify the signal appropriately . this can involve any suitable audio signal processing technique which modifies the voice signal to provide it a recognisably different sound . processing then continues as before in step 76 . it is often the case that a conference is conducted between multiple conference servers . fig7 shows such an environment . the components of the system 10 of fig1 are connected over a local area network ( lan ) 14 as previously described . this lan 14 is connected to a wide area network ( wan ) 17 such as the internet . a further and essentially identical system 110 is also connected to the wan . like parts are shown by like reference numerals incremented by 100 , so that the endpoints 112 ( denoted as endpoints g , h , i , j , k and l ) have the same functionality as the endpoints 12 ( denoted as endpoints a , b , c , d , e and f ). the conferencing between endpoints 12 is conducted under the control of a first bridge 16 , and that between endpoints 112 is conducted by a second bridge 116 . fig8 shows the steps taken when one or more of the endpoints 112 joins a conference controlled by bridge 16 , where an active stereo conference is in progress , step 90 . the server 116 of system 110 joins the conference to add endpoints 112 , step 92 . server / bridge 16 receives , step 94 , from server / bridge 116 a listing of the stereo positions ( if any ) already assigned to the endpoints 112 . these are added into the stereo records of server 16 , step 96 , which then updates the various stereo positions to avoid duplication . if reference is made to fig9 , it can be seen that the endpoints g to l have been assigned positions 3 , 6 , 9 , 13 , 16 and 19 which are precisely the same positions as are already assigned ( fig3 ) to endpoints a to f . accordingly , to ensure a spatial distinction , the server shifts the positions of some of the endpoints so that the endpoints are relatively evenly spaced across the spectrum , resulting in the distribution shown in fig1 . in fig1 , those endpoints whose position has been shifted are marked with an asterisk . the server notifies the endpoints under its own control of their updated positions , step 98 in fig8 , i . e . notifies endpoints a , b , d and e to switch respectively to positions 5 , 12 , 21 and 17 . the server 16 then notifies server 116 that endpoints h , i and l are to move to positions 14 , 1 and 8 , respectively . this approach simply seeks to maintain optimal stereo separation between endpoints . one might take the alternative approach of fitting the endpoints into a certain scheme whereby each endpoint identified as being with one team or organisation is switched to a common position or to a range of common positions ( wide left , centre , etc .) when the second server joins the conference . the invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 7 |
with reference to fig1 , a plurality of emitted acoustic signals , shown for purposes of illustration as three in number , are designated as s 1 , s 2 and s 3 . signals s 1 , s 2 and s 3 are short , transient pulse modulated signals emitted from a signal source such as , for example , an active sonar source . signals s 1 , s 2 and s 3 are sensed by sensors 2 , 4 and 6 , respectively , which provide corresponding analog output acoustic signals . the analog output acoustic signals from sensors 2 , 4 and 6 are filtered by filters 8 , 10 and 12 , respectively . filters 8 , 10 and 12 are anti - aliasing low pass filters and provide band selected / limited output signals which are digitized by analog to digital ( a / d ) converters 14 , 16 and 18 , respectively . the digitized signals provided by a / d converters 14 , 16 and 18 are graphically represented in fig4 , 5 and 6 , respectively . in this regard , reference is made to fig4 which illustrates the self - noise , transient portion of the digitized signals . the digitized signals are applied to a central processing unit 20 for processing according to the invention as will be next described . thus , the digitized signals from a / d converters 14 , 16 and 18 are windowed and transformed to a frequency domain by an overlapping fast fourier transform ( fft ) method as at 22 , 24 and 26 , respectively . windowing is required to limit bin spreading in the frequency domain and overlapping is required to avoid time domain aliasing for reconstituted emitted signals . thus , frequency domain signals are provided at 22 , 24 and 26 , and are designated as fb 1 , fb 2 and fb 3 , respectively . the frequency domain signals are graphically illustrated in fig7 , 8 and 9 . in this regard , reference is made to fig7 which illustrates the tonal and “ pink ” background noise characteristics of the windowed and transformed signals . in order to determine the upper levels ( to eliminate strong tonals ) and the lower levels ( to discriminate emitted signals s 1 , s 2 and s 3 from background noise ) thresholds , frequency domain signals fb 1 , fb 2 and fb 3 are processed for tonal and noise suppression at 28 , 30 and 32 , respectively . the tonal and noise suppression processing is more particularly illustrated in fig2 , wherein , for example , frequency domain signal fb 1 is shown as being processed for tonal and noise suppression at 28 . thus , the magnitude spectrum of signal fb 1 is converted into a magnitude histogram plot at 34 and as illustrated in fig2 a . since background noise exists for most frequency bins , the number of occurrences is concentrated in the lower portion of the histogram . it is known that background noise has a gaussian distributed probability density function . the rules for the lower and upper level thresholds are derived at 35 ( fig2 ) from the magnitude histogram shown in fig2 a . the magnitude spectrum is filtered in the upper and lower thresholds resulting in a discovery band ( 1 / 0 bit pattern ). a single sensor spectral histogram is generated at 37 . tonal and noise suppression is likewise performed for all of the frequency domain signals . to take into account the coherence property and multi - path delay effects of emitted signals s 1 , s 2 and s 3 , the resulting discovery band of each of the respective sensors 2 , 4 and 6 is integrated over both time and spatial ( across sensors ) domains , since the emitted signals have a strong correlation in both domains . the tonal and noise suppressed outputs at 28 , 30 and 32 ( fig1 ) are summed at 36 for developing a current spectral histogram at 38 . the current spectral histogram at 38 is summed at 40 with a previous spectral histogram at 42 to provide a total spectral histogram at 44 . a frequency domain window design is established at 46 with reference being made to fig1 , which illustrates the frequency domain window design . thus , the frequency domain window can be designed according to the number of occurrences of certain frequency bins . the self - noise transient signals are not correlated among sensors in both the spacial and frequency domains . therefore , in a high resolution spectrum such as herein encountered , the frequency bins of self - noise transient signals are likely to be ignored by the frequency domain window design . in this regard , and with reference to fig1 , the frequency domain window design shown in fig1 is processed by a filter bank 48 as are frequency domain signals fb 1 , fb 2 and fb 3 . reference is made to fig3 which more particularly shows the processing effected by filter bank 48 . thus , signals fb 1 , fb 2 and fb 3 are multiplied at 50 , 52 and 54 , respectively , by the frequency domain window . in other words , the time domain and filter bank outputs for all of the sensors 2 , 4 and 6 can be obtained by multiplying the corresponding frequency domain signals by the desired frequency domain windows and then taking inverse fast fourier transforms ( ifft ) at 56 , 58 and 60 , respectively . de - windowing is performed at 62 , 64 and 66 and time domain overlapping is performed at 68 , 70 and 72 , whereby the accuracy of reconstituted output signals at 68 , 70 and 72 is maintained . the reconstituted signal at 68 is illustrated in fig1 and in fig1 a , which is an extension of fig1 ; the reconstituted signal at 70 is illustrated in fig1 and in fig1 a , which is an extension of fig1 ; and the reconstituted signal at 72 is illustrated in fig1 and in fig1 a , which is an extension of fig1 . the reconstituted signals are processed for time domain cross - correlation at 74 , shown in fig1 , and the cross - correlated reconstituted signal thereby provided is identified at 76 and measured by a measurement unit 78 . it will be recognized that the advantages of the described method , which includes a digital adaptive tuning filter bank , include the ability to significantly increase the signal to noise ratio and to reduce the possibility of matching self - noise transient signals . this simplifies the design task for an emitted signal recognition unit and minimizes false alarm rates , as are likely to occur . in summary , emitted signals s 1 , s 2 and s 3 are sensed by sensors 2 , 4 and 6 , respectively , and are thereafter digitized as shown in fig4 , 5 and 6 . their magnitude spectra are demonstrated in fig7 , 8 and 9 , respectively . in this regard , it is to be noted that the signal to noise ratio for all sensors is less than − 10 db . two of the outputs of the digital adaptive tuning filter bank for all three sensors are shown in fig1 , 12 and 13 and in fig1 a , 12 a and 13 a . it will be discerned that fig1 , 12 and 13 portray steady weak tonals and fig1 a , 12 a and 13 a are the desired emitted signals . although the invention has been shown and described with only three emitted signals s 1 , s 2 and s 3 , any number of signals may be processed by the method of the invention as will now be understood by those skilled in the art . with the above description of the invention in mind , reference is made to the claims appended hereto for a definition of the scope of the invention . | 6 |
this invention relates generally to the construction , modification , and use of online directories for the purpose of obtaining directory information , advertising commercial and non - commercial offers , and obtaining payment for services provided in building content of the directory . specific details of several embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and in fig1 - 11 and appendix a to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments . the present invention may have additional embodiments , may be practiced without one or more of the details described for any particular described embodiment , or may have any detail described for one particular embodiment practiced with any other detail described for another embodiment . in various embodiments , the invention enables four classes of persons to employ the invention , each with varying powers and privileges . as used here , a site operator has the power to shape possibly every aspect of the installation of the invention on computer systems , and to configure the manipulation of information processed by the resulting directory . when the site operator has completed her work , a universal directory exists on a computer network but does not yet have any offers displayed and contains no advertisers . a builder interacts with the directory to draft offers incorporated into the directory , which will function as mini - marketplaces within the directory where that offer is made by advertisers . builders may construct offers using screens and prompts constructed by the site operator . to avoid confusion , a completed offer as existing on the directory is often referred to as a chart . each chart contains only one offer and its possible variants . advertisers can promote themselves by listing themselves on one or more charts , stating their prices and qualifications . by such listings , advertisers announce they make the offer stated in the chart . if an advertiser has offers to make that do not exist in the directory , the advertiser can assume the role of builder to construct those offers , then list themselves in that new chart . a consumer is a person who utilizes a device connected to the computer network to view and compare advertisers who make the offers in the directory . a consumer may also interact with advertisers by asking them to bid on a proposed purchase by the consumer . embodiment : advertisers with hourly rates . one embodiment permits the display of advertisers who sell their services with hourly rate as the method of pricing , which includes many attorneys , therapists , plumbers , and others . all may be presented with this embodiment by using the following method . several collections of data are assembled using any means that permits computer - readable fields for separate members of the data assemblies . it is convenient but not necessary to use tables as are conventionally manipulated by databases . these embodiments will use the column and row nomenclature common to databases . fig1 is a block diagram of a method for designing a directory structure using computer - based table structures to contain information in accordance with various embodiments of the invention . in one embodiment , method 100 includes establishing a website at block 102 which includes configuring a website to be accessible over the internet or other communications network . in certain embodiments , the website is dedicated to advertising , whereas in others it is combined with other functionality such as providing information , selling goods , offering services , or searching . the website may be independently owned and operated , a partnership website , or a combination of the two . the website is accessible via any display medium such as a personal computer , mobile phone , or personal digital assistant . the website may contain a plurality of pages . in one particular embodiment , the application can use three tables to achieve its function . the first table can be an ‘ advertiser table ’, with column headings for a unique advertiserid , advertiser name , and one or more other columns for contact information , urls of advertiser web sites , and laudatory information about the advertiser . each row of this table can hold a separate advertiser . the second table can be an ‘ offer table ’, with at least two columns , one for a unique offerid and the other for the offer , consisting of a word , phrase , or sentence comprising the offer . each row of the offer table can contain a separate offer , but not necessarily a substantially different offer . the third table can be an ‘ offer - advertiser table ’, with at least four columns with column headings consisting of offer - advertiserid ( the column to hold unique id numbers ), offer ( to hold offerids from the offer table ), advertiser ( to hold advdertiserids from the advertiser table ), and hourly rate ( to hold the numerical hourly rates charged by the advertisers . the choices on table structures can be made by the site operator at block 104 and may be different from those set forth in the examples above . once completed , the site operator may load the three tables to the web site at block 106 and display the completed directory structure to the public . a builder can interact with the directory at block 202 to construct an offer . for example , a trade association of lawyers , desiring to assist its members to advertise , could respond to system prompts at block 204 [ such as those shown in the screen shots at fig1 to list many offers of its members , such as ‘ corporate advice ’, ‘ defend first offense drunk driving charge ,’ and ‘ write wills for two spouses ’. upon doing so , the system adds a new row to the offer table at block 206 for each offer . likewise , a manufacturer of guitars could interact with the system at block 202 to create a chart called ‘ guitar instruction ’ at block 204 , upon which the system creates a new row in the offer table with the entry ‘ guitar instruction .’ in one embodiment , a lawyer desiring to advertise on the directory interacts with the web site directory at block 302 , and inquires what charts are available through a convenient means such as a drop down menu presenting all rows in the offer table in block 304 . the lawyer selects the ‘ write wills for two spouses ’ offer at block 306 . the system checks to see if the lawyer is already in the advertiser table at block 308 . if so , the system asks the advertiser the hourly rate question created by the builder at block 204 . upon receiving an answer from the lawyer and checking for validity ( i . e ., a numeric quantity ), the system adds a new row to the offer - advertiser table at block 314 , the row consisting of a unique offer - advertiser id , the offerid for ‘ write wills for two spouses ’, the lawyer &# 39 ; s advertiserid , and the lawyer &# 39 ; s hourly rate . if the lawyer is not in the advertiser table at block 308 , the system provides the lawyer prompts at block 310 calling for the lawyer &# 39 ; s name , contact information , and other fields . upon receiving the requested information , a new row is added to the advertiser table at block 312 , the row containing a unique row id and the information given by the lawyer . if desired , the lawyer could return to block 304 to see other available charts , and select the ‘ guitar instruction ’ offer , in the event the lawyer also offered guitar instruction . upon selecting ‘ guitar instruction ’ at block 306 , the system , knowing from the previous step that the lawyer is already in the advertiser table , asks the lawyer his / her hourly rate for guitar instruction at block 312 , and upon receiving an answer , creates a new row in the offer - advertiser table at block 316 , consisting of a new row id , the offerid for guitar instruction , the lawyer &# 39 ; s advertiserid , and the lawyer &# 39 ; s hourly rate for guitar instruction . in one embodiment , a consumer looking for guitar instruction interacts with the site at block 402 and requests available offers . offers are presented at block 404 , and the consumer selects the ‘ guitar instruction ’ offer . the system selects all rows in the offer - advertiser table where the value for offer =‘ guitar instruction ’ at block 406 , and notes the identities of the advertisers found on those rows . using the look - up feature of the system at block 408 , the system uses the advertisers &# 39 ; identities to find all advertiser information in the advertiser table , presenting the offer and advertiser information to the consumer at block 410 , as shown fig5 - 7 . the first of these illustrations shows the chart view of advertisers ( florists , in this case ). the second shows the same providers on a map . the third shows the advertisers in a list with profile information . when finished browsing the advertisers making this offer , the consumer can return to block 402 to choose to browse advertisers making other offers . embodiment : multiple profiles . one embodiment enables advertisers to use multiple profiles . for example , the lawyer offering guitar instruction in the hourly rate embodiment might want to have one profile for potential law clients and a different profile for guitar instruction clients . this embodiment can be achieved with a profile table with profileid as primary key , a second column for advertiserid , and additional columns organizing advertiser information into columns for such things as education , licensing , laudatory descriptive material , and contact information . the offer - advertiser table of the hourly rate embodiment can be adapted to add a column with heading ‘ profileid ’. after selecting the desired offer to list with at block 306 , the system can present the active profiles for the advertiser , and the advertiser can select the profile to present to consumers . upon selecting a profile , the system will add a new row to the offer - advertiser table containing the information from the hourly rate embodiment , plus the advertiser &# 39 ; s selected profileid in the profileid column . advertisers can build profiles at block 310 iteratively , each profile creating separate rows in the profile table . when a consumer selects an offer at block 404 , the system looks up the advertisers making the offer at block 406 , and looks up the contact and profile information at block 408 , presenting it at block 410 . embodiment : years experience . one embodiment enables advertisers to promote themselves with their years of experience . to do so , the site operator adds another column to the offer - advertiser table with a heading such as ‘ start date ’ at block 104 . an advertiser is prompted at block 312 for additional information , such as through a text box asking a question such as ‘ how many years have you offered this service ?’. the advertiser fills in a number such as ‘ 17 ’, meaning the advertiser has 17 years &# 39 ; experience providing the service . after validating the response for numerical answers , the system stores the information in one of several ways , conveniently subtracting 17 years from the system date , storing the result in date format in the ‘ start date ’ field of the offer - advertiser table , along other information collected . if , one year later , a consumer asks for guitar instructors at block 404 , the consumer receives personal information on guitar instructors , including the information that the advertiser just referenced has provided guitar instruction for 18 years , a figure derived by subtracting the ‘ first started ’ date from the current system date . embodiment : accomplishments . years of experience might not tell the entire story , since some providers may perform a service many times a year , while others do so irregularly . to present a yet fuller picture to users , the site operator could allow builders to collect and present information on how many times the advertiser had performed the service offered . the site operator might anticipate that the directory could usefully collect and present data on how many trials a lawyer had conducted and how many students a guitar instructor had taught . since the site operator does not know what offers builders will post on the directory , the site operator does not necessarily hard - wire lawyer - specific or instructor - specific questions , but can instead construct a method for builders to collect and present accomplishment metrics relevant to specific offers . the site operator can do so at block 104 by creating two new fields in the offer table with headings such as ‘ question to elicit accomplishment ’ and ‘ label for accomplishment ’. the site operator can also construct prompts directing builders to draft such questions and labels . the offer - advertiser table can also be augmented with a column and heading such as ‘ accomplishment ’. after the builder provides the requested information at block , a new row is added to the offer table containing the accomplishment question and label . when an advertiser provides requested information at block 312 , a new row is added to the offer - advertiser table including the accomplishment metric . when consumers view advertiser information at block 410 , they can see the experience metric provided by the builder . for instance , in the screen shot at fig5 , the accomplishment label states “ years of experience / in business ( years )” in the text box at the top of the illustration . the function of this label is to explain the meaning of the y - axis numbers . in various embodiments , a screen shot shown to a builder at block 204 is presented at fig1 . a feature of this embodiment is that consumers can toggle the accomplishment axis shown on the y - axis between years experience and number of trials conducted , in the case of a lawyer &# 39 ; s offer . embodiment : four pricing methods . realizing many advertisers do not charge based on an hourly rate , the site operator can structure the directory system to be flexible enough to handle advertisers making offers on other than hourly rates . in one embodiment , the site operator has structured the system to handle four pricing methods : flat fee ; a rate per some unit of time ( seconds , minutes , hours , 50 - minute therapy sessions , etc ); a rate per some unit other than time ; and free . these decisions and design work are implemented at block 104 . in this embodiment , flat fee rates and free offers can be encoded in a single field and rates based on time or non - time units can be encoded in two fields . these fields can be stored in the offer table , one field for type of pricing ( flat fee , free , time rate and non - time rate ), and the second field for the unit required , if time based or non - time based . when a builder creates a new offer , the system can ask at an appropriate step what pricing method is used by advertisers making this offer . in one embodiment , the question is asked at block 204 . a screen shot including one such a question is shown at fig1 . if a time - based rate or non - time based rate , the system can also ask for the units involved , and the question to elicit pricing information . a screen shot calling for this information is shown at fig1 . in one embodiment , when an advertiser selects the desired chart at block 306 , the system reads the row in the offer table corresponding to the offer selected , and notes the builder responses for pricing method , pricing units , and question phrasing , according to pricing type . if ‘ flat ’, the builder &# 39 ; s question could be something such as ‘ what do you charge for a 12 inch pizza ?’ if time - based , the system could ask something such as ‘ what do you charge per year for anti - virus protection ?’ if non - time - based , the system could ask something such as ‘ what do you charge per square foot for re - painting the interior of an apartment ?’ if the offer does not require financial compensation , the system skips the pricing question . the advertiser answer to the pricing question can be stored in the new row of the offer - advertiser tables in a single column called something like ‘ pricing value ’. embodiment : variations on offer . in one embodiment , several offers may be collected and processed as a group . an example of the convenience of such a method occurs in the case of limousines , which come in different sizes , such as 4 - passenger , 6 - passenger , 8 - passenger , etc . other examples include related services by service providers , but the method need not be confined to related services or products . a site operator desiring such a method can make an election to do so in block 104 by , for instance , creating a new field in the offer table indicating the maximum number of variations permitted with a heading such as ‘ maximum offer variations ’. when a builder creates an offer at block 204 , the system prompts the builder whether another variation is desired , and if so , the builder repeats the block 204 process iteratively as long as the number of offer variations does not exceed the number of maximum offer variations set by the site operator . if the builder builds more than one variation , the system can encapsulate all variations in the same data structure through the use of appropriate punctuation symbols . as an example , where the builder elects to create three varying offers based on three massage durations , the three questions eliciting pricing variations could be encoded in square brackets , and separated by semi - colons . likewise , when the advertiser answers questions related to the offer at block 312 , the system presents three questions iteratively , and all answers can be stored using the same punctuation scheme in the offer - advertiser table in the ‘ pricing value ’ column . by use of this method , builders have the discretion to build separate offers , or cluster the offers as variations to suit their goals . embodiment : galleries . in one embodiment , offers may be grouped together for presentation to users ; such groups may be called galleries or any other convenient word or phrase . a screen shot of a gallery of offers is shown at fig9 . a site operator may create a gallery option at block 104 by creating a gallery table consisting of three columns ( galleryid , gallery name , offerid ) and a gallery - offer table ( galleryid , offerid ). the site operator can create prompts to instruct the builder to input a gallery name to an input device . in addition , the site operator can create prompts and an input method to prompt the builder to associate an offer with a gallery . a builder desiring to create a gallery may do so at block 208 by responding to site operator - created prompts . a builder desiring to associate one or more offers with a gallery may do so at block 210 by responding to site operator - created prompts . the creation of a new gallery adds a row to the gallery table . the association of an offer with a gallery creates a new row in the gallery - offer table . by using the same method , galleries can contain galleries , thus enabling a hierarchical organization of all offers in the directory . because builders may associate any offers they want with any galleries , such hierarchies need not be consistent , and consumers may use the gallery - hierarchies that suit them , resulting in some galleries being more popular / useful than others . each gallery may carry its own set of statistics on member population and consumer traffic and other useful metrics . embodiment : images . in one embodiment , images may be associated with galleries , offers , advertisers , or other elements of the directory . examples of logos associated with charts are shown at screen shot fig9 . a site operator who desires to permit images associated with elements of the directory may do so at block 104 by creating an image table consisting of three columns , imageid , objected , and ‘ object type ’, where the object type specifies whether the associated object is a gallery , offer , advertiser , or other object . the site operator can also create a prompt to prompt a user to create or upload an image . a builder can create , upload , or associate an image associated with an offer at block 204 . a builder can create , upload , or associate an image associated with a gallery at block 208 . an advertiser can create , upload , or associate an image associated with themselves at block 310 . embodiment : geographic performance area . in one embodiment , each advertiser may state the region in which they offer to perform . a site operator may obtain this function at bock 104 in a variety of ways . one convenient method consists of adding a column to the offer table named ‘ radius ’ and adding a column to offer - advertiser table , also called ‘ radius ’. by suitable means the site operator crafts prompts and input methods inviting the builder to state the typical radius for persons making the offer being built . for example , the radius for most barbers is zero , since customers usually must travel to barber shops . dog walkers might have a typical radius of 10 miles . u . s . patent lawyers might have a global radius , meaning they can apply for a u . s . patent for a client anywhere on the globe . a screen shot of coverage indication is shown at fig6 , in the popup window , with a florist providing nationally . the radius provided by the builder at block 204 can be stored in the ‘ radius ’ field of the offer table as ‘ global ’ if global , or a numeric value in miles or other suitable distance units if the offer is typically less than global . the site operator can also craft prompts and input methods inviting the advertiser to state at block 312 the radius around their location , as stated by the advertiser at block 310 , where they make their offer available . the radius stated by the builder can act as a default . if the advertiser answers the radius question at block 312 , it may be stored in the ‘ radius ’ field of the offer - advertiser table , and can override the default stated by the builder . embodiment : geographic meeting area . it is one thing for a graphic site operator to state they can deliver graphic design globally , but quite another to be available for a face - to - face meeting anywhere in the world . in one embodiment , each advertiser may state the region in which they are willing to travel for a face - to - face meeting without a travel allowance . this embodiment can be achieved by the same method as the geographic performance area embodiment , with the difference being the names of the columns and the prompts utilized by the site operator to elicit the information . embodiment : keyword search . in one embodiment , a consumer indicates their desired offer at block 402 by entering alphanumeric requests in a suitable search input device created by the site operator at block 104 . a screen shot of this method is shown at the top of fig5 . by conventional means the consumer &# 39 ; s input may be used to search words and phrases appearing in offers and / or questions created by builders at block 204 , gallery names created at block 208 , and / or advertiser text created at blocks 310 and / or 312 . offers and / or galleries containing such keywords , or lexically similar to such keywords , may be presented to the consumer based on conventional linguistic measures of closeness - of - fit , in the discretion of the site operator . embodiment : geographical search . in one embodiment , the system is able to present geographically relevant search results to consumers . in addition to desired offers , a consumer indicates their desired geographic delivery area at block 402 by entering a geographic location and radius in a suitable search input device created by the site operator at block 104 . the system intersects the two radii by using commercially available intersection methods . for instance , if the consumer desires realty agents within 25 miles of oakland , calif ., and realty agents have advertised their availability within 40 miles of sacramento , calif ., standard geographic intersection packages will determine that the oakland consumer is beyond the range of the sacramento agent . as a consequence , the sacramento agents will not be presented . the system will present agents whose service delivery area intersects the requested delivery area of the consumer . embodiment : languages . in one embodiment , advertisers may publish the languages they can communicate in . when an advertiser provides contact and profile information at block 310 the advertiser may indicate all languages they can communicate in . this function can be achieved by more than one method . one convenient method is to create a table of world languages , or a suitable number of top world languages , and present these languages to the advertiser in a drop - down list . by suitable means the advertiser is requested to select the languages they can communicate in . the language ids of the languages used by the advertiser may be encoded in a single ‘ language ’ field of the advertiser table with suitable delimiter punctuation separating the language ids . embodiment : data presentation of advertisers . in an alternative embodiment , when a consumer searches for a particular offer , the primary page displayed for that offer is summary data in the form of a graphical representation of price versus years of experience for all advertisers listed thereunder . a screen shot of this method is shown at fig5 . accordingly , the software application permits advertisers to be first displayed irrespective of their respective size , experience , or financial backing . as a result , small or unknown advertisers can effectively compete with large , rich , and well - established advertisers without spending more on advertising . tabs on the display page permit other types of graphic display , including map display as shown at fig6 . the icons representing positions of advertisers on the map may be of any form , type , size , color , saturation , transparency , and shape of icons used to provide the summary data is pre - determined by the software application or is custom definable by the site operator , builder , or advertisers . in addition , the map icon may present advertiser content . as an example , the icon may state the price offered . thus , instead of push - pins shown , the actual price may be stated . a tab on the display page permits other types of graphic display , including a list display such as shown at fig7 . such lists may be sorted in any order , including lowest price first . on some displays , the system can present ‘ mouse - over ’ windows showing details of advertisers as users hover their mice or other signaling devices , such as fingers on smart devices , as shown in fig8 . the bubble chart presentation embodiment can be achieved by noting the quantified values of price and years of experience for the advertisers making the offer in the offer - advertiser table . commercially available software modules create scatter diagrams given sets of x - y data points . if the offer invites advertisers to state more than one accomplishment metric , this embodiment allows consumers to choose among several accomplishment metrics by means such as a drop - down menu , and upon selection a new set of y - values is matched with x - values corresponding to price , and the scatter diagram module generates a new scatter diagram . if the offer contains variations , this embodiment allows consumers to select among these by means such as a drop - down menu . upon selection , a new set of x - values is produced to be matched with previous y - values corresponding to accomplishment , and the scatter diagram module generates a new scatter diagram . embodiment : data presentation of consumer activity on site . in one embodiment , the software application collects consumer behavior on the site , such as click - throughs to advertisers , time spent on respective advertisers and / or offers , and provides summary data for an advertiser , offer , or gallery using charts , lists , graphs , or other visual or tabular data representations . the form , type , size , color , saturation , transparency , and shape of icons used to provide the summary data is pre - determined by the software application or is custom definable by the site operator , builder , or advertisers . for example , icons can be advertiser logos . in this embodiment the relevant metric is click - throughs from dots on the scatter chart to advertiser profiles . every time a consumer clicks through from a chart dot to the advertiser profile on the site the system can capture relevant data , such as a pair of data values consisting of ( 1 ) the unique id of the row in the offer - advertiser table affected ( i . e ., the offer the consumer is looking at and the advertiser whose dot was clicked on ), and ( 2 ) the date - time value on the system clock at the time of the click . this pair of values may be stored in a suitable location , such as a table named a ‘ click table ’ which could have two columns named something like ‘ click ’ and ‘ time ’. on an occasional basis , such as daily , the software application could inventory this table for each offer , and count the number of times consumers clicked on the dots of every advertiser for every offer in the preceding time period , such as 30 days . that per - advertiser trailing - 30 - day click count could be stored conveniently in the offer - advertiser table in a column named something like ‘ 30 - day click total .’ the system could sum all these 30 - day click totals and store the sum in a column in the offer table in a column named something like ‘ 30 - day click total .’ the individual advertisers &# 39 ; 30 - day click totals could be divided by the offer &# 39 ; s 30 - day click total to compute each respective advertiser &# 39 ; s percentage of clicks in the preceding 30 days , and this percent could be stored conveniently in the offer - advertiser table in a column named something like ‘ 30 - day click percent .’ the system &# 39 ; s graphic display page of offers normally presents all advertiser dots with the same form , size , color , saturation , transparency , and shape . this embodiment uses a method consisting of a ‘ heat map ’ button or other convenient method for consumers to turn on the display of relative percentages of consumer clicks in the preceding 30 days , and when turned on , the dots with the lowest percentages could be display with cool colors such as blue or green , and those with highest percentages getting , for instance , red . this heat map button could be toggled on and off by consumers , and be persistent across all offers displayed . the heat map button could alter any other aspect of advertiser dots , including form , size , saturation , transparency , or shape . this heat map method could be applied to any other desired consumer activity on the site . in addition , if the offer contained variations as described elsewhere , the click totals and click percentages for the advertisers could be compressed as described in the method for offer variations . embodiment : adapting offers . in one embodiment , builders are able to create new offers by adapting existing ones . a builder seeking to build a new offer may adapt an existing offer at bock 204 by selecting the offer desired to adapt through any convenient means , such as a drop - down list . once selected , the system can present all builder decision prompts with the response fields pre - filled with the previous responses . the builder can either accept these or edit them , saving the result to a new offer name . in this embodiment , a builder may adapt an existing offer and keep every detail of the existing offer , effectively making a complete duplicate of the adapted offer . in this embodiment , the builder may use any image to associate as a logo with the new offer so long as the builder has the right to use such image . the method is the same for offers with variations . embodiment : adapting galleries . builders may adapt galleries using the same method as for adapting offers . embodiment : private offers . the default condition for offers is that they are ‘ open ’, meaning any advertiser making such offer may advertise to promote themselves by listing themselves with the offer by responding to offer prompts . this embodiment permits the opposite condition , an offer for which an advertiser does not have such rights . such an offer may conveniently be described as ‘ private ’. any builder may conveniently create a private offer at block 204 by responding to prompts asking whether the builder wants the offer to be open or private . in this embodiment , the default value is ‘ open ’. it is convenient to record builder choices using the following method , one of several possible methods . if the builder elects to create a private offer , the system can store such choice in a column in the offer table named something like ‘ access ’, with the value ‘ open ’ stored in the field unless the builder chooses ‘ private ’. if the builder elects a private offer , the builder can then be offered access choices , two possible choices being password access and url access . if the builder requests password access , then only those using the password may list themselves on the builder &# 39 ; s offer . this situation may occur , for instance , with a trade association of , say , home remodelers . such a trade association may want to promote a national web marketplace where consumers can find home remodelers and compare prices and experience metrics . if the association wants to limit the benefits of the site to its members and prevent freeriding by non - members of the association , it can give its members a password to advertise on the site . if the builder selects url access , then anyone knowing the url of the offer may list themselves . this method may be used by persons and firms posting job listings in a newspaper or online sites such as monster or craigslist . the ad could provide the details of the job in the usual manner and then list the url of the offer , asking job applicants to visit the url to apply for the job . in this embodiment , job seekers clicking the url , or typing it in their browser from a newspaper ad , visit the site and are treated by the site as potential advertisers able to respond to system responses , with such responses collected and presented as described in other embodiments . employers thus build offers in this embodiment , and gain the advantage of being able to see applicants &# 39 ; experience metrics presented graphically on a secure site instead of the customary situation of many job applicants &# 39 ; emails cluttering the employer &# 39 ; s email box . when building a private chart builders can be given data display options as ‘ public ’, meaning having the offer and all advertisers and their pricing and profile information full viewable by the public ( an option many trade associations may elect , as described at the start of this embodiment ), or ‘ private ’, meaning having the advertiser prompts and data collection devices viewable by potential advertisers but not permitting such potential advertisers to see the data display of responses of prior advertisers ( an option many employers may select ), or ‘ semi - public ’, meaning same as private data display option with prior advertiser responses visible on a data display , but with no identifying information or advertiser profiles . the semi - public data display option may be popular in a bidding mode , when a firm seeks prices on a specification , and wants to know the pattern of bids . embodiment : site - to - user notices . in one embodiment , the site operator can communicate with possibly all advertisers , builders , or other users of the software application . such notifications can be useful for providing notice of system changes , account status , traffic reports , and other uses described in other embodiments . the site operator can create a button or other suitable mechanism to initiate a notification , and place such button on any convenient site location , such as administration pages . upon initiation , the system prompts the site administrator to state the criteria defining the recipients of such communication . upon defining the criteria , the system prompts the administrator to create the message . upon finalization , the system consults appropriate tables of recipients with a request to select all users who satisfy the criteria , and the system sends the message to the selected set . such notification can be sent by any means , electronic or otherwise . such notification methods can be stored and repeated automatically , as with monthly account statements to advertisers . embodiment : userids . in one embodiment , the system keeps track of all users authorized to use the system by use of a user table , consisting of a column called userid , and additional columns unique to such users , such as password , date of authorization , name and contact information , and the version of the ‘ terms of use ’ the user has agreed to . the userid is unique and assigned when the person first registers with the system . in this embodiment , every registered user also receives advertiser privileges and an advertiserid which can be the same as userid . embodiment : userid not the same as advertiserid . in an alternate embodiment , some users may not have advertiser privileges . in this embodiment , the advertiser table has an additional column for userid . only those users with advertiser privileges are entered in the advertiser table . embodiment : privileges . in another embodiment , the system permits users to have different privileges by creating a new table for each privilege . such table can have a single column , consisting of the system userid . for instance , if only certain users have the privilege to , say , build offers , a builder table would have a table of userids with builder privileges . when a user first logs onto the system , the system could consult all privilege tables to see which privileges the user possessed , and store those privileges in session variables . in the case of a user with builder privileges , the session variable might be stored in a session variable called something like vprivbuilder and set it to ‘ true ’. if a random user seeks to build a new offer , the system could allow or not allow the build process according to whether vprivbuilder was true for such user . the use of such privilege session variables permits the frequent use of privileges without delaying performance by frequent look - ups or privilege rights . embodiment : editing empty offers . in one embodiment , a method is described to control editing of offers while there are no advertisers who have made the offer . at the point a builder finalizes an offer and no advertisers have yet made the offer , no one would be affected by a builder &# 39 ; s making changes to the offer . in this embodiment , the builder maintains sole control over the offer by means of an entry in the offer table in a column named something like ‘ owner ’ and a value equal to the builder &# 39 ; s userid . if a random user sought to edit that offer , the system would deny editing privileges unless such user &# 39 ; s id matched the ‘ owner ’ value for the table to be edited . embodiment : builder - loaded advertisers and editing privileges . it may be convenient for a builder who has just constructed an offer to populate the offer with advertisers , with prices and accomplishments , rather than wait for advertisers to do so themselves . for instance , a franchisor of a certain brand of restaurants , or the owner of a chain of realty offices , may want to promote outlets in the chain by including them on relevant charts . this embodiment presents a method for advertisers to ‘ take possession ’ of their system identities when originally created by others . the method consists of creating two additional columns in the user table : ( 1 ) an editor column whose value is the userid of the user with rights to make edits to the profile of the advertiser row , and ( 2 ) a password column with a randomly generated password created when the row is created by a user with a userid different than the userid of the row being created . an example using a hypothetical illustrates . assume mango is a small , fast - growing restaurant franchisor specializing in inexpensive , healthy lunch and supper meals . assume when mango first registers it receives userid mango888 . mango registers its 100 franchisees , each one receiving a separate row in the user table . assume the austin franchise receives userid ‘ austin333 ’ and randomly generated password ‘ jigg7779 ’. the editor column for austin333 has the value mango888 because mango created it . mango lists its austin franchise in several restaurant charts . mango then invites its franchisees to update their profiles and encourages them to create and populate new charts . mango can access the unique password in each of the password columns it created , and mango sends the 100 separate userids and passwords to each of its 100 mango franchisees . the austin franchise logs on with userid austin333 and password jigg7779 . upon doing so , the system changes the value in the editor column in the user table for the austin333 row from mango888 to austin333 . from that point forward , the austin franchise has the sole privilege to edit all entries in the user table . likewise , the method permits austin333 and no one else to edit other tables granting privileges to austin333 because the system allows only two users to make such edits : the user referenced by the table and the user with editor rights for such user . since austin333 has halted the right of mango888 to edit its user table entries , it has halted the right of mango888 to edit any table for which austin333 has user rights . embodiment : consumer - to - advertiser notices . in one embodiment , consumers can communicate with chart advertisers for questions , prices , or other purposes . a method for performing such communications can conveniently be accomplished through an adaptation of the site - to - user embodiment presented elsewhere . a consumer notice to advertisers on a chart may conveniently be commenced with a ‘ ping ’ button placed on every chart . upon activating the button , the site offers the consumer choices as to type of communication requested . in this embodiment , the user selects an option to request an electronic text message to all advertisers . by suitable text input devices , the system collects the text desired by the consumer and the consumer &# 39 ; s email for advertiser replies to the communication . by suitable means the consumer indicates the message is ready to be sent , and the system sends the message electronically . this method permits messages to be sent by a variety of means , including email , text message , and micro - blogging , among others . because of the potential for spam to chart advertisers , the method also includes alternatives as selected by the builder at block 204 . at a suitable point in the construction process of an offer , the builder may be offered options for spam control . the builder &# 39 ; s choice could be stored in a column in the offer table called something like ‘ spam .’ a builder who elected to have consumer communications delivered by way of posting on a periodic bulletin containing consumer notices could have that choice recorded in the ‘ spam ’ column by a ‘ bulletin ’ value . upon the consumer sending a notice to chart advertisers using the ping method , the consumer text and the consumer &# 39 ; s email could be stored in a pair of columns in a table called something like ‘ bulletin table ’, consisting of columns such as offerid , date , time , consumer text , consumer email , and flag . at convenient intervals , such as daily , the system could collect all consumer messages for each offer , convert them to a list , and send the list to offer advertisers using the site - to - user notice method . when a consumer notice was added as a new row in the bulletin table , an electronic notice could be sent to a chart administrator to review the consumer message . if determined to be spam or otherwise in violation of site terms of use , the chart administrator could flag the communication to prevent its routine dispatch by setting the ‘ flag ’ value for the communication to ‘ spam ’ or other appropriate value . the delay between when the consumer posted the communication and when the bulletin was dispatched could give time for many spam attempts to be defeated . if an advertiser on a chart wanted immediate notice of consumer communications , the advertiser could signal this election at block 312 by using appropriate input methods to elect to receive consumer notices as received in the bulletin table , or at some other interval . if the advertiser wanted immediate notification , the advertiser &# 39 ; s election could be stored in a ‘ ping ’ column of the offer - advertiser table with a value such as ‘ immediate ’. when the system received a consumer notice to advertisers on a chart , and the system recorded a new row in the bulletin table , the system could generate a notice of such consumer communication to all affected advertisers who had recorded ‘ immediate ’ in the ‘ ping ’ column of the offer - advertiser table by use of the site - to - user method . embodiment : bid requests . in one embodiment , a consumer is able to ask advertisers making an offer to supply new prices for a proposal designed by the consumer . a consumer viewing advertisers making an offer may want a quote on a prospective purchase . for instance a consumer viewing advertisers offering 12 - inch pizzas may want a price on a 10 - year - old &# 39 ; s birthday party on a certain date and time with 50 guests , 25 12 - inch pizzas , and soda with a free - refill policy . in this embodiment , the software application provides a method to ‘ ping ’ all advertisers on the chart requesting a price quote . this function may be accomplished by , for instance , placing a ‘ ping ’ button on chart pages inviting consumers to request a price quote from advertisers . by doing so , the software application could use the private chart method described in another embodiment , and setting url access and private data display as defaults . these defaults can be set by the builder at block 204 . for instance , a pizza restaurant industry group might build an offer oriented toward pizza restaurants and construct price quote defaults that encourage the public to place price quotes . the price quote of this embodiment can be communicated through the site to chart advertisers upon completion of the creation of the private offer in the offer table . the system could note that a private offer has been created through use of the ‘ ping ’ button , and initiate a system broadcast of emails to all advertisers in the offer - advertiser table ( or the variation thereof ). embodiment : freshness pings . upon pressing a ping button , the site operator may offer consumers a variety of options , such as requesting a price quote , described in another embodiment , or requesting freshness updates . in this embodiment consumers can request chart advertisers to confirm the recency of their prices by pressing a ‘ ping ’ button that may be included with every chart . upon pressing the button , the chart re - displays , omitting all advertisers who have not reconfirmed their offers within a preceding period of time which may be determined by , for instance , a value defined by the builder and stored in a column with a name such as ‘ reconfirm period ’ in the offer table . advertisers omitted in this refresh operation could receive a notification using the site - to - user notices method that they were excluded from a user &# 39 ; s view of a chart because they had not recently reconfirmed the pricing on their offer . embodiment : filters . this embodiment permits advertisers to attach qualifications with non - continuous values to offers , and for consumers to use those qualifications as filters to select which advertisers to examine . while qualifications can usually be used as alternate y - axis metrics , non - continuous values may conveniently used as filters . such filters can be constructed by the builder at block 204 with one column in the offer table defining the phrase presented to advertisers and consumers , and a second column in the offer table providing the type of filter variable , such as binary or discrete . a third column could provide validation information , such as permitted values for discrete variables . an example of these choices may occur in a rental housing chart . this chart can use the variation method described in another embodiment to present five rental housing unit variations : studios , one - bedrooms , two - bedrooms , three - bedrooms , and four - bedrooms and above . each of these could have the following binary filters as to policies or features : pets allowed , smoking permitted , pool , recreation room , sauna , tennis , barbeque , basketball , weight room , on - site manager , internet , parking , lease required , secure building , elevator , furnished . discrete value variables could include : floor ( i . e ., basement , first floor , second floor , etc ). continuous value features that could be used as y - axis values could include : amount of security deposit , square feet in the unit , distance to closest market , distance to closest public transit line . discrete value variables could be presented to advertisers in a variety of ways including radio buttons or check boxes , and the same method could be used to present the information to consumers in profile information for each of the advertised units . builders could also elect to treat some of the discrete variables as discrete value variables . for instance the ‘ tennis ’ variable could be presented as a discrete value variable integer values representing the number of courts present . a filter button could be present in every chart . when a consumer activated the filter button a popup window could appear presenting all filters available for the chart . in the housing example , the consumer could request the chart to present only apartments allowing pets . in such case the system could select all rows from the relevant table where the binary value of ‘ pets ’ was ‘ true ’ or ‘ yes ’ or any other convention corresponding to a ‘ yes ’ indication by the advertiser . alternatively the consumer could request apartments where pets were not allowed , in which case the system could select all rows from the relevant table where the binary value of ‘ pets ’ was ‘ false ’ or ‘ no ’. a consumer could also filter on any y - axis value , such as requesting presentation of only apartments with monthly rents of $ 1 , 500 and below . another embodiment could also request presentation of apartments between a range of y - axis values , such as monthly rental prices . multiple filters could be activated in any combination . in addition , the geographic position - radius feature at the top of chart represents an independent filter that can act in combination with filters activated with the filter button . embodiment : email loading . in one embodiment a person would have the ability to invite a potential advertiser , or a mailing list of potential advertisers , to list with an existing offer through the use of email without ever interacting with the site . in this embodiment any person could initiate an email to one or more potential advertisers inviting them to list an offer by means of an email to a specified email address . the initiating person could send an email to a potential advertiser requesting information to be provided in a reply email to a recipient email address . the means by which this embodiment can achieve its function is ( 1 ) any electronic message receiving structure ( which includes but is not limited to email , text messaging , automated phone calling , or micro - blogging device such as twitter ), ( 2 ) a site hosting the software application , ( 3 ) with the ability to receive and parse incoming emails , ( 4 ) a pre - existing offer to which the potential advertiser may list with , and ( 5 ) a coding and decoding scheme by which the sending party may invite the potential advertiser to use to provide listing information . an example of this embodiment may occur with a trade association of therapists desiring to assist its members to promote themselves by publishing their services . the trade association may have previously built an offer on the software application with a name such as ‘ therapy — anxiety treatment ’, selecting a pricing method such as price per 1 - hour treatment session . with reference to the elements of this embodiment , the association could ( 1 ) send an email ( 2 ) containing a subject line to all its members inviting them to answer several questions in a reply email to ( 3 ) a specified address such as listings @ sitehostingsoftwareapplication . com . this site will have a previously established ( 4 ) method to parse incoming emails from therapists and other potential advertisers . the site receiving the email may have ( 5 ) a pre - existing offer such as ‘ therapy , anxiety treatment ’ with a pricing mechanism based on price for a one - hour treatment session , and requiring advertisers to provide price and years experience . by use of ( 6 ) a pre - existing coding and decoding scheme , a codec , the association could invite members to answer questions , send the emailed questions to the hosting site . thus , the email subject line could say ‘ promote your & lt ; therapy , anxiety & gt ; practice ’, and the association could send it to its members , saying : ‘ to get this free listing , copy these questions and provide answers inside the angle brackets so your answers will be read : & lt ; my name is : . . . & gt ;; & lt ; my hourly rate for a therapy session is : . . . & gt ;; & lt ; i have : . . . years experience & gt ;; & lt ; my phone number is : . . . & gt ;. the codec previously established on the software application is to read only material between the angle brackets , and to strip out material provided by the association , such as ‘ my name is :’ and the ellipsis ‘. . . ’. the codec could identify the stripped - out language with similarly worded input prompts and input fields on the site . the codec could associate each email field with a corresponding input field for advertisers , and treat the email answers as inputs to the site input fields , entering new rows in the advertiser and offer - advertiser tables . by this means potential advertisers could list themselves through the convenience of email or other electronic messaging means without having to visit the site . embodiment : site email interrogation . in a related embodiment , the email inquiries of the email loading embodiment could be initiated by the software application site , calling for advertisers and potential advertisers to merely reply . by this means the software application could achieve rapid updating of key fields and inventories . a practical application of this would be chart dealing with offers of hotel rooms available that day . the software application could interrogate hotels at two - hour intervals during the afternoon and early evening , for instance , for updates on number of rooms remaining vacant , with replies containing current inventories immediately posted to the software application site to provide the public with accurate inventories of rooms available at different prices and features . the software application could use the preferred communication channel for each hotel , which could be the hotel desk phone in one case — with the answer communicated by use of the key pad to indicate rooms left — or an email visible on the computer screen of the hotel check - in clerk in another case . such preferences could be kept in a field of the advertiser table . embodiment : means of compensating builders populating charts . a chart stating an offer with no advertisers presents no value to consumers . it would be desirable to provide incentives to those who place advertiser information into charts . one embodiment presents a method to compensate those who populate charts with advertisers . an example illustrates the utility of this method . assume an insurance agency called risk sells malpractice insurance to local lawyers . assume risk wants a low cost way to attract the attention of lawyers . using this embodiment , risk could become a builder and create a chart for court reporters in the area . the chart shows prices and experience metrics . using the method described in the embodiment relating to builder - loaded charts , risk populates the chart with court reporters itself , after making calls and getting their prices and experience . other insurance agencies in other parts of the country also research local court reporters and load them into the same chart , resulting in a court reporter chart with court reporters all over the united states . in this embodiment , even though risk created the chart , and is therefore considered a builder , the other insurance agencies also added valuable content to the chart and also became , in the nomenclature of this invention , chart builders . this embodiment provides a way to provide compensation to chart builders who populate the charts by means of a column in the offer - advertiser table which may be called ‘ originator ’. assume risk places 100 advertisers in the court reporter chart , resulting in 100 new rows of the offer - advertiser chart , where the offerid is that of the court reporter offer , and the advertiserids are those of the new advertisers in that table . for each of those rows , the value of the originator column would be risk &# 39 ; s builderid . in this and other embodiments , an equivalent functionality could be achieved by using the userid of the builder , and not creating a separate builderid . providing compensation to builders populating this chart may be achieved by awarding points accumulated on some convenient frequency , such as daily or monthly . points may be accumulated as follows . on a , say , daily basis the total number of reporters in the court reporter chart could be counted by the system with the total stored in a session variable called varadvertisercount . the counting process could also tally how many advertisers were originated by each of the builders represented in the originator column . if the set of builders whose ids were found in the originator column were the set b 1 , b 2 , . . . b n , then the advertiser count for each builder could be represented by the integer varadvertiser i , where the subscript i represents builder i in the set of 1 through n builders . the sum of all these advertiser counts , from varadvertiser 1 through varadvertiser n will add to varadvertisercount , by definition . relative percentages originated by each builder can be computed by dividing varadvertiser i by varadvertisercount for each i , from 1 through n , resulting in a series of percentages varoriginatorpercent i , from 1 through n , one for each of the builders . when rounded to the nearest percent for each one , varoriginatorpoints i each of these values may be treated as integer points varying between 0 and 100 , and cumulated in a builder - offer table , with these three columns : builderid , offerid , and dailypointscount . in the process just described , n new rows may be added to this table , one for each builder , with the builderid consisting of each of the n builderids , the offerid being the one for the court reporter chart , and the points being each of the varoriginatorpoints i recorded for the respective builders . this process may be repeated daily for the month , with the daily points being added to the previous totals . advertisers may be added during the month and others may disappear , resulting in each builder receiving an accurate number of points reflecting the advertiser &# 39 ; s efforts to populate the chart . on the last day of the month the values in the dailypointscount column may be moved to a fourth column in the offer - builder table called monthlypointscount , and the values in the dailypointscount column zeroed , to be filled with accumulated values daily during the new month . during that new month the builders with non - zero values in the monthlypointscount column could be compensated with their own ads placed on the chart on a randomized basis with frequencies based on the relative size of their point court relative to others . examples of hypothetical builder ads are shown in fig5 , to the left and below the bubble chart . hypothetical examples illustrate the method . in the first month , assume risk is the only builder populating the chart . risk &# 39 ; s ad is not shown because the method operates prospectively . during the second month risk &# 39 ; s ad is shown continuously , but other builders add court reporters . at the end of the second month risk has originated 20 % of the court reporters , resulting in its having 20 points during the third month . risk &# 39 ; s ad is shown 20 % of the time . if a total of five ads are presented on the chart as shown in fig5 , each one would have its own probability of presentation , based on randomized random percentages . that is , risk &# 39 ; s ad would have a 20 % chance of being presented every time a lawyer requested a view of the court reporter chart . such a randomized system would save the overhead of keeping accurate track of presentation counts and matching them with point values . however , an alternative embodiment could build a tracking system so builder point values corresponded precisely with number of ad presentations . in yet another embodiment , point values could be compensated in any other way . embodiment : combining offers . in one embodiment , the software application enables combination of a plurality of charts representing individual products or services into a single chart . for instance , a supermarket advertiser can create a combined ‘ market basket for family of four for the week ’ chart , with each component of the chart comprising separate charts , such a s charts for two half gallons of 2 % milk , a pound of strawberries , a dozen eggs , and a loaf of wheat bread . thus , component advertisers can have advertisements listed in each of the component charts ( i . e ., a ‘ half gallon of 2 % milk ’ chart ) and in the combined chart ( i . e . the ‘ market basket for family of four for the week ’ chart ). as the component advertisers update prices or run specials in the component charts , these changes are also reflected in the combined chart . accordingly , the software application allows consumers to find the best prices for a combination of goods or services , such as their weekly food needs . embodiment : consumers rankings . in alternate embodiments , a chart created through a private chart embodiment can have several metrics to evaluate chart advertisers . the software application enables consumers to create a customized aggregate metric with weighted combinations of the several metrics . for example , an institutional food consumer who seeks advertisers who grow their food consistent with sustainability and low carbon use may create a chart with a host of metrics related to sustainability and carbon footprints . assume there are ten metrics , a , b , c , . . . j , each with a continuous , discrete , or binary ranges . the software application enables consumers , through use of sliders or any other convenient means , to weight each of these metrics as desired . for instance , metric a can be weighted 30 %, metric b can be weighted 90 %, and so on , so that a customized aggregate metric is created for the consumer equal to 0 . 3 × a + 0 . 9 × b . . . . the software application then provides summary data using the customized aggregate metric , such as a graph of the customized aggregate metric against price , for the advertisers listed within the chart . likewise , a different consumer can use the same underlying metrics to create a different customized aggregate metric . embodiment : validating advertiser information . in a related embodiment , the software application provides age validation to protect against age fraud . advertisers who desire to validate their age can do so by using a validator as discussed infra . in another particular embodiment , the software application provides age blurring to protect against identity theft . to do so , the software application subtracts the system date from date of birth ( expressed in days ), adds a random number , and then converts the result to years . consumers are then presented with this number , which is a reasonably accurate statement of age , without revealing the actual date of birth of the advertiser . in yet a further embodiment , the software application provides a method for validating advertiser assertions by obtaining validation by trusted third parties referred to as validators . once validated , the assertions bear notice that the assertions has been validated , by whom , and when . modification of the validated assertion would result in the validation notice being removed , but modified assertions can be re - validated . for instance , an advertiser that indicates he holds a masters in business administration from a named university may or may not be lying and a consumer may need to know the truth . a validator can validate this assertion and the assertion would thereafter bear a notice of validation for consumers to review . the software application permits existing validators to validate the credentials of those seeking to become validators . furthermore , the software application provides creation of charts for validators to list advertisements for their services . embodiment : null search results . in yet a further embodiment , when a consumer searches for a chart or advertisement within a given geographic area and no results are produced , the software application presents the closest matches from business directory listings . alternatively , the software application invites the consumer to create a private chart for submission to businesses within the business directory listings , to businesses via specified email addresses , or to advertisers of advertisements containing similar keywords . embodiment : governance . in an additional embodiment , the advertiser that creates a new chart becomes the ‘ manager ’ of the chart . the chart manager is able to poll chart advertisers for approval to change chart configurations , such as keywords , chart names , pricing models , and visual appearance . furthermore , the chart manager is able to assess chart advertisers for purposes of promoting the chart , thereby giving chart managers the ability to achieve trade association functionality at a fraction of the cost of freestanding trade associations . and , chart managers also oversee chart recruitment , training , promotion , and governance . the chart manager may or may not be compensated . in various other embodiments , groups of chart advertisers can agree to joint management of charts . embodiment : distance adjustments . in alternate embodiments , the software application provides price adjustments for any chart selling any product . the price adjustments can be based upon time , distance , or features whenever these factors occur inconsistently between advertisers so that a standardized price is available for consumers . the software application provides these cost adjustments in the summary data for the chart . for example , gas prices are high and gas stations compete by pricing their gas competitively . while price is important , the cost of driving to a distant gas station advertiser location can be factored in to the price to more accurately determine which of two gas station advertisers offers a better price . thus , when considering an ‘ unleaded gasoline 87 octane , per gallon ’ chart , the software application permits a consumer to input a geographic location and vehicle gas mileage to compensate for the cost of driving to various gas station advertiser locations . as another example , some hotels charge for internet access and others do not . thus , when considering a ‘ hotel overnight stay , per night ’ chart , the software application factors in various features so that a consumer guest desiring internet access can determine which hotel truly offers the best value . embodiment : personals . in yet an additional embodiment , the software application provides for charts having non - financial offers whereby consumers accept with non - financial means . for instance , the software application enables love charts where love advertisers advertise their offer for romance and where the requested acceptance includes conditions for acceptance of romance . thus , a love advertiser in a ‘ never - married men seeking women for romance and the potential of marriage and kids ’ chart involves an offer by the love advertiser to spend time with those accepting the offer , a representation that he has never been married , and that he is interested in having kids . the software application likewise enables love charts with other variations , such as romance where kids were excluded from future plans . embodiment : complementary offers . in one embodiment , a consumer who is not satisfied with the prices listed in a chart can list a complementary offer in the same chart by listing the price they would offer for the chart &# 39 ; s service . the software application enables chart advertisers to be notified whenever a complementary offer is posted , which may be filtered based upon the level of the price . once an advertisement is listed meeting the complementary offer , the consumer is contacted and notified of such . embodiment : rating offers . in a further embodiment , the software application provides a method for serving up relevant charts and advertisements and also marginalizing incomplete or maliciously written charts and advertisements . the method can consider the completeness of charts or advertisements , the number of advertisements contained within a chart , and any other similar factor when serving up the charts and advertisements . embodiment : managing offers . in yet another embodiment , the software application enables an advertiser to collectively and easily manage advertisements listed in a plurality of charts . for instance , the advertiser can turn off advertisements in certain charts , such as when the advertiser goes on vacation or becomes too busy to accept new work . such advertisements can still be present in an advertiser &# 39 ; s profile , such as to indicate an area of expertise , and can be turned on at will . while preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described , as noted above , many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of these preferred and alternate embodiments . | 2 |
the invention is related to an adhesive dispenser , with reference to fig2 fig3 and fig4 which is composed with an outer tube ( 21 ), an inner tube ( 31 ), a push rod ( 41 ), a handle ( 51 ) and a certain number of elastic elements ( 61 ). the outer tube ( 21 ) has a filling head ( 22 ) at one end with passing hole ( 23 ) at the center of inside in the axial direction . the filling head ( 22 ) has locking blade ( 25 ) outside . the outer tube ( 21 ) has corresponding groove rail ( 26 ) in the axial direction at outside of the main body . one end of grooving rail ( 26 ) has bulge blade ( 27 ). in addition , the outer tube ( 21 ) has a holding section ( 28 ) pointing out outside of the other end , with reference to fig5 and fig6 . the holding section ( 28 ) has locating hole ( 291 ), ( 292 ) at upper two ends of the inner wall . the locating holes ( 291 ), ( 292 ) have slope ( 293 ) with narrow top and wide bottom or slope ( 294 ) with wide top and narrow bottom . the inner tube ( 31 ) is axially all the way through the passing end ( 32 ). cone ( 33 ) is formed at the connection of passing end ( 32 ) and main body . based on this , the inner tube ( 31 ) passes through the outer tube ( 21 ) axially with its passing end ( 32 ) penetrating through the passing hole ( 23 ) of the filling head ( 22 ) and its location fixed by the support of the cone ( 33 ). therefore a defined spacing ( 71 ) is formed between the inner tube ( 31 ) and the outer tube ( 21 ). the push rod ( 41 ) is formed in predetermined shape and has toothed groove ( 42 ) of a certain number of teeth in the axial direction . the two corresponding sides have passing groove ( 43 ) in the axial direction . at one end of the push rod ( 41 ) have inner plug ( 44 ) and outer plug ( 45 ), and bulge blade ( 46 ) at the other end . thus , when the push rod . ( 41 ) is put in the outer tube ( 21 ), the passing groove ( 43 ) is used for inner tube ( 31 ) to penetrate . the outer plug ( 45 ) is placed in the spacing ( 71 ) while the inner plug ( 44 ) is placed in the inner tube ( 31 ). by rotating the push rod ( 41 ) to adjust its angle , the toothed groove ( 42 ) will be corresponded to the holding section ( 28 ) of the outer tube ( 21 ) and the bulge blade ( 46 ) of the push rod ( 41 ) will correspond to the bulge blade ( 27 ) of the outer tube ( 21 ). the handle ( 51 ) has long shaft at one end and two locking ends ( 52 ), ( 53 ) and two axial pins ( 54 ), ( 55 ) on the other end . the handle ( 51 ) is placed in the holding section ( 28 ) of outer tube ( 21 ). please also refer to fig5 and fig6 the two axial pins ( 54 ), ( 55 ) can be respectively locked into the locating holes ( 291 ), ( 292 ) on the inner wall of holding section ( 28 ), and will not loosen due to the restrain of outer wall of holding section ( 28 ). as to the elastic element ( 61 ), it can be elastic member or any long belt or ring belt with elasticity . its one end connects with bulge blade ( 27 ) of the outer tube ( 21 ) and passes through the groove rail ( 26 ) of the outer tube ( 21 ), while the other end connects with the bulge blade ( 46 ) of the push rod ( 41 ). when in use , please refer to fig7 mixing type sealant and adhesive gel , like ab gel , is respectively put in the inner tube ( 31 ) and in the spacing ( 71 ). the handle ( 51 ) is turned towards outside ( as the direction shown in the figure ), and swings with the axial pin ( 55 ) as axis , so the locking end ( 52 ) is locked to the toothed groove ( 42 ) of the push rod ( 41 ). then please refer to fig5 . another axial pin ( 54 ) of the handle ( 51 ) enters into the slope ( 293 ) having narrow top and wide bottom during swinging . when the operator releases the handle ( 51 ), the axial pin ( 54 ) subject to the force from the slope ( 293 ) will be pushed to approach to outer tube ( 21 ) and the locking end ( 52 ) will not leave the toothed groove ( 42 ). so the locating function of push rod ( 41 ) does not need to be worried . when the worker grasps present invented dispenser in single hand , the elastic element ( 61 ) is placed in the groove rail ( 26 ) so that won &# 39 ; t touch to the elastic element ( 61 ). by slightly hold the handle ( 51 ) closes to the outer tube ( 21 ) makes the locking end ( 52 ) leaves the toothed groove ( 42 ). the push rod ( 41 ) will moves due to the action of elastic element ( 61 ) and squeeze the sealant and adhesive gel from the inner tube ( 31 ) and spacing ( 71 ) through the passing end ( 24 ) of the inner tube ( 31 ) and the through hole ( 24 ) of the outer tube ( 21 ). thus , by predetermining the ratio of gel volume at passing end ( 32 ) and total volume of through hole ( 24 ), the mixing ratio of different gels can be controlled precisely . so the excellent sealing performance will be achieved . and because the inner tube and outer tube are separated , so the rest unused gels are stored separately and will not cure without mixing . thus present invention can save sealant and adhesive gel from cure and reusable next time , this apparently avoids any waste of materials and saves cost . furthermore , with the immediate and continuous action of hold and release by hand ( basically the axial pin is not locked into the locating hole ), the push rod ( 41 ) moves stepwise to squeeze the sealant and adhesive in a tiny amount each time . the invention can provide better adhesion performance without any problem . again please refer to fig6 and fig8 . when the worker holds the handle ( 51 ) close to the outer tube ( 21 ) ( direction as shown in the figure ), the handle ( 51 ) will swing with the axial pin ( 55 ) as axis and the locking end ( 52 ) will leave the toothed groove ( 42 ). the other axial pin ( 55 ) will move to the position of the slope ( 294 ) having wide top and narrow bottom . now the locking end ( 53 ) locks into the toothed groove ( 42 ). with the angle formed by locking end ( 53 ) and toothed groove ( 42 ), part of the grasping force is on the push rod ( 41 ). so the push rod ( 41 ) is subject to stronger force to move due to the elastic force from elastic element ( 61 ) and grasping action simultaneously . when the grasping action is released , axial pin ( 55 ) moves due to partial force from the slope ( 294 ). the locking end ( 53 ) leaves the toothed groove ( 42 ) and one more grasping action makes stronger force for the push rod ( 41 ). therefore when using the sealant and adhesive gel has high viscosity , the dispenser in present invention still can extrudes and injects the sealant and adhesive gel step by step with above auxiliary force and does not have any problem in practical use . in sum of above description , the present invention has outer tube ( 21 ) and inner tube ( 31 ), the sealant and adhesive gels be mixed after being extruded out from each storage in dispenser . it does not like conventional dispenser need to mix the two - component gels before put in dispenser . the present invention will not cause curing due to the chemical reaction after mixing and discarding of dispenser will not happen . it has more value for practical use than conventional type . further , in present invention only one - hand operation is capable to make the push rod ( 41 ) stepwise movement on the dispenser so the state of sealant and adhesive gel extrusion meet the practical need , even in the application of high viscosity sealant and adhesive gel , present invention still provides auxiliary force on push rod ( 41 ) extrusion by handle ( 51 ) hold and release operation . in addition to previously mentioned assembly of outer tube ( 21 ) and inner tube ( 31 ) and the operational control by handle suitable for mixing type sealant and adhesive gels , present invention is also suitable for one - component sealant and adhesive gels , like silicone . please refer to fig9 . there the push rod ( 41 ) is placed in the outer tube ( 21 ) and has closed type outer plug ( 47 ) at one end . according to this , the outer tube ( 21 ) has only one space , while the handle ( 51 ) and push rod ( 41 ) still have the function of stepwise movement control . so the dispenser in one - component gel application has similar performance with two - component gel for sealing and adhesion . furthermore , please refer to fig1 . in present invention , one end of the handle ( 51 ) can be locked in the holding section ( 28 ) of outer tube ( 21 ). thus when hold the handle ( 51 ) with outer tube ( 21 ), one locking end ( 52 ) released from the toothed groove ( 42 ) while the other locking end ( 53 ) is still locked into the toothed groove ( 42 ), and the pushing force is generated by this mechanism , so the push rod ( 41 ) will extrudes the sealant and adhesive gel smoothly . when the release the handle ( 51 ) use the locking position with the holding section ( 28 ) as axis and return to the predetermined position by its own elasticity . furthermore , please refer to fig1 . in present invention , one end of the handle ( 51 ) can be made as blocking blade ( 56 ) and its corresponding toothed slope ( 48 ) is made on the push rod ( 41 ). thus the match of the blocking blade ( 56 ) and the toothed slope ( 48 ) form a locking mechanism . during the hold operation on the handle ( 51 ), the blocking blade ( 56 ) leaves toothed groove ( 48 ) and the push rod ( 41 ) subject to force from elastic element ( 61 ) will extrude the sealant and adhesive gel , and the release will make handle ( 51 ) return to lock with push rod ( 41 ). so it still has the function of stepwise movement control . the previously mentioned sealant and adhesive gel placed between the inner tube ( 31 ) and the spacing ( 71 ) will be extruded out without any problem . please refer to fig1 and fig1 showing the outer tube ( 21 ) has a gel mixing tube ( 81 ) at one end , which has the corresponding setting groove ( 82 ) on its surface and is hollow in the axial direction . thus the locking blade ( 25 ) of outer tube ( 21 ) can be locked into setting groove ( 82 ). with proper rotation , the locking blade ( 25 ) connects with mixing tube ( 81 ) tightly . now the sealant and adhesive from the spacing ( 71 ) and inner tube ( 31 ) enter into the mixing tube ( 81 ) together for mixing and further use . in addition , please refer to fig1 and fig1 for another type of mixing tube ( 83 ), which is placed at the other end of the outer tube ( 21 ) and has one mixing rod ( 84 ) inside . the mixing rod ( 84 ) has clockwise and counterclockwise helical structure arrangement , thus the sealant and adhesive between inner tube ( 31 ) and the spacing ( 71 ) flow along the angle of one helical structure respectively to the opening of mixing tube ( 83 ), where they mix together to fill to predetermined position . further , please refer to fig1 , where the mixing tube ( 85 ) has an inclined opening ( 86 ) to spread the mixed sealant and adhesive on predetermined position . furthermore , please refer to fig1 . in present invention , the outer tube ( 21 ) can be designed to have inner tube ( 31 ) inside with push rod ( 41 ) placed in the axial direction of outer tube ( 21 ) and inner tube ( 31 ), corresponding to the inside of inner tube ( 31 ) and the spacing ( 71 ). the outer tube ( 21 ) can have a mixing tube ( 85 ) at one end ( also good for other type of mixing tube ). the assembly structure can make the application of the mixed sealant and adhesive gel easier and also mix different sealant and adhesive gel well enough to provide satisfactory sealing and adhesion performance . in conclusion , the present invention provides the separable assembly structure for the mixing type of sealant and adhesive gel to mix only prior to injection . so this can prevent any cure of the sealant and adhesive gel and also can save materials and apparatus cost . moreover , with the structural design of the handle and the holding section , the handle can control over push rod for stepwise movement and can increase the pushing force on the push rod . | 1 |
dough preforms for laminated cookies of the hong and brabbs type are distinct in shape depending upon the method of formation . examples of distinct shapes are shown in fig1 and 2 of the drawings . fig1 is a cross section of a co - extruded dough preform which is substantially spherical in form , resembling a dough piece made using a rotary molder . inner dough 1 is uniformly encapsulated within a distinct layer of discrete outer dough 2 . fig2 is a cross section of a dough preform made by a sheet / deposit / sheet / cut process . inner dough or filling 3 is not uniformly encapsulated by outer doughs 4 and 6 . the preform is not spherical but instead has an overlapping of the bottom and top dough sheets , 4 and 6 , around the perimeter . this overlapping area 5 forms a seal to enclose inner dough deposit 3 . the distinct shapes of the dough preforms result in different flow dynamics during baking . when the spherical dough piece of fig1 is baked it spreads via a &# 34 ; roll &# 34 ; type flow , as denoted by the arrows in fig1 a . dough near the diameter of the sphere rolls downward onto the baking surface . when the dough piece of fig2 is baked it spreads via a &# 34 ; slide &# 34 ; type flow , as illustrated by the arrows in fig2 a . the weight of the center deposit exerts a downward force pushing the perimeter seal of bottom and top doughs outward . thus , the difference in baking dynamics of the two dough shapes provides baked cookies of distinct shapes . fig1 b is a cross section of a baked laminated cookie of the substantially spherical , co - extruded dough piece of fig1 a . the rolled outer edges result from the &# 34 ; roll &# 34 ; type flow of dough during baking . fig2 b is a cross section of a baked laminated cookie of the dough piece of fig2 a made by a sheet / deposit / sheet / cut process . thin crisp edges , denoted as 7 , can occur at the cookie perimeter corresponding to the overlapping seal area 5 of outer doughs 4 and 6 , as shown in fig2 . the thin edges are often darker in color than the remainder of the cookie and usually easily broken . the present invention provides a process for preparing baked cookies of the preferred type illustrated in fig1 b from a dough preform with the shape shown in fig2 a and from dough preforms with other shapes that are not rounded , hemispherical , or spherical . the first step of the process of this invention is forming a cookie preform from multiple doughs . laminated dough structures , denoted herein as cookie preforms , can be made from a variety of techniques within the skill of those in the food production art . of particular interest herein are those processes which generate a dough structure which is not rounded , hemispherical , or spherical in shape but instead has edges , corners , and the like . examples of two such processes for the first step of this invention will be described . one is a sheet / deposit / sheet / cut process and the other a co - extrusion process . forming a sheet of a first cookie dough by appropriate means is required . sugar , flour , water , and shortening , when combined in almost any reasonable proportions , will produce a dough that can be baked to form a cookie . in general , any cookie formulation which produces an organoleptically acceptable cookie can be employed in the practice of this invention . those skilled in the art are familiar with formula variations for controlling the rheology of the dough to render it suitable for specific manufacturing techniques , such as sheeting , rotary molding , extrusion , and other commercial treatments . the formulations employed in the present invention may also be optimized to provide a dough rheology consistent with minimizing the formation of thin crisp edges in the baked product . the dough can be rolled into a sheet by hand by using a conventional rolling pin . alternatively , a dough mass can be passed through a plurality of smooth parallel sheeting rolls to provide a smooth coherent workable dough sheet . as the dough sheet passes off the last roll in the series the dough is removed by a doctor blade angularly disposed with respect to the surface of the last sheeting roll . doctoring angles up to about 180 ° ( the maximum theoretical value ) are preferably used . two roll mills , three roll mills , four roll mills , etc . can be used . when roll milling is employed , differential roll speeds with a faster roll revolving from at least 1 % to 20 % and preferably at least 3 % faster than the slowest roll are used . this is true because it has been found that where differential roll speeds with a faster roll traveling at least 1 %, and preferably 3 % greater speed than the slower roll are employed , the sheet will conveniently be fed to the faster moving roll . roll gap can be adjusted to provide a sheet of the desired thickness . as the sheet is doctored from the final roll in the series , it is preferably transferred directly to a continuous band or belt for further processing . preferably the dough is extruded under pressure through a wide extrusion die of dimensions which will give the extruded sheet the desired thickness and width . the same extrusion process is used for forming the sheet of third cookie dough for appropriate placement . the sheets are extruded onto a continuously moving belt or band , which carries the extruded sheet to the next processing step . the sheets are preferably wide enough to substantially cover the manufacturing oven band and are from about 1 to about 3 mm . thick . next , a second cookie dough or filling is deposited on the sheet of first cookie dough . this is conveniently accomplished by use of a standard rotary molder in the usual way . deposits of dough in the cavities of the rotary molder adhere to the tangentially moving belt at the point of contact with the rotary molder , and are transferred to the continuously moving sheet of first dough . alternatively , deposits of second cookie dough or filling can be placed on the sheet of first dough by extrusion under pressure through one or more extrusion dies or tubes positioned over the sheet of first dough . in another embodiment of the process of this invention , the second dough can be formed into individual pieces , which can then be placed directly on the sheet of first dough . in yet another embodiment of the process of this invention , the second dough can be deposited on the sheet of first dough in the form of a second sheet , using the process means employed for forming the sheets of first and third doughs . it is preferable in the practice of this invention to have individual discrete deposits of second dough which are substantially hemispherical , or substantially spherical in shape . clearly , spherical pieces of second dough can be used only when the pieces are formed separately prior to being deposited upon the sheet of first dough . however , when rotary molding or extrusion is used , substantially hemispherical second dough pieces can be used . the substantially hemispherical or substantially spherical shape of the second dough pieces facilitates the later steps of the process in providing a preferred dough shape around which the sheets of first and third dough can be formed during the rolling step . then a sheet of a third cookie dough is formed and placed on top of the deposits of second cookie dough . the dough can be extruded under pressure through a wide extrusion die or passed through a plurality of smooth parallel sheeting rolls as in the first step of the process . the layered doughs are then cut into cookie preforms . preferably , this is accomplished by a cutting mechanism which partitions the layered doughs into discrete pieces in accordance with the deposits of the second dough . thus , only the first and third doughs are cut , around the individual pieces of second dough . tamping the top dough sheet with a roller prior to cutting aids in molding it around the deposits of the second dough . a continuous cutting mechanism which moves synchronous to the dough sheets transported by the moving belt or band can easily generate the desired cookie preforms . precise cutting of the composite dough pieces is not critical to appearance because the cut pieces are reshaped during the rolling step of the process . preferably , the cutting mechanism cuts the doughs and simultaneously crimps the edges of the upper and lower doughs to seal the deposited dough within , with no damage to the conveyor belt or band . the preforms can be cut into any desired shape , such as circular , square , rectangular , etc . the preferred shape is a hexagon or similar shape which closely resembles a circle but results in no generation of waste pieces of dough when cutting multiple preforms concurrently . in another embodiment of this process the cutting can occur prior to layering , or assembling , of the doughs . the first and third doughs can be sheeted and cut into the desired shapes followed by insertion of the deposit of second dough between one piece of each of the first and third doughs to form a cookie preform . the cutting may also occur during dough layering . the first dough may be cut after deposit of the second dough thereon , followed by layering with a sheet or individual precut pieces of the third dough . alternatively , the first dough may be cut prior to deposit of the second dough thereon , followed by deposit of the second dough , and by layering with a sheet or individual precut pieces of the third dough . a second cutting would be required in these alternatives if the third dough is in sheet form . preferably , the dough sheets are cut simultaneously in one cutting step after layering of the doughs . an alternative process of the present invention for forming a cookie preform of multiple doughs is to use a co - extrusion process . preferably , two or more distinct doughs are continuously extruded from separate hoppers as concentric cylinders . a cylindrical - shaped solid core of inner dough is surrounded by one or more layers of cylindrical - shaped rings of distinct outer dough . the continuous cylinder is then cut into pieces to form dough preforms . any suitable extrusion equipment can be employed . typically the extruder comprises two or more hoppers with feed rolls to channel the flow of dough through a number of tubes called die cups or through extrusion nozzles . these can have orifices of any desired shape . dough can be fed to the hoppers manually or mechanically by pumps or other suitable means . as an alternative to multiple distinct hoppers , separator plates can be inserted into a single large hopper . feeding the dough at a steady rate is important to assure constant extrusion . usually two or three feed rolls are used and the distance of separation of the rolls is commonly adjustable . action of the feed rolls can be continuous or intermittent . roll speed should be such that the dough is not overheated through excess friction . a change in the speed of one feed roll usually results in a corresponding change in the speed of the others . the dough is fed through an extrusion nozzle that has an orifice of any of several desired shapes onto a conveyor belt . as previously stated , it is preferred that the doughs be formed into continuous concentric cylinders . the continuous cylinder of doughs is then cut into individual dough preforms . preferably the dough is cut in a manner such that the outer dough layer is smeared across the inner dough which would be exposed by the cutting process to encapsulate or substantially enrobe the inner dough piece within a layer of outer dough . when sufficient cutting pressure is used to achieve the desired smearing the resulting dough piece is often distorted in shape . a shape like a rectangular pillow having four corner edges , comprised only of outer dough , can result . following assembly , the cookie preform is repositioned and rolled . preferably , it is rolled into a substantially hemispherical or substantially spherical shape . this removes any edges or corners formed during cutting and provides a layer of outer dough or doughs substantially uniformly enrobing the deposited inner dough . the crimped edges of the first and third doughs formed upon cutting during the sheet / deposit / sheet / cut process are eliminated . any corners resulting from cutting co - extruded dough cylinders are likewise eliminated . the preferred hemispherical or spherical shapes , when baked , provide the desired &# 34 ; roll &# 34 ; type flow dynamics as the cookie spreads . this reduces the need for complex formulation changes to control dough spread for various oven types and baking conditions . the resulting rounded edges in the baked cookies are more uniform in color and more resistant to breakage then the thin crisp edges or corners of cookies which can result without the rolling step . in a laminated dough product containing flavored chips , raisins , nuts , fruit bits , coconut , cereals , or other edible morsels in the inner dough , the rolling step controls the degree of visibility of the morsels and helps randomize their distribution . precession of the axis of each individual dough preform results from rolling and randomizes the distribution of morsels thereby improving the appearance of the baked cookie . for example , dough preforms that are cut from co - extruded concentric cylinders of doughs usually have morsels exposed approximately 180 ° apart at the points where the doughs were cut . if baked without rolling these dough preforms will result in cookies having at least two exposed morsels at the edges about 180 ° apart when viewed from the top . rolling the dough preforms causes the axis of each to precess and reorients morsel distribution . the chips exposed by the cutting step that are about 180 ° apart usually are reoriented in a manner such that only one appears at the top surface of the baked cookie , and the other is at the bottom surface . cookies baked from the rolled dough preforms are improved in appearance due to a random morsel distribution . the rolling device , after rendering the enrobed inner dough in a more uniform layer of distinct outer dough can also smear the top surface of the outer dough to partially expose or increase the visibility of the morsels in the inner dough . the morsels become visible through the outer dough . dough balls having a smeared top surface of the outer layer upon baking generate cookies with a greater level of appearance of morsels on the surface . the desired degree of smearing of the top surface of the outer dough can be achieved by regulating the viscosities of the inner and outer doughs through formulation , mixing procedures , temperature , and thickness . alternatively , the morsels can be sprinkled onto the cookie preform just prior to rolling . the rolling step will then cause the morsels to penetrate into the outer dough layer as it rolls the dough preform . the techniques can be combined if it is desired to have morsels in both inner and outer doughs . any of the art disclosed equipment for rolling dough pieces to substantially hemispherical or substantially spherical shape can be modified for use in the rolling step of this invention . alternatively , the dough can be rolled by hand . in a preferred mode , an orbiting cup device as depicted in fig5 through 8 is employed . the operation of a single cavity or cup unit of the preferred orbiting cup device shown in fig3 and 4 . the dough - shaping cup is represented by 41 . it has an external diameter 42 and a height 43 . the initial position of the cookie preform within the cup is represented by 44 . it &# 39 ; s position during rolling is represented by 45 . the cup is orbited in a circular motion in the direction indicated by arrow 31 , thereby rolling the dough piece . the cup can also rotate counterclockwise . the dough piece rotates within the cup in the direction indicated by arrow 32 . each individual cup or cavity unit , which itself does not revolve , rolls the dough preform around against the interior unit surface , forming it into a substantially hemispherical to substantially spherical shape . the force of the orbiting motion reduces the diameter of the dough preform , resulting in an increase in the preforms height . this growth is restricted by the top of the cavity . the periphery and top of the cavity form the product into the desired shape and smear its top layer . the pre - ordained pattern of movement can be controlled by any of several suitable means . preferred is control by computer . arresting the orbiting motion at a predetermined position provides correct placement of the preform on a discharge belt for further processing . the degree of visibility of morsels contained in the inner dough achieved by smearing the top surface of the outer dough layer is dependent upon the depth of the orbiting cup or cavity relative to the size of the cookie preform , the number of orbits or rotations made by the unit , the orbiter speed , and the cup or cavity interior shape and finish . a variation of 0 . 10 inch ( 0 . 25 cm .) in unit depth produces visible results . shallow cups or cavities have a tendency to tear open the top dough layer , while those too deep leave the top layer untouched and morsels covered . for example , it has been found that a cup or cavity depth of about 0 . 75 inch ( 1 . 9 cm .) is preferred with dough pieces of about 0 . 6 inch ( 1 . 5 cm .) in height . the number of orbits of the cup or cavity to achieve the desired level of morsel visibility is dependent upon ambient temperature and humidity , and viscosity of the dough . dough viscosity can be controlled through formulation and temperature . orbiter speed and cup or cavity shape and finish also affect the appearance of the final product by changing the level of work input into the dough piece . orbiter speeds can range from about 10 to about 200 rpm ( revolutions per minute ). a speed of about 60 to about 120 rpm is preferred . lower speeds require a greater number of orbits , while high speeds can result in oval or parallelogram - shaped dough pieces instead of the preferred spherical or hemispherical . the orbit of the preform does not coincide with the orbit of the cup or cavity , but is of a smaller radius and is a function of the inside diameter of the unit as shown in fig3 . ovals , parallelograms , and other undesirable shaped can also be generated by cup shape and finish . a very smooth surface finish on the inside of the cup or cavity can result in misshapen rolled preforms at high orbiter speeds dependent upon dough rheology . a somewhat rough finish is preferable . suitable interior materials include celcon ®, plexiglass ®, and the like . any of several cup or cavity interior and exterior shapes can be employed . in general , a hemispherical interior with a circular edge is preferred . preferably , several cup or cavity units are operated simultaneously . fig6 illustrates a portion of a multi - unit platen . the platen can be comprised of one or more single cup units or may be a solid plate containing one or more cavities . the individual units do not revolve independently about their individual axes . the platen of fig6 is viewed looking into the cup or cavity interiors , showing the adjacent location of the individual cavities . an individual cavity is denoted as 61 . the edges of the cavities are preferably circular in shape but can be a multi - sided configuration similar to a circle such as hexagonal . this minimizes space between cavities , permits adjacent nesting of units , and minimizes the possibility of dough being between the cavities or cups . when the cavity edges are hexagonal or multi - sided , they transition to a rounded hemispherical shape , and any corners present are rounded . the interior cup shape is one factor that affects control of the visibility of chips or morsels in the inner dough via smearing of the outer dough layer . the interior cup shape also affects precession of the axis of the dough piece during rolling . the distance 62 between unit centers is designed to accommodate a reasonable variation in dough spread during baking . the preferred orientation 63 of the hexagon - shaped dough preform within the individual cavity or cup unit is not crucial . a flat circular area 64 can occur at the apex of each unit . a unit with a hemispherical interior with a circular edge results in greater visibility of chips through increased smearing of the top surface of the outer dough layer than is achieved by one that is hexagonal on the edge which transitions to a substantially hemispherical shape . the former decreases tearing or shredding of the dough . the outside of the units can be hemispherical , hexagonal or other similar shapes and can be distinct in shape from the interior . as illustrated by fig5 and 7 , a large platen 51 having one or more rows of one or more cup units or cavities , is lowered by mechanical arm 53 over one or more dough preforms supported by moving belt 54 such that each individual dough preform is covered by one individual cavity or cup unit . platen 51 is then rotated in a circular orbital motion while simultaneously continuously moving horizontally a distance 71 in the form of a flat spiral thereby rolling the dough pieces . platen 51 is orbited by means of a crank - type mechanism illustrated in fig8 . it is pivotally connected to platen 51 and to a distinct platen 52 . platen 52 is connected pivotally to mechanical arm 53 and does not orbit . platens 51 and 52 move horizontally in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt a distance 71 , are elevated slightly to clear the dough pieces , move horizontally in the opposite direction a distance 71 , and are lowered over different dough pieces to repeat a continuous cycle . platen 51 does not have to be in direct contact with the belt transporting the dough pieces to effectively roll the cookie preforms , but is preferably raised slightly above the belt surface . however , this gap should be minimized to avoid extruding dough into the gap . platen 52 can be any number of distinct shapes such as a rectangular plate , a framework of arms , or other equivalent connecting means between mechanical arm 53 and orbiting platen 51 . the motion of platens 51 and 52 and mechanical arm 53 is controlled by computer 56 . the number of orbits can be varied within a fixed stroke distance or , alternatively , the stroke distance can be varied according to the number of orbits . the number of orbits per stroke and the stroke distance are adjusted for the specific product depending upon the viscosity or rheology of the dough , level of work input into the dough desired , and degree of chip visibility and randomization desired . at the completion of each stroke , the orbiting motion is arrested at a predetermined position which provides correct placement of the dough preforms on belt 54 for further processing . platens 51 and 52 , which move continuously , are then raised above the dough pieces and returned to the initial stroke position to begin a new cycle . the orbital motion can be reversed during the return stroke . the belt supporting the dough preforms continuously advances during operation of the orbiting cup device . base support 55 is rotatably connected to mechanical arm 53 . mechanical arm 53 is preferably jointed at points 57 , 58 and 59 in order to move platens 51 and 52 horizontally and vertically simultaneously during the working cycle . the platens can be transferred between conveyor belts and positioned for easy cleaning and maintenance . the foregoing illustrates one preferred mode of practicing the rolling step of this invention . the final step of the process of this invention is baking of the cookie preforms . baking conditions will vary over a considerable range dependent upon the dough compositions , equipment utilized , and desired characteristics in the final product . it can be appreciated that still other embodiments or executions , from an apparatus standpoint , of this invention can be devised without departing from its scope and spirit and without losing its advantages . in particular , the rolling process , however practiced , results in different flow dynamics during baking , which reduces the complexity of formulation required in attempting to control dough spread during baking . in addition , precise cutting or forming of composite dough pieces becomes less critical for making cookies with good appearance , since the pieces are reshaped during the rolling process . the resulting rounded edges in the baked cookies show more uniform color and are more resistant to breakage than the thin , crisp edges which can occur on cookies made directly from unrolled preforms . also for a product containing flavored chips or other morsels , the appearance of the morsels in the baked cookie can be controlled . the following embodiments illustrate the practice of this invention , but are not intended to limit it . cl example 1 ______________________________________ingredients percent by weight______________________________________first doughhydrogenated vegetable shortening 16 . 5sugar 31 . 1high fructose corn syrup 5 . 1flour 37 . 4flavor and minor ingredients 1 . 0water 8 . 9second doughhydrogenated vegetable shortening 15 . 5sugar 9 . 5high fructose corn syrup 26 . 4flour 24 . 6flavoring and minor ingredients 3 . 7chocolate chips 20 . 3third doughhydrogenated vegetable shortening 16 . 5sugar 31 . 1high fructose corn syrup 5 . 1flour 37 . 4flavor & amp ; minor ingredients 1 . 0water 8 . 9______________________________________ the first dough was formed by mixing the ingredients in the following order : the high fructose corn syrup , water , and liquid flavor ingredients were mixed , then the shortening added and the mixture creamed . the sugar was then added , mixing continued , and then the flour and other minor dry ingredients were added . the second dough was prepared by mixing the water and liquid flavoring material with the high fructose corn syrup . the shortening was then added and the mixture creamed until the shortening began to crystallize . the sugar was then added , and the mixture is creamed again . all the dry ingredients were then mixed in . the third dough was prepared in the same manner as the first dough . the first dough was rolled to a sheet 1 - 2 mm . in thickness . about 10 grams of the second dough was formed into a ball ( substantially spherical ) which was placed on top of the first dough . the third dough was then rolled to a 1 - 2 mm . sheet and placed on top of the ball of second dough . the sheets of dough were then cut in a hexagon shape about 4 cm . in diameter around the deposits of the second dough . the edges of each were crimped manually to seal the ball of second dough between the hexagons of first and third doughs . one half of the resulting composite dough pieces were rolled by hand to yield a substantially spherical cookie preform . the remainder were baked as hexagon - shaped preforms . upon baking at about 305 ° f . to 310 ° f . ( 152 ° c . to 154 ° c .) for about 81 / 2 minutes , a roll type flow was obtained resulting in a cookie similar to a drop or rotary molded type cookie without atypical thin , crip edges for the rolled preforms . the rounded edges were uniform in color . the level of appearance and distribution of chocolate chips upon the surface of the baked cookies was acceptable . the cookie diameters averaged 2 . 36 inches ( 5 . 99 cm .). for the hexagon - shaped preforms a sliding type of flow was obtained resulting in cookies with thin crisp edges with variation of color in the edges . the appearance of chocolate chips on the surface of the baked cookie was minimal or nonexistent . the cookie diameters averaged 2 . 48 inches ( 6 . 30 cm .). the above process was repeated two additional times with similar results . ______________________________________ingredients percent by weight______________________________________first doughhydrogenated vegetable shortening 16 . 7sugar 30 . 8high fructose corn syrup 4 . 6molasses ( 26 ± 4 % invert sugar ) 1 . 5baking soda 0 . 5flour 37 . 4flavor and minor ingredients 1 . 0water 7 . 5second doughhydrogenated vegetable shortening 15 . 5sugar 9 . 5high fructose corn syrup 26 . 4baking soda 0 . 5flour 24 . 2flavor and minor ingredients 3 . 6chocolated chips 20 . 3third doughhydrogenated vegetable shortening 16 . 7sugar 30 . 8high fructose corn syrup 4 . 6molasses ( 26 ± 4 % invert sugar ) 1 . 5baking soda 0 . 5flour 37 . 4flavor and minor ingredients 1 . 0water 7 . 5______________________________________ the first dough was formed in the following manner . the baking soda was dissolved in the water and combined with the flavor and molasses . the combination was mixed with the high fructose corn syrup . the shortening was added and the mixture creamed . half of the sugar was mixed in , the flour and minor ingredients were added and mixed , and the remainder of the sugar added and mixed . the second dough was prepared by first mixing the high fructose corn syrup , flavor , and baking soda . the shortening was added and the mixture creamed . half of the sugar was mixed in , the flour and minor ingredients added and mixed , and the remainder of the sugar was added and mixed . finally , the chocolate chips were mixed in . the third dough was prepared in the same manner as the first dough . the first dough was extruded into a sheet about 2 - 4 mm . in thickness onto a continuously moving belt . discrete hemispherical deposits of the second dough of about 12 . 5 grams in weight were placed upon the sheet of first dough in an ordered pattern by means of a rotary molder . the third dough was extruded into a sheet about 2 - 4 mm . in thickness and placed over the lower sheet and deposits . the top sheet was tamped into place with a roller of about 6 inches in diameter . the dough sheets were cut around the deposits of second dough to yield multiple hexagon shaped cookie preforms . the preforms were then repositioned to provide proper alignment for rolling . the preforms were rolled to substantially hemispherical shape using an orbiting cup device as previously described . the second dough deposit was substantially uniformly encapsulated within an outer layer of the first and third doughs . an orbiting cup device having a platen of several cavity units , each having a hemispherical interior and hexagonal exterior , with a depth of 0 . 75 inch ( 1 . 9 cm .) rotating at about 105 rpm rolled several dough preforms simultaneously and smeared the top surface of the outer layer of dough to increase the visibility of or to expose the chocolate chips in the inner dough . arresting the orbiting motion at a predetermined position provided correct placement of the preform on the discharge belt . the rolled preforms were transferred to an oven band and baked for about 8 . 5 minutes in a recirculating indirect gas - fired oven . the upper zones were maintained at a temperature of 330 ° f .± 10 ° f . ( 165 . 5 ° c .± 5 . 5 ° c .) and the bottom zones were maintained at a temperature of about 280 ° f .± 5 ° f . ( 137 . 8 ° c .± 2 . 8 ° c .). upon baking , a roll type of flow dynamics was obtained resulting in cookies similar to a drop or rotary molded cookie without atypical thin crisp edges . the cookies had an average diameter of from about 2 . 0 to about 2 . 2 inches ( 5 . 1 to 5 . 6 cm .) and an average weight of from about 11 . 5 to about 12 . 0 grams . the rounded edges were uniform in color and an acceptable level and distribution of appearance of chocolate chips was obtained . the hexagon - shaped cookie preforms of example 2 were sprinkled with chocolate chips just prior to rolling . the preforms were rolled to substantially spherical shape using the orbiting cup device as previously described . the added chips penetrated into the outer dough layer . the rolled preforms were transferred to an over band and baked as in example 2 . the baking dynamics and resulting baked cookies were similar to those in example 2 except that a higher level of chip visibility on the cookie surfaces was achieved . ______________________________________ingredients percent by weight______________________________________first doughhydrogenated vegetable shortening 16 . 5sugar 30 . 4high fructose corn syrup 4 . 5molasses ( 26 ± 4 % invert sugar ) 1 . 5flour 37 . 4baking soda 0 . 5flavor and minor ingredients 0 . 5water 8 . 6second doughhydrogenated vegetable shortening 15 . 5sugar 9 . 5high fructose corn syrup 26 . 4flour 24 . 6baking soda 0 . 4flavor and minor ingredients 3 . 3chocolate chips 20 . 3______________________________________ the two doughs were mixed as in example 2 . the doughs were then separately manually fed into the two distinct hoppers of a co - extrusion machine , model no . ddp 200 - 9005 , available from bepex hutt gmbh , postfach 9 , daimlerstrasse 9 , d - 7105 leingarten , west germany . the dough was fed through the machine via feed rolls and extruded through a nozzle onto a conveyor belt . the extruder formed the doughs into continuous concentric cylinders such that the second dough was surrounded by an outer layer of the first dough . the dough cylinder was then cut into individual dough cookie preforms so that the outer dough layer was smeared across the inner dough which would have been exposed by the cutting process . the cookie preforms were pillow - shaped rectangular pieces with the second dough enrobed in a nonuniform layer of first dough . the preforms were then repositioned to provide proper alignment for rolling . the preforms were rolled to substantially hemispherical shape using an orbiting cup device as previously described . the second dough was substantially uniformly enrobed within an outer layer of first dough . an orbiting cup device having a platen of several cavity units , each having a hemispherical interior and hexagonal exterior , with a depth of 0 . 75 inch ( 1 . 9 cm .) rotating at about 105 rpm rolled several dough preforms simultaneously and smeared the top surface of the outer layer of dough to increase the visibility of or to expose the chocolate chips in the inner dough . arresting the orbiting motion at a predetermined position provided correct placement of the preform on the discharge belt . the rolled preforms were transferred to an oven band and baked for about 8 . 5 minutes in a recirculating indirect gas - fired oven . the upper zones were maintained at a temperature of 330 ° f .± 10 ° f . ( 165 . 5 ° c .± 5 . 5 ° c .) and the bottom zones were maintained at a temperature of about 280 ° f .± 5 ° f . ( 137 . 8 ° c .± 2 . 8 ° c .). upon baking , a roll type of flow dynamics was obtained resulting in cookies similar to a drop or rotary molded cookie without atypical thin crisp edges . the cookies had an average diameter of from about 2 . 0 to about 2 . 2 inches ( 5 . 1 to 5 . 6 cm .) and an average weight of from about 11 . 5 to about 12 . 0 grams . the rounded edges were uniform in color and an acceptable level of appearance and distribution of chocolate chips was obtained . | 0 |
with reference now to the figures and in particular with reference to fig1 a pictorial representation of a data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a computer 100 is depicted which includes system unit 102 , video display terminal 104 , keyboard 106 , storage devices 108 , which may include floppy drives and other types of permanent and removable storage media , and mouse 110 . additional input devices may be included with personal computer 100 , such as , for example , a joystick , touchpad , touch screen , trackball , microphone , and the like . computer 100 can be implemented using any suitable computer , such as an ibm eserver computer or intellistation computer , which are products of international business machines corporation , located in armonk , n . y . although the depicted representation shows a computer , other embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in other types of data processing systems , such as a network computer . computer 100 also preferably includes a graphical user interface ( gui ) that may be implemented by means of systems software residing in computer readable media in operation within computer 100 . with reference now to fig2 a block diagram of a data processing system is shown in which the present invention may be implemented . data processing system 200 is an example of a computer , such as computer 100 in fig1 in which code or instructions implementing the processes of the present invention may be located . data processing system 200 employs a peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) local bus architecture . although the depicted example employs a pci bus , other bus architectures such as accelerated graphics port ( agp ) and industry standard architecture ( isa ) may be used . processor 202 and main memory 204 are connected to pci local bus 206 through pci bridge 208 . pci bridge 208 also may include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor 202 . additional connections to pci local bus 206 may be made through direct component interconnection or through add - in boards . in the depicted example , local area network ( lan ) adapter 210 , small computer system interface scsi host bus adapter 212 , and expansion bus interface 214 are connected to pci local bus 206 by direct component connection . in contrast , audio adapter 216 , graphics adapter 218 , and audio / video adapter 219 are connected to pci local bus 206 by add - in boards inserted into expansion slots . expansion bus interface 214 provides a connection for a keyboard and mouse adapter 220 , modem 222 , and additional memory 224 . scsi host bus adapter 212 provides a connection for hard disk drive 226 , tape drive 228 , and cd - rom drive 230 . typical pci local bus implementations will support three or four pci expansion slots or add - in connectors . an operating system runs on processor 202 and is used to coordinate and provide control of various components within data processing system 200 in fig2 . the operating system may be a commercially available operating system such as windows xp , which is available from microsoft corporation . an object oriented programming system such as java may run in conjunction with the operating system and provides calls to the operating system from java programs or applications executing on data processing system 200 . “ java ” is a trademark of sun microsystems , inc . instructions for the operating system , the object - oriented programming system , and applications or programs are located on storage devices , such as hard disk drive 226 , and may be loaded into main memory 204 for execution by processor 202 . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in fig2 may vary depending on the implementation . other internal hardware or peripheral devices , such as flash read - only memory ( rom ), equivalent nonvolatile memory , or optical disk drives and the like , may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in fig2 . also , the processes of the present invention may be applied to a multiprocessor data processing system . for example , data processing system 200 , if optionally configured as a network computer , may not include scsi host bus adapter 212 , hard disk drive 226 , tape drive 228 , and cd - rom 230 . in that case , the computer , to be properly called a client computer , includes some type of network communication interface , such as lan adapter 210 , modem 222 , or the like . as another example , data processing system 200 may be a stand - alone system configured to be bootable without relying on some type of network communication interface , whether or not data processing system 200 comprises some type of network communication interface . as a further example , data processing system 200 may be a personal digital assistant ( pda ), which is configured with rom and / or flash rom to provide non - volatile memory for storing operating system files and / or user - generated data . the depicted example in fig2 and above - described examples are not meant to imply architectural limitations . for example , data processing system 200 also may be a notebook computer or hand held computer in addition to taking the form of a pda . data processing system 200 also may be a kiosk or a web appliance . the processes of the present invention are performed by processor 202 using computer implemented instructions , which may be located in a memory such as , for example , main memory 204 , memory 224 , or in one or more peripheral devices 226 - 230 . turning now to fig3 a diagram illustrating components used in preventing security exploits based on buffer overflows is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in this example , data buffer 300 is a location in which data may be copied into for executing functions and processes . data is written into data buffer 300 by process 302 in this example . the mechanism of the present invention includes security process 304 , which is designed to place limitations on the size of individual input parameters to prevent environmental variables and command line arguments from exceeding a selected size . environmental variables are symbolic names used to provide information . for example , on unix - like operating systems , the home environmental variable contains the name of the current user &# 39 ; s home directory . this environmental variable may be used by commands to determine where to store files which would normally be stored in the user &# 39 ; s home directory . another example is the nlspath environmental variable . this environmental variable is used to construct the name of the message files used by programs so that the program can produce messages in the appropriate language using the appropriate cultural conventions . command line arguments are values passed with a command typed into a command line . these arguments are independent items , or variables , that contain data or codes . of course , the mechanism of the present invention may be implemented in other components , such as , for example , within the operating system or as an extension to the operating system such as systems , which provide an ability to load additional security policies . depending on the size of the data placed into data buffer 300 , security process 304 initiates a security action , which may include for example , preventing a program from acting on or using the data or logging a warning message . this message may contain information needed to identify the program or user initiating placement of the data into data buffer 300 . in these examples , an input into data buffer 300 are divided into two types , environmental variables and command line arguments . further , two types of limitations are placed on the length of inputs in data buffer 300 . for example , a soft limit is used to produce a warning message in the system error log for audit trail when this limit is exceeded when data is placed into data buffer 300 . a hard limit also is used , which causes command execution to fail , when this limit is exceeded . the mechanism of the present invention also may look to see what privileges are present . for example , execution of a privileged object by an unprivileged subject and execution of any object by a privileged subject are situations in which the mechanism of the present invention checks for buffer overflows . with respect to these two instances , these situations represent instances in which the privilege is enhanced , which is a more common scenario for violating security in a computer system or network . the situation in which an unprivileged object is executed by an unprivileged subject is not assumed to represent a security risk or exposure in these examples . with reference now to fig4 a flowchart of a process used for preventing buffer overflow security exploits is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the process illustrated in fig4 may be implemented in a security process , such as security process 304 in fig3 . the process begins by making a determination as to whether the process has privileges ( step 400 ). in these examples , a privilege allows a process to perform an operation that the process normally would not be permitted to perform absent the privilege . a privilege may be required to access objects or to perform operations . the objects accessed may be , for example , files , devices , and memory segments . the operations may be , for example , adding users , modifying an audit system , and configuring devices . if the process does not have privileges , a determination is made as to whether the process is acquiring privileges ( step 402 ). printing of a document is an example of an operation of a process in which a process may acquire a privilege . a process which spools print requests must be able to write to the directory which contains print requests . an ordinary process lacks the privileges needed to perform this operation . the process temporarily acquires privilege while running the print command so that the print command may spool the print request . if the process is not acquiring privileges , the program is permitted ( step 404 ) and the process terminates thereafter . this situation is one in which an unprivileged object is executed by an unprivileged subject or process and is assumed not to present a security risk or exposure . with reference again to step 402 , if the process is acquiring privileges , limit values for processes acquiring privileges are used ( step 406 ). in these examples , a total of eight limits , which may be defined by a 2 × 2 × 2 matrix , are present . one dimension is an environmental variable or a command line argument , while another dimension is a privilege process or a privilege acquiring process . the third dimension is a soft limit or hard limit . in these examples , the soft limit causes a logging of the operation while the hard limit also results in a termination or prohibition of process execution . of the eight limits total , four are selected based on already privileged versus privilege acquiring . of those four limits , two are selected based on whether the system is checking environmental variables or command line arguments at that instant . limit checking is performed ( step 408 ) and the process terminates thereafter . with reference again to step 400 , if the process has privileges , limit values for processes which already have privileges are used ( step 410 ) and the process proceeds to step 408 as described above . turning now to fig5 a flowchart of a process used for checking limits is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the process illustrated in fig5 is a more detailed description of step 408 in fig4 . the process begins by making a determination as to whether any remaining environmental variables are present for processing ( step 500 ). if more environmental variables are not present for processing , a determination is made as to whether any remaining command line arguments are present for processing ( step 502 ). if more command line arguments are not present for processing , the program is permitted to proceed executing with the environmental variables or command line arguments placed in the buffer ( step 504 ) and the process terminates thereafter . with reference again to step 502 , if more remaining command line arguments are present for processing , a determination is made as to whether the length of the command line argument being processed exceeds a hard limit ( step 506 ). if the length does exceed the hard limit , the program is not permitted to continue execution , a message is logged and the program fails ( step 508 ) with the process terminating thereafter . the message may be stored in a log or other file for later use . in these examples , the message includes information about the object in which access was attempted and information about the process attempting the access . for example , the message may include the name of a file , a path to the file , and an identification of the process attempting the access . further , this information also may include a user id for the user logged in at the time the access attempt failed . any other information useful for identifying the subject or process attempting to access the object may be included in the message . for example , information about the date and length of data placed in the buffer may be logged as well as a process id , and connection information . if the length does not exceed the hard limit , a determination is made as to whether the length exceeds the soft limit ( step 510 ). if the length does not exceed the hard limit , the next unprocessed argument in the buffer is selected for processing ( step 512 ) and the process returns to step 502 as described above . if the length does exceed the soft limit , a warning message is logged ( step 514 ) and the proceeds to step 512 as described above . this warning message may include information similar to messages logged when program execution is not permitted . with reference again to step 500 , if more remaining environmental variables are present for processing , a determination is made as to whether the length of the environmental variable exceeds the hard limit ( step 516 ). if the length does exceed the hard limit , the program is not permitted , the message is logged and the program fails ( step 518 ) with the process terminating thereafter . if the length does not exceed the hard limit , a determination is made as to whether the length exceeds the soft limit ( step 520 ). if the length does not exceeds the hard limit , the next variable is selected for processing ( step 522 ) and the process returns to step 500 , as described above , to determine whether another environmental variable was present and selected by step 522 . if the length does exceed the soft limit , a warning message is logged ( step 524 ) and the proceeds to step 522 as described above . the particular limits selected for the hard limit and the soft limit depend on the particular implementation . for example , a soft limit for a user name may be 16kbytes while a hard limit is 20kbytes . further , the hard limit for the environmental variable may differ from the hard limit for the command line argument . further , the soft limits may differ between an environmental variable and a command line argument . thus , the present invention provides an improved method , apparatus , and computer instructions for preventing buffer overflow security exploits . when a potential security risk or exposure is present , the mechanism of the present invention checks to see whether data input into the buffer exceeds selected limits or thresholds . depending on what thresholds are exceeded , a warning message may be logged or execution of the program may be prevented . in this manner , exploitation of unknown or undiscovered security holds or risks may be prevented . it is important to note that while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system , those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a variety of forms and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually used to carry out the distribution . examples of computer readable media include recordable - type media , such as a floppy disk , a hard disk drive , a ram , cd - roms , dvd - roms , and transmission - type media , such as digital and analog communications links , wired or wireless communications links using transmission forms , such as , for example , radio frequency and light wave transmissions . the computer readable media may take the form of coded formats that are decoded for actual use in a particular data processing system . the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention , the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . | 6 |
the present invention relates generally to common - mode oscillation and more specifically to a cancellation of common - mode oscillation in rf circuits . the following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements . various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a wlan integrated circuit ( ic ) 100 , according to one embodiment of the present invention . the ic 100 can comprise an input / output unit 105 , an rf analog unit 110 including an rf amplifier 112 , a phy unit 120 , a mac unit 130 , a processor 140 , a memory 150 , a clock 160 and a power unit 170 . in one embodiment , the ic 100 can be a system on a chip ( soc ) combining many components on a single silicon substrate . the combination of analog and digital devices requires an implementation that minimizes interference between the devices . the ic 100 can be implemented in network devices such as 3g and broadband handsets . the ic 100 can be compliant with standards such as ieee 802 . 11 versions a , b , g or n . exemplary operation modes include frequencies of 2 . 4 ghz and 5 . 0 ghz . one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the rf amplifier 112 can be implemented in other types of ics using varying standards . in other embodiments , the ic 100 can be implemented in a pure analog environment , or implemented on a chip used just for amplification . the input / output unit 105 interfaces the ic 100 with a channel that transmits signals between devices . the rf analog unit 110 is a generic grouping of analog components such as the rf amplifier 112 . the phy unit 120 includes digital components to implement phy - layer functionality of the osi model , such as transforming frames to signals . the mac unit 130 implements mac - layer functionality of the osi model , such controlling access to the phy layer and managing communications between devices . the rf amplifier 112 can be a multistage or cascaded rf amplifier . the rf amplifier 112 amplifies input signals while minimizing undesirable oscillation between amplifier stages . in one embodiment , the oscillation is reduced by replicating a voltage swing due to oscillation at one node of the rf amplifier 112 to another node of the rf amplifier 112 , such that a net voltage swing approaches zero . one example of a circuit - implementation of the rf amplifier 112 is described in further detail below . fig2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an rf amplifier 200 , according to one embodiment of the present invention . the circuit of rf amplifier 200 can be an exemplary implementation of the rf amplifier 112 . the rf amplifier 200 comprises a first amplifier circuit 201 and a second amplifier circuit 202 . the first amplifier 201 is configured as a first stage of amplification , having outputs coupled to inputs of the second amplifier 202 as a second stage of amplification , via wires 281 a , 281 b . although the rf amplifier 200 shows two amplification stages , each stage using two parallel transistors , one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any number of amplification stages and transistors can be used . the first amplifier 201 further comprises inductors 203 , 205 , inductors 211 , 213 , and fets 221 , 223 , 225 , 227 . the first amplifier 201 is configured for differential signaling with two conductive paths between inductors 203 , 205 . the inductors 203 , 205 represent a parasitic capacitance property displayed by a bondwire and a downbond , respectfully . one conductive path comprises serial connections between the inductor 203 , the inductor 211 , the fet 221 , the fet 225 , and the inductor 205 . another conductive path comprises serial connections between the inductor 203 , the inductor 213 , the fet 223 , the fet 227 , and the inductor 205 . in this configuration , two input terminals are provided , one complementary input across gates of fets 221 , 225 , and another complementary input at across gates of fets 223 , 227 . also , two output terminals are provided , one at each drain of fets 221 , 223 . similarly , the second amplifier 202 further comprises inductors 204 , 206 , inductors 212 , 214 , and fets 222 , 224 , 226 , 228 . the second amplifier 202 is configured for differential signaling with two conductive paths between inductors 204 , 206 . the inductors 204 , 206 represent a parasitic capacitance property displayed by a bondwire and a downbond , respectfully . one conductive path comprises serial connections between the inductor 204 , the inductor 212 , the fet 222 , the fet 226 , and the inductor 206 . another conductive path comprises serial connections between the inductor 204 , the inductor 214 , the fet 224 , the fet 228 , and the inductor 206 . in this configuration , two input terminals are provided , one complementary input across gates of fets 222 , 226 , and another complementary input across gates of fets 224 , 228 . also , two output terminals are provided , one at each drain of fets 222 , 224 . a capacitor 280 is coupled between node b of the first amplifier circuit 201 and node c of the second amplifier circuit 202 . node b servers as the common connection point between the inductors 211 , 213 connected to the output terminals of the first amplifier circuit 201 . a capacitance value of the capacitor 280 can be implementation - specific , and selected in accordance with inductance values of the inductors 211 , 213 . node c serves as a common connection point between the sources of the fets 226 , 228 of the second amplifier circuit 202 . as a result of the configuration , common mode oscillations can be minimized or substantially cancelled . at a high - level , a short between nodes b and c allow the common modes to follow oscillations of the first amplifier circuit 201 . more specifically , when the voltage change is output from the first amplifier 201 , a voltage difference across the gate and source of fets 226 , 228 follows . at the same time , the same voltage change is also output from the first amplifier 201 at node b . the net voltage change is nearly zero , thereby offsetting the voltage difference across the gate and source of fets 226 , 228 . for example , the gate voltage can increase , but the source voltage increases by substantially the same amount such that the voltage difference remains substantially the same . there may be some negligible voltage difference remaining that does not affect amplification operations . fig3 is a flow chart illustrating a method 300 of canceling oscillation in a multiphase amplifier , according to one embodiment of the present invention . the method 300 can be implemented using the ic 100 of fig1 and the amplifier 200 of fig2 . a first amplifier circuit is provided 410 . the first amplifier circuit can include an output and a first common mode node . a second amplifier circuit is provided 420 . the second amplifier circuit can include an input and a second common mode node . a voltage offset to cancel oscillations of the first amplifier circuit is provided 430 . in one embodiment , the first common mode node and the second common mode nodes are coupled together . although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown , one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
the qkd arrangement 21 according to the invention shown in fig2 in a scheme similar to that of fig1 basically has a similar set - up as the known qkd arrangement 1 according to fig1 , and therefore corresponding components have been designated by the same reference numbers . thus , the qkd arrangement 21 according to fig2 particularly contains a photon source 2 with a pump laser 3 and a non - linear spdc crystal 4 so as to generate photons entangled in pairs , i . e . signal photons and idler photons . while the idler photons in the local subscriber station 6 which also contains the photon source 2 are to be measured by means of the measuring unit 8 , the signal photons are fed to a remote subscriber station 7 via a quantum channel 5 with an optical guide 5 ′ for measurement in the measuring unit 9 so as to generate a quantum key in a manner known per se which need not be explained here in more detail . in its measuring unit 8 or 9 , respectively , each subscriber station 6 , 7 in turn includes an optical module 10 , both optical modules 10 in principle being of a similar design so that a single explanation will suffice . similar to fig1 , also in the qkd arrangement 21 according to fig2 , a non - polarizing beam splitter 16 is provided in each optical module 10 so as to supply the individual photons either to a first polarizing beam splitter 17 — via a λ / 2 platelet 19 — or — directly — to a further polarizing beam splitter 18 . in this way , subsequent photon channels 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 are obtained due to the two beam splitters 17 , 18 , similar as in fig1 always one following the passage path and one following the reflection path of the respective beam splitter 17 or 18 . by means of the λ / 2 platelet 19 , a 45 ° rotation of the polarization plane is introduced again . however , other than in the arrangement according to fig1 , in which each detection device 11 comprises a plurality of single photon detectors , according to fig2 , at each station 6 or 7 , only one single photon detector is provided as detection device 11 , e . g . an spd photodiode 22 or 23 , respectively , so as to detect the individual photons and thereby associate them to the respective photon channel 12 , 13 , 14 or 15 , i . e . measure its polarization . in order to enable this association and , thus , the measurement of the photons , the photon channels 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 are each provided with a delay unit 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , e . g . in the form of delay lines with different , definitely pre - determined delay periods . accordingly , the polarization of the photon is concluded in a kind of time multiplex technology on the basis of the temporal occurrence of a photon within a pre - determined time window on the respective photon channel 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 . it is also possible to omit a delay unit or delay line , respectively , in the respective optical module 10 , e . g . the delay unit 24 in the “ first ” photon channel 12 ( which , therefore , is shown with interrupted lines ), in which case only the remaining three photon channels , e . g . 13 , 14 , 15 , are equipped with delay units ( with different delay periods )— what is important here is only the temporal association of the occurrence of a respective photon with a certain time slot . the general time window within which the four time slots thus given are contained — according to the four photon channels 12 to 15 , is determined by a pulsed delivery of the photons by the photon source 2 , on the one hand and , on the side of the remote subscriber station 7 , by the interrupting unit 28 in the form of a chopper , on the other hand . in the photon source 2 , for instance a comparable interrupting unit 29 , such as a mechanical chopper , is accommodated , such as between the pump laser 3 and the crystal 4 , so as to periodically interrupt the laser beam , or allow it to pass , respectively . in principle , however , it would also be possible to use a pulsed laser instead of a continuous - wave laser . in this case , there may , however , be the problem that conventionally pulsed lasers are adapted for delivering very short laser pulses , in the range of , e . g ., picoseconds , which may be disadvantageous for a qkd arrangement . in particular , due to the wide frequency spreading , a polarization dispersion may occur in the quantum channel and , due to the high output of the laser pulses , an increased generation of multiple pairs may occur . nevertheless , also suitable pulsed lasers may be used , which generate pulses which are not as rich in energy and have a longer pulse duration . at least at present , the solution illustrated in fig2 , namely with the two interrupting units 28 , 29 in the form of choppers , is considered to be simple and particularly advantageous , wherein by these optomechanical components , the laser beam in the photon source 2 is physically blocked for the pre - determined periods . such choppers are known per se and consist , e . g ., of a rotatable disk or of two disks rotatable in opposite directions with slots etched thereinto . these choppers are extremely reasonable in price , and commercially available choppers use a metallic plate having a thickness of & lt ; 1 mm as blocking means , which is treated by conventional photoetching techniques to produce the passage slots for the laser beams . with these known choppers , repetition rates of 100 khz ( at the most ) can be attained . instead of the mechanical choppers , integrated electrooptical amplitude modulators may be used as optoelectronic choppers if particularly high repetition rates are desired , such components also being commercially available . with the latter , repetition rates of up to 1 ghz and more are possible , and due to the lack of movable parts , they also have a particularly long useful life and are highly reliable . such optoelectronic choppers may introduce certain transmission losses into the system , yet these losses are relatively low in the field of telecommunication wavelengths . the photons which are to be transmitted by a respective one of the four photon channels 12 , 13 , 14 or 15 to the spd photodiode 22 , or 23 , respectively , may be directly fed to the photodiode 22 or 23 , respectively , in a light - proof housing , e . g . by respective focusing . an optical guide - dependent transmission of the photons to the photodiodes 22 , 23 is , however , more advantageous , in which case a coupler unit 30 or 30 ′ will be provided so as to combine the four photon channels 12 to 15 into one single channel 32 to the photodiode 22 and 23 , respectively . instead of such a 4 / 1 coupler unit 30 , or 30 ′, respectively , as shown in fig2 , it would , of course , also be possible to connect three 2 / 1 couplers 32 , 33 and 34 in cascade , as shown in fig3 , such simple couplers being particularly common standard components and causing particularly low transmission losses . such ( opto ) coupler units , here generally denoted by 30 and 30 ′, respectively , can be used in the present arrangement 21 without any problems , no matter whether they are provided as 4 / 1 couplers or as 2 / 1 couplers , since the transmitted signals ( photons ) all have the same frequency as well as a known polarization , wherein , furthermore , it is not disadvantageous if the polarization is rotated by the coupler , since the association to the respective photon channel happens due to the temporal occurrence of the photon — as has been mentioned and as will be explained in more detail by way of fig4 , so that , by way of this temporal association , also the respective original polarization of the photon upstream of the coupler units 30 , 30 ′— even though at the location of the photodiodes 22 , 23 it is , in fact , no longer determinable — can be detected . at the remote subscriber ( bob in fig1 ), also named receiver , the signal photons which are transmitted via the quantum channel 5 for reasons of precaution are also fed to the measuring unit 9 in a temporally controlled manner ( cf . chopper 28 ). the chopper 28 may be designed similar to the chopper 29 in the photon source 2 , and it is synchronized in a suitable way , as will be explained in more detail hereinafter . in this manner , it is not possible for an eavesdropper to falsify the arrival time of a signal photon at the remote subscriber station 7 ; by this , a so - called time displacement attack as would be conceivable for detectors in ( space - division ) multiplex operation ( cf . fig1 ), can be prevented . otherwise , the photon measurement or analysis , respectively , is analogous to that on the local subscriber side 6 , wherein also delay lines 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 in the ( at least three ) photon channels are installed , and a coupler unit 30 ′, in particular in the form of a 4 / 1 coupler component or in the form of three 2 / 1 coupler components 32 , 33 , 34 connected in cascades ( cf . fig3 ) are provided . here , too , a single , simple photodiode replaces the four usual ingaas detectors . with a view to the time window provided by the choppers , triggering of the remote measuring unit 9 , as described in fig1 , is no longer required , and a simpler synchronization suffices here . more in detail , a synchronization unit 35 is provided as the time controller 20 which may be constructed in a per se completely conventional manner so as to cause a synchronization of clock signals at the two subscriber stations 6 , 7 . for instance , both subscriber stations 6 , 7 are each provided with a clock signal generator or clock signal oscillator 36 or 37 , respectively , wherein these local oscillators are synchronized at the beginning of a qkd exchange . in operation , a synchronization procedure will then be started periodically so as to prevent a drift between the two clock signals which could drastically reduce the key generating rate . in principle , a synchronization unit ( 35 in fig2 ) is not necessarily needed because it suffices to update or adapt the oscillator 37 at the remote subscriber 7 in its frequency to the local oscillator 36 in the alice station 6 by re - adjusting the phase of the oscillator 37 for maximizing the total count rate at the remote measuring unit 9 ( bob subscriber ). in order to achieve a particularly high security , a pll ( phase locked loop ) circuit can be installed in the synchronization unit 35 , and for these purposes a classical line between the two subscribers 6 and 7 — as it is present as such — can be used . a phase - locked loop is a sufficiently known stabilizing system for regulating phase and frequency of an oscillator such that it will match a reference signal . as has already been mentioned , this does not mean that the frequencies must be identical , much rather , also a difference in the frequencies might prevail such as a frequency multiplication or frequency division . the frequency matching is achieved by comparing the reference oscillator 36 ( on the alice side 6 ) with the other oscillator 37 ( on the bob side 7 ) over several oscillations , thereby avoiding drifting apart of the clock signals and also preventing instantaneous attacks from being carried out at specific quantum signals , since the system does not react at the time basis of the local oscillator 37 of the remote station 7 . thus , it is not necessary either to authenticate the synchronization procedure . the time control for the present qkd arrangement 21 shall be explained in more detail by way of fig4 . in fig4 , in line 4 . 1 , a temporal cycle t is illustrated which is defined by two time intervals , i . e . the duration a of an active time slot and the duration d of an idle period between two such active detection time slots . accordingly , the cycle time t is defined as general time window by t = 4a + 4d . during such a cycle time t , according to the first time line 4 . 1 in fig4 , in the photon source , the generation of a photon pair will be enabled only during an initial pulse 40 , i . e . the pulse - wise generation of the photon pairs always occurs during a time interval a , whereupon during the residual period of the cycle time t , i . e . during 3a + 4d , photons are not generated or emitted , respectively . according to the second line 4 . 2 of fig4 , where the temporal control of the respective spd photodiode 22 , 23 is illustrated , in a comparative cycle time t a respective time slot 41 will result for the individual photon channels 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , the time slots 41 being separated by idle periods d . by means of the delay units 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , i . e . the different delay lines introducing differently long delay periods , the respective active window 40 of line 4 . 1 of fig4 so - to - say is transformed to the four time slots 41 for the four photon channels , wherein in the respective individual case , one of these four time slots 41 , depending on the polarization of the photon , will become active . the duration of the time interval 40 , i . e . the duration a , must be chosen such that , as a mean , from alice subscriber 6 per cycle , rather less than 1 photon will be detected . furthermore , the period d may be chosen to be longer than the dead time z of the detector photodiodes 22 , 23 to thereby ensure a perfect functioning of these photodiodes 22 , 23 in the respective “ emergency ”, when receiving one photon . in the case of d & gt ; z , the measuring units 8 and 9 , respectively , in fig2 are visibly comparable to the measuring units 8 and 9 , respectively , in fig1 . these times , however , are known per se and in any event can also be ensured by a suitable selection of the interrupting units 29 , 28 as well as by a corresponding selection of the delay periods of the delay units or lines , respectively , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 . since the average number of photons in a cycle will also depend on the laser output , it can always be assumed that a is substantially smaller than d , so that the cycle time t is substantially determined by 4d ( t = 4d ), so that by means of the delay units or lines , respectively , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , the delay times can be chosen to be approximately zero , d , 2d and 3d . the idle period d is also important because the separation between two detection windows or time slots must be larger than the jitter of the respective detector in order that the detector time may clearly be associated to the respective path ( photon channel ) to thereby be able to determine the respective polarization . for most of the currently common silicon photodiodes 22 , the idle period ≈ 50 ns , and the jitter amounts to & lt ; 500 ps . accordingly , the following selection may be made for the individual parameters : from this it results that t ≈ 300 ns can be chosen , and that the maximum signal rate may be ≈ 3 mhz . the length of the delay lines 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 with a standard refraction index of ≈ 1 . 5 would then be approximately zero , or 15 m or 30 m or 45 m , respectively . with such lengths , the additional attenuation in the various photon channels of the optical module would be & lt ; 0 . 3 db . in the remote subscriber station 7 , the detector photodiode 23 is actuated with a corresponding time control according to the second line 4 . 2 in fig4 , wherein , as has been mentioned , no trigger mechanism is required , but merely a periodical synchronization of the local clock generator 37 so as to prevent drifting . also in case of an ingaas detector 23 , the previously described time scheme is applicable . finally , in fig2 evaluation units 42 , 43 implemented as computers , such as pcs , microcomputers or the like , are illustrated which carry out the required measurement analyses and the temporal association of the passed - through photons to the photon channels 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , so as to trigger corresponding steps , such as the generation of the quantum key . | 7 |
referring now to the drawing , fig1 shows generally the binder - folder 10 according to the present invention . the binder - folder is composed of two side members 12a , 12b which are mutually foldably connected together along a centerline fold 14 . the binder - folder 10 is further composed of a plurality of foldable rings 16 connected with the side members 12a , 12b for interconnecting with pages 18 via the respective holes 20 thereof . because the foldable rings 16 are not rigid , they may fold from a semi - circular shape into a collapsed flat shape . accordingly , there is no need for a spine . as a result of this structure , the binder - folder 10 has a ring binder - like page manipulation advantage , as well as a folder - like centerline folding advantage which permits it to be of a generally flat shape when closed and further permits it to be folded back on itself , thereby making it easier to handle and to have a minimized footprint on a desk top . the side members 12a , 12b are constructed of rigid , semi - rigid or flexible materials commonly used in conventional ring binders and folders . the dimension of the side members 12a , 12b is predetermined to protectively cover the pages 18 in the manner of a ring binder or folder . the centerline fold 14 is positioned medially with respect to the two side members 12a , 12b , and it is preferred , but not required , that the two side members be mutually integral . alternatively , for instance , the two side members 12a , 12b could be hingably interconnected , in which case the centerline fold 14 operates by means of a hinge , such as a piano hinge . fig2 depicts a preferred method of forming the foldable rings 16 via die cutting of a plastic sheet stock material into a piece 15 , as shown . the die cut piece 15 is then provided with folds memorized by the material to form the foldable ring 16 shown in fig3 . it is seen in fig3 that the foldable ring 16 includes a ring portion 16c and an integrally connected foot portion 16a , 16b at either end of the ring portion . the ring portion 16c is of a generally semi - circular shape when unfolded , having an apex a . the ring portion 16c preferably has an apex fold 22 which is memorized by the material of which the foldable ring 16 is constructed . the material is preferred to be a durable , flexible , substantially nonstretchable plastic , although other materials may be used . as can be discerned from fig1 and 3 , the foldable rings 16 are dimensioned so as to have a ring diameter similar to that of the rings used in conventional ring binders , on the order , for example , of one - half to two inches . the foldable rings 16 are thinly constructed . that is , the thickness t is preferred to be at least an order of magnitude less than the width w , although this is not a requirement . in this regard , the thickness t should be thin and uniformly flat so that the foldable ring 16 can flatly fold so as to occupy very little cross - sectional space , and the width w should be on the order of just less than the hole diameter of the pages so that the pages can travel on the ring portions 16c in the manner customary with conventional ring binders . for example , the foldable rings 16 may have a substantially flat thickness t on the order of about five - thousandths inch , and a ring width w just under about one - quarter inch , which is a little less than the hole diameter made by a paper punch . it is further preferred for the ring portion 16c of each of the foldable rings 16 to include basal folds 24a , 24b memorized by the material adjacent respective foot portions 16a , 16b . the basal folds 24a , 24b and apex fold 22 combine to provide a predictable and efficient folding of the foldable rings 16 when the binder - folder 10 is closed by a user , without interference with respect to the pages 18 , as will become clearer hereinbelow . as can be discerned from fig4 each of the foldable rings 16 is connected with the side members 12a , 12b so that the ring portion 16c is oriented transverse with respect to the centerline fold 14 . in this regard , one foot portion 16a , 16b is connected with a respective one of the side members 12a , 12b . in the foldable ring embodiment shown in fig4 the ring portion 16c is a single piece unit . thus , in order to add or remove pages 18 with respect to the binder - folder 10 , one or both foot portions 16a , 16b must be selectively releasable with respect to its respective side member . this is accomplished by way of preferred example through the use of a base member 26 . the base member 26 straddles the centerline fold 14 and is connected to each of the side members 12a , 12b by any conventional means , such as by adhesive g as shown in the drawing ( for paper product construction ) or by sonic welding ( for plastic product construction ). a selected portion 26a of the base member 26 is connected to the side members 12a , 12b . the remainder 26b thereof that is not connected to the side members forms two pockets 28a , 28b . each pocket 28a , 28b has a slot 30a , 30b which is approximately dimensioned to coincide with the foldable ring width w . the combination of each pocket with its respective slot forms pocket - slots 32a , 32b , each structured so that the ring portion 16c and respective foot portion 16a , 16b may slide thereinto , while the respective foot portion is interferingly trapped in the normal direction with respect thereto , as shown in fig4 . since the foot portions 16a , 16b are slidable with respect to the respective pocket - slots 32a , 32b , they may be selectively removed therefrom ( along the arrows in fig3 ) and inserted thereinto ( in the reverse direction ) so as to permit a user to add or remove pages 18 from each foldable ring 16 . in this regard , the foot portions 16a , 16b are flexible so as to be flexed and thereby inserted through the holes 20 . the base member 26 may or may not include a medial cut - out 28 along the centerline fold 14 for facilitating foldability of the side members 12a , 12b along the centerline fold . fig5 through 10 depict operation of the binder - folder 10 , from an open orientation , shown in fig5 to a closed orientation shown in fig1 , and vice versa . as can be understood from fig5 in the open orientation , the ring portion 16c of the foldable rings 16 are in the unfolded configuration so that pages can be arcably manipulated on them in the manner used with respect to conventional ring binders . now , when it is desired to close the binder - folder 10 , the binder - folder is folded along the centerline fold 14 and the foldable rings 16 fold along the apex fold 22 and the two basal folds 24a , 24b as progressively depicted in fig5 through 10 , until the binder - folder is in the closed orientation , whereat the foldable rings are in the folded configuration . as can be seen in fig1 , the foldable rings 16 fold flatly so that the cross - section of the binder - folder is very small , similar to that of a conventional folder . while folding along the apex fold 22 and the two basal folds 24a , 24b is preferred , this is not a requirement , as any sort of folding which accomplishes substantially flatly folded foldable rings similar to that shown in fig1 is acceptable . indeed , when pages 18 are present , the foldable rings 16 may not necessarily fold at the basal folds , but rather fold at an intermediate location between the basal folds and the apex fold due to the holes of the pages regulating how the foldable rings fold . however , it is preferred that the material of each foldable ring 16 have a memorized apex fold 22 and memorized basal folds 24a , 24b so that folding is predictable and efficient , with as little interference with respect to the pages as possible . in this regard , it is preferred that all foldable rings fold in the same orientation , with the basal folds folding with acutely with respect to the foot portions 16a , 16b ( as shown ). turning now to fig1 through 13 , an alternative binder - folder 10 &# 39 ; is depicted , wherein a foldable ring 16 &# 39 ; having modified foot portions is employed . in this modification , the foldable rings 16 &# 39 ; have the same ring portion structure 16c as in the previously discussed foldable rings 16 ; however , now included are modified foot portions 34a , 34b connected with either end of the ring portion 16c . the modified foot portions 34a , 34b are bifurcated into an upper half 36a and and a lower half 36b . each lower half 36b is connected with a respective side member 12a , 12b in the manner discussed hereinabove with respect to the foot portions 16a , 16b . a two component releasable fastener 38 connects the upper and lower halves . in this regard , one component of the two component fastener is connected respectively with each upper half 36a and a second component of the two component fastener is connected respectively with each lower half 36b . a preferred releasable fastener 38 is a hook and loop fastener of the type manufactured under the trademark velcro . in operation , to add or remove pages from the foldable rings 16 &# 39 ;, the user need only separate the upper and lower halves of one of the foot portions 34a or 34b so as to let the holes of the page slip through the chosen foot portion , either with respect to adding or removing pages to the foldable rings . it is to be understood that while two preferred examples of releasable attachments of foldable rings to the side members is shown herein , there are many other equivalent structures that can be used for this purpose , and these are contemplated within the scope of the present invention . fig1 and 15 disclose yet another foldable ring structure . in this embodiment , the foldable rings 16 &# 34 ; are constructed of a two section ring portion 40 having a connector 42 . a first ring section 40a terminates in a male connector 42a , and the second ring section 40b terminates in a female connector 42b . the male connector 42a includes a male portion 50 connected integrally with the first ring section 42a whereat is located a pair of slots 52 on either side thereof , each slot being oriented in the transverse axis t . the female connector 42b includes a female portion 46 integrally connected with the second ring section 42b and is terminally defined by a pair of transversely oriented bosses 48 . the bosses 48 are structured to slide into the slots 52 when the male portion 50 slid transversely into the female portion 46 . as will be understood from fig1 , when this transverse sliding movement is performed , the bosses interferingly engage with the slots so as to prevent the two ring sections 40a , 40b from mutually separating along the longitudinal axis l , wherein the longitudinal axis is parallel with respect to a tangent to the ring portion at the connector 42 . it is preferred that a regulating structure control the placement of the male connector with respect to the female connector so that the ring portion everywhere presents a smooth surface with respect to the holes of the pages . an example of such a structure is shown in fig1 , wherein complementary wedge shaping is used to regulate transverse travel of the male connector 42a relative to the female connector 42b in order to provide properly aligned seating therebetween . the foot portions 44a , 44b integrally connected with respective ring sections 40a , 40b , and the foot portions connect with respective side members 12a , 12b . basal folds 24a , 24b are preferably provided as discussed hereinabove with respect to the other embodiments of the foldable rings 16 , 16 &# 39 ;. an apex fold 22 is provided at the apex a of the two section ring portion 40 , and the connector 42 is offset on one side or the other with respect to the apex fold so as not to interfere with its foldability , the left side ( as shown ) being preferred . a first tapered portion 54 adjacent the female connector 42b and a second tapered portion 56 adjacent the male connector 42a provide a smooth transition between the thickness of the connector 42 ( which is preferably much less than the diameter of the holes 20 ) and the thickness of the first and second ring sections 42a , 42b ( which is the same thickness t in fig3 ). in operation , when a user desires to add or delete pages from the foldable rings 16 &# 34 ;, the male connector 42a is transversely moved with respect to the female connector 42b so that the first and second ring sections 40a , 40b are separated from each other . after page adjustment has been made , the male connector is moved transversely with respect to the female connector so that the male portion 50 is again seated into the female portion 46 . pages may now be manipulated on the foldable rings 16 &# 34 ; in the manner used with respect to conventional ring binders , and the binder - folder may be closed and the foldable rings will thereupon fold flatly in the manner discussed hereinabove . to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains , the above described preferred embodiment may be subject to change or modification . for instance , while pages in the form of sheets of paper are a preferred hole punched item to be used in connection with the binder - folder 10 , more - or - less anything having hole punching can be used . also , while the preferred structure of the present invention is a binder - folder as described hereinabove , the foldable rings can be used in connection with any kind of holder for pages . further , while foldable rings constructed of a flexible sheet plastic are preferred , it is possible to construct the foldable rings from rigid or semi - rigid material which is hinged ( as for example by a living hinge ) at various selected locations , particularly at the apex fold and the two basal folds . such change or modification can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention , which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
fig1 schematically shows the relationship between the robot movement locus including the taught position before modification ( the position already taught ) and the robot movement locus including the taught position after modification ( the position to be taught newly ) to illustrate the principle of the present invention . in fig1 each taught position is defined by an xyz - axes orthogonal coordinate system σ with the origin o being its center . this coordinate system σ is normally a base coordinate system or a world coordinate system . in this fig1 the path of the taught positions already taught covers p 0 → p 1 → p 2 → . . . . → p k → p k + 1 → p k + 2 → p k + 3 → p k + 4 → . . . . p n - 1 → p n . (= p 0 ). of these taught positions , the taught positions p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 are considered to be located on one straight line as shown in fig1 . hereinafter , the interval connecting these positions p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 is called the linear interval ( before modification ). now , let us consider the correction in which the taught positions p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 are respectively shifted by δ k + 1 , δ k + 2 and δ k + 3 , on one straight line that connects these taught positions . for these shift amounts , a plus symbol is applied where the shift takes place in the order of the position p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 , while a minus symbol is applied where the shift takes place in the reverse order . the positions shifted from the taught positions by p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 are referred to as q k + 1 , q k + 2 and q k + 3 , respectively . as a result , the path of the taught positions after modification is indicated by p 0 → p 1 → p 2 → . . . . → p k → q k + 1 → q k + 2 → q k + 3 → p k + 4 → . . . . p n + 1 → p n (= p 0 ). of these taught positions , the positions q k + 1 , q k + 2 and q k + 3 are located on one straight line ( that is , on one straight line connecting the positions p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 ). for the linear interval before modification , the vector directed from the taught position p k + 1 to p k + 2 and the vector directed from the taught position p k + 2 to p k + 3 are referred to as & lt ; d k + 1 & gt ; and & lt ; p k + 2 & gt ;, respectively . further , the vector directed from the position p k + 1 to the modified position q k + 1 , the vector directed from the position p k + 2 to the modified position q k + 2 , and the vector directed from the position p k + 3 to the modified position q k + 3 are referred to as & lt ; δ k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; δ k + 2 & gt ; and & lt ; δ k + 3 & gt ;, respectively ( hereinafter , these three vectors are referred to as modifying vectors ). all of these vectors & lt ; d k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; d k + 2 & gt ;, & lt ; δ k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; δ k + 2 & gt ; and & lt ; δ k + 3 & gt ; lie on one straight line . the absolute values of the vectors & lt ; d k + 1 & gt ; and & lt ; d k + 2 & gt ; are referred to as d k + 1 and d k + 2 , respectively . the absolute values of the modifying vectors & lt ; δ k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; δ k + 2 & gt ; and & lt ; δ k + 3 & gt ; correspond to the aforementioned shift amounts of δ k + 1 , δ k + 2 and δ k + 3 , respectively . the following relationship holds between the vector & lt ; d i & gt ; ( i = k + 1 , k + 2 ) and the modifying vector & lt ; δ j & gt ; ( j = k + 1 , k + 2 , k + 3 ). ## equ1 ## next , the position vectors for the positions p k + 1 , p k + 2 , p k + 3 , q k + 1 , q k + 2 and q k + 3 , with the origin o being the staring point are represented as shown in the figure , and referred to as & lt ; op k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; op k + 2 & gt ;, & lt ; op k + 3 & gt ;, & lt ; oq k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; oq k + 2 & gt ; and & lt ; oq k + 3 & gt ;. then , the following relationships hold . substituting the equations ( 1 ) to ( 3 ) into the right sides of equations ( 6 ) to ( 8 ), respectively , give ## equ2 ## here , the position vectors & lt ; op k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; op k + 2 & gt ; and & lt ; op k + 3 & gt ; have already been taught . in other words , these position vectors are normally the information already stored in the memory of the robot controller in the form of position data on the coordinate system σ ( xyz components ). the absolute values d k + 1 and d k + 2 of the vectors & lt ; d k + 1 & gt ; and & lt ; d k + 2 & gt ; are determined by calculating the distance between the already taught positions p k + 1 and p k + 2 and the distance between the positions p k + 2 and p k + 3 . this is because the distance d i between two points p i ( x i , y i , z i ) and p i + 1 ( x i + 1 , y i + 1 , z i + 1 ) defined by the coordinate system σ can be determined by the following equation : the shift quantity δ j ( j = k + 1 , k + 2 , k + 3 ) on the linear interval for modifying the taught position is a value directly relating to the modification amount of , for example , the size or arrangement interval of the workpiece , and is a scalar quantity which the operator can define without considering the coordinate system σ . the above equation means that , assuming that points p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 are located on one straight line in space , when a modification is made so that the point p k + 2 is shifted by δ k + 2 toward the point p k + 3 along the straight line , the position of the modified point q k + 2 is determined as the position vector & lt ; oq k + 2 & gt ; by the following equation . that is , from eq . ( 10 ), where & lt ; d k + 2 & gt ; can be determined from eq . ( 5 ) as in effect , the position vector of the taught point after modification can be obtained from the information of the position vector & lt ; op k + 2 & gt ; of originally taught point to be modified , the shift amount for modification , and the position vector & lt ; op k + 3 & gt ; of another taught point located on the same straight line . therefore , for example , if a program for executing calculations corresponding to eqs . ( 9 ) to ( 11 ) using the above equations ( 4 ), ( 5 ) and ( 12 ) is stored in the memory of the robot controller , the operator can perform the work for making the desired modification of taught position by merely inputting the shift amount δ k + 1 , δ k + 2 and δ k + 3 to the robot controller to command the execution of calculation , and by storing the calculation result into the memory as the renewed value of the taught position data . in the above description , a plurality of continuous intervals ( intervals of p k + 1 → p k + 2 ; p k + 2 → p k + 3 ; q k + 1 → q k + 2 ; and q k + 2 → q k + 3 ) for each path of taught positions before and after modification have been assumed , but this condition is not a prerequisite for the present invention . as easily inferred from the above description , the position teaching method of the present invention can be applied to the process for modifying any taught position in which at least one vector that is parallel to each modification vector & lt ; δm & gt ; ( m may be discontinuous or continuous positive integer ) and directed from a taught position p s to p s + 1 ( s is 0 or any positive integer ) is found . fig2 is a block diagram of the principal part of the robot controller used in carrying out the present invention . in the diagram , the robot controller 10 has a central processing unit ( hereinafter called cpu ) 1 . the cpu 1 includes memory 2 consisting of rom , memory 3 consisting of ram , nonvolatile memory 4 consisting of mos etc ., a manual data input device 5 with a crt display ( crt / mdi ), a teaching panel 6 , and an interpolator etc ., and a robot axis control section 7 for controlling each axis of a robot is connected to the cpu 1 via a bus 9 . the robot axis control section 7 is also connected to the robot body 20 via a servo circuit the rom 2 stores various programs which are executed by the cpu 1 to control the robot 20 and the robot controller 10 itself . the ram 3 is used for temporary storage or calculation of data . the nonvolatile memory 4 stores the taught data inputted from crt / mdi 5 , teaching panel 6 or nonillustrated external devices . that is , the memory 4 stores programs and set values of various parameters as well as taught position data . the above - described constitution is basically the same as that of the conventional robot controller . however , it differs from the conventional robot controller in that the memory 2 consisting of rom stores a program for calculating the modified taught position data ( xyz components of q k + 1 ) on the basis of the taught position modifying data ( that is , shift amount δ k + 1 etc .) inputted through teaching panel 6 and crt / mdi 5 by an operator and further the above - mentioned equations ( 4 ), ( 5 ), ( 9 ), ( 10 ), ( 11 ) and ( 12 ), to modify the address position data in ram 3 which stores corresponding taught position data before modification . the present robot controller also differs from the conventional robot controller in that a necessary program is stored in the memory 2 consisting of rom so that a picture of taught position modifying mode as is shown in fig4 can be displayed on a display of the crt / mdi 5 or the teaching panel 6 by the command of the operator , by which the operator can perform the modification work in an interactive mode . on the screen of taught position modifying mode shown in fig4 the operator specifies and inputs the number s of the taught position to be modified , the modification amount δ s ( the shift amount of the taught position to be modified on the linear interval ), the taught position numbers i and j necessary for specifying the direction of modification vector ( the numbers of two taught positions for identifying the above linear interval ), date , and the operator code number using the keyboard of the crt / mdi or the teaching panel 6 . the input of the modification amount δ s involves + or - symbol . that is , if the direction of modification is the same as the direction from position pi to position p j which specify each linear interval , the plus input line is selected ; however , if the modification direction is reverse , the minus input line is selected . the modification program , which is stored in the memory 2 consisting of rom , is prepared so that the position data of the block number ( sequence number ) corresponding to the taught program can be modified on the basis of the aforementioned specified content . an example of the procedure for performing taught position modification by the method of the present invention using the robot controller 10 with the above - described constitution and function will be described for the case where work on two types of workpieces having different dimensions as shown in fig3 is assumed with reference to the display of taught position modifying mode shown in fig4 and the flowchart shown in fig5 . fig3 ( a ) schematically shows three cylindrical workpieces wa having a bottom radius r and a thickness ( length ) d and arranged linearly with one point g on the coordinate system σ being the reference . the program of the work ( e . g ., welding or marking ) to be done for these three workpieces is supposed to have been taught to the robot , and three points p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 are also supposed to have been taught as the positions where the robot should gain access to these workpieces wa . since these three taught points p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 are considered to be positionally equivalent , equivalent with respect to each workpiece wa , these points are arranged on one straight line at common intervals d . the vector directed from the taught point p k + 1 to p k + 2 is equal to that directed from p k + 2 to p k + 3 . this vector is denoted by & lt ; d & gt ;. the absolute value of the vector & lt ; d & gt ; is the aforementioned interval d . if the robot is operated according to the aforementioned taught program , the robot starts its operation from the initial position , gains access to the workpiece wa , and moves sequentially passing p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 ( and each of interpolation points ) to carry out a predetermined work . fig3 ( b ) schematically shows three workpieces wb , in place of wa shown in fig3 ( a ), having a bottom radius r , which is equal to the radius of wa , and a thickness ( length ) d + δ , and arranged linearly with one point g on the coordinate system σ being the reference as with the case shown in fig3 ( a ). considering the case of performing the same work on the workpieces shown in fig3 ( b ) by using the robot to which the program as taught in the case of fig3 ( a ) is incorporated , the taught points p k + 1 , p k + 2 and p k + 3 must be modified into taught points q k + 1 , q k + 2 and q k + 3 , respectively . when the vectors representing the position change ( displacement ) from the taught point p k + 1 to the modified taught point q k + 1 , from the taught point p k + 2 to the modified taught point q k + 2 , from the taught point p k + 2 to the modified taught point q k + 2 , and from the taught point p k + 3 to the modified taught point q k + 3 are taken as & lt ; δ k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; δ k + 2 & gt ; and & lt ; δ k + 3 & gt ;, respectively , the magnitudes of the modification vectors are δ , 2δ and 3δ , respectively , as shown in fig3 ( b ). therefore , if taught position modification required in this case is explained with reference to fig1 then either of vector & lt ; d k + 1 & gt ; and & lt ; d k + 2 & gt ; should be considered to be & lt ; d & gt ;, either of intervals d k + 1 , d k + 2 and d k + 3 be considered to be d , and further , shift amounts δ k + 1 , δ k + 2 and δ k + 3 be considered to be δ , 2δ and 3δ respectively . therefore , to determine the position data of the modified taught points q k + 1 , q k + 2 and q k + 3 , calculation may be made using the aforementioned equations ( 9 ), ( 10 ), and ( 11 ) under the above - described conditions . equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) are reduced to the following equation ( 16 ): ## equ3 ## using the above equations ( 13 ) to ( 15 ), equations ( 9 ) to ( 11 ) are reduced to the following equations . ## equ4 ## here , the xyz components of the position vectors & lt ; op k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; op k + 2 & gt ; and & lt ; op k + 3 & gt ; are nothing but the position data already taught . therefore , they can be read from the nonvolatile memory 4 . the value of d can be determined by executing the calculation equivalent to that by the aforementioned equation ( 12 ) by means of the modification program stored in the memory 2 consisting of rom , using the xyz component data of & lt ; op k + 1 & gt ;, & lt ; op k + 2 & gt ; and & lt ; op k + 3 & gt ; read from the nonvolatile memory 4 . since the value of d is the thickness of the workpiece wa , the measured value thereof can be stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory 4 as a set parameter . as easily seen from the above description , in order to perform the modification work shown in fig3 using a manual data input device ( crt / mdi ) 5 or a teaching panel 6 having a display for giving the information as is shown in fig4 in the field [ modification 1 ] on the screen , k + 1 is inputted to i , k + 2 is inputted to j , k + 1 is inputted to s , and δ is inputted to δ s (= δ k + 1 ); in the field of [ modification 2 ], k + 1 is inputted to i , k + 2 is inputted to j , k + 2 is inputted to s , and 2δ is inputted to δ s (= δ k + 2 ); in the field of [ modification 3 ], k + 1 is inputted to i , k + 2 is inputted to j , k + 3 is inputted to s , and 3δ is inputted to δ s (= δ k + 3 ). a flowchart of fig5 shows an example of processing for executing taught position modification using the manual data input device ( crt / mdi ) 5 or the taught panel 6 . first , the power for the robot controller 10 is turned on to allow the screen of taught position modification mode shown in fig4 to be given on the display of the crt / mdi 5 or the teaching panel 6 ( step s1 ). then , the operator manually inputs the values of i , j , s and δ s in the fields of [ modification 1 ], [ modification 2 ] and [ modification 3 ] while watching the screen ( step s2 ). as an example , for three points p 51 , p 52 and p 53 forming linear intervals , it is assumed that point p 51 is shifted 50 mm ( δ =+ 50 ) toward point p 52 in the direction of the straight line , point p 52 is shifted 20 mm ( δ =+ 20 ) toward point p 53 , and point p 53 is shifted 30 mm ( δ =+ 30 ) in the direction opposite to the direction of the shift of the point p 52 . in this case , in the field of [ modification 1 ] on the screen , to define the linear interval by a straight line connecting point p 51 and point p 52 ( needless to say , the linear interval may be defined by a straight line connecting point p 51 and point p 53 ), 51 is inputted to i , and 52 to j , and then 51 to s to specify point p s to be modified and + 50 to δ to specify the shift quantity , by the operator . likewise in [ modification 2 ], 51 is inputted to i , and 52 is inputted to j , by the operator ( it is unnecessary to redefine the linear interval in another form -- for example , with p 52 and p 53 ). further , the operator inputs 52 to s , and + 20 to δ s . further , in the field of [ modification 3 ], 51 is inputted to i , 52 to j , 53 to s , and + 30 to δ s , by the operator . after checking the inputted data on the screen , the operator answers the question given at the lowermost part of the screen by inputting y indicating the completion of modification through the keyboard . then , the cpu 1 starts modification processing . first , the cpu 1 resets the modification number index α to 1 ( step s3 ), reads the taught position data corresponding to i , j and s specified in [ modification 1 ] from the program already taught , and temporarily stores the taught position data together with the address number into the ram 3 ( step s4 ). is made corresponding to eqs . ( 9 ), ( 10 ), and ( 11 ) to determine the position vector & lt ; oq s & gt ; of the modified position q s ( step s6 ). thus , as soon as the modified position q s of the point inputted in [ modification 1 ] is determined , the data of address number p s which the nonvolatile memory 4 stores is modified to q s ( step s7 ). after the processing of [ modification 1 ] ends in this manner , 1 is added to the modification number index α ( step s8 ). if [ modification 2 ] exists , the procedure returns to step s4 ( step s9 ), and the processings in steps s4 to s7 are executed again for [ modification 2 ]. in this embodiment , since the modification for the data displayed on one screen ends when α = 3 , three cycles of processings in total in steps s4 to s7 are repeated to complete the taught position modification for one display . after that , α becomes 4 in step s8 , and the processing proceeds to step s10 . in step s10 , the modification screen mode on the crt / mdi 5 or the teaching panel 6 is reset to terminate the display of the data of i , j , s and δ s . if there are any taught position to be modified other than those indicated in the fields of [ modification 1 ] to [ modification 3 ], the operator calls out the modification screen mode again ( step s11 , step s1 ) to perform the modification work in the same manner as the preceding cycle . in the case shown in fig4 the number of teaching positions to be modified is three in all , and there is no other taught positions to be modified , and so it is judged that the answer is no , and all of modification work ends . although the modification data has been inputted manually in the above description , the modification of taught positions can also be made in such a manner that the operator prepares modification data in an off - line mode and loads the data once into the nonvolatile memory 4 via a nonillustrated input device together with the data of the address number etc . of the data of taught position to be modified , and then the robot controller reads the data by the command of the operator to perform collective modification processing of the taught positions . according to the position teaching method of the present invention , the operator can be saved from cumbersome work such as converting the position modification data by identifying the coordinate system in making the kind of taught position modification requiring only the change of the taught position without changing the direction between the teaching positions in the program already taught . that is to say , the operator needs to input only the value which can easily be understood as the modification amount at the actual work level ( scalar quantity δ j ) into the robot controller etc . therefore , very efficient work can be performed by utilizing the program which has already been taught . in particular it is a notable advantage of the present position modification method that , even if there are variations in the size of workpiece or the number of arranged workpieces , the program already taught can be used effectively by providing it with only the least necessary modification such as specifying the modification amount ( δ j ) and the position to be modified in the program already taught using a block number ( sequence number ) etc . | 6 |
referring now to the drawings , in which like numerals refer to like components or steps , there are disclosed broad aspects of various exemplary embodiments . it is again noted that wifi and north america atsc standard are used by way of example . other ofdm signals may be retrofitted in the whitespace freed by transition to digital tv in other parts of the world . also , use of whitespace provided by three consecutive tv channels is described here as the preferred embodiment of the invention : whitespace of different width may also be used for transmitting ofdm signals in the vi - if / uhf spectrum . fig1 a and 1b show the 802 . 11a carriers in the 5 ghz band , where fig1 a shows eight wifi carriers c 1 - c 8 in the lower and middle u - nii bands , and fig2 shows the four wifi carriers c 9 - c 12 in the upper u - nii band . each central frequency is spaced 20 mhz relative to neighboring carriers . in fig1 a , for a lower band edge of 5 . 15 ghz and an upper band edge of 5 . 35 ghz , the total bandwidth is 200 mhz . the first central frequency c 1 is 30 mhz above lower edge of the lower u - nii band and the eighth central frequency c 8 , is 30 mhz below the upper edge of the middle u - nii band . in the upper u - nii band shown in fig1 b , the total bandwidth is 100 mhz , extending between a lower band edge of 5 . 725 ghz and an upper band edge of 5 . 825 ghz . the first carrier c 9 is 20 mhz above the lower edge of the upper u - nii band and the fourth carrier c 12 is 20 mhz below the upper edge of the band . besides the central frequency of each channel , the 802 . 11 standard also specifies a spectral mask defining the permitted distribution of power across each channel . fig2 depicts the transmit spectrum mask 20 according to the 802 . 11a standard and the power spectrum 25 of a typical wifi ofdm signal . as shown in fig2 , the mask has a maximum plateau 21 at 9 mhz around the central frequency f c . then , the signal is attenuated by about 20 dbr (“ dbr ” stands for “ relative ”) from its peak energy in the range of 9 - 11 mhz from the central frequency f c , shown at 22 , 22 ′, so that in practice the channels are effectively 22 mhz wide . a smaller rate of power decay creates a skirt 23 , 23 ′ over the range 11 - 20 mhz away from f c , where the power level only drops from − 20 dbr to − 28 dbr . the mask then declines below − 40 dbr , shown at 24 , 24 ′ at frequencies more than 30 mhz away from f . as seen in fig2 , the wide skirt 24 , 24 ′ of a standard wifi ofdm signal extends well outside of the 20 mhz range . it is however assumed that the signal on any channel is sufficiently attenuated outside the 20 mhz bandwidth to minimally interfere with a transmitter on any other channel . fig3 illustrates the u . s . digital television broadcast band after feb . 17 , 2009 . the atsc television signals will be broadcast in the vhf ( very high frequency ) band and / or the lower part of the uhf ( ultra high frequency ) band . as seen in fig3 , the digital tv channels are grouped into five bands denoted with t 1 - t 5 . the band t 1 occupied by channels 2 - 4 has 18 mhz , extending from 54 mhz to 72 mhz . the band t 2 occupied by channels 5 - 6 has 12 mhz between 76 mhz to 88 mhz , the band t 3 occupied by channels 7 - 13 has 42 mhz , between 174 mhz and 216 mhz . further , the band t 4 carrying channels 14 - 36 occupies 138 mhz , extending from 470 mhz to 608 mhz and the band t 5 occupied by channels 38 - 51 has 84 mhz , from 614 mhz to 698 mhz . thus , this group of 49 channels covers a total spectrum of 294 mhz ( 18 + 12 + 42 + 138 + 84 ). since channels 2 , 3 , and 4 will be reserved for some specific applications , after this reservation , the commercial atsc tv channels will encompass 274 mhz , ranging from 76 mhz to 698 mhz , as shown in gray on the lower part of fig3 . one embodiment of the present invention includes analyzing bandwidth allocation in the vhf / uhf band , detecting a frequency band denoted generally with b ws that is unused , and transmitting data and video over a wifi ofdm signal in this unused bandwidth . in the case that the available whitespace is 18 mhz ( e . g . the bandwidth not used by three consecutive rf channels based on the north america tv standards ), one embodiment of the invention reconfigures the wifi ofdm signal in order to retrofit a 20 mhz wifi signal into the 18 mhz band of these three consecutive tv channels . in addition , band t 1 occupied by channels 2 , 3 , and 4 may also became available as whitespace for use by other applications . t 1 has traditionally been set aside for set top boxes or video cassette recorders ( vcrs ), digital versatile discs ( dvds ), etc . however , t 1 may stay free most of the time , once non - radio frequency ( rf ) means of tv signal transport , such as the high definition multimedia interface ( hdmi ), become prevalent . fig4 shows a flowchart depicting the steps of the method according to one embodiment of the invention . in step 100 , the whitespace is detected using , for example , a wavelet analyzer as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 078 , 979 , titled “ a system and method for utilizing spectral resources in wireless communications ,” filed apr . 9 , 2008 , which is incorporated herein by reference . the wavelet analyzer is operable to monitor the wireless signals present within the frequency and time domains of a communication spectrum ( here , the vhf / uhf spectrum ) with a view to automatically and continuously identify bandwidth that is not used currently ( whitespace ) in the area of interest . it is to be noted that other means for identifying idle bandwidth suitable for the transmission of wifi ofdm signals may also be used , without departing from the scope of this invention . in step 110 , it is established if a whitespace bandwidth corresponding to three consecutive tv channels is available . as shown by branch “ no ” of the decision block 110 , the search for identifying whitespace extending over three consecutive tv channels continues until successful ; it is to be noted that since the number of tv channels broadcast in each geographical area is limited ( currently there are 8 tv channels per station ), the likelihood to find such whitespace is quite high . as one illustrative example , assume that three free consecutive channels are identified as shown by branch “ yes ” of decision block 110 ; for example , these are channels c 8 , c 9 and c 10 from band t 3 ( see fig3 ). in this case , step 130 is performed next since these channels are not tv channels c 2 - c 4 , as established at decision block 120 . these free tv channels occupy 18 mhz , and as discussed above , a wifi ofdm signal normally requires a 20 mhz bandwidth and has a wide skirt that extends well beyond this range . according to this embodiment of the invention , standard signals are modified so as to retrofit them into the 18 mhz band , as shown by step 130 . the modified wifi ofdm signal is also formatted so as to be consistent with all fcc requirements regarding interference with neighboring tv channels . next , the modified wifi ofdm signal is adapted for transmission in the whitespace identified in step 100 . this means that the baseband wifi ofdm signal is modulated on subcarriers selected in the whitespace , as shown in step 140 , and then transmitted over the whitespace band in step 150 . details on how the wifi ofdm signal is modified and adapted for transmission in this whitespace band will be described in further detail in connection with fig5 , which provides a novel emission mask for retrofitting a 20 mhz standard wifi ofdm signal into an 18 mhz band . if the free channels identified in step 100 are tv channels c 2 - c 4 , as shown by branch “ yes ” of decision block 120 , step 140 and 150 are performed , whereby the wifi ofdm signal is adapted for transmission in the whitespace otherwise occupied by c 2 - c 4 . details on how the wifi ofdm signal is adapted for transmission in this whitespace band will be described in further detail in connection with fig6 . fig5 depicts a novel emission mask 500 designed for a wifi ofdm signal 550 according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig5 shows the sub - channels of the wifi ofdm signal centered about the channel frequency denoted with f c . as discussed previously , the wifi ofdm signal uses 52 subcarriers ( and 12 null subcarriers ). in this embodiment , three consecutive idle tv channels are selected for transmission of the wifi ofdm signal ; these channels could be , as in the above example , channels c 8 , c 9 , and c 10 of band t 3 from fig3 . the selection is made based on the assumption that channels c 8 - c 10 are not used locally for transmission of atsc tv signals . it is to be noted that these channels are in the middle of the t 3 band , and as such , neighboring atsc tv channels c 7 and c 11 may be active . consequently , the emission mask for this case must take into account the presence of adjacent channels c 7 and c 11 , and be designed such that the wifi ofdm signal does not detrimentally affect the quality of the adjacent tv channels . as shown in fig5 , the emission mask 500 according to this embodiment has a somewhat different format relative to standard wifi mask 20 shown in fig2 . as in the case of the spectrum mask 20 , the signal plateau 510 for the maximum level extends 9 mhz on both sides of the central frequency f c . however , the attenuation slope of the power curve shown by the skirts 520 , 520 ′ is very high ; the power level drops dramatically in a space of only 500 khz , declining to − 36 dbr at 9 . 5 mhz away from the central frequency f c . power level continues to decline thereafter , as shown by slopes 530 , 530 ′ reaching − 99 dbr at 15 mhz away from f c . the wifi ofdm signal 550 of embodiment shown in fig5 has an upper guard band 554 of 2 . 5 mhz , protecting the adjacent tv channel at the higher end of the 18 mhz whitespace band , and a lower guard band 552 of 2 . 5 mhz , protecting the adjacent tv channel at the lower end of the 18 mhz whitespace band . these guard bands 552 , 554 are obtained with a proper implementation of the filters 706 ( see fig7 a ) which guarantees that any interference with adjacent channels meets the fcc interference regulations for tv usage in the whitespace band . fig5 also shows at 540 an ideal signal spectrum ; it is to be noted that in practice , filters 706 may be designed to shape the signal spectrum between mask 500 and the ideal spectrum 550 . the wifi ofdm signal 550 is modified to match mask 500 . in order to provide the upper and lower guard bands 554 , 552 , the spectrum actually occupied by the modified wifi ofdm signal 450 between subcarriers 1 and 52 is only 13 mhz instead of the 16 . 25 mhz that would have been occupied by a standard wifi ofdm signal . this results in a subcarrier spacing of 250 khz ( 13 mhz / 52 subcarriers ), which is lower that the subcarrier spacing of the standard wifi ofdm signals of 312 . 5 khz . in this example , the useful symbol duration is lengthened from 3 . 2 μs of the standard wifi ofdm signal to 4 μs and the guard interval between subcarriers is proportionately increased from 0 . 8 μs to 1 . 0 μs . the peak data rate is lower than for standard wifi ofdm signals , dropping to 43 . 2 mbps instead of the standard 54 mbps , due to the increase in symbol duration from 4 μs to 5 μs . this may require the system timers to be reset . however , the decrease in peak data rate is not likely to impact the overall system throughput much , since the modified wifi ofdm signal uses a lower frequency band ( vhf / uhf ) and therefore can better cope with the environmental channel statistics . fig6 depicts an emission mask 600 used for an exemplary wifi ofdm signal 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention , suited for use in the tv band denoted with t 1 in fig3 . as band t 1 is used by only three digital tv channels , c 2 - c 4 , the design requirements for the wifi ofdm signal in this band are more relaxed ; there are no tv channels to interfere with to the right or left of this band . emission mask 600 according to this embodiment is similar to the mask 500 shown in fig5 , but is translated at a different central frequency f c . fig6 also shows at 640 an ideal signal spectrum according to this embodiment of the invention ; it is to be noted that in practice , filters 706 ( see fig7 a ) may be designed to shape the signal spectrum between mask 600 and the ideal signal spectrum 650 . fig6 provides the specific value of the frequencies from the spectral mask , because the position of the channels 2 - 4 in the spectrum is known . since the requirements in band t 1 are more relaxed , in this embodiment the parameters of the wifi ofdm signal 650 differ from the parameters of the wifi ofdm signal 550 . thus , the bandwidth of signal 650 is 16 . 25 mhz , the same as in the case of the standard signal , but it ranges from 54 . 875 mhz to 71 . 125 mhz . the subcarrier spacing in this embodiment is 312 . 5 khz ( 16 . 25 mhz / 52 subcarriers ), again the same as in the case of the standard signal . the symbol duration and guaranteed data rate are also consistent with the 802 . 11a and 802 . 11g standards , at 4 μs ( 3 . 2 μs for the useful symbol duration and 0 . 8 μs for the guard interval duration ) and 54 mbps , respectively . fig7 a depicts an exemplary ofdm transmitter 700 according to one embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig7 a , ofdm transmitter 700 comprises a plurality of baseband blocks which may be similar to the blocks used by a conventional wifi transmitter , such as a fec encoder 701 , an interleaver 702 , a constellation mapping block 703 , an ofdm symbol construction block 704 , and an inverse fourier transform block 705 . the part of the transmitter 700 denoted with 750 is , however , different from that of the corresponding part of a conventional transmitter shown in fig7 b . a first difference is the design of the baseband filters 706 from the filters 711 shown in fig7 b . as a preliminary matter , filters 706 are illustrated as one distinct unit only to provide a clear explanation of the frequency characteristics . as known in the art , signal filtering and shaping may be a multistage process rather than a one stage process . also , filter 706 is not necessarily connected after the dac 707 . alternatively , the dac 707 may itself include filters that contribute to signal shaping . filters 706 shape the wifi ofdm signal according to the masks 500 or 600 , shown in fig5 or fig6 , respectively . the differences between the transmit spectrum mask 20 used for conventional wifi ofdm signals and the transmit spectrum mask 500 or 600 used for the modified wifi ofdm signal of the invention were discussed previously . another difference is that transmitter 700 uses a low power amplifier or a preamplifier 708 that amplifies the symbols before modulation in the mixer ( multiplier ) 709 . while conventional wifi systems require a high power amplifier 714 , as shown in fig7 a , the present invention may use a less costly preamplifier , as little power is needed to broadcast for a short distance ( within a house ) in the vhf / uhf band . using an ultralow power design to cover a home environment , power may be no more than , for example , 200 mv / m . another difference appears in the structure of the mixers 709 of the transmitter 700 , as opposed to the mixer 713 of a conventional transmitter . transmitter 700 uses subcarriers in the vhf / uhf band , as discussed in connection with fig5 and 6 , rather than in the 2 . 4 ghz or 5 ghz bands used for the standard wifi ofdm signals . therefore , mixer 709 should heterodyne the baseband signals to the center of the whitespace band in the vhf / uhf band . for the example where channels c 8 , c 9 and c 10 are bonded together to form the white - space band as in fig5 , mixer 709 should be designed to mix a vhf frequency corresponding to the central frequency of the band occupied by these channels . for the case when the channels 2 , 3 , and 4 are bonded together to form the whitespace band as in fig6 , the desired frequency range extends from roughly 54 mhz to 72 mhz . mixer 709 should be designed to mix a vhf frequency of approximately 63 mhz , corresponding to the central frequency of the band t 1 in this example . also , a vhf / uhf antenna 710 is used for transmitting the wifi ofdm signals over short distances by transmitter 700 , rater than an antenna 715 used by the conventional wifi ofdm signals that are transmitted in the 2 . 4 ghz or 5 ghz bands over longer distances . in the example of fig7 a , the size of the fast fourier transform remains unchanged at 64 , as the number of subcarriers used by the modified wifi ofdm signal is still 64 , namely 48 data subcarriers , 4 pilots and 12 null subcarriers . among these , the twelve null subcarriers ( e . g . 0 , 27 - 37 ) may be used for guard bands . the four pilot subcarriers may , for example , be subcarriers 7 , 21 , 43 , and 57 . fig8 a shows an exemplary ofdm receiver 800 according to one embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig8 a , receiver 800 comprises a plurality of baseband units that are similar to the units used by conventional wifi receivers . the rf part of the receiver , i . e . the antenna 801 and the rf receiving unit 802 differ from the corresponding units used by the conventional wifi systems shown in fig8 b . thus , vhf antenna 801 is adapted to receive incoming signals in the vhf band that are broadcast over relatively short distances . the receiving unit 802 includes a low pass filter ( lpf ) 811 that removes high frequency noise and passes the signals in the vhf band . an analog - to - digital converter ( adc ) 812 of receiving unit 802 converts the received analog signal into a sequence of bits , a synchronizer 813 converts the sequence of decoding bits into a sequence of frames of bits , each of the sequence of frames having m decoding bits . in contrast , the receiving unit 820 for standard wifi ofdm signals , shown in fig8 b uses a wifi rf filter 821 suitable for the respective 2 . 4 / 5 ghz bands . as well , adc 822 and synchronizer 823 of receiving unit 820 are designed for recovering the baseband signals from the standard wifi band , and not the vhf band allocated to the digital tv channels . the baseband units used by the receiver 800 operate to perform the reverse operation on the baseband signals provided by the receiving unit 802 . thus , fast fourier transforming ( fft ) unit 803 decodes the bits in the sequence of frames to generate a sequence of symbol frames , each of the frames having at least n time domain decoded symbols . channel estimation and equalization unit 804 and demapper 805 process the sequence of decoding symbol frames to generate a sequence of frames of n interleaved sub - channel bits , and deinterleaver 806 processes each of the frames of n interleaved sub - channel bits to generate a stream of n recovered bits . the fec decoder 807 performs error correction and descrambler 808 recovers the bits of the original signals . from the above description , it will be apparent that the invention disclosed herein provides a novel and advantageous system and method for data distribution in vhf / uhf band . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary methods and embodiments of the present invention . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion that various changes , modifications , and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , 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 |
certain embodiments of the present invention will be discussed and it should be noted that references in the specification to phrases such as “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” mean that a particular feature , structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearances or phrases such as “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily , but can be , referring to same embodiment . in an embodiment of the invention , an artificially intelligent system (“ ai clone ”) is created and taught by a creator such that it becomes capable of accurately answering questions directed to one or more topics of any kind the ai clone is implemented on a specialized computer - based system , operative with specific programming for providing the functionality , as described herein . the computer based system includes such art recognized components as are ordinarily found in computer systems , including but not limited to processors , ram , rom , clocks , hardware drivers , associated storage , and the like . the computer - based system may include servers and connections to networks such as the internet , lan , or other communication networks . initially , the ai clone may be created by the providing one or more relevant texts to a database . thereafter , to improve the ai clone &# 39 ; s knowledge and accuracy , an instructor ( who may be one or more people ) can conduct “ lessons ” with the ai clone to teach it additional information . once the ai clone is created , users can converse with the ai clone , and receive answers to their questions . in alternate embodiments the ai clone emulates the user and may be queried to determine whether the user would be receptive to a message or advertisement . in certain embodiments the ai clone may be created solely from an instant message , email , sms , or other similar activities of a particular user that the ai clone is to emulate . in certain embodiments , the ai clone may be created solely from an instant message , email , sms , or other similar activities of a particular user that the ai clone is to emulate . it should be noted that the actual initialization and instantiation of the ai clone and its memory may be triggered prior to any textual inputs . for example , it may be triggered by user &# 39 ; s accessing of an application , a connection to a user &# 39 ; s ip , or other triggers that indicate anticipation of textual inputs . the lessons to improve ai clone &# 39 ; s knowledge may be conducted in one or more of the following exemplary methods : direct interaction between an instructor and the ai clone , a history of the instructor &# 39 ; s casual work ( as recorded in text ), an instructor &# 39 ; s instant messaging ( or other similar types of ) conversations that are manually or automatically input into ai clone , or other similar ways . it should be noted that additional texts can be provided to the ai clone at any time , and there is no minimum amount of text needed for the ai clone to function so long as there is at least one character input into the ai clone as text . it should also be noted that an “ instructor ” may be any type of user that knowingly , or unknowingly , interacts with ai clone . with reference to fig1 , if the ai clone is to answer questions related to computer technical support , step 10 , a creator could provide books and / or other texts related to computers ( in alternate embodiments these texts can even be the creator &# 39 ; s own work or even the initial “ lesson ” as described in detail below ). the relevant texts are analyzed and information is extracted therefrom as portions , the preferable portion being a paragraph , step 15 , from which context phrases are extracted in step 20 . a paragraph is a subdivision of a written composition that consists of one or more sentences , deals with one point or gives the words of one speaker , and can be extracted from text based upon textual indicators such as , for example , a hard return or tab ( although any other suitable algorithm may be used ). a context phrase is a “ predicative definition ” characterized by combinations of nouns and other parts of speech , such as a verb and an adjective ( e . g ., city — be — in ). a single sentence may include one or more predicative definitions . each paragraph has exactly one context , which is a combination of all context phrases , which can number in the thousands . the extracted paragraphs and their contexts are stored as structured data in a table or tables , such as a database or multiple related databases , step 25 , that form the memory of the ai clone . in various embodiments , it is envisioned that other parts of speech may be included within the context and additional information may be extracted from paragraphs . in further embodiments , other predicative definitions , such as a subtext , which is characterized by the combination of a pronoun , a verb , and an adjective ( or another part of speech ) may be utilized . it should be noted that textual information stored in the memory of the ai clone does not have to be stored as text , and may be stored as binary code , encrypted data , or any other format that can be converted back into text . the ai clone preferably includes a matching algorithm that answers questions by comparing a user &# 39 ; s question to its memory in order to find a suitable answer . each interrogatory paragraph by a user is treated as a paragraph and the ai clone extracts a context therefrom . the ai clone then compares the structured data of the interrogatory paragraph to the structured data in its memory and provides a result based upon a compatibility algorithm . a preferred compatibility algorithm can be : where the weight refers to the frequency that a context phrase occurs in relation to other context phrases . this compatibility algorithm is exemplary and other algorithms may be used within the scope of this invention . for example , to determine the weight of a context phrase in a paragraph , ai clone may first analyze the weight of the context phrase in each sentence of the paragraph . ai clone treats each clause of a sentence as an individual sentence — the clauses are preferably determined based upon figures of speech and punctuation marks . for example , a semicolon or comma followed by a “ but ” may indicate a division between clauses if they separate a subject and predicate pair . clauses can also be identified by a location of related noun and verb pairs that represent subjects and predicates . it should be noted these algorithms are exemplary , and any clause - recognizing algorithm presently known or subsequently developed may be utilized . for each sentence , the ai clone calculates the number of all context phrases that occur in that sentence . if there are 24 different context phrases in a sentence then the weight of each phrase in the text is 1 / 24 . however , in an alternate embodiment , the ai clone may ignore the comparative number of occurrences and calculate an “ absolute weight ”; in such a case the weight of a contextual phrase that exists twice in one sentence would be 2 regardless of the number of other context phrases . to determine the weight of a context phrase in the paragraph , the weights of the relevant context phrases in each sentence of the paragraph are added together . for example , if there are four sentences in the paragraph and the weights of the relevant context phrase are 1 / 24 , ¼ , ⅙ , and ½ , then the weight of the context phrase in the paragraph is 23 / 24 . in the embodiments where absolute weight of context phrases is used , and where , for example , the relevant weights of the context phrase within four sentences are 1 , 2 , 1 , and 1 , the weight of the context phrase in the paragraph would be 5 . additionally , because paragraphs can be different lengths , in order to improve accuracy of the matching , the weight of the context phrase in each paragraph may be further weighted based on the size of the entire paragraph . for example , if the paragraph is 120 words then the weight of the context phrase in that paragraph is divided by 120 : ( 23 / 24 )/ 120 . in the embodiments that use absolute weights the length of the paragraph is preferably ignored and thus , if , for example , a context phrase is present 5 times in one paragraph , the final weight of that phrase in that paragraph is 5 . it should be noted the described algorithms are exemplary , and alternate algorithms may be used within the scope of this invention so long as matching is accurately performed . at the initial stage , after step 25 , with only the structured information extracted from the texts , which were provided by the user , existing in ai clone &# 39 ; s memory , the knowledge of the ai clone is likely to be incomplete . it should be noted that in certain embodiments no texts are uploaded by the user , and the ai clone may be pre - created and pre - loaded with default structured information or information that is generated depending on answers to questions or questionnaires . according to an embodiment of the present invention , knowledge of the ai clone is expanded through “ lessons ” by an instructor , determined in step 30 , ( the instructor and creator of the ai clone may be the same person ). an instructor of the ai clone can instruct the ai clone in a series of lectures , question and answer sessions , step 35 through step 85 , with the ai clone retaining , in its memory , the relevant parts of each session , step 65 or step 85 . in one embodiment each lesson starts with ai clone being provided textual information , either through automatic extraction , or through the instructor providing the ai clone with different types of textual inputs such as , asking the ai clone a question , or series of questions , related to a topic that the instructor wants the ai clone to know or declarative statements that require no answers from the ai clone , additional textual uploads , etc ., step 35 . if the ai clone is to provide technical support , a question may be “ what is a mouse ?” in response to the question , the ai clone considers the question as a plurality of paragraphs , step 40 , and extracts the context from each paragraph , step 45 ; stores each paragraph and its context in a “ history ,” step 50 ; and then uses the context of the question together with the matching algorithm , described above , to provide a suitable answer from its memory and history , steps 52 and 55 . such an answer could be “ a mouse is a peripheral attached to a computer for user input .” it should be noted that only the instructor &# 39 ; s input is saved to the history of the ai clone . the answer that is provided may be a sentence , a collection of words , or a paragraph , depending on the matching algorithm and subsequent processing algorithms utilized and this invention should not be limited to any such algorithm . if the instructor feels that this information is incomplete , the instructor can teach the ai clone any additional information , in step 35 , for example , by instructing the ai clone that : “ a mouse is a peripheral attached to a computer for user input that is used to control a cursor on a screen .” in response to receiving the new information , the ai clone can extract paragraphs and the contexts of those paragraphs from the new information , in step 40 and step 45 ; and stores the paragraphs and their contexts in the history , step 50 . to confirm that information has been learned , the instructor could ask his question again , step 35 . at which the point the ai clone performs the same process as described above and breaks the question down into paragraphs and extracts the contexts therefrom ; stores the paragraphs and their contexts in the history ; and then could use the context of the question together with the matching algorithm , described above , to provide a suitable answer from a combination of its memory and the history . this time , the answer preferably includes the information that was taught to the ai clone . if the instructor is satisfied with the answer , it may instruct the ai clone to learn it , step 60 . if so instructed , the ai clone saves the correct answer paragraph and to its memory , and the rest of the history is preferably purged , step 65 . if the instructor is unsatisfied with the answer , step 60 , the instructor can continue teaching the ai clone with additional information until a satisfactory answer is reached . it should be noted that in certain embodiments the history may not purged , and may be stored in another table , or marked in some way , for example , set off by some symbols , to indicate that it is not to be included in the memory of the ai clone . as an alternative to instructing the ai clone to remember the correct answer , the instructor can leave it up to the ai clone , to learn by itself ( this may also occur in situations where the instructor forgets to provide instructions ), step 60 . after a lesson is over , the ai clone can select one or more specific paragraphs ( and their contexts ) from the history and store them in memory , while purging the remainder of the paragraphs , in steps 70 through 85 . it should be noted , that in various embodiments , history may not be purged after each lesson , in which case the ai clone will preferably keep a chronological record of the lessons and extract information from the latest lesson . the ai clone can select the paragraphs ( and their contexts ) to store to memory based upon the compatibility between the context of each paragraph and the context of the entire history , step 70 . the context of the entire history can be calculated by summing the weights of the context of the individual paragraphs in the history . if the compatibility between the context in the individual paragraph and the context of the entire history is greater than 40 %, step 70 , then each paragraph ( and its context ) is added to memory , step 80 , if not , each paragraph is purged , step 85 . it should be noted that 40 % is an arbitrary number and greater or lesser compatibilities may be selected to serve as the watermark for retention . additionally , while it is preferable that the majority of an ai clone &# 39 ; s memory is derived from the lessons provided to the ai clone , the ratio of the lessons to the texts may take on any proportion . once created , the ai clone can be used to answer user &# 39 ; s questions , step 90 , in the same manner as it answered the instructor &# 39 ; s questions when it was made , step 92 through step 96 . for example , an ai clone can be used to replace information tellers , tech support representatives , legal advisors , and / or serve as intelligent encyclopedias . interactions between the ai clone and user , creator , or instructor may be performed through a keyboard , graphic user interface , voice recognition , handwriting , wirelessly , or any other method that permits input of text to the ai clone , either directly or through an interface that converts input into text . ai clone can provide output in any way . for example , the output can be audibly through a speaker , as text on a display , as a printout from a printer , as a video on a display or in any other way to suitably covey the information . it should be noted , that since ai clone preferably uses paragraphs in its algorithm , information that is received through a medium that does not provide organized text ( for example , voice recognition ) algorithms presently known , or hereafter developed , may be used to organize the speech into paragraphs . in certain embodiments , an ai clone may based upon an average user and the ai clone can be used to direct advertising to the user by determining compatibility between the advertisement and the ai clone . in those embodiments the ai clone may be created from a first interaction with the user according as described steps 10 through 25 , or it may also come preloaded with structured data including default paragraphs and context phrases . for example , if the ai clone software is part of a larger package downloaded by people interested in a particular type of product , then certain information regarding that product may be stored in the ai clone &# 39 ; s memory by default , prior to any interaction with a user . the ai clone may also be preloaded with paragraphs and contexts based upon a questionnaire that a user is asked to fill out prior to using the ai clone . in the embodiments where the ai clone is to emulate an average user , the ai clone is preferably taught through automated extraction of textual inputs from a user &# 39 ; s interactions with certain applications such as an instant messaging client , an email program , an sms client , or other similar application . these extracted textual inputs are “ lessons ” that may be stored in the ai clone , according to the algorithm described above in reference to steps 70 through 85 or another similar algorithm . the ai clone based on a user may then be queried by an advertiser by providing a text associated with an advertisement to the ai clone . this text may be the transcript of the advertisement , or a description of a video advertisement by way of example . this text may be embedded in the advertisement &# 39 ; s metadata or it may be automatically extracted from the advertisement . the ai clone can then compare the compatibility between the text associated with the advertisement and the memory of ai clone according to a matching algorithm similar to the one described above in steps 70 through 75 . if the text associated with the advertisement is compatible with the memory of the ai clone , then the advertisement is displayed to the user . then , if the user clicks on the advertisement or performs some other similar favorable action , the paragraphs of the text associated with the advertisement and the respective context phrases may be stored in the memory of the ai clone . it should be noted that the algorithm used to determine whether to display the advertisement can be the same or different from the algorithm used to teach the ai clone . the algorithm could be more , or less restrictive with respect to the compatibility , depending on , for example , whether one prefers more or less precision in the targeting of advertisements . in the foregoing description , the methods and systems of the present invention have been described with reference to specific embodiments . it is to be understood and expected that variations in the principles of the methods and the systems herein disclosed may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art and it is intended that such modifications , changes , and substitutions are to be included within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims . the specification and the drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative , rather than in a restrictive sense . | 6 |
this object is achieved by the features stated in patent claim 1 . advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are evident from the subclaims . according to the invention , the melt is introduced continuously into the reaction container and is brought into intimate contact with , and / or intimately mixed with , pre - heated nitrogen , and a defined dwell time is set for the melt in a liquid phase in the lower part of the reaction container before said melt is continuously discharged , expelled substances being collected via pipelines and , particularly in the production of polyamide 6 , expelled caprolactam being introduced via pipelines into a collecting container and being fed to a polymerization stage with continuous circulation . in the reaction container , the polyamide melt is passed over surface - increasing and simultaneously surface - regenerating elements and / or into a melt phase by one or more horizontal separation means having passages , and is treated with preheated nitrogen . the nitrogen preferably preheated to 150 - 300 ° c . before its entry into the reaction container , is introduced into the reaction container above the level of the melt phase present in the lower part of the reaction container and — where present — below a separation means . in the reaction container , the nitrogen is forced through a melt layer present above a separation means having passages . the melt subjected to the reaction is fed to the liquid phase in the lower part of the reaction container via at least one overflow pipe which extends vertically through the separation means into the melt phase at the bottom of the reaction container . if surface - increasing elements are additionally used , they are treated with nitrogen after its emergence from the melt layer . during the production of high viscosities and stabilities and , if necessary , the demonomerization , a melt phase is established for homogenization of the melt in every stage ; the dwell time of the melt in the liquid phase is ≦ 30 min . the homogenization carried out in this manner has the advantage that differences in the molecular weight and in the residual extract between the edge and middle zone of the flowing melt are kept small . such differences are to be expected owing to the postcondensation taking place over a period of time in combination with the flow profile , depending on the extent to which the polycondensation equilibrium was disturbed by the feeding in of nitrogen . depending on the parameters of the polymer to be produced , the polyamide melt is treated according to the invention in succession in one or more stages in reaction containers and is removed continuously from the lower part of the reaction container and introduced into the reaction container following the stage . after emergence of the melt from the last stage of the reaction container , the melt is cooled by means of a heat exchanger and the heat recovered is used for preheating the monomeric starting material , for example for preheating the caprolactam in the case of polyamide 6 melt . the caprolactam expelled in the treatment of polyamide 6 melt with nitrogen is fed to the collecting container in the upper region of the reaction container via a jacketed pipeline . since , in the treatment of polyamide 6 melt or copolyamide , one of whose starting materials was caprolactam , oligomers which may block the pipelines to the collecting container are expelled in addition to caprolactam , the material collected in the collecting container is preferably continuously circulated via a further pipeline through the pipelines leading from the individual stages to the collecting container . the pipelines are preferably heated , the resulting caprolactam / oligomer mixture being heated to a temperature such that the oligomers are dissolved in the caprolactam . the expelled caprolactam and the simultaneously expelled oligomer can be processed and fed as part of the starting material to the polymerization plant . in the case of the process according to the invention and the device for carrying out the process , the chemical equilibrium of the starting melt is continuously and deliberately disturbed on entry into the first reaction stage by the treatment with nitrogen . in subsequent reaction stages , the establishment of an equilibrium of the melt is prevented by further treatment of 4 . 5 g of polyamide in 100 ml of distilled water , refluxed for 10 h at 100 ° c .). compared with the known polymerization processes , a substantially more advantageous space - time yield is achieved with the process developed . in embodiment 1 of the invention , the production of high - viscosity spinnable polyamide 6 is illustrated in more detail below with reference to a device for carrying out the process : the drawing in fig1 shows the embodiment of a plant for carrying out the process and the device . the plant described consists of three stages 1 a , 1 b and 1 c . in each of the stages 1 a to 1 c , the melt is passed continuously into a reaction container via surface - increasing elements 2 , and in each stage nitrogen is introduced in the temperature range 250 - 280 ° c . via a preheater 5 . in stage 1 a , a melt in the equilibrium state and at a temperature of 280 ° c . is fed in , it being possible for said melt to be a water - rich prepolymer from a pressure stage or a polymer from a postcondensation stage . in each stage , caprolactam , oligomers and the water formed by a condensation reaction are expelled by the nitrogen fed in , the water contained in the chemical poly - condensation equilibrium additionally being expelled in stage 1 a when a water - rich prepolymer is fed in . caprolactam , such a melt with nitrogen , the water formed in the phase involving the formation of amido groups (— nhco —) by condensation of linear polymers being continuously expelled and hence a high reaction rate being achieved . the treatment of the polyamide melt with dry preheated nitrogen results in a considerable viscosity increase which makes it possible to produce a polyamide melt having a solution viscosity of more than 3 . 8 . in order , if necessary , to reduce the viscosity , which is greatly increased by the treatment with dry nitrogen , or to set said viscosity to a desired value , it is intended , if necessary , to supply super - heated steam in addition to the nitrogen in one or more stages in order to moisten the nitrogen . if it is intended to produce a low - viscosity polyamide melt , a chain stabilizer is added to the starting material at the beginning of the polymerization process . a highly stabilized polymer exhibiting very little postcondensation is formed . owing to the small number of reactive amino end groups , the melt obtained and not in chemical equilibrium exhibits such little postcondensation that further processing to give films , filaments , etc . is not hindered . surprisingly , it was found that the content of extractables in the polymeric melt is reduced even to ≦ 1 . 6 % by the process according to the invention and the device for carrying out the process ( content of extractables based on oligomers , water and nitrogen are discharged into a collecting container 7 via a pipeline 6 opening into the upper region of the respective stage . the total reactor system is sealed off from the surrounding air by an immersion means 12 . the surface - increasing elements 2 are formed in such a way that continuous surface regeneration occurs during the passage of the melt over these elements . in the example , expanded metal sheet is used for this purpose . since the melt tends to form drops on the surface - increasing elements 2 above a limited length of the element and random distributor devices counteract this drop formation only to a slight extent , the treatment is carried out in several stages ( 1 a , 1 b , 1 c ). after each stage , the melt is passed by a melt pump as discharge means 4 uniformly over the total width of the surface - increasing elements 2 of the reaction container of the subsequent stage . in each process stage , a small melt phase is established for homogenization of the melt ; the dwell time of the melt in this liquid phase is ≦ 30 min . the total dwell time of the melt in the stages 1 a , 1 b and 1 c is about 2 h , taking into account the passage times . heat is removed from the polyamide 6 melt by the evaporation of water and by vaporizing caprolactam . the heating of the melt to 280 ° c . for the next stage is effected in this example in the melt phase and in the downstream discharge device , consisting of slide valve 3 and melt pump 4 . the melt is discharged continuously from each stage . after the melt has been discharged from the last stage 1 c , it is cooled in the heat exchanger 15 with diphyl from about 280 ° c . to about 245 ° c . the heat recovered is used , by means of a further heat exchanger not shown , for preheating the monomeric intermediate , in this case ε - caprolactam , before entry into the polymerization reactor . the monomeric caprolactam expelled from each reaction container 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and collected via the pipeline 6 contains oligomers which may block the pipeline . for this reason , in addition to heating of the pipeline 6 , a circulation pipeline 8 which is likewise heated and is fed via a pump 9 from the collection container 7 is provided . as a result of heating the pipelines , the resulting caprolactam / oligomer mixture is further heated to a temperature such that the troublesome oligomers are dissolved in the caprolactam . in the circulation pipeline 8 , a pressure of 7 bar ( gauge pressure ) is established after the pump 9 up to the control valve 13 . by means of this pressure , the caprolactam / oligomer mixture obtained in the collecting container 7 is transported as a part - stream via the control valve 14 into the pressure stage of the polymerization plant to the caprolactam , the control valve 14 operating as a function of the level in the collecting container 7 . if water - enriched prepolymer is fed into the device according to the invention , this water is removed from the caprolactam / oligomer mixture in the collecting container 7 via a rectifier 10 . the steam emerging from the rectifier 10 is condensed in the heat exchanger 11 . in the treatment of the polyamide melt with dry nitrogen , a considerable viscosity increase occurs . if this viscosity increase is too large or if it is desired exactly to adjust the viscosity of the material emerging at the outlet of the last stage , steam is introduced in one or more stages together with nitrogen or alone , as described with reference to stage 1 c . without the supply of steam , it is possible to produce a high - viscosity , stable polyamide 6 melt having a solution viscosity of 3 . 8 and an amino end group concentration of 25 μeq / q and a content of extractables of 2 . 5 %. viscosity control in the range of 3 . 2 - 3 . 8 is possible by passing the steam / nitrogen mixture into the last process stage . embodiment 2 illustrates a device for carrying out the process , which starts from the arrangement shown in embodiment 1 . the preheated nitrogen is fed only into the lower - most stage 1 c , whereupon nitrogen then flows through the stages 1 b , 1 a above in a sort of series circuit , supplementation with fresh nitrogen additionally being effected in each stage . the resulting caprolactam / oligomer / nitrogen mixture is then removed only from stage 1 a and fed to the collecting container 7 . embodiment 3 of the invention describes the production of a spinnable , low - viscosity polyamide 6 melt , in which the arrangement shown in embodiment 1 is used as a starting point . if it is intended to produce a polyamide 6 melt having a solution viscosity of 2 . 4 and different amino end group concentration , there are several possibilities to do so if acetic acid is used as a stabilizer . 1 . stabilization of the reactor mixture at the beginning of the polymerization process with 0 . 34 % of acetic acid . in each stage , preheated dry nitrogen at 280 ° c . is fed in . this polymer has an amino end group concentration of 6 μeq / g . 2 . stabilization of the reaction mixture at the beginning of the polymerization process with 0 . 18 % of acetic acid . preheated dry nitrogen at 280 ° c . is fed into each stage . this polymer has an amino end group concentration of 31 μeq / g . 3 . stabilization of the reaction mixture at the beginning of the polymerization process with 0 . 30 % of acetic acid . preheated dry nitrogen at 280 ° c . is fed into the stages 1 a and 1 b and preheated dry steam at 280 ° c . into the stage 1 c . this polymer has an amino end group concentration of 11 μeq / g . when dry preheated nitrogen or steam or a combination of the two gases is fed in , a total extract of ≦ 1 . 8 % is established by the expulsion of caprolactam and oligomers from the polyamide 6 melt . in order to avoid troublesome reformation of extractables in the melt , the dwell time of the melt in the liquid phase before each melt pump may be not be more than 30 min . this melt is suitable for the production of filaments by the poy and fdy process . embodiment 4 describes the production of a spinnable , high - viscosity polyamide 6 melt . the production is carried out in principle as described in embodiment 1 , except that two reactor stages 1 a and 1 b are used , the dewatering of the melt shown in fig2 additionally being carried out in stage 1 a . fig2 shows the reaction container of a stage with a device for direct introduction of nitrogen into a melt phase in combination with surface - increasing elements from fig1 . the polyamide 6 melt flows over the surface - increasing element 2 into a melt layer which is adjusted by the separation means having passages 17 , for example a perforated plate . the height of the melt layer is determined by the height of the overflow pipe 18 . nitrogen is passed via the preheater 5 under the separation means having passages 17 and directly through the polyamide 6 melt layer . the nitrogen is then further transported on the melt film of the surface - increasing element 2 and , as already described in embodiment 1 , is further treated together with the expelled water , the caprolactam and the oligomers . the polyamide 6 melt running out of the melt layer through the overflow pipe 18 enters the melt phase which is positioned underneath and in which the overflow pipe 18 extends close to the bottom . in order to establish a uniform dwell time of this polyamide 6 melt in the lower melt phase , the melt is passed upward again through a container 19 which is open at the top and is provided with an outlet hole . the outlet hole is a small hole which ensures the melt immersion tank 19 is emptied on running down the polymerization plant . by the discharge means 4 , for example a melt pump , the polyamide 6 melt is introduced into the reaction stage underneath or fed for granulation or directly further processed . a polymer having a solution viscosity of 3 . 65 and a content of extractables of 2 . 5 % is formed . this additional dewatering and demonomerization described can be used in one or more reaction containers of stages 1 a and 1 b for the demonomerization of the melt and for the production of a high - viscosity melt . embodiment 5 describes the production of a spinnable polyamide 6 melt of normal viscosity . the production is carried out in principle according to embodiment 4 . before the beginning of the polymerization process , the reaction mixture is stabilized with 0 . 12 % of acetic acid . instead of nitrogen , preheated dry steam at 280 ° c . is fed in . the polymer produced has a solution viscosity of 2 . 4 and an amino end group concentration of 41 μeq / g and a content of extractables of 2 . 5 %. embodiment 6 describes the production of a spinnable , high - viscosity polyamide 6 melt . the drawing in fig3 shows the embodiment of a plant for carrying out the process and the device . a polyamide 6 melt in the equilibrium state is introduced via the melt distributor 16 into the melt layer underneath , which is adjusted by the separation means having passages 17 , for example a perforated plate . the height of the melt layer is determined by the height of the overflow pipe 18 . the polyamide 6 melt running out of the melt layer through the overflow pipe 18 enters a melt immersion tank 19 underneath , which has a small hole for emptying residues at the lowermost point . the overflowing melt from the melt immersion tank 19 runs down the container wall onto a melt distributor and from there into the melt layer underneath . while the melt runs down the container wall and on the distributor , separation of the nitrogen from the melt takes place . from the lower melt layer , via the separation means having passages 17 , the melt likewise runs via the discharge pipe 18 into the melt immersion tank 19 and over its container wall into the melt phase at the bottom of the reaction container . nitrogen is forced via the preheater 9 , below the lowest separation means 17 , through the polyamide 6 melt and then flows through the melt layers above . caprolactam , oligomers and water are removed from the polyamide 6 melt . this mixture leaves the reaction apparatus via the pipeline 6 and is further treated as described in embodiment 1 . after the discharge of the melt from this reactor , it is cooled in the heat exchanger 15 , as described in example 1 . the number of individual stages in this reactor can be increased in order to establish a higher viscosity and / or to establish a lower content of extractables in the polyamide 6 melt . | 2 |
a copier with which the process of the present invention can be carried out is constructed in accordance with the state of the art and is diagrammatically represented in fig1 . a drum 1 is provided with a photoconductor 21 , and is caused to rotate counterclockwise ( as viewed in fig1 ) at a preset speed by a drive source which is not represented . there are arranged round the periphery of the drum 1 : an electrical charging unit 2 which can be a corona , an exposing station 3 , a developing station 22 , a metering roller 6 for excess developer liquid , an image - transfer station 16 , a cleaning device 11 , 12 , and a further charging unit 13 which can be an alternating - current corona and / or a neutralizing lamp . if the photoconductor 21 is composed of an organic material , for example of poly - n - vinylcarbazole / trinitrofluorenone , it is negatively charged by the electrostatic charging unit , while positive charges are applied if the photoconductor 21 is composed of selenium . in the exposing station 3 , the charged photoconductor 21 is exposed such that information is projected onto it by an optical system , i . e . it is exposed to a ray image of an original . the electrostatic , latent charge image obtained in this manner is developed in the developing station 22 by means of a developer liquid to produce a visible toner - image . the developing station 22 comprises an arcuated plate 4 , the curvature of which is matched to that of the peripheral surface of the drum 1 , and a trough 5 , which is filled with the developer liquid . the plate 4 serves as a developing electrode , and a defined voltage is applied to it by means of a voltage source , which is not represented . it is also possible to provide a roller instead of the arcuated plate 4 . in the case of organic photoconductive layer , the toner particles dispersed in the developer liquid are positively charged , while they are negatively charged in the case of selenium layers . most of the excess , projecting developer liquid is removed by the stripping device , which comprises the roller 6 , with a scraper 7 . at the transfer station 16 , copying material , for example a sheet 8 of paper , is fed from a container 25 to the drum 1 . the transfer station 16 includes a charging unit 9 , for example a corona , which electrostatically charges the sheet 8 of paper from the rear . in the case of a selenium photoconductor 21 , the sheet 8 of paper is positively charged . it is also possible to provide a pressure roller ( not shown ) instead of the charging unit 9 . this pressure roller bears against the peripheral surface of the drum 1 and is connected to a voltage source which charges it to a potential suitable for the transfer operation . following the transfer of the toner - image from the photoconductor 21 onto the sheet 8 of paper , the sheet 8 is detached from the peripheral surface of the drum 1 and is drawn over a heating device 10 , which dries the still moist toner - image . the cleaning device comprises a roller 11 , for example a roller made of a foamed material , and a wiperblade 12 , which is located in the immediate vicinity of the roller 11 . the roller 11 is wetted with developer liquid and , together with the wiper - blade 12 , cleans toner residues from the surface of the photoconductor . the charging unit 13 removes all residual charges from the photoconductor 21 , so that the latter is completely discharged . in known copiers , when the photoconductor 21 is selenium , an operating voltage of + 6 . 3 kv is supplied to the direct - current corona 2 . the photoconductive layer composed of selenium , which is approximately 50 μm thick , and has been charged to a maximum of about + 1 , 150 v , is discharged in accordance with the quantity of light which is supplied in the exposing station 3 . toner particles are then deposited corresponding to the residual charge which is present on the photoconductive layer , whereby the latent charge image is developed into a toner image . the charging unit 14 comprises the direct - current corona 2 connected to a high - voltage circuit 15 . in order to carry out the process according to the invention , the high voltage circuit 15 is designed to continuously operate the direct - current corona 2 at a voltage of 8 kv . the metering roller is composed of aluminum having an anodized surface , and rotates counter to the rotation of drum 1 at a peripheral speed which is three times as high as that of the drum 1 at a distance of 50 μm from the latter . at the ends of its projecting shaft - stubs , the metering roller 6 carries running rollers ( not shown ) made of insulating material . the running rollers have internally - fitted roller bearings which are mounted in endshields to permit rotation . the gap s between the metering roller 6 and the photoconductor - surface is determined by the choice of the diameter of the roller , which bears firmly against the photoconductor - surface on the drum 1 . a voltage source 17 is connected to the metering roller 6 . the quantity of developer liquid lost per din a4 copy is plotted in fig2 as a function of the size of the gap between the metering roller 6 and the photoconductor - surface . the four curves shown in fig2 represent four different voltages applied to the metering roller 6 . if isopar m is used as the developer liquid , with particles of infotec ® toner dispersed therein , the curve - shapes shown in fig2 are thus obtained . isopar m is a liquid isoparaffinic hydrocarbon , which boils at 223 ° c . in order to determine the quantity of isopar m which is lost to the copies , the fixing station of the copier is switched off and a number of copying sheets are weighed , before and after passing through the copier . various voltages between 0 and + 2 kv are successively applied to the metering roller 6 . as can be seen , when no voltage is applied to the metering roller 6 , the quantity of developer liquid which is lost increases linearly with the width of the gap s . virtually the same state of affairs results when a voltage of + 1 kv is present on the metering roller 6 . these two curves in fig2 show that no significant effects relevant to the reduction of the loss of developer liquid occur at voltages on the metering roller 6 of less than + 1 kv . for widths of the gap s between 50 μm and 130 μm , the voltages must exceed + 1 kv , for example + 1 . 5 kv , before a significant reduction in the loss of developer liquid manifests itself . at such voltages , the loss is approximately halved in the gap - range from 50 μm to 110 μm , and a reduction of 42 % results even on increasing the width of the gap s to 130 μm . particularly favorable conditions result when the metering roller 6 is operated at a voltage of + 2 kv . at + 2 kv , the loss of developer liquid is reduced for gap - widths up to 150 μm to 1 / 5 or less of the value which results when no voltage is applied to the metering roller 6 . even at a gap of 200 μm , the resulting reduction in the loss still amounts to approximately 30 %, compared to operation with a metering roller 6 to which no voltage is applied . similar results are obtained with an organic photoconductor when negative voltages are applied to the metering roller 6 . negative voltages are necessary because , in this case , the copier is operated with toner which is positively charged . the influence of the speed at which the metering roller 6 rotates counter to the photoconductor on the loss of developer liquid is reduced by the high voltage on the metering roller 6 . for example , the loss is reduced by only 20 to 30 % when the metering roller 6 rotates counter to the photoconductor at a peripheral speed which is 1 . 5 times that of the photoconductor , instead of a peripheral speed which is higher by a factor of 3 to 31 / 2 . even if the metering roller 6 is rotated in the same direction as that of the photoconductor , the reduction in the loss of developer liquid is considerable if a high voltage is applied , provided that the developer liquid which is pulled off by the metering roller 6 is removed from the surface of the roller by means of a cleaning device , such as , for example , the wiper - blade 7 in fig1 . when liquid toner composed of a dispersion of negatively charged toner particles in developer liquid is used , background - free copies are obtained when a positive voltage is applied to the metering roller 6 . these copies exhibit loss values which , for various voltages and gap - widths , are indicated in fig2 . when a voltage of + 1 . 5 kv is applied , the copies lack contrast , but are still legible ; however , their contrast is no longer adequate when a voltage of + 2 kv is applied . using a positively - charged photoconductor composed of selenium under the conditions previously specified , with negative voltages on the metering roller 6 , copies which are black over their entire area are obtained accompanied by a similarly reduced loss of developer liquid . from these results , it follows that the quantity of developer liquid which is lost is , on the whole , independent of the polarity of the voltage which is applied to the metering roller 6 , but the copy quality , or the toner density of the copies , is polarity - dependent . correspondingly , in the case of photoconductors which are composed of organic materials , such as poly - n - vinylcarbazole and trinitrofluorenone , which must be negatively charged , negative voltages must be applied to the metering roller 6 in order to obtain background - free copies which are black over their entire area , accompanied by a low loss of developer liquid . measures which are suitable for improving the imagecontrast must enable the particles of toner to be rapidly deposited onto the charged points on the photoconductor in a stable and dense manner . to improve these characteristics , instead of an electrode 4 in the form of a sheet , it is possible to use an applicator - roller for applying the toner . the applicator - roller is positioned approximately 50 μm from the photoconductor and continuously feeds fresh developer liquid to the photoconductor . use of such a roller inhibits premature depletion in the layer of developer liquid in direct contact with the photoconductor as a result of the earlier deposition of toner particles . the strong electric field resulting from the small clearance of only 50 μm promotes rapid deposition of the toner particles . in this manner , easily readable , background - free copies having a density of 0 . 65 are obtained . the toner - density is defined by the logarithm of the ratio of the amount of light which is reflected without being weakened , and the amount of light which is reflected onto the copy from the developed toner - image . if a voltage of + 1 . 5 kv is applied to a metering roller positioned 50 μm from a selenium photoconductor , the loss of developer liquid to the copies is approximately 0 . 065 g per din a4 copy . if the metering roller is connected to ground , that is to say if no voltage is applied to it , the loss then amounts to approximately 0 . 16 g per din a4 copy . the stability of the toner - images which are deposited on the photoconductor can be further increased by means of an additional developing electrode ( not shown ) located between the point at which the developer liquid is applied and the metering roller . charging the photoconductive coating to voltages in excess of the charging voltage u maxd is an effective measure for increasing the stability of the toner images on the photoconductor . u maxd is defined as the voltage at which copies of maximum toner density are obtained in accordance with the state of the art . according to this definition , the maximum charging voltage for a photoconductive layer composed of selenium 50 μm thick is + 1 , 150 v . if the corona - voltage for the charging process is raised from 6 . 3 kv to + 8 kv , the photoconductive selenium layer is thereby charged to approximately + 1 , 800 v . the toner images which are then deposited are not removed even by a metering roller at a potential of + 2 kv . under these conditions , it is merely necessary to raise the voltage of the transfer corona , in the transfer station , from + 6 . 3 kv to + 7 . 5 kv . if , instead of a transfer - corona , a transfer - roller is used , it is thus necessary to raise its potential by a corresponding amount . the copies produced under these copying conditions , using a gap of 50 μm , exhibit optical densities of between 0 . 9 and 1 . 1 . the copies themselves are dry , for the content of isopar m developer liquid amounts to only approximately 0 . 015 g per din a4 copy . without the application of a voltage to the metering roller 6 , 0 . 16 g of developer liquid are lost per din a4 copy . in the case of a metering - gap of 110 μm , and when a potential of + 2 kv is applied to the metering roller 6 , 0 . 035 g of developer liquid is lost per din a4 copy , and 0 . 350 g is lost per din a4 copy when the metering roller 6 is operated without a voltage . similar specific developer - liquid loss values are obtained with din a1 copies , when the photoconductive drum has a length of 80 to 105 cm . under otherwise identical copying conditions , the reductions in the loss of developer liquid which can be achieved with pure developer liquids somewhat exceed those in the case of liquid developers containing toner particles . this can be due to different conductivities , since pure developer liquids possess specific conductivities of between 10 - 13 ohm - 1 cm - 1 to 10 - 15 ohm - 1 cm - 1 , whereas developer liquids containing dispersed toner particles possess specific conducitivies in the region of 10 - 11 ohm - 1 cm - 1 . the loss of developer liquid of 0 . 015 g per din a4 copy , associated with a metering gap of 50 μm , is remarkably low . the original for a copy of this type possesses a coverage by black type - symbols or image - markings of 7 %. in the case of a completely white original , the loss of developer liquid amounts , under otherwise identical conditions , to only 0 . 003 g to 0 . 004 g per din a4 copy . in the case of an original with a coverage of 7 %, a loss of developer liquid approximating to 0 . 01 g per din a4 copy appears to be the smallest quantity which is required in order to impart a pasty consistency to the toner particles which are deposited on the photoconductor . this pasty consistency is required for the transfer process onto the image - receiving material . | 6 |
the block copolymers of this invention were synthesized by a combination of two methods : grignard metathesis polymerization to synthesize an ethynyl - functionalized p3ht ( et - p3ht ),( 13 , 14 ) which was then coupled to azide - terminated peo by a click reaction ,( 15 , 16 ) as shown in scheme 1 . the et - p3ht was synthesized according to literature procedure ,( 14 ) while commercially available azide - terminated peo ( polymer source ) was used without further purification . the two homopolymers were allowed to react in the presence of cui and diisopropylethylamine ( dipea ) in thf for 72 h at 40 ° c . ( 16 , 17 ) a sample aliquot was taken and analyzed by gel permeation chromatography ( gpc ) to verify formation of the block copolymer , as shown by an increase in molecular weight ( mw ) from the homopolymer et - p3hi . after completion , the reaction mixture was quenched in methanol . soxhlet extraction with methanol was done to remove the excess peo homopolymer , cui and dipea , all of which were soluble in methanol . polymer characterizations are shown in figures s1 - 2 in the supporting information ( si ). the disappearance of the ethynyl proton peak in the 1 h nmr spectra at δ ˜ 3 . 57 ppm and the subsequent appearance of a peak at δ ˜ 7 . 86 ppm signify the formation of the triazole functional group . ( 16 ) mixtures of p3ht - peo and lithium bis ( trifluoromethane sulfone ) imide ( litfsi ) were made following procedures described in the si . the molar ratio of lithium to ethylene oxide moieties , r , was fixed at 0 . 085 throughout this work . the results of impedance spectroscopy experiments performed by sandwiching the polymer between two nickel sheets are shown in fig1 . the z ″ ( imaginary impedance ) versus z ′ ( real impedance ) nyquist plots are qualitatively different from those obtained from pure electronic and ionic conductors which exhibit a single nyquist “ semi - circle ”. ( 18 - 20 ) fig1 is qualitatively different from previously published data of mixed polymer conductors . ( 11 , 21 , 22 ) the presence of three nyquist semi - circles in fig1 suggests the presence of multiple transport processes in our system . to aid in the interpretation of the impedance spectroscopy data , measured was the steady - state current obtained after applying small dc potentials across the system . these data , shown in the right inset of fig1 , are consistent with ohm &# 39 ; s law with a resistance of 3 . 78 kω - cm 2 . this value is approximately equal to the sum of the diameters of the three nyquist semi - circles ( r 3 ) shown in fig1 . since nickel is a blocking electrode for ions , the dc experiments must reflect electronic resistance of the sample . the equivalent electronic circuit with resistances and constant phase elements ( cpe ), shown in the left inset in fig1 , is consistent with the data obtained from our sample . a similar circuit ( without the elements shown in blue in fig1 ) was proposed for mixed conduction of an amorphous poly ( p - phenylene ) homopolymer ,( 23 ) but this circuit leads to two nyquist semi - circles . a third set of elements ( the portion shown in blue in fig1 ) is necessary for fitting the experimental data . similar equivalent circuits were used to explain the impedance data obtained from perovskite mixed conductors , wherein the circuit in blue was introduced to describe transport across grain boundaries . ( 18 ) the curve in fig1 represents the fitted nyquist plots based on the proposed equivalent circuit , which leads to estimates of ionic and electronic conductivities of ( 1 . 09 ± 0 . 469 )× 10 − 4 s / cm and ( 6 . 73 ± 2 . 05 )× 10 − 6 s / cm , respectively ( refer to si for more information ). the ionic resistance of our polymer , r i , is simply given by r i =( r 3 r 1 )/( r 3 − r 1 ). our estimates of ionic and electronic conductivity are thus not sensitive to details of the fitting procedure or our lack of understanding of the origin of the three semi - circles . normally one might expect electronic conduction to dominate the high frequency response of the material . it is thus tempting to interpret the high - and low - frequency semi - circles to represent electronic and ionic conductivities , respectively . this is far from the truth in the present case . the high - frequency semi - circle , in fact , has a similar frequency range as the impedance data obtained due to ion conduction in mixtures of polyethylene oxide ) ( peo ) and litfsi . ( 24 ) when an electronically conducting block is covalently linked to the ionic conductor , the low frequency - capacitive tail seen in pure ionic conductors ( 18 ) is replaced by the two right - most semi - circles . in fig1 , the red circles correspond to experimental data and the black curve corresponds to a fit using the proposed equivalent circuit comprising resistors and cpe shown in the left inset . the right inset shows the ohms law fit of dc potentials versus steady - state current where the slope corresponds to the electronic resistance . r 1 , r 2 , and r 3 correspond to the resistance values of each semicircle relative to the origin . refer to si for more details . in fig2 a and 2b , shown are tapping - mode afm phase images of the p3ht homopolymer and the p3ht - peo copolymer , respectively . in both images , we see the nanofibrillar morphology that is usually reported for the polymer . the nanofibril width is about 20 nm for both samples , which is consistent with literature values . ( 25 ) in fig2 a , the p3ht nanofibrils appear to have a compact arrangement with relatively little phase variation . in contrast , we see more dark regions in between the nanofibrils in fig2 b . these dark regions may indicate the locations of the peo block . these observations are consistent with previously published data on p3ht - containing block copolymers . ( 26 ) in fig2 c we show small angle x - ray scattering ( saxs ) profiles obtained from p3ht - peo / litfsi mixtures where a broad shoulder is seen at a scattering vector , q = 0 . 37 nm − 1 and a weak additional shoulder at about q = 0 . 74 nm − 1 . in contrast , saxs profiles of pure p3ht - peo contained no discernable features ( fig2 c ). the shoulder seen in fig2 c indicates the presence of a periodic structure with a length scale of ˜ 17 nm . in previous studies on mixtures of litfsi and peo - containing block copolymers it was shown that the addition of the salt enhances microphase separation . ( 27 ) it is likely that this enhancement of microphase separation is responsible for the presence of features in the saxs profile of the p3ht - peo / litfsi mixture . the next step was the use of the polymer as binder material for the cathode in a lifepo 4 battery . to make a cathode film , p3ht - peo was dissolved in thf , along with litfsi ( also with r = 0 . 085 ). the lifepo 4 active material was added to the solution ( 50 % by weight ) and homogenized ( polytron pt 2100 ) for approximately 5 - 10 minutes . the mixture was cast on aluminum foil , and doctor bladed to obtain a homogenous film . the film was dried overnight under vacuum at a temperature of 70 ° c . all steps were performed inside a glovebox under ar atmosphere . fig3 a shows a scanning electron microscopy ( sem ) image of the cathode obtained from the lifepo 4 / p3ht - peo / litfsi mixture . the lifepo 4 particles appear as bright spots and the polymer / salt mixture appears as a dark matrix . this cathode is remarkably simple when compared with a traditional lithium - ion cathode which contains pores for ionic conduction , carbon for electronic conduction , and a polymeric binder to hold the structure in place in addition to the active material . in our battery a single polymer serves as the binder and the conductor of ions and electrons in our cathode . a schematic of the cross - section and the cathode reactions are given in fig3 b . to assemble a cell , a 1 cm 2 area circular cathode was punched out of the cast film and pressed onto a 30 - 50 μm thick film made from a mixture of polystrene - b - poly ( ethylene oxide )- b - polystyrene ( seos ) and litfsi ( r = 0 . 085 ) ( refer to si ). the seos / litfsi film serves as the electrolyte for the battery ( fig3 b ). a piece of lithium was then pressed onto the other side of the membrane to complete the cell . the cells were then cycled from 3 . 8v to 2 . 5v , at a current density of 0 . 02 ma / cm 2 . this current typically translates to a 4 h symmetric charge - discharge cycle with a 1 h rest step between each charge and discharge run . the average specific capacities of ten battery cells obtained during the first 10 cycles are shown in fig4 a , while typical charge and discharge cycles are shown in fig4 b . on average , the batteries show a specific capacity that approaches the theoretical value for lifepo 4 ( 170 mah / g ) with relatively little capacity fade . it is evident that the p3ht - peo copolymer delivers both ions and electronic charge to the active centers , and this allows the batteries to cycle efficiently . in fig4 a ) shown is average specific capacity for 10 cells as a function of cycle number . in fig4 b , shown is a cycling plot ( cell potential versus time ) of a battery composed . of a lithium anode , a solid electrolyte and a p3ht - peo / lifepo 4 cathode , ( inset ) nyquist impedance plots taken at specified points after charging ( ad ) and discharging ( e - g ) the battery . an important factor for the copolymers of the invention is that p3ht is a semiconductor , i . e . the conductivity of this material can be dramatically altered by oxidation . it is known that the conductivity of poly ( 3 - alkylthiaphenes ) increases by several orders of magnitude at potentials of about 3 . 2 v relative to li + / li ,( 28 ) or by the addition of chemicals , such as tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane ( f4 - tcnq ). ( 29 ) results of cyclic voltametry experiments , shown in figure s4 ( see si ), confirm that this true for our p3ht - peo copolymer , where the onset of oxidation occurs at ˜ 3 . 1 v . it is thus clear that electrochemical doping of the p3ht block due to the applied potentials during the charge - discharge cycles enhances electronic transport over and above that obtained in the undoped state ( fig1 ). in the inset to fig4 b , we show the impedance spectra of the entire battery taken during consecutive cycles — one set at the end of the charge cycle ( a , b , c , d ) and the other set at the end of the discharge cycle ( e , f , g ). the overall resistance of the cell changes by an order of magnitude from a fully - charged to fully - discharged state , and it changes reversibly from one cycle to the next . the possibility of changing the electronic resistance of the battery in situ offers unprecedented possibilities for controlling the battery . the handgap of the electronically conducting microphase can , in principle , be engineered to enable properties such as rapid charging and overcharge / overdischarge protection . this invention has been described herein in considerable detail to provide those skilled in the art with information relevant to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required . however , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by different equipment , materials and devices , and that various modifications , both as to the equipment and operating procedures , can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself . 3 . r . d . rauh , k . m . abraham , g . f . pearson , j . k . surprenant , s . b . brummer , j . electrochem . soc . 126 , 523 ( 1979 ). 4 . k . m . abraham , z . jiang , j . electrochem . soc . 143 , 1 ( 1996 ). 5 . p . g . bruce , b . scrosati , j . m . tarascon , angew . chem . int . ed . 47 , 2930 ( 2008 ). 6 . g . girishkumar , b . mccloskey , a . c . luntz , s . swanson , w . wilcke , j . phys . chem . lett . 1 , 2193 ( 2010 ). 7 . b . l . ellis , k . t . lee , l . f . nazar , chem . mater . 22 , 691 ( 2010 ). 8 . d . linden , t . b . reddy , handbook of batteries . ( mcgraw - hill , ed . 3rd ; 2002 ). 9 . n . oriovskaya , n . browning , eds ., mixed ionic electronic conducting per for advanced energy systems , vol . 140 ( kluwer academic publishers , kyiv , ukraine , 2003 ), vol . 140 . 10 . m . m . thackeray , j . thomas , m . s . whittingham , mater . res . bull 39 , ( 2000 ). 11 . n . costantini , g . wegner , m . mierzwa , t . pakula , macromol . chem . phys . 206 , 1345 ( 2005 ). 12 . d . witker , m . d . curtis , j . power sources 156 , 525 ( 2006 ). 13 . r . s . loewe , s . m . khersonsky , r . d . mccullough , adv . mater . 11 , 250 ( 1999 ). 14 . m . jeffries - el , g . sauve , r . d . mccullough , macromolecules 38 , 10346 ( 2005 ). 15 . h . c . kolb , m . g . finn , k . b . sharpless , angew . chem . int . ed . 40 , 2004 ( 2001 ). 16 . t . l . benanti , a . kalaydjian , d . venkataraman , macromolecules 41 , 8312 ( 2008 ). 17 . p . paoprasert , j . w . spalenka , d . l . peterson , r . e . ruther , r . j . hamers et al ., j . mater . chem . 20 , 2651 ( 2010 ). 19 . j . r . maccallum , vincent , c . a ., polymer electrolyte reviews , vol . 1 ( elsevier applied science publishers ltd ., new york , 1987 ). 21 . c . deslouis , t . elmoustafid , m . m . musiani , b . tribollet , electrochim . acta 41 , 1343 ( 1996 ). 22 . l . m . burke , i . m . khan , macromol . chem . phys . 201 , 2228 ( 2000 ). 23 . j . plocharski , h . wycislik , solid state ionics 127 , 337 ( 2000 ). 24 . m . singh , o . odusanya , g . m . names , h . b . eitouni , e . d . gomez et al ., macromolecules 40 , 4578 ( 2007 ). 25 . r . zhang , b . li , m . c . iovu , m . jeffries - el , g . sauve et al ., j . am . chem . soc . 128 , 3480 ( 2006 ). 26 . j . s . liu , e . sheina , t . kowalewski , r . d . mccullough , angew . chem . int . ed . 41 , 329 ( 2002 ). 27 . n . s . wanakule , a . panday , s . a . mullin , e . gann , a . hexemer et al ., macromolecules 42 , 5642 ( 2009 ). 28 . g . chen , t . j . richardson , electrochem . solid st . 7 , a23 ( 2004 ). 29 . k .- h . yim , g . l . whiting , c . e . murphy , j . j . m . hails , j . h . burroughes et al ., adv . mater . 20 , 3319 ( 2008 ). 30 . r . s . loewe , p . c . ewbank , j . s . liu , l . zhai , r . d . mccullough , macromolecules 34 , 4324 ( 2001 ). 31 . n . hadjichristidis , h . iatrou , s . pispas , m . pitsikalis , j . polym . sci . pol . chem . 38 , 3211 ( 2000 ). 32 . r . p . quirk , j . kim , c . kausch , m . s . chun , polym . int . 39 , 3 ( 1996 ). 33 . a . panday , s . mullin , e . d . gomez , n . wanakule , v . l . chen et al ., macromolecules 42 , 4632 ( 2009 ). | 7 |
referring now to the drawings in detail , wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements in each of the several views , reference is first made to fig1 wherein an improved tool according to the present invention is illustrated in a front elevational view . the tool 10 includes a first or movable jaw 12 and a second or stationary jaw 14 . each jaw 12 , 14 comprises an upper section formed from an electrically insulating material and a lower section machined from a metal such as brass , the upper sections being bolted or riveted to the respective lower sections . the lower section of the stationary jaw 14 includes a yoke having a pair of aligned apertures formed therein for mounting a pivot pin or pivot 18 . the yoke is adapted to receive a portion of the lower section of the movable jaw 12 likewise having an aperture formed therein for mounting the movable jaw 12 on the pivot 18 proximate one end of each jaw 12 , 14 . the first jaw 12 is adapted to rotate around the pivot 18 affixing the jaws 12 , 14 together . the interior surfaces 16 of the upper sections of the jaws 12 , 14 are shaped and sized to receive and securely grasp an insulator disc string , such as that shown in fig2 b , when the jaws 12 , 14 of the tool 10 are closed . the upper sections of the jaws can be formed from glass fiber - reinforced epoxy or the like , and are adapted to grasp the insulator disc string 60 in between a pair of insulator discs . the tool 10 includes a base member 23 which is fastened to one end of a hot stick 24 by a first clamping means 22 . the base member 23 includes a first or movable member 25 and a second or stationary member 26 . the movable base member 25 has a generally &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;- shaped fork at one end thereof adapted to receive a bolt and be clamped to the upper end of the hot stick 24 . the hot stick 24 has an aperture or hole proximate its upper end for receiving the bolt for clamping the tool 10 . the movable base member 25 has a threaded rod or screw extending upward from the generally &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;- shaped fork and terminates in a generally triangular or wedged - shaped cap 27 to which it is rotatably affixed . the stationary base member 26 is generally &# 34 ; l &# 34 ;- shaped and has a pair of legs extending perpendicular to one another . the first or lower leg 26a has a threaded aperture extending therethrough for receiving the threaded rod of the movable base member 25 . the second or upper leg 26b has a slot extending therethrough for receiving a bolt to secure the cap 27 to the second or stationary jaw 14 . the cap 27 has a pair of generally flat , mutually perpendicular sides which are each aligned generally parallel respective legs 26a , 26b of the stationary base member 26 . the cap 27 is positioned to contact the first or movable jaw 12 . the movable jaw 12 has a bearing plate 29 affixed at its lower edge to be contacted by the cap 27 of the movable member 25 of the base 23 . the second jaw 14 is clamped to the base 23 by a second clamping means 20 which permits the stationary jaw 14 to be clamped at an angle with respect to the axis of the base 25 ( not shown ) rather than along the axis of the hot stick 24 . the second clamping means 20 permits the tool 10 to be angled as desired with respect to the hot stick 24 , as may be necessary during installation of a string of disc insulators . the jaws 12 , 14 are biased apart by a spring 28 extending between the jaws 12 , 14 proximate the pivot 18 . the jaws 12 , 14 are opened and closed by rotation of the hot stick 24 around its longitudinal axis . as the hot stick 24 is rotated clockwise the threaded rod of the movable member 25 of the base 23 travels inward , pushing the cap 27 against the bearing plate 29 of the movable jaw 12 , and forces the movable jaw 12 to rotate on the pivot 18 toward the stationary jaw 14 , thus closing the jaws 12 , 14 . when the hot stick 24 is rotated counter - clockwise , the jaws 12 , 14 are pushed apart by the spring 28 . means 30 for suspending the tool 10 from an energized line 50 , such as shown in fig2 a , is formed from a light , high strength material such as aluminum sheet stock . an electrically insulating material , such as thermoplastic or thermosetting synthetic polymeric material can be used if desired , provided the glass transition temperature of the material is sufficiently low so that the material does not become embrittled under low temperature operating conditions . the suspending means or hook 30 can be generally &# 34 ; j &# 34 ;- shaped , and is affixed to one of the jaws . for example , the suspending means 32 can be formed from flattened bar stock of a thermoplastic synthetic polymeric material bent into a &# 34 ; j &# 34 ; shape at an elevated temperature . in the embodiment shown in fig1 the hook 30 is formed from aluminum stock and includes a flattened elongated shank 32 secured to the second jaw 14 by a pair of bolts 36 and extending generally parallel the center - line of the jaws 12 , 14 ( not shown ). the hook 30 terminates in a generally semicircular tip 34 shaped and sized to engage an energized power line 50 . the tool 10 of the present invention can be advantageously used to install a string of insulators in an energized high voltage line . fig2 a illustrates a portion of such a high voltage line 50 extending between a pair of poles 54 , 56 and suspended therefrom by suitable insulating means 52 . in fig2 b a string of disc insulators 60 is shown , of the type commonly installed to insulate or deenergize a section of high voltage line . the string 60 includes three identical groups of insulator discs 62 . a rigid extension bar 64 extends from either end to the string 60 , and a multibolt cable clamp 66 is affixed at the free ends of the extension bars 64 . to install the insulator string 60 an operator clamps the jaws 12 , 14 of the tool 10 on the insulator string 60 , such as between the largest and second largest disc of the middle group of insulator discs ( not shown ). next the operator raises the clamped insulator string 60 to the vicinity of energized power line 50 using the hot stick 24 , and positions the tool 10 proximate the line 50 by catching the line 50 with the hook 32 . the operator is now free to assist in bolting each end of the string of insulator discs 60 to the energized line 50 using suitable hot stick - mounted means ( not shown ). after both ends of the string of insulator discs have been secured to the energized line 50 , the line 50 can be severed using suitable ho stick - mounted severing means ( not shown ) at a position in between the cable clamps 66 , to create an energized portion 50a of the line 50 and a deenergized portion 50b of the line 50 . the tool 10 can then be released from the installed insulator string 60 . other modifications and variations of the apparatus and method of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , all within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
[ 0034 ] fig1 through 6 , discussed below , and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention . those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present invention may be implemented in any suitably arranged data processor . [ 0035 ] fig1 is a block diagram of processing system 10 , which contains data processor 100 in accordance with the principles of the present invention . data processor 100 comprises processor core 105 and n memory - mapped peripherals interconnected by system bus 120 . the n memory - mapped peripherals include exemplary memory - mapped peripherals 111 - 114 , which are arbitrarily labeled memory - mapped peripheral 1 , memory - mapped peripheral 2 , memory - mapped peripheral 3 , and memory - mapped peripheral n . processing system 10 also comprises main memory 130 . in an advantageous embodiment of the present invention , main memory 130 may be subdivided into program memory 140 and data memory 150 . the cost and complexity of data processor 100 is minimized by excluding from processor core 105 complex functions that may be implemented by one or more of memory - mapped peripherals 111 - 114 . for example , memory - mapped peripheral 111 may be a video codec and memory - mapped peripheral 112 may be an audio codec . similarly , memory - mapped peripheral 113 may be used to control cache flushing . the cost and complexity of data processor 100 is further minimized by implementing extremely simple exception behavior in processor core 105 , as explained below in greater detail . processing system 10 is shown in a general level of detail because it is intended to represent any one of a wide variety of electronic devices , particularly consumer appliances . for example , processing system 10 may be a printer rendering system for use in a conventional laser printer . processing system 10 also may represent selected portions of the video and audio compression - decompression circuitry of a video playback system , such as a video cassette recorder or a digital versatile disk ( dvd ) player . in another alternative embodiment , processing system 10 may comprise selected portions of a cable television set - top box or a stereo receiver . the memory - mapped peripherals and a simplified processor core reduce the cost of data processor 100 so that it may be used in such price sensitive consumer appliances . in the illustrated embodiment , memory - mapped peripherals 111 - 114 are shown disposed within data processor 100 and program memory 140 and data memory 150 are shown external to data processor 100 . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this particular configuration is shown by way of illustration only and should not be construed so as to limit the scope of the present invention in any way . in alternative embodiments of the present invention , one or more of memory - mapped peripherals 111 - 114 may be externally coupled to data processor 100 . similarly , in another embodiment of the present invention , one or both of program memory 140 and data memory 150 may be disposed on - chip in data processor 100 . [ 0040 ] fig2 is a more detailed block diagram of exemplary data processor 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention . data processor 100 comprises instruction fetch cache and expansion unit ( ifcexu ) 210 , which contains instruction cache 215 , and a plurality of clusters , including exemplary clusters 220 - 222 . exemplary clusters 220 - 222 are labeled cluster 0 , cluster 1 and cluster 2 , respectively . data processor 100 also comprises core memory controller 230 and interrupt and exception controller 240 . a fundamental object of the design of data processor 100 is to exclude from the core of data processor 100 most of the functions that can be implemented using memory - mapped peripherals external to the core of data processor 100 . by way of example , in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , cache flushing may be efficiently accomplished using software in conjunction with a small memory - mapped device . another object of the design of data processor 100 is to implement a statically scheduled instruction pipeline with an extremely simple exception behavior . clusters 220 - 222 are basic execution units that comprise one more arithmetic units , a register file , an interface to core memory controller 230 , including a data cache , and an inter - cluster communication interface . in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the core of data processor 100 may comprise only a single cluster , such as exemplary cluster 220 . because conventional processor cores can execute multiple simultaneously issued operations , the traditional word “ instruction ” is hereby defined with greater specificity . for the purposes of this disclosure , the following terminology is adopted . an “ instruction ” or “ instruction bundle ” is a group of simultaneously issued operations encoded as “ instruction syllables ”. each instruction syllable is encoded as a single machine word . each of the operations constituting an instruction bundle may be encoded as one or more instruction syllables . hereafter , the present disclosure may use the shortened forms “ instruction ” and “ bundle ” interchangeably and may use the shortened form “ syllable .” in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , each instruction bundle consists of 1 to 4 instruction syllables . flow control operations , such as branch or call , are encoded in single instruction syllables . [ 0044 ] fig3 is a more detailed block diagram of cluster 220 in data processor 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention . cluster 220 comprises instruction buffer 305 , register file 310 , program counter ( pc ) and branch unit 315 , instruction decoder 320 , load store unit 325 , data cache 330 , integer units 341 - 344 , and multipliers 351 - 352 . cluster 220 is implemented as an instruction pipeline . instructions are issued to an operand read stage associated with register file 310 and then propagated to the execution units ( i . e ., integer units 341 - 244 , multipliers 351 - 352 ). cluster 220 accepts one bundle comprising one to four syllables in each cycle . the bundle may consist of any combination of four integer operations , two multiplication operations , one memory operation ( i . e ., read or write ) and one branch operation . operations that require long immediates ( constants ) require two syllables . in specifying a cluster , it is assumed that no instruction bits are used to associate operations with functional units . for example , arithmetic or load / store operations may be placed in any of the four words encoding the operations for a single cycle . this may require imposing some addressing alignment restrictions on multiply operations and long immediates ( constants ). this following describes the architectural ( programmer visible ) status of the core of data processor 100 . one design objective of data processor 100 is to minimize the architectural status . all non - user visible status information resides in a memory map , in order to reduce the number of special instructions required to access such information . in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the program counter ( pc ) in program counter and branch unit 315 is a 32 - bit byte address pointing to the beginning of the current instruction bundle in memory . the two least significant bits ( lsbs ) of the program counter are always zero . in operations that assign a value to the program counter , the two lsbs of the assigned value are ignored . in an exemplary embodiment , register file 310 contains 64 words of 32 bits each . reading register 0 ( i . e ., r 0 ) always returns the value zero . register 63 ( i . e ., r 63 ) is used to address the link register by the call and return instructions . the link register ( lr ) is a slaved copy of the architecturally most recent update to r 63 . r 63 can be used as a normal register , between call and return instructions . the link register is updated only by writes to r 63 and the call instruction . at times the fact that the link register is a copy of r 63 and not r 63 itself may be visible to the programmer . this is because the link register and r 63 get updated at different times in the pipeline . typically , this occurs in the following cases : 1 ) icall and igoto instructions - since these instructions are executed in the decode stage , these operations require that r 63 be stable . thus , r 63 must not be modified in the instruction bundle preceding one of these operations . otherwise unpredictable results may occur in the event of an interrupt ; and 2 ) an interrupt or exception may update the link register incorrectly . thus , all interrupt and exception handlers must explicitly write r 63 prior to using the link register through the execution of an rfi , icall or igoto instruction . this requirement can be met with a simple mov instruction from r 63 to r 63 . the branch architecture of data processor 100 uses a set of eight ( 8 ) branch bit registers ( i . e ., b 0 through b 7 ) that may be read or written independently . in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , data processor 100 requires at least one instruction to be executed between writing a branch bit and using the result in a conditional branch operation . a small number of memory mapped control registers are part of the architectural state of data processor 100 . these registers include support for interrupts and exceptions , and memory protection . the core of data processor 100 is implemented as a pipeline that requires minimal instruction decoding in the early pipeline stages . one design objective of the pipeline of data processor 100 is that it support precise interrupts and exceptions . data processor 100 meets this objective by updating architecturally visible state information only during a single write stage . to accomplish this , data processor 100 makes extensive use of register bypassing circuitry to minimize the performance impact of meeting this requirement . [ 0061 ] fig4 is a block diagram illustrating the operational stages of pipeline 400 in exemplary data processor 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention . in the illustrated embodiment , the operational stages of data processor 100 are address generation stage 401 , fetch stage 402 , decode stage 403 , read stage 404 , first execution ( e1 ) stage 405 , second execution ( e2 ) stage 406 and write stage 407 . address generation stage 401 comprises a fetch address generator 410 that generates the address of the next instruction to be fetched from instruction cache 215 . fetch address generator 410 receives inputs from exception generator 430 and program counter and branch unit 315 . fetch address generator 410 generates an instruction fetch address ( faddr ) that is applied to instruction cache 215 in fetch stage 402 and to an instruction protection unit ( not shown ) that generates an exception if a protection violation is found . any exception generated in fetch stage 402 is postponed to write stage 407 . instruction buffer 305 in fetch stage 402 receives instructions as 128 - bit wide words from instruction cache 215 and the instructions are dispatched to the cluster . decode stage 403 comprises instruction decode block 415 and program counter ( pc ) and branch unit 315 . instruction decode block 415 receives instructions from instruction buffer 305 and decodes the instructions into a group of control signals that are applied to the execution units in e1 stage 405 and e2 stage 406 . program counter and branch unit 315 evaluates branches detected within the 128 - bit wide words . a taken branch incurs a one cycle delay and the instruction being incorrectly fetched while the branch instruction is evaluated is discarded . in read stage 404 , operands are generated by register file access , bypass and immediate ( constant ) generation block 420 . the sources for operands are the register files , the constants ( immediates ) assembled from the instruction bundle , and any results bypassed from operations in later stages in the instruction pipeline . the instruction execution phase of data processor 100 is implemented as two stages , e1 stage 405 and e2 stage 406 to allow two cycle cache access operations and two cycle multiplication operations . exemplary multiplier 351 is illustrated straddling the boundary between e1 stage 405 and e2 stage 406 to indicate a two cycle multiplication operation . similarly , load store unit 325 and data cache 330 are illustrated straddling the boundary between e1 stage 405 and e2 stage 406 to indicate a two cycle cache access operation . integer operations are performed by integer units , such as iu 341 in e1 stage 405 . exceptions are generated by exception generator 430 in e2 stage 406 and write stage 407 . results from fast operations are made available after e1 stage 405 through register bypassing operations . an important architectural requirement of data processor 100 is that if the results of an operation may be ready after e1 stage 405 , then the results are always ready after e 1 stage 405 . in this manner , the visible latency of operations in data processor 100 is fixed . at the start of write stage 407 , any pending exceptions are raised and , if no exceptions are raised , results are written by register write back and bypass block 440 into the appropriate register file and / or data cache location . in data processor 100 , write stage 407 is the “ commit point ” and operations reaching write stage 407 in the instruction pipeline and not “ excepted ” are considered completed . previous stages ( i . e ., address generation , fetch , decode , read , e1 , e2 ) are temporally prior to the commit point . therefore , operations in address generation stage 401 , fetch stage 402 , decode stage 403 , read stage 404 , e1 stage 405 and e 2 stage 406 are flushed when an exception occurs and are acted upon in write stage 407 . according to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention , data processor 100 is capable of supporting speculative loads in order to maximize the level of parallelism in data processor 100 . for example , the program sequence : the instruction a = b [ i ] is a normal load word ( ldw ) instruction . if the value of i is such that a = b [ i ] causes data to be read from an area of memory that is not mapped by data processor 100 , an exception occurs when the instruction a = b ( i ) is executed . however , the instruction t = b *[ i ] is an explicit speculative ( or dismissible ) load word ( ldw . d ) instruction that may be executed by data processor 100 before the condition “ if ( i & lt ; 100 )” is evaluated . if the value of i is such that t = b *[ i ] causes data to be read from an area of memory that is not mapped by data processor 100 , the execution would not be detected until after t = b *[ i ] has been executed . when an exception occurs , the next instruction which is allowed to execute is the first operation in the exception handler . likewise , if a load operation is misaligned on half word or word boundaries , an exception occurs . for example , if a properly aligned load half word operation loads two syllables ( i . e ., a half word ) aligned on even boundaries , the accessed data location ends with the two least significant address bits a [ 1 : 0 ]= x0 . thus , a load half word operation to an odd address ( i . e ., a [ 1 : 0 ]= x1 ) causes an exception . similarly , if a properly aligned load word operation loads four syllables ( i . e ., a word ) from 128 - bit cache lines aligned on multiple - of - four boundaries , the accessed data location ends with the address bits a [ 1 : 0 ]= 00 . thus , a load word operation to an address ending with a [ 1 : 0 ]= x1 or a [ 1 : 0 ]= 10 causes an exception . depending on the type of implementation , the system in which data processor 100 is used , particularly an embedded system , may or may not provide support for exceptions caused by misaligned loads . as is obvious from the foregoing description , there are two exception types . the first exception type is a protection fault in which a speculative load accesses an area of memory that is not mapped . this is non - recoverable , but the load operation may be dismissed if it is speculative with no penalty . the second exception type is a misalignment exception , which provides two options . the first option is to provide hardware or software to recover misaligned accesses , if possible . the second option is to dismiss the load if it is speculative and no hardware or software is provided to recover misaligned accesses . data processor 100 provides the unique capability to the end - user to modify the behavior of data processor 100 after a misalignment exception by changing the value of a data field ( e . g ., one or more status bits ) in the program status word . [ 0083 ] fig5 illustrates exception handling circuitry , generally designated 500 , in data processor 100 that detects and handles misaligned accesses and other exceptions according to one embodiment of the present invention . exception handling circuitry 500 comprises program status word ( psw ) control register 505 , load store unit decode block 510 , effective address generator 515 , trap address block 520 and data protection unit 525 . psw control register 505 further comprises speculative load misalignment trap enabled ( slmte ) bit 506 and speculative load data protection unit ( dpu ) trap enabled ( sldte ) bit 506 . registers contained within the data protection units , such as data protection units 425 , are memory mapped into the control register space . this allows normal reading and writing of these registers to be done by normal load and store instructions . the enabling and disabling of the data protection units is done by slmte bit 506 and sldte bit 507 in psw control register 505 . the data protection units , such as data protection unit 525 , provide control for a number of regions of memory that have certain property information associated with them . effective address generator 515 determines the effective address of the load operation by adding , for example , a base address a [ 31 : 0 ] and an offset address , b [ 31 : 0 ], to thereby produce an effective address ( ea ). the effective address is captured by trap address block 520 and transferred to data protection unit 525 . data protection unit 525 compares the effective address to the address spaces of mapped memory areas to determine whether or not the load operation accesses an unmapped location . if it does , error codes are transmitted to lsu decode block 510 , which receives instruction bits i { 31 : 0 ] from the instruction issue unit ( iiu ). in certain cases , normal loads should return the data as expected , but speculative loads to the same location return a zero without doing a memory access . this is because a read operation to the area of memory may destroy the data at that location . typically , this would be performed by some kind of memory - mapped peripheral . if the bit for the region is set in the attribute registers , lsu decode block 510 in load store unit 325 returns zero as data and does not make a memory request . accordingly , lsu decode block 510 generates the signals exception and return zero for use in exception handling routines and flushing pipeline 400 . exceptions can be generated from a number of sources within data processor 100 . load store unit 325 controls the global exception signal , which indicates that an exception has occurred . fig6 illustrates in greater detail exception and misaligned control circuitry , generally designated 600 , in exception handling circuitry 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention . exception and misaligned control circuitry 500 comprises or gates 601 - 604 , and gates 611 - 616 , and inverters 621 - 622 . exception and misaligned control circuitry 500 also comprises data protection unit ( dpu ) array 630 . lsu decode block 510 determines from inst [ 31 : 0 ] if the load instruction is speculative and sets the signal speculative to logic 1 if so . lsu decode block 510 determines from inst [ 31 : 0 ] if the instruction is a load word or load half word operation and sets the signals load word and load half word to logic 1 is so . or gates 601 and 602 and and gates 611 and 612 determine from the load word and load half word signals and the two least significant effective address bits , ea 1 and ea 0 , whether a misaligned load has occurred . it a misaligned load has occurred , the misaligned signal on the output of or gate 602 is set to logic 1 . as noted above , data processor 100 treats speculative loads differently in some respects than normal loads . notably , if a speculative load causes an exception , data processor 100 does not always initiate an exception . the choice whether or not to initiate an exception is determined by the values of speculative load misaligned trap enabled ( slmte ) bit 506 and speculative load dpu trap enabled ( sdmte ) bit 507 in psw control register 505 and also the value in specload return zero register in dpu array 630 of dpu 525 . dpu array 630 receives the upper bits of the effective address ( i . e ., ea 31 through ea 2 ). the choice whether or not to initiate an exception may be determined as follows : 1 . if the bit in the specload return zero register is set ( i . e ., logic 1 ) for the memory region , then : a ) if slmte bit 506 is logic 1 and a misaligned access occurs , then an exception occurs as if it were a normal load ; b ) if slmte bit 506 is set to logic 1 : ii ) the sdmte bit 507 ( not shown ) is ignored , hence no exception is taken even if permissions are violated . 2 . if the bit in the specload return zero register is not set ( i . e ., logic 0 ) for the memory region : a ) if slmte bit 506 is set to logic 1 and it is a misaligned access , then the misaligned exception occurs , as if it were a normal load . b ) if slmte bit 506 is not set ( i . e ., logic 0 ) and it is a misaligned access , then zero is returned as data and no misaligned exception occurs . c ) if sldte bit 507 is set ( i . e ., logic 1 ) and an exception is signaled ( not mapped ) from dpu 525 then a dpu exception occurs , as if it were a normal load . d ) if sldte bit 507 is not set and an exception is signaled ( not mapped ) from dpu 525 , then zero is returned as data , and no dpu exception occurs . e ) in all other cases , the instruction completes as a normal load instruction , with the correct data . although the present invention has been described in detail , those skilled in the art should understand that they can make various changes , substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form . | 6 |
referring to the drawings , wherein like elements denote like parts throughout , reference numeral 10 is directed to the processing set according to the present invention and shown in fig1 . in its essence , the processing set 10 includes a fluid receiving system 20 which communicates with both a thrombin processing unit 40 and a clotting and adhesive proteins processing unit 60 . more particularly , the fluid receiving system 20 includes an inlet 2 communicating with tubing 4 through which plasma will enter the processing units 40 , 60 . the conduit 4 has a stop valve 6 which can occlude the tubing 4 preventing fluid &# 39 ; s through passage . the tubing 4 communicates through a t fitting 8 to divide plasma into two branches , a first branch 12 which leads to the thrombin processing unit 40 and a second branch 14 leading to the clotting and adhesive proteins processing unit 60 . since it is preferred that the blood product admitted to the inlet 2 be plasma , the whole blood is first processed either by filtering , centrifugation , or another means of settling to remove the heavier red blood cells from the blood products , leaving plasma therebeyond for use in the fig1 device . the plasma required for the thrombin processing unit is preferably 8 ml . so that the final volume of concentrated thrombin matches a typical yield of cryoprecipitated clotting and adhesive proteins from the clotting and adhesive proteins processing unit 60 . referring to fig2 , a sealed bag 16 overlies the thrombin processing unit 40 to provide sterility until the thrombin storage syringe is introduced into a sterile surgical field . prior to that , the thrombin processing unit is operated as shown in fig2 within the sealed bag which is flexible and sized to preferably permit the movement of the syringes &# 39 ; plungers from the exterior of the bag . fluid from the first branch 12 passes beyond a coupling 18 and into a manifold 22 . the manifold 22 is equipped with a valve 24 that initially is directed to a mixing syringe 26 preferably formed from glass and capable of receiving a volume as great as 15 ml . the mixing syringe 26 includes a plunger 28 , which when moved in the direction of the arrow a , draws the plasma from the passageway 12 and into the interior of the mixing syringe 26 . referring to fig3 , the valve 24 is reoriented so that access can be gained between the mixing syringe 26 and the reagents found in ampoules 32 , 34 , each of which are operatively connected to the manifold 22 via a y coupling 36 shown in fig1 . access to the interior of either ampoule 32 or 34 can be had by squeezing the ampoule to rupture a frangible diaphragm . alternatively , the intake 38 which receives the ampoule can be provided with a hollow spike which penetrates the diaphragm . in either event , the contents of both of the ampoules 32 , 34 are received in the mixing syringe 26 by further retraction of the plunger 28 along the arrow a shown in fig3 . a first ampoule 32 is preferably provided with 2 ml of ethanol providing an etoh concentration in the final volume of 13 . 6 % and the second ampoule 34 is preferably provided with 1 ml calcium chloride providing a concentration in the final volume of 0 . 023 μm . alternatively , these reagents contained within the two ampoules 32 , 34 can be premixed into a single ampoule and dispensed simultaneously . in one form of the invention , it is possible to introduce the ethanol first , then agitate the mixing syringe 26 and then follow with the calcium chloride , but the introduction of both simultaneously to the plasma are optimally combined , followed by brief agitation . once the ethanol and calcium chloride have been introduced into the mixing syringe 26 , the valve 24 is reoriented so that the mixing syringe 26 is isolated . the contents are briefly agitated and allowed to incubate for about 20 minutes . prior to pushing the contents out of the mixing syringe 26 , the valve 24 is reoriented as shown in fig4 after which the plunger 28 is moved in the direction of the arrow b of fig4 . because the valve 24 is now set to allow communication to the thrombin dispensing syringe 42 , the contents within the mixing syringe 26 will be transferred from the mixing syringe 26 to the dispensing syringe 42 . more specifically , the manifold 22 includes a recess within which a filter 44 is provided in the flow path between the mixing syringe 26 and the thrombin dispensing syringe 42 . particulate matter will be retained within the filter 44 prior to delivery of the thrombin to the dispensing syringe 42 . note that as fluid enters the dispensing syringe 42 , the dispensing syringe plunger 46 moves in a direction opposite arrow b . referring back to fig1 , attention is now directed to the clotting and adhesive protein processing unit 60 . all of the plasma not diverted to the thrombin processing unit 40 is admitted to an interior chamber 62 of the clotting and adhesive protein processing unit 60 . the clotting and adhesive protein processing unit 60 is manipulated by heat exchange and rotation so that all clotting and adhesive proteins extracted from the plasma will sediment at a nose 64 of the bag 62 for subsequent extraction by means of a clotting and adhesive protein dispensing syringe 66 contained in a sterile pouch 68 . once the thrombin has been loaded into the dispensing syringe 42 , and the clotting and adhesive proteins have been loaded into the clotting and adhesive dispensing syringe 66 , the two syringes can be decoupled from the processing set 10 and ganged together for spraying or line and dot application . mixing the thrombin with the clotting and adhesive proteins forms the biological glue . both dispensing syringes should be stored at or below 4 ° c . prior to usage . turning to fig5 , a graph is shown which illustrates how ethanol concentrations alter the life span of fast clotting thrombin where the calcium chloride content is held constant at 0 . 023 μm . note that at approximately 13 . 6 % ethanol , its life span is shown to have been optimized and extend at least 240 minutes while its clotting time is substantially constant at under 5 seconds . the range between 8 % and 18 %, however , has utility . fig6 varies the calcium chloride concentration in the thrombin while the ethanol is held constant at 13 . 6 %. as shown , the thrombin life span where the final calcium chloride concentration is at 0 . 023 μm of 250 mm calcium chloride appears optimized and extends to 360 minutes while maintaining a clot time under 5 seconds . the range between 0 . 011 μm of 125 mm and 0 . 045 μm of 500 mm , however , has utility . fig7 reflects the differences in processing the thrombin where the thrombin mixing syringe 26 is formed from glass versus plastic . as can be shown , the speed of clotting is held to close to 5 seconds or less with a life span of 60 to 240 minutes in glass . fig8 reflects the effect of using ethanol at 13 . 6 % and calcium chloride at 0 . 023 μm to reduce proteins which alter the clot time of the thrombin as compared to the original plasma . as can be seen in this graph , the major interfering proteins are so efficiently removed , that the clotting time of the thrombin is not only enhanced , but held substantially stable and constant . fig9 shows in greater detail than that which is shown in fig5 and 6 regarding the measured clot time as a function of life span for the optimized thrombin preparation , having been treated by 13 . 6 % ethanol and 0 . 023 μm calcium chloride . as shown , the life span extends to 360 minutes and the clot time varies from 3 to 4 seconds . fig1 shows the effect of saline solution on the thrombin preparation optimized as in fig9 with an ethanol concentration of 13 . 6 % and a calcium chloride concentration of 0 . 023 μm as a function of life span . when the thrombin has been diluted 1 to 1 . 5 with saline , the clot time has been extended from just above 20 seconds to just less than 30 seconds , and has a life span of up to 150 minutes . referring to fig1 , there shown is the benefit in allowing the thrombin contained in the mixing syringe 26 to reside therein after agitation for almost 20 minutes in order to assure the effectiveness of the filtration step in removing particulate matter for subsequent utilization . the time span for conversion and activation allows enough particulate matter to be removed by the filter to optimize the use of the thrombin later in an narrow orificed dispenser , such as a sprayer or expressing through a thin tube . fig1 provides a prior art comparison of the activity of thrombin sourced from bovine blood plasma as it relates to the speed of clotting , showing that autologous thrombin derived from this invention provides a clotting speed equivalent to 100 iu / ml of bovine thrombin . moreover , having thus described the invention , it should be apparent that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope and fair meaning of the instant invention as set forth hereinabove and as described hereinbelow by the claims . | 2 |
the use of configuration in software is well known . however , configuration has mainly been seen as a homogenous input that is provided by a user from which the only apparent use from a software is to statically refer to it . the novelty exposed by this invention is that contextual configuration at any given time t ( cc t ) can be calculated based on the context managed by levels ( l 0t . . . l nt ), and filtered based on promotion attributes ( pa 01 . . . pa nm ). with this invention , the user is allowed all the flexibility that is sometimes required to fully customize a non - proprietary application without more restriction than what a software development kit ( sdk ) would normally impose , and without modifying the source code of the non - proprietary software — contrarily to the experience when an sdk is used . in the process , this invention also allows for the configuration maintained by the user to be optimally propagated and results into minimal input required while still providing full - control to the user over the management of his or her customization ( instead of relying on a software coder ). at any given time t , an automated device like a computer operating system can be associated a context ( cx t ) from a finite set of level criteria ( lc o . . . lc n ) corresponding to each level ( l 0 . . . l n )— each of them potentially holding fixed configuration ( c i ) and fixed promotion attributes ( pa i1 . . . pa im ). for the preferred embodiment of this invention , the levels are : the edit item that has keyboard focus in top window of top application ( l 3 ) the lowest level ( l 0 ) is the most universal level , and the highest level ( l n ) is the less universal one . the corresponding level criteria ( lc i ), in the preferred embodiment of this invention are : the top application name for lc 1 . for example : “ microsoft word ”. the window id of the top window in the top application for lc 2 . the window id of the current edit field in the top window of the top application for lc 3 . the configuration on all levels ( c 0 . . . c n ) hold values for the same attributes ( a 1 . . . a p ) and promotion attributes ( pa 1 . . . pa m ). the values assigned to the attributes and promotion attributes are unrelated to each others on different levels ; i . e . they are not expected to be the same nor different . one aspect of the present invention therefore calculates a unique contextual configuration at a time t ( cc t ), based on the context at that time t ( cx t ), and a fixed set of configuration maintained by the user for each level ( c 0 . . . c n ). in the process of calculating cc t , lcc 0 . . . lcc n are generated as a residue , and are transient by nature . in the preferred embodiment , the base level ( l 0 ) holds a configuration ( c 0 ) that is influencing the contextual configuration ( cc t ) for all times t . lc 0 never changes since the base level applies for all contexts . in the preferred embodiment , there is always a top application running on a computer operating system . consequently , a top application running level ( l 1 ) and its associated configuration ( c 1 ) is always influencing the contextual configuration ( cc t ) being calculated . for the preferred embodiment , the top application ( lc 1 ) can be defined as the application that holds some level of focus . that is , the application that has the unique edit item holding keyboard focus ( lc 3 ), or , if no edit item has keyboard focus ( lc 3 = null ), the application that has the window holding graphical user - interface focus ( lc 2 ). in the event that no edit item has keyboard focus ( lc 3 = null ) and no window has graphical user - interface focus ( lc 2 = null ), the top application ( lc 1 ) is simply the application at the top of the operating system process chain . to calculate the contextual configuration ( cc t ) for a given context at a given time t ( cx t ) with the base level criteria ( lc 0 ), a determined top application ( lc 1t ), a determined top - window ( lc 2t where lc 2t can be null ), a determined current edit item holding keyboard focus ( lc 3t where lc 3t can be null ), all applicable levels ( l 0 . . . . l n ) can have some associated configuration ( c 0 . . . c n ) maintained by the user . in the event that one or more level does not have associated configuration stored ( c i = null ), some default configuration and default promotion attributes can be generated potentially differently for each applicable level . at initialization time of the process ( t = 0 ), or when one or more level criteria change is detected , i . e . there is an i for which lc it1 ≠ lc it2 ( for given times t 1 and t 2 ) the method calls for the contextual configuration ( cc t ) to be recalculated . such recalculation of the contextual configuration ( cc t ) is described in fig1 . for the preferred embodiment , the method starts with the lowest or most universal level ( l 0 ) and loads its associated configuration ( c 0 ). for the preferred embodiment , it then passes the configuration to its associated configuration level filtering ( clf 0 ) to calculate the corresponding level contextual configuration ( lcc 0 ). although not the preferred embodiment of this invention , this lowest configuration level filtering at the base level ( clf 0 ) is not essential for the good execution of the invention , and the base level configuration ( c 0 ), instead of the base level contextual configuration ( lcc 0 ), can be passed directly to the upper configuration level filtering ( clf 1 ). for the preferred embodiment , the contextual level configuration ( lcc i ) is then passed to the next configuration level filtering ( clf i + 1 ). the next level &# 39 ; s configuration level filtering ( clf i + 1 ) also loads its associated configuration ( c i + 1 ), and consolidates both configuration provided promotion attributes ( pa ( i + 1 ) 0 . . . pa ( i + 1 ) m ) in its own level contextual configuration ( lcc ( i + 1 ) ). each level configuration ( c 0 . . . c n ) also stores 1 to m promotion attributes ( pa ik ) related to attributes representing enhancement or modification to a non - proprietary software . pa ik is associated to a subset of attributes in the configuration c i that are all mutually exclusive to each others . for example , for the speech recognition implementation using this invention , the promotion attributes may relate to ‘ command and control ’ attributes , ‘ spell mode ’ attributes , ‘ dictation ’ attributes or ‘ mouse control ’ attributes . each promotion attribute ( pa ik ) is to then used by each corresponding configuration level filtering ( clf i ) to calculate the corresponding level contextual configuration ( lcc i ). for the preferred embodiment , the possible promotion attributes ( pa ik ) values are : do not promote , do not use current ( dnpdnuc )— available for pa 0 . . . pa n . do not promote , use current ( dnpuc )— available for pa 0 . . . pa n . merge ( merge )— available only for pa 1 . . . pa n and only when corresponding to attributes that hold a list . in the preferred embodiment , filtering on a level ( clf i ) refers to promotion attributes ( pa i1 . . . pa im ) to calculate the associated level contextual configuration ( lcc it ) at that time t . in the event that a promotion attribute ( pa ik ) is promote , the corresponding attributes ( a ji ) related to the promotion attribute ( pa ik ) of the current level configuration ( c i ) are ignored , and the corresponding attributes ( a j ( i − 1 ) ) related to the lower level &# 39 ; s contextual configuration ( lcc ( i − 1 ) ) are affected into the contextual configuration from the current level ( cc i ). in the event that the promotion attribute ( pa ik ) is dnpdnuc , the corresponding attributes ( a ji ) related to the promotion attribute ( pa ik ) are re - initialized and / or flagged as disabled . in the event that the promotion attribute ( pa ik ) is dnpuc , the corresponding attributes ( a ji ) related to the current &# 39 ; s level configuration ( c i ) are affected to the current level contextual configuration ( cc i ) and the corresponding attributes ( a j ( i − 1 ) ) of the lower level contextual configuration ( lcc ( i − 1 ) ) are ignored . in the event that a promotion attribute ( pa ik ) is merge ( available for list attributes and levels higher than 0 only ), the corresponding attributes ( a ji ) related to the current &# 39 ; s level configuration ( c i ) are merged with the corresponding attributes ( a j ( i − 1 )) of the lower level contextual configuration ( lcc ( i − 1 ) ) into the current level contextual configuration ( lcc i ). the contextual level filtering is repeated for all levels . in the preferred embodiment of this invention , when all levels have calculated their level contextual configuration , the highest level contextual configuration ( lcc n ) is passed to the global configuration modifier process ( gcmp ) which also refers to global configuration ( gc ) in order to consolidate both inputs into the contextual configuration ( cc t ). this last step of processing prior to generating cc t is useful to change some attributes globally . for example , in the speech recognition implementation of this invention , the global configuration gc may hold some information like stating that the current user is blind , or deaf , etc . . . . since the user maintaining , or at least deploying the initial version of level configuration ( lc i ) can be a different user than the user at the time t being calculated , adding the flexibility for the user at time t to change globally its configuration is important . should the gcmp detect an attribute stating that a user is blind , for example , the gcmp can adapt the text - to - speech attributs to be widely used when lc 0 . . . lc n would not advocate the use of text - to - speech . this makes it easy for the end - user to globally change his configuration while also not limiting a different user to deploy configuration for non - proprietary software adaptation or modification without taking all these factors ( people being blind , deaf , personal preferences ) into consideration , and while still providing useful input for the process . up to this point , nothing has been mentioned about layered configuration ( lac ). layered configurations ( lac ) are not required for the invention to be functional . nevertheless , they allow an additional dimension of flexibility . as stated earlier , configurations ( c i ) need to hold a value for all attributes ( a j ) in order for the contextual configuration to be calculated . when layered configurations ( lac ki ) are used ( q & gt ; 0 ), each configuration ( c i ) stays the same , requiring that a value be set for each attribute ( a 0 . . . a p ). the difference between a layered configuration ( lac ki ) and a configuration ( c i ) is that the layered configuration ( lac ki ) needs to hold a value only for the attributes a j that is desired to overwrite from the configuration ( c i ). as the configurations ( c i ) go forward in the process , if a non - empty layered configuration is encountered ( lac ki ), since only the attributes ( a j ) that are desired to overwrite the configuration c i are kept , other original attributes from c i will stay untouched . while referring to fig2 , it is possible to see the effect of layered configuration being factored in the user &# 39 ; s configuration box of fig1 . fig2 is the preferred embodiment of the invention in regards to the user &# 39 ; s configuration . it assumes that most of the work is done by the user 1 at deployment time , that to make it as easy and straight - forward as possible for the end - user ( user 3 ) to become productive . user 1 fills the configurations c 0 . . . c n for the possible level criteria lc i . once that is done , user 1 can deploy its configuration to the world . once it is deployed , in a large institution for example , standardization may be welcome . for that reason , the administration layered configuration ( lac 1 ) is introduced . the hypothetical large site &# 39 ; s administrator ( user 2 ) would be the exclusive owner of that layer ( for example , password protected or by other methods of securing electronic data ) and files related to this layered configuration reside on a server , and are synchronized to the local hard - drive periodically . that way , user 2 can , at any given time , change the configuration of its entire work - force without further complications related to deployment within its own institution . the following layered configuration ( lac 2 ) is allocated to final users ( user 3 ) which may also change configurations prior to them getting to configuration level filtering ( clf i ). many layered configuration can be introduced within the invention ( although the preferred embodiment uses 2 ). also , some layered configuration ( lac ki ) as well as the configurations ( c i ) may follow other rules adopted in the state - of - the - art industry like , password - protection , download - upload synchronization , etc . attributes may also contain information in regards to subsequent layered configuration access . that is , a user managing the layered configuration lac ki may well set a logical flag for each attributes ( a j ) to specify if each is available for edition or not for following layered configuration ( lac ( k + 1 ) i ). by doing that , for example , in the preferred embodiment of the invention , an administrator ( user 2 ), can disable the accessibility to any attribute ( a j ) for the preference layered configuration users ( user 3 ). the present invention provides an improved speech recognition human computer user interface , which respects human cognitive and performance limitations in regards to how many voice commands can be memorized and used by a person . the preferred embodiment uses superposed speech recognition related content on a computer screen that does not disrupt other typical human user input devices and methods , including mouse and keyboard focus in a windowing computer operating system . the present example provides , for example , a graphic overlay for a typical graphic user interface which is non - disruptive . such added graphical layer may relate exclusively to speech recognition input ( may be triggered by speech recognition commands ) and may be translucent so that the user can still refer to the state - of - the - art graphical user - interface below if desired . as shown in fig3 , in order to complement a mouse , a speech recognition system may superpose a grid over the actual graphical user - interface in order to map a logical coordinate with an utterance that can be spoken . the grid may be translucent but the bulk of the state - of - the - art graphical user - interface behind has to stay visible . that way , the speaker is communicated a set of coordinates that it may use to perform operations on . for example , in the preferred embodiment of this invention , the coordinates are composed of 2 digit numbers pairs . valid coordinates could be “ 23 - 51 ”, or “ 21 - 55 ”. a speaker may then say a command like “ click twenty three fifty one ” and a click would happen a the corresponding location in the state - of - the - art graphical user - interface under the number 23 - 51 of the superposed user - interface . but the user may also say a command like “ move to twenty one fifty five ” followed by the voice command “ drag to twenty three fifty one ”. that would in fact emulate a drag in a state - of - the - art graphical user - interface without using an actual mouse but speech recognition instead . it is obviously not possible to fill the entire automated device &# 39 ; s screen with coordinates , so holes are to be expected . in the event when a speaker needs to perform a mouse operation in an area that is within a hole of the communicated coordinates in the superposed user - interface , he may use ‘ shift ’ voice commands . by saying “ shift right ”, for example , the entire set of coordinates would shift to the right . he could then shift the grid until a coordinate is over the desired point for his operation , and then continue by uttering his operation normally . that same concept may also apply on limited areas of a state - of - the - art graphical user - interface so that the entire screen would not be filled of the superposed coordinate system . for cases where a graphical user - interface may be required as a response to a voice command on a speech recognition system , translucency can be used . furthermore , that potential translucent graphical user - interface needs not to be disruptive towards commonly known state - of - the - art input methods ( keyboard and mouse input ). if the content to be communicated to the speaker cannot fit into a single screen , this embodiment of the present invention provides that the entire content needs to be scrolled at limited speed for the speaker to have enough time to read and react accordingly . that way , all the information that needs to be communicated to a speaker can be displayed without further knowledge on how to say any other voice commands to navigate through that complement graphical user - interface . one embodiment of the invention provides a graphic user interface enhancement for operating systems and applications wherein the screen text , or objects within the computer that give rise to the screen text , are analyzed and made “ speech enabled ”. indeed , objects represented in a graphic user interface not associated with text or semantic labels may also be speech enabled . thus , many common types of graphic user interface elements , which would normally require a point device initiated event to select and manipulate , can instead be selected or manipulated by an alternate user input , for example speech or keyboard . preferably , a “ hotspot ” is presented in the graphic user interface to show screen objects which are recognized and available for manipulation by the alternate input . the hotspot is provided as an overlay , and therefore does not generally interact with the basic screen display elements . a typical layout is shown in fig4 , wherein a set of menu options each have an associated spot which indicates that the alternate input has recognized the graphic user interface object and it is available for manipulation . alternately , for example in a browser context , the hotspots may be generated by modifying the page being displayed through appropriate code manipulation . typically , applications and shells of graphic user interface systems define display configurations by adopting parameters for use of a set of predefined objects , which are then displayed . the proprietary software can therefore analyze the parameters or resulting objects , making them accessible through alternate means from a normal pointing device . in some cases , a “ map ” or non - standard user interface is used , which does not provide defined high level objects ; in that case , a graphic analysis system may be employed to process the display , and determine elements that are likely intended to be graphic user interface elements , for example by performing character recognition algorithms on text . preferably , this alternate is a speech recognition system . in that case , each user interface object is assigned a label , which should be unique , and which is typically the corresponding spoken version of a text label or common description . typically , the label will be a single word , often prominently displayed in association with the graphic user interface object . in the event that it is not possible to ensure the uniqueness of a label , the speaker may invoke it by stating the shared label . this invention would then proceed to a disambiguation interaction with the speaker by highlighting all components triggered by the voice command . only after a successful disambiguation phase between the speaker and the system will a graphical user - interface interaction be generated . therefore , in operation , at least one text label is associated with each object . the text labels are then provided to a speech recognition engine , or the output of a speech - to - text engine used to determine a match with the labels . in either case , immediately after a match is found , or after a successful disambiguation phase , a pointing device event is generated at the location of the associated graphic user interface object , for example a mouse - click event . in some cases , a more complex event is desired , such as a double - click or drag . in that case , a preliminary modifier may be spoken , such as “ double - click ” or “ drag ” preceding the label . in the case of a “ drag ”, a target position is then specified ( unless the operation is to be concluded by a different user input device ). the target position may itself have a label , or may be represented by a screen location , for example indicated by the grid shown in fig3 . thus , the user could say , and have appropriately recognized , “ double - click word ”, meaning that the proprietary software has recognized a microsoft word icon in explorer , and that this icon is labeled “ word ”, the position of which ( i . e ., center or within a discrete boundary ) is then used to generate a double - click event , which would open the “ word ” application . in the case of a drag operation , a document file icon with name “ letter ” may be opened in microsoft word , by speaking “ drag . . . letter . . . to . . . word ”, which corresponds to generating a mouse pointer down event at the “ letter ” icon , repositioning the cursor location at the “ word ” icon , and generating a mouse pointer up event , thus opening the letter file in microsoft word . as an alternate to the hotspots shown in fig4 , the display text may be rendered or overlay with a designated text style or display attribute or overlay , for example italic , pink or dynamically changing , to indicated that they are speech enabled . this option is particularly appropriate for use in browsers , since a number of different attributes are controllable , for example in html , without altering the screen or page layout and spatial arrangement . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is by way of example only , and other variations of the above - described embodiments and methods are provided by the present invention . components of this invention may be implemented using a programmed general purpose digital computer , using application specific integrated circuits , or using a network of interconnected conventional components and circuits . the embodiments described herein have been presented for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting . many variations and modifications are possible in light of the foregoing teaching . the invention is limited only by the following claims . | 6 |
in the following description , certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments . however , one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details , or with other methods , components , materials , etc . in other instances , well - known structures associated with computer systems , server computers , and / or communications networks have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments . unless the context requires otherwise , throughout the specification and claims which follow , the word “ comprise ” and variations thereof , such as “ comprises ” and “ comprising ,” are to be construed in an open , inclusive sense that is as “ including , but not limited to .” 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 . 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 . as used in this specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise . it should also be noted that the term “ or ” is generally employed in its sense including “ and / or ” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise . the headings and abstract of the disclosure provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments . fig1 shows a networked environment 100 in which an exemplary business network 101 is coupled to a plurality of operations devices 102 a - 102 d ( four shown , collectively 102 ) via a plurality of isas 103 a - 103 e ( five shown , collectively 103 ). isas 103 may be coupled directly to the business network 101 , or wirelessly via a wireless connection port 104 . each of the operations devices 102 may be coupled directly or wirelessly to one or more industrial devices 106 a - 106 b ( two shown , collectively 106 ), such as , for example , an automated manufacturing machine or tooling ( e . g ., numerically controlled machinery ) that processes a product . the isas 103 communicate with one another via a private overlay network 107 . a remote user ( e . g , a remote engineer ) 108 may connect to the private overlay network 107 via a remote access wireless communication path 109 . a management platform ( scmp ) 110 and an associated user station 111 are coupled to the business network 101 . the management platform 110 , the isas 103 , and the user station 111 can be , for example , simpleconnect ™ devices , commercially available from asguard networks , inc . the isas 103 can be introduced into the networked environment 100 as protective devices , each isa 103 associated with , and coupled to , a particular operations device 102 . the isas 103 can be provider edge ( pe ) devices that provide dynamic , secure connectivity among the operations devices 102 , and between the operations devices 102 and the business network 101 . the isas can be physical devices or they can be implemented as virtual devices . a virtual isa constitutes software that performs the same or similar function as a corresponding processor - based device . the software implementing a virtual isa can be hosted on a system or a device that is not otherwise dedicated to providing secured networked communications , e . g ., a local device , a remote device , or a server in the cloud . the private overlay network 107 is a virtual network — a logical construct ( shown as a dotted line in fig1 )— that can be overlaid onto an existing physical infrastructure that includes the existing business network 101 and the existing operations devices 102 , generally referred to as “ legacy devices .” the private overlay network 107 can be a virtual private lan service ( vpls ) that connects physically separate lan segments ( e . g ., the business network and the industrial network ) into a single logical lan segment . however , the private overlay network provides an isolated environment that is segmented from the business network . the private overlay network 107 can be configured as a dynamic mesh network . the term “ full mesh ” refers to a mesh network topology in which every node is coupled to every other node . a dynamic mesh network is a policy - constrained mesh in which each communicates with only certain other designated nodes . many existing mesh networks are not dynamic . segments of the virtual private overlay network 107 network can be enabled or disabled by the management platform 110 , in response to mesh policy decisions received from a user via the user station 111 . a dhcp server 112 can be coupled to the business network 101 to administer connecting various corporate devices to the business network 101 . communications traffic 124 a - 124 b on the business network side of the communications environment 100 can be https web traffic which is encrypted . however , communications traffic 124 c to and from the dhcp server 112 may be non - encrypted . communications traffic 126 between isas 103 coupled to the private overlay network is encrypted . for enhanced security , management of connections to the private overlay network can be administered in a secure , distributed fashion by the isas 103 according to the distributed dhcp scheme described herein . the operations devices 102 may take any of a variety of forms . for example , the operations devices 102 may be industrial equipment controllers that control processing equipment 106 a in a manufacturing operation . additionally or alternatively , the operations devices 102 can be distributed utility devices for controlling utilities 106 b ( e . g ., factory utilities , municipal water systems , power systems , energy delivery systems , and the like ). alternatively , the operations devices 102 can be controllers or workstations for operating medical equipment ( e . g ., medical imaging equipment ) in a medical facility . alternatively , the operations devices 102 can themselves be networks of operational equipment , for example , networks located at different manufacturing sites that are part of the same business or corporation . alternatively , the operations devices 102 can be workstations or servers in an office - based operation . each operations device 102 may be logically or otherwise associated with one or more industrial devices 106 . the operations devices 102 can be processor - based customer edge ( ce ) devices that may take any of a large variety of forms , including but not limited to personal computers ( e . g ., desktop computers , laptop computers , notebook computers , tablet computers , smart phones , workstation computers , and / or mainframe computers , and the like .) at least the operations devices 102 , the isas 103 , and the management platform 110 are capable of communication , for example via one or more networks 107 , 101 ( e . g ., wide area networks , local area networks , or packet switched communications networks such as the internet , worldwide web portion of the internet , extranets , intranets , and / or various other types of telecommunications networks such as cellular phone and data networks , and plain old telephone system ( pots ) networks . one or more communications interface devices may provide communications between the operations devices 102 and the network ( s ) 107 , 101 . the communications interface devices may take any of a wide variety of forms , including modems ( e . g ., dsl modem , cable modem ), routers , network switches , and / or bridges , etc . the communications interface devices can be built into the operations devices or , if separate from the operations devices 102 , can communicate with the operations devices 102 using a wired communication channel , a wireless communication channel , or combinations thereof . the operations devices 102 may be coupled to an industrial network . the operations devices 102 , the isas 103 , and the management platform 110 include at least one non - transitory processor - readable storage medium ( e . g ., hard drive , rfid , ram ). the storage medium stores instructions for causing the associated device to perform various functions as described below . in many implementations the non - transitory processor - readable storage medium may constitute a plurality of non - transitory storage media . the plurality of non - transitory storage media may be commonly located at a common location , or distributed at a variety of remote locations . databases may be implemented in one , or across more than one , non - transitory computer - or processor - readable storage media . such database ( s ) may be stored separately from one another on separate non - transitory processor - readable storage medium or may be stored on the same non - transitory processor - readable storage medium as one another . the non - transitory processor - readable storage medium may be co - located with the management platform 110 , for example , in the same room , building or facility . alternatively , the non - transitory processor - readable storage medium may be located remotely from the management platform 110 , for example in a different facility , city , state or country . electronic or digital information , files or records or other collections of information may be stored at specific locations in non - transitory processor - readable media , thus are logically addressable portions of such media , which may or may not be contiguous . the networked environment 100 shown in fig1 is representative . typical networked environments may include additional , or fewer , computer systems and entities than illustrated in fig1 . the concepts taught herein may be employed in a similar fashion with more ( or less ) populated networked environments than that illustrated . fig2 shows an industrial network security system 120 according to one embodiment . the industrial network security system 120 can be regarded as a subset of the overall networked environment 100 . although not required , the embodiments will be described in the general context of computer - executable instructions , such as program application modules , objects , or macros stored on computer - or processor - readable media and executed by a computer or processor . those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that the illustrated embodiments , as well as other embodiments , can be practiced with other system configurations and / or other computing system configurations , including hand - held devices ( e . g ., smart phones , tablet devices , netbooks , personal digital assistants ), multiprocessor systems , microprocessor - based or programmable consumer electronics , personal computers (“ pcs ”), networked pcs , mini computers , mainframe computers , and the like . the embodiments can be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks or modules are performed by remote processing devices , which are linked through a communications network . in a distributed computing environment , program modules may be located in both local and remote medium storage devices or media . fig2 shows a networked environment 120 comprising a plurality of isas 103 ( four illustrated ) having at least one associated non - transitory processor - readable storage medium . the isa is communicatively coupled between the private overlay network 107 and the business network ( e . g ., wan ) 101 via one or more communications channels , for example , one or more parallel cables , serial cables , or wireless channels capable of high speed communications , for instance , via one or more of firewire ®, universal serial bus ® ( usb ), thunderbolt ®, or gigabyte ethernet ®. the networked environment 120 also comprises one or more generic legacy nodes ( lns ) which may be the operations devices 102 ( five illustrated ). the operations devices 102 are communicatively coupled to the isas 103 via the private overlay network 107 by one or more wired or wireless communications channels . network access to the operations devices 102 may also be controlled via a hardware or software switch 122 . the operations devices 102 may take the form of server devices , desktop computers , workstations , customized equipment controllers , or mobile electronic devices such as smart phones , notebook computers , or tablet computers . the management platform 110 includes a configuration management database 124 stored on suitable non - transitory computer - or processor - readable media . each isa has an asynchronous subscription to the configuration management database 124 that governs network addressing of the operations devices 102 for access to the private overlay network . the management platform 110 also provides a web user interface 126 through which the distributed dynamic host configuration protocol can be administered to manage network access of the operations devices 102 . the private overlay network 107 , along with the isas 103 and the management platform 110 constitute a “ drop - in ” system that can be overlaid on an existing infrastructure , and which is backward - compatible with existing operations devices 102 . henceforth , the terms operations devices 102 and “ legacy devices ” 102 will be used interchangeably . it is assumed that the legacy devices are accustomed to use of a standard dynamic host configuration protocol for connecting to a network . the drop - in system is designed to be transparent to such legacy devices 102 , thereby allowing high availability of the operations devices 102 to be maintained . this is an important consideration when , for example , a production line , telecommunications infrastructure , power plant , power supply system ( e . g ., grid ), or medical facility might otherwise be forced to suffer significant down time to install a new network security system . the networked environments 100 and 200 may employ other computer systems and network equipment , for example , additional servers , proxy servers , firewalls , routers and / or bridges . unless described otherwise , the construction and operation of the various blocks shown in fig1 - 2 are of conventional design . as a result , such blocks need not be described in further detail herein , as they will be understood by those skilled in the relevant art . the isas 103 may include one or more processing units 212 a , 212 b ( collectively 212 ), a system memory 214 and a system bus 216 that couples various system components , including the system memory 214 to the processing units 212 . the processing units 212 may be any logic processing unit , such as one or more central processing units ( cpus ) 212 a , cryptographic accelerators 212 b , application - specific integrated circuits ( asics ), field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ), etc . the system bus 216 can employ any known bus structures or architectures , including a medium bus with a medium controller , a peripheral bus , and / or a local bus . the system memory 214 includes read - only medium (“ rom ”) 218 and random access medium (“ ram ”) 220 . a basic input / output system (“ bios ”) 222 , which can form part of the rom 218 , contains basic routines that help transfer information between elements within the isas 103 , such as during start - up . the isas 103 may include a hard disk drive 224 for reading from and writing to a hard disk 226 , an optical disk drive 228 for reading from and writing to removable optical disks 232 , and / or a magnetic disk drive 230 for reading from and writing to magnetic disks 234 . the optical disk 232 can be a cd - rom , while the magnetic disk 234 can be a magnetic floppy disk or diskette . the hard disk drive 224 , optical disk drive 228 and magnetic disk drive 230 may communicate with the processing unit 212 via the system bus 216 . the hard disk drive 224 , optical disk drive 228 and magnetic disk drive 230 may include interfaces or controllers ( not shown ) coupled between such drives and the system bus 216 , as is known by those skilled in the relevant art . the disk drives 224 , 228 and 230 , and their associated processor - readable media 226 , 232 , 234 , provide nonvolatile storage of computer - readable instructions , data structures , program modules and other data for the isas 103 . although the depicted isas 103 is illustrated employing a hard disk drive 224 , optical disk drive 228 and magnetic disk drive 230 , those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that other types of processor - readable media that can store data accessible by a processor - based device may be employed , such as solid state disks ( ssd ), hybrid ( solid state / hard disk ) drives , worm drives , raid drives , magnetic cassettes , flash medium cards , audio compact disks ( cd ), digital video disks ( dvd ), blu - ray discs ( bd ), bernoulli cartridges , rams , roms , smart cards , etc . program modules can be stored in the system memory 214 . such program modules can include an operating system 236 , one or more application programs 238 , other program modules 240 and program data 242 . application programs 238 may include instructions that cause the processor ( s ) 212 to receive and automatically store aspect , attribute , or characteristic information about the operations devices 102 ( fig1 ) to the associated non - transitory processor - readable storage medium 124 . application programs 238 may also include instructions that cause the processor ( s ) 212 to generate , store , or retrieve data structures . the application programs 238 may additionally include instructions that cause the processor ( s ) 212 to send or receive data to or from management platforms 110 , including mobile devices . such is described in detail herein with reference to the various flow diagrams . application programs 238 may include instructions that cause the processor ( s ) 212 to automatically control access to certain information . for example , the instructions may prevent field service engineers from one equipment supplier from accessing information about operations devices 102 or industrial equipment 106 provided by other equipment suppliers who may be competitors . or , the instructions may maintain confidentiality of patient data gathered by industrial devices 106 that may include , for example , medical imaging equipment , or medical testing equipment , and the like . additionally or alternatively , the instructions may limit access to electrical power switching gear to provide security for electrical power grids and / or power generation facilities ( e . g ., fossil fuel burning plants , nuclear plants , hydroelectric facilities , wind power facilities , and the like .) application programs 238 may include instructions that cause the processor ( s ) 212 to automatically send , transmit , transfer , or otherwise provide electronic communications ( e . g ., messages , replies or responses ) between different operations devices 102 . for example , an x - ray technician working at one operations device 102 a ( e . g ., a medical imaging workstation ) which is coupled to an industrial device 106 a ( e . g ., an x - ray machine ) can communicate messages , test results , or images to a general practitioner working at another operational device 102 b located in an office environment . such may include sending , transmitting , transferring or otherwise providing access to electronic or digital messages , with or without images . such may facilitate seamless contact and establishment of a medical diagnosis or other service customer status . application programs 238 may include instructions that cause the processor ( s ) 212 to automatically establish , maintain , update or record operational information pertaining to manufacturing of products . application programs 238 may include instructions that cause the processor ( s ) 212 to automatically establish , maintain , update or record ownership information with respect to operations devices 102 , and their associated electronic files or stored data , as well as privileges , permissions or authorizations to perform various acts on such operations devices 102 and associated files such acts including viewing , modifying , annotating , extracting , importing , retrieving , and / or deleting . application programs 238 may even further include instructions to create entries in and / or query one or more databases which store information or data about manufacturers , service providers , or customers , regardless of the location at which those electronic or digital documents or data are stored . application programs 238 may further include programs that limit network access based on the geophysical location of the isa . other program modules 240 may include instructions for handling security such as password or other access protection and communications encryption . the system memory 214 may also include communications programs , for example , a network server 244 that causes the isa 103 to serve electronic information or files via the internet , intranets , extranets , telecommunications networks , or other networks as described below . the network server 244 in the depicted embodiment can be markup language based , such as hypertext markup language ( html ), extensible markup language ( xml ) or wireless markup language ( wml ), and operates with markup languages that use syntactically delimited characters added to the data of a document to represent the structure of the document . a number of suitable severs may be commercially available such as those from mozilla , google , microsoft and apple computer . while shown in fig3 as being stored in the system memory 214 , the operating system 236 , application programs 238 , other program modules 240 , program data 242 , and network server 244 can be stored on the hard disk 226 of the hard disk drive 224 , the optical disk 232 of the optical disk drive 228 and / or the magnetic disk 234 of the magnetic disk drive 230 . an operator can enter commands and information into the isa 103 through input devices such as a touch screen or keyboard 246 and / or a pointing device such as a mouse 248 , in conjunction with the web user interface 126 . other input devices can include a microphone , joystick , game pad , tablet , scanner , etc . these and other input devices are connected to one or more of the processing units 212 through an interface 250 such as a serial port interface that couples to the system bus 216 , although other interfaces such as a parallel port , a game port or a wireless interface , or a universal serial bus (“ usb ”) can be used . a monitor 252 or other display device is coupled to the system bus 216 via a video interface 254 , such as a video adapter . the isas 103 can include other output devices , such as speakers , printers , etc . one or more gps devices 266 can be coupled to the system bus 216 to supply location data . a cryptographic key store 267 can be coupled to the system bus 216 to provide storage for a cryptographic key which can be a hardware or software container . the isas 103 can operate in the networked environment 100 using logical connections to one or more remote computers and / or devices . for example , the isas 103 can operate in a networked environment 100 using logical connections to one or more management platforms 110 . communications may be via a wired and / or wireless network architecture , for instance , wired and wireless enterprise - wide computer networks , intranets , extranets , and / or the internet . other embodiments may include other types of communications networks including telecommunications networks , cellular networks , paging networks , and other mobile networks . there may be any variety of computers , switching devices , routers , bridges , firewalls and other devices in the communications paths between the isas 103 and the management platforms 110 . the management platforms 110 will typically take the form of end user processor - based devices , for instance , personal computers ( e . g ., desktop or laptop computers ), netbook computers , tablet computers , smart phones , personal digital assistants ( pdas ), workstation computers and / or mainframe computers , and the like , executing appropriate instructions . these management platforms 110 may be communicatively coupled to one or more server computers . for instance , management platforms 110 may be communicatively coupled externally via one or more server computers ( not shown ), which may implement a firewall . the management platforms 110 may execute a set of server instructions to function as a server for a number of management platform 110 ( i . e ., clients ) communicatively coupled via a lan at a facility or site , and thus act as intermediaries between the management platforms 110 and the isas 103 . the management platforms 110 may execute a set of client instructions to function as a client of the server computer ( s ), which are communicatively coupled via a wan . the management platforms 110 may include one or more processing units 268 , system storage media 269 and a system bus ( not shown ) that couples various system components including the system storage media 269 to the processing unit 268 . the management platforms 110 will at times each be referred to in the singular herein , but this is not intended to limit the embodiments to a single management platform 110 . in typical embodiments , there may be more than one management platform 110 . the processing unit 268 may be any logic processing unit , such as one or more central processing units ( cpus ), digital signal processors ( dsps ), application - specific integrated circuits ( asics ), field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ), etc . non - limiting examples of commercially available logic processing units include , for example , a pentium ®, xeon ®, core ®, or atom ® series microprocessor from intel corporation , or an a4 , a5 , or a6 mobile series microprocessor from apple , inc . unless described otherwise , the construction and operation of the various blocks of the management platform 110 shown in fig2 are of conventional design . as a result , such blocks need not be described in further detail herein , as they will be understood by those skilled in the relevant art . the system bus can employ any known bus structures or architectures , including a medium bus with medium controller , a peripheral bus , and a local bus . the system storage media 269 includes read - only medium (“ rom ”) 270 and random access medium (“ ram ”) 272 . a basic input / output system (“ bios ”) 271 , which can form part of the rom 270 , contains basic routines that help transfer information between elements within the management platform 110 , such as during start - up . the management platform 110 may also include one or more media drives 273 , e . g ., a hard disk drive , magnetic disk drive , worm drive , and / or optical disk drive , for reading from and writing to non - transitory processor - readable storage media 274 , e . g ., hard disk , optical disks , and / or magnetic disks . the non - transitory processor - readable storage media 274 may , for example , take the form of removable media . for example , hard disks may take the form of a winchester drive , and optical disks can take the form of cd - roms , while magnetic disks can take the form of magnetic floppy disks or diskettes . the media drive ( s ) 273 communicate with the processing unit 268 via one or more system buses . the media drives 273 may include interfaces or controllers ( not shown ) coupled between such drives and the system bus , as is known by those skilled in the relevant art . the media drives 273 , and their associated non - transitory processor - readable storage media 274 , provide nonvolatile storage of computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules and other data for the management platform 110 . although described as employing non - transitory processor - readable storage media 274 such as hard disks , optical disks and magnetic disks , those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that management platform 110 may employ other types of non - transitory computer - readable storage media that can store data accessible by a computer , such as magnetic cassettes , flash medium cards , digital video disks (“ dvd ”), bernoulli cartridges , rams , roms , smart cards , etc . data or information , for example , electronic or digital files or data or metadata related to such can be stored in the non - transitory processor - readable storage media 274 . program modules , such as an operating system , one or more application programs , other programs or modules and program data , can be stored in the system storage media 269 . program modules may include instructions for accessing a web site , extranet site or other site or services ( e . g ., web services ) and associated webpages , other pages , screens or services hosted by the isas 103 or the management platform 110 . in particular , the system storage media 269 may include communications programs that permit the management platform 110 to exchange electronic or digital information or files or data or metadata with the isa 103 . the communications programs may , for example , be a web client or browser that permits the management platform 110 to access and exchange information , files , data and / or metadata with sources such as web sites of the internet , corporate intranets , extranets , or other networks . such may require that the management platform 110 have sufficient right , permission , privilege or authority for accessing a given web site , for example , one hosted by the vendor sever computer system ( s ) 114 . the browser may , for example , be markup language based , such as hypertext markup language ( html ), extensible markup language ( xml ) or wireless markup language ( wml ), and may operate with markup languages that use syntactically delimited characters added to the data of a document to represent the structure of the document . while described as being stored in the system storage media 269 , the operating system , application programs , other programs / modules , program data and / or browser can be stored on the computer - readable storage media 274 of the media drive ( s ) 273 . an operator can enter commands and information into the management platform 110 via a user interface 275 through input devices such as a touch screen or keyboard 276 and / or a pointing device 277 such as a mouse or a stylus . voice input can be received from a user by a microphone such as a condenser microphone , headset microphone , or a bluetooth ®- type ear - mounted microphone that can be wirelessly coupled to the management platform 110 . other input devices can include a joystick , game pad , tablet , scanner , etc . these and other input devices are connected to the processing unit 268 through an interface such as a serial port interface that couples to the system bus , although other interfaces such as a parallel port , a game port or a wireless interface or a universal serial bus (“ usb ”) can be used . output devices such as a display or monitor 278 may be coupled to the system bus via a video interface , such as a video adapter . the management platform 110 can include other output devices , such as printers , audio speakers , headset output ports , usb ports that allow output to memory sticks or usb - compatible electronic devices , etc . fig4 illustrates a high level method of operation 400 that can be carried out by the industrial network security system 120 to provide flexible and secure connectivity of a plurality of operations devices 102 ( hereinafter called “ legacy devices ”) to the business network 101 using a distributed approach . such an approach does not need a dhcp . instead , functions of the dhcp ( e . g ., assigning ip addresses in a dynamic fashion in response to the legacy devices 102 submitting requests to enter and exit the private overlay network 107 ) are distributed among a plurality of isps 103 . however , from the point of view of the legacy devices 102 , the method 300 appears to be using a dhcp . if legacy device 102 sends out a dhcp request , a dhcp reply is received , even though the actual protocol used is not dhcp . the method 300 implements a user - selectable peer - to - peer mesh policy selection in which the isas can collectively assign dynamic ip addresses . such a distributed approach requires coordination between the isas , ( e . g ., to ensure the isas are not assigning the same ip address to two different legacy devices ). at 402 , isas 103 can receive a broadcast dhcp request from a legacy device 102 to join the private overlay network 107 . at 404 , a valid static ip address is selected for assignment to the legacy device 102 . at 406 a search of the configuration management database 124 is initiated for static legacy node ip addresses for peer isa &# 39 ; s , and in turn , for their peer &# 39 ; s isas , in accordance with a mesh policy . a subscription to the configuration management database 124 is maintained to receive notifications of changes to the search . at 408 , a legacy node ip address is assigned . at 410 , the assigned ip address is reported to the legacy device 102 in the form of a dhcp reply message . at 412 , the assigned ip address is stored in the configuration management database 124 , where the ip address information can be accessed by all of the isas 103 . at 414 , the assigned ip address is displayed via the web user interface 126 to prevent re - assignment to another legacy device . such a re - assignment could potentially occur if a web user is concurrently providing static ip assignments to some legacy devices at 416 , other isas receive subscription results for the new legacy device ip address . after the dhcp lease expires , the legacy device 102 can renew the lease , or the isa can purge the configuration from the database 124 . alternatively , an isa can terminate a dhcp lease prior to its expiration , for example , if a user wants to use the dhcp - assigned address as a statically - assigned ip address . with reference to fig5 - 10 , a method 500 that implements a user - selectable peer - to - peer mesh policy proceeds as described below . whereas the method 300 describes management of network connections for the legacy devices 102 , the method 500 describes management of network connections for the isas ( peers ) 103 . according to the method 500 , network connections for each isa are enabled or disabled by updating a dynamic peer - to - peer mesh policy in response to instructions received through the user interface 126 that runs on the user station 111 . the peer - to - peer mesh policy describes the topology of the mesh network at any given time . it is noted that the screen shots shown in fig6 - 10 can appear on the display 278 via the user interface 126 . the display 278 can be any type of display device , including , a smart phone , tablet , or other mobile display . at 502 , a mesh network can be created to include a list 600 of member devices (“ peers ”). in accordance with the present embodiment , the peers are security appliances ( isas ). the mesh network described in the examples shown in fig6 - 10 is set up to accommodate nine such peer isas . at 504 , a default blanket peer - to - peer mesh policy can be initially established , for example , as “ deny - all ” or “ enable all ”. a “ deny - all ” mesh policy is indicated in fig6 , in which all peers in the list 600 are denied permission to join the network , and thus no communication is possible between any of the peers . the denied status 602 can be indicated by a visual indicator ( e . g ., dash 602 ) that can be displayed , for example , to the left of each peer in the member device list 600 . an “ enable all ” mesh policy allows all peers in the member list 600 to communicate with one another . such a blanket default policy ensures that each entrance to , or exit from , the network is intentional . at 506 , a mesh policy decision is received from a user , for example , a decision to : a ) enable selected peers on an individual basis ; or b ) enable a subset of the mesh that includes a selected member device and all of its peers ; or c ) enable the entire mesh by enabling all peer devices on the member device list 600 . although a particular isa can be enabled and can join the network , that isa does not necessarily have access to communicate with all the other isas on the network . instead , a user can designate which of the isa &# 39 ; s peers are permitted to communicate with that isa . if decision ( a ) is received , at 506 , the management platform 110 activates an individual member device at 508 . fig7 illustrates a user input indication of the decision ( a ), for example , activating isa “ peer 1 ,” as shown . at 512 , to indicate which peer is activated , the management platform 110 displays the peer - to - peer mesh policy status from the point of view of peer 1 . instructions executing on the management platform 110 cause a pull - down menu 700 ( fig7 ) to appear to the left of the entry corresponding to peer 1 in the list 600 , and a message “ now active for mesh selection ” 702 to appear below the entry corresponding to peer 1 . the presence of the pull - down menu icon 700 next to the entry corresponding to peer 1 signifies that peer 1 is currently activated . at 514 , peer selections can be received via the pull - down menu 700 ( fig7 ) such that a user can choose from among the peers ( e . g , peers 2 - 9 ), “ all ”, “ none ”, or a subset of peers to join peer 1 &# 39 ; s network . if “ all ” or “ none ” are desired , the user can indicate these choices by checking a single box on the pull - down menu ( see fig9 ). otherwise , peer selections are received on an individual basis via the user interface 126 by the user toggling the dash 602 to a check mark 708 . at 516 , if the selection received is “ all ”, the management platform 110 sets each of the individual peer 1 - to - peer mesh policies to “ allow ” and notifies the relevant isas of the new policy configuration . if the selection received is “ none ,” the management platform 110 sets each of the individual mesh policies to “ deny ” so that peer 1 is not available to communicate with any peers and is therefore isolated . otherwise , selected peers are enabled by setting individual mesh policies to “ allow .” in the example shown in fig7 , peer 1 is active and peers 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 have been enabled for communication with peer 1 . in response , the management platform 110 updates the mesh policy configuration so that peers 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 can each independently communicate with peer 1 . however , peers 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 are not necessarily enabled to communicate with one another . at 518 , the management platform 110 displays additional peer - to - peer policy status indicators , including an activation indicator 704 ( e . g ., a green dot ) that appears , for example , to the right of peer 1 and each one of its fellow peers in the list upon activation of peer 1 . the activation indicator 704 symbolizes each peer being in control of certain segments of the private overlay network 107 . once a dynamic ip address 706 has been assigned to peer 1 , the management platform 110 displays the dynamic ip address 706 in green next to the activation indicator 704 . the dynamic ip address 706 may be displayed with a visual indicator of the activated states . for instance , the dynamic ip address 706 may be displayed in the color green or with other visual emphasis . as additional peers are selected ( e . g ., peers 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 ), the management platform 110 displays the dynamic ip addresses of the peers next to their respective activation indicator 704 . the method 500 repeats when the management platform 110 receives input from a user to activate a different peer . at 508 , in response to such user input , the management platform 110 activates peer 5 . at 510 , as peer 5 is activated , peer 1 is de - activated . activation can be considered as a token that is passed around among the peers . thus , only one peer at a time can be “ activated .” upon being de - activated , peer 1 is still enabled to communicate with peers 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 . however , peer 1 cannot add any more peers to its network without being activated again . at 512 , the management platform displays the peer - to - peer policy status with respect to peer 5 instead of peer 1 , as shown in fig8 , indicated by the presence of the pull - down menu 700 ( fig7 ) next to the entry for peer 5 in the member list 600 . by activating peer 5 , the user can see that peer 1 is part of peer 5 &# 39 ; s network , but peers 4 , 6 , and 7 are not enabled to communicate with peer 5 . however , because a connection was already established with peer 5 when peer 1 was activated , that connection is sustained from the point of view of peer 5 . accordingly , the management platform 110 ( fig1 ) continues to enable peer 1 to communicate with peer 5 by maintaining peer 1 &# 39 ; s individual mesh policy with respect to peer 5 as “ allow .” this act maintains symmetry of the peer - to - peer mesh policy by granting reciprocity to pairs of peers . at 518 , the management platform 110 displays the sustained peer - to - peer mesh policy by showing a check mark 708 ( fig7 ) to the left of peer 1 . using the pull - down menu 700 ( fig7 ), additional peers can be enabled to join peer 5 &# 39 ; s network . if decision ( b ) is received ( fig9 ), at 520 , the management platform 110 activates a member device ( e . g ., peer 5 ). at 522 , user input can be received via the pull - down menu 700 , to enable all peers in the member list 600 ( fig7 ) using a single command . in response to the user checking the box “ enable all ”; the management platform sets a blanket mesh policy to “ allow .” the management platform 110 displays all of the peer - to - peer status indicators as check marks 708 , and all of the peers are enabled to join peer 5 &# 39 ; s network . if decision ( c ) is received via the pull - down menu 710 ( fig1 ), the management platform 110 updates the mesh policy configuration at 524 to “ enable full mesh ”, so that all of the peers can join the network and communication can occur between any peer and any other peer . the foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the devices and / or processes via the use of block diagrams , schematics , and examples . insofar as such block diagrams , schematics , and examples contain one or more functions and / or operations , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that each function and / or operation within such block diagrams , flowcharts , or examples can be implemented , individually and / or collectively , by a wide range of hardware , software , firmware , or virtually any combination thereof . in one embodiment , the present subject matter may be implemented via application - specific integrated circuits ( asics ). however , those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments disclosed herein , in whole or in part , can be equivalently implemented in standard integrated circuits , as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers ( e . g ., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems ), as one or more programs running on one or more controllers ( e . g ., microcontrollers ) as one or more programs running on one or more processors ( e . g ., microprocessors ), as firmware , or as virtually any combination thereof , and that designing the circuitry and / or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art in light of this disclosure . those of skill in the art will recognize that many of the methods or algorithms set out herein may employ additional acts , may omit some acts , and / or may execute acts in a different order than specified . in addition , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms taught herein are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms , and that an illustrative embodiment applies equally regardless of the particular type of non - transitory signal bearing media used to actually carry out the distribution . examples of signal bearing media include , but are not limited to , the following : recordable type media such as floppy disks , hard disk drives , cd roms , digital tape , and computer medium . the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments . all of the commonly assigned us patent application publications , us patent applications , foreign patents , foreign patent applications and non - patent publications referred to in this specification and / or listed in the application data sheet , including but not limited to u . s . provisional patent application no . 61 / 794 , 511 , filed mar . 15 , 2013 are incorporated herein by reference , in their entirety . these and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above - detailed description . in general , in the following claims , the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims , but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . accordingly , the claims are not limited by the disclosure . | 7 |
fig1 shows an embodiment of a collapsible 3d printer 100 . the system includes a base housing 150 containing various mechanical , electrical , and electronic components that operate the printer 100 . an upper housing 155 is positioned above and parallel to the base housing 150 and houses the extruder assembly ( not shown ) as well as mechanical and electronic components that operate the printer 100 . the upper housing 155 and the lower housing 150 are connected by collapsible scissor linkages 115 that allow the printer 100 to collapse and expand in the vertical direction while remaining parallel to each other . the build material 130 may be kept on spool brackets 170 and fed into the upper housing 155 and through the extruder system . the extruder system is movable along 2 perpendicular horizontal axes and deposits the material 130 onto the build platform 110 . the material 130 is deposited onto the build platform 110 as the linkage 115 moves the upper housing 155 in the vertical direction so that sequential layers of material may be deposited onto the build platform 110 . a system interface 165 is incorporated onto the front of upper housing 155 or lower housing 150 and may include user input devices such as a touchscreen , buttons , keyboard , or any combination thereof . fig2 illustrates a 3d printing system 300 a , 300 b , and 300 c as it moves through its various stages of operation . 300 a shows a 3d printing system in its collapsed and transportable position . 300 b shows a 3d printing system roughly halfway through the building of an object 125 . the vertical linkages 115 expand in the vertical direction and moves the upper housing 155 away from the lower housing 150 to allow for the object 125 to be constructed via sequential layers of material that are deposited via the extruder nozzle 175 movable via a stepper motor drive system onto the build platform 110 . 300 c shows a completed build operation in which the vertical linkages 115 may be fully extended and the build object 125 is completed . fig3 and 4 detail the mechanical drive system of the vertical linkages 115 in the illustrated embodiment . two threaded rods 180 are mounted on opposite sides of a secure metal or plastic frame 200 and are rotatable via a stepper motor 190 . each threaded rod 180 threads through a drive bracket 185 which has a threaded hole 320 threaded onto rod 180 . a pair of pulleys 225 are configured in such a way that the two rods are rotated precisely the same amount and geared advantageously to the stepper motor 190 . in this embodiment , pulleys 225 are attached to each end of each threaded rod 180 and connected by belts 230 . as the rods 180 are rotated , drive brackets 185 are driven along a linear path and move the bottom legs of the scissor lift linkages 115 closer or father apart from each other thus extending or collapsing the height of the printer 100 . the drive brackets 185 are mounted to housing 200 with a bolt 315 that extends through slotted hole 205 and a linkage 115 . the movement path of linkage 115 is constrained on one leg via a stationary but rotatable mounting bolt 195 and a slotted hole 205 on the other via bolt 315 . fig5 is a side view of 3d printer 100 partially in phantom to reveal how scissor lift linkage 115 connects to upper housing 155 and lower housing 150 via stationary bolts 195 and movable bolts 315 . stationary bolts 195 allow arm of linkage 115 to rotate freely via its mounted position while movable bolts 315 allow the other arm of linkage 115 to move along slotted hole 205 . lower housing 150 has a motor 190 and threaded rods 180 while upper housing 155 may or may not have threaded rods 180 or motor 190 , although these two housings can be reversed . fig6 shows how the height of the linkage system 115 may be monitored by a rotation sensor ( otherwise known as a hall effect sensor ) 305 which may determine the angle at which the linkage 115 are positioned by measuring the magnetic field of a magnet 310 that is attached to bolt 195 , and that is fastened to linkage 115 . most current 3d printer computer systems operate via a cartesian coordinate system and all of the generated build paths are constructed as such . since the scissor lift mechanism shown in this embodiment of the invention is non - linear , the rotation angle or polar coordinates of the linkage arms 115 may be converted to linear height through the following equation , y = sqrt ( a ̂ 2 − 2 * x ̂ 2 ) where a = the length of the linkage arms ( all arms are the same length ). the proper acceleration rate of motor 190 can then be calculated to move the extrusion assembly the proper linear distance based on its current position . the proper build path may now be constructed and sent to the collapsible 3d printer 100 via computer , usb drive , or other appropriate method . fig7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a collapsible 3d printer that utilizes a drive bar 330 and a single threaded rod 335 to move linkage 115 . the threaded rod 335 is coupled to the drive bar 330 and displaces the drive bar through rotation of the threaded rod . in this manner , the linkages 115 can be opened or closed to extend or contract the printer assembly . fig8 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a collapsible 3d printer that makes one axis of the machine movable via parallel tracks 340 and 375 . a scissor lift linkage 115 is mounted to movable cart 345 in the same fashion as previous embodiments but also has wheels , coasters , gliders , or other friction - reducing elements that ride within track 340 on both sides of the build area 355 and are driven by a motor or engine ( not shown ). one or more movable extruder systems are mounted within housing 350 that extend the width of build area 355 and is connected to the top of each linkage 115 in the same manner as previous embodiments . a concrete mixer 360 may deliver concrete via hose 365 to a movable nozzle ( not shown ) within housing 350 . the nozzle is able to move the length of housing 350 and deposit un hardened concrete onto build platform 355 as needed by a computer control system . the linkage 115 may move the housing 350 vertically as needed to provide z - axis movement while movable carts 345 may provide movement along length of the build area 355 and build concrete structure 370 . one or more gyroscopic sensors may be incorporated into housing 350 . the levelness or parallel orientation of housing 350 with relation to the build platform 355 can be monitored and maintained with a computer that corrects such imperfections hundreds of times per second by finely adjusting the height of each vertical linkage 115 or other compensation mechanism according to readings from the gyroscopic sensors . housing 350 is then able to maintain a level orientation despite the possible unevenness of tracks 340 and 375 . additional magnetic and / or optical sensors may be incorporated into the machine for monitoring the distance between components and / or the build object . fig9 is a perspective view on an alternate embodiment of a collapsible 3d printer 410 that includes a carrying handle 400 and a third set of collapsible scissor lift linkages 405 . the third set of linkages 405 provides additional lateral stability to the system during print operations . fig1 is a perspective view on an alternate embodiment of a collapsible 3d printer . two motor driven vertical linkages 435 support two horizontal linkages 420 and a control head 440 with one or more extruders or other attachments designed to place building materials . two motor driven wenches 425 use cables 435 and pulleys 430 to help support , control , and balance the control head 440 . the control head may have gyroscopic sensor which monitors its position in multiple dimensions . the wenches 425 can either increase or decrease the lift on the control head 440 depending on the readings from sensors . this embodiment of the invention is advantageous because the horizontal axis of the machine can be collapsed or retracted , just like the vertical axis , making the machine smaller and easier to transport . the integrated sensors and compensating mechanisms help the machine to maintain proper alignment with the build surface 355 . | 1 |
referring now to fig1 , and 5 , a preferred embodiment of an automatic core biopsy device 10 of the type disclosed in related patent application ser . no . 08 / 217 , 246 is illustrated . the illustrated biopsy instrument 10 comprises a housing 14 having a hinged lid 16 . a needle assembly 18 extends out of the housing 14 , and comprises a hollow outer piercing needle 20 , an inner cutter 22 having a lumen 23 ( fig5 ), a tissue cassette housing 24 , and a tissue cassette 26 . the hollow outer piercing needle 20 further includes a tissue receiving port or bowl 28 . a thumbwheel 30 interconnects the tissue cassette housing 24 and the hollow outer piercing needle 20 , preferably permitting rotation of the needle 20 without rotating the tissue cassette housing 24 , as will be more completely described hereinbelow . a vacuum port 32 in the tissue cassette housing 24 is adapted for attachment to a vacuum source through a tube or tubing 34 , in order to provide a vacuum at the tissue receiving port or bowl 28 . preferably , the vacuum is supplied through a separate vacuum lumen 35 , but may alternatively or simultaneously be supplied directly through the lumens of the hollow outer piercing needle 20 and the inner cutter 22 , respectively , if desired . telescopically and coaxially arranged within the hollow outer piercing needle 20 and the inner cutter 22 is a knock - out pin 36 . it is mounted to be stationary , and is preferably fabricated of stainless steel , but may also be constructed of other biocompatible materials , such as plastic . the pin 36 preferably is tubular , and the hub h of the knock - out pin serves as a secondary vacuum port which supplies the vacuum through the needle 20 and inner cutter 22 . surprisingly , applicants have found that it is important to appropriately size the knock - out pin to minimize clogging problems . for this reason , it has been found that , for the preferred embodiment where the inner diameter of the outer piercing needle 20 is approximately 0 . 074 inches and the inner diameter of the inner cutter 22 is approximately 0 . 063 inches , the effective diameter of the knock - out tube 36 , meaning the cross - sectional area of the tube , should be at least approximately 0 . 030 inches . preferably , the effective diameter of the knock - out tube is about 0 . 045 inches . the biopsy instrument housing 14 contains the driving mechanisms and controls for operating the needle assembly 18 , and may be mounted in a stationary fashion on a base 37 . this base 37 may be an integral part of the housing 14 and is preferably designed to mate with an i - beam rail of a stereotactic imaging unit , but may be modified and designed to match and mate with any of the various imaging units available in the industry . the driving mechanisms for the illustrated preferred embodiment include a long spur gear 38 and a cutter drive gear 40 , which is housed within a pinion housing 42 and is rotatably and drivingly attached to the inner cutter 22 within the housing 14 . in order to rotate or oscillate the cutter 22 , the gear 38 is rotated by a driving motor or stepper motor ( not shown ). rotation or oscillation of the gear 38 in turn drives the gear 40 to rotate or oscillate , thereby rotating or oscillating the cutter 22 . in addition to rotation or oscillation , the cutter 22 may also be driven to travel axially , both distally and proximally . a slide handle 44 , which is attached along with the pinion housing 42 to a slide ( not shown ), may be actuated by an operator in either direction , as illustrated by the arrow 46 , to drive the pinion housing 42 axially . since the cutter 22 is fixedly attached to the pinion gear 40 , which in turn is contained within the pinion housing 42 , the cutter follows the axial travel of the pinion housing , permitting the operator to advance or retract the cutter , as desired . a piercing mechanism or linear actuator 47 , located distally of a partition 48 in the housing 14 , functions to rapidly advance the entire needle assembly 18 distally in order to locate the tip of the outer piercing needle 20 at the site from which one or more tissue samples are desired . the piercing mechanism preferably includes a driving spring ( not shown ), a carriage assembly 50 , which is attached to a proximal end portion 52 of the tissue cassette housing 24 , a cocking lever 54 which operates against a fixed lever 55 , a pierce button 56 , and a safety button 57 . operation of the piercing mechanism is described in greater detail hereinbelow . of course , the illustrated embodiment is just one of many possible ways to drive and control an automatic core biopsy device of the type shown and described . for example , the control system could be an integral part of the computer system in the stereotactic or other imaging device used to guide the biopsy device , so that the stereotactic device computer would be used to control the cutter , the angular and longitudinal position of the piercing needle 20 , and the knock - out tube position . additionally , different driving mechanisms could be employed , such as substituting a friction drive for the long spur gear drive . in some instances it may be preferred to be able to rotatably and linearly drive and control the hollow outer piercing needle and the knock - out pin , as well as the inner cutter , as disclosed in co - pending application ser . no . 08 / 217 , 246 , or to employ one of the other needle assembly or needle assembly driving arrangement embodiments disclosed therein . of course , any of the embodiments disclosed in that application may also be used in conjunction with the inventions herein disclosed . in operation , as described in the aforementioned co - pending application and with particular reference to fig2 , and 8 through 13 , in addition to fig1 , and 5 , the point 58 of the needle 20 is first moved into position to pierce the lesion or selected tissue which is to be sampled ( fig2 and 3 ). the initial global position of the point 58 with respect to the tissue area being sampled is determined by the overall position of the biopsy instrument 10 with respect to the patient . for example , the biopsy instrument 10 may be mounted on a commercially available stereotactic guidance system ( not shown ), commonly used in the medical field for accurate positioning of a variety of medical devices with respect to a patient and with respect to a lesion within a patient . a detailed description of such a motorized biopsy needle positioner , i . e . a stereotactic guidance system , is given in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 240 , 011 , issued on aug . 31 , 1993 , to michael assa , which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . the suspect lesion 59 within the tissue to be sampled is targeted according to the instructions provided with the stereotactic guidance system . the stereotactic guidance system will enable an operator to advance the point 58 until it is adjacent the specific lesion region 59 to be sampled , as illustrated in fig2 . once the point 58 is adjacent to the specific lesion region to be sampled , free tuning of the location of the point 59 within the tissue sample is preferably accomplished by actuating the linear actuator 47 to thereby advance and retract the hollow outer piercing needle 20 along its axis ( the actuator 47 may , however , be used for rapid piercing as well ). while the linear actuator 47 illustrated in fig1 which uses a potential energy device ( spring ), is preferred , any of a variety of devices capable of inducing linear motion may be employed , including solenoids , pneumatic cylinders , or potential energy devices such as springs , motors , or the like . in operation of the preferred embodiment , the cocking lever 54 is pulled proximally against the fixed lever 55 to compress the spring and cock the carriage assembly 50 in its proximal position , as shown in fig2 . then , when the needle 20 is positioned outside the lesion , as illustrated in fig2 the pierce button 56 is depressed , releasing the carriage housing 50 so that the spring uncoils , forcing it rapidly in the direction of the arrow a ( fig3 ), such that the point 58 of the needle pierces the lesion 59 . alternatively , this procedure could be automated , using a needle control unit to send signals to the linear actuator , which , in turn , would advance and retract the hollow outer piercing needle 20 along its axis . now with particular reference to fig8 - 13 , as seen in fig8 the needle 20 is preferably advanced into the lesion 59 with the inner cutter 22 in its fully advanced position to close off the tissue receiving port 28 , thus preventing snagging and tearing of the tissue during slow linear movement of the needle 20 . after the hollow outer piercing needle 20 has been positioned at the precise location within the lesion 59 at which it is desired to obtain a tissue sample , a vacuum source is actuated to apply a vacuum to the vacuum connection 32 in the tissue cassette housing 24 through the vacuum tube 34 ( fig1 ) as the cutter is retracted proximally ( fig9 and 10 ). as a result , a region of low pressure is generated within the hollow outer piercing needle 20 in the vicinity of the tissue receiving port 28 , and through the vacuum lumen 35 . this facilitates the prolapse of tissue immediately adjacent to the tissue receiving port 28 into the interior of the hollow outer piercing needle 20 . once the tissue is fully prolapsed into the tissue receiving port , as shown in fig1 , the prolapsed tissue sample 60 is severed from the main tissue mass by the advancement of the cannular inner cutter 22 ( fig1 ). the advancement of the inner cutter 22 is achieved by advancing the slide knob 44 attached to the pinion housing 42 , thus advancing the inner cutter 22 along its axis within the hollow outer piercing needle 20 past the tissue receiving port 28 , to thereby sever the prolapsed tissue sample from the main tissue mass . after being severed from the tissue mass , the tissue sample is packed into the inner cutter as it moves forward against the needle pin 61 and rests inside the inner cutter 22 . the inner cutter 22 , containing the tissue sample 60 , is then withdrawn by retracting the slide knob 44 ( fig1 ). the tissue sample is held in the inner cutter 22 as it is withdrawn proximally toward the tissue cassette housing 24 by friction with the inner walls of the cannula . suction created by the vacuum source can also be used to retain the sample . as the inner cutter 22 is withdrawn through the tissue cassette housing 24 , the tissue sample 60 is deposited into the tissue cassette 26 by means of the tubular knock - out pin 36 , the distal end of which stops the tissue sample within one of the tissue containment chambers 62 ( fig1 ), as is more fully described in the related application ser . no . 08 / 217 , 246 . once the tissue cassette 26 is filled with tissue samples , it may be removed from the tissue cassette housing 24 and transported to a laboratory for analysis , without the necessity of handling the samples . if additional samples are desired , a new tissue cassette 26 may be immediately inserted into the tissue cassette housing 24 and the collection of samples may continue . referring now to fig4 the needle assembly 18 of fig1 is illustrated in greater detail . significantly , the preferred embodiment of the needle assembly comprises a two - piece body , including the hollow outer piercing needle 20 , with its inner cutter 22 and knock - out pin 36 , and the tissue cassette housing 24 . the frame of the tissue cassette housing 24 ( excluding the cassette 26 ) is preferably molded from a single piece of plastic . if clear plastic is used , an additional advantage is the resultant ability to view the collected tissue specimens in the cassette , which is located in a cassette port p in the housing 24 during operation of the device . magnification of the specimen is obtained by molding the top surface of the housing 24 to be convex , while the inner surface is substantially flat . the preferred one - piece plastic cassette housing 24 includes a shaft portion 63 , which provides a conduit for holding the cutter 22 and the knockout pin 36 , and the proximal end portion 52 , which in turn is adapted to be mounted on a post 64 within the housing 14 ( fig1 ), forming a part of the carriage assembly 50 . this portion of the cassette housing thus provides the support for the entire cantilevered needle assembly 18 . yet another advantageous feature of the preferred needle assembly 18 is the thumbwheel 30 . the needle 20 is glued or otherwise securely attached to the thumbwheel , which is then snapped into the housing 24 . o - rings 65 fluidly seal the interface between the housing 24 and the thumbwheel 30 , in order to preserve the vacuum between the port 32 and the vacuum lumen 35 while simultaneously permitting rotation of the thumbwheel relative to the fixed housing 24 . because of this inventive feature , the vacuum may be communicated to the needle 20 from the vacuum port 32 in the housing 24 no matter what the orientation of the needle is , without the problem sometimes encountered in prior embodiments wherein the vacuum tube 34 wraps about the housing 24 as it rotates with the needle 20 . the ability to keep the cassette housing 24 stationary solves this hose wrap problem . fig1 - 17 illustrate a procedure enabled by the thumbwheel 30 , whereby four tissue samples 60 may be acquired from four different angular positions and deposited in the sample cassette 26 without removing the hollow outer piercing needle 20 and the tissue receiving port 28 from the lesion 59 . furthermore , the integrity of each sample may be preserved and a record of the location from which each of the four samples is acquired may be created by storing the samples in individual sample containment chambers 62 ( fig1 ). fig1 is a cross - sectional view along lines 14 - 14 of fig1 , which illustrates preparations for the taking of a first sample 60 ( fig1 ) with the needle 20 and associated vacuum lumen 35 angularly oriented so that the tissue receiving port is in an upright position within the lesion 59 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view along lines 15 - 15 of fig1 , wherein the needle 20 is angularly oriented in the same position as in fig1 , after the tissue sample has been removed . the void 66 represents the location from which the sample was taken . fig1 shows the needle assembly as illustrated in fig1 and 15 , but where the thumbwheel 30 ( fig4 ) has been used to rotate the needle 20 approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise . a second sample is to be taken from this angular location . finally , fig1 is yet another similar view , wherein the needle 20 has been rotated by the thumbwheel 30 approximately 300 degrees counterclockwise from the original orientation shown in fig1 and 15 ( it should , however , be noted that the invention permits samples to be taken from any angular orientation between 0 and 360 degrees ). a sample has already been taken from this orientation , as well as from the 180 degree orientation , so that the void 66 now extends entirely about the needle assembly and four tissue samples have been removed . now with reference to fig1 and 19 , a modified embodiment of a portion of the needle assembly 18 of fig1 , and 5 is illustrated , wherein like elements are designated with like reference numerals , followed by the letter a . this needle assembly embodiment may be used in conjunction with a vacuum which is drawn through the cutter lumen 23a , and particularly in a procedure where the physician wishes to obtain only a single sample and wants to retain the tissue sample in the tissue receiving port 28a for retrieval ( i . e . a &# 34 ; single - core &# 34 ; procedure ). attached to the proximal end of the needle point 58a is a distal tip 66 of a tissue stop or wire assembly 67 , which comprises a wire 68 which is integral with and extends proximally of the tip 66 . the attachment of the point 58a to the tip 66 is preferably made by brazing , though other equivalent known attachment methods may be used as well . the wire 68 extends beneath the entire axial length of the tissue receiving port 28a . proximally of the tissue receiving port 28a , and near the proximal end of the wire 68 , is a corkscrew portion 69 , which has a diameter or cross - sectional width just slightly less than the internal diameter of the inner cutter 22a , as illustrated in fig1 . in operation , with the cutter 22a withdrawn proximally from the region of the tissue receiving port 28a , the wire assembly 67 is stationary in the lumen of the hollow outer piercing needle 20a . with the needle in position in the tissue to be sampled , a vacuum is drawn through the cutter lumen 23a and the needle lumen , thereby prolapsing tissue into the tissue receiving bowl 28a . a potential problem is that such tissue will prolapse all the way to the bottom of the bowl at a proximal region of the bowl , thereby cutting off the vacuum distally of the blocking portion . without the vacuum , the distal portion of the bowl may not receive a full volume of prolapsed tissue , thereby causing the tissue sample , when cut , to be only a partial sample . however , the wire 68 functions to hold the prolapsed tissue in an elevated position above the bottom of the bowl , thereby preventing blockage of the lumen . this permits the vacuum to be transmitted all the way to the tip 66 so that a full - volume sample is assured . once the prolapsed tissue sample has been received , and cut off by the inner cutter 22a , the corkscrew portion 69 functions to prevent the sample from being sucked or pulled out of the bowl 28a during withdrawal of the cutter . then , after the needle is withdrawn from the patient &# 39 ; s body and the cutter 22a is withdrawn from the bowl 28a , the tissue sample remains in the bowl and may be retrieved directly from the bowl by the physician or an assistant . in one preferred embodiment , the inner diameter of the hollow outer piercing needle 20a was 0 . 074 inches , and the inner diameter of the inner cutter 22a was 0 . 063 inches . the diameter of the wire 68 was 0 . 014 inches , and the diameter or cross - sectional width of the corkscrew portion 69 was 0 . 060 inches . of course , many other dimensions may be utilized as well . additionally , while a corkscrew configuration is preferred , many other configurations may be employed , as long as they function to prevent proximal migration of the tissue sample , especially during withdrawal of the cutter . for example , a simple kink in the wire may be used , instead . now with particular reference to fig5 and 6 , the distal portion of the needle assembly illustrated in fig1 and 4 is shown in perspective and in cross - section , respectively . two particular features not previously discussed are of note . first , in this particular embodiment , two preferably round vacuum ports 70 communicate between the tissue receiving port 28 and the vacuum lumen 35 . the distal port 70 is located distally of the tissue receiving port opening , so that it lies just proximally of the point 58 and beneath overhang portion 71 of the needle 20 . in the preferred embodiment , it has a diameter of approximately 0 . 042 inches . the proximal port 70 , on the other hand is significantly smaller , preferably about one - half the diameter of the larger port ( approximately 0 . 020 inches ), and lies directly beneath the tissue receiving port 28 . the second feature of note is related to how the needle point is ground for sharpening . as illustrated in fig5 it is preferred that the point be ground to form a plurality of facets 72 ( preferably three ) wherein no two facets axially intersect within the circumferential arc defined by the tissue receiving port 28 . thus , the needle point 58 defines a relatively flat surface on its upper side , as illustrated . this is advantageous in that the flat top surface 72 lifts the tissue upwardly and thereby assists its entry into the tissue receiving port 28 . on the other hand , if two of the facets 72 axially intersect within the arc defined by the tissue receiving port , the tissue often tends to split , potentially degrading the sample quality . referring now to fig2 , a modified embodiment of the needle assembly 18 illustrated in fig6 is shown , wherein like elements are designated by like reference numerals , followed by the letter b . the primary difference between this embodiment and that of fig6 is the employment of a greater number of vacuum ports 70b , preferably eight , between the vacuum lumen 35b and the tissue receiving port 28b . in this embodiment , preferably each of the ports 70b is round and has a diameter of approximately 0 . 042 inches . also , in this embodiment all of the ports are located beneath the opening of the tissue receiving port , as illustrated . none lie beneath the overhang portion 71b . the reason for the two different vacuum port configurations in fig6 and 20 is that each has advantages over the other when sampling certain types of tissue . for example , in relatively fatty tissue , the eight hole embodiment illustrated in fig2 may have a greater tendency to clog . clogging sometimes occurs when numerous samples are being taken because , as tissue is received into the tissue receiving port , the vacuum drawn through the vacuum ports 70b tends to draw tissue past the ports and into the vacuum lumen 35b . then , when the cutter 22b advances to sever the tissue sample , small pieces of tissue within the vacuum ports fall into the vacuum tureen 35b . over many sampling cycles , the tissue buildup in the vacuum lumen 35b partially blocks the vacuum to the distal ports , causing an uneven and diminished overall vacuum pressure and thereby reducing the quality of the tissue samples being obtained . the two - port embodiment illustrated in fig6 avoids this problem , because the single small port subject to contact with the tissue sample prolapsing into the tissue receiving port is so small that even if tissue does fall into the vacuum lumen from this port , it does not build into a mass sufficient to cause a blockage . the distal port , on the other hand , is protected by the overhang 71 from contact with the tissue , so no tissue can become caught in the port to create clogging . when relatively hard tissue is being sampled , in contrast , the eight - port embodiment shown in fig2 may be preferable . this is because hard tissue is less pliable , and therefore generally requires a more evenly distributed vacuum pressure to draw it fully into the tissue receiving port . obviously , the higher number of evenly spaced ports in the fig2 embodiment will provide this necessary drawing pressure . furthermore , hard tissue is much less likely to actually be drawn into the vacuum ports 70b , so clogging is not a likely issue . fig2 illustrates a further modified embodiment of the needle assembly 18 illustrated in fig6 wherein like elements are designated by like reference numerals , followed by the letter c . the difference between the fig6 , and 21 embodiments is that in fig2 , the vacuum ports 70c are arranged at an angle α with respect to the transverse axis 80 of the needle assembly 18c . additionally , the side walls 82 of the tissue receiving port 28c are preferably arranged at substantially the same angle α . in the preferred embodiment , the angle α is approximately 15 - 75 degrees . this angled orientation is advantageous because it permits the cutter 22c ( not shown in fig2 ) to traverse the vacuum ports 70c and side walls 82 of the tissue receiving port 28c more easily and minimizes damage to the cutter blade due to interfering contact with these edges . yet another modified embodiment of the needle assembly embodiment illustrated in fig6 is shown in fig2 . in this embodiment , like elements are designated by like reference numerals , followed by the letter d . the fig2 embodiment is designed to assist in solving the clogging problem discussed with respect to the fig6 and 20 embodiments and sometimes encountered during the process of collecting a number of tissue samples from a patient during a single procedure . as previously discussed , the problem is that bits of tissue , blood , and other biological debris will , over time , become detached from the tissue samples being collected and become lodged in the tissue receiving port 28d , vacuum ports 70d , or in one of the lumens 23d or 35d . since the vacuum ports 70d are relatively small , the problem of clogging those ports is most acute , as the resultant reduced vacuum in the tissue receiving port 28d may cause the collection of partial tissue samples . consequently , as illustrated in fig2 , a flush port 84 may be located between the vacuum lumen 35d and the piercing needle tureen , similar to vacuum ports 70d but located distally of the closed ( most advanced ) position of the cutter 22d . then , when the cutter 22d is in the closed position , as illustrated , a pressurized saline solution may be permitted to flow through the cutter tureen 23d into the needle lumen distally of the cutter , then through the flush port 84 as shown by the arrow 86 , and finally returned to its source through the vacuum lumen 35d . this procedure clears any accumulated debris and thus helps to ensure that the tissue samples are as complete as possible . a safety feature prevents saline from being injected through the system when the cutter is not in a fully closed position ; i . e . completely blocking the tissue receiving port 28d . as illustrated in fig2 , a problem sometimes encountered during operation of the biopsy device 10 ( fig1 ) is that the tissue sample 60 being pulled into the tissue receiving port or bowl 28 may have a tendency to bind as the relatively large cross - section of tissue is necked down into the space between the rotating cutter 22 and the needle 20 . this problem is worsened because of the possible rotation of the cutter 22 relative to the stationary needle 20 . in fig2 , a solution to this problem is illustrated , wherein the cutter 22e is modified to comprise a relatively short blade portion 90 , and a non - rotating sleeve 92 , preferably comprising a polyamide or a similar low - friction material or coating , surrounds the remainder of the cutter and translates axially with it . the sleeve thus acts as an anti - tissue wrapping bearing , thereby helping to prevent tissue binding , and as a bearing to the cutter . fig2 illustrates a known prior art single - use biopsy device as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 699 , 154 and 34 , 056 , both previously incorporated herein by reference . it should be noted that this embodiment is merely representative of many different types of such devices currently or potentially available , any of which would be suitably used in conjunction with the inventive embodiments . however , the illustrated embodiment is illustrative and will serve as a good point of reference . in the device 94 , a needle assembly 96 comprises a hollow outer cutting cannula or needle 98 and an inner piercing needle 100 . the needles 98 and 100 are pointed at their distal end , and the inner needle 100 is also provided with a tissue receiving notch 102 at its distal end for receiving the tissue sample . at their proximal ends , the needles 98 and 100 are provided with heads 104 and 106 , respectively , for mounting within the housing 108 of the sampling device . a front slide 110 and a rear slide 112 are slidably provided along the axial direction of the housing 108 . each slide 110 and 112 , respectively , is actuated by at least one spring 114 and 116 , respectively , biasing the respective slide in a distal direction . the spring 114 acts between a stop 118 provided on the slide 110 and a fixed transverse wall ( not shown ) in the housing 108 . the spring 116 acts between a stop on the slide 112 and the rear end wall 120 of the housing 108 . in the housing 108 , there are two parallel slide bars or guide rods 122 , 124 on which the slides 110 , 112 run . the front slide 110 may be retained in a proximally withdrawn position by means of a hook provided on a tongue member 126 protruding from the slide , the tongue member engaging the bottom edge of the aforementioned transverse wall ( not shown ). the rear slide 112 may in a corresponding way be hooked and retained in a withdrawn position by means of a hook 128 protruding from the slide , which in turn engages a spring hook member 130 at the rear wall 120 of the housing . the tissue sampling device 94 is loaded and released in the following manner . in the unloaded initial position , the slides 110 , 112 are each biased distally ( toward the left ) by the springs 114 , 116 , respectively . to load the device , the needle assembly 96 , in which the inner needle 100 is freely slidable in the hollow outer cannula 98 , is moved proximally ( to the right ) and placed in the correct position in the housing 108 , so that the needle heads are engaged into the slides 110 , 112 , which are configured to receive them , such that each needle head 104 , 106 follows the movements of the slides 110 , 112 , respectively . thus , when the needle assembly 96 has been placed in the device , the device is energized in that the slides 110 , 112 are moved simultaneously to their latched positions , whereby the springs 114 , 116 are compressed and would act to return the slides 110 , 112 to their initial position if released from the latching hooks 126 , 128 , and 130 . when the needle assembly 96 has been positioned at the desired tissue location , the sampling is carded out by pressing a release button 132 , whereby the engagement between the hooks 128 and 130 is interrupted . because of the biased spring 116 , the slide 112 together with the inner needle 100 is thus pushed distally toward the left to its initial position . for a short period of time , the slide 110 , together with the outer cannula 98 , is still retained in its energized position . thus , the inner piercing needle 100 protrudes from the outer cannula 98 , thereby exposing the notch 102 . immediately after having reached its initial position , however , the slide 112 impacts and abuts the hook spring ( tongue member ) 126 , and interrupts the engagement of the hook with the traverse wall ( not shown ), whereby the spring 114 also pushes back the slide 110 distally to its initial position . consequently , the outer cannula 98 again is pushed over the side facing notch 102 in the inner needle 100 , thereby severing the tissue sample that has prolapsed into the notch . thereafter the needle assembly 96 is withdrawn from the tissue and removed from the sampling device , following which the sample is analyzed . while such a device works fairly well for its intended purposes , as discussed in the background of the invention , there are a number of problems inherent in their operation . most significantly , there is no positive means for engaging the tissue sample within the notch 102 , particularly since no source of vacuum is available , as in the embodiments of fig1 - 24 , to assist in collection of the tissue . consequently , several inventive embodiments including mechanical elements for capturing the tissue are disclosed herein , each of which dramatically improve the quality and quantity of the tissue samples collected , on a consistent basis . referring now to fig2 - 28 , a modified embodiment of the needle assembly 96 of fig2 is illustrated , wherein like elements are designated by like reference numerals , followed by an a . in this embodiment , in their initial position , as shown in fig2 , with both springs energized , the inner needle 100a is retracted within the outer cannula 98a , and cutter leaflets 134 are in a closed position on the distal end of the needle 98a . preferably , there are two , four , or six cutter leaflets 134 , which in the closed position come together to form a piercing cone . of course , however , any number of leaflets may be employed within the scope of the invention . fig2 illustrates the intermediate position immediately after the release button 132 ( fig2 ) has been activated . at this juncture , the spring 116 propels the inner needle 100a distally , forcing the leaflets 134 open . the sharpened distal edges 136 of the needle 100a begin to cut tissue , which is contained within the distal end portion of the needle 100a . then , upon release of the spring 114 , the outer cannula 98a is propelled distally , as shown in fig2 , causing the leaflets 134 to snap closed to sever and contain the tissue sample 138 . it should be noted that this embodiment , while useful as a modification to the fig2 device , may also be employed in the fig1 device . in this instance , the inner needle 100a comprises a rotating cutter , which translates back and forth as previously described . fig2 and 30 illustrate a second modified embodiment of the needle assembly in the fig2 device . again , like elements are designated by like reference numerals , followed by a b . in this embodiment , the inner needle 100b has been modified to include an &# 34 ; alligator &# 34 ; tip 140 , which includes jaws 142 , 144 and teeth 146 . when the spring 116 is released , the inner needle 100b shoots distally and captures tissue in the opening 148 within the jaws 142 , 144 . then , when the spring 114 is released , the outer cannula 98b shoots distally , severing tissue along the sides of the tissue sample opening 148 as it moves distally , and also forcing the jaws 142 , 144 shut , so that they &# 34 ; bite off &# 34 ; the end of the tissue sample 138b , as illustrated in fig3 . this embodiment also may be adapted for use with the device of fig1 if desired . finally , fig3 - 34 illustrate a third modified embodiment of the needle assembly in the fig2 device . in this embodiment , like elements are designated by like reference numerals , followed by a c . like the fig2 embodiment , the inner needle or &# 34 ; gabber &# 34 ; 100c has been modified , this time to include a plurality of hooked extractors 150 extending from its distal end . the outer cannula 98c includes a sharpened cutter point 152 . in operation , initially the gabber 100c is retracted into the cutter 98c while the device is in its energized state , the point 152 being used to pierce the body wall 154 as the device is guided to the desired tissue sample 138c ( fig3 ). then , as illustrated in fig3 , the grabber 100c is shot distally by means of the release of spring 116 . as it travels distally , the hooked extractors 150 become extended and latch onto the tissue sample 138c . then , once the second spring 114 is released , the cutter 98c shoots distally , collapsing the hooked extractors 150 and severing the tissue sample , which is received into the lumen of the cutter 98c . this embodiment , as well , may be adapted for use with the device illustrated in fig1 . furthermore , while four extractors 150 are shown , in actuality any desired number may be employed , as long as they may be fully retracted within the cutter 98c . while this invention has been described with respect to various specific examples and embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that it can be variously practiced within the scope of the following claims . | 0 |
referring to fig3 a and 3b of the drawings , there is shown an airport visual control room 10 at the top of a tower 11 . the room is octagonal and in the usual manner its glazing panels 12 are inclined downward at 15 ° to the vertical . in the illustrated room the room is glazed all around for 360 ° vision . the roof 13 is supported in cantilever fashion from mullions 14 at four adjacent corners of the room . referring now to fig1 of the drawings , there is shown diagrammatically the skeleton of the structure by which the roof 13 is supported . as shown , mullions 14a , 14b , 14c , 14d are disposed at four neighboring corners of the room . the two outermost mullions 14a , 14d are interconnected at their upper ends by an upright planar truss 15 comprising a main horizontal member 16 , spaced struts 17 , a second horizontal member 18 interconnecting the upper ends of the struts 17 , and inclined members 19 respectively extending from the upper ends of the struts 17 to opposite ends of the member 16 . two cantilever trusses 22 extend parallel to each other from the upper ends of the two inner mullions 14b , 14c to respective corners 23a , 23b of the room . each of the trusses 22 comprises a horizontal member 24 connected intermediate its ends to the lower end of one of the struts 17 and two inclined members 25 connected to the upper ends of the associated strut and to opposite ends of the horizontal member 24 . a horizontal member 26 and an inclined member 27 extend from the lower and upper ends of the two struts 17 to the remaining two corners 23c , 23 d of the room . further horizontal perimeter members 28 extend along the periphery of the room interconnecting the outer ends of the trusses . as shown in fig3 a and 3b , each of the eight sides of the room is glazed by two panels of glass 12 arranged side edge to side edge and inclined downward at 15 ° to the vertical , and a silicon rubber or other suitable seal is disposed between these side edges . in addition , at the corners 23a to 23d a similar seal is disposed between the sheets . the omission of mullions at these corners results in a marked improvement in the field of view due to the reduction in the size of &# 34 ; blind spots &# 34 ;, because the seals are relatively narrow . the consoles or desks for control room staff are usually disposed in the area indicated at c in fig1 and the control room personnel thus have a substantially uninterrupted field of view over an angle well in excess of 180 °. it will be appreciated of course that the two panels of glass 12 in each side of the room could be replaced by a single panel or even three or more panels as desired . referring now to fig2 of the drawings , a sliding sealing mounting for the upper ends of the glazing panels 12 in the roof structure 13 is shown . the top edge portion of the panel 12 is enveloped in an elastomeric or other suitable sealing material 29 and is clamped in a channel in an elongate member 30 . one arm 31 of the channel is fixed , and the other arm 32 has one end pivotally engaged in a groove 33 , and a setscrew 34 extends through a hole in the arm 32 and is received in a threaded socket 35 in the arm to clamp the edge of the panel adjustably and releasably . along its upper edge the member 30 has two parallel arms 36 which are slidably engaged in a channel in a fixed upper horizontal member 38 . one arm 39 of the channel is fixed and the other arm 40 has one end pivotally engaged in a groove 41 , and a setscrew 42 extends through a hole in the arm 40 into a threaded socket 43 in the fixed arm enabling the width of the channel to be adjusted to provide the required degree of sealing . the inner surfaces of the arms 39 , 40 have nylon bearing strips 44 secured to them to provide a smooth bearing surface for the arms 36 of member 30 . the upper end of the member 38 is secured to a fixed hanger 46 attached to a horizontal member 16 , 24 or 26 . a ledge 47 on the outer side of the arm provides a support for ceiling tiles 48 and a similar ledge 49 on the arm is connected to the lower end of a fascia member 50 attached to a perimeter member 28 . the sliding of the arms 36 in the channel in member 38 allows the roof 13 of the room 10 to deflect to a degree as a result of external forces for example climatic forces such as wind or buildup of snow , thereby reducing any stress on the glazing panels . it will also be appreciated that considerations such as the size of the structure may dictate that further cantilevers and other support means are provided in addition to those shown in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 . for example a further cantilever truss could be provided parallel to and between the trusses 22 . | 4 |
it is useful to collect a set of special definitions which will be used in the specification and in the attached claims . embedded distributed grating structure — a distributed grating structure such that all interfaces between the grating elements are confined vertically between a top and a bottom high - refractive index layer . high - contrast — a structure having two different dielectric materials , said materials having refractive indices which form a ratio of at least 1 . 5 . alas — the term alas will be used to describe aluminum arsenide , and also any iii - v semiconductor alloy in which the group - iii composition is at least 85 % aluminum , and in which the group - v composition is at least 85 % arsenic . gaas — the term gaas will be used to describe gallium arsenide , and also any iii - v semiconductor alloy in which the group - iii composition is at least 85 % gallium , and in which the group - v composition is at least 85 % arsenic . oxidizable grating material — any material which oxidizes rapidly enough compared to the material of the top and bottom high refractive index layers for the instant process to be useful . a semiconductor structure fabricated in accord with the process of the instant invention is shown in fig1 . for simplicity a complete semiconductor device is not shown , only the embedded filled distributed grating structure being shown . also , the iii - v semiconductors alas and gaas will be used in this example — that use is not intended to limit the scope of the instant invention . a gaas bottom high refractive index layer 101 is positioned atop substrate 100 . substrate 100 can also be of gaas , although this is not a requirement . grating elements 102 , made of oxidized alas , are formed atop bottom high refractive index layer 101 . their dimensions , shape , and spacing is determined , using well - known optical principles , by the optical interactions desired of the completed structure . the use of gaas and alas is particularly felicitous , as the almost total lack of lattice mismatch between these materials makes defect - free epitaxial growth of the grating structure relatively easy . this allows such structures to be used in regions where device charge carriers also travel , thereby increasing the range of application of such grating structures . for example , distributed feedback lasers become practical designs . a thin (˜ 50 å ) layer 103 of gaas is grown atop the exposed top surface of bottom high refractive index layer 101 and the top surfaces of the grating elements 102 . this is to facilitate the regrowth process which produces the gaas upper high refractive index layer 104 . the final structure has a filled embedded distributed grating structure with a refractive index contrast of about 2 . 2 . it can be fabricated , using the instant invention , essentially defect - free at the macroscopic ( optical ) level and at the level of the crystal structure . the use of gaas and alas in this example is not intended to limit the scope of this invention . the individual growth , lithographic , and etching processes called for in the process are known to one skilled in the art . a process according to the instant invention to fabricate filled embedded distributed grating structures is shown in fig2 . a gaas bottom high refractive index layer 201 is grown on top of a gaas substrate 200 , followed by growth of an alas grating layer 202 . if the bottom high refractive index layer 201 is not literally gaas , then subsequent regrowth can be facilitated by growing a thin layer 210 of stoichiometric gaas before growing the grating layer 202 . layer 210 can also act as a stop etch layer for the grating layer etch to be described , thereby allowing the height of the grating to be precisely defined . a gaas cap layer 211 can then be grown on top of grating layer 202 . this cap layer prevents the grating layer from oxidizing during handling , and also provides a surface on which gaas regrowth can be easily initiated . fig2 a shows the resulting structure after an etch mask layer 203 has been applied and patterned . the alas grating layer 202 is etched through etch mask 203 using an appropriate etching technique , thereby forming grating elements 204 and gaas grating top caps 212 . if the grating elements 204 are intended to have a rectangular cross section , it is important that the etching technique used be anisotropic and compatible with formation of vertical sidewalls . in many material systems , reactive ion etching will serve this purpose . in some cases , a suitable anisotropic chemical etch will exist . other cross section shapes can be formed using techniques known in the art . etching the grating layer 202 results in the structure shown in fig2 b . fig2 c shows the embedded grating structure following growth of the gaas upper high refractive index layer 206 . however , at this point the structure is only a low - contrast grating ( contrast ˜ 1 . 15 ). to obtain the desired structures , it is necessary to oxidize the alas grating elements 204 . oxidization produces grating elements having relatively low refractive index (˜ 1 . 6 for alas ), and hence converts the embedded grating into a high - contrast grating . however , as the grating elements are now embedded between the upper and lower high refractive index layers , and are not accessible to external oxidizing conditions . note that the combination of the exposed portions of gaas cap layer 210 and the gaas grating top caps 212 provide the basis for regrowth of gaas upper layer 206 . the detailed structure of the grating elements 204 is relatively unimportant to the regrowth process . as a result , an alternate to lateral selective oxidization of grating elements 204 is to oxidize these elements before growing gaas upper layer 206 . the gaas upper layer is then grown on the exposed gaas surfaces , eventually merging into one nearly perfect layer . alas is subject to oxidization when exposed to an atmosphere of flowing nitrogen containing water vapor at elevated temperatures . typical etching conditions are to bubble nitrogen gas through water held at 75 - 95 ° c ., then to flow this wet nitrogen gas over the structure to be etched , said structure being held at temperatures in the neighborhood of 400 - 500 ° c . under these conditions , alas oxidizes so much faster than does gaas that a phenomenon known as lateral selective oxidization occurs . in lateral selective oxidization , a buried lateral structure which is exposed at an end oxidizes so rapidly that the entire lateral structure can be partially or completely oxidized without doing significant damage to the surrounding structures . fig3 shows various approaches to rendering the grating structure formed as shown in fig2 susceptible to lateral selective oxidization . fig3 a shows the structure resulting from a mesa etch . here the material around a central ridge 310 is removed by an etching process . the depth of the etching will depend on the purpose intended for the grating structure , but must be deep enough that the alas grating elements 204 can be laterally oxidized . such structures are particularly useful for distributed bragg reflector lasers , as the ridge can also function as an optical waveguide . fig3 b shows an alternate approach toward rendering the grating structure susceptible to lateral selective oxidization . here a trench 311 is etched into the upper high refractive index layer , thereby exposing the alas grating elements 204 . fig3 c shows another approach , which is simply to dice the devices being fabricated before lateral selective oxidization . the individual dice 320 have open sides , which expose the alas grating elements 204 to oxidization . once the grating elements have been exposed , lateral selective oxidization is carried out as described above . at this point further device fabrication can be carried out if required for the intended purpose . fig4 shows a variety of optical devices which comprise an embedded distributed grating structure according to the instant invention . fig4 a shows a pumped excited optical medium 401 in a ridge waveguide 402 atop a substrate 400 containing a pair of embedded distributed grating structures 403 . if grating structures 403 designed to be reflective at the emission wavelength of the pumped optical medium , the resulting device can function as a light emitting device or as a laser , depending on the operating characteristics . alternately , if grating structures 403 are , e . g ., optical filters at the operating frequency , the resulting device can function as an optical amplifier . fig4 b shows a similar structure , save that only one grating structure 404 is used , and that grating structure extends under the optical medium . the grating structure 404 functions as a distributed feedback element , again providing filtering and / or reflective properties to the device . the resulting device can again be an optical amplifier , or an optical source . the specific implementations of the instant invention described above , and the materials used in those implementations , were chosen for purposes of illustrating general features of the structure and function of said invention . their presentation was not intended to limit the scope of this invention , which is defined by the claims appended hereto . | 8 |
a circuit diagram for a typical node in a multiplex communication system is illustrated generally in fig2 . and includes a host microprocessor 10 , typically a motorola 68hc11 or a texas instrument tms370 , which is coupled through a standard 5 line spi interface 12 to the interface integrated circuit , hereinafter referenced as the network interface circuit 20 in accordance with the present invention . in the first preferred embodiment , the network interface circuit 20 is ford part number n7100070ftcfca that includes host interface digital circuitry , transceiver digital logic circuitry and analog receive comparators , together with miscellaneous oscillators and buffer circuitry . a 4 megahertz resonator 22 is coupled to the network interface integrated circuit 20 in order to provide a stable frequency standard . the network interface circuit 20 includes a pair of receive input signal lines 24 , and a pair of transmit signal output lines 26 that are connected to transmit driver circuitry 30 . the transmit driver circuitry 30 generates the appropriate voltage levels required to interface with the main communications network bus 40 , which in the preferred embodiment of the present invention operates in accordance with , an automobile industrial standard for data communications network interfaces , sae recommended practice j1850 class b data communications network interface , dated may 5 , 1993 . the signal format used in the present invention and in sae standard j1850 is explained more fully in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 715 , 0311 and 5 , 418 , 526 . receiver filter elements 28 , comprising series resistors and parallel capacitors , provide input protection and noise filtering functions on the receive input pwm signals from the network bus 40 . with reference to fig1 a schematic block diagram for the network interface circuit 20 is illustrated as including receive input signal lines 24 and transmit signal output lines 26 as previously described . the input lines 24 are coupled to a receiver analog comparator 102 that includes two single ended comparators for comparing each of the input lines to a voltage threshold and also includes a differential comparator for comparing the difference in the potential between the two input signal lines 24 . three digital output lines 104 from receive analog comparator 102 are coupled to an input of fault tolerant switchover logic and bit decoders 106 . these logic circuits select between the input lines in order to minimize bit error rates and the effect of network faults . a single output 108 from the bit decoders 106 is coupled to the input of a serial to parallel converter 110 . the serial bit rate at the input 108 is approximately 41 . 7 kilobits per second , while the output of the serial to parallel converter 110 includes 8 parallel bits clocked at one - eighth of the input frequency . the output signal of the serial to parallel converter 110 is coupled to an internal signal data bus 112 that feeds other elements of the network interface circuit 20 . the internal signal data bus 112 is coupled to message qualification registers 120 , which store the first 2 bytes of the incoming message frame from the communication network bus 40 . the outputs of the message qualification registers 122 are coupled to a host interface bus 130 , which in turn is coupled to the host microcontroller 10 ( not illustrated in fig1 ) through host interface control logic 140 and standard spi interface 12 . transceiver control logic 250 is responsible for controlling the reception and transmission of message frames on the network . during data reception , it controls the movement of data from the output of the serial to parallel converter 110 , to the message qualification registers 120 , to a receive fifo 150 , and to a tx ack fifo 260 . during message transmission , it controls the movement of data to a parallel to serial converter 190 from a tx buffer 230 and a node address register 160 . after the first two bytes of the incoming message frame are successfully received and stored in the message qualification registers 120 , the transceiver control logic 250 instructs the host interface control logic 140 to generate an interrupt request to the host microcontroller 10 . the host interface control logic 140 accomplishes this by pulling the interrupt request host interface line ( int ) 300 from high to low . this interrupt request is referred to as the qualification interrupt request or first interrupt signal . the host microcontroller 10 responds to this interrupt request by asserting the chip select ( cs ) signal 400 and commanding the host interface control logic 140 to fetch the contents of the message qualification registers 120 using a predetermined sequence of byte transfers across the spi interface 12 . the host microcontroller 10 then compares the contents of the message qualification registers 120 with pre - determined lists of values for the type and target bytes stored in internal programmable memory , and determines whether the network interface circuit should continue the reception and acknowledgment of message frame . the host microcontroller 10 transmits the desired response to the network interface circuit 20 through a predetermined command sequence across the host interface 12 . the internal signal data bus 112 is coupled to an input of a receiver fifo 150 that includes 8 bytes of storage for the remainder of the incoming message data . the receiver fifo 150 is used to store data for message types that contain data intended for the host microcontroller 10 . the 8 bytes of data typically include a source / transmit id byte , 0 - 7 data bytes , a crc byte and an eod ( end of data ) bit as illustrated in fig3 . if the host microcontroller 10 has commanded the network interface device 20 to continue the reception and acknowledgment of the message frame in response to the qualification interrupt request , then following the receipt of the eod network signal the transceiver control logic 250 begins transmission of the message acknowledgment byte ( s ) and instructs the host interface control logic 140 to generate an interrupt request to the host microcontroller 10 . this interrupt request is referred to as the receive complete interrupt request or the second interrupt signal . the host microcontroller 10 responds to the receive complete interrupt request by asserting the chip select signal and commanding the host interface control logic 140 to provide it with the contents of the receive fifo 150 . the host interface control logic 140 accomplishes this by moving data from the receive fifo output 152 across interface bus 120 and across the spi interface 12 . the type of message acknowledgment returned by the network interface circuit 20 depends upon the type of message frame that is received . the transceiver control logic 250 determines the appropriate acknowledgment format by examining the type of the received message , which is stored in the message qualification registers 120 . most message types are acknowledged by transmitting the contents of the node address register 160 . other message types are acknowledged by transmitting the contents of the ack data register 170 followed by a crc byte from the crc generator 180 . the ack acknowledgment bytes are processed in a converter 190 from a parallel to a serial bit stream , which is then fed to a pulse width modulated ( pwm ) generator 200 . the output of the pwm generator 200 is coupled to transmitter drive circuitry 210 , which in turn is coupled to the transmit signal output line 26 as previously discussed . the pwm generator 200 encodes the bits from the parallel to serial converter 190 in accordance with the pulse width modulation scheme of sae standard j1850 . watchdog circuitry 220 limits the length of the pulse width modulation signal and also limits the length of the data frame which can be transmitted , both in accordance with requirements of sae standard j1850 . in order to transmit a data message , the host microcontroller 10 sends a transmit command followed by the data to be transmitted to the network interface circuit 20 through the spi interface 12 . the host interface logic 140 decodes the transmit command , and then routes the data to be transmitted across the host interface bus 130 to transmit buffer 230 . the transmit buffer 230 comprises digital storage for up to nine bytes of data . an output of the transmit buffer 230 is coupled to an internal transmit data bus 240 , that is then coupled to the input of the parallel to serial converter 190 , the function of which has been previously discussed . the transceiver controller 250 monitors the outputs from the switchover logic and bit decoders 106 , and determines when a valid transmission opportunity exists on the communications network bus 40 at the receiver input 24 . when a valid transmission opportunity occurs , the transceiver controller 250 moves data from the transmit buffer 230 , as well as the node address register 160 , to the parallel to serial converter 190 . this data is then converted to pwm format by the pwm generator 200 and transmitted by the transmit drivers 210 over the transmit output lines 26 to the main communications network bus 40 . after completion of the transmission of the data from the transmit buffer 230 , the transceiver controller 250 commands a crc checker / generator 180 to transfer the contents of the generated crc byte over the internal transmit data bus 240 to the parallel to serial converter 190 . the crc byte is then transmitted over the transmit output lines 26 . following the transmission of the crc byte , the transceiver controller 250 waits for the end of the data field , and then any acknowledgment bytes that appear on the network at the receiver inputs 24 are received and stored in a seven byte transmit acknowledgment fifo 260 . when the end of message byte is detected , the transceiver control logic 250 instructs the host interface control logic 140 to generate an interrupt request to the host microcontroller 10 in the manner previously described . this interrupt request is referred to as the transmit complete interrupt request or third interrupt signal . the host microcontroller 10 responds to the interrupt request by asserting the chip select line 400 and commanding the host interface control logic 140 to fetch the transmission completion status , and optionally the contents of the transmit acknowledgment fifo , using a predetermined sequence of byte transfers across the spi interface 12 . an oscillator circuit 270 is coupled to the three terminal resonator 22 ( illustrated in fig2 ), and provides a stable clock signal for driving the internal logic of the system . various control and status registers 280 are provided for conducting housekeeping duties and detecting network faults . fig3 and 5 illustrate how the interrupt request signals 300 are generated in relationship to various types of messages on the main communications network bus 40 . with specific reference to fig3 the message frame 280 comprises an sae standard j1850 message frame and includes a start of frame network element 282 , a priority / type byte 284 , a target byte 286 , a source address byte 288 and a crc byte 290 . the end of data network element 292 follows the crc byte 290 , and in turn is followed by any required acknowledgment bytes 294 to be transmitted before the end of frame ( efo ) byte ( an in - frame acknowledgment ) as illustrated at the top of page 3 . with continuing reference to fig3 the interrupt signal 300 from the host interface logic 140 remains high until the end of the target byte 286 , at which time it transitions to low 310 . this interrupt request is passed to the host microcontroller 10 from the host interface logic 140 as previously explained . the chip select signal 400 and the system clock signal 500 are shown to illustrate the processing of the interrupt request by the host microcontroller 10 . the host microcontroller 10 asserts the chip select signal 400 at transition 420 , processes the qualification interrupt request , and then deasserts the chip select signal 400 at transition 430 following the completion of the interrupt processing . in accordance with the present invention , the host microcontroller 10 must complete the processing of the qualification interrupt request transmitted at the end of the target byte 286 before the completion of the eod byte 292 . in this manner , the host microcontroller 10 must determine within the specified time if the remainder of the message frame is to be received and if the message frame is to be acknowledged . in the example illustrated in fig3 the host microcontroller 10 has determined , by comparing the priority / type and target bytes of the message frame as stored in the qualification registers 120 , that the remainder of the message frame is not to be received and an acknowledgment signal will not be transmitted . the host microcontroller 10 also has commanded the network interface circuit 20 not to generate a receive complete interrupt request following the eod byte and not to acknowledge the message . the acknowledgment byte 294 shown in fig3 is not transmitted by the network interface circuit in this example . it is used to illustrate that some other network node may acknowledge a message that is not acknowledged by this network interface circuit . the network interface circuit 20 returns the interrupt signal 300 to high at transition 330 after the host microcontroller 10 has responded to the interrupt request . the interrupt signal 300 remains high until the next interrupt request in the next message frame . fig4 illustrates the case where the host microcontroller 10 has received and examined the priority / type bytes 284 and target bytes 286 , and thereby has determined that the frame message should be processed at the node . at transition 310 the network interface device asserts the interrupt line to notify the microcontroller 10 that the type and target of the message are available . the microcontroller 10 responds to the interrupt request by asserting the chip select signal line 400 at transition 415 , and reading the type and target data bytes 284 and 286 from the message qualification registers 120 . on examining these bytes and determining that the messages are intended for processing at the node , the microcontroller 10 initiates an acknowledge command and deasserts chip select signal 400 at transition 420 to complete the message qualification processing . following the reception of the end of data bit 292 in the message frame , the network interface device 20 begins transmission of the message acknowledgment byte 294 and reasserts interrupt line 300 at transition 325 to notify the microcontroller 10 that the remainder of the message frame is available in the receive fifo 150 . the microcontroller 10 responds to this interrupt signal by asserting chip select 400 at transition 440 , reads any required data from the receive fifo 150 , and then deasserts chip select at transition 450 to notify the network interface device 20 that the processing is complete . fig5 illustrates the process whereby a message transmission is initiated . the microcontroller 10 must first transfer the data to be transmitted to the network interface device 20 by asserting chip select signal 400 at transition 460 . the transmit command is then followed by the data to be transmitted over the spi lines 12 from the microcontroller 10 to the host interface logic 140 . the end of the transmit command is designated by the deassertion of the chip select signal 400 at transition 470 . the network interface device 20 then waits for 3 idle bit periods on the main communications network bus 40 or for a start of frame signal to be detected , at which time the microcontroller 10 begins the transmission of the data stored in the transmit buffer 230 in the manner previously discussed . note that the interrupt signal 300 is asserted at transition 310 following the reception of the priority / type and target bytes , 284 and 286 respectively . the microcontroller 10 must then perform the message qualification function as previously described . all messages that are transmitted must also go through the message qualification procedure to protect against the possibility that arbitration will be lost on the network requiring the remainder of the message frame to be processed as a reception . when arbitration is lost , the network interface device 20 changes from being a transmitter to a receiver of the message frame , and must determine if the message frame is to be received or ignored . when transmission of the message frame has been completed and the node receiving the message has acknowledged receipt , another interrupt request is generated at transition 370 to notify the host microcontroller 10 that a transmission of the frame has been completed . a flow chart for the process described above is illustrated with reference to fig6 . at step 600 the network interface device 20 receives the priority / type 284 and target 286 bytes and stores these signals in qualification registers 120 . at step 620 the network interface circuit 20 generates an interrupt request to the microcontroller 10 in response to receipt of the priority / type and target bytes . in response to this interrupt request , at step 630 the microcontroller 10 examines the qualification registers 120 to determine if the message is directed toward the node by comparing the contents of the registers to data stored in tables within the microcontroller 10 . at the same time in step 640 the network interface device 20 continues the reception and storage of the message frame , specifically the source and data bytes , in the receive fifo 150 . at step 650 the microcontroller 10 transmits the qualification command to the host interface circuit 20 indicating that the message is either qualified or not qualified . if the message is not qualified , processing of the message frame terminates and the process moves to step 700 which requires waiting for the next message frame . if the message is qualified , then the process moves to step 660 wherein the loading of the received message into the receive fifo 150 continues until the eod byte is received . at step 664 , if the message data bytes are received through eod without error , then the process moves to steps 668 and 690 . otherwise the process moves to step 700 . at step 668 , if the message is of a type that contains data to be received by the host , then the process moves to step 670 . otherwise , the process moves to step 682 . at step 670 , the network interface circuit 20 generates a receive complete interrupt request to the host microcontroller 10 . at step 680 the microcontroller 10 responds to the receive complete interrupt request and retrieves the contents of the receive fifo 150 and continues processing the received data . at step 682 any required host processing of any received data is complete . in parallel with steps 668 , 670 , 680 and 682 , the network interface device 20 transmits the acknowledgment byte ( s ) to the transmitting node at step 690 indicating that the message has been received and is being processed . following step 690 the network interface device 20 waits for the next message at step 700 . in accordance with the present invention , the contents of the qualification registers 120 are transmitted to the host microcontroller 10 for comparison with previously stored values corresponding to message identifiers that are addressed for receipt and processing at a node . in this manner the network interface device 20 does not need to program , store and compare the priority / type and target bytes in the process of determining if the message is intended for receipt and processing at the node . these functions , which require the use of more expensive programmable memory storage devices , may be accomplished in a more economical and efficient manner within the already existing resources of the microcontroller 10 . while the preferred embodiment and mode of operation of the present invention have been illustrated and explained herein , one skilled in the art will be able to make minor changes and improvements in the design without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims . it is intended that all descriptions of the preferred embodiment , including the drawings , should be interpreted as illustrative and not as limitations in the scope of the invention . | 7 |
the particular type of gaseous stream treated is not critical , as will be evident to those skilled in the art . streams particularly suited to removal of h 2 s by the practice of the invention are , as indicated , naturally - occurring gases , synthesis gases , process gases , and fuel gases produced by gasification procedures , e . g ., gases produced by the gasification of coal , petroleum , shale , tar sands , etc . particularly preferred are coal gasification streams , natural gas streams and refinery feedstocks composed of gaseous hydrocarbon streams , especially those streams of this type having a low ratio of h 2 s to co 2 , and other gaseous hydrocarbons streams . the term &# 34 ; hydrocarbon stream ( s )&# 34 ;, as employed herein , is intended to include streams containing significant quantities of hydrocarbon ( both paraffinic and aromatic ), it being recognized that such streams contain significant &# 34 ; impurities &# 34 ; not technically defined as a hydrocarbon . again , streams containing principally a single hydrocarbon , e . g ., ethane , are eminently suited to the practice of the invention . streams derived from the gasification and / or partial oxidation of gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon may be treated by the practice of the invention . the h 2 s content of the type of streams contemplated will vary extensively , but , in general , will range from about 0 . 1 percent to about 10 percent by volume . co 2 content may also vary , but may range from about 0 . 5 percent to about 95 percent or greater by volume . obviously , the amounts of h 2 s and co 2 present are not generally a limiting factor in the practice of the invention . the temperatures employed in the contacting or absorption - contact zone are not generally critical , except that the reaction is carried out below the melting point of sulfur , and , if an absorbent is used , the temperatures employed must permit acceptable absorption of co 2 . in many commercial applications , such as the removal of h 2 s and co 2 from natural gas to meet pipeline specifications , absorption at ambient temperatures is desired , since the cost of refrigeration would exceed the benefits obtained due to increased absorption at the lower temperature . in general , temperatures from 10 ° c . to 80 ° c . are suitable , and temperatures from 20 ° c . to 60 ° c . are preferred . contact times will range from about 1 second to about 120 seconds , with contact times of 2 seconds to 60 seconds being preferred . similarly , in the regeneration or stripping zone or zones , temperatures may be varied widely . preferably , the regeneration zone should be maintained at substantially the same temperature as the contacting zone . if heat is added to assist regeneration , cooling of the aqueous admixture is required before return of the admixture to the contacting zone . in general , temperatures of from about 10 ° c . to 80 ° c ., preferably 20 ° c . to 40 ° c ., may be employed . pressure conditions in the contacting or absorption zone may vary widely , depending on the pressure of the gas to be treated . for example , pressures in the contact zone may vary from one atmosphere up to one hundred fifty or even two hundred atmospheres . pressures of from one atmosphere to about one hundred atmospheres are preferred . in the regeneration or desorption zone or zones , pressures may also be varied considerably , and will preferably range from about 0 . 5 atmosphere to about three of four atmospheres . the pressure - temperature relationships involved are well understood by those skilled in the art , and need not be detailed herein . other conditions of operation for this type of reaction process , e . g ., ph , etc ., are further described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 068 , 065 to hartley , et al ., dated dec . 11 , 1962 , and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 009 , 251 , to meuly , issued feb . 22 , 1977 , which disclosures are incorporated herein by reference . preferably , if the iron chelate of nitrilotriacetic acid is used , ph in the process of the invention will range from about 6 to about 7 . 5 , and the molar ratio of the nitrilotriacetic acid to the iron about 1 . 2 to 1 . 6 . the procedure is preferably conducted continuously . as indicated , the invention provides , in each embodiment , for the regeneration of the reactant and the absorbent . preferably , the loaded absorbent mixture and the reduced polyvalent metal chelate , or mixtures thereof , are regenerated by contacting the mixture in a regeneration zone or zones with oxygen . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; oxygen &# 34 ; includes oxygen - containing gases such as air , or air - enriched with oxygen . if significant quantities of co 2 or other gases have been absorbed , the reactant - containing solution is preferably treated , such as by heating or pressure reduction , to remove the bulk of the co 2 or other gases before regeneration of the reactant ( either prior or subsequent to sulfur removal ). alternately , or if small quantities of co 2 are obsorbed , the co 2 may simply be stripped in the regeneration zone . as noted , the regeneration of the reactant is preferably accomplished by the utilization of oxygen , preferably as air . the oxygen will accomplish two functions , the oxidation of the reactant to its higher valence state , and the stripping of any residual co 2 ( if originally present ) from the absorbent mixture . the oxygen ( in whatever form supplied ) is supplied in a stoichiometric equivalent or excess with respect to the amount of reduced metal ion of the chelate or chelates present in the mixture . preferably , the oxygen is supplied in an amount from about 0 . 5 to 3 times excess . as indicated , the h 2 s , when contacted , is rapidly converted in the process of the invention by the oxidizing polyvalent metal chelate of nitrilotriacetic acid , or mixtures thereof , to elemental sulfur . since the polyvalent metal chelates employed in the invention have limited solubility in many solvents or absorbents , if an absorbent is used , the polyvalent metal chelates are preferably supplied in admixture with the liquid absorbent and water . the manner of preparing the admixture containing an absorbent is a matter of choice . for example , the chelate may be added to the absorbent , and , if necessary , then water added . the amount of water added will normally be just that amount necessary to achieve solution of the polyvalent metal chelate , and can be determined by routine experimentation . since the polyvalent metal chelate may have a significant solubility in the solvent , and since water is produced by the reaction of the h 2 s and the ions of chelate , precise amounts of water to be added cannot be given . in the case of absorbents having a low solubility for the polyvalent metal chelate , approximately 5 percent to 10 percent water by volume , based on the total volume of the absorbent mixture , will generally provide solvency . preferably , however , the polyvalent metal chelate or chelates are added as an aqueous solution to the liquid absorbent . where the reactant is supplied as an aqueous solution , the amount of solution supplied may be about 20 percent to about 80 percent by volume of the total absorbent admixture supplied to the absorption zone . a polyvalent metal chelate solution will generally be supplied as an aqueous solution having a concentration of from about 0 . 1 molar to about 2 molar , and a concentration of about 0 . 5 molar is preferred . if an absorbent is employed , it is selected from those absorbents which have a high degree of selectivity in absorbing co 2 ( and preferably h 2 s as well ) from the gaseous streams . any of the known absorbents conventionally used ( or mixtures thereof ) which do not affect the activity of the polyvalent chelate , or mixtures thereof , and which exhibit sufficient solubility for the reactant or reactants may be employed . as indicated , the absorbent preferably has good absorbency for h 2 s as well , in order to assist in the removal of any h 2 s present in the gaseous streams . the particular absorbent chosen is a matter of choice , given these qualification , and selection can be made by routine experimentation . for example , diethylene glycol ethyl mono - ether , propylene carbonate , tetraethylene glycol - dimethyl ether , n - methyl pyrrolidone , sulfolane , methyl isobutyl ketone , 2 , 4 - pentanedione , 2 , 5 - hexanedione , diacetone alcohol , hexyl acetate , cyclohexanone , mesityl oxide , and 4 - methyl - 4 - methoxy - pentone - 2 may be used . suitable temperature and pressure relationships for different co 2 - selective absorbents are known , or can be calculated by those skilled in the art . the oxidizing polyvalent metal chelates of nitrilotriacetic acid , and mixtures thereof , may be used in the process of the invention . the chelates of iron , copper , and manganese are preferred , particularly iron . the polyvalent metal chelates are readily formed in aqueous solution by reaction of an appropriate salt , oxide or hydroxide of the polyvalent metal and the nitrilotriacetic acid in the acid form or an alkali metal or ammonium salt thereof . the h 2 s , when contacted , is quickly converted by the polyvalent metal chelate , etc ., to elemental sulfur . the amount of polyvalent chelate , or mixtures thereof , supplied is an effective amount , i . e ., an amount sufficient to convert all or substantially all of the h 2 s in the gas stream , and will generally be on the order of at least about one mol per mol of h 2 s . ratios of from about 1 or 2 mol to about 15 mols of polyvalent metal compound or chelate per mol of h 2 s may be used , with ratios of from about 2 mols per mol to about 5 mols of polyvalent metal chelate per mol of h 2 s being preferred . the manner of preparing the aqueous solution or admixture is a matter of choice . as indicated , a critical feature of the invention is the recovery of nitrilotriacetic acid from the residual or occluded admixture containing polyvalent chelate or chelates from the sulfur removed from the process . those skilled in the art will recognize that such admixture contains decomposition products of the chelate or chelates chosen , and it is an advantage of the invention that these decomposition products may be removed during the recovery of the desired chelating acid . in some instances , the wash procedure of the invention will be sufficient &# 34 ; bleed &# 34 ; of decomposition products from the overall process that no further removal of such products is required . those skilled in the art will recognize , that , if the sulfur is washed prior to regeneration , both the fe +++ and fe ++ chelate or chelates will be recovered in the wash solution . more particularly , the sulfur produced in the process is removed from the aqueous admixture . the sulfur may , as indicated , be removed at any point in the process , although removal of the sulfur , per se , from the contact zone is not praticularly desirable . in any event , sulfur removal is preferably accomplished after removal of spent or partially spent admixture or solution is removed from the contact zone , and may be accomplished before or after regeneration . the sulfur may be removed from a portion , preferably a major portion of the stream leaving the contact or regeneration zone , the balance of the stream being processed as indicated hereinafter . in this connection , it is not necessary that absolutely all sulfur be removed on a continuous basis in the process ; the process may suitably be operated with a very minor inventory or significantly reduced content of sulfur in the system . in any event , the manner of recovering the sulfur is a matter of choice . for example , the sulfur may be recovered by settling , filtration , or by suitable devices such as a hydroclone . moreover , it may be advantageous to concentrate the sulfur first in a portion of the admixture , either before or after regeneration . for example , the sulfur - containing admixture from the contacting zone ( or from the regeneration zone ) may be separated into two portions , a portion or stream having reduced sulfur content , and a portion or stream containing increased sulfur content , preferably a slurry . the manner of separation is a matter of choice , and equipment such as a hydroclone or a centrifugal separator may be employed . if a slurry is produced , the &# 34 ; slurry &# 34 ; or concentrated stream will comprise 2 percent to 30 percent , by volume , ( on a continuous basis ) of the total stream from the contact or regeneration zone . in the case where a slurry is produced , the slurry may be filtered or subjected to further treatment to remove the sulfur , and the recovered admixture may be returned to the process , suitably for regeneration . in any event , the sulfur separated from the admixture is contacted with a suitable aqueous wash liquid . cool or warm water is preferable , and the water may contain other solubilizing components , such as minor amounts of alkali metal ions . however , since the next step in the process is to acidify the wash liquid , the use of such materials should be minimized . whatever wash is used , the sulfur is washed , in any suitable fashion , and the residual polyvalent metal chelate is removed in solution . any suitable means of washing the sulfur is acceptable . for example , if the sulfur has been filtered from the aqueous admixture , an aqueous wash liquid may simply be washed through the precipitate mass . obviously , the volume of wash liquid sould be limited to that amount needed to recover the optimum amount of chelate , since later acidulation of large volumes of liquid would reduce the economic value of the recovery . accordingly , the wash liquid is contacted with a specified acid or acids . suitable acids are selected from h 2 so 4 , hcl , h 3 po 4 , and mixtures thereof . the acid or acids are supplied in an amount sufficient to dissociate at least the bulk of the polyvalent metal complex or complexes in the wash liquid or solution and precipitate the solid nitrilotriacetic acid . in general , sufficient acid should be supplied to lower the ph of the wash solution to about 1 to 3 . this amount , of course , may be determined by experimentation . if necessary , the temperature may be lowered to cause or enhance the precipitation of the solid containing the acid . the precipitated solid may be separated by any suitable means , such as by filtration , and the supernatant liquid or solution may be recovered or sent to waste treatment . although minor amounts of decomposition products of the chelates will also precipitate , the great bulk of the solid or precipitate will comprise the desired nitrilotriacetic acid . the acid may suitably be treated with an alkali metal or ammonium hydroxide , and may be recomplexed , as described , supra , with a polyvalent metal , for reuse in the process . alternately , after washing , the acid may be returned directly to the process stream if suitable amounts of iron are added to the stream . | 1 |
unless otherwise explained , any technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs . the singular terms “ a ”, “ an ”, and “ the ” include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . similarly , the word “ or ” is intended to include “ and ” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of this disclosure , suitable methods and materials are described below . the term “ comprises ” means “ includes .” all publications , patent applications , patents , and other references mentioned herein , if any , are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes . in case of conflict , the present specification , including explanations of terms , will control . in addition , the materials , methods , and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting . referring generally to fig1 - 17 , in a preferred embodiment , a system for constructing mazes includes a plurality of panels 100 . each panel includes a sub - frame 210 , a pair of vertically extendable posts or tubes 218 terminating with a pads 224 for tensionable contact with a ceiling and a pair of foot pads 226 for contact with a floor . the vertically extendable posts are tensioned against the ceiling by a handle 222 pivoting within a fixed saddle that surrounds a notched 220 post in the manner of a ratcheting jack . while in the preferred embodiment shown herein , the posts are cylindrical and move vertically within tubular guides 216 , polygonal channel of any rigid material may be employed for the posts without departing from the claimed invention . fig1 is a isometric view of a sheathed panel . preferably , flanges strips 230 are formed with the profile shown in ( fig2 ). in one preferred embodiment herein , each flange strip is generally co - planar with opposite sides of the panel . fig3 is a front plan view of a panel sub - frame wherein post guides 216 are attached , typically by welding , along the vertical sides . the post guides are tubular sections that maintain alignment of extendable posts 218 . fig4 and 5 are respectively , top edge and vertical edge views of the sub - frame of ( fig3 ). fig6 is an enlarged detail view of call - out ( 6 ) of ( fig3 ), and shows a tubular guide mounted to sub - frame 210 . moving to fig7 and 8 , a pair of extendable posts 218 with ceiling pads 224 , a pair of corresponding pivoting handles 222 for ratcheting the posts and foot pads 226 are added to the sub - frame . fig9 is a side detail view of a ceiling pad . preferably , the corrugated surface of the pads is elastomeric to resist lateral movement when pressed against a ceiling . fig1 is a front detail view of a section of extendable post with notches 220 to receive a pawl and catch . fig1 is an enlarged side view of a handle / lever and saddle 222 for vertically ratcheting the extendable post . note that sheathing 228 is absent over the handles which are recessed slightly away from the panel face and edges . fig1 is a front detail view of a handle . fig1 is a detail view of a corner foot pad 226 . while the embodiment shown depicts a ladder type sub - frame ( fig3 and 7 ), other sub - frame configurations may be employed without departing from the claimed invention . fig1 is a top down view of a group of 4 panels positioned at 90 degree angles . fig1 is a top down view of a pair of panels abutting along flange strips 230 . fig1 and 17 depict possible panel arrangements . in fig1 , the flange strips are reversed so that each projecting flange is generally co - planar with opposite faces of a panel , whereas , in fig1 , both flange strips are generally co - planar with a single face of the panel . fig1 depicts an embodiment that employs a pair of jack screws 240 ; one each at the upper corners of the panel . the jack screws have a ceiling pad at one end , and are held in place by a fixed threaded channel ( not shown ) within the panel , which is typically welded to the side rails . the extendable length of the jack screws can vary , but is sufficient to brace the panel against a ceiling when extended . a threaded collar / nut 250 is used to lock the jack screws when at the desired length . it should be understood that the drawings and detailed description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive manner , and are not intended to be limiting to the particular forms and examples disclosed . the configuration of a handle , or grip of the panel can be of any design and can be for one or two - handed operation . the panel can be of any length or width , hollow , or filled with insulation or other material . the sheathing may be attached to the sub - frame by any means including spot welding , fasteners , adhesives or magnetically as will be appreciated by those having skill in the art . although the present invention is directed to fire safety applications , other applications , for example , police and military training environments and other installations will suggest themselves to those having skill in the art . accordingly , it is intended that this disclosure encompass any further modifications , changes , rearrangements , substitutions , alternatives , design choices , and embodiments as would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of this disclosure , and falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 0 |
reference will now be made in detail to examples , which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure . also , the figures are illustrations of an example , in which modules or procedures shown in the figures are not necessarily essential for implementing the present disclosure . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components , and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the examples . fig2 shows a flowchart of a method for uploading an attachment provided by an example of the present disclosure . as shown in fig2 , at block 101 , an attachment uploading interface is loaded and the attachment uploading interface includes attachment uploading options . specifically , the attachment uploading options may be an upload from local option and / or may be an attachment obtaining option . an attachment to upload can be an image file , an audio file , a video file , and so on . however , it is not limited to these . for example , if the attachment to upload is an image file , an interface to display the image to upload is shown in fig3 ( a ), where the attachment uploading options include an upload from local option and an upload captured photo option . at block 102 , when an attachment uploading option is activated , an attachment to upload is determined . for example , if the upload from local option is activated , a local file selection interface will be displayed and the user can select a file from the local file selection interface . the selected local file will be deemed as the attachment to upload . as another example , if the above attachment to upload is an image , after the attachment obtaining option is activated , a camera of the electronic device is started , and after the camera captures an image , the image captured by the camera will be used as the attachment to upload . optionally , the local file selection interface can be displayed , and a selected local file is determined as the attachment to upload . for example , after the upload from local option is activated , a local image file stored on the electronic device will be selected to upload . the attachment to upload can be various kinds of forms , e . g ., an audio file , a video file , etc ., but is not limited to these . optionally , an attachment obtaining program is started and a file is obtained by the attachment obtaining program . the file obtained by the attachment obtaining program is determined as the attachment to upload . the attachment obtaining program can be e . g . starting the above camera , and an image file can be obtained by the camera . furthermore , the above attachment obtaining program can be starting a video camera , a recorder , etc ., but it is not limited to these . at block 103 , attachment information corresponding to the attachment to upload is generated , and the attachment information is displayed on a location where the attachment uploading options are displayed . for example , as shown in fig3 ( b ), the attachment information of the image is shown on a location where the upload from local option and the upload captured photo option are displayed . compared to what in the traditional art that attachment information corresponding to an attachment to upload is generally displayed on an area of a text input area or a touch screen keyboard area , which affects normal use of the text input area or the touch screen keyboard area , for the method for uploading an attachment provided by the example of the present disclosure , since the attachment information corresponding to the attachment to upload is displayed on the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed , therefore , the attachment information of the present disclosure is prevented from being displayed on the area of the text input area or the touch screen keyboard area , thus solving the problem in the traditional art that a user device can &# 39 ; t completely show all the content to upload , and that some touch screen devices can &# 39 ; t obtain information inputted by the user properly . fig4 shows a flow chart of a method for uploading an attachment according to another example of the present disclosure . as shown in fig4 , at block 201 , an attachment uploading interface is loaded , the attachment uploading interface including attachment uploading options . and then , block 202 or 203 is executed . specifically , the attachment uploading options may be an upload from local option or may be an attachment obtaining option . an attachment to upload can be an image file , an audio file , a video file , and so on . however , it should not be limited to these . for example , if the attachment to upload is an image file , then an interface to display the image to upload is shown in fig3 ( a ), where the attachment uploading options include an upload from local option and an upload captured photo option . at block 202 , when an attachment uploading option is activated , a local file selection interface is shown , and a selected local file is determined as the attachment to upload . then block 206 is executed . specifically , here the attachment uploading option can be an upload from local option . and after the upload from local option is activated , the local file selection interface is displayed , and the selected local file is determined as the attachment to upload . for example , when the attachment to upload is an image file , after the upload from local option is clicked , a local image media library selection interface is displayed , and after the user selects an image from the image media library , the image selected by the user is used as the attachment to upload . at block 203 , when the attachment uploading option is activated , an attachment obtaining program is started . specifically , here the attachment uploading option is an attachment obtaining option . for example , when the attachment to upload is an image file , after the attachment obtaining option is activated , the camera of the electronic device is started , and after the camera captures an image , the image captured by the camera will be used as the attachment to upload . at block 204 , a file is obtained by the attachment obtaining program . specifically , the camera of the electronic device can be used to obtain an image file , or the video camera of the electronic device can be used to obtain a video file , or a recorder of the electronic device can be used to obtain an audio file , and so on , and the present disclosure should not be limited to these . at block 205 , the image obtained by the attachment obtaining program is determined as the attachment to upload . and then the block 206 is executed . at block 206 , attachment information corresponding to the attachment to upload is generated , and the attachment information is displayed on a location where the attachment uploading options are displayed . if the attachment is an image file , the attachment information contains an image name , an image format , and / or an image thumbnail . or if the attachment is an audio file , the attachment information contains an audio name , an audio format , and / or audio play time . or if the attachment is a video file , the attachment information contains a video name , a video format , a video thumbnail , and / or video play time . specifically , the size of the area where the attachment information is displayed can be configured , and the attachment information can be displayed on a location where the attachment uploading options are displayed , in which the size of the display area of the attachment information is larger , smaller or equal to the size of the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed . for example , when the attachment information needs to be displayed more comprehensively , the size of the area where the attachment information is displayed will increase accordingly as needs . to be specific , when a thumbnail contained in the attachment information is to be shown , it can be shown by being slidden in an animated way from an edge of the electronic device screen to the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed . specifically , the obtained thumbnail of the attachment to upload is shown in an image control , and the x coordinate property , translatex , and the y coordinate property , translatey , of the image control are changed by using an animation function doubleanimation ( an animation function used to realize smooth movements of controls ). horizontal changes of the image control can be realized by changing a value of the x coordinate property thereof , translatex , and in a same way , vertical changes of the image control can be realized by changing a value of the y coordinate property thereof , translatey . in this way , the image control can be slid from the edge of the screen to the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed . at block 207 , when it is detected that the area where the attachment information is displayed is selected and moved , if the movement thereof is larger than a predefined value , then the attachment information is deleted and the attachment uploading options are shown again . specifically , an animation function doubleanimation is used to change the x coordinate property , translatex , and the y coordinate property , translatey , to slide the image control from the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed to the edge of the screen so as to form a deletion animation . compared to what in the traditional art that attachment information corresponding to an attachment to upload is generally displayed on an area of a text input area or of a touch screen keyboard area , which affects normal use of the text input area or the touch screen keyboard area , for the method for uploading an attachment provided by another example of the present disclosure , since the attachment information corresponding to the attachment to upload is displayed on the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed , therefore the attachment information of the present disclosure is prevented from being displayed on the area of the text input area or of the touch screen keyboard area , thus solving the problem in the traditional art that some user devices can &# 39 ; t completely show all the content to upload , and that some touch screen devices can &# 39 ; t obtain information inputted by the user properly . fig5 shows a schematic diagram of a structure of an apparatus for uploading an attachment provided by an example of the present disclosure . as shown in fig5 , the apparatus for uploading an attachment provided by an example of the present disclosure includes : an uploading unit 31 , a determination unit 32 , and a display unit 33 . the uploading unit 31 is adapted to load an attachment uploading interface , the attachment uploading interface including the attachment uploading options . for detailed implementation thereof , please refer to what shown in the block 101 of fig2 , which will not be elaborated herein . the determination unit 32 is adapted to determine an attachment to upload when an attachment uploading option is activated . for detailed implementation thereof , please refer to what shown in the block 102 of fig2 , which will not be elaborated herein . the display unit 33 is adapted to generate attachment information corresponding to the attachment to upload and display the attachment information on the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed . for detailed implementation thereof , please refer to what shown in the block 103 of fig2 , which will not be elaborated herein . to be specific , as shown in fig6 , the determination unit 32 is adapted to , when the attachment uploading option is activated , display a local file selection interface , and determine a selected local file as the attachment to upload . for detailed implementation thereof , please refer to what shown in the block 202 of fig4 , which will not be elaborated herein . specifically , as shown in fig6 , the determination unit 32 is specifically adapted to , when the attachment uploading option is activated , start an attachment obtaining program . for detailed implementation thereof , please refer to the content shown in the block 203 of fig4 , which will not be elaborated herein . a file obtained by the attachment obtaining program is determined as the attachment to upload . for detailed implementation thereof , please refer to what shown in the block 205 of fig4 , which will not be elaborated herein . specifically , as shown in fig6 , the apparatus further includes a deletion unit 34 . and the deletion unit 34 is adapted to , when it is detected that the display area of the attachment information is selected and moved , if the movement thereof is larger than the predefined value , the attachment information is deleted and the attachment uploading options will be shown again . for detailed implementation thereof , please refer to what shown in block 207 of fig4 , which will not be elaborated herein . further , fig6 shows a schematic diagram of a structure of an apparatus for uploading an attachment provided by another example of the present disclosure . as shown in fig6 , the display unit 33 includes a configuration module 331 and a display module 332 . the configuration module 331 is adapted to configure the size of the area where the attachment information is displayed . and the display module 332 is adapted to display the attachment information on the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed . the size of the area where the attachment information is displayed is larger , smaller or equal to the size of the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed . compared to what in the traditional art that attachment information corresponding to an attachment to upload is generally displayed on an area of a text input area or a touch screen keyboard area , which affects normal use of the text input area or the touch screen keyboard area , for the apparatus for uploading an attachment provided by the present disclosure , since the attachment information corresponding to the attachment to upload is displayed on the location where the attachment uploading options are displayed , therefore , the attachment information of the present disclosure is prevented from being displayed on the area of the text input area or of the touch screen keyboard area , thus solving the problem in the traditional art that a user device can &# 39 ; t completely display all the content to upload , and that some touch screen devices can &# 39 ; t obtain information inputted by the user properly . fig7 shows a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for loading an attachment according to an example of the present disclosure . the apparatus includes a memory 70 , one or more processors 71 , and one or more programs 72 stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors 71 . the one or more programs 72 include instructions to execute the operations of blocks 101 to 103 . and specifically , the instructions are used to execute the operations of blocks 201 to 207 . an example of the present disclosure also discloses a non - transitory computer - readable storage medium including a set of instructions for loading an attachment . the set of instructions are used to direct at least one processor to perform acts in the blocks 101 to 103 . and specifically , the instructions are used to direct the at least one processor to perform acts in the blocks 201 to 207 . the foregoing description , for purpose of explanation , has been described with reference to specific examples . however , the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings . the examples were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practical applications , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present disclosure and various examples with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . the above examples may be implemented by hardware , software , firmware , or a combination thereof . for example the various methods , processes and functional modules described herein may be implemented by a processor ( the term processor is to be interpreted broadly to include a cpu , processing unit / module , asic , logic module , or programmable gate array , etc .). the processes , methods and functional modules may all be performed by a single processor or split between several processors ; reference in this disclosure or the claims to a ‘ processor ’ should thus be interpreted to mean ‘ one or more processors ’. the processes , methods and functional modules are implemented as machine readable instructions executable by one or more processors , hardware logic circuitry of the one or more processors or a combination thereof . the modules , if mentioned in the aforesaid examples , may be combined into one module or further divided into a plurality of sub - modules . further , the examples disclosed herein may be implemented in the form of a software product . the computer software product is stored in a non - transitory storage medium and comprises a plurality of instructions for making an electronic device implement the method recited in the examples of the present disclosure . | 7 |
the requirements for supporting a two frame architecture as well as letterbox scaling are as follows , using ntsc . letterbox scaling only transmits ¾ of a full screen , leaving the top and bottom eighth of the screen blank at all times . for letterbox scaling , a total of 360 ( or ¾ * 480 ) lines of active video must be displayed . for a two frame store system , with a 45 by 30 macroblock picture , 360 lines of active video divided by 30 * 525 seconds is available , or approximately 0 . 02286 seconds are available to decode the 45 by 30 macroblock arrangement . with 30 rows of macroblocks , the time to decode one full row of macroblocks is ( 360 /( 30 * 525 ))/ 30 seconds , or approximately 761 . 91 microseconds . the time to decode one macroblock is 761 . 91 / 45 or 16 . 391 microseconds . with two frame store , double decoding is necessary , and the time available to decode a macroblock is 16 . 391 / 2 microseconds , or 8 . 465 microseconds . fig1 illustrates the mpeg video decoder 100 according to the current invention . the system passes the compressed bitstream 101 to mbcore 102 ( macro block core ), which passes data to tmccore 103 ( transformation / motion compensation core ) and reference subsystem 104 . tmccore 103 passes information to mbcore 102 , and produces reconstructed macroblocks . the mbcore 102 operates as both a controller and a parser . the mbcore 102 primary function is to parse the compressed bitstream 101 and generate dct coefficients and motion vectors for all macroblocks . the dct coefficients then pass to the tmccore 103 for further processing , and the mbcore 102 passes the motion vectors to the reference subsystem 104 for further processing . the mbcore 102 comprises video bitstream symbol extractor 105 and state machines 106 . mbcore 102 reads the compressed bitstream 101 and if the compressed bitstream is in vlc ( variable length coding ), the mbcore decompresses the bitstream using the video bitstream symbol extractor 105 , detailed below . the mbcore further comprises dct processor 107 , which enables the mbcore 102 to calculate and provide dct coefficients to the tmccore 103 and motion vectors to the reference subsystem 104 . the tmccore 103 receives dct and motion vector information for a series of macroblocks and performs the inverse discrete cosine transfer for all data received . the tmccore 103 receives the discrete cosine transfer data from the mbcore 102 , computes the inverse discrete cosine transform ( idct ) for each macroblock of data , computes a motion vector difference between the current frame and the reference frame by essentially “ backing out ” the difference between the current frame and reference frame , and combines this motion vector difference with the idct coefficients to produce the new frame using motion compensation . the tmccore 103 also executes pel compensation on reference data received from the reference subsystem 104 , and reconstructs the new frame using information from the reference subsystem 104 and the mbcore 102 . the reference subsystem 104 receives motion vectors from the mecore 102 . the reference subsystem 104 determines the location of necessary motion related information , such as previous frame data and current frame data , to support the tmccore 103 in compensation and reconstruction . the reference subsystem 104 acquires such information and provides it to the tmccore 103 . as noted above , the timing for performing the necessary parsing , coefficient generation , transmission , and picture reconstruction functions is critical . data is transmitted to the mbcore 102 as follows : a slice header and macroblock data passes to the mbcore 102 , followed by the dct coefficient data for a particular macroblock of data . the slice header and macroblock data take 30 cycles for transmission , and thus the mbcore does not transmit dct data for 30 cycles . transmission of one macroblock of data requires the initial 30 cycle period , followed by six 64 cycle transmissions , and then the procedure repeats . the mbcore 102 takes 50 cycles to parse the video bitstream from the slice start code , i . e . a data block indicating the beginning of a particular bitstream arrangement , to generating the first coefficients for the iq stage of the tmccore 103 . operation of the mbcore is as follows . the mbcore initially accepts and parses the 50 cycles up to the block layer . the mbcore then generates one dct coefficient per cycle , and takes a total of ( 64 + 1 )* 5 + 64 cycles , or 389 cycles , to generate all the dct coefficients for a given macroblock . the mbcore passes a total of 384 dct coefficients ( 64 * 6 ) to the tmccore 103 , which accepts one block of coefficient data into idct stage 1 . a detailed illustration of the tmccore is presented in fig2 . after a full block of idct coefficient data passes through the idct stage 1 data path , which can conceptually be analogized to a pipeline , idct stage 2 computation begins on the idct stage 1 processed data . hence idct stage 1 data is stored by the system in ram and the idct stage 1 data is subsequently received by idct stage 2 within the tmccore 103 . idct stage 1 operates as soon as it receives the data from the mbcore 102 . idct stage 2 , however , is one block delayed due to the processing , storage , and retrieval of the idct data . the arrangement of the timing of the idct stages and the transmission of data within the tmccore 103 are presented below . fig3 presents the timing diagram for the transmission of data through the tmccore 103 . from fig3 the zero block of data , comprising 64 units of data and taking 64 cycles , is processed in the iq / idct stage 1 pipeline initially . a gap occurs between the six 64 blocks of data , taking one cycle . the one block of data is subsequently processed by the iq / idct stage 1 pipeline at the time the idct stage 2 processes the zero block data . processing continues in a staggered manner until the four block is processed in idct stage 1 and the three block in idct stage 2 , at which time the system begins reconstruction of the picture . with the 4 : 2 : 0 ratio , the tmccore 103 receives four luminance pixels and two chrominance pixels . at the end of the four luminance pixels , the tmccore 103 initiates reconstruction of the picture . total time for the process is 64 cycles multiplied by 6 blocks = 384 cycles , plus five one cycle gaps , plus the 35 cycles for header processing , plus a trailing five cycles to complete reconstruction , for a total of 429 cycles . reconstruction takes 96 cycles . the staggered timing arrangement for processing the data permits the functions of the mbcore 102 and tmccore 103 to overlap . this overlap permits the mbcore 102 to operate on one macroblock of data while the tmccore 103 operates on a second macroblock . prior systems required full loading of a single macroblock of data before processing the data , which necessarily slowed the system down and would not permit two - frame store and letterbox scaling . fig4 shows the mbcore / tmccore macroblock decoding overlap scheme . again , header data is received by the mbcore 102 , followed by zero block data , which are passed to iq / idct stage 1 processing . tmccore idct stage 2 subsequently processes the zero block data , at the same time iq / idct stage 1 processes one block data . the staggered processing progresses into and through the reconstruction stage . during reconstruction , the five block is received and processed in idct stage 2 , at which time the mbcore begins receipt of data from the subsequent macroblock . five block and picture reconstruction completes , at which time zero block for the subsequent macroblock is commencing processing within iq / idct stage 1 . this is the beneficial effect of overlapping processing . in order to perform full merged store processing , wherein the idct data and the motion vector data is merged within the tmccore 103 , both sets of data must be synchronized during reconstruction . from the drawing of fig4 the motion vector data is received at the same time the idct stage 2 data is received and processed . the sum of the idct stage 2 data and the motion vector data establishes the picture during reconstruction , and that picture is then transmitted from the tmccore 103 . the total number of cycles required to decode the video bitstream from the slice header and ship out six blocks of coefficients is 429 cycles . the tmccore idct stage 2 and reconstruction takes fewer cycles than the mbcore parsing and shipping of data . with the staggered processing arrangement illustrated above , the mpeg video processor illustrated here can decode the bitstream in 429 cycles ( worst case ). from the requirements outlined above for the letterbox format and two frame store , the minimum frequency at which the mbcore 102 and the tmccore 103 must operate at to achieve real time video bitstream decoding is 1 / 8 . 465 microseconds / 429 cycles , or 50 . 67 mhz . thus by overlapping the decoding of the macroblocks using the invention disclosed herein , the mbcore and the tmccore together can perform mpeg - 2 mp / ml decoding with a two frame store architecture and letterbox decoding with a clock running at 54 mhz . the decoder of fig1 must have the ability to decode a vld ( variable length dct ) in every clock cycle . the mbcore 102 receives one dct coefficient per cycle , and comprises in addition to an inverse dct function a video bitstream symbol extractor 105 . data in the bitstream is compressed , and thus the mbcore 102 must extract the necessary symbols from the bitstream , which may vary in size . the largest symbol which must be extracted is 32 bits according to the mpeg standard . the data steering logic for the video bitstream symbol extractor permits enables the mbcore 102 to read the symbols irrespective of symbol size . the mbcore 102 receives compressed video data in a linear fashion as illustrated in fig5 a . w 0 , 0 represents word 0 , bit 0 , while w 1 , 31 represents word 1 , bit 31 , and so forth . time progresses from left to right , and thus the data bitstream enters the video decoder from left to right in a sequential manner as illustrated in fig5 a . as parsing is performed , compressed data consumed by the system is flushed out of the register and new data is shifted into the register . this flushing of consumed data and maintenance of unconsumed data is performed by the data steering logic . fig5 b illustrates the appearance of the data after a 16 bit symbol is consumed . the data comprising w 0 , 0 . . . 15 is consumed by the system , leaving all other data behind . the problem which arises is that upon consuming a 16 bit symbol , the next symbol may be 30 bits in length , thereby requiring excess storage beyond the 32 bit single word length . the tradeoff between timing and space taken by performing this shifting function is addressed by the data steering logic . data steering logic is presented in fig6 . according to the data steering logic , the cpu first instructs the data steering logic to initiate data steering . upon receiving this initiation signal , the data steering logic loads 32 bit first flop 601 and 32 bit second flop 602 with 64 bits of data . the data steering logic then resets the total_used_bits counter 603 to zero and indicates that initialization is complete by issuing an initialization ready signal to the cpu . once the mbcore 102 begins receiving video data , state machines 106 within the mbcore 102 examine the value coming across the data bus and consume some of the bits . this value is called “ usedbits ” and is a six bit ([ 5 : 0 ]) bus . the total number of used bits , total_used [ 5 : 0 ], is the sum of total_used_bits [ 5 : 0 ] and usedbits [ 5 : 0 ]. total_used_bits are illustrated in fig6 as flop 604 . bit usage via flop 604 and total_used_bits counter 603 is a side loop used to track the status of the other flops and barrel shifter 605 . data is sequentially read by the system and passed to the barrel shifter , and subsequently passed to resultant data flop 608 . for example , the initial value of usedbits is 0 . a consumption of 10 bits , representing a 10 bit symbol , by the state machines 106 yields a total_used_bits of 10 . hence the total_used is 10 . these 10 bits are processed using first flop bank mux 606 and loaded into barrel shifter 605 . total_used is a six bit wide bus . the range of values that may be stored using total_used is from 0 to 63 . when the value of total_used_bits is greater than 63 , the value of total_used_bits wraps back around to zero . when total_used is greater than 32 and less than or equal to 63 , first flop bank 601 is loaded with new data . when total_used is greater than or equal to zero and less than 32 , the data steering logic loads second flop bank 602 with data . continuing with the previous example , the first 10 bit symbol is processed by first flop bank mux 606 and loaded into barrel shifter 605 , usedbits set to 10 , total_used set to 10 , and total_bits_used set to 10 . the next symbol may take 12 bits , in which case the system processes the 12 bit symbol using first flop bank mux 606 and passes the data to barrel shifter 605 . usedbits is set to 12 , which is added to total_used_bits ( 10 ) in total_used_bits counter 603 , yielding a total_used of 22 . the next data acquired from ram may be a large symbol , having 32 bits of length . such a symbol spans both first flop 601 and second flop 602 , from location 23 in first flop 601 through second flop 602 location 13 . in such a situation , usedbits is 32 , and the data is processed by first flop bank mux 606 and second flop bank mux 607 . usedbits is set to 32 , which is added to total_used_bits ( 22 ) in total_used_bits counter 603 , yielding a total_used of 54 . with a total_used of 54 , the system loads new data into first flop 601 and continues with second flop 602 . barrel shifter 605 is a 32 bit register , and thus the addition of the last 32 bit segment of processed data would fill the barrel shifter 605 . hence the data from barrel shifter 605 is transferred out of barrel shifter 605 and into resultant data flop 608 . the 32 bits from first flop bank mux 606 and second flop bank mux 607 pass to barrel shifter 605 . continuing with the example , the next symbol may only take up one bit . in such a situation , used bits is one , which is added to total_used_bits ( 54 ) yielding a total_used of 55 . the system processes the bit in second flop bank mux 607 and the processed bit passes to barrel shifter 605 . the next symbol may again be 32 in length , in which case data from the end of second flop 602 and the beginning of first flop 601 is processed and passed into the barrel shifter 605 . usedbits is 32 , which is added to total_used_bits ( 54 ), which sums to 87 . however , the six bit size of the total_used indicates a total of 23 , i . e . the pointer in the barrel register 605 is beyond the current 64 bits of data and is 23 bits into the next 64 bits of data . with a value in excess of 32 bits , the single bit residing in barrel shifter 605 passes to resultant data flop 608 , and the 32 bits pass to barrel shifter 605 . the system then sequentially steps through all remaining data to process and pass data in an efficient manner . the operation of the process is illustrated graphically in fig7 . the first and second flop banks are loaded in step 701 and the system initialized in step 702 . the system reads data in step 703 and determines total_used in step 704 . the system then determines whether total_used_bits is greater than 32 in step 705 , and , if so , first flop bank is loaded with new data in step 706 . step 707 determines whether total_used is greater than or equal to 0 and less than 32 . if so , step 708 loads the second flop bank with data . as long as usedbits is not equal to zero , steps 704 through 708 are repeated . if the cpu initializes the data steering logic in the middle of the operation , the process begins at step 701 . the advantage of this implementation is that it is hardware oriented and requires no interaction from a cpu or microcontroller . only a single shift register is used , which provides significant area savings . the system obtains the benefits of using the shift register as a circular buffer in that the system uses total bits as a pointer into the shift register and loads shifted data into the resultant data register 608 . the tmccore 103 performs the idct transform using idct processor 107 . the inverse discrete cosine transform is a basic tool used in signal processing . the idct processor 107 used in mbcore 102 may be any form of general purpose tool which performs the idct function , but the preferred embodiment of such a design is presented in this section . the application of the idct function described in this section is within a real time , high throughput multimedia digital signal processing chip , but alternate implementations can employ the features and functions presented herein to perform the inverse dct function . the implementation disclosed herein is ieee compliant , and conforms with ieee draft standard specification for the implementations of 8 × 8 inverse discrete cosine transform , p1180 / d1 , the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference . generally , as illustrated in fig1 the mbcore 102 receives dct data and initially processes symbols using the video bitstream symbol extractor 105 and subsequently performs the idct function using idct processor 107 . the system feeds dct coefficients into idct processor 106 in a group of eight rows of eight columns . each dct coefficient is a 12 bit sign magnitude number with the most significant bit ( msb ) being the sign bit . the idct processor 106 processes a macroblock comprising an 8 × 8 block of pixels in 64 cycles . after processing , the idct processor transmits a data stream of eight by eight blocks . each output idct coefficient is a nine bit sign magnitude number also having the msb as a sign bit . the inverse discrete cosine transform is defined as : x ( i , j ) = 1 4 ∑ k = 0 7 ∑ l = 0 7 c ( k ) c ( l ) x ( k , l ) cos ( ( 2 i + 1 ) k π 16 ) cos ( ( 2 j + 1 ) l π 16 ) ( 1 ) where i , j = 0 . . . 7 is the pixel value , x ( k , l ), k , l = 0 . . . 7 is the transformed dct coefficient , x ( i , j ) is the final result , and c ( 0 ) = 1 2 , and c ( i ) = 1 , i = 1 , … 7 ( 2 ) equation 1 is mathematically equivalent to the following matrix form : x = 1 4 ( x q p ) ′ p ( 3 ) where x q ( i , j )= qq ( i , j ) x ( j , i ), qq = q * q , where q is a matrix and qq is the product of matrix q with itself . p from equation 3 is as follows : p = [ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 a r ( a + 1 ) r ( a - 1 ) 1 - 1 - r ( a - 1 ) - r ( a + 1 ) - a b 1 - 1 - b - b - 1 1 b c - r ( c - 1 ) - r ( c + 1 ) - 1 1 r ( c + 1 ) r ( c - 1 ) - c 1 - 1 - 1 1 1 - 1 - 1 1 1 - r ( c + 1 ) r ( c - 1 ) c - c - r ( c - 1 ) r ( c + 1 ) - 1 1 - b b - 1 - 1 b - b 1 1 - r ( a - 1 ) r ( a + 1 ) - a a - r ( a + 1 ) r ( a - 1 ) - 1 ] where q is : q = i * [ 1 2 1 a 2 + 1 1 b 2 + 1 1 c 2 + 1 1 2 1 c 2 + 1 1 b 2 + 1 1 a 2 + 1 ] and i is a unitary diagonal identity matrix , a is 5 . 0273 , b is 2 . 4142 , is 1 . 4966 , and r is 0 . 7071 . the matrix representation of the idct greatly simplifies the operation of the idct processor 106 , since each row of the p matrix has only four distinct entries , with one entry being 1 . this simplification of the number of elements in the idct matrix means that in performing a matrix multiplication , the system only needs three multipliers instead of eight , the total number of elements in each row . the system performs idct processing by performing multiplications as illustrated in fig8 . the idct processor 107 receives 12 bits of dct data input in 2 &# 39 ; s complement format , and thus can range ( with the sign bit ) from − 2048 to + 2047 . the first block 801 performs a sign change to convert to sign magnitude . if necessary , block 801 changes − 2048 to − 2047 . this yields eleven bits of data and a data bit indicating sign . second block 802 performs the function qx t q , which uses 0 + 16 bits for qq , yielding one sign bit and 20 additional bits . block 802 produces a 27 bit word after the multiplication ( 11 bits multiplied by 16 bits ), and only the 20 most significant bits are retained . block 803 multiplies the results of block 802 with the elements of the p matrix , above . the p matrix is one sign bit per element and 15 bits per element , producing a 35 bit word . the system discards the most significant bit and the 14 least significant bits , leaving a total of 20 bits . the result of block 804 is therefore again a one bit sign and a 20 data bits . block 805 converts the sign magnitude to two &# 39 ; s complement , yielding a 21 bit output . the system adds four blocks into each buffer , with the buffers having 22 bits each . block 805 transmits all 22 bits . block 806 performs a sign change to obtain qx t qp , and passes 22 bits with no carry to block 807 . block 807 performs a matrix transpose of qx t qp , yielding ( qx t qp ) t . block 807 passes this transpose data to block 808 which performs a twos complement to sign - magnitude , yielding a one bit sign and a 21 bit word . block 809 clips the least significant bit , producing a one bit sign and a 20 bit word . this result passes to block 810 , which multiplies the result by the p matrix , having a one bit sign and a 15 bit word . the multiplication of a 20 bit word with 1 bit sign by a 15 bit word with 1 bit sign yields a 35 bit word , and the system discards the two most significant bits and the 13 least significant bits , producing a 20 bit word with a 1 bit sign out of block 810 . the result of block 810 is sign - magnitude converted back to 2 &# 39 ; s complement , producing a 21 bit result in block 811 . block 812 performs a similar function to block 805 , and adds the four products into each buffer . the buffers have 22 bits each , and the output from block 812 is 22 bits . this data is passed to block 813 , which performs a sign switch to obtain the elements of ( qx t qp ) t p . output from block 813 is a 22 bit word , with no carry . block 814 right shifts the data seven bits , with roundoff , and not a clipping . in other words , the data appears as follows : and is transformed by a seven bit shift in block 813 to : depending on the value of y , block 814 rounds off the value to keep 15 bits . if y is 1 , block 814 increments the integer portion of the word by 1 ; if y is 0 , block 814 does not change the integer part of the word . the result is a 15 bit word , which is passed to block 815 . in block 815 , if the 15 bit value is greater than 255 , the block sets the value to 255 . if the value is less than − 256 , it sets the value to − 256 . the resultant output from block 815 is the idct output , which is a 9 bit word from − 256 to 255 . this completes the transformation from a 12 bit dct input having a value between − 2048 and 2047 , and a 9 bit inverse dct output , having a value between − 256 and 255 . the efficiencies for matrix multiplication are as follows . the four factors used which can fully define all elements of the qq and p matrices are as follows : f = 1 2 , g = 1 a 2 + 1 , h = 1 b 2 + 1 , s = 1 c 2 + 1 the parameters for all elements of the qq and pp matrix are : the entire idct is implemented in two stages . idct stage 1 , illustrated in fig9 implements x q p . the second stage , illustrated in fig1 , transposes the result and multiplies it by p again . from fig2 and as may be more fully appreciated from the illustrations of fig8 through 11 , the tmccore 103 receives the dct input , produces the matrix ( qx t tq ) p , or x q p , in idct stage 1 ( i . e ., from fig8 completes through block 806 ) and stores the result in transpose ram 923 . idct stage 2 performs the transpose of the result of idct stage 1 and multiplies the result by p , completing the idct process and producing the idct output . as may be appreciated from fig9 the representation disclosed is highly similar to the flowchart of fig8 . from fig9 idct stage 1 pipeline 900 receives data from the iq block in the form of the matrix x . the q matrix is available from a row / column state machine in the iq pipeline , depicted by state machine registers 902 . the state machine registers 902 pass data from register 902 c to qq matrix block 903 which contains qq matrix generator 904 and qq matrix register 905 . qq data is passed to qx t q block 901 which multiplies the 16 bit qq matrix by the x block having one sign bit and 11 data bits in qx t q multiplier 906 . this multiplication is passed to qx t q register 907 , which transmits a one bit sign and a 20 bit word . qx t q block 901 thereby performs the function of block 802 . output from register 902 d is a column [ 2 : 0 ] which passes to p matrix block 908 . p matrix block 908 comprises p matrix generator 909 which produces a sign bit and three fifteen bit words to p matrix register 910 . qx t q block 901 passes the one bit sign and 20 bit word to ( qx t q ) p block 911 , which also receives the three fifteen bit words and one sign bit from p matrix block 908 . ( qx t q ) p block 911 performs the function illustrated in block 803 in three multiplier blocks 912 a , 912 b , and 912 c . the results of these multiplications is passed to ( qx t q ) p mux 913 , which also receives data from register 902 e in the form row [ 2 : 0 ]. data from register 902 e also passes to read address generator 914 , which produces a transpose ram read address . the transpose ram read address passes to transpose ram 923 and to first write address register 915 , which passes data to write address register 916 . the write address from write address register 916 and the read address from read address generator 914 pass to transpose ram 923 , along with the p matrix read row / column generator state machine 1001 , illustrated below . ( qx t q ) p mux 913 thus receives the output from the three multiplier blocks 912 a , 912 b , and 912 c as well as the output from register 902 e , and passes data to ( qx t q ) p register 917 , which passes the ( qx t q ) p matrix in a one bit sign and 20 bit word therefrom . as in block 804 , these four data transmissions from ( qx t q ) p block 911 pass to matrix formatting block 918 . matrix formatting block 918 performs first the function illustrated in block 802 by converting sign - magnitude to two &# 39 ; s complement in two &# 39 ; s complement blocks 919 a , 919 b , 919 c , and 919 d . the values of these four blocks 919 a - d are added to the current values held in transpose ram 923 in summation blocks 920 a , 920 b , 920 c , and 920 d . the transpose ram 923 value is provided via register 921 . transpose ram 923 is made up of 4 eight bit by 88 bit values , and each 22 bit result from the four summation blocks 920 a , 920 b , 920 c , and 920 d pass to register 922 and subsequently to transpose ram 923 . this completes processing for idct stage 1 . processing for idct stage 2 1000 is illustrated in fig1 . p matrix read row / column generator state machine 1001 receives a transpose ram ready indication and provides row / column information for the current state to transpose ram 923 and to a sequence of registers 1002 a , 1002 b , 1002 c , 1002 d , and 1002 e . the information from 1002 b passes to stage 2 p matrix block 1003 , comprising stage 2 p matrix generator 1004 and p matrix register 1005 , which yields the one bit sign and 15 bit word for the p matrix . from transpose ram 923 , two of the 22 bit transpose ram elements pass to transpose block 1006 , wherein transpose mux 1007 passes data to registers 1008 a and 1008 b , changes the sign from one register using sign change element 1009 and passes this changed sign with the original value from register 1008 b through mux 1010 . the value from mux 1010 is summed with the value held in register 1008 a in summer 1011 , which yields the transpose of qx t qp , a 22 bit word . thus the value of the data passing from the output of summer 1011 is functionally equal to the value from block 807 , i . e . ( qx t qp ) t . two &# 39 ; s complement / sign block 1012 performs the function of block 808 , forming the two &# 39 ; s complement to sign - magnitude . the lsb is clipped from the value in lsb clipping block 1013 , and this clipped value is passed to register 1014 , having a one bit sign and a 20 bit word . the output from transpose block 1006 is multiplied by the p matrix as functionally illustrated in block 810 . this multiplication occurs in stage 2 p multiplication block 1015 , specifically in multipliers 1016 a , 1016 b , and 1016 c . this is summed with the output of register 1002 c in mux 1017 and passed to register 1018 . this is a matrix multiplication which yields ( qx t qp ) t p . conversion block 1019 converts this information , combines it with specific logic and stores the idct values . first two &# 39 ; s blocks 1020 a , 1020 b , 1020 c , and 1020 d convert sign - magnitude to two &# 39 ; s complement , as in block 811 , and sum this in adders 1021 a , 1021 b , 1021 c , and 1021 d with current idct ram 1024 values , which comprise four 22 bit words . the sum of the current idct ram values and the corrected ( qx t qp ) t p values summed in adders 1021 a - d pass to idct ram 1024 . idct ram 1024 differs from transpose ram 923 . idct ram 1024 provides a hold and store place for the output of idct stage 2 values , and comprises two 88 by 1 registers . note that idct ram 1024 feeds four 22 bit words back to adders 1021 a - d , one word to each adder , and passes eight 22 bit words from idct stage 2 1000 . ram also utilizes values passed from register 1002 d , i . e . the position of read / write elements or the state of the multiplication . register 1002 d passes data to read additional combined logic element 1022 , which calculates and passes a read add indication and a write add indication to ram to properly read and write data from adders 1021 a - d . data also passes from register 1002 d to register 1002 e , which provides information to output trigger generator 1023 , the result of which is passed to ram as well as out of idct stage 2 1000 . the output from ram is eight 22 bit words and the output from output trigger generator 1023 . the result functionally corresponds to the output from block 812 . fig1 illustrates the implementation which performs the final functions necessary for idct output and stores the values in appropriate positions in idct output ram 1115 . sign corrector 1101 receives the eight 22 bit words from idct stage 2 1000 and multiplexes them using mux 1102 to four 22 bit words passing across two lines . these values are summed in summer 1103 , and subtracted in subtractor 1104 as illustrated in fig1 . the output from subtractor 1104 passes through register 1105 and reverse byte orderer 1107 , and this set of 4 22 bit words passes along with the value from summer 1103 to mux 1107 , which passes data to register 1108 . this sign corrector block produces an output functionally comparable to the output of block 813 , essentially providing the elements of ( qx t qp ) t p . shift / roundoff block 1109 takes the results from sign corrector 1101 , converts two &# 39 ; s complement to sign / magnitude in element 1110 , shifts the value right seven places using shifters 1111 a , 1111 b , 1111 c , and 1111 d , rounds these values off using round off elements 1112 a , 1112 b , 1112 c , and 1112 d , and passes these to element 1113 . the rounded off values from round off elements 1112 a - d functionally correspond to the output from block 814 . the value is limited between − 256 and + 255 in element 1113 , the output of which is a 15 bit word passed to sign block 1114 , which performs a conversion to two &# 39 ; s complement and passes four nine bit words to idct output ram 1115 . output from the output trigger generator and the chroma / luma values from cbp luma / chroma determine the stage of completeness of the idct ram output . idct ram address / idct done indication generator 1116 , as with elements 914 , 915 , and 916 , as well as elements 1022 and 1023 , are placekeepers or pointers used to keep track of the position of the various levels of ram , including the current position and the completion of the individual tasks for various levels of processing , i . e . idct stage 1 progress , idct stage 2 progress , and completion of the stages . it is recognized that any type of bookkeeping , maintenance , or pointing processing can generally maintain values and placement information for reading , writing , and providing current location and completion of task indications to blocks or elements within the system while still within the scope of the current invention . the purpose of these elements is to provide such a bookkeeping function . idct ram address / idct done indication generator 1116 receives output trigger generator 1023 output trigger information and cbp luma / chroma indications and provides a write address and a luma done / chroma done idct indication , signifying , when appropriate , the receipt of all necessary luma / chroma values for the current macroblock . the system writes idct information to idct output ram 1115 , specifically the information passing from sign block 1114 to the appropriate location based on the write address received from idct ram address / idct done indication generator 1116 . idct output ram 1115 is broken into luma ( y 0 , y 1 , y 2 , and y 3 ) locations , and chroma ( cb and cr ) locations . the values of idct output ram 1115 represent the complete and final idct outputs . the design disclosed herein provides idct values at the rate of 64 cycles per second . the design stores two blocks worth of data in transpose ram 923 between idct stage 1 and idct stage 2 . motion compensation for the two frame store and letterbox scaling for mpeg decoding operates as follows . for a 2 × 7 array of pixels , i . e . 14 pels , the numbering of pels is illustrated in fig1 . the system performs a half - pel compensation . half - pel compensation is compensating for a location between pixels , i . e . the motion is between pixel x and pixel y . when the system determines the data in fig1 must be right half pel compensated , or shifted right one half pel , the system performs the operation ( s ) outlined below . when the system determines the data in fig1 must be down half pel compensated , or shifted downward one half pel , the system performs the operation ( s ) outlined below . alternately , the system may indicate the desired position is between four pels , or shifted horizontally one half pel and down one half pel . when the system determines the data in fig1 must be right and down half pel compensated , or shifted right one half pel and down one half pel , the system performs the operation ( s ) outlined below . the aforementioned logic is implemented as illustrated in fig1 . as may be appreciated , a right half pel shift may require the system to point to a position one half - pel outside the block . thus the system must compensate for odd - pel shifting . from fig1 , the motion compensation unit 1300 comprises horizontal half pel compensatory 1301 and vertical half pel compensator 1302 , as well as four banks of 36 flops 1303 a , 1303 b , 1303 c , and 1303 d . registers 1304 a a , 1304 a b , 1304 c , 1304 d , and 1304 e contain motion compensation data having 32 bits of information . these registers pass the motion compensation data to horizontal compensation muxes 1305 a , 1305 b , 1305 c , and 1305 d , as well as horizontal adders 1306 a , 1306 b , 1306 c , and 1306 d as illustrated in fig1 . for example , register 1304 e passes motion compensation data to horizontal compensation mux 1305 d , which subsequently passes the information to horizontal adder 1306 d and adds this value to the value received from register 1304 d . register 1304 a passes data to adder 1306 a but does not pass data to any of the horizontal compensation muxes 1305 a - d . this summation / mux arrangement provides a means for carrying out the right half - pel compensation operations outlined above . the result of the horizontal half pel compensator 1301 is four summed values corresponding to the shift of data one half pel to the right for a row of data . as a luma macroblock has dimensions of 16 × 16 , movement of one half pel to the right produces , for the 16th element of a row , a shift outside the bounds of the 16 × 16 macroblock . hence a right shift produces a 16 × 17 pixel macroblock , a vertical shift a 17 × 16 pixel macroblock , and a horizontal and vertical shift a 17 by 17 pixel macroblock . the additional space is called an odd pel . the compensation scheme illustrated in fig1 determines the necessity of compensation and thereby instructs the muxes disclosed therein to compensate by adding one half pel to each pel position in the case of horizontal pixel compensation . thus out of the 32 bits from reference logic , data for each pel may be shifted right one pel using the mux / adder arrangement of the horizontal half pel compensator 1301 . vertical pel compensation operates in the same manner . for each of the pels in a macroblock , the data is shifted downward one half pel according to the vertical compensation scheme outlined above . vertical half pel compensator 1302 takes and sums results from the horizontal half pel compensator 1301 and receives data from the four banks of 36 flops 1303 a , 1303 b , 1303 c , and 1303 d . data from horizontal half pel compensator 1301 passes to vertical compensation muxes 1307 a , 1307 b , 1307 c and 1307 d and vertical adders 1308 a , 1308 b , 1308 c , and 1308 d along with muxed data from the four banks of 36 flops 1303 a , 1303 b , 1303 c , and 1303 d . in cases where vertical and horizontal half pel compensation are required , the four banks of 36 flops 1303 a , 1303 b , 1303 c , and 1303 d are used by the system to store the extra row of reference data expected for down half - pel compensation . this data storage in the four banks of 36 flops 1303 a - d provides the capability to perform the computations illustrated above to vertically and horizontally shift the data one half pel . the result is transmitted to register 1309 , which may then be b - picture compensated and transmitted to motion compensation output ram 1311 . an output of the ram 1311 may be presented to a register 1312 that may act as a feedback for the b - picture compensator 1310 . reference data averaging may be necessary for b - pictures having backward and forward motion vectors , or with p pictures having a dual - prime prediction . either function is accomplished within the b - picture compensator 1310 . prediction may generally be either frame prediction , field prediction , or dual - prime . frame pictures for half pel compensation appear as follows . in frame prediction , the luma reference data pointed to by a motion vector contains either 16 × 16 ( unshifted ), 16 × 17 ( right half - pel shifted ), 17 × 16 ( down half - pel shifted ), or 17 × 17 ( right and down half - pel shifted ) data . the chroma component , either cr or cb , contains either 8 × 8 ( unshifted ), 8 × 9 ( right half - pel shifted ), 9 × 8 ( down half - pel shifted ) or 9 × 9 ( right and down half - pel shifted ) data . in field prediction as well as dual - prime predictions , the luma reference data pointed to by a motion vector contains either 8 × 16 ( unshifted ), 8 × 17 ( right half - pel shifted ), 9 × 16 ( down half - pel shifted ) or 9 × 17 ( down and right half pel shifted ) data . the chroma reference data , either cr or cb , contains either 4 × 8 ( unshifted ), 4 × 9 ( right half - pel shifted ), 5 × 8 ( down half - pel shifted ) or 5 × 9 ( right and down half - pel shifted ) data . field pictures for half - pel compensation may utilize field prediction , 16 × 8 prediction , or dual - prime . field prediction and dual - prime prediction are identical to frame prediction in frame pictures , i . e . the luma and chroma references are as outlined above with respect to frame prediction ( 16 × 16 , 16 × 17 , 17 × 16 , or 17 × 17 luma , 8 × 8 , 8 × 9 , 9 × 8 , or 9 × 9 chroma ). 16 × 8 prediction is identical to field prediction in frame pictures , i . e ., luma and chroma are identical as outlined above with respect to field prediction ( 8 × 16 , 8 × 17 , 9 × 16 , or 9 × 17 luma , 4 × 8 , 4 × 9 , 5 × 8 , or 5 × 9 chroma ). the motion compensation unit 1300 accepts reference data 32 bits ( 4 pels ) at a time while accepting odd pel data one pel at a time on the odd pel interface , the system ships luma reference data in units of 8 × 16 and chroma reference data in units of 4 × 8 . luma reference data is transferred before chroma reference data , and cb chroma is shipped before cr chroma . in accordance with the motion compensation unit 1300 of fig1 , transfer of luma and chroma data occurs as follows . for luma data , assuming that luma reference data is represented by luma [ 8 : 0 ] [ 16 : 0 ], or that data requires both right and down half - pel compensation . on a cycle by cycle basis , luma data is transferred as follows using motion compensation unit 1300 : for chroma reference data represented by chroma [ 4 : 0 ][ 8 : 0 ]. the motion compensation unit 1300 transfers data on a cycle by cycle basis as follows : data expected by motion compensation units for the combinations of picture type , prediction type , and pel compensation are as follows : reference data transfer to the tmccore 103 occurs as follows . the maximum amount of reference data ( in bytes ) that the system must fetch for any macroblock conforming to the 4 : 2 : 0 format occurs in a frame picture / field prediction / b - picture , a field picture / 16 × 8 prediction / b - picture , or a frame picture / dual prime . the amount of luma reference data expected , excluding odd pel data , is 4 * 9 * 16 or 576 bytes of data . the amount of luma reference data ( for both chroma blue and chroma red , excluding half - pel data , is 2 * 4 * 5 * 8 or 320 bytes . data may be processed by the motion compensation unit 1300 at a rate of 4 pels per cycle . the total number of cycles required to process the data is 576 + 320 / 4 , or 224 cycles . this does not include odd pel data which is transferred on a separate bus not shared with the main data bus . while the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof , it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications . this application is intended to cover any variations , uses or adaptations of the invention following , in general , the principles of the invention , and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known and customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains . | 7 |
prior to describing the invention in further detail , the terms used in this application are defined as follow unless otherwise indicated . the term “ naturally - occurring ”, as used herein as applied to an object refers to the fact that an object can be found in nature . for example , a combination of heavy and light chain germline immunoglobulins derived from a single human antibody - producing ( b ) cell that is present in a human that can be isolated from a source in nature , e . g ., peripheral blood , and which has not been intentionally modified by man in the laboratory is naturally - occurring . the term “ monoclonal antibody ( mab )” as used herein refers to an antibody obtained from a population of substantially homogeneous antibodies , i . e ., the individual antibodies comprising the population are identical except for possible naturally occurring mutations that may be present in minor amounts . monoclonal antibodies are highly specific , being directed against a single antigenic site ( epitope ). the modifier “ monoclonal ” indicates the character of the antibody as being obtained from a substantially homogeneous population of antibodies , and is not to be construed as requiring production of the antibody by any particular method . the term “ complete human antibody ”, as used herein with regard to an antibody , means that is an antibody not only containing exclusively human sequences but also comprising naturally - occurring configuration of heavy - and - light - chain combination . the antibody is preferably a monoclonal antibody . “ non - immunogenic in a human ” means that upon contacting the polypeptide of interest in a physiologically acceptable carrier and in a therapeutically effective amount with the appropriate tissue of a human , no state of sensitivity or resistance to the polypeptide of interest is demonstrable upon the second administration of the polypeptide of interest after an appropriate latent period e . g ., 8 to 14 days . it will be understood by one of skill in the art that a polypeptide of complete human origin or a polypeptide combination with a naturally - occurring germline configuration typically represents “ non - immunogenic in a human ”. as used herein , the term “ site - directed in vitro immunization ” refers to in vitro antigen - specific immune responses from primary human lymphoid cells ( chin et al ., 2007 )( u . s . pat . nos . 7 , 494 , 779 , 8 , 021 , 860 and 8 , 158 , 386 ). this technology relies on presence of coupled t - and b - cell epitopes as well as depleted starting lymphoid populations containing primed precursors recognizing t - cell epitope . a “ heteromyeloma cell line ” is a cell line derived from fusion of two different myeloma cells . the two different myeloma cells are preferably a human myeloma cell and a murine myeloma cell . heteromyeloma cell lines are known in the art . for example , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 228 , 361 and chin et al ., 2001 describe the preparation , characterization and use of various heteromyeloma cell lines . a “ fusion partner ” is a cell that can be used to fuse with an antibody - producing cell for a beneficial purpose . typically , the fusion leads to prolonged antibody production . thus , without fusion to the fusion partner , the antibody - producing cell ceases to produce antibodies in culture . upon fusion to the fusion partner , however , fused cells can be selected that produce antibodies in culture for at least about 3 months , preferably at least about 6 , 9 , 12 , 18 , 24 months or more . fusion partners include , but are not limited to , myeloma cells and heteromyeloma cells . as used herein , the term “ antigen - binding region ” refers to that portion of an antibody molecule which contains the amino acid residues that interact with an antigen and confer on the antibody its specificity and affinity for the antigen . the antigen - binding region typically comprises the amino acid residues contributed from the paring of the corresponding heavy and light chains necessary to maintain the proper conformation of the antigen - binding residues . the peculiar configuration of specific paring is inherent in a particular antibody - producing b cell . the term “ original ( vh / vl ) pairing ” has been used in the art and herein to illustrate that although a significant number of the available heavy and light chain germline gene segments are used in vh / vl pairing and a given vh sequence can pair with many light chain sequences of both lambda and kappa light chain classes in human ab generation , the vh / vl pairing is unique in a given b cell survived from peripheral selection . the vh / vl interface between the light chain and heavy chain has been shown to affect the binding kinetics of a peptide ( chatellier et al ., 1996 ), suggesting preference for particular pairings . the interactions between vh / vl contribute significantly to the stability of the antigen - binding region as limited structural changes have significant functional effects on binding affinity . the translation of the human immunoglobulin germline sequences including all known alleles has been provided online such as http :// www . imgt . org /. the present invention is based on the ingenious designs the coupled t - and b - cell epitopes to harness naturally - occurring configurations inherent in a single antibody - producing b cell and simultaneously to isolate antibody - producing b cells with specificity against a self antigen , i . e ., hmgb1 ( seq id no : 1 ). it is a very demanding task because of a phenomenon called tolerance ; healthy human peripheral lymphoid cells do not normally produce antibodies to self antigens . however , because the site - directed in vitro immunization system utilizes a pre - existing helper t cells derived from tetanus immunization to drive b - cell maturation , several advantages are realized over conventional human mab strategies . first , the protocol yields antigen - specific b cells rather than antigen - reactive ig genes , thus eliminating the need of random , non - naturally - occurring recombination required to achieve a detectible ig binder like in phage display and ig transgene introduction . secondly , the rate at which newly formed b cells enter the mature peripheral pool accounts for less than 5 % of the immature cells generated in the bone marrow , suggesting a significant selection pressure ( cancro , 2004 ) and thus a possible mechanism to avoid immunogenicity . the in vivo selection cycles help to circumvent the problems associated with immunogenicity , a process also taken by ivig to establish a general non - immunogenic status in humans . third , using an in vitro stimulation scheme , greater than normal antibody repertoire can be obtained from a population of lymphoid cells after antigen exposure . this system is particular useful for the isolation of complete human antibodies against the self antigens . culture materials and reagents are known in the art and may be obtained commercially . the culture medium used is rpmi - 1640 ( hyclone , logan , utah ), supplemented with 1 × non - essential amino acids ( life technologies , gaithersburg , md . ), 10 % fetal bovine serum ( fbs ; life technologies ) and 50 μg / ml of gentamycin and kanamycin ( sinton chemical & amp ; pharmaceutical , hsinchu , taiwan ). purified bovine hmgb1 ( chondrex inc , redmond , wash .) and recombinant human hmgb1 ( sigma , st . louis , mo .) are used in antigen - specific and competing enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay ( elisa ), together with peroxidase - labeled goat antibodies against human igg and igm ( zymed laboratories , south san francisco , calif .) or avidin horseradish peroxidase ( ebioscience , san diego , calif .) as the reporting system . complete human mabs are produced from in vitro stimulation and culture techniques . generally , plasma and buffy coat samples from healthy routine blood donors , screened negative for hiv - 1 / 2 , htlv - i / ii , hcv , hbsag and containing normal levels of alanine transferase ( alt ), can be obtained from local blood centers . peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( pbmc ) are isolated by density centrifugation on ficoll - paque ( ge healthcare bio - sciences , uppsala , sweden ) as described elsewhere . the resulting pbmc are magnetically labeled with cd45ro macs ® microbeads ( miltenyi ) then separated by a variomacs ™ ( miltenyi ) instrument according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . the purified cd45ro + t cells are cultured at a density of 2 × 10 6 cells / ml in the culture medium supplemented with 50 μm 2 - mercaptoethanol and 10 μg / ml pokeweed mitogen ( pwm ; sigma , st . louis , mo .). after 24 h , cells are removed by 400 × g centrifugation to collect cd45ro + t cell replacing factor . removal of cytotoxic cell populations is similarly performed by using colloidal super - paramagnetic microbeads conjugated to monoclonal anti - human cd8 and anti - cd56 antibodies ( miltenyi ). removal of il - 10 - producing cells may be achieved by using rat anti - human il - 10 ( southernbiotech , birmingham , ala .) and goat anti - rat igg microbeads ( miltenyi ). site - directed in vitro immunization is performed by using cytotoxic cell - depleted pbmc based on a two - step principle . primary immunization is performed by incubating the cells for 6 days in a medium containing 10 nm of the heterotopic peptide antigen having amino acid sequence represented by seq id no : 5 ( qyikanskfigitel ( t - helper epitope of seq id no : 2 )- hmg a box ( dkaryeremkty ) ( seq id no : 3 ); yao - hong biotechnology inc ., new taipei city , taiwan ) and seq id no : 6 ( qyikanskfigitel ( t - helper epitope of seq id no : 2 )- rage binding segment ( kdiaayrakgkp ) ( seq id no : 4 ); yao - hong biotechnology inc ., new taipei city , taiwan ), 50 μm 2 - mercaptoethanol , 10 % heat - inactivated human serum , 0 . 05 ng / ml recombinant human ( rh ) il - 2 ( ebioscience ), and 25 % ( v / v ) cd45ro + t cell replacing factor . for secondary immunization , 3 × 10 7 primary - immunized cells are mixed with the peptide in a flask that had been immobilized overnight with 5 mg / ml of cd40l ( cd154 ; ebioscience ) together with 1 × 10 7 qyikanskfigitel ( yao - hong biotechnology inc . )- stimulated cd4 + t cells and 5 ng / ml rh il - 15 ( ebioscience ). the cells are cultured for 3 - 5 days in a medium supplemented with 5 % human serum , 50 mm 2 - mercaptoethanol and 10 nm heterotopic peptide antigens . the concept of using immobilized - metal affinity chromatography ( imac ) to fractionate or purify proteins has first been formulated and its feasibility shown by porath et al . in 1975 . the idea was based on the known affinity of transition metal ions such as zn 2 + , cu 2 + , ni 2 + , and co 2 + to histidine and then strongly fixed metal ions to a support for fractionating protein containing such an amino acid ( his - tag ). the chelating reagents used to fix the metal to a solid support are commercially available and usually involve a tridentate chelator iminodiacetic acid ( ida ), tetradentate chelators nitrilotriacetic acid ( nta ) and carboxymethyl aspartate ( cm - asp ). bound proteins can be eluted and thus fractionated or purified in four following ways : ( 1 ) lower the ph ; ( 2 ) add excess imidazole ; ( 3 ) add edta to remove metal ion from purification resin and / or ( 4 ) add enzymes to cleave his - tag ( gaberc - porekar and menart , 2005 ). it is now well established that imac is a highly efficient procedure to purify his - tagged proteins ; in fact , recombinant proteins are artificially terminally labeled with his tags in a form of oligo - his to serve as an affinity handle for the ease of subsequent purification because naturally occurring proteins are lack of stretches of continuous his residues . therefore , unlike biopolymer chitosan which depends on ph and amine groups for conjugation , virtually any protein can be purified from a cell extract in just one or two steps . in one embodiment , the present invention provides a novel method for the separation of specific b cells by interactions of proteins of said immune cells with antigens . typically , the his - tagged hmgb1 proteins ( sino biological , beijing , china ) are immobilized on nta − ni 2 + magnetic nanobeads ( taiwan advanced nanotech , taoyuan , taiwan ) and the hmgb1 - nanobeads complex is immersed to trap the immune b cells to the complex . specific b cells retained on a magnetic field were then released by citric acid - na 2 hpo 4 buffer containing 1 u / ml thrombin , 1 mm edta and 500 mm imidazole ( sigma ). subsequently , the in vitro immunized cells are infected with epstein - barr virus ( ebv ) by virus - containing supernatant derived from the ebv - producing marmoset cell line b95 - 8 ( american type culture collection , atcc crl 1612 ). the infected cells are seeded at 10 5 / well in 96 - well plates together with mytomycin ( kyowa hakko kogyo , tokyo , japan )- treated pbmc as feeder cells ( 10 4 / well ) for the establishment of lymphoblastoid cells and screened for ab production by elisa . hmgb1 - specific elisa can be performed by coating 0 . 25 μg / ml purified hmgb1 , 1 μg / ml bovine serum albumin ( bsa ; sigma ) or 1 μg / ml tetanus toxoid ( tt ; adlmmune , taichung , taiwan ) onto microtitre plates overnight at 4 ° c . culture supernatants are diluted to the desired level in 10 mm sodium phosphate buffer ( ph 8 . 0 ), containing 0 . 5 m sodium chloride and 0 . 1 % tween - 20 . coated plates are incubated with diluted culture supernatants , washed , incubated with peroxidase - labeled goat antibodies against human igg and igm and developed ( 15 min ) by addition of 100 μl of the chromogenic substrate o - phenylaenediamine ( opd ) ( sigma ). the reaction is stopped after 30 min by adding 1 m sulphuric acid , and the absorbances are read at 490 nm . somatic cell hybridization can be further applied to optimize human antibody and can be generated by electrofusion . briefly , hmgb1 - specific ebv - infected lymphoblastoid cells were fused with heteromyeloma cells ( chin et al ., 2001 ) in an isotonic medium ( 280 mm sorbitol , 0 . 5 mm magnesium acetate , 0 . 1 mm calcium acetate and 1 mg / ml bsa ; ph6 . 9 - 7 . 1 ). cell fusion can be induced by high - voltage pulses using a btx electro cell manipulator ecm 2001 ( harvard apparatus , holliston , mass .). hmgb1 - specific hybrids were selected and cloned by limiting dilution . methods for determining whether an antibody or antigen - binding fragment inhibits a hmgb1 - induced pro - inflammatory condition are known to one skilled in the art . for example , inhibition of the release of an inflammatory cytokine from a cell in culture can be measured accordingly . for example , as described and exemplified herein , tnf release from human monocytic populations can be measured using cd14 + cells sorted magnetically with macs ® microbeads ( miltenyi ). tnf that is released from the monocytes is measured by a commercial kit obtained from r & amp ; d systems ( minneapolis , minn .). methods for measuring release of other related cytokines from cells are also known in the art . assays to determine affinity and specificity of binding are known in the art , including competitive and non - competitive assays . a competitive assay is preferred in this analysis . the affinity of the mab can be determined against hmgb1 protein with an affinixqn quartz crystal microbalance ( qcm ) biosensor ( inishiamu inc ., tokyo , japan ) according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . different amounts of synthetic peptides can then be incorporated into the reaction for competition to confirm the specificity of human mabs . the exact pathogenic process to neuropathic diseases is currently unknown , but experimental autoimmune / allergic encephalomyelitis ( eae ) is primarily used as an animal model of autoimmune inflammatory diseases of the cns and in many aspects resembles human neuropathic diseases , such as ms and nmo . this demyelinating model can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of human mabs in alleviating diseases and is known to one skilled in the art . immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein ( mog ) induces a chronic form of eae . different amounts of synthetic peptides can then be incorporated into the reaction for competition to confirm the specificity of human mabs . human mabs can then be incorporated into the system for verifying the tendency to resolve inflammation and demyelination . the following examples are offered to illustrate this invention and are not to be construed in any way as limiting the scope of the present invention . ag - specific enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay ( elisa ) was performed by coating 1 μg / ml purified bovine hmgb1 , 1 μg / ml recombinant human hmgb1 , 1 μg / ml bovine serum albumin ( bsa ; sigma ) or 1 μg / ml tetanus toxoid ( tt ; adlmmune , taichung , taiwan ) onto microtitre plates overnight at 4 ° c . culture supernatants were diluted to the desired level in 10 mm sodium phosphate buffer ( ph 8 . 0 ), containing 0 . 5 m sodium chloride and 0 . 1 % tween - 20 . coated plates were incubated with diluted culture supernatants from the cell line , washed , incubated with peroxidase - labeled goat antibodies against human igg and igm and developed ( 15 min ) by addition of 100 μl of the chromogenic substrate o - phenylaenediamine ( opd ) ( sigma ). the reaction was stopped after 30 min by adding 1 m sulphuric acid , and the absorbances were read at 490 nm ( fig1 ). the ability of particular human mabs to inhibit hmgb1 - induced tnf release was assessed in human primary monocytes administered only hmgb1 , hmgb1 plus particular hmgb1 mabs , or an isotype control antibody . freshly purified human monocytes cultures were stimulated with 1 μg / ml purified bovine hmgb1 and culture supernatant were sampled four hours later to be assayed for tnf . as depicted in fig2 , two particular human mabs inhibited tnf release , indicating that such antibodies could be used to neutralize the biological activity of hmgb1 and thus for alleviating neuropathic diseases . as shown in fig3 , qcm was used to perform kinetic analysis of interaction between hmgb1 , a representing mab and peptides with the same amino composition . hmgb1 was injected to saturate the chip . the frequency change of mab with immunogen - containing peptide or an irrelevant peptide with the same amino composition was analyzed by aqua ™ software . the results indicated that the mab binding to hmgb1 can be only replaced by the immunogen - containing peptide . chronic experimental allergic encephalomyelitis ( eae ), which represents an animal model of human neuromyelitis , was induced in c57bl / 6 mice by immunization with an emulsion of mog35 - 55 or mog1 - 125 in complete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant ( cfa ) distributed in three spots on the flank , followed by administration of pertussis toxin ( ptx ) in pbs , first on the day of immunization and then again the following day . eae is scored on scale 0 to 5 , based from no obvious changes in motor function compared to non - immunized mice to mice spontaneously rolling in the cage , respectively . 100 μg of purified anti - hmgb1 antibody or isotype control antibody was injected intraperitoneally at days 5 and 7 post mog injection . from day 15 , human anti - hmgb1 mab demonstrated significant alleviating effect ( fig4 ). although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed . | 0 |
an rj11 wall socket assembly 10 according to the present invention is illustrated by a rear perspective view in fig1 . the wall socket assembly 10 includes a faceplate 20 and a rear socket housing 30 . only a portion of the rear socket housing 30 is visible in fig1 as it is predominantly covered by an elastomeric containment diaphragm 40 . the elastomeric diaphragm 40 features an inset dimple 50 , discussed further below , and a wire passage 60 through which telephone wires 70 pass . shown in fig2 is a partly cut - away cross - sectional view of the rj11 wall socket of fig1 taken through line 2 -- 2 . as shown , wires 70 attach to a spring - block or &# 34 ; jack - head &# 34 ; 80 , which includes wire contacts 85 . an rj11 plug 90 is shown inserted into a socket 100 until abutting a bridge 110 , so as to form an electrical connection with the contacts 85 . beneath the bridge 110 is shown a passage 120 which couples the socket 100 to a rear cavity 130 formed by the socket housing 30 and the elastomeric containment diaphragm 40 . in order to protect the electrical contacts from moisture and other corrosives , an environmental sealant 140 is disposed within the socket 100 , the coupling passage 120 , and the cavity 130 . the environmental sealant is preferably a hydrophobic dielectric designed to exclude moisture and insulate the wires and contacts . gels are preferred , with the most preferred being silicone gels . the preferred gels have a cohesiveness greater than their tack ( adhesion to other surfaces ), so that when the plug is removed from the socket , the gel will release the plug rather than separating from the main body of gel within the socket . the gel requires a sufficient adhesion , however , so that it will form an acceptable seal around the contacts , wires , and other portions of the apparatus in need of environmental protection . the sealant should have a hardness sufficient to provide lasting protection against environmental contaminants . on the other hand , the sealant should be soft enough to be displaced by the plug and conform to the shape of the socket assembly and adequately seal it . the gel &# 39 ; s hardness also impacts a customer preference : an audible &# 34 ; click &# 34 ; when the rj11 plug is fully inserted and latches into the rj11 socket . if the sealant is too stiff , this click will be muted . the sealant &# 39 ; s elasticity is also an important characteristic , as it enables return of the sealant to protective placement when the plug is removed . a wide variety of sealants are available for this use , including , for example , elastic hot melt materials , greases , and flexible epoxies . preferably , the sealant is a dielectric gel such as an oil or plasticizer extended aliphatic urethane gels , urea gels , silicone gels , and thermoplastic gels like styrene - ethylene - butylene - styrene or styrene - ethylene - propylene - styrene , or other soft gels having the required properties below whether or not oil or plasticizer extended , including those disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 634 , 207 ; 4 , 600 , 261 ; 4 , 643 , 924 ; 4 , 865 , 905 ; 4 , 662 , 692 ; 4 , 595 , 635 ; 4 , 680 , 233 ; 4 , 716 , 183 ; 4 , 718 , 678 ; 4 , 777 , 063 ; and 4 , 942 , 270 , which are completely incorporated herein by reference for all purposes . yet another preferred gel is dow sylgard gel . preferred gels used in conjunction with the present invention include those having a cone penetration value from about 50 to about 350 × 10 - 1 mm , more preferably about 100 to about 300 × 10 - 1 mm , and most preferably about 100 to about 250 × 10 - 1 mm . preferred gels also have an ultimate elongation of at least about 50 %, more preferably at least about 100 % to 200 %, and most preferably between about 400 % and 800 %. alternatively from cone penetration , another measurement for hardness is voland hardness . the voland hardness is generally measured on a voland texture analyzer apparatus . voland hardnesses from about 15 grams to at least about 50 grams are acceptable for the gel , with preferred gels having voland hardnesses from about 20 to about 40 grams . in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 the preferred environmental sealant is a silicone gel having a voland hardness of about 31 ± 6 grams , a stress relaxation of about 28 ± 10 %, and a tack of about 17 ± 5 grams . the cavity 130 , the coupling passage 120 , and any interior spaces or cavities of the rj11 plug 90 are preferably substantially completely filled with the sealant 140 . the socket 100 is also preferably substantially filled with the sealant 140 , or at least sufficiently filled so as to cover the contacts 85 when no rj11 plug is inserted . when the plug 90 is inserted into the socket 100 , it will displace some of the sealant 140 . the displaced sealant flows through the coupling passage 120 to the cavity 130 . the pressure of the displaced sealant causes the inset dimple 50 to deflect outward and accommodate the additional sealant . the containment diaphragm 40 is preferably made of a flexible material such as rubber , most preferably santoprene rubber made by monsanto corp . other acceptable materials include flexible plastic , rubberized cloth , or essentially any flexible material that can be formed into a diaphragm or membrane . the containment diaphragm 40 is flexible enough to make room for sealant displaced by the insertion of the rj11 plug 90 , but it preferably is also stiff enough to create a force urging the sealant back into the socket 100 when the plug 90 is removed , so that the sealant covers and protects the contacts 85 . this force also places the sealant under pressure when the plug 90 is inserted , and this pressure further helps to keep out corrosive contaminants . preferably , the diaphragm 40 has a shore a hardness of about 20 grams to about 100 grams , more preferably about 45 grams to about 75 grams , and most preferably a hardness of about 55 grams to about 65 grams . the diaphragm 40 also works in conjunction with the sealant to provide a seal around the wires 70 as they exit the socket assembly . many prior systems have had difficulty sealing even one wire in such a situation , let alone four , but the combination of the diaphragm and gel seals up to eight or more wires . this sealing of the wires could also be achieved by the diaphragm in conjunction with some other environmental sealant , such as a grease , rather than the gel , but such sealing is inferior after repeated reentries . another feature of the invention to enhance the sealant surrounding and protecting the contacts 85 includes on a portion of contacts 85 a coating 150 having a bonding affinity for the sealant . the contacts 85 are preferably gold coated , and sealants tend not to stick well to the gold . the coating 150 is applied to the front portion of the contacts 85 . the coating 120 preferably forms a strong bond with the contacts 85 , and also is preferably adhesive to the sealant 140 . for gels , a suitable material is a tacky or adhesive base component of the gel . in this way , when the plug 90 is inserted , a portion of the gel remains attached to the front of the contacts 85 ; the gel is stretched and the main portion of it is pushed in front of the plug 90 , but thin strands remain attached . when the plug 90 is then removed , the gel will contract and be pulled back to the front of the contacts 85 , thereby protecting them . a sufficient portion of the contacts 85 must be free of the coating so that the contacts 85 may form electrical connections with any corresponding contacts in the plug 90 . in the preferred embodiment the coating 150 is a silicone rubber adhesive that is applied to the contacts 85 ; this may be dow corning rtv silicone rubber sold as silastic t silicone rubber , having a hardness of 20 as reported by dow corning . preferably , the coating 150 is applied to the contacts 85 at a preliminary stage of construction , such as prior to insertion of spring - block 80 into socket housing 30 , and allowed to harden . the socket assembly may then later filled with silicone gel . the gel , as it cures , will bond with the coating . of course , essentially any material that forms a good bond both with the contacts and with the sealant may be used for the coating . the coating also performs the useful function of sealing the holes of contacts 85 to their plastic holder . for this purpose the coating does not need to bond with the gel . yet another feature shown in fig2 is a spring loaded dust cover 160 ( partially shown ) that pivots about screw 170 so as to cover socket 100 when plug 90 is removed . an additional embodiment is illustrated in fig3 and 4 , in which corresponding reference numerals indicate features corresponding to those of fig1 and 2 . fig3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a modular rj11 socket housing 30 &# 39 ;. the socket housing 30 &# 39 ; is shown to have two attachment lips 200 and 210 , for snapping the socket housing 30 &# 39 ; into a socket faceplate ( not shown ). the socket housing 30 &# 39 ; is also shown to have a ridge 220 which helps secure diaphragm 40 &# 39 ;. fig4 is cross - sectional view of the modular socket of fig3 taken through line 4 -- 4 . this view shows that the attachment lip 210 is an extended member that can deflect to allow the socket housing 30 &# 39 ; to snap fit into a socket faceplate . the sealant may be provided by filling the socket housing as discussed above , or by surrounding the spring - block with sealant prior to inserting the spring - block into the socket housing . the latter approach both simplifies manufacturing and reduces costs , and is illustrated in fig5 a and 5b . as shown in fig5 a , gel curing fixture 300 has a plurality of rectangular spring - block receptacles 310 . a spring - block , complete with wires and contacts , is inserted into a receptacle 310 , which is then filled with gel . once the gel has been cured and is affixed to the spring - block , the spring - block is removed , resulting in a gel - encased spring - block such as indicated by reference numeral 320 . differently shaped receptacles may also be employed , as shown in fig5 b , which illustrates a gel curing fixture 300 &# 39 ; that has a plurality of cylindrical spring - block gel molding receptacles 310 &# 39 ;. the dimensions of the shape of gel are at least about 10 % greater than the plug , preferably at least about 25 % greater than the plug , and most preferably about 50 % greater than the plug , but less than a larger dimension that would preclude the plug &# 39 ; s insertion . because of the large variance in shape of currently existing socket housings , the most suitable outside dimensions for gel - encased spring - blocks will also vary . the general shape of a preferred gel - encased spring - block is illustrated in fig6 a and 6b , which show a front view and side view , respectively , of a gel - encased spring - block 330 . gel - encased spring - block 330 is generally block - shaped , with a top - front sloping surface 331 extending from the front to the rear , and a lower - front sloping surface 332 extending from the front to a midpoint towards the rear , with a flat front portion 333 . the spring - block is totally encased by gel , and its features are therefore not shown , although the contacts should be understood to travel from the front , down and towards the rear . in some embodiments top - front sloping surface 331 will meet lower - front sloping surface 332 at an edge , without any flat front portion 333 . gel - encased spring - block 330 can in this case be described generally by a height h , width w , length l , vertical extent s1 of surface 331 , vertical extent s2 of surface 332 , vertical extent s3 of surface 333 , and lengthwise extent s4 of surface 332 . for a majority of rj11 socket housings , suitable dimensions for a gel encased spring block will be with height ranging from about 0 . 5 inches to about 0 . 8 inches , width ranging from about 0 . 3 inches to 0 . 65 inches , length ranging from about 0 . 5 inches to about 0 . 73 inches , s1 ranging from about 0 . 05 inches to about 0 . 3 inches , s2 ranging from about 0 . 27 inches to about 0 . 45 inches , s3 ranging from about 0 . 0 inches to about 0 . 23 inches , and s4 ranging from about 0 . 18 inches to about 0 . 33 inches . for a silicone gel having the most preferred parameter ranges discussed above , this results in about 1 . 6 ± 0 . 05 grams of gel encapsulating the spring - block . fig7 a , 7b , 7c , and 7d illustrates two particular embodiments of gel encased spring - blocks being inserted into different socket housings . fig7 a shows a rear view of an gel - encased spring - block 350 being inserted into an rj11 socket 360 . fig7 b shows a front view of rj11 socket 360 after gel - encased spring - block 350 is inserted . fig7 c shows a rear view of a gel encased spring - block 370 being inserted into a modular rj11 socket 380 , and fig7 d shows a front view of modular rj11 socket 380 after gel - encased spring - block 370 is inserted . fig8 a is a front view of an rj11 socket housing modified according to an aspect of the present invention for improved gel sealing . rj11 socket housing 400 is shown with socket opening 405 , for an rj11 plug , facing forward . socket opening 405 has been modified so that lower edge 410 , which is adjacent to the spring block and contacts when inserted , has a central notch 415 extending along most of its length and about 0 . 035 inches deep , leaving corner spacers 420 . in an unmodified rj socket filled with gel , the gel has a tendency to press up against lower edge 410 of opening 405 , so that the insertion of a plug will tend to shear the gel against edge 410 . as the gel is sheared , repeated insertions of a plug will tend to push it back with no elastic connection to the gel at the front of the spring block , causing the gel to be &# 34 ; rolled back &# 34 ; and not return to its protective positioning over the front of the spring block contacts after the plug is removed . the inclusion of notch 415 , with spacers 420 to maintain an inserted plug in its standard position , provides a space between the plug and housing edge , which reduces the shearing effect on the gel and improves its performance over repeated insertions and removals of a plug . also shown in fig8 a is internal comb 425 with teeth 430 that maintain in place the contacts of an inserted spring block . teeth 430 have been shortened in comparison to other designs , to about 0 . 05 inches , to allow a better passage for gel to flow out of and back into the socket as a plug is inserted and removed . also , the number of teeth has been reduced . for a number n of wires , only n + 1 teeth are necessary to hold them in place . reducing the number of teeth has a similar effect to the shortening of the teeth , and improves the passage for the flow of gel . fig8 b is a cut - away side view of the rj11 socket housing of fig8 a . this view shows a socket housing sidewall spacer 435 for supporting the bottom of an inserted spring block , and socket housing sidewall slot 440 for engaging with a spring block side ridge . these features control the elevation of the inserted spring block , and have been modified to be about 0 . 05 inches lower than normal . wire slot 445 is cut into the rear top side of socket housing 400 , to hold wires from an inserted spring - block . also shown in fig8 b is spring block latch 450 , which has been modified from previous designs to be a notch rather than a simple step , so it controls both forward an rearward movement of an inserted spring block rather than simply preventing rearward movement of an inserted spring block . the significance of these modifications is illustrated in fig8 c , which is a cut - away side view of rj11 socket housing 400 in which a spring block 455 , encapsulated with gel 460 , is inserted . the shorter teeth 430 of comb 425 , together with the lowered position of spring block 455 create a passage 465 through which gel may flow when a plug is inserted or removed . furthermore , notch 450 is positioned so as to distance spring block 455 from the front of socket housing 400 , creating a well 470 filled with gel . this well 470 of gel helps maintain an elastic connection between gel at the front of spring block 455 with gel that has been pushed back by an inserted plug , so that when the plug is removed the displaced gel is pulled into place over contacts 475 . well 470 is preferably between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 2 inches , most preferably about 0 . 12 inches . illustrated in fig9 is an rj11 plug for forming a completed telephone connection according to an aspect of the present invention . rj11 plug 500 having contacts 505 is filled with gel , which is then cured . either before or after curing the gel , wires 510 are inserted and pressure is applied at crimp point 515 to secure wires 510 within plug 500 . rj11 plug 500 has three points that need to be sealed to provide environmental protection : contacts 505 , the entry point for wires 510 , and crimp point 515 . the filling of plug 500 with gel serves to seal the entry point for wires 510 and also seals crimp point 515 . upon being inserted into a gel filled socket , contacts 505 will also be sealed , providing a completely environmentally sealed telephone connection . illustrated in fig1 is an alternative embodiment of an elastic diaphragm for attachment to the back of a rj11 socket housing according to the present invention . diaphragm 600 is made of a rectangular plastic frame 605 , on the inside of which is attached an elastic membrane 610 . according to a preferred embodiment , membrane 610 is a double sided foam tape that bonds both with frame 605 and with the socket housing when attached . diaphragm 600 also has a slide slot which may be matched to a wire slot in the socket housing , for securing and sealing the wires . diaphragm 600 may also have internal ridges that couple with ridges on the sides of the socket housing to hold it firmly in place . the inventions claimed herein provide a substantially improved method and device for environmentally protecting electrical socket connections . it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive . many embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . by way of example , the inventions herein have been illustrated primarily with regard to rj11 telephone sockets , but teachings herein can also be applied to other rj type telephone sockets such as rj14 and rj48 sockets , and to other electrical socket connections , such as power outlet sockets in a high humidity area such as an oil rig . by way of further example , the specific embodiments described herein have employed diaphragms surrounding the circumference of the socket and mounted directly opposite the entry point of the plug , but both of these characteristics could be varied . by way of still further example , the specific connectors and the roles of the male and female connectors disclosed herein could readily be reversed or altered . the scope of the inventions should , therefore , be determined not with reference to the above description , but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled by the ordinary skilled artisan . | 8 |
fig1 illustrates a block diagram of a cell degradation management method , which may include four different boxes , representing tasks : the degradation detection may have the task to find problematic cells with low false positive rate . the root cause diagnosis may have the task to infer the root cause of the detected degradation . the solution deployment may be triggered by the degradation detection or the root cause diagnosis components . fig2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of general ensemble method approaches for anomaly detection according to the present invention . the ensemble method learns its weight parameter values and takes the weighted vote of the different profiles in the pool of profiles as s final outcome of the kpi level . fig3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a detailed ensemble method approach . there may be provided a measurement collection which aims in a root cause diagnosis as shown in fig1 . the ensemble method or method in fig3 may learn its weight parameter values based on confirmed fm data , human knowledge and / or cm data , used for determining cell outliers with homogeneous cm . the ensemble method uses cm changes to trigger the constructions of new profiles and to age profiles based on their performance . the boxes d 1 - d 6 are representing data , whereas the boxes m 1 - m 6 are representing steps of a method . the rest of the elements indicate different context information . the dashed lines indicate that an event is triggered in the presence of new evidence / data . fig3 presents details of an example of an ensemble method according to the present invention , wherein it is distinguished between data , methods , context information and human expert knowledge . each cell of a cellular network may be characterized by a set of kpi measurements generated as a stream of data . the provided ensemble method may be applied to each cell . initially , for a given period of time , the kpi measurements of a given cell are selected as the training dataset ( d 1 ) for the pool of profiles of the ensemble method . a diverse set of univariate and multivariate algorithms ( m 1 ) is applied to the training dataset ( d 1 ). the univariate methods operate at the individual kpi level , while the multivariate methods operate across all kpis . the result of ( m 1 ) is a set of profiles used as the pool of profiles for the ensemble method ( d 2 ). each profile in the pool of profiles has a weight associated with it . for the initial pool of profiles , all profiles have the same weight value associated . given the pool of profiles ( d 2 ), the stream of kpis is used in a continuous fashion as the testing dataset ( d 5 ) against the pool of predictors . any cm change ( c 1 ) triggers the testing dataset to also become training kpi dataset , after which the method for generating a new set of profiles ( m 1 ) is executed . the cm change is determined automatically , based on the state of cm data . if the pool of profiles reaches the maximum number of profiles , the cm change also triggers an aging mechanism ( m 4 ), which removes profiles from the pool based on both their age and performance . the testing dataset ( d 5 ) is tested against the profiles in the pool of profiles using the testing techniques corresponding to the univariate and multivariate methods ( m 2 ). the result of ( m 2 ) is a set of kpi level predictions provided by each individual profile in the pool of profiles ( d 3 ). some of the predictions are binary ( 0 for a normal kpi level and 1 for an abnormal kpi level ) and some have continuous values in the [ 0 , 1 ] range . ground truth information updates ( human expert knowledge ( c 2 ), confirmed fm data ( c 3 ) and cell classification based on cm information ( d 6 )) triggers the update weights method ( m 5 ), which penalizes the profiles in the pool of predictors based on their prediction with regards to the ground truth . the human expert knowledge assumes a manual process , while the confirmed fm data usage and outlier detection applied to cm homogenous cells are automated processes . based on cm data ( cl ), an outlier detection algorithm ( m 6 ) is applied to cells with identical configurations . the assumption is that cm homogenous cells ( i . e ., cells with identical / very similar configuration ) should exhibit the same behavior across all kpis . this component takes into consideration the behavior across multiple cells . the result of ( m 6 ) indicates if the cell under test is considered an outlier or not ( d 6 ) with respect to cells with homogenous configurations . the result of ( m 5 ) is an updated pool of profiles ( d 2 ) with adjusted weights , which continue to be used in the testing mode . all the predictions in ( d 3 ) along with the weights associated with the corresponding profiles are used in a modified weighed majority approach ( m 3 ) to generate the kpi level . the result of ( m 3 ) is the kpi level ( d 4 ) associated with each kpi measurement of each cell . the kpi level is then relayed to the root cause diagnosis component . using human expert knowledge ( c 2 ) ( allowing for visual inspection and direct input as ground truth ) to automatically assess the classification quality of each individual profile and update the weights exploiting context information such as cm , fm and special event information to label data as abnormal and update the ensemble method weights appropriately , which corresponds to real cell degradation phenomenon . this assumes that the fm information has been confirmed by human investigation . automatically trigger new profiles to be added to the pool of profiles of the ensemble methods based on cm information . with changes in the system , older models need to be aged out based on both age and / or performance ( weights ). for example , an exponential decay approach can be used for aging less accurate profiles . determine if a cell reached an anomalous state with regard to similarly configured cells , by leveraging homogenous cm information . degrade the ensemble method weights corresponding to the outlier cells deemed normal by the corresponding profiles in the pool . the exemplary method of fig3 can be categorized as “ supervised learning ”, i . e ., it exposes an interface to a human operator , where the weights and corresponding performance associated with the different detection methods are visible , and enables him with the ability to provide ground truth information on the actual state of the cell under test . hence the respective mmi ( gui ) is characteristic for the invention . the weighted majority algorithm ( wma ) is a meta - learning algorithm ( supervised ) used to construct a compound algorithm from a pool of prediction methods or prediction algorithms , which is leveraged by the proposed ensemble - based framework . wma assumes that the problem is a binary decision problem ( a sample is either normal or abnormal ). each prediction method or prediction algorithm from the pool has a weight associated with it . initially , all weights are set to 1 . the overall prediction is given by the collection of votes from all predictors . if the majority profiles in the pool make a mistake , their weights are decreased by a certain ratio 0 & lt ; β & lt ; 1 . the proposed ensemble method may implement a modified version of wma that may return a kpi level in the range [ 0 , 1 ] and may use the context information for updating the weights and creating new models . initially , the algorithm may start with a set of profiles built using different univariate and multivariate algorithms and then may execute in a continuous fashion . in the following one example for such an implementation is given . when a cm change is made in the system , a new profile set is created . if a predefined limit of number of models is reached , the worst - performing profiles are removed from the pool using an exponential decay approach ( according to ω i * α age i , where α ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] and age i is the number of hours since the model was created ). if the algorithm has access to confirmed fm data or outlier information using homogeneous cm data , it uses this this information to train the weights corresponding to the different univariate and multivariate methods ( m 5 ): q 0 = σ kpi _level i & lt ; th _perf ω i q 1 = σ kpi _level i ≧ th _perf ω i = { ∑ kpi _ level i ≥ th _ perf ω i * kpi_level i ∑ kpi level i ≥ th _ perf ω i , if q 1 & gt ; q 0 ∑ kpi _ level i & lt ; th _ perf ω i * kpi_level i ∑ kpi level i & lt ; th _ perf ω i , if q 1 ≤ q 0 ∀ i : if kpi level i & lt ; th_perf & amp ; abnormal | kpi level i ≧ th_perf & amp ; normal , where , th_perf is the threshold that determines if data is deemed normal or abnormal . the kpi levels ( d 4 ) are computed according to the learnt weights as follows ( m 3 ): q 0 = σ kpi _level i & lt ; th _perf ω i q 1 = σ kpi _level i ≧ th _perf ω i = { ∑ kpi _ level i ≥ th _ perf ω i * kpi_level i ∑ kpi level i ≥ th _ perf ω i , if q 1 & gt ; q 0 ∑ kpi _ level i & lt ; th _ perf ω i * kpi_level i ∑ kpi level i & lt ; th _ perf ω i , if q 1 ≤ q 0 the scheme described herein has been implemented experimentally and evaluated against real network data and has shown to have an anticipated superior detection performance . fig4 illustrates an aging mechanism for a pool of profiles comprising profiles p 1 - p n including their respective weighting factor ω 1 - ω n . if a context information , such as a cm information , changes a current profile , here profile p 1 , is deleted due to its age compared to the other profiles p 2 - p n . this means the oldest profile p 1 and its weighting factor ω 1 are deleted in the pool of profiles . in summary fig4 illustrates how context information can be leveraged for creating and aging out profiles ( e . g ., based on cm data ). | 7 |
catalyst components ( a ) of the present invention can be prepared by a process comprising formation of magnesium complex ( a - 1 ) containing acid salts of group ib - viiib elements and subsequent contact with internal electron donors ( a - 2 ) and titanium compound ( a - 3 ). in one embodiment of present invention , magnesium complex ( a - 1 ) containing acid salts of group ib - viiib elements can be prepared co - crystallization or solidification from a solution containing both magnesium halide represented by formula mgx n ( or ) 2 - n and acid salts of group ib - viiib elements represented by formula m m y p . for example , magnesium halide and a transition metal halide can be dissolved together in a solvent like alkyl alcohol or alkyl ether to form a solution containing both the magnesium halide and the transition metal halide and then solidified together either by lowering temperature or introducing into a hydrocarbon medium . the catalyst components ( a ) can then be obtained by subsequent contact reaction of solid forms of magnesium complex ( a - 1 ) with internal electron donor ( a - 2 ) and titanium compound ( a - 3 ). in another embodiment of present invention , magnesium complex ( a - 1 ) solution is formed by dissolving magnesium halide , acid salts of group ib - viiib , and internal electron donor ( a - 2 ) together in a solvent such as alcohol , ether , or phosphorus compound , and can then be contacted directly by titanium compound ( a - 3 ) to precipitate the catalyst components ( a ). for example , magnesium chloride ( mgx 2 ), transition metal halide ( m m y p ), and internal electron donor ( a - 2 ) can be dissolved together in ethyl alcohol to form a solution and then titanium compound ( a - 3 ) is charged directly into the solution to precipitate the solid catalyst component ( a ). the metal salt compounds ( m m y p ) is used in the ratio of 0 . 01 to 50 mol per magnesium halide , preferably 0 . 05 to 10 mol per mol magnesium halide , and the titanium compound is used in an amount 0 . 01 to 1000 mol per mol magnesium halide , preferably 0 . 1 to 200 mol per mol magnesium halide . the solid titanium catalyst component ( a ) obtained as above contains , as its essential ingredients , metal , titanium , halogen , and an electron donor . in this solid catalyst component ( a ), an atomic ratio of halogen / titanium is about 2 to 200 , preferably about 4 to 100 ; a molar ratio of the electron donor / titanium is about 0 . 01 to 100 , preferably about 0 . 2 to 10 ; and an atomic ratio of metal / titanium is about 1 to 100 , preferably about 2 to 50 . typical examples of acid salts of group ib - viiib compounds represented by formula m m y p which may be employed for the present invention are : cerium ( iii ) fluoride , cerium ( iii ) chloride , cerium ( iii ) bromide , cerium ( iii ) iodide , chromium ( ii ) fluoride , chromium ( ii ) chloride , chromium ( ii ) bromide , chromium ( ii ) iodide , chromium ( iii ) fluoride , chromium ( iii ) chloride , chromium ( iii ) bromide , chromium ( iii ) iodide , chromium ( iii ) nitrate , cobalt ( ii ) fluoride , cobalt ( ii ) chloride , cobalt ( ii ) bromide , cobalt ( ii ) iodide , copper ( ii ) fluoride , copper ( ii ) chloride , copper ( ii ) bromide , copper ( ii ) iodide , copper ( ii ) nitrate , dysprosium ( ii ) chloride , dysprosium ( ii ) bromide , dysprosium ( ii ) iodide , dysprosium ( iii ) fluoride , dysprosium ( iii ) chloride , dysprosium ( iii ) bromide , dysprosium ( iii ) iodide , erbium fluoride , erbium chloride , erbium bromide , erbium iodide , erbium nitrate , europium ( ii ) fluoride , europium ( ii ) chloride , europium ( ii ) bromide , europium ( ii ) iodide , europium ( iii ) fluoride , europium ( iii ) chloride , europium ( iii ) bromide , europium ( iii ) iodide , gadolinium ( ii ) chloride , gadolinium ( iii ) fluoride , gadolinium ( iii ) chloride , gadolinium ( iii ) bromide , gadolinium ( iii ) iodide , gadolinium ( iii ) nitrate , gold ( iii ) fluoride , gold ( iii ) chloride , gold ( iii ) bromide , gold ( iii ) iodide , holmium fluoride , holmium chloride , holmium bromide , holmium iodide , iron ( ii ) fluoride , iron ( ii ) chloride , iron ( ii ) bromide , iron ( ii ) iodide , iron ( iii ) fluoride , iron ( iii ) chloride , iron ( iii ) bromide , iron ( iii ) iodide , iron ( ii ) nitrate , iron ( iii ) nitrate , iron ( ii ) sulfate , iron ( ii ) perchlorate , lanthanum fluoride , lanthanum chloride , lanthanum bromide , lanthanum iodide , lanthanum nitrate , lutetium fluoride , lutetium chloride , lutetium bromide , lutetium iodide , manganese ( ii ) fluoride , manganese ( ii ) chloride , manganese ( ii ) bromide , manganese ( ii ) iodide , manganese ( ii ) acetate , manganese ( ii ) nitrate , molybdenum ( ii ) fluoride , molybdenum ( ii ) chloride , molybdenum ( ii ) bromide , molybdenum ( ii ) iodide , molybdenum ( iii ) fluoride , molybdenum ( iii ) chloride , molybdenum ( iii ) bromide , molybdenum ( iii ) iodide , neodymium fluoride , neodymium chloride , neodymium bromide , neodymium iodide , neodymium nitrate , nickel ( ii ) fluoride , nickel ( ii ) chloride , nickel ( ii ) bromide , nickel ( ii ) iodide , nickel ( ii ) nitrate , niobium ( iii ) fluoride , niobium ( iii ) chloride , niobium ( iii ) bromide , osmium ( iii ) chloride , osmium ( iii ) bromide , palladium ( ii ) fluoride , palladium ( ii ) chloride , palladium ( ii ) bromide , palladium ( ii ) iodide , palladium ( ii ) nitrate , praseodymium fluoride , praseodymium chloride , praseodymium bromide , praseodymium iodide , praseodymium nitrate , rhenium ( iii ) fluoride , rhenium ( iii ) chloride , rhenium ( iii ) bromide , rhenium ( iii ) iodide , rhodium ( iii ) fluoride , rhodium ( iii ) chloride , rhodium ( iii ) bromide , rhodium ( iii ) iodide , rubidium fluoride , rubidium chloride , rubidium bromide , rubidium iodide , rubidium nitrate , ruthenium ( iii ) fluoride , ruthenium ( iii ) chloride , ruthenium ( iii ) bromide , ruthenium ( iii ) iodide , samarium ( ii ) fluoride , samarium ( ii ) chloride , samarium ( ii ) bromide , samarium ( ii ) iodide , samarium ( iii ) fluoride , samarium ( iii ) chloride , samarium ( iii ) bromide , samarium ( iii ) iodide , scandium fluoride , scandium chloride , scandium bromide , scandium iodide , scandium nitrate , thulium fluoride , thulium chloride , thulium bromide , thulium iodide , thulium nitrate , tungsten ( ii ) chloride , tungsten ( ii ) bromide , tungsten ( ii ) iodide , tungsten ( iii ) bromide , tungsten ( iii ) iodide , vanadium ( ii ) fluoride , vanadium ( ii ) chloride , vanadium ( ii ) bromide , vanadium ( ii ) iodide , vanadium ( iii ) fluoride , vanadium ( iii ) chloride , vanadium ( iii ) bromide , vanadium ( iii ) iodide , ytterbium ( ii ) chloride , ytterbium ( ii ) bromide , ytterbium ( ii ) iodide , ytterbium ( iii ) fluoride , ytterbium ( iii ) chloride , yttrium fluoride , yttrium chloride , yttrium bromide , yttrium nitrate , zinc fluoride , zinc chloride , zinc bromide , zinc iodide , zinc nitrate , zinc acetate , zinc chlorate , zinc perchlorate , and zirconyl chloride . other examples of acid salts of group ia - va compounds that may also be used in the present invention and are represented by formula m m y p are : aluminum fluoride , aluminum chloride , aluminum bromide , aluminum iodide , aluminum nitrate , lithium fluoride , lithium chloride , lithium bromide , lithium iodide , lithium nitrate , lithium acetate , lithium metaborate , lithium chlorate , lithium perchlorate , magnesium fluoride , magnesium chloride , magnesium bromide , magnesium iodide , magnesium acetate , magnesium nitrate , magnesium perchlorate , magnesium sulfate , magnesium chlorate , magnesium bromate , magnesium iodate , tin ( ii ) fluoride , tin ( ii ) chloride , tin ( ii ) bromide , tin ( ii ) iodide , tin ( iv ) fluoride , tin ( iv ) chloride , tin ( iv ) bromide , and tin ( iv ) iodide . magnesium halide compounds that may also be used in the present invention and are represented by formula mgx n ( or ) 2 - n are : magnesium fluoride , magnesium chloride , magnesium bromide , magnesium iodide , magnesium acetate , magnesium nitrate , magnesium perchlorate , and magnesium sulfate . besides those magnesium compounds , complex compounds or double compounds of these magnesium compounds can be used with metal salt compounds , or mixtures of these magnesium compounds with other metal salt compounds . the magnesium compounds may be used in combination of two or more kinds of metal salt compounds . various metal salt compounds other than those mentioned above can also be used for preparing the solid catalyst component ( a ), but it is preferred that the magnesium compound is present in the form of a halogen - containing magnesium compound in the solid catalyst component ( a ) finally obtained . the compositions obtained according to the aforementioned processes in the preparation of the catalyst component may be further brought into contact one or more times with the titanium compound , and also may be washed with an organic solvent . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , internal electron donor ( a - 2 ) can also be used to make the catalyst component ( a ) either as a single compound or as combination with two or three compounds . the electron donor compound ( a - 2 ) improves the stereo - specificity and activity of the catalyst components of present invention . the electron donor compound ( a - 2 ) which can be used for the present invention includes oxygen - containing electron donors , for example , alcohols , phenols , ketones , aldehydes , carboxylic acids , malonic acid , esters of organic acids or inorganic acids , ethers such as monoethers , diethers or polyethers , etc . ; and nitrogen - containing electron donors such as ammonia , amines , nitriles , isocyanates . also , dialkyl esters derived from dicarboxylic acids such as phthalic acid , naphthalene dicarboxylic acid , malic acid , succinic acid , glutaric acid , and diols such as 1 , 2 - diols , 1 , 3 - diols , 1 , 4 - diols , 1 , 5 - diols , and diethers derived from diols can also be used in accordance with the teachings the present invention . preferred electron donor compounds ( a - 2 ) include polycarboxylates and diethers , and more preferred are esters of aromatic polycarboxylates and 1 , 3 diethers . the most preferred electron donor compounds ( a - 2 ) are esters of aromatic dicarboxylates and cyclopolyenic 1 , 3 diethers or 2 - substituted 1 , 3 diethers . specific examples of suitable aromatic polycarboxylates compounds are : phthalic acid naphthalene - 1 , 2 - dicarboxylic acid , naphthalene - 2 , 3 - dicarboxylic acid , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 1 , 2 - dicarboxylic acid , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 , 3 - dicarboxylic acid , indane - 4 , 5 - dicarboxylic acid , indane - 5 , 6 - dicarboxylic acid , etc ., in which the alkyl groups may be any of methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , t - butyl , n - pentyl , 1 - methylbutyl , 2 - methylbutyl , 3 - methylbutyl , 1 , 1 - dimethylpropyl , 1 - methylpentyl , 2 - methylpentyl , 3 - methylpentyl , 4 - methylpentyl , 1 - ethylbutyl , 2 - ethyl , n - hexyl , cyclohexyl , n - heptyl , n - octyl , n - nonyl , 2 - methylhexyl , 3 - methylhexyl , 4 - methylhexyl , 2 - ethylhexyl , 3 - ethylhexyl , 4 - ethylhexyl , 2 - ethylpentyl , and 3 - ethylpentyl groups . preferably , the organic group in the ester moiety of these esters is a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon residue having at least 4 carbon atoms . specific examples of suitable disubstituted malonate compounds are : diethyl - 2 ( 1 - trifluoromethylethyl )- 2 - benzylmalonate , diethyl 2 -( 1 - trifluoromethylethyl )- 2 - methylmalonate , diethyl 2 - methyltrimethylsilyl - 2 - methylmalonate , diethyl 2 - p - chlorobenzyl - 2 - isopropylmalonate , diethyl 2 - piperidyl - 2 - methylmalonate , diethyl 2 -( 1 - trifluoromethyl - 1 - methylethyl )- 2 - methylmalonate , and bis ( 2 - trimethylsilylethyl ) 2 - isopropyl - 2 - isobutylmalonate bis ( p - chlorobenzyl ) 2 - cyclohexyl - 2 - methylmalonate . particularly preferred are disubstituted succinate compounds : diethyl 2 , 2 - dimethylsuccinate , diethyl 2 - ethyl - 2 - methylsuccinate , diethyl 2 - benzyl - 2 - isopropylsuccinate , diethyl 2 -( cyclohexylmethyl )- 2 - isobutylsuccinate , diethyl 2 - cyclopentyl - 2 - n - propylsuccinate , diethyl 2 , 2 - diisobutylsuccinate , diethyl 2 - cyclohexyl - 2 - ethylsuccinate , diethyl 2 - isopropyl - 2 - methylsuccinate , diethyl 2 , 2 - diisopropyl diethyl 2 - isobutyl - 2 - ethylsuccinate , diethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - propyl )- 2 - methylsuccinate , diethyl 2 - isopentyl - 2 - isobutylsuccinate , diethyl 2 - phenyl - 2 - n - butylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 , 2 - dimethylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 - ethyl - 2 - methylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 - benzyl - 2 - isopropylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 -( cyclohexylmethyl )- 2 - isobutylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 - cyclopentyl - 2 - n - propylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 , 2 - diisobutylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 - cyclohexyl - 2 - ethylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 - isopropyl - 2 - methylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 - isobutyl - 2 - ethylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - propyl )- 2 - methylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 - isopentyl - 2 - isobutylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 , 2 - diisopropylsuccinate , diisobutyl 2 - phenyl - 2 - n - propylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 , 2 - dimethylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 - ethyl - 2 - methylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 - benzyl - 2 - isopropylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 -( cyclohexylmethyl )- 2 - isobutylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 - cyclopentyl - 2 - n - propylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 , 2 - diisobutylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 - cyclohexyl - 2 - ethylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 - isopropyl - 2 - methylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 - isobutyl - 2 - ethylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - propyl )- 2 - methylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 , 2 - diisopropylsuccinate , dineopentyl 2 - isopentyl - 2 - isobutylsuccinate , and dineopentyl 2 - phenyl - 2 - n - butylsuccinate . specific examples of suitable polycarboxylate compounds derived from diols are : 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( m - chlorobenzoate ), 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( o - bromobenzoate ), 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( p - methylbenzoate ), 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( p - tert - butylbenzoate ), 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( p - butylbenzoate ), 2 , 4 - pentanediol monobenzoate monocinnamate , 2 , 4 - pentanediol dicinnamate , heptan - 6 - ene - 2 , 4 - diol dibenzoate , 3 , 5 - heptandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 , 5 - heptandiol dibenzoate , 6 - methyl - 2 , 4 - heptanediol dibenzoate , 6 - methyl - 2 , 4 - heptanediol di ( p - chlorobenzoate ), 6 - methyl - 2 , 4 - heptanediol di ( p - methylbenzoate ), 6 - methyl - 2 , 4 - heptanediol di ( m - methylbenzoate ), 6 - methyl - 2 , 4 - heptanediol dipivalate , 3 - methyl - 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( p - chlorobenzoate ), 3 - methyl - 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( p - methylbenzoate ), 3 - butyl - 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( p - methylbenzoate ), 3 - methyl - 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( p - tert - butylbenzoate ), 3 - methyl - 2 , 4 - pentanediol monobenzonate monocinnamate , 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate , 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol monobenzonate monocinnamate , 3 - ethyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate , 3 - butyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate , 3 - allyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate , 4 - methyl - 3 , 5 - heptandiol dibenzoate , 2 - ethyl - 1 , 3 - hexandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 2 , 4 - trimethyl - 1 , 3 - pentandiol dibenzoate , 4 - methyl - 3 , 5 - octandiol dibenzoate , 5 - methyl - 4 , 6 - nonandiol dibenzoate , 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - diphenyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dibenzoate , 1 , 3 - diphenyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dipropionate , 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - diphenyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dipropionate , 2 - methyl 1 , 3 - diphenyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol diacetate , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - diphenyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dibenzoate , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - diphenyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dipropionate , 2 - methyl - 1 - phenyl - 1 , 3 - butandiol dibenzoate , 2 - methyl - 1 - phenyl - 1 , 3 - butandiol dipivalate , heptan - 6 - ene - 2 , 4 - diol dipivalate , 2 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 6 - pentamethyl - 3 , 5 - hexandiol dibenzoate , 1 , 3 - di - tert - butyl - 2 - ethyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dibenzoate , 1 , 3 - diphenyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol diacetate , 2 -( 2 - furyl )- 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - butandiol dibenzoate , 1 , 1 - di ( acryloyloxymethyl )- 3 - cyclohexene 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dibenzoate , 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol di ( p - chlorobenzoate ), 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol di ( m - chlorobenzoate ), 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol di ( p - methoxybenzoate ), 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol di ( p - methylbenzoate ), 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol monobenzoate monopropionate , 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dipropionate , 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol diacrylate , 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dicinnamate , 2 , 2 - diisobutyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dibenzoate , 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol , 2 , 2 ′- biphenyl dicarboxylate , 2 - isoamyl - 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol phthalate , 1 , 3 - diisopropyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol di ( 4 - butylbenzoate ), 3 - methyl - 1 - trifluoromethyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate , 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 3 - methyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate , 4 , 4 , 4 - trifluoro - 1 -( 2 - naphthyl )- 1 , 3 - butandiol dibenzoate , 2 - ethyl - 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dipropylformate , 2 , 4 - pentanediol di ( p - fluoromethylbenzoate ), 4 , 6 - nonandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 4 - pentandiol di ( 2 - furancarboxylate ), 2 - amino - 1 - phenyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dibenzoate , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - propylene - glycol dibenzoate , 3 - butyl - 3 - methyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate , 3 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 - heptandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetramethyl - 3 , 5 - heptandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 3 - diisopropyl - 1 , 4 - butandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 1 , 4 - butandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 3 - diethyl - 1 , 4 - butandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 3 - dibutyl - 1 , 4 - butandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 3 - diisopropyl - 1 , 4 - butandiol dibutyrate , 2 , 5 - hexandiol dicinnamate , 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - hexandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - hexandiol dipropionate , 2 , 5 - dimethyl - hexa - 3 - yne - 2 , 5 - diol dibenzoate , hexa - 3 - yne - 2 , 5 - diol dibenzoate , ( t ) hexa - 3 - yne - 2 , 5 - diol dibenzoate , ( s ) hexa - 3 - yne - 2 , 5 - diol di ( 2 - furancarboxylate ), 1 , 1 - bis ( benzoyloxyethyl ) cyclohexane 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 5 - pentanediol dibenzoate , 1 , 5 - diphenyl - 1 , 5 - pentanediol dibenzoate , 1 , 5 - diphenyl - 1 , 5 - pentanediol dipropionate , 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 , 6 - heptanediol dibenzoate , bis ( 2 - benzoyloxynaphthyl ) methane 3 , 4 - dibutyl - 1 , 6 - hexandiol dibenzoate , 2 , 2 ′- biphenyldimethanol dipivalate , 2 , 2 ′- biphenyldimethanol dibenzoate , 2 , 2 ′- biphenyldimethanol dipropionate , 2 , 2 ′- binaphthyldimethanol dibenzoate , 9 , 9 - bis (( m - methoxybenzoyloxy ) methyl ) fluorene , 9 , 9 - bis (( m - chlorobenzoyloxy ) methyl ) fluorene , 9 , 9 - bis (( p - chlorobenzoyloxy ) methyl ) fluorene , 9 , 9 - bis ( cinnamoyloxymethyl ) fluorene , 9 -( benzoyloxymethyl )- 9 -( propionyloxymethyl ) fluorene , 9 , 9 - bis ( propionyloxymethyl ) fluorene , 9 , 9 - bis ( acryloyloxymethyl ) fluorene , and 9 , 9 - bis ( pivalyloxymethyl ) fluorene . specific examples of suitable diether compounds derived are : 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- cyclopentadiene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadiene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetraphenylcyclopentadiene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl ) indene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 3 - dimethylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 4 , 7 - dimethylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 4 - phenyl - 2 - methylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 -( 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoropropypindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 - trimethylsilylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 - trifluoromethylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 - methylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl - 7 - cyclopentylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 - isopropylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 - cyclohexylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 - tert - butylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 - tert - butyl - 2 - methylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 7 - phenylindene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 - phenylindene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- fluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 - tetramethylfluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 - hexafluorofluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 3 - benzofluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 - dibenzofluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 7 - diisopropylfluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 1 , 8 - dichlorofluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 2 , 7 - dicyclopentylfluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 1 , 8 - difluorofluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydrofluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - octahydrofluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl )- 4 - tert - butylfluorene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( a - methoxybenzyl ) indene ; 1 , 1 - bis ( 1 ′- methoxyethyl )- 5 , 6 - dichloroindene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( a - methoxybenzyl ) fluorene ; 9 , 9 - bis ( 11 - methoxyethyl ) fluorene ; 9 - methoxymethyl - 9 -( 1 ′- methoxyethyl )- 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 - tetrafluorofluorene ; 9 - methoxymethyl - 9 - pentoxymethylfluorene ; 9 - methoxymethyl - 9 - ethoxymethylfluorene ; 9 - methoxymethyl - 9 -( 1 ′- methoxyethyl )- fluorene ; and 9 - methoxymethyl - 9 -[ 2 -( 2 - methoxypropyl )]- fluorene , 2 - methyl , 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - diisobutyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - diphenyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - dibenzyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - bis ( cyclohexylmethyl ) 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - diisobutyl - 1 , 3 - dibutoxypropane , 2 , 2 - diisobutyl - 1 , 3 - ethoxypropane , 2 - isopentyl , 2 - isopropyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 , 4 - trimethyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypentane , 1 , 1 min - bismethoxymethylcyclohexane , 2 , 2 min bis ( methoxymethyl ) norbornane , 2 - isopropyl - 2 - 3 , 7 - dimethyloctyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - diisopropyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 - isopropyl 2 - cyclohexylmethyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - diisopentyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 - isopropyl - 2 - cyclohexyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 - isopropyl - 2 - cyclopentyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - dicyclopentyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 - heptyl - 2 - pentyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 , 2 - dicyclohexyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , 2 - isopropyl - 2 - isobutyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane , and 2 , 2 - dipropyl - 1 , 3 - dimethoxypropane . according to present invention , catalyst component ( a ) is prepared by contacting magnesium complex ( a - 1 ) containing acid salts of group ib - viiib elements with a titanium compound ( a - 3 ) of the general formula ti ( or ) l x ′ 4 - l , wherein x ′ is a halogen atom ; r is a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms , and l is an integer from 0 to 4 . titanium compound ( a - 4 ) of the general formula ti ( or ) l x ′ 4 - l can also be employed for the present invention , such as : titanium tetrahalides , such as ticl 4 , tibr 4 and tii 4 ; alkoxytitanium trihalides , such as ti ( och 3 ) cl 3 , ti ( oc 2 h 5 ) cl 3 , ti ( o - n - c 4 h 9 ) cl 3 , ti ( oc 2 h 5 ) br 3 and ti ( o - iso - c 4 h 9 ) br 3 ; dialkoxytitanium dihalides , such as ti ( och 3 ) 2 cl 2 , ti ( oc 2 h 5 ) 2 cl 2 , ti ( o - n - c 4 h 9 ) 2 cl 2 , and ti ( oc 2 h 5 ) 2 br 2 ; trialkoxytitanium monohalides , such as ti ( och 3 ) 3 cl , ti ( oc 2 h 5 ) 3 cl , ti ( o - n - c 4 h 9 ) 3 cl and ti ( oc 2 h 5 ) 3 br ; tetraalkoxytitaniums , such as ti ( och 3 ) 4 , ti ( oc 2 h 5 ) 4 , ti ( o - n - c 4 h 9 ) 4 , ti ( o - iso - c 4 h 9 ) 4 and ti ( o - 2 - ethylhexyl ); and other compounds such as ti [ o — c ( ch 3 ) ch — co — ch ] 2 cl 2 , ti [ n ( c 2 h 5 ) 2 ] cl 3 , ti [ n ( c 6 h 5 ) 2 ] cl 3 , ti ( c 6 h 5 coo ) cl 3 , [ n ( c 4 h 9 ) 4 ] 2 ticl 6 , [ n ( ch 3 ) 4 ] ti 2 cl 9 , tibr 4 , ticl 3 oso 2 c 6 h 5 , and liti ( oc 3 h 7 ) 2 cl 3 . silicon compound ( b ) represented by the general formulae sir l ( or ′) 4 - l and siri ( nr2 ′) 4 - l , can also be employed as an external electron donor , wherein r is hydrogen ; alkyl group or aryl group ; r ′ is alkyl group or aryl group , and m is represented as 0 - 4 . one or more of an electron donor compound ( b ) can be used either singly or as combined improving the stereo - specificity of the olefin polymers produced . suitable silicon compounds ( b ) include alkoxygroup - having organosilicon compounds , nitrogen - containing compounds , phosphorus - containing compounds , and oxygen - containing compounds . of those , especially preferred are alkoxy group - having and nitrogen - containing organosilicon compounds . specific examples of these compounds include , but are not limited to , trimethylmethoxysilane , triethylmethoxysilane , dimethyldimethoxysilane , dimethyldiethoxysilane , diphenyldimethoxysilane , dimethyldiethoxysilane , diphenyldimethoxysilane , diphenyldiethoxysilane , dicyclohexyldimethoxysilane , cyclohexylmethyldimethoxysilane , cyclohexyl - iso - butyldimethoxysilane , cyclohexyl - 1 , 1 , 2 - trimethylpropyldimethoxysilane , α - naphthyl - 1 , 1 , 2 - trimethylpropyldimethoxysilane , n - tetradecanyl - 1 , 1 , 2 - trimethylpropyldimethoxysilane , cyclopentylmethyldimethoxysilane , cyclopentylethyldimethoxysilane , cyclopentylpropyldimethoxysilane , cyclopentyl - t - butyldimethoxysilane , cyclopentyl - 1 , 1 , 2 - trimethylpropyldimethoxysilane , dicyclopentyldimethoxysilane , cyclopentylcyclohexyldimethoxysilane , t - butylmethyldimethoxysilane , t - butylethyldimethoxysilane , t - butylpropyldimethoxysilane , di - t - butyldimethoxysilane , diisopropyldimethoxysilane , isopropylisobutyldimethoxysilane , γ - chloropropyltrimethoxysilane , methyltriethoxysilane , ethyltriethoxysilane , vinyltriethoxysilane , butyltriethoxysilane , phenyltriethoxysilane , γ - aminopropyltriethoxysilane , chlorotriethoxysilane , ethyltriisopropoxysilane , vinyltributoxysilane , methyl - t - butoxydimethoxysilane , isopropyl - t - butoxydimethoxysilane , cyclopentyl - t - butoxydimethoxysilane , 1 , 1 , 2 - trimethylpropyltrimethoxysilane , ethyl silicate , butyl silicate , trimethylphenoxysilane , methyltrialloxysilane , vinyltris ( β - methoxyethoxy ) silane , vinyltrisacetoxysilane , dimethyltetraethoxydisiloxane , 2 2 -( butylamino ) ethanol 4 , 9 - dibutyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 3 2 -( ethylamino ) ethanol 4 , 9 - diethyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 4 n - phenylethanolamine 4 , 9 - diphenyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 5 n - benzylethanolamine 4 , 9 - dibenzyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 6 . alpha .-[ 2 - 5 , 11 - dimethyl - 2 , 8 - diphenyl -( methylamino ) ethyl ] benzyl 1 , 7 - dioxa - 5 , 11 - diaza - 6 - alcohol sila - spiro [ 5 . 5 ] undecane , 7 ( r )-(−)- 2 - tert - butylamino - 1 - 4 , 9 - di - tert - butyl - 2 , 7 - phenylethanol diphenyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 8 2 -( isopropylamino )- 1 , 2 - 4 , 9 - diisopropyl - 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 - diphenylethanol tetraphenyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 4 , 9 - di - tert - butyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 4 , 9 - di - tert - butyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 4 , 9 - di - tert - butyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 4 , 9 - dibutyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 4 , 9 - diethyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 4 , 9 - diphenyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 4 , 9 - dibenzyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , 5 , 11 - dimethyl - 2 , 8 - diphenyl - 1 , 7 - dioxa - 5 , 11 - diaza - 6 - sila - spiro [ 5 . 5 ] undecane , 4 , 9 - di - tert - butyl - 2 , 7 - diphenyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane , and 4 , 9 - diisopropyl - 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 - tetraphenyl - 1 , 6 - dioxa - 4 , 9 - diaza - 5 - sila - spiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonane . one or more of these organosilicon compounds may be used herein either singly or as combined . organoaluminium compound ( c ) of the catalyst system of the present invention consists of any of alkyl groups , halogen atoms , hydrogen atoms and alkoxy groups , aluminoxanes , and their mixtures . they may include trialkylaluminiums such as trimethylaluminium , triethylaluminium , triisopropylaluminium , triisobutylaluminium , and trioctylaluminium ; dialkylaluminium monochlorides such as diethylaluminium monochloride , diisopropylaluminium monochloride , diisobutylaluminium monochloride , and dioctylaluminium monochloride ; alkylaluminium sesquihalides such as ethylaluminium sesquichloride ; and linear aluminoxanes such as methylaluminoxanec . preferred organoaluminium compounds are trialkylaluminiums with lower alkyl groups each having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms , and more preferred are trimethylaluminium , triethylaluminium , triisopropylaluminium , and triisobutylaluminium . one or more of these organoaluminium compounds may be used either singly or as combined . other acceptable organoaluminium compound ( c ) includes compounds containing two or more aluminum atoms linked to each other through hetero - atoms , such as : the catalyst system according to present invention is not limited by polymerization process , and polymerization of olefins may be performed in the presence of , or in the absence of , an organic solvent . olefin monomers may be used in the gaseous or liquid state depending on the polymerization as slurry , liquid or gas phase processes , or in a combination of liquid and gas phase processes using separate reactors , all of which can be done either by batch or continuously . the polyolefin may be directly obtained from gas phase process , or obtained by isolation and recovery of solvent from the slurry process , according to conventionally known methods . the catalyst components ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ), when employed , can be added to the polymerization reactor simultaneously or sequentially . it is preferred to mix components ( b ) and ( c ) first and then contact the resultant mixture with component ( a ) prior to the polymerization . the olefin monomer can be added prior to , with , or after the addition of the ziegler - natta type catalyst system to the polymerization reactor . it is preferred to add the olefin monomer after the addition of the ziegler - natta type catalyst system . the catalyst component ( a ) thus obtained is combined with the aforementioned silicon compound ( b ) and an organoaluminium compound ( c ) for the polymerization of olefins . the organoaluminium compound ( c ) is used in a molar ratio of from 1 to 1000 per atom of titanium in the catalyst component , and the silicon compound ( b ) is used in a molar ratio of less than 1 , preferably from 0 . 005 to 0 . 5 per mole of the organoaluminium compound ( c ). the molecular weight of the polymers may be controlled by known methods , preferably by using hydrogen . with the catalysts produced according to the present invention , molecular weight may be suitably controlled with hydrogen when the polymerization is carried out at relatively low temperatures , e . g ., from about 30 ° c . to about 105 ° c . this control of molecular weight may be evidenced by a measurable positive change of the melt flow rate ( mfr ). there are no particular restrictions on the polymerization conditions for production of polyolefins by the methods of the present invention , such as the polymerization temperature , polymerization time , polymerization pressure , or monomer concentration . the polymerization temperature is generally from about 40 ° c . to about 90 ° c ., and the polymerization pressure is generally 1 atmosphere or higher . the catalyst systems of the present invention may be pre - contacted with small quantities of olefin monomer , well known in the art as pre - polymerization , in a hydrocarbon solvent at a temperature of about 60 ° c . or lower for a time sufficient to produce a quantity of polymer from about 0 . 5 to 3 times the weight of the catalyst . if such a pre - polymerization is done in liquid or gaseous monomer , the quantity of resultant polymer is generally up to 1000 times the catalyst weight . examples of olefins homo - polymerized or copolymerized by use of the catalyst component and the catalyst of the present invention include olefins of the general formula ch ═ chr , where r is h or c 1 - 18 straight or branched alkyl , such as ethylene , propylene , butene - 1 , pentene - 1 , 4 - methylpentene - 1 , octene - 1 , and the like . while the catalyst component and the catalyst of the present invention may be employed in the processes in which ethylene is polymerized , it is more desirable to employ the catalyst component and the catalyst of the present invention in processes in which polypropylene or higher olefins are polymerized . processes involving the homo - polymerization or copolymerization of propylene are preferred . to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention , the following examples of certain aspects of some embodiments are given . in no way should the following examples be read to limit , or define , the entire scope of the invention . the solid catalyst composition and polymers in the examples were measured according to the methods described herein . composition analyses were conducted by icp emission analysis method to determine metal content in the solid catalyst component . the solvent insoluble ( hi %) of polypropylene ( pp ) is the weight percentage of heptane insoluble portion in the pp measured by extracting the powdery pp sample using a soxhlet extractor with heptane solvent for 6 hours . 13 c nmr characterization was conducted on a avance 400 mhz spectrometer and polymer solution was made by dissolving in 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - tetrachloroethane - d 2 . by setting the central line of the triplet of 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - tetrachloroethane - d 2 at δ = 74 . 3 ppm downfield of tetramethylsilane ( tms ), a logical common origin of the relative chemical shift scale refers to the 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - tetrachloroethane - d 2 solvent , disclosed in publications macromolecules 1997 , 30 , 6251 and j . am . chem . soc ., 1996 , 118 ( 40 ), 9623 . the chemical shift values of typical pentads for methyl and methylene resonances in 13 c nmr spectrums are assigned and calculated . the results of 13 c nmr assignment and calculations are reported in table 16 . 11 . 0 g anhydrous magnesium chloride , 1 . 47 iron ( ii ) chloride , 20 . 0 g anhydrous ethyl alcohol and 250 ml mineral oil was introduced into a 1000 ml reactor with powered stirrer and drawing pipe under inert gas atmosphere . the closed system was heated to 120 ° c ., under stirring and an adduct of mgcl 2 with ethyl alcohol was obtained , which is a solution at 120 ° c . mixed with mineral oil . the closed reactor was brought up to a pressure of 8 psig by introducing nitrogen gas . the valve was opened to allow the mixture to flow through , drawing into a 2 liter vessel containing 800 ml heptane , which was cooled and maintained at a temperature of − 40 ° c . the final temperature of the emulsion discharged into vessel was below 0 ° c ., after collecting the emulsion . the spheroidal solid product in the emulsion was separated by decanting and filtering , and then washed with heptane and dried under vacuum . the foregoing operations were carried out under an atmosphere of nitrogen gas . totally about 35 g of 10mgcl 2 . fecl 2 . 30c 2 h 5 oh was obtained . a schlenk type reactor equipped with a powered stirrer and a fritted filter disc was used to prepare the catalyst . to the reactor purged with nitrogen , 200 ml ticl 4 was introduced and cooled below − 20 ° c . 7 g of the above spheroidal solid 10mgcl 2 . fecl 2 . 30c 2 h 5 oh was added slowly and maintained for 10 minutes at this temperature with agitation . the temperature of the mixture was gradually raised to 60 ° c ., and 1 . 0 g of diisobutyl phthalate was then added . the temperature of the mixture was then increased to 110 ° c . and maintained for 2 hours with stirring . the resulting solid was filtered and 200 ml ticl 4 was added to the filtered solid . then the temperature of the mixture was heated to 110 ° c . and stirred for 2 hours . the residual solid was filtered and washed with anhydrous heptane five times at 60 ° c ., and two times at ambient temperature . the final catalyst was collected and dried under vacuum . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . propylene was polymerized using a laboratory scale 2 liter stainless steel autoclave equipped with a stirrer and a jacket for heating and cooling , which was heated to a temperature above 100 ° c . and expelled all traces of moisture and air with a nitrogen purge . after allowing the reactor to cool to 50 ° c ., under nitrogen , one liter of dry heptane was introduced into the reactor , and then 2 . 5 mmol of triethyl aluminum and 0 . 2 mmol diisopropyldimethoxysilane ( dip - donor ) were added , and then about 30 . 0 mg of the solid catalyst was obtained as disclosed above in the heptane suspension and was added successively into the autoclave . the temperature of the autoclave was kept at 50 ° c . and the pressure of autoclave was raised to 5 . 0 psig by introducing nitrogen . hydrogen in a 150 ml vessel with a pressure of 8 psig was flushed into the reactor with propylene . the reactor temperature was then raised to 70 ° c . and the total reactor pressure was raised to 90 psig by feeding propylene . the reaction was maintained for 1 hour under this condition with a continuous propylene feed to maintain a constant total pressure during the course of the polymerization . the system was then cooled to 50 ° c . and vented to reduce the pressure to 0 psig . the reactor was opened and 500 ml methanol was added to the reactor and the resulting mixture was stirred for 5 minutes and then filtered to obtain the polymer product . the obtained polymer was dried under vacuum at 80 ° c . for 6 hours . the polymer was weighed and tested with percent heptane insoluble (% hi ). the activity of catalyst ( ac ) was also calculated . the results are listed in table 2 . a 10 - liter stainless steel autoclave was used for propylene bulk polymerization . the autoclave was purged with nitrogen at 90 ° c . for 1 hour , cooled down to 30 ° c ., and then vacuumed to remove nitrogen . then 3 . 6 kg propylene , 15 . 0 liter hydrogen , 50 ml triethyl aluminum hexane solution ( 0 . 6 m ) and 5 . 0 ml diisopropyldimethoxysilane ( dip - donor ) heptane solution ( 0 . 5 m ) were fed into the 10 - liter autoclave . with stirring , 60 mg of the catalysts prepared above in a tube connected to the 10 - liter reactor was flushed into the reactor with 0 . 2 kg liquid propylene . the prepolymerization was carried out at 30 ° c . for 15 minutes . then , the temperature was raised to 80 ° c . over a period of 10 minutes , and the polymerization was run at this temperature for 1 hour . the pressure was then relieved and the temperature of the reactor was lowered to ambient temperature . the collected polymer was weighed and tested with percent heptane insoluble (% hi ). the activity of catalyst ( ac ) was also calculated and the results are listed in table 15 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 50 g cobalt ( ii ) chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 50 g nickel ( ii ) chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 63 g copper ( ii ) chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the results of bulk polymerization are listed in table 15 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 46 g manganese ( ii ) chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the results of bulk polymerization are listed in table 15 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 58 g zinc chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 2 . 50 g iron ( ii ) bromide is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 76 g iron ( ii ) sulfate is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 2 . 95 g iron ( ii ) perchlorate is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 88 g iron ( iii ) chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that the amount of iron ( ii ) chloride is 0 . 74 g instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 4 was followed except that the amount of copper ( ii ) chloride is 0 . 82 g instead of 1 . 63 g copper ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 0 . 71 g chromium ( ii ) chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 02 g palladium ( ii ) chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 1 . 43 g praseodymium chloride is used instead of 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 4 was followed except that the amount of copper ( ii ) chloride is 0 . 41 g instead of 1 . 63 g copper ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 2 was followed except that the amount of cobalt ( ii ) chloride is 0 . 38 g instead of 1 . 50 g cobalt ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that both iron ( ii ) chloride and iron ( iii ) chloride are used to prepare the catalyst together . 1 . 47 g iron ( ii ) chloride and 1 . 88 g iron ( iii ) chloride are added . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that both calcium chloride and iron ( ii ) chloride are used to prepare the catalyst together . 1 . 29 g calcium chloride and 0 . 98 g iron ( ii ) chloride are added . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that both copper ( ii ) chloride and cobalt ( ii ) chloride are used to prepare the catalyst together . 0 . 39 g copper ( ii ) chloride and 038 g cobalt ( ii ) chloride are added . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the catalyst preparation and polymerization are the same as in example 1 except that 11 . 0 g anhydrous magnesium chloride , 20 . 0 g anhydrous ethyl alcohol and 250 ml mineral oil were introduced into a 1000 ml reactor . the type and amount of titanium contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 1 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 2 . the results of bulk polymerization are listed in table 15 . the procedure of example 4 was followed except that , during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of the mixture was gradually raised to 60 ° c ., 0 . 84 g of 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl ) fluorene was used instead of 1 . 0 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 3 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 4 . the 10 - liter bulk polymerization was conducted by following the procedure of example 1 except that 8 . 0 liter hydrogen was fed into the 10 - liter autoclave instead of 15 . 0 liter hydrogen . the results of bulk polymerization are listed in table 15 . the procedure of example 5 was followed except that the amount of manganese ( ii ) chloride is 0 . 73 g instead of 1 . 46 g manganese ( ii ) chloride , and that , during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of the mixture was gradually raised to 60 ° c ., 0 . 84 g of 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl ) fluorene was used instead of 1 . 0 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 3 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 4 . the procedure of example 14 was followed except that , during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of mixture was gradually raised to 60 ° c . and 0 . 84 g of 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl ) fluorene was used instead of 1 . 0 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 3 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 4 . the catalyst preparation and polymerization are as in comparative example 1 except that during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of mixture was gradually raised to 60 ° c ., 0 . 84 g of 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl ) fluorene was used instead of 1 . 0 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of titanium contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 3 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 4 . the 10 - liter bulk polymerization was conducted by following the procedure of example 1 except that 8 . 0 liter hydrogen was fed into the 10 - liter autoclave instead of 15 . 0 liter hydrogen . the results of bulk polymerization are listed in table 15 . the procedure of example 4 was followed except that , during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of mixture was gradually raised to 60 ° c ., 1 . 1 g of 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate was used instead of 1 . 0 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 5 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 6 . the procedure of example 12 was followed except that , during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of the mixture was gradually raised to 60 ° c ., 1 . 1 g of 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate was used instead of 1 . 0 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of metal contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 5 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 6 . the catalyst preparation and polymerization are as in comparative example 1 except that during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of mixture was gradually raised to 60 ° c ., 1 . 1 g of 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate was used instead of 1 . 0 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of titanium contained in the solid catalyst components are reported in table 5 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 6 . into a flask were added 5 . 0 g of anhydrous magnesium chloride , 0 . 71 copper ( ii ) chloride , 23 . 0 g 2 - ethylhexyl alcohol and 27 ml decane . the mixture was stirred at 130 ° c . for 3 hours and a homogeneous solution is obtained . to the solution was introduced 1 . 3 g of phthalic anhydride , and the mixture was stirred at 130 ° c . for 1 hour and phthalic anhydride was dissolved . after cooling to room temperature , the resulting solution was dropwise added over one and half hours to 150 ml of titanium tetrachloride kept below − 20 ° c . in a schlenk type reactor equipped with a powered stirrer and a fitted filter disc . when the addition was finished , the temperature of the resulting mixture was gradually increased to 100 ° c . over a period of five hours . when the temperature reached 100 ° c ., 2 . 2 g of diisobutyl phthalate ( dibp ) was added to the solution . the resulting mixture was stirred at 110 ° c . for 2 hours . the hot mixture was then hot filtered at 110 ° c . to the separated solid was added 180 ml of titanium tetrachloride . the resulting suspension was maintained at 110 ° c . and stirred for 2 hours . the hot mixture was filtered to separate a solid which was thoroughly washed with decane at 110 ° c . and hexane at 60 ° c . until any titanium compound liberating in the filtrate was not detected . the solid catalyst component was dried under vacuum . all the above operations were under nitrogen atmosphere . the types and amounts of metal contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 7 . the slurry polymerizations were conducted by using the same procedure as example 1 . the activity of catalyst ( ac ) was also calculated . the results are listed in table 8 . the procedure of example 26 was followed except that the amount of copper ( ii ) chloride is 0 . 36 g instead of 0 . 71 g copper ( ii ) chloride . the type and amount of metal contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 7 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 8 . the catalyst preparation and polymerization are the same as example 26 except that 5 . 0 g of anhydrous magnesium chloride , 23 . 0 g of 2 - ethylhexyl alcohol and 27 ml decane was introduced into a flask . the type and amount of titanium contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 7 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 8 . to a reactor completely replacing with nitrogen were charged 7 . 2 g magnesium chloride , 1 . 0 g copper chloride , 150 ml toluene , 6 ml epoxy chloropropane and 19 ml tributyl phosphate . the mixture was heated and stirred for 3 hours at 55 ° c ., and after magnesium chloride was completely dissolved and a clear solution was obtained , 2 . 0 g phthalic anhydride was added and the mixture was stirred for one hour . the solution was cooled to below − 25 ° c . and 95 ml titanium tetrachloride was added dropwise over 1 . 5 hours . the mixture was slowly heated to 80 ° c . and solid components were formed gradually during the heating . to the system was added 2 . 7 g diisobutyl phthalate and the system was stirred and kept at 80 ° c . for one hour . after the mixture was filtered , 100 ml toluene was added and the residue was sufficiently stirred and washed twice at 80 ° c . the solid precipitate was treated with 100 ml toluene and 60 ml titanium tetrachloride at 100 ° c . for 2 hours . after filtration , the solid precipitate was sufficiently stirred and washed with 100 ml toluene three times at 100 ° c . the solid precipitate was treated with 100 ml toluene and 60 ml titanium tetrachloride at 100 ° c . for 2 hours again . after filtration , the solid precipitate was sufficiently stirred and washed with 100 ml toluene three times at 100 ° c ., and then washed with anhydrous heptane three times at 100 ° c . and two times at room temperature until no titanium was detected . the solid catalyst was obtained by drying under vacuum . the types and amounts of metal contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 9 . the slurry polymerizations were conducted by using the same procedure as example 1 . the activity of catalyst ( ac ) was also calculated . the results of slurry polymerization are listed in table 10 . the procedure of example 28 was followed except that both manganese ( ii ) chloride and copper chloride are used to prepare the catalyst together . 0 . 96 g manganese ( ii ) chloride and 1 . 0 g copper chloride are added . the type and amount of metal contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 9 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 10 . the procedure of example 28 was followed except that both palladium ( ii ) chloride and copper chloride are used to prepare the catalyst together . 0 . 27 g palladium ( ii ) chloride and 1 . 0 g copper chloride are added . the type and amount of metal contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 9 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 10 . the catalyst preparation and polymerization are the same as in example 28 except that 7 . 2 g magnesium chloride , 150 ml toluene , 6 ml epoxy chloropropane and 19 ml tributyl phosphate were introduced into a reactor . the type and amount of titanium contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 9 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 10 . the procedure of example 28 was followed except that , during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of mixture was gradually raised to 80 ° c ., 3 . 1 g of 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate was used instead of 2 . 7 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of metal contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 11 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 12 . the catalyst preparation and polymerization are in the same way as comparative example 4 except that during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of mixture was gradually raised to 80 ° c . and 3 . 1 g of 2 , 4 - pentandiol dibenzoate was used instead of 2 . 7 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of titanium contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 11 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 12 . the procedure of example 28 was followed except that , during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of mixture was gradually raised to 80 ° c ., 2 . 8 g of 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl ) fluorene was used instead of 2 . 7 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of metal contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 13 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 14 . the catalyst preparation and polymerization are the same as in comparative example 4 except that during the catalyst preparation , when the temperature of mixture was gradually raised to 80 ° c ., 2 . 8 g of 9 , 9 - bis ( methoxymethyl ) fluorene was used instead of 2 . 7 g diisobutyl phthalate . the type and amount of titanium contained in solid catalyst components are reported in table 13 . the results of slurry polymerization are reported in table 14 . as the data in tables 1 to 16 demonstrate , the polymerization of olefins using catalysts prepared from component ( a ) prepared in the examples fulfill the requirements of present invention , and with silicon compound ( b ) and organoaluminium compound ( c ), makes it possible to achieve a polyolefin catalyst system having high stereo - regularity and high polymerization activity with high yield . the produced polymers demonstrate improved isotacticity at high activities compared with the comparative examples . as demonstrated in the examples 4 , 21 and 24 and comparative examples 1 , 2 and 3 , the polymers prepared using the catalyst components of the present invention exhibit higher hi % ( heptane insoluble ), which is consistent with the 13 c nmr data of examples 21 and comparative examples 2 listed in table 16 . heptane insoluble ( hi %) and 13 c nmr results of resonances associated with different pentads exhibit the improved solvent insolubility and isotacticity . therefore , the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein . the particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only , as the present invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings therein . furthermore , no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown , other than as described in the claims below . it is therefore evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and sprit of the present invention . whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed , and number falling within the range is specifically disclose . moreover , the indefinite articles “ a ” or “ an ”, as use in the claims , are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it introduces . | 2 |
the sensing means comprise an inductive sensing head 15 parallel by a capacitance selected from capacitor bank 16 . fig3 is a schematic diagram of the crystal oscillator 11 , constant current driver 17 , amplifier 18 and bias generator 19 . these are all comprised in six - element buffer inverter integrated circuit u1 and jfet u8 , together with auxiliary components to be mentioned . oscillator 11 comprises one element 36 of u1 paralleled by feedback resistor 37 , and crystal 38 in series with capacitor 39 . constant - current driver 17 comprises transistor 40 , which is element u8 , connected in series with driver input voltage dr and ungrounded sensing input terminal si . a limiting resistor 42 is interposed between terminal si and the drain of transistor 40 to provide isolation between those elements and to prevent reactive shift influence on the constant - current supply and distortion of the square waveform of voltage dr . amplifier 18 comprises four elements 44 - 47 inclusive of buffer inverter u1 connected in cascade , the input of first stage 44 being coupled to ungrounded terminal si by capacitor 43 . bias generator 19 comprises element 48 of u1 having its input connected to its output and to the input of element 44 through resistor 49 . the operation of my sensing means is the same as that of the sensing means in my u . s . pat . no . 4 , 059 , 795 . the crystal controlled oscillator 11 of my driving means has a frequency in the range 1 mhz - 10 mhz . the oscillator generates a square wave , f1 in fig2 . a square wave , of course , is one having a very rapid rise and fall and a flat top so that its corners are right angles . the square wave f1 is supplied to a conventional frequency divider 12 which produces a range of frequencies f2 from mhz to khz as may be required . the selected output f2 from frequency divider 12 is introduced into waveform generator 13 . as will be described , that generator generates a number of frequencies , including a sensing or driving frequency , dr which is a square wave . sensing driving pulses dr which , as has been mentioned , have a frequency which is a derivative of frequency f2 , are applied to the inductive sensing head 15 through constant current driver 17 . the advantages of a constant current driver have been mentioned above . the amplifier 18 is operated in the class c ( saturated ) mode so as to produce rectangular output pulses am . the width of a pulse am is proportional to the amplitude of the signal . the bias generator 19 is adjusted so that an output of amplifier 18 is secured at the lowest signal amplitude , which occurs at the extreme point of phase change . the signal pulse am is located with reference to the driving waveform dr in direct proportion to the phase relation between those two signals , the signal pulse am for resonance condition being positioned in the center of the half of the rectangular wave dr . the basic cause of thermal drift in semiconductors is change in threshold voltage level at the semiconductor junction . that change directly affects the stability of the stage when it is used for amplification of small analog signals . the integrated circuit u1 used in amplifier 18 and bias generator 19 is uniquely adapted to thermal drift stabilization because all six elements are made from the same material and are closely spaced so as to display the same thermal drift characteristics . bias generator 19 , having input of element 48 connected to its output , generates a dc voltage equal to the threshold voltage of the semiconductor junction of element 48 and all other elements of u1 , as they are on the same silicon chip . that voltage instantaneously reflects any change in threshold voltage of all other elements on the same chhip connected thereto and provides perfect drift compensation . resonance scan control 20 switches capacitors of capacitor bank 16 across inductive sensing head 15 . it comprises buffer - drivers u11 and jfet analog gates u12 and u13 . the capacitor bank comprises 8 capacitors which are incorporated for convenience in two units , as is shown in fig1 . the capacitors have values of 100 , 200 , 400 , 800 , 1600 , 3200 , 6400 and 12 , 800 mmf respectively , but other values may be used . fig4 is a schematic diagram of the resonance scan control circuit 20 and its address generator 21 . eight capacitors 51 - 58 inclusive each have one terminal connected to a lead to ungrounded sensing terminal si . the remaining terminals of each capacitor 55 - 58 inclusive are connected respectively to the drains of jfet transistors 64 - 67 inclusive , and the remaining terminals of capacitors 51 - 54 inclusive are connected respectively to the drains of jfet transistors 59 - 62 , inclusive . the sources of transistors 64 - 67 are connected together and through compensating transistor 68 to ground . the sources of transistors 59 - 62 inclusive are connected together and through compensating transistor 63 to ground . the junctions of transistors 59 - 62 and 64 - 67 are connected to the outputs of buffer drives 70 - 77 , respectively . the inputs of those buffer drivers are connected to the outputs of eight - bit address generator 21 and also to reference memories 29 and 30 , to be described hereinafter . address generator 21 comprises dual binary up - counter u20 . reset signal r from waveform generator 13 is connected to the clock input of the up - counter . eight q lines are used as addresses to select eight lower order addresses of memories 29 and 30 , used to store the reference signatures . the same eight lines are used to switch sequentially analog gates u12 and u13 of resonance scan control 20 through buffer drivers 70 - 77 inclusive . the jfet transistors in analog gates u12 and u13 are bipolar and require no dc potential on their drains . the ac voltage across sensing inductance 15 is applied to the drains of transistors 59 - 62 and 64 - 67 through the capacitors in capacity bank c3 and c4 , as appears from fig4 . a pulse from address generator 21 transmitted to buffer drive 77 , for example , is passed on to the junction terminal of transistor 67 , rendering it conductive so that the terminal of capacitance 58 connected to the drain of transistor 67 is connected to ground . that capacitor is thus shunted across terminals si - si com . other pulses from address generator 21 cause other capacitor elements to be connected to ground in the same way , so that an aggregate of 256 values of capacitance are switched in sequence across terminals si - si com . when a given specimen is positioned in inductive sensing head 15 there is , of course , only one value of capacitance from capacitor bank 16 which resonates the inductive sensing head at the frequency of sensing driver voltage dr . the voltage applied to amplifier 18 will have its maximum amplitude at that frequency , and will be approximately sinusoidal . all other values of capacitance will produce voltage inputs to amplifier 18 which are of lower amplitude and are out of phase with drive voltage dr , lagging or leading . thus if all 256 values of capacitance 16 are switched in sequence , my apparatus will provide 256 different outputs from amplifier 18 , each differing from all others in amplitude and / or phase , constituting the metallurgical signature of the specimen . apparatus to be described hereinafter digitizes this phase change only , and compares it with reference signatures stored in a memory to identify metal specimens of unknown composition . waveform generator 13 comprises conventional integrated circuits conventionally connected to generate a set of logic waveforms all of which are submultiples of its input frequency f2 , so that a change of input frequency automatically adjusts all timing frequencies . waveform generator 13 comprises decoder counter divider u3 , dual flip - flops u4 , u5 and u6 , and hex &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; gate u10 . the driving frequency dr is a fixed submultiple of frequency f2 . i prefer to make it one - fortieth of f2 . it is generated through decoder counter divider u3 and d type dual flip - flop u5 . tolerance control frequency tc is preferably fixed at one - tenth of frequency f2 and is generated by the same elements as is frequency dr , utilizing the other half of the dual flip - flop . control pulses le , update , and r , reset , are generated by &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; gating through one element of hex gate u10 frequency f2 : 2 , which is one - half frequency f2 , and an output from terminal 9 of decoder counter divider u3 . frequency f2 : 2 is generated by decoder counter divider u3 and half of flip - flop u4 . sensing window frequency wd is likewise generated through element u3 and half of flip - flop u6 . the decode counter divider u3 has 16 terminals , a number of which produce binary related timed outputs . driving waveform dr is generated by the leading edge of pulses from terminals 3 and 1 which are used to set and reset one of the flip - flops u5 . tolerance control waveform tc is generated by the leading edge of pulses from terminals 5 and 9 applied to the other flip - flop of u5 . control pulses le and r are generated by gating f2 : 2 , generated by the pulses from terminal 13 and one flip - flop of u4 , with the pulses from terminal 9 of u3 . sensing window waveform wd is generated by the leading edges of the pulses from terminal 11 of u3 which set one flip - flop of element u6 . the end of that waveform is generated by the pulses from terminal 5 of u3 which reset that flip - flop . the waveform f2 : 4 in fig2 is a waveform used internally in waveform generator 13 . it has a frequency one - fourth that of frequency f2 and is generated therefrom through one - half of flip - flop u4 . it is used as a clock for decoder counter u3 in the generation of waveforms wd , dr , tc , le and r . the elongated width of the sensing window waveform wd is to allow proper digitizing of the phase component of the sensing pulse am , to be described hereinafter , even in extreme locations of plus or minus 90 degree phase , when the signal pulse width could extend beyond the edges of the waveform dr . sensing window wd sets the time limits where the phase relation between dr waveform and signal output waveform am is digitized . waveform tc defines the time when the tolerance control circuit 14 is operative . waveform le defines the time when display and logic circuits 31 - 34 inclusive are updated . waveform r is the system reset signal , resetting all elements connected thereto before the start of each sensing cycle . pulse u / dn described in more detail hereinafter controls the up / down counters 23 . the tolin waveform to tolerance control 14 is waveform f2 but is gated by tolerance control waveform tc so as to be transmitted only during tolerance control period tc , generating ten pulses at the input of rate multiplier u23 . phase digitizer 22 comprises cmos analog gate u24 , two d type flip - flops u6 and u7 , and &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; gate u9 . counters 23 comprise bcd up / down counters u14 and u15 . the purpose of the phase - digitizing circuit is to represent digitally the phase relation between driver reference waveform dr and the amplifier output pulse am . that relation between two above mentioned signals is measured by counting the number of oscillator 11 pulses between the leading edge of the waveform wd and the center of the amplifier pulse am . the waveform wd is used instead of waveform dr so as to prevent a digitizing error when the pulse am extends beyond the limits of waveform dr , especially when the phase angle of the signal is in the extreme position . to achieve this goal the pulse train pc ( phase count ) is formed as follows : at the leading edge of the waveform wd one of the analog gates of u24 is closed , feeding the f1 system clock pulses through terminal pc to counters u14 and u15 . as soon as the leading edge of pulse am appears , the analog gate which feeds the f1 pulses opens , discontinuing further connection between f1 pulses and counters . at the same time another analog gate closes and feeds f1 : 2 pulses , which are at half rate of the f1 frequency , and which are generated by dividing f1 in one element of the flip - flops . when the trailing edge of am appears , the second analog gate is also open . no other pulses will reach line pc and counters 23 until the tolerance control period , during which a number of pulses ( at the rate of frequency f2 ) may appear , if a = b condition of the digital comparator is not reached . the digital tolerance control circuit 14 consists of the rate multiplier u23 and tolerance switch 24 . in order to overcome the problem due to slight variations in the same alloys and grades of different heats , a special digital tolerance control circuit was developed . the purpose of this circuit is to provide a number of additional pulses through the phase count line pc to the counters , and achieve a = b condition between reference and test signatures . selector switch 24 selects the maximum allowed digital deviation between reference and the sample . a single switch will allow up to + nine pulses to achieve a match , and acceptance of the metal under test . an extended range of tolerance control can be achieved by using more than one switch and rate multiplier u23 . the principle of the operation of the tolerance control circuit is as follows : ten pulses at the rate of the frequency f2 are fed to the input terminal cl of u23 ( tolin ). the number of outputs ( tolout ) will be determined by the setting of switch 24 . as soon as terminal a = b of the digital comparator connected to the terminal str of u23 becomes &# 34 ; true &# 34 ;, the rate multiplier u23 is inhibited until the next sensing cycle . tolerance control circuit 14 is reset by the system reset pulse r . references 29 and 30 are cmos eprom memories u18 and u19 each having a storage capacity of 512 × 8 bits . in those reference memories 29 and 30 are stored the signatures of known metals and alloys for comparison purposes , as will be described . select switch 27 provides manual selection of any signature from references 29 and 30 through reference select 28 , which is a 4 bit latch / 4 - to - 16 decoder . references 29 and 30 are also connected to be scanned by address generator 21 . reference memories 29 and 30 are programmed by external memory programming means . memories 29 and 30 store two signatures of 256 resonant points . they may also be programmed to store generic names of metallurgical signatures by reducing the number of resonance points stored , for example to 240 , and utilizing the remaining 16 locations for generic names or codes numbers , such as &# 34 ; sae 1010 &# 34 ; and the like . digital comparator 26 comprises two digital comparator units u16 and u17 . their a inputs are connected to counters u14 and u15 of counter 23 . their b inputs are connected to one or the other of reference memories 29 and 30 . the outputs of comparator 26 are a = b and a & gt ; b . output latch 25 is a d type flip - flop u7 . the a = b signal of comparator 26 is applied to the &# 34 ; data &# 34 ; input of output latch 25 , and to tolerance control 14 . the update le signal is connected to the clock input . the a & gt ; b signal is applied to waveform generator 13 . the a = b signal operates latch 25 to the accept position acc and inhibits tolerance control 14 . this occurs only when the signals from counter 23 and reference memory 29 or 30 match at the time the le signal arrives . the a & gt ; b signal triggers a pulse u / dn from waveform generator 13 which controls the up / down mode of the bcd up / down counters 23 during the tolerance control period tc . when the counter input to comparator 26 is larger than the reference input the a & gt ; b signal will switch counter 23 to the count - down method until a = b condition is reached , or until the end of the tc period is reached . in the latter event latch 25 will latch in the reject position rej . the accept or reject signals acc and rej may be applied to any convenient visual display , audible signal means or machine control function . digital comparator 26 also has an a & gt ; b output which is unused . counters 23 are normally in the up - count mode and when the a & lt ; b condition obtains those counters automatically count up until the a = b condition is reached , or until the end of the tc period is reached . the display apparatus is conventional and comprises display memory and decoder 31 comprising 32 × 8 random access memory u25 and 4 bit latch / 4 - to16 decoder u26 , segment drivers 32 , alpha - numeric display 33 , comprising 14 segment alpha - numeric led display dp1 and dp2 , and digit selector 34 , 4 bit latch / 4 - to - 16 decoder u26 . the outputs of reference memories 29 and 30 are connected to the input of display memory and decoder 31 , as are the outputs of resonance scan control 20 and the accept signal acc . the outputs of resonance scan control 20 are also connected to digit selector 34 . when address position 240 is reached and all 240 positions show a match between the stored signature and the signature of a specimen the address signal is advanced through positions 241 - 256 of the reference memory 29 or 30 , and the contents of those locations are transferred to random access memory 31 . as long as the a = b condition obtains at the output of digital comparator 26 during the time of up - date signal le , that memory is continuously multiplexed through digit selector 34 and displays the transferred data which contains the generic name or code of the specimen . the 16 digits , 241 - 256 inclusive accommodate all generic names or grades of signatures stored in memories 29 and 30 . a list of standard and commercially available components used in the above described equipment as follows : ______________________________________code designation function source______________________________________u1 mc14049 buffer / inverter motorolau2 mc14040 frequency divider motorolau3 mc14017 decode counter / motorola divideru4 , u5 , mc14013 &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; type flip / flop motorolau6 andu7u8 2n5457 transistor motorolau9 mc14081 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; gate motorolau10 mc14572 hex gate motorolau11 ds8863 buffer / drivers nationalu12 , u13 ih5009 analog gate ( 2 fet ) intersilu14 , u15 cd4029 bcg up - down counter rcau16 , u17 mc14585 digital comparator motorolau18 , u19 im6604 eprom ( 512 × 8 ) intersilu20 mc14520 dual binary up motorola counteru21 mc14515 4 bit latch / 4 - to - 16 motorola decoderu23 mc14527 bcd rate multiplier motorolau24 mc14066 cmos analog gate motorolau25 cdp 1824 32 × 8 ram rcau26 mc 14514 bit latch / 4 - to - 16 motorola decoderdp1 , dp2 man 2815 14 segment alpha - monsanto numeric led displaydp3 udn 2982 segment drivers sprague______________________________________ | 6 |
referring now in specific detail to the drawings , in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements throughout the several views , fig1 shows a surgical fastening instrument 10 which employs an adjustable closure mechanism and the visual indicator device 100 of the present invention . fastening instrument 10 is provided with a stationary hand grip or hand rest 12 and an actuating handle 14 . an elongated body portion 16 is provided which terminates in a distal jaw mechanism 18 which includes an anvil jaw 20 and a cartridge jaw 22 . a fastener cartridge ( not shown ) is positioned within cartridge jaw 22 for driving staples or fasteners through tissue against an anvil surface positioned on anvil jaw 20 . alternatively , the cartridge can contain the fastener portions of two part fasteners which are driven into retainers positioned on the anvil jaw . at the handle end of instrument 10 is provided a push button 26 for operating an advancement mechanism 28 , whose function will be described below . an external portion 101 of the visual indicator device includes housing 103 and visual indicator 102 . as seen in fig2 push button 26 and advancing mechanism 28 extend outwardly from the proximal end of the instrument 10 . a releasable retaining mechanism 32 is slidably engaged to the stationary rod member 36 and is coupled to slider mechanism 40 so that as slider mechanism 40 is urged forwardly into housing 30 , retaining mechanism 32 is slidably retained along stationary rod member 36 . advancing mechanism 28 comprises slider mechanism 40 and release rod member 38 , such that release rod member 38 and slider mechanism 40 are secured to push button 26 . thrusting push button 26 towards housing 30 slides release rod 38 and slider mechanism 40 into the housing to move the retaining mechanism 32 along rod 36 . slider mechanism 40 extends to linkage structure 42 to activate the linkage structure 42 and urge jaw mechanism 18 distally . linkage structure 42 moves movable rod 34 , as well as fastener driver 56 , cartridge frame 44 , alignment pin advancement means 24 , and cartridge 54 all in a distal direction to selectively position movable cartridge jaw 22 and stationary anvil jaw 20 . a more detailed description of the individual mechanisms of the adjustable closure component is described in commonly assigned pending u . s . application ser . no . 07 / 779 , 505 filed oct , 18 , 1991 , which is incorporated herein by reference . turning to the light indicator mechanism 100 of the present invention , with reference to fig2 an electrical circuit is disposed within the surgical instrument . electrical contact 109 is fixedly positioned on slider mechanism 40 . visual indicator 102 is in the form of an led and is disposed in housing 103 . while visual indicator 102 is preferably an led , other devices which emit a detectable response to an electrical current are considered to be within the scope of the invention , i . e ., incandescent lamps , liquid crystal displays ( lcd &# 39 ; s ), audible indicators , tactile indicators and light / temperature responsive materials . the electrical circuit includes wires 105 , 106 and 107 . wire 105 electrically connects indicator 102 to a voltage source 104 , such as a battery , wire 106 connects the voltage source 104 to contact 109 , and wire 107 connects indicator 102 to contact 108 . clearly , alternatively , a single wire or any number of wires can be used to electrically connect these components . illumination of indicator 102 is accomplished by closing the circuit which is achieved by bringing contact 109 into abutment with contact 108 as described hereinbelow . optionally , a current limiter , i . e ., a resistor , may be disposed within the electrical circuit . current limiter 110 is shown on wire 106 . referring now to fig2 through 5 , the operation of the surgical fastener apparatus 10 having the visual indicator 100 of the present invention will now be described . tissue is first inserted between cartridge jaw 22 and anvil jaw 20 when the instrument is in the position shown in fig2 . in this position , contacts 108 and 109 are spaced apart so that the circuit is not complete and indicator 102 is inactive . after tissue which is to be surgically repaired is positioned between cartridge jaw 22 and anvil jaw 20 , push button 26 is pushed in the direction of arrow a as seen in fig3 which moves slider mechanism 40 and release rod 38 into housing 30 . retaining mechanism 32 is slid distally along stationary rod 36 , and camming surface 90 of slider mechanism 40 engages stationary post 88b to deploy linkage structure 42 . as linkage structure 42 is deployed , movable rod 34 is urged forwardly along with cartridge frame 44 , thus urging driving pin 50 along frame track 52 . distal movement of slider mechanism 40 carries contact 109 distally toward contact 108 . the force of biasing spring 46 is overcome as push button 26 is urged in the direction of arrow a . as driving pin 50 moves in track 52 , driving link 48 is moved to the position shown in fig3 which urges alignment pin advancement means 24 to the position shown at the jaw mechanism 18 . in this position , alignment pin 62 protrudes from cartridge 54 and aligns with the alignment hole in anvil jaw 20 as cartridge 54 moves in the direction of arrow a &# 39 ;. as linkage structure 42 is deployed and movable rod 34 and cartridge frame 44 move distally , fastener driver 56 also moves distally and coupling arm 58 slides along bearing surface 61 . when push button 26 is fully actuated , linkage structure 42 is fully deployed as shown in fig4 and retaining mechanism 32 frictionally engages stationary rod 36 to maintain instrument 10 in the position shown in fig4 . at this time , cartridge 54 has moved into position in the direction of arrow a &# 39 ; so that alignment pin 62 is positioned in the alignment hole in anvil jaw 20 . alignment pin advancement means 24 moves slightly proximally so that alignment pin 62 does not protrude beyond anvil jaw 20 , and driving link 48 assumes the position shown in fig4 . driving pin 50 has reached the end of track 52 . in the position shown in fig4 actuating arm 58 has slid off bearing surface 61 and into notch 60 of fastener driver 56 so that the device as shown in fig4 is ready to be fired . in this position , contacts 108 and 109 are in abutment as slider mechanism 40 has traveled further distally , thereby completing the circuit and allowing electrical current to flow from voltage source 104 to indicator 102 . the indicator 102 therefore becomes lit to inform the user that the cartridge jaw is spaced a desired distance from the anvil jaw , i . e ., in the proper firing range . it should be noted that the length of one or both of the electrical contacts can be modified to accommodate a range of proper firing distances . for example , if it is desired to increase the range of firing distances which cartridge 54 can be spaced from anvil jaw 20 , the length ( measured longitudinally ) of one of the electrical contacts can be increased so that an increased number of points of contact , e . g ., positions of slider 40 , will complete the circuit to thereby light indicator 102 . once in the position of fig4 actuating handle 14 is moved in the direction of arrow b ( fig5 ) to fire the fasteners 66 . as actuating handle 14 is moved in the direction of arrow b against the force of biasing spring 64 , coupling arm 58 , having been engaged in notch 60 , moves in the direction of arrow c to move fastener driver 56 distally in the direction of arrow d . fastener driver 56 drives fasteners 66 from cartridge 54 through the tissue ( not shown ) and into the anvil surface of anvil jaw 20 . upon completion of firing , actuating handle 14 is released and returns to the position shown in fig4 . to remove instrument 10 from the surgical site , it is necessary to release the jaw mechanism 18 to return to the position shown in fig2 . this is accomplished by pivoting push button 26 in the direction of arrow e , as best seen in fig5 a and 5b , so that beveled surface 27 contacts the housing 30 . as push button 26 is pivoted in the direction of arrow e , release rod 38 travels in the direction of arrow f so that contact surface 78 of release rod 38 pivots release lever 74 as shown , which engages contact face 73 to move clamp member 68 to an upright position and perpendicular in relation to stationary rod 36 . this releases the frictional engagement of clamp member 68 so that stationary rod 36 and the entire retaining mechanism 32 is moved along stationary rod 36 in the direction of arrow g due to the force of biasing spring 80 . the entire mechanism , including the linkage structure 42 , jaw mechanism 18 , and retaining mechanism 32 is returned to the position shown in fig2 . the electrical contacts 109 are likewise returned to their original position of fig2 thereby breaking the circuit to turn off the light indicator 102 . it should be noted that the adjustable closure mechanism described herein , can be used in other instruments to close the distance between the movable jaw member and stationary jaw member at the stapling or fastening end of the instrument or between two movable jaw members . that is the jaw mechanism may be of the type , wherein one jaw moves toward and away from the other ; however , the present invention is also applicable for use with devices of alternative types , i . e ., where both jaws move toward and away from each other . the surgical instrument may be of the type which applies metal staples or two part fasteners of the bioabsorbable type . the indicator device of the present invention can be used with these instruments as well . the surgical stapling or fastening instrument employing the adjustable closure mechanism is a device which may be operated with one hand to effect the closure motion of the jaw members of the instrument followed by activation of the trigger mechanism to fire the staples or fasteners into the tissue . the complex rotational or pivoting arrangement of the prior art devices is eliminated , resulting in a lightweight and easy to handle instrument which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble . while contacts 108 and 109 of the present invention have been shown in the handle portion of the instrument , it is within scope of the invention that the contacts may be disposed at other positions on or within the device which permits the circuit to be completed when the cartridge jaw is spaced a desired distance from the anvil jaw . for example , contact 108 may be disposed towards the distal end of the instrument and contact 109 can be secured to a movable portion of the instrument disposed at the distal portion as well . for example , contact 109 can be positioned on movable rod 34 . fig6 - 10 show an indicator device of the present invention utilized with a surgical stapling apparatus 111 for performing circular anastomosis . apparatus 111 includes a handle assembly 112 having at least one pivotable actuating handle member 114 , advancing means 116 and visual indicator mechanism 300 . indicator mechanism 300 includes housing 304 which supports indicator device 302 . indicator mechanism 300 functions in a manner similar to indicator 100 described above . advancing means 116 preferably comprises a rotatable grip member 118 whose function will be described below . extending from handle assembly 112 , there is provided a tubular body portion 120 which may be constructed so as to have a curved shaped along its length . tubular body portion 120 may also be straight , and in other embodiments may be flexible to bend to any configuration . body portion 120 terminates in staple pusher member 122 which is associated with two annular array of staples 124 . positioned opposite staple pusher member 122 is an anvil member 126 which is connected to apparatus 111 by shaft 128 . anvil member 126 and staple pusher member 122 are disclosed in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 119 , 983 , issued jun . 9 , 1992 , which is incorporated herein by reference . while the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a staple pusher member having an annular array of staples positioned on the tubular body portion , and having the anvil member positioned opposite the staple pusher member for movement towards and away from the staple pusher member , it is contemplated that the anvil member may be positioned on the tubular body portion and the staple pusher member and array of staples be positioned opposite the anvil member for movement towards and away from the anvil member . such a construction is to be considered within the scope of the present invention . as seen in fig7 and 10 , the adjustable closure mechanism includes a cam member 180 positioned within rotatable bushing 190 and rotatable sleeve member 192 . cam member 180 is provided with a helical groove 182 having a dual pitch . the first pitch 184 is greater than the second pitch 186 , so that first pitch 184 provides for coarse adjustment or a large approximation of the anvil member 126 towards staple pusher member 122 , while second pitch 186 provides for fine adjustment or incremental movement of the anvil member 126 towards staple pusher member 122 . in an alternative and preferred embodiment , cam 400 ( fig8 ) includes helical groove 402 having three stages of helical pitch . stage &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; has a greater pitch than stage &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; which has a greater pitch than stage &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;. as pin 196 travels along helical groove 402 ( described below ), longitudinal travel per revolution of the cam will vary with each stage . cam member 180 is secured to inner rod 136 by any suitable means to ensure that movement of cam member 138 operatively advances and retracts inner rod member 136 , such as by pin 181 . a rotation pin 196 is provided which is operably secured to rotatable sleeve 192 , so that upon rotation of grip member 118 , helical groove 182 begins to ride over pin member 196 at first pitch 184 . cam member 180 begins to slide rearwardly in bore 194 , thus drawing inner rod member 136 and flexible member 134 in a proximal direction . as cam member 180 reaches a point where rotation pin 196 is at the end of first pitch 184 , anvil member 126 is positioned adjacent staple pusher member 122 . further rotation of grip member 118 , as seen in fig1 , causes second pitch 186 to ride over pin 196 to provide for fine adjustment of the distance between anvil member 126 and staple pusher member 122 . turning to the visual indicator mechanism 300 , with reference to fig9 and 10 , the device includes voltage source 306 , visual indicator 302 , contact 310 and contact 308 . contact 308 is positioned on flexible member 134 and contact member 310 is positioned in inner tube 133 . wire position 314 electrically connects indicator 302 to voltage source 306 , wire 312 connects voltage source 306 to contact 308 , and wire 316 connects contact 310 to indicator 302 . clearly , alternatively , a single wire or any number of wires can be used to electrically connect these components . with reference to fig1 , after grip member 118 has been turned a sufficient amount , as described above , contact 308 , carried by member 134 is brought into abutment with contact 310 . when touching , contacts 308 and 310 complete the circuit and electrical current flows from voltage source 306 to indicator 302 , thereby lighting the indicator to provide visual indication that a proper gap between anvil 126 and staples 124 has been achieved . in this embodiment , contact 310 extends in the longitudinal direction to provide for a range of contact points with contact 308 . at any point where contact 308 is touching contact 310 , indicator 302 will be activated and the user will be informed of adequate spacing between the anvil and stapler . over approximation ( i . e ., bringing the anvil assembly too close to the staples ), could result in contact 308 passing by contact 310 to a position proximal of contact 310 , i . e ., out of abutment so that the circuit is not closed . therefore , indicator 300 could not only function to inform the user when the instrument has been sufficiently approximated , but can also function to inform the user when the instrument has been over approximated and the tissue potentially overclamped . while indicator 300 is shown disposed in a central portion of the instrument , it is within the scope of the invention to place the indicator at any position viewable by the surgeon or staff . preferably , the indicator is placed in a proximal portion of the instrument , i . e ., in grip member 118 . in operation , the instrument is positioned within a tubular organ in the body of the patient and the ends of the organ to be joined are positioned in the gap between the staple pusher member 122 and the anvil member 126 so that the anvil member 126 is fully extended . as is conventional , the ends of the organ may be secured over the anvil and the staple pusher member by a purse string suture prior to approximation of the anvil member in relation to the staple pusher member . in this position contacts 308 and 310 are spaced apart . in order to approximate anvil member 126 towards staple pusher member 122 , grip member 118 is rotated so that helical groove 182 rides over pin member 196 causing cam member 180 to begin to move proximally . as cam member 180 moves proximally , inner rod member 136 moves proximally bringing flexible member 134 and anvil member 126 with it . this moves contact 308 proximally toward contact 310 . further movement of rod member 136 draws the anvil member 126 into position adjacent staple pusher member 122 and locates the ends of the tissue between these two members . in this position , the contacts are in abutment thereby completing the electrical circuit to activate the indicator . this will indicate to the surgeon in an easily perceivable manner that an appropriate gap between the staple cartridge and anvil has been obtained . note that due to the pitch of the cam member helical groove , initial rotation of grip member 118 provides for coarse adjustment of the gap or distance between anvil member 126 and staple pusher member 122 and further rotation provides for fine adjustment of the distance between the anvil member 126 and the staple pusher member 122 . once the appropriate gap has been obtained , the surgeon squeezes handles 114 to fire the instrument . movement of handles 114 towards the body of the instrument causes inner tube 133 to move in a distal direction , thereby causing staples 124 to be ejected from pusher member 122 . when ejected , staples 124 pass through tissue disposed between pusher member 122 and anvil 126 and are formed to a tissue securing configuration upon contacting depressions ( not shown ) in anvil 126 . after firing , the instrument is removed in a manner known in the art . other embodiments of the circular anastomosis insert instrument as well as the detailed operation are disclosed in commonly assigned copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 07 / 959 , 275 filed oct . 10 , 1992 , the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference . turning to a further alternative embodiment of the present invention , fig1 shows schematically a system whereby data is transmitted to a video monitor for display , such data relating to the position and / or condition of one or more surgical instruments . as shown in fig1 , a laparoscopic surgical procedure is being performed wherein a plurality of trocar sleeves 400 are inserted through a body wall 402 to provide access to a body cavity 404 . a laparoscope 406 is inserted through one of the trocar sleeves 400 to provide illumination ( light cable 408 is shown leading toward a light source , not pictured ) to the surgical site and to obtain an image thereof . a camera adapter 410 is attached at the proximal end of laparoscope 406 and image cable 412 extends therefrom to a control box 414 discussed in more detail below . image cable inputs to image receiving port 416 on control box 414 . additional surgical instrumentation 418 , 420 are inserted through additional trocar sleeves 400 which extend through body wall 402 . in fig1 , instrument 418 schematically illustrates an endoscopic stapling device , e . g ., an endo gia * instrument manufactured by the assignee of this application , and instrument 420 schematically illustrates a hand instrument , e . g ., an endo grasp * device also manufactured by the present assignee . additional and / or alternative instruments may also be utilized according to the present invention ; the illustrated instruments are merely exemplary of surgical instruments which may be utilized according to the present invention . instruments 418 , 420 include adapters 422 , 424 associated with their respective handle portions . the adapters electronically communicate with conductive mechanisms ( not pictured ) of the type described hereinabove with respect to the embodiments of fig1 - 10 . these mechanisms , which include electrically conductive contact members electrically connected by wires , cables and the like , are associated with the distal elements of the respective instruments , e . g ., the anvil 426 and cartridge 428 of the endo gia * instrument , the jaws 430 , 432 of the endo grasp * device , and the like . the mechanisms are adapted to interrupt an electronic circuit when the distal elements are in a first position or condition and to complete the electronic circuit when the distal elements are in a second position or condition . a voltage source for the electronic circuit may be provided in the surgical instrument , e . g ., in the form of a battery , or supplied from control box 414 through cables 434 and 436 . control box 414 includes a plurality of jacks 438 which are adapted to receive cables 434 , 436 and the like . control box 414 further includes an outgoing adapter 440 which is adapted to cooperate with a cable 442 for transmitting the laparoscopic image obtained by the laparoscope 406 together with data concerning surgical instruments 418 , 420 to video monitor 444 . circuitry within control box 414 is provided for converting the presence of an interrupted circuit , e . g ., for the electronics within cable 434 and the mechanism associated with the distal elements of instrument 418 , to an icon or symbol for display on video monitor 444 . similarly , the circuitry within control box 414 is adapted to provide a second icon or symbol to video monitor 444 when a completed circuit exists for cable 434 and the associated mechanism . illustrative icons / symbols 446 , 448 are shown on video monitor 444 . icon 446 shows a surgical staple and could be used to communicate to the surgeon that the cartridge 428 and anvil 426 of instrument 418 are properly positioned to form staples in tissue 450 . icon 446 could take another form when the cartridge 428 and 426 are not properly positioned for forming staples , thereby interrupting the circuit , e . g ., as shown in fig1 a . icon 448 shows a hand instrument with jaws spread apart , thereby communicating to the surgeon that the jaws 430 , 432 of instrument 420 are open . icon 448 could take another form when jaws 430 , 432 are closed , thereby completing the circuit , e . g ., as shown in fig1 a . as will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure herein , alternative icons / symbols and / or display indicia may be utilized to communicate to the surgeon the position / condition of surgical instruments utilized according to the present invention , e . g ., flashing icons , variable color icons , repositioned icons . regardless of the type of icon / symbol / indicia selected , the presence of the icons / symbols / indicia on the video monitor permit the surgeon to easily and conveniently ascertain the position / condition of a surgical instrument while viewing the video monitor on which the progress of the surgical procedure is being displayed . the surgeon may also , at his or her election , disconnect the cables from the surgical instruments , thereby disabling the icon / symbol / indicia system , without effecting the operation of the subject surgical instrument . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . for example , while the electrical circuit for the above - described instrument have been described in terms of wires , it is understood that any method of transferring electrical current between the voltage source and visual indicator is within the scope of the present invention . in this regard , for example , the electrical path can be defined by conductive materials coated or plated on the handle , body , or movable parts . other electrically conductive materials include bonded wires and flex cables . the electrical curcuit can be completed in any known mannner , including , for example , the use of magnets , reed switches etc . furthermore , multiple indicators can be used to indicate different events such as the proper placement of a staple cartridge , the firing of the instrument , etc . similarly , the transfer of the electronic data from the surgical instrument to the control box may be accomplished by a transmitter associated with the surgical instrument and a receiver associated with the control box , thereby obviating the need for a cable extending therebetween . in a transmitter / receiver embodiment , a voltage source is required within the surgical instrument to power the circuitry and the transmitter . the voltage source is preferably a battery , and most preferably a lithium battery . however , other sources of electrical current are considered to be within the scope of the present invention , i . e ., photo voltaic cells , external plugs , and the like . accordingly , modifications such as those suggested above , but not limited thereto , are to be considered within the scope of the invention . | 0 |
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to corresponding elements . the present invention is related to a system and method for monitoring and processing trades of securities within a business entity which sells insurance related products . reference will be made to internal and external elements for receiving and producing trade data . more specifically , reference will be made to a series of steps to be performed within an organization , comprising several different entities , and at least one external agency , for receiving , producing and analyzing data . the present invention should not be construed as limited to the organization structure shown which is provided purely for example . further , for each step and series of steps , it should be understood that no order for the steps is required in the present invention . [ 0020 ] fig1 is a flowchart illustrating a first series of steps to monitor and process trades of securities according to one embodiment of the present invention . fig5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the elements of fig1 . at step 10 , an insurance policy is sold within an insurance sales system 56 and insurance policy data is entered or made available to the internal trade system 54 . the type of insurance sold may include any type of insurance which can be bought and sold . for example , the types of insurance may include annuities , life insurance , term life , longer term care insurance , whole life , universal life , variable life , automobile insurance , automobile warranties as well as others . further , the means for selling the insurance policy may include any type of mechanism which allows insurance policies to be bought and sold . this may include , for example , a sale conducted in person , a sale via an insurance agent , a sale made via telephone , or an on - line purchase of insurance . naturally , because of the nature of insurance sales and the variety of types of sales made , the time between the sale of an insurance policy and the uploading of the policy data onto an internal trade system 54 may be separated by some time . in particular , the collection , processing and entry of insurance policy data may understandably be delayed depending on the internal procedures of the companies involved . during this process , individual or multiple policies may be grouped together so that insurance policy data from multiple policies or insurance entities is combined prior to being forwarded to the internal trading system 54 . once this data is forwarded , the internal trading system 54 is able to processes and store the insurance policy data and determined the compliance requirements which apply . at step 12 , a trader selects and identifies the appropriate securities to purchase . this selection is usually based on market conditions , the makeup of the outstanding policies of the insurance company as well as the present balance of the insurance company &# 39 ; s investment portfolio . additionally , multiple traders may be performing trades in a variety of locations . further , the traders may work directly for the insurance company or they may be commissioned to perform trades on behalf of the insurance company . the type of securities purchased may include any type of securities which may be bought or sold . for example , the securities purchased may include , for example , stocks , bonds , derivatives , mortgage bonds , asset based securities and other types of securities as well . regardless of the specific trading arrangement and the type of securities identified for purchase , once a trade is proposed by the trader , the proposed trade data is entered into the internal trade system 54 . as shown in fig5 the trade data may be entered via a trade input device 58 . alternatively , this data may simply be made available to the internal trade system via the internet or other network arrangement . at step 14 , the internal trade system 54 compares the insurance policy data submitted with the proposed trade data . the internal trade system then allocates or matches the value between the insurance policies issued and the security proposed for purchase . this allocation is preferably performed so as to satisfy the compliance and investment requirements for each jurisdiction relevant for compliance . according to a preferred embodiment , the approved value of securities to be purchased will be such that the future income from the securities will be equal to or greater than a selected percentage of the outstanding liabilities of the insurance policies sold . once a determined value of securities is approved for purchase , the processor 72 may generate a confirmation code and , at step 16 , the confirmation code confirming the trade may be provided to the trader . with this confirmation received , the trade , at step 18 , may then be released for settlement . as shown in fig5 the trade may be released to a corporate treasury department 66 for settlement 68 . with reference to fig2 the post - settlement processes of the present invention will now be discussed . in step 20 , following the execution of a trade , supplemental data is preferably received from an external trade data source 62 which may be a system such as bloomberg &# 39 ; s or a similar reporting system . in step 22 , the received data may be loaded into the internal trading system 54 after being received by receiver 64 . in an alternative embodiment , the received data may be loaded onto any system containing trade data to be updated and corrected . in step 24 , the supplemental data may be used by the processor 72 to fix and update incomplete trade information stored in memory 70 within the internal trading system 54 . in accordance with a first preferred embodiment , the process of fixing and updating trade information may be performed in accordance with the method described with reference to fig4 below . alternatively , this process may be performed using an automated process to identify and supply missing data where necessary . in step 26 , the updated files may be uploaded or made available to at least one other internal management system 60 . in step 28 , the updated files may be stored in memory 70 . with reference to fig3 at step 30 the updated and stored files may be made available for further processing within at least one other internal management system . at step 32 , the updated files may be used to create and run reports using the updated trade data . at step 34 , the reports may be used to further identify and fix errors and omissions within the updated trade data . at step 36 , the update reports may be made available to further monitor and document compliance . with reference to fig4 a preferred method for updating and correcting errors within trade data as called for in step 34 is provided . in step 38 , the updated files within the internal management system 60 are checked for errors such as missing or incomplete fields . this process may occur manually or via a software process . in step 40 , the missing fields and other found errors are fixed . in step 42 , updated reports may be run . in step 44 , the updated reports may be rechecked for completeness and accuracy . assuming the updated reports are satisfactory , in step 46 the data files may be extracted for upload . in step 48 , the extracted files may be loaded into a test system to ensure accuracy and completeness . in step 50 , the loading errors may be fixed and the files may be reloaded onto the system . in step 52 , the files may be stored and made available to the internal management system 60 for producing reports used to monitor compliance . the methods and processes of fig1 - 4 will now be described in greater detail below , with reference to fig5 . as discussed above , the system and method of present invention are designed for use by a business entity which sells insurance policies for which securities must be purchased to offset the amount of future liabilities . as shown in fig5 within insurance system 56 , insurance policy data is produced and forwarded to a centralized internal trading system 54 . as discussed above , this insurance policy data may be produced from a variety of sources ( e . g . individual policies , groups of policies , entire insurance policy portfolios .) as further discussed above , this insurance policy data my relate to any type of insurance which may be bought or sold ( e . g . annuities , life insurance , term life , longer term care insurance , whole life , universal life , variable life , automobile insurance , and automobile warranties ). as with insurance policy data , trade data is also provided to the internal trading system 54 . trade data may be provided using at least one trade input device 58 . with the inputted trade data and insurance policy data , the internal trading system 54 processes and allocates proposed trades entered into the trade input system so that they correspond to a specific amount of liability incurred by outstanding insurance policies . where the internal trading system 54 is able to match the amount of the proposed trade with an outstanding liability , the internal trading system 54 approves the trades for execution . once approved , the internal trading system then forwards the trade and notice of approval to the corporate treasury 66 for settlement 68 . following execution of the trade , the internal trading system 54 records details of the trade in memory 70 . initially , the trade data which is recorded in the internal trading system 54 is incomplete . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the trade data may be later updated with additional trade data may occur from at least one external trade data source 62 via receiver element 64 . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the updating of the trade data using data from an external data source such as bloomberg &# 39 ; s or similar trade information service . alternatively , any entity producing trade data may be used . further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , such trade data may be provided via a dedicated network connection . alternatively , such trade data may be provided via an internet , lan , w - lan or other similar connection . with the additional trade data , the internal trading system 54 may update and fix errors in its originally collected trading data . thereafter , the updated trade data may be provided to at least one internal management system 60 for further processing and analysis . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the updated trade data may be further provided to an accounting system produced by ss & amp ; c ( i . e . the camra ™ system ) or similar system for analysis . according to a preferred embodiment , the internal trading system may include an application server and web server for processing trade input data , insurance policy data and other data and for communicating with internal and external processors . the servers used may include a sun e450 server . further , a web server layer may be used , such as iplanet . an operating system module may also be used for running portions of the internal trading system 54 and for enabling other functions and features to be performed as necessary . according to an embodiment of the invention , the operating system module may use a unix based operating system , such as solaris . alternatively , the operation system module may use another type of operating system such as a windows or apple based operating system . further in accordance with the present invention , the internal trading system 54 and particularly memory 70 , may include a database . according to a preferred embodiment , the database may use a server running microsoft sql server software . alternatively , any other database software such as oracle or other microsoft database software may be used . according to another embodiment of the invention , a computer - usable and writeable medium having a plurality of computer readable program code stored therein may be provided for practicing the process of the present invention . the process and system of the present invention may be implemented within a variety of operating systems , such as a windows operating system , various versions of a unix - based operating system ( e . g ., a hewlett packard , a red hat , or a linux version of a unix - based operating system ), or various versions of an as / 400 - based operating system . for example , the computer - usable and writeable medium may be comprised of a cd rom , a floppy disk , a hard disk , or any other computer - usable medium . one or more of the components of a system may comprise computer readable program code in the form of functional instructions stored in the computer - usable medium such that when the computer - usable medium is installed on the system , those components cause the system to perform the functions described . the computer readable program code for the present invention may also be bundled with other computer readable program software . according to one embodiment , the internal trade system 54 , processor 72 , memory 70 , receiver 64 , and internal management system 60 may each comprise computer - readable code that , when installed on a computer , performs the functions described above . also , only some of the components may be provided in computer - readable code . additionally , various entities and combinations of entities may employ a computer to implement the components performing the above - described functions . according to an embodiment of the invention , the computer may be a standard computer comprising an input device , an output device , a processor device , and a data storage device . according to other embodiments of the invention , various components may be computers in different departments within the same corporation or entity . other computer configurations may also be used . according to another embodiment of the invention , various components may be separate entities such as corporations or limited liability companies . other embodiments , in compliance with applicable laws and regulations , may also be used . according to one specific embodiment of the present invention , the system may comprise components of a software system . the system may operate on a network and may be connected to other systems sharing a common database . other hardware arrangements may also be provided . other embodiments , uses and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . the specification and examples should be considered exemplary only . the intended scope of the invention is only limited by the claims appended hereto . | 6 |
a monitoring and / or control system 10 includes a control or processing unit 12 which is coupled to a plurality of sensors or sending devices , such as a normally closed switch 14 , a normally open switch 16 , a potentiometer type analog sensor 18 and a variable resistance analog sensor 20 . each device is coupled to the central unit 12 via a corresponding conductor or cable 22 , 24 , 26 , and 28 . each cable may include one or more connectors 30 . the central unit 12 is connected to a potential source or battery 32 via a fuse 34 and a switch 36 , such as the ignition switch in the case of a vehicle . an alarm device 38 , such as an audible horn is connected to an output terminal of the central unit 12 and to the switch 36 . an operator controlled mode control switch 40 is connected between the switch 36 and a mode control input of the central unit 12 . the central unit 12 includes a conventional microprocessor which may be programmed to monitor the functions sensed by devices 14 - 20 and / or to control various functions ( not shown ) in response to sensed parameters . such monitoring and / or control functions form no part of the present invention . according to the present invention , the central unit 12 also executes a diagnostic algorithm which is enabled when switch 40 is manually closed and which will be described with reference to the logic flow diagram of fig2 . the algorithm begins at step 100 which is entered periodically , such as 32 times per second , as long as the switch 40 remains closed . then , at step 102 , a set of status signals for the plurality of switches 14 and 16 , as represented by electrical parameters communicated via cables 22 and 24 , are read and stored in memory . then in step 104 , the current set of status signals is compared to an initial set or to a previously stored set of status signals and if these sets differ , then the algorithm is directed to step 106 which causes the horn 38 to sound for a certain desired period . if the compared sets are the same , then the algorithm proceeds to step 108 which stores the current set of status signals into a set of last pattern memory locations . then in step 110 , a current status signal for a first one of the analog sensors 18 , 20 is read and stored . in step 112 , the absolute value of the difference between the current status value and an initial or previously stored status value for this sensor is compared to a reference value . if the absolute value of this difference is more than the reference amount , vref , then step 114 causes the horn 38 to sound for a desired interval . otherwise , the algorithm proceeds to step 116 which replaces the initial or previously stored status signal with the current status value . if status signals for all the analog sensors have not yet been analyzed , then step 120 changes an index value and returns the algorithm to step 110 so that steps 110 - 116 will be repeated for each analog sensor in sequence . after the status signals for all the analog sensors have been analyzed , step 118 directs the algorithm to step 122 which terminates operation of this cycle of the algorithm . thus , with the present invention , if an intermittent fault in one of the cables or connectors is suspected , the operator can close switch 40 and manually flex each cable , one after the other . if such a fault exists , then the corresponding status signal will change from one cycle of the algorithm to the next and the algorithm will respond by sounding the horn 38 . in this manner , intermittent faults in cables and connectors can be detected and isolated . in the case of a sending unit such as normally open switch 16 , the switch should be removed and replaced by a jumper so that current can flow through cable 24 and so that manipulation of cable 24 will cause a change in the voltage or current sensed by the central control unit 12 . for more detailed information concerning this algorithm , reference is hereby made to the following annotated assembly language computer program listing description . in view of the above - described flow chart , and in view of the assembly language program listing included herein , it will be evident to those skilled in the art to implement the invention described herein in a monitoring or control system which includes a data processor , such as a microprocessor . while the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment , it is to be understood that many alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the aforegoing description . accordingly , this invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations which fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . ## spc1 ## | 6 |
the present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments . it is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only ; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed . with reference to fig3 , the appearance of a portable communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated . the portable communication apparatus 3 includes a communication device 31 and an optical input unit 32 . in this embodiment , the optical input unit 32 is a camera for capturing the image information , e . g . an image information of printed texts or characters regarding the content of a book , a newspaper , a manuscript or typescript and a constituted table . please refer to fig4 , which is a schematic diagram for illustrating the operation interface of a portable communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in addition to the communication device 31 , the portable communication apparatus 4 further includes a display unit 41 for showing all of the function options , a hot key 42 where the function regarding the optical input is preset therein and an operation interface 43 for the input operation and selection operation . through the configuration of the hot key 42 , it is not necessary to start up the optical input function through selecting from the whole function options , which is advantageous in saving the operation time and efforts . please refer to fig5 , which is a schematic diagram for illustrating the interior construction of a portable communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in addition to the optical input unit 32 , the portable communication apparatus further includes an optical character recognition ( ocr ) unit 51 , a processing unit 52 , a storage unit 53 and an editing unit 54 configured therein . the image information obtained by the optical input unit 32 is recognized by the ocr unit 51 , and then is transformed into a machine - editable text information or an encoding scheme by the processing unit 52 , which could be successfully recognized by the portable communication apparatus . the recognized text information as well as the machine - editable text information or the encoding scheme are stored in the storage unit 53 , which could be further edited through the editing unit 54 . furthermore , please refer to fig6 , which is a flowchart illustrating the steps of an input method adopted in the portable communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the method is started with the selection of an edition function , as shown in the step s 61 . all of the function options of the portable communication apparatus are shown to the user through the display unit and thereamong the edition function is selected , as shown in the step s 62 . depending on an actual desire , the user decides to enter the functions regarding the phone directory , the message edition , the color letter edition , the schedule arrangement , the dictionary or others , as shown in the steps s 621 ˜ s 626 , respectively . afterward , the desired image information of printed texts or characters is obtained by the optical input unit , as shown in the step s 63 . the obtained image information is recognized by the ocr unit configured in the portable communication apparatus , as shown in the step s 64 . after the recognition , the image information is transformed into a machine - editable text information or an encoding scheme , and then is transmitted to the editor configured in the portable communication apparatus , as shown in the step s 65 . the text information is edited through the editor , and is further stored in the storage unit , as shown in the step s 66 . the input method adopted in the portable communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is finished , as shown in the step s 67 . fig7 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of an input method adopted in the portable communication apparatus according to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention . alternatively , the method is started with the image information input by the optical input unit , as shown in the step s 61 . in more specifics , the desired image information of printed texts or characters is obtained by the optical input unit , as shown in the step s 63 . afterward , the edition function is selected among the whole function options of the portable communication apparatus shown on the display , as shown in the step s 62 . depending on an actual desire , the user decides to enter the functions regarding the phone directory , the message edition , the color letter edition , the schedule arrangement , the dictionary or others , as shown in the steps s 621 ˜ s 626 , respectively . similarly , the obtained image information is recognized by the ocr unit configured in the portable communication apparatus , as shown in the step s 64 . after the recognition , the image information is transformed into a machine - editable text information or an encoding scheme , and then is transmitted to the editor configured in the portable communication apparatus , as shown in the step s 65 . the text information is edited through the editor , and is further stored in the storage unit , as shown in the step s 66 . the input method adopted in the portable communication apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is finished , as shown in the step s 67 . through the provided portable communication apparatus and the input method according to the present invention , it is more flexible and convenient to obtain any desired information for being further processed , and the obtained image information could be edited by the edition unit or editor configured in the portable communication apparatus . in comparison with the conventional portable communication apparatus whose optical input unit functions only for taking a shot or picture , the present portable communication apparatus is provided with an enhanced function , where an optical character recognition function is achieved thereby . hence , the present invention not only has a novelty and a progressive nature , but also has an industry utility . while the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures . | 6 |
referring to fig1 , color changing intermediate structure 10 is comprised of a clear or translucent polymeric film layer 11 to which two colored translucent layers 12 and 13 are reversibly combined in intimate contact through coating or laminating to form a color different from the original colors or the dominant color of the two . referring to fig2 , this embodiment of the invention is intermediate 10 that shows the addition of adhesive layer 14 and optional release backing 15 if a pressure sensitive adhesive is used on intermediate 10 of fig2 . to affix the intermediate to an article , resulting in intermediate 16 . referring to fig3 , this embodiment of the invention shows intermediate 16 illustrating the separation interface 17 of the layers of intermediate 16 as illustrated in fig2 . referring to fig4 , this embodiment illustrates the intermediate 20 comprising a clear polymeric film layer 11 coated with two colored translucent layers 12 and 13 with pressure sensitive adhesive layer 14 affixed to a card stock 22 with indicia 23 on the surface of the card stock covered with the adhesive 14 of the intermediate . referring to fig5 , this embodiment 25 illustrates the intermediate comprising a clear polymeric film layer 11 coated with two colored translucent layers 12 and 13 with pressure sensitive adhesive layer 14 affixed to a card stock 22 with indicia 24 on the surface of the intermediate . referring to fig6 , this embodiment 26 illustrates the intermediate comprising a clear polymeric film layer 11 coated with two colored translucent layers 12 and 13 with pressure sensitive adhesive layer 14 affixed to a card stock 22 with indicia 24 on the surface of the intermediate and with indicia 23 on the surface of the card stock covered with the adhesive 14 of the intermediate . referring to fig7 , this embodiment 26 as illustrated in fig6 with the addition of a protective and gloss controlling coating 25 applied over the exposed printed indicia of the intermediate 27 . referring to fig8 , this embodiment 28 illustrates the embodiment of intermediate 20 of fig4 with a removable masking layer 26 partially disposed over the surface of the exposed intermediate film layer 11 masking the printed indicia 23 on the base card 22 . referring to fig9 , this embodiment 30 illustrates another method for constructing the color changing intermediate . structure 30 is comprised of at least one layer of a colored translucent polymeric film 32 and at least one layer of a coated colored translucent layer 12 reversibly combined in intimate contact to form a color different from the original colors or that is the dominant color of the two . this embodiment is interchangeable with the embodiment in fig1 and is interchangeable in the embodiments of fig2 - fig . 8 . referring to fig1 , this embodiment 31 illustrates another method for constructing the color changing intermediate . structure 31 is comprised of at least two layers of a colored translucent polymeric film 32 and 33 and a layer of clear or colored adhesive 29 joining the film layers in reversible intimate contact to form a color different from the original colors or that is the dominant color of the two . this embodiment is interchangeable with the embodiment in fig1 and is interchangeable in the embodiments of fig2 - fig . 8 . many different polymeric films such as polyester , polypropylene , vinyl , polyethylene or combinations can be used to achieve the results of the invention . it is optional to use corona , flame or plasma treatment as is conventional in the art to promote adhesion of a coated layer to a polymeric layer . colored translucent layers coated in intimate contact with one another are formulated to be reversible which means they will cleanly separate without transfer of one layer to another in whole or in part to become two separate and distinct colored layers . adhesives used to intimately bond layers of colored translucent films are formulated for clean reversibility or separation of the film layers . this means a clear adhesive can be used that will transfer to one or both of the films when separated maintaining the integrity of the colors of the separate film layers . additionally , a colored adhesive can be used that will transfer to or stay with one film layer when separated to maintain the different color integrity of the two layers after reversible separation . the bond between the layers at the separation interface is a peelable bond . the determination of fitness for use is a practical one where intermediates are made using different chemistries for colored translucent coatings and different , clear or colored , polymeric films or , clear or colored , translucent paper and are combined together in intimate contact to show the new color or the dominant color present . the intermediate is then separated to expose the original colors . an intermediate consisting of one clear layer polymeric film layer and coated yellow and blue colored translucent layers was prepared as follows : step 1 — a coating composition consisting of the following was prepared to create a yellow translucent coating : the above composition was coated at a nominal 1 . 5 grams / msi on clear corona treated 1 mil biaxially - oriented polyester . after forced hot air drying and allowing 48 hours for the coating composition to cure to a permanent bond on the clear polyester film , the resultant film with the coating is colored yellow and translucent and is firmly adhered to the polyester . step 2 — a second coating composition was prepared as follows to create a blue translucent coating : the above composition was coated at a nominal 5 grams / msi on top of the yellow coating adhered to the polyester film and was hot air dried . the resultant intermediate is a translucent blue matching the dominant shade of the blue coating as viewed through the clear polyester layer . at this point , conventional pressure sensitive packaging tape was applied to the surface of the translucent blue layer and adhesion was allowed to build for 15 minutes . the tape was then peeled off simultaneously removing the blue translucent layer from intimate contact with the yellow translucent layer demonstrating the reversible color change between the layers . step 1 — to the intermediate of example 1 , pressure sensitive adhesive dytac 9053 a rubber acrylic blend available from dynatech adhesives was coated onto the blue translucent layer and force hot air dried creating a pressure sensitive tape substrate . step 2 — the pressure sensitive tape substrate from step 1 was applied over the black indicia of a label on a box at the flaps to seal it closed . step 3 — the tape was partially removed and in areas where it was lifted , the translucent colored layers separated and the color visible looking through the clear film layer changed from blue to yellow indicating that the tape had been tampered with . step 1 — the tape intermediate of example 2 was laminated to a 1 . 5 mil polyester release liner l3 release level available from siltech , a division of technicote to create a removable backing label intermediate . step 2 — a label was cut out of the intermediate from step 1 , the release liner was removed to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive and the intermediate was applied over a pin # on the back of a commercially available phone card . the black pin number was readable through the translucent colored intermediate . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card at the edges of the label through separation of the translucent colored layers . the polyester at the separation points now appeared yellow indicating it was tampered with . step 1 — indicia the same color as the label intermediate of example 3 was applied to the surface of the clear polyester around the perimeter of the label . the indicia on the surface of the label intermediate was not readily visible to the naked eye because the color matched the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers . step 2 — the release liner of the label intermediate of step 1 was removed to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive and the intermediate was applied over a pin # on the back of a commercially available phone card . the black pin number was readable through the translucent colored intermediate . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card at the edges of the label through separation of the translucent colored layers . the polyester at the separation points now appeared yellow indicating it was tampered with and the blue indicia on the surface of the clear polyester layer was now visible . step 1 — a matte translucent varnish was applied over the surface indicia of the label intermediate of example 4 to protect the indicia and mask optical properties in the refection of light by creating a surface on the polyester with indicia that is uniform in appearance . the indicia on the surface of the label intermediate was not visible to the naked eye because the color matched the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers and the gloss level of the over coated polyester and indicia was uniform . it is contemplated from the example that optically variable over coatings could also be used to create a different but uniform translucent surface finish . step 2 — the release liner of the label intermediate of step 1 was removed to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive and the intermediate was applied over a pin # on the back of a commercially available phone card . the black pin number was readable through the translucent colored intermediate . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card at the edges of the label through separation of the translucent colored layers . the polyester at the separation points now appeared yellow indicating it was tampered with and the blue indicia on the surface of the clear polyester layer was now visible . a an intermediate consisting of one clear polymeric film layer and coated yellow and blue translucent colored layers was prepared as follows : step 1 — a light blue coating composition consisting of the following was prepared to create a light blue translucent coating : the coating was applied at a nominal 2 . 5 grams / msi to the corona treated polyester as in example 1 above and allowed to cure for 48 hours . the above composition was coated at a nominal 3 grams / msi on top of the blue coating adhered to the polyester film from step 1 and was hot air dried . the resultant intermediate is a translucent light green which is a result of the intimate contact between the yellow and blue translucent colored layers as viewed through the clear polyester layer . at this point , conventional pressure sensitive packaging tape was applied to the surface of the translucent green layer of the intermediate on the side opposite the polyester and adhesion was allowed to build for 15 minutes . the tape was then peeled off simultaneously removing the yellow translucent layer from intimate contact with the blue translucent layer demonstrating the reversible color change between the layers with the green combination separating into yellow and blue layers . step 1 — to the intermediate of example 6 , pressure sensitive adhesive dytac 9053 a rubber acrylic blend available from dynatech adhesives was coated onto the green translucent layer and was force hot air dried to creating a pressure sensitive tape substrate . step 2 — the pressure sensitive tape substrate from step 1 was applied over the black indicia of a label on a box at the flaps to seal it closed . step 3 — the tape was partially removed and in areas where it was lifted , the combined translucent colored green layers separated and the color visible looking through the clear film layer changed from green to blue indicating that the tape had been tampered with . step 1 — the tape intermediate of example 7 was laminated to a 1 . 5 mil polyester release liner l3 release level available from siltech , a division of technicote to create a removable backing label intermediate . step 2 — a label was cut out of the intermediate from step 1 , the release liner was removed to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive and the intermediate was applied over a black pin # on the back of a commercially available phone card . the pin number was readable through the translucent colored green intermediate . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card at the edges of the label through separation of the translucent colored layers . the polyester at the separation points now appeared blue indicating it was tampered with . step 1 — indicia the same color as the label intermediate of example 8 was applied to the surface of the clear polyester around the perimeter of the label . the indicia on the surface of the label intermediate was not readily visible to the naked eye because the color matched the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers . step 2 — the release liner of the label intermediate of step 1 was removed to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive and the intermediate was applied over a black pin # on the back of a commercially available phone card . the pin number was readable through the translucent colored intermediate . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card at the edges of the label through separation of the translucent colored layers . the polyester at the separation points now appeared blue indicating it was tampered with and the green indicia on the surface of the clear polyester layer was now visible . it was noted that the indicia was not as visible as in example 4 and care should be taken to use better contrasting colors . step 1 — a matte translucent varnish was applied over the surface indicia of the label intermediate of example 9 to protect the indicia and mask optical properties in the refection of light by creating a surface on the polyester with indicia that is uniform in appearance . the indicia on the surface of the label intermediate was not visible to the naked eye because the color matched the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers and the gloss level of the over coated polyester and indicia was uniform . it is contemplated from the example that optically variable over coatings could also be used to create a uniform surface finish . step 2 — the release liner of the label intermediate of step 1 was removed to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive and the intermediate was applied over a black pin # on the back of a commercially available phone card . the pin number was readable through the translucent colored intermediate . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card at the edges of the label through separation of the translucent colored layers . the polyester at the separation points now appeared blue indicating it was tampered with and the green indicia on the surface of the clear polyester layer was now visible . it was noted that the indicia was not as visible as in example 4 and care should be taken to use better contrasting colors . step 1 — indicia the same color as the label intermediate of example 4 was applied to the surface of the clear polyester around the perimeter of the label and was applied to a white card substrate . step 2 — the release liner of the label intermediate of step 1 was removed to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive and the intermediate was applied over a indicia on the card substrate using the pressure sensitive adhesive . the indicia on the surface of the label intermediate was not readily visible to the naked eye because the color matched the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers . the indicia on the surface of the card below the intermediate was not readable to the naked eye because the color matched the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card completely through separation of the translucent colored layers . the blue indicia on the surface of the clear polyester layer was now visible because of the yellow translucent layer on the opposite side . the blue indicia below the blue transparent layer affixed to the card was not visible . step 1 — indicia the same color as the label intermediate of example 8 was applied to the surface of the clear polyester around the perimeter of the label and to a white card substrate . step 2 — the release liner of the label intermediate of step 1 was removed to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive and the intermediate was applied over the indicia on the card substrate using the pressure sensitive adhesive . the indicia on the surface of the label intermediate was not readily visible to the naked eye because the color matched the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers . the indicia on the surface of the card below the intermediate was not readable to the naked eye because the color matched the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card completely through separation of the translucent colored layers . the green indicia on the surface of the clear polyester layer was now visible because of the blue translucent layer on the opposite side though it was noted better contrasting colors would produce a more visible result . the green indicia below the yellow transparent layer affixed to the card was visible as a lighter shade . step 3 — conventional ball point pen was used to write on the yellow layer affixed to the card substrate as a signature stripe would be on a credit card and it was noted that the layer received ink well . the intermediate of this example can be used as a tamper evident signature stripe that would be applied to the card as a label . it would be used to concealing and / or show colored information such as pin #&# 39 ; s below the intermediate and instructions such as “ peel here ” etc . on the surface of the polyester layer as desired before and / or after separation of the intermediate . in the case of a signature stripe , separation of the intermediate would be performed by the owner of the card to access the signature stripe , and reveal the confidential pin # in a secure manner knowing the card had not been tampered with . the intermediate of example 5 was over coated in a select area with a black scratch off material available from process resources corp . denoted so - 567 . the intermediate was then applied to the back side of a commercially available phone card with the scratch off oriented so it covered the pin access number . the scratch off material was removed and the pin number exposed which was now readable through the intermediate . step 1 — a clear ink jet receptive coating was applied to the surface of the label intermediate of example 4 that had been affixed to copy paper by removing the release liner . indicia the same color as the combination of the layers of the intermediate was applied to the surface of the clear ink jet coating using a lexmark 3200 color ink jet printer in the form of a text message “ you have won a new car — call now ”. multiple test prints of different shades of blue to find the correct shade of the indicia on the surface of the label intermediate were required until the indicia was masked with the ink color matching the color achieved though the intimate contact of the colored translucent layers . the message was not readily visible to the naked eye . the clear polyester substrate was lifted from the card completely through separation of the translucent colored layers . the blue ink jet indicia on the surface of the ink jet coating on the clear polyester layer was now visible because of the yellow translucent layer on the opposite side . the patents , applications , examples and test methods mentioned above are incorporated herein by reference . many variations of the present invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art in light of the above detailed description to create color changing or “ chameleon ” intermediates for use in tamper evident and masking tape and label applications . for example , there are an infinite number of color combinations available . a practical test must be employed to ensure the proper contrast between translucent coated layers when separated and printed indicia if any is used . instead of polyester , polyolefins can be used . instead of a colored translucent coating or coatings , a colored translucent film or films can be used . instead of a pressure sensitive adhesive , a heat activated adhesive can be used . the ability of the end user to customize their product by printing indicia on the intermediate substrate or the article instead of relying on pre - configured label and tape substrates from suppliers with fixed messages . the market will be expanded to users that do not have the ability to manufacture the types of materials defined by the prior art . they will have the ability to create custom messages by purchasing a “ chameleon ” label substrate to be used in an ink jet printer now connected to the majority of computers in america or other types of electronic imaging devices . this is a critical aspect of the invention . all such obvious modifications are within the fully intended scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
the seeds that are subject to treatment in the invention herein are those for which gibberellin synthesis is necessary for germination and are for plants which are cultivated , e . g ., seeds for vegetables such as lettuce , tomato , pepper , carrot , onion , celery , parsnip , endive , chicory , radish , leek , eggplant , potato and sweet potato ; fruits such as virginia strawberry ( fragaria virginiana ); grasses such as kentucky blue grass ( poa pratensis ); trees and shrubs such as pine ( pinus sylvestris ) and mullein ( verbascum thapsus ); flowers such as impatients ( impatients ), primrose ( primula spp .) and evening primrose ( oenothera spp . ); and other crops , such as tobacco ( nicotiana tabaccum ). the gibberellin synthesis inhibitors are those that interrupt or interfere with the gibberellin biosynthesis pathway . this pathway involves conversion of mevalonic acid ( 1 ) to isopdntenyl pyrophosphate ( 2 ), conversion of ( 2 ) to geranyl pyrophospate ( 3 ), conversion of ( 3 ) to farnesyl pyrophosphate ( 4 ), conversion of ( 4 ) to geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate ( 5 ), conversion of ( 5 ) to copalyl pyrophosphate ( 6 ), conversion of ( 6 ) to ent - kaurene ( 7 ), conversion of ( 7 ) to ant - kaurenol ( 8 ), conversion of ( 8 ) to ent - kaurenal ( 9 ), conversion of ( 9 ) to ent - kaurenoic acid ( 10 ), conversion of ( 10 ) to ent - 7a - oh - kaurenoic acid ( 11 ), conversion of ( 11 ) to gibberellin a 12 - aldehyde ( 12 ), conversion of ( 12 ) to gibberellin a 44 ( open lactone ) ( 13 ), conversion of ( 13 ) to gibberellin a 19 ( 14 ), conversion of ( 14 ) to gibberellin a 20 ( 15 ), conversion of ( 15 ) to gibberellin a 1 ( 16 ), conversion . of ( 16 ) to gibberellin a 8 ( 17 ). the gibberellin synthesis inhibitors include n - containing heterocycles which inhibit the oxidative steps leading from entkaurene to ent - kaurenoic acid , onium compounds which inhibit gibberellin synthesis pathway steps before ent - kaurene ( i . e ., conversion of ( 5 ) to ( 6 ) and conversion of ( 6 ) to ( 7 )), and cyclohexanetriones which inhibit gibberellin synthesis pathway steps after gibberellin a 12 - aldehyde . the n - containing 15 . heterocycles are preferred and include pyrimidines such as α - cyclopropyl - α -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 5 - pyrimidinemethanol ( a and flurprimidol ; norbornanodiazetins such as 5 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 , 4 , 5 , 9 , 10 - pentaazatetracyclo [ 5 . 4 . 10 2 , 6 . o 8 , 11 - dodeca - 3 , 9 - diene ( tetcyclacis ); and triazoles such as 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 4 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 - dimethyl - 2 -( 1h - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole - 1 - yl )- pentan - 3 - ol ( paclobutrazol ), uniconazol , triapenthenol , 1 - phenoxy - 3 ( 1h - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazol - 1 - yl )- 4 - hydroxy - 5 , 5 - dimethylhexane ( bas 111 . . . w ), inabenfide , and 1 -( 2 , 6 - diethylphenyl - imidazole - 5 - carboxamide ( hoe 074 784 ). the onium compounds include ( 2 - chloroethyl ) trimethylammonium chloride ) ( chlormequat chloride or ccc ) , mepiquat chloride , 2 1 - isopropyl - 4 &# 39 ;-( trimethylammonium chloride )- 5 &# 39 ;- methylphenyl piperidine carboxylate ( amo - 1618 ), and chlorophonium chloride . the cyclohexanetriones include 4 - ( cyclopropyl - a - hydroxymethylene ) - 3 , 5 - dioxocyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethylester ( cimectacarb ), prohexadione calcium and 4 -( n - propyl - α - hydroxymethylene )- 3 , 5 - dioxocyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethyl ester ( lab 198 999 ). tetcyclacis and paclobutrazol are preferred with tetcyclacis being most preferred . we turn now to the conditions of step ( a ) described above . the gibberellin synthesis inhibitor solution typically is an aqueous solution and the concentration of gibberellin synthesis inhibitor therein ranges from 1μm to 1μm , preferably from 5μm to 200μm . alternatively , organic solvents such as acetone or dichloromethane can be used to permeate gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitors into seeds ; after a 1 to 2 hour soak , the organic solvent is evaporated by vacuum desiccation or by forced air and the dried seeds with permeated gibberellin inhibitor can then be soaked with water to induce dormancy . the time for the aqueous soaking in step ( a ) should exceed 15 hours and usually a 24 hour soak is sufficient to induce dormancy . the upper limit for the time of aqueous soaking is uncritical and it is preferred to utilize the minimum time sufficient to induce dormancy . however , if desired , aqueous soaking may be carried out for a period of up to 7 days or more . the temperature utilized during aqueous soaking in step ( a ) typically ranges from about 25 ° c . to 35 ° c . with higher temperatures being used with lower concentrations of inhibitor and with lower temperatures being used with higher concentrations of inhibitor . the aqueous soaking in step ( a ) is preferably carried out in the dark although it can be carried out under light to obtain a lesser degree of induced dormancy or with more stringent concentration and temperature conditions or for seeds such as tomato or pepper where light is not effective in releasing dormancy . the washing step ( b ) is carried out with aqueous washing liquid , typically water , and is such as to remove the gibberellin synthesis inhibitor of step ( a ) from the seeds . typically , an excess of washing liquid is utilized . this washing should be carried out under safe green light or total darkness for seeds where dormancy is released by light such as lettuce seeds but can be carried out under light or darkness for seeds where light is ineffective in releasing dormancy such as tomato or pepper . the drying step ( c ) is carried out under conditions which do not break ( release ) dormancy to restore the seeds to their weight ( moisture content ) prior to the soaking . this is appropriately carried out by drying in air ( or forced air from a fan ), e . g ., at 25 ° c . to 35 ° c . for 30 minutes to 5 hours , preferably from 1 to 2 hours , under safe green light or total darkness for seeds where dormancy is released by light such as lettuce seeds and in light or darkness for seeds where light is ineffective in releasing dormancy such as tomato or pepper . the seeds so processed can be stored for several months without loss of dormancy or responsiveness to dormancy releasing procedures . typically the inducing of dormancy is denoted by failure to germinate in water at 25 ° c . in darkness . we now turn to the release of the induced dormancy , that is to the restoration of the non - dormant state . the methods for this all involve fostering the production of or otherwise supplying gibberallins . one method for releasing dormancy involves soaking in water in light at 25 ° c . to 35 ° c . for a time period sufficient to release dormancy and foster germination , e . g ., 1 to 10 days . a second method of releasing dormancy is by the application to the seeds of a dormancy releasing amount of a gibberellin for a time sufficient to release dormancy and foster germination , 6 . 9 ., 1 to 10 days in light or darkness . a very suitable gibberellin this purpose consists of from 40 % to 60 % by weight gibberellin a 4 and from 40 % to 60 % by weight gibberellin a 7 and a gibberellin composition meeting these limits contains by weight 45 . 5 % gibberellin a 4 , 47 . 1 % gibberellin a 7 and 7 . 5 % inactive ingredient and is referred to hereinafter as gibberellin a 4 + 7 . a suitable gibberellin which is somewhat less effective than gibberellin a 4 + 7 is gibberellin a 3 . other gibberellins work to varying degrees in releasing dormancy . typically the gibberellin is applied as a 5μm to 1mm aqueous solution . germination is readily effected by soaking seeds in gibberellin solution on a blotter in petri plates or on other synthetic or natural media saturated with gibberellin solution . a third method of releasing dormancy involves chilling the dormant seeds , e . g ., at 2 to 10 ° c ., preferably at 5 ° c ., with moisture present , e . g ., for 4 to 40 days . this third method can be carried out by taking active steps , e . g ., by soaking the seeds on a water soaked blotter or other moist media , e . g ., for 4 to 15 days at 2 to idoc , preferably 5 ° c ., in dark , as indicated by germination of seeds thus treated in water in the dark at 25 ° c . for example , 50 seeds can be moist chilled in a 5 cm plate lined with two layers of whatman no . 1 filter paper moistened with 3ml water . this third method can also be carried out by planting in a moist peat - lite mix ( from admixture of 10 cubic feet of sphagnum peat moss , 4 cubic feet of vermiculite , 5 lbs . of ground dolmitic limestone , i lb . of calcium nitrate , 0 . 5 lb . of iron sulfate , 3 ounces of fritted trace elements and 1 quart wetting agent ) and maintaining moist conditions for 30 days at 2 ° to 10 ° c ., preferably 5 ° c ., as indicated by the emergence of normal healthy seedlings on transfer to 25 ° c . for example , seeds can be planted at 30 to 50 seeds in a row in rows 1 cm deep in thoroughly wetted peat - lite contained in 10 × 12 × 4 inches plastic boxes with the boxes being kept covered to prevent moisture evaporation during chilling . this third method can also be carried out by planting the seeds at a time such that weather conditions will supply the chilling , e . g ., by planting in the fall in a northern climate for germination in the spring . release of dormancy and germination are two distinct processes or events . dormancy can be released without a seed showing any sign of germination ( usually radicle protrusion ). unlike germination , dormancy release is reversible . dormancy can be released but if temperature is not suitable for germination , seeds will not germinate . this is quite common under field conditions . many crop seeds are dormant in autumn or at harvest time when they fall to the ground and lose their dormancy in the soil by winter chilling but do not germinate until the following spring or summer when the soil temperature ( 20 ° to 30 ° c .) and soil water potential ( not too dry ) is right for germination or seedling emergence . after dormancy is released herein , the seeds have the ability to germinate under the conditions which permitted their germination prior to the inducing of dormancy herein . dormancy was induced in lettuce seeds by soaking them in darkness for 24 hours at 25 ° c . in aqueous solutions of 50μm and 100μm tetcyclacis , and then washing was carried out with 200 ml water under suction in a sintered glass funnel and drying was carried out at 25 ° c . for 1 to 2 hours under safe green light by is forced air generated with a fan to original moisture content . then , the seeds were maintained in water in light and darkness for 10 days with the results set forth below in table 1 wherein &# 34 ; cvs .&# 34 ; stands for cultivars and &# 34 ; unti stands for untreated with tetcyclacis . table 1______________________________________ light germination (%) dark germination (%) lettuce cvs . unt 50 μm 100 μm unt 50 μm 100 μm______________________________________grand rapids 98 61 1 24 0 0emperor 98 100 99 98 22 10ithaca 99 99 96 98 32 14garnet 98 5 2 0 0 0montello 98 96 94 96 23 6empress 99 99 97 99 9 4mesa 659 96 15 1 99 0 0______________________________________ dormancy was induced in lettuce seeds by soaking them in aqueous solution of tetcyclacis of concentration in μm as set forth in parentheses in table 2 below for 24 hour at 25 ° c . in darkness and then washing and drying was carried out in the same way as in example i . the resulting seeds were soaked at 25 ° c . in 5 cm petri plates lined with two layers of whatman no . 1 filter paper moistened with 3 ml of water or 1 mm aqueous gibberellin a 4 + 7 ( the water or aqueous gibberellin was applied to the filter paper by pipetting ). germination was recorded after 10 days . the results are set forth in table 2 below where &# 34 ; ga 4 + 7 &# 34 ; stands for gibberellin a 4 + 7 . table 2______________________________________ dark germination (%) lettuce cvs . - ga . sub . 4 + 7 + ga . sub . 4 + 7______________________________________grand rapids ( 50 ) 0 98emperor ( 100 ) 6 98montello ( 50 ) 7 97empress ( 100 ) 1 46garnet ( 20 ) 1 10ithaca ( 100 ) 12 96______________________________________ dormancy was induced in lettuce seeds by soaking them in aqueous solution of tetcyclacis of concentration in μm as set forth in parentheses in table 3 below for 24 hours at 25 ° c . in darkness , and then washing and drying was carried out in the same way as in example i . the resulting seeds ( 50 seeds / plate ) were chilled in the dark in the presence of moisture at 5 ° c . in 5 cm petri plates lined with two layers of whatman no . 1 filter paper in 3 ml water , for 10 days . the plates containing the seeds ( in dark plastic bags ) were transferred from a 5 ° c . room to a 25 ° c . room for germination in the dark . the seeds were then maintained for 7 days at 25 ° c . in darkness . germination was monitored in safe green light . the results are set forth in table 3 below in which &# 34 ; cvs .&# 34 ; stands for cultivars and &# 34 ; tcy &# 34 ; stands for tetcyclacis . table 3______________________________________ 0 day chilled 10 day chilledlettuce cvs . - tcy + tcy - tcy + tcy______________________________________ % germinationgarnet 0 0 ( 5 ) 98 80 ( 5 ) ithaca 98 14 ( 100 ) 99 88 ( 100 ) empress 99 4 ( 100 ) 99 96 ( 100 ) grand rapids 24 0 ( 5 ) 85 35 ( 5 ) emperor 98 22 ( 100 ) 98 60 ( 100 ) montello 95 6 ( 50 ) 98 71 ( 50 ) mesa 659 98 0 ( 100 ) 99 92 ( 100 ) ______________________________________ dormancy was induced in mesa 659 lettuce seeds by soaking them in aqueous solution of tetcyclacis of concentration in μm as set forth in parentheses in table 4 below for 24 hours at 25 ° c . in light ( denoted &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; in table 4 below ) or in darkness ( denoted &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; in table 4 below ), and then washing and drying was carried out in the same way as in example i . the resulting seeds were planted in a thoroughly wetted peat - lite mix ( of the type specifically described above ) in plastic trays and the trays were transferred to a 5 ° c . dark room . after periods in the 5 ° c . dark room as set forth in table 4 below , the trays were transferred to 25 ° c . in light and seedling emergence was recorded daily until emergence was completed . the results are set forth in table 4 below in which &# 34 ; unt &# 34 ; stands for untreated with tetcyclacis and &# 34 ; tcy &# 34 ; stands for tetcyclacis . table 4______________________________________ moist - chilling at 5 ° c . ( days ) tcy ( μm ) 0 8 15 30______________________________________ % emergence at 25 ° c . unt 76 96 97 9710 ( l ) 36 50 67 8250 ( l ) 3 8 23 39100 ( l ) 0 2 18 135 ( d ) 10 39 72 8010 ( d ) 0 45 62 6750 ( d ) 0 4 11 9______________________________________ dormancy was induced in 93 % and 83 % of empress and mesa 659 lettuce seeds by soaking them in aqueous solution of 1ooμm paclobutrazol for 24 hours at 25 ° c . in darkness and then washing and drying was carried out in the same way as in example i . the dormancy was reversed by maintaining the seeds in water in light at 25 ° c . for 10 days , by maintaining them at 25 ° c . for 10 days in darkness in the presence of 1mm aqueous gibberellin a 4 + 7 and by maintaining them ( 50 seeds / petri plate lined with two layers of whatman no . 1 filter paper soaked with 3 ml water ) at 5 ° c . for 10 days . dormancy was induced in various pepper ( capsicum annuum l .) cultivars by soaking them in aqueous solution of tetcyclacis for 24 hours at 25 ° c . to 30 ° c . in light or darkness . concentrations of tetcyclacis used for the six cultivars was as follows : yolo wonder , 100 - 170μm ; cayenne , 150 - 200μm ; california wonder , 200 - 300μm ; el paso , 600μm ; and anaheim , 600μm . washing was carried out in the same way as in example i and the washed seeds were air dried in light to original moisture content ( seed weight ). dormancy was released by treatment with 10μm aqueous gibberellin a 4 + 7 . light and moist chilling were ineffective to release dormancy . dormancy was induced in jackpot and super marmande tomato cultivars by soaking them in aqueous solutions of tetcyclacis for 24 hours at 25 ° c . to 30 ° c . in light or darkness . concentrations of tetcyclacis used for the two cultivars were 100 - 200μm . washing and drying in light or darkness and otherwise as in example i produces dormant dry seeds . dormancy is released by treatment with 10μm to 1mm aqueous gibberellin a 4 + 7 in both cultivars but not by light or moist chilling . dormancy was induced in carrot seeds by soaking them in aqueous solutions of tetcyclacis for 24 hours at 25 ° c . in darkness . concentrations of tetcyclacis used were 10 to 100μm . seeds became completely dormant at tetcyclacis concentrations of 10μm and above . washing and drying as in example i produces dormant dry seeds . dormancy is released by treatment with 1mm aqueous gibberellin a 4 + 7 but not by light or moist chilling . dormancy was induced in onion seeds by soaking in 10μm aqueous tetcyclacis for 24 hours at 25 ° c . in darkness . washing and drying as in example i produces dormant dry seeds . dormancy was released by treatment with 1mm aqueous gibberellin a 4 + 7 . dormancy was induced in impatients seeds by soaking in 50μm aqueous solution of tetcyclacis for 24 hours at 25 ° c . in darkness . washing and drying as in example i produces dormant seeds . dormancy was released by treatment with 1mm aqueous gibberellin a 4 + 7 . dormancy was induced in primrose seeds by soaking in 5μm aqueous solution of tetcyclacis for 24 hours at 25 ° c . in light or darkness . washing and drying as in example i produces dormant dry seeds . dormancy was released with 1mm aqueous gibberellin a 4 + 7 . in all moist - chilling and germination studies in the above examples , where petri plates were used , the plates were kept inside a plastic box of dimensions 12 × 10 × 4 inches to prevent evaporation of water or soak solution . many variations of inventive embodiments well be obvious to those skilled in the art . thus , the invention is defined by the claims . | 0 |
fig1 is an optical sectional view of a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a single - lens reflex camera , and fig2 is an explanatory view of part of fig1 . in fig1 denoted by reference numeral 10 is an eyepiece , and 94 is an optical block . a dichroic mirror 95 transparent to visible rays but translucent to infrared rays is obliquely disposed in the optical block 94 and doubles as an optical beam splitter . 11 is a light receiving lens , 93 is a mirror , and 14 is an array of photoelectric transducers . the light receiving lens 11 and the photoelectric transducer array 14 are components of light receiving means . the photoelectric transducer array 14 is usually a device comprising a plurality of photoelectric transducers one - dimensionally arrayed in a direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet . if necessary , however , a device comprising a plurality of photoelectric transducers two - dimensionally arranged may be used instead . denoted by 13 is a light source such as light emitting diode for infrared ranging . 91 is a projection lens and 7 is a focusing plate in which a light splitting plane 92 is obliquely disposed . the light splitting plane 92 is in the form of a half - mirror or a dichroic mirror . in fig1 infrared rays from the light source 13 are condensed by the projection lens 91 and introduced into the focusing plate 7 to be reflected by the light splitting surface 92 , followed by entering the eyepiece 10 via a pentaprism 8 . the infrared rays entering and then emerging from the eyepiece 10 pass through the dichroic mirror 95 and illuminate an eyeball 15 of an observer positioned near an eye point e . the infrared rays reflected by the eyeball 15 are reflected by the dichroic mirror 95 and further reflected by the mirror 93 while being condensed by the light receiving lens 11 , so that a purkinje image due to reflection from the eyeball , for example , is formed on the photoelectric transducer array 14 . using signals from the photoelectric transducer array 14 , a calculator 101 determines not only a visual axis direction of the eyeball 15 of a photographer , but also a targeting direction and a targeting spot in the viewfinder . since a visual axis detection method in this embodiment is explained in detail in japanese patent laid - open no . 1 - 241511 and no . 1 - 274736 , for example , which have been previously proposed by the present assignee , and is not the gist of the present invention , a detailed description of the method will be omitted here . in this embodiment , the above mentioned members 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 91 , 94 and 101 are components of visual axis detection means . denoted by 1 is a photographing lens ( also referred to as an objective lens ) which is fixedly or detachably attached to a camera body , 2 is a quick return mirror , and 3 is a submirror tiltably attached to the quick return mirror 2 . 4 is a photosensitive surface ( image surface ) and 5 is a shutter . 6a is focus detection means which has the so - called multi - focus detecting function to detect in - focus states at a plurality of positions ( areas ) in the viewfinder . denoted by 102 is selection means for selecting any one of plural focus detection signals ( e . g ., infocus signals ) sent from the focus detection means 6a and corresponding to a plurality of distance measuring areas , in response to a signal related to the targeting direction obtained by the calculator 101 as one component of the visual axis detection means . alternatively , only a focus detection partial system corresponding to an associated distance measuring area of the focus detection means 6 may be operated in response to the signal related to the targeting direction for producing the focus detection signal . denoted by 103 is an adjusting ( control ) means which drives a focus adjusting portion ( not shown ) of the photographing system 1 in response to the focus detection signal from the selection means 102 , thereby adjusting the in - focus state . 104 is prohibition means which prohibits operation of the adjusting means 103 in response to one of the output signal from the calculator 101 as one component of the visual axis detection means and the output signal from the focus detection means 6a . note that those components from the calculator 101 to the prohibition means 104 are usually constituted by a microcomputer . 105 is light emitting means ( light emitter ) which has a light source and a drive circuit , for lighting up an indicator lamp and / or an alarm lamp based on the operation of the prohibition means 104 . 106 is sound producing means ( buzzer ) for actuating a buzzer driver based on the operation of the prohibition means 104 . the light source of the light emitting means 105 is usually disposed near the focusing plate 7 so as to be seen through the finder . the focus detection means 6a in this embodiment belongs to the well - known technique and , therefore , only an outline of the means will be described with reference to fig2 below . in fig2 five distance fields of measuring view , 142a , 142b . . . , 142e are located in a region 141 , corresponding to a photographed frame , near the estimated focal plane of the photographing system 1 and well - known focus detection partial systems are provided in one - to - one relation to those five field of view . the focusing beam which has passed through a rectangular field mask of the distance measuring view field 142a at the leftmost end in fig2 for example , is deflected by a leftmost lens of a composite field lens 143 integrally formed , to enter a pair of secondary focusing lenses 144a 1 , 144a 2 . a diaphragm ( not shown ) is placed in front of the pair of secondary focusing lenses 144a 1 , 144a 2 . the beam having passed through the secondary focusing lens 144a 1 focuses an optical image of the view field 142a again on a photoelectric transducer array 145a 1 . on the other hand , the beam having passed through the secondary focusing lens 144a 2 focuses an optical image of the view field 142a again on photoelectric transducer array 145a 2 . since a mask opening near the secondary focusing lenses is focused by the field lens substantially at an exit pupil of the photographing lens , the foregoing optical system constitutes the so - called pupil - split focus detection partial system . these five partial systems are arranged side by side and system components are formed into the unitized structure . the concept of such a focus detection system is well known and this embodiment shown in fig2 includes a system comprising a plurality of partial systems arranged side by side . a manner of calculation and determining a defocus amount of the photographing lens 1 from output signals of photoelectric transfer arrays can also be realized using the well - known technique . in general , the signals from the photoelectric transducer arrays are serially outputted and applied to an a / d conversion port of a microcomputer built in the camera . the microcomputer sequentially a / d - converts the serial signal at proper timing and stores the converted data in a memory . after completely reading the serial signals , a similarity between light intensity distribution patterns of two images formed by the pair of secondary focusing lenses is derived through correlation calculation to detect a defocus amount of the photographing lens 1 . in this embodiment , the focus detection means and the visual axis detection means may be controlled by the same common microcomputer or by different devices working in cooperation with each other . this embodiment is directed to a mutually related method between focus detection calculation and visual axis detection calculation , and therefore , is premised on such a device being able to control the entire system under a unified process flow . operation of the first embodiment shown in fig1 will be next described with reference to a flowchart of fig3 . first , when a routine ( 001 ) for detecting a switch ( sw ) state detects the half or fully depressed state of a shelter release button , the control flow goes to step ( 002 ) and subsequent steps for detecting the direction of visual axis of a photographer . since a photographer usually tends to look at the background or surrounding objects as well the main object to be photographed , it is required to follow a motion of the visual axis moment by moment for a predetermined period of time for statistically interpolating the intention of the photographer . steps ( 002 ) to ( 004 ) represent a process for detecting the direction of visual axis once . in step ( 007 ), the targeting spot ( targeting direction ) intended by the photographer is extracted through predetermined calculation based on the detected direction the of visual axis . it is then determined by judging means in step ( 008 ) whether or not the extracted result has reliability enough for use in control of the camera . if the results of the calculation of the visual axis ( step ( 003 )) and the extraction of the targeting spot ( step ( 007 )) are not satisfactory ( i . e ., ng ), then the control flow returns to step ( 002 ) for accumulating the visual axis data again . on this occasion , the number of ng times detected is counted in step ( 005 ). if step ( 006 ) determines that ng detection has been repeated over a predetermined number of no , then the detection of the targeting spot is judged as unable to be effected . the simplest method of extracting the targeting spot is as follows . a frame region corresponding to the viewfinder is divided into a finite number of small areas , and a distance measuring view field is arranged at the center of each small area . as shown in fig4 a , for example , five small areas 146a to 146e respectively containing the distance measuring view fields 142a to 142e at their centers and a small area 146f containing no distance measuring view fields are defined . as a result of repeating the detection of the visual axis n times , if the detected data are concentrated in a particular one of the six small areas ( 146a to 146e ) over a predetermined percentage and the number n is over a predetermined value , the particular area is regarded as an area ( targeting spot ) where the main object is present , and the distance measuring view field centered in the particular area is extracted . if the particular area is located at the periphery of the small area 146f , the main object is judged to be outside the distance measuring view fields . generally , the visual axis of the photographer &# 39 ; s eye is moved discontinuously from one point to another remote point rather than continuously moving in a smooth manner . accordingly , by measuring a period of time in which the direction of the visual axis is stopped at a certain point as an additional parameter for judgment , the intention of the photographer can be detected with higher reliability . where the distance measuring view fields are apart from one another as shown in fig4 b , the small areas are also preferably set to be separated in some cases . in step ( 010 ) of a distance measuring sequence , the distance to the object is measured at the targeting spot extracted . a method of determining ( in step ( 011 )) whether or not the distance measured data has accuracy enough for use in focus adjusting control of the camera is well - known . in the case of passive type focus detection , the contrast of an optical image , or the sum of squares of differences between outputs of adjacent pixels , or a comparison of shapes or similarity between two optical images , or a combination thereof , for example , is often used as a judging reference . in the case of active type focus detection , the magnitude of a reflected light signal is often used . anyway , the distance to the object in the targeting direction of the photographer is measured and the reliability of the distance measured data is judged based on some reference for determining reliability of the distance measured result . if the distance measured result is judged to be usable , then the control flow goes to step ( 012 ) for fixing both the distance measuring point selected in the above and the measured distance information . looking at the state of a lens driving prohibition flag later described , if the prohibition flag is reset , then the control flow goes to step ( 015 ) where the adjusting means drives the focusing portion of the photographing lens . on the other hand , if it is determined in step ( 011 ) that the result from selecting the distance measuring point based on the targeting spot information and making the distance measurement has accuracy ( reliability ) not high enough for control of the camera , or if it is determined in step ( 006 ) that the detection of the visual axis cannot be effected , or if it is determined in step ( 009 ) that the targeting spot is outside the distance measurement area , then the lens driving prohibition flag is set in step ( 013 ). if the set state of the prohibition flag is detected in step ( 014 ), then an alarm indication is performed rather than the lens driving the lens to reach the in - focus state . the alarm indication can be performed by , for example , actuating a buzzer as sound producing means , or lighting up an in - focus indicator lamp as light emitting means while blinking it at a particular cycle or changing colors , or illuminating an alarm lamp . one sequence is programmed such that upon reaching step ( 016 ), the release button is locked in this state and cannot be escaped therefrom unless there occurs any change by monitoring the release switch state . alternatively , after issuing the alarm indication in step ( 016 ), the control flow may go to reset the ng counter and return to step ( 002 ), followed by repeating the sequence . in this case , the program can be arranged such that if the control flow can go to step ( 012 ) and fix the distance measuring point and the measured distance information at that point in the repeated sequence even after the prohibition flag has been once set for some reason , the prohibition flag is now reset in step ( 012 ), allowing the control flow to reach the lens driving step . in this embodiment , the operation of detecting the visual axis and extracting the targeting spot and the operation of detecting the focus may be carried out continuously or discontinuously because those operations are not required to be fixed in timed relation . depending on cases , it is desirable that those operations are carried out in parallel from the point of reducing the time required for control of the camera . fig5 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the present invention for implementing such a parallel scheme . operation of the second embodiment will be described below . when a routine ( 021 ) for detecting a switch ( sw ) state detects the half or fully depressed state of a release button , the control flow goes to steps ( 022 ) and ( 023 ) for detecting the direction of the visual axis of a photographer . in step ( 025 ), the targeting spot ( targeting direction ) intended by the photographer is extracted through predetermined calculation . it is then determined in step ( 026 ) whether or not the extracted result has reliability enough for use in control of the camera . if the decision result is ng , then the control flow returns to step ( 022 ) for accumulating the visual axis data again after incrementing an ng counter ( step ( 029 )) and checking the number of ng times ( step ( 030 )). while the visual axis detection system is repeating the above operation , the distance measuring system carries out distance measurement for all the view fields in steps ( 027 ) to ( 028 ) in parallel . since sensors for receiving optical images of the view fields are provided in one - to - one relation , photoelectric converting operations of the sensors for all the view fields can be started simultaneously . subsequent signal processing in the multi - point distance measuring system can be achieved based on the well - known technique by measuring the defocus amount or distance for each distance measuring point . if the targeting spot extracted in step ( 026 ) is judged to be ok , meaning that the targeting spot is inside the distance measuring area , and also the distance measurement up to step ( 028 ) is completed , then the control flow goes to step ( 032 ) for determining reliability ( accuracy ) of the distance measured data in the targeting direction . if the decision result is ok , then the distance measuring point is fixed in step ( 034 ). if the decision result is ng , then the control flow goes to step ( 033 ). step ( 033 ) sets a lens driving prohibition flag if there occurs a failure or mismatch in the visual axis detection system and the focus detection system , including such cases as where the detection cannot be effected in the targeting direction ( i . e ., the direction of visual axis ), and the targeting spot is outside the distance measuring area . confirming the state of the lens driving prohibition flag in step ( 035 ) after the processing in steps ( 033 ) and ( 034 ), if the prohibition flag is reset , then the control flow goes to step ( 015 ) where the adjusting means drives the focusing lens of the photographing lens system toward an in - focus position depending on the information fixed in step ( 034 ). after completion of the lens driving , though the subsequent sequence is not essential , the distance to the object is measured again ( 037 ) and the in - focus state is confirmed ( 038 ). if the in - focus state is confirmed , then the control flow goes to a next sequence ( not shown ) for indication , af locking operation , etc . if the in - focus state is not achieved , then the control flow returns to step ( 036 ) to perform the lens driving for correction . this distance remeasuring sequence can be practiced in the foregoing embodiment as well . on the other hand , if the prohibition flag is set in step ( 035 ), then the control flow goes to step ( 039 ) where alarm indication , etc . is performed rather than the lens driving . the alarm indication can be effectively performed , as with the above first embodiment , by actuating a buzzer , or lighting up an in - focus indicator lamp while blinking it at a particular cycle or changing colors , or illuminating an alarm lamp . one sequence is programmed such that upon reaching step ( 039 ), the release button is locked in this state and cannot be escaped therefrom unless there occurs any change by monitoring the release switch state . alternatively , after issuing the alarm indication in step ( 039 ), the control flow may go to reset the ng counter and return to step ( 022 ), followed by repeating the sequence . in this case , the program can be arranged such that if the control flow can go to step ( 034 ) and fix the distance measuring point and the measured distance information at that point in the repeated sequence even after the prohibition flag has been once set for some reason , the prohibition flag is now reset in step ( 034 ), allowing the control flow to reach the lens driving . although the focus detection system using the ttl technique has been explained as the passive type in the above embodiments , the present invention can also provide a similar advantageous effect with an active type multi - point distance measuring system using the non - ttl technique . furthermore , in the case of sharing a two - dimensional image pick - up device for the tv screen and light receiving means for the focus detection as with the focus detection technique used in a video camera , the multi - point focus detection system can also be practically constituted by properly dividing the frame ( in an overlapped manner depending on cases ), and the present invention can be effectively implemented in combination with the visual axis detection system . fig6 shows a third embodiment in which the same components as those in fig1 are denoted by the same reference numerals . those components which have already been explained will not be explained here . denoted by 202 is selection means for selecting any one of plural focus detection signals ( e . g ., infocus signals ) sent from the focus detection means 6a and corresponding to a plurality of distance measuring areas , in response to a signal releated to the targeting direction obtained by the calculator 101 as one component of the visual axis detection means . denoted by 204 is judging means which determines whether or not the one in - focus signal selected by the selection means 202 is satisfactory , whether or not the signal related to the targeting direction ( targeting spot ) obtained by the calculator 101 of the visual axis detection means is satisfactory , and whether or not the targeting point obtained by the calculator 101 is included in the area to be measured by the focus detection means . when it is judged that an in - focus attaining operation is to be performed using those obtained signals , i . e ., that a first operation mode is to be taken , a signal indicating such judgment is inputted to adjusting means 203 . when it is judged that the in - focus attaining operation is to be performed by a preset method in place of using those obtained signals , i . e ., that a second operation mode is to be taken , a signal indicating such judgment is inputted to second operation mode driving means 205 . in response to the signal from the judging means 204 , the second operation mode driving means 205 obtains an in - focus signal in accordance with a preset method and applies the in - focus signal to the adjusting means 203 . in response to the signal from the judging means 204 or the second operation mode driving means 205 , the adjusting means 203 drives a focusing lens ( not shown ) of the photographing system 1 in the first or second operation mode , thereby adjusting the in - focus state . fig7 shows a flowchart for operation of the third embodiment . the control flow up to step ( 011 ) in fig7 is the same as that in fig3 and , therefore , will not be explained here . if it is determined in step ( 011 ) that the result from selecting the distance measuring point based on the targeting spot information and making the distance measurement has accuracy ( reliability ) not enough for control of the camera , or if it is determined in step ( 006 ) that the detection of the visual axis cannot be effected , or if it is determined in step ( 009 ) that the targeting spot is outside the distance measurement area , then the control flow goes to step ( 042 ) for measuring the distance to the object for all the distance measuring view fields 142a to 142e . on this occasion , the distance measurement may be omitted for that distance measuring view field in the targeting direction which has already been subjected to the measurement . after completion of the distance measurement for all the distance measuring view fields 142a to 142e , the control flow goes to step ( 043 ) where a particular one or plural distance measuring view fields are selected as a target of focus control in accordance with a distance measuring point automatic selection algorithm . with the above sequence , stable control can be achieved regardless of whether or not the distance measurement can be effected for one point in the targeting direction . even if the direction of the visual axis cannot be detected , the control is achieved without causing large errors . regarding a selection method , although there are known several algorithms , a close - point priority algorithm is effective for its simplicity . with this algorithm , step ( 043 ) identifies the position and measured distance information for the view field looking at the nearest object to the camera among those distance measuring view fields for which the distance measurement can be effected in step ( 042 ). after step ( 043 ), the control flows returns to the same sequence as mentioned above . the number of particular distance measuring view fields to be selected is not always limited to one , and a plurality of view fields may be selected . when the distance measurement cannot be effected in the targeting direction , accuracy is inevitably lowered in spite of how the correct focus is estimated from the other measured distance information using the automatic selection algorithm , and perfectly predicting the intention of the photographer is difficult without the visual axis information . therefore , it can be practiced as one method to select a plurality of distance measuring view fields and adjust the diaphragm of the photographing system so that those view fields come into the depth of a focus . in this case , it is desirable that the distance measuring view field which is within a predetermined defocus range from the object near the camera is practically brought into the in - focus state . the predetermined defocus range can be more desirably changed depending on a light intensity level of the object based on the information of automatic exposure control ( ae ). in this embodiment , the operation of detecting the visual axis and extracting the targeting spot and the operation of detecting the focus may be carried out continuously or discontinuously because those operations are not required to be fixed in timed relation . depending on cases , it is desirable that those operations are carried out in parallel from the point of reducing the time required for control of the camera . fig8 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of the present invention for implementing such a parallel scheme . since this flowchart is almost the same as that of fig5 there will be explained here only differences between the two flowcharts . if the targeting spot extracted in step ( 026 ) is judged to be ok , meaning that the targeting spot is inside the distance measuring area , and also the distance measurement up to step ( 028 ) is completed , then the control flow goes to step ( 032 ) for determining reliability ( accuracy ) of the distance measured data in the targeting direction . if the decision result is ng , then the control flow goes to step ( 050 ) for selecting the distance measuring point using the selection algorithm . based on the result of step ( 032 ) or step ( 053 ), the selected distance measuring point and the measured distance information are fixed in step ( 034 ), following which the focusing lens is driven toward an in - focus position of the photographing lens system . it is desirable that after completion of the lens driving , the distance to the object is measured again ( 037 ) and the in - focus state is determined ( 038 ) and , if the decision result is ng , then the focusing lens is driven again based on the preceding remeasured data . this distance remeasuring sequence can be practiced in the foregoing embodiment as well . fig9 shows a fifth embodiment in which the same components as those in fig1 are denoted by the same reference numerals . denoted by 302 is selection means for selecting any one of plural focus detection signals ( e . g ., in - focus signals ) sent from the focus detection means 6a and corresponding to a plurality of distance measuring areas , in response to a signal related to the targeting direction obtained by the calculator 101 as one component of the visual axis detection means . denoted by 304 is judging means which determines whether or not the one in - focus signal selected by the selection means 302 is satisfactory . then , when it is judged that an in - focus attaining operation is to be performed using the obtained signal , i . e ., that a first operation mode is to be taken , a signal indicating such judgment is inputted to adjusting means 303 . when it is judged that use of the obtained signal is not appropriate , i . e ., that a second operation mode is to be taken , a signal indicating such judgment is inputted to second operation mode driving means 305 . in addition , the judging means 304 also detects that the targeting direction obtained by the calculator 101 is present in which one of the plural detection areas within the viewfinder is to be measured by the focus detection means 6e . when the targeting direction is judged to be not present in any area , a signal indicating such judgment is inputted to the second operation mode driving means 305 so that the second operation mode is taken . in response to the signal from the judging means 304 or the second operation mode driving means 305 , the adjusting means 303 drives a focusing lens ( not shown ) of the photographing system 1 in the first or second operation mode , thereby adjusting the in - focus state . fig1 shows a flowchart for operation of the fifth embodiment . many of steps in fig1 are the same as those in fig7 and , therefore , will not be explained here . if the result of calculating the visual axis ( step ( 003 )) or extracting the targeting spot ( step ( 005 )) is not satisfactory , the control flow returns to step ( 002 ) for accumulating the visual axis data again . in step ( 010 ) of a distance measuring sequence , the distance to the object is measured at the targeting spot extracted . a method of determining in step ( 011 ) whether or not the distance measured data has accuracy enough for use in focus adjusting control of the camera is well known . in the case of passive type focus detection , contrast of an optical image , or the sum of squares of differences between outputs of adjacent pixels , or comparison of shapes or similarly between two optical images , or a combination thereof , for example , is often used as a judging reference . in the case of active type focus detection , the magnitude of a reflected light signal is often used . anyway , the distance to the object in the targeting direction of the photographer is measured and the reliability of the distance measured data is judged based on some reference suited for determining reliability of the distance measured result . if the distance measured result is judged to be usable , then the control flow goes to step ( 012 ) for fixing both the distance measuring point selected in the above process and the measured distance information . after that , the control flow goes to step ( 015 ) for driving the focusing portion of the photographing lens by the adjusting means . on the other hand , if step ( 011 ) determines that the result of selecting the distance measuring point and measuring the distance to the object based on the targeting spot information in step ( 010 ) has accuracy ( reliability ) not enough for use in control of the camera , the control flow goes to step ( 060 ) for measuring the distance to the object in the other preset area . in this embodiment , the distance measurement is performed at the distance measuring point in the adjacent area . this process will now be explained . let it be assumed that the small area 146d in fig4 a , for example , is determined as the area of the targeting spot . when the result measured in the distance measuring view field 142d cannot be used for control , however , the distance measurement is performed at the adjacent distance measuring point on the nearer side depending on whether the targeting spot is located in the right or left portion of the small area 146d . specifically , the distance measuring view field 142c is selected if the targeting spot is located in the right portion of the small area 146d , and the distance measuring view field 142e is selected if it is located in the left portion thereof , followed by the distance measurement . the position of the targeting point in the area 146d can be found by , for example , calculating an average value of all the visual axis detection points measured in the small area 146d . alternatively , the distance measurement may be carried out for the two adjacent view fields 142c , 142e on both sides , followed by selecting one of the measured results which indicates the object nearer to the camera . this embodiment is premised on an estimation that if the main object to be photographed has a substantial size , it will spread over two or more adjacent distance measuring view fields . it is therefore desirable in practice for the multi - point distance measuring view fields to be arrayed densely . if the spacing between the adjacent two distance measuring view fields is too large , the background would be often picked up and subjected to automatic focus detection , thereby causing the system to malfunction . when the adjacent distance measuring view fields are apart from one another , malfunctions can be reduced in the practice of photographing by setting the plurality of visual axis detection areas like patterns as shown in fig1 . more specifically , in fig1 , areas 156a to 156c are defined respectively corresponding to distance measuring points 152a to 152c , whereas areas 156d , 156e are defined as intermediate areas . when the targeting spot is detected as being in any of the areas 156a to 156c , the distance measurement is performed at the corresponding distance measuring point . however , when the targeting spot is detected as being in the area 156d or 156e , there is no corresponding distance measuring point . in this case , as one practical process , the distance measurement is performed for the two distance measuring view fields on both sides , and the object nearer to the camera is selected . the above detection for the targeting point corresponds to the decision of step ( 009 ) in the flowchart of fig1 . in the case of the areas 156d , 156e being detected , the control flow goes to step ( 060 ) via a branch from step ( 009 ). next , fig1 is a flowchart of a sixth embodiment of the present invention for implementing the fifth embodiment in a parallel scheme . steps in fig1 which overlap with those in fig8 will not be explained here . in step ( 025 ), the targeting spot ( targeting direction ) intended by the photographer is extracted through predetermined calculation . it is then determined in step ( 026 ) whether or not the extracted result has reliability enough for use in control of the camera . if the decision result is ng , then the control flow returns to step ( 022 ) for accumulating the visual axis data again . if the targeting spot extracted in step ( 026 ) is judged to be ok , meaning that the targeting spot is inside the distance measuring area , and also the distance measurement up to step ( 028 ) is completed , then the control flow goes to step ( 032 ) for determining reliability ( accuracy ) of the distance measured data in the targeting direction . if the decision result of ok , then the control flow goes to step ( 034 ) for fixing both the distance measuring point and the distance measured data . on the other hand , if the decision result is ng , then the control flow goes to step ( 070 ) for actuating a selection algorithm of the adjacent distance measuring point . since step ( 028 ) has been completed and all the distance measured data are already present , step ( 070 ) simply selects the corresponding data . the method of selecting the corresponding data can be practiced by determining , through calculation , whether the targeting spot is deviated in the visual axis detection area to the right or left half - portion thereof , and then selecting one of the adjacent two view fields , or selecting one of the adjacent two view fields which contains the object nearer to the camera . after step ( 070 ), the control flow goes back to step ( 034 ) for fixing the measured distance information . in step ( 036 ), the adjusting means drives the focusing lens toward an infocus position . after completion of the lens driving , the distance to the object is measured again ( 037 ) and the in - focus state is determined ( 038 ). if the decision result is ng , then the focusing lens is driven again based on the preceding remeasured data . note that the above distance remeasuring sequence can be similarly applied to the fifth embodiment as well . according to the present invention , as fully described above , when attaining the in - focus state of the photographing system by the use of a signal from visual axis detection means and a signal from focus detection means , if distance measurement ( focus detection ) for the distance measuring view field in the targeting direction cannot be effected , or if no distance measuring view field exists in the targeting direction , by way of example , that fact is provided to a photographer , or an automatic selection algorithm is actuated to obtain the distance measured information for another distance measuring view field . as a result , there can be achieved a camera with the visual axis detection means and the focus detection means which can satisfactorily perform the operation for attaining the in - focus state , prevent malfunction in the practice of photographing , and fulfill various photographing functions in a satisfactory manner . | 6 |
referring now to fig2 , a block filter 40 has been added to the motor system 10 as part of the filter 38 between the power supply 12 and the rectifier 20 of the motor drive unit 14 . that is , the block filter 40 has been added to the filter 38 and is arranged between the point of common connection ( pcc ) between the supply lines 26 and the input to the motor drive unit 14 . as will be described below , this filter configuration 38 including the block filter 40 will be referred to as an lcl - plus - c circuit . as will be described , the block filter 40 has an inductive reactance that is substantially equal to its capacitive reactance at the switching frequency of the rectifier . as illustrated , it is contemplated that the main inductor ( l m ) and block filter 40 may be formed as an integrated package that may be readily retrofitted into a traditional filter system 38 . however , as will be described , it is contemplated that the main inductor l m , and block filter 40 may be integrated with the other components of the filter 38 . referring now to fig3 - 5 , a variety of configurations for the main inductor l m and block filter 40 of fig2 are illustrated . specifically , fig3 shows a cascaded block filter 40 a coupled with the above - described lcl filter to form an lcl - plus - c circuit . fig3 also includes an equivalent circuit 42 of the cascaded block filter 40 a . additionally , fig4 shows the above - described lcl filter coupled with a direct - coupled block filter 40 b to form another lcl - plus - c circuit configuration . fig4 further shows an equivalent circuit 44 of the direct - coupled block filter 40 b . finally , fig5 shows the above - described lcl filter coupled with a transformer block filter 40 c to form still another lcl - plus - c circuit configuration and an equivalent circuit 46 of the transformer block filter 40 c . as illustrated in fig3 , the cascaded block filter 40 a can be readily separated from the main inductor l m . in this regard , the cascaded block filter 40 a can be used to retrofit a traditional lcl filter to create an lcl - plus c circuit . on the other hand , as illustrated in fig4 and 5 , the block filters 40 b , 40 c can be integrated with the main inductor l m by sharing a common core . in the configurations illustrated in fig4 and 5 , the main inductor l m has two windings for one phase . the main winding forms l m and the secondary winding forms l t . as such , the direct - coupled block filter 40 b and the transformer block filter 40 c have identical equivalent circuits 44 , 46 . however , as will be shown below , the value of the capacitor c t in the transformer block filter 40 c configuration shown in fig5 can typically be reduced over that required in the direct - coupled block filter 40 b configuration shown in fig4 . on the other hand , the direct - coupled block filter 40 b will typically have a higher q factor than the transformer block filter 40 c . in any case , each of the block filter configurations 40 a - 40 c operates as an lc resonator that can be configured to have substantially similar admittance and frequency characteristics . specifically , the resonant frequency of the lcl - plus - c circuit of 38 configured with the cascaded block filter 40 a of fig3 is given by : similarly , the resonant frequency of the lcl - plus - c circuit of 38 configured with the direct - coupled block filter 40 b of fig4 or the transformer block filter 40 c of fig5 , which have identical equivalent circuits 44 , 46 , is given by : the specific component values of the block filters 40 a , 40 b , 40 c , are selected based on the specific switching frequency of the rectifier 20 of the motor drive unit 14 of fig2 . in particular , the value of capacitor c t is selected to block the switching frequency component of injected harmonics . with respect to the direct - coupled block filter 40 b , capacitor c t is selected by : where f sw is the switching frequency of the rectifier 20 , k is the coupling factor of l m and l t windings , and m is the mutual inductance given by : m = k √ { square root over ( l m l t )} eqn . 4 . likewise , with respect to the cascaded block filter 40 a and the transformer block filter 40 b , capacitor c t is selected by : it is contemplated that when extended to a three - phase system , the above - described system may be embodied using three separate single - phase main inductors l m . on the other hand , it is contemplated that a single three - phase main inductor l m may also be used . a few additional considerations aid in guiding the selection of l 1 , l m , and l t . that is , since the high frequency current going through l 1 , especially switching frequency components , is suppressed by the block circuit 40 a , 40 b , or 40 c , the cost of including l 1 is relatively low because the current waveform is close to sinusoidal . likewise , since only high frequency current is seen by l t , the wire gauge of the coil can be relatively high , depending on the turn ratio of the coil in l t and l m , which reduces implementation costs . further cost and size savings can be realized when selecting the capacitance value , which can be relatively low , for example , 0 . 035 μf for 20 hp motor drive units . furthermore , since the high frequency current seen by l m is relatively high , the inductor design of l m should provide a relatively low core flux density or low high - frequency loss core , such as a ferrite or other inductor having a ferromagnetic compound core . the specific implementations of the above - described block filters 40 a , 40 b , 40 c may be readily scaled to a desired power rating . specifically , the percentage of harmonic components permitted by the block filters 40 a , 40 b , 40 c are determined by the percentage value relationship of l 1 , l m , and c m . . . referring now to fig6 , the filter configurations described above have been simplified to an lcl configuration for the purpose of illustrating that the use of fixed component percentages allows motor drive units with differing power ratings to have similar current total harmonic distortion values . specifically , the percentage of harmonic components permitted can be significantly controlled by the percentage value relationship of l 1 , l m , and c m , regardless of power ratings , as follows : where p l1 is the percentage value of l 1 , p lm is the percentage value of l m , p c is the percentage value of c , v n is the rated line voltage , i n is the rated line current , ω n is the rated line angular frequency , and ω res is the resonance angular frequency . the inductance / capacitance bases are : it should be noted that for simplicity , the above calculations have neglected the resistance of the filter . however , the inclusion of inductor resistance and damping resistance does not alter the fact that , as illustrated above , by maintaining fixed percentages of l 1 , l m and c , total harmonic distortions of i 1 , i 2 , and i c can be controlled across a variety of motor drives with a variety of power ratings . similarly , as illustrated below , the percentage value of c t does not vary with power ratings : p c t = ( ω n ω sw ) 2 1 λ · p l m ; eqn . 13 where ω sw is the angular switching frequency of the rectifier of the motor drive and is equal to f sw multiplied by 2π . additionally , λ is the ratio of l t to l m , which , as described above , is typically a fixed ratio . when compared to a traditional lcl filter , such as illustrated in fig1 , the above - described filter systems including the block filters 40 to form an lcl - plus - c circuit are able to significantly suppress current harmonics with switching frequency current at the pcc . for example , residual high frequency harmonics may be suppressed to significantly less than 0 . 5 percent of peak phase current . since the above - described filter system significantly reduces the harmonic current at the switching frequency at the rectifier input , the current total harmonic distortion at the rectifier input is also reduced , even though some increase in the second and third order switching frequency harmonics may be experienced . the present invention has been described in terms of the various embodiments , and it should be appreciated that many equivalents , alternatives , variations , and modifications , aside from those expressly stated , are possible and within the scope of the invention . therefore , the invention should not be limited to a particular described embodiment . | 7 |
cultured cortical neurons were prepared by standard techniques ( 4 , 9 ) and switched to serum - free media at 24 h [ neurobasal with b27 supplement ( gibco )]. the as odn corresponded to nucleotides 435 - 449 of mouse psd - 95 / sap90 mrna ( genebank acc . no . d50621 ). filter - sterilized phosphodiester as se , and ms odns ( 5 μm ) were added in culture medium during feedings at 4 , 6 , 8 and 10 days after plating . cultures were used for all experiments ( fig1 - 4 ) on day 12 . odn sequences exhibited no similarity to any other known mammalian genes ( blast search ( 10 )). immunoblotting was done as described in ref . “ 26 ”. tissue was harvested and pooled from 2 cultures / lane . the blotted proteins were probed using a monoclonal anti - psd - 95 mouse igg1 ( transduction labs , 1 : 250 dilution ), polyclonal anti psd - 93 ( 1 : 1000 dilution ) and anti sap - 102 ( 1 : 2000 dilution ) rabbit serum antibodies ( synaptic systems gmbh ), a monoclonal anti nr1 mouse igg2a ( pharmingen canada , 1 : 1000 dilution ) or a monoclonal anti nnos ( nos type i ) mouse igg2a ( transduction labs , 1 : 2500 dilution ). secondary antibodies were sheep anti - mouse , or donkey anti - rabbit ig conjugated to horseradish peroxidase ( amersham ). immunoblots for psd - 95 were obtained for all experiments ( fig1 - 4 ) from sister cultures , and all gels quantified using an imaging densitometer ( bio - rad gs - 670 ). cgmp determinations were performed 10 min after challenging the cultures with nmda , kainate , or high - k ( fig4 c - e ) with the biotrak cgmp enzymeimmunoassay system according to the kit manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions ( amersham ). staining for nadph diaphorase ( fig4 b ) was done as described in ref . 12 . electrophysiology . whole cell patch - clamp recordings in the cultured neurons were performed and analyzed as described in ref . 13 . during each experiment a voltage step of − 10 mv was applied from holding potential and the cell capacitance was calculated by integrating the capacitative transient . the extracellular solution contained ( in mm ): 140 nacl , 5 . 4 kcl , 1 . 3 cacl 2 , 25 hepes , 33 glucose , 0 . 01 glycine , and 0 . 001 tetrodotoxin ( ph = 7 . 3 - 7 . 4 , 320 - 335 mosm ). a multi - barrel perfusion system was employed to rapidly exchange nmda containing solutions . the pipette solution contained ( in mm ): 140 csf , 35 csoh , 10 hepes , 11 egta , 2 tetraethylammonium chloride ( tea ), 1 cacl 2 , 4 mgatp , ph 7 . 3 at 300 mosm . lucifer yellow ( ly ; 0 . 5 % w / v ) was included in the pipette for experiments in fig3 d . excitotoxicity and ca 2 + accumulation measurements were performed identically to the methods described and validated in refs . 4 and 14 . we used measurements of propidium iodide fluorescence as an index of cell death , and of radiolabelled 45 ca 2 + accumulation for ca 2 + load determinations in sister cultures on the same day . experimental solutions were as previously described ( 4 ). ca 2 + influx was pharmacologically channeled through distinct pathways as follows : to nmdars by applying nmda (× 60 min ) in the presence of both cnqx ( research biochemicals inc ) and nimodipine ( miles pharmaceuticals ), to non - nmdars by applying kainic acid (× 60 min or 24 h ) in the presence of both mk - 801 ( rbi ) and nimodipine , and to vsccs using 50 mm k + solution (× 60 min ) containing 10 mm ca 2 + and s (−)- bay k 8644 , an l - type channel agonist ( 300 - 500 nm ; rbi ), mk - 801 and cnqx . antagonist concentrations were ( in μm ): mk - 801 10 , cnqx 10 , nimodipine 2 . all three antagonists were added after the 60 mm agonist applications for the remainder of all experiments ( 24 h ). a validation of this approach in isolating ca 2 + influx to the desired pathway in our cortical cultures has been published ( 4 ). whole cell patch - clamp recordings in the cultured neurons were performed and analyzed as described in z . xiong , w . lu , j . f . macdonald , proc nail acad sci usa 94 , 7012 ( 1997 ). during each experiment a voltage step of − 10 mv was applied from holding potential and the cell capacitance was calculated by integrating the capacitative transient . the extracellular solution contained ( in mm ): 140 nacl , 5 . 4 kcl , 1 . 3 cacl 2 , 25 hepes , 33 glucose , 0 . 01 glycine , and 0 . 001 tetrodotoxin ( ph = 7 . 3 - 7 . 4 , 320 - 335 mosm ). a multi - barrel perfusion system was employed to rapidly exchange nmda containing solutions . the pipette solution contained ( in mm ): 140 csf , 35 csoh , 10 hepes , 11 egta , 2 tetraethylammonium chloride ( tea ), 1 cacl 2 , 4 mgatp , ph 7 . 3 at 300 mosm . lucifer yellow ( ly ; 0 . 5 % w / v ) was included in the pipette for experiments in fig3 d . data analysis : data in all figures were analyzed by anova , with a post - hoc student &# 39 ; s t - test using the bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons . all means are presented with their standard errors . fig1 , shows increased resilience of psd - 95 deficient neurons to nmda toxicity in spite of ca 2 + loading . a . immunoblot showing representative effects of sham ( sh ) washes , and psd - 95 as , se and ms odns , on psd - 95 expression . pc : positive control tissue from purified rat brain cell membranes . asterisk : non - specific band produced by the secondary antibody , useful to control for protein loading and blot exposure times . b . densitometric analysis of psd - 95 expression pooled from n experiments . asterisk : different from other groups , one - way anova , f = 102 , p & lt ; 0 . 0001 . odns were used at 5 μm except where indicated ( as 2 μm ). c . representative phase contrast and propidium iodide fluorescence images of psd - 95 deficient ( as ) and control ( se ) cultures 24 h after a 60 min challenge with 30 μm nmda . scale bar : 100 μm . d . decreased nmda toxicity at 24 h in psd - 95 deficient neurons following selective nmdar activation × 60 min ( n = 16 cultures / bar pooled from n = 4 separate experiments ). asterisk : differences from se , ms and sh ( bonferroni t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 005 ). death is expressed as the fraction of dead cells produced by 100 μm nmda in sham - odn - treated controls ( validated in 4 , 14 ). e . no effect of psd - 95 deficiency on nmdar - mediated ca 2 + loading ( n = 12 / bar , n = 3 ; reported as the fraction of 45 ca 2 + accumulation achievable over 60 min in the sham controls by 100 μm nmda , which maximally loads the cells with calcium ( 4 ). fig2 , shows that psd - 95 deficiency does not affect toxicity and ca 2 + loading produced by activating non - nmdars and ca 2 + channels . cultures were treated with sh washes or as or se odns as in fig1 . a . selective activation of ampa / kainate receptors with kainate in mk - 801 ( 10 μm ) and nimodipine ( nim ; 2 μm ) produces toxicity over 24 h ( a1 ) irrespective of psd - 95 deficiency , with minimal 45 ca 2 + loading ( a2 ). b . selective activation of vsccs produces little toxicity ( b1 ), but significant 45 ca 2 + loading ( b2 ) that is also insensitive to psd - 95 deficiency . n = 4 cultures / bar in all experiments . fig3 , shows that there is no effect of perturbing psd - 95 on receptor function . a . immunoblots of psd - 950dn - treated cultures probed for psd - 95 , nr1 , psd - 93 , and sap - 102 using specific antibodies . pc : positive control tissue from purified rat brain cell membranes . b . nmda dose - response curves and representative nmda currents ( inset ) obtained with 3 - 300 μm nmda . c . nmda current density measurements elicited with 300 μm nmda ( as : n = 18 ; se : n = 19 ; sh : n = 17 ; one - way anova f = 1 . 10 , p = 0 . 34 ), and analysis of nmda current desensitization . i ss = steady - state current ; i peak = peak current . as : n = 15 ; se : n = 16 ; sh : n = 16 ( anova f = 0 . 14 , p = 0 . 87 ). time constants for current decay were as : 1310 ± 158 ms ; se , 1530 ± 185 ms ; sh : 1190 ± 124 ms ( anova , f = 1 . 22 , p = 0 . 31 ). d . currents elicited with 300 μm nmda in neurons dialyzed with ly ( insert ) and 1 mm tsxv or control peptide . fig4 , shows the effect of coupling of nmdar activation to nitric oxide signaling by psd - 95 . a . l - name protects against nmda toxicity ( n = 4 , n = 2 ). asterisk : difference from 0 μm l - name ( bonferroni t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). b . no effect of sh and of psd - 95 as and ms odns on nnos expression in cultures ( immunoblot ) and on nadph diaphorase staining in psd - 95 as and se - treated neurons . pc : positive control tissue from purified rat brain cell membranes . c . effect of isolated nmdar activation on cgmp formation ( n = 12 cultures / bar pooled from n = 3 separate experiments ) d , e . effects of vscc activation ( n = 8 / bar , n = 2 ), and ampa / kainate receptor activation ( n = 4 / bar , n = 1 ) on cgmp formation . data in c - e are expressed as the fraction of cgmp produced in se - treated cultures by 100 μm nmda . asterisk : differences from both sh and se controls ( bonferroni t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 0001 ). f . sodium nitroprusside toxicity is similar in psd - 95 as , se and sh treated cultures . psd - 95 expression was suppressed in cultured cortical neurons to & lt ; 10 % of control levels , using a 15 - mer phosphodiester antisense ( as ) oligodeoxynucleotide ( odn ) ( fig1 a , b ) sham ( sh ) washes , sense ( se ) and missense ( ms ) odns ( 9 ) had no effect . the odns had no effect on neuronal survivability and morphology as gauged by viability assays , herein below , and phase - contrast microscopy ( not shown ). to examine the impact of psd - 95 on nmdar - triggered excitotoxicity , odn - treated cultures were exposed to nmda ( 10 - 100 μm ) for 60 min , washed , and either used for 45 ca 2 + accumulation measurements , or observed for a further 23 h . ca 2 + influx was isolated to nmdars by adding antagonists of non - nmdars and ca 2 + channels ( 4 ). nmda toxicity was significantly reduced in neurons deficient in psd - 95 across a range of insult severities ( fig1 c , d ; ec 50 : as : 43 . 2 ± 4 . 3 ; se : 26 . 3 ± 3 . 4 , bonferroni t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 005 ). concomitantly however , psd - 95 deficiency had no effect on ca 2 + loading into identically treated sister cultures ( fig1 e ). therefore , psd - 95 deficiency induces resilience to nmda toxicity despite maintained ca 2 + loading . i next examined whether the increased resilience to ca 2 + loading in psd - 95 deficient neurons was specific to nmdars . non - nmdar toxicity was produced using kainic acid ( 30 - 300 μm ), a non - desensitizing ampa / kainate receptor agonist ( 15 ), in the presence of nmdar and ca 2 + channel antagonists ( 4 ). kainate toxicity was unaffected in psd - 95 deficient in neurons challenged for either 60 min ( not shown ) or 24 h ( fig2 a 1 ). non - nmdar toxicity occurred without significant 45 ca 2 + loading ( fig2 a 2 ), as & gt ; 92 % of neurons in these cultures express ca 2 + - impermeable ampa receptors ( 4 ). however , ca 2 + loading through vsccs , which is non - toxic ( 4 ) ( fig2 b 1 ), was also unaffected by psd - 95 deficiency ( fig2 b 2 ). thus , suppressing psd - 95 expression affects neither toxicity nor ca 2 + fluxes triggered through pathways other than nmdars . immunoblot analysis ( 11 ) of psd - 95 deficient cultures revealed no alterations in the expression of the essential nmdar subunit nr1 , nor of two other nmdar - associated maguks , psd - 93 and sap - 102 ( fig3 a ). this indicated that altered expression of nmdars and their associated proteins was unlikely to explain reduced nmda toxicity in psd - 95 deficiency ( fig1 c , d ). therefore , i examined the possibility that psd - 95 modulates nmdar function . nmda currents were recorded using the whole - cell patch technique ( 16 ) ( fig3 b ). psd - 95 deficiency had no effect on passive membrane properties , including input resistance and membrane capacitance [ capacitance : as 55 . 0 ± 2 . 6 pf ( n = 18 ); se 52 . 7 ± 3 . 2 pf ( n = 19 ); sh 48 . 1 ± 3 . 4 pf ( n = 17 ; anova , f = 1 . 29 , p = 0 . 28 )]. whole - cell currents elicited with 3 - 300 μm nmda were also unaffected . peak currents were as : 2340 ± 255 pa ( n = 18 ); se : 2630 ± 276 ( n = 19 ); sh : 2370 ± 223 ( n = 17 ) ( fig3 b , inset ; one - way anova , f = 0 . 43 , p = 0 . 65 ). nmda dose - response relationships also remained unchanged ( fig3 b ; ec 50 as : 16 . 1 ± 0 . 8 μm ( n = 7 ); se : 15 . 5 ± 2 . 1 ( n = 6 ); sh : 15 . 9 ± 2 . 9 ; one - way anova , f = 0 . 02 , p = 0 . 98 ), as were nmda current density and desensitization ( fig3 c ). to further examine the effect of psd - 95 binding on nmdar function , a 9 aa peptide , klssiesdv ( seq id no : 1 ) corresponding to the c - terminal domain of the nr2b subunit characterized by the tsxv motif ( 6 ) was injected into the neurons . at 0 . 5 mm , this peptide competitively inhibited the binding of psd - 95 to gst - nr2b fusion proteins ( 6 ), and was therefore predicted to uncouple nmdars from psd - 95 . intracellular dialysis of 1 mm tsxv or control peptide , cskdtmeksesl ( seq id no : 3 ) ( 6 ) was achieved through patch pipettes ( 3 - 5 mω ) also containing the fluorescent tracer lucifer yellow ( ly ). this had no effect on nmda currents over 30 min despite extensive dialysis of ly into the cell soma and dendrites ( fig3 d ). peak current amplitudes were tsxv : 2660 ± 257 pa ( n = 9 ), control : 2540 ± 281 pa ( n = 10 ; t ( 17 ) = 0 . 31 , p = 0 . 76 ). the data is consistent with that obtained from recently generated mutant mice expressing a truncated 40k psd - 95 protein that exhibited enhanced ltp and impaired learning ( 17 ). hippocampal ca1 neurons in psd - 95 mutants exhibited no changes in nmdar subunit expression and stoichiometry , cell density , dendritic cytoarchitecture , synaptic morphology , or nmdar localization using nr1 immunogold labeling of asymmetric synapses . nmda currents , including synaptic currents , were also unchanged ( 16 ). i also found no effects of psd - 95 deficiency on nmdar expression , on other nmdar associated maguks , nor on nmda - evoked currents . in addition , nmdar function gauged by measuring nmda - evoked 45 ca 2 + - accumulation was unaffected . thus , the neuroprotective consequences of psd - 95 deficiency must be due to events downstream from nmdar activation , rather than to altered nmdar function . the second pdz domain of psd - 95 binds to the c - terminus of nr2 subunits and to other intracellular proteins ( 8 ). among these is nnos ( 18 ), an enzyme that catalyzes the production of nitric oxide ( no ), a short - lived signaling molecule that also mediates ca 2 + - dependent nmda toxicity in cortical neurons ( 12 ). although never demonstrated experimentally , the nmdar / psd - 95 / nnos complex was postulated to account for the preferential production of no by nmdars over other pathways ( 8 ). to determine whether no signaling plays a role in nmda toxicity in the present cultures , we treated the cells with n g - nitro - l - arginine methyl ester ( l - name ), a nos inhibitor ( 12 ). l - name protected the neurons against nmda toxicity ( fig4 a ), indicating the possibility that suppressing psd - 95 might perturb this toxic signaling pathway . the effect of suppressing psd - 95 expression on no signaling and toxicity was examined using cgmp formation as a surrogate measure of no production by ca 2 + - activated nnos ( 20 , 21 ). psd - 95 deficiency had no impact on nnos expression ( fig4 b ), nor on the morphology ( fig4 b ) or counts of nadph diaphorase - staining ( 12 ) neurons ( sh : 361 ± 60 , se : 354 ± 54 , as : 332 ± 42 staining neurons / 10 mm coverslip , 3 coverslips / group ). however , in neurons lacking psd - 95 challenged with nmda under conditions that isolated ca 2 + influx to nmdars ( 4 ), cgmp production was markedly attenuated (& gt ; 60 %; fig4 c , one - way anova , p & lt ; 0 . 0001 ). like inhibited toxicity ( fig1 , 2 ), inhibited cgmp formation in neurons lacking psd - 95 was only observed in response to nmda . it was unaffected in neurons loaded with ca 2 + through vsccs ( fig4 d ), even under high neuronal ca 2 + loads matching those attained by activating nmdars ( compare fig1 e and 2 b 2 ) ( 4 ). nnos function therefore , was unaffected by psd - 95 deficiency . ampa / kainate receptor activation failed to load the cells with ca 2 + ( fig2 a 2 ), and thus failed to increase cgmp levels ( fig4 e ). our findings indicate that suppressing psd - 95 selectively reduces no production efficiency by nmdar - mediated ca 2 + influx , but preserves no production by ca 2 + influx through other pathways . bypassing nnos activation with no donors restored toxicity in neurons lacking psd - 95 . the no donors sodium nitroprosside ( 12 ) ( fig4 f ; ec 50 300 μm ) and s - nitrosocysteine ( 17 ) ( not shown ) were highly toxic , irrespective of psd - 95 deficiency . thus , reduced nmda toxicity in psd - 95 deficient cells was unlikely to be caused by altered signaling events downstream from no formation . suppressing psd - 95 expression uncoupled no formation from nmdar activation ( fig4 c ), and protected neurons against nmdar toxicity ( fig1 c , d ) without affecting receptor function ( fig1 e , 3 a - d ), by mechanisms downstream from nmdar activation , and upstream from no - mediated toxic events ( fig4 f ). therefore , psd - 95 imparts nmdars with signaling and neurotoxic specificity through the coupling of receptor activity to critical second messenger pathways . these results have broader consequences , as nmdar activation and no signaling are also critical to neuronal plasticity , learning , memory , and behavior ( 1 , 18 , 19 ). thus , these data provide experimental evidence for a mechanism by which psd - 95 protein may govern important physiological and pathological aspects of neuronal functioning . fig5 shows the utility of tat - peptides in dissociating the nmdar / psd - 95 interaction ( a ) the hypothesis : the nmdar / psd - 95 complex ( left panel ) may be dissociated using tat peptides fused either to the c - terminus of nr2b ( tat - nr2b9c ; middle ) or to the first and second pdz domains of psd - 95 ( ptat - pdz1 - 2 ; right ), thus reducing the efficiency of excitotoxic signaling via ca 2 + - dependent signaling molecules ( b ) intracellular accumulation of tat - nr2b9c - dansyl ( 10 μm ) but not control peptide ( tat - 38 - 48 - dansyl ; 10 μm ) was observed 30 min after application to cortical neuronal cultures using confocal microscopy ( excitation : 360 nm , emission : & gt ; 510 nm ; representative of 5 experiments ). fluorescence of cultures treated with tat - 38 - 48 - dansyl was similar to background ( not shown ). ( c ) time course of tat - nr2b9c - dansyl ( 10 μm ) fluorescence after application to cortical cultures at room temperature ( symbols : mean ± s . e of 4 experiments ). inset : fluorescence images from representative experiment ( d ) tat - nr2b9c , but not control peptides ( see text ), inhibits the co - immunoprecipitation of psd - 95 with nr2b in rat forebrain lysates ( left : representative gel ; right : means ± s . e of 4 experiments , anova , f = 6 . 086 , * p = 0 . 0041 ). in more detail , a conserved tsxv motif at the c - terminus of the nr2b subunit is critical for binding to the pdz2 domain of psd - 95 . i hypothesized that interfering with this interaction might disrupt the coupling between nmdars and psd - 95 . this might be achieved by the intracellular introduction of exogenous peptides that bind to either the nr2b or the pdz2 interaction domains ( fig5 a ). to this end i used a peptide comprised of the nine c - terminal residues of nr2b ( klssiesdv ; nr2b9c ( seq id no : 1 )), which is anticipated to bind the pdz2 domain of psd - 95 . as an alternative means to interfere with the nmdar / psd - 95 interaction i constructed a protein comprised of residues 65 - 248 of psd - 95 encompassing the first and second pdz domains ( pdz1 - 2 ), which contains the principal binding domain in psd - 95 for the c - terminus of nr2b . nr2b9c or pdz1 - 2 on their own did not enter cells ( not shown ) and therefore , i fused each to a peptide corresponding to the cell - membrane transduction domain of the hiv - 1 - tat protein ( ygrkkrrqrrr ( seq id no : 2 ); tat ) to obtain a 20 amino acid peptide ( tat - nr2b9c ) and the fusion protein ptat - pdz1 - 2 . ptat - pdz1 - 2 and ptat - gk fusion proteins were generated by insertion of psd95 residues 65 - 248 encoding the pdz 1 and 2 , and residues 534 - 724 encoding the guanylate kinase - like domains , respectively , into ptat - ha plasmids ( generous gift of s . dowdy , washington university , st . louis , mo .). fusion proteins contain a 6 × his - tag , the protein transduction domain of hiv - 1 tat and a hemagglutinin - tag n - terminal to the insert . plasmids were transformed into bl21 ( de3 ) lyss bacteria ( invitrogen ) and recombinant proteins were isolated under denaturing conditions on a nickle - his column ( amersham - pharmacia ). these are anticipated to transduce cell membranes in a rapid , dose - dependent manner independent of receptors and transporters ( 30 ). to determine whether tat - nr2b9c was able to transduce into neurons , i conjugated the fluorophore dansyl chloride to tat - nr2b9c and to a control peptide comprised of hiv - 1 - tat residues 38 - 48 ( kalgisygrkk ( seq id no : 4 ); tat38 - 48 ) outside the tat transduction domain ( 31 ). electrophysiological recordings were made in 400 μm hippocampal slices from 20 - 36 day old sprague - dawley rats perfused at room temperature with acsf containing ( in mm ) 126 nacl , 3 kcl , 2 mgcl 2 , 2 cacl 2 , 1 . 2 kh 2 po 4 , 26 nahco 3 and 10 glucose and bubbled with 95 % o 2 / 5 % co 2 . whole - cell recordings of ca1 neurons were performed using the “ blind ” method with an axopatch - 1d amplifier ( axon instruments , foster city , calif .) at holding potential − 60 mv . pipettes ( 4 - 5 mω ) were filled with solution containing ( mm ): 135 cscl , 2 mgcl 2 , 0 . 1 cacl 2 , 0 . 5 egta , 10 hepes , 4 mg - atp , 0 . 2 gtp , and 5 qx - 314 , ph 7 . 4 , 310 mosm . field potentials were recorded with glass micropipettes ( 2 - 4 mω ) filled with acsf placed in the stratum radiatum 60 - 80 μm from the cell body layer . synaptic responses were evoked by stimulation ( 0 . 05 ms ) of the schaffer collateral - commissural pathway with a bipolar tungsten electrode in the presence of bicuculline methiodide ( 10 μm ). for i nmda recording , mg 2 + was removed from and 20 μm cnqx was added in acsf . following 10 - 20 min base line recordings of epscs , i nmda and fepsps , tat - peptides were applied in acsf and recordings were continued for 30 min thereafter . i bath applied these to cultured cortical neurons and observed their fluorescence by confocal microscopy . neurons treated with tat - nr2b9c - dansyl ( 10 μm ) exhibited fluorescence in their cytoplasm and processes , indicating intracellular peptide delivery ( fig5 b , left ). sister cultures treated with tat38 - 48 - dansyl ( 10 μm ) exhibited only background fluorescence , indicating no observable peptide uptake in the absence of the tat transduction domain ( fig5 b , right ). tat - nr2b9c - dansyl was detectable in the neurons within 10 min of the start of the application and the peptide accumulated to a maximum level over the next 20 min ( fig5 c ). this level was maintained until the dansyl - tat - nr2b9c was washed from the bath and the peptide remained detectable within the neurons for more than 5 hours thereafter . therefore , the tat transduction domain was able to act as a carrier for nr2b9c and the tat - nr2b9c fusion peptide remained in neurons for many hours after being applied extracellularly . to determine whether tat - nr2b9c may disrupt the interaction between nmdars and psd - 95 i made use of rat brain proteins prepared under weakly denaturing conditions known to permit the nmdar / psd - 95 interaction . adult ( 7 - 8w ) wistar rat forebrains were removed and homogenized in ice - cold buffer ( 0 . 32m sucrose , 0 . 1 mm na3vo4 , 0 . 1 mm pmsf , 0 . 02m pnpp , 0 . 02m glycerol phosphate , and 5 ug / ml each of antipain , aprotinin , and leupeptin ). homogenates were centrifuged at 800 gr for 10 min at 4 ° c . the supernatants were combined and centrifuged at 11 , 000 g at 4 degree for 20 min and the pellet ( p2 ) was resuspended in homogenization buffer . p2 membranes were adjusted 200 ug protein / 90 ul with homogenization buffer with a final concentration of 1 % doc and 0 . 1 % triton x - 100 . the proteins were incubated with tat - nr2b9c or with one of three controls : tat38 - 48 , the tat transduction sequence conjugated to two alanine residues ( tat - aa ), or a tat - nr2b9c peptide in which the c - terminal tsxv motif contained a double point mutation ( tat - klssieada ; tat - nr2baa ) rendering it incapable of binding psd - 95 . i immunoprecipated nmdars , together with associated proteins , with an antibody that selectively recognizes nr2b . the proteins were separated by sds - page and probed with anti - psd - 95 or anti - nr2b antibodies 16 nr2b was precipitated from rat forebrain extracts using a polyclonal rabbit anti - nr2b antibody generated against the c - terminal region encompassing amino acid residues 935 - 1 , 455 of the nr2b protein . proteins were then separated on 8 % sds - page gels and probed with monoclonal anti - nr2b ( clone 13 , transduction laboratories ) or anti psd - 95 antibodies ( clone 7e3 - 1b8 , affinity bioreagents . inc ). detection of proteins was achieved using hrp - conjugated secondary antibodies and enhanced chemiluminescence . i found that tat - nr2b9c reduced the co - immunoprecipitation of psd - 95 with nr2b . on average the optical density signal was reduced by 37 . 6 ± 8 . 2 % as compared with controls ( fig5 d ). in contrast , none of the three control peptides reduced the co - immunoprecipitation of psd - 95 with nr2b . thus , i conclude that tat - nr2b9c disrupts the interaction between nmdars and psd - 95 and that this is dependent upon an intact pdz binding motif in the peptide . fig6 shows neuroprotection and reduction of no signaling by tat - peptides without affecting nmdar function ( a ) effect of tat - nr2b9c ( 50 nm ) on field excitatory post - synaptic currents ( fepsc ) in ca1 neurons in acute hippocampal slices . ( b ) effect of 50 nm tat - nr2b9c or tat - 38 - 48 ( control ) on whole - cell excitatory post synaptic currents ( epsc ). ( c ) effect of tat - nr2b9c on the nmda component of the epsc isolated pharmacologically by applying the ampar antagonist cnqx , and concomitant removal of extracellular mg 2 + . ( d ) effect of 50 nm tat - nr2b9c treatment on nmda - evoked 45 ca 2 + uptake in cortical cultures . tat - peptides were bath - applied 1 h prior to the nmda application . ( e ) effect of 50 nm tat - nr2b9c treatment on nmda - evoked cgmp production in cortical cultures . asterisk : differences from control and tat - nr2b - aa at each nmda concentration ( bonferroni t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). ( f ) decreased excitotoxicity at 20 h at all nmda concentrations in cultured cortical neurons pre - treated with 50 nm tat - nr2b9c or ptat - pdz1 - 2 for 1 h . asterisk : differences from control , tat - nr2b - aa and ptat - gk at each nmda concentration ( bonferroni t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 005 ). right panels : representative phase contrast and propodium iodide fluorescence images of cultures 20 h after challenge with 100 μm nmda with and without tat - nr2b9c treatment . bars in ( d ), ( e ) and ( f ) indicate the mean ± s . e . for 12 cultures in 3 separate experiments . in more detail , as nmdar - mediated synaptic responses are not altered by the loss of psd - 95 ( 24 ) i predicted that tat - nr2b9c would not affect the function of nmdars . this was tested by examining the effect of tat - nr2b9c on nmdar - mediated currents and on nmda - evoked uptake of 45 ca 2 + . bath - applying tat - nr2b9c ( 50 nm ) to acute rat hippocampal slices had no effect on synaptic responses of ca1 neurons evoked by stimulation of the schaffer collateral - commissural pathway ( fig6 a ) nor on patch recordings of the total excitatory post - synaptic currents ( epsc ) recorded in ca1 neurons , ( fig6 b ) nor on the pharmacologically isolated ampa ( not shown ) or nmda components of the epsc ( fig6 c ). moreover , using cortical cultures i found that pre - treating cultures with tat - nr2b9c or with ptat - pdzi - 2 ( each at 50 nm ) did not alter the uptake of 45 ca 2 + produced by applying nmda ( fig6 d ); cnqx ( 10 μm ) and nimodipine ( 2 μm ) were present in the extracellular solution in these and all subsequent experiments using cultured neurons so as to isolate signaling and thereby preventing secondary activation of ampars or of voltage - gated ca 2 + channels , respectively ( 25 , 32 , 33 ). as the function of nmdars was unaffected by administering tat - nr2b9c , i next determined whether this peptide altered signaling events downstream of nmdar activation . to this end i examined stimulation of nnos , as a key downstream signaling enzyme that mediates the neurotoxic effects of nmdar activation 5 . i measured nmda - evoked changes in the levels of guanosine 3 ′, 5 ′- monophosphate ( cgmp ) as a surrogate measure of no production by nmdar stimulated nnos activity 7 , 20 . cultured cortical neurons were pre - treated for 1 h with tat - nr2b9c ( 50 nm ), the non - interacting tat - nr2b - aa ( 50 nm ) or with sham washes and challenged with nmda ( 0 - 1000 μm ) in the presence of cnqx and nimodipine as above . nmda produced a concentration - dependent increase in cgmp that was significantly suppressed ( average of 39 . 5 ± 6 . 7 %) by pre - treating the cultures with tat - nr2b9c ( fig6 e ). in contrast , nmdar - stimulated elevation of cgmp was unaffected by pre - treatment with tat - nr2b - aa . thus , tat - nr2b9c , but not a mutant peptide incapable of interacting with psd - 95 , depressed nmdar - evoked stimulation of no - cgmp signaling . although tat - nr2b9c and ptat - pdz1 - 2 did not affect nmdar function , tat - nr2b9c was shown to interfere with nmdar / psd - 95 binding and to suppress downstream no signaling . thus , i predicted that tat - peptide treatment should enhance neurons &# 39 ; resilience to nmda toxicity . to test this i pre - treated cortical neuronal cultures with tat - peptides ( 50 nm ) for 1 h , then applied nmda ( 0 - 100 μm ) for 1 h followed by a 20 h observation period ( fig6 f , inset ). control neurons were treated with sham washes , or with the non - interacting control tat - nr2baa . in cultures treated with tat - nr2b9c , cell death was significantly reduced at all concentrations tested ( fig6 f ) whereas pre - treatment with tat - nr2b - aa had no effect on cell death . thus , nmdar - stimulated neurotoxicity is suppressed by pre - treatment with tat - nr2b9c , suppression that is lost by mutating the psd - 95 binding region of the peptide . if tat - nr2b9c suppresses nmda excitotoxicity by interfering with the binding of nr2b to psd - 95 then interfering with this binding by an alternative means should also suppress the toxicity . i tested ptat - pdz1 - 2 , predicted to interfere with psd - 95 binding to nr2b and which permeates into the cells ( not shown ), though without effect on nmda - evoked ca 2 + accumulation ( fig6 d ). pre - treating the cultures with ptat - pdz1 - 2 attenuated the neurotoxicity of nmda to a similar degree as tat - nr2b9c ( fig6 f ). as a control , i made and used ptat - gk , a tat fusion protein containing residues 534 - 724 of psd - 95 comprising the carboxyl - terminal guanylate - kinase homology domain that lacks enzymatic activity 21 . ptat - gk , which is devoid of the necessary domains to bind nr2b , had no effect on the nmda - evoked cell death ( fig6 f ). thus , interfering with the nmdar / psd - 95 interaction using peptides that target either side of the interaction reduces in vitro excitotoxicity produced by nmdar activation . fig7 shows neuroprotection by tat - nr2b9c pretreatment in - vivo . ( a ) detection of tat - nr2b9c - dansyl but not tat38 - 48 - dansyl in the cortex of c57bl / 6 mouse brain 1 h after intraperitoneal injection ( 0 . 5 μmole total dose ). fluorescence of brains from animals treated with tat - 38 - 48 - dansyl was similar to background ( not shown ). ( b ) composite neurological scores ( see text ) during and 24 h after mcao . ( c ) pre - treatment with 3 nmole / g tat - nr2b9c but not mutated tat - nr2b - aa or saline ( control ) significantly reduced ( i ) total infarct area and volume ( inset ), anova ; f = 7 . 3 , p & lt ; 0 . 005 and ( ii ) cortical infarct area and volume ( inset ), anova ; f = 8 . 35 , p & lt ; 0 . 005 measured 24 h after transient mcao . ( n = 6 animals per group ; symbols and bars indicate mean ± s . e ). infarct volume was calculated by analyzing the infarct area in 8 stereotactic coordinates of the brain as shown at right inset . agents that block nmdar activity were initially deemed as promising neuroprotectants for stroke and other neurological disorders involving excitotoxic mechanisms , but were later shown to be deleterious or ineffective in animal and human studies ( 27 , 28 , 29 ). however , tat - peptides that target the nmdar / psd - 95 interaction protect against nmda toxicity without blocking nmdars . therefore i reasoned that treatment with tat - nr2b9c in vivo could serve as an improvement on nmda blockers in the treatment of ischemic brain damage . before testing this i determined whether tat - nr2b9c could be delivered into the brain in the intact animal . i injected 25 g c57bl / 6 mice intraperitoneally with a 500 μmole dose of either tat - nr2b9c - dansyl , or with tat38 - 48 - dansyl as a non - transducing control . 40 μm cryostat coronal brain sections taken 1 h after injection 22 were examined for peptide uptake using dansyl fluorescence detection by confocal microscopy . the mice were perfused with fixative solution ( 3 % paraformaldehyde , 0 . 25 % glutaraldehyde , 10 % sucrose , 10 u / ml heparin in saline ) 1 hour after peptide injection . brains were removed , frozen in 2 - methylbutane at − 42 ° c . and 40 m sections were cut using a leitz cryostat . brain sections from animals injected with tat - nr2b9c exhibited strong fluorescence in the cortex ( fig7 a , right ), and in all other areas examined ( hippocampus , striatum ; not shown ), whereas signal from controls remained at background levels ( fig7 a , left ). similar results were obtained using intravenous injection in rats ( not shown ). thus , tat - nr2b9c enters the brain upon peripheral administration . next , i examined whether pretreatment with tat - peptides would reduce stroke damage . experiments were carried out in adult male sprague - dawley rats subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion ( mcao ) for 90 minutes by the intraluminal suture method ( 36 , 37 ). animals were fasted overnight and injected with atropine sulfate ( 0 . 5 mg / kg ip ). after 10 minutes anesthesia was induced with 3 . 5 % halothane in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen ( vol . 2 : 1 ) and maintained with 0 . 8 % halothane . rats were orally intubated , mechanically ventilated , and paralyzed with pancuronium bromide ( 0 . 6 mg / kg iv ). body temperature was maintained at 36 . 5 - 37 . 5 ° c . with a heating lamp . polyethylene catheters in the femoral artery and vein were used to continuously record blood pressure and to sample blood for gas and ph measurements . transient mcao was achieved for 90 min by introducing a poly - l - lysine - coated 3 - 0 monofilament nylon suture ( harvard apparatus ) into the circle of willis via the internal carotid artery , effectively occluding the middle cerebral artery . this produces an extensive infarction encompassing the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia . animals were pretreated with either saline , the tat - nr2b - aa control , or with tat - nr2b9c by a single intravenous bolus injection 45 min prior to mcao ( 3 nmoles / g ). physiological parameters ( body temperature , blood pressure , blood gases ) were monitored and maintained throughout the experiment ( table 1 ). all experimental manipulations and analyses of data were performed by individuals blinded to the treatment groups . the extent of cerebral infarction was measured 24 h after mcao onset ( fig7 c inset ). the postural reflex test ( 38 ), and the forelimb placing test ( 39 ) were used to grade neurological function on a scale of 0 to 12 ( normal = 0 ; worst = 12 ) during mcao ( at 50 minutes ) and 24 h thereafter . pretreatment with tat - nr2b9c produced a trend toward improvement in 24 h neurological scores in animals treated with tat - nr2b9c ( fig7 b ). moreover , the treatment reduced the volume of total cerebral infarction by 54 . 6 ± 11 . 27 % as compared with stroke volume in controls ( fig7 c ,; anova , f = 7 . 289 , p = 0 . 0048 ). this effect was largely accounted - for by a 70 . 7 ± 11 . 23 % reduction in cortical infarction ( fig7 c , anova , f = 8 . 354 , p = 0 . 0027 ), which is thought to be largely caused by nmdar - dependent mechanisms . a treatment for stroke with a single - bolus drug injection would be most therapeutically valuable if effective when given after the onset of ischemia . i thus first evaluated whether treatment with tat - peptides could be neuroprotective when applied post - insult in vitro . fig8 shows neuroprotection by post - treatment with tat - nr2b9c in - vitro and in - vivo ( a ) decreased excitotoxicity at 20 h in cultured cortical neurons post - treated with 50 nm tat - nr2b9c or ptat - pdz1 - 2 at 1 h after nmda application . bars indicate the mean ± s . e . for 12 cultures in 3 separate experiments . asterisk : differences from control , tat - nr2b - aa and ptat - gk at each nmda concentration ( bonferroni t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 005 ). right panels : representative phase contrast and propodium iodide fluorescence images of cultures 24 h after challenge with 100 μm nmda with and without tat - nr2b9c treatment . ( b ) composite neurological scores ( see text ) during and 24 h after mcao . asterisk : difference from control and tat - nr2b - aa ( anova ; f = 17 . 25 , p & lt ; 0 . 0001 ). ( c ) post - treatment with 3 nmole / g tat - nr2b9c ( 9 animals ) but not mutated tat - nr2b - aa ( 8 animals ) or saline controls ( 10 rats ) significantly reduced ( i ) total infarct area and volume ( inset ), anova ; f = 12 . 0 , p & lt ; 0 . 0005 and ( ii ) cortical infarct area and volume ( inset ), anova ; f = 12 . 64 , p = 0 . 0001 as measured 24 h after transient mcao . symbols and bars indicate mean ± s . e ( d ). representative appearance of h & amp ; e stained rat brain sections from which the infarct areas were analyzed . cultured cortical neurons were exposed to an nmda challenge ( 0 - 100 μm ) for 1 h and were then treated with the tat - peptides ( all at 50 nm ) described in the pre - treatment study ( fig6 f ). cell death was gauged 20 h thereafter ( fig8 a — inset ). post - treatment with tat - nr2b9c or with ptat - pdz 1 - 2 significantly reduced the vulnerability of neurons to nmda toxicity as compared with control cultures post - treated with sham washes , with tat - nr2baa , or with ptat - gk ( fig8 a ). thus , when administered 1 hr after the start of the nmda insult each of the tat fusion constructs that target the nmdar / psd - 95 interaction significantly reduced neuronal cell death in vitro . finally , i examined whether treatment with tat - nr2b9c could attenuate ischemic neuronal damage in - vivo when given after stroke onset . a post - treatment study was conducted in which the rats were subjected to transient mcao for 90 minutes as before , but the intravenous saline or tat - peptide bolus ( tat - nr2b9c or tat - nr2b - aa ; 3 nmole / g ) was injected 1 h after mcao onset ( fig8 c — inset ). infarction volume and neurological outcome measurements were performed at times identical to the pre - treatment study . body temperature , blood pressure and blood gases were monitored throughout the 24 h experiment and maintained equivalent between groups ( table 2 ). post - treatment with tat - nr2b9c , but not with tat - nr2b - aa or saline , resulted in animals exhibiting a significant improvement in 24 h neurological scores as compared with controls ( fig8 b ; anova , f = 17 . 25 , p & lt ; 0 . 0001 ). most strikingly , post - treatment with tat - nr2b9c reduced the volume of total cerebral infarction by 67 . 0 ± 3 . 75 % as compared with stroke volume in controls ( fig8 c ; anova , f = 11 . 99 , p = 0 . 0002 ). similar to the previous study , this reduction was accounted - for by a 86 . 97 ± 4 . 38 % reduction in cortical infarction volume ( fig8 c , 4 d ; anova , f = 12 . 64 , p & lt ; 0 . 0001 ). the aforesaid description demonstrates that introducing into cells an exogenous peptide containing the c - terminal nine amino acids of the nr2b nmdar subunit has profound effects on signaling pathways downstream of nmdar activation , on in vitro excitotoxicity , and on in vivo ischemic brain damage . the effects of this peptide are lost by mutating amino acids that are essential for mediating pdz binding to psd - 95 . in addition , a protein comprising pdz1 - 2 of psd - 95 shares the effects of the nr2b c - terminal peptide . together these findings imply that the downstream signaling from nmdars that leads to negative consequences for neuronal viability may be interrupted by interfering with the interaction between nr2b and psd - 95 . i have discovered that the strategy of treating neurons with tat - fusion peptides is effective in reducing vulnerability to excitotoxicity in vitro and stroke damage in vivo . as this occurs without affecting nmdar activity then adverse consequences of blocking nmdars are not expected . efficacy after the insult onset suggests that targeting the nmdar / psd - 95 interaction is a practical future strategy for treating stroke . it is also likely that targeting other intracellular proteins using the same approach could be used to modulate additional signaling mechanisms mediated by protein - protein interactions that lead to other human diseases . although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to those particular embodiments . rather , the invention includes all embodiments which are functional or mechanical equivalence of the specific embodiments and features that have been described and illustrated . | 0 |
0 . 2 g sodium hydroxide was dissolved in a small amount of distilled water ( around 5 ml ). 1 g of rice starch was added gradually to the sodium hydroxide solution under stirring within 5 minutes . complete the solution to 100 ml with distilled water till complete solubilization of starch . the resulting sodium starchate solution was heated to 60 ° c . and the ph of the solution was adjusted to 11 . 5 by using a 10 m aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide . 1 . 56 g silver nitrate were dissolved in 100 ml distilled water . 1 ml of the second solution was added dropwise to the first solution at 60 ° c . at a ph of 11 . 5 under vigorous stirring for 30 minutes . during the addition of the second solution the color gradually turned from an obscure white color to transparent yellow color which indicates the formation of silver nanoparticles . the uv - vis spectrum of the resulting solution features an absorption band around 400 nm ( fig1 ) which can be attributed to the plasmon absorption band of the synthesized silver nanoparticles . the edx spectrum ( fig2 ) shows two peaks located between 2 . 5 kev and 3 . 5 kev which can be attributed to the prepared silver nanoparticles . quantitative analysis of the edx spectra proved a high silver content of about 85 %. the size and the size distribution of the prepared silver nanoparticles was determined by transmission electron microscopy ( tem ). the mean particle size was determined with 4 - 8 nm ( fig3 ). example 4 was prepared according to example 3 but using 5 ml of the second solution . tem analysis indicated an increasing particle size by increasing the concentration of silver ions . example 5 was prepared according to example 3 but using 10 ml of the second solution . tem analysis indicated an increasing particle size by increasing the concentration of silver ions . example 6 was prepared according to example 3 but using 20 ml of the second solution . by addition of the silver nitrate solution , the color gradually turned from an obscure white color to dark yellow color indicating the formation of silver nanoparticles . a shift of the plasmon band from 400 to 408 nm was observed ( fig4 ). the size of the formed silver nanoparticles increased to a range of 10 - 20 nm ( fig5 ). the silver nanoparticles prepared this way featured in narrow size distribution ( fig8 ). the silver nanoparticle solution according to example 6 was stored at room temperature over a period of two years without appreciable aggregation as monitored by uv - vis spectroscopy ( fig6 ) and tem ( fig7 ). the features disclosed in the foregoing description , in the claims and drawings may both , separately and in any combination thereof , be material for realizing the invention in diverse forms . | 1 |
the improved mouthpiece according to the invention will now be described by referring to fig1 - 7 . the mouthpiece 10 has a circular connector piece 12 which engages the outlet of a nebulizer in the same way that the mouthpiece engages the nebulizer in fig . a . the opposite end of this mouthpiece device is the mouth shaped end piece 14 that , in use , is placed in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth . on top is a valve disc housing 16 that holds the exhaust valve for exhausting the exhalation from a patient . in the exploded view of fig1 the valve housing 16 contains an inner ring 18 the base which serves as a support ring for the valve disc . in the embodiment illustrated there is a central hub 20 which is supported by three arms 22 . these arms are quite thin so that the open areas 24 between them represent a substantial portion of the cross - sectional area in the housing . other configurations and different numbers of arms can be used . above the housing in the exploded view is the valve disc 26 sized fit on top of the arms and the support ring 18 . the arms 22 and hub 20 prevent the valve disc 26 from opening inwardly during inhalation . above the valve disc in the exploded view is a retainer ring 28 having the outer wall shown and an inner wall ( not shown ) which is of slightly smaller diameter . the outer wall screw threads over threads 30 of the valve housing wall 16 to hold the outer peripheral area of the valve disc in place , by means of the inner wall , when the unit is assembled . the retaining ring 28 has a series of projections or ribs to facilitate gripping the ring and twisting it off the threads 30 for removal . [ 0031 ] fig2 is a cross - sectional side view of the mouthpiece device showing the elevational relationship of the parts and passageways . for greater clarity , the retaining ring 28 and the valve disc have been removed . the circular connector 12 will fit into the conventional circular outlet port of nebulizer . the mouth shaped end piece 14 at the other end is positioned above the center line of the circular connector 12 . the back wall 13 of the connector 12 joins the connector to the upper mouthpiece . the valve housing 16 is part of the mouth shaped end piece 14 . inside the housing the support ring 18 together with the hub 20 and support arms 22 are arranged to support the valve disc 26 . when the mouthpiece is used by a patient , inspiration mist enters the circular connector 12 through its opening 32 and passes through the device and out the opening 34 in the mouthpiece . in that flow path inside the circular connector 12 is a deflector 36 which extends out at an obtuse angle from the inside wall of the circular connector 12 toward opening 34 . the purpose of the deflector is two fold . first , with regard to the incoming inspiration mist , the deflector deflects that gas stream away from the valve disc in the valve housing so that the mist will not strike the valve disc and thus there is no possibility that some of the mist might leave through the valve disc . the second function is that in the respiration cycle when the patient is exhaling , the exhalation gas will be deflected so that exhalation gas is directed into the valve housing 16 where it can exhaust through the valve disc 26 . [ 0033 ] fig3 is a top view of the thin valve disc 26 . the radial cuts 40 and annular cuts 42 in the valve disc facilitate draining the accumulated moisture back into the mouthpiece on inhalation . there can be many possible - cut patterns in the disc to define various flaps which will open upwardly when the exhalation pressure is applied to permit the exhalation gas to leave the mouthpiece . seen here are three radial cuts 40 from the center and three annular cuts 42 which define six flaps 41 . as exhalation gas pressure is applied from below , these flaps will open along the cut lines to let gas escape from the mouthpiece . [ 0034 ] fig4 is an outside view of the device showing again the elevational relationship between the circular connector 12 , its back wall 13 connecting to the higher level mouth shaped end piece 14 . the valve housing is made a part of the mouth shaped end piece 16 above where it connects to the circular connector . [ 0035 ] fig5 is a top view of the device without the retaining ring 28 and valve disc 26 . the support structure for the valve disc 26 is made up of the ring surface 18 , the three grille arms 22 and the central hub 20 . the end of the mouth shaped piece that is placed in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth has a greater width than the opposite end where the valve housing is located . the mouth end has an oval opening to better anatomically fit in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth . [ 0036 ] fig6 a - d illustrate various cut patterns for the valve disc 26 . in 6 a , each of six radial cuts the center form a flap 41 on either side of the cut in conjunction with annular cuts so as to provide twelve flaps which can open up in response to the exhalation pressure . in 6 b there are three large flaps 41 which pivot adjacent the disc center and extend toward the periphery . in 6 c where each radial cut meets the annular cut it forms the apex for a flap . thus here are five flaps formed in fig6 c . in 6 d each radial cut defines two flaps and so as to form six flaps formed . [ 0037 ] fig7 a , 7 b are plan views of alternative support means integral with the hollow mouthpiece element positioned so as to prevent the opening of the exhaust valve element during patient or user inhalation . referring to fig8 the valve body 16 is provided with interrupted threads 30 evenly spaced around the outer circumference of the valve body to engage protrusion receiving internal threads ( not shown ) in the retaining ring 28 . a filter body 44 is shown as being configured with a cylindrical base member 47 which is sized to be snugly fit into the interior of the retaining ring 28 . the cylindrical base 47 extends below the filter body a distance that is less than the distance from the top of the retaining ring 28 to the flexible valve . in this manner , the filter body will be sized to be snugly received in the retaining ring which will abut the surface 48 without the cylindrical base touching or otherwise interfering with the function of the one - way valve element ( valve disc 26 ). optionally , a positive expiratory pressure ( pep ) valve 50 having a body 51 configured with a base member 52 which is sized to be received in the retaining ring 28 with a snug fit is provided which will enable the mouthpiece to be used as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 584 , 285 as either a pep device or as a part of the breathing circuit described therein with a filter to reduce exposure to excess aerosol medication . this is an important use to reduce health care provider exposure to patient contaminating aerosol or highly toxic medicants . the pep valve 50 , which will be described more fully hereinafter , is provided with the feature of adjustable back pressure which can be used to aid in the deposition and prevent the loss of aerosol in the lungs by creating airflow conditions which are more controlled and thereby permit deeper deposits which are less susceptible to mucocillary removal . such devices also help improve patient compliance with proper breathing techniques and helps to strengthen the muscles of respiration . this can be accomplished by providing either inhalation resistance , exhalation resistance or both . further , the incorporation of the variable resistance valve combines maximum aerosol density and respiration of optimum particle size for many treatment options including antibiotics , antivirals , enzymes , bio - reactive substances and genetic therapies . the pep valve 50 has a variable cross - section semicircular slot 53 ( fig1 ) on a rotationally movable plate 54 can be adjusted to present the capability of providing for variable back pressure provided by an adjustably sized outlet for the opening 55 which communicates with the interior of the pep body 51 . the back pressure may be measured , if clinically desired , by a manometer fitted to the nipple 56 during treatment or exercise . a handle 57 is integral with the plate 54 which is rotatably captive in the pep body 51 by means of a rivet or pivot 58 . the components are sized to prevent significant leakage which could alter the value of the manometer readings . in operation the mouthpiece , the pep valve may be incorporated into a breathing circuit with or without the one way valve disc and filter 44 , or a pressurized external gas source can be used for various therapies and exercises . such a device , which can be called a positive airway pressure adjunct and can be used in modified circuits to mobilize secretions , treat atelectasis and provide continuous positive airway pressure ( cpap ), positive expiratory pressure ( pep ), and expiratory positive airway pressure ( epap ) therapies . during cpap therapy , the patient breathes from a pressurized circuit against a threshold resistor ( water - column , weighted , or spring loaded ) that maintains consistent preset airway pressures from 5 to 20 cm h 2 o during both inspiration and expiration . by strict definition , cpap is any level of above - atmospheric pressure . cpap requires a gas flow to the airway during inspiration that is sufficient to maintain the desired positive airway pressure . during pep therapy , the patient exhales against a fixed - orifice resistor , generating pressures during expiration that usually range from 10 to 20 cm h 2 o . pep does not require a pressurized external gas source . during epap therapy the patient exhales against a threshold resistor , generating preset pressures of 10 to 20 cm h 2 o . epap does not require a pressurized external gas source . the device described herein is suited for pep therapy in the configurations shown . the size of the device provides both convenience comfort and greater independence for the patient during treatment . referring now to fig1 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 and 16 , a filter housing 44 is provided which will fit into the retaining ring 28 as previously described . a filter element 60 is received in the housing 44 which is hinged at the back 61 and closed at the front with a suitable latch structure 62 . the interior of the filter housing 44 is provided with a peripheral apron 63 and locator pins 64 which , in combination with the structure of the rear of the housing locates the filter element 60 on the apron ( as shown in fig1 ). clamping protrusions 65 molded into the lid 66 of the filter housing 44 are sized to firmly squeeze the edge of the filter element 60 onto the apron 63 to seal and prevent lateral movement of the element during use . ribs 67 are provided as projections from the cylindrical base 47 to provide central support for the filter element to minimize sagging . the filter element itself is selected to provide a significant reduction in visible particles , a 3m product 0 . 3 micron filtrate filter being preferred . in the configuration shown the effective area of the filter exposed to patient exhalation is nominally a surface measuring about 5 cm by about 7 . 5 cm ( i . e . about 37 . 5 cm 2 ). in order to be most effective , the inlet and exhaust areas of the filter housing should be comparable in cross - sectional area . the textured outlet areas shown in fig1 on the top surfaces of the housing 44 are therefore sized to be substantially the same in effective exhaust area as the inlet cross - sectional area . in one arrangement the filter housing may be attached to the retaining ring by way of the pep valve . an alternative construction for the pep valve will now be described with reference to fig1 and 20 . a cylindrical body 70 has an integral annular flange 71 defining an annular array of three evenly spaced openings 72 defining a passageway through the valve under the control of a rotatable valve member 73 which defines an annular array of openings 74 of the same spacing as openings 72 and having a range of different sizes . the member 73 is rotatable by a handle 75 , integral therewith , relative to the openings 72 to adjust the size of the passageway . the valve member 73 is captively mounted to the body 70 by detents 76 formed on an exterior cylindrical surface of a hollow boss 77 integral with and forming a central opening in the flange 71 . the boss 77 defines a plurality of axially extending slots to provide for assembly as the detents are inserted in a bore of the valve member 73 for engagement with recesses 78 therein . valve member locating detents 84 resiliently retain the valve member 73 relative to body recesses 85 to retain desired alignment of openings 72 and 74 . a poppet valve member 79 is located in the central opening in the flange 71 and seats under the bias of a spring 80 against a valve seat 81 . the poppet valve member 79 includes a guide spider 82 about the spring 80 which is guided by a spider guide opening in the boss 77 to control alignment of the poppet valve member 79 with the valve seat 81 . in similar fashion to the pep valve described with reference to fig8 and 10 , the body 70 defines a base member 82 to be received in the retaining ring 28 and nipple 83 for attachment to a manometer to measure back pressure , if desired . in use , the passageway is adjusted to desired cross - sectional area by rotation of the valve member 73 . during exhalation , if the back pressure in the body 70 below the poppet valve exceeds the bias of spring 80 , the poppet valve member 79 lifts from the valve seat overcoming the spring bias to relieve the back pressure by allowing exhaled gas to bypass the passageway . the pep valve of this invention has a controllable exhalation resistance of from 5 - 20 cm . h 2 o ( water pressure ) at flow rates of 10 - 55 liters / minute . the pressure relief poppet valve is spring biased to insure that flow resistance values over 20 cm . h 2 o are actively vented . | 0 |
the preferred embodiment of the invention for forming a uniform curtain for application to a receiving surface is shown in fig2 . the apparatus consists of a basin 10 divided into a primary channel 11 and a secondary channel 12 by dividing plate 13 . the basin has two end caps 14 that determine its lateral extent . replaceable endcaps of various lateral dimension may be used to change the width of the coating . the basin has an inlet end 15 where coating composition is supplied to the primary channel . the inlet has the following essential elements : a ) a port to receive the coating composition from the conduit . the supply conduit should be in a vertical plane that is perpendicular to the curtain at the center of the width of the curtain ; b ) the inlet itself is an enclosure ( box ) centered on this port and filling the cross section of the primary channel from the backwall of the basin to the dividing plate . the top , bottom , front and back sides of the inlet enclosure are solid . the sides of the inlet enclosure consist of one or more layers of perforated plate lying in vertical planes perpendicular to the curtain . coating composition exits the sidewalls in the direction of the axis of the channel and is distributed evenly over the cross section of the channel ; c ) preferably , the outermost perforated plate of the sidewall is corrugated so that the open area of this plate is at least 50 % of the cross - sectional area of the primary channel . the corrugations are symmetric about lines and planes parallel to the axis of the channel such that components of lateral flow ( flow perpendicular to the axis of the channel ) from the corrugations cancel one another . d ) optionally , the front plate of the inlet enclosure is gapped from the dividing wall and perforated . in fig2 coating composition is supplied through a conduit 16 to the center of the primary channel . an inlet 25 within the primary channel directs the liquid along the axis of the primary channel . the coating composition flows along the primary channel towards the end caps 14 because of its momentum in that direction from the inlet and because of gravitational leveling . when the momentum is significant , little or no drop in liquid level occurs from the center to the ends of the primary channel . a nearly uniform level in the primary channel favors uniform flow into the secondary channel . there are other , less advantageous ways in which the primary channel can be supplied with coating composition . a supply conduit can be located at other lateral positions or at an end of a channel , and multiple supply conduits can be distributed widthwise . the supply conduit can run through the primary channel from end cap to end cap and supply coating composition through numerous holes . the coating composition can be poured into the primary channel at one or more positions . the dividing wall 13 creates a resistance to flow from the primary channel to the secondary channel . this resistance promotes the distribution of the coating composition along the primary channel and diminishes any disturbances associated with the entry of the coating composition . the dividing wall is a critical element of the invention , and it is described in detail below . as shown in fig3 the coating composition entering the secondary channel 12 from the primary channel 11 flows primarily across the secondary channel to an outlet end 17 of basin 10 . the outlet end 17 is configured as a horizontal pouring lip that the coating composition overflows to form a free falling curtain 18 . the overflow may simply take place over a horizontal edge of the basin . preferably , however , the outlet end of the basin is a lip 19 contoured to direct the coating composition vertically downward . lip configurations conducive to forming a free falling curtain are known in the art ; for example , u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 462 , 598 and 5 , 399 , 385 . the pouring edge or lip must be lower in elevation than the end caps , the back wall of the basin , and the dividing wall so that the coating composition overflows only there . the pouring edge or lip should be accurately horizontal to promote a uniform curtain . it is well known in the art that if the edges of a free - falling curtain are not supported by vertical edge guides , the curtain narrows as it falls because surface tension causes the edges of the curtain to roll up . edge guides 20 can be employed to support surface tension and maintain the width of the free - falling curtain . in some applications , particularly when the curtain is wider than the receiving surface , the narrowing of the curtain is not objectionable . in most cases , however , maintaining the width of the curtain is desirable , and the edge guides known in the art can be used ; for example , u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 830 , 887 , 5 , 328 , 726 , and 5 , 395 , 660 . curtain height can vary from a few to several tens of centimeters . generally , higher curtains promote increased coating speed without the entrainment of air between the coating and the receiving surface . for high flow rates or low viscosities , the receiving surface is advantageously tilted forward to preclude the formation of a puddle at the line of impingement . in fig2 the receiving surface for the coating 21 is a web 22 conveyed through the curtain by a backing roller 23 , but many other receiving surfaces are possible . as another example , the receiving surface may consist of discrete objects on a conveyor belt . the receiving surface may also be the surface of a roller used to supply a roll coating process with coating composition , or a gravure cylinder that is subsequently bladed and contacted with a web . the dividing wall allows coating composition to pass from the primary to the secondary channel while providing some resistance . resistance is indicated by a drop in the elevation of the surface of the coating composition between the primary and secondary channels . preferably , as shown in fig3 and 4 , there is a continuous gap 24 between the dividing wall 13 and the basin 10 . the length and height of this gap determines the flow resistance . in the examples , the gap is 0 . 11 inches . the gap depends upon the flow rate and the properties of the coating composition . in practice , the gap is reduced until the level of the surface in the primary channel is higher than the level in the secondary channel by a distance of the order of a centimeter . the gap is readily altered by raising or lowering the dividing wall by its ends . besides the ease in adjusting flow resistance , the gapped dividing wall precludes the regions of stagnation and flow recirculation caused by a discontinuous flow path . the gapped dividing wall also helps to exclude large air bubbles from the coating . to reach the curtain , bubbles must be drawn under the dividing wall against their buoyancy . the gapped dividing wall also provides the option of varying the flow resistance across the width of the coating . the bottom of the wall may be contoured so that the gap varies along the length of the channels as desired , as shown in fig4 . alternatively , the thickness of the wall may be contoured . the gap can also be altered by applying an adjustable mechanical load to the dividing wall so that it bends . reasonable mechanical loads can be achieved through choice of construction material , or by designing the wall to weaken it structurally . although a continuous gap is preferred , the dividing wall 13 might alternatively be made of perforated or drilled plate , as shown in fig5 . the holes can have any cross sectional shape although a circular shape is most common . flow resistance is controlled primarily by the open area of such plates . a wall that is porous is the extreme of a wall with perforations . a perforated wall can be effective at laminarizing the flow and promoting a smooth curtain ; large turbulent eddies are broken down into smaller eddies that rapidly dissipate . however , walls with multiple passageways can create a three - dimensional flow field that is conducive to regions of stagnation and recirculation . part or all of the dividing wall may be perforated . the wall is perforated by drilling or punching , and most commonly the cross section of a perforation is circular . the diameter of the perforations should be small enough to provide flow resistance but large compared to any particulates dispersed in the coating composition and large enough for the drilling and punching operation ; for example , a suitable diameter may be about 0 . 1 inch . the size and spacing of the holes is determined so that , for the desired coating composition and flow rate , the level of the surface of the liquid in the primary channel is higher than the level in the secondary channel by a distance on the order of a centimeter . in a preferred embodiment , the basin and dividing wall can be contoured to reduce regions of stagnation and recirculation in the secondary channel . the dividing wall is preferably of cylindrical shape ( the surface is traced by a straight line moving parallel to a fixed straight line and intersecting a fixed planar closed curve ). as fig3 shows , the wall of the basin at the outflow end 17 is preferably angled upward from the dividing wall to avoid a corner . as an additional measure , the dividing wall can be shaped so as to reduce the angle at which the flow expands in the secondary channel , as shown in fig6 . the smaller the angle of divergence of the flow , the less likely flow recirculations will be encountered . as is well known in hydrodynamics , the larger the reynolds number , the more likely flow separation and turbulence will occur . the preferred reynolds number for the coating composition is between 0 . 1 and 10 . as a safety feature , it is preferred that the height of the edges of the basin , except for the edge where the liquid overflows to form the curtain , exceed the elevation of the top surface of the dividing wall . then , should the resistance of the dividing wall be too high , as by incorrect setting of the gap , or should the flow rate supplied surge for whatever reason , the liquid will overflow only the dividing wall and remain confined to the basin . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the primary channel has a centrally located inlet 25 that receives the incoming coating composition and directs it along the length of the primary channel . to avoid areas of stagnation and recirculation , the velocity from the inlet should be nearly uniform over the cross section , as fig7 suggests . a central location for the inlet is preferred because this minimizes the distance over which the coating composition flows . gravitational leveling of the liquid in the primary channel promotes a uniform distribution over the width of the coating . however , the differences in depth that drives the liquid along the primary channel , the variation in the so called gravitational head , also drives liquid into the secondary channel through the flow resistance of the dividing wall . thus , minimizing the depth variation in the primary channel is advantageous . a way to accomplish this consistent with the object of minimizing the volume of liquid in the basin is to create an inlet that propels the liquid towards the end caps 14 of the basin . in this case , the momentum of the incoming liquid partially or completely counteracts viscous flow resistance , and less of a variation in gravitational head is required . this ideal condition is reached if a reynolds number appropriately defined for the primary channel is of the order of magnitude of unity so that the momentum of the incoming liquid is just sufficient to convey the liquid to the ends of the primary channel . ## equ1 ## wherein : ρ is the density of the coating composition q is the volumetric flow rate per unit of curtain width an effective inlet 25 has been found to be an enclosure with the walls opposite the endcaps of the basin 14 made of perforated plate . the supply conduit 16 is directed perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the primary channel . the perforated side walls 27 are perpendicular to this axis so that the issuing liquid is directed toward the end caps of the basin . flow resistance through the side walls distributes the liquid over the cross section of the channel . ideally , the average velocity through the side walls based on the total open area of the perforations should approximate an average velocity based on the cross - sectional area of the primary channel . however , if the side walls are planar , the total area of all perforations must be substantially less than the channel area and the issuing velocity higher than desired . the open area of the sidewalls can be increased if their shape is corrugated rather than planar . bends of 45 degrees , for example , increase the open area by about 41 %. a section of sidewall that is slanted to the axis of the primary cavity produces an undesirable flow component across the cavity , and so it is desirable that for each slanted section there is an opposing section of equal area so that by symmetry there is no net cross flow . bending the sidewalls to the shape of a bellows is a practical way to achieve the desired symmetry . sidewalls of this shape are depicted in fig8 a and b . most advantageously , the sidewalls 27 of the inlet comprise a flat perforated plate in series with a perforated plate with angled , opposing sections . the flat plate is nearer the supply conduit , and its high flow resistance distributes the incoming liquid over the cross section . the plate comprising bent sections with a total open area more nearly that of the cross section of the primary cavity follows to reduce the velocity . the front wall 28 , shown in fig8 c , of the inlet opposing the dividing wall 13 is preferably separated from the dividing plate by a gap 29 ( fig8 b ) so that flow under the dividing plate is not blocked by the inlet . in the following example , the gap is 0 . 12 inches . the front wall of the inlet may have holes so that sufficient flow issues to supply that fraction of the cross section of the primary channel occupied by gap 29 . the top surface 30 of the inlet extends to the dividing wall so that the liquid issuing from front wall 28 is forced under the dividing wall and down the primary channel . any holes in the front wall of the inlet are preferably above the gap 24 between the dividing plate and the bottom of the basin so that direct jetting under the wall does not occur . for uniform flow distribution , the flow rate through a cross section of the primary channel decreases approximately linearly with distance from the center as liquid supplies the curtain . so , if the primary cavity has a constant cross - sectional area , the velocity of the liquid in the primary cavity falls off as the end caps 14 are approached , as fig9 illustrates . in fig9 arrows in the primary channel indicate the average velocity and direction of the coating composition . the length of the arrows is proportional to the speed , and so the arrows indicate that the coating composition slows down as it flows from the center to the end of the primary channel . low velocities may promote gravitationally induced inhomogeneity of the coating composition . the velocity of the liquid may be kept more uniform by tapering the cross - sectional area of the primary channel from the inlet to the cavity end , as shown by fig1 . the geometric simplicity of the weir lends itself to economic fabrication . the weir may be assembled from separately machined elements , for example a main body and two endcaps , in the most demanding applications where tight tolerances must be met . in somewhat less demanding applications , the main body can be extruded from materials such as aluminum and cut to length . for the best demanding applications , the main body can be inexpensively formed from sheet material such as stainless steel sheet . similarly , the dividing wall can be machined , extruded , or formed . a long dividing wall of small cross section can be mechanically stabilized with clips or brackets between the top of the dividing wall and the back ( inlet ) wall of the main body ; positioning elements immersed in the coating composition disrupt flow and are undesirable . the endcaps can be replaced to vary curtain width , or blocks of different thicknesses conforming to the cross - sectional shape of the channels can be inserted into the secondary channel or into both of the channels and attached to a permanent endcap . if the inlet does not have its own floor or backwall so that the floor and back wall of the main body of the weir complete the inlet enclosure , then a tight fit is essential to prevent jetting of the coating composition through inadvertent gaps . particularly undesirable is jetting along the floor of the weir directed under the dividing wall . in some applications , such as for highly volatile coating composition , a cover for the weir is beneficial . a two - channel weir was constructed with the cross - sectional dimensions given in fig1 . lengths are given in inches and angles in degrees . the gap under the dividing plate was 0 . 11 inches . the length of the two channels was 71 inches . the inner perforated sidewall of the inlet had holes 0 . 062 inches in diameter and a fractional open area of 30 %. the outer perforated plate of the inlet had holes 0 . 075 inch in diameter and a fractional open area of 0 . 51 ; the six sections of this plate were angled at 60 ° to the cross section so as to oppose one another . a test liquid of polyvinyl pyrrolidone in water was prepared to which surfactant was added as known in the curtain - coating art . the fluid properties were a density of 1 gm / cc and a viscosity of 40 centipoise . flow rate per unit width was 3 . 5 cc / sec per cm of curtain width . under these conditions , the reynolds number for the primary channel is 0 . 9 and has the preferred magnitude . thus , good uniformity was achieved with a uniform gap . reynolds numbers sufficiently higher or lower would have required tailoring the gap to achieve the desired uniformity in flow . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 8 |
i summarize above a novel optical reticle projector suitable for use in a ground - based optical system . a preferred optical reticle projector 38 is shown in fig4 . preferred components of the optical reticle projector 38 are first disclosed , followed by a recital of its operation in a ground - based optical system . the optical reticle projector 38 preferably comprises a cylindrical housing 40 . the cylindrical housing preferably has a radius from 0 . 5 to 4 . 0 inches , with a radius of 1 . 0 inches being especially preferred . the housing 40 preferably comprises a rigid tube , and preferably comprises aluminum , invar or steel . the weight of the housing 40 is preferably as small as possible , without compromising a desired rigidity . for example , the housing 40 is preferably less than 5 . 0 pounds , particularly less than 3 . 0 pounds . a small weight is preferred , not only in and of itself , for ease in operation and compactness , but also to maximize a relative weight proportionality between the optical reticle projector 38 and a guide telescope . this last fact has an important functional counterpart : a maximized relative weight proportionality between the optical reticle projector 38 and the guide telescope functions to minimize the problem of differential flexure . the optical reticle projector 38 includes a source of radiation 42 that is secured to the housing 40 by conventional means , for example , light - weight brackets 44 . the source of radiation 42 outputs a radiation beam along an optical axis 46 that preferably is parallel to the housing 40 . a preferred source of radiation 42 comprises a conventional led ( light emitting diode ). the optical reticle projector 38 further includes an optical field element 48 conventionally secured by the housing 40 , and centered on the optical axis 46 . the optical field element 48 preferably comprises a condensing lens or a diffuser , for example , opal glass . the optical field element 48 preferably secures a reticle 50 . the reticle 50 preferably comprises a predetermined geometric configuration , for example , straight - line hatches , and is preferably clear on a dark surround . finally , the optical reticle projector 38 includes an imaging lens 52 conventionally secured by the housing 40 , positioned on the optical axis 46 , and capable of imaging the reticle 50 to infinity . the imaging lens 52 preferably comprises an achromatic lens that can function to collimate the radiation beam outputted from the reticle 50 , for imaging at infinity . attention is now directed to fig5 which shows a preferred optical system 54 employing the fig4 optical reticle projector 38 . the optical system 54 comprises a main telescope 56 , which secures the optical reticle projector 38 by conventional means , for example , a nut and bolt assembly ( not shown ), and a guide telescope 58 secured to the main telescope 56 by way of interface bracketry 60 . the guide telescope 58 may be modified so that it does not have an internal reticle component . a conventional computer 62 and a camera monitor 64 can receive vector a signals from the guide telescope 58 and computer 62 , respectively , along a set of lines 66 , 68 . the operation of the fig5 optical system 54 is as follows . the optical reticle projector 38 broadcasts an image of the reticle 50 into the guide telescope 58 . the guide telescope camera monitor 64 detects the reticle image as sharply focused on the sky ; conjugate , and in sharp focus with a guide star . the guide telescope 58 , also , simultaneously , images a guide star through its ( larger ) objective lens . the simultaneous imagery of guide star through a larger guide telescope objective lens , and the projected reticle via the optical reticle projector 38 , may be understood by reference to fig6 . in fig6 a large circle 70 represents an entrance pupil of the guide telescope 58 . a small circle 72 shows a portion of the entrance pupil that may be used to accept the projected radiation beam from the optical reticle projector 38 . because the guide telescope 58 is focused at infinity , and because the optical reticle projector 38 projects an image of the reticle to infinity , the guide telescope camera monitor 64 can sense a sharply focused image of the reticle , nominally centered in the camera &# 39 ; s field of view , but independent of the relative centering of the guide telescope 58 to the reticle projector 38 . the remainder of the large entrance pupil 70 receives ample starlight to result in a bright image of a guide star . in use , large or small mechanical swings or excursions of the optical system 54 result in negligible effects due to differential flexure . this point can be understood by reference to fig7 . fig7 a shows a camera monitor 64 display 74 at the beginning of an exposure . note that camera fiducials 76 , a projected reticle image 78 , and a star image 80 are all co - centered . fig7 b shows a display 82 at the end of an exposure . an operator or the computer 62 has maintained the star image 80 on the reticle image 78 center , in response to a vector a signal , by use of guide correction motors , or by adjusting the rates of main drive motors . however , note in particular that the reticle image 78 is no 1onger centered upon the camera fiducials 76 . this is because the guide telescope 58 has been differentially flexed during the exposure , by an amount equal to vector b . however , because the compact and light weight optical reticle projector 38 of the present invention has not incurred substantial differential flexure , an image from the main telescope 56 exposure is not smeared . referring to fig2 i have therefore correctly adjusted this image by an amount vector (-- a ), not the erroneous vector (-- c ). the structure , use , and key advantages of a novel optical reticle projector have now been disclosed . other important advantages are now noted . first , the lightweight and self - contained optical reticle projector eliminates certain difficulties heretofore attendant on the prior - art guide telescope operations . for example , the guide telescope may now be removed for cleaning and storage . its re - installation , ( or substitute such units ) in an optical system , for example , that of fig5 is straightforward , since the guide telescope mounting bracketry need not be as rigid as heretofore . further , optical alignment of a re - installed guide telescope to the optical reticle projector is direct , and may be done in daylight , thus reserving valuable night - time viewing for scientific research . | 8 |
as discussed above , the present invention relates to an improved pc - pump . fig2 - 4 schematically show a preferred embodiment of the invention for use with a pc - pump driven by a hydraulic motor 21 . fig2 shows the system in its normal configuration ; fig3 shows the response of the system to a boot ( seal ) failure ; and fig4 shows the response of the system to an overheat condition , e . g ., a deadhead or dry pumping situation . motor shaft 26 extends through hydraulic motor 21 and is driven by high pressure hydraulic fluid which enters the motor through high pressure supply line 37 and leaves the motor through low pressure return line 39 . shaft 26 is connected directly to joint 8a via hub 29 . shaft 26 includes central channel 27 which communicates with reservoir 31 and the interior of sealed joint 8a . joint 8a is connected to joint 8b by connecting shaft 6c . shaft 6c includes central channel 25 which communicates with the interior of sealed joint 8a and with the interior of sealed joint 8b . sealed joint 8b is connected to rotor 5 . channel 23 is formed in rotor 5 and communicates at one end with the interior of sealed joint 8b . at its other end , channel 23 has a plug 19 composed of a material which melts at a predetermined temperature . channels 23 , 25 , and 27 can have diameter of about 6 - 8 millimeters , although other diameters can be used if desired . the predetermined melting temperature for plug 19 is chosen based on the material which is to be pumped . for example , for explosives , the temperature is chosen based on the explosives &# 39 ; maximum pumping temperature . in general , the predetermined melting temperature is about 20 ° c . to about 40 ° c . above the maximum pumping temperature , but well below the temperature where decomposition of the explosives can occur . the maximum pumping temperature for non - cap sensitive explosives is generally around 80 ° c ., while for cap sensitive explosives , the maximum pumping temperature is about 95 ° c . preferred predetermined melting temperatures for plug 19 are thus about 100 ° c . for non - cap sensitive explosives and about 125 ° c . for cap - sensitive explosives . the about 100 ° c . and about 125 ° c . values can be achieved using various eutectic or near eutectic alloys known in the art , e . g ., 26 % sn , 21 % cd , and 53 % bi to achieve a 103 ° c . melting temperature and 56 % bi and 44 % pb to achieve a 124 ° c . melting temperature . other alloys , as well as other materials having defined melting temperatures , can also be used if desired . reservoir 31 , sealed joints 8a and 8b , and channels 23 , 25 , and 27 form a continuous sealed system ( the &# 34 ; sealed lubricant system &# 34 ;). sealing is achieved through the use of static seals which have zero leakage at both ends of the hydraulic motor in combination with boots 17 which seal joints 8a and 8b . as shown in the figures , the static seals can be o - rings 62 and 64 . as discussed above , instead of boots 17 , other sealing means with zero leakage when intact can be used to seal off the joints , e . g ., a sleeve or hose which extends between the joints and surrounds connecting shaft 6c . it should be noted that when such a sleeve or hose is employed , central channel 25 can be eliminated if desired . the sealed lubricant system is filled with a joint lubricant , such as oil , through feed hole 47 . to remove air from the system , plug 19 is loosened and then retightened once bubble free oil is seen exiting around the plug . a preferred construction for plug 19 which facilities these operations is discussed below in connection with fig8 a and 8b . the sealed lubricant system is pressurized by using a pressurized source of joint lubricant and by closing off feed hole 47 while pressure is being applied from said source . in some cases , it may be desirable to evacuate the system before filling it with the joint lubricant so as to minimize the presence of air pockets around , for example , boots 17 . the initial pressure within the system is chosen to be greater than the expected head pressured within suction chamber 2 ( see fig1 ). in this way , if a boot 17 ruptures , fluid will exit the boot , rather than emulsion entering the boot . similarly , fluid will exit from plug 19 upon its melting under deadhead conditions ( see discussion below ). the initial pressure must be less than the pressure rating of boots 17 or other sealing mechanism of joints 8a and 8b . in the case of boots , a preferred initial pressure is between about 2 bar and about 4 bar , e . g ., about 3 bar , which is well within the range of pressures which commercially available boots can withstand . higher or lower pressures , e . g ., pressures in the range from about 0 . 2 bar to about 6 . 0 bar , can , of course , be used if desired , depending upon the specifics of the construction of the joints and their sealing mechanism . in addition to its initial pressurization during filling , pressure is also applied to the system through diaphragm 33 which forms one end of reservoir 31 . specifically , the high pressure hydraulic fluid in high pressure supply line 37 is used to drive plunger 45 of hydraulic valve assembly 35 towards diaphragm 33 . the front ( leading ) end of plunger 45 preferably is in the form of a cone - shaped , freely rotating bearing so as not to apply substantial torque to either diaphragm 33 or plunger 45 as motor shaft 26 rotates . preferably , the ratio of the cross - sectional area of the plunger to the cross - sectional area of the diaphragm is chosen so that when high pressure hydraulic fluid is supplied to supply line 37 , the pressure applied to the diaphragm through the cone - shaped bearing is approximately equal to the initial pressure in the system . in this way , during use , the diaphragm is under essentially no net force . as discussed above , the initial pressure in the system is preferably greater than the expected head pressure in suction chamber 2 . by making the pressure applied to diaphragm 33 approximately equal to this initial pressure , upon rupture of a boot or the melting of plug 19 , the pressure supplied to the system by the plunger will also be greater than the expected head pressure . as shown in fig2 - 4 , hydraulic valve assembly 35 is mounted directly on the back of hydraulic motor 21 . in some cases , it my be more convenient to integrate the assembly with the motor &# 39 ; s existing hydraulic control valving and to use a mechanical linkage to transmit force from the assembly to diaphragm 33 . such hydraulic control valving can , for example , be located above motor 21 in fig2 - 4 , and a lever type linkage can be used to transfer force to diaphragm 33 and to sense movement of the diaphragm as a result of a loss of pressure within the sealed lubricant system . diaphragm 33 can be made of , for example , stainless steel and can be in the form of , for example , a series of concentric ridges to provide the desired level of flexibility . fig3 shows the response of the system to a boot failure . the boot failure is schematically represented by reference number 50 and the flow of lubricant fluid to and through the ruptured boot is represented by arrows 49 . as can be seen in fig3 because the fluid is pressurized to a pressure greater than the expected head pressure in suction chamber 2 , lubricant fluid flows through the system to the failure location and exits from the system at that location . this causes diaphragm 33 to move to the left in the figure in response to the pressure applied to the diaphragm by plunger 45 . the movement of plunger 45 , in turn , causes high pressure bypass leg 41 to be connected to low pressure bypass leg 43 , thus shutting off hydraulic motor 21 . in this way , a boot rupture automatically prevents further operation of the pc - pump . it should be noted that since the shut - off mechanism is an integral part of the hydraulic motor , improper disablement of this safety system is less likely by operators . to further inhibit such activity , reservoir 31 , diaphragm 33 , and hydraulic valve assembly 35 can be enclosed in a housing rigidly fastened to the hydraulic motor and that housing can be permanently sealed or secured by a locking mechanism which is accessible only to supervisory personnel . fig4 shows the operation of the system during an overheat situation . plug 19 melts at its predetermined temperature , thus allowing the lubricant fluid to exit the system . the system then operates in the same manner as in fig3 to shut off hydraulic motor 21 . fig5 and 6 show an alternative to the use of plug 19 . this construction employs a vacuum chamber 52 which is received in chamber 56 formed in the end of rotor 5 . vacuum chamber 52 is sealed by sealing plug 54 which can be made of the same types of material as used for plug 19 . melting of plug 54 due to excess heat in rotor 5 caused by a deadhead or dry pumping situation allows lubricant fluid to enter the vacuum chamber . the operation of the system then follows the same pattern as discussed above with regard to fig4 . boot failure for this embodiment operates in the same manner as shown in fig3 for the plug embodiment . vacuum chamber 52 should be sized to be large enough to allow diaphragm 33 to move far enough to the left in fig6 so that plunger 45 opens the bypass between the high and low pressure sides of the hydraulic system . for the system of fig5 - 6 , an additional port ( not shown ) is preferably provided which is connected to , for example , chamber 56 to allow for bleeding of air from the lubricant fluid . vacuum chamber 52 can be equipped with a flexible disc 53 which provides a convenient monitor for the presence of vacuum within the chamber . specifically , when the disc is concave inward , vacuum is present , whereas when the disc is flat , vacuum is absent . the use of a vacuum chamber can allow for lower pressure values within the sealed lubricant system since during an overheat condition , specifically , a deadhead condition , the lubricant does not have to overcome the head pressure within suction chamber 2 . to detect boot failure , the lubricant does enter suction chamber 2 . if boot failure occurs during normal operation or during dry pumping , the pressure within suction chamber 2 is either low or negative ( normal operation ) or zero ( dry pumping ). if boot failure occurs during a deadhead condition , head pressure in suction chamber 2 can be high , but the deadhead condition will cause the vacuum chamber to operate through melting of plug 54 so that the power source for the pump will be disabled in any event . the embodiments of fig2 - 6 do not include a drive shaft 6a as shown in fig1 . such a shaft can be used if desired . in such a case , a channel will be formed in the drive shaft and static seals will be formed between the drive shaft and the motor shaft and the joint 8a . fig7 shows an alternate construction in which the pump &# 39 ; s motor operates through a gear box . specifically , as shown in this figure , a gear 68 is mounted on shaft 66 and a second gear 70 is mounted on the output shaft 71 of motor 72 to transfer power from the motor to shaft 66 and hence to the pump . motor 72 may be a hydraulic motor as in fig2 - 6 or an electric or pneumatic motor . shaft 66 includes central channel 74 which communicates with central channels in drive shaft 6a and connecting shaft 6c ( not shown in fig7 ), as well as with sealed joints 8a and 8b . rotor 5 is equipped with a temperature sensitive , pressure relief mechanism ( not shown ), such as the melting plug mechanism of fig2 - 4 or the melting plug / vacuum chamber mechanism of fig5 - 6 . as shown in fig7 reservoir 31 and diaphragm 33 are mounted at the right hand end of shaft 66 . o - ring 62 forms a static seal between the shaft and the reservoir . loss of liquid lubricant from the sealed system is detected by movement of diaphragm 33 . a generic detector is shown at 76 in fig7 . this detector may be an electronic or pneumatic proximity detector , an electronic , hydraulic , or pneumatic limit switch directly connected to the diaphragm , or similar devices capable of responding to the movement of the diaphragm . the output of the detector is used to control the operation of motor 72 . it should be noted that the motor control system of fig2 - 6 ( e . g ., hydraulic valve assembly 35 ) can be used with the embodiment of fig7 when motor 72 is a hydraulic motor . similarly , the motor control system of fig7 employing generic detector 76 can be used with the systems of fig2 - 6 if desired . a preferred construction for plug 19 is shown in fig8 . the plug includes a body 58 and a core 60 made of the meltable material . the body has a tapered thread on its outside surface for engagement with rotor 5 . this thread is preferably self - sealing . to avoid tampering with the safety system of the invention , a non - standard thread can be used for the outside of the plug &# 39 ; s body . the use of a threaded plug facilitates the replacement of plugs which have undergone melting during the protection of a pump from an overheat event . the body of the plug also has a parallel thread on its inside surface for engagement with a corresponding thread on the outside surface of core 60 . this provides greater purchase between the core and the body . body 58 also can include a recess at its upper end for receiving a key for tightening the plug into the rotor . the recess can be a standard hexagon of the allen wrench type . a non - standard recess can also be used to further minimize the chances of tampering with the safety system . the construction shown in fig8 for plug 19 can also be used for plug 54 used to seal vacuum chamber 52 in the embodiment of fig5 and 6 . since the operation of plug 19 and vacuum chamber 52 depends upon transfer of heat to the material which is to melt , it is important that rotor 5 have a sufficiently high thermal conductivity so that the system has an overall fast response time to deadhead or dry pumping situations . stainless rotors generally have a sufficient conductivity , although other materials having higher conductivity can be used if desired . also , the plug or vacuum chamber should be placed as close as possible to the stator inlet so as to minimize the distances over which heat has to travel from its point of generation within the rotor / stator assembly to the plug or vacuum chamber . further , rotor 5 can be equipped with an internal heat pipe to aid in the transfer of heat from remote parts of the rotor to the plug or vacuum chamber . from the foregoing , it can be seen that the present invention has , among others , the following advantages : ( 1 ) in comparison to the prior art , the invention is able to check deadhead , dry pumping and seal integrity using a single system . ( 2 ) the system trips reliably during deadhead and dry pumping at a predictable temperature because the trip is initiated by a low temperature eutectic alloy which has a sharp melting point and is placed in the hottest part of the pump , the rotor . ( 3 ) the invention permits continuous checking of the joint boots . should a leak develop , it is sensed immediately and the pump is stopped shortly thereafter . the prior art at best permitted the checking of the joint boots and other seals by periodic pressurization . such periodic inspection is time consuming and leaves the pump unprotected against boot failures between inspections . ( 4 ) in comparison to the prior art , the system of the present invention is more direct acting ( less signal transformations ) and has therefore a lower failure frequency rate . ( 5 ) the system is not susceptible to having its set point altered by operators as in the case of electrically based systems . variation in set point can be achieved by using materials which melt at different temperatures . operators , however , will not generally have such materials available or the means to fabricate them into a plug or similar structure . although specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated , it is to be understood that modifications can be made without departing from the invention &# 39 ; s spirit and scope . for example , although the system has been illustrated in terms of detecting both failure of the joint lubrication containment system and overheat conditions in the rotor / stator assembly , the invention can also be practiced for just one of these events . for example , for a connecting shaft assembly which does not employ joints , e . g ., an assembly using a flexible connecting shaft , the heat detection aspects of the invention can be practiced by forming a central channel in the flexible shaft or surrounding the shaft with a flexible shell , and using that channel or shell to connect temperature responsive means at the rotor with control means for the pump &# 39 ; s power source . similarly , for a product which is not heat sensitive , but needs to be kept free of contamination from joint lubricant , the seal failure aspects of the invention can be practiced without using the overheat detection aspects . it should be noted , however , that even for materials that are not heat sensitive , the rotor / stator assembly is itself heat sensitive especially when run dry , and thus the overheat detection aspects of the invention are preferably employed even when the material being pumped is not itself heat sensitive . various constructions other than those illustrated in the figures can be used in the practice of the invention . for example , instead of using a flexible diaphragm 33 to form the face of reservoir 31 , a bellows system can be used having a rigid face with expansion and contraction of the reservoir space taking place by means of flexible side walls in the form of a bellows . as with the diaphragm , the bellows can be made of metal , e . g ., stainless steel . also , rather than using hydraulic valve assembly 35 to apply pressure to diaphragm 33 , a pneumatic pressure source operatively interlinked with a trip switch for the pump &# 39 ; s motor can be used . similarly , a hydraulic pressure source operatively interlinked with a remote trip switch can be used rather than the direct action system shown in fig2 - 6 . the direct action hydraulic system of fig2 - 6 , however , is preferred since it provides the most direct shut off of the motor . a variety of other modifications which do not depart from the scope and spirit of the invention will be evident to persons of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure herein . the following claims are intended to cover the specific embodiments set forth herein as well as such modifications , variations , and equivalents . | 5 |
the acidic aqueous compositions of the invention contain an inorganic acid and the acid employed under conditions of use must be capable of etching chrome . examples of inorganic acids are hydrofluoric acid , hydrochloric acid , phosphoric acid , and preferably sulfuric acid . mixtures of acids can be used if desired . one particular advantage of the invention is that the invention makes it possible to provide an etchant composition for chromium which does not require hydrochloric acid . also , preferably , the compositions of the invention should be substantially , if not entirely , free from nitric acid since it tends to attack copper , which is present beneath the top chrome layer in the articles treated by the compositions of the invention . the acid is present in the composition in amounts sufficient to etch the chrome , and these amounts are usually from about 1 . 0 to about 20 % by weight of the aqueous composition . preferred amounts of the acid is 3 to 10 % by volume at a temperature from about 30 ° to 90 ° c ., preferably 30 ° to 70 ° c . and this renders the ph of the composition less than (& lt ; 2 . 5 ); preferably , between 0 and 2 , and most preferably between 0 and 1 . in addition , the compositions of the present invention must include thiourea or at least one substituted thiourea or mixtures thereof . examples of some substituted thiourea compounds include alkylthiourea compounds such as 1 , 3 - dimethylthiourea , 1 , 3 - diethylthiourea , 1 , 3 - diisopropylthiourea , and 1 , 3 - dibutylthiourea ; allylthiourea ; diphenylthiourea ; and ethylenethiourea . the preferred compound employed is thiourea . the amount of the thiourea compound employed is usually about 1 to about 10 % by weight , and preferably about 2 to about 5 % by weight . the compositions of the present invention are especially suitable for etching chrome and for selectively etching chrome layers without affecting underlying copper , without affecting positive photoresist materials , and without significantly affecting the resistivity of cermet , which may also be present beneath the chrome . the etching can be achieved by immersing the particular article to be etched in a bath of the composition and maintaining the material to be etched in contact with the composition for about 10 seconds to about 10 minutes , and preferably for about 30 seconds to about 3 minutes . the composition is capable of etching chromium at a rate of 2000 å per minute , and at one fifth the cost per unit batch over the prior art permanganate process . the acidic aqueous compositions of the invention are approximately one - fifth less expensive than the potassium permanganate etch . moreover the ph of the acidic aqueous compositions is not critical within the acid range ( i . e . 0 to 7 ), and with a constant thiourea concentration , the etching speed varies with the acid concentrations . further , in contrast to the etching process using potassium permanganate , the photoresist layer in the invention process requires either no baking or a shorter baking time because it is not attacked by the acid etch . the acidic solution can be applied using spray or immersion techniques for etching and , due to the less expensive cost of the acidic aqueous compositions together with elimination of the oxalic acid rinse and the second potassium permanganate etching step required in the prior art process , the speed of the etching in the present invention is much faster and the cost of the etching in the present invention , especially as part of the gas panel fabricating process , is substantially lower than that in the potassium permanganate process . the compositions of the present invention are employed generally at temperatures of about 30 ° c . up to about the boiling point of the compositions , and preferably no higher than about 90 ° c . the preferred temperatures are about 30 ° to about 70 ° c . the time and temperature of the etching are inversely related . for example , at the lower temperatures longer immersion times of up to about 10 minutes are employed for etching away about 1 , 000 å of chromium . further , the time is somewhat related to the thickness of the material to be etched away . a particular type of article etched according to the invention is a glass plate on top of which is a first layer of about 1 , 600 å chromium , followed by a layer of about 25 , 000 å of copper , on top of which is another 1 , 600 å chromium layer . if desired , a cermet , such as a silicon monoxide cermet material can be placed between the glass plate and the first chromium layer . a typical example of a suitable cermet is obtained from firing a composition containing chrome and silicon monoxide . the following example is presented to further illustrate the invention in a nonlimiting way . an etch solution is prepared by dissolving sufficient concentrated sulfuric acid ( i . e . about 98 % concentration ) in water to obtain 3 to 10 % by volume of the acid in water and thiourea is added so that it is from 3 to 10 % by weight of the deionized water . a glass plate having a 1 , 600å layer of chrome , on top of which is a 25 , 000 å layer of copper , on top of which is another 1 , 600å layer of chrome on top of which is a layer of photoresist containing the desired conductor pattern is immersed in the etch solution . the solution is at a temperature between 30 ° to 70 ° c . the top chrome layer of 1 , 600å is etched away in about two minutes , and the acidic solution is washed off with deionized water . a predetermined portion of the copper is then etched away with an ammonium persulfate solution , and the bottom chrome layer is etched away with the same solution used to etch away the upper layer , after washing off the ammonium persulfate with deionized water . there is only minimum undercutting of the top chromium during the etching of the bottom chromium layer . | 7 |
the present invention may in some applications advantageousely be applied to preformed heat - recoverable sleeves , e . g . heat - shrinkable tubes , in order to form one or more auxiliary conduits therein but , in general , is applied to heat - recoverable wrap - around articles , especially sleeves , in order to overcome the problem discussed above . accordingly , the invention will , for convenience , from hereon be described with reference to wrap - around sleeves . the size and position of the areas bonded together will , of course , depend on the nature of the auxiliary conduit required . however , in most simple applications a satisfactory branch conduit can be formed at one end of a wrap - around sleeve by bonding together two narrow - spaced - apart longitudinal strips at that end of the sleeve , the spacing of the strips and their length being chosen according to the end circumference and length , respectively , of the branch conduit required . in such an embodiment it will not be necessary to perform any other operation on the sleeve . however , in other more complex situations , additional steps carried out before or after the bonding step , such as cutting , may be employed . for example a branch conduit along the length of the sleeve may be made by bonding together two areas spaced apart along the length of the sleeve and then cutting a hole in the sleeve between the two bonded portions . it will be appreciated that the areas bonded together will be on the internal surface of the sleeve . it is , of course , possible to form more than one branch conduit in the sleeve and it is also within the scope of the present invention to form an auxiliary conduit which does not communicate with the main sleeve conduit . for example a sleeve could be formed as a double conduit by bonding together two narrow strips extending throughout its length . the bonding must be sufficiently strong that it is not significantly damaged upon recovery and that it fulfils any other requirement of the particular application . in this respect the present invention contemplates the use of many conventional methods of bonding including the use of adhesives including thermosetting polyimides , ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymers silicone resins and epoxy resins such as flexible epoxy polyamides . however , the method of bonding especially preferred for use in the present invention uses peroxides and other similar cross - linking agents . such materials can be used on their own if they exist in liquid form or if they exist in solid form may be used in solution in , for example , xylene or in dispersion in , for example , an adhesive material such as an ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer . amongst suitable liquid agents there may be mentioned , for example t - butyl peroctoate and t - butyl perbenzoate . amongst suitable solids , those available commercially are varox ( 2 , 5 - bis - tert - butyl peroxy - 2 , 5 - dimethyl hexane ), luperco 130xl ( 2 , 5 - di - tert .- butyl peroxy - 2 , 5 - dimethyl - hexyne - 3 ) and dicup ( dicumyl peroxide ). other suitable agents include peroxysilanes and the cross - linking agents listed in british pat . nos . 1 , 131 , 010 , 1 , 242 , 911 and 1 , 258 , 982 , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . these materials can be readily applied to the surfaces to be bonded , for example by painting them on with a brush or by coating during manufacture of the sleeve . bonding can then be readily effected using conventional apparatus for the application of the necessary heat and pressure . typically bonding will be effected using a temperature in the range of from 200 ° to 350 ° c . and a pressure of from 5 to 20 kg / cm 2 , the heating cycle being from about 30 seconds to 1 minute or higher , depending on the thickness of the material , and the pressure being maintained for up to about 5 minutes as the bond cools or is cooled . many materials may be used to make the heat - recoverable wrap - around sleeves of the present invention . suitable materials are described for example in the afore - mentioned u . s . and british patents . it will also be appreciated that the sleeves may be provided with other means for improving their sealing ability etc . for example they may be internally coated with an adhesive or a mastic . such materials will , if present , in general be applied after bonding has been effected in accordance with the present invention , but may , if desired , be applied before bonding . as mentioned above , the present invention is especially applicable to the repair and formation of splices and breakouts from pressurised power cables . another application is in the connection and repair etc . of telephone cables . in such applications it is often preferable to provide the wrap - around sleeve with an inner lining of metal foil as so to form a moisture barrier . in order that the metal foil should not prevent or hinder recovery of the sleeve it may be corrugated , at least in the vicinity of the ends of the sleeve , as set forth in french patent application no . 74 . 30569 . such heat - recoverable sleeves can also be used in the present invention , a suitable adhesive being applied to the relevant areas of the metal foil , thereby forming a moisture impermeable joint . fig2 illustrates a wrap - around sleeve for use in the present invention ; fig3 illustrates the sleeve of fig2 after it has been bonded in accordance with the present invention ; fig4 illustrates the wrap - around sleeve of fig3 in position about the branch connection shown in fig1 ; fig5 illustrates the embodiment of fig4 after heat - recovery of the wrap - around sleeve ; fig6 illustrates a second form of wrap - around sleeve according to the present invention ; and fig7 illustrates a third form of wrap - around sleeve according to the present invention . referring to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a typical branch connection between a main power cable 1 and a branch cable 2 , the cables being connected after stripping etc . by a connector member 3 . it is an object of the present invention to provide means for satisfactorily insulating and encapsulating such a branch connection . in fig2 there is shown a heat - recoverable wrap - around sleeve 4 . at or about one or both its edges 5 and 6 there are provided means ( not shown ) for holding it in the wrapped - up position during recovery . the internal surface of the sleeve 4 is provided at 7 and 8 with two narrow strips of a peroxide coating , typically about 10 mm wide . the coatings 7 and 8 may also contain one or more adhesives , for example an ethylene / vinyl acetate adhesive . in fig3 there is shown the wrap - around sleeve of fig2 after the two strips 7 and 8 have been bonded together in the manner described above to form an auxiliary conduit 9 . fig4 illustrates the sleeve of fig3 wrapped in position , prior to recovery , about the branch connection shown in fig1 . the positioning of the sleeve has been effected by passing the branch cable 2 through the auxiliary conduit 9 prior to forming the connection and then wrapping the sleeve 4 about the connection in a conventional manner . fig5 shows the position after heat - recovery of the wrap - around sleeve to give the final encapsulated connection . in fig6 there is shown a further form of wrap - around sleeve according to the present invention in which an auxiliary conduit 10 has been formed throughout the length of the sleeve . fig7 shows another form of wrap - around sleeve according to the present invention in which two bonds 11 and 12 have been formed across the length of the sleeve and then the sleeve has been cut or slit between these bonds to form a branch conduit 13 . the invention has been described with particular reference to the repair and formation of branch connections between cables but it will be appreciated that it will have many other applications . | 7 |
a hearing device system is schematically shown in a block diagram according to fig1 . such a system comprises a hearing device 1 having electro - acoustic converters , namely at least a microphone , preferably two microphones 2 a and 2 b as shown in fig1 , as well as a receiver 3 ( speaker ). the microphones 2 a , 2 b are connected to an input to a transmission unit 5 adjustable in its transmission characteristics over an analog - to - digital converter 4 , the transmission unit 5 being on its output side connected to the receiver 3 over a digital - to - analog converter 6 . in the transmission unit 5 , a number of different sets of parameters are selectable , each set belonging to a hearing program . instead of microphones 2 a , 2 b other input units may be connected to the transmission unit 5 in further embodiments of the present invention . other input units may be , for example , the tele - coil , a fm —( frequency modulation ) unit , a bluetooth unit or a cellular phone having a wireless or wired connection to the hearing device . a signal processing unit 8 is further comprised in the hearing device 1 . the signal processing unit 8 itself comprises a signal analyzing unit 9 and a signal identification unit 10 connected to the signal analyzing unit 9 . the signal analyzing unit 9 is connected to the output of the analog - to - digital converter 4 ., the output of the signal identification unit 10 is connected to the transmission unit 5 to which an input part 11 is operationally connected in addition . this input part 11 forms , for the embodiment shown , a remote control 12 ( fig2 ) that is separated from the hearing device 1 and that communicates , as need be , wirelessly with the hearing device 1 . the remote control 12 , which is only shown schematically in fig2 , has a housing 13 in which the necessary electronic components ( not shown in fig2 ) are arranged , as well as two buttons 14 and 15 which can be easily recognized and operated by the hearing device user . it is also possible to incorporate the input part 11 — instead of the realization as a remote control 12 — into the hearing device 1 and to provide the buttons at the surface of the hearing device 1 . in either embodiment of the input part 11 , i . e . as remote control 12 or as switch on the hearing device 1 , one or two buttons can be used . in a further embodiment of the present invention , the input part 11 is designed in order that the functions of the button or the buttons 14 , 15 can be controlled by speech . the identification of the momentary acoustic situation is , for example , implemented according to the known teaching disclosed in wo - a - 01 / 20965 and us - a - 2002 / 0037087 . therefore , its content is herewith incorporated by reference . in summary , the identification of the momentary acoustic situation is performed as follows : in the signal analyzing unit 9 , characteristic auditory - based features and / or technically - based features are extracted from the output signal of the analog - to - digital converter 4 . based on the features extracted in the signal analyzing unit 9 , the momentary acoustic situation is determined by recognizing the same or similar patterns in the extracted features . from the result of the signal identification unit 10 , also called classifier , a corresponding output signal is generated for each available hearing program . this output signal , which may also be generated in the signal identification unit 10 , is hereinafter called suitability measure . in other words , the suitability measure is a measure of how well a particular hearing program fits to the detected momentary acoustic situation . these suitability measures are used , in one embodiment of the present invention , to arrange the hearing programs in a priority list ; the hearing program having the highest suitability measure is at the first position while the hearing program having the lowest suitability measure is at the last position of the priority list . in a further embodiment of the present invention , the presence of a new or changed priority list and / or one or several next best performing hearing programs are acoustically announced to the hearing device user before switching . this is achieved , for example , by a signal generating unit ( not shown in fig1 ) comprised in the transmission unit 5 , the signal generating unit being capable of synthesizing a corresponding acoustic signal or by reading out a memory containing the necessary information to generate the corresponding acoustic signal , i . e . voice . in yet another example , the signal generating unit may be a player to play back recorded voice . the acoustic announcement may also be realized by other acoustic signals than voice . for example , it could be a single frequency beep , a jingle , music , etc . in a further embodiment of the above - mentioned aspect of the present invention regarding the acoustic announcement , a new selection or an automatic adjustment of the hearing device must be accepted by the hearing device user in order to get activated . this can be by manually pressing a button at the hearing device or at the remote control . activation by a voice signal of the hearing device user may also be implemented , wherein a voice recognition algorithm is being used to detect a code word . fig3 shows a flow chart representing five different hearing programs p 1 to p 5 which are available in the hearing device 1 ( fig1 ). for a first acoustic situation , the hearing program p 1 has the highest suitability measure . according to the signal analyzing unit 9 , the hearing program p 1 is therefore best suitable for this first momentary acoustic situation . the hearing programs p 2 to p 5 follow each other in terms of its suitability measures , i . e . the hearing program p 2 has the second best suitability measure , the hearing program p 3 has the third best suitability measure , and so on , in respect to the first momentary acoustic situation . as is illustrated in fig3 a , all the hearing programs p 1 to p 5 are , for the sake of its selection , arranged in a circular buffer . instead of arranging the hearing programs p 1 to p 5 in a circular buffer , a further embodiment may , for example , also consist in using a circular buffer of pointers each pointing to a memory section of the corresponding hearing program p 1 to p 5 . once the circular buffer is set up as described above , the hearing device user may , starting from the first hearing program p 1 having the highest suitability measure ( arrow b in fig3 a ), jump to the next best hearing program p 2 having the second highest suitability measure by activating the hearing device 1 directly or over a remote control 12 , respectively . again , the activation may lie in pressing a button 14 , 15 ( fig2 ) at the remote control 12 or at the hearing device 1 . by this simple procedure , the hearing device user may correct the automatically selected hearing program p 1 by a simple activation assuming that , if not the first hearing program p 1 , at least the second or third hearing program p 2 , p 3 will meet the needs of the hearing device user . for a new or second detected acoustic situation , the hearing program p 1 to p 5 may be rearranged in a sequence as shown in fig3 b . according to the flow chart of fig3 b , the hearing program having the highest suitability measure is now p 3 . the sequence following the hearing program p 3 is p 1 , p 5 , p 4 and p 2 . again , this sequence is calculated by the signal processing unit 8 applying the above - referenced algorithms . according to the present invention , the hearing device user may again change the preferred offered setting by simply activating the hearing device 1 directly or via the remote control 12 . according to the present invention , the hearing device user is not forced anymore to activate the hearing device 1 several times in order to get to the desired hearing program . in addition , the hearing device user does not have to know at which position the desired hearing program is arranged . the sequence of the selectable hearing programs 21 to p 5 is arranged in accordance with the momentary acoustic situation determined by the signal processing unit 8 in order to simplify the selection of the desired hearing program by the hearing device user . the described information of the signal processing unit 8 ( fig1 ) consists in particular in that probabilities are generated for each hearing program p 1 to p 5 in the classifier operating in the signal processing unit b . the determined probabilities provide information about its suitability to operate in the detected acoustic situation and therefore are referred to as suitability measures . in other words , the suitability measures provide information about the efficiency of a hearing program applied in a certain acoustic situation . according to the above , the signal processing unit b suggests a best possible hearing program for a detected momentary acoustic situation . if , in addition , an input signal is detected at one of further inputs sources — as for example at a tele - coil ( t - coil ), an audio input or a fm —( frequency modulated ) input , a bluetooth receiver , an output signal of a cellular phone —, optimal parameters are suggested for a next best hearing program for this additional input source . the hearing device user may then select the second best hearing program in order to pay attention to the additional input source . these further input sources may , for example , also be incorporated into the priority list together with other possible hearing programs . for example , it might be possible to have the hearing program with the highest suitability measure at the first position and a hearing program handling a detected input source ( e . g . at the t - coil ) at the second position . in view of the above - described aspect of the present invention , it is understood that the term “ hearing program ” means not only the handling of a detected acoustic situation but also the handling of a further input source ( e . g . t - coil , bluetooth device , cellular phone , fm module , etc .). therefore , a signal of a further input source must also be understood as a momentary acoustic situation in the scope of this specification . a possible technology to detect a further input source is disclosed by u . s . patent application with ser . no . 10 / 452 731 which is hereby incorporated by reference . in one embodiment of the present invention , the best suitable hearing program p 1 or p 3 , respectively , may automatically be selected by the signal processing unit 8 of the hearing device 1 . in a further embodiment of the present invention , the most suitable hearing program is only selected after an activation signal has been received by the hearing device user . in other words , the most suitable hearing program is not automatically selected as soon as a new momentary acoustic situation has been detected . this may be of advantage in the case where the suitability measures of two different hearing programs are about equal and the likelihood of switching between this two hearing programs is therefore high . accordingly , it could have been prevented that the hearing device user is confronted with a switching back and forth between two or even more hearing programs . the above - described hearing device system cannot only be used within the meaning of a hearing aid which is used to correct a hearing impairment of a person . the present invention is also most suitable to be used with other acoustic communication systems , as for example in radio equipments . in addition , the afore - described present invention or aspects of the present invention may very well be used in connection with binaural hearing devices . | 7 |
fig2 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention . in fig2 the same reference numeral or symbol as in fig1 designates the same unit or circuit as in fig1 . in fig2 the control unit cont unit 11 is functionally the same as cont unit 1 in fig1 except that cont unit 11 has a non - volatile memory ( mem ) 8 which is a random access memory ( ram ), for storing identification information on drives to be correctly installed in the array disc equipment and proc 41 is provided by modifying proc 4 in fig1 so as to operate with mem 8 . the identification information can be the actual manufacturing numbers ( mf nos .) of the drives . the mf nos . are memorized in a designated area on the memory disc , located , for example , at the last track of the last cylinder of the memory disc and not otherwise usable by users . the mf nos . will be used as the identification information hereinafter , and mf nos ., stored in mem 8 , of drives correctly installed and normally operating in the array disc equipment will be called &# 34 ; reference mf nos .&# 34 ; hereinafter . the reference mf nos . are used by proc 41 for determining whether drives installed or reconnected in the array disc equipment due to replacement or expansion are correctly connected by the connection cables in the array disc equipment , by comparing mf nos . read from the installed drives with the reference mf nos . in mem 8 , the state of the installed drives and the results of the comparison are also stored , forming a kind of a correspondence table . the correspondence table is represented as table 100 in fig2 and an example of table 100 is shown in fig3 . in table 100 in fig3 the reference mf nos . and the remarks on the state of the cable connection , the result of comparing between mf nos . read from the installed drives and the reference mf nos . and the trouble of the installed drives if occur are tabulated in accordance with the logical addresses of drives to be installed in the array disc equipment . in table 100 , 001 , 002 , --- in the column for &# 34 ; mf nos .&# 34 ; show an example of the reference mf nos ., a flag &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the column for connec . represents a good connection , a flag &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the column for mismatch represents that an mf no . read from an installed drive is not coincided with the reference mf no . of the drive to be installed and a flag &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the column for trouble represents that the corresponding drive has trouble . in the column for logical addresses in table 100 , the blank columns are provided for expanding drives . the increase or decrease of drives is usually performed every ld . regarding table 100 , a rule is implemented that no reference mf no . is ever changed unless an operator of the computer changes the reference mf no . with a message for informing the replacement or the new installation of a drive , by operating a control key - board , not depicted in fig3 equipped to the computer or the array disc equipment . the change of the reference mf nos . by the operator will be detailed later . when an array disc equipment being an article of good quality is equipped in the computer initially in the factory , the reference mf nos . must be initially stored in mem 8 . this is performed in accordance with the first flow charts shown in fig4 as follows : ( 1 ) after the array disc equipment is equipped in the computer , the power of the array disc equipment is turned on locally or in accordance with a command from the channel , which is represented as &# 34 ; power on &# 34 ; in fig4 ; ( 2 ) when the power of the array disc equipment is turned on , the channel asks proc 41 whether table 100 has a flag representing that the table 100 is ready to be used by filling the table 100 with the reference mf nos ., which is indicated by step 1 - 1 , representing &# 34 ; table 100 ready ?&# 34 ;; ( 3 ) the table 100 has not been accessed yet from the channel because the array disc equipment is firstly equipped , so that proc 41 will answer back to channel &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; as shown at step 1 - 1 ( the case of &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; in step 1 - 1 will be explained later by using symbols &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;), then the channel sends a command to proc 41 so as to make table 100 in a state ready to be used , therefore , proc 41 instructs acc 6 to read the mf nos . of drives in the array disc equipment through dccs 7a to 7d , as indicated by step 1 - 2 , representing &# 34 ; read mf nos .&# 34 ;; ( 4 ) the mf nos . read from the drives are sent to proc 41 so as to be stored in mem 8 as the reference mf nos ., bringing table 100 in the state ready to be used , which is indicated by step 1 - 3 , representing &# 34 ; bring table 100 into ready state &# 34 ;; and ( 5 ) when table 100 becomes the ready state in step 1 - 3 , the channel sends a command to proc 41 to write or read data into or from the drives , then the data writing or reading is performed as explained in reference to fig1 which is indicated by step 1 - 4 , representing &# 34 ; accept command from channel &# 34 ;. during the time when write or read operation is performed in the array disc equipment , however , the hardware trouble cannot be avoided from occurring in the drives . when the trouble occurs in the drives , the trouble is usually backed up by other auxiliary drives in ld . however , if the trouble increase beyond a predetermined threshold , proc 41 catches this fact and produces an alarm signal , storing a trouble flag &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in table 100 as shown in fig3 . the alarm signal is also sent to inform the operator which is the faulty drive . when the operator finds the faulty drive , he turns the local power of the faulty drive or the power of the array disc equipment off and replaces the faulty drive with a new good drive . then , the operator edits table 100 , by operating the control key - board , so as to put a replacement message in table 100 , instead of the reference mf nos . of the faulty drive . as a result of the change made to table 100 , the trouble flag in table 100 disappears due to the work of proc 41 . when a drive is replaced thus , table 100 is renewed by putting a new mf no . of the replaced drive in the column having the replacement message and confirms whether the replaced drive is correctly installed . the steps of putting the new mf no . of the replaced drive in table 100 and confirming whether the replaced drive is installed proceed in accordance with the second flow chart shown in fig5 as follows : ( 1 ) the local power of the replaced drive or the power of the array disc equipment is turned on after replacing the drive and editing table 100 so as to put the replacement message on the column instead of the reference mf no . of the faulty drive , which is represented as &# 34 ; power on &# 34 ; in fig5 ; ( 2 ) then the channel commands proc 41 to ask whether table 100 is ready , as indicated by step 2 - 1 , representing &# 34 ; table 100 ready ?&# 34 ;; ( 3 ) the table 100 has been in the ready state in this case , so that proc 41 answers back to the channel &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; as shown in step 2 - 1 ( symbol &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; indicates this case , and &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; in step 2 - 1 has been explained in reference to fig4 as indicated by symbol &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;), then the channel asks proc 41 whether table 100 has any message on the column for the reference mf nos ., as indicated by step 2 - 2 , representing &# 34 ; any message in table 100 ?&# 34 ;; ( 4 ) since there is the replacement message in mem 100 , proc 41 answers back to the channel &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; as shown in step 2 - 2 , then the channel commands proc 41 so as to put the mf no . of the replaced drive in the column having the replacement message , then proc 41 reads the mf no . of the replaced drive and stores it in the column , as indicated by step 2 - 3 , representing &# 34 ; put mf no . of installed drive instead of message &# 34 ;; ( 5 ) after putting the mf no . of the replaced drive , proc 41 instructs dccs to read mf nos . of all drives installed in the array disc equipment , as indicated by step 2 - 4 , representing &# 34 ; read mf nos . of all drives &# 34 ;; ( 6 ) then proc 41 compares the read mf nos . with mf nos ., which are now the reference mf nos ., stored in mem 8 ( table 100 ), as indicated by step 2 - 5 , representing &# 34 ; compare mf nos .&# 34 ;; ( 7 ) after performing the comparison in step 2 - 4 , if the mf nos . read from the installed drives coincide with those stored in mem 8 as shown by &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; in step 2 - 5 , proc 41 accepts the command from the channel so as to perform the data write or read , as indicated by step 2 - 6 , representing &# 34 ; accept command from channel &# 34 ;; and ( 8 ) if the mf nos . read from the installed drives do not coincide with those stored in mem 8 , proc 41 sends an alarm signal to the channel so as not to send the command for performing the data writing or reading to the array disc equipment any more , as indicated by step 2 - 7 , representing &# 34 ; send alarm to channel &# 34 ;. as seen in the second flow chart , the operator performs two operations which are prone to mistake , one is replacing drives by disconnecting and connecting the cables and the other is operating the control key - board . however , no mistake can be made during the latter , because the array disc equipment or the computer provides a supervisory system by which a wrong operation of the control key - board can never occur . the former operation , however , has the possibility of a mistake . in particular , the wrong cable connection may be made during the replacement of the drives . however , this mistake can be found out in step 2 - 5 . because , if a mistake about the cable connection is made , mf nos . read from the replaced drives never coincide with the reference mf nos . stored in mem 8 . in the case of increasing or decreasing drives , the mistake of the cable connection cannot be made because the increase or decrease of the drives is performed for every ld and not every drive . however , since lds are usually moved here and there in the setting field of the computer for increasing or decreasing drives , it is possible to make a mistake in the cable connection . therefore , whether the drives are all correctly installed must be confirmed after the drive increase or decrease is complete . when drives are increased , the operator edits table 100 by operating the control key - board so as to put increase messages in blank columns in mf nos . columns , for informing where the drives are to be installed for increasing , after the increase of drives is complete . when the drives are decreased , the operator edits table 100 by operating the control key - board so as to put decrease messages in the columns for the mf nos . of the removed drives instead thereof , after the drives to be decreased are removed from the array disc equipment . after amending table 100 , the step of confirming whether the increase or decrease of drives is correctly performed ( in other words , whether the cable connection for the increase or decrease of drives is correctly performed ) is performed in accordance with the same flow chart as in fig5 . in the above case of replacing , increasing or decreasing drives , it is possible that an answer of &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; is output from , for example , step 2 - 2 when the operator forgets to edit table 100 . however , though the operator makes this mistake in operating the control key - board , in other words , though &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; is output from step 2 - 2 , this mistake can be detected in step 2 - 5 by outputting the alarm signal through step 2 - 7 , producing no problem . according to the first embodiment , if the mistake is made in the cable connection when the drives are replaced , increased or decreased , proc 41 only sends the alarm signal to the channel so as to stop the channel sending further commands for the data writing or reading to proc 41 . therefore , when the wrong cable connection occurs , the operator must check where the wrong cable connection exists and correct the cable connection . if the wrong cable connection can be changed by the array disc equipment itself instead of the operator , the operator becomes free from the trouble of changing the cable connection and the time spent for making that change can be saved . this improvement is realized in the second embodiment of the present invention . before explaining the second embodiment the table 100 will be discussed more in reference to fig6 to 8 and , in particular , the case of the wrong cable connection will be explained in reference to fig8 . a concrete explanation of the second embodiment will be made by using a schematic block diagram shown in fig9 . in fig6 to 8 , the same reference symbol as in fig3 designates the same logical address , mf nos . or flag &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; as in fig3 except that drive is partially abbreviated as d . in fig9 the same numeral or symbol as in fig2 designates the same unit or circuit as in fig2 except that cont unit 12 , proc 42 and acc 61 are functionally same as cont unit 11 , proc 41 and acc 6 respectively but modified in accordance with the second embodiment . furthermore in fig9 a data dividing and integrating circuit ( data div / int ) 611 is the prior art circuit having been in acc 6 in fig1 or 2 , except that a data path setting circuit ( dps ) 612 is a new circuit provided for the second embodiment . fig6 shows an example of table 100 having no wrong cable connection and no trouble . however , another column &# 34 ; read mf nos .&# 34 ; is attached to table 100 for the sake of explanation . the column &# 34 ; read mf nos .&# 34 ; is for the read mf nos . for drives installed the array disc equipment . fig7 shows an example of a case when a drive at the logical address of second drive in ld 3 ( 2nd d . ( ld3 )) is replaced by performing the correct cable connection . when the cables for the drives in 2nd d . ( ld3 ) and 3rd d . ( ld3 ) are mistakeably connected so as to be connected in opposite to each other , two mismatch flags &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; s appear in respective columns as shown in fig8 . the mismatch will be clear by comparing columns for reference mf nos . and read mf nos . in fig8 . when this wrong cable connection occurs , the alarm signal is output to the channel from proc 41 in the first embodiment . however in the second embodiment , proc 42 confirms that the installed drives are all belonged to the same ld 3 after the replacement is over , as shown by flags &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; s in the columns belonged to the same ld in fig8 and determines how the data paths should be changed for connecting the installed drives correctly , by comparing mf nos . in columns reference mf nos . and read mf nos . then , proc 42 instructs acc 61 so as to set the connection right by switching the route between accs 7a to 7d and data div / int 611 in dps 612 in accordance with the determination of the data path . in fig8 additional columns like read mf nos ., belonged to the same ld ? and data path to be connected to are provided in table 100 , however , they can be stored in proc 42 . fig9 is a schematic block diagram focused on acc 61 for explaining the second embodiment . in fig9 the same reference numeral as in fig2 designates the same unit or circuit as in fig2 . comparing with acc 6 used in the prior art or the first embodiment , in acc 61 , a data path setting circuit ( dps ) 612 is added to the data dividing and integrating circuit ( data div / int ) 611 of the prior - art . the dps 612 includes the same number of multiplexers ( four ) as the number of multiplexers ( mpxs ) m - 1 , m - 2 , m - 3 and m - 4 , drives in each ld , input switching circuits ( input sws ) s - 1 , s - 2 , s - 3 and s - 4 placed at the inputs of mpxs and output switching circuits ( output sws ) s - 5 , s - 6 , s - 7 and s - 8 placed at the outputs of mpxs , respectively . the mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 are for setting the paths of the divided data produced from data div / int 611 to dccs respectively when the divided data are written into the drives and for setting the paths of the divided data produced from the dccs 7a to 7d to data div / int 611 respectively when the divided data stored in drives are integrated at data div / int 611 . the paths are set in mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 by the instruction given from proc 42 . the instruction is produced in accordance with data path to be connected to explained in reference to fig8 and once stored in a register ( reg ). the reg consists of divided registers r - 1 , r - 2 , r - 3 and r - 4 for storing the instruction to m - 1 , m - 2 , m - 3 and m - 4 respectively and coders ( cod ) attached to the divided registers respectively . when the mis matched flags appear in table 100 as shown in fig8 proc 42 sends the instructions to r - 2 and r - 3 corresponding to the drives having the wrong cable connection . the instructions sent to r - 2 and r - 3 are coded by cod attached to r - 2 and r - 3 and sent to mpxs m - 2 and m - 3 , for changing the data paths between dcc 7b and data div / int 611 and between dcc 7c and data div / int 611 . in fig9 the data routes are set as follows : the input routes ( ins ) to mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 are switched by input sws s - 1 to s - 4 so that the outputs from data div / int 611 are fed to mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 and the output routes ( outs ) from mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 are switched by output sws s - 5 to s - 8 so that inputs to dccs 7a to 7d are output from the mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 respectively , by a write instruction ( w ) from proc 42 ; and the input routes ( ins ) to mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 are switched by input sws s - 1 to s - 4 so that the outputs from dccs 7a to 7d are fed to mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 and the output routes ( outs ) from mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 are switched by output sws s - 5 to s - 8 so that inputs to data div / int 611 are output from the mpxs m - 1 to m - 4 respectively , by a read instruction ( r ) from proc 42 . | 6 |
hereinafter , preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . fig1 shows an optical configuration of a projection type image display apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention . in this embodiment , reference character lcd denotes a liquid crystal display element as an image forming element which is driven on the basis of image signals from an image information supply apparatus ( not shown ) such as a personal computer , a vcr or a dvd player . although not shown , one liquid crystal display element is provided for each of the red , green , and blue lights obtained by using a color separating optical system ( illuminating system ) to separate light from a white light source . further , reference character gb denotes a color combining dichroic prism which combines the color lights modified by the three liquid crystal display elements and which guides the combined light to a projection lens ( projection optical system ) p . further , reference character st denotes an aperture stop . the projection lens p is composed of the first lens unit ( hereinafter referred to as the “ first negative lens unit ”) i having negative optical power ( the inverse of a focal length ) and the second lens unit ( hereinafter referred to as the “ second positive lens unit ”) ii having positive optical power , the first and second lens units being arranged in this order from the enlarging side ( emitting side : left end of fig1 ) of the projection lens p . the first negative lens unit i is composed of five lenses g 1 to g 5 , while the second positive lens unit ii is composed of six lenses g 6 to g 11 . further , in this embodiment , the focus is adjusted by moving the second lens unit ii in the direction of the optical axis of the projection lens p . the first lens unit i is designed so that a concave meniscus lens is arranged closest to the enlarging side . thereby , a large - aperture lens which covers a wide angle based on a projection ratio of 1 . 5 : 1 ( projection distance : screen breadth ) and which has an f of 1 . 5 is realized , while the first lens unit i has smaller diameter . further , the first lens unit i includes the three concave lenses g 1 , g 3 , and g 4 to gently bend off - axial rays , thereby preventing off - axial aberration . furthermore , the convex lenses g 2 and g 5 are composed of lanthanum - based heavy flint material , thereby allowing , in particular , chromatic aberration of magnification to be appropriately corrected over a wide visible - light band . the second lens unit ii has the functions of providing a reduction magnification to an image formed by the first lens unit i to obtain a desired focal length and arranging an image of the aperture stop st at an apparently distant position relative to the reducing side of the projection lens p . with the reduction of the optical power of the first negative lens unit i and the reduction of the magnification acting in the second positive lens unit ii , it becomes difficult to obtain the back focus . however , the back focus can be ensured by properly selecting the optical power arrangement and the position of the principal plane of the second positive lens unit ii . further , the second positive lens unit ii includes the aperture stop st , the biconvex lens g 6 in which both surfaces are convex surfaces , and the negative lenses g 7 and g 8 arranged in this order from the enlarging side . the negative lenses g 7 and g 8 , which have strong negative optical powers , are arranged where a paraxial marginal ray height is reduced by the aperture stop st and the biconvex lens g 6 , thereby reducing the petzval sum . the use of two negative lenses g 7 and g 8 according to this embodiment is disadvantageous in terms of correction of the petzval sum , but is effective in reducing excessive correction of an of f - axial peripheral sagittal flare . furthermore , the second positive lens unit ii contains the three convex lenses g 9 , g 10 , and g 11 to gently bend an off - axial principal ray so that the ray is parallel with the optical axis , thereby reducing , in particular , incoming comma aberration , astigmatism , and distortion . by thus arranging the first negative lens unit i with negative optical power on the enlarging side relative to the second positive lens unit ii ( a master section ) with positive optical power , a projection lens with a wide angle and a large aperture can be realized and a long back focus , as compared with the focal length ( e . g . about 1 . 2 times as large as the focal length ), can be ensured . thus , for example , in a projection type image display apparatus , if a color combining prism or the like is arranged between an image forming element such as a liquid crystal display element and a projection optical system , the color combining prism or the like can be arranged in a sufficiently large space . the projection lens p in this embodiment satisfies the following condition : where reference character t 1 denotes a distance from the reducing - side conjugate plane to the pupil , and reference character f denotes the focal length of the entire system . by satisfying conditional expression ( 1 ), a projection optical system ( projection lens p ) which exhibits adequate telecentric performance and which is bright ( e . g . f number of about 1 . 5 ) enough to illuminate even the peripheral areas of a screen ( projected image ) is realized . conditional expression ( 1 ) expresses a proper range of a reducing - side paraxial pupil position (| f / t 1 |). deviating from this range in either direction increases the angle between the off - axial principal ray and the optical axis . undesirably , this results in misalignment with the illuminating system , which illuminates the liquid crystal element , thereby making the luminance on the screen nonuniform and reducing illuminance of the peripheral areas on the screen . further , according to the present invention , when the focal length of the first negative lens unit i is defined as f 1 , the following relationship is preferably also satisfied : a rear focus method with few distance - based variations in aberration can be actualized by properly arranging the optical power according to conditional expression ( 2 ). this serves to provide a projection optical system which enables the length of the entire optical system to be maintained at a constant value in the range of the focus used and which helps reduce driving loads of an autofocus mechanism in the projection type image display apparatus , thereby achieving a high focus responsiveness . in this regard , conditional expression ( 2 ) is used to determined the magnification or the like of the second positive lens unit ii . when the lower limit value of this expression is exceeded , the distance by which the second positive lens unit ii is moved for focusing is reduced . this allows distance - based variations in aberration to be advantageously dealt with . however , the first negative lens unit i with negative optical power has stronger optical power , and the second positive lens unit ii is subjected to a larger magnification , resulting in an excessively long back focus . this leads to an unnecessarily large optical length or an increase of asymmetry of the optical power arrangement . consequently , it becomes difficult to correct distortion and chromatic aberration of magnification , which are likely to occur in the first negative lens unit i . conversely , when the upper limit value of conditional expression ( 2 ) is exceeded , aberration can advantageously be corrected . however , it undesirably becomes difficult to ensure the back focus or the second positive lens unit ii must be moved by a large amount , resulting in marked distance - based variations in aberration . and , preferably , the second lens unit is composed of at least one positive lens , at least one negative lens , and at least two positive lenses in this order from the enlarging side . the second positive lens unit ii is the master section of a retrofocus type lens , and in particular operates as a focus unit according to this embodiment . thus , to reduce distance - based variations in aberration , aberration must be sufficiently corrected in the master section . further , for the second positive lens unit ii , which has strong positive optical power , the petzvar sum of the entire system must be designed to be small . accordingly , the optical power of the master section is arranged according to a positive - negative - positive arrangement . furthermore , the optical power of the positive lens located closest to the reducing side tends to be increased in order to ensure the back focus . accordingly , off - axial aberration can be prevented by constructing the second positive lens unit ii using at least two positive lenses . further , when the second positive lens unit ii is further divided into two units which are disposed to each other across the largest air gap in the second positive lens unit ii , the optical powers of the enlarging ( emitting ) side lens unit ( the lenses g 6 and g 7 in fig1 ) and reducing ( incident ) side lens unit ( the lenses g 8 to g 11 in fig1 ) preferably satisfy the following relationship : where reference character f 2 f denotes the focal length of the emitting side lens unit and reference character f 2 r denotes the focal length of the incident side lens unit . when the upper limit value of conditional expression ( 3 ) is exceeded , the back focus becomes unnecessarily long , or it becomes difficult to correct incoming comma aberration and distortion . conversely , when the lower limit value of conditional expression ( 3 ) is exceeded , it becomes difficult to ensure the back focus from the second positive lens unit ii . accordingly , the negative optical power of the first negative lens unit i is increased to ensure the back focus . thus , as previously described , the asymmetry of the optical power arrangement undesirably increases , thereby making it difficult to correct comma aberration , distortion , or other aberrations , and also making the reducing - side pupil position excessively close . further , the use of at least one aspherical lens in the projection optical system ( projection lens p ) serves to correct asymmetry aberration specific to the retrofocus type optical system . to improve the correcting effect , for the first negative lens unit i , the enlarging side lens is constructed as an aspherical lens , and for the second positive lens unit ii , the lens located closer to the reducing side is constructed as an aspherical lens . the type of the aspherical lens is selected in the light of the desired resolution and aspherical accuracy of the lens system . the aspherical lens made of plastics is expected to be advantageous in terms of costs . further , color aberration , which may occur particularly in the master section , can be corrected by including at least one cemented lens ( e . g . a cemented lens including a convex lens arranged closer to the liquid crystal display element ) in the second positive lens unit ii . table 1 shows a numerical example ( numerical example 1 ) of this embodiment . in table 1 , reference character ri denotes a radius of curvature of the i - th lens surface ( si : in the drawing , only some of the lens surfaces are denoted by reference characters ) from the screen side ( enlarging side ), reference character di denotes a distance between the i - th and i + 1 - th lens surfaces , reference character ni denotes a refractive index of glass constituting the i - th surface , and reference character νi denotes an abbe number of the glass constituting the i - th lens . further , fig5 shows aberrations occurring when the retrofocus type projection lens p of this numerical example 1 is in - focus at a distance of 1 . 8 m by using the second positive lens unit ii . fig2 shows an optical configuration of a projection type image display apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention . the projection lens , p is composed of the first lens unit ( hereinafter referred to as the “ first negative lens unit ”) i having negative optical power and the second lens unit ( hereinafter referred to as the “ second positive lens unit ”) ii having positive optical power , the first and second lens units being arranged in this order from the enlarging side ( emitting side ). the first negative lens unit i is composed of five lenses g 1 to g 5 , while the second positive lens unit ii is composed of six lenses g 6 to g 11 . further , the second positive lens unit ii is divided into two units , the enlarging side lens unit ( g 6 and g 7 ) and the reducing side lens unit ( g 8 to g 11 ) which are disposed to each other across the largest air gap in the second positive lens unit ii . in this embodiment , the lens g 10 of the second positive lens unit ii has an aspherical surface asp on its reducing side ( incident side ). the aspherical lens serves to sufficiently correct distortion which is asymmetric aberration specific to the retrofocus type lens , as well as curvature of field . other components common to embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference characters as those of embodiment 1 . description of these components is omitted . table 2 shows a numerical example ( numerical example 2 ) of this embodiment . the numerical values in table 2 have the same meanings as those in numerical example 1 of embodiment 1 . z =( y 2 / r )/[ 1 +{ 1 −( 1 + k )( y 2 / r 2 )} ½ ]+ ay 4 + by 6 + cy 8 + dy 10 where reference character z denotes a depth in the direction of the optical axis and reference character y denotes a height in the radial direction . further , fig6 shows aberrations occurring when the retrofocus type projection lens p of this numerical example is in - focus at a distance of 1 . 8 m by using the second positive lens unit ii . fig3 shows an optical configuration of a projection type image display apparatus according to embodiment 3 of the present invention . the projection lens p is composed of the first lens unit ( hereinafter referred to as the “ first negative lens unit ”) i having negative optical power and the second lens unit ( hereinafter referred to as the “ second positive lens unit ”) ii having positive optical power , the first negative and second positive lens units i and ii being arranged in this order from the enlarging side ( emitting side ). the first negative lens unit i is composed of four lenses g 1 to g 4 , while the second positive lens unit ii is composed of six lenses g 5 to g 10 . the focus is adjusted by moving the second positive lens unit ii in the direction of the optical axis . further , the second positive lens unit ii divided into two units , the enlarging ( emitting ) side lens unit ( g 5 and g 6 ) and the reducing ( incident ) side lens unit ( g 7 to g 10 ) which are disposed to each other across the largest air gap in the second positive lens unit ii . in this embodiment , the convex lens g 1 of the first negative lens unit i is arranged closest to the enlarging side , thereby hindering distortion while realizing a wide - angle lens having a projection ratio of 1 . 5 : 1 . further , the first negative lens unit includes the two concave lenses g 2 and g 3 to gently bend off - axial rays , thereby preventing off - axial aberration . furthermore , the convex lens g 4 is composed of lanthanum - based heavy flint material , thereby allowing , in particular , chromatic aberration of magnification to be sufficiently corrected over a wide visible - light band . in this embodiment , the lens g 9 of the second positive lens unit ii has an aspherical surface on its reducing side . the aspherical lens serves to sufficiently correct distortion which is asymmetric aberration specific to the retrofocus type lens , as well as surface curvature of field . other components common to embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference characters as those of the embodiment 1 . description of these components is omitted . table 3 shows a numerical example ( numerical example 3 ) of this embodiment . the numerical values in table 3 have the same meanings as those in numerical example 1 of embodiment 1 . further , the aspherical data complies with the same function as that described in embodiment 2 . further , fig7 shows aberrations occurring when the retrofocus type projection lens p of this embodiment ( numerical example 3 ) is in - focus at a distance of 1 . 8 m using the second positive lens unit ii . fig4 shows an optical configuration of a projection type image display apparatus according to embodiment 4 of the present invention . the projection lens p is composed of the first lens unit ( hereinafter referred to as the “ first negative lens unit ”) i having negative optical power and the second lens unit ( hereinafter referred to as the “ second positive lens unit ”) ii having positive optical power , the first and second lens units being arranged in this order from the enlarging side ( emitting side ). the first negative lens unit i is composed of four lenses g 1 to g 4 , while the second positive lens unit ii is composed of seven lenses g 5 to g 11 . further , the second positive lens unit ii is divided into two units , the enlarging ( emitting ) side lens unit ( g 6 and g 7 ) and the reducing ( incident ) side lens unit ( g 8 to g 11 ) which are disposed to each other across the largest air gap in the second positive lens unit ii . in this embodiment , the convex lens of the first negative lens unit i is arranged closest to the enlarging side , thereby hindering distortion while realizing a wide - angle lens having a projection ratio of 1 . 5 : 1 . further , the first negative lens unit i includes the two concave lenses g 2 and g 3 to gently bend off - axial rays , thereby preventing off - axis aberration . furthermore , the convex lens g 4 is composed of lanthanum - based heavy flint material , thereby allowing , in particular , chromatic aberration of magnification to be sufficiently corrected over a wide visible - light band . in this embodiment , the first negative lens unit i has stronger optical power than those in the other embodiments . further , on the basis of the tendency of the magnification acting in the second positive lens unit ii to increase , the refractive index is , advantageously arranged so as to ensure the back focus . further , the second positive lens unit ii includes the biconvex lens g 5 in which both surfaces are convex surfaces , the diaphragm st , the biconvex lens g 6 in which both surfaces and the negative lenses g 7 and g 8 are convex surfaces , arranged in this order from the enlarging side . the negative lenses g 7 and g 8 , which have strong negative optical powers , are arranged where a paraxial marginal ray height h is reduced , thereby reducing the petzval sum . the use of the two negative lenses g 6 and g 7 according to this embodiment is disadvantageous in terms of correction of the petzval sum , but is effective in reducing excessive correction of an off - axial peripheral sagittal flare . furthermore , the three convex lenses g 9 , g 10 , and g 11 are used to gently bend an off - axial principal ray so that the ray is parallel with the optical axis , thereby reducing , in particular , incoming comma aberration , astigmatism , and distortion . other components common to embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference characters as those of embodiment 1 . description of these components is omitted . table 4 shows a numerical example ( numerical example 4 ) of this embodiment . the numerical values in table 4 have the same meanings as those in numerical example 1 of embodiment 1 . further , fig8 shows aberrations occurring when the retrofocus type projection lens p of this numerical embodiment 4 is in - focus at a distance of 1 . 8 m by using the second positive lens unit ii . the projection type image display apparatuses of the above - described embodiments are also applicable to an image projection system that drives an image display element on the basis of image information supplied by an image information supply apparatus ( a personal computer , a television , a vcr , a dvd player , any tuner for satellite broadcasting or cable tv , a camera , a video camera , etc .) ( not shown ) to display or project images . moreover , the projection type image display apparatuses of the above - described embodiments may be adapted to receive image information without any image information supply apparatuses by including a circuit that reads image information from a storage medium such as a dvd , a cd , or a vcr that stores the image information , receiving satellite or ground - wave tv broadcasting or the like through an antenna or the like , receiving cable tv , internet tv , or the like , or receiving image information via the internet . specifically , the projection type image display apparatus may include an antenna , a cable receptacle for cable tv or for an internet cable , or the like through which image information is received for projection . in this manner , a system can be constructed in which the projection type display apparatus of the present invention receives image information from various image supply means and projects the corresponding image on a projection surface . as described above , according to the above - described embodiments , the first lens unit having negative optical power is arranged on the enlarging side relative to the second lens unit having positive optical power and acting as a master section . this serves to increase the angle covered by the lens as well as the aperture thereof and to ensure a long back focus as compared with the focal length . thus , for example , in a projection type image display apparatus , if a color combining prism or the like is arranged between an image display element such as a liquid crystal display element and a projection optical system , it can be arranged in a sufficiently large space . further , by satisfying conditional expression ( 1 ), a projection optical system which exhibits adequate telecentric performance and which is bright enough to illuminate even the peripheral areas of the projected image is realized . furthermore , a rear focus method with few distance - based variations in aberration can be actualized by properly arranging the optical power according to conditional expression ( 2 ). this serves to provide a projection optical system which enables the length of the entire optical system to be maintained at a constant value in the range of the focus used and which helps reduce driving loads of an autofocus mechanism in the projection type image display apparatus , thereby achieving high focus responsiveness . moreover , when the second lens unit is composed of at least one positive lens , at least one negative lens , and at least two positive lenses , the positive and negative lenses being arranged in this order from the enlarging side , then aberration can be sufficiently corrected within the second lens unit , which constitutes both master section and focus unit of a retrofocus type lens . further , the petzvar sum of the entire system can be reduced by arranging the optical of the master section according to a positive - negative - positive arrangement . furthermore , the optical power of the positive lens located closest to the reducing side tends to be increased in order to ensure the back focus . accordingly , off - axial aberration can be prevented by constructing the second lens unit using at least two positive lenses . moreover , in connection with the optical power arrangement of the second lens unit , when the second lens unit is further divided into two units in which are disposed to each other across the largest air gap in the second lens unit , the optical powers of the enlarging and reducing side lens units satisfy conditional expression ( 3 ), described above . this prevents an unnecessarily long back focus and allows incoming comma aberration and distortion to be corrected easily . it also eliminates the need for an increase in the negative optical power of the first lens unit , which in turn increases the asymmetry of the optical power arrangement , thereby making it difficult to correct comma aberration , distortion , or other aberrations and making a reducing - side pupil position excessively close . further , the use of at least one aspherical lens in the projection optical system serves to correct asymmetry aberration specific to retrofocus type optical system . the correcting effect can be improved by constructing , for the first lens unit , the enlarging side lens as an aspherical lens and for the second lens unit , the lens located closer to the reducing side as an aspherical lens . furthermore , chromatic aberration , which may occur particularly in the master section , can be corrected by including at least one cemented lens in the second lens unit . while preferred embodiments have been described , it is to be understood that modification and variation of the present invention may be made without departing from the sprit or scope of the following claims . | 6 |
in a preferred embodiment of the invention , a new jackpot trigger mechanism provides the casino operator with a far higher degree of flexibility . unlike conventional combination triggered jackpots , the jackpots here are won from a feature game . the feature game is triggered randomly as a function of credits bet per game . when a feature is triggered , a feature game appears . each jackpot can only be won from this feature game . during the feature game a second set of reel strips appears and a “ spin and hold ” feature game commences . the feature prize score is calculated by the total of the points appearing on the centre line of all 5 reels . feature jackpots in this format exhibit significant differences over previous jackpot systems : ( i ) a jackpot game is provided which is compatible with any existing game combination within an installation independent of the platform , denomination or type of game ( e . g . slot machines , cards , keno , bingo or pachinko ). this will allow for the linking of combinations between game type , platform type and denomination . using this system , jackpot games can now be developed using specific combinations for the base game which were previously unsuitable for link progressive systems . these games will compete with the appeal of the latest games on the market . ( ii ) there is no longer a need to develop mathematically exact combinations in the base game . ( iii ) unlike the multiplier game in combination triggered jackpot embodiments , the present invention provides a direct relationship between the number of credits bet and the probability of winning the jackpot feature game on any one bought game . betting 10 credits per line will produce ten times as many , hits into the feature game than betting 1 credit per line . this is achieved by using a jackpot trigger which is directly related to the wager bet on a respective game and the turnover , instead of using conventional combination triggers . ( iv ) jackpot hit rates can now be changed without making changes to the base game . this was previously not possible using combination triggered jackpots . ( v ) the jackpot feature system can be used across . a wide - area - network ( wan ), local - area - network ( lan ), used as a stand - alone game independent of a network or used with a mystery jackpot flexibility is available to change combinations at will . referring to fig1 a plurality of electronic gaming consoles 10 are connected to a network 11 , to which a feature jackpot controller 12 and display means 13 are also connected . each of the electronic gaming consoles 10 are provided with a network interface arranged to provide a signal onto the network 11 on each occurrence of an operation of a respective console and the jackpot controller 12 is arranged to receive each of the console operation signals and to increment the value of a random jackpot prize on the occurrence of each of these operation signals . a flow chart for a prize awarding algorithm is illustrated in fig2 . referring to the algorithm of fig2 , machine contributions go into the prize pool as with known prior art jackpot systems , while the overhead display shows the incrementing prize value . in the emg , an average value of machine turnover between jackpot hits , is programmed and is used to randomly generate trigger data for the jackpot feature games . in step 20 of the algorithm of fig2 , the actual number range and therefore probability of a feature jackpot game being awarded will depend upon the value of a credit in the particular machine and is calculated by dividing the turnover value by the value of a credit ( e . g ., $ 5000 /$ 0 . 05 = 100 , 000 ). the average turnover value is fixed for the egms and the random number generator is initialised ( see step 20 ) at startup to generate numbers from the preprogrammed range determined from that value . for every game that is played , a random trigger value is selected ( see step 21 ) in the preprogrammed range as determined from the average turnover value . when the game is commenced , it is then reported ( see step 22 ) to the controller , which allocates a contribution to the prize pool . each game is also allotted ( see step 23 ) numbers from the same number range that from which the random number was selected , one number in the range being allotted for each credit bet such that the player &# 39 ; s probability of being awarded a jackpot feature game is proportional to the bet . the previously selected random number is then used as a trigger value and compared with the values allotted to the player , if there is a match ( see step 24 ) between the trigger value and the player values , the player is given an opportunity to play a jackpot feature game ( see step 25 ). alternatively , at step 23 , a number is allocated which is equal to , or proportional to the number of credits bet in the respective game and in step 24 , the trigger value is compared with the single player value and a jackpot feature awarded if the trigger value is less than or equal . to the player value . it will be appreciated that this alternative arrangement is mathematically equivalent to the previously described arrangement , the range of numbers below the allotted number in the alternative arrangement being equivalent to the set of allotted numbers in the previously described arrangement in the preferred embodiment , a prize is always awarded in the jackpot feature game , the feature game being used to determine the size of the prize to be awarded ( see step 27 ). the winning machine is then locked up ( see step 28 ) and the controller awaits an indication that the prize has been paid before allowing the machine to be unlocked ( see step 29 ). in some embodiments , the machine will not be locked up in steps 28 and 19 , but instead the prize will simply be paid and the program will return to step 21 . the machine then returns to step ( see step 21 ) and , commences a new game . if the trigger value does not match ( see step 27 ) then there is no feature game awarded for that bought game and the machine returns to step ( see step 22 ) and waits for the next game to commence . by way of example , a feature game might be triggered by an egm every $ 5000 of turnover played , which is equivalent to 100 , 000 credits on a $ 0 . 05 machine . this is referred to as the jackpot feature game hit rate in credits . a random number is generated within a prescribed range of numbers at the egm at the commencement of each bought game . the prescribed range of numbers is determined by the jackpot feature game hit rate which has been determined previously , from typical values of casino turnover , expected jackpot amounts and jackpot frequencies . the prescribed range in this example is therefore 1 to 100 , 000 and before the commencement of each bought game a random number is generated within this range . a bet of 20 credits will result in the numbers between 1 and 20 ( inclusive ) being allotted to the game ( note that statistically it does not matter if the numbers are randomly selected or not or allotted as a block or scattered , the probability of a feature game being awarded is unchanged ). if the number 7 is produced by the random number generator , then the feature game will be triggered . if any number between 21 and 100 , 000 is produced by the random number generator , the feature game will not be triggered . similarly , a bet of 200 credits will result in the numbers between 1 and 200 ( inclusive ) being allotted to the game . if any number between 1 and 200 is produced by the random number generator , then the feature game will be triggered . if any number between 201 and 100 , 000 is produced by the random number generator , the feature game will not be triggered . the example below has been developed using example turnover data . a trigger of the second screen feature game is expected every $ 5000 of turnover ( i . e . 100000 credits on a $ 0 . 05 machine ). increasing the number of credits bet increases the chance of triggering the feature on any bought game . preferably , when a jackpot feature game is triggered , all players are alerted by a jackpot bell that a possible grand jackpot is about to be played for . this is done so that all players share in the experience of a jackpot win . anecdotal evidence of players watching feature games being played in australian casinos suggests that the drawing power of such games is immense . players are alerted by the jackpot bell instantaneously at any point during a game , but the feature game will not appear until the current game ( including base game features ) are completed . in this embodiment the feature game appears with the new reel strips already spinning and accompanying feature game tunes playing . the player stops the reels spinning by pressing the corresponding playline buttons in order . the feature prize score is calculated by the total of the points appearing on the centre line of all 5 reels . across the top of the screen , a sum of the score is displayed . the 4 feature prize meters in descending order of value are : ( i ) grand feature prize . a score of ≧ 100 wins the grand feature jackpot ; ( ii ) major feature prize . a score of 90 - 99 ( inclusive ) wins the major feature jackpot ; ( iii ) minor feature prize . a . score of 80 - 89 ( inclusive ) wins the minor feature jackpot ; ( iv ) mini feature prize , a score of ≦ 79 wins the mini feature jackpot . by way of example , referring to fig3 , a 5 reel by 3 row window is displayed . if the reels of the feature game stop on the numbers shown in fig3 , then the progressive jackpot won is the sum of the numbers on the center line i . e ., 12 + 10 + 18 + 13 + 22 = 75 which is within the range for the mini feature jackpot . the instant the feature game is completed and the sum of scores from all 5 reels is shown , the feature jackpot screen and signs display which jackpot has been won . this celebration of the jackpot win is conducted in a traditional manner ( i . e . flashing displays , jackpot alarms , music etc .) as the time between jackpot game awards is related to turnover , the number of jackpot games played by a player between feature games and hence their chance of winning is directly related to the size of each bet on each game played . ( 1 ) all machines on the link have a feature game , be it a second screen animation game or a second set of reel strips . ( 2 ) the link has a number of feature jackpot meters ( up to 8 ). all feature jackpots may be linked . ( 3 ) the feature game is activated as a function of machine turnover . this means that on average the feature game will occur one in , for example every $ 5000 . 00 . there are a number of advantages of activating the feature game on turnover . for example , it enables for the first time , a relatively simple mechanism for allowing mixed denomination on a link . the feature game gives the player the chance of winning one of the available feature jackpots if a certain outcome appears . for example , a new set of reel strips might appear with only 2 or 4 different symbols : jackpot 1 , jackpot 2 , or ( jackpot 1 , jackpot 2 , jackpot 3 , jackpot 4 ). the first time 5 of the same appear on the centre line the stated feature jackpot is won . ( 4 ) another advantage of using a random trigger for a feature game , is that it can be applied to any game . it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described . the present embodiments are , therefore , to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . | 6 |
the process of comparing the measured value to a cut - off value of an analyte is aimed at establishing if the measured value of the analyte is greater than , equal to or smaller than the respective cut - off value , and thus to generate specific combinations of comparison results for the analytes , based on which combination specific information will be generated and for example displayed on a display . thus according to the invention , for each subject to be tested , the data processing means generate a specific set of comparison results , which set is obtained by comparing a measured value to a predetermined cut - off value for the analytes , in any given order , or simultaneously . in the context of the invention , a subject means a mammal , such as a human , or an animal , such as a pet , e . g . a dog . the present invention thus includes in a first step a method for determining at least a helicobacter pylori marker , pepsinogen i ( pgi ) and gastrin . the marker or indicator for helicobacter pylori infection can thus , according to the invention , be for example a helicobater pylori antibody , the value of which can be measured from a body fluid sample . such a sample is advantageously a serum sample , but can also be a saliva , urine or lacrimal fluid sample , e . g . commercial kits being available for measuring the antibody value . the cut - off value for helicobacter pylori antibodies can easily be defined by a person skilled in the art . in one embodiment of this invention we have used a value of 30 eiu as a cut - off for indicating the presence or absence of a helicobacter pylori infection . specific antibodies to helicobacter pylori can also be measured using western blot . another alternative is to evaluate the presence of a helicobater pylori infection by determining the presence of the antigen itself . such measurement can for example be carried out on a stool sample from a patient , and assays , such as enzyme immunoassays are commercially available for this purpose ( cf . for example lancet 1999 ; 354 , 30 - 33 ). it is also possible to determine the presence of the antigen from the breath of a patient , using the well known techniques of measuring the carbon dioxide content , the formation of which from labeled urea is catalyzed by helicobacter pylori bacteria , and systems for this assay are also commercially available ( e . g . heliprobe ™ by noster ab , sweden ). another alternative is to determine the presence of the antigen in a biopsy sample taken during endoscopy from the stomach of a paint . in this alternative the tests are either positive or negative for antigen , and a presence of antigen is taken as being indicative of a helicobacter pylori infection . the result of the test is suitably entered in the data processing system as a boolean parameter . pepsinogen and gastrin are preferably determined from a body fluid sample , especially from a serum sample , or from a urine , salivary , or lacrimal fluid sample . the method includes measuring the pepsinogen i analyte , but according to an embodiment of the invention it is also possible the measure , in addition , the concentration of the pepsinogen ii analyte ( pgii ), and using the ratio pgi to pgii instead of pgi , or in addition thereto as the value to be compared to a predetermined cut - off value . pepsinogen i and also the ratio of pepsinogen i to ii tend to decrease linearly with worsening of the atrophy of the corpus mucosa . in the method according to the invention a first lower cut - off value for pepsinogen i is typically used , which is the ‘ normal ’ cut - off value for differentiating between normal and atrophic corpus mucosa . in addition a second higher cut - off value for pepsinogen i can be used , such higher value , when the gastrin concentration is in its cut - off range indicating only slightly stimulated gastrin activity , defining the cut - off between a non - atrophic ( incl . corpus ) gastritis ( pepsinogen i above second cut - off ), and only mildly atrophic corpus mucosa ( pepsinogen i below second cut - off ) in combination with antrum atrophy . the said second cut - off value can easily be determined by the person skilled in the art . the concentration of gastrin , and especially of gastrin - 17 , likewise decreases with worsening of the atrophy of the antrum mucosa . for gastrin , a cut - off range can be used . this range has a lower cut - off limit , values below which indicate atrophy of at least the antrum , as well as an upper cut - off limit , values above which can indicate normal , non - atrophic gastritis or an atrophic corpus mucosa . values in the range between the lower and the upper value can indicate atrophy at least in the antrum area , or , in combination with a high pepsinogen value ( above the second higher cut - off value ), also non - atrophic gastritis , as discussed above . in addition , a third cut - off value , a lowest cut - off value for gastrin can be applied for indicating a normal mucosa when pepsinogen i is equal to or above its first cut - off value . the gastrin analyte can be total gastrin , that is essentially the sum of gastrin - 34 and gastrin - 17 , but according to a preferred embodiment of the invention , gastrin - 17 is measured . as mentioned earlier , the methods for measuring pepsinogen i , pepsinogen ii and and gastrin are well known in the art . the measurements are usually immunological methods , using mono - or polyclonal antibodies to the said analytes . the detection methods for use include , for example , measuring absorbance , fluoresence or luminescence . it is also possible to carry out all three analyte measurements simultaneously , for example on the same microplate , in different wells or in the same well thereon , which provides for al especially convenient method . the analyte values so obtained are then entered in a data processing means , such as a data terminal , which has the necessary operating system and which can be provided with means for data input and data output and which comprises means for comparing a measured analyte concentration to a predetermined cut - off value for the analyte . the data can be entered using any data terminal equipment with a proper user interface ( ui ) or by reading data from a data carrying and storing medium , or by receiving data from a data providing system , via data transmission means and data communication networks , such as internet . the user interface is thus the means by which the user can communicate with the information providing system , and by means of which data is entered , validated and whereto generated information is reported or displayed , or for further transmission , for storage , or to be printed on a printer . the concept of cut - off values in assays involving the determination of analyte concentrations is well known to the person skilled in the art , and it generally means a value or a set of values chosen as a limit between the reference values ( normal values ) and the abnormal values for the test in question . such cut - off values are method - specific and depend on the specifity and sensitivity chosen for the test method used for the determination of the analyte concentrations , see for example william j marshall , clinical chemistry , third edition , 1995 , mosby . the cut - off values can be entered into the data processing system prior to entering the measured analyte values , or they can be pre - stored in the data processing system . according to the invention it is also contemplated to modify the cut - off values when carrying out the method , in case it is desired change the sensitivity or specificity of the method . according to the invention the data processing means perform a comparison operation , according to which the various analyte concentrations measured are compared to a respective cut - off value or cut - off range for said analyte , the comparison results obtained are combined , and information in response to the said combination of comparison results and optionally to other or additional data or parameters entered in the data processing means , is generated , which information can be displayed for example on a display on the user interface . information created by the data processing means can take the form of a diagnosis displayed in a window on a display , or it can take the form of suggestions for treatment , or suggestions for further investigations or tests , displayed in the same or in a different display window . thus in accordance with the invention , depending on the specific combination of comparison results obtained , a main diagnosis can refer to ‘ normal ( mucosa )’, ‘ atrophic corpus gastritis ’ ( optionally of autoimmune type ), ‘ atrophic antrum and corpus gastritis ’ ( pangastritis ), ‘ atrophic antrum gastritis ’, or ‘ non - atrophic gastritis , supplemented with information relating to the presence or absence of a helicobacter pylori infection . the following table includes specific combinations of comparison results associated with the different diagnoses , when the analytes are hp - marker , such as a hp - antibody , pepsinogen i and gastrin . from the table it can be seen that the helicobacter pylori marker divides the set of specific combinations into two groups , wherein the measured hp marker analytes are either above or below the cut - off value for the hp marker ( hp - co ). when the hp - marker value is equal to or below the cut - off , a pgi value equal to or above the first pg cut - off value ( p - coi ) indicates a normal mucosa , whereas if the pgi value is below the said cut - off , a gastrin value equal to or above the upper cut - off limit for gastrin ( g - coii ) indicates atrophic corpus gastritis , whereas if this value is below the said cut - off , atrophic antrum / corpus gastritis , i . e . pangastritis is indicated . instead of the provision of ‘ any value ’ for gastrin in the diagnosis of a normal mucosa , one can also apply a third lowest cut - off value for gastrin ( g - coiii ) above which the gastrin concentration should be to indicate a normal mucosa . on the other hand , when the hp - value is above its cut - off value , and the gastrin value is below its lower cut - off limit ( g - coi ), the indication is pangastritis if also the pepsinogen i is below its first cut - off , and the indication is atrophic antrum gastritis if the pepsinogen i is equal to or above its first cut - off . if the gastrin value is in the cut - off range ( g - coi - g - coii ), and the pepsinogen i is below its second cut - off value ( p - coii ) the indication is also atrophic antrum gastritis , but when the pepsinogen i is equal to or above its second cut - off , the indication is non - atrophic gastritis . finally , when the gastrin is above the upper cut - off limit ( g - coii ), and the pepsinogen i is equal to or above the first cut - off , non - atrophic gastritis is indicated , but when the pepsinogen is below the first cut - off , atrophic corpus gastritis is indicated . in the above table , when the presence of a hp marker , such as the antigen , rather than the antibody concentration is determined , the table includes only the options of presence or absence of antigen in the sample . the above mentioned diagnoses can further be supplemented with information relating to a risk of developing peptic ulcer ( gastric and / or duodenal ) as well as the associated risk factor therefore , as well as a possible risk of cancer , and its associated risk factor . the criteria for establishing the risk of peptic ulcer and of cancer based on the measured pgi and g - 17 values as compared to their cut - off and reference values , have been described in the wo 00 / 67035 and wo 96 / 15456 respectively . the different risk factors associated with peptic ulcer and cancer have been described in detail for example in gastroenterology clinics of north america , volume 29 , no . 3 ( 2000 ), reference being made especially to page 586 , where the various risk factors associated with normal , non - atrophied , mild , moderate and severe atrophy of the antrum and corpus mucosa are disclosed both for peptic ulcer and cancer , in diagram form . further optional parameters that can be taken into account , when creating the information for display for example in the form of a diagnosis , can be the age of the patient , a condition of e . g . reflux symptoms , dyspepsia , and / or anemia , or also other symptoms and disease states , whereby , according to an embodiment of the invention , the mentioned sympoms or diseases can be entered into the data processing means as boolean parameters . the table disclosed above can be supplemented , for example , with a cut - off value for age , whereby , for example , an age over 45 years in combination with dyspepsia in patients with a helicobacter pylori infection and a non - atrophic gastritis or atrophic corpus gastritis can , in addition to the diagnosis relating to the state of the gastric mucosa , prompt a suggestion to treat the patient for helicobacter pylori infection . furthermore , for example a diagnosis of atrophic corpus gastritis optionally in combination with pernicious anemia irrespective of age could prompt a suggestion for testing for vitamin b12 and homocysteine from the serum , and possibly also a suggestion for b12 vitamin supplementation treatment . the invention is also directed to a kit comprising means for measuring , from a sample , the pepsinogen i and / or gastrin concentration , and / or means for determining the concentration or presence of a helicobacter pylori marker . the kit thus contains the various means , such as reagents , needed for measuring the concentration or presence of the analyte in question , packed in different containers but contained in the same package . the kit also can contain instructions of use . in addition the kit contains a computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium and comprising computer code means , which when run on a computer , are adapted to perform the steps of comparing the measured concentration values of an analyte with its predetermined cut - off value to provide the combination of comparison results , which together with optionally other data entered forms the basis for the information to be generated when used on a computer . the computer program product can contain pre - stored cut - off values for one or more of the analytes to be measured , or such values can be entered at the time of use . when using the kit , the concentration of the at least one analyte , as well as the concentrations of any of the other analytes as required , measured with the same kit or using other means or kits , are entered when using the program on a computer . yet another object of the invention is a computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium and comprising computer code means adapted to perform the steps of comparing the measured concentration values of an analyte , such as the analytes hp - marker , pgi and gastrin , with its predetermined cut - off value , to provide combinations of comparison results to generate , optionally with other data entered , information , when run on a computer . reference is made to the enclosed fig1 , wherein a diagram referring to a test panel or ‘ decision tree ’ according to an embodiment of the invention is disclosed . the cut - off values for each one of the analytes are those indicated in the diagram and referred to below , which have shown to give accurate diagnoses for the average population . naturally it is possible to use also other or more or less modified cut - off values , should the methods used for the determination of the analyte concentrations , and / or the sensitivity and specificity so require . the sample used is a serum sample , and the gastrin is gastrin - 17 ( g - 17 ). in the determination of serum pepsinogen i the cut - off - value for atrophic gastritis is , according to our previous studies , 20 - 30 μg / l depending on the specificity and sensitivity agreed upon for the method in question , which corresponds to appr . 450 - 690 pmol / l . in this example we have used a value of 25 μg / l as the first cut - off value for atrophic gastritis in the corpus area or atrophic pangastritis . however , according to the invention it is possible to use also a second value for pgi as a cut - off value to distinguish between atrophic gastritis in the antrum ( with only mild atrophic corpus gastritis ) and non - atrophic gastritis , respectively , when the g - 17 is within the cut - off range for g - 17 . in the context of this invention , this second value is termed the second cut - off value . in this example we have used a value of 50 μg / l for this second cut - off value , a value appr . twice that of the first cut - off value . if the pepsinogen ii analyte concentration is measured in addition , the first cut - off value for the ratio of pgi to pgii can be for example 2 . 5 , and the second cut - off for example appr . 5 . in this example we use the serum gastrin - 17 concentration obtained after protein stimulation , i . e . the postprandial gastrin - 17 . the cut - off range for ‘ stimulated ’ gastrin - 17 ( g - 17st ) is normally in the range of 5 to 10 pmol / l , whereby the lower limit of 5 pmol / l forms a lower cut - off value , the upper limit of 10 pmol / l the upper cut - off value , and the intermediate range a third cut - off range . in addition there is a lowest cut - off for gastrin - 17 of 0 . 5 pmol / l which is applicable for indicating a normal mucosa with normal pgi values ( pgi ≧ 25 μg / l ). the corresponding values and ranges for unstimulated g - 17 would be approximately half of those given for the stimulated values . in this example we have used the helicobacter pylori antibodies as a hp - marker , and we have found that a suitable cut - off value for the helicobacter pylori antibody value is appr . 30 eiu . according to the embodiment described in this example , the data processing means carries out a comparison of the measured hp - ab value to the cut - off value for hp - ab , which is indicated as being 30 eiu . depending on the measured value being higher than , or equal to or lower than the predetermined cut - off value , the data processing means perform in the first case a comparison of the measured g - 17st to is its cut - off range , and in the later case the data processing means perform a comparison of pgi to its first cut - off value . if , in the first case , the g - 17st is either below the lower cut - off value , or above its higher cut - off value , the data processing means perform a comparison of the pgi to its said first cut - off value . when g - 17st is below its lower cut - off and the pgi is below its first cut - off value , the data processing system will generate information relating to a diagnosis of atrophic antrum and corpus gastritis ( pangastritis ), but if the pgi is equal to or higher than the first cut - off value , the information will relate to atrophic gastritis of the antrum . when g - 17st is above its upper cut - off and the pgi is below the fist cut - off value for pgi , the information generated will relate to atrophic gastritis of the corpus , but if the measured pgi is equal to or above the first cut - off value for pgi , the information generated will relate to non - atrophic gastritis . the same diagnosis will be displayed if the measured pgi is high , and equal to or higher than the second cut - off value for pgi in combination with a g - 17st in the cut - off range . if in turn , the measured pgi is below the second cut - off value for pgi , with g - 17st in the cut - off range , the diagnoses displayed will be atrophic gastritis of the antrum area . on the other hand , if the hp - ab value is lower than or equal to its cut - off value , the data processing means perform a comparison of the measured pgi value with the first cut - off value for pgi . in case the measured pgi value is equal to or higher than the said cut - off value , the information generated will refer to a diagnosis of a normal mucosa at a gastrin - 17st value above the third lowest cut - off which in this example is 0 . 5 pmol / l . however , if the said measured pgi value is below the first cut - off value , the information displayed will relate to a diagnosis of atrophic corpus gastritis when the measured g - 17st is equal to or higher than the upper cut - off value , and to a diagnosis of pangastritis , when also the g - 17st is low , namely below the upper cut - off limit . the atrophic corpus gastritis will in this case be of the autoimmune type . as stated earlier , by feeding additional parameters into the data processing system , and combining them with the generated information , it is possible to provide additional information , for example in the form of suggestions for further treatments and / or further investigations , such as a suggestion to undergo endoscopy , to determine b12 vitamin and homocysteine levels , and eradication treatment of helicobacter pylori infection . the following examples are intended to illustrate the invention without restricting it in any way . the analytes measured are serum pepsinogen i , serum gastrin - 17 and helicobacter pylori antibodies ; the cut - off values are those shown in fig1 . also the age of the patient has been included as a parameter , the cut - off being 45 years . the respective diagnosis is given in each example , together with further suggestions for examinations and treatments , when applicable . 1 ) no atrophic gastritis 2 ) no h . pylori infection 3 ) no risk of gastric cancer and peptic ulcer diseases ( duodenal and gastric ); risk factor 1 × 1 ) peptic ulcer disease ( duodenal and gastric ulcer ) unlikely 2 ) autoimmune type atrophic corpus gastritis 3 ) increased risk of gastric cancer ( risk factor 3 - 5 × 1 ) peptic ulcer disease ( duodenal and gastric ) unlikely 2 ) increased risk of gastric cancer ( risk factor 3 - 90 ×) 1 ) peptic ulcer disease ( duodenal and gastric ) unlikely 2 ) increased risk of gastric cancer ( risk factor 3 - 90 ×) vitamin b12 replacement therapy , if b12 below 170 pmol / l . treatment of h . pylori infection necessary . 1 ) high risk of peptic ulcer disease ( duodenal and gastric ) ( risk factor 10 - 20 ×) 2 ) increased risk of gastric cancer ( risk factor 18 ×) 1 ) high risk of peptic ulcer disease ( duodenal and gastric ) ( risk factor 10 - 20 ×) 2 ) increased risk of gastric cancer ( risk factor 18 ×) 1 ) increased risk of peptic ulcer disease ( duodenal and gastric ) ( risk factor 10 ×) 2 ) low risk of gastric cancer ( risk factor 1 - 2 ×) 1 ) increased risk of peptic ulcer disease ( duodenal and gastric ) ( risk factor 10 ×) 2 ) low risk of gastric cancer ( risk factor 1 - 2 ×) vitamin b12 replacement therapy , if b12 below 170 pmol / l . treatment of h . pylori infection . 1 ) increased risk of peptic ulcer disease ( duodenal and gastric ) ( risk factor 10 ×) 2 ) low risk of gastric cancer ( risk factor 1 - 2 ×) endoscopy advisable . treatment of h . pylori infection if dyspeptic symptoms . vitamin b12 replacement therapy , if b12 below 170 pmol / l . treatment of h . pylori infection necessary if dyspeptic symptoms . | 6 |
in accordance with the present invention there is shown and described a needle deployment device . the needle deployment device includes a main body having a driving mechanism therein . a pair of needle holder assemblies , wherein the needle holder assemblies include needles and needle guides . a suture holder having a first end and a second end , wherein the first end is operatively coupled to the driving mechanism and the second end is adapted to receive the needles , wherein the needles received sutures disposed within the suture holder . referring now to fig1 there is shown a representative embodiment of the needle deployment device 10 according to the present invention . the needle deployment device 10 includes a main body 20 including a fluid inlet 15 and a fluid outlet 16 ( not shown ), a needle holder assembly 40 and a suture holder 60 . the needle deployment device 10 will be described in greater detail below with reference to fig1 - 15 . the main body 20 of the needle deployment device 10 may be constructed of any bio - compatible material such as titanium , stainless steel , or plastics . in a preferred embodiment , the main body 20 is constructed of plastic such as polyvinyl chloride or nylon or delrin . the main body 20 may be constructed as a unitary body utilizing manufacturing processes such as injection molding or milling . alternatively , the main body 20 may be constructed of multiple pieces which may then be assembled utilizing a bio - compatible adhesive . the main body 20 includes a chamber 22 wherein the fluid inlets 15 and the fluid outlet 16 are in fluid communication with the chamber 22 . the chamber 22 is adapted to slidably receive a driving assembly 90 . the driving assembly includes a wiper seal , a piston cap , a return spring , an end cap , a locking frame , and a drive shaft , each of which will be described in greater detail below with reference to fig2 - 14 . referring now to fig2 there is shown the drive shaft 50 of the driving assembly 90 . the drive shaft 50 comprises an elongated body 52 having a proximal end portion 51 and distal end portion 53 , a first slot 54 , grooves 56 , projections 58 , and pins 59 extending from the projections 58 . the proximal end portion 51 of the drive shaft is adapted to be fixedly attached to the wiper seal 95 of the driving assembly 90 . the drive shaft 50 may be constructed as a unitary member of may be constructed of multiple parts which may then be assembled . the drive shaft may be constructed of bio - compatible materials such as titanium , stainless steel , or plastics . preferably , the drive shaft 50 is constructed of a bio - compatible plastic such as delrin or nylon . referring now to fig3 there is shown the locking frame 60 of the driving assembly 90 . the locking frame includes a body 62 , wherein the body 62 includes a first projection 64 and a second projection 64 ′ ( not shown ). the body 62 further includes a plurality of apertures 63 and 65 disposed therethrough . the apertures 63 are adapted to receive and retain a tab disposed upon the needle guide assembly as will be described in greater detail below . additionally , the locking frame further includes biasing members 67 . the biasing members 67 are fixedly attached to a first side 66 of the body 62 of the locking frame 60 and extend into the aperture 65 of the locking frame 60 . the distal end portion 61 of the first and second projections is adapted to receive the needle guide assembly as will be described in greater detail below . the locking frame may be constructed of bio - compatible materials such as stainless steel , titanium or plastics . in a preferred embodiment the locking frame 60 is constructed of nylon . the locking frame may be constructed utilizing known manufacturing processes such as machining or injection molding . the biasing members 67 may be constructed of a bio - compatible material such as stainless steel , titanium or plastics . in a preferred embodiment the biasing members 67 are constructed of a nickel - titanium alloy nitinol . in accordance with the present invention the biasing members 67 may be integrally formed with the locking frame 60 . as previously noted , the needle deployment device 10 includes guide assemblies 40 , wherein the guide assemblies 40 will be described in greater detail below with reference to fig4 through 7 . referring now to fig4 there is shown a guide assembly 40 in accordance with the present invention . the guide assembly 40 includes a needle block assembly 70 having a plurality of needles 78 , and a core 80 . the needles 78 include a distal end portion 77 ( not shown ) and a proximal end portion 79 , wherein the distal end portion 77 is adapted to be received within apertures 73 formed within the needle block 72 . the proximal end portion 79 of the needles 78 contain a reduced cross - sectional area 75 as shown in fig4 . the needles 78 extend from the needle block 72 , wherein the outer needles do not extend from the needle block 72 as far as the inner needles . the needle block 72 further includes a chamber 74 and at least one aperture 76 disposed therethrough , wherein the chamber 74 and aperture 76 are disposed about an axis perpendicular to an axis which the needles 78 extend along . furthermore , the aperture 76 is adapted to receive the pins 59 extending from the projections 58 of the drive shaft 50 as will be described in greater detail below . the needle block 72 may be constructed of bio - compatible materials such as titanium , stainless steel , nitinol , or plastics . in a preferred embodiment the needle block 72 is constructed of nylon . the needles 78 may be constructed of bio - compatible materials such as stainless steel or titanium . in a preferred embodiment the needles are constructed of a nickel - titanium composite ( nitinol ). additionally , the needles are constructed wherein the needles are sufficiently resilient and are capable of being readily deformed . the needles in a preferred embodiment have a round cross - sectional profile , though it is contemplated that the needles may have other cross - sectional profiles . for example , the needles may have a square , rectangular , oval or similar cross - sectional profile . as discussed above the distal end portion of the needles are fixedly attached within the apertures 73 of the needle block 72 . the needles may be fixedly attached within the apertures 73 using bio - compatible adhesives . alternatively , the needles 78 may be inserted within the molding process if the needle block 72 is molded . still further , it is contemplated that other methods may be utilized to affix the needles within the needle block 72 , for example , the needles may be fixed within the needle block by melting the needle block . as previously noted , the needle deployment device 10 of the present invention includes a plurality of guide assemblies 40 . the guide assemblies 40 include a housing , a core , and a needle block assembly wherein the needle block assembly includes a plurality of flexible needles . the guide assemblies 40 will be described in greater detail with reference to the fig5 - 8 . referring now to fig5 there is shown a front view of a guide assembly 40 , wherein the guide assembly 40 includes a housing 41 , a biasing member 47 ( not shown ), a locking pin 48 , and a needle block 80 . a detailed description is provided below with reference to a single guide assembly 40 , wherein it shall be understood that the second guide assembly in a preferred embodiment is a mirror image thereof , excluding the biasing member and locking pin of the first guide assembly wherein the second guide assembly is adapted to receive the locking pin projecting from the first guide assembly . referring now to fig6 and 7 there are shown an expanded view and an assembled isometric view of the guide assembly 40 in accordance with the present invention , wherein the guide assembly 40 and the core 80 have been assembled within the body 41 of the guide assembly 40 . a needle block assembly 70 ( not shown ), as described in detail above , may be slidably disposed within the chamber 44 of the body 41 of the guide assembly 40 . the needles 78 are adapted to be received within a plurality of needle guides 50 , as will be described in greater detail below . the core 80 as assembled within the body 41 of the guide assembly 40 retains the biasing member 47 and the locking pin 48 , wherein the locking pin 48 may be biased between a retracted position and an extended position . referring now to fig6 and the core 80 shown therein . the core 80 further includes a recessed area 82 and an aperture 83 wherein the aperture 83 is adapted to slidably receive the locking pin 48 therein . the core 80 further includes a first cavity 84 and a second cavity 86 , wherein the first cavity 84 and the second cavity 86 are adapted to receive the distal end portion 61 of the locking frame 60 as will be described in greater detail below . referring now to fig7 there is shown an isometric view of the guide assembly 40 according to the present invention . as shown in fig7 the body 41 of the guide assembly 40 further includes a tab 43 projecting from the proximal end portion 45 of the body 41 . the tab 43 is adapted to be received within the locking frame 60 as will be described in greater detail below . in addition , the body 41 is adapted to slidably receive the needle block assembly 70 , wherein the needles 78 are slidably received within the needle guides 50 . as shown in fig6 the needle guides are adapted to direct the flexible needles 78 at an angle relative to the direction of motion of the needle block assembly . the function of the needle guides will be described in greater detail below . the core 80 , body 41 and locking pin 48 may be constructed of bio - compatible materials such as titanium , stainless steel , or plastics . in a preferred embodiment , the core 80 and body 41 are constructed of plastic . in a preferred embodiment , the locking pin 48 is constructed of stainless steel . the core 80 and body 41 may be constructed using known manufacturing methods such as machining or injection molding . in a preferred embodiment , the core 80 and body 41 are constructed using injection molding . the locking pin 48 may be constructed using any of the methods described above , in a preferred embodiment the locking pin 48 is machined . the core 80 may be secured to the body 41 using a plurality of pins 81 as shown in fig7 . alternatively , in accordance with the present invention , the core may be fixedly attached to the body using a bio - compatible adhesive . in accordance with the present invention , the core and body may be integrally formed wherein the needle guides are formed therein during the manufacturing process . referring now to fig8 there is shown the suture guide 100 in accordance with the present invention . the suture guide 100 includes a foot portion 110 and a shaft portion 120 . the shaft portion 120 of the suture guide 100 includes an aperture 122 disposed therethrough adjacent a proximal end portion 121 and a second aperture 123 disposed adjacent the foot 110 . additionally , the shaft portion 120 further includes a groove 125 disposed therein adjacent the foot portion 110 of the suture guide 100 , wherein the groove 125 is adapted to receive a suture hook 150 ( shown in fig1 ). the foot 110 of the suture guide 100 further includes a plurality of a suture holders 112 , wherein the suture holders 112 are adapted to receive cuffs 130 as shown in fig1 . the cuffs 130 are fixedly attached to suture 170 , wherein the suture is guided through a suture guide 113 of the foot 110 . additionally , the cuffs 130 are further adapted to receive the proximal ends 79 of the needles , wherein the proximal ends 79 of the needles 78 engage the cuffs 130 as will be described in greater detail below with reference to fig1 a through 15d . referring now to fig1 - 12 , there are shown partial cross - sectional views or cut - away views of the needle delivery device 10 as assembled . referring now to fig1 , there is shown a cross - sectional side view of the needle delivery device 10 in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig1 , the driving assembly 90 is disposed within the chamber 22 of the main body 20 . the wiper seal 95 sealingly engages the wall of the chamber 22 , thereby providing a fluid tight seal between the chamber and the proximal end of the wiper seal 95 . the end cap 97 is disposed at the distal end of the chamber 22 , whereby the end cap 97 may be fixedly attached to the main body 20 with a bio - compatible glue or alternatively , the end cap 97 may be removably attached to the main body 20 through the use of mechanical fasteners or molded fasteners . the wiper seal 95 may be constructed of a suitable pliable material such as rubber , silicone , urethane or preferably of polyisoprene . the piston cap ( not shown ), end cap 97 , drive shaft 50 , and locking frame 60 may be constructed of a bio compatible material such as titanium , stainless steel , or plastics , preferably they are constructed of polycarbonate according to known manufacturing methods such as injection molding or machining . the return spring 98 and locking tabs 67 are preferably constructed of stainless steel , though it is contemplated that other bio - compatible materials may be utilized . as fluid force acts on the proximal end of the wiper seal 95 , the driving assembly 90 is advanced within the chamber 22 of the main body 20 , thereby advancing the locking frame along the length of the drive shaft 50 . at least one locking tab 67 disposed upon the locking frame 60 is received within a slot 56 on the drive shaft 50 as shown in fig1 . after the locking tab 67 has engaged the drive shaft 50 as shown in fig1 , the guide assembly 40 can no longer advance along the length of the drive shaft 50 . at this point , the guide assembly 40 is positioned at a pre - determined height above the vessel wall for deployment of the needles . after the guide assembly 40 engages the drive shaft 50 as described above , further force acting on the driving assembly 90 causes the drive shaft 50 to advance the needles 78 . the needles are operatively coupled to the drive shaft 50 through pins 59 extending from the projections 58 of the drive shaft 50 which are disposed within the aperture 76 of the needle block assembly 70 as shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 the tab 43 disposed on the proximal end portion of the body 41 of the guide assembly 40 is received within the aperture 63 of the locking frame 60 and the distal end portion 61 of the locking frame 60 is received within the first chamber 84 of the core 80 , thereby removably attaching the guide assembly to the distal end portion of the needle deployment device 10 . referring now to fig1 , there is shown a cut - away isometric view of the distal end portion of the needle deployment device 10 . as shown in fig1 , the core 80 is adapted to guide the needles 78 such that the proximal end portion 79 of the needles 78 are received within the cuff holders 112 of the foot 110 . referring now to fig1 and 14 there are shown a side view and a top view of the proximal end portion 79 of the needle 78 as received within the cuff holder 112 and cuff 130 . as shown , the proximal portion of the cuff holder 112 is adapted to direct the proximal end portion 79 of the needle 78 towards the chamber 132 of the cuff 130 . therefore , when the needles 78 are driven into the cuff holders 130 the cuff holders 112 will ensure that the proximal end portion 79 of the needles are received within the chamber 132 of the cuff 130 , thus ensuring capture of the cuffs 130 by the needles 78 . furthermore , this feature allows for greater manufacturing tolerances as well as for variables which are unforseen during use . for example , if a needle is slightly deflected due to plaque buildup within a vessel , the proximal portion of the cuff holder 130 will ensure that the needle 78 will be received within the cuff 130 for capture . the cuffs 130 may be manufactured of a bio - compatible material such as titanium , stainless steel , or plastics . the cuffs 130 have a generally cylindrical cross - sectional profile with an aperture disposed therethrough . the proximal end portion of the cuff 130 is adapted to receive the proximal end portion 79 of the needle 78 . the distal end portion of the cuff 130 is adapted to receive suture 170 , wherein the suture may be fixedly attached within the aperture 171 of the cuff with a bio - compatible adhesive , fusing the cuff with the suture , crimping the cuff , or similar methods of attachment . the suture may be any one of the known sutures available from various suppliers and known to one skilled in the art . as shown in fig9 the suture s extending from the distal end of the cuffs is gathered and arranged to run along the distal surface of the foot 110 from the distal end portion through a suture channel 113 disposed within the proximal end portion of the foot 110 . the suture s then extends along the elongated shaft within the groove of the suture holder 100 , wherein the suture hook 150 retains the suture within the groove as shown in fig1 . the suture hook 150 may be constructed of bio - compatible materials such as stainless steel , titanium or nitinol . in accordance with the present invention , referring now to fig1 a - 15 d there is shown in sequence the needle deployment device 10 in use . referring now to fig1 a there is shown a partial front view of the needle deployment device 10 , wherein the distal end portion of the needle deployment device has been inserted into a vessel . a fluid force f is applied to the drive shaft 50 by applying force to a fluid source that is operatively coupled to the chamber 22 of the main body 20 , wherein the fluid force f acts upon the driving assembly 90 as described above . in response to the fluid force f applied to the driving assembly 90 , the guide assemblies 40 are driven along the length of the suture guide 100 until the locking tabs 67 are received within a recessed area 56 of the drive shaft 50 , whereby the locking tabs 67 prevent further motion of the guide assemblies 40 as well as placing the guide assemblies 40 at a pre - determined height above the surface of the vessel in which the needles are to be deployed . referring now to fig1 b , wherein the guide assemblies 40 have become locked , the force f subsequently drives the needle block assemblies 70 and needles 78 through the vessel wall v , wherein the proximal end 79 of the needles 78 are received within the cuffs 130 of the foot 110 as shown in fig1 c . the needles are driven in a predetermined path defined by the needle guides within the body and core of the needle assembly . the path which the needles are driven along is at an angle relative to a vertical axis of the foot 110 . the curved needle path allows for greater tissue capture during deployment of the device . the term tissue capture shall be understood as the amount of tissue between the incision through which the foot has been placed and the location within the vessel wall where the needles enter . the needle deployment device exhibits good tissue capture because the needles are driven through the vessel wall at a distance from the incision through which the foot is placed . after the proximal ends 79 of the needles 78 have been received within the needle cuffs 130 as shown in fig1 d , a vacuum force is applied to the chamber 22 of the main body 20 , wherein the vacuum and return spring act to withdraw the needles from the foot 110 and through the vessel wall as shown in fig1 e . as described in detail above , the foot is adapted to receive and align the proximal end portion of the needles such that the needles are axially received within the cuff 130 . as the needles are retracted into the guide assemblies 40 , the suture 170 previously retained within the suture track 113 on the foot 110 of the needle deployment device 10 is drawn through the vessel wall v . after the needles have been fully retracted within the guide assemblies 40 , the guide assemblies 40 may be removed from the distal end portion of the needle deployment device 10 and the foot may be removed from the vessel . referring now to fig1 there is shown an anastomosis assembly 15 , the assembly includes a first needle deployment device 10 connected with a second needle deployment device 10 ′. as shown in fig1 the two needle deployment devices 10 and 10 ′ are connected with a flexible belt 200 . the flexible belt 200 includes at least one lumen extending therethrough , wherein a first end 202 of the belt 200 is connected to the first needle deployment device 10 and the second end 204 of the belt is connected to the second needle deployment device 10 ′. a first end of the suture 270 extends from the suture support 100 of the first needle deployment device 10 , through the lumen of the belt 200 to the suture support 100 ′ of the second needle deployment device 10 ′ as shown . as shown in fig1 , the belt may further include a buckle 230 as shown , wherein the buckle 230 includes a first aperture 231 and a second aperture 232 wherein the belt is threaded therethrough , and the buckle 230 being slidably disposed upon the belt 200 . the anastomosis assembly 15 is suitable for performing side to side anastomosis between two vessels , wherein the first needle deployment device 10 and the second needle deployment device 10 ′ are inserted into a first and second vessel respectively . after each of the devices have been deployed as described in detail above , the belt is opened , thereby releasing the sutures from the lumen therein . the belt may be opened by splitting the casing along a perforated line , or other means may be employed to open the belt , such as having a sealable closure or other device disposed upon the belt . once the belt is removed and the two vessels have been brought together , the buckle is utilized to organize the sutures and to enable a surgeon to then tie off the sutures in a conventional manner . referring now to fig1 there is shown a second anastomosis system 18 in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig1 the anastomosis system 18 includes a needle deployment device , a belt , and a suture placement device . referring to fig1 , the suture placement device 312 comprises a body 314 and two suture holder retainers 316 , 318 . each retainer 316 , 318 is mounted on the body 314 by means of a pivotal connection 320 , 322 respectively . the device 312 further comprises a vessel support shaft 324 for receiving an end portion of a vessel , or graft , or the like , thereon . the shaft 324 is mounted on the body 314 . the shaft 324 is arranged to be passed through the mouth of the vessel so that the vessel can be supported at an operative position on the shaft 324 at which position the device 312 can pass a plurality of suture elements through the wall of the vessel adjacent its mouth . the body 314 comprises a piston and cylinder arrangement similar to that of the needle deployment device 10 described above . the piston and cylinder arrangement is indicated schematically and generally by reference numeral 326 . a socket for receiving an end of the conduit portion 421 of the flexible elongate member 420 is indicated at 327 . when the conduit portion 421 is connected to the socket 327 , a chamber within the body 314 is connected in fluid flow communication with a female luer - type connector . referring now to fig1 to 21 of the drawings , the shaft 324 defines a plurality of longitudinally extending passages indicated schematically by reference numeral 328 . the passages 328 have bends 330 leading to mouths 332 opening at an outer surface 334 of the shaft 324 . as can best be seen with reference to fig2 and 21 , a needle 335 is received in each of the passages 328 . each needle 335 defines a pointed end 435 . an actuation member in the form of an elongate pin or rod formation 336 is received in each of the passages 328 immediately behind the needles 335 . the pin formations 336 are operatively associated with the piston on the body 314 so that the formations 336 are caused to advance , as indicated by arrow k , in response to the piston being caused to advance within its associated cylinder . it will be appreciated that the piston of the device 312 is caused to advance within its associated cylinder in a manner similar to that of the piston and cylinder arrangement of the needle deployment device 10 , as described above , namely , by depressing a plunger of a syringe connected in fluid flow communication with the female luer - type connector 140 , as can best be seen with reference to fig1 . with reference to fig2 , upon advancement of the pin formations 336 along the passages 328 , the needles 335 are caused to advance along the passages 328 also . the needles 335 are caused to advance such that their pointed ends 435 are pushed out of the mouths 332 and laterally outwardly from the surface 334 of the shaft 324 . referring now to fig2 of the drawings , ends 438 of a plurality of suture elements 338 are operatively engaged to end portions of the needles 335 adjacent the ends 435 of the needles 335 . the ends 438 of the suture elements 338 can be operatively engaged to the end portions of the needles 335 in any appropriate manner . for example , the end portions of the needles 335 can have laterally extending apertures through which end portions of the suture elements 338 can be threaded . the suture elements 338 typically extend along the outer surface 334 of the shaft 324 , along an outer surface of the body 314 and into the suture container portion 421 of the elongate flexible member 120 , as can best be seen with reference to fig1 of the drawings , in a fashion similar to that described above with reference to the system 15 . it will be appreciated that opposed ends of the suture elements 338 are held on the suture support 118 of the device 112 of the system 310 in a fashion similar to that of the ends 460 of the suture elements 160 of the system 110 . the operation of the device 312 will now be described with reference to fig2 to 25 of the drawings . it will be appreciated that opposed ends of the suture elements 338 are placed through a vessel wall by means of the needle deployment device 10 and adjacent an incision in that vessel wall in a manner similar to that described above with reference to the system 15 . referring to fig2 , an end portion 450 of a vessel , or graft , indicated generally by reference numeral 350 , is shown in a received condition on the shaft 324 . the end portion 450 of the vessel 350 was positioned on the shaft 324 by displacing the suture holder arrangements 316 , 318 angularly about the pivotal connections 320 , 322 into open positions and then passing the end portion 450 of the vessel 350 over the shaft 324 . conveniently , marks 352 are provided on the shaft 324 to indicate an appropriate position of an end 450 of the vessel 350 on the shaft 334 so as to enable the suture elements to be passed through a vessel wall 451 of the vessel 350 at an appropriate distance from the end 452 . in fig2 , only the suture holder retainer 318 is shown in an open condition . typically , both retainers 316 , 318 are opened so as to pass the vessel portion 450 over the shaft 324 . when the end portion 450 of the vessel 350 has been positioned such that its end 452 is in register with the marks 352 on the shaft 324 , the retainers 316 , 318 are displaced angularly about the pivotal connections 320 , 322 into a closed condition in which the end portion 450 of the vessel 350 is embraced between the retainers 316 , 318 and the shaft 324 . fig2 shows the retainer 316 having been displaced from an open condition into a closed condition after the portion 450 of the vessel 350 has been appropriately positioned on the shaft 324 . conveniently , the vessel 350 is shaped to have an angled , or inclined , end 452 so as to permit an end - to - side anastomosis to be formed in which the one vessel extends from the other at an acute angle , as can best be seen with reference to fig2 of the drawings . the marks 352 are formed on the shaft 324 to extend circumferentially around the shaft 324 so as to align with a vessel having such an inclined end 452 . [ 0088 ] fig2 shows the portion 450 of the vessel 350 having been received on the shaft 324 and further shows both retainers 316 , 318 in closed conditions . as can best be seen with reference to fig2 of the drawings , the retainers 316 , 318 are provided with cooperating engaging formations so as to lockingly engage with each other when in their closed conditions . conveniently , the engaging formations comprise tongue members 354 , 354 and slot arrangements 356 , 356 for snap - lockingly receiving the tongue members 354 , 354 . after the end portion 450 of the vessel 350 has been received on the shaft 324 and the retainers 316 , 318 have been closed so as to engage lockingly with each other , the needles 335 bearing the ends 438 of the suture elements 338 are caused to advance along the passages 328 . this is achieved by means of the pin formations 336 being displaced along the passages 328 in response to actuating a syringe connected in fluid flow communication with the female luer - type connector 140 operatively associated with the device 312 . as the needles 335 are caused to advance in this fashion , the ends 435 of the needles 335 are driven through the wall 451 of the vessel 350 adjacent its mouth . the ends 438 of the suture elements 338 are passed through the vessel wall 451 together with the ends 435 of the needles 335 , since the ends 438 of the suture elements 338 are appropriately attached to the ends of the needles . after the ends 435 of the needles 335 have passed through the vessel wall 452 , the ends 435 are driven into suture holders 358 , 360 releasably mounted on the suture holder arrangements 316 , 318 to be held captive by the holders 358 , 360 . the retainers 316 , 318 are then angularly displaced about the pivotal connections 320 , 322 into their open conditions to enable the vessel 350 to be removed from the shaft 324 . the suture holders 358 , 360 are removed from the retainers 316 , 318 , while the needle ends 435 , and consequently also the ends 438 of the suture elements 338 , are held captive on the suture holders 358 , 360 . to remove the holders 358 , 360 from the retainers 316 , 318 , hand grippable portions 450 , 360 . 1 of the holders 358 , 360 are typically manipulated to cause the holders 358 , 360 to be slid along slots 362 defined by the retainers 316 , 318 . as can best be seen in fig2 of the drawings , each retainer 316 , 318 has a part annular shoulder formation 364 arranged to retain the holders 358 , 360 in a mounted condition on the retainers 316 , 318 . when the holders 358 , 360 are removed from their associated retainers 316 , 318 , the hand grippable portions 458 , 460 are manipulated resiliently to urge the holders over the annular shoulder formations 364 . fig2 shows the end portion 450 of the vessel 350 having been removed from the shaft 324 and further shows the holders 358 , 360 having been removed from the associated retainers 316 , 318 . referring now to fig2 and 28 of the drawings , the suture holder 358 is shown in greater detail , and after it has been removed from its associated retainer 316 . in fig2 and 28 , the holder 358 is shown after the needles 335 have been passed through the portion of the vessel 350 and into engagement with the holder 358 . in fig2 , the suture holder is shown having a shape corresponding to the shape which it has when mounted on its associated retainer 316 . when mounted on the retainer 316 , opposed flange portions 358 . 2 of the suture holder 358 are held in a resiliently deformed condition such that an inner surface 459 defined by the flange portions 458 extends generally along a circular circumference so as to extend snugly around the vessel portion 450 when held between the retainers 316 , 318 and the shaft 324 . the suture holder 358 is typically made from a resilient material , such as silicone , or the like . in fig2 , the suture holder 358 is shown after having been removed from its associated retainer 316 . after having been removed , the flange portions 459 take up a relaxed condition in which they have a straighter profile than in the case when mounted on the retainer 316 . in this relaxed condition , the spacing between the needle ends 335 on which the ends 435 of the suture elements 338 are carried is greater than in the case when the holder 358 was mounted on the retainer 316 . the holder 358 is designed so that when in its relaxed condition , the spacing between adjacent suture element ends 435 on the needles 335 generally corresponds with the spacing between adjacent suture element ends when held on the needle block assembly 70 and 70 ″ of the suture guide 40 and 40 ′ of the needle deployment device 10 . to form the end - to - side anastomosis , the needle deployment device 10 is used to place the opposed ends of the suture elements 338 through another vessel wall adjacent an incision in the other vessel wall in a fashion similar to that described above with reference to the system 15 . after the suture elements 338 have been placed through the wall of the portion 450 of the vessel 350 adjacent its mouth , as described above , and after opposed ends of the suture elements 338 have been placed through a vessel wall adjacent an incision in the vessel wall by the needle deployment device 10 , in a manner similar to that described above , the suture holders 358 , 360 are paired up with the suture attached to the proximal end portion of the needles 78 of the needle deployment device 10 . conveniently , the holders may be distinctively colored to indicate to the user which of the holders is to be matched up with which of the holders . accordingly , in this fashion , opposed ends of the same suture elements are paired up with each other . the paired up end portions of the suture elements can then be passed into the slots of a suture handling device as described above , for example . after having been received in the slots of the suture handling device as described above , the suture elements can be removed from the suture handling device and can be tied , or otherwise secured together , so as to form sutures between the vessels thereby to form an end - to - side anastomosis between the vessels . although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments , it is contemplated that one skilled in the art may make modifications to the device herein without departing from the scope of the invention . therefore , the scope of the amended claims should not be considered limited to the embodiments described herein . | 0 |
the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent is not particularly limited as long as it is a prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent for side effects of anticancer agent containing alas . the agent of the present invention can be taken before the anticancer agent therapy , simultaneously with the anticancer agent therapy , after the anticancer agent therapy , or after the occurrence of the anticancer agent side effects , as appropriate according to the embodiment . by employing the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent , the side effects of anticancer agent are alleviated , and thereby in some cases can allow increase in the administration dose of anticancer agent . the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent can also be used in combination with an anticancer agent , for example as a drug combination , or used as a kit . the anticancer agent in the present invention is not particularly limited . a non - limiting example of such an anticancer agent can include platinum - containing antitumor agent ( such as cisplatin ). the side effects of anticancer agent in the present invention refer to the physical deficiency in general due to an anticancer agent . the side effects of anticancer agent are various . non - limiting examples of such side effects can include ( 1 ) side effects related to blood or bone marrow such as decrease of hemoglobin , hemolysis , and anemia , ( 2 ) side effects related to general symptoms such as weakness , malaise , and weight loss , ( 3 ) side effects related to skin symptoms such as hair loss and rash , ( 4 ) side effects related to the gastrointestinal system such as nausea , retching , constipation , and diarrhea , and ( 5 ) side effects related to the kidney ( nephrotoxicity ) such as renal failure . the compound employed as the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent is alas . alas herein refer to ala or a derivative thereof or a salt thereof . examples of ala derivatives can include compounds represented by the following formula ( i ). in formula ( i ), r 1 represents a hydrogen atom or an acyl group , and r 2 represents a hydrogen atom , a linear or branched alkyl group , a cycloalkyl group , an aryl group , or an aralkyl group . in formula ( i ), ala corresponds to the case where r 1 and r 2 are hydrogen atoms . alas may be those that act in vivo as an active ingredient as the ala of formula ( i ) or a derivative state thereof , and can also be administered as a prodrug ( precursor ) that is degraded by an in vivo enzyme . the acyl group in r 1 of formula ( i ) can include a linear or branched alkanoyl group having 1 to 8 carbons such as formyl , acetyl , propionyl , butyryl , isobutyryl , valeryl , isovaleryl , pivaloyl , hexanoyl , octanoyl , and benzylcarbonyl groups , and an aroyl group having 7 to 14 carbons such as benzoyl , 1 - naphthoyl , and 2 - naphthoyl groups . the alkyl group in r 2 of formula ( i ) can include a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbons such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , pentyl , isopentyl , neopentyl , hexyl , heptyl , and octyl groups . the cycloalkyl group in r 2 of formula ( i ) can include a cycloalkyl group having 3 to 8 carbons with saturated or possibly partially unsaturated bonds , such as cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , cycloheptyl , cyclooctyl , cyclododecyl , and 1 - cyclohexenyl groups . the aryl group in r 2 of formula ( i ) can include an aryl group having 6 to 14 carbons such as phenyl , naphthyl , anthryl , and phenanthryl groups . the aralkyl group in r 2 of formula ( i ) can include the same exemplification as the above aryl groups for the aryl moiety and the same exemplification as the above alkyl groups for the alkyl moiety , specifically , an aralkyl group having 7 to 15 carbons such as benzyl , phenethyl , phenylpropyl , phenylbutyl , benzhydryl , trityl , naphthylmethyl , and naphthylethyl groups . preferred ala derivatives include compounds where r 1 is e . g . a formyl , an acetyl , a propionyl , or a butyryl group . preferred ala derivatives also include compounds where the above r 2 is e . g . a methyl , an ethyl , a propyl , a butyl , or a pentyl group . preferred ala derivatives also include compounds where the combination of the above r 1 and r 2 is each a combination of ( formyl and methyl ), ( acetyl and methyl ), ( propionyl and methyl ), ( butyryl and methyl ), ( formyl and ethyl ), ( acetyl and ethyl ), ( propionyl and ethyl ), or ( butyryl and ethyl ). among alas , examples of a salt of ala or a derivative thereof can include a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt , a metal salt , an ammonium salt , and an organic amine addition salt . examples of an acid addition salt can be , for example , each of inorganic acid salts such as hydrochloride , hydrobromide , hydroiodide , phosphate , nitrate , and sulfate salts , and each of organic acid addition salts such as formate , acetate , propionate , toluenesulfonate , succinate , oxalate , lactate , tartrate , glycolate , methanesulfonate , butyrate , valerate , citrate , fumarate , maleate , and malate salts . examples of a metal salt can be each of alkali metal salts such as lithium , sodium , and potassium salts , each of alkaline earth metal salts such as magnesium and calcium salts , and each of metal salts such as aluminum and zinc salts . examples of an ammonium salt can be alkyl ammonium salts such as ammonium and tetramethylammonium salts . examples of an organic amine salt can include each of triethylamine , piperidine , morpholine , and toluidine salts . these salts can also be employed as a solution at the time of use . among the above alas , the most preferred are ala and various esters such as ala methyl ester , ala ethyl ester , ala propyl ester , ala butyl ester , and ala pentyl ester , as well as hydrochloride , phosphate , and sulfate salts thereof . among these , ala hydrochloride and ala phosphate salts can be exemplified as particularly preferable . the above alas can be produced by e . g . a well - known method such as chemical synthesis , microorganic production , and enzymatic production . the above alas may also form a hydrate or a solvate , and alas can be employed alone or in an appropriate combination of two or more . the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent is preferably those further containing a metal in a range that does not cause symptoms due to excess . a metal compound can be favorably employed as said metal , as long as it does not adversely affect the advantages of the present invention . the metal according to the present invention can include iron , magnesium , zinc , nickel , vanadium , cobalt , copper , chromium , and molybdenum , although iron and zinc are preferred . examples of an iron compound can include ferrous citrate , sodium ferrous citrate , iron sodium citrate , iron ammonium citrate , ferric pyrophosphate , heme iron , iron dextran , iron lactate , ferrous gluconate , iron sodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate , iron ammonium diethylenetriamine pentaacetate , iron sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate , iron ammonium ethylenediaminepentaacetate , triethylenetetramine iron , iron sodium dicarboxymethylglutamate , iron ammonium dicarboxymethylglutamate , lactoferrin iron , transferrin iron , ferric chloride , iron sesquioxide , sodium iron chlorophyllin , ferritin iron , ferrous fumarate , ferrous pyrophosphate , saccharated iron oxide , iron acetate , iron oxalate , ferrous succinate , iron sodium succinate citrate , iron sulfate , and iron glycine sulfate . among these , ferrous citrate and sodium ferrous citrate are preferred . zinc compounds can include zinc chloride , zinc oxide , zinc nitrate , zinc carbonate , zinc sulfate , zinc diammonium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate , zinc disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate , zinc protoporphyrin , zinc - containing yeast , and zinc gluconate . one or two or more of each of the above metals can be employed , and the administration dose of the metal can include a molar ratio of 0 . 01 to 10 - folds , preferably 0 . 1 to 5 - folds , and more preferably 0 . 2 to 2 - folds relative to the administration dose of alas . the alas and the metal contained in the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent can be administered as a composition comprising the alas and the metal or as each alone , but simultaneous administration is preferred even when they are each administered alone . however , it may not need to be strictly simultaneous , but may be performed without a substantial interval between the two so that the administration of the alas and the metal can show an additive or synergistic effect . examples of the administration route for the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent can include oral administration including sublingual administration , or parenteral administration such as inhalation administration , intravenous administration including infusion , transdermal administration by e . g . a poultice , suppository , or administration by forced enteral nutrient employing a nasogastric tube , a nasointestinal tube , a gastrostomy tube , or an enterostomy tube , but oral administration is used in general . the administration subject is typically a human , but a non - human animal such as a pet , an experiment animal , and a farm animal may also be included . the dosage form of the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent can be appropriately determined depending on the above administration routes , and can include , for example , injections , infusions , tablets , capsules , fine granules , powders , solutions , liquors dissolved e . g . in a syrup , poultices , and suppositories . in order to prepare the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent , a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , excipient , diluent , additive , disintegrant , binder , coating , lubricant , gliding agent , glossing agent , flavoring agent , sweetening agent , solubilizer , solvent , gelling agent , and nutrient etc . can be added as necessary , specific examples of which can be water , saline , animal fat and oil , vegetable oil , lactose , starch , gelatin , crystalline cellulose , gum , talc , magnesium stearate , hydroxypropylcellulose , polyalkylene glycol , polyvinyl alcohol , and glycerin . when the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent is prepared as an aqueous solution , care must be taken so that the aqueous solution will not be alkaline in order to prevent the degradation of alas . if it becomes alkaline , degradation can also be prevented by removing oxygen . the amount / frequency / duration of the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent will vary according to the age , weight , and symptoms etc . of the person that is to utilize the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent . examples of the preferred administration dose can include 4 μmol to 13100 μmol , preferably 7 μmol to 4400 μmmol , more preferably 13 μmol to 3100 μmol , and further preferably 20 μmol to 880 μmol per one adult . note that the above preferred administration dose range are exemplary and are not limiting . the administration timing of the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent is most desirably continuously administering of agent of the present invention from at least three days or more before starting the administration of the anticancer agent , and continuing the administration of the agent of the present invention even during the duration of therapy by anticancer agent . however , a certain effect can be expected even if administration of the agent of the present invention is started when starting the administration of the anticancer agent , and continuing the administration of the agent of the present invention during the duration of therapy by anticancer agent . moreover , a certain effect can be expected even if the agent of the present invention is administered only during the period before starting the administration of the anticancer agent . moreover , by administering the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent , for example , administration of a standard amount of anticancer agent to a patient may become possible even when the anticancer agent cannot be administration at all or a standard amount of anticancer agent cannot be administered to the said patient due to severe side effects . accordingly , by administering the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent , the inherent effect of the anticancer agent can be drawn at its maximum , and not only the effect of improving the qol of the patient but also the effect of extending the patient &# 39 ; s life may be expected . the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent of the present invention for side effects of anticancer agent can also be used in combination with other existing prophylactic and / or therapeutic agents for side effects of anticancer agent . examples of existing prophylactic and / or therapeutic agents for side effects of anticancer agent include a large - scale administration of an electrolyte by infusion or chinese herbal medicines such as shiquan dabu teapills . since the mechanisms of these agents and ala regarding the prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent for side effects of anticancer agent are each thought to be fundamentally different , additive , and in some cases synergistic effect can be expected . unless otherwise defined , the terms used herein are employed to describe a particular embodiment and do not intend to limit the invention . in addition , the term “ comprising ” as used herein , unless the content clearly indicates to be understood otherwise , intends the presence of the described items ( such as components , steps , elements , and numbers ), and does not exclude the presence of other items ( such as components , steps , elements , and numbers ). unless otherwise defined , all terms used herein ( including technical and scientific terms .) have the same meaning as that broadly recognized by those skilled in the art of the technology to which the present invention belongs . unless explicitly defined otherwise , the terms used herein should be construed to have meanings consistent with those herein and in the related technical fields , and are not to be construed as idealized or excessively formal meanings . the present invention will now be more specifically described by examples , but the technological scope of the present invention is not limited to these exemplifications . example 1 : effect of reducing the side effects of ala administration on various side effects accompanying cisplatin administration in order to verify the effect of reducing the side effects by administration of alas on side effects arising from anticancer agent administration , cisplatin and ala were administered to rats , and the influence on rats was verified . forty - four 6 weeks - old sd rats ( male ) were purchased from japan slc , inc . they were used for experiments after conditioning for 7 days after purchase . the experiment duration was a total of 16 days , and experiment groups were divided into the following 5 groups i to v according to the ala administration condition . in all experiment groups except the negative control group ( group i ), cisplatin ( cddp ) was administered on day 6 from the start of experiment . cddp administration dose was 8 . 0 mg / kg of body weight , and each rat was intraperitoneally administered . saline was administered instead of cisplatin to group i as the negative control group . ala was also administered to groups iii , vi , and v according to the following schedule . on the other hand , no ala was administered to the positive control group ( group ii ). ala administration to groups iii , iv , and v was performed by daily oral administration of 10 mg / kg of body weight of ala hydrochloride salt + 15 . 7 mg / kg of body weight of sodium ferrous citrate ( dissolved in distilled water and sodium bicarbonate ). group i ( negative control group ): saline was administered on day 6 from the start of experiment . they were otherwise kept as usual . n = 4 group ii ( positive control group ): cddp was administered on day 6 from the start of experiment . they were otherwise kept as usual . n = 10 group iii (“ pre - administration group ”): ala was administered for a total of 5 days from the starting day of experiment to day 5 . cddp was also administered on day 6 . they were otherwise kept as usual . n = 10 group iv (“ post - administration group ”): on day 6 from the start of experiment , ala was administered , and then cddp was administered . ala was also administered for 10 days from day 6 to day 15 . they were otherwise kept as usual . n = 9 group v (“ full administration group ”): ala was administered for 15 days from the starting day of experiment to day 15 . on day 6 , ala was administered , and then cddp was administered . n = 9 blood was collected every two days for 15 days from the starting day of experiment to day 15 . observation of hair luster , stool state , and activity of rats was also carried out . each rat was also dissected on day 16 , and the kidney was resected . kidney sections were prepared after resection , and observed under a microscope after he staining . the rat survival rate of each experiment group for the duration of this experiment is shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , in the positive control group ( group ii ), reduction in the survival rate was seen on day 9 from the starting day of experiment due to the side effects of anticancer agent . in contrast , in groups administered with ala ( groups iii , iv , and v ), the timing of the start of reduction in the survival rate was delayed due to side effects from anticancer agent . it is also shown in groups administered with ala ( groups iii , iv , and v ) that reduction in the survival rate until day 16 could be suppressed . the “ full administration group ” administered with ala throughout the duration of experiment ( group v ) had the highest survival rate . however , a certain suppression effect on the side effects of anticancer agent was shown even for the “ pre - administration group ” ( group iii ) or the “ post - administration group ” ( group iv ). accordingly , reliable therapeutic and prophylactic effects by ala administration were shown in regards to reduction in the survival rate due to the side effects of anticancer agent . after fixing the kidney resected by dissection from each rat on day 16 with formalin , sections were prepared , and the state of the kidney was verified by he staining . the he staining images of the kidney are shown in fig2 . as shown in fig2 , administration of ala has alleviated the damage to the kidney due to the side effects of anticancer agent . the “ full administration group ” administered with ala throughout the duration of experiment ( group v ) was the most effective . however , a certain effect was shown even in the “ pre - administration group ” ( group iii ) and the “ post - administration group ” ( group iv ). accordingly , reliable therapeutic and prophylactic effects were shown in regards to the damage to the kidney due to the side effects of anticancer agent . the evaluation regarding hair luster , stool state , and activity of each rat in groups i to v is shown in the following table 1 . side effects were strongly observed from day 9 to day 13 from the starting day of experiment . accordingly , the state on days 9 , 11 , and 13 were scored and evaluated . hair luster here evaluates the side effect related to skin symptoms . stool state evaluates the side effect related to the gastrointestinal system . activity evaluates the side effect related to general symptoms , in particular evaluates the side effect related to malaise . each item was evaluated for each mouse by the following criteria , and is the numerical value of the sum of the three days ( days 9 , 11 , and 13 ) divided by the number of evaluation subject mice . 5 : very good , 4 : ordinarily state , 3 : slightly poor , 2 : poor , and 1 : death 5 : ordinarily stool , 4 : small amount of stool , 3 : slight diarrhea , 2 : diarrhea , and 1 : death 5 : ordinarily state , 4 : weak movement , 3 : slight movement , 2 : no movement , and 1 : death 5 : very good , 4 : ordinarily state , 3 : slightly poor , 2 : poor , and 1 : death as apparent from table 1 , ala administration was shown to have an alleviating action on various side effects caused by anticancer agent . the “ full administration group ” administered with ala throughout the duration of experiment ( group v ) showed the most preferable result . however , a certain effect was shown even in the “ pre - administration group ” ( group iii ) or the “ post - administration group ” ( group iv ). accordingly , reliable therapeutic and prophylactic effects by ala administration were shown in regards to the side effects of anticancer agent . example 2 : effect of reducing the side effects of ala administration on side effects on the kidney accompanying cisplatin administration in order to verify the effect of reducing the side effects by administration of alas on side effects on the kidney ( nephrotoxicity ) by anticancer agent administration , cisplatin and ala were administered to rats , and the influence on rat serum creatinine , urea nitrogen value ( bun ), and urine protein was verified . serum creatinine and urea nitrogen value ( bun ) were measured from blood samples . moreover , urine protein was measured from urine samples . weight loss which is a side effect on general symptoms as well as a side effect related to the gastrointestinal system was also observed at the same time . forty - six 6 weeks - old sd rats ( male ) were purchased from japan slc , inc . they were conditioned for 7 days after purchase . body weight measurement , blood collection , and urine collection of each rat were performed at the end of the conditioning period . the experiment was started on the next day with 44 rats . two individuals that had poor serum creatinine , urea nitrogen value ( bun ), and urine protein value at the measurement after conditioning were excluded from the experiment . in this experiment , experiment groups were divided into the following 4 groups i to iv according to the ala administration condition . the experiment was otherwise performed similarly to example 1 . group i ( negative control group ): saline was administered on day 6 from the start of experiment . they were otherwise kept as usual . n = 8 group ii ( positive control group ): cddp was administered on day 6 from the start of experiment . they were otherwise kept as usual . n = 14 group iii (“ post - administration group ”): on day 6 from the start of experiment , ala was administered , and then cddp was administered . ala was also administered for 10 days from day 6 to day 15 . they were otherwise kept as usual . n = 10 group iv (“ full administration group ”): ala was administered for 15 days from the starting day of experiment to day 15 . on day 6 , ala was administered , and then cddp was administered . n = 11 the body weight of each rat was measured , and blood and urine collection was carried out on starting day of experiment , days 6 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 13 , and 15 . the collected blood samples were used for measuring serum creatinine and urea nitrogen value ( bun ). in addition , the collected urine samples were used for measuring urine protein . each rat was also dissected on day 16 , and the kidney was resected and observed . the rat body weight change of each experiment group for the duration of this experiment is shown in fig3 . as shown in fig3 , in the positive control group ( group ii ), decrease in body weight was seen on day 1 and after due to the side effects of anticancer agent . in contrast , in groups administered with ala ( group iii , group iv ), decreased in body weight due to the side effects from anticancer agent was suppressed . further , in groups administered with ala ( group iii , group iv ), re - increase of body weight was observed on day 5 and after . although the “ full administration group ” administered with ala throughout the duration of experiment ( group iv ) was the most effective , a certain effect was shown even in the “ post - administration group ” ( group iii ). accordingly , reliable therapeutic and prophylactic effects by ala administration were shown in regards to weight loss which is a side effect of anticancer agent . the change in rat serum creatinine value of each experiment group for the duration of this experiment is shown in fig4 . as shown in fig4 , in the positive control group ( group ii ), a rapid increase in serum creatinine amount was seen on day 3 and after due to the side effects of anticancer agent . on the other hand , in groups administered with ala ( group iii , group iv ), although serum creatinine value due to the side effects from anticancer agent showed slight increase on day 5 , a value not much different from the negative control group was maintained . the change in rat urea nitrogen value ( bun ) of each experiment group for the duration of this experiment is shown in fig5 . as shown in fig5 , in the positive control group ( group ii ), a rapid increase in urea nitrogen value ( bun ) was seen on day 3 and after due to the side effects of anticancer agent . on the other hand , in groups administered with ala ( group iii , group iv ), it is shown that although urea nitrogen value due to the side effects from anticancer agent showed slight increase on day 5 , a value not much different from the negative control group was maintained . the change in rat urine protein value of each experiment group for the duration of this experiment is shown in fig6 . as shown in fig6 , in the positive control group ( group ii ), a rapid increase in urine protein value was seen on day 1 and after due to the side effects of anticancer agent . on the other hand , in groups administered with ala ( group iii , group iv ), it is shown that although urine protein value due to the side effects from anticancer agent showed slight increase on day 3 compared to the negative control group ( group i ), a value not much different from the negative control group was maintained . as apparent from fig4 to 6 , ala can alleviate kidney damage due to the side effects of anticancer agent . although the “ full administration group ” administered with ala throughout the duration of experiment ( group iv ) was the most effective , a certain effect was shown even in the “ post - administration group ” ( group iii ). accordingly , reliable therapeutic and prophylactic effects by ala administration were shown in regards to the side effects of anticancer agent on the kidney . the photographic figure of the kidney of each rat resected on day 16 is shown in fig7 . the kidneys of individuals that could be decided to have damage produced on renal function during the experimental period from serum creatinine value , urea toxin value ( bun ), and urine protein value were yellow and edematized . the kidneys that were yellow and edematized are shown with arrows in fig7 . it was validated whether or not ala administration has an influence on the cell toxicity ( anticancer effect ) of anticancer agent against cancer cells . the following cancer cells were employed in this experiment : t24 cells ( human transitional cell bladder cancer cells ) and 253j - bv cells ( human urinary tract epithelium cancer cells ). cisplatin was employed as the anticancer agent . ala hydrochloride salt was employed as ala . in addition , sodium ferrous citrate was administered together with ala administration . the concentrations of ala and sodium ferrous citrate were concentrations that are about 3 . 35 - folds higher ( ala hydrochloride salt : 200 μm , sodium ferrous citrate : 100 μm ) than the concentrations where the effect of alleviating the side effects of anticancer agent was obtained in examples 1 and 2 ( ala hydrochloride salt : 10 mg / kg of body weight ( about 59 . 67 μm ), sodium ferrous citrate : 15 . 7 mg / kg of body weight ( about 29 . 85 μm )). specifically , they were calculated so that the amounts of the concentration per 1 kg of body weight of ala and sodium ferrous citrate in example 3 are about 3 . 35 - folds of the amounts of ala and sodium ferrous citrate per 1 liter volume in examples 1 and 2 ( about 1 . 5 - fold for cisplatin below was calculated similarly .). on the other hand , the concentrations of cisplatin was a 2 - fold dilution series with the maximum at about 1 . 5 - folds of the concentration used in examples 1 and 2 ( 8 mg / kg of body weight ( about 26 . 66 μm )), which is 40 μm ( 40 μm , 20 μm , 10 μm , 5 μm , 2 . 5 μm , 1 . 25 μm , 0 μm ). cell toxicity at each concentration was compared in the following groups i to iv . group i : “ no addition group ,” i . e . the group with no ala administered group ii : “ pre - administration group ,” i . e . the group with ala administered only “ during preculture ” group iii : “ simultaneous administration group ,” i . e . the group with ala administered only “ with cisplatin administration ” group iv : “ full administration group ,” i . e . the group with ala administered “ during preculture ” and “ with cisplatin administration ” the meanings of each group will be further clearly described below . ( 1 ) t24 cells ( human transitional cell bladder cancer cells ) or 253j - bv cells ( human urinary tract epithelium cancer cells ) were cultured with a 10 cm dish in dmem medium comprising 10 % fbs to a subconfluent state . they were then collected by trypsin treatment . ( 2 ) for test groups group i ( no addition group ) and group iii ( simultaneous administration group ), the cells collected in ( 1 ) were suspended to a density of 50000 cells / ml in dmem medium comprising 10 % fbs . for test groups group ii ( pre - administration group ) and group iv ( full administration group ), the cells collected in ( 1 ) were suspended to a density of 50000 cells / ml in dmem medium comprising 200 μm of ala hydrochloride salt , 100 μm of sodium ferrous citrate , and 10 % fbs . ( 3 ) next , each suspension obtained in ( 2 ) was dispensed in a 96 - well microplate at 100 μl per well , and precultured at 37 ° c . for 24 hours . ( 1 ) after preculture , the medium was removed from each well . dmem medium comprising various concentrations ( 40 , 20 , 10 , 5 , 2 . 5 , 1 . 25 , 0 μm ) of cisplatin and 10 % fbs was added to group i ( no addition group ) and group ii ( pre - administration group ), and cultured in a co2 incubator at 37 ° c . in addition , dmem medium containing various concentrations ( 40 , 20 , 10 , 5 , 2 . 5 , 1 . 25 , 0 μm ) of cisplatin , 200 μm of ala hydrochloride salt , and 100 μm of sodium ferrous citrate , and 10 % fbs was added to group iii ( simultaneous administration group ) and group iv ( full administration group ), and cultured in a co2 incubator at 37 ° c . ( 2 ) after culturing for 48 hours in the presence of cisplatin , 10 μl of wst - 8 which is the substrate for cell counting kit - 8 ( from dojindo ) was added to each well , and chromogenic reaction was allowed at 37 ° c . for 2 hours . the survival rate was then measured for each well by measuring the absorbance at 450 nm . the absorbance of culturing in cisplatin - free medium was set at 100 % survival rate . in addition , the absorbance of color development by adding wst - 8 to cell - free medium was set at 0 % survival rate . with this , “ cell survival rate (%)” was calculated for each well . “ cell death rate (%)” was also calculated by the following formula . the cell death rate of groups i to iv are shown in fig8 and 9 . since cell death is the inhibition of cell survival by cisplatin , “ cell death rate (%)” is described as “ inhibition rate (%)” in fig8 and 9 . fig8 shows the death rate (%) of t24 cells ( human transitional cell bladder cancer cells ) due to cisplatin administration . the 50 % inhibitory concentration ( 50 % lethal concentration ) ( μm ) of t24 cells in groups i to iv were 5 . 73 μm ( group i ), 5 . 21 μm ( group ii ), 4 . 87 μm ( group iii ), and 5 . 56 μm ( group iv ), respectively . fig9 shows the death rate (%) of 253j - bv cells ( human urinary tract epithelium cancer cells ) due to cisplatin administration . the 50 % inhibitory concentration ( 50 % lethal concentration ) ( μm ) of 253j - bv cells in groups i to iv were 3 . 92 μm ( group i ), 3 . 92 μm ( group ii ), 2 . 80 μm ( group iii ), and 2 . 89 μm ( group iv ), respectively . as shown in fig8 and 9 , it was shown that ala administration hardly attenuated the effect of anticancer agent on anticancer effect of cisplatin , regardless of its administration timing and administration duration . an emergency surgery was performed on a woman who developed intestinal obstruction in the advanced colon cancer on aug . 19 , 2009 ( 61 - years old at the time ). according to the observation at the time of surgery , there was colon cancer the size of a fist , and although the cancer was resected and the intestinal obstruction was cleared , numerous peritoneal metastases were seen and remaining life expectancy was declared at 3 months . after the surgery , a molecular target drug such as avastin was concomitantly used in addition to folfox ( triple - drug combination of 5 - fu , isovorin , and elprat ) and folfiri ( triple - drug combination of 5 - fu , isovorin , and campto ) as anticancer agent therapy . further , 50 mg of aminolevulinic acid phosphate salt and 57 . 4 mg of sodium ferrous citrate per day were orally taken concurrently with this anticancer agent therapy . as a result , it was possible to continue anticancer agent therapy for one year after the surgery . administration of anticancer agent was given up after one year due to side effects , but oral intake of 50 mg of aminolevulinic acid phosphate salt and 57 . 4 mg of sodium ferrous citrate were continued , and she was able to survive for as long as one and a half years largely exceeding the declared 3 months life expectancy in a state with improved side effects . since the patient presented strong anemic symptom as a side effect , anemia improvement effect was selected as the comparison subject as the index of side effect improvement . the number of erythrocytes , hemoglobin value , and the number of leukocytes at ( i ) aug . 19 , 2009 which is just before the surgery and ( ii ) jan . 28 , 2011 which is about 1 year and 5 months after starting intake of aminolevulinic acid phosphate salt and sodium ferrous citrate are shown in table 2 below . as recognized from the above table , it is found that although decrease in the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin as well as increase in leukocytes due to inflammation due to cancerous anemia were seen just before the surgery , the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin are increased and anemia as a side effect of administration of anticancer agent is improved by administration of aminolevulinic acid phosphate salt and sodium ferrous citrate at about 1 year and 5 months after starting intake at ( ii ). on the other hand , the number of leukocytes settled at a normal value . it is thought that there was also strong damage on the hematopoiesis system considering the fact that strong side effects due to anticancer agent were shown , but the result that anemia is improved is astounding , and life with improved qol could be spent for as long as one and a half years even while carrying peritoneal metastasis , which largely exceeds the doctor &# 39 ; s life expectancy declared at 3 months . the agent of the present invention can be advantageously utilized as a prophylactic and / or therapeutic agent for side effects of anticancer agent . | 0 |
the tissue concentration of an intravascular contrast agent c ( t ), depends on the tissue flow f , tissue function r ( t ), and the arterial input function v ( t ). the functional relationship is a convolution between r ( t ) and v ( t ), where u ( t )= f · r ( t ). the residue function r , describes the fraction of contrast still present in a tissue region at time t after instantaneous injection , and is thus a function of the physiological parameters of the tissue ( blood volume and mean transit time ). the flow f , can be obtained from the initial height of the deconvolved contrast concentration function , as no contrast has left the tissue at time t = 0 ( r ( 0 )= 1 ). in eq . ( 1 ), extravascular leakage and recirculation of contrast have been ignored . this is a sufficient approximation in perfusion studies with an intact blood brain barrier , and when only time point measurements representative of the first pass of the contrast agent are analyzed . eq . ( 1 ) is valid for each voxel ( i ), which has its own specific arterial input function and tissue residue function a voxel specific arterial input function includes any delay δ , and dispersion g , of the arterial input function from the injection vein w ( t ), on its passage to the observed tissue v i ( t )= w ( t )* g i ( t )* δ i ( t − t 0i ) ( 3 ) where t 0i is the arrival time of contrast bolus in voxel ( i ). the vascular transport function described in the literature is thus expressed by the convolution between g and δ . before using eq . ( 2 ) in mr perfusion imaging , c i ( t ) must be related to the corresponding change in mr signal intensity , s i ( t ). a linear relationship between the relaxation properties of the tissue and the contrast concentration is a good approximation for echo - planar imaging experiments , c i ( t ) = - k te · ln s i ( t ) s i ( 0 ) ( 4 ) where te is echo time , s i ( 0 ) is the constant signal intensity before the contrast injection . the proportionality constant k , depends on the magnetic field strength , the type of contrast agent and the imaging sequence parameters . the complex cepstrum is a special frequency representation of an observed signal . if the observed signal is a collection of several individual signals , which belong to separate bands in the complex cepstrum , signal decomposition is possible by filtering the complex cepstrum . in the present invention , complex cepstrum analysis may be applied to the convolution in eq . ( 2 ) in order to determine voxel specific arterial input functions . a complex cepstrum representation is obtained by homomorphic transformation of the signal of interest . several homomorphic transformations exist , resulting in different cepstrums , like the bicepstrum , the spectral root cepstrum , the generalised cepstrum and the complex cepstrum . the homomorphic transformation used to compute the complex cepstrum , is the complex logarithmic function , log , which has the complex exponential function , ae iø = a cos ( ø )+ iasin ( ø ), as inverse . this homomorphic transformation can be computed in different ways , including a fourier transform method and a complex root extraction procedure . in the fourier method , the fourier transformation , f , is applied to the convolution in eq . ( 2 ) c i ( z = e jw )= f [ c i ( t )]= f [ v i ( t )]· f [ u i ( t )] ( 5 ) ĉ i ( z )= log ( c i ( z ))= log ([ v i ( t )])+ log ([ u i ( t )]) ( 6 ) inverse fourier transforming ( f − 1 ) the expression for ĉ i ( z ), gives the desired complex cepstrum representation , ĉ i ( t )={ circumflex over ( v )} i ( t )+ û i ( t ). thus , a linear relationship between the two convolved functions in eq . ( 2 ) may be established . computationally demanding phase unwrapping schemes and aliasing due to finite fourier representation , however , can be a problem using this approach and instead complex root extraction as described below , and which is not affected by aliasing , is preferably used in the method of the invention . the contrast signals in eq . ( 2 ), ĉ i ( t ), tε [ 1 , t ] are real , stable and finite . in this case , c i ( z ), the z transform of c i ( t ), is analytic in a region that includes the unit circle , and can be expressed as a complex polynomial of degree n = m i + m o , c i , ( z ) = a i , ∏ k = 1 m i ( 1 - a i , k z - 1 ) ∏ k = 1 m o ( 1 - b i , k z - 1 ) ( 7 ) the coefficients , | a i , k |≦ 1 and | b i , k |≦ 1 , so that the factorization terms in eq . ( 7 ) represent m i zeros and m o zeros inside and outside the unit circle , respectively . the complex logarithm of eq . ( 7 ) is ĉ i ( z )= log | a i |+ r · log ( z )+ σ k = 1 m i log ( 1 − a i , k z − 1 )+ σ k = 1 m i log ( 1 − b i , k z ) ( 8 ) thus , by using a numerical polynomial rooting algorithm , the complex zeroes a i , k and 1 / b i , k of eq . ( 8 ) can be computed directly . the complex cepstrum ĉ i ( t ), can be computed according to c ^ i ( t ) = { log a i t = 0 - ∑ k = 1 m i a i , k t t t & lt ; 0 - ∑ k = 1 m o b i , k - t t t & gt ; 0 perfusion imaging series , of typically 50 time point measurements , give convergence and stable results in in vivo evaluations . by only including image frames representative of the first pass of the contrast bolus ( e . g . 22 time point measurements ), computation time may advantageously be decreased . the linear relationship in the complex cepstrum ĉ i ( t )={ circumflex over ( v )} i ( t )+ û i ( t ), means that if the two derived functions are located in different bands in the complex cepstrum , then they can be separated by simple ideal band pass filtering . correct separation is important to determination of the voxel specific arterial input functions . after ideal low pass filtering , the complex cepstrum may be assumed to be ĉ i ( t )={ circumflex over ( v )} i ( t ). next , inverse homomorphic transformation , based on the fourier method , may be applied to the filtered - complex cepstrum data to obtain v i ( t ). the first step is to transform v to the logarithmic fourier domain , f 1 ( v i )= v i ( e iω ), and then to the ordinary fourier domain , v i ( z = e i · ). all arterial input functions estimated according to this procedure may be normalised to unit area in the spatial domain , because any multiplicative coefficient to the arterial input function cannot be uniquely determined from the cepstrum separation . a possible physical explanation of this normalisation is that the same amount of contrast agent , in this case a contrast bolus of unit area , passes through each image voxel . thus , assuming that the shape of the voxel specific arterial input function is correctly reproduced , only a scaling factor separates it from the corresponding manually selected arterial input function . simple frequency domain wiener filtering is the preferred method for deconvolving the voxel specific arterial input functions and the tissue residue function according to u i ( ⅇ ⅈ ω ) = c i ( ⅇ ⅈ ω ) v i * ( ⅇ ⅈ ω ) v i ( ⅇ ⅈ ω ) 2 + q i ( 9 ) the parameter q i is the squared , inverse signal - to - noise ratio of the computed contrast concentrations . this wiener filter gives the maximum a posteriori probability estimate of the original signal with the corrupting noise modelled as independent gaussian processes , and the signal - to noise ratio taken as constant for all frequencies . the wiener filtering method could be replaced by any other standard deconvolution method , e . g . regularization , singular value decomposition or maximum likelihood based methods . while in certain instances the method of the invention may be carried out without taking into consideration the possibility of contrast agent leakage out of the vasculature or of contrast agent recirculation , it is generally desirable to take account of these factors , especially where the contrast agent is a simple chelate which distributes into the extracellular fluid ( rather than a blood pool agent which is retained in the blood ). almost all tissues have a substantial leakage of contrast across the capillary membranes , except for normal brain tissue . many brain tumors do not have an intact blood - brain barrier , and leak contrast out into the extravascular space . the leakage usually gives a significant contribution to the contrast signal , and should not be ignored in the determination of the voxel specific arterial input functions . to estimate the leakage term , the late part of the first pass contrast signal has to be considered . this late signal part is generally contaminated by the signal of the recirculated contrast . hence , recirculation effects should desirably be included in the determination of the voxel specific arterial input functions . thus in a preferred embodiment , the contrast signal of each voxel is split into first pass and second pass components with no leakage and with a leakage component . then , an initial estimate of each voxel specific arterial input function is obtained through filtering in the complex cepstrum domain . it has , however , been seen that the final results are not substantially influenced by the initialization provided that all initial values are larger than zero . thereafter , the one - dimensional iterative lucy - wiener deconvolution method may be used to improve the initial calculated values for each voxel specific arterial input function and its corresponding tissue residue function and leakage term . in this embodiment , the additive terms of the contrast signal due to recirculation and leakage are removed first , using standard models for leakage and recirculation ( see vonken et al ., mrm 43 : 820 - 827 ( 2000 )). estimation of these additive terms may be done using picard iterations and simple properties of the contrast signal in the spatial or fourier domain . after the removal of the additive terms , the first pass signal is isolated . an initial estimate of the arterial input function in each voxel is obtained using the complex cepstrum analysis . the resulting initial estimates of the arterial input functions may be used as the input to a nonparametric deterministic image constraints deconvolution algorithm ( see kundur et al ., ieee signal processing magazine 13 : 43 - 64 ( 1996 )). in these algorithms , deterministic constraints of non negativity and known finite support of both the arterial input functions and the tissue residue functions are used . estimates of the voxel specific tissue residue - functions and of the arterial input functions are updated iteratively to a local optimum . for each iteration , the prior image constraints are enforced . there is a large class of nonparametric deterministic image constraints deconvolution algorithms ( see kundur et al ., ieee signal processing magazine 13 : 43 - 64 ( 1996 )). some of the older and most well known are the iterative blind deconvolution algorithm , the non negativity and support constraints recursive inverse filtering algorithm , and a simulated annealing algorithm . a good review of these algorithms and others is given in kundur ( supra ). a recent development of nonparametric deterministic image constraints deconvolution algorithms is iterative chain algorithms ( see tsumuraya et al ., j . opt . soc . am . a 13 : 1532 - 1536 ( 1996 )). these algorithms combine two different deconvolution algorithms in sequence to exploit the advantages of both . in the preferred embodiment now described , the one - dimensional iterative lucy - wiener deconvolution algorithm is used to improve the initial estimates of each voxel specific arterial input function and its corresponding tissue residue function . the choice of the iterative lucy - wiener deconvolution algorithm is advantageous because no parameters have to be set manually and the two deconvolution algorithms in each iterative step tend to cancel the negative effects each of the algorithms has on the deconvolution result when used alone . this has been confirmed on simulated data and on in vivo data . the results were much less affected by noise than those obtained with the preceding algorithms . the contrast signal model with leakage , but no recirculation for a single voxel , i , is : c i ( t ) = f i · r i ( t ) * υ i ( t ) + κ i · ∫ 0 t f i · r i ( τ ) * υ i ( τ ) ⅆ τ + v i ( t ) ( 10 ) where c i ( t ) is the contrast signal , f i blood flow , r i ( t ) the tissue residue function , ν i ( t ) the arterial input function , κ i the leakage constant and ν i ( t ) the noise signal , which is usually assumed uncorrelated and gaussian distributed . in the simple standard prior art model , the recirculated fraction of the contrast , mε & lt ; 0 , 1 & gt ; is a parameter assumed common for all voxels . also the additional arterial input function due to recirculation of the contrast once through the circulation system , v0 ( t ), is assumed common for all voxels . these assumptions have been thought to be reasonable due to the structure of the body and the cardiovascular system . the recirculation time , t i , is specific for each voxel . using these assumptions , the voxel specific contrast signal model with one recirculation of contrast , but no leakage becomes : c i ( t )= f i · r i ( t )* ν i ( t )+ m · ν0 ( t )*[( f i · r i ( t )* ν i ( t + t i )]+ v i ( t ) ( 11 ) combining eqs . ( 10 ) and ( 11 ) gives the voxel specific contrast signal model with leakage and recirculation time t i ; c ij ( t ) = f i · r i ( t ) * υ i ( t ) + m · ( f i · r i ( t ) * υ 0 ( t ) * υ i ( t + t i ) + κ i · ∫ 0 t f i · r i ( τ ) * υ i ( τ ) ⅆ τ + κ i · ∫ 0 t f i · r i ( τ ) * υ 0 ( τ ) * υ i ( τ + t i ) ⅆ τ ) + v i ( t ) ( 12 ) the fourier domain of eq . ( 12 ) can be factorized in the convenient form c i ( ω ) = f i · r i ( ω ) · v i ( ω ) * ( 1 + κ i j ω ) · ( 1 + m · v 0 ( ω ) · ⅇ - j t i ω ) + n i ( ω ) ( 13 ) where the upper case letters symbolizes the fourier transform of the corresponding time signals given by the same lower case letters . when contrast leakage and recirculation can be ignored , eq . ( 13 ) simplifies to the complex product this is the standard starting expression used previously for estimating the arterial input function , v i ( t ), in the complex cepstrum domain . the noise term , n i ( ω ) is ignored . however , usually contrast leakage and recirculation cannot be ignored , so the estimation of v i ( t ) has to be based on eq . ( 13 ). hence , the contributions of the contrast leakage and recirculation have to be removed from the contrast signal , c i ( t ), before the arterial input function is estimated . otherwise , the functions and 1 + m · e − jtω will corrupt the estimation of the slowly changing function v i ( t ). and ignoring the noise term , eq . ( 13 ) can be simplified to c i ( ω ) = d i ( ω ) * ( 1 + κ i j ω ) · ( 1 + m · v 0 ( ω ) · ⅇ - j ij ω ) ( 16 ) thus , for each contrast signal , optimal estimation of d i ( t ) corresponds to optimal estimation of the global parameter m , the global recirculation function v0 ( t ) and all the voxel specific leakage constants , κ i , and local recirculation times , t i , i = 1 , 2 , n , where n is the number of voxels within the region of interest . to simplify the estimation problem , v0 ( t ) is simply selected as a gaussian or a gamma function where the parameters are set manually for a given acquisition sequence and all patients . this is a reasonable first order approximation since the vascular system properties are similar for all humans . in preliminary experiments , a gaussian distribution with mean zero and standard deviation 2 worked best with the acquisition parameters used . all three remaining parameters can be optimized , but here the recirculation fraction , m , is fixed to value 0 . 05 based on preliminary experiments , varying m in the interval [ 0 . 025 - 0 . 200 ]. again , this is a reasonable first order approximation since the vascular system permeability properties are similar for all humans . optimizing the value of m with small incremental steps is straight forward , but may increase the total computation time substantially . the parameters κ i and t i may be optimized in the spatial or fourier domain using a simple picard relaxation algorithm with 5 iterations ( see kreyszig “ advanced engineering mathematics ”, john wiley , ny , 1999 , page 1156 ). it may be assumed that the late part of the contrast signal curve represents a steady state , where there is an equilibrium of contrast between the intravascular and extravascular spaces . an initial value for κ i is found by ignoring any recirculation effects and using the steady state assumption ( see vonken ( supra )). the optimizing criterion is simply the total distance between the estimated function with leakage and recirculation and the observed concentration signal . for each estimate of κ i the optimal value of t i is determined by testing all possible integer values of t i within a prespecified range . lower and upper limits for t i can be specified dependent on the body part which is being examined . once the optimization is finished , the first pass contrast signal , d i ( t ), is known . after substitution of c i ( t ) with d i ( t ), eq . ( 14 ) can then be used as a starting point for determination of the voxel specific arterial input function v i ( t ), using complex cepstrum analysis as before . in the preferred embodiment now described , the iterative lucy - wiener deconvolution algorithm is introduced to obtain better estimates of both the voxel specific arterial input functions and the voxel specific tissue residue functions . the arterial input function estimates from the complex cepstrum filtering are used only as initial estimates . the lucy - wiener deconvolution algorithm is a combination of two deconvolution algorithms . the first part is the richardson - lucy deconvolution algorithm , which works in the spatial domain for images with additive poisson distributed noise . it is an expectation maximization ( em ) algorithm given by r j + 1 ( x ) = { [ c ( x ) r j ( x ) * υ ( x ) ] * υ ( - x ) } r j ( x ) , ( 17 ) where j is the iteration number . the index i , denoting the voxel , has been suppressed . this algorithm is popular and used extensively by the astrophysical community to deconvolve speckled astronomical images recorded through the atmosphere . it satisfies the image constraints of positivity , energy conservation and support automatically . as this model has an inherent positivity constraint the number of possible solutions are therefore reduced and physiologically meaningful results can be obtained . further , the conservation of contrast may optionally be forced by normalising the arterial input functions to the same ( unit ) area , to assure that the same amount of contrast passes through all voxels . further , the arterial input function may be restricted to the same time bins as the first pass contrast signals , i . e . time points after the pre - bolus and before those identified by the leakage model as non - first pass . the tissue residue function is restricted to the first time points . as it is an em algorithm , it is guaranteed to converge to an optimum , when used alone . the optimum is the maximum posterior probability or likelihood , given the input functions . assuming that the additive noise is gaussian , a different em algorithm results , which does not guarantee positivity of the image values . the optimum will always be local . its distance from the global optimum is determined by the initial estimates of the arterial input function . frequency domain based deconvolution methods do not have the problems of spatially varying convergence rate and ringing , which cause local information losses in the spatial domain . hence , frequency domain based deconvolution methods can recover the local information losses in the spatial domain . the frequency domain wiener deconvolution filter minimizes the mean - square error to the contrast signals , c ( t ), when the arterial input function , v ( t ) is known . the wiener filter is given by r ( ω ) = c ( ω ) v ( ω ) + n ( ω ) 2 r ( ω ) 2 ( 18 ) in a statistical formulation , the algorithm maximizes the posterior probability of the tissue residue function when the noise is gaussian distributed . as seen from eq . ( 18 ), although the estimation of the tissue residue function is wanted , the power spectrum of this function itself is needed for this purpose . this makes the construction of the optimum filter difficult and sensitive to noise . however , by first using the richardson - lucy deconvolution method to obtain an estimate of the tissue residue function , the wiener filter can be constructed much more reliably and with less noise sensitivity . these two algorithms are used sequentially in an iterative loop . first , both the tissue residue function and the arterial input function are initialized using complex cepstrum analysis or to constant values greater than zero . then the tissue residue function is estimated , using the richardson - lucy algorithm . secondly , this estimate is used to find a new estimate of the arterial input function with the same algorithm : r j + 1 ( x ) = { [ c ( x ) r j ( x ) * υ j ( x ) ] * υ j ( - x ) } r j ( x ) ( 19 ) υ j + 1 ( x ) = { [ c ( x ) υ j ( x ) * r j + 1 ( x ) ] * r j + 1 ( - x ) } υ j ( x ) ( 20 ) then , the wiener deconvolution filter is used to find a new estimate of the tissue residue function and so forth . finally , the loop is finished by finding a new estimate of the arterial input function using the wiener deconvolution filter . the previous estimate of the arterial input function or the tissue residue function is used when the wiener filter is computed . r j + 2 ( ω ) = c ( ω ) v j + 1 ( ω ) + n ( ω ) 2 r j + 1 ( ω ) 2 ( 21 ) v j + 2 ( ω ) = c ( ω ) r j + 2 ( ω ) + n ( ω ) 2 v j + 1 ( ω ) 2 ( 22 ) in a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention , account is taken of leakage of contrast agent from the vasculature and of contrast agent recirculation effects . for organs and tissues other than the brain , there is considerable contrast agent leakage where a conventional ecf - distributing contrast agent , e . g . gddtpa , is used . moreover , even in brain perfusion imaging , contrast agent leakage across the blood brain barrier can occur as brain tumours may have leaky capillaries . in the preferred embodiment , leakage and recirculation effects are estimated automatically for each voxel . their signal contributions are then removed from the measured contrast signals . the remaining signal is the first pass signal of the contrast agent . this signal is then used for automatic , iterative estimation of voxel specific arterial input functions and voxel specific tissue residue functions . using this embodiment of the method of the invention , the wiener filter constant is estimated automatically leaving it only necessary to define the filter in the complex cepstrum domain if used for initialization ; however with the iterative calculation of the voxel specific arterial input and tissue residue functions , the exact value and shape of the complex cepstrum filter is much less important , optionally signal transformation to the complex cepstrum can be omitted . in a further aspect of the invention , the richardson - lucy deconvolution is used for all blind estimates . after the first pass contrast signal has been isolated , an initial estimate for the two convolved functions is set . these estimates are either obtained through cepstrum analysis , or by setting the function values to constants larger than zero , i . e . non - negative . for the initialization , it is preferred that the total energy ( the area under the curve ) of the convolved contrast signal is conserved in the initialization of the tissue residue function and the arterial input function , i . e . the area of the tissue residue function scaled by flow is equal to the area of the convolved contrast signals divided by the area of the arterial input function . in a preferred embodiment , the conservation of contrast may optionally be forced by normalising the arterial input functions to the same ( unit ) area , to assure that the same amount of contrast passes through all voxels . in a further preferred embodiment , the arterial input function is restricted to the same time bins as the first pass contrast signals , i . e . time points after the pre - bolus and before those identified by the leakage model as non - first pass . the tissue residue function is restricted to the first time points . in a preferred embodiment , the maximum likelihood formulation with poisson noise , as used in the richardson - lucy algorithm , can be improved by using a maximum aposteriori probability ( map ) solution , see , for example , the poisson bayes model ( stark et al , “ deconvolution in astronomy : a review ”, publications of the astronomical society of the pacific , vol 114 , 1051 - 1069 ( 2002 ). this and all other citations mentioned in any part of this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference . r j + 1 ( x ) = r j ( x ) exp [ ( c ( x ) v ( x ) * r j ( x ) - 1 * v * ( x ) ) ] ( 23 ) in a another preferred embodiment , to reduce noise , the richardson - lucy algorithm may also be regularised using the following formula : r j + 1 ( x ) = r j ( x ) ( c j ( x ) + r _ j ( x ) c j ( x ) * v * ( x ) ) ( 24 ) thereafter , iterations are started by first improving the estimate of the arterial input function . this may be done by initializing the arterial input function to the normalized convoled contrast concentration . this estimate is used to improve the estimate of the tissue residue function and so forth . richardson - lucy deconvolution is used in each iteration . either function is updated iteratively to a local optimum . typically , the iterations are ended after about 6 iterations . a computer software product for use in implementation of the invention may be provided in the form of a physical carrier such as a disk , tape or other memory device , or may be provided as signals transmitted from a remote location , for example over a network such as the internet . the invention will now be described with reference to the following examples and the accompanying drawings in which : fig1 is a plot of two arterial input functions v i ( t ) against time simulating the effects of dispersion ; fig2 is a plot of arterial input functions with no noise ( estimated ( solid line ) and simulated ( dashed - dotted line ). a ) and b ) case i in table ( 1 ), c ) and d ) case ii of table ( 1 ). delayed arrival time of 3 s in c ) and d )); fig3 is a plot of arterial input function with acquisition noise added ( estimated ( mean value ± two standard deviations , solid line ) and simulated ( dashed - dotted line ). a ) and b ) case i in table ( 1 ), c ) and d ) case ii of table ( 1 ). delayed arrival time of 3 s in c ) and d )); fig4 is a plot of tissue residue functions scaled by flow with no noise ( deconvolved ( solid line ) and simulated exponential ( dashed - dotted line ). a ) and b ) case i in table ( 1 ), c ) and d ) case ii of table ( 1 ) delayed arrival time , 3 s , of the arterial input functions is used in c ) and d )); fig5 is a plot of tissue residue functions scaled by flow with acquisition noise added ( deconvolved ( solid line ) and simulated exponential ( dashed - dotted line ). a ) and b ) case i in table ( 1 ), c ) and d ) case ii of table ( 1 ) delayed arrival time , 3 s , of the arterial input functions is used in c ) and d )); fig6 is a plot of shape and initial height ( flow ) of deconvolved contrast concentration functions with no noise ( tissue residue functions with exponential shape (( a ) and ( b )), triangular shape (( c ) and ( d )), and box - shape . left column ; deconvolved ( solid line ) and initial ( dashed - dotted line ) concentration functions ( f = 60 ml / 100 g / min , mtt = 4 s ). right column ; computed flow values ( mean ± standard deviation ) for increased input flow values with mtt of 3 s (◯), 4s (∉), 5 s ( ε )); fig7 is a plot of estimated flow with decreasing signal - to - noise ratios ( mean value ( solid line ) and standard deviation ( dashed line ) of fifty voxels a ) when repeatedly optimizing the wiener filter constant and b ) with a non varying wiener filter constant , q = 0 . 01 ); fig8 shows images of in vivo deconvolved contrast concentrations as a function of time ( changes in signal intensity in a selection of eight time point measurements after deconvolving each voxel with a ) in - slice , manually selected arterial input function , b ) blind estimated , voxel specific arterial input function ); fig9 shows images of cerebral blood flow ( upper row ), time - to - peak ( middle row ) and mean transit time ( lower row ) ( manual selected arterial input functions ( left ) blind estimated arterial input functions ( right ). darker values in flow images represent voxels with high flow , while darker values in time - to - peak and mean transit time images represent shorter times ); fig1 shows images of tissue label masks ( a ) precontrast perfusion image . b ). tissue label masks superimposed on same image . white matter ; black masks just above the lateral ventricles . grey matter ; the six remaining black masks . the two most frontal mask ; cortical grey substance . the two masks just posterior to the side ventricles ; caput nucleus caudatus . the two most posterior masks ; nucleus lentiformis ); fig1 shows parametric perfusion images ( darkness increase linearly with volume and flow . brightness increase linearly with time . time to peak and mean transit time images linearly scaled to show relevant image features . a ) complete model with recirculation , leakage and improved estimates of arterial input functions . b ) complete model with recirculation , leakage and complex cepstrum estimates of arterial input functions . c ) model with no recirculation and no leakage and complex cepstrum estimates of arterial input functions . first line : blood volume . second line : blood flow . third line : mean transit time . fourth line : time of delay ); fig1 shows the time course of tissue residue function ( darkness increase linearly with flow . a ) complete model with recirculation , leakage and improved estimates of arterial input functions . b ) complete model with recirculation , leakage and complex cepstrum estimates of arterial input functions . c ) model with no recirculation and no leakage and complex cepstrum estimates of arterial input functions . line one : frame 18 . line two : frame 20 . line two : frame 23 . line two : frame 26 ); and fig1 shows leakage and recirculation images ( darkness increase linearly with leakage volume . brightness increase linearly with size of leakage coefficient and with time . all images linearly scaled to show relevant image features . leakage coefficients larger than 0 . 1 set to 0 . 1 . first line , leakage coefficient images . second line , steady state contrast signal images . third line , recirculation time images . a , c ) complete model with recirculation , leakage and improved estimates of arterial input functions . b , d ) model with leakage and improved estimates of arterial input functions , but no recirculation term . e ) complete model with recirculation , leakage and improved estimates of arterial input functions . f ) model with recirculation and improved estimates of arterial input functions , but no leakage term ). fig1 shows modeling of leakage and recirculation . selected regions of interest in data from tumor patient : a ) results in tumor area , b ) results in cortical gray matter , c ) convergence properties for combined recirculation and leakage function in tumor area , d ) regions - of - interests superimposed on the first image in the perfusion time series . fig1 shows modeling of leakage and recirculation . selected region - of - interest in healthy gray matter in data from patient with fibromuscular dysplasia . fig1 shows time - to - peak , estimated leakage and recirculation parameters . a ) relative time - to - peak ( rttp ) i . e . the time - to - peak of the convolved contrast signals , b ) absolute time - to - peak ( ttp ) i . e . time - to - peak after deconvolution ( here iterative blind deconvolution ) c ) ti , i . e . the time - to - peak of the second pass , d ) leakage parameter , κ i . brighter values are larger than darker values . estimated flow values when varying a ) the arterial input functions but with fixed tissue residue function ( exponential with mtt = 4 s ), b ) the noise conditions for fixed arterial input function ( a = 3 , b = 1 . 8 ) and fixed tissue residue function ( exponential with mtt = 4 s ), c ) the shape of the tissue residue function but fixed arterial input function ( a = 3 , b = 1 . 8 ). the reproduced mean transit times using different shaped tissue residue functions ( with input mean transit time 4 s ) is shown in d . fig1 shows in vivo arterial input functions . time difference between image frames is tr = 1 . 442 seconds . higher values are dark . a ) left frontal lobe tumor . b ) right middle cerebral fibromuscular dysplasia . fig1 shows in vivo tissue residue functions . time difference between image frames is tr = 1 . 442 seconds . the first time bin is the maximum value of the tissue residue function , r ( t )= 1 . smaller values are brighter in colors . a ) left frontal lobe tumor . b ) right middle cerebral fibromuscular dysplasia . fig2 shows in vivo analysis of a patient with right middle cerebral artery fibromuscular dysplasia . a ) selection of arterial input function as the voxels with the earliest and largest signal change ( the upper darker curve ), and subsequently gamma fitting ( the lighter curve ). seven voxels were selected ( the highlighted voxels in the smaller image ), b ) mean transit time proposed method , c ) time - to - peak conventional method d ) time - to - peak proposed method . darker values represent shorter times . fig2 region - of - interests . patient with right middle cerebral artery fibromuscular dysplasia . mean values of mtt and ttp shown in table 12 . synthetic data were generated following the description in calamante et al . mrm 44 : 466 - 473 ( 2000 ) and østergaard et al . mrm 36 : 715 - 725 ( 1996 ). parameters were adjusted to mimic data acquired during a typical , in vivo perfusion study . in each case , a time series containing fifty images was generated . since the time evolution of each voxel is treated separately in the algorithm described , the synthetic data were often divided into different spatial segments , each representing either different physical ( i . e . noise ) or physiological ( i . e . tissue properties ) conditions . in all evaluations , flow is set to the maximum value of the deconvolved contrast concentration curves , while the elapsed time before the occurrence of this maximum value gives time - to - peak . both the arterial input function and the tissue residue function had to be modelled . a gamma variate function was used to simulate the arterial input function . v i ( t ) = { 0 if t & lt ; t 0 i ( t - t 0 i ) a ⅇ ( t - t 0 i ) / b if t ≥ t 0 i where t 0i is the time of bolus occurrence in the voxel ( i ) of interest , and a and b are model dependent parameters . the tissue residue function , r i ( t ), was in general modelled as an exponentially decaying function . when multiplied with the tissue flow , f i it can be expressed as u i ( t )= f i · r i ( t )= f i · e − t / mtt i ( 25 ) where mtt i represents the corresponding mean transit time through the voxel of interest . the convolution between u i ( t ) and v i ( t ) was obtained by a simple multiplication in fourier domain , c i ( t )= − 1 [ ν i ( t )]. [ u i ( t )]] ( 26 ) where and − 1 represent the fourier transform and its inverse . as this approach might be affected by the ringing artifacts of the finite , discrete fourier transform , comparison to the analytical expressions in calamante et al ( supra ) was performed . the contrast concentration curves , c ( t ), in eq . ( 26 ) were subsequently converted to signal - time curves . the baseline signal intensity was set to s i ( 0 )= 600 mr units . to obtain realistic noise distributions , a part of a data set outside object boundaries was extracted from a clinical perfusion measurement . these fifty time frame measurements ( 64 × 64 pixels ) with noise were added to the synthetic data sets after removal of the mean noise value . the effects of dispersion and delay in the arterial input function were studied separately to simplify the interpretation of the simulation results . a delayed arrival time of the bolus injection was simulated by adding a delay δt 0 , δt 0 ε [ 0 , 5 ] s , to the arterial input function . dispersion was simulated by choosing different parameter values for the arterial input function . the area under the arterial input function was in each case normalised to unit area . thus , the broader the arterial input function , the smaller the maximum amplitude . alternatively , dispersion can also be achieved by convoluting the arterial input function with a transport function ( see calamante et al ( supra )). two different arterial input functions ( see fig1 of the accompanying drawings ) are used in presentation of the delay and dispersion results . the same exponential tissue residue function is used for both arterial input functions table ( 1 ). in the current algorithm , the different shapes of the simulated arterial input functions should be reconstructed . any delayed time - of - arrival , on the other hand , is added to the tissue residue functions . the arterial input function ν i ( t ), and the tissue residue function ( scaled by flow ), u i ( t ), are separable in the complex cepstrum domain . to demonstrate this , various arterial input functions were convoluted with exponentially decaying box shaped or triangular tissue residue functions , respectively . deconvolution algorithms are sensitive to noise . to test the noise sensitivity of the wiener filter deconvolution , monte carlo simulations were used . the arterial input functions and tissue residue functions given in table ( 1 ) ( case 1 ) were applied with synthetically generated noise added . independent gaussian noise , with zero mean , was generated and applied to produce signal - to - noise ratios , snrs , ranging from 10 to 10000 . results were computed by averaging over fifty individual time series . the in vivo measurements included in this study were selected from a major ongoing study of professional deep - sea divers ( n = 120 ). the mechanisms by which the brain of deep sea divers is damaged is still unknown , however previous studies concluded that most findings could be explained by vascular obstructions . in this study , the selected subjects are considered healthy as no obvious pathology is identified . the perfusion acquisitions were performed on a siemens vision 1 . 5 t whole body clinical scanner . a standard , commercial gradient - echo planar imaging ( ge - epi ) sequence , with parameters tr / te = 1442 ms / 60 . 70 ms , fov = 230 × 230 , matrix = 128 × 128 , was selected . the contrast agent , gadolinium diethylene triamine penta - acetic acid ( gd - dtpa — available as magnevist ® from schering ag , was injected automatically after 12 seconds . in total , 50 time points were measured . image data were transported to an off line computer for post processing . in addition to the proposed method , deconvolution was performed using a manually selected arterial input function . the procedures were implemented in c , including several numerical recipes routines . image processing tools based on the xite package and matlab were used for image handling , visualization and evaluation . both the band pass filter and the wiener deconvolution filter should be optimized for the method to work optimally . in this study , these parameter values were optimized by inspecting the computed complex cepstrum and deconvolved contrast concentration functions , u i ( t ). the same band pass filter value was chosen for all voxels in all in vivo studies . it is assumed that the most slowly varying function , the arterial input function , is located in the early part of the complex cepstrum , while the more rapidly varying tissue residue function is located at later times . typically , the four or five lowest time bins in the complex cepstrum were selected to isolate the arterial input function . generally , the outcome of the filtering was not much altered if an extra time bin was included or excluded when isolating the arterial input function . the wiener filter constant , q , is used when deconvolving the contrast concentration function from the estimated voxel specific arterial input function . this constant is directly related to the signal - to - noise ratio of the observed contrast concentration functions . by choosing a too small value for q , noise is enhanced . on the other hand , with a too large value of q , no deconvolution is achieved . in the simulations , a small q - value of 0 . 009 was chosen when no noise was added . this q - value was increased with increasing noise values : q [ 0 . 009 , 0 . 15 ] for snrε [ 10000 , 10 ]. a value of q = 0 . 05 was chosen for each voxel in the in vivo data . the simulated data were used to study the performance of the new , blind method for calculating voxel specific arterial input functions and tissue residue functions . the in vivo recordings were used to compare the performance of this method to the traditional method where a single arterial input function is manually selected . the time course of the simulated arterial input functions was estimated accurately in the simulations both when no noise , fig . ( 2 ), and acquired noise , fig . ( 3 ), was added . as described above , the induced delay in arrival time ( images to the right in both figures ) is not included in the estimated arterial input functions . the shape of the simulated residue functions was only partly reproduced in the deconvolved contrast concentration functions , u i ( t )= f i · r i ( t ). the initial amplitude of the exponential function ( dashed - dotted line ) was replaced by a more gaussian shaped function ( fig . ( 4 ) and fig . ( 5 )). similarly , the deconvolution procedure failed to reproduce the initial sharp edge of a linearly shaped , or the constant plateau of a box - shaped , tissue residue function ( fig . ( 6 )). the delayed arrival time , which was added to the arterial input function in some simulations , ( figs . ( 1 c , d )-( 2 c , d )), was seen , as expected , in tissue residue functions ( figs . ( 4 c , d )-( 5 c , d )). repeated simulations , with input flow values of f = 30 ml / 100 g / min and f = 60 ml / 100 g / min using an exponentially shaped tissue residue function , showed an almost exact match between increase in delayed arrival of the simulated arterial input functions and the increase in computed time - to - peak values , ttp , ( table ( 2 )). for each of the simulated delays in contrast arrival , similar flow values were computed . although independent of delay , the flow values were always underestimated compared to the input values ( table 2 )). the same trend was seen when using other shapes for the tissue residue functions ( fig6 )). for each shape of the tissue residue functions , a linear relation was found between the input and computed tissue flow values . the fact that no unique relation was found for all models chosen for the tissue residue functions , shows that the deconvolution procedure was dependent on the shape of the tissue residue function . the estimated arterial input functions were not influenced by the differently shaped input tissue residue functions , implying a fairly correct separation in the complex cepstrum . the same wiener filter constant was applied in all simulations . thus , any effect obtained by optimizing this constant was ignored in the above simulations . monte carlo simulations , with various levels of gaussian noise added , showed that input flow values ( f = 60 ml / 100 g / min ) were underestimated by the deconvolution procedure ( fig7 ). by repeatedly optimizing the wiener filter constant , q , stability of the proposed method was obtained over the complete range of signal - to - noise values ( fig . ( 7 a )). in fig . ( 7 a ), q was increased six times in the presented range of signal - to - noise ratios , while a constant q = 0 . 01 was applied in fig . ( 7 b ). the performance of the proposed blind estimation method in in vivo measurements was evaluated by comparing to results obtained from the conventional method where an in - slice , manually selected arterial input function is used in the deconvolution . for comparison , this arterial input function was normalized to unit area prior to deconvolution . parametric maps describing blood flow , f , mean transit time , mtt , and time - to - peak , ttp , were computed in both cases . the time course of the deconvolved contrast concentrations showed that the first pass of contrast bolus was visible in fewer time frames when using the new method compared to the conventional method , fig . ( 8 ). this suggests differences in mean transit times and time - to - peak values between the two methods . voxel - wise comparison showed that 60 % of the object voxels had more than 5 % decrease in mean transit time compared to the conventional method ( average decrease of 19 . 6 % relative to the conventional method ). a slight increase in mean transit time was seen in 20 % of the object voxels , with an average value ( 19 %). more than 5 % increase in flow values were seen in 40 % of the object image voxels when using the new method ( mean increase of 21 . 2 % relative to conventional method ), while 35 % of the remaining voxels showed decreased values ( mean decrease 19 . 2 % relative to conventional method ). about 37 % of all object image voxels had more than 5 % increase in time - to - peak in the new method compared to the conventional method ( mean increase 50 %), while all other object voxels had less than 5 % difference between the two methods . the parametric images were noisy ( fig . ( 9 )), but the different tissue structures were clearly more visible when using the new method ( right column ) compared to the conventional method ( left column ). for quantitative analysis , regions - of - interest representing normal frontal white matter ( wm ) and normal cortical grey matter ( gm ) were selected ( table ( 3 )). similar flow ratios of grey matter to white matter were obtained when using the blind estimation method ( gm / wm = 2 . 4 ± 0 . 7 ) and the manually selected arterial input function method ( gm / wm = 2 . 3 ± 0 . 7 ). the mean transit time values were smaller when using blindly estimated arterial input functions . the difference in time - to - peak between gray matter and white matter regions was larger when using the blind estimation method ( 1 . 7 ± 0 . 8 s ) compared to the conventional method ( 0 . 8 ± 0 . 8 s ), allowing better visual differentiation of the tissue structures . the subjects were chosen from a database where male deep sea divers had been examined with an extensive mr protocol of conventional mr imaging and perfusion mr imaging . from the database , the ten youngest male divers without obvious pathology were selected . the males had mean age 39 . 4 ( range 33 - 43 years ). the mr images were recorded with a siemens vision 1 . 5 tesla whole body clinical scanner . all patients had perfusion mr examinations using dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging . a gradient - echo echo - planar sequence with parameters tr / te 1442 ms / 60 . 70 ms , flip angle 90 degrees , field of view 230 × 230 pixels and matrix size 128 × 128 pixels was used . slice thickness : 5 mm with a 0 . 3 mm interslice gap . scan time : 1 minute and 12 seconds with 11 slices and 50 acquisitions per slice . slice orientation parallel to a line drawn between basis of the frontal lobe and caudal border of cerebellum . contrast agent : 1 mmol / ml gadobutrol . contrast volume : 0 . 2 ml / kg of body weight . all examinations were performed using a power injector with a rate of 5 ml / s through a 18 - gauge i . v . catheter in a cubital vein . the contrast injection delay was 12 seconds followed directly by injection of 20 ml 0 . 9 mg / ml sodium chloride . the perfusion images were transferred to an off line computer for post - processing . image processing tools were the xite public domain image processing package from the dept . of informatics , university of oslo , norway . the first pass bolus signal and the second pass bolus signal did not overlap in time . hence , recirculation effects were avoided by simply using the first pass bolus part in the voxel specific arterial input function determination . since the perfusion recordings were done on healthy males , the blood brain barrier was assumed intact . hence , no leakage term had to be included in the determination of the voxel specific arterial input functions . the deconvolution step was done by simple wiener filtering in the frequency domain with the same empirically found inverse squared signal to noise ratio for all deconvolutions . manual selection of arterial input function : arterial input function voxels were selected manually in the same slice as the anatomic regions of interest were defined . the six voxels with the earliest , most rapid and marked signal drop from the circumference of arteria cerebri anterior were selected . selection of anatomical regions : all regions of interest were selected from the slice where deep grey matter nuclei were best defined . these regions of interest were drawn manually by selecting about 20 voxels from each caput nucleus caudatus and nucleus lentiformis , from left and right frontal cerebral cortex and left and right frontal white matter ( see fig1 a , b ). voxels within the region of interest with signals similar to the arterial input function were excluded . they must have contained arteries or veins . following deconvolution , the region of interest masks were used to compute the mean values and standard deviations of rttp , rmtt , rcbf and rcbv for each region of interest . signals and statistical analysis : the blind deconvolution method of the invention normalized each arterial input function to unit area . hence , it was only meaningful to compare ratios of rcbf and rcbv for different tissues . note , however , that a correct normalization can easily be obtained by incorporating a method to automatically identify arterial input functions of large arteries . ideally , deconvolution should not affect the voxel specific cerebral brain volumes . however , all deconvolution methods decrease the signal to noise ratio and might affect the residue functions of various tissues differently . as a consequence , the ratio between the cerebral blood volume of grey and white matter might be changed following deconvolution . the ratio was computed for the blind deconvolution method of the invention , for the conventional deconvolution method and with no deconvolution . the two sided wilcoxon signed rank test was used to identify statistically significant differences between the two deconvolution methods . the test was done for rttp , rmtt and for the ratios of rcbf and rcbv . a p - value smaller than 0 . 0125 on each tail was considered significant . two digits were used when computing significance levels to avoid most ties . regional time to peak : the time to peak was slightly longer for both grey and white matter with the new method than with the conventional method ( 1 . 8 % and 6 . 0 %, table 4 ). the corresponding difference in peak times of grey and white matter was substantially larger for the new method ( 36 . 8 %, table 4 ). regional mean transit time : the mean transit time for grey matter was not significantly different for the two methods . in contrast , the time difference between the mean transit times of grey and white matter was substantially longer for the new method than for the conventional method ( 21 . 3 %, table 5 ). regional cerebral flood flow : the flow ratio between grey and white matter was not significantly different for the two methods ( table 6 ). regional cerebral blood volume : the volume ratio between gray and white matter was slightly lower for the new method than for the conventional method . correspondingly , the volume ratio between gray and white matter was lower for the conventional method than for volume computation from the observed data with no deconvolution ( table 7 ). synthetic data were generated as above . parameters were adjusted to mimic data acquired during a typical , in vivo magnetic resonance t2 * perfusion examination . these simulations were performed to investigate how the method of the invention performs in the presence of recirculation . an exponential function having a delay of 8 s and a dispersion with a time constant of 30 s was convolved with either of the two arterial functions ( and tissue residue functions ) given above . in vivo imaging was done on one patient with a tumour in the left frontal lobe of the cerebrum using a siemens vision 1 . 5 t whole body clinical scanner . the perfusion examination was part of the routine , clinical evaluation . a standard , commercial gradient - echo planar imaging ( ge - epi ) sequence , with parameters tr / te = 1442 ms / 60 . 70 ms , fov = 230 × 230 , matrix = 128 × 128 , was selected . the contrast agent , gadolinium diethylene triamine penta - acetic acid ( gd - dtpa , schering ), was automatically injected after 12 seconds . eleven sections parallel to the base of the cranium were recorded and 50 time points were measured for each voxel . image data were transported to an off line computer for post processing . the procedures were implemented in c , including several numerical recipes routines . image processing tools based on the xite package and matlab were used for image handling , visualization and evaluation . after logarithmic transform of all acquired data , frames 3 to 14 of each image sequence were used to compute a base line tissue signal of each voxel . this base line constant signal was subtracted from the logarithmic transformed voxel signal to give the voxel specific contrast signal . the computations were done with scripts under linux , where each minor processing step was stored to disc on a personal computer with a pentium ii board . the computation time for each section was about 20 minutes within this framework . simple optimization on a modern computer will reduce the computation time by a factor of 50 - 100 . to estimate tissue specific parameters within small localized regions , small tissue masks were drawn interactively on a screen . more than 20 voxels were labelled for each tissue class . the masks for grey matter and white matter were in the left parietal region . region 1 of the tumor was located peripherally , while region 2 was located centrally to the part which had the largest contrast signals . using only complex cepstrum estimation of the voxel specific arterial input functions , inclusion of leakage and recirculation terms reduced the variance of the tissue specific hemodynamic volume and time parameters ( tables 8 and 9 , models 1 and 2 ). refinement of the voxel specific arterial input function estimates and tissue residue function estimates by iterative chain deconvolution reduced the variance of the tissue specific hemodynamic volume and time parameters further ( table 8 and 9 , models 2 and 5 ). the leakage term was more important than the recirculation term in the variance reduction ( tables 8 and 9 , models 2 , 3 and 5 ). the reduced variance in the tissue specific hemodynamic volume and time parameters with the complete model and iterative chain estimates made the different tissue components easier to separate visually in the parametric images ( fig1 ). in particular , the tumor became more distinct with high blood volumes , high blood flow , mixed time to peaks and fairly long mean transit times . also the time course of the tissue residue functions became much smoother and of apparent shorter duration ( fig1 ). the estimated leakage coefficients were low and similar for both grey matter , white matter and the two tumor regions ( table 10 ). ignoring recirculation had only a very minor effect on the estimated leakage coefficients ( table 10 , fig1 a , b ). thus , the persistence of a distinct contrast signal in the tumor area after the first pass bolus had passed ( fig1 , c , d ), has to be explained by more leakage than in normal cerebral cortex due to high blood flow ( see table 8 ). the high contrast signals in the meningeal membranes and in the plexus choroideus of the steady state leakage images ( fig1 , c , d ), were in accordance with the fact that the capillaries in these tissues are permeable to contrast . the circulation path from the heart and back is longer for white matter than grey matter . this is because the brain arteries enter the brain through grey matter before entering white matter . hence , the recirculation time should be longer for white matter than for grey matter . the tissue specific recirculation times of the complete model with iterative chain estimates were in agreement with this prediction ( table 10 and fig1 e ). in contrast , when the leakage term was ignored , the recirculation time for grey matter , white matter and the two tumor regions all became long and more similar ( table 10 and fig1 f ). synthetic data of the first pass signal was simulated for the purpose of evaluating the richardson - lucy iterative blind deconvolution method . the influence of the leakage and recirculation modeling was evaluated in a few in vivo measurements . for the first pass data , convolution , c ( t )= u ( t )* v ( t ), between synthetically generated arterial input functions and tissue residue function was performed using simple multiplication in fourier domain . the arterial input function was modeled by a gamma variate function of time , t , v ( t )= c 0 ( t − t 0 ) a e −( t − t 0 )/ β ( 27 ) where t 0 is the contrast arrival time , c 0 , a and β parameters determining the shape of gamma function . the expression for the arterial input function was valid for all values t ≧ t 0 , and elsewhere zero . values α = 3 and β ·[ 1 . 2 , 2 . 0 ] were selected to study arterial input functions with different shapes . for all arterial input functions , c 0 was used to normalize the arterial input functions to unit area . the tissue residue functions scaled by cerebral blood flow , cbf , were simulated by linear or exponential shapes , u exp ( t ) = cbf · ⅇ 1 mtt t ≥ 0 ( 28 ) u lin ( t ) = cbf · ( 1 - 1 2 mtt ) t ≤ 2 mtt ( 29 ) u box ( t ) = cbf t ≤ mtt ( 30 ) and zero for all other time points ( østergaard et al .). a larger range of flow values , cbf ·[ 10 , 60 ] ml / 100 g / min were investigated for fixed mean transit times , mtt = 4 seconds . the convolved data , c ( t ), were transformed to mr signal intensities , s ( t ), through , s ( t ) = s 0 ( t ) ⅇ - k · te · p k h · o ( t ) + n · η ( t ) , ( 31 ) assuming a linear relation between the vascular contrast concentration and the observed susceptibility contrast . te was the echo time of the sequence and k an experimental specific constant assumed common for all tissues ( here set to unity ), d was the density of brain tissue , and k h a correction factor for hematocrit differences between capillaries and large vessels ( mccallum optics communications 75 : 101 - 105 ( 1990 )). the baseline signal intensities , so , were set to values commonly obtained in perfusion examinations for normal gray matter ( 500 mr units ). finally , image noise o ( t ), t = 1 , . . . , 50 from outside object boundaries in a real in vivo examination was added , allowing 64 × 64 image voxels with individual noise variations . before adding the image noise , the mean value over all noise voxels was subtracted . noise was added with different scaling factors ( n = 0 , 1 , 2 . 5 , 4 ) to obtain different signal - to - noise ratios . this gave pre contrast noise standard deviation , σ s = 0 , 15 , 30 , 50 , respectively . data obtained from two patients with various cerebrovascular abnormalities were used to test the proposed methodology ; one patient with tumor ( anaplastic oligoastrocytoma ) in the left frontal lobe of the cerebrum and one patient suffering from fibromuscular dysplasia . the in vivo perfusion examinations were all part of routine , clinical evaluation . no experimental investigations were done on the patients , and the acquired data were used in agreement with hospital policies . a standard , vendor provided gradient - echo echo planar imaging sequence ( ge - epi , siemens vision 1 . 5 t , erlangen , germany ), with parameters tr / te = 1442 ms / 60 . 70 ms , flip angle = 90 degrees , field of view = 230 × 230 mm , matrix = 128 × 128 , was selected . the contrast agent gadovist ( schering , germany ) was automatically injected after 12 seconds using an mr - compatible power injector ( medirad , pittsburg ), and dose according to body weight ( 0 . 2 mmol / kg ). subsequent saline flushing was performed with the same injection speed ( 5 ml / s ) as was used for the contrast injection . eleven image slices , slightly tilted from a true axial acquisition to avoid susceptibility artifacts in the frontal sinuses , were measured repeatedly for a total of fifty time points . the synthetic data were generated in matlab ( mathworks , natic , mass ., usa ). these data and the acquired image data were subsequently processed and visualized using a special , extended implementation of the otherwise commercially available nice software provided by nordicneurolab as ( nordicneurolab as , bergen , norway ). the proposed methodology was implemented by the authors using c / c ++, including several numerical recipes routines ( press et al . numerical recipes in c , cambridge university press ( 1992 )). the computation time using the current implementation on a 2 . 2 ghz pentium iii intel processor , was 15 seconds for one in vivo image slice ( 128 × 128 voxels ) with 50 time point measurements . after logarithmic transform of the simulated or acquired perfusion time series , about ten precontrast images were averaged to compute a base line tissue signal of each voxel . the precontrast image ranges and a limit for the first pass were selected interactively for each time series , but common for all voxels in the series . the base line was subtracted from the logarithmic transformed voxel signals to give the voxel specific contrast signals . no smoothing was performed . to investigate the influence of the leakage and recirculation modeling , small ( 6 × 6 voxels ) regions of interest in gray matter , white matter and pathologic regions were selected from the patient data , averaged and followed through the various post processing steps . estimates of m , κ i , t i in different regions were computed . blood volume was computed as the area under the first pass signal resulting after subtracting leakage and recirculation . this blood volume was compared to blood volume computed as the area under all acquired time points , as the area under a selection of time points representative of the first pass , and as the area under a gamma fitted first pass function . after deconvolution , hemodynamic maps of cerebral blood flow , cerebral blood volume ( defined as the area of the deconvolved contrast concentrations ), mean transit time and time - to - peak , were computed voxelwise for all time series . blood flow and blood volume were identified as the maximum value and the area of the deconvolved contrast signals , respectively . mean transit time was subsequently computed from the central volume theorem , mtt = cbv / cbf , and time - to - peak was set to the time point were the maximum value of the estimated arterial input function occurred . while the normalization of the arterial input function in in vivo data , influences the absolute values of blood flow and blood volume , the mean transit time values are comparable to those obtained when the true area of the arterial input functions is used . for the simulated data , the computed hemodynamic parameters were compared with the true , input values . the simulations allowed to test the iterative algorithm for reproducibility of ( i ) differently shaped arterial input functions , ( ii ) different flow conditions , ( iii ) differently shaped tissue residue function ( i . e . different vascular structures ) ( iv ) different signal - to - noise ratios . for the in vivo data , the voxel specific arterial input functions and the deconvolved tissue residue functions were visualized as functions of time . additionally , region of interest analysis were performed by interactively selecting tissue regions ( 14 × 14 voxels ) in the computed hemodynamic maps . these results were compared to values obtained in the same regions using the standard approach with truncated singular value decom - position ( fixed truncation threshold of 0 . 2 ) ( østergaard et al . mgm 50 : 164 - 174 ( 2003 )). in the standard approach , which in the following is referred to as the global approach , the artery contrast signal is used as the arterial input function in all voxels . the global arterial input function was selected semi - automatically by finding the in - slice image voxels with the earliest and largest changes in contrast signal intensities . a gamma variate function was subsequently fitted to this arterial signal to avoid recirculation effects , fig . ( 20 ). for reasons of compatibility , this global arterial input function was normalized to unit area prior to deconvolution . the new method gave a good voxelwise approximation to the leakage and recirculation , otherwise contaminating the first pass signal ( selected examples fig1 , fig1 ). convergence of the estimation parameters m , t i , κ i was obtained within few iterations ( fig1 c ), so the number of iterations was held fixed ( total 5 iterations ) for all patients and all image voxels . it sufficed to keep the parameter m constant for all voxels in one patient , but the parameter had to be optimized for each patient . for instance , the value was m = 0 . 05 in the tumor patient , while it was increased to m = 0 . 15 in the patient with fibromuscular dysplasia . substituting a fixed gaussian model for the dispersion of contrast in the human body v 0 is crude , but sufficed in for all patients in this study . blood volume was reduced when identifying the contrast first pass as proposed in this study , compare to identification using a gamma fit ( table 11 ). mean value ± standard deviation . each region - of - interest ( roi ) contained 6 × 6 voxels . model 1 ) area under all measured time frames . model 2 ) area under a fixed number of time frames ( manual cut - off frame selected interactively but common for all image voxels ). model 3 ) area under gamma fitted first pass ( non - linear levenberg - marquant least squares fit ). model 4 ) area under remaining first pass signal after recirculation and leakage terms have been removed as proposed in this paper . units of ml / 100 g scaled by a constant due to the normalized arterial input functions . the proposed method also showed reduced variation in values within the regions of interest compared to blood volume computed using other strategies ( table 11 ). the estimated leakage coefficients were similarly low for gray matter and white matter , κ i = 1 . 6 , but elevated for the two tumor regions , κ i = 5 . 7 ( fig1 ). the circulation times t i were similar for white matter than for gray matter ( t i = 20 . 2 seconds ). in the absence of noise , the input flow values were exactly reproduced by the iterative blind deconvolution method in some simulated settings ( fig1 a ). smaller variations in estimated flow values were however identified when using different parameter settings for the arterial input functions ( fig1 a ). an arterial input functions with parameters a = 3 and b = 1 . 8 , and an exponential tissue residue functions with mtt = 4 seconds , reproduced close to true input flow values in the absence of noise ( fig1 b ). mean flow values were also reproduced in the presence of increasing noise levels ( results shown for n = 0 , 1 , 2 . 5 and 4 in eq . ( 31 )). when noise levels were high ( n = 4 ), mean flow values were overestimated and the variance in the value was increased ( fig1 b ). the iterative blind deconvolution method gave similar flow estimates for exponentially and linearly shaped tissue residue functions under reasonable noise conditions ( n = 1 , eq . ( 31 )). flow values were consistently lower for box - shaped tissue residue functions , ( fig1 c ). the input mean transit time value ( 4 seconds ) was reproduced for all simulated flow values ( fig1 d ). the arterial input functions estimated in two patients correlated well with the patients &# 39 ; blood supply pattern as diagnosed from the complete radiological examination ( fig1 ). in the tumor patient , the arrival of contrast is in parts of the tumor area as early as in the brain feeding arteries . the contrast then arrives in gray matter slightly earlier than in the white matter ( fig1 , frames a ii and iii ). in the dysplasia patient , contrast arrives earlier in the left hemisphere compared to the dysplasia - affected right area . the contrast bolus also passes slower through the middle right area , as can be seen by comparing the number of frames from contrast arrival to contrast washout in the left and right hemisphere . this is in good agreement with the collateral circulation that was identified in the right hemisphere from the patient &# 39 ; s angiography examinations . again , the contrast arrives normal gray matter earlier than normal white matter ( fig1 , frames b ii and iii ). detailed contrast washout dynamics were seen when visualizing the tissue residue functions as function of time ( fig1 ). in the tumor patient , an area with slower contrast washout was seen in the central part of the tumor ( fig1 vi , black arrow ). slower washout compared to the contralateral hemisphere was also seen in areas in the right hemisphere in the dysplasia patient . for the patient with fibromuscular dysplasia in the right hemisphere , a gamma function with parameters ( a = 4 . 13 , b = 1 . 53 ) was found to represent the voxels with the earliest and largest signal change ( fig2 , seven voxels ). this gamma function was used as the arterial input function in the global approach . the time - to - peak map obtained in this patient using either the proposed or the conventional method , showed later time - to - peaks in the area normally supplied by the right middle cerebral artery ( fig2 ). differences in time - to - peak were more apparent in the proposed method . region - of - interest analysis in the patient with fibromuscular dysplasia gave comparable hemodynamic parameters between the proposed method and conventional method ( table 12 , fig2 ). the mean transit time values obtained by the proposed method were slightly shorter than those obtained with the conventional method , but would probably even out if a smaller truncation factor than 0 . 2 would be selected for the current signal - to - noise ratio . the difference could also be explained by the different strategies for identifying the first pass . the variance in the mean transit time and time - to - peak values was lower for the proposed method . for the proposed method it was seen that the mean transit times in the affected right hemisphere ( roi 2 , 4 , 6 ) are longer than in healthy white matter ( roi 3 , 5 ), which again were longer than in healthy cortical gray matter ( roi 1 ). the corresponding values for the conventional method were less distinguishable , except for the lower most region ( roi 6 ). in contradiction to the proposed method , both time - to - peak and mean transit time values were longer in roi 6 than in the closely located roi 4 . the proposed method showed later and more dispersed arterial input functions in roi 6 than in roi 4 ( fig1 , gray arrow ). patient with right middle cerebral artery fibromuscular dysplasia . mean values ( standard deviation . m1 : iterative deconvolution after first pass identification with proposed leakage and recirculation modelling . m2 : truncated singular value decomposition after identification of first pass by only including the first 27 of 50 image frames . | 6 |
fig1 and 2 show a user &# 39 ; s ear 1 and anatomical parts of the ear . in fig1 there can be seen the external auditory canal 2 , ear canal wall 3 , auricle 4 , isthmus 5 , tympanic membrane 6 , middle ear 7 and inner ear 8 . in fig2 a dam 9 such as a cotton dam or otoblock ® dam is positioned at the isthmus 5 . the dam 9 is used as a first step of the method of the present invention wherein a form portion 11 or impression material is formed of silicone , methylmethacrylate or algenate . the form 11 is formed in between dam 9 and auricle 4 as shown in fig2 . during the method step of making the form 11 , the form 11 conforms to all of the curvatures of the ear canal 3 so that an accurate form 11 is provided for making a female mould . the female mould 15 is shown in fig5 and 9 - 12 . in fig3 and 4 , the form 11 is shown after being removed from the ear 1 ( fig3 ) and during a cutting of the form 11 using knives 12 to cut excess material that is designated as 13 , 14 in fig4 . the form 11 is separated from excess material 13 and 14 at sagittal plane 16 . after the form 11 is trimmed in fig4 a technician &# 39 ; s hand 18 dips the form 11 into vessel 17 as schematically indicated by the arrow 20 . the vessel 17 includes a liquid material 21 that cures at room temperature such as room temperature curing methacrylate ( sold by esschem ). it is preferable to use a clear material 21 in the method step shown in fig5 . in fig6 the technician &# 39 ; s hand 18 has removed the form 11 so that a coating of material 21 cures at room temperature ( or with an ultraviolet light process ) to form female mould 15 on form 11 . after it cures , the female mould 15 is removed from form 11 for use as shown in fig9 and 10 during assembly of the apparatus 10 of the present invention . the mould 15 can be a few millimeters in wall thickness ( typically 1 - 3 mm ). a number of electronic components are mounted to a mounting member 22 prior to use of the female mould 15 . mounting member 22 provides a medial side 23 and lateral side 24 . the medial side 23 supports a number of hearing aid electronic components as shown in fig7 , and 10 . in fig7 these hearing aid electronic components include commercially available hearing aid components including a microphone 25 , volume control , battery , socket or plug 28 for communicating with a computer , chip or micro processor circuit , wiring harness 38 , input capacitor , amplifier 34 , receiver / speaker 35 , and receiver tube 37 . in fig8 the lateral side 24 of mounting member 22 shows the microphone 25 , battery compartment 26 , volume control 27 , programming socket 28 for communicating with a computer , silicone plug 54 ( see fig9 ), and vent opening 29 that communicates with vent tube 30 ( see fig1 ). in fig9 battery 31 is shown housed in battery compartment 26 . the electronic hearing aid components also include a battery terminal 32 , voltage regulating capacitor 33 ( see fig1 ), amplifier / microprocessor 34 , receiver 35 having speaker port 36 , and receiver tube 37 . a wiring harness 38 includes a plurality of wires that connect to various electronic components of the hearing aid device together . the wiring harness 38 includes a length of wires 39 that are arranged in an s or multiple curved pattern as shown in fig7 . this “ s loop ” configuration of wires 39 helps protect the integrity of the electronics when the hearing aid apparatus 10 is flexed as occurs during use because of its soft nature . further , the s - loop wires 39 are preferably a 44 gauge five strand litz wire ( or magnet wire ). the length of the s - loop wires 39 is preferably at least 1 . 5 times the distance between the terminals to the receiver ( or microprocessor ) 35 and the amplifier 34 terminals . these “ s - loop ” wires 39 prevent excess tension or compression from being transmitted to the electronics during use ( e . g . flexing , elongation , compression of hearing aid 10 ). vent tube 30 is anchored to the mounting member 22 and preferably also to one of the electronic components at a position spaced away from the mounting member 22 . vent tube 30 acts as a tensile load carrying member that carries tension so that the wiring harness 38 is substantially free of a tensile load that could damage the wiring harness 38 . also , when vent tube 30 is anchored to one of the electronic components ( such as receiver 35 ) at a position spaced away from the mounting member 22 , it may provide enough strain relief that it would not be necessary to coil wires 39 as shown ( they could be straight instead ). something else could be used as a load carrying member , in place of vent tube 30 ( in which case vent tube 30 would not necessarily be anchored to one of the electronic components ( such as receiver 35 )) at a position spaced away from the mounting member 22 . for example , a monofilament cantilever 55 can be used to carry tension so that tension is not transmitted to wiring harness 38 . in fig7 a , and 7 b the link 55 is anchored to plate 22 at opening 56 . fastener 57 affixes to receiver tube 37 at large opening 59 . monofilament cantilever 55 attaches to fastener 57 at smaller diameter opening 58 . alternatively , vent tube 30 could be manufactured of a tensile material that carries tensile load . the vent tube 30 would then be anchored to plate 22 and fastener 57 as the tensile member . the monofilament cantilever 55 provides longitudinal stability to the body . it minimizes longitudinal displacement ( stretching as well as compression ) and thus acts as a longitudinal stabilizer ( a longitudinal load carrying member ). after the electronic components ( sometimes designated generally in the drawings by the letter “ e ”) are assembled to the medial 23 side of mounting member 22 , female mould 15 is used to complete the method of construction of the present invention as shown in fig9 - 13 . in fig9 the female mould 15 is placed over the electronic components “ e ” beginning with the distal end portion of receiver tube 37 and the distal end portion of vent tube 30 as indicated by arrows 40 in fig9 . a plurality of three openings 41 , 42 , 43 are provided at distal end 44 of female mould 15 as shown in fig9 . the proximal end 45 of female mould 15 provides an annular edge surface 19 that engages the medial 23 side of mounting member 22 as indicated by the dotted line 46 in fig9 . a joint is formed between annular edge surface 19 of female mould 15 and medial surface 23 of mounting member 22 at a position schematically indicated as dotted line 46 in fig9 using the method of the present invention . the medial surface 23 of mounting member 22 is cleaned with a suitable solvent . acetone can be used as a solvent in the case of a mounting plate 22 that is made of acrylic . the medial surface 23 of mounting member 22 is then painted with a primer using a swab or brush . the primer is allowed to dry . a bonding agent is then applied to the medial surface 23 of mounting member 22 and allowed to dry . the bonding agent or bonding enhancer can be product a - 320 of factor ii , inc . of lakeside , ariz ., which is a member of the chemical family “ silicone primer ”. the female mould 15 is placed against the medial side 23 of mounting member 22 . a liquid acrylic is used to form an acrylic seam at the interface of annular edge surface 19 of female mould and the medial side 23 of mounting member 22 ( see fig1 ). as the female mould 15 is assembled to mounting member 22 , vent tube 30 passes through opening 41 . receiver tube 37 passes through opening 42 . the opening 43 is then used for injection of filler material 50 ( e . g . via needle 49 ) as shown by arrows 51 , 52 in fig1 . during this process , temporary seal 47 holds the liquid filler material 50 within the interior 53 that is formed by female mould 15 and mounting member 22 . the filler material 50 can be a liquid during the injection step of fig1 so that it encapsulates at least the receiver / speaker electronic component 35 and preferably other components as well . in fig1 , the female mould 15 is removed after the material 50 has set . the mounting member 22 ( which can be in the form of a circular , generally flat face plate ) is then cut at the phantom line 46 that basically tracks the periphery of female mould 15 at annular edge surface 19 at proximal end 45 thereof . this cutting of the unused , unneeded part of mounting member 22 is shown in fig1 . fig1 - 17 show the completed apparatus 10 of the present invention . the present invention provides a soft , yet solid hearing aid instrument that will provide a more appropriate environment for both the high fidelity performance of today &# 39 ; s advanced circuitry and the dynamic ear canal . the present invention teaches a soft construction of at least the distal portion of the apparatus 10 so that at least the receiver / speaker is encapsulated with the soft material 50 . this construction results in a precise representation of the human ear canal , flex with jaw motion , and cushion for the embedded electronic components “ e ”. fig1 demonstrates real ear occlusion gain ( reog ) finding obtained from a wearer having a tortuous ear canal . the curve 101 represents the reog of a hard shell , hollow type hearing aid instrument . the curve 102 represents the reog of an instrument 10 made according to the method of the present invention . as can be seen in fig1 , the present invention instrument provided 20 db more attenuation than did the hard shell , hallow hearing aid instrument represented by the curve 101 . because of the sharp first directional bend of the wearer &# 39 ; s ear canal , the hard shell instrument could not be inserted without modification . the apparatus 10 of the present invention was insertable without modification thereby yielding a tighter seal in the wearer &# 39 ; s ear . fig1 is a graphical representation that demonstrates real ear aided gain ( reag ) findings obtained from a wearer having a tortuous ear canal . the curves shown ( 103 , 104 ) were obtained from the instruments used to generate the finding shown in fig1 . curve 103 represent reag before feedback of the apparatus 10 of the present invention . curve 104 demonstrates the reag before feedback of a hard shell , hollow type hearing aid instrument of the prior art . as can be seen in fig1 , the instrument 10 of the present invention represented by curve 103 provided more gain across the frequencies . this reag is inversely proportional to the amount of occlusion gain ( reog ) or attenuation provided by the apparatus 10 of the present invention . it should be restated that , because of the sharp first directional bend of the wearer &# 39 ; s ear canal , the hard shell , hollow type instrument of the prior art could not be inserted without being modified . the apparatus of the present invention was insertable without modification , thus the present invention provides higher added gain values ( reag ) when a more negative reog can be achieved while maintaining comfort . the apparatus 10 of the present invention will result in a better utilization of advanced circuitry and a more comfortable hearing instrument . the soft construction solves the problem of peripheral leakage , poor fit , and pivotal displacement that often occurs with jaw motion . another problem that is solved with the present invention is the elimination of internal cross - talk of components housed in hollow shell type hearing aids . the following table lists the parts numbers and parts descriptions as used herein and in the drawings attached hereto . the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only ; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 7 |
fig1 depicts a simple flow control loop comprising a flow line 10 having fluid 15 flowing therein . an orifice meter 20 is inserted in line 10 to measure the flow rate of fluid 15 . the state of upstream and downstream pressure of the orifice meter 20 is measured through lines 25 , 30 , respectively , which connect with a differential pressure transmitter 35 . transmitter 35 is connected as the process feedback 40 to controller 45 . controller 45 also has a set point 50 which can be entered into the controller 45 by hand manipulation or by remote actuation . the output of controller 45 controls valve 55 by a set of solenoid valves 60 , 65 . solenoid valve 60 controls flow of compressed air or other gas from source 70 associated with the pneumatic drive of valve 55 . valve 65 controls the venting of compressed air or other gas in valve 55 . it should be understood that this is a simplified control loop and any control loop could be used for any process variable and control element . this would include remote setting of another controller by controller 45 as a control element and could be any industrial variable and should not be taken to even be limited to pressure , temperatures , levels , flows and the like . further , the set point 50 may be locally entered at controller 45 or might be remotely set by another controller not shown . also , normally and preferably , solenoid valves 60 , 65 are packaged within controller 45 . in addition , normally and preferably , the adjusting screw and cap of valve 55 are not used . fig2 depicts the basic functional blocks of controller 45 . the set point signal 50 and process feedback 40 are feed to a differential amplifier 71 , such as an instrumentation amplifier , to generate an error signal 75 designated as e 0 . the error signal 75 is the difference between the set point 50 and the process feedback 40 . the differential amplifier 71 may have a gain other than one , such as for example two . in such a case , differential amplifier 71 generates error signal 75 , which is the difference between the set point 50 and the process feedback 40 , multiplied by the gain of the amplifier 71 . also , there may be an invertor to invert the signal . the final error signal 75 then may be an inverted signal . the error signal 75 is feed to a precision rectifier 80 . as shown in fig2 error signal 75 is not inverted , which would be the case for a direct acting control system . however , an inverting amplifier ( not shown ) can be interspersed between the differential amplifier 71 and the precision amplifier 80 to invert signal 75 to permit the controller to be a reverse acting controller . a switch ( not shown ) may also be used to permit selection of the use of the control as a direct or reverse acting controller . typically , a circuit for precision rectifier 80 would be constructed using two serial connected operational amplifiers ( not shown ). the offset of the output of the first operational amplifier may be trimmed by a potentiometer ( not shown ). in addition , an adjustable voltage , typically called a &# 34 ; dead band &# 34 ; voltage , may be added to the input of the second stage operational amplifier by a second potentiometer ( not shown ). this second potentiometer permits adding an adjustable dead band to the controller 45 , effectively maintaining the output 85 of precision rectifier 80 at zero when the error input 75 to the precision rectifier 80 , after adjustment for offset discussed above , falls within the selected dead band . thus , when the error signal 75 falls within the selected dead band , the controller 45 would maintain its level of output . the rectified error signal , which is the output 85 of precision rectifier 80 , is then fed to an adjustable gain amplifier 90 . the adjustable gain amplier 90 is typically constructed by using a variable resistor ( not shown ) to set the gain of controller 45 . typically the variable resistor would be in the feedback circuit ( not shown ) of an operational amplifier making up the adjustable gain amplifier 90 . in the preferred embodiment , the variation of gain is approximately 10 : 1 . presuming that the gain of the amplifier is &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and the gain of the differential amplifier 71 is one , then the output of the amplifier 90 is ae 0 for an error signal e 0 and is shown in fig2 with identifier 95 . the gain a can be smaller than 1 or larger than 1 . typically in the controller 45 , the gain adjustment a would be through the above - referenced potentiometer which would be labeled as &# 34 ; response speed &# 34 ; to an operator . as with all illustrations of electronic circuitry , the illustration of using an operational amplifier with a variable resistor in the feedback circuit is just one illustration of the way the gain portion of the circuit could be accomplished by those skilled in the electronics arts . the output 95 of adjustable gain amplifier 90 is fed to one side of a comparator 100 . the other input of comparator 100 is the output of a ten hertz sawtooth generator 110 . sawtooth generator 110 is a fixed frequency sawtooth generator . although the preferred embodiment uses ten hertz as its frequency , this frequency is not critical to the operation of the controller 45 . while many different mechanisms may be used to produce a sawtooth wave form , an integrated circuit ( not shown ) to produce ten hertz pulses may be fed to an operational amplifier ( not shown ) having a capacitor feedback in parallel with a field effect transestor ( not shown ). the ten hertz pulse may turn on the field effect transistor , thus discharging the capacitor ( all of which are not shown ) at a rate of ten hertz . accordingly , when the field effect transistor is off , a ramp would be generated at the output of the operational amplifier as a capacitor charges . with one input of comparator 100 being the output 120 of the sawtooth generator 110 and the other input being the output 95 , i . e . ae 0 , of adjustable gain amplifier 90 , comparator 100 will have an output 130 which is a pulse width modulated , the pulse width being directly proportional to the error signal 95 . this is because the output 120 of the sawtooth generator 110 is compared with the output 95 of the adjustable gain amplifier by the comparator 100 . the comparator 100 is a very high gain amplifier which changes its output when the two inputs are almost equal . therefore , the equation to be used to determine the pulse width of the output is : ae 0 = v 1 = k 1 t 1 . see fig3 . in this equation , k 1 is the change of voltage with respect to time of the sawtooth generator ; i . e . the slope of the curve of the sawtooth , and t 1 represents the elapsed time during the sawtooth . accordingly , when the comparator 100 is turned on so that there is a level signal from its output 130 , the voltage output 95 of adjustable gain amplifier 90 must be equal to the voltage output 120 at the time of equality with the output of sawtooth generator 110 as expressed by the above equation . the time in which this occurs would be : ## equ1 ## equation ( 1 ) shows that the time t 1 is directly proportional to amplifier 90 gain &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and error signal e 0 , where k 1 as discussed above is a constant fixed by the sawtooth generator . accordingly , equation ( 1 ) shows that by fixing the gain of the amplifier by adjusting the response speed potentiometer ( not shown ) of gain amplifier 90 , the pulse width t 1 is directly proportional to the error signal e 0 . the output signal 130 of comparator 100 is thus pulse width modulated (&# 34 ; pwm &# 34 ;) based on error signal e 0 . output 95 is also the voltage input to sawtooth generator 135 . because amplified error signal 95 is an input to sawtooth generator 135 , the output voltage 140 , which is a sawtooth wave form , has a value v 2 at any time t 2 which follows the equation : v 2 = a e 0 t 2 ÷ k 2 , where k 2 is a constant equal to the inverse of change in voltage over time , which is the slope of the sawtooth generator . the output 140 of sawtooth generator 135 is fed to a comparator 145 . the other input of comparator 145 is a dc voltage 150 . as discussed above , the comparator 145 is also a very high gain amplifier which changes its output when the two inputs are almost equal . therefore , the output 155 of comparator 145 would occur when the inputs 140 , 150 to comparator 145 follow the equation : v 2 = a e 0 t 2 ÷ k 2 = v dc , where v dc is the reference voltage 150 to the comparator 145 . thus , the time in which this occurs is given by the equation : ## equ2 ## as is seen from equation ( 2 ), the interval of the signal will be longer with decreases in the error signal , e 0 . the output 155 of comparator 145 is fed to a monostable 160 which sets the length of its pulses but the frequency of which will be set by comparator 145 through its output 155 . thus , the output 165 of monostable 160 will be pulses of fixed width , but variable frequency depending of the error signal e 0 , with the frequency decreasing as the error signal e 0 becomes smaller . it is preferable in the preferred embodiment that the pulse width is 15 milliseconds for the pulse frequency modulated signal (&# 34 ; pfm &# 34 ;). signals 130 and 165 are fed to a decision maker 170 . the purpose of decision maker 170 is to determine to send either the pwm or the pfm signal to its output 175 . the decision is made based on the length t 1 of the pulse width of signal 130 . when the time t 1 falls below a predetermined duration , such as 15 milliseconds , decision maker 170 would permit the pfm signal 165 to be its output and block the pwm signal 130 . when t 1 is above the predetermine duration or at the predetermined duration , such as , for example , 15 milliseconds , decision maker 170 will permit the pwm signal 130 to be output 175 and will block the pfm signal 165 . the necessity for having a pfm signal instead of always using a pwm signal is evidenced by equation ( 1 ). ultimately , the duration of the pwm signal 130 would be the duration of the output signal to the solenoids 60 , 65 . as can be seen from equation ( 1 ), the pulse width is proportional to the error signal , e 0 . as the error signal , e 0 , approaches zero , the pulse width of the pwm signal 130 becomes so small that solenoids 60 , 65 would not be properly turned on , for example , with pulse durations typically less than 10 milliseconds . this would mean that the controller 45 could never reduce the error signal e 0 to zero . to overcome this difficulty , it is necessary to turn the solenoids on until the error is actually zero . to energize at a minimum value while the error signal e 0 is still greater than zero , the widths of the pfm was chosen at approximately 15 milliseconds so that the solenoids 60 , 65 are energized with fixed pulse width but not so often ( based on frequency ) to achieve an unstable system . this is the reason the change is made in the mode of the operation from pwm to pfm ( with a fixed but small pulse duration and with frequency decreasing as the error signal , e 0 , reaches zero ). this is the integral action of controller 45 and in the preferred embodiment is not adjustable . it automatically eliminates reset wind - up . a feature of differential amplifier 71 is that it is bidirectional . this means that when the process feedback 40 is above the set point 50 , the error signal e 0 75 is positive , and when the set point 50 is below the process feedback 40 the error signal e 0 75 would be negative . this error signal 75 also feeds a summer 180 . ( for a reverse acting controller , the inverted error signal 75 would be fed to summer 180 .) the other input to summer 180 may be ground 185 if the derivative portion of the controller is not needed , indicated by the position of switch 181 . in such a circumstance , the output of 195 of summer 180 would be the error signal fed directly to steering circuit 195 . steering circuit 195 determines whether output 175 is fed to solenoid 60 or solenoid 65 . this is done by and gates 200 , 205 . the polarity of error signal 75 determines whether and gate 200 or and gate 205 is activated to route the pulse signals 175 to either solenoid 60 or solenoid 65 . for a positive error e 0 75 , gate 200 would be activated ( presuming a direct acting controller ) and for a negative signal of error e 0 75 , and gate 205 would be activated ( presuming a direct acting controller ). thus , for example , if the flow rate of fluid 15 is line 10 were below set point 50 , and gate 200 would cause solenoid drive 60 to be actuated , which would permit air , for example , to be introduced from source 70 to valve 55 , causing valve 55 to further open and increase the flow of fluid 15 . alternatively , if the fluid flow rate 40 was above the set point 50 , then solenoid drive 65 would be activated through and gate 205 , causing air , for example , to bleed from the valve 55 , which would cause it to close , shutting down the flow of fluid 15 to some extent . thus , for a pi controller , the circuitry would operate by comparing the set point 50 to the process feedback , to produce an error signal 75 which would be rectified and have a gain 95 applied to achieve proportional operation , which would be gated appropriately to solenoid drive 60 , 65 to drive valve 55 to compensate for deviation from set point 50 . in addition , integration would occur through the use of decision maker 170 to continue to output to the solenoid drives 60 , 65 , either by signal 165 or signal 130 until the error has gone to zero , final adjustments probably being made through pfm to decision maker 170 . thus , controller 45 would be responsive when installed on fast systems , such as pressure or flow control . however , if installed on a slower system , such as temperature or level control , controller 45 may not operate satisfactorily because of the lag in the system . accordingly , derivative action may also be included as part of controller 45 . as shown in fig2 error signal 75 may be introduced into a low pass filter 210 . low pass filter 210 allows only low frequencies to go through to its output 215 , while high frequency and noise are filtered out . this prevents differentiation in differentiator 220 of high frequencies or noise , which because of their high rate of change , would upon differentiation mask all differentiation of low frequencies . differentiator 220 performs a taking of the first derivative of error signal 75 with respect to time and multiplying such differentiation by a constant k , which is the derivative rate constant . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , k is not adjustable . the resulting signal 225 is then fed to an invertor 230 which inverts the signal ; i . e . producing a signal 235 equal to ## equ3 ## . if switch 181 is set for the derivative position 240 for summer 180 , steering circuit 195 would be effected by an input signal 190 , equal to the difference between e 0 and . thus , steering circuit 195 would change when the load and vent solenoids 60 , 65 , respectively , are activated by controller 45 , based not on when the error signal e 0 75 change polarity , but when . thus , this derivative control allows the controller 45 to take early action looking at the rate of change of the error signal e 0 , while permitting correction to be applied as a function of the error signal e 0 75 . this is a different control strategy from the conventional pid controller which would have the output as a function of the sum of the error signal e 0 75 and its integral and its derivative . while the above describes the preferred embodiment of the present invention , many variations are possible . for example , a display console may be included on the face of the panel to , for example , display calibration of the low range limit and high range limit of the transmitter values , the set point , the process variable , and the error signal . in addition , there may be potentiometers available to set the set point , response speed or dead band . in addition , the display unit may be a liquid crystal display or other suitable display . further , the unit may have its own power supply using external supply voltage of 120 v at 50 or 60 hertz , or 240 v at 50 or 60 hertz , which would be switch selectable . further , it could accept standard 4 to 20 milliamp signals or rtd temperature inputs . further , the remote set point adjustment may be a 4 to 20 milliamp standard input . it may also have multiple enclosures , such as nema 1 , 2 , 3 , 35 , 4 , 4 ×, 12 and 13 . because many varying and differing embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught , including equivalent structures and materials hereinafter thought of , and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law , it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 6 |
the present invention will be described with respect to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims . the drawings described are only schematic and are non - limiting . each drawing may not include all of the features of the invention and therefore should not necessarily be considered to be an embodiment of the invention . in the drawings , the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes . the dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention . furthermore , the terms first , second , third and the like in the description and in the claims , are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence , either temporally , spatially , in ranking or in any other manner . it is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that operation is capable in other sequences than described or illustrated herein . moreover , the terms top , bottom , over , under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions . it is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that operation is capable in other orientations than described or illustrated herein . it is to be noticed that the term “ comprising ”, used in the claims , should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter ; it does not exclude other elements or steps . it is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features , integers , steps or components as referred to , but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps or components , or groups thereof . thus , the scope of the expression “ a device comprising means a and b ” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components a and b . it means that with respect to the present invention , the only relevant components of the device are a and b . reference throughout this specification to “ an embodiment ” or “ an aspect ” means that a particular feature , structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or aspect is included in at least one embodiment or aspect of the present invention . thus , appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ”, “ in an embodiment ”, or “ in an aspect ” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or aspect , but may refer to different embodiments or aspects . furthermore , the particular features , structures or characteristics of any embodiment or aspect of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner , as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure , in one or more embodiments or aspects . similarly , it should be appreciated that in the description various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment , figure , or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects . this method of disclosure , however , is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim . moreover , the description of any individual drawing or aspect should not necessarily be considered to be an embodiment of the invention . rather , as the following claims reflect , inventive aspects lie in fewer than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment . thus , the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention . furthermore , while some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments , combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention , and form yet further embodiments , as will be understood by those skilled in the art . for example , in the following claims , any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination . in the description provided herein , numerous specific details are set forth . however , it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practised without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description . in the discussion of the invention , unless stated to the contrary , the disclosure of alternative values for the upper or lower limit of the permitted range of a parameter , coupled with an indication that one of said values is more highly preferred than the other , is to be construed as an implied statement that each intermediate value of said parameter , lying between the more preferred and the less preferred of said alternatives , is itself preferred to said less preferred value and also to each value lying between said less preferred value and said intermediate value . the use of the term “ at least one ” may mean only one in certain circumstances . the principles of the invention will now be described by a detailed description of at least one drawing relating to exemplary features of the invention . it is clear that other arrangements can be configured according to the knowledge of persons skilled in the art without departing from the underlying concept or technical teaching of the invention , the invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims . fig1 is a perspective view of a known fixing device having a body 1001 of a substantially cylindrical form , with an axial depth of approximately 11 . 5 mm and a diameter of approximately 20 mm . the body 1001 has an anchor receiving aperture 1003 , which passes axially through the body 1001 , is internally threaded , and has a diameter of approximately 6 . 5 mm . the body includes two passages that extend through the body 1001 , each passage having an axis parallel to , and spaced from , the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 1003 . the two passages are disposed diametrically opposite one another around the body 1001 , and set in from the edge of the body 1001 . each passage has an open - sided keyhole - shaped cross - section , and includes a constriction for retaining a 1005 a , 1005 b within the circular portion of the keyhole shape . either side of each passage are provided slots 1047 a , 1047 c and 1047 b , 1047 d , respectively , each projecting semi - radially inward from the outer surface of the body 1001 and running parallel to the axis of the passages . the body 1001 is also provided with two wings 1015 a , 1015 b diametrically opposed around the circumference of the body 1001 , and offset from the passages . fig2 is a perspective view of a body 2001 of a fixing device according to the invention , having a substantially cylindrical form . the body 2001 is provided with an anchor receiving aperture 2003 centrally located therein , and a slot 2004 located across a diameter of the aperture 2003 and extending into the body 2001 in diametrically opposite directions . the slot 2004 is of uniform width ( although a variable width is also possible ) and extends through the entire depth of the body 2001 ( i . e . axially from one substantially cylindrical face to another ). the body 2001 is also provided with two passages 2037 a , 2037 b that extend through the body 2001 , each passage having an axis parallel to , and spaced from , the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 2003 . the passages 2037 a , 2037 b are disposed diametrically opposite one another around the body 2001 , are set in from the edge of the body 2001 , are offset from the slot 2004 and are substantially circular in cross - section . the passages 2037 a , 2037 b are disposed within respective recesses 2007 a , 2007 b in a surface 2009 of the body 2001 . the recesses 2007 a , 2007 b are substantially rectangular in form and are of uniform depth . the portion of the surface 2009 remaining forms an approximately h - shaped guide rail . a peripheral flange 2010 runs around a perimeter of the surface 2009 , and is split into four sections by the recesses 2007 a , 2007 b and vertical grooves 2020 . fig3 is a perspective view of a collar 2050 for use with the body 2001 . the collar 2050 is configured to receive the body 2001 snugly therein , such that rails 2060 engage with the grooves 2020 . an internal flange 2070 is shown which prevents passage of the body 2001 all the way through the collar 2050 when inserted from the top . the collar 2050 is also provided with four wings 2015 for preventing rotation of the fixing device about the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 2003 . the wings 2015 are substantially trapezoidal and project radially outward from the surface of the collar 2050 , parallel to the axis of the body 2050 . the wings 2015 are spaced equally around the exterior surface collar 2050 , offset by 45 degrees from the passages 2037 a , 2037 b . along the top of the wings 2015 is provided an over - insertion stop 2080 in the form of an exterior flange on the collar . fig4 is a cross - sectional view showing the body 2001 inserted fully into the collar 2050 ; other parts of the fixing device such as the shaft and retaining members are not shown for clarity . fig5 is an exploded perspective view of a further fixing device according to the invention including a body 3001 , collar 3050 , retaining members 3019 , and an activation member 3031 ; other parts of the fixing device such as the shaft are not shown for clarity . the body comprises a surface 3009 , passages 3037 in recesses 3007 , a peripheral flange 3010 , and vertical grooves 3020 substantially the same as in the arrangement shown in fig2 . the central hole 3002 is of a larger diameter than the anchor receiving aperture 2003 , as it is configured to accommodate the activation member 3031 therein . the activation member 3031 includes the anchor receiving aperture 3003 and the slot 3004 , as well as a bar 3080 disposed on a lower flange 3090 . the collar 3050 includes the same features of rails 3060 , an internal flange 3070 , wings 3015 and over - insertion stop 3080 ; however , in this arrangement , the over - insertion stop 3080 is split into four portions , each capping the top of one of the wings 3015 . when the slot 3004 is engaged with a tool ( for instance a flat head screw driver ), the whole of the activation member 3031 may be rotated , such that the bar 3080 rotates , pushing the retaining members 3019 out from their retracted position to their deployed position . axial motion of the activation member 3031 is prevented by the flange 3090 preventing passage up through the hole 3002 , and is prevented by the retaining members 3019 preventing passage down through the hole 3002 . fig6 is a perspective view of the fixing device of fig5 in an assembled state , with the body 3001 in a fully retracted position within the collar 3050 . fig7 shows a fixing device , comprising a body 1 of a substantially cylindrical form , having an axial depth of approximately 11 . 5 mm and a diameter of approximately 20 mm . the body includes an anchor receiving aperture 3 , which passes axially through the body , is internally threaded , and has a diameter of approximately 6 . 5 mm . a slot 4 is located across a diameter of the aperture 3 , and extends into the body 1 in diametrically opposite directions . the slot 4 is of uniform width ( although a variable width is also possible ) and extends through the entire depth of the body ( i . e . axially from one substantially cylindrical face to another ). the body also includes shafts 5 a , 5 b , of a substantially rod - like shape , further described with reference to fig6 , below . the shafts 5 a , 5 b are provided within respective passages 37 a , 37 b ( not shown in fig1 ), which extend through the body 1 , each passage having an axis parallel to , and spaced from , the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 3 . the passages 37 a , 37 b are disposed diametrically opposite one another around the body 1 , set in from the edge of the body 1 , and are substantially circular in cross - section . the passages 37 a , 37 b are internally smooth . the passages 37 a , 37 b are disposed within respective recesses 7 a , 7 b in a surface 9 of the body 1 . the recesses 7 a , 7 b are in the form of circular segments in the surface 9 , of uniform depth , with their respective chords being parallel to one another . the portion of the surface 9 remaining forms an approximately rectangular shaped guide rail . spring - clips 11 a , 11 b ( shown in detail in fig7 ) are provided around the shafts 5 a , 5 b , respectively , to limit axial movement of the shafts 5 a , 5 b . the spring - clips 11 a , 11 b are provided on respective circumferential grooves 39 a , 39 b ( not shown in this figure ) about one end of each shaft 5 a , 5 b , which limit axial movement of each shaft 5 a , 5 b within the passages 37 a , 37 b . the shafts 5 a , 5 b have respective slot screw drives 13 a , 13 b , in respective ends , for receiving a slot screw driver for rotating the shafts 5 a , 5 b . the body 1 is also provided with wings 15 a , 15 b for preventing rotation of the body 1 about the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 3 . the wings 15 a , 15 b are substantially trapezoidal and project radially outward from the surface of the body 1 , parallel to the axis of the body 1 . the wings 15 a , 15 b are disposed diametrically opposite one another around the exterior surface body 1 , offset by 90 degrees from the passages 37 a , 37 b . fig8 shows the fixing device of fig7 from the reverse side . flanges 17 a , 17 b , in the form of circular discs coupled to the end of the shafts 5 a , 5 b opposing the screw drives , are welded to respective arms 19 a , 19 b , which are shown in the retracted position in which they sit within the axial profile of the body . the arms 19 a , 19 b are flat plates of a substantially semi - circular profile , in one corner of each is a hole through which the respective shaft 5 a , 5 b is passed such that the respective flange 17 a , 17 b abuts the side of the arm 19 a , 19 b opposite the distal end of the shaft 5 a , 5 b . rotation of a shaft 5 a , 5 b causes rotational movement of the respective arm 19 a , 19 b in the plane of fig2 , which is limited by a respective stop 21 a , 21 b in the clockwise direction and another respective stop 21 b , 21 a in the anti - clockwise direction . the stops 21 a , 21 b are integrally formed with the body 1 , and project beyond the rear circular face of the body , into the plane occupied by the arms 19 a , 19 b . fig9 shows a cross - section of the fixing device along line a - a of fig7 and 8 , when inserted into a wall . the arms 19 a , 19 b are shown in their retracted position . the wings 15 a , 15 b have cut into plasterboard 23 , which is bonded to masonry wall 25 with adhesive 27 , to form a cavity 28 . the cavity 28 may vary in thickness between 10 mm and 25 mm , depending on the thickness of the adhesive 27 at the time the plasterboard 23 was placed in position against the wall 25 . an activation tool 29 is shown inserted into the aperture 3 and slot 4 . aperture 3 is shown with an internal screw thread 33 . the activation tool 29 comprises an activation member 31 , which is passed through the slot 4 ( and out the other side ), a shaft 34 , which is passed into the aperture 3 , and a handle 35 for manipulation by a user . the length of the shaft 34 is substantially equal to the thickness of the body 1 , and the handle 35 has a lateral extent ( for instance , a diameter in embodiments where it is substantially cylindrical ) greater than the diameter of the aperture 3 . in this way , the tool 29 cannot be over inserted and , when inserted fully , the activation member 31 is correctly located to engage with the arms 19 a , 19 b . fig1 shows the same view of the fixing device as fig8 , but with the arms 19 a , 19 b having been pushed into the optimal extended position by the activation tool 29 ( indicated in the figure ). thus , the arms 19 a , 19 b project radially away from the body 1 , in order to maximise a surface area for contact with the rear of the plasterboard 23 , and abut stops 21 a , 21 b respectively . fig1 shows a cross - section of the fixing device along line b - b of fig4 , when inserted into a wall . the arms 19 a , 19 b are in their extended position . shaft 5 a is provided within passage 37 a . the shaft 5 a in knurled adjacent the flange 17 a to improve contact with the arm 19 a . fig1 shows a perspective view of an actuation member in accordance with the fixing device shown in fig7 to 11 that comprises the shaft 5 a , having a circumferential groove 39 a for receiving the spring - clip 11 a and the slot screw drive 13 a , and the arm 19 a coupled thereto , as described above . the shafts 5 a , 5 b can be individually rotated , using the slot screw drives 13 a , 13 b , in order to move their respective arm 19 a , 19 b between the retracted position and the extended position . fig1 shows the spring - clip 11 a in accordance with the fixing device shown in fig7 to 12 . fig1 shows another fixing device , comprising a body 101 , similar to the body 1 of fig7 , and an anchor receiving aperture 103 , substantially the same as the anchor receiving aperture 3 . however , three slots 104 are provided tangentially to the aperture 103 . although radial arrangement of the slots 104 is preferred , the tangential arrangement is shown as an example of an alternative ; further intermediate arrangements are also considered useful in some embodiments . the fixing device comprises three shafts 105 a , 105 b , 105 c , each substantially the same as the shafts 5 a , 5 b , provided within respective passages 137 a , 137 b , 137 c , each substantially the same as the passages 37 a , 37 b , and disposed rotationally symmetrically around the axis of the body 101 . the passages 137 a , 137 b , 137 c are disposed within respective recesses 107 a , 107 b , 107 c in a surface 109 of the body 1 . the recesses 107 a , 107 b , 107 c are in the form of a rectangular hollow in the surface 9 , of uniform depth , each centred on its respective passage 137 a , 137 b , 137 c . spring - clips 111 a , 111 b , 111 c , substantially identical to the spring - clips 11 a , 11 b , are provided around the shafts 105 a , 105 b , 105 c to limit axial movement of the shafts 105 a , 105 b , 105 c . the shafts 105 a , 105 b , 105 c each have slot screw drives 113 a , 113 b , 113 c respectively , substantially the same as the slot screw drives 13 a , 13 b . the body 101 is also provided with three wings 115 a , 115 b , 115 c , substantially the same as the wings 15 a , 15 b , for preventing rotation of the body 101 about the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 103 . the wings 115 a , 115 b , 115 c are disposed symmetrically around the exterior surface of the body 101 , offset from the passages 137 a , 137 b , 137 c . fig1 shows the fixing device of fig1 from the reverse side . flanges 117 a , 117 b , 117 c , substantially the same as the flanges 17 a , 17 b , provided on each of the shaft 105 a , 105 b , 105 c are welded to the arms 119 a , 119 b , 119 c , respectively , which are shown in the retracted position . rotational movement of one arm 119 a in the plane of fig1 is limited by a stop 121 a in the clockwise direction and another arm 119 b in the anti - clockwise direction . the same limits on rotational movement of the other arms 119 b , 199 c apply mutatis mutandis . fig1 shows a cross - section of the fixing device along line c - c of fig1 and 15 , when inserted into a wall , and with a tool 129 in place therein , the tool 129 having three arms for use in the three slots 104 , but being otherwise similar to the tool 29 . the arms 119 a , 119 b , 119 c are in their extended position . the wings 115 a , 115 b , 115 c have cut into plasterboard 123 , which is bonded to masonry wall 125 with adhesive 127 , to form a cavity 128 . the cavity 128 may vary in thickness between 10 mm and 25 mm , depending on the thickness of the adhesive 127 at the time the plasterboard 123 was placed in position against the wall 125 . the shaft 105 a is provided within passage 137 a and has a circumferential groove 139 a provided with spring - clip 111 a , which limits axial movement of the shaft 105 a within the passage 137 a . fig1 shows the same view of the fixing device as fig1 , but with the arms 119 a , 119 b , 119 c shown having been pushed into the optimal extended position , abutting their respective stops 121 a , 121 b , 121 c , by the tool 129 . fig1 shows a cross - section of a fixing device . the body 201 is substantially cylindrical in form , having an axial depth of approximately 11 . 5 mm and a diameter of approximately 20 mm , and has an anchor receiving aperture 203 , similar to the anchor receiving aperture 3 but with a diameter of approximately 4 . 5 mm , and two passages 237 a , 237 b , substantially the same as the passages 37 a , 37 b . the two passages 237 a , 237 b are disposed diametrically opposite one another around the body 201 , set in from the edge of the body 201 and are provided within respective recesses in the top surface 9 . the recesses 207 a , 207 b are each centred on their respective passage 237 a , 237 b , and each comprises a central sub recess and an extended top recess . each central sub recess is in the form of a rectangular hollow in the surface 9 , of uniform depth . each extended top recess is in the form of circular segment in the surface 9 , of uniform depth less than the depth of the central sub recess , with their respective chords being parallel to one another . the portion of the surface 9 remaining forms an approximately ‘ h ’ shaped guide rail . disposed within each passage 237 a , 237 b is a respective shaft 205 a , 205 b , substantially the same as the shafts 5 a , 5 b , each having a circumferential groove ( not shown ), provided with a spring - clip 211 a , 211 b . at the top of each shaft 205 a , 205 b is a respective slot screw drive 213 a , 213 b , substantially the same as the screw drives 13 a , 13 b , and at the bottom of each shaft is a respective flange 217 a , 217 b in the form of a countersunk head ( i . e . a conical portion , flaring out from the main portion of the shaft 205 a , 205 b ). each flange 217 a , 217 b is coupled to a respective arm 219 a , 219 b , which are shown in their retracted position in which they sit within the axial profile of the body 201 . the arms 219 a , 219 b are flat plates , a first plate 219 a of which has a substantially circular profile , a second plate 219 b or which has a substantially semi - circular profile . on a circumferential edge of each plate 219 a , 219 b is a hole through which the respective shaft 205 a , 205 b is passed such that the respective flange 17 a , 17 b abuts the side of the arm 19 a , 19 b opposite the distal end of the shaft 5 a , 5 b . the hole in each plate is a corresponding countersink ( i . e . a conical hole arrangement ) at one end of each hole . the combination of the arm 219 a and the spring - clip 211 a substantially prevents any axial movement of the shaft 205 a within the passage 237 a . in contrast , the combination of the arm 219 b and the spring - clip 211 b substantially limits axial movement of the shaft 205 b within the passage 237 b to a distance equal to the thickness of the arms 219 a , 219 b ; that is , around 1 . 2 mm . thus , the second arm 219 b can therefore be moved into and out of the plane of the first arm 219 a , once the first arm has been moved into its extended position . the arm 219 a has a larger surface area than the arm 219 b . fig1 shows an underside view of the fixing device of fig1 , which has wings 215 a , 215 b , substantially the same as the wings 15 a , 15 b , provided on the body 201 . fig2 shows a top view of the fixing device of fig1 and 19 , in which the arms 219 a , 219 b are located in the extended position . the recesses 207 a , 207 b are shaped to form a guide rail 241 in the top surface of the body 201 , to assist the automatic orientation of the body during automatic assembly of the fixing device . fig2 shows the same view of the fixing device as fig1 , but with the arms 219 a , 219 b in the optimal extended position . a hollow 243 is provided in the rear surface of the body 201 for accommodating the second arm 219 b when both arms 219 a , 219 b are in the retracted position . the first shaft 205 a can be rotated in order to move the first arm 219 a from its retracted position into its extended position , then the second shaft 205 b can be moved axially to move the second arm 219 b into the same plane as the first arm 219 a , and finally the second shaft 205 b can be rotated to move the second arm 219 b from its retracted position into its extended position . similarly , the second shaft 205 b can be rotated to move the second arm 219 b from its extended position into its retracted position , the second shaft 205 b can then be moved axially to move the second arm 219 b out of the plane of the first arm 219 a , and finally the first shaft 205 a can be rotated in order to move the first arm 219 b from its extended position into its retracted position . fig2 shows a body 301 of a fixing device . the body 301 is of a substantially cylindrical form , having an axial depth of approximately 11 . 5 mm and a diameter of approximately 20 mm . the body 301 has an anchor receiving aperture 303 , which passes axially through the body 301 , is internally threaded , and has a diameter of approximately 6 . 5 mm . the body includes a slot 304 similar to the slot 4 ; however , the slot 304 is substantially wider , and therefore can accommodate a more robust and / or stronger tool ( not shown ). the body 301 also includes two passages 337 a , 337 b that extend through the body 301 , each passage 337 a , 337 b having an axis parallel to , and spaced from , the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 303 . the two passages 337 a , 337 b are disposed diametrically opposite one another around the body 301 , set in from the edge of the body 301 , and are provided within respective recesses 307 a , 307 b , substantially the same as recesses 7 a , 7 b , in the top surface . each passage 337 a , 337 b has an open - sided keyhole - shaped cross - section , and includes a constriction 345 a , 345 b for retaining a shaft within the circular portion of the keyhole shape . either side of each passage 337 a , 337 b are provided two slots 347 a , 347 c and 347 b , 347 d , respectively , each projecting semi - radially inward from the outer surface of the body 301 and running parallel to the axis of the passages 337 a , 337 b . the slots 347 a , 347 c , 347 b , 347 d enable resilient biasing of the side walls of the shafts 337 a , 337 b to allow insertion of a shaft 305 a , 305 b radially into the circular portion of the keyhole shape , via the constriction 345 a , 345 b . a shaft 305 a can be inserted radially into the flared portion of the keyhole shaped passage 337 a . if a pressure is applied to the shaft 305 a radially , then the shaft 305 a can force the side walls of the passage 337 a apart , widening the constriction 345 a . the shaft 305 a can then move into the circular portion of the keyhole shaped passage 337 a , and the constriction 345 a returns to its original size . the body 301 is also provided with two wings 315 a , 315 b , substantially the same as the wings 15 a , 15 b , diametrically opposed around the circumference of the body 301 , and offset from the passages 337 a , 337 b . fig2 shows a cross - section along line e - e of a fixing device having the body shown in fig1 , when inserted into a wall . the arms 319 a , 319 b , substantially the same as the arms 19 a , 19 b , are shown in their retracted position . the arms 19 a , 19 b are coupled to respective flanges 317 a , 317 b . the wings 315 a , 315 b are shown having cut into plasterboard 323 , which is bonded to masonry wall 325 with adhesive 327 , to form a cavity 328 . the cavity 328 may vary in thickness between 10 mm and 25 mm , depending on the thickness of the adhesive 327 at the time the plasterboard 323 was placed in position against the wall 325 . an anchor 329 , in the form of a countersunk bolt with a screw thread engages with the complementary screw thread in the anchor receiving aperture 303 is located in the anchor receiving aperture 303 . the anchor 329 anchors a plate 335 to the plasterboard 323 by means of a corresponding countersunk arrangement ( i . e . conical hole arrangement ) at one end of a through - hole in the plate 335 . the plate 335 shown is a flat sheet with a depth of 3 - 4 mm , and having a width substantially greater than the diameter of the body 301 . if the body 301 has been over - inserted into the plasterboard 323 , such that the front surface lies within the hole in the plasterboard , below the front of the plasterboard 323 , then anchoring the plate 335 to the body 301 by means of anchor 329 will draw the body 301 into a position flush with the surface of the plasterboard 323 . for instance , tightening the anchor 329 draws the body 301 toward the plate 335 , by means of the complementary screw threads and thereby draws the arms 19 a , 19 b against the rear surface of the plasterboard 323 . fig2 shows a rear view of the fixing device shown in fig2 , with the arms 319 a , 319 b shown in the retracted position . the body 301 is provided with stops 321 a , 321 b , substantially the same as the stops 21 a , 21 b . to accommodate a larger activation member on the tool , cut - out regions 324 are formed in the wings 319 a , 319 b , of a size so as not to overlap the slot 304 . the cut - out regions 324 may be formed by cutting out portions from pre - formed wings 319 a , 319 b ; however , in preferred embodiments , the cut - out regions 324 are integrally formed with the wings 319 a , 319 b . for instance , the wings 319 a , 319 b may be cast , pressed or cut to include the cut - out regions 324 . fig2 shows the same view of the fixing device as fig2 , but with the arms 319 a , 319 b in the optimal extended position , abutting stops 321 a , 321 b respectively . fig2 shows a cross - section along line f - f of a fixing device having the body shown in fig2 , when inserted into a wall . the arms 319 a , 319 b have been coupled to their respective shafts 305 a , 305 b using respective flanges 349 a , 349 b . the flanges 349 a , 349 b are each formed in a mushroom shape comprising a narrow portion , for insertion through a hole in one of the arms 319 a , 319 b , and a head portion for retaining the arm 319 a , 319 b on the shaft , the head portion having a larger diameter than that of the hole . the narrow portion of the flange 349 a , 349 b is passed through the hole in the arms 319 a , 319 b , before coupling securely to the main part of the shaft 305 a , 305 b . welding the flange 349 a , 349 b to the arm 319 a , 319 b secures the two components together . fig2 shows a perspective view of an actuation member in accordance with the fixing device shown in fig2 that comprises a shaft 305 a , having an enlarged head 351 a and a slot screw drive 313 a , and an arm 319 a coupled thereto . the enlarged head 351 a is substantially cylindrical in shape , and is positioned axially at one end of the shaft . the diameter of the enlarged head is larger than the diameter of the shaft and the diameter of the circular cross - section portion of the passage 337 a . the enlarged head therefore substantially limits axial movement of the shaft through the passage . fig2 shows a body 401 of a fixing device . the body 401 is of a substantially cylindrical form , having an axial depth of approximately 11 . 5 mm and a diameter of approximately 16 mm . the body 401 has an anchor receiving aperture 403 , which passes axially through the body 401 , is provided splines 453 that project radially into the centre of the anchor receiving aperture 403 , and has a diameter of approximately 4 . 5 mm . a slot 404 is formed in a similar manner to the slot 4 . the body 401 also includes two passages 437 a , 437 b that extend through the body 401 , each passage 437 a , 437 b having an axis parallel to , and spaced from , the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 403 . the two passages 437 a , 437 b are disposed diametrically opposite one another around the body 401 , set in from the edge of the body 401 , and are provided within respective recesses 407 a , 407 b , substantially the same as recesses 7 a , 7 b , in the top surface . each passage 437 a , 437 b has an open - sided keyhole - shaped cross - section , and includes a constriction 445 a , 445 b for retaining a shaft within the circular portion of the keyhole shape . on one side of each passage 437 a , 437 b is provided a slot 447 a , 447 b , respectively , each projecting radially inward from the outer surface of the body 401 and running parallel to the axis of the passages 437 a , 437 b . the slots 447 a , 447 b , enable resilient biasing of one of the side walls of the shafts 437 a , 437 b to allow insertion of a shaft 305 a , 305 b radially into the circular portion of the keyhole shape , via the constriction 445 a , 445 b . a shaft 305 a can be inserted radially into the flared portion of the keyhole shaped passage 437 a . if a pressure is applied to the shaft 305 a radially , then the shaft 305 a can force the side walls of the passage 437 a apart , widening the constriction 445 a . the shaft 305 a can then move into the circular portion of the keyhole shaped passage 437 a , and the constriction 445 a returns to its original size . the body 401 is also provided with two wings 415 a , 415 b , substantially the same as the wings 15 a , 15 b , diametrically opposed around the circumference of the body 401 , and offset from the passages 437 a , 437 b . fig2 shows a perspective view of the activation tool 29 , with the activation member 31 , the shaft 34 and the handle 35 . fig3 shows a fixing device , comprising a body 501 , being substantially cylindrical in shape and defining a hollow cavity therein . the body 501 has a diameter for insertion into a hole of approximately 13 mm and a depth of approximately 17 mm . the body 501 includes a casing 557 , configured to sit within a hole in a plasterboard sheet , and an integral plate 555 that forms the top surface of the body 501 , and has a diameter larger than the diameter for insertion into a hole , of approximately 14 mm . the body 501 is provided centrally with a threaded anchor receiving aperture 503 in the integral plate 555 that extends from the top surface of the body 501 into the hollow cavity . the body is further provided with first and second shafts 505 a , 505 b , provided within respective first and second passages that are parallel to and axially spaced from the axis of the anchor receiving aperture 503 , and extend from the top surface of the body 501 , through the hollow cavity to the lower surface of the body 501 . the passages are unthreaded , and circular in cross - section . nuts 559 a , 559 b are provided on top ends of the respective shafts 505 a , 505 b . each shaft 505 a , 505 b is provided with a respective slot screw drive 513 a , 513 b , also on their top ends , substantially the same as the screw drives 13 a , 13 b . fig3 shows the fixing device of fig3 inserted into plasterboard 523 . each shaft 505 a , 505 b is threaded 561 a , 561 b at its top end in order to threadably receive a respective nut 559 a , 559 b thereon . each shaft 505 a , 505 b has at a flange 517 a , 517 b disposed on its lower end for the coupling of a respective arm 519 a , 519 b thereto . the flanges 517 a , 517 b , arms 519 a , 519 b and their means of coupling are substantially the same as described in respect of flanges 17 a , 17 b and arms 19 a , 19 b . movement of the arms 519 a , 519 b between their respective extended and retracted positions is substantially the same as that described with respect to arms 19 a , 19 b . the shafts 505 a , 505 b may be individually rotated in order to move the arms 519 a , 519 b from a retracted position into the extended position shown in fig2 . tightening the nuts 559 a , 559 b on the shafts 505 a , 505 b draws the arms 519 a , 519 b against the rear surface of the plasterboard 523 adjacent the cavity 528 . pressure between the arms 519 a , 519 b and the integral plate 555 holds the fixing device securely in the plasterboard 523 . a forged steel eye bolt 529 is threadably received in the anchor receiving aperture 503 . the forged steel eye bolt 529 secures a cap 563 over the integral plate 555 such that access to the nuts 559 a , 559 b is prevented without removal of the cap 563 . the cap 563 is substantially cup - shaped , and includes a hole in its flat end for receiving the forged steel eye bolt 529 therethrough . fig3 shows a rear view of the fixing device of fig3 and 31 with the arms 519 a , 519 b shown in the retracted position . fig3 shows the same view as fig3 , but with the arms 519 a , 519 b shown in the extended position . fig3 shows an arm 619 , having a hole 665 therethrough at one end , and a tongue 667 adjacent the hole 665 . the tongue is formed by partially cutting out a portion of the flat arm 619 , which is then bent out of the plane of the flat arm 619 . fig3 shows the arm 619 having a shaft ( 605 , not shown ) located within the hole 665 . at one end of the shaft 605 is a flange 617 . the shaft 605 , excluding the flange 617 , may be configured in the same way as any shaft previously described herein . the flange 617 has a socket 669 for receiving the tongue 667 therein , when the shaft 605 has been fully inserted into the hole 665 . the socket 669 is sized to receive the tongue 667 in a close fit , so that there is substantially no rotational movement between the shaft 605 and the arm 619 , about the axis of the shaft 605 . fig3 shows a partial cross section of the arrangement of fig1 along the line g - g . the flange 617 abuts the rear face of the arm 619 to prevent axial movement of the shaft 605 in one direction through the hole 665 . the shaft may comprise limiting means such as an enlarged head or a circlip , as hereinbefore described . once the shaft 605 is inserted into a passage of a fixing device body , the arm 619 is held between the rear surface of the body and the flange 617 , so as to prevent any movement of the arm 619 along the axis of the shaft 605 . further , the engagement of the tongue 667 with the socket 669 prevents any movement of the arm 619 rotationally about the axis of the shaft 605 , relative to the shaft 605 . accordingly , rotation of the shaft 605 about its axis causes corresponding rotation of the arm 619 about the shaft &# 39 ; s 605 axis . | 5 |
this application claims the benefit of the priority date of u . s . provisional application ser . no . 61 / 751 , 983 , filed jan . 14 , 2013 , the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes . this application is also related to u . s . pat . no . 8 , 304 , 187 , filed on feb . 11 , 2010 , the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the explanations and illustrations presented herein are intended to acquaint others skilled in the art with the teachings , its principles , and its practical application . those skilled in the art may adapt and apply the teachings in its numerous forms , as may be best suited to the requirements of a particular use . accordingly , the specific embodiments of the present teachings as set forth are not intended as being exhaustive or limiting of the teachings . the scope of the teachings should , therefore , be determined not with reference to the above description , but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . the disclosures of all articles and references , including patent applications and publications , are incorporated by reference for all purposes . other combinations are also possible as will be gleaned from the following claims , which are also hereby incorporated by reference into this written description . recent studies have shown blood plasma to contain low abundance cfrna targets , an example of which is circulating tumor cell - derived rna . polymerase chain reaction detection of these cell - free targets within a high amount of cellular background rna is challenging , requiring specialized protocols and / or large volumes of starting material . as a result , minimizing the release of cellular rna from nucleated cells ( e . g ., background rna ) is essential for accurate analysis of true cfrna . in current practice , it is recommended that blood samples be immediately centrifuged to isolate and freeze plasma to prevent background rna contamination of cfrna during sample processing , transportation and storage . however , the examples discussed herein demonstrate that the stabilizing blood collection device of the present invention prevents the release of background rna into plasma post - phlebotomy for up to 3 days , thus avoiding these labor - intensive requirements ( e . g ., centrifugation and freezing ). using the stabilizing blood collection device disclosed herein , ex vivo storage at room temperature becomes possible , allowing flexibility for offsite blood draws to be sent to central laboratories for downstream analysis of the cfrna without preliminary centrifugations or cryopreservation . as mentioned above , transportation of blood samples from the site of phlebotomy to another facility is commonly required for molecular diagnostic testing . in this regard , several studies have focused on pre - analytical variables that might compromise the accuracy cfrna measurements , including the selection of blood collection devices , sample storage and shipping conditions . each of these parameters affects the amount of nucleated blood cell lysis that occurs post - phlebotomy . such nucleated cell lysis leads to release of cellular rna , elevating rna backgrounds and suppressing true and accurate cfrna measurement . accordingly , inaccurate cfrna measurement reduces or even eliminates the utility of such measurements for disease diagnosis , genetic testing or other purposes . the devices disclosed herein allow for minimized background rna increases by utilizing a stabilizing blood collection device with the ability to stabilize nucleated blood cells during shipping movement and temperature fluctuations . the examples discussed herein evaluate the ability of the stabilizing blood collection device taught herein and traditional k 3 edta tubes to preserve cfrna and prevent background rna release when subjected to conditions that can occur during sample storage and shipping . during transport of samples , shaking may disrupt nucleated blood cell integrity and compromise accuracy of sample testing , as described above . for the examples described herein , blood samples were shipped in either k 3 edta tubes or the stabilizing blood collection device taught herein . the resulting mrna or rrna copy numbers ( as measured by c - fos , β - actin or 18s rna markers ) showed increased background rna for the shipped samples in the k 3 edta tubes as compared to those samples in the stabilizing blood collection device taught herein . the stabilizing blood collection device samples showed stable mrna or rrna copy numbers before and after shipping . this suggests nucleated cell disruption occurred in blood samples that were shipped in k 3 edta leading to cellular rna release , as this did not occur in the samples within the stabilizing blood collection device . variation in sample storage temperature is another post - phlebotomy condition that can cause undesirable changes in background rna concentration . here , we studied the effect of three different storage temperatures on the mrna copy numbers of blood drawn into k 3 edta and the stabilizing blood collection device taught herein . following blood draw , samples were incubated at 6 ° c ., 22 ° c . or 30 ° c . for 3 days . significant increases in k 3 edta blood sample background rna concentrations were seen at 6 °, 22 ° c . and 30 ° c . by day 3 ( as measured by c - fos , and β - actin markers ) ( fig3 a - 3b ). as shown , blood drawn into the stabilizing blood collection device showed no significant increase in mrna copy number at any temperature on day 3 . the stabilizing blood collection device may include diazolidinyl urea and aurintricarboxylic acid . the stabilizing blood collection device may include aurintricarboxylic acid and sodium fluoride . the stabilizing blood collection device may include imidazolidinyl urea and glycine . the stabilizing blood collection device may include diazolidinyl urea and glycine . the stabilizing blood collection device may include diazolidinyl urea , aurintricarboxylic acid and sodium fluoride . the stabilizing blood collection device may include some combination of diazolidinyl urea , imidazolidinyl urea , aurintricarboxylic acid , glyceraldehyde , and sodium fluoride , and edta . the imidazolidinyl urea may be present in an amount of from about 100 g / l to about 1000 g / l . the imidazolidinyl urea may be present in an amount of from about 300 g / l to about 600 g / l . the diazolidinyl urea may be present in an amount of from about 50 g / l to about 800 g / l . the diazolidinyl urea may be present in an amount of from about 100 g / l to about 400 g / l . the edta may be present in an amount of from about 20 g / l to about 150 g / l . the edta may be present in an amount of from about 50 g / l to about 100 g / l . the glycine may be present in an amount of from about 10 g / l to about 150 g / l . the glycine may be present in an amount of from about 35 g / l to about 100 g / l . the glyceraldehyde may be present in an amount of from about 10 g / l to about 150 g / l . the glyceraldehyde may be present in an amount of from about 35 g / l to about 100 g / l . the aurintricarboxylic acid may be present in an amount of from about 1 g / l to about 40 g / l . the aurintricarboxylic acid may be present in an amount of from about 5 g / l to about 20 g / l . the sodium fluoride may be present in an amount of from about 0 . 1 g / l to about 30 g / l . the sodium fluoride may be present in an amount of from about 0 . 5 g / l to about 10 g / l . for the examples below , blood donors were recruited with informed consent from streck , inc . in omaha , nebr . donors were both male and female and presumed to be healthy . all draws were performed using venipuncture . to study the effect of storage temperature on cfrna concentration , samples were stored at 6 °, 22 ° and 30 ° c . for 3 days . for each experiment , plasma was separated at various time points by centrifugation at 300 × g for 20 min followed by transferring the upper plasma layer to a new tube , and then re - centrifuging at 5 , 000 × g for 10 min . total plasma cfrna was extracted and reverse transcriptase real - time pcr ( rt - qpcr ) was used to quantify mrnas for c - fos , β - actin , and 18s rrna . to study the effect of transportation , blood was drawn from 10 donors . blood was drawn from each donor into three 10 ml k 3 edta tubes and three 10 ml stabilizing blood collection devices in accordance with the teachings herein . one k 3 edta tube and one stabilizing blood collection device from each donor were processed within two hours ( 2 h ) of blood draw . another k 3 edta tube and stabilizing blood collection device from each donor were shipped with a temperature tracking device to a laboratory in springfield , mass . and back to nebraska during the course of three days . the remaining k 3 edta tube and stabilizing blood collection device from each donor were kept at 22 ° c . for three days and processed with the returned shipped blood tubes . the temperature tracking device kept inside the shipping container showed a temperature range of 15 °- 29 ° c . ( see fig1 ), as demonstrated at fig2 a - 2c , shipped blood samples drawn into k 3 edta tubes showed a significant increase in mrna or rrna copy numbers for β - actin , c - fos , and 18s rrna . in contrast , shipped blood samples drawn into stabilizing blood collection devices showed only a slight change in mrna or rrna copy numbers for β - actin , c - fos , and 18s rrna . as shown in fig3 a - 3b , blood stored in k 3 edta tubes at 6 , 22 and 30 ° c . for 3 days showed a significant increase in mrna copy numbers for β - actin or c - fos . compared to k 3 edta tubes , blood stored in stabilizing blood collection devices at 6 , 22 and 30 ° c . for 3 days showed slight to moderate increases in mrna copy numbers for β - actin and c - fos . the results above demonstrate that the stabilizing blood collection devices taught herein have a dramatic and previously unrecognized effect on the amount of background rna that results from shipping and storage temperatures above freezing . it can be appreciated that the stabilizing blood collection devices not only protect target nucleic acids from degradation , but also maintain the quantity of such target nucleic acids . as a result , these quantities remain substantially stable without the intrusion of background nucleic acids so that the relative quantities can be effectively utilized for measurements that may assist in disease diagnosis and tracking . it will be appreciated that concentrates or dilutions of the amounts recited herein may be employed . in general , the relative proportions of the ingredients recited will remain the same . thus , by way of example , if the teachings call for 30 parts by weight of a component a , and 10 parts by weight of a component b , the skilled artisan will recognize that such teachings also constitute a teaching of the use of component a and component b in a relative ratio of 3 : 1 . teachings of concentrations in the examples may be varied within about 25 % ( or higher ) of the stated values and similar results are expected . moreover , such compositions of the examples may be employed successfully in the present methods to isolate fetal nucleic acids ( e . g ., cell - free rna ). it will also be appreciated that the above is by way of illustration only . other ingredients may be employed in any of the compositions disclosed herein , as desired , to achieve the desired resulting characteristics . examples of other ingredients that may be employed include antibiotics , anesthetics , antihistamines , preservatives , surfactants , antioxidants , unconjugated bile acids , mold inhibitors , nucleic acids , ph adjusters , osmolarity adjusters , or any combination thereof . the explanations and illustrations presented herein are intended to acquaint others skilled in the art with the invention , its principles , and its practical application . those skilled in the art may adapt and apply the invention in its numerous forms , as may be best suited to the requirements of a particular use . accordingly , the specific embodiments of the present invention as set forth are not intended as being exhaustive or limiting of the invention . the scope of the invention should , therefore , be determined not with reference to the above description , but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . the disclosures of all articles and references , including patent applications and publications , are incorporated by reference for all purposes . other combinations are also possible as will be gleaned from the following claims , which are also hereby incorporated by reference into this written description . | 2 |
while the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which particular embodiments and methods of implantation are shown , it is to be understood at the outset that persons skilled in the art may modify the invention herein described while achieving the functions and results of this invention . accordingly , the descriptions which follow are to be understood as illustrative and exemplary of specific structures , aspects and features within the broad scope of the present invention and not as limiting of such broad scope . like numbers refer to similar features of like elements throughout . first , the patient spine is exposed through an anterior approach ( i . e . the surgeon creates an access hole which permits direct interaction with the anterior and / or anterio - lateral portion of the intervertebral bodies ). in the case of scoliosis , as well as in other disorders in which the intervertebral space requires distraction and / or repositioning , the surgeon removes the intervertebral disc material , usually leaving some portion of the annulus ( the cylindrical weave of fibrous tissue which normally surrounds and constrains the softer cartilage cushion of the disc material ). the surgeon then , in succession , inserts a series of intervertebral trial spacers of defined width . each of the series of spacers is of a progressively wider thickness , resulting in the continual widening of the space until restoration of the proper disc height has been achieved . proper disc height restoration is determined by surgical experience , and by observation of the annulus . ( often , the tightening of the annulus indicates that the proper disc height has been reached , inasmuch as the annulus is much less likely to be distorted by the same disruption that caused the intervertebral disc to collapse in the first place .) more particularly , with respect to the specific instruments disclosed herein , a series of solid trial spacer elements and an instrument for their insertion and removal is now provided . each trial spacer is a generally cylindrical disc having a deep annular groove at its midpoint , which forms a central trunk and radial flanges at each end of the trunk . stated alternatively , two cylindrical upper and lower halves of the disc are held in a closely coaxial spaced apart association by the central trunk , which forms a coaxial bridge between the upper and lower halves . the annular groove is particularly useful for holding the spacer using the spacer insertion instrument of the invention , described below , in that the holding end of the insertion instrument fits within the groove . a variety of features of embodiments of the trial spacer elements are disclosed . in some embodiments , such as the first and second embodiments described below , support portions ( the portions that are in contact with the adjacent vertebral bodies when the spacer is disposed between the bodies ) of the top and bottom surfaces are parallel . spacers having this feature are generally described herein as “ constant thickness ” trial spacers . in other embodiments , such as the third and fourth embodiments described below , the support portions are not parallel , providing an overall taper to the spacer at an angle . spacers having this feature are generally described herein as “ tapered thickness ” trial spacers . the tapered thickness trial spacers are particularly useful for treating scoliosis , as described below . other features of embodiments of the trial spacer elements include beveled flanges and non - parallel annular groove walls . more specifically , in some embodiments , such as the second and fourth embodiments described below , the flanges are radially beveled in that an outer edge of the top surface of the disc is tapered toward an outer edge of the bottom surface of the disc . in other embodiments , such as the first and third embodiments described below , the flanges are not radially beveled in this manner . the radial beveling feature can be particularly useful for easing the insertion of the spacer in between collapsed vertebral bodies , as described below . further , in some embodiments , such as the first and third embodiments described below , the walls of the annular groove are parallel , such that the floor of the groove is as wide as the opening of the groove . in other embodiments , such as the second and fourth embodiments described below , the walls of the annular groove are tapered toward one another with the increasing depth of the groove , such that the floor of the groove is narrower than the opening of the groove . each type of annular groove is useful , depending on the particular surgical application and on the particular embodiment of the spacer insertion instrument that is used to insert the spacer . collections of trial spacer elements are provided by the invention . preferably , each spacer in a particular set maintains the same diameter as the other spacers in the set . ( it shall be understood that different collections of spacers may be provided such that the diameter of the selected collection of trial spacers is appropriate for the specific patient being treated . for example , the diameters of the trial spacers in a collection that is suitable for use with pediatric patients would be smaller than the diameters of the trial spacers in a collection that is suitable for use with adult patients .) also preferably , each spacer in a particular set has a predetermined depth that differs from the depth of the other spacers in the set . the predetermined depth is provided in that while each spacer in the set shares the same annular groove dimensions ( so that each can be held by the same insertion instrument ), each spacer has a different flange thickness ( in sets where the spacers are constant thickness spacers ). for sets of tapered thickness spacers , the predetermined maximum depth and predetermined minimum depth ( the two depths providing the overall taper ) are provided in that while each spacer in the set shares the same annular groove dimensions ( so that each can be held by the same insertion instrument ), each spacer has a different maximum flange thickness and a different minimum flange thickness . preferably in sets of tapered thickness spacers , the overall taper angle is the same for each spacer in the set . the usefulness of providing sets of spacers similar in most respects except for the depth dimension will be described in greater detail below . referring now to fig1 a - c , a first embodiment of an intervertebral trial spacer 100 of the invention is illustrated in side , top and side cutaway views , respectively . the spacer 100 is a cylindrical disc with an annular groove 102 that forms a central trunk 103 and radial flanges 104 , 106 at each end of the trunk 102 . in this embodiment , support portions 108 , 110 of the top and bottom surfaces 112 , 114 of the disc are parallel . further in this embodiment , the walls 120 , 122 of the annular groove 102 are parallel , such that the floor 124 of the groove 102 is as wide as the opening 126 of the groove 102 . further in this embodiment , the spacer 100 has a central bore 128 . referring now to fig1 d , a set of intervertebral spacers 100 a - l of the invention are illustrated in a side view . each spacer 100 a - l is formed generally similarly to the intervertebral spacer 100 of fig1 a - c , except that each spacer 100 a - l has a predetermined depth ( denoted by the preferred dimension identified adjacent each spacer ) provided in that while each spacer 100 a - l shares the same annular groove dimensions as the other spacers , each spacer 100 a - l has a different flange thickness dimension . for example , the flanges 1041 , 1061 are thicker than the flanges 104 a , 106 a . referring now to fig2 a - c , a second embodiment of an intervertebral spacer 200 of the invention is illustrated in side , top and side cutaway views , respectively . similarly to the spacer 100 , the spacer 200 is a cylindrical disc with an annular groove 202 that forms a central trunk 203 and radial flanges 204 , 206 at each end of the trunk 202 . however , in this embodiment , the flanges 204 , 206 are radially tapered in that support portions 208 , 210 of the top and bottom surfaces 212 , 214 of the disc are parallel , while an outer edge 216 of the top surface 212 is tapered toward an outer edge 218 of the bottom surface 214 . further in this embodiment , in contrast to the spacer 100 , the walls 220 , 222 of the annular groove 202 are tapered toward one another with the increasing depth of the groove 202 , such that the floor 224 of the groove 202 is more narrow than the opening 226 of the groove . further in this embodiment , the spacer 200 has a central bore 228 . referring now to fig2 d , a set of intervertebral spacers 200 a - l of the invention are illustrated in a side view . each spacer 200 a - l is formed generally similarly to the intervertebral spacer 200 of fig2 a - c , except that each spacer 200 a - l has a predetermined depth ( denoted by the preferred dimension identified adjacent each spacer ) provided in that while each spacer 200 a - l shares the same annular groove dimensions as the other spacers , each spacer 200 a - l has a different flange thickness dimension . for example , the flanges 204 l , 206 l are thicker than the flanges 204 a , 206 a . with regard to the instrument for the insertion and removal of the trial spacer elements , a first embodiment ( particularly useful for inserting constant thickness trial spacers ) of a spacer insertion tool includes an elongated shaft and a handle at one end of the shaft . the distal end of the shaft includes semi - circular hook that is adapted to hold a trial spacer within an enclosure formed by the hook . the angle swept out by the hook is slightly greater than 180 degrees , but the inner diameter of the hook is only slightly larger than the central trunk of the trial spacer . therefore , the trial spacer may be snapped into the enclosure , but maintains complete rotational freedom within its grasp . a loading tool may be provided to assist in the loading and unloading of the trial spacer from the trial spacer insertion instrument of this embodiment . this loading tool comprises a forked hook having two tines separated by a notch that engages the shaft of the insertion tool as the tines engage the flanges of the trial spacer , to force the trial spacer into the enclosure . alternatively and / or additionally , the same device may be utilized to remove the spacer from the enclosure , by reversing the position of the forked hook relative to the insertion tool and the spacer . referring now to fig5 a , a first embodiment of a spacer insertion tool 500 of the invention is illustrated in a side view . the insertion tool 500 includes an elongated shaft 502 and a handle 503 at one end of the shaft 502 . at the other end of the shaft 502 , the insertion tool 500 includes a semi - circular hook 504 that is adapted to hold an intervertebral spacer of the invention within an enclosure 506 of the hook 504 . the central trunk of the spacer can be snapped into the enclosure 506 of the hook 504 so that the extent of the hook 504 fits loosely within the annular groove of the spacer and is flanked by the flanges of the spacer . the central trunk of the spacer can also be snapped out of the enclosure 506 . in this regard , the hook 504 has an opening 508 that temporarily expands when the central trunk of the spacer is forced through the opening 508 . that is , the outer diameter of the central trunk is greater than the width of the opening 508 , so that the central trunk cannot pass through the opening 508 without force . the application of a force sufficient to cause the opening 508 to expand when confronted with the central trunk causes the central trunk to pass through the opening 508 . after the central trunk has cleared the opening 508 , the opening 508 will contract . the temporary expansion in this embodiment is provided by the hook 504 being formed of a material having a low elasticity and the hook 504 being provided with a stress notch 510 on the extent ( preferably located opposite the opening 508 for maximum efficiency ) to ease the expansion . once the spacer is loaded into the enclosure , the opening 508 , having contracted back to its resting width , prevents the central trunk from exiting the enclosure radially through the opening , because , as stated above , the outer diameter of the central trunk is greater than the width of the opening 508 . further , by flanking the extent of the hook 504 , the flanges of the spacer prevent the spacer from exiting the enclosure laterally . the hook 504 therefore holds the spacer loosely in the enclosure so that the spacer can rotate about the cylindrical axis of the central trunk while being held by the hook 504 . referring now to fig5 b , a cutaway view of the insertion tool 500 of fig5 a holding the spacer 100 of fig1 a - c shows the extent of the hook 504 in cross - section and fitting within the annular groove of the spacer . it can be seen that to enable the spacer 100 to be loosely held in the enclosure , the width of the extent is smaller than the width of the annular groove , and the depth of the extent is less than the depth of the annular groove if it is desirable for the flanges to fully flank the extent . preferably , as shown , the outer diameter of the hook 504 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the spacer 100 . referring now to fig6 a - b , an embodiment of a loading accessory 600 for a spacer insertion tool of the invention is illustrated in side and top views , respectively . the loading accessory 600 can be used to ease the passing of the central trunk of the spacer through the opening of the spacer insertion tool , both for loading the spacer into the enclosure and unloading the spacer from the enclosure . the loading accessory 600 includes an elongated shaft 602 and a forked hook 604 at an end of the shaft 602 . a notch 606 having a base 608 separates the tines 610 , 612 of the forked hook 604 . the width of the notch 608 separating the tines 610 , 612 is wide enough to accommodate the width of the hook 504 of the insertion tool 500 and the width of the shaft 502 of the insertion tool 500 , but narrow enough so that the tines 610 , 612 can engage the edges of the flanges of the spacer . preferably , as shown , the curvature of the tines 608 , 610 follows the curvature of the edges of the flanges . referring now to fig6 c , the loading accessory 600 of fig6 a - b is shown in operation to load the spacer 100 of fig1 a - c into the spacer insertion tool 500 of fig5 a . initially , the spacer 100 is positioned adjacent the opening 508 of the insertion tool 500 . then , the tines 610 , 612 of the loading accessory 600 are passed on either side of the shaft 502 of the insertion tool 500 such that the notch 606 accommodates the shaft 502 and until the base 608 of the notch 606 contacts the shaft 502 . then , the loading accessory 600 is rotated , using the contact between the shaft 502 and the base 608 as a fulcrum , to cause the tines 610 , 612 to engage the flanges 104 , 106 of the spacer 100 and push them into the enclosure 506 of the tool 500 . applying a force to the rotation , sufficient to cause the opening 508 of the tool 500 to expand when confronted with the central trunk of the spacer , causes the central trunk to pass through the opening 508 . referring now to fig6 d , the loading accessory 600 of fig6 a - b is shown in operation to unload the spacer 100 of fig1 a - c from the spacer insertion tool 500 of fig5 a . initially , with the spacer 100 held by the tool 500 , the tines 610 , 612 of the loading accessory 600 are passed on either side of the shaft 502 of the insertion tool 500 such that the notch 606 accommodates the shaft 502 and until the base 608 of the notch 606 contacts the shaft 502 . then , the loading accessory 600 is rotated , using the contact between the shaft 502 and the base 608 as a fulcrum , to cause the tines 610 , 612 to engage the flanges 104 , 106 of the spacer 100 and push them out of the enclosure 506 of the tool 500 . applying a force to the rotation , sufficient to cause the opening 508 of the tool 500 to expand when confronted with the central trunk of the spacer , causes the central trunk to pass through the opening 508 . the width of the notch 606 accommodates the width of the hook 504 as the spacer 100 is being pushed out of the enclosure 506 . the insertion tool of this first embodiment can be used to insert a series of constant thickness trial spacers ( some of which may have beveled flange edges for easing the insertion between the collapsed bones and into the space to be distracted ). more specifically , thinner trial spacers can initially be inserted into the spacer , followed successively by thicker trial spacers until the desired spacing is achieved . once the appropriate spacing has been achieved , immobilization of the spine by fixation , fusion , or non - fusion techniques and devices , such as those set forth in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 09 / 906 , 117 and 09 / 906 , 118 , entitled “ an intervertebral spacer device having a wave washer force restoring element ” and “ an intervertebral spacer device having a spiral wave washer force restoring element ”, respectively , as well as u . s . pat . no . 5 , 989 , 291 , entitled “ an intervertebra spacer device ”, each of which ha ; been assigned to the same assignee as this present invention , the specifications of which are all fully incorporated herein by reference , may be desirable . while simple distraction to a constant height across the intervertebral space is appropriate for standard disc compression pathologies , in the case of scoliosis , simple constant thickness distraction is insufficient to remediate the pathological condition . what is necessary is the distraction of the sequence of spaces , each to an appropriate angle and height , such that the overall spinal configuration is anatomically correct . tapered trial spacers , such as those disclosed in the present application , are the first such distraction tools to provide such a tailored correction of the misangulation of the spinal bones . more particularly , the surgeon inserts the tapered trial spacers into the intervertebral space ( presumably from the anterior , or anterio - lateral , approach ) with the narrow edge of the trial spacer forming a wedge and sliding between the adjacent bones . by utilizing either a second or third embodiment of the spacer insertion tool , described more fully hereinafter with respect to fig7 a - c and 8 a - c respectively , the surgeon may turn the spacer around its axis within the intervertebral space to find the most appropriate rotational position ( corresponding to the most desirable straightening effect on the spinal column ). stated alternatively , each of the tapered trial spacers has an overall wedge shape that generally corresponds to the pathological tapering of the adjacent bones that characterizes scoliosis . by rotating the wedge - shaped spacer after it has been placed between the adjacent bones , the overall disc alignment may be compensated , restoring appropriate anatomical status . it should be understood that additional rotation of the spacer may restore lordosis to the spine , and that over - rotation ( if the particular spine is flexible enough ) of the spacer would result in a pathological curvature in the opposite direction . referring now to fig3 a - c , a third embodiment of an intervertebral spacer 300 of the invention is illustrated in side , top and side cutaway views , respectively . similarly to the spacer 100 , the spacer 300 is a cylindrical disc with an annular groove 302 that forms a central trunk 303 and radial flanges 304 , 306 at each end of the trunk 303 . however , in this embodiment , support portions 308 , 310 of the top and bottom surfaces 312 , 314 of the disc are not parallel , providing an overall taper to the spacer 300 at an angle . still , similarly to the spacer 100 , the walls 320 , 322 of the annular groove 302 are parallel , such that the floor 324 of the groove 302 is as wide as the opening 326 of the groove 302 . further in this embodiment , the spacer 300 has a central bore 328 . referring now to fig3 d , a set of tapered intervertebral spacers 300 a - j of the invention are illustrated in a side view . each spacer 300 a - j is formed generally similarly to the intervertebral spacer 300 of fig3 a - c , except that each spacer 300 a - j has a predetermined maximum depth ( denoted by the preferred maximum depth dimension identified adjacent each spacer ) and a predetermined minimum depth ( denoted by the preferred minimum depth dimension identified adjacent each spacer ), each provided in that while each spacer 300 a - j shares the same annular groove width dimension as the other spacers , each spacer 300 a - j has a different maximum flange thickness dimension and a different minimum flange thickness dimension . for example , the flanges 304 j , 306 j have a thicker maximum flange thickness dimension and a thicker minimum flange thickness dimension than the flanges 304 a , 306 a . referring now to fig4 a - c , a fourth embodiment of an intervertebral spacer 400 of the invention is illustrated in side , top and side cutaway views , respectively . similarly to the spacer 200 , the spacer 400 is a cylindrical disc with an annular groove 402 that forms a central trunk 403 and radial flanges 404 , 406 at each end of the trunk 403 . however , in this embodiment , support portions 408 , 410 of the top and bottom surfaces 412 , 414 of the disc are not parallel . still , similarly to the spacer 200 , the flanges 404 , 406 are radially tapered in that an outer edge 416 of the top surface 412 is tapered toward an outer edge 418 of the bottom surface 414 . further in this embodiment , similarly to the spacer 200 , the walls 420 , 422 of the annular groove 402 are tapered toward one another with the increasing depth of the groove 402 , such that the floor 424 of the groove 402 is more narrow than the opening 426 of the groove . further in this embodiment , the spacer 400 has a central bore 428 . referring now to fig4 d , a set of tapered intervertebral spacers 400 a - j of the invention are illustrated in a side view . each spacer 400 a - j is formed generally similarly to the intervertebral spacer 400 of fig4 a - c , except that each spacer 400 a - j has a predetermined maximum depth ( denoted by the preferred maximum depth dimension identified adjacent each spacer ) and a predetermined minimum depth ( denoted by the preferred minimum depth dimension identified adjacent each spacer ), each provided in that while each spacer 400 a - j shares the same annular groove width dimension as the other spacers , each spacer 400 a - j has a different maximum flange thickness dimension and a different minimum flange thickness dimension . for example , the flanges 404 j , 406 j have a thicker maximum flange thickness dimension and a thicker minimum flange thickness dimension than the flanges 404 a , 406 a . it should understood that the various features of the different embodiments of the intervertebral spacer of the invention discussed above can be used in various combinations and permutations to form the illustrated embodiments and other embodiments of the intervertebral spacer of the invention . in some embodiments , the walls of the annular groove are parallel . in other embodiments , they are not parallel . in some embodiments where they are not parallel , they are tapered toward one another with the increasing depth of the groove . in other embodiments where they are not parallel , they are tapered toward one another with the decreasing depth of the groove . in some embodiments , the support portions of the top and bottom surfaces are parallel . in other embodiments , they are not parallel . in some embodiments , the flanges are radially tapered in that the outer edge of the top surface is tapered toward an outer edge of the bottom surface . in other embodiments , the flanges are not radially tapered . in some embodiments , the spacer has a central bore . in other embodiments , the spacer does not have a central bore . it should be understood that while in the illustrated embodiments where spacers in a set have an overall taper , the angle of the overall taper of each spacer in the set is the same as the angle of the overall taper of the other spacers in the set , the invention encompasses a set of spacers in which the angle of the overall taper of each spacer in the set is different than the angle of the overall taper of at least one other spacer in the set . it should be understood that while in the illustrated embodiments where the spacer has an overall taper , the angle of the overall taper can be predetermined , such that the maximum flange thickness and the minimum flange thickness can be selected to achieve a desired overall taper angle . it should be understood that while in the illustrated embodiments the spacers are shown as having a cylindrical shape , it should be understood that in other embodiment , the spacers can have oval , square , or rectangular cross - sections , or cross - sections of other shapes , provided that any corners are rounded as necessary to prevent damage to surrounding tissue . as suggested previously , the insertion , rotation and removal of the tapered trial intervertebral spacers requires an alternate spacer insertion tool . this second embodiment of the spacer insertion tool includes a handle and an elongated dual shaft , the dual shaft culminating in a trial spacer grasping pincer , rather than the simple hook of the first embodiment . this pincer differs from the hook of the first embodiment of the trial spacer insertion tool described above , inasmuch as the dual shaft includes a fixed shaft and a selectively engagable shaft which , together , form pincer . more specifically , the fixed shaft includes a semicircular hook portion of the pincer at its distal end , having an enclosure within which a trial spacer can be placed . the selectively engagable shaft includes the complementary portion of the pincer , which moves toward the hook portion to grasp and hold the trial spacer when the engagable shaft is engaged , and moves away from the hook portion to release the trial spacer when the engagable shaft is disengaged . ( the spacer can be unloaded and loaded when the engagable shaft is disengaged .) the engagement action prevents the spacer from moving relative to the tool , and therefore permits the surgeon to rotate the tapered spacer in between the vertebral bodies ( by contrast , the first embodiment of the trial spacer insertion instrument permitted the spacer to rotate freely in the enclosure of the hook ). referring now to fig7 a , another embodiment of a spacer insertion tool 700 of the invention is illustrated in a side view . the insertion tool 700 includes an elongated shaft 702 and a handle 704 at one end of the shaft 702 . the insertion tool 700 further includes a compression assembly that is adapted to hold an intervertebral spacer of the invention at the other end of the shaft 702 so that the spacer cannot move when held . the insertion tool 700 further includes a release assembly that is adapted to release the spacer from being held . the compression assembly includes a semicircular hook 706 at the other end of the shaft 702 and a compression surface 708 adjacent the hook 706 . the hook 706 has an enclosure 709 defined by the extent of the hook 706 and an opening 710 through which the central trunk can pass freely to be placed into the enclosure 709 . that is , the width of the opening 710 is greater than the diameter of the central trunk . when the central trunk is placed within the enclosure 709 , the extent of the hook 706 fits loosely within the annular groove of the spacer . the compression assembly further includes a compression trigger 712 mechanically connected to the hook 706 such that as the compression trigger 712 is placed in an engaged position , the hook 706 is pulled toward the compression surface 708 . the mechanical connection includes a rod 714 connected at one end to the hook 706 and at the other end to a plate 716 . a rod 718 protruding from the plate 716 is engaged by a slot 720 in a lever 722 attached to the compression trigger 712 . when the compression trigger 712 is engaged , the rod 714 of the lever 722 pulls the plate 716 by the slot 720 . the plate 716 in turn pulls the rod 714 , which in turn pulls the hook 704 toward the compression surface 708 . when the hook 706 is pulled toward the compression surface 708 when the central trunk of the spacer is in the enclosure 709 , the central trunk is compressed within the enclosure 709 between the hook 706 and the compression surface 708 so that the spacer cannot move . the release assembly includes a spring 724 biasing the compression trigger 712 to a disengaged position . therefore , after the compression trigger 712 is released , it moves to the disengaged position . however , so that the central trunk remains compressed within the enclosure even after the compression trigger 712 is released ( e . g ., so that the surgeon does not need to continue holding the compression trigger 712 to effect the compression ), the compression assembly further includes teeth 726 on the rod 714 and corresponding teeth 730 that confront the rod teeth 726 to prevent the rod 714 from retreating , to maintain the compression . the release assembly further includes a release trigger 732 that can be engaged to release the rod teeth 726 from the corresponding teeth 730 to allow the rod 714 to return to its rest position , thereby alleviating the compression . more specifically , the release trigger 732 has the corresponding teeth 730 and the release assembly further includes a spring 734 that biases the release trigger 732 toward a position in which the corresponding teeth 730 engage the rod teeth 726 . this arrangement allows the release trigger 732 to be engaged by pressing the release trigger 732 with a force great enough to overcome the bias of the spring 734 , so that the corresponding teeth 730 are disengaged from the rod teeth 726 . therefore , when the release trigger 732 is pressed , the compression is alleviated , and the central trunk of the spacer can be freely passed through the opening 710 to be taken out of the enclosure 709 . referring now to fig7 b , a cutaway view of the insertion tool 700 of fig7 a holding the spacer 400 of fig4 a - c shows the extent of the hook 706 in cross - section and fitting within the annular groove of the spacer as the spacer is compressed between the compression surface 708 and the hook 706 . it can be seen that the width of the extent of the hook 706 is smaller than the width of the annular groove , and the depth of the extent is less than the depth of the annular groove if it is desirable for the flanges to fully flank the extent . preferably , as shown , the outer diameter of the hook 706 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the spacer 400 . referring now to fig8 a - b , yet another embodiment of a spacer insertion tool 800 of the invention is illustrated in open and closed side views , respectively . the insertion tool 800 includes an elongated shaft 802 and a handle 804 at one end of the shaft 802 . the insertion tool 800 further includes a compression assembly that is adapted to hold an intervertebral spacer of the invention at the other end of the shaft 802 so that the spacer cannot move when held . the insertion tool 800 further includes a release assembly that is adapted to release the spacer from being held . the compression assembly includes a claw 806 at the other end of the shaft 802 having opposing pincers 807 a , 807 b , each providing one of opposing compression surfaces 808 a , 808 b . the claw 806 has an enclosure 809 defined by the extents of the pincers 807 a , 807 b and an opening 810 through which the central trunk can pass freely to be placed into the enclosure 809 when the claw 806 is open ( i . e ., when the opposing pincers 807 a , 807 b are separated ). that is , the width of the opening 810 is greater than the diameter of the central trunk when the claw 806 is open . when the central trunk is placed within the enclosure 809 , the extents of the pincers 807 a , 807 b fit loosely within the annular groove of the spacer . the compression assembly further includes a compression slide 812 that when moved to an engaged position ( here , a forward position shown in fig8 b ) closes the claw 806 . the closure of the claw 806 by the compression slide 812 is effected as follows . one of the pincers 807 a is in a fixed position relative to the elongated shaft 802 whereas the other pincer 807 b is adapted to rotate about an axis transverse to the shaft 802 . in this embodiment , the rotation is provided by a pin 813 passing through each pincer at a rotation point along the transverse axis . one position of the movable pincer 807 b along the rotation path ( shown in fig8 a ) defines the opened claw 806 in that the pincers 807 a , 807 b are separated . another position of the movable pincer 807 b along the rotation path ( shown in fig8 b ) defines the closed claw 806 in that the pincers 807 a , 807 b are brought together . when the pincers 807 a , 807 b are separated , an engagement surface 814 of the movable pincer 807 b is placed in an available compression path of an engagement surface 816 of the compression slide 812 . the engagement surface 814 is tapered so that when the compression slide 812 is moved to the engaged , the engagement surface 816 of the compression slide 812 moves along the available compression path and engages the tapered surface 814 to push the surface 814 aside and thereby cause a rotation of the movable pincer 807 b to the position defining the closed claw 806 . when the pincers 807 a , 807 b are thereby brought together to close the claw 806 when the central trunk of the spacer is in the enclosure 809 , the compression surfaces 808 a , 808 b come to bear on the central trunk to compress it within the enclosure 809 so that the spacer cannot move . the release assembly includes a spring 818 biasing the movable pincer 807 b to the rotation path position defining the open claw 806 . therefore , when the compression slide 812 is moved to a disengaged position ( here , a backward position ), the engagement surface 816 of the compression slide 812 moves along an available release path ( here , a backtracking along the compression path ) and frees the engagement surface 814 of the movable pincer 807 b to allow the engagement surface 814 to return to a place in the available compression path by the biasing action of the spring 818 . when the claw 806 is open , the compression is alleviated and the central trunk of the spacer can be freely passed through the opening 810 to be taken out of the enclosure 809 . the release assembly further includes at least one barrier 820 a , 820 b that limits the biasing action of the spring 818 by preventing the movable pincer 807 b from rotating beyond the position that places the engagement surface 814 in the available compression path . in this embodiment , confrontation surfaces 822 a , 822 b on the movable pincer 807 b confront the barriers 820 a , 820 b as the pincer 807 b rotates toward the rotation path position defining the open claw 806 under the biasing force of the spring 818 . when the engagement surface 814 is returned to the place in the available compression path , the barriers 820 a , 820 b prevent the confrontation surfaces 822 a , 822 b from advancing further . the spring 818 and the barriers 820 a , 820 b maintain the movable pincer 807 b in this position until the compression slide 812 is advanced toward the engaged position by a force great enough to overcome the biasing force of the spring 818 . referring now to fig8 c , a cutaway view of the insertion tool 800 of fig8 a - b holding the spacer 400 of fig4 a - c shows the extents of the pincers 807 a , 807 b in cross - section and fitting within the annular groove of the spacer as the spacer is compressed between the compression surfaces 808 a , 808 b . it can be seen that the width of each extent is smaller than the width of the annular groove , and the depth of each extent is less than the depth of the annular groove if it is desirable for the flanges to fully flank the extents . preferably , as shown , the outer diameter of the claw 806 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the spacer 400 . there are alternative insertion and rotating instruments that may be designed , so long as they selectively and alternatingly release or hold the trial spacer securely against rotation ( the spacer can &# 39 ; t rotate freely if it is to be turned in the intervertebral space ). the tapered trial spacers themselves can include angle markers that clearly indicate to the surgeon the amount of rotation that was necessary for the correction of the spinal deformity . such angle markers can also serve as a guide for the implantation of a secondary bone graft ( e . g ., a femoral ring ) or another intervertebral spacer device . once the surgeon has determined the appropriate geometry for the surgical implants via the trial spacers , he or she is ready to immobilize the spine in that position . while multiple ways for immobilizing the spine are disclosed in the prior art , any one of which may be suitable for the specific surgical patient &# 39 ; s treatment , three alternative ways are herein described . first , the trial spacers may be left in the patient while rod fixation apparatuses ( anterior or posterior ) are mounted to the spine , thereby holding the spine in its desired orientation even after the trial spacers are subsequently removed . alternatively , surface plating and / or intervertebral cage devices may be mounted to the spine to promote fusion without the need for bulky rod assemblies . ( while this approach may seem more surgically desirable , questions regarding the long - term stability of these constructs have led to some surgeons to choose combinations of rodding and cages .) a third approach to immobilizing the corrected spine is to insert a shaped bone graft , or suitably contoured porous metal spacer , into the properly distracted intervertebral space , and either plating or using rod fixation to hold the construct stable as the spine fuses . the insertion of a femoral ring allograft , or porous metal implant into an intervertebral space is described more hilly in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 09 / 844 , 904 and 09 / 906 , 123 , entitled “ a porous interbody fusion device having integrated polyaxial locking interference screws ” and “ porous intervertebral distraction spacers ”, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention , the specifications of each being incorporated herein by reference . the tapered trial spacers may also serve as precursors ( measuring instruments ) for another spacer ( e . g ., a porous metal spacer ), similarly shaped , which is inserted into the intervertebral space by the same instrument . | 0 |
the present invention relates to coating particulate materials in a continuous feed process , and more particularly to a continuous feed process for coloring sand . in the process of the present invention , a particulate material 10 , such as sand is fed into a mixer 20 through feed hopper 21 and through feed opening 22 , located on top of mixer 20 , by conveyor belt 25 , while the coating materials , typically one or more colorants 30 and a binder 32 , are fed into the mixer 20 by a series of pumps 35 a and 35 b through feed opening 22 . it is generally preferred to mix from about 0 . 01 to about 1 . 00 percent by weight of colorant , from about 0 . 01 to about 1 . 50 percent by weight of binder , and the balance of the mixture as particulate material — the percents being based on the total weight of the composition . it is even more preferred to mix about 0 . 20 - 0 . 60 weight percent of colorant , about 0 . 75 - 1 . 25 weight percent binder , and the balance of the mixture as particulate material . again , material 10 , colorants 30 and binder 32 enter at the same point , namely feed opening 22 . alternatively or in addition to , colorants 30 and / or binder 32 may be added to the process at a point further downstream ( not shown ). alternatively , the particulate material 10 can be fed to mixer 20 by a blower . mixer 20 churns and mixes the material , thereby providing an even coating on the particulate material 10 . the actual mixing rates can be adjustable for each of the material 10 , colorants 30 and binder 32 . the colored product 40 then exits the mixer 20 through output opening 42 at the bottom of the mixer 20 and then delivered to a drying unit ( not shown ). the drying unit can be one or more commercially available blower , or fan , units . the blow - drying can take place in a tumbler ( not shown ). alternatively , the forced air from the blower units can be heated . because drying is critical to the adhesion of the sand , it is preferred to use added heat to the blowing air , or that some other mechanism of heating element be introduced , such as outputting the colored sand product 40 onto a conveyor that first exposes the sand to heat lamps before discharge . it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that other drying units may also work , such as conveyance of colored product 40 under one or more infrared heaters ( not shown ) with or without blowers , tumblers , and the like , and can be introduced into the process and not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention . one significant advantage of the present invention is that the process does not require additional water for diluting the pigment dispersions , as is known in the art . therefore , drying times and the energy required for the drying process are significantly reduced . the colored product 40 is then delivered to a packaging or storage area by a discharge conveyor 26 or blower . once to the packaging or storage area , the colored product can be bagged for shipping or dispensed into holding tanks , silos , or large piles for storage . the feed rates for the particulate material 10 , colorant 30 and binder 32 depends on the particular material 10 being colored , the type of colorant 30 being used and the intensity and shade desired . essentially any mixer capable of thoroughly mixing solid particulate materials on a continuous basis can be used for mixer 20 . preferred mixers are those which force the mixture to move from an inlet to an outlet along a travel path which is at least three , preferably at least five and even more preferably at least eight , times as long as it is wide . an example is a paddle - type mixer having paddles arranged on a rotating shaft so as to push the mixture from the inlet to the outlet of the travel path . another example is an auger type mixer . for convenience these mixers are referred to herein as “ conveyance mixers .” especially preferred mixers are conveyance type mixers in which the travel path is arranged at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plane , preferably in the range of about 30 - 60 degrees and most preferably at about a 45 degree angle . examples of commercially available conveyance mixers which are useful in the present invention are those color mills available from amerimulch ®, a division of chromascape , inc ., namely the high volume mega - mite ™, the medium volume middie mite ™, or the smaller volume mini - mite ™ mixers . these are high - shear , paddle - type mixers . an example of an auger style mixer is the amerimulch 5000 series color mill . when coating the particulate material with a colorant , it is preferred to use an aqueous dispersion of organic pigments , such as phthalocyanine blues and greens , dna orange , napthol reds , carbazole violet , quinacridone reds and diarlyide yellows . other preferred embodiments might include organic pigment dispersions , such as those including one or more of iron oxide , titanium dioxide and chrome oxide green . when choosing pigments , it is preferred to use pigments with high degrees of light stability . examples of such dispersions include those prepared by cdr pigments ( formerly alper dispersions co . ), chromascape , inc . under the amerimulch brand , becker underwood , creanova , cardinal color , clariant , magruder , sun chemical and bayer corporation . the hue and intensity of the colorant can be modified to prepare custom colors by blending the pigments with one another or with a blend of titanium dioxide white pigment . organic pigment dispersions that are water - based are preferred to solvent - based pigment dispersions because they are less hazardous and more environmentally friendly . furthermore , dry pigments , such as iron oxides , chromium oxides , and various organic pigments can also be used . the binder is preferably a water - based self - cross - linking acrylic emulsion , such as cook composites and chemicals &# 39 ; esicryl 1000 xl ™ cross - linked at room temperature , since the cross - linking action improves the water resistance of the colored particulate materials . other suitable binders include water - based dispersions of non - cross - linking acrylics , such as s . c . johnson &# 39 ; s jonacryl ®, polyurethane , vinyl acetate , vinyl acrylic type polymers , thermosetting resins , such as a two part epoxy system , cook composites and chemicals &# 39 ; esicryl 749 ™, and johnson wax company &# 39 ; s jonacryl acrylic binder ®. orange sand was produced using a middie mite ™ paddle type mixer available from amerimulch , located at 6409 granger road , independence , ohio 44131 , configured in the manner illustrated in fig1 but with a travel path of the mixer arranged at a 45 degree angle with respect to the horizontal plane . approximately 98 . 75 % by weight of sand was fed to the inlet of the mixer by a conveyor , 0 . 25 % by weight of dna orange dispersion ( d - 0005 - 182 , available from alper / cdr pigments , was used ) was fed by pump , and 1 . 00 % by weight of esicryl 1000xl ™ was fed by pump as illustrated in fig1 . paddle rotation was carried out at 120 rotations per minute , allowing about 40 , 000 pounds of coated sand to be produced per hour . as illustrated in fig1 coated sand was discharged from the outlet end of the travel path of the mixer onto a discharge conveyor where it was dried by a method of conveyance through air being blown from an air blower powered by a large , 55 - 60 horsepower engine . the colored sand product was visually inspected and found to exhibit a uniform , vibrant orange color which remained intact even when the sand was repeatedly handled . example 1 was repeated using a dispersion of phthalo blue pigment , code ob15c - 888 , available from alper / cdr pigments , to produce coated sand having a vibrant blue coating . example 1 was repeated using 0 . 10 % by weight of quinacridone magenta dispersion , code no . dr122 - 127 , available from alper / cdr pigments , mixed with 0 . 40 % by weight of titanium dioxide , and 1 . 00 % by weight of esicryl 1000xl ™ to provide a sand product with a vibrant pink color . using similar processes as those described in examples 1 - 3 , limestone particles were colored . the particle sizes were approximately 0 . 25 to 1 . 25 inches in diameter , with the majority of the particles approximately 0 . 75 inches in diameter . a number of the limestone particles broke due to the shear and intensity of the mixing action in the paddle mixer , leaving edges uncolored as the breaks occurred after the exposure to the colorant and binder . this left occasional segments of white , uncolored stone in the mix of otherwise uncoated limestone . this may be overcome with the addition of additional colorant and binder later in the process as mentioned above . while the present invention has been illustrated by the detailed description , figure , and examples it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such details . additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details , representative apparatuses and materials , and illustrative figures shown and described . accordingly , departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant &# 39 ; s general inventive concept . | 2 |
a weld gun assembly according to the invention can include the following illustrated major component parts : a transformer 12 ; a base plate 14 ; at least one transformer mounting strap 16 ; a slide block 18 ; at least one side plate 20 ; at least one rail 22 ; a positioning cylinder 24 ; a clevis bracket 25 ; a spring lock 26 , a spring cup 28 ; a threaded rod 30 ; an equalizing spring 32 ; a power cylinder 34 ; an electrode adapter 38 ; a guide block 40 ; a moveable cap adapter 42 ; a first cap 44 ; an electrode holder 46 ; a stationary cap adapter 48 ; a hose fitting 50 ; a second cap 52 ; at least one transformer terminal 54 , 56 ; at least one shunt 58 , 60 ; at least one shunt adapter 62 , 64 , 66 ; at least one nut 68 , 70 , 72 ; and a cooling tube 80 . main body transformer 12 is of known form and can have a monolithic rectangular configuration including a top face 12 a and side faces 12 b . base plate 14 ( fig1 and 13 ) can have a rectangular configuration generally corresponding to the configuration and dimensions of the top face 12 a of the transformer 12 . base plate 14 can include a pair of slots 14 a proximate the front end of the plate 14 and a rectangular opening 14 b proximate the rear end of the plate 14 . transformer mounting straps 16 ( fig2 ) can be fixedly secured to the side face 12 b of the transformer 12 and can include a notch 16 a proximate the upper end of the strap 16 receiving a side edge 14 c of the base plate 14 so as to mount the base plate 14 in overlying relation to the upper face 12 a of the transformer 12 but spaced from the upper face 12 a . slide block 18 ( fig3 ) can have an “ h ” shaped cross - sectional configuration defining opposed longitudinal guide grooves or keyways 18 a . slide block 18 is fixed to the upper face of base plate 14 . slide block 18 can be formed of aluminum and can include chrome plated equalizing keyways . side plates 20 ( fig1 and 11 ) can be identical to one another and disposed on opposite sides of the slide block 18 . each side plate 20 can include a main body portion 20 a , a front pedestal portion 20 b , an intermediate pedestal portion 20 c , and a rear strap portion 20 d terminating in a rear end 20 e . side plates 20 can preferably be formed of stainless steel . rails 22 can be secured to the inboard faces of strap portions 20 d and can be slidably received in the opposed keyways 18 a of slide block 18 to mount the side plates 20 for sliding equalizing movement on the slide block 18 . positioning cylinder 24 can be carried by clevis bracket 25 which in turn can be mounted on a reduced thickness platform mounting portion 14 d at the rear of base plate 14 . spring block 26 can be positioned between the rear ends 20 e of side plates 20 to fixedly interconnect the rear ends of the side plates . spring cup 28 ( fig2 ) can have a generally cup shaped configuration and can define a socket 28 a sized to receive one end of spring 32 . threaded rod 30 ( fig3 ) can be fixedly secured at its rear end 30 a to the piston of positioning cylinder 24 and can include a threaded portion 30 b extending forwardly through a central aperture 26 a in spring block 26 and through a central aperture 28 b in the rear wall of spring cup 28 . nuts 68 , 70 can be received on threaded portion 30 b and can engage opposite side faces of spring block 26 to lock the spring block with respect to the threaded rod . a further nut 72 can be received on threaded portion 30 b and can engage the rear wall of the spring cup 28 to adjustably mount the spring cup on the forward end of the threaded rod 30 . equalizer spring 32 can have a coil configuration and can be received at its front end 32 a in a socket 18 b in the rear face of slide block 18 and at its rear end 32 b in the socket 28 a of spring cap 28 . power cylinder 34 can preferably be an air cylinder and can include a cylinder body 74 slidably mounting a piston ( not shown ), and a piston rod 76 . the forward end 74 a of the cylinder 74 can be fixedly mounted between the pedestal portions 20 c of spaced side plates 20 . electrode adapter 38 ( fig1 , 35 , 36 and 37 ) can include a monolithic , generally rectangular main body rear portion 38 a and a forward rod portion 38 b of rectangular cross - section . main body portion 38 a can include a socket 38 c at its rear end receiving the front end 36 a of piston rod 76 . main body portion 38 a can be split at 38 d and 38 e to facilitate the grasping of the front end 36 a of the piston rod 76 using fasteners 78 . adapter 38 can include a longitudinal bore 38 f communicating with a transverse “ in ” bore 38 g and a counterbore 38 h communicating with a transverse “ out ” bore 38 i . a tube 80 can be positioned in bore 38 f to communicate with “ in ” bore 38 g . guide block 40 ( fig1 ) can be fixedly positioned between pedestal portions 20 b of the spaced side plates 20 and can slidably receive the rod portion 38 b of electrode adapter 38 via a square central passage 40 a drilled at the corners 40 b to facilitate the sliding movement of rod portion 38 b in the guide block . moveable cap adapter 42 can be fixedly mounted on the front end 38 j of the rod portion 38 b of electrode adapter 38 and first welding cap 44 can be fixedly positioned on the front end of the cap adapter 42 . it should be understood that , in known manner , the cooling tube 80 ( fig3 ) can extend forwardly through cap adapter 42 and into proximity with welding cap 44 and can be positioned in spaced relation to an interior bore of adapter 42 allowing cooling fluid to flow through “ in ” port 38 g and through cooling tube 80 and into proximity with cap 44 , whereafter the cooling fluid can leave the cap and flow around the cooling tube back through adapter 42 and rod portion 38 b for discharge through “ out ” port 38 i . electrode holder 46 ( fig2 ) can have a generally rectangular configuration and can be fixedly positioned between the front ends 20 f of side plates 20 beneath guide block or holder 40 . electrode holder 46 can define a central aperture 46 a for fixed receipt of stationary cap adapter 48 . as seen in fig8 , electrode holder 46 can preferably be sandwiched between insulator plates 82 ( fig2 ) which can be formed for example of a mica or similar insulating material stationary cap adapter 48 ( fig1 , 15 and 16 ) can be shaped depending on the particular gun configuration being employed . in the illustrated configuration of the welding gun , adapter 48 can have a tubular u - shaped configuration with a rear end 48 a of the adapter positioned in and passing through the aperture 46 a of electrode holder 46 and the other end 48 b of the adapter 48 mounting the second welding cap 52 . a central tube 84 can be positioned within a central bore 48 c of adapter 48 and can extend through the adapter so as to provide , in known manner , means for introducing cooling fluid into the adapter for delivery to the welding cap and means for returning cooling fluid outside of the tube back to a cooling fluid discharge . hose fitting 50 ( fig1 and 35 ) can include a threaded forward end 50 a adapted to be threadably received in a threaded bore 48 c in the rear end 48 a of adapter 48 and can further include an “ in ” port 50 b and an “ out ” port 50 c . it should be understood that “ in ” port 50 b can be configured to communicate with cooling tube 84 proximate the rear end 84 a of that tube and “ out ” port 50 c can be configured to communicate with an annular area outside of the tube end 84 a to receive the return fluid flow . transformer 12 , in known manner , can include terminals 54 and 56 positioned on the front face 12 c of the transformer . shunt adapter 62 ( fig8 and 21 ) can have an l - shaped configuration and can be fixedly and electrically secured to the front face of terminal 54 . shunt 58 ( fig2 and 24 ) can have a u - shaped configuration and can extend between adapter 62 and the underface of the main body portion 38 a of electrode adapter 38 . it can be seen that adapter 62 and shunt 58 can coact to provide an electrical flow path from transformer terminal 54 to electrode holder 38 to deliver electric power to welding cap 44 . shunt 58 can be of the laminated copper type and should be understood to provide flexibility as between the connection with the adapter 62 and the underface of block 38 a . adapter 64 ( fig2 and 22 ) can have a t - shaped configuration including a t - bar portion 64 a fixedly and electrically secured to transformer terminal 56 and a stem portion 64 b . adapter 66 ( fig2 and 20 ) can have an l - shaped configuration and can define a central aperture 66 a proximate the upper end 66 b of the adapter . aperture 66 a can be intended to fit over the rear end 48 a of adapter 48 as the rear end 48 a projects rearwardly beyond the rear face of holder 46 . the upper end of the adapter 66 can be fixedly secured to the rear end 48 a of adapter 48 using a suitable fastener coacting with a split 66 c to facilitate the squeezing engagement of adapter 66 with the rear end 48 a of the adapter 48 . this arrangement can allow the hose fitting 50 to readily and threadably access the rear end of adapter 48 without interference from the upper end of adapter 66 and without interference from electrode holder 46 . shunt 60 ( fig8 and 23 ) can electrically interconnect adapter 66 and adapter 64 and , in known matter , can have a laminated copper construction to provide a flexible electrical interconnection between terminal 56 and welding cap 52 via adapter 64 , shunt 60 , adapter 66 , and adapter 48 . in typical operation of the welding gun according to the present invention , the gun can be attached to a robot ( as for example by attaching the robot to the side face 12 b of the transformer ); gross adjustment of the overall welding gun can be performed using the robot ; fine adjustment of the overall welding gun can be performed using positioning cylinder 24 ; and adjustment of the space or gap between the welding caps 44 / 52 to grip the item to be welded can be achieved using power cylinder 34 in combination with equalizing spring 32 . specifically , once the caps of the open gun have been positioned on opposite sides of the article to be welded , power cylinder 34 can be fired to bring cap 44 into engagement with one face of the article whereafter continued extending movement of piston rod 36 allows equalizing spring 32 to act to bring the cap 52 into engagement with the other face of the article to be welded . the welding gun according to the present invention can provide many important advantages as compared to prior known welding guns . the square rod portion 38 b of the electrode adapter can be slidably received in the square opening in the guide block 40 to preclude unwanted rotation of the electrode adapter . the design allows the ready interchange of the power cylinder 34 with a servo motor , such as for example the servo motor 100 shown in fig3 . the use of the identical side plates 20 to establish all of the critical dimensions of the components of the gun can insure that tolerances will be maintained on all of the critical dimensions and at all of the critical points . the use of the identical side plates 20 further can simplify reconfiguration of the gun since the shape and configuration of the side plates can be changed to accommodate a different welding requirement while continuing to use much of the same components of the welding gun in the new configuration . the rod portion 38 b of the adapter 38 can be chrome treated to enhance work characteristics and reject weld splatter . the use of insulating plates 82 to embrace the electrode holder 46 can allow a metal to metal configuration at the arm engagement and the holder to prevent rotation of the arm under usage . the design can allow dual attachment points of the electrode adapter or shunt adapter to allow for a new attachment point after a wear failure or electrical arcing failure . the use of the hose fitting 50 attached directly to the rear end of electrode adapter 48 for coaction with tube 84 can simplify the connection of the inlet water and the outlet water to the electrode adapter 48 and specifically avoids complex routing of the coolant through the gun frame . the design of electrode adapter 38 can allow the in and out ports in the adapter main body portion 38 a to communicate directly with the central bore in the adapter as well as with the central tube to simplify electrode construction and provide a more direct routing of the in and out coolant , thereby avoiding complex routing of the coolant though the gun frame . 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 . | 1 |
in all four embodiments , melting vat 1 is a walled vat consisting of a ceramic material . connecting line 2 constitutes a conducting connection between melting vat 1 and plaining container 3 connected on the output side . as is apparent , connecting line 2 exits from melting vat 1 from its bottom area and enters into the bottom area of the first plaining container 3 . the first plaining container 3 is designed in the manner of a skull crucible . it is built up by a crown of vertical , liquid - cooled metal tubes that are not shown in detail here . the crown of metal tubes is surrounded by windings 3 . 1 of a high - frequency heating device . the arrangement of connecting line 2 in the described manner results in the following advantage in the embodiment according to fig1 and 2 : the glass , ceramic , or glass - ceramic melt is relatively cold in the bottom area of melting vat 1 . after its entrance into the bottom area of skull crucible 3 it is heated by hf device 3 . 1 and rises up . it is then so hot in the upper area that the gas bubbles burst on account of the low viscosity of the melt and can then exit . in the embodiment according to fig1 a second plaining container in the shape of a groove 4 is connected in on the output side of first plaining container 3 . thus , a lying or horizontal plaining container 4 follows standing plaining container 3 . groove 4 is again designed in the manner of a skull crucible . it accordingly comprises a crown of horizontally running metal tubes that can be circular in shape . this crown of metal tubes is again surrounded by windings 4 . 1 of a hf coil . accordingly , the axis of winding of the coil windings also runs horizontally . the manner of transferring the melt from skull crucible 3 to skull groove 4 is not shown here . the melt can either flow over in the area of the upper edge of skull groove 4 , e . g ., over a dam or it can also flow over in the area of the lower edge of skull groove 4 , e . g ., through a connecting line . there is the possibility of introducing oxygen in the form of bubbles ( so - called oxygen bubbling ) between the two plaining containers 3 , 4 ( see arrow 5 ). there is also the possibility of introducing active plaining media instead of the above or in addition thereto ( see arrow 6 ). skull groove 4 is followed by cooling - off groove 7 . cooling - off groove 7 is followed by conditioning container 8 with agitator 8 . 1 and discharge 8 . 2 . the process in the device of fig1 is to be described in the following again in more detail . the first plaining container 3 is designated thereby as a glass pot , or crucible and the second plaining container 4 as a groove . a combination of chemical plaining by an appropriately selected redox - or evaporation plaining medium with maximum release of gas in the temperature range of the glass pot , or crucible and of a physical plaining effect takes place in the glass pot , or crucible due to the low viscosity at high temperatures , the resulting high rise rate of the bubbles and the greater convection . a primarily physical plaining of the glass takes place in the groove at comparable plaining temperatures which physical plaining is particularly effective here on account of the combination of strong convection and low bath depth . when comparable plaining temperatures are used in the glass pot , or crucible and the groove , at the end of the first plaining step the bubbles are approximately 1000 times smaller then before the hf plaining . a further degassing takes place through the second plaining chamber , which degassing brings about a reduction of the bubble numbers by an approximate factor of only 10 to 100 on account of the consumption of the plaining medium by the first zone , but still contains as a positive effect the physical plaining that plays an important part at the high melting temperatures and low viscosities . a further increase of the plaining effectiveness of this double arrangement can take place by the addition of two different plaining media of which the one plaining medium is activated in the glass pot , or crucible at temperature t ( 1 ) and the second plaining medium is activated in the groove at a temperature of t ( 2 ) where t ( 1 ) is lower than t ( 2 ). an example for this is the addition of stannous oxide and titanium oxide in an aluminosilicate glass . stannous oxide has its optimal plaining temperature at approximately 1800 to 1900 ° c . in this temperature range there is still no release of gas from titanium oxide ( tio 2 ). titanium oxide plains at 2000 to 2100 ° c . if the plaining temperature is adjusted in the first plaining part to 1850 ° c . and in the second part to 2100 ° c ., both plaining units connected in series can be utilized in an optimum fashion as regards chemical and physical plaining . in principle , plaining effects could occur in the case of glasses with low viscosity in melting vat 1 already if the melting crucible or parts of it are at a temperature level favorable for the plaining reaction so that melting vat 1 could already be considered as the first stage of the cascade plaining . however , this arrangement is less favorable then the arrangement described here with two or more genuine plaining units separated spatially from the melting crucible due to the flow conditions , batch charges , solids mixture charges , and glass discharges the movement of the glass mass acts against the upward movement of the bubbles and draws rising bubbles repetitively down again and again . moreover , in this instance the bubbles would have to penetrate the cold batch top surface , which is normally not successful , or the surface would have to be allowed to melt plain and clear in the meantime , which opposes a high throughput and is thus uneconomical . in the case of glasses with high viscosity a plaining can not be expected in any case since the bath depth is too great for a rise of bubbles in a glass with high viscosity and thus having a low rising rate . a further improvement of the plaining in the double crucible system can take place by oxidizing the reduced plaining medium to a higher valency prior to the entrance of the melt into the second plaining phase . this can take place , for example , by bubbling in oxygen . it is advantageous if the temperature of the glass melt is lowered during the oxidation to a higher valency to a lower temperature before it is raised again in the second plaining phase . a further possibility for improvement is the supplying of active plaining medium into the melt prior to the start of the second plaining phase . in this instance there is the same reduction of bubbles in the second plaining phase as in the first plaining phase . that is , the number of bubbles is reduced twice by the same factor , which signifies , e . g ., at a reduction by a factor of 10 3 in one plaining part a total reduction of the bubble number of a factor of 10 6 . in the device according to fig2 the second plaining container 4 is also a skull crucible . there are also the possibilities here of oxygen bubbling reference arrow 5 , or of the addition of active plaining media reference arrow 6 . a cooling - off groove 7 is also provided here , moreover , a conditioning device 8 with agitator 8 . 1 and discharge 8 . 2 . fig3 describes an interesting variant of the invention . in it melting vat 1 is followed by a first plaining groove 3 with skull design as well as by a second plaining groove 4 , also in skull design . the other units are substantially the same as in the devices according to fig1 and 2 . the supplying of the active plaining medium can take place , as shown in fig1 to 3 , by means of a crucible in which a suitable glass with a high content of active plaining medium is produced in situ and directly supplied . of course , the glass can also be poured first in rods or other suitable formats that can be suspended instead of the crucible at the same location in the melt and continuously supplied . the requirements to be placed on the plaining glass are as follows : the active plaining medium present in the plaining glass can be a redox plaining medium ( as 2 o 5 , sb 2 o 5 , sno 2 , tio 2 and others ) or an evaporation plaining medium ( nacl , bacl 2 , zno and others ) the plaining glass may only contain components that are also contained in the glass to be plained or do not cause problems in it . due to the fact that the plaining glass is supplied to the glass to be plained in a dilution ratio of 1 : 20 to 1 : 100 , minority components can be absolutely tolerated since they are then present in the finished product in a concentration that has no appreciable effects on the nature of the product . the plaining glass must be miscible with the glass to be plained at the injection temperature . the plaining glass must be meltable at low temperatures since high temperatures generally result in an undesired , premature consumption of the plaining medium . this can be brought about by , among other things , a high percentage of alkali oxides , boric oxide or fluorine ; alkali oxides have the additional advantage of stabilizing the higher - valent oxidation states in the case of as and sb and fluorine the additional advantage of evaporation plaining . as can be replaced sb if required ; however , the concentrations of the other elements must then be readjusted , if necessary . example 2 ( several glasses from the same system are collated here that vary in the concentrations of the individual oxides . the indicated limits follow from the concrete class compositions and do not represent any basic limitation ): the cited glasses are to be understood as merely exemplary embodiments . a plurality of other glasses are also conceivable that can be used instead of the cited ones without making any basic changes to the method . if the quality of the glass so requires , a series of any desired number of plaining crucibles is conceivable and the adjusting of as many good glass qualities as desired is possible in this manner . the optimizing factor here is the cost - effectiveness ratio since every further plaining stage not only produces an improvement of the quality but also additional expense . however , any required quality can be adjusted with the concept of cascade plaining . in all instances described the walls of the plaining units are built up from liquid - cooled , metallic tubes or air - cooled , ceramic parts that are of such a nature that they are transparent for electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range of 10 khz to 5 mhz . the plaining zones are heated by radiating high - frequency energy into the melt . suitable frequency ranges are in a range of 10 khz to 5 mhz , according to the type of glass and the size of the aggregate unit . a frequency range of 100 khz to 1 mhz proved to be a preferred range for the glasses tested at plaining volumes of 50 to 600 liters . the embodiment of fig4 shows melting vat 1 again . plaining groove 3 is connected to the latter . the plaining groove is surrounded by windings 3 . 1 of a hf coil . the particular feature of this embodiment is that the batch mixture located in melting vat 1 is retained by bridge wall 10 . while this invention has been described as having a preferred design , the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure . this application is therefore intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention using its general principles . further , this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims . | 2 |
with reference to fig1 to 14 , fig1 shows a power cutter which comprises a housing 800 in which is located a two stroke engine 116 , 118 , a rear handle 802 , a support aim 804 and a front handle 806 . a cutting blade 808 is rotatably mounted on the support arm and which can be driven by the engine . a guard 810 surrounds the top part of the blade 808 . referring to fig2 , the two stroke internal combustion engine 116 , 118 is fed with an air / fuel mixture from a carburetor 126 . the engine 116 , 118 burns the mixture in a well known mariner to generate rotary motion of its crank shaft 114 , which connects to an output shaft . the exhaust gases are then expelled from the engine 116 , 118 through an exhaust 146 to the surrounding atmosphere . the engine 116 , 118 is started using a pull cord in well know manner . the power cutter comprises a fuel tank 124 in which is located fuel for driving the two stroke internal combustion engine 116 , 118 . fuel will pass from the tank 124 via passageway 144 through the carburetor 126 which will mix the fuel with air from an air filter 890 , prior to being forwarded to the cylinder 120 where it will be burnt . a second tank 128 , as shown in which lubricating oil will be contained , will also be mounted in the body . the oil will be pumped out of the tank 128 via an oil pump 700 . the oil pump 700 will pump the oil through the oil passageways indicated by lines 142 from the oil tank 128 via the pump 700 into the passageway 132 between the carburetor 126 and the cylinder 120 , in a suitable form , for example , as a spray or atomized , which is then mixed with the air / fuel mixture generated by the carburetor 126 . a sensor 140 is mounted within the passageway 132 between the carburetor 126 and cylinder 120 . the sensor monitors the amount of oil being added to the fuel / air mixture and sends a signal , via an electric cable 701 , indicative of the amount of oil in the passageway 132 back to an electronic controller 716 ( see fig3 ). such a sensor can be of a capacitance type whereby the sensor monitors the change in capacitance between two plates , the capacitance being a function of the amount of oil there is in the fuel / air mixture . the carburetor 126 is a standard design which , during normal operation , operates with out any external power input . however , the carburetor 126 comprises a solenoid 714 . there are a number of ways a carburetor can use a solenoid . two ways are : ( 1 ) the solenoid can open a channel within the carburetor which allows the fuel to get direct access to the passageway leading to the cylinder . this provides the engine with an air / fuel mixture which is richer in fuel ; and ( 2 ) the solenoid can close an air channel within the carburetor , which passes clean air around the carburetor to the passageway . with the airflow closed by the solenoid ( or substantially closed ), the air / fuel mixture is richer in fuel . the solenoid is used when the engine is cold to provide an air / fuel mixture which is richer in fuel to help start the engine . when the engine is warm , the solenoid is either non - utilized or is switched off . the temperature of the engine is measured using a sensor 710 located on the engine block . the solenoid 714 is used to replace the choke on the carburetor whereby an operator could manually adjust the valve to start the engine when it is cold . the engine ignition system is controlled by the electronic controller 716 , the function of which is described in more detail below with reference to fig3 . mounted on the end of the end of the crank shaft 114 is a flywheel 702 which contains a number of metal fins 704 which form an impeller . as the flywheel 702 rotates , the impeller blows air around the out side of the engine . adjacent the impeller 702 are two generators 706 , 708 . the two generators generate electricity using magnets and the change of inductance caused by the rotating flywheel 702 . as the flywheel 702 rotates , it causes the two generators 706 , 708 to produce electricity . the first generator 706 is used to provide electricity for the ignition system of the engine and the electronic controller 716 . the second generator 708 is used to provide electricity for the oil pump 700 and the solenoid 714 in the carburetor . both are connected to the electronic controller 716 via cables 717 . also mounted adjacent the flywheel are two sensors 710 , 712 . the first sensor 710 monitors the temperature of the engine block and sends a signal via an electric cable 711 indicative of the temperature to the electronic controller 716 . the second sensor 712 monitors the angular position of the flywheel 702 and sends a signal via an electric cable 713 indicative of the angular position of the flywheel 702 back to the electronic controller 716 . this signal can also be used by the electronic controller 716 to determine the rate of rotation of the flywheel 702 , as well as its angular position . the oil pump 700 is an electrically powered oil pump 700 , the power for which is supplied by the electronic controller 716 via electric cable 715 . the oil pump is shown in fig4 . this type of oil pump is described in ep1236894 . the oil pump 700 is driven by the electronic controller 716 which sends a square shaped voltage signal 892 to the oil pump ( see fig1 a ) when the voltage is at v 1 , it causes the piston 850 of the pump to move , reducing the size of the oil chamber 852 . this causes a preset amount of oil to be pumped out of the chamber 852 . when voltage is “ 0 ”, the piston returns to its starting position due to the biasing of the spring 854 , enlarging the oil chamber 852 and allowing the chamber 852 to fill with oil . the higher the frequency of the square shaped voltage signal 892 , the more oil the oil pump 700 pumps per unit of time . the oil pump is capable of running at two speeds ( the first speed shown in fig1 a , the second speed being shown in fig1 b where the frequency of the square shaped voltage signal 892 , and hence the movement of the piston 850 , is double ) and its general operation is described in more detail below . a spark plug 730 is connected to the electronic controller 716 via a cable 732 . ignition of the spark plug is controlled by the electronic controller 716 . a primer 734 is mounted on the rear wall 736 of the housing 800 of the power cutter . see fig1 . the primer is a manual pump . a first pipe 738 connects from the fuel tank 124 to the primer 734 . a second pipe 740 connects from the primer to the carburetor 126 . a brief description of the principle of how the primer works will now be described with reference to fig5 . the primer has two valves 742 , 744 located in series which allow the fuel to flow one way through them only ( indicated by arrows a and b ). located between the two valves 742 , 744 is a chamber 750 having a rubber dome 746 forming a wall which is accessible to the user of the power cutter . one valve 742 only allows fuel to enter the chamber 750 , while the other only allows fuel to leave the chamber 750 . in order to use the primer , the operator , presses the rubber dome 746 ( shown as dashed lines 748 ). this reduces the amount of volume in the chamber 750 formed between the valves and hence the amount of space which can contain fuel . as such , fuel is ejected from the primer through the one of the valves 744 , as the second valve 742 remains closed , preventing fuel from leaving the chamber 750 via that valve 742 . when the operator releases the dome 746 , the volume of the chamber 750 increases , causing fuel to be sucked into the chamber 750 through the second valve 742 as the first valve remains closed 744 preventing fuel from entering the chamber 750 through that valve 744 . repetitive pressing and releasing of the dome 746 results in the fuel being pumped through the primer 734 . the primer is arranged so that the operator can manually pump the fuel from the tank 124 to the carburetor 126 through the pipes 738 , 740 . the purpose of the primer is to enable the operator to place fuel into the carburetor . otherwise the operator has to spin the engine a number of times using the pull cord before a sufficient amount of fuel is sucked through into the carburetor 126 . a deco valve 752 is mounted on the side of the cylinder 120 . the valve 752 is opened manually by the operator prior to starting the engine . when opened , the deco valve reduces the pressure within the cylinder 120 prior to ignition . this enables the starting of the engine using the pull cord to be easier as the amount of compression of the fuel / air mixture required is reduced . when the engine is started , the deco valve automatically closes . the electronic controller 716 has an on / off switch 754 in the form of a rotatable knob 758 . the on / off switch 754 is connected to the electronic controller via an electric cable 756 . the knob 758 has a pointer 764 integrally formed on its periphery . the rotatable knob 758 has two angular positions between which it can rotate . in the first position , the switch is on . in this position , the pointer 764 points to an on label 762 ( see fig1 ). in the second position , the switch is off . in this position , the pointer 764 points to an off label 760 . when the rotatable knob is in the on position , the operator can start the engine and use the power cutter . when the rotatable knob 758 is in the off position , the engine is prevented from being started . if the rotatable knob 758 is moved from the on to the off position when the engine is running , the engine is automatically switched off a stop button 766 is located in the center of the knob 758 . if the engine is running ( i . e ., the knob is in the on position ), depression of the stop button 766 will result in the engine being switched off . the knob 758 then automatically returns to the off position . if the knob 758 is prevented from returning to the off position after the stop button has been depressed , the engine will not be able to be started until the knob 758 has been allowed to return to the off position . the construction of the assembly for the on / off switch 754 , which includes the knob 758 and stop button 766 , will now be described . the on / off switch assembly comprises the rotatable knob 758 , a crank 768 , a switch cam 770 and the stop button 766 . the crank 768 is rigidly fixed into the rear wall 736 of the housing 800 and prevented from rotation . the crank 768 comprises a socket 772 into which is rigidly mounted a micro switch 774 ( see fig8 c ). as shown in fig7 , rotatably mounted on the outside of the crank 768 is the knob 758 . rotatably mounted on the inside of the crank 768 is the switch cam 770 . a bolt 778 , which passes through the base of a tubular recess 776 formed in the knob 758 , screws into the switch cam 770 and is rigidly attached thereto . sandwiched between the head of the bolt 778 and the base of the recess 776 is a spring 780 . the bolt 778 and spring 780 hold the knob 758 and switch cam 770 onto the crank 768 , biasing them towards each other as the spring biases the head of the bolt 778 away from the base of the recess 776 . the knob 758 can rotate through a limited range of positions ( between the on and off positions ) relative to the crank 768 . the range of positions is limited by pegs 786 formed on the underside of the knob engaging with recesses 788 formed in the edge of the rear wall 736 of the housing . the switch cam 770 can also rotate through a limited range of positions relative to the crank 768 . in addition , the switch cam 770 can axially slide relative to the crank 768 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bolt 778 over a limited range of positions , the range being limited by the length of the bolt 778 within the recess 776 . the bolt 778 rotates and slides with the switch cam 770 . the stop button 766 is mounted within the tubular recess 776 formed in the knob 758 and encloses the end of the bolt 778 located in the recess 776 and the spring 780 . ( see fig9 ). the stop button 766 can axially slide within the recess 776 towards or away from the switch cam 770 . the range of outward axial movement of the stop button is limited by stops 782 each engaging with an inner step of the knob 758 . the head of the bolt 778 directly abuts the underside of the stop button 766 . depression of the stop button , causes the bolt 778 to be pushed through the base , compressing the spring 780 , moving the switch cam 770 away from the crank 768 and knob 758 . connected between the knob 758 and the crank 768 is a long helical spring 784 . the helical spring 784 is located in a circular channel 790 formed on the underside of the knob 758 as best seen in fig1 . one end of the helical spring 784 abuts against a wall 792 at the end of the channel 790 . the other end abuts against a stop ( not shown ) formed on the crank 772 . the spring 784 rotationally biases the knob 758 relative to the crank to its off position . connected between the switch cam 770 and the crank 768 is a leaf spring 794 as best seen in fig1 and 13 . one end of the leaf spring 794 is connected using a small bolt 796 to the switch cam 770 . the other end abuts a stop 798 on the crank 768 . the leaf spring 794 rotationally biases the switch cam 770 relative to the crank to an off position . formed on the underside of the knob 758 are two ramps 820 , each ramp having a ramp end 822 as best seen in fig1 . formed on the side of the switch cam 770 which faces the knob 758 are ramp recesses 824 which have ramp recess ends 826 as best seen in fig9 . when the switch assembly is in the off position i . e . when both the knob 758 and the switch cam 770 are in their off positions under the biasing force of their respective springs 784 , 794 , each of the two ramps 820 is located in a corresponding ramp recess 824 with the ramp ends 822 of each ramp 820 abutting directly against the ramp recess ends 826 of the corresponding ramp recess 824 . formed on the underside of the crank 768 are two crank ramps 828 , each ramp 828 having a crank ramp end 830 as best seen in fig8 c . formed on the side of the switch cam 770 which faces the knob 758 are switch cam crank ramps 832 which have switch cam crank ramp ends 834 as best seen in fig9 . when the switch assembly is in the off position i . e . with both the knob and the switch cam 770 in their off positions under the biasing force of their respective springs 784 , 794 , each of the two switch cam crank ramps 832 are located against the low end ( the end of the crank ramp 828 away from the crank ramp end 830 ) of the corresponding crank ramp 828 as shown in fig8 c . formed around the edge of the switch cam 770 is a peripheral cam 836 as best seen in fig8 a and sb . the micro switch 774 comprises a pin 838 which projects from the body of the micro switch 774 . the pin 838 slides axially in or out of the body of the micro switch 774 and is biased to its outer most position by a spring ( not shown ) inside the micro switch 774 . the pin 838 engages the peripheral cam 836 . rotation of the switch cam 770 causes the pin 838 to slide along the peripheral cam 836 , which causes it to be pushed into the body of the micro switch 774 against the biasing force of the spring , or allows it to slide out of the body of the micro switch 774 under influence of the spring . when the switch cam 770 is in its off position , the pin is pushed into the body of the micro switch 774 as shown in fig8 a . when switch cam is rotated to its on position , the pin 838 extends to its outer most position as shown in fig8 b . the operation of the assembly for the on / off switch will now be described . initially , the knob 758 and the switch cam 770 are both located in their off positions . the operator of the power cutter desires to turn the unit on using the on / off switch . the operator uses their hand to rotate the knob 758 from its off position to its on position . when the knob 758 is rotated , it causes the switch cam 770 to rotate in unison as the rotary movement is transferred from the knob 758 to the switch cam 770 by the ramp ends 822 of each ramp 820 pushing the ramp recess ends 826 of each corresponding ramp recess 824 , against which it abuts , in the direction of arrow m in fig9 , to cause the switch cam 770 to rotate with the knob 758 . as the switch cam 770 rotates , the two switch cam crank ramps 832 , which are initially located against the low end of the crank ramps 828 ( shown in fig8 c ), ride up the crank ramps 828 ( shown in fig8 d ), which are stationary . as the switch cam crank ramps 832 ride up the crank ramps 828 due to the rotation of the switch cam . 770 , the switch cam 770 is forced to axially slide away from the knob 758 ( direction of arrow n in fig9 ), causing the spring 780 to be compressed and the head of the bolt 778 to move towards the base of the recess 776 . when the switch cam has rotated sufficiently that the crank ramp ends 830 and the switch cam crank ramp ends 834 become aligned , the switch cam 770 axially slides under the biasing force of the spring 780 towards the knob 758 , ensuring that the crank ramp end 830 and the switch cam crank ramp ends 834 abut against each other as shown in fig8 e . when the crank ramp ends 830 and the switch cam crank ramp ends 834 abut each other as shown in fig8 e , the switch cam 770 is in its on position and is prevented from returning to its off position , under the influence of the leaf spring 794 , as the crank ramp ends 830 and the switch cam crank ramp ends 834 prevent relative movement as they are jammed against each other . the knob 758 is prevented from returning to its off position under the influence of the spring 784 by the ramps 820 being held within the ramp recesses 824 by the action of the spring 780 which overrides the spring 784 . when the switch cam 770 rotates from the off position ( see fig8 a ) to the on position ( fig8 b ), the peripheral cam 836 rotates , which in turn allows the pin 838 to extend from the body of the micro switch 774 . this in turn makes a connection which allows the electric controller 716 to activate the power cutter and allow it to start when the pull cord is pulled . as such , the assembly of the on / off switch is now on with the knob 758 and the switch cam 770 both in their on positions , allowing the pin 838 to extend from the body of the micro switch 774 . there are two ways of switching the on / off switch assembly to its off position . the first method comprises the depression of the stop button 766 . depression of the stop button 766 causes the head of the bolt 778 to slide towards the base of the recess 776 of the knob 758 , compressing the spring 780 , which in turn causes the switch cam 770 to axially slide away from the knob 758 . as the switch cam 770 axially slides , the switch cam 770 moves away from the crank 768 , which in turn causes the crank ramps 828 and the switch cam crank ramps 832 to move away from each other , and thus causes the crank ramp ends 830 and the switch cam crank ramp ends 834 to disengage . as such , the switch cam 770 can now rotate back to its off position under the influence of the leaf spring 794 . as the knob is held in its on position by the ramps 820 being held within the ramp recesses 824 , the knob 858 will also return to its off position as the ramp recesses 824 rotate with the switch cam 770 . should the ramps 820 become disengaged from the ramp recesses 824 due to the sliding movement of the switch cam 770 relative to the knob 758 , the knob 758 will return to its off position under the influence of the spring 784 between the knob 758 and the crank 768 . the second method of switching the on / off switch assembly off comprises the rotation of the knob 758 . the operator rotates the knob 758 to its off position . as the ramps 820 are held within the ramp recesses 824 , rotation of the knob 758 urges rotation of the switch cam 770 . however , the switch cam 770 is prevented from rotating as the crank ramp ends 830 and the switch cam crank ramp ends 834 abut each other . therefore , the ramps 820 slide out of the ramp recesses 824 , the ramp ends 822 moving away from ramp recess ends 826 . as the ramps 820 slide out of the ramp recesses 824 , the switch cam 770 , which is prevented from rotating , axially slides away from the knob 858 by the caming action of the ramps 820 and ramp recesses 824 . when the switch cam 770 has slid sufficiently far enough away from the knob 758 , the crank ramp ends 830 and the switch cam crank ramp ends 834 , which are sliding away from each other , become disengaged . thus , the switch cam 770 can rotate under the influence of the leaf spring 794 to its off position . the knob 758 will move under the influence of the operator and / or the spring 784 . as such , both the knob 758 and the switch cam 770 return to their off position where they are held by the springs 784 , 794 . when both the knob and switch cam 770 move to their off positions , the ramps 820 engage with the ramp recesses 824 so that the switch can be used again to switch on the power cutter . the operator first activates the deco valve 752 and then pumps some fuel into the carburetor 126 using the primer 734 . the operator then switches the on / off switch to on by rotation of the knob 758 to its on position . the operator then pulls the pull cord to rotate the crank 114 of the engine . as the crank 114 rotates , the flywheel 702 also rotates causing the two generators 706 , 708 to produce sufficient electricity to operate the power cutter . the electronic controller 716 checks the temperature of the engine using sensor 710 . if the engine is cold , the electronic controller uses the electricity from the second generator 708 to power the solenoid 714 in the carburetor to set the “ automatic choke ”. the second generator 708 is not powerful enough to power both the oil pump 700 and solenoid 714 at the same time . therefore , when the electronic controller 716 is operating the solenoid 714 , it switches off the oil pump 700 . it has been found that the period during which lubricating oil is not required before the engine is damaged is greater than that required to heat up the engine . the electronic controller 716 supplies the power to the spark plug 730 to cause combustion in the engine , the power being provided by the first generator 706 , the timing being determine by the electronic controller 716 based on the signal provided by the sensor 712 in relation to the angular position of the flywheel 702 . once the engine commences firing , the deco valve automatically closes . the electronic controller 716 continues to monitor the engine temperature and when it has reached a predetermined temperature , the electronic controller 716 switches the solenoid 714 in the carburetor 126 off . the electronic controller 716 then commences supplying a square shape voltage signal to the oil pump to commence pumping oil . the electronic controller 716 monitors the speed of the engine using the signal provided by the sensor 712 monitoring the angular position of the flywheel 702 to calculate the rotational speed . if the rotational speed is below a predetermined value , the electronic controller 716 sends a signal ( fig1 a ) to the oil pump 700 to cause it to pump at a slow speed . if the rotational speed is above a predetermined value , the electronic controller 716 sends a signal ( fig1 b ) to the oil pump 700 to cause it to pump at a higher speed . the speed of the engine is dependent on the operator squeezing a trigger switch which connects to the carburetor via a cable . while the engine is running , the electronic controller 716 monitors the oil being added to the fuel / air mixture using the sensor 140 . if the sensor 140 detects that the rate of flow of the oil being pumped by the oil pump 700 has dropped below a predetermined amount ( e . g . there is a blockage in the oil pipe 142 or the tank 128 is empty ), the electronic controller places the engine into an idle mode using the ignition system so that the engine runs , but at a minimal rate . the operator cannot speed up the engine using the trigger until the sensor 140 detects the flow of oil . this protects the engine from damage due to a lack of lubrication . it has been found that the engine can run in idle mode for a considerable period of time before damage to the engine results . in order for the operator to stop the power cutter , the operator either depresses the stop button 766 or rotates the knob 758 to its off position . an embodiment of an on / off switch according to the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 to 24 . this embodiment provides an alternative design of the on / off switch to the example described above and can be substituted for that design in a power cutter as described above . where the same features in this embodiment are the same as those disclosed in the previous example of the on / off switch described above , the same reference numbers have been used . except for the design of the on / off switch 754 , the design of the rest of the power cutter is that same as that described above with reference to fig1 to 14 . the switch 754 comprises a rotatable knob 758 . the knob 758 has a pointer 764 integrally formed on its periphery . the rotatable knob 758 has two angular positions between which it can rotate . in the first position , the switch is on . in this position , the pointer 764 points to an on label 762 ( see fig1 a ). in the second position , the switch is off . in this position , the pointer 764 points to an off label 760 ( see fig1 a ). when the rotatable knob is in the on position , the operator can start the engine and use the power cutter . when the rotatable knob 758 is in the off position , the engine is prevented from being started . if the rotatable knob 758 is moved from the on to the off position when the engine is running , the engine is automatically switched off . a stop button 766 is located in the center of the knob 758 . if the engine is running ( i . e . the knob is in the on position ), depression of the stop button 766 will result in the engine being switched off . a circular hole 900 is fowled through the rear wall 736 of the housing 800 . the rotatable knob 758 is mounted onto the outside of the rear wall 736 adjacent the circular hole 900 . a cam wheel 902 is rotatably mounted on the inside of the rear wall 736 adjacent the circular hole 900 . two screws ( not shown ) connect the rotatable knob 758 to the cam wheel 902 , the screws passing through the circular hole 900 . the peripheries of the rotatable knob 758 and the cam wheel 902 sandwich the periphery of the circular hole 900 to hold the rotatable knob 758 and the cam wheel 902 in place on the rear wall over the circular hole 900 . the rotatable knob 758 and the cam wheel 902 can rotate about the central axis of the circular hole , the rotatable knob 758 and the cam wheel 902 rotating in unison . formed on the part of the rear wall 736 sandwiched between the rotatable knob 758 and the cam wheel 902 is a curved rib 904 ( see fig1 ). formed on the rear of the rotatable knob 758 is a correspondingly shaped groove 906 ( see fig2 ). when the rotatable knob 758 is mounted on the rear wall 736 , the rib 904 locates inside the groove 906 . the length of the groove 906 is longer than the rib 904 allowing the rib 904 to slide within the groove . this restricts the amount of pivotal movement of the knob , and hence the cam wheel 902 , to sixty degrees , allowing the pointer 764 to pivot between its angular positions between its on and off positions . also formed on the rear of the rotatable knob 758 are two pockets 908 , 910 . located in each pocket 908 , 910 are pins 912 and springs 914 which bias the pins 912 out of the pockets 908 , 910 . the pins 912 are prevented from completely exiting the pockets 908 , 910 by the springs 914 . formed on the part of the rear wall 736 sandwiched between the rotatable knob 758 and the cam wheel 902 are two pairs of recesses 916 , each recess 916 in each pair being located on the opposite side of the circular hole 900 to the other recess in that pair . the location of each pair of recesses 916 corresponds to an angular position of the knob 758 . when the knob 758 is rotated to one of its angular positions , the pins 912 locate within the recesses 916 of the first corresponding pair , due for the biasing force of the springs 914 , to latch the knob 758 in that angular position and hold it there . when the knob 758 is rotated , the pins 912 ride out of the recesses 916 by being pushed into the pockets 910 . as the knob 758 rotates , the pins 912 remain in the pockets 910 . when the knob 758 moves to its second angular position , the other pair of recesses 916 align with the pins 912 , which then move out of the pockets 910 and enter the recesses 916 under the biasing force of the springs 914 . the knob is then latched in its second angular position . mounted with a bracket 926 on the inside of the rear wall 736 , adjacent the cam wheel 902 is a micro switch 918 ( see fig1 b ). the micro switch 918 comprises a pin 920 which projects from the body of the micro switch 918 . the pin 920 slides axially in or out of the body of the micro switch 920 and biased to its outer most position by a spring ( not shown ) inside the micro switch 920 . a lever 922 is pivotally attached to the micro switch 918 . the lever 922 lies across the end of the pin 920 . pivotal movement of the lever 922 towards the micro switch 918 , pushes the pin 920 into the micro switch 918 . formed around the edge of the cam wheel 902 is a peripheral cam 924 as best seen in fig1 b . the peripheral cam 924 engages with the lever 922 . rotation of the cam wheel 902 causes the lever 922 to slide along the peripheral cam 924 , which causes it to be pivoted towards the body of the micro switch 918 , which in turn pushes the pin 920 into the micro switch 918 , against the biasing force of the spring , or to be pivoted away from the body of the micro switch 918 , due to biasing force on the pin 920 , allowing the pin 920 to slide out of the body of the micro switch 918 wider influence of the spring . when the cam wheel is in its off position ( fig1 b ), the pin 920 is pushed into the body of the micro switch 918 . when the cam wheel 902 is rotated to its on position , the pin 920 extends to its outer most position as shown in fig1 b . the micro switch 918 can be switched on and off by the depression or release of the pin 920 by the rotation of the knob 758 between its two angular positions . the stop button 766 is mounted within a tubular recess 934 formed in the knob 758 and slides within the recess 934 towards or away from the base 936 of the recess 934 . a spring 928 is sandwiched between the stop button 766 and the base 936 of the recess and biases the stop button 766 out of the recess 934 . the range of outward movement of the stop button 766 is limited by four stops 930 mounted on legs 932 which engage with the underside of the knob 758 when the stop button has reached its maximum outward position . the range of inward movement of the stop button 766 is limited by the base 936 of the recess 934 . attached to the underside of the stop button 766 is a flexible tongue 938 . the tongue extends through an aperture in the base 936 of the recess 934 and then is curved by a guide 940 formed on the inner wall 942 of the wheel cam 902 through 90 degrees towards an aperture 923 formed in the peripheral cam 924 ( see fig2 a ). as can be seen , the aperture 923 is formed at a side edge 925 of the peripheral cam 924 , the peripheral cam 924 providing three sides to the aperture 921 however , it will appreciated that the aperture 923 can be formed in the middle of the peripheral cam 924 as shown in fig2 b . alternatively , the end 944 of the tongue can pass along side of the peripheral cam 924 as shown in fig2 c , thus avoiding the need to form an aperture in the peripheral cam 924 . when the stop button 766 is located in its most outward position , the end 944 of the tongue 938 is located just inside of the guide 940 adjacent the aperture 923 in the peripheral cam 924 . when the stop button 766 is located in its most inward position , the end 944 of the tongue 938 passes through and projects from the aperture 923 in the peripheral cam 924 . depression of the stop button 766 causes the end 944 of the tongue 938 to exit the aperture 923 in the peripheral earn 924 . when the knob 758 is in its on position as shown in fig1 a , the aperture 923 in the peripheral cam 924 faces the lever 922 . when the knob 758 is in its on position , the peripheral cam 924 allows the lever 922 to pivot away from the micro switch 918 , in turn allowing the pin 920 to slide out of the micro switch ( see fig1 b ). the stop button 766 is biased towards its outward position by the spring 928 . as such , the end 944 of the tongue 938 is located within the cam wheel 902 . however , when the stop button is pushed into the recess , the end 944 of the tongue is pushed through the aperture in the peripheral cam 924 , away from the cam wheel 902 , into engagement with the lever 922 . as the end 944 of the tongue continues to move away from the cam wheel 902 , it pivots the lever 922 toward the micro switch , pushing the pin 920 on the micro switch 918 into the micro switch . when the knob 758 is in its off position as shown in fig1 a , the aperture in the peripheral cam 924 is located away from the lever 922 and therefore depression of stop button has no effect on the lever as the end of the tongue can not engage it . initially , the on / off switch is in its off position , with the rotatable knob 758 in its first angular position and the pointer 764 pointing to the off label 760 . the peripheral cam 924 on the cam wheel 902 , is located in a position where it pushes the pivotal lever 922 towards the micro switch 918 which in turn pushed the pin 920 into the micro switch ( see fig1 a ). when the pin is in this position , it provides a signal to the electric controller 716 , when an electrical power supply is provided to the micro switch 918 and electric controller 716 by the operation of the pull cord of the power cutter that the engine can not be started . in order for the power cutter to be started , the rotatable knob 758 is rotated to its first angular position , the pointer 764 pointing to the on label 762 to put the on / off switch in its on position . as the rotatable knob 758 rotates , the cam wheel 902 , and hence the peripheral cam 924 also rotate in unison . the peripheral cam 924 rotates to a position where it allows the pivotal lever 922 to pivot away from the micro switch 918 which in turn allows the pin 920 to extend from the micro switch ( see fig1 b ). when the pin 920 is in this position , it provides a signal to the electric controller 716 , when an electrical power supply is provided to the micro switch 918 and electric controller 716 by the operation of the pull cord of the power cutter , that the engine can be started . whilst the engine is running , the pin 920 must remain extended from the micro switch 918 . in order to switch the power cutter off , the pin 920 of the micro switch must be pushed into the micro switch 918 . this is achieved in one of two ways . firstly , the rotatable knob 758 can be rotated to its off position . rotation of the knob 758 results in rotation of the cam wheel and peripheral can 924 , causing the peripheral cam 924 to push the lever 922 towards the micro switch 918 and hence the pin into the micro switch 918 . secondly , the stop button 766 can be pushed into the recess 934 , causing the end 944 of the tongue 938 to project out of the aperture 923 in peripheral cam 924 and into engagement with the lever 922 , causing it pivot towards the micro switch 918 hence pushing the pin into the micro switch 918 . when the pin 920 is pushed inside of the micro switch 918 , it provides a signal to the electric controller 716 that the engine should be stopped . if the engine is stopped by depression of the stop button 766 , release of the stop button will allow to return to its outer most position under the biasing force of the spring 928 . when this happens the end 944 of the tongue 938 is retracted through the aperture in the peripheral cam 924 inside of the cam wheel 902 allowing the lever 922 to pivot away from the micro switch and hence the pin 920 to slide out of the micro switch 91 . the operation of the power cutter is the same for this embodiment of on / off switch as for the previous example of on / off switch . it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that an additional safety feature could be added whereby , when the engine has been stopped by depression of the stop button 766 , the rotatable knob 758 has to be first rotated to its off position and then back to its on position before the engine can be started again . fig2 shows an alternative design of stop button 766 where the tongue 938 is integrally formed with the button 766 . | 7 |
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