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as part of inventing certain embodiments of the present invention , observations were made regarding there being problems with the related methods previously referred to in the background . for example , in the ofdm signal distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus 100 a illustrated in fig2 , the distortion compensation circuit 120 performs distortion compensation by controlling so as to minimize the difference between the reference signal and the feedback signal . however , for the distortion compensation coefficient required for the distortion compensation , initial values are stored which are obtained by carrying out ( rated ) training of a predetermined pattern in a factory within a limited test time during the manufacture of the apparatus . thus , meticulously storing distortion compensation coefficient corresponding to input levels is difficult . consequently , if , during operation , an unrated signal of a level corresponding to a region for which training is insufficient is unexpectedly input to the power amplifier , immediately outputting the optimum distortion compensation coefficient is difficult . accordingly , disadvantageously , a long time is required to allow the distortion compensation coefficient to converge in connection with updating of a table based on the distortion . during that time , the distortion characteristic may be degraded . in particular , in such a case where many calls ( connections between a base station and mobile stations ) are transiently made when operating in a radio network , a transmission power value increases rapidly . in such a case , in order to maintain communication quality , there is an increased necessity to reduce the time required to convergently update the table to keep radio characteristics within standards . the distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus is also affected by temporal changes in the power amplifier and a variation in a distortion characteristic resulting from a variation in temperature . in a case where there are always many calls , a table in which distortion compensation coefficients in high power output are stored has been prepared , thus reducing the amount of error . however , during normal actual operation in which high power is relatively infrequently provided , the amount of error in the distortion compensation coefficient stored in the lut 124 increases relatively . in contrast , for example , during training , tables for a low signal level , a medium signal level , and a high signal level may be meticulously created to reduce the time required to convergently update the tables . however , this increases the capacity of the lut 124 , the test time in the factory , and thus costs . for example , with the technique described in japanese patent laid - open no . 2006 - 135417 , data mismatch between the base station and another station to communicate may arise , depending on an applied system . furthermore , the throughput of the system may decrease thereby preventing advantages of ofdm communication from being maximized . additionally , with the technique described in japanese patent laid - open no . 2002 - 232328 , the sizes of memories and peripheral circuits may increase and thus the costs of the apparatus may increase . furthermore , since the time required for training may with the technique increase , the test time during the manufacture of the apparatus may increase and thus the costs of the apparatus may increase . hereinafter , examples of embodiments of the disclosed transmission apparatus and transmission method will be described with reference to the drawings . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating an ofdm signal distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to a first embodiment . a distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus 100 b according to a first embodiment illustrated in fig3 has the same configuration as that of the conventional distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus 100 a illustrated in fig2 except that a pseudo data addition section 140 a is additionally provided in the preceding stage of an ofdm modulation section 110 . since the distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus 100 b is the same as the conventional distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus 100 a illustrated in fig2 except for the addition of the pseudo data addition section 140 a , duplicate descriptions are omitted and the pseudo data addition section 140 a will be described below . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the pseudo data addition section 140 a , illustrated by one block in fig3 . the pseudo data addition section 140 a illustrated in fig4 is composed of a timing generation circuit 141 , a first delay circuit 142 , a power calculation circuit 143 , a subcarrier information extraction circuit 144 , a pseudo data generation control circuit 145 , a pseudo data generation circuit 146 , a second delay circuit 147 , and a pseudo data addition circuit 148 . the timing generation circuit 141 generates timing for detecting a frame head of the transmission data to perform the process for generating pseudo data . the first delay circuit 142 delays the transmission data by the time required to detect the frame head to adjust the timing . the power calculation circuit 143 calculates a power value for each symbol interval . the subcarrier information extraction circuit 144 extracts subcarrier assignment information for each symbol from fch / dl - map ( described below ). the pseudo data generation control circuit 145 controls a pseudo data generation process according to the power value for each symbol and the subcarrier information . the pseudo data generation circuit 146 generates pseudo data to be inserted into the transmission data , for each symbol . the second delay circuit 147 delays the transmission data that is an output of the first delay circuit 142 , by the amount of time for the process carried out until the pseudo data is generated . the pseudo data addition circuit 148 adds the pseudo data generated by the pseudo data generation circuit 146 to the transmission data that is an output of the second delay circuit 147 . description of effects of the pseudo data addition section 140 a illustrated in fig4 will be given below together with description of a flowchart in fig6 . fig5 a - 5d illustrate operation of the ofdm signal distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to the first embodiment . fig5 a illustrates a configuration of frames that are units of transmission and reception . frame ( k − 1 ), frame ( k ), frame ( k + 1 ), and frame ( k + 2 ) are arranged in this order . fig5 b is a diagram illustrating a configuration of symbols . one frame ( in this case , frame ( k )) includes symbols 0 to n making up a down link transmitted from a base station to a mobile station , a guard interval called ttg and allowing the down link to be switched to an up link transmitted from the mobile station to the base station , symbols ( n + 1 ) to ( n + m ) making up the up link , and a guard interval called rtg is placed between symbol ( n + m ) and the next frame ( k + 1 ) to allow the up link to be switched to the down link . here , focus is put on transmission from the base station to the mobile station , and the down link will be described in further detail . symbol 0 in the down link is called a preamble symbol allowing the mobile station to synchronize . symbols 1 and 2 contain fch / dl - map data , and in symbol 3 and subsequent symbols , user data is transmitted . fch ( frame control data ) in the fch / dl - map data is control information , and dl - map in the fch / dl - map data is subcarrier map information utilized for each of symbol 3 and the subsequent symbols . the subcarrier will be described later . fig5 c illustrates a transmission level in each symbol in the down link . symbol 0 , which is the preamble symbol , and symbols 1 and 2 , in which the control information and the like are stored , are at a predetermined transmission level . however , in symbol 3 and the subsequent symbols , the transmission level decreases according to usage of the subcarrier in each symbol as illustrated by a solid line in fig5 c . a certain frequency band is utilized to transmit transmission data . when the frequency band utilized is split into a large number of smaller frequency bands , each of the resulting frequency bands is called a subcarrier . for specific data transmission , not all the subcarriers within the frequency band are utilized . there exist certain subcarrier regions that are not utilized depending on such as the current amount of data transmitted . information indicating which subcarrier is utilized or not together with the symbol and region thereof is recorded in the dl - map , described above . the graph ( d 1 ) of fig5 d schematically illustrates subcarriers utilized and subcarriers not utilized for symbol 3 ( see fig5 b ) in frame ( k ) ( see fig5 a ). as illustrated in the graph ( d 2 ) of fig5 d , the pseudo data addition section 140 illustrated in fig3 and 4 adds pseudo data to empty subcarriers so as to fill the empty region between the subcarriers utilized . thus , the transmission power level may be maintained constant as illustrated by a dashed line in fig5 c . fig6 is an operation flowchart of the pseudo data addition section according to the first embodiment . the operation of the ofdm signal distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to fig3 , 4 , 5 a - 5 d , and 6 . the pseudo data addition section 140 a illustrated in fig4 operates according to the flowchart illustrated in fig6 . first , transmission data input by a high - order apparatus is input to the pseudo data addition section 140 a ( step s 101 ). then , the pseudo data addition section 140 a detects the frame head according to timing for a frame head detection process provided by the timing generation circuit 141 ( step s 102 ). after detecting the frame head , the pseudo data addition section 140 a clears a transmission symbol number counter ( step s 103 ). the pseudo data addition section 140 a then carries out a symbol head detection process to detect a symbol head ( step s 104 ). after the symbol head is detected , the power calculation circuit 143 calculates transmission power for the symbol interval according to a timing signal generated by the timing generation circuit 141 ( step s 105 ). the transmission data input to the power calculation circuit 143 is delayed by the first delay circuit 142 by the time required to generate the timing signal that is an output of the timing generation circuit 141 . if the transmission data is the head symbol of the frame ( symbol number counter = 0 ), the pseudo data addition section 140 a determines that the transmission data is the preamble symbol . since the preamble symbol is a signal that allows the mobile station to synchronize , the pseudo data addition section 140 a does not add the pseudo data and outputs the transmission data as it is ( steps s 106 , s 107 , and s 114 ). if the transmission data is the first or second symbol ( symbol number counter = 1 or 2 ), the pseudo data addition section 140 a allows the subcarrier information extraction circuit 144 to extracts the subcarrier assignment status of each of the third and subsequent symbols . the pseudo data addition section 140 a determines the first or second symbol to be “ fch / dl - map data ” and directly outputs the symbol without adding the pseudo data to the symbol ( steps s 110 , s 108 , s 109 , and s 114 ). if the transmission data is the third or subsequent symbols , the pseudo data addition section 140 a allows the pseudo data generation control circuit 145 to determine whether or not any subcarrier is free based on the subcarrier assignment status extracted by the subcarrier information extraction circuit 144 . if no subcarrier is free , the pseudo data addition section 140 a directly outputs the transmission data . if any subcarrier is free , the pseudo data addition section 140 a determines whether or not the calculation result provided by the power calculation circuit 143 is smaller than a preset value ( see fig5 c ). if the calculation result is equal to or larger than the preset value , the pseudo data addition section 140 a directly outputs the transmission data . if the calculation result is smaller than the preset value , the pseudo data addition section 140 a allows the pseudo data generation circuit 146 to generate the pseudo data so as to set the transmission symbol power equal to the preset value . the pseudo data addition section 140 a then allows the pseudo data addition circuit 148 to add the pseudo data to the transmission signal and then outputs the resulting signal ( steps s 110 , s 111 , s 112 , s 113 , and s 114 ). the transmission data output in step s 114 is delayed by the second delay circuit 147 by time required by the power calculation circuit 143 to calculate the power for the symbol interval . after the transmission data is output in step s 114 , the pseudo data addition section 140 a determines whether or not the symbol number counter has reached the transmission symbol number ( maximum value ) of the frame ( step s 115 ). if the symbol number counter has not reached the maximum value , the pseudo data addition section 140 a increments the symbol number counter by one ( step s 116 ). the pseudo data addition section 140 a then returns to step s 104 to carry out the transmission symbol head detection process to repeat the pseudo data addition process for the frame . if the symbol number counter has reached the maximum value , the pseudo data addition section 140 a returns to step s 102 to carry out the next frame head detection process to start the pseudo data addition process for the next frame . as described above , for each of the transmission symbols in one frame , the pseudo data addition section 140 a outputs the transmission data at the transmission power of the preset value . thus , in fig2 , the transmission data in which the transmission level of each symbol is constant is input to the ofdm modulation section 110 . the pseudo data is a signal for updating the distortion compensation coefficient . when the pseudo data is a signal with no particular destination , that is , a signal different from that destined for a mobile station by the high - order apparatus ( for example , a pseudo random pattern signal ), the mobile station may be prevented from being erroneously connected . as described above , according to the first embodiment , the distortion compensation circuit 120 updates the distortion compensation coefficient for the transmission data set to the given level by the pseudo data addition process carried out by the pseudo data addition section 140 a . thus , even if the transmission level of the transmission data input by the high - order apparatus varies , a variation in the distortion component provided by the power amplifier 133 is minimized . therefore , degradation of the distortion compensation characteristic is reduced or prevented , thus allowing the distortion compensation operation to be convergently stabilized . here , the pseudo data addition section may calculate the power of the input transmission data , and when the calculated power is less than a first set value , the pseudo data addition section may add the pseudo data to the free subcarrier . this enables avoidance of a possible rapid change in the input level to the power amplifier and the like , allowing the input level to be maintained almost constant . that is , the pseudo data addition section 140 a is provided to add the pseudo data to the free subcarrier in the transmission data to avoid possible rapid level changes of the input to the power amplifier 133 . thus , the ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to the first embodiment enables the distortion compensation circuit 120 to achieve accurate distortion compensation . a block configuration of an ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to a second embodiment described below corresponds to the ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus 100 b according to the first embodiment illustrated in fig3 in which the pseudo data addition section 140 a is replaced with a pseudo data addition section 140 b illustrated below . thus , the illustration and description of the ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to the second embodiment as a whole are omitted . fig7 is a block diagram illustrating the pseudo data addition section according to the second embodiment . the pseudo data addition section 140 b illustrated in fig7 corresponds to the pseudo data addition section 140 a illustrated in fig4 and which further includes a second power calculation circuit 149 calculating the power value of the transmission data which has been subjected to the pseudo data addition process and which is an output of the pseudo data addition circuit 148 , the second power calculation circuit 149 notifying the pseudo data generation control circuit 145 of the power value . the effects of the second power calculation circuit 149 will be described later . fig8 a - 8c illustrate operation of the ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to the second embodiment . like fig5 a and 5b , fig8 a and 8b illustrate a configuration of frames and a configuration of symbols , respectively . fig8 c illustrates changes in transmission power level before and after addition of pseudo data . here , a transmission power level p ( max )− x that is lower by x than a transmission power level p ( max ) for symbols 0 , 1 , and 2 is defined as a first set value . pseudo data is added so that for any symbol , the transmission power level is equal to or higher than the first set value . moreover , the pseudo data is added so that a difference δp between a transmission power level p ( n − 1 ) for the preceding symbol and a transmission power level p ( n ) for the current symbol does not exceed a second set value α . in the example illustrated in fig5 c , for symbol 3 , the transmission power level is equal to or larger than the first set value p ( max )− x , and the difference δp between the transmission power level for the preceding symbol 2 and the transmission power level for symbol 3 is equal to or smaller than the second set value α . thus , to symbol 3 , no pseudo data is added . for symbol 5 , δp & gt ; α , and the pseudo data is added until the transmission power level becomes δp ≦ α . for symbols 6 and 7 , since δp is smaller than p ( max )− x , the pseudo data is added until the transmission power level reaches the first set value . this also applies to the description below . fig9 is an operation flowchart of the pseudo data addition section 140 b according to the second embodiment . the flowchart in fig9 is different from the flowchart of the first embodiment illustrated in fig6 in that steps 201 , 202 , and 203 are added . this difference will be described below with reference to fig7 , 8 , and 9 . a part of an output of the pseudo data addition section 140 b illustrated in fig7 is input to the second power calculation circuit 149 . the second power calculation circuit 149 calculates a transmission power value po ( n ), which is then held by the pseudo data generation control circuit 145 ( step s 203 in fig9 ). if the transmission data is the fourth or subsequent symbol , the pseudo data addition section 140 b allows the pseudo data generation control circuit 145 to determine whether or not any subcarrier is free , based on the subcarrier assignment status extracted by the subcarrier information extraction circuit 144 . if no subcarrier is free , the pseudo data addition section 140 b outputs the transmission data as it is . if any subcarrier is free , the pseudo data addition section 140 b calculates the power difference α between the transmission power calculation result po ( n − 1 ) for the preceding symbol and the transmission power calculation result pi ( n ) for the current symbol ( step s 201 ). the pseudo data addition section 140 b then determines whether or not the power difference α is equal to or larger than a set value . if the power difference α is smaller than the set value and the power calculation result pi ( n ) is equal to or larger than the preset p ( max )− x ( x may be set to any value ), the pseudo data addition section 140 b outputs the transmission data as it is ( step s 202 ; no ). if the power difference α is equal to or larger than the set value or the power calculation result pi ( n ) is smaller than the preset p ( max )− x , the pseudo data addition section 140 b allows the pseudo data generation circuit 146 to generate the pseudo data so that the transmission symbol power is equal to or higher than the preset (( p ( max )− x )) and the transmission power value after addition of the pseudo data is \| po ( n )− po ( n − 1 )\|≦ α . the pseudo data addition section 140 b allows the pseudo data addition circuit 148 to add the pseudo data to the transmission data and then outputs the resulting transmission data ( step s 202 ; yes ). furthermore , as described above , as a part of an output of the pseudo data addition section 140 b , the second power calculation circuit 149 calculates the transmission power value po ( n ), which is then held by the pseudo data generation control circuit 145 ( step s 203 ). thus , in the second embodiment illustrated in fig7 to 9 , for each of the transmission symbols in one frame , the pseudo data addition section 140 b outputs such transmission data so that the transmission power of each of the transmission symbols in the frame varies between p ( max ) and ( p ( max )− x ) and the transmission power may be prevented from varying rapidly between the symbols . as is the case with the first embodiment , the pseudo data is a signal for updating the distortion compensation coefficient . when the pseudo data is a signal with no particular destination , that is , a signal different from that destined for the mobile station by the high - order apparatus ( for example , a pseudo random pattern signal ), the mobile station may be prevented from being erroneously connected . as described above , according to the second embodiment , the distortion compensation circuit 110 updates the distortion compensation coefficient for the transmission data varying gradually within the constant variation range associated with the pseudo data addition process carried out by the pseudo data addition section 140 b . thus , even if the transmission level of the transmission data input by the high - order apparatus varies , a variation in the distortion component provided by the power amplifier 133 is minimized . therefore , the distortion compensation characteristic may be prevented from being degraded , thus allowing the distortion compensation operation to be convergently stabilized . as exemplified in the second embodiment , the pseudo data addition section may calculate and store the power of the input transmission data , and when the power difference between the last calculated power and the current calculated power is equal to or larger than the second set value , add the pseudo data to a free subcarrier . in this case , the level of the input to the power amplifier varies gradually . the distortion compensation circuit may thus update the distortion compensation coefficient in conjunction with the variation in input level . also in this case , accurate distortion compensation may be achieved . a block configuration of an ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to a third embodiment described below corresponds to the ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus 100 b according to the first embodiment illustrated in fig3 in which the pseudo data addition section 140 a is replaced with a pseudo data addition section 140 c illustrated below . thus , as is the case with the second embodiment , the illustration and description of the ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to the third embodiment as a whole are omitted . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating the pseudo data addition section according to the third embodiment . the pseudo data addition section 140 c illustrated in fig1 is different from the pseudo data addition section 140 b according to the second embodiment illustrated in fig7 in that a time schedule signal is input to the timing generation circuit 141 . fig1 a - 11c illustrate operation of the ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to the third embodiment . here , fig1 a - 11c illustrate an example of a configuration of frames for a system to which ofdm based on tdd communication ( time division duplex ) is applied . such a time schedule signal as illustrated in fig1 a is input to the timing generation circuit 141 in the pseudo data addition section 140 c according to the third embodiment illustrated in fig1 . according to the time schedule signal , the timing generation circuit 141 determines whether or not to carry out the pseudo data addition process on frames arranged as illustrated in fig1 b . the timing generation circuit 141 then notifies the pseudo data generation control circuit 145 of the determination result . fig1 c illustrates a temporal transition in transmission power level . fig1 c depicts an image of the transmission power level of the frames in connection with operation of the pseudo data addition section 140 c . for example , in a “ mobile station increase expected interval ” which is where the number of mobile stations is expected to increase , the transmission power between the adjacent frames rises to the maximum transmission power at increments of δp ( m ). in a “ mobile station decrease expected interval ” which is where the number of mobile stations is expected to decrease , the transmission power between the adjacent frames lowers to the lower limit of a maximum power threshold in decrements δf ap ( m ). fig1 a and 12b illustrate an operation flowchart of the pseudo data addition section according to the third embodiment . a difference between fig1 a and 12b , and fig9 which is the flowchart of the second embodiment lies in steps s 301 to s 303 and s 304 to s 306 . the difference will be described below . the pseudo data addition section 140 c illustrated in fig1 operates according to the flowchart illustrated in fig1 a and 12b . first , the transmission data input by the high - order apparatus is input to the pseudo data addition section 140 c ( step s 101 ). then , the pseudo data addition section 140 c allows the timing generation circuit 141 to determine whether the current interval is the mobile station increase expected interval or the mobile station decrease expected interval ( step s 301 ). if the current interval is neither the mobile station increase expected interval nor the mobile station decrease expected interval , the pseudo data addition section 140 c stops the pseudo data addition process and outputs the transmission data ( step s 302 ). the pseudo data addition section 140 c then repeats steps s 301 and s 302 until the pseudo data addition section 140 c determines that the current interval is the mobile station increase expected interval or the mobile station decrease expected interval . on the other hand , on determining that the current interval is the mobile station increase expected interval or the mobile station decrease expected interval , the pseudo data addition section 140 c sets an initial value and an increment value δp ( m ) for the maximum power threshold p ( m ) ( step s 303 ). in step s 102 and subsequent steps , the pseudo data addition section 140 c carries out processing similar to that in the first and second embodiments . upon determining in step s 115 that the number of transmission symbols n has reached the maximum value , the pseudo data addition section 140 c determines , for the mobile station increase expected interval , whether or not the maximum power threshold p ( m ) is equal to the maximum transmission power of the apparatus ( step s 304 ). if the maximum power threshold p ( m ) is not equal to the maximum transmission power , the pseudo data addition section 140 c adds δp ( m ) to the maximum power threshold p ( m ). if the maximum power threshold p ( m ) is equal to the maximum transmission power , the pseudo data addition section 140 c carries out nothing ( steps s 304 and s 305 ). the pseudo data addition section 140 c subsequently determines whether or not the mobile station increase expected interval still continues ( step s 306 ). if the mobile station increase expected interval still continues , the pseudo data addition section 140 c returns to step s 102 to carry out the next frame head detection process to start the pseudo data addition process for the next frame . if the mobile station increase expected interval is over , the pseudo data addition section 140 c returns to step s 301 . the case of the mobile station increase expected interval has been described . the pseudo data addition section 140 c also carries out similar processing for the mobile station decrease expected interval . thus , setting a negative increment value δp ( m ) for the maximum power threshold allows such transmission data to be output such that the transmission power between the adjacent frames decreases gradually from the maximum transmission power to the lower limit of the maximum power threshold p ( m ). as described above , in the mobile station increase or decrease expected interval , for each of the transmission symbols in one frame , the pseudo data addition section 140 c outputs such transmission data such that the transmission power of each of the transmission symbols in the frame varies between the maximum power threshold p ( m ) and ( p ( m )− x ) and the transmission power may be prevented from varying rapidly between the symbols . moreover , while the mobile station increase or decrease expected interval is continuing , the pseudo data addition section 140 c carries out the pseudo data addition process while increasing the maximum power threshold p ( m ) up to the maximum transmission power of the apparatus step by step . thus , such transmission data is output such that the transmission power between the adjacent frames rises gradually to the maximum transmission power . as is the case with the first and second embodiments , the pseudo data is a signal for updating the distortion compensation coefficient . by making the pseudo data being a signal with no particular destination , that is , a signal different from that destined for the mobile station from the high - order apparatus ( for example , a pseudo random pattern signal ), the mobile station may be prevented from being erroneously connected . thus , according to the third embodiment , the time schedule signal input from the high - order apparatus turns on and off the operation of the pseudo data addition section 140 c . the distortion compensation circuit 120 updates the distortion compensation coefficient for the transmission data varying gradually within the constant variation range associated with the pseudo data addition process . thus , even if the transmission level of the transmission data input from the high - order apparatus varies , a variation in the distortion component provided by the power amplifier 133 is minimized . therefore , a degradation of the distortion compensation characteristic may be prevented , thus allowing the distortion compensation operation to be convergently stabilized . furthermore , the maximum transmission power of the apparatus may be controlled , thus allowing the amplified transmission apparatus to efficiently consume power . as exemplified in the third embodiment , the time schedule signal , indicating whether to permit or inhibit addition of the pseudo data , is input to the pseudo data addition section . then , according to the time schedule signal , the pseudo data addition section adds the pseudo data to the input transmission signal only during the period in which the addition of the pseudo data is permitted . the addition of the pseudo data raises the transmission power and acts to increase the power consumption . thus , a useless increase in power may be inhibited by adding the pseudo data in a time zone in which the transmission power changes rapidly , for example , a time zone in which the number of mobile stations desiring to communicate increases rapidly ( for example , at dawn ) or a time zone in which the number of mobile stations desiring to communicate decreases rapidly ( for example , time when most people go to bed ), and stopping the addition of the pseudo data in the other time zones . as described above , according to the embodiments , by controlling the insertion of the pseudo data into the subcarrier to which no transmission data is assigned , the capacity of memory used for the table of distortion compensation coefficients may be minimized . this also helps to prevent a possible increase in test time required to obtain initial values for the distortion compensation coefficient during the manufacture of the apparatus . thus , even if in the input transmission data , the transmission power varies rapidly between the ofdm transmission symbols or between the transmission frames , the distortion compensation operation may be achieved without degrading the distortion compensation characteristic , by controlling the amount of variation in transmission power to the degree that the distortion compensation characteristic is not degraded . moreover , the adverse effects of temporal changes in an analog circuit and a variation in the temperature thereof may be absorbed . furthermore , in the third embodiment , by controlling the start and stop of generation of the pseudo data according to the time schedule signal , the amount of variation in transmission power may be controlled to the degree that the distortion compensation characteristic is not degraded , depending on a statistically obtained connection status of the mobile station . controlling the transmission power as described above is effective for reducing the power consumption while ensuring the distortion compensation characteristic . as described above , the disclosed ofdm distortion - compensated and amplified transmission apparatus according to the present embodiments may quickly respond even to a rapid change in input signal power to accurately compensate for the distortion caused by the power amplifier . all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions , nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention . although the embodiments have been described in detail , it should be understood that the various changes , substitutions , and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
referring now to the features of the drawings in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is seen a cross section through an electronic component with a lead frame 2 , that includes leads 3 and an island 4 . an integrated circuit 1 is fixed on the island 4 , and the lead frame 2 and the integrated circuit 1 are then embedded in a housing 6 made of molding compound . the integrated circuit 1 and the island 4 are vertically disposed to produce housing regions 7 and 8 respectively having a thickness a and b , that are identical . the size of the island 4 has been adapted , in accordance with the invention , to the base area of the integrated circuit 1 , with the result that these essentially correspond . the island 4 is larger than the base area of the integrated circuit 1 merely by a small overhang , with the result that the adhesive used to fix the integrated circuit 1 on the island 4 can escape and form a hollow groove 5 on the overhang . this hollow groove 5 forms a suitable monitoring parameter for monitoring optimum bonding of the integrated circuit 1 to the island 4 . the whole lead frame 2 is vertically disposed so that the leads 3 are likewise vertically centered in the housing 6 . therefore , housing regions having the same thickness , which are designated by reference symbol c in fig1 , extend above and below the leads 3 . the island 4 is lowered relative to the leads 3 , in accordance with the height of the integrated circuit 1 so that the combined height of the integrated circuit 1 and the island 4 will be vertically centered within the housing 6 . this height adaptation is to be taken into account during the production of the lead frame 2 and the connections between the leads 3 and the island 4 . fig2 illustrates an electronic component according to the invention with a small integrated circuit 11 . for this purpose , the island 14 is adapted in accordance with the smaller integrated circuit 11 and is accordingly constructed to be smaller . a suitable ratio of the base area of the integrated circuit 11 to the base area of the island 14 lies between 0 . 7 and 0 . 9 , as can be gathered from table i . in experiments with various tqfp 20 × 20 × 1 . 4 mm housings , alloy - 42 lead frame and aratronic 2188 molding compound , the following relationships were determined . within the lead frame 2 , the island 14 is lowered relative to the leads 3 so that housing regions having the same thickness c are produced both above and below the leads 3 , and so that housing region 7 having the thickness a and housing region 8 having the thickness b substantially equal to thickness a are respectively produced above and below the combination of the integrated circuit 11 and the island 14 . in this exemplary embodiment , a small overhang of the island 14 , at which stresses occur due to the reaction shrinkage of the molding compound , is accepted so that a hollow groove 5 can be produced on the island overhang . the hollow groove serves as an important monitoring parameter during production . another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig3 , which illustrates a small integrated circuit 11 with an island 24 that terminates flush with the integrated circuit 11 . overhanging island regions at which stresses could occur due to the reaction shrinkage of the molding compound are not present at all in this embodiment . the figures merely illustrate integrated circuits 1 and 11 having two different sizes . it goes without saying , however , that a whole group of integrated circuits of different sizes can be used with a standardized housing 6 . the size of the island 4 is adapted in accordance with the size of the base area of a selected integrated circuit , in such a way that the standard lead frame 2 is processed further in accordance with the invention and can be used for a whole group of different integrated circuits , without warpage of the housing 6 occurring . the housings 6 described above are large thin square housings , so - called tqfps , having 176 leads , for example , that are led out from the square housing on all four sides .	7
fig1 to 3 schematically illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the invention which utilizes a single planetary station 26 , without disclosing such details which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and which would merely clutter the disclosure with unnecessary detail and redundant description . in this connection it should be noted that electromechanical or mechanical parts and assembly of this and other embodiments of the invention comprise bearing and gear assemblies which are per se known in the art and are normally used in the design and assembly of vacuum coating systems and devices . novel aspects of the present invention lie in the manner the known mechanical or electromechanical parts are arranged , interrelate and cooperate with each other and with the instruments that constitute the invention , as described herein . it is for this reason that a detailed description of the individual components of the gearing and bearing assemblies is not considered necessary . referring now to fig1 to 3 a drive motor 44 is located outside of the vacuum chamber 20 , and an output shaft 46 of the drive motor 44 penetrates through the top wall 48 of the vacuum chamber 20 and is mounted therein with suitable state - of - the - art vacuum sealed bearings 50 . generally speaking all important bearings used in the invention are of the self - lubricating ceramic ball - bearing type . a gear , termed planetary drive gear or main drive gear 52 is mounted to the shaft 46 and is rotated thereby . a mounting post 54 is mounted within the interior of the vacuum chamber 20 . the mounting post 54 is hollow and its interior serves as an optical path for the wavelength spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 which is located outside of the vacuum chamber wall 48 . in order to allow optical access into the interior of the vacuum chamber 20 a transparent window 56 is sealed to the chamber wall 48 above the hollow mounting post 54 . another gear , termed the mounting post gear 58 is mounted to the bottom of the mounting post 54 . the mounting post gear 58 , like the other herein described gears has teeth ( not specifically shown ) capable of meshing with other gears , but the mounting post gear 58 does not rotate , it is stationarily attached to the mounting post 54 . a solid block 60 is rotatably mounted to the mounting post 54 on high quality state - of - the - art bearings 62 suitable for use in vacuum systems . another gear , termed the planetary gear 64 , is fixedly attached to the planetary block 60 . the planetary gear 64 is not in direct contact with the mounting post 54 , and the planetary block 60 is not in direct contact with the stationary mounting post gear 58 . the planetary gear 64 meshes with the planetary drive gear or main drive gear 52 and is driven by it to rotate around the mounting post 54 thereby causing the planetary block 60 to rotate around the mounting post 54 . two gears are rotatably mounted in positions opposite to one another within the planetary block 60 . one of these is the substrate holder gear 66 , the axle of which is parallel with the mounting post 54 and is symbolically shown in the drawings as 68 . it is rotatably held in the planetary block 60 by state - of the - art bearings 70 . the substrate holder gear 66 meshes with the stationary mounting post gear 58 . as a result of this arrangement , rotation of the planetary block 60 around the mounting post 54 causes the substrate holder gear 66 to spin around its own axis and also to undergo orbiting planetary motion around the mounting post 54 . the substrate holder axle 68 has the substrate holder 72 fixedly attached to it . the substrate holder 72 in the preferred embodiment is a substantially flat plate or plate - like member which in the presently preferred embodiment comprises clear transparent material ( such as quartz or glass ) so as to allow optical monitoring of the film deposited on the substrate 30 . alternatively , the substrate holder 72 can comprise non - transparent material ( such as metal ) in which case it has openings or holes ( not shown ) allowing optical access to the substrate 30 with the wavelength spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 through the hollow interior of the mounting post 54 . the substrate 30 or substrates 30 ( as explained above ) are mounted below the plate of the substrate holder 72 with clamps , clips or other instruments well known in the art . the clamps , clips or other instruments utilized to removably hold the substrate 30 in the substrate holder 72 are not shown in the drawing figures . as noted above , the center or axis of the orbiting planetary motion of the substrate holder gear 66 is the center of the hollow mounting post 54 , which also represents the path for the optical observation by the wavelength spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 . the substrate holder 72 and the substrate 30 orbit together with the substrate holder gear 66 so that the center or axis of the mounting post 54 is also the center of the orbiting planetary motion of the substrate 30 . it is an important feature of the present invention that the substrate 30 is positioned on the substrate holder 72 in such a manner that in its orbiting motion it is always below the mounting post 54 and always visible to the optical monitoring instrument 36 , thereby allowing continuous optical monitoring . in this connection it should be kept in mind that the substrate 30 itself is a transparent body ( glass , quartz or others known in the art ) so that the film being deposited on the bottom of the substrate 30 can be monitored from the top through the transparent substrate 30 itself . in the event the substrate 30 comprises more than one item ( such as several glass plates or lenses ) than they are mounted in such a way that each of them cyclically becomes “ visible ” to the optical instrument 36 as the substrate holder 72 rotates and orbits , thereby allowing continuous optical monitoring of an average thickness of the film being deposited on the several items which jointly comprise the substrate 30 . the second of the two gears mounted in the planetary block 60 is the uniformity mask gear 74 , the axle of which is parallel with the mounting post 54 and is symbolically shown in the drawings as 76 . it is rotatably held in the planetary block 60 by state - of - the - art bearings 78 . the uniformity mask gear 74 meshes with the stationary mounting post gear 58 . as a result of this arrangement , rotation of the planetary block 60 around the mounting post 54 causes the uniformity mask gear 74 to spin around its own axis and also to undergo orbiting planetary motion around the mounting post 54 . a uniformity mask 38 is mounted to the uniformity mask axle 76 and is carried in spinning and in orbiting planetary motion together with the uniformity mask gear 74 . as is shown in the drawings the uniformity mask 38 is of such size that in its complex motion it affects the deposit of vaporized material on the substrate 30 . still further explanation and description of the uniformity mask 38 is not considered necessary because uniformity masks and their role and effects in vacuum deposition systems per se are known in the art . the first preferred embodiment of the invention also includes a crystal monitoring instrument 34 the function of which has been explained above . signals transduced by the crystal monitoring instrument 34 are transmitted to the exterior of the vacuum chamber by wires or cables within tubular mounts which are symbolically shown on fig2 as 79 . in the herein described first preferred embodiment the mounting post gear 58 is a gear of 2 . 75 ″ diameter having 55 teeth , the uniformity mask gear 74 is 0 . 66 ″ in diameter hand has 18 teeth , while the substrate holder gear 66 is 0 . 7 ″ in diameter and has 19 teeth . the difference in the number of teeth of the uniformity mask gear 74 and of the substrate holder gear 66 causes a precession of one with respect to the other resulting in improved operation of the uniformity mask 38 and enhanced uniformity of the film ( s ) deposited on the substrate 30 . the planetary or main drive gear 52 of the first preferred embodiment is of 3 . 00 ″ in diameter and has 60 - teeth . the planetary gear 64 that meshes with the main drive gear 54 is of 2 . 75 ″ in diameter and has 55 teeth . the wavelength spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 is located above the mounting post 54 . it is a linear ccd detector based optical spectrometer used to capture a real time spectral picture of light transmitted through the substrate . the eddy company spectralock sl2000 is the preferred instrument to be used presently . a jy horiba model 1250 m spectrometer would be an equivalent choice . the device includes a light source 80 disposed below the substrate 30 and located outside the vacuum chamber 20 . the light source 80 is shown in fig3 . light from the light source 80 passes through a transparent window 82 , through the substrate 30 , either through the transparent substrate holder 72 or through holes ( not shown ) in the substrate holder 72 , then through the center of the hollow mounting post 54 , through window 56 , and finally into the wavelength spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 . a computer or master controller 84 attached to the wavelength spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 analyzes the spectrum to determine the proper cut - off point of vapor deposition to attain the desired thickness of the deposited film . as the coating approaches the desired thickness the computer analysis of the spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 data is used to slow the coating rate allowing for a more accurate cut - off using the source shutter 32 . [ 0057 ] fig1 is a bottom view of the single planetary system of the first preferred embodiment showing the direction of motion of each of the elements . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of the first preferred embodiment illustrating the location of one vapor source 22 and the light source 80 . referring now to fig4 - 8 and particularly to the schematic cross - sectional views of fig5 and 6 , the presently preferred embodiment of the more sophisticated version of the invention is disclosed , wherein the super - planetary motion is superimposed over three stations or systems . each of these three stations undergo planetary motion substantially in the manner described above and are constructed substantially in accordance with the description provided above for the first preferred embodiment . in this more sophisticated second embodiment the three stations or systems are termed sub - planetary stations or sub - planetaries 26 . as it is shown in fig5 this second preferred embodiment also comprises a vacuum chamber 20 , a source 22 or sources for vapors 24 of the material to be deposited , a solenoid ( or the like ) activated shutter 32 for preventing vapor deposition from the source 22 ( or when applicable from one or more of a plurality of sources each with its own respective shutter ), a spectrum optical monitoring system or instrument 36 , a light source 80 for the spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 , a crystal monitoring instrument 34 , and a computer or master controller 84 . unless described otherwise below , the function of these components is substantially the same as in the hereinbefore described embodiments . referring now primarily to the enlarged drawing of fig6 the device includes a drive motor 44 to drive all sub - planetary stations 26 . a rotating output shaft 46 of the sub - planetary drive motor 44 penetrates the chamber wall 48 and is mounted in vacuum sealed bearings 50 . the shaft 46 carries and rotates a first drive gear 86 . a ring shaped body , termed a mounting ring 88 , is affixed to the top wall 48 of the vacuum chamber 20 with a plurality of mounting rods 90 . in the herein described preferred embodiment four ( 4 ) mounting rods 90 are used , but their number is not critical as long as the mounting ring 88 is solidly attached to the top wall 48 . a bearing 92 located within the interior of the mounting ring 88 rotatably mounts a tubular shaped body 94 to the mounting ring 88 . a second drive gear 96 and a third drive gear 98 are fixedly attached to the tubular shaped body 94 . the second drive gear 96 meshes with and is driven by the first drive gear 86 , thereby also rotating the third drive gear 98 . in the herein described preferred embodiment the dimensions of these gears are as follows : first drive gear 86 is of 2 . 75 ″ in diameter and has 55 teeth ; second drive gear 96 is of 2 . 75 ″ in diameter and has 55 teeth ; and third drive gear 98 is of 10 . 62 ″ in diameter and has 212 teeth . electric cables and mounting tubes ( schematically shown as 79 ) for the crystal monitor instrument 34 are conducted within the interior of the mounting ring 88 to the exterior of the vacuum chamber 20 . a second motor , termed the super - planetary drive motor 102 has a rotating output shaft 104 which is rotatably mounted with vacuum sealed bearings 106 into the chamber wall 48 . the output shaft 104 rotates a gear termed the super - planetary drive gear 108 . a plate which can also be considered a gear because it has gear teeth on its edge is rotatably mounted by bearings 110 to the exterior of the mounting ring 88 . this gear or plate is termed super - planetary plate or gear 112 . the super - planetary drive gear 108 is of 2 . 75 ″ in diameter and has 55 teeth . the super - planetary plate or gear 112 is of 21 . 5 ″ in diameter and has 430 teeth . unlike in the first preferred embodiment where the mounting post 54 of the planetary system 26 is attached to the top chamber wall 48 , in this embodiment the hollow mounting posts 54 of all three sub - planetary stations 26 are fixedly suspended from the super - planetary plate or gear 112 below an aperture or opening 114 . another distinction from the construction of the planetary system of the first preferred embodiment is that the planetary blocks 60 of the three stations 26 are spaced approximately one inch from one another in the axial direction . as it was described above in the general description , as a consequence of this spacing the desired thickness of film can be accurately deposited on the substrates 30 of each station 26 in a sequential manner . otherwise each sub - planetary station 26 is substantially of the same construction as the planetary station 26 of the first preferred embodiment . each sub - planetary station 26 includes a planetary gear 64 that meshes with the third drive gear 98 so that each sub - planetary station 26 is simultaneously driven by the rotating third drive gear 98 which is , in turn , is driven by the sub - planetary drive motor 44 . the super - planetary plate or gear 112 meshes with the super - planetary drive gear 108 and is therefore rotated by the super - planetary drive motor 102 . thus , when both the sub - planetary drive motor 44 and the super - planetary drive motor 102 are actuated then the substrates 30 , substrate holders 72 and uniformity masks 38 of each sub - planetary station 26 undergo spinning and planetary orbiting motion , as in the first preferred embodiment . in addition , due to rotation of the super - planetary plate or gear 112 they also undergo another superimposed orbiting motion , the center of which is the center of the mounting ring 88 . a single vacuum sealed window 56 is located on the top chamber wall 48 to allow “ visual access ” by the wavelength spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 to the substrate 30 . referring now back to the general description of the invention , when it is determined through the use of the crystal monitoring instrument 34 that approximately 90 percent of the desired thickness of the film has been attained on a substrate 30 of a sub - planetary station 26 then the master controller 84 causes the super - planetary drive motor 102 to place the appropriate sub - planetary station 26 into the desired pre - set position and to halt the rotation of the super - planetary motor and system . in this pre - determined position the optical axis of the spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 is in alignment with the opening 114 and with the hollow mounting post 54 of the sub - planetary station 26 . fig6 of the drawings shows one sub - planetary station 26 in such position . as described above in the general description , at this stage deposition of the film is continued with only the sub - planetary stations 26 being in motion , and while the thickness of the film on the substrate under observation is continuously monitored until precise completion . [ 0065 ] fig4 through 8 disclose the construction and operation of a shutter system or shutter assembly which allows the discontinuation of film deposit on the substrate 30 of any sub - planetary station after the film deposited on that substrate has attained its precise desired dimension . a shutter arm 116 is fixedly mounted to the super - planetary plate or gear 112 in locations adjacent to each sub - planetary station . two parallel disposed shutter actuator rods or shafts 118 are rotatably mounted into the shutter arm 116 . only one of these is shown on fig5 and 6 in the position where they can be actuated ( on the left side of fig5 and 6 ). however , both rods 118 can be discerned on fig4 . one shutter half 120 comprising a plate like member is fixedly attached to each rod 118 . in the presently preferred embodiment each shutter half 120 is shaped as semi - circle or half moon , however alternative shapes are possible and within the scope of the invention . the important feature of the shutter halves 120 is that in one rotational position of their respective rod 118 they can stay open , apart from one another thereby exposing the respective substrate 30 to the vapors 24 of the material being deposited as a thin film . such status of two shutter assemblies is shown , for example in fig4 . in another rotational position of their respective rods 118 the two shutter halves 120 close and prevent deposition of the vapors 24 on the respective substrate . one shutter assembly is shown in the closed position in fig4 . a shutter actuating motor 122 is located outside of the vacuum chamber 20 , and its output shaft 124 is rotatably mounted with a vacuum sealed bearing 126 into the chamber wall 48 . the shutter actuating motor 122 is a small , reversible stepper type motor . the output shaft 124 carries a 60 ° arc section of a toothed gear , termed a 60 ° gear 128 , which meshes with one of the gears 130 mounted on one of the shutter rods 118 . the two gears 130 mesh with each other . engagement and rotation of the 60 ° gear 128 in one direction moves the two shutter halves 120 apart from one another thereby opening the shutter assembly . engagement and rotation of the 60 ° gear 128 into the other direction moves the two shutter halves 120 together into partially overlapping positions thereby closing the shutter assembly . the 60 ° gear 128 is moved by the shutter actuating motor 122 into engagement with the shutter gears 130 when the desired sub - planetary station 26 is aligned with the wavelength spectrum optical monitoring instrument 36 . as noted above , this occurs in accordance with the invention when the super - planetary motion is halted for precise completion of vapor deposition on a sub - planetary station 26 . when the super - planetary drive motor 102 is actuated and the super - planetary plate or gear 112 is in continuous rotation then the 60 ° gear 128 is disengaged from the gears 130 of the shutter assembly , and does not interfere with the super - planetary motions . an over center spring 131 holds shutter halves 120 in either open or closed position until changed , as described above . the shutter actuating motor 122 as all other motors of the device of the invention are controlled by the computer or master controller 84 where the rotational position of each of the components is continuously registered by instrumentation and software known in the art .	7
referring now to the drawings , and initially to fig1 through 3 , reference numeral 1 designates an open channel of dam spillway , irrigation channel or service water , in which a gate 2 is liftably disposed to dam up the open channel 1 . the gate 2 can be lifted along the direction shown by an arrow a by a lifting device ( not shown ). a turbine - generator 3 is fixedly secured to the gate 2 . the turbine - generator 3 comprises an outer casing 7 , and a bulb 5 which houses an electric power generator whose main shaft is connected to a turbine runner 4 . the bulb 5 is centrally secured to the outer casing 7 by stay vanes 8 . the outer casing 7 is fixedly secured to the gate 2 . further , a plurality of guide vanes 8 are provided to provide suitable flow direction for the rotation of the turbine runner 4 . the guide vanes are stationarily disposed between the outer casing and the bulb , or the guide vanes are pivotablly secured about their axis to control the flowing direction of water . reference numeral 9 designates a draft tube adapted to be coupled with the downstream end of the outer casing 7 . in this embodiment , the draft tube 9 is embedded in a concrete base 10 disposed at the downstream side of the turbine , and the outer casing 7 is detachable from the draft tube 9 . the draft tube 9 can be mounted on a base 11 and is connected thereto by bolts 12 as shown in fig4 . according to the embodiment shown in fig4 it is recognized that the construction work for installing the draft tube 9 can be easily carried out . at the upstream side of the gate 2 , a second liftable gate 13 is disposed to dam up the open channel 1 to control fluid amount to be flown into the turbine generator 3 . during operating conditions , the gate 2 is positioned as shown in fig1 and the gate 13 is opened allowing water flow along the direction shown by an arrow b . a fluid passage defined between the outer casing 7 and the bulb 5 is opened by opening the guide vanes 8 to thereby apply hydraulic power to the turbine runner 4 to rotate the same . in this case , the outer casing and the draft tube are coupled with each other by a loose flange 9 &# 39 ; to permit sealing contact avoiding fluid leakage and air to enter as well as permitting easy detachment of the outer casing from the tube 9 . in case of overhauling or inspection of the turbine - generator 3 , the gate 2 is lifted up as shown in fig5 . therefore , the turbine - generator 3 is taken out from the open channel 1 , and overhauling thereof can be achieved at the pg , 7 lifted position . in this case , since water can flow to the downstream side through the draft tube 9 , continuous water flow can be maintained even during overhauling of the turbine - generator 3 . a second embodiment of this invention is shown in fig6 wherein like parts and components are designated by the same reference numerals as those shown in the first embodiment . according to this second embodiment , the outer casing and the draft tube is in integral structure as at 14 . therefore , if the gate 2 is at the descent position , the turbine - generator 3 is positioned in water and the water is dammed up by the gate 2 , so that the turbine - generator 3 is operated by opening the guide vanes 8 . in case of the inspection or overhaul of the turbine - generator 3 , the gate 2 is lifted up as shown by a chain line in fig6 . the water supply to the downstream area is maintained . of course , the supplying amount can be controlled by the gate 13 . according to the foregoing embodiments , since the bulb - turbine - generator 3 is disposed in water during operation , the control of the movable guide vanes 8 is required to be carried out by lifting the gate 2 up from the water level , though such lifting is unnecessary in case of stationary guide vanes . fig7 through 10 show still other embodiments to eliminate lifting operation of the gate 2 for controlling opening angle of guide vanes , wherein a space ( turbine pit 16 ) defined between the gate 2 and the concrete base 10 is fluid - tightly maintained . the gate 2 is fluid - tight structure , and the concrete base 10 is provided with an embankment 15 whose height is higher than the maximum water level of the discharge side 1 &# 39 ;. the turbine pit 16 is connected to water discharge pit 17 to discharge water leaking from the gate 2 or the like into the discharge side 1 &# 39 ; by a pump 19 driven by an electric motor 18 ( fig9 ). therefore , since no water exists in the turbine pit 16 on the downstream side of the gate 2 , a person can enter therein to inspect the outer casing and operate control means 30 for controlling opening angle of guide vanes 8 . the control means can either manually or electrically with motors to alter the position of the guide vanes . further , an overflow panel 20 is disposed between the upper portion of the gate 2 and the embankment 15 to prevent water from entering into the turbine pit 16 of downstream side of the gate 2 . the water level of the open channel is generally seasonally varied and it may exceed the upper limit to exceed the allowable fluid amount applied to the turbine generator . furthermore , flooding occurs and water may flood over the gate 2 to enter into the space 16 . this may damage the turbine parts and draft tube 9 . according to this invention , if the fluid amount is less than the allowable maximum fluid amount exerted to the turbine , the water level of the upstream side of the gate 2 can be maintained to the level c less than the top end of the overflow panel 20 . this is accomplished by the control of the opening angle of the guide vanes 8 upon actuation of a level governor ( not shown ) to thus perform effective water discharge . on the other hand , if the fluid amount exceeds the allowable maximum fluid amount exerted to the turbine , the water level exceeds the tip end of the gate 2 to the level d , and the surplus water flows into the downstream side of the gate 2 along the overflow panel 20 by avoiding the water entrance into the turbine pit 16 . 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 spirit and scope thereof .	5
hereinafter , an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described . a semiconductor device in accordance with the present embodiment has a structure that includes a layered region in which a capacitor element is formed ( i . e ., capacitor region ), and in the capacitor region , an interconnection layer is formed such that the interconnection layer is utilized as a counter electrode of the capacitor element . the semiconductor device can accordingly ensure a sufficient storage capacitance and an increased density compatibly . in a dram capacitor of the device in accordance with the present embodiment , an exclusive electrode common to all the cells is not used as a counter electrode , which is opposed to a storage electrode , but an interconnection wire extending through the capacitor region is used as the counter electrode . accordingly , this interconnection wire can be utilized as an interconnection wire in a peripheral circuit region as well . for this reason , a necessary interconnection wire can be provided in the region in which only a through - hole having a high aspect ratio and a via plug filling the through - hole have conventionally been present as extending therethrough . since this interconnection wire extends in the capacitor region as well , space utilization efficiency is improved . for this reason , it is possible to lower the height of the semiconductor device as a whole and reduce the cost by improvement in yield and limited consumption of materials . in the present embodiment , an exclusive voltage common to all the cells is not used as an operating voltage to be applied to the counter electrode of the dram capacitor element , but different voltages can be applied to individual interconnection wires forming counter electrodes . in the conventional structure , interconnection wires to be individually applied with different voltages are formed over a memory cell region after the formation of a capacitor . by contrast , the present embodiment allows such interconnection wires to directly extend through the capacitor region and to be utilized in the peripheral circuit . for this reason , the peripheral circuit can be provided with necessary and sufficient interconnection wires and hence can be improved in its performance . further , it becomes possible to suppress a reduction in reliability and yield and an increase in through - hole resistance in the peripheral circuit region due to the capacitor element with its profile becoming higher with miniaturization . in the fabrication of the semiconductor device thus constructed according to the present embodiment , the memory cell forming process and the peripheral circuit forming process have enhanced compatibility therebetween and , hence , an lsi with a large - capacity embedded dram can be realized easily . in addition , a memory cell layout can be formed using a simple pattern having straight lines perpendicularly intersecting each other , which leads to improvement in processability and yield . hereinafter , an exemplary semiconductor device in accordance with the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a plan view showing a layout of a memory cell array region in a semiconductor device in accordance with the present embodiment . fig2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the memory cell array shown in fig1 . in fig2 , the section extending from a silicon substrate 1 to an interlayer insulating film 22 is taken on line a - a of fig1 , while the section extending from a silicon nitride film 32 to the uppermost layer is taken on line b - b of fig1 . in the sectional view taken on line b - b , there are transparently shown a bit line contact plug ( upper portion ) 31 b , a bit line 40 , and intracellular interconnection wires 60 and 6 n . fig3 is a sectional view showing a structure of a peripheral circuit region in accordance with the present embodiment , though a corresponding plan view is not provided herein . in fig1 , active regions 10 isolated from each other by an element isolation region are regularly arranged in a substrate plane . word lines 20 , each of which includes mos transistor gate electrodes formed integrally with an interconnection wire interconnecting these gate electrodes , extend in a direction perpendicularly intersecting the direction in which each of the active regions extends . bit lines ( i . e ., data lines ) 40 for transmitting information from memory cells extend in a direction perpendicularly intersecting the word lines . a required number of intracellular interconnection wires ( which perpendicularly intersect the bit lines ) 50 and 5 n ( where n is the number of further required interconnection layers in addition to the interconnection wires 50 ) are disposed in a pattern similar to that of the word lines 20 , while a required number of intracellular interconnection wires ( which perpendicularly intersect the word lines ) 60 and 6 n ( where n is the number of further required interconnection layers in addition to the interconnection wires 60 ) are disposed in a pattern similar to that of the bit lines 40 . the intracellular interconnection wires 50 and 5 n each extend just above a respective one of the word lines 20 so as to be superposed thereabove , while the intracellular interconnection wires 60 and 6 n each extend just above a respective one of the bit lines 40 so as to be superposed thereabove . a bit line contact plug 31 for connection to an associated bit line is disposed centrally on each active region 10 . capacitor contact plugs 30 for connection to a capacitor storing information therein are disposed at opposite ends of the same active region . in the substrate plane ( i . e ., layout plane ), each of the capacitor contact plugs 30 has an elongated pattern extended toward opposite sides in the word line direction into regions which are free of the bit lines 40 , intracellular interconnection wires 50 and 5 n and intracellular interconnection wires 60 and 6 n . in the substrate plane , capacitor hole patterns 90 and 91 are provided for each capacitor contact plug 30 so as to be located in respective regions free of the bit lines 40 , intracellular interconnection wires 50 and 5 n and intracellular interconnection wires 60 and 6 n on opposite sides ( i . e ., upper side and lower side in the figure ) across the associated bit line 40 . the hole pattern 90 connected to one extended portion of one capacitor contact plug 30 and the hole pattern 91 connected to the other extended portion form a 1 - bit cell . in each of the holes corresponding to the hole patterns 90 and 91 , a storage electrode 93 is formed on an intervening capacitive insulating film 92 . in a conventional dram cell , a common electrode covering the whole memory cell array is provided as counter electrodes of capacitors . in the present embodiment , by contrast , the intracellular interconnection wires 50 , 5 n , 60 and 6 n serve as counter electrodes , and a multiplicity of such counter electrodes are present independently in the form of interconnection wires . all of the intracellular interconnection wires may be at a reference potential . the present embodiment allows the interconnection wires to be used selectively in accordance with the purpose of an lsi product using such dram cells in order to optimize the amount of signals in the memory cells . for example , 50 % of the interconnection wires are used as reference potential lines , 30 % of the interconnection wires used as other source lines , and 20 % of the interconnection wires used as signal lines . as shown in fig2 , the word lines 20 , each including a polysilicon layer 20 a , a tungsten nitride layer 20 b and a tungsten layer 20 c , are formed on a p - type silicon substrate 1 . each of these word lines functions as a gate electrode on each active region . an n - type mos transistor is formed which includes the gate electrode , a gate insulating film ( silicon oxide film ) 14 , a channel region , an n - type low - concentration diffusion layer , and an n - type high - concentration diffusion layer . in the space defined between adjacent word lines 20 , the contact plug 30 connected to the high - concentration diffusion layer is formed for connection to the capacitor element , and a contact plug ( lower portion ) 31 a connected to the high - concentration diffusion layer is formed for connection to the associated bit line . each of these contact plugs may be formed of polysilicon containing an impurity . the contact plug 31 a for connection to a bit line is connected to the associated bit line 40 via the contact plug ( upper portion ) 31 b formed in an upper interlayer insulating film 33 , the contact plug 31 b having a stacked structure including a titanium nitride film and a tungsten film for example . the bit lines 40 are each formed of a film stack including a titanium nitride film and a tungsten film for example . an interlayer insulating film 70 is formed over the bit lines 40 , and the intracellular interconnection wires 50 perpendicularly intersecting the bit lines are formed on the interlayer insulating film . the intracellular interconnection wires 50 are each formed of a film stack including a titanium nitride film 50 a , an aluminum film 50 b and a titanium nitride film 50 c for example . a silicon nitride film 50 d is formed on this film stack . an interlayer insulating film 80 is formed over the intracellular interconnection wires 50 . the intracellular interconnection wires 60 each formed of a film stack including a titanium nitride film 60 a , an aluminum film 60 b and a titanium nitride film 60 c for example are formed on the interlayer insulating film 80 . a silicon nitride film 60 d is formed on this film stack . the intracellular interconnection wires 60 are formed so as to perpendicularly intersect the intracellular interconnection wires 50 , i . e ., so as to perpendicularly intersect the word lines 20 . further , interlayer insulating films 7 n and 8 n ( where n is the number of further required layers ) and the intracellular interconnection wires 5 n and 6 n are sequentially formed in accordance with the number of required interconnection layers . the intracellular interconnection wires 5 n and the intracellular interconnection wires 6 n intersect each other perpendicularly in the layout plane . each of the intracellular interconnection wires 5 n may be formed of a film stack including a titanium nitride film 5 na , an aluminum film 5 nb and a titanium nitride film 5 nc . similarly , each of the intracellular interconnection wires 6 n may be formed of a film stack including a titanium nitride film 6 na , an aluminum film 6 nb and a titanium nitride film 6 nc . silicon nitride films 5 nd and 6 nd are formed on the respective film stacks . in the layout plane , holes ( corresponding to the capacitor hole patterns 90 and 91 ) are each opened to form an opening covering each region free of the bit lines 40 and the intracellular interconnection wires 50 , 5 n , 60 and 6 n ( i . e ., region in which the space between adjacent bit lines and the space between adjacent intracellular interconnection wires in each layer overlap each other ). a film stack including an aluminum oxide film and a hafnium oxide film for example is formed as the capacitive insulating film 92 in each of the holes and the storage electrode 93 made of titanium nitride for example is formed so as to fill up the hole . a capacitor element is formed in a portion in which the storage electrode 93 faces the sidewall of each of the intracellular interconnection wires 50 , 5 n , 60 and 6 n across the capacitive insulating film 92 . an interlayer insulating film 99 is formed over an interlayer insulating film 98 covering the uppermost intracellular interconnection wires . though not shown , an additional interconnection layer and a protective film are further formed above the interlayer insulating film 99 when necessary . as shown in fig3 , in the peripheral circuit region of the present embodiment , an n - type mos transistor is formed on the p - type silicon substrate 1 . the n - type mos transistor includes : a gate electrode 23 including a polysilicon layer 23 a , a tungsten nitride layer 23 b , and a tungsten layer 23 c ; a gate insulating film 14 made of a silicon oxide film ; a channel region ; an n - type low - concentration diffusion layer ; and an n - type high - concentration diffusion layer . though not shown , a p - type mos transistor is formed when necessary . the interlayer insulating films 22 , 33 , 70 , 80 and 71 and the silicon nitride film 32 , which are shared between the peripheral circuit region and the memory cell region , are formed to cover these transistors . a contact plug 34 connected to the high - concentration diffusion layer is formed so as to avoid the gate electrode 23 . the contact plug 34 is also connected to an upper interconnection wire 41 . the interconnection wire 41 is formed simultaneously with the formation of the bit line 40 of the memory cell by using the same material as the bit line 40 . a via plug 200 is formed to extend upwardly from the interconnection wire 41 for the purpose of connection to an upper interconnection wire ( i . e ., peripheral circuit interconnection wire ) 150 . the interconnection wire 150 is formed simultaneously with the formation of the intracellular interconnection wire 50 of the memory cell by using the same material ( including a titanium nitride layer 150 a , an aluminum layer 150 b and a titanium nitride layer 150 c ) as the intracellular interconnection wire 50 . a silicon nitride cap layer 150 d is formed over the interconnection wire 150 . a via plug 210 is formed to extend upwardly from the silicon nitride layer 150 d for the purpose of interconnection between the interconnection layer 150 and an upper interconnection wire 160 . the interconnection wire ( i . e ., peripheral circuit interconnection wire ) 160 is formed simultaneously with the formation of the intracellular interconnection wire 60 of the memory cell by using the same material ( including a titanium nitride layer 160 a , an aluminum layer 160 b and a titanium nitride layer 160 c ) as the intracellular interconnection wire 60 . a silicon nitride cap layer 160 d is formed over the interconnection layer 160 . further , interlayer insulating films 7 n and 8 n ( where n is the number of further required layers ), via plugs 20 n and 21 n and interconnection wires ( i . e ., peripheral circuit interconnection wires ) 15 n and 16 n are sequentially formed in accordance with the number of required interconnection layers . the interconnection wire 15 n is formed simultaneously with the formation of the intracellular interconnection wire 5 n of the memory cell by using the same material ( including a titanium nitride layer 15 na , an aluminum layer 15 nb , and a titanium nitride layer 15 nc ) as the intracellular interconnection wire 5 n . similarly , the interconnection wire 16 n is formed simultaneously with the formation of the intracellular interconnection wire 6 n of the memory cell by using the same material ( including a titanium nitride layer 16 na , an aluminum layer 16 nb , and a titanium nitride layer 16 nc ) as the intracellular interconnection wire 6 n . silicon nitride films 15 nd and 16 nd are formed over the respective interconnection wires 15 n and 16 n . the interlayer insulating film 99 is formed over the interlayer insulating film 98 covering the interconnection wire 16 n and the interlayer insulating film 8 n . though not shown , an additional interconnection layer and a protective film are further formed above the interlayer insulating film 99 when necessary . the structure of the above - described peripheral circuit region includes the mos transistor formed on the silicon substrate , the multi - level interconnection wires , the via plugs interconnecting the interconnection wires , and the interlayer insulating films . as can be seen from comparison with the conventional structure shown in fig1 , only the deeply extending via plug is present in the layered region corresponding to the capacitor forming region according to the conventional structure , whereas the interconnection wires are formed in that region according to the present embodiment . since the peripheral circuit region can have the same sectional structure as an lsi which does not have any dram cell , an lsi with embedded dram can be obtained which exhibits satisfactory performance including a reduction in through - hole resistance . an exemplary method of fabricating the memory cell region in accordance with the above - described embodiment will be described with reference to fig4 to 10 . fig4 shows a section that corresponds to the section taken on line a - a of fig1 . in each of fig5 to 10 , the section extending from the silicon substrate 1 to the interlayer insulating film 22 is taken on line a - a of fig1 , while the section extending from the silicon nitride film 32 to the uppermost layer is taken on line b - b of fig1 . in the sectional views taken on line b - b , there are transparently shown the bit line contact plug ( upper portion ) 31 b , bit line 40 , and intracellular interconnection wires 60 and 6 n . first , description is directed to a fabrication process performed until the structure shown in fig4 is obtained . a device isolation region 2 made of an oxide film is formed on the silicon substrate . the surface of the silicon substrate is subjected to ion implantation of a required impurity and then to annealing for activating the impurity . subsequently , after formation of the gate oxide film 14 by thermal oxidation , the polysilicon film 20 a , tungsten nitride film 20 b and tungsten film 20 c , which will form the gate electrode , and the silicon nitride film 21 , which will form a cap insulating film , are deposited sequentially . this film stack is patterned to form the word lines 20 by using a lithographic technique and a dry etching technique . subsequently , an impurity is ion - implanted to form a shallow low - concentration diffusion layer . in turn , a silicon nitride film is formed and then etched back to form a sidewall spacer made of the silicon nitride film on the sidewall of each word line ( i . e ., gate electrode ). thereafter , the impurity is ion - implanted to form a deep high - concentration diffusion layer . subsequently , the interlayer insulating film 22 made of a bpsg film for example is formed so as to fill up the space between adjacent word lines . after planarization by cmp ( chemical mechanical polishing ) when necessary , contact holes are formed using the lithographic technique and the dry etching technique . in turn , a polysilicon film containing an impurity is formed so as to fill up the contact holes . subsequently , the polysilicon film is removed from a flat region outside the holes by cmp , to form the contact plugs 30 and 31 a . subsequently , the silicon nitride film 32 which will serve as an etching stopper and the interlayer insulating film 33 made of silicon oxide are formed . thereafter , a contact hole for forming a bit line contact plug is formed by using the lithographic technique and an etching technique . in turn , a film stack composed of a titanium nitride film and a tungsten film for example is formed so as to fill up this contact hole . subsequently , the film stack is removed from a flat region outside the hole by cmp , to form the bit line contact plug 31 b . subsequently , a film stack composed of a titanium nitride film and a tungsten film for example is formed and then processed using the lithographic technique and the dry etching technique to form the bit lines 40 perpendicularly intersecting the word lines 20 . simultaneously with the formation of the bit lines 40 , the interconnection wires 41 are formed in the peripheral circuit region not shown . the structure shown in fig4 can be obtained by the process thus described . next , description is directed to a fabrication process performed until the structure shown in fig5 is obtained . the interlayer insulating film 70 is formed so as to cover the bit lines 40 and the interconnection wires 41 , followed by formation of the via plug 200 for connection to an upper interconnection wire in the non - illustrated peripheral circuit region . subsequently , the titanium nitride film 50 a , aluminum film 50 b and titanium nitride film 50 c , which will form the intracellular interconnection wires 50 , and the silicon nitride film 50 d , which will form a cap insulating film , are formed sequentially . in turn , the intracellular interconnection wires 50 having substantially the same pattern as the word lines 20 are formed using the lithographic technique and the dry etching technique . simultaneously with the formation of these intracellular interconnection wires , the interconnection wires 150 are formed in the non - illustrated peripheral circuit region . subsequently , the interlayer insulating film 80 is formed so as to cover the intracellular interconnection wires 50 , followed by formation of the via plug 210 for connection to an upper interconnection wire in the non - illustrated peripheral circuit region . subsequently , the titanium nitride film 60 a , aluminum film 60 b and titanium nitride film 60 c , which will form the intracellular interconnection wires 60 , and the silicon nitride film 60 d , which will form a cap insulating film , are formed sequentially . in turn , the intracellular interconnection wires 60 having substantially the same pattern as the bit lines 40 are formed using the lithographic technique and the dry etching technique . simultaneously with the formation of these intracellular interconnection wires , the interconnection wires 160 are formed in the non - illustrated peripheral circuit region . subsequently , the interlayer insulating film 71 is formed so as to cover the interconnection wires 160 and the intracellular interconnection wires 60 . the structure shown in fig5 can be obtained by the process thus described . thereafter , as shown in fig6 , the intracellular interconnection wires 5 n and 6 n are sequentially formed in accordance with the number n of further required interconnection layers , as described below . after formation of the interlayer insulating film 7 n , the via plug 20 n for connection to an upper interconnection wire is formed to extend through the interlayer insulating film 7 n in the non - illustrated peripheral circuit region . subsequently , the titanium nitride film 5 na , aluminum film 5 nb and titanium nitride film 5 nc , which will form the intracellular interconnection wires 5 n , and the silicon nitride film 5 nd , which will form a cap insulating film , are formed sequentially . in turn , the intracellular interconnection wires 5 n having substantially the same pattern as the word lines 20 are formed using the lithographic technique and the dry etching technique . simultaneously with the formation of the intracellular interconnection wires 5 n , the interconnection wires 15 n are formed in the non - illustrated peripheral circuit region . subsequently , the interlayer insulating film 8 n is formed so as to cover the intracellular interconnection wires 5 n , followed by formation of the via plug 21 n for connection to an upper interconnection wire in the non - illustrated peripheral circuit region . subsequently , the titanium nitride film 6 na , aluminum film 6 nb and titanium nitride film 6 nc , which will form the intracellular interconnection wires 6 n , and the silicon nitride film 6 nd , which will form a cap insulating film , are formed sequentially . in turn , the intracellular interconnection wires 6 n having substantially the same pattern as the bit lines 40 are formed using the lithographic technique and the dry etching technique . simultaneously with the formation of the intracellular interconnection wires 6 n , the interconnection wires 16 n are formed in the non - illustrated peripheral circuit region . subsequently , the interlayer insulating film 98 is formed so as to cover the intracellular interconnection wires 6 n as the uppermost interconnection layer . the structure shown in fig6 can be obtained by the process thus described . the following description is directed to the fabrication process performed until the structure shown in fig7 is obtained . in the layout plane , holes are formed to open regions each of which encompasses a region free of the bit lines 40 and the intracellular interconnection wires 50 , 5 n , 60 and 6 n ( i . e ., region in which the space between adjacent bit lines and the space between adjacent intracellular interconnection wires in each layer overlap each other ). these holes are formed using the lithographic technique and the dry etching technique . in the dry etching , by selecting an etching condition that the etching rate of silicon nitride film is about 1 / 50 as high as that of silicon oxide film , the cap insulating films 50 d , 5 nd , 60 d and 6 nd , each composed of a silicon nitride film , on the respective intracellular interconnection wires can hardly be etched . also , etching can be stopped with high controllability by the silicon nitride film 32 covering the contact plugs 30 . thereafter , dry etching is performed under an etching condition that the etching rate of the silicon nitride film 32 is relatively high , to remove the portions of the silicon nitride film 32 which lie on the contact plugs 30 . the structure shown in fig7 can be obtained by the process thus described . in the holes thus formed , side surfaces of the bit lines 40 and intracellular interconnection wires 50 , 5 n , 60 and 6 n are exposed . subsequently , the capacitive insulating film 92 made of a film stack composed of an aluminum oxide film and a hafnium oxide film , and a protective oxide film 94 are sequentially formed over the surface of the structure including the inner surfaces of the holes , as shown in fig8 . subsequently , an etch back process is performed using an anisotropic dry etching technique to remove the capacitive insulating film 92 and the protective oxide film 94 from the region outside the holes and from the bottom of each hole , as shown in fig9 . subsequently , the protective oxide film 94 is removed from the inside of each hole by wet etching using hydrofluoric acid . thereafter , a titanium nitride film for example is formed so as to fill up the holes and , subsequently , titanium nitride is removed from the surface region outside the holes by dry etching technique , to form the storage electrodes 93 . in this way , the structure shown in fig1 can be obtained . thereafter , the interlayer insulating film 99 is formed and , when necessary , an additional interconnection layer and an additional protective film are further formed . thus , a semiconductor product including dram and the peripheral circuit can be obtained . while the capacitors are formed by forming holes after the formation of all the required intracellular interconnection wires according to the foregoing fabrication process , the capacitor formation process may be divided into plural steps . for example , when six layers of intracellular interconnection wires are needed , it is possible to form a portion of the capacitors after the formation of three layers of intracellular interconnection wires and then form the rest of the capacitors after the formation of the remaining three layers of intracellular interconnection wires . by so doing , each of the divided process steps can ensure sufficient processing precision , thereby making it possible to form a dram region having a desired storage capacitance easily with precision . the present invention is not limited to the foregoing exemplary embodiments and is applicable to semiconductor devices having dram cells in general .	7
although the merits of using plant pathogens to control weeds in crop production are known for colletotrichum species ( u . s . pat . no . 3 , 849 , 104 and u . s . pat . no . 3 , 999 , 973 ), fusarium species ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 419 , 120 ), alternaria species ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 390 , 360 ) and ascochyta species ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 915 , 724 ), the use and advantages of using sclerotinia minor and more particularly the isolate sclerotinia minor imi 344141 , has not been demonstrated before . no plant pathogens have been used to date as a bioherbicide to control broadleaf weeds in lawns , golf courses , parks and other turfed areas in the urban environment . sclerotinia minor jagger is an inoperculate discomycetes of the helotiales order which produces sclerotia , which do not incorporate plant tissues , ascospores in asci in stipitate apothecia , and a superficial myrioconium microconidial state , but no known disseminative conidia . the small size of the sclerotia and their abundant production scattered over the entire colony on agar media are used as taxonomic characteristics to distinguish s . minor from sclerotinia sclerotiorum and sclerotinia trifoliorum . the combination of morphological , microanatomical , and cytological characters clearly demonstrate that these three organisms , s . minor , s . sclerotiorum and s . trifoliorum are distinct . although all of these sclerotinia species have broad host ranges which overlap to some extent , s . trifoliorum is generally limited to forage legumes , s . minor has been reported as a pathogen of species in antirrhinum , apium , arachis , brassica , daucus , helianthus , ipomoea , lactuca , lycopersicon , melilotus , nicotiana , parthenium , phaseolus , solanum , tragopogon and tulipa genera , whereas s . sclerotiorum has a worldwide distribution and has been reported as pathogenic to species in at least 148 genera ( farr et al . 1989 . fungi on plants and plant products in the united states . aps press , st . paul ). s . minor is an important pathogen of some crops , including lettuce ( lactuca sativa ), peanut ( arachis hypogaea ), soybean ( glycine max ) and sunflower ( helianthus annus ) and can cause losses of up to 70 % of the marketable crop . s . minor has a relatively simple disease cycle . sclerotia in the soil germinate directly to produce hyphae which infect plants , followed by colonization of the infected plants with the production of more sclerotia on the plant tissues which return to the soil . the sclerotia of s . minor can also undergo carpogenic germination to produce apothecia . apothecia have been reported to occur in nature , but are relatively rare , and therefore are apparently unimportant in the epidemiology of this disease in north america . a sample of sclerotinia minor jagger isolate sm - 13 has been deposited with the international mycological institute in ferry lane , kew , richmond , surrey tw9 3af , united kingdom , on jan . 28 , 1991 , under the budapest treaty requirements and has been assigned the accession number imi 344141 . the deposit is available to the public upon the granting of a patent disclosing it . the deposit is also available as required by foreign patent laws in countries wherein counterparts of the subject application , or its progeny , are filed . however , it should be understood that the availability of a deposit does not constitute a licence to practice the subject invention in derogation of patent rights granted by governmental action . it is most surprising and unexpected that the isolate of s . minor imi 344141 of the present invention , which has been obtained from lettuce , has such high bioherbicidal broad spectrum activity on broadleaf weeds , since there is no evidence in the scientific literature that such broadleaf weeds are known to be hosts to s . minor . it should be noted that s . minor does not normally grow on leaves but rather in soil where eventually it attacks the foliage which touches the soil and thus it would not be expected that if an isolate was applied to broadleaf weeds , they would be attacked to the point of mortality . it is also surprising that application of the isolate s . minor imi 344141 of the present invention either alone or in a composition to broadleaf weeds will not damage the surrounding grass species . accordingly , the isolate s . minor imi 344141 has the same specificity as known chemical herbicides such as 2 , 4 - d , without the highly undesirable increase in environmental burden . the vehicle used to deliver the infection units of s . minor imi 344141 of the present invention to the targetted weed species was barley or millet grains invaded by fungal mycelium which are essentially various size granules composed of fungal mycelia and autoclaved plant seeds . the application was broadcast as a granule formulation at an equivalent rate of 100 to 300 g / m 2 . any other solid media which would facilitate the growth of mycelia of s . minor would be equally effective . such media are well known in the art . sclerotia of s . minor were dislodged from diseased lettuce tissue and air dried . after surface sterilization , the sclerotia were imbedded in agar ( pda plates ) to stimulate germination . the plates were transferred to an incubator set at 21 ° c . under fluorescent lights . after a four day period the hyphal tips from germinating sclerotia were transferred onto a second set of plates where they grew until the 8 . 5 cm diameter plate was covered ( 5 days ). erlenmeyer flasks ( 250 ml ) containing 20 g barley or millet grains and 20 ml water were autoclaved for 20 minutes , cooled , inoculated with mycelium agar plugs ( 6 mm ) from the pda plates and incubated for 5 days under the same conditions as above . flasks were shaken everyday to prevent sclerotia formation . prior to the plant inoculation the inocula was air dried for a period of 2 to 4 hours to obtain individual inoculum units . a constant rate of 2 g / pot of inocula was used throughout the experiments unless otherwise stated . the inoculum was applied in a broadcasting manner over each pot . pots used for controls received aiutoclaved grains at an equivalent rate of 2 g / pot . seedlings of test plant species were transplanted ( one per pot ) in a commercialy prepared potting medium such as peat moss in 10 - cm plastic pots and grown in controlled environment chambers . the temperature was set at 21 ° c ./ 18 ° c . ( day / night ) and light intensity at 400 μe m - 2 s - 1 for 14 hours . plants were grown for different lengths of time as specified for each experiment . all treatments were replicated from 4 to 16 times in all experiments depending on availability of plant material . after one , two and three weeks the effect of the pathogen inoculated on plants was visually rated on a scale of 0 to 5 . the proportion of healthy vs diseased tissue served as a means to determine the efficacy of the fungus under set conditions . the statistical analysis performed on the data was a kruskal - wallis analysis followed by a multiple comparison test to locate differences among treatments . plants were kept for further evaluations and in some cases assessment of dry weight of above ground biomass was taken after the third disease rating . the present invention will be further illustrated by the following examples , which are representative , and do not restrict the scope of the invention in any way . a greenhouse experiment was set up to evaluate the ability of various sclerotinia species to suppress the growth of broadleaf weeds . isolates of the genus s . minor , s . sclerotiorum and s . trifoliorum were tested on different weeds including dandelion ( taraxacum officinale ), plantain ( plantago major ), ground ivy ( glecoma hederacea ), and on bluegrass ( poa pratensis ) a common desirable grass species in turf . soil plugs from the campus lawn were removed and transferred into 12 , 5 - cm plastic pots . each pot contained blue grass and a number of weed species with one being predominant . all pots were placed in a mist frame after receiving 3 , 5 g / pot of inoculated barley grains . a continuous mist was applied for a 6 hour period during the night . the greenhouse temperature was approximately 23 ± 5 ° c . the results are summarized in table 1 . table 1______________________________________effect of different isolates of sclerotinia on various weeds and on blue grass . mean disease level . sup . a trial # 1 trial # 2 isolates . sup . b isolates . sup . bhost name 1 11 13 1 11 13______________________________________taraxacum officinale 2 3 4 3 4 5 plantago major 4 2 5 2 2 5 glecoma hederacea 0 0 2 1 1 3 poa pratensis 0 0 0 0 0 0______________________________________ . sup . a disease rating scale : 0 : no disease , 1 : 125 % of necrotic tissue , 2 2650 %, 3 : 5175 %, 4 : 7699 %, 5 : dead plants . . sup . b isolate # 1 : s . trifoliorum isolate # 11 : s . sclerotiorum isolate # 13 : s . minor imi 344141 of the present invention in this experiment , isolate of s . minor imi 344141 consistently caused the greatest amount of disease on the three weed species tested as illustrated in table 1 . the desirable grass species poa pratensis was not affected by s . minor . therefore , s . minor imi 344141 , was the isolate selected for further evaluation . it severely damaged or killed the broadleaf weed species without any harm to the grass crops . experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of the age of the host plant and environmental parameters of dew period duration and dew period temperatures on disease development caused by s . minor imi 344141 when inoculated onto dandelion . the experimental variables are given in table 2 . table 2______________________________________post inoculation variables for dandelion experiments . dew period inoculum host age duration temperature experiment # carrier ( days ) ( hrs ) (° c .) ______________________________________1 barley 17 18 18 , 21 , 24 2 barley 15 , 21 18 18 , 21 , 24 3 barley 14 , 21 , 45 6 , 12 , 18 21______________________________________ in experiment # 1 , the dandelion plants were rapidly and severely affected by s . minor imi 344141 ( fig1 ) with most plants killed or severely damaged after 4 days . the level of disease was greater when the dew period temperature was 21 ° c ., but high levels of disease occurred at cooler ( 18 ° c .) and warmer ( 24 ° c .) temperatures . in a similar experiment # 2 , disease level was very high over all dew period temperatures tested and there was no significant differences between two - week - old and three - week - old dandelion plants , both ages were equally susceptible to s . minor imi 344141 ( fig2 ). the effect of the bioherbicide on dandelion control is clearly illustrated in fig3 where the biomass of control ( c ) and treated ( t ) are compared . two - week - old dandelion plants are killed by the treatment under all three dew - period temperatures tested and essentially all of the above - ground biomass is also destroyed when treated at the three - week - old stage . in experiment # 3 , even when the dew period is relatively short ( 6 hr ), extensive disease develops on two - week - old seedlings ( fig4 ). dew - period duration appears to have a greater effect when the plant is three weeks old , although the results are not statistically different according to the analysis used . however , as the dandelion plants mature ( 45 days old ), the longer dew periods provide higher disease levels . similar experiments as to those described in example 1 and 2 on dandelion plants were conducted on the following additional broadleaf species : plantago major , ambrosia artemisiifolia , plantago lanceolata , sonchus arvensis , polygonum aviculare , trifolium repens , glecoma hederacea , oxalis sp and cerastium vulgatum . the plants tested , their age , the inoculum type , the dew - period duration and dew - period temperature , and the results are summarized in table 3 . table 3______________________________________experiments using sclerotinia minor imi 344141 ( isolate # 13 ) on weed species other than dandelion . meanage disease ( host ) dew period mortality ratinghost ( days ) inoculum ( time ) (° c .) (%) ( 0 - 5 ). sup . a______________________________________plantago 27 whole 12 hrs 21 100 5 major barley cracked 12 hrs 21 100 5 barley32 whole 6 hrs 21 33 3 . 0 barley 12 hrs 21 33 2 . 7 18 hrs 21 100 534 whole 12 hrs 18 40 3 . 5 barley 21 25 3 . 7 24 30 3 . 634 whole 18 hrs 18 70 4 . 4 barley 21 90 4 . 8 24 50 4 . 238 whole --. sup . b -- 17 3 . 2 barley 6 hrs 21 20 3 . 5 cracked -- -- 17 2 . 8 barley 6 hrs 21 80 4 . 345 whole 24 hrs 21 100 5 barley ambrosla 23 whole 12 hrs 21 100 5 artemisiifolia barley cracked 12 hrs 21 89 4 . 9 barley37 whole 18 hrs 21 46 3 . 1 barley40 whole 6 hrs 21 0 2 . 0 barley 12 hrs 21 0 1 . 5 plantago 30 cracked -- -- 50 3 . 5 lanceolata barley 6 hrs 21 25 2 . 0 12 hrs 21 20 2 . 2 18 hrs 21 40 2 . 8 sonchus 22 cracked 12 hrs 21 100 5 arvensis barley 18 hrs 21 100 5 polygonum 13 cracked -- -- 0 0 aviculare barley 6 hrs 21 0 0 12 hrs 21 33 1 . 7 18 hrs 21 0 028 cracked -- -- 0 0 barley 18 hrs 21 25 1 . 3 whole -- -- 0 0 barley 18 hrs 21 75 4 . 043 whole 18 hrs 21 50 3 . 3 barley trifolium 27 cracked -- -- 0 3 . 0 repens barley 6 hrs 21 33 4 . 0 12 hrs 21 0 2 . 0 18 hrs 21 33 3 . 0 glecoma 10 cracked 6 hrs 21 0 0 hederacea barley 12 hrs 21 0 0 . 8 18 hrs 21 0 0 . 523 cracked -- -- 0 0 . 3 barley 18 hrs 21 0 0 . 3 whole -- -- 0 0 barley 18 hrs 21 0 045 whole 24 hrs 21 50 4 . 0 barley oxalis sp 28 cracked -- -- 0 0 . 3 barley 18 hrs 24 0 0 . 3 cerastium 45 whole 24 hrs 21 0 3 . 0 vulgatum barley______________________________________ . sup . a disease rating scale : 0 no disease , 1 1 to 25 % necrotic tissue1 26 to 50 % necrotic tissue , 3 51 to 75 % necrotic tissue , 4 76 to 99 % necrotic tissue , and 5 dead plants . . sup . b -- did not receive a dew period . all weed species tested , with the exception of the oxalis sp . were susceptible to s . minor imi 344141 and were severely damaged or destroyed . mortality and disease rating were higher when plants received a relatively long dew period (≧ 18 hr ) at a relatively warm temperature (≧ 21 ° c .). older plants tended to be more tolerant to the disease .	0
the description of the preferred embodiments is illustrative and not limiting . the invention is not limited by any particular dimensions , materials , processing steps , doping levels , crystal orientation , layer thicknesses , layouts , or any other features , unless expressly stated otherwise . fig9 a is a top view of a flash memory array of self - aligned triple - gate memory cells 120 . fig9 b illustrates a cross section of the array along the line 9 b - 9 b in fig9 a . fig9 c illustrates a cross section along the line 9 c - 9 c in fig9 a . fig1 a is a circuit diagram of the array . fig1 b is a top view illustrating some additional features . in fig9 a , 10 a , 10 b , bitlines 130 extend horizontally . the bitlines are formed from a conductive layer overlying the memory cells ( for example , aluminum or tungsten , not shown in fig9 b , 9 c ). the bitlines contact the memory cells &# 39 ; bitline regions 134 in contact regions 138 . source lines 520 s extend vertically between the adjacent row structures 710 . the source lines 520 s physically contact the memory cells &# 39 ; source line regions 144 . each row structure 710 includes a conductive control gate line 128 ( e . g . doped polysilicon ) extending vertically and providing control gates for a row of memory cells . floating gates 124 ( made of doped polysilicon , for example ) underlie the control gates 128 . each floating gate extends between adjacent isolation trenches 910 . trenches 910 extend horizontally between the bitlines 130 . conductive wordlines 520 w ( e . g . doped polysilicon ) are perpendicular ( or at some other angle ) to the bitlines . each wordline 520 w provides select gates for a row of memory cells . each wordline 520 w is a self - aligned sidewall spacer formed over a sidewall of a corresponding stack 710 . wordlines 520 w are insulated from the adjacent control gates 128 and floating gates 124 by silicon nitride spacers 903 and silicon dioxide 1510 . layers 903 , 1510 can be formed without a mask . as shown in fig1 a , each row of memory cells has two cells 120 between each two adjacent bitlines 130 . each row has a control gate line 128 and a wordline 520 w . two adjacent memory rows share a source line 144 . in each memory cell 120 , an nmos select transistor 120 s and a floating gate transistor 120 f are connected in series . the gate of the select transistor 120 s is provided by wordline 520 w . the control gate of the transistor 120 f is provided by line 128 . each cell 120 can be erased by fowler - nordheim tunneling of electrons from its floating gate 124 ( fig9 b ) through silicon dioxide 108 to source line region 144 or substrate region 150 . ( region 150 contains the channel regions of the memory cells .) the cell can be programmed by source - side hot electron injection . the term “ source - side hot electron injection ” assumes that a cell &# 39 ; s bitline region 134 is called a “ source ”. at other times , this region is called a drain , and the source line region 144 is called a source . each of regions 134 , 144 may also be called a source / drain region . the invention is not limited by any particular terminology . the beginning fabrication stages for one embodiment of the memory of fig9 a - 10b are identical to the respective fabrication stages of a memory described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 640 , 139 filed on aug . 15 , 2000 by h . t . tuan et al ., entitled “ nonvolatile memory structures and fabrication methods ”, incorporated herein by reference . more particularly , the memory can be formed in and over an isolated p - type region 150 of monocrystalline silicon substrate 905 ( fig1 ). in one embodiment , region 150 is formed as follows . n type dopant is implanted into substrate 905 by ion implantation through a mask opening to form an n - region 1103 which insulates the region 150 from below . in a separate ion implantation step or series of steps , using another mask ( not shown ), n type dopant is implanted to form an n - region 1105 completely surrounding the region 150 on all sides . in some embodiments , this step creates also n wells ( not shown ) in which peripheral pmos transistors will be formed for peripheral circuitry . such circuitry may include sense amplifiers , input / output drivers , decoders , voltage level generators . regions 1103 , 1105 are at a voltage equal to or above the voltage of substrate region 150 during memory operation . the areas 1107 of substrate 905 that surround the regions 1103 , 1105 are at some voltage equal to or below the voltage of the regions 1103 , 1105 . in some embodiments , the regions 150 , 1103 , 1105 are shorted together , and the region 1107 is at ground . the invention is not limited to a particular region 150 isolation technique , or to memories having an isolated substrate region . as shown in fig1 a , silicon dioxide 108 ( tunneling oxide ) is grown on substrate 905 by thermal oxidation . in some embodiments , the oxide is grown to a thickness of 9 nm . conductive polysilicon layer 124 is formed on oxide 108 . in some embodiments , polysilicon 124 is deposited to a thickness of 120 nm by lpcvd ( low pressure chemical vapor deposition ), and is lightly doped ( n type ) during or after deposition . layer 124 will provide the floating gates and , possibly , other circuit elements as needed for the peripheral circuitry . such elements may include interconnects , transistor gates , resistors , capacitor plates . silicon nitride 1203 is deposited over polysilicon 124 . in some embodiment , nitride 1203 is deposited to a thickness of 120 nm by lpcvd . photoresist mask 904 is formed photolithographically over nitride 1203 . nitride 1203 and polysilicon 124 are etched through the mask openings to form strips extending in the bitline direction through the memory array . in the top view of fig1 b , the “ bl ” axis indicates the bitline direction . the “ wl ” axis indicates the wordline direction . a misalignment of mask 904 does not affect the cell geometry and hence may have to be accommodated , if at all , only at the array boundaries and in the peripheral areas ( the areas in which the peripheral circuitry is located ). after the polysilicon etch , oxide 108 and substrate region 150 are etched through the openings in mask 904 to form isolation trenches 910 ( fig1 ). isolation trenches for the peripheral circuitry ( not shown ) are also formed in this step . in some embodiments , the trench depth is 0 . 25 μm . whenever a masked etch of two or more layers is described herein , it is assumed , unless stated otherwise , that only the top layer may be etched using the mask . after the top layer is etched , the mask may be removed , and the remaining layers may be etched with the top layer as a mask , or even without a mask . for example , after the etch of nitride 1203 , the mask 904 may be removed , and then polysilicon 124 , oxide 108 and substrate 150 can be etched with nitride 1203 as a mask . nitride 1203 may also be etched but is not completely removed . trench insulation 1010 ( fig1 ) fills the trenches 910 and covers the wafer . in some embodiments , insulation 1010 is formed as follows . a 13 . 5 nm layer of silicon dioxide is grown on the exposed surfaces of trenches 910 by a well - known rto ( rapid thermal oxide ) process . then a 480 nm layer of silicon dioxide is deposited by chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) using high density plasma ( hdp ). trench insulation 1010 is subjected to chemical mechanical polishing ( cmp ) and / or some blanket etch process , until silicon nitride 1203 is exposed ( fig1 ). nitride 1203 acts as a stop layer during this step . then nitride 1203 is removed ( by a wet etch , for example ). optionally , insulation 1010 is etched down also . the resulting structure may have a planar top surface as shown in fig1 . alternatively , the etch of insulation 1010 may expose the sidewalls of polysilicon 124 . this may improve the efficiency of the memory cells , as explained in the aforementioned u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 640 , 139 . then insulation 98 is formed . see fig9 b , 9 c , 16 a , 16 b . fig1 a , 16 b show memory array cross sections by planes parallel to the bitlines . in fig1 a , the cross section is taken between trenches 910 . in fig1 b , the cross sectional plane passes through a trench 910 . similarly , fig1 a , 18 a , 19 a , 20 a , 21 , 22 a , 23 illustrate cross sections taken between the trenches . fig1 b , 18 b , 19 b , 20 b , 22 b illustrate cross sections taken along a trench 910 . layer 128 is formed on insulation 98 . in some embodiments , layer 128 is polysilicon deposited by lpcvd and doped n + or p + during or after deposition . in other embodiments , layer 128 is polysilicon covered by tungsten silicide . other conductive materials can also be used . a photoresist layer ( not shown ) is deposited and patterned photolithographically into a mask that contains strips extending in the wordline direction over the memory array . this mask defines stacks 710 ( fig9 a , 9 b , 9 c , 16 a , 16 b ). this mask can also be used to pattern the polysilicon 128 and silicon nitride 720 in the peripheral areas ( not shown ) as described in the aforementioned u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 640 , 139 . layer 128 may provide transistor gates , interconnects , and other features in the peripheral areas . a misalignment of this resist mask does not change the geometry of the memory cells and hence may have to be accommodated only at the boundaries of the memory array and in the peripheral areas . layers 720 , 128 , 98 , 124 , 108 are etched to define the stacks 710 . the resulting memory array cross sections are shown in fig1 a , 16 b . the structure is oxidized ( e . g . by rto , i . e . rapid thermal oxidation ). as a result , silicon dioxide 1510 ( fig1 a , 17 b ) is grown on the exposed surface of substrate region 150 to a thickness of 5 nm . this operation also results in oxidation of the exposed sidewalls of polysilicon layers 124 , 128 . the horizontal thickness of oxide 1510 on the polysilicon sidewalls is 8 nm . a thin conformal layer 903 of silicon nitride ( fig1 a , 18 b ) is deposited to a 20 nm thickness by lpcvd . layer 903 is etched anisotropically without a mask to form spacers over the sidewalls of stacks 710 . this etch also removes exposed portions of oxide 1510 . silicon dioxide is regrown on substrate region 150 . this oxide , shown at 1810 in fig1 a , will provide gate dielectric for the select transistors . an exemplary thickness of oxide 1810 is 5 nm . in some embodiments , either nitride 903 or oxide 1510 is omitted . a conductive layer 520 . 1 ( fig1 a , 19 b ) is formed over the wafer . in some embodiments , layer 520 . 1 is polysilicon deposited by lpcvd and heavily doped during or after deposition . an exemplary thickness of layer 520 . 1 is 50 to 100 nm . other thicknesses can also be used . photoresist mask 2013 is formed over the wafer and patterned photolithographically to expose the areas in which the source line regions 144 will be formed . see also fig2 a , 20 b . in the embodiment of fig1 a , 19 b , the mask exposes regions extending throughout the memory array between two adjacent stacks 710 . the longitudinal edges of mask 2013 can be positioned anywhere over the respective stacks 710 , so their positioning is not critical if the mask alignment tolerance is not more than one half of the width of a stack 710 . in some embodiments , the minimal feature size is 0 . 14 μm . the mask alignment tolerance is 0 . 07 μm . the width of each stack 710 is 0 . 14 μm , that is , twice the alignment tolerance . polysilicon 520 . 1 and oxide 1810 are removed from the areas exposed by the mask . trench insulation 1010 in the exposed areas may be slightly reduced in thickness during the etch of oxide 1810 . after the oxide etch , mask 2013 remains in place as n type dopant ( e . g . phosphorus ) is implanted into the wafer to heavily dope ( n +) the source line regions 144 , as shown by arrows 2110 in fig2 a . this is a “ deep ” implant done to enable the source lines to carry high voltages for erase and / or programming operations . the deep implant will also provide a suitable overlap between the doped source line regions and the floating gates 124 when the dopant diffuses laterally ( as shown in fig2 a ). in some embodiments , the dopant does not penetrate the insulation 1010 , so the bottoms of trenches 910 are not doped ( see fig2 b ). whether or not the dopant penetrates the insulation 1010 , insulation 1010 prevents the dopant from coming close or reaching the n - region 1103 ( fig1 ). therefore , a high leakage current or a short between the source lines 144 and the region 1103 is avoided . in some embodiments , the top surface of region 1103 at the end of fabrication ( after thermal steps ) is about 1 μm below the top surface of substrate 905 ( of region 150 ). the trench depth is 0 . 25 μm . then the resist 2013 is removed . polysilicon 520 . 1 protects the oxide 1810 over the bitline regions 134 during the removal of resist 2013 and a subsequent wafer cleaning operation . in some embodiments , the resist 2013 is removed before the implant 2110 . polysilicon 520 . 1 acts as a mask during the implant . in some embodiments , the implant 2110 is performed before the etch of polysilicon 520 . 1 or oxide 1810 . the implant is performed through the polysilicon or the oxide or both . in some embodiments , layer 520 . 1 is omitted . conductive polysilicon layer 520 . 2 ( fig2 ) is formed . in some embodiments , polysilicon 520 . 2 is deposited by lpcvd to a thickness of 300 nm , and is heavily doped during or after deposition . the dopant type ( n + or p +) is the same as for layer 520 . 1 . layers 520 . 1 , 520 . 2 are subjected to a blanket anisotropic etch ( e . g . rie ) to form spacers 520 w over the sidewalls of stacks 710 on the side of the bitline regions 134 ( fig2 a , 22 b ). layers 520 . 1 , 520 . 2 are etched off the top of stacks 710 . the vertical thickness of nitride 720 and polysilicon layers 520 . 1 , 520 . 2 , can be adjusted to control the width of the polysilicon spacers . polysilicon plugs 520 s formed by polysilicon 520 . 2 fill the gaps between adjacent stacks 710 on the side of source line regions 144 . each polysilicon plug 520 s forms a source line extending through the memory array and physically contacting the underlying source line regions 144 . the bottom surface of each plug 520 s physically contacts the trench insulation 1010 . we will sometimes refer to polysilicon layers 520 . 1 , 520 . 2 collectively as layer 520 . in addition to the wordlines and source lines , layer 520 can provide interconnects , transistor gates , and other circuit elements for the peripheral circuitry . for that purpose , layer 520 can be masked in the peripheral areas before it is etched . no such masking is needed over the memory array . in some embodiments , polysilicon 520 . 2 does not entirely fill the regions between adjacent stacks 710 over the source line regions 144 . polysilicon 520 . 2 may be recessed relative to the top of the stacks 710 . in some embodiments , polysilicon 520 . 2 forms spacers over the sidewalls of stacks 710 over the regions 144 . in this case , a source line 520 s consists of two such spacers shorted together by regions 144 . a blanket n + implant 2401 ( fig2 ) is performed to dope the bitline regions 134 . stacks 710 , polysilicon 520 , and trench insulation 1010 mask the substrate during this implant . polysilicon 520 is also implanted during this step . this implant does not penetrate insulation 1010 , so the bitline regions 134 are not shorted together . memory fabrication can be completed using known techniques . insulating layers ( not shown ) can be deposited . contact openings such as 138 ( fig9 a ) can be formed . conductive materials can be deposited and patterned to provide bitlines and other features as needed . the gates of peripheral transistors can be formed from polysilicon layer 128 or 520 . see the aforementioned u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 640 , 139 . in some embodiments , some of the peripheral transistor gates or other features are formed using layer 128 , while other peripheral gates or features are formed using layer 520 . in some embodiments , source lines 520 s are silicided to reduce their resistance . the silicidation can be performed using the source line silicidation techniques described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 640 , 139 . fig2 illustrates another flash memory array according to the present invention . each isolation trench 910 extends between adjacent source line regions 144 but does not cross the source line regions . the boundaries of the isolation trenches are shown at 910 b . this memory can be fabricated as follows . the substrate doping and the trench isolation can be performed as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 640 , 139 . for example , trenches 910 can be defined by resist 904 ( fig1 a ) or by a combination of resist 904 with another resist layer . the remaining fabrication steps can be identical to those described above in connection with fig1 a - 23 . in some embodiments of fig9 a through 24 , a memory cell is programmed ( rendered non - conductive ) via source - side hot electron injection . see w . d . brown et al ., “ nonvolatile semiconductor memory technology ” ( 1998 ), pages 21 - 23 . a memory cell can be erased using fowler - nordheim tunneling from floating gate 124 to source line region 144 or to substrate region 150 . a memory may have multiple memory arrays , each with its own bitlines and wordlines . different arrays may be fabricated in the same substrate region 150 or in different isolated regions 150 in the same integrated circuit . the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above . the invention is not limited to any particular erase or programming mechanisms ( e . g . fowler - nordheim or hot electron injection ). the invention covers non - flash eeprom memories and other memories , known or to be invented . the invention is not limited to the materials described . in particular , control gates , select gates , and other conductive elements can be formed from metals , metal silicides , polycides , and other conductive materials and their combinations . silicon dioxide and silicon nitride can be replaced with other insulating materials . p and n conductivity types can be interchanged . the invention is not limited to any particular process steps or order of steps . for example , in some embodiments , thermal oxidation of silicon can be replaced with depositing silicon dioxide or some other insulator by chemical vapor deposition or some other technique , known or to be invented . the invention is not limited to silicon integrated circuits . other embodiments and variations are within the scope of the invention , as defined by the appended claims .	7
in the present invention , the solubility of the dye in the organic solvent , [ d 1 ], and the solubility of the dye in the resin , [ d 2 ], are the respective maximum solubilities at 25 ° c . in particular , the solubility of the dye in the resin , [ d 2 ], can be easily determined by microscopic observation of the separation state of the dye from the resin . in the present invention , it is preferable that the resin particles be smooth in the surface and spherical in shape , more preferably in a complete spherical shape . this is because when the dye penetrates into the resin particles , if the resin particles have sharp edges , such sharp edge portions are dyed more quickly and more densely and exclusively than the other portions of the resin particles . in order to obtain spherical resin particles with a high yield , it is preferable to prepare spherical resin particles from polymerizable monomers by suspension polymerization method , emulsion polymerization method , or dispersion polymerization method . furthermore , it is preferable to use resin particles which are classified in a narrow particle size distribution . more specifically , it is preferable to use resin particles which include resin particles with a particle size distribution in the range of l × 0 . 75 ( μm ) to l × 1 . 25 ( μm ) in an amount of 85 wt . % or more of the entire weight of the resin particles . this is because the resin particles with such a narrow particle size distribution provide toner particles which are uniformly dyed , have uniform quantity of electric charge in each toner particle , and can provide high - quality copy images and for which charge control is easy in a development unit . in practice , it is preferable that l be in the range of 3 to 20 μm . in the present invention , the particle size distribution was measured by a commercially available coulter multisizer ( made by coulter electronics co ., ltd .). in order to prepare complete spherical resin particles with the above - mentioned mean diameter and narrow particle size distribution , a dispersion polymerization method , in particular , the dispersion polymerization method disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 885 , 350 , is suitable . as the resins for preparing the resin particles for use in the present invention , in particular , for preparing toner particles for thermal image fixing , the following conventionally known thermosetting resins can be employed : homopolymers and copolymers of monomers , for example , styrene and styrene derivatives such as parachlorostyrene ; vinyl naphthalene ; vinyl esters of vinyl chloride , vinyl bromide , vinyl fluoride ., vinyl acetate , vinyl propionate , vinyl benzoate , and vinyl butyrate ; α - methylene aliphatic monocarboxylic acid esters such as methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate , n - butyl acrylate , isobutyl acrylate , dodecyl acrylate , n - octyl acrylate , 2 - chloroethyl acrylate , phenyl acrylate , methyl α - chloroacrylate , methyl methacrylate , ethyl methacrylate , and butyl methacrylate ; acrylonitrile ; methacrylonitrile ; acrylamide ; vinyl ethers such as vinyl methyl ether , vinyl isobutyl ether , and vinyl ethyl ether ; vinylketones such as vinyl methyl ketone , and vinyl hexyl ketone ; and n - vinyl compounds such as n - vinyl pyrrole , n - vinylcarbazole , n - vinylindole , and n - vinylpyrrolidone . in addition to the above , mixtures of the above homopolymers and copolymers , non - vinyl type thermoplastic resins such as rosin - modified phenol - formaldehyde resin , oil - modified resin , polyurethane resin , cellulose resin and polyether resin , and mixtures of the non - vinyl type thermoplastic resins and the above - mentioned thermoplastic resins can be employed . as the resins for preparing the resin particles for use in the present invention , in particular , for preparing toner particles for pressure image fixing , the following resins can be preferably employed : polyolefins ( for example , low - molecular weight polyethylene , low - molecular weight . polypropylene , polyethylene oxide ), epoxy resin , polyester ( acid value : not more than 10 ), styrene - butadiene copolymer ( molar ratio : 5 - 30 : 95 - 70 ), olefin copolymers ( ethylene - acrylic acid copolymer , ethylene - methacrylic acid ester copolymer , ethylene - vinyl chloride copolymer , ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer , and ionomer resin ), polyvinylpyrrolidone , methylvinyl ether - maleic anhydride copolymer , maleic - acid - modified phenolic resin , and phenol - modified terpene resin . of the above resin , styrene polymers and styrene - acrylic copolymers are more preferable for use in the present invention . in the present invention , it is necessary that the ratio of the dye solubility [ d 1 ] in the organic solvent to the dye solubility [ d 2 ] in the resin of the resin particles , that is , [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ], be not more than 0 . 5 . it is preferable that the ratio [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ] be not more than 0 . 2 . when the ratio exceeds 0 . 5 , the resin is not dyed at all or even if it is dyed , only the surface portion thereof is dyed . the result is that toner particles with sufficiently high color density cannot be obtained . as the dyes for use in the present invention , any conventional dyes can be employed as long as the above mentioned solubility relationship can be met . in general , water - soluble dyes such as cationic dyes and anionic dyes are not suitable for use in the present invention because the properties thereof are significantly changeable depending upon the ambient conditions and when they are used in the toner , the resistivity of the toner tends to be decreased and therefore the image transfer ratio tends to be decreased . for this reason , vat dye , disperse dye , and oil - soluble dye are preferable for use in the present invention . of these dyes , oil - soluble dye is most suitable for use in the present invention . as a matter of course , several dyes can be used in combination for obtaining a desired color tone . the weight ratio of the dye to the resin to be dyed can be selected as desired , depending upon the desired color tone . however , generally it is preferable that the amount of the dye is in the range of 1 to 50 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the resin particles to be dyed . in the present invention , when an alcohol having a relatively high value of solubility parameter ( hereinafter referred to as sp value ), such as methanol and ethanol , is employed as a solvent for dying and a styrene - acrylic resin having a sp value of 9 is used as the material for the resin particles , for example , the following dyes can be employed : c . i . solvent yellow ( 6 , 9 , 17 , 31 , 35 , 100 , 102 , 103 , 105 ), c . i . solvent red ( 5 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 22 , 23 , 143 , 145 , 146 , 149 , 150 , 151 , 157 , 158 ), c . i . solvent blue ( 22 , 63 , 78 , 83 - 86 , 91 , 94 , 95 , 104 ), aizen sot dyes such as yellow - 1 , 3 , 4 , orange - 1 , 2 , 3 , scarlet - 1 , red - 1 , 2 , 3 , brown - 2 , blue - 1 , 2 , violet - 1 , green - 1 , 2 , 3 , and black - 1 , 4 , 6 , 8 ( made by hodogaya chemical co ., ltd . ); sudan dyes such as yellow - 140 , 150 , orange - 220 , red - 290 , 380 , 460 , and blue - 670 ( made by basf ); diaresin , yellow - 3g , f , h2g , hg , hc , hl , orange - hs , g , red - gg , s , hs , a , k , h5b , violet - d , blue - j , g , n , k , p , h3g , 4g , green - c , and brown - a ( made by mitsubishi chemical industries , ltd . ); oil color , yellow - 3g , gg - s , # 105 , orange - ps , pr , # 201 , scarlet -# 308 , red - 5b , brown - gr , # 416 , green - bg , # 502 , blue - bos , iin , and black - hbb , # 803 , ee , ex ( orient chemical industries , ltd . ); sumiplast , blue gp , or , red fb , 3b , and yellow fl7g , gc ( made by sumitomo chemical co ., ltd . ); kayaron , polyester black ex - sf300 , and blue a - 2r of kayaset red - b ( made by nippon kayaku co ., ltd .). as the organic solvents for dying the resin particles with any of the above dyes , it is preferable to employ solvents in which the resin particles are not dissolved , or in which the resin particles slightly swell with the solvents . more specifically it is preferable that the difference between the sp value of the solvents and that of the resin particles be 1 . 0 or more , more preferably 2 . 0 or more . for example , it is preferable to employ an alcohol having a high sp value such as methanol , ethanol or propanol , or an organic solvent having a low sp value such as n - hexane or n - propane in combination with styrene - acrylic resin particles . however , when the difference in the sp value between the organic solvent and the resin particles is too large , the wetting of the resin particles with the solvent is so poor that the resin particles are not appropriately dispersed in the organic solvent . therefore , it is preferable that the sp value difference be in the range of 2 to 5 . in the present invention , the dying is carried out , for example , by dispersing the resin particles in the above - mentioned organic solvent in which an appropriate dye is dissolved , and stirring the dispersion under the conditions that the temperature of the dispersion is kept between the glass transition temperature of the resin of the resin particles and the temperature of 20 ° c . below the glass transition temperature of the resin , whereby the penetrating rate of the dye into the resin particles can be increased and sufficiently dyed resin particles can be obtained in about 30 minutes to about 1 hour . for stirring the dispersion of the dye and resin particles , a conventional stirrer such as homomixer or magnetic stirrer can be employed . in the present invention , the glass transition temperature ( tg ) was measured in accordance with the procedure described in japanese industrial standards jisk7121 by use of a commercially available apparatus ( trademark &# 34 ; tas &# 34 ; made by rigaku denki kogyo co ., ltd .). alternatively , the dyed resin particles can be obtained by directly adding the dye to a slurry comprising an organic solvent and polymerized resin particles which are dispersed in the organic solvent , which is obtained , for example , at the completion of a dispersion polymerization process , and stirring the mixture under the above - mentioned conditions . in any of the above - mentioned processes , when the temperature at which the resin particles and the dye - containing solvent are mixed and stirred is above the glass transition temperature of the resin particles , the resin particles tend to aggregate during the stirring step , while when the temperature more than 20 ° c . below the glass transition temperature of the resin , the dying rate significantly decreases . in the above - mentioned processes , a dyed slurry is obtained . dyed resin particles can be obtained from the slurry by any conventional methods . for example , dyed resin particles are separated from the slurry by filtration and dried at room temperature , or under reduced pressure . alternatively , dyed resin particles can be obtained by directly drying the slurry under reduced pressure , without filtration . the thus obtained dyed resin particles are the toner particles of the toner according to the present invention . the thus obtained toner particles do not aggregate and have substantially the same particle size distribution as that of the resin particles prior to the dying process . in the present invention , in order to improve the triboelectric charging characteristics of the toner particles , charge control agents which are conventionally known in this field can be contained in the toner particles . in the present invention , a charge controlling agent is dissolved together with the dye in the organic solvent before dying the resin particles , and after the dying , the organic solvent is removed , whereby the charge control agent is caused to stay on the surface of the toner particles . in this case , it is only necessary that the charge control agent be present at the surface of the toner particles . therefore , no strict requirements with the sp value as made for the dye are made for the charge control agent . the only requirement for the charge control agent is that the dye be soluble in the organic solvent . as another method of containing the charge control agent in the toner particles , a mechanical deposition method can be employed , in which a charge control agent , preferably with a particle size of 1 μm or less , is mechanically fixed to the surface of the toner particles by causing the charge control agent particles to collide with the toner particles with application of mechanical energy thereto , when necessary , under application of thermal energy , whereby the charge control agent is fixed to the surface of the toner particles to such a fixing degree that the charge control agent does not come off the toner particles while in use . for this mechanical deposition method , for example , a mixing apparatus such as ball mill , v - blender , or henshel mixer , is employed for mixing the charge control agent and the toner particles . mechanical energy is then applied to this mixture , for instance , by rotating the mixture with rotary blades which are rotated at high speed , or by causing the charge control agent particles to collide with the toner particles within a stream of air which flows at high speed , or by causing both particles to collide with a collision plate in such an air stream , whereby the charge control agent is firmly fixed to the surface of the toner particles . as commercially available apparatus for the above purpose of applying such mechanical energy , for instance , an apparatus named &# 34 ; mechanofusion &# 34 ; ( made by hosokawa micron co ., ltd . ), a crushing mill which is modified so as to reduce crushing air pressure as compared with that of an ordinary crushing mill , an apparatus named &# 34 ; hybridization system &# 34 ; ( made by nara kikai seisakusho co ., ltd .) and an automatic mortar can be employed . in the present invention , it is preferable that the amount of the charge control agent is 0 . 1 to 50 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the dyed resin particles for appropriately controlling the triboelectric charging characteristics of the toner particles and image fixing performance , although the above ratio can be varied , depending upon the charge quantity required for the toner particles or a development means for use with the toner particles . representative examples of a charge control agent for use in the present invention are as follows : nigrosine , azine dyes with an alkyl group having 2 to 16 carbon atoms , basic dyes such as c . i . basic yellow 2 ( c . i . 41000 ), c . i . basic yellow 3 , c . i . basic red ( c . i . 45160 ), c . i . basic red 9 ( c . i . 42500 ), c . i . basic violet 1 ( c . i . 42535 ), c . i . basic violet 3 ( c . i . 42555 ), c . i . basic violet 10 ( c . i . 45170 ), c . i . basic violet 14 ( c . i . 42510 ), c . i . basic blue 1 ( c . i . 42025 ), c . i . basic blue 3 ( c . i . 51005 ), c . i . basic blue 5 ( c . i . 42140 ), c . i . basic blue 7 ( c . i . 42595 ), c . i . basic blue 7 ( c . i . 52015 ), c . i . basic blue 24 ( c . i . 52030 ), c . i . basic blue 25 ( c . i . 520251 ), c . i . basic blue 26 ( c . i . 4405 ), c . i . basic green ( c . i . 42040 ), c . i . basic green 4 ( c . i . 42000 ), lake pigments of the above basic dyes which are prepared by using a lake formation agent ( for example , phosphotungstic acid , phosphomolybdic acid , phosphotungstomolybdic acid , tannic acid , lauric acid , gallic acid , ferricyanic compounds , or ferricyanic compounds ), c . i . solvent black 3 ( c . i . 26150 ), hansa yellow g ( c . i . 11680 ), c . i . mordlant black 11 , c . i . pigment black 1 , benzomethyl - hexadecylammonium chloride , decyl - trimethylammonium chloride , dialkyl tin compounds such as dibutyl tin and dioctyl tin compounds , dialkyl tin borate compounds , guanidine derivatives , polyamine resins such as amino - group - containing vinyl polymers and amino - group - containing condensation polymers , metal complex salts of monoazo dyes described in japanese patent publications nos . 41 - 20153 , 43 - 27596 , 44 - 6397 , and 45 - 26478 , metal complexes such as zn , al , co , cr and fe complexes of salicylic acid , dialkyl salicylic acid , naphthoic acid and dicarboxylic acids , and sulfonated copper phthalocyanine pigments . in the present invention , fluidity improvement agents can be employed , which are used by mixing with the toner particles and causing the agents to adhere to the surface of the toner particles to improve the fluidity of the toner particles . representative examples of such a fluidity improvement agent are finely - divided particles of titanium oxide , hydrophobic silica , zinc stearate , and magnesium stearate . furthermore , when necessary , lubricants such as polyolefin , aliphatic acid esters , metal salts of aliphatic acids , higher alcohols and paraffin waxes can be employed by depositing them on the surface of the toner particles by the same mechanical deposition method as employed in the case where charge control agents are caused to deposit on the surface of the toner particles . when a charge control agent is also deposited on the surface of the toner particles , a lubricant can be deposited on the toner particles either before or after the deposition of the charge control agent , or at the same time . the features of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following description of explanatory embodiments , which are given for illustration of the invention and are not intended to be limiting thereof . 320 g of methanol was placed in a 500 - ml three - necked flask fitted with a mechanical stirrer and a cooler . 6 . 4 g of polyvinyl pyrrolidone ( average molecular weight of 40 , 000 ) was gradually added to the methanol with stirring , so that the polyvinyl pyrrolidone was completely dissolved in the methanol . 25 . 6 g of styrene , 6 . 4 g of n - butylmethacrylate and 0 . 2 g of 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisisobutylonitrile were added to this solution and completely dissolved therein . the thus obtained solution was stirred with a stream of dry argon gas being passed through the flask to displace the air and then allowed to stand for 1 hour . the above reaction mixture was then heated to a temperature of 60 ° c .± 0 . 2 ° c ., with stirring at 200 rpm , by holding the flask in a constant temperature water bath kept in the above temperature range , so that a polymerization reaction was initiated . about 15 minutes after the heat elevation , the reaction mixture began to become milky white in color . thus , the polymerization was continued for 20 hours . at this stage , the reaction mixture was a stable milky white dispersion . an analysis of the reaction mixture by gas chromatography using ethyl benzene as the internal standard indicated that the polymerization degree reached 98 %. the thus obtained dispersion was cooled and centrifuged at 2000 rpm . as a result , polymerized particles were completely precipitated and the supernatant solution was clear . the supernatant solution was removed and 200 g of methanol was added to the precipitated polymerized particles . the mixture was stirred for 1 hour and the polymerized particles were washed with the methanol . the polymerized particles were again centrifuged under the same conditions as mentioned above . finally the polymerized particles were washed with water and filtered off . the polymerized particles were dried at room temperature for 24 hours , and then dried under reduced pressure at 50 ° c . for 24 hours , whereby styrene - n - butylmethacrylate copolymer particles , which are hereinafter referred to as polymer particles a , were obtained in the form of white powder in a yield of 95 %. the thus obtained polymer particles a , serving as core resin particles for toner particles , have a volume mean diameter of 7 . 0 μm , and the weight ratio of the polymer particles within a particle size distribution of l ×(± 25 %) was 97 % of the entire polymer particles . the glass transition temperature ( tg ) of the polymer particles a was 65 ° c . 1 g of oil black 803 ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 04 ) was dissolved in 200 ml of methanol . the thus obtained liquid was drawn through a filter to obtain a filtrate . 24 g of the above prepared polymer particles a was added to the filtrate and the mixture was heated with stirring at 50 ° c . for 1 hour , and then cooled to room temperature , whereby a dispersion of the polymer particles a was obtained . the polymer particles a then were filtered off , and dried , whereby dyed resin particles were obtained . 100 parts by weight of the dyed resin particles and 1 part by weight of spilon black trh ( made by hodogaya chemical co ., ltd .) serving as a charge control agent were mixed in a blender for 5 minutes and the mixture was subjected to a mechanical charge control agent deposition treatment for depositing the charge control agent on the surface of the dyed resin particles , with the mixture being rotated at 7000 rpm for 5 minutes , by an apparatus named &# 34 ; hybridization nhs - 1 ( made by nara kikai seisakusho co ., ltd . ), whereby toner no . 1 according to the present invention was prepared . the procedure for example 1 was repeated except that oil black 803 employed in example 1 was replaced by a mixed dye consisting of 0 . 8 g of oil black hbb ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 11 ) and 0 . 2 g of oil orange 201 ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 06 ), whereby toner no . 2 according to the present invention was prepared . 320 g of methanol was placed in a 500 - ml three - necked flask fitted with a mechanical stirrer and a cooler . 6 . 4 g of polyvinyl pyrrolidone ( average molecular weight of 40 , 000 ) was gradually added to the methanol with stirring , so that the polyvinyl pyrrolidone was completely dissolved in the methanol . 25 . 6 g of styrene , 6 . 4 g of n - butylmethacrylate and 0 . 2 g of 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisisobutylonitrile were added to this solution and completely dissolved therein . the thus obtained solution was stirred with a stream of dry argon gas being passed through the flask to displace the air and then allowed to stand for 1 hour . the above reaction mixture was then heated to a temperature of 60 ° c .± 0 . 2 ° c ., with stirring at 200 rpm , by holding the flask in a constant temperature water bath kept in the above temperature range , so that a polymerization reaction was initiated . about 15 minutes after the heat elevation , the reaction mixture began to become milky white in color . thus , the polymerization was continued for 20 hours . at this stage , the reaction mixture was a stable milky white dispersion . an analysis of the reaction mixture by gas chromatography using ethyl benzene as the internal standard indicated that the polymerization degree reached 98 %. thus a slurry containing polymerized particles serving as core resin particles was obtained . to 330 g of the above slurry , 1 . 3 g of oil red 5b ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 14 ) was added , whereby a dispersion of the polymerized particles was obtained . the thus obtained dispersion was stirred at 50 ° c . for 1 hour and filtered with suction , whereby dyed resin particles were obtained . the thus obtained dyed resin particles were dried at room temperature for 24 hours . 100 parts by weight of the dyed resin particles and 2 parts by weight of zinc 3 , 5 - di - t - butylsalicylate , serving as charge control agent , were mixed in a blender for 5 minutes and the mixture was subjected to a mechanical charge control agent deposition treatment for depositing the charge control agent on the surface of the dyed resin particles , with the mixture being rotated at 7000 rpm for 5 minutes , by the same apparatus named &# 34 ; hybridization nhs - 1 ( made by nara kikai seisakusho co ., ltd .) as employed in example 1 , whereby toner no . 3 according to the present invention was prepared . 320 g of methanol was placed in a 500 - ml three - necked flask fitted with a mechanical stirrer and a cooler . 6 . 4 g of polyvinyl pyrrolidone ( average molecular weight of 40 , 000 ) was gradually added to the methanol with stirring , so that the polyvinyl pyrrolidone was completely dissolved in the methanol . 24 g of styrene , 1 . 6 g of n - butylmethacrylate , 2 - ethyl - hexylacrylate and 0 . 2 g of 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azo - bisisobutylonitrile were added to this solution and completely dissolved therein . the thus obtained solution was stirred with a stream of dry argon gas being passed through the flask to displace the air and then allowed to stand for 1 hour . the above reaction mixture was then heated to a temperature of 60 ° c .± 0 . 2 ° c ., with stirring at 200 rpm , by holding the flask in a constant temperature water bath kept in the above temperature range , so that a polymerization reaction was initiated . about 15 minutes after the heat elevation , the reaction mixture began to become milky white in color . thus , the polymerization was continued for 20 hours . at this stage , the reaction mixture was a stable milky white dispersion . an analysis of the reaction mixture by gas chromatography using ethyl benzene as the internal standard indicated that the polymerization degree reached 98 %. the thus obtained dispersion was cooled and centrifuged at 2000 rpm . as a result , polymerized particles were completely precipitated and the supernatant solution was clear . the supernatant solution was removed and 200 g of methanol was added to the precipitated polymerized particles . the mixture was stirred for 1 hour and the polymerized particles were washed with the methanol . the polymerized particles were again centrifuged under the same conditions as mentioned above . finally the polymerized particles were washed with water and filtered - off . the polymerized particles were dried at room temperature for 24 hours , and then dried under reduced pressure at 50 ° c . for 24 hours , whereby styrene - n - butylmethacrylate - 2 - ethyl - hexylacrylate copolymer particles , which are hereinafter referred to as polymer particles b , were obtained in the form of white powder in a yield of 95 %. the thus obtained polymer particles b , serving as core resin particles for toner particles , have a volume mean diameter of 7 . 3 μm , and the weight ratio of the polymer particles within a particle size distribution of l ×(+ 25 %) was 95 % of the entire polymer particles . the glass transition temperature ( tg ) of the polymer particles b was 60 ° c . 1 g of oil blue iin ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd . ), [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 02 , was dissolved in 200 ml of methanol . the thus obtained liquid was filtered to obtain a filtrate . 24 g of the above prepared polymer particles b was added to the filtrate and the mixture was heated with stirring at 50 ° c . for 1 hour , and then cooled to room temperature , whereby a dispersion of the polymer particles b was obtained . the polymer particles b then were filtered off , and dried , whereby dyed resin particles were obtained . 100 parts by weight of the dyed resin particles and 3 parts by weight of zinc 3 , 5 - di - t - butylsalicylate serving as a charge control agent were mixed in a blender for 5 minutes and the mixture was subjected to a mechanical charge control agent deposition treatment for depositing the charge control agent on the surface of the dyed resin particles , with the mixture being rotated at 7000 rpm for 5 minutes , by the same apparatus named &# 34 ; hybridization nhs - 1 ( made by nara kikai seisakusho co ., ltd .) as employed in example 1 , whereby toner no . 4 according to the present invention was prepared . the procedure for example 4 was repeated except that oil blue iin employed as the dye and 3 , 5 - di - t - butylsalicylate employed as the charge control agent in example 4 were respectively replaced by oil black 803 ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 04 ) and nigrosine base ex , whereby toner no . 5 according to the present invention was prepared . the procedure for example 1 was repeated except that oil black 803 ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 04 ) employed as the dye in example 1 was replaced by oil black bs ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 56 ), whereby a comparative toner was prepared . 1 g of oil black hbb ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 11 ) serving as a dye and 1 g of spilon black trh ( made by hodogaya chemical co ., ltd .) serving as a charge control agent were dissolved in 200 ml of methanol . the thus obtained solution was filtered to obtain a filtrate . in this filtrate , 24 g of polymer particles a prepared in example 1 was dispersed and stirred at 50 ° c . for 1 hour to dye the polymer particles . this dispersion was then cooled to room temperature and the dyed polymer particles were filtered off and dried , whereby toner no . 6 according to the present invention was prepared . the procedure for example 6 was repeated except that oil black hbb ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 11 ) employed as the dye in example 6 was replaced by a mixed dye consisting of 0 . 8 g of oil black hbb ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 11 ) and 0 . 2 g of oil orange 201 ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 06 ), whereby toner no . 7 according to the present invention was prepared . 1 . 3 g of oil red 3b ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 14 ) serving as a dye and 1 . 3 g of kayacharger n - 1 ( made by nippon kayaku co ., ltd .) serving as a charge control agent were dissolved in 320 g of the same slurry as employed in example 3 to obtain a dispersion . this dispersion was stirred at 50 ° c . for 1 hour . the dyed resin particles in the dispersion were filtered off and dried for 24 hours , whereby toner no . 8 according to the present invention was prepared . 1 g of oil blue iin ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 02 ) serving as a dye was dissolved in 200 ml of methanol . this solution was filtered to obtain a filtrate . in this filtrate , 24 g of the same polymer particles b as employed in example 4 was dispersed and stirred at 50 ° c . for 1 hour . the dispersion was then cooled to room temperature and the dyed polymer particles in the dispersion were filtered off . 1 g of kayacharge n - 2 ( made by nippon kayaku co ., ltd .) serving as a charge control agent was dissolved in 200 ml of methanol to prepare a solution of the charge control agent . in this solution , the dyed polymer particles were dispersed at 50 ° for 1 hour and then cooled to room temperature . the dyed polymer particles with the charge control agent being deposited thereon were filtered off and dried , whereby toner no . 9 according to the present invention was obtained . the procedure for example 9 was repeated except that oil blue iin ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 02 ) employed as the dye in example 9 was replaced by oil black 803 ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd ., [ d 1 ]/[ d 2 ]= 0 . 04 ) and 1 g of kayacharger n - 2 employed as the charge control agent in example 9 was replaced by 3 g of bontron s - 34 ( made by orient chemical industries , ltd . ), whereby toner no . 10 according to the present invention was prepared . the thus obtained toners no . 1 to no . 10 according to the present invention and comparative toner were subjected to a charge quantity checking test and a copy making test . the charge quantity of each toner was measured by mixing each toner with an iron powder carrier and subjecting the mixture to a conventional blow - off test . the copy making test was carried out by making copies in practice , using a commercially available copy machine ( trademark &# 34 ; ft - 5510 &# 34 ; made by ricoh company , ltd .) for the negative toner , and using a commercially available copy machine ( trademark &# 34 ; ft - 4820 &# 34 ; made by ricoh company , ltd .) for the positive toners . table______________________________________ charge quantity image ( μc / g ) color density______________________________________example 1 - 25 . 0 clear black 1 . 32example 2 - 21 . 0 clear black 1 . 35example 3 - 18 . 6 clear red 1 . 25example 4 - 19 . 5 clear blue 1 . 30example 5 + 26 . 0 clear black 1 . 30example 6 - 21 . 7 clear bluish black 1 . 31example 7 - 23 . 2 clear black 1 . 36example 8 + 16 . 5 clear red 1 . 23example 9 + 16 . 1 clear blue 1 . 32example 10 - 17 . 5 clear black 1 . 30comp . example - 24 . 2 light violet 0 . 72______________________________________ the results shown in the above table indicate that the toners according to the present invention have uniform charge quantity and provide higher image density and clearer images than the comparative toner . this is because the resin particles for the toners are sufficiently dyed due to the particular choice of the resins and dyes as described . furthermore , the toners according to the present invention are excellent in light transmittance because the dyes are present in the resin particles , in a molecularly dispersed state , so that the toners are suitable for use with the image formation on transparent image supports for use in overhead projectors .	6
[ 0021 ] fig1 is a schematic diagram 100 , portions of which show a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a service provider 102 , which could be a network operator , is connected to network 104 . network 104 could be cable , terrestrial broadcast , satellite broadcast , or a combination of those forms . at least one stb 106 is connected to network 104 . usually , more than one stb 106 is connected to network 104 . however , for purposes of clarity , this description focuses on a single stb 106 , keeping in mind that many more stbs could be connected to network 104 . in addition to being connected to network 104 , stb 106 is also preferably connected to a television 108 . preferably , service provider 102 distributes content through network 104 and stb 106 is adapted to receive that content and deliver it to television 108 . in some embodiments , a residential gateway 114 . residential gateway ( rg ) 114 is generally a device for terminating an external connection and fanning it out to multiple devices within a dwelling . in some embodiments , residential gateway 114 is a stb . typically residential gateway 114 serves more than one purposes such as a dhcp server or as a nat server for connections to the internet through an isp . residential gateway 114 can include storage , and in some cases residential gateway 114 is a managed device by the network provider . in some cases , stb 106 includes a tuner that permits a user to access different programs or channels . in the preferred embodiment , stb 106 is connected to a second network 112 . typically , second network 112 is a telecommunications network and in some embodiments , second network 112 is a public switched telecommunications network (“ pstn ”). preferably , this second network 112 is capable of supporting internet protocol (“ ip ”) communications . preferably , network 112 supports two way communications between service provider 102 and stb 106 . in some embodiments , second network 112 is a “ broadband ” network , for example , dsl , cable modem , ethernet , or some other network that supports high speed communications . while the embodiment shown in fig1 shows stb 106 as a physically separate unit from associated television 108 , it is possible to integrate an stb with a television . in such integrated units , the stb can be built into the television . in some embodiments , stb 106 includes various resources that assist stb 106 in providing services to users . referring to an embodiment of stb 106 shown in fig2 . stb 106 can include several components including a fixed disk drive 202 that can be used to record content , and a second fixed disk drive 204 that could be used to provide increased storage capacity . a power supply 206 can be connected to a power source and to various components to provide power to those components . stb 106 can also include a first port 218 , also referred to as a network port , capable of communicating with first network 104 ( see fig1 ) and a second port 220 , also referred to as a communications port , capable of communicating with second network 112 ( see fig1 ). stb 106 can also include a motherboard 208 that supports various other components . for example , in some embodiments , motherboard 208 can include a tuner 210 that can assist a user in selecting programs . a decoder 212 could be provided to assist in converting images from a digital format to a format suitable for display on a television . in one embodiment , decoder 212 is an mpeg - 2 ( motion picture experts group ) decoder . a remote resource manager ( referred to as “ rrm ”) 214 could also be associated with stb 106 . in some embodiments , rrm 214 is attached to motherboard 208 , in other embodiments , rrm 214 is a separate component that is located within or on stb 106 and rrm 214 is in communication with motherboard 208 , and in other embodiments , rrm 214 is located outside stb 106 and is either attached or not attached to stb 106 , and is in communication with motherboard 208 . rrm 214 is designed to determine resources that are associated with a particular stb . in the embodiment shown in fig2 rrm 214 is located within stb 106 and rrm 214 is designed to determine the resources associated with stb 106 . in some embodiments , rrm 214 is designed to determine the resources that are associated with stb 106 at predetermined times , in other embodiments , rrm 214 determines the associated resources in response to a signal . exactly when rrm 214 determines the nature and quality of the resources associated with stb 106 can be tailored to suit particular preferences and needs . some embodiments include an optional firewall 216 . in some embodiments , firewall 216 is attached to motherboard 208 . in some embodiments , firewall 216 is a software program that runs on stb 106 . in other embodiments , firewall 216 is a separate component that is located within or on stb 106 and is in communication with motherboard 208 , and in other embodiments , firewall 216 is located outside stb 106 and is either attached or not attached to stb 106 , and is in communication with motherboard 208 . firewall 216 can be hardware , software or a combination of the two . firewall 216 is designed to protect stb 106 from unauthorized access . firewall 216 is in communication with communications port 218 . in some embodiments , communications port 218 is a modular port , for example , an rj - 11 or an rj - 45 . since stb 106 is connected to a communications network 112 ( see fig1 ) and because many different people have access to communications network 112 , stb 106 may be vulnerable to unauthorized access or hacker attack . to assist in preventing unauthorized access by third parties , firewall 216 is disposed logically between communications network 112 and other components of stb 106 . in other words , firewall 216 receives information from communications network 112 before other elements of stb 106 and information from communications network 112 is sent to other components of stb 106 after firewall 216 has reviewed , analyzed , and or processed the information . firewall 216 can include filters , packet filtering , proxy service , and / or stateful inspection . firewall 216 can process and / or analyze one or more communications protocols . some examples of communications protocols that firewall 216 may be designed to process and / or analyze are : ip ( internet protocol ), tcp ( transport control protocol ), http ( hyper text transfer protocol ), ftp ( file transfer protocol ), udp ( user datagram protocol ), icmp ( internet control message protocol ), smtp ( simple mail transport protocol ), snmp ( simple network management protocol ), and / or telnet . firewall 216 helps to stop and / or discourage outside influences such as “ hackers ” and “ crackers ” from gaining access to stb 106 and its components . for example , many of the new hacks to a stb for pirating programming is to have a replacement “ smart ” card and pirate software running in the stb . the pirate software periodically calls out using the stb modem to get updates of decryption keys . one way to counteract this attack is to change decryption keys so often that the pirate software can not call often enough to retrieve the latest keys since a dial up connection is relatively slow and a constant connection cannot be maintained . however , with a “ broadband ” connection like a dsl link and / or a cable modem link that is generally “ on at all times ,” it is possible for the pirate software to keep up by a simple periodic access to a pirate web site for new decryption keys . firewall 216 can be used to counter even these new pirating methods . firewall can be used to prevent access to stb 106 in the first place , and secondly , in some embodiments , firewall 216 can be used to prevent any unauthorized access to the internet from within stb 106 . for example , some piracy software programs including trojan horse programs , automatically attempt to use the internet to retrieve information . firewall 216 can be configured to prevent unauthorized access to the internet in general and / or to particular web sites . the fig4 and 5 show flow diagrams of preferred embodiments of processes that can be used in conjunction with firewall 216 to prevent unauthorized access to and from stb 106 . [ 0036 ] fig4 is a flow diagram of a preferred embodiment of a process that can be used to prevent unauthorized entities and / or hackers from communicating with stb 106 . in step 402 , an outside entity attempts to communicate with stb 106 . in steps 404 and 406 , firewall 216 determines if the entity is authorized to communicate with stb 106 and determines if the communication protocol is an authorized . both of these steps are optional , and none , one or both of the steps can be performed and in different order . if both the source and the protocol is acceptable , firewall 216 permits communication between the outside entity and stb 106 . if either the source of the communication or the form of communication protocol or both are unacceptable , then firewall 216 forbids communication with stb 106 . this occurs in step 410 . after the decision has been made to either permit or deny communications between outside entity and stb 106 , firewall 216 waits for the next communication in step 412 . [ 0037 ] fig5 is a flow diagram of a preferred embodiment of a process that can be used to prevent stb 106 from communicating with unauthorized web sites and / or other resources in communication with the internet . in step 502 , stb 106 attempts to communicate with an outside entity . in steps 504 and 506 , firewall 216 determines if stb 106 is authorized to communicate with the outside entity and determines if the communication protocol is an authorized . in one embodiment , firewall 216 determines if communications are permitted with the outside entity in question by using the target address of the outside entity . both of these steps are optional , and none , one or both of the steps can be performed and in different order . if both the target address and the protocol is acceptable , firewall 216 permits communication between stb 106 and the outside entity . if either the target address or the form of communication protocol or both are unacceptable , then firewall 216 forbids communication with the outside entity . this occurs in step 410 . after the decision has been made to either permit or deny communications between stb 106 and the outside entity , firewall 216 waits for the next communication in step 412 . [ 0038 ] fig3 shows a flow diagram of a preferred embodiment of a method in accordance with the present invention . in step 302 , communication is initiated between service provider 102 and stb 106 . preferably this communications occurs over second network 112 . as noted above , communication can be initiated in many different ways . in one embodiment , communication is initiated by stb 106 at predefined intervals . for example , stb 106 initiates communications at a time when it is likely that users are not operating stb . in some embodiments , stb 106 initiates communications at 2 : 00 or 3 : 00 in the morning . stb 106 initiates communications by sending a signal over second network 112 to service provider 102 . after receiving the signal , service provider 102 and stb 106 begin communications . in other embodiments , service provider 102 initiates communications by sending the signal , preferably over second network 112 , to stb 106 . stb 106 responds to the signal from the service provider 102 , and two - way communications between stb 106 and service provider 102 commences . in this embodiment , service provider 102 can initiate communications at predetermined times or service provider 102 can initiate communications manually by having technicians or operators associated with service provider 102 initiating communications . after communications has been initiated , service provider 102 retrieves data from stb 106 in step 304 . preferably , rrm 110 participates in the transmission of data to service provider 102 . in one embodiment , rrm 110 receives a signal from service provider 102 and in response to that signal , rrm 110 retrieves data related to the various resources associated with stb 106 . this data can include information related to the resources associated with stb 106 . this information could include the number , nature , type , kind and / or quality of components connected to or associated with stb 106 as well as the capabilities of those components . for example , in one embodiment , stb 106 uses rrm 110 to send information to service provider 102 regarding the number and size of all of the fixed disk drives that are associated with stb 106 . rrm 110 can send the information automatically or in response to a second signal or request from service provider 102 . in step 306 , service provider 102 analyzes the data received from stb 106 . in some embodiments , service provider 102 has access to a database or other storage facility that contains information related to stb 106 . the information contained in the database relates to the configuration that service provider 102 expects of stb 106 . for example , if the user of stb 106 has paid for a specific level of content and a specific size of an associated fixed disk drive 202 , this information would be recorded in the database . for example , if user of stb 106 paid for basic subscription content plus a 10 gigabyte fixed disk drive , that information would be captured and recorded in the database . once the information related to the resources associated with stb 106 is received from stb 106 , that information is compared with the information in the database . all differences between the information received from stb 106 and information retrieved from the database are noted . for example , if the user has installed another fixed disk drive 204 , or has changed the first fixed disk drive 202 to a different capacity fixed disk drive , and none of these modifications were authorized by service provider 102 , service provider 102 can detect such unauthorized modifications in step 306 where service provider 102 analyzes data from stb 106 . in step 308 , data is sent from service provider 102 to stb 106 . this is an optional step and need not be preformed . however , in some embodiments data could be sent to stb 106 that relates to programming content or information related to future programs . this can assist the user of stb 106 in selecting future programming for viewing and / or recording . in some cases , service provider 102 will send operating instructions to stb 106 . in those cases where service provider 102 sends operating instructions to stb 106 , the service provider 102 has detected an unauthorized resource on stb 106 or service provider 102 would like to modify the configuration of stb 106 . in step 308 , service provider 102 can send information and operating instructions to stb 106 to reconfigure stb 106 in such a way that the modified stb 106 will again conform to the expected configuration in accordance with the data retrieved from the database . unauthorized modifications are generally rare , and therefore , these operating instructions are generally infrequently sent to stb 106 . in step 310 , stb 106 determines if an operating instruction has been sent from the service provider . if an operating instruction has been sent from the service provider 102 , then stb 106 performs the operating instruction in step 312 . the operating instruction can include instructions that tell stb 106 to modify , disable , fail to address , or fail to use unauthorized resources . in addition , the operating command can also be used to allow or enable additional services , for example , permitting addressing of more hd space for extending record times or allowing extended epg data , or allocate resources for new services , for example , electronic magazine or games , and / or repartioning the fixed disk drive for more or less space for pvr or other services . continuing with the example , if the expected resource is a 10 - gigabyte hard drive , and the user of stb 106 has installed a 20 - gigabyte hard drive without authorization , stb 106 would receive an instruction to either disable the 20 - gigabyte hard drive or instruct stb 106 to only access 10 - gigabytes of the new fixed disk drive . in some cases , users purchase stbs with more resources than they have initially paid , and as they pay additional money to service provider 102 , service provider 102 enables those additional resources already associated with stb 106 . in those cases where users have purchased an stb with more capabilities than their subscription level , the operating instruction would instruct stb 106 to use existing resources that it was previously not authorize to use . for example , a service provider 102 could sell all of their stbs with large hard drives for example , a 200 gigabyte hard drive , and only permit access to certain portions depending on the level of subscription payment . as users pay additional money , they are permitted to access greater and greater portions of their fixed disk drives . an operating instruction from service provider 102 can permit stb 106 to access additional portions of the fixed disk drive . the operating instructions could be used to instruct stb 106 to receive or decode additional content . this feature could permit a service provider 102 to increase or decrease the level of content or the amount of content that stb 106 is authorized to receive . the operating instructions could also include information related to decrypting keys . by sending certain decrypting keys to stb 106 , service provider 102 can control which programs stb 106 can successfully decode and consequently which programs the user of stb 106 can view . in addition , the operating instructions can be used to determine if additional resources are available , for example , if additional fixed disk resources are available or if the correct processor to support mpeg 4 and / or mpeg 7 decoding in hardware or software is present . the operating instruction could also be used to diagnose software or hardware on an interactive basis with a technician from a remote location . after the operating instructions have been performed in step 312 , an optional confirmation step 314 can be performed . in this optional confirmation step , service provider 102 can retrieve information from stb 106 after stb 106 has been instructed to perform the operating instruction . in the confirm modification step 314 , service provider 102 can interrogate stb 106 after the operating instruction has been sent and retrieve information a second time and retrieve the information related to the new configuration , or the resources associated with stb 106 . this information could be compared with an expected configuration , thus permitting service provider 102 to determine if the operating instruction was successfully executed by stb 106 . in this way , service provider 102 can confirm whether the modification has been made or not . if the modification was not made , service provider 102 can retransmit the operating instructions to stb 106 or take other corrective action . if the modification has been successful and an appropriate response has been received from stb 106 , the process moves to step 316 where the system waits for the next communications with the stb to occur . after communications are initiated at the next appropriate interval , the process then moves to step 302 . using this preferred method , service provider 102 can determined the amount of resources associated with an stb 106 , compare those resources with expected resources , and take any necessary corrective action . the foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure . the scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto , and by their equivalents . further , in describing representative embodiments of the present invention , the specification may have presented the method and / or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps . however , to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein , the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described . as one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate , other sequences of steps may be possible . therefore , the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims . in addition , the claims directed to the method and / or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written , and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention .	7
fig1 is a block diagram of a computer system on which the share system executes . the computer system includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 102 , a memory 104 , input devices 114 , and an output device 116 . the input devices are preferably a keyboard and a mouse , and the output device is preferably a display device , such as a crt . the cpu , memory , input devices , and output device are interconnected by bus 118 . the memory contains application programs 108 , the share system 106 , and an operating system 110 . in a preferred embodiment , the operating system is windows of microsoft corporation . the architecture of the windows operating system is fully described in “ programming windows 3 . 1 ” by charles petzold , microsoft press , 1992 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . fig2 is a diagram illustrating the sharing of an application program under control of the share system . the host computer system 210 includes a keyboard 211 , a mouse 212 , and a display 213 . the display 213 shows the host window 214 for the application program that is being shared ( the “ shared application ”). in this example , the application program entitled “ word ” is being shared and is executing on the host computer system . the data of the shared application output is being displayed in a host window 214 . the share system intercepts the output data of the shared application that is directed to the host window 214 . the share system transmits the intercepted output data to the shadow computer system 220 . the share system also forwards the intercepted output data to the operating system of the host computer system to be displayed in a normal manner within host window 214 . the shadow computer system includes a keyboard 221 , a mouse 222 , and a display 223 . when the shadow computer system receives the intercepted output data , the share system of the shadow computer system creates a shadow window 224 that corresponds to the host window 214 and that is registered with the operating system of the shadow computer system . the share system then forwards the intercepted output data to operating system of the shadow computer system for display in the shadow window 224 . thus , all output data of the shared application is displayed on both the host and shadow computer systems . in addition , the share system allows a user of either the host computer system or the shadow computer system to input data to the shared application . a user inputs data by first “ taking control ” of the shared application . for example , a user of the shadow computer system can click a mouse button to take control of the shared application . the user can then enter data using keyboard 221 . the share system of the shadow computer system intercepts the input data and transmits the input data to the share system of the host computer system . the share system of the host computer system forwards intercepted input data to the operating , system of the host computer system , which sends the input data to shared application for processing as if the input data had been entered on keyboard 211 . when the shared application outputs data to host window 214 in response to receiving the input data , the share system of the host computer system intercepts the output data and transmits the intercepted output data to the share system of the host computer system , which updates shadow window 224 as described above . similarly , when a user of the host computer system takes control and inputs data through keyboard 211 or mouse 212 , the share system of the host computer system forwards the input data to the operating system of the host computer system , which sends the input data to the shared application for processing as normal . thus , to a user of the shadow computer system , the shared application looks as though it is executing on the shadow computer system . fig3 is a block diagram of the architecture of the share system executing on both the host and shadow computer systems . the function of the share system is divided into three tasks that execute on the host computer system and two tasks that execute on the shadow computer system . on the host computer system , the first task corresponds to the execution of the shared application 301 , the second task corresponds to the execution of a controlling task 302 , and the third task corresponds to the execution of a network transport task 303 . when the share system is initially installed on the host computer system , the share system inserts various hooks in the operating system to allow the share system to intercept input and output data and to forward intercepted data to the operating system . in the following , an overview of aspects of the preferred operating system is described that relate to the installation of the hooks . in the described embodiment , the hooks are installed on a computer system operating under the control of the windows operating system . other operating systems typically provide mechanism for intercepting input and output data . thus , one skilled in the art would appreciate that the principles of the present invention can be used in conjunction with differing operating systems . the windows operating system provides a standard graphical device interface ( gdi ) layer , which is used by applications to output data to display devices , and a standard device driver ( dd ) layer , which is used to handle device interrupts . the standard gdi layer provides various functions that can be called by an application program to output data to a display device . for example , the standard gdi layer may provide a function for displaying a specified string of text at a specified display location in a specified font . the standard gdi layer is typically linked at run time into the address space of each application program that calls its functions . the standard dd layer provides various device drivers to handle interrupts and to forward input data to the operating system . to intercept output data , the share system installs an intercept gdi layer 301 b in place of the standard gdi layer 301 c provided by the operating system . the intercept gdi layer provides an intercept function for each function of the standard gdi layer . each intercept function has a prototype that is identical to the prototype of the corresponding standard function . in this way , a shared application 301 a ( actually all applications whether shared or not ) is linked to the intercept gdi layer when the application is loaded , rather than the standard gdi layer . thus , all calls directed to the standard gdi layer are actually calls to the intercept gdi layer . the called intercept gdi function either calls to the corresponding standard gdi function or calls a share gdi layer 301 d provided by the share system . the share gdi layer contains a function for each function of the standard gdi layer that the share system needs to intercept . ( the share system would not need to intercept a gdi function that only returns status information .) the share gdi functions store data describing the called gdi function and its parameters in an intercept storage area 302 a . the share gdi function also invokes the corresponding standard gdi function to the output data to the host window . periodically , the controlling task 302 receives control . the controlling task retrieves the data stored on the intercept storage area and packets the data for transmission to the shadow computer system . the packeted data is forwarded to the network transport task 303 . the network transport task 303 then transmits the packeted data to the shadow computer system 310 . the network transport task 313 of the shadow computer system receives the packeted data and forwards it to the controlling task 312 of the shadow computer system , which unpackets the data and controls the displaying of the output data in the shadow window . to support displaying the output data , the shadow computer system maintains a shadow bitmap 312 a . the shadow bitmap contains an in memory copy of the shared window of the host computer system . all updates to the host window are reflected in both the shadow bitmap and the shadow window . the shadow bitmap is used for handling “ paint ” messages received from the operating system of the shadow computer system . the operating system sends a paint message to a window ( via a window procedure for the window ) whenever a portion of the window that was previously obscured and has now become visible . the window is responsible for repainting the now visible portion . thus , whenever a paint message is received by the shadow window , the shadow window retrieves the output data for the repaint from the shadow bitmap . thus , when the controlling task receives output data it stores the data in the shadow bitmap and notifies the operating system that the displayed shadow window ( or a portion of it ) is no longer valid . the operating then generates a “ paint ” message that is sent to the shadow window . when the shadow window receives the paint message , the shadow window is updated . the share system installs an intercept dd layer 315 a to intercept calls from the standard dd layer 315 to the operating system . when a user of the shadow computer system inputs data for the shared application , the standard device driver for the input device is executed which calls the intercept dd layer . the intercept device driver stores the input data into a local queue and forwards the interrupt to the operating system to process the input data as normal by generating a message to send to the shadow window describing the input data . the controlling task intercepts all messages generated by the operating system that are directed to an application program . when a message is intercepted that is directed to the shadow window , the controlling task 312 retrieves the corresponding input data from the local queue that caused the intercepted message to be generated . the controlling task then packets the input data and forwards the packeted input data to the network transport task 313 . the network transport task then transmits the packeted input data to the network transport task 303 of the host computer system . the network transport task 303 forwards those packeted input data to the controller task 302 of the host computer system . the controlling task stores the input data in a remote queue 307 . the controlling task 302 retrieves the input data from the remote queue 307 forwards the input data to the operating system . the operating system then generates messages corresponding to the input data and sends the messages to the host window . in this way , the shared application treats input data entered on the shadow computer system as if they were generated locally at the host computer system . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating the components of the controlling tasks . the controlling tasks contain several components : a packet router , update sender / receiver , input manager , desktop scroller , shadow window presenter , control arbitrator , active window coordinator , and shared window list manager . since the share system on both the host computer system and the shadow computer system have the same components , the computer systems can function as both a host computer system and a shared computer system simultaneously . that is , a computer system can be executing a shared application and displaying a shadow window of another shared application program that is executing on another computer system . the network transport task receives network messages and forwards the message to the packet router . the packet router processes messages relating to input and output data by invoking the appropriate other components to handle the messages . the u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 498 , 940 , and now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 874 , 960 , entitled “ method and system for sharing applications between a host computer system and a shadow computer system ,” which was filed concurrently with the present application describes these components in more detail , and is hereby incorporated by reference . for example , the referenced patent application provides : in order to provide input to a shared application , a user first gains control of the shared application . the control arbitrator manages the negotiation of who may obtain control of a shared application . in order to obtain control of a shared application , a user may enter mouse input ( i . e ., a mouse click ) or keyboard input ( other than an escape character ). when the host computer system is in control of a shared application , a user at the shadow computer system may request control of the shared application by entering the mouse click or keyboard input . the shadow control arbitrator then receives the user &# 39 ; s input and sends a message to the host control arbitrator requesting control of the shared application . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the host control arbitrator returns a message granting control to the shadow control arbitrator . at that point , the user at the shadow computer system may provide input to the shared application . similarly , when the shadow computer system is in control of a shared application , the host computer system may gain control of the shared application . in addition , the control arbitrator component maintains whether or not a user is in detached mode . a user at a host computer system may choose to enter detached mode by selecting a detached mode button which is provided on the host desktop . when the user selects detached mode , the host control arbitrator component sets the control state to be detached mode . in addition , the host control arbitrator component notifies the shadow control arbitrator component that it has entered detached mode . when a host computer system has entered detached mode , then the shadow computer system may not provide input to shared applications which are hosted on the host computer system . in addition , while in detached mode , a user at the host computer system may only access local applications and shared applications which are hosted at the host computer system . fig5 is a flow diagram of a template for the intercept gdi functions . for each function of the standard gdi layer , the intercept gdi layer contains a corresponding function with the same prototype . the intercept gdi functions either invoke the corresponding share gdi function or standard gdi function . if the share system needs to intercept the gdi function , then the intercept gdi function invokes the share gdi function passing the parameters it was passed . otherwise , the intercept gdi function invokes the standard gdi function passing the parameter it was passed . the intercept gdi function then returns . fig6 is a flow diagram of a template for the share gdi functions . the share gdi functions store output data in the intercept storage area in the form of “ orders ” or “ screen data ” and call the corresponding standard gdi function to send the output data to the host window as normal . in step 601 , the share gdi function invokes the corresponding standard gdi function passing the parameters that it was passed . in step 602 , if the gdi function is being invoked by a shared application , then the function continues at step 603 , else the function returns . recall that since the intercept gdi layer replaces the standard gdi layer all applications are linked into the intercept gdi layer whether shared or not . in step 603 , the share gdi function calls the output gdi routine , which stores output data in the intercept storage area and returns . fig7 is a flow diagram of the update sender portion of the update sender / receiver component . the controlling task receives control periodically and invokes the update sender . the update sender retrieves the output data from the intercept storage area , prepares the output data for transmission , and forwards the prepared output data to the network transport layer for transmission to the shadow computer system . the update sender ensures that the last output data was transmitted to the network by the network transport layer . thus , the share system ensures that the intercept storage area is not flushed too quickly so that the data can be optimized before transmission . in step 701 , if an acknowledgment has been received for the last output data transmitted , then the update sender continues at step 702 , else the update sender returns . in step 702 , if there is output data in the intercept storage area to transmit , then the update sender continues at step 703 , else the update sender returns . in step 703 , the update sender invokes the transmit output data routine and returns . the transmit output data routine prepares the output data by compressing and encoding the output data before transmitting to the shadow computer system . fig8 is a flow diagram of the update receiver portion of the update sender / receiver component . the controlling task receives control periodically and the packet router calls the update receiver when output data is received . in step 801 , the update receiver calls the receive output data routine to retrieve the output data received by the network transport task of the shadow computer system . the receive output data routine decodes and decompresses the transmitted output data . in step 802 , the update receiver stores the output data in the shadow bitmap . in step 803 , the update receiver notifies the operating system that a portion of the shadow window is invalid and returns . the share system , upon intercepting a gdi function , stores the output data representing the gdi function and its parameters in the intercept storage area . the share system translates the gdi function call to either “ orders ” or “ screen data ” that represent the gdi function call . an order represents an output data request , such as , to display a specified text string at a specified display location in a specified font . screen data represents a bitmap within the host window . the intercept storage area contains an order queue for queuing the orders and a screen list for storing references to the screen data in the host window . each gdi function call is translated into corresponding orders to be performed by the shadow computer system . if the shadow computer system cannot support the orders corresponding to a gdi function call or if the gdi function call is too complex , then the output data corresponding to the gdi function call is represented by screen data . the screen data represents that portion of the host window that is affected by the gdi function call . for example , if the shadow computer system does not support the same font as specified in a gdi function call to display text , then the share system translates the gdi function call to a reference to screen data and stores the reference in the screen list . if the shadow computer system does support the font , then an order is placed in the order queue . fig9 a is a block diagram illustrating the order queue and the screen list . the order queue 9 a 10 contains order entries 9 a 11 , 9 a 12 , and 9 a 13 that represent orders that have not yet been transmitted to the shadow computer system . each entry in the order queue contains an order field , a set of spoil flags , and the coordinates of the bounding rectangle affected by the order . the order field is subdivided into an order type and various subfields . the order type indicates the type of the order to be performed ( e . g ., display text ). the subfields are the parameters for the order . for example , the parameters for display text order would include a pointer to the text to display , the location at which to display the text , and an indication of the font in which to display the text . the screen list 9 a 20 contains an entry 9 a 21 , 9 a 22 , and 9 a 23 for each screen data that is not yet transmitted to the shadow computer system . the screen list entries contain the coordinates of the screen data within the display bitmap . before adding entries to either the order queue or the screen list , the share system attempts to optimize the data stored in the entries so as to minimize data transmission . for example , if screen data added to the screen list completely encompasses screen data already in the screen list , then the screen list entry corresponding to the encompassed screen data is removed from the screen list . an order or screen data that has not yet been transmitted and whose visual effect is completely overwritten by a subsequent gdi function call is referred to as “ spoiled .” similarly , if screen data already in the screen list would be partially overlapped , then the overlapped portion can be removed from the screen data . fig9 b through 9j illustrate examples of optimizing order entries and screen list entries . fig9 b illustrates the optimization of screen list entries that are partially overlapping . the rectangles in the solid lines indicate screen data currently in the screen list , and the rectangles in the dashed lines indicate screen data to be added to the screen list . screen data 9 b 01 represents screen data currently in the screen list , and screen data 9 b 02 represents screen data to be added to the screen list . screen data 9 b 01 is partially overlapped by screen data 9 b 02 . to optimize the transmission of screen data 9 b 01 and 9 b 02 , the share system adjusts the screen list entry for screen data 9 b 01 to that shown by screen data 9 b 03 , and adjusts screen data 9 b 02 to that shown by screen data 9 b 04 . the share system then adds a screen list entry for screen data 9 b 04 . as a result , no screen data that is overlapped is transmitted to the shadow computer system . alternatively , the share system could have added a screen list and entry for 9 b 02 in its entirety , and truncated the screen list entry for the screen data 9 b 01 . screen data 9 b 05 also represents screen data currently in the screen list , and screen data 9 b 06 represents screen data to be added to the screen list . screen data 9 b 05 is partially overlapped by screen data 9 b 06 . to optimize the transmission , the share system divides screen data 9 b 06 into screen data 9 b 08 a and 9 b 08 b , which are portions that do not overlap screen data 9 b 05 . alternatively , the share system could transmit screen data 9 b 06 in its entirety and divide screen data 9 b 05 into the non - overlapped portions . fig9 c through 9j illustrate further optimizations performed by the share system . the optimizations included removing spoiled orders , that is , orders that are completely overwritten by subsequent orders or completely within screen data in the screen list . in fig9 c , the bitmap 9 c 01 represents a 50 × 30 pixel host window . the screen data within the bounding rectangle 9 c 02 is to be transmitted to the shadow computer system . thus , the screen list contains an entry with the coordinates for the bounding rectangle 9 c 02 . fig9 d illustrates that a gdi function to display the letter “ a ” has been called . the letter “ a ” is stored in the bitmap 9 c 01 in the bounding rectangle 9 c 03 . the order queue contains an entry corresponding to the letter “ a ”. fig9 e shows the bitmap 9 c 01 after the letter “ b ” has been stored in bounding rectangle 9 c 04 . the order queue is shown with an order entry corresponding to the letter “ b ”. fig9 f illustrates when a non - opaque gdi function overwrites bounding rectangle 9 c 04 . the letter “ s ” is stored in non - opaque mode within bounding rectangle 9 c 05 . although the bounding rectangle 9 c 05 completely encompasses bounding rectangle 9 c 04 , the order entry corresponding to the bounding rectangle 9 c 04 is left in the order queue because its visual effect is merged with that of bounding rectangle 9 c 05 , rather than overwritten . fig9 g illustrates when a gdi function in opaque mode overwrites a bounding rectangle for an order entry . in this example , the gdi function is to fill in a rectangle in a solid color . the bounding rectangle 9 c 06 completely overwrites bounding rectangles 9 c 04 and 9 c 05 . the share system detects that the order entries corresponding to bounding rectangles 9 c 04 and 9 c 05 are therefore spoiled , and removes them from the order queue . the share system then stores an order entry representing the bounding rectangle 9 c 06 in the order queue . fig9 h illustrates when screen data overwrites the effect of an order entry . in this example , an order entry corresponding to the bounding rectangle 9 c 07 is placed in the screen list . the bounding rectangle completely overwrites the bounding rectangle 9 c 03 . thus , the order entry corresponding to the bounding rectangle 9 c 03 is removed from the order queue . fig9 illustrates when screen data overlaps other screen data in the screen list . in this example , bounding rectangle 9 c 08 completely overlaps bounding rectangle 9 c 06 and partially overlaps bounding rectangle 9 c 07 . the share system stores an entry in the screen list corresponding to bounding rectangle 9 c 08 , removes the screen list entry for bounding rectangle 9 c 06 , and adjusts the screen list entry for bounding rectangle 9 c 07 to not include the portion of the bounding rectangle 9 c 07 that is partially overlapped by bounding rectangle 9 c 08 . fig9 j illustrates screen data that completely overlaps all the other screen data on the screen list and all the orders . all entries are removed from both the order queue and screen list , and a screen list entry for bounding rectangle 9 c 09 is added . fig1 is a flow diagram of the output gdi routine . the output gdi routine is called by the share gdi function to store orders or screen data that corresponds to the gdi function and its parameters in the intercept storage area . in step 1001 , if the intercepted gdi function would result in no effect in the host window , then the output gdi routine returns , else the output gdi routine continues at step 1002 . an intercepted gdi function would have no effect if , for example , text to be output is a null string or the rectangle to display has all corners that coincide . in step 1002 , if the intercepted gdi function is executable as an order on the shadow computer system , then the output gdi routine queues the order in step 1003 by calling the queue order routine , else the output gdi routine stores the effect of the intercepted gdi function as screen data in step 1004 by invoking the store screen data routine . if the order queue is full , the output gdi routine preferably calls the store screen data routine regardless as to whether the intercepted gdi function is executable as an order on the shadow computer system . thus , the screen list acts as an overflow for the order queue . the screen list typically cannot become full because the area of bounding rectangle of an existing screen list entry can be increased to encompass the entire host window . the order queue can become full if the shared application outputs a large , volume of data rapidly or because the shadow host computer cannot receive anymore transmissions ( e . g ., its buffers are full ). the output gdi routine then returns . fig1 - 14 are flow diagrams describing the function of queuing an order . fig1 is a flow diagram of the queue order routine . the order queue routine initializes a new order entry , determines if the new order entry would spoil any order entries currently on the order queue , removes any spoiled entries , and adds the new order entry to the order queue . in step 1101 , the routine invokes the setup new order routine to create a new order and to return a new order entry . in step 1102 , if the order queue is empty , then the routine continues at step 1105 , else the routine continues at step 1103 . in step 1103 , the queue order routine invokes the get starting point routine to determine at which order entry within the order queue to start checking for the spoiled orders . in step 1104 , the queue order routine invokes the spoil order routine to locate and remove any spoiled orders . in step 1105 , the routine adds the new order entry to the order queue and returns . fig1 is a flow diagram of the setup new order routine . the setup new order routine creates an order entry and sets the order field , the spoil flags , and the bounding rectangle . the spoil flags contain three flags : spoiler , spoilable , and blocker . the spoiler flag indicates that the order would completely overwrite all data within the bounding rectangle . the spoilable flag indicates that this order can be overwritten by subsequent orders . the blocker flag indicates that this order relies on the effect of a previous order ( e . g ., a screen to screen copy ). thus , any order previous to an order with a blocker flag set cannot necessarily be removed from the order queue . in step 1201 , the setup new order routine allocates a new order entry . in step 1202 , the routine sets the bounding rectangle for the new order entry . in step 1203 , if the new order entry fully overwrites ( i . e ., an opaque overwrite ) the bounding rectangle , then the routine sets the spoiler flag to true in step 1204 . in step 1205 , if the new order entry can safely be overwritten by a subsequent order , then the routine sets the spoilable flag to true in step 1206 . in step 1207 , if the new order entry relies on the effect of a previous order , then the routine sets the blocker flag to true . the setup new order routine then returns . fig1 is a flow diagram of the get starting point routine . the get starting point routine determines which is the most recent order entry placed in the order queue that does not have its blocker flag set to true . the only orders that can be safely removed are those orders which are subsequent to the last order with its blocker flag set to true . in step 1301 , the get starting point routine selects the last ( newest ) order entry placed in the order queue . in step 1302 , if the order queue is empty , then the routine returns an indication that the order queue is empty , else the routine continues at step 1303 . in step 1303 , if the selected order entry is a blocker ( i . e ., has its blocker flag set to true ), then the routine returns the previous order entry selected , else the routine continues at step 1304 . in step 1304 , if all the order entries have already been selected , then the start of the order queue is reached and the routine returns the first ( oldest ) order entry in the order queue , else the routine continues at step 1305 . in step 1305 , the get starting point routine selects the next order entry in the order queue and loops to step 1303 . fig1 is a flow diagram of the spoil orders routine . the spoil orders routine is passed a reference to the queue entry at which to start checking for spoiled orders . the spoil orders routine checks each newer order entry to determine if it spoiled and , if so , removes the order entry from the order queue . in step 1401 , if the end of the order queue has been reached , then the routine returns , else the routine continues at step 1402 . in step 1402 , if the bounding rectangle of the new order entry completely overwrites the bounding rectangle of the selected order entry , then the routine continues at step 1403 , else the routine continues at step 1404 . in step 1403 , the spoil orders routine removes the selected order from the order queue . in step 1404 , the spoil orders routine selects the next newer order in the order queue and loops to step 1401 . fig1 - 18 are flow diagrams illustrating storing screen data in the screen list . fig1 is a flow diagram of the store screen data routine . the store screen data routine determines whether the new screen data can be merged with other screen data in the screen list . next , the store screen data routine determines whether any of the screen list entries need to be adjusted to remove overlapping areas of the host window . finally , the store screen data routine determines whether any orders entries are spoiled by the screen data . in step 1501 , the store screen data routine creates a new screen list entry . in step 1502 , the routine initializes the bounding rectangle to refer to the screen data in the host window . in step 1503 , if the screen list is already fill , then the routine invokes the forced merge routine in step 1504 , else the routine continues at step 1505 . the forced merge routine merges the new screen data with the screen data of a screen list entry . that is , the bounding rectangle of the new screen data is adjusted to encompass the bounding rectangle of that screen list entry . that screen list entry is then removed from the screen list to make room for the new screen list entry . in step 1505 , the store screen data routine selects the first screen list entry . in step 1506 , if the end of the screen list is reached , then the routine continues at step 1513 , else the routine continues at step 1507 . in step 1507 , if the new screen data overlaps the screen data of the selected screen list entry , then the routine continues at step 1509 , else the routine selects the next screen list entry and loops to step 1506 . in step 1509 , the store screen data routine invokes the adjust routine . the adjust routine divides the overlapping screen data in an attempt to prevent transmission of redundant screen data . in step 1510 , if the adjust routine results in the new screen data being completely merged with screen data already in the screen list , then the routine returns , else the routine continues at step 1511 . in step 1511 , if there was a change in the bounding rectangle of the new screen list entry , then the routine loops to step 1505 to continue the processing at the start of the order queue , else the routine continues at step 1512 . in step 1512 , if the end of the screen list has been reached , then the routine continues at step 1513 , else the routine continues at step 1508 . in step 1513 , the store screen data routine adds the new screen list entry to the screen list . in step 1514 , the store screen data routine invokes the spoil orders with screen data routine and returns . the spoil orders with screen data routine checks if the new screen data spoils any order entries . fig1 is a flow diagram of the forced merge routine . the forced merge routine is invoked when the screen list is full , and it selects which screen list entry to merge with the new screen list entry and removes the selected screen list entry from the screen list . the forced merge routine selects the screen list entry that when merged with the new screen list entry results in an area of the bounding rectangle that is the smallest . in step 1601 , the forced merge routine selects the first screen list entry . in step 1602 , the forced merge routine initializes a loop for finding the smallest merged bounding rectangle that results from merging each of the screen list entries with the new screen list entry . in step 1602 , the smallest bounding rectangle area found so far is initialized to the area of the shadow window and the merge - with screen list entry is set to point to the first screen list entry . at the end of the processing , the merge - with screen list entry points to the screen list entry that when merged with the new screen list entry results in the smallest merged bounding rectangle . in step 1603 , the forced merge routine calculates the area of the bounding rectangle that would result if the selected screen list entry was merged with the new screen list entry . in step 1604 , if the calculated area is less than the smallest bounding rectangle area found so far , then the routine continues at step 1605 , else the routine continues at step 1606 . in step 1605 , the forced merge routine sets the smallest bounding rectangle area found so far to the calculated area and saves a pointer to the selected screen list entry as the merge - with screen list entry . in step 1606 , the forced merge routine selects the next screen list entry . in step 1607 , if all the screen list entries have already been selected , then the routine continues at step 1608 , else the routine loops to step 1603 . in step 1608 , the forced merge routine merges the merge - with screen list entry into the new screen list entry . in step 1609 , the forced merge routine removes the merge - with screen list entry from the screen list and returns . fig1 is a flow diagram of the adjust routine . the adjust routine adjusts the new screen data or the screen data already in the screen list to remove overlap . in step 1701 , if the new screen data overlaps and splits the selected screen data into two portions , then the routine continues at step 1702 , else the routine continues at step 1705 . in step 1702 , the adjust routine removes the selected screen list entry from the screen list . in steps 1703 and 1704 , the adjust routine recursively calls the store screen data routine to add back into the screen list each non - overlapped portion of the selected screen data and then returns . in step 1705 , if the new screen data fully overlaps the selected screen data , then the routine continues at step 1706 , else the routine continues at step 1707 . in step 1706 , the adjust routine removes the selected screen list entry and returns . in step 1707 , if either the new screen data or the selected screen data can be adjusted to remove the overlap , then the routine in step 1708 removes the overlap . the adjust routine then returns . fig1 is a flow diagram of the spoil orders with screen data routine . the spoil orders with screen data routine creates an order entry with a bounding rectangle corresponding to the new screen data and checks for which order entries that created order would spoil . in step 1801 , the routine creates an order entry with the same bounding rectangle as the new screen data . in step 1802 , the routine invokes the get starting point routine . in step 1803 , the routine invokes the spoil orders routine and returns . fig1 is a flow diagram of the transmit output data routine . the transmit output data routine is invoked to transmit orders and screen data from the host computer system to the shadow computer system . in a preferred embodiment , multiple orders and screen data are stored in a single network packet to improve network performance . also , large areas of screen data may not fit into a single packet and are thus stored in multiple packets . in step 1901 , the transmit output data routine removes the next order entry from the order queue . in step 1902 , the routine invokes the send order entry routine , which encodes the order and transmits the order to the shadow computer system . in step 1903 , if the order was sent successfully , then the routine continues at step 1905 , else the routine re - queues the order in step 1904 and returns . an order might not be sent successfully if the shadow computer system indicates that it has no space to store the order . in step 1905 , if the order queue is empty , then the routine continues at step 1907 to send the screen data , else the routine loops to step 1901 to send the next order . in step 1907 , the transmit output data routine removes the next screen data from the screen list . in step 1908 , the routine invokes the encode bitmap routine to encode the screen data and then sends the encoded screen data . in step 1909 , if the screen data was sent successfully , then the routine continues at step 1910 , else the routine adds the screen list entry back into the screen list and returns . in step 1910 , if the screen list is empty , then the routine returns , else the routine loops to step 1907 to process the next screen list entry . fig2 is a flow diagram of the send order entry routine . in steps 2001 , the send order entry routine encodes the order . in step 2002 , the routine sends the encoded order and returns a flag indicating whether the order was sent successfully . fig2 a - 21d illustrate the order encoding process of the share system . the share system maintains an order encoding table 2101 on the host computer system , and an order encoding table 2102 on the shadow computer system . as described above , an order is encoded as an order type and various fields . rather than transmitting the order type and each of the fields each time an order is transmitted , the share system transmits the order type along with an indication of which fields have changed since the last transmission of an order of that type and along with only the fields that have changed . for example , if the text string transmitted in the last text string order is the same as the next text string order , then only a flag indicating that the text strings are the same is sent with the next order , rather than the text string itself . the order encoding tables 2101 and 2102 contain an entry for each type of order that has been transmitted along with the field values that were last transmitted with that order type . for example , the last order with a type of 2 that was transmitted had the field values of d , e , and f . the orders 2105 , 2104 , and 2103 represent the next three orders to be transmitted . fig2 b illustrates the transmission of order 2105 to the shadow computer system . since the order type of order 2105 is 1 and since the values for the second and third fields b and c correspond to the same values that were sent in the last order of that type , the encoded order 2106 contains an indication of the order type , a series of change flags which indicate that only the first field is changed , and the changed field value l . when the shadow computer system receives the encoded order 2106 , the shadow computer system regenerates the order by removing the flags and adding the received values stored in its order encoding table , and updates the order encoding table as shown in fig2 c . fig2 c illustrates the order encoding of order 2104 . in this example , the second and third field are changed , but the first field is the same as for the last transmission of that order type . fig2 d illustrates the order encoding for order 2103 . in this example , all the order fields are the same as the order fields for the last order of type 3 . thus , only the order type , along with the three flags indicating that the fields are the same as the last order of that type , are transmitted to the shadow computer system . fig2 is a flow diagram of the encode order routine . the encode order routine uses the order encoding table to encode the order to be transmitted . the code is encoded into an encoded message . in step 2201 , the encode order routine stores the order type in the encoded message . in step 2202 , the encode order routine selects the next field in the order . in step fb 03 , if all fields for the order have already been selected , then the routine continues at step 2209 , else the routine continues at step 2204 . in step 2204 , the encode order routine retrieves the values stored in the order encoding table for this order type for the selected field . in step 2205 , if the value of the retrieved field and the selected field are equal , then the routine sets the corresponding flag to 0 in step 2206 and loops to step 2202 , else the routine continues at step 2207 . in step 2207 , the encode order routine sets the flag corresponding to a selected field to 1 . in step 2208 , the routine writes the value of the selected field to the encoded message and updates the order encoding table and loops to step 2202 . in step 2209 , the routine invokes the send bitmap routine for any bitmap that is part of the order and returns . fig2 is a flow diagram of the send bitmap routine . to minimize the amount of screen data that is transmitted , the share system uses a caching technique and an encoding technique to send a bitmap that is part of an order . the same encoding technique is used to encode screen data . the share system maintains a caching table on both the host computer system and the shadow computer system . when the same bitmap is sent twice to the shadow computer system , the share system of the host computer system sends a notification to cache the bitmap along with the bitmap . the shadow computer system , when it receives the caching notification , stores the bitmap in its cache table . the host computer system also stores an identification ( such as a handle to the memory block in which the bitmap is stored ) of the bitmap in its caching table , which is kept in parallel with the cache table of the shadow computer system . the next time the same bitmap is to be sent to the shadow computer system , the share system sends an identification of the screen data within the cache table , rather than the bitmap itself . the shadow computer system uses the identification to retrieve the bitmap from its cache table . the share system also encodes the bitmaps it transmits using a compression technique that contains differential encoding and run - length encoding as described below in detail . in step 2301 , the routine invokes the should cache routine to determine whether the bitmap should be cached . in step 2302 , if the bitmap should be cached , then the routine continues at step 2305 , else the routine continues at step 2303 . in step 2303 , the send bitmap routine invokes the encode bitmap routine . in step 2304 , the send bitmap routine sends the encoded bitmap to the shadow system and returns . in step 2305 , if the bitmap is already in the cache table , then the routine sends the index into the cache table to the shadow computer system in step 2306 and returns . in step 2307 , if the bitmap is in the candidate list , then the routine continues at step 2308 , else the routine continues at step 2311 . the candidate list contains a list of identification of the bitmaps that have been sent only once to the shadow computer system . if the bitmap in the candidate list or cache table is changed - or deleted , then the share system intercepts the gdi function that alters the bitmap , and removes the bitmap from the candidate list and cache table . in step 2308 , the send bitmap routine removes the bit from the candidate list and places the bitmap in the cache table . in step 2309 , the routine encodes the bitmap . in step 2310 , the send bitmap routine sends the encodedbitmap , and a notification to cache the bitmap to the shadow computer system and returns . in step 2311 , the send data routine adds the bitmap to the candidate list in step 2312 , the routine encodes the bitmap . in step 2313 , the send data routine sends the encoded bitmap to the shadow computer system and returns . fig2 is a flow diagram of the should cache routine . the routine determines whether bitmap should be cached . in step 2401 , if the number of bits per pixel (“ pixel depth ”) of the bitmap is equal to 1 , then the routine returns an indication that the bitmap should not be cached , else the routine continues at step 2403 . in step 2403 , if the bitmap is too large to be cached or the gdi function to generate the bit involves a complex mapping operation , then the routine returns an indication that the screen data should not be cached , else the routine returns an indication that the bitmap should be cached . the share system encodes ( compresses ) screen data ( and bitmaps ) that is transmitted from a host computer system to the shadow computer system . the encoding is a combination of differential encoding and run - length encoding . each row of the screen data is differentially encoded with respect to the previous row . after differentially encoding a row , the row is then run - length encoded . fig2 a is a diagram illustrating sample screen data to be encoded . the screen data represents a 30 × 24 rectangle of pixels with a pixel depth of four . thus , each pixel can be one of 16 different colors . the screen data as shown contains six different colors . the outline section 24 a 01 is in the color black ; the center “ plus ” section 24 a 02 is in the color white ; and the rectangular sections 24 a 03 - 24 a 06 are in the color 1 , color 2 , color 3 , and color 4 , respectively . fig2 b illustrates a hexa - decimal representation of the colors of the screen data . the color black is represented by the hexa - decimal value 0 , the color white is represented by the hexa - decimal value f , the color one is represented by the hexa - decimal value a , the color 2 is represented by the hexa - decimal color b , the color 3 is represented by the hexa - decimal value c , and the color 4 is represented by the hexa - decimal value d . fig2 c is a diagram illustrating the results of differentially encoding the rows . to differentially encode the rows , the share system performs an exclusive - or logical operation on each row of the screen data . the exclusive - or logical operation identifies which bit values are different between one row and the next row . the result of the exclusive - or is a 1 if the values are different and is a 0 if the values are the same . row 24 c 01 is represented by color values of all 0s . the first row is output without performing any exclusive - or operation . the second row 24 c 02 is the result of exclusive - or of each pixel of the first row 24 c 01 and the second row 24 c 02 . since the pixel values in the first row 24 c 01 and the second row 24 c 02 are the same , the result of the exclusive - or is row 24 c 02 with all pixel values set to 0 . row 24 c 03 is the result of the exclusive - or of row 24 c 02 and row 24 c 03 . since row 24 c 02 is all 0s , the result of the exclusive - or identifies those bits that were set to 1 in row 24 c 03 . thus , the result is the same as the value row 24 c 03 . row 24 c 04 represents the exclusive - or of rows 24 c 03 and 24 c 04 . since rows 24 c 03 and 24 c 04 have the same color values , the exclusive - or is a value 0 , as shown in row 24 c 04 . similarly , since rows 24 c 04 through 24 c 11 are the same as each previous row , each of the results is a row of all 0s , as shown in rows 24 c 05 - 24 c 11 . row 24 c 12 is the result of the exclusive - or of each pixel of row 24 c 11 with the corresponding pixel of row 24 c 12 . the share system continues in a similar manner to differently encode the remaining rows of the screen data . as shown in fig2 b , the result of the is that the differentially encoder is the screen data transferred to have long run of 0s . thus , each row can be compressed using run - length encoding . 1 . background run 2 . foreground run 3 . dithered run 4 . foreground / background image 5 . color image the background run format is used to encode a run of pixels with the value of 0 . the foreground run format is used to encode a run of pixels that have a non - zero value . the dithered run format is used to encode a run of pixels that alternate between two values . the foreground / background image format is used to encode a run of pixels that have only the value 0 and one non - zero value . the color image format is used to encode a run of pixels that do not fit into one of the other formats . each of the formats , except for the dither run format , have a short form and a long form . the short form is used to encode shorter runs and the long form is used to encode longer runs . table 1 illustrates the runlength encoding of the share system . the share system uses a variable length prefix code to indicate the type of run being encoded . for example , the prefix code of 0 indicates a background run . a prefix code of 1001 indicates a foreground , a prefix code of 10000000 indicates a dithered run , and so on , as shown in table 1 . a background run is encoded in one byte , and indicates a run of pixel values of 0 with a length of up to 127 . the foreground run is a one - byte code that indicates a run of up to 15 pixels of the foreground color are being encoded . the current foreground color is established by a one - byte format with the prefix code 1000 followed by the pixel value . the mega ( long ) background run is encoded in two bytes and encodes runs of the background color of lengths from 128 to 32k ( 256 * 128 ). the length field indicates the number runs of 128 . the mega ( long ) foreground run is encoded in two bytes and used to encodes runs of the foreground color of lengths from 16 to 4k ( 256 * 16 ). the dithered run is encoded in three bytes and encodes alternating pixel values . the length of the dithered run can be up to 512 pixels , as indicated in the second byte , and the colors in the dithered run are represented by the values in the third byte . the remaining formats are encoded as illustrated in table 1 . fig2 is a flow diagram of the encode bitmap routine . in step 2501 , the encode bitmap routine invokes the xor screen data routine , which generates temporary screen data that contains the exclusive - or of each pixel in each row of the screen data with the corresponding pixel in the previous row . in step 2502 , the encode bitmap routine invokes the encode runs routine , which encodes the temporary screen data and returns . fig2 is a flow diagram of the xor screen data routine . in step 2601 , the xor screen data routine initializes variables for looping through the screen data . the temporary screen data is stored as simply a sequence of pixel values . the variable currow points to the current row , and the variable curcol points to the current column in the screen data . each column is one pixel wide . in step 2602 , the xor screen data routine increments the current column to point to the next column . in step 2603 , if the current column is greater than the number of columns in a row , then the routine continues at step 2604 , else the routine continues at step 2605 . in step 2604 , the xor screen data routine selects the first column of the next row . in step 2605 , if the current row is greater than the number of rows of screen data , then the routine returns , else the routine continues at step 2606 . in step 2606 , if the current row selected is 0 , then the routine continues at step 2607 , else the routine continues at step 2608 . in step 2607 , the xor screen data routine copies the first row of screen data to the temporary screen data without performing any exclusive - or . in step 2608 , the xor screen data routine sets the next pixel value in the temporary screen data to the exclusive - or of the currently selected pixel with the corresponding pixel in the previous row . the xor screen data loops to step 2602 to select the next column . fig2 is a flow diagram of the encode runs routine . in a preferred embodiment , the encode runs routine is implemented as a state machine . the modes ( states ) of the machine are : idle , background run , foreground run , dithered run , foreground - background image , and color image . the idle mode indicates that the routine is determining what type of run to encode next . the background run mode indicates that a background run is to be encoded , the foreground run mode indicates that a foreground run is to be encoded , and so on . in step 2701 , the encode runs routine initializes the index into the temporary screen data , the variable max ( which indicates the number of pixels in the temporary screen data ), the foreground color to hexadecimal value f , and the mode to idle . in steps 2702 - 2716 , the encode runs routine loops , executing the state machine . in step 2702 , if the index into temporary screen data is greater than the maximum number of pixels , then the routine returns , else the routine continues at step 2703 . in step 2703 , if the index into the temporary screen data is within eight of the maximum number of pixels , then the routine continues at step 2710 , else the routine continues at step 2704 . in step 2703 a , the encode runs routine invokes the finish encoding routine to complete the encoding of the screen data . in steps 2704 - 2708 , the encode runs routine determines the current mode and invokes the corresponding routine to process that mode in steps 2711 - 2716 . after the return from the routine to process the mode , the encode runs routine loops to step 2702 . fig2 is a flow diagram of the idle mode encoding routine . the idle mode encoding routine looks at the next eight pixels in the temporary screen data to determine the mode to enter . if all eight pixels are black ( a 0 pixel value ), then the routine enters the background run mode . if all eight pixels are of one color , then the routine enters the foreground run mode . if all the colors are black and one other color , then the routine enters the foreground - background run . if all the pixels alternate between two colors , then the routine enters the dithered run mode . otherwise , the idle mode encoding routine enters the color image mode . in step 2801 , the idle mode encoding routine selects the next eight pixels . in step 2802 , if all the selected pixels are black , then the routine continues at step 2803 , else the routine continues at step 2804 . in step 2803 , the idle mode encoding routine sets the mode to background run , saves the position of the start of the run , increments the current index into temporary screen data to point to the next set of eight pixels , and returns . in step 2804 , if all the selected pixels are one color , the routine continues at step 2805 , else the routine continues at 2808 . in step 2805 , if the color of the selected pixels equals the current foreground color , then the routine continues at step 2806 , else the routine resets the foreground color in step 2807 , and then continues at step 2806 . in step 2806 , the idle mode encoding routine sets the mode to foreground run , saves the position of the start of the run , and increments the current index and returns . in step 2808 , if all the selected pixels are either black and one other color , then the routine continues at step 2809 , else the routine continues at step 2812 . in step 2809 , if the current foreground color is not equal to the other color , then the routine resets the foreground color in step 2811 and continues at step 2810 . in step 2810 , the idle mode encoding routine sets the mode to foreground - background run , saves the start of the run , increments the current index , and returns . in step 2812 , if the selected pixels alternate between two colors , then the routine continues at step 2813 , else the routine continues at step 2814 . in step 2813 , the idle mode encoding routine sets the start of the run , increments the current index , sets the first and second colors , and returns . in step 2814 , the idle mode encoding routine sets the mode to color image and sets the start of the run , and returns . fig2 is a flow diagram of the background run encoding routine . in step 2901 , if the next eight pixels in the temporary screen data are all set to the background color , then the routine increments the current index in step 2902 and returns , else the routine continues at step 2903 . in steps 2903 and 2904 , the background run encoding routine determines how many of the next eight pixels are the background color . in step 2905 , the background run encoding routine outputs the run in either background run format , or the mega background run format ( depending on the length of the run ) sets the mode to idle , and returns . at any point , if the maximum number of pixels in the run exceeds the maximum possible length for mega background run , the routine outputs the mega background run and then continues . fig3 is a flow diagram of the foreground run encoding routine . the routine is analogous to the background run encoding routine , except that in 3005 , if the foreground color has changed , then before outputting the run , the foreground run encoding routine outputs a change in foreground color . fig3 is a flow diagram of the dithered run encoding routine . the dithered run encoding routine is analogous to the background run encoding routine . however , the test for determining whether the run is being extended is whether the next pixels alternate between color 1 and color 2 . fig3 is a flow diagram of the foreground - background image encoding routine . in step 3201 , if the next eight pixels are all of the background and foreground colors , then the routine continues at step 3202 , else the routine continues at step 3203 . in step 3202 , the foreground - background image encoding routine advances the current index past the next eight pixels and returns . in step 3203 , the foreground - background image encoding routine outputs the run , sets the mode to idle , and returns . the color image encoding routine and the finished encoding routine are not shown in a flow diagram . the color image encoding routine determines whether the color image mode is ending and outputs the color image run , and returns . the finished encoding routine determines whether the run for the current mode can be extended or not . if the run for the current mode can be extended , it is extended . any remaining pixels are simply encoded as a color image and the routine returns . the share system preferably ensures that the shadow window displays an exact replica of the data in the host window . typically , the gdi functions are translated to codes that are sent to the shadow computer system . however , a problem may occur with gdi function that specify text is to be output in a particular font . the problem occurs when the shadow computer system does not support a font that is supported by the host computer system . for example , if the host computer system supports a font with variable width characters , such as times roman , and the shadow computer system only supports fixed width fonts , then any text output by the shadow computer system may be a different length than the text output on the host computer system , resulting in a different appearance in the shadow window . to solve this problem , the share system of the host computer system , upon initialization , determines which fonts the shadow computer system supports . if both the host and shadow computer systems support the font specified in a gdi function , then the host computer system translates gdi function to an order that uses the font . if , however , the shadow computer system cannot support that font , then the host computer system generates a screen list entry , rather than an order entry . the screen list entry references the bounding rectangle of the host window that will be used to extract the screen data that results from the rendering of the data in the font . in this way , the share system minimizes data transmission by transmitting text data as an order when the font is supported , but transmits screen data to ensure that the shadow window is visually consistent with the host window when the font is not supported . fig3 is a flow diagram of the receive font list routine . the receive font list routine is executed by the controlling task whenever a font list message is received at the host computer system from the shadow computer system . the receive font list routine stores the font list information which is used to determine whether a certain font is supported . the font list is transmitted as a message with a list of font descriptions . in step 3301 , the receive font list routine selects the next font description in the message starting with the first font description . in step 3302 , if all the font descriptions have already been selected , then the routine returns , else the routine continues at step 3303 . in step 3303 , the receive font list routine adds the selected font description to the list of font descriptions and loops to step 3301 to select the next font description . fig3 is a flow diagram of the font match routine . the font match routine is invoked to determine whether the shadow computer system supports a font specified in a gdi function . since the font descriptions may be sent in a series of messages asynchronously , it may take a considerable time to determine all the supported font of the shadow system initially . consequently , all gdi function that specify a font are converted to screen data until a message indicating the font is received . in this way , the application sharing can proceed even though all the supported fonts have not yet been identified . alternatively , the share system encodes all output specifying a font as screen data until all the font descriptions have been received . in step 3401 , the font match routine selects the next font description from the list of shadow fonts , starting with the first . in step 3402 , if all the font descriptions have already been selected , then the routine returns a false value , else the routine continues at step 3403 . in step 3403 , if the selected font description matches the font description of the desired font , then the font match routine returns a value true , else the routine loops to step 3401 to select the next font description . a font description contains a name , size , and checksum for the font . thus , font descriptions match , when the name , size , and checksums match . a checksum of a font is used as a double - check to ensure that a font supported by the host computer system is the same as a font supported by the shadow computer system . any of well - known checksum techniques can be used to generate the checksum , the checksum is generated on the definition of the font , which may include generating the checksum from each bitmap for each character in the font . alternatively , the checksum can be generated based on the height and width of each character in the font since the share system is concerned primarily about those characteristics . the share system selects a pixel depth for transmission of bitmap data that preferably tends to maximize the quality of the data displayed on the shadow window . typically , a low resolution display device has a translator associated with it that translates from a high pixel depth to one low pixel depth of the display device . such translators associated with the low resolution device tend to be optimized to ensure that the low resolution data is an accurate representation of the high resolution data . conversely , those computer systems with high resolution display devices may not have translators that accurately translate from the high resolution to the low resolution . consequently , to enhance the quality of the display in the shadow window , when the shadow computer system supports a lower resolution display device than the host computer system , the share system preferably transmits screen data in the high pixel depth to the shadow computer system . the shadow computer system then translates the screen data from the high pixel depth to the low pixel . although this technique increases the amount of transmission time of screen data , the resulting displayed data more accurately represents the data displayed in the host computer system . upon connection of computer systems , one computer system supplies a list of pixel depths that it supports , along with the pixel depth of its display device . the pixel depth of the display device is the resolution of the display device . upon receipt of the information , the share system determines the pixel depth that is common to both the computer systems that is closest to the lowest display pixel depth and uses that as the transmission pixel depth . if , however , the transmission pixel depth is 4 and both computer systems support a pixel depth of 8 , then a transmission depth of 8 is used . fig3 is a flow diagram of the process pixel depth message routine . the process pixel depth message routine is invoked by the controlling task when the computer system receives a message containing the pixel depth information from the other computer system . in step 3501 , the process pixel depth message routine retrieves the message that contains the display pixel depth of the computer system and the supported pixel depths of the computer system . in step 3502 , the routine sets the transmission depth to that commonly supported pixel depth that is closest to the shadow display depth in step 3503 , if the display pixel depth is less than the display pixel depth of the computer system , then the routine continues at step 3504 , else the routine returns . in step 3504 , if the selected transmission depth equals 4 and both computer systems support a pixel depth of 8 , then the transmission pixel depth is set to 8 in step 3505 . the process pixel depth message routine then returns . although the present invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , it is not intended that the invention be limited by this embodiment . modifications within the spirit of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the scope of the present invention is defined in the claims that follow .	6
fig1 illustrates an offset electrostatic label printing system 20 which may advantageously be used to practice the process of the present invention . a web 22 of plain paper is fed from a supply reel 24 and is carried by a number of guide wheels 26 through a brake roll nip formed by rolls 30 and 32 and then between dielectric drum 34 and backup roll 36 . a latent electrostatic image is formed on dielectric drum 34 which has been prepared by coating a conductive substrate with a metal oxide laye using a plasma spraying or detonation gun deposition process . the latent electrostatic image is formed by means of an ion modulated electrostatic print head 28 as the drum 34 rotates . the latent image is developed on the drum 34 by the developer unit 38 , and the developed image is then transferred to the paper web 22 and simultaneously pressure - fixed thereon at the nip between the drum 34 and the backup roll 36 . a doctor blade 40 is provided to scrap off the developer material residue followed by cleaning of the dielectric layer with web cleaner 42 . any latent electrostatic images remaining on the drum are then erased by corona neutralizer unit 180 in preparation for subsequent printing cycles . an enlarged view of the area around the dielectric drum 34 is shown in fig5 . a web 46 of overlaminate material is fed from supply reel 48 through a nip formed by rolls 50 and 52 where it is applied over the printed image on web 22 . the overlaminated printed web is then cut into finished labels by rotary die cutting station 54 and passed through a drive roll nip formed by rolls 56 and 58 . the finished labels are wound onto rewind reel 60 and the cut - out overlaminate web 46 is wound onto waste rewind reel 62 . fig2 is a perspective view of the electrostatic print head 28 with portions cut away to illustrate certain internal details . fig3 is an enlarged sectional view of the corona wire and aperture mask assembly of the print head , and fig4 is a still further enlarged view of the aperture electrodes carried by the aperture mask . the print head 28 is of the type disclosed and claimed in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 689 , 935 , issued to gerald l . pressman et al . on sept . 5 , 1972 and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 016 , 813 , issued to gerald l . pressman et al . on apr . 12 , 1977 , both of these patents being expressly incorporated herein by reference . the print head 28 also embodies certain improvements disclosed and claimed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 338 , 614 , issued to gerald l . pressman et al . on july 6 , 1982 and also incorporated herein by reference . the print head 28 of fig2 generally comprises a pair of electrical circuit boards 72 , 74 mounted on either side of a centrally - located corona wire and aperture mask assembly . the corona wire 76 is enclosed within an elongated conductive corona shield 78 which has u - shaped cross - section . th corona shield 78 is supported at each of its two ends by a manifold block 80 that is formed with an oblong central cavity 82 . the manifold block 80 is nested within a mask support block 84 which is generally c - shaped in cross - section . the mask support block 84 is formed with an oblong central opening 86 which registers with the cavity 82 is the manifold block 80 and receives the corona shield 78 . the mask support block 84 is secured at its edge to a print head slider 88 , the latter being the primary supporting structure of the print head 28 and carrying the two circuit boards 72 , 74 . the print head slider 88 is formed with a large central cut - out 90 and is secured to driver board 92 . the corona shield 78 is positioned in facing relationship with an aperture mask formed by a flexible circuit board 94 . referring particularly to fig3 and 4 , the circuit board 94 is formed with two staggered rows of apertures 96 , 98 extending parallel to the corona wire 76 and transverse to the direction of movement of the web 22 in fig1 . positive ions produced by the corona wire 76 , which is maintained at a positive dc potential of about 2 . 7 kilovolts , are induced to pass through the apertures 96 , 98 under the influence of an accelerating potential which is maintained between the corona wire 76 and the conductive core of the drum 34 of fig1 . the flexible circuit board 94 includes a central insulating layer 100 and carries a continuous conductive layer 102 on the side facing the corona wire 76 . the opposite side of the insulating layer 100 carries a number of conductive segments 104 , 106 associated with the individual apertures 96 , 98 as shown in fig4 . circuit board 94 is secured to mask support block 84 by a thin layer of adhesive 99 and to slotted focus plane 108 by an insulating adhesive layer 109 . circuit board 94 is overlaminated with a thin insulating layer 107 . in operation , individual potentials are applied between the conductive segments 104 , 106 and the continuous conductive layer 102 in order to establish local fringing fields within the apertures 96 , 98 . as described in the aforementioned u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 689 , 935 and 4 , 016 , 813 , these fringing fields can be used to block or permit the flow of ions from the corona wire 76 to the drum 34 of fig1 through selected ones of the apertures 96 , 98 . the apertures are controlled by appropriate electronics carried by the circuit boards 72 , 74 . as explained in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 338 , 614 , the performance of the print head may be enhanced by interposing a slotted focus plane made of a conductive material between the modulated apertures 96 , 98 and the dielectric - coated drum 34 . the slotted focus plane is illustrated at 108 in fig3 with the slot 110 aligned with the aperture rows 96 , 98 . in an alternative embodiment , the corona wire 76 may consist of a dielectric - coated conductor using a high - frequency ac voltage source . ion generators of this type generate both positive and negative ions , although only one type of ion ( in this case positive ) is drawn through the apertures 96 , 98 by the dc accelerating potential existing between the corona wire and the drum 34 . dielectric - coated ac corona devices are described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 057 , 723 , issued to dror sarid et al . on nov . 8 , 1977 ; u . s . pat . no . 4 , 110 , 614 , issued to dror sarid et al . on aug . 29 , 1978 ; u . s . pat . no . 4 , 409 , 604 , issued to richard a . fotland on oct . 11 , 1983 ; and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 446 , 371 , issued to harold w . cobb on may 1 , 1984 . the foregoing patents are expressly incorporated by reference herein . in practice , it has been found that deposits of ammonium nitrate form in and around the apertures 96 , 98 , principally on the side facing the corona wire 76 . some deposits also form on the corona wire itself , thereby reducing its output and producing a nonuniform corona . after the print head has been in operation with an unheated air flow for about 50 - 75 hours , the deposits of ammonium nitrite in and around the apertures 96 , 98 begin to restrict the flow of ions through the apertures . the effect on output can be counteracted somewhat by increasing the potential on the corona wire 76 , but eventually a point is reached at which the apertures become substantially completely blocked . when this occurs , the print head 28 must be removed from the printing apparatus and the flexible circuit board 94 carrying the apertures 96 , 98 must be replaced or cleaned . the flexible circuit board 94 is rather difficult and expensive to manufacture , since it must be etched with a pattern of fine , closely - spaced conductors for controlling the individual apertures . therefore , frequent replacement of this component is undesirable . frequent cleaning is also undesirable because there is the possibility of damaging the delicate circuit and because it is time consuming . fig6 is a perspective view of a corona neutralizer , with portions cut away to illustrate certain internal details . fig7 is an enlarged sectional view of a corona neutralizer . the corona wire 400 is enclosed within an elongated conductive corona shield 402 which has a u - shaped cross - section and a series of holes 404 therethrough . the corona shield 402 is supported by a manifold block 406 which is formed with an oblong central cavity 408 . a filter screen 410 is disposed between corona shield 402 and manifold block 406 over the entire length of the cavity 408 . an air inlet tube 412 for supplying a flow of air to the corona neutralizer is connected with cavity 408 . a solid diffuser disk 414 is nested within block 406 adjacent to filter screens 410 , 411 opposite air inlet tube 412 . an electrically grounded screen 416 is wrapped over the outside surfaces of the corona shield 402 and the manifold block 406 . the two ends of screen 416 are secured between plates 418 and 420 in order to tighten the screen against the outside surfaces of the corona shield and manifold block . an identical corona neutralizer 45 is shown in phantom in fig7 adjacent to corona neutralizer 44 . in operation , an ac potential is applied to the corona wire 400 so that both positive and negative ions are generated . some of the negative ions are drawn through the screen 416 by the residual positive charges on the dielectric drum 34 , and in this manner the drum surface is neutralized . the screen 416 is maintained at or near ground potential ; as a result , the electric field existing between the screen and the drum surface will drop to zero when the drum surface has been completely neutralized , and the flow of negative ions toward the drum will cease . in general , the flow of ions between the corona wire 400 and the drum surface will cease when the potential of the drum surface becomes equal to the screen potential . when two corona neutralizers 44 , 45 are used , as in th preferred embodiment , the screen potential of the first neutralizer may be made slightly negative in order to accelerate the rate of charge neutralization . in accordance with the present invention , a flow of heated air is provided through the electrostatic print head 28 in order to inhibit the formation of ammonium nitrate in and around the apertures 96 , 98 and on the corona wire 76 , and through corona neutralizer unit 180 in order to inhibit the formation of ammonium nitrate on the corona wires and screen . in the absence of heated air , the components of the print head 28 , including the corona wire 76 , and the corona neutralizer unit 180 normally operate at or near ambient temperature . an exemplary system for supplying heated air to the print head 28 and corona neutralizer unit 180 is illustrated in fig8 . compressed air at a minimum of 80 psi and generally about 80 - 100 psi enters the system through a section of tubing 120 and is conducted to the input side of a coalescing oil filter 122 . the coalescing oil filter operates to remove any oil or water droplets which may be present in the source of compressed air . the output side of the filter 122 is connected by means of a further length of tubing 124 to an output register 138 which controls the air pressure to the print head 28 . a gage 140 allows the air pressure at the output of the regulator 138 to be monitored . from the output of the regulator 138 , the air passes via tubing 142 to the input side of a hydrocarbon filter 152 . the output side of the hydrocarbon filter 152 is connected via a short length of tubing to a tee 148 , one output of which is connected to the input side of an adjustable flow meter 144 of the floating ball type . in the preferred embodiment , the flow meter 144 is set to provide an air flow of about 41 cubic feet per hour to the electrostatic print head 28 . a knob 146 on the flow meter allows the flow rate of the air to be adjusted if necessary . the output side of the flow meter 144 is connected via tubing 149 to a pressure sensor 150 . the function of the pressure sensor 150 is to insure that adequate air pressure is being provided to the print head 28 , and to interrupt the operation of the machine when this condition is not satisfied . the output side of pressure sensor 150 is connected via tubing 156 to the input side of an air heater 157 , such as model no . pf06 manufactured by hotwatt , inc . of danvers , mass . the output side of air heater 157 is connected via a length of heat resistant tubing 155 , such as metal or ceramic tubing , to disconnect coupling 154 which is connected to a rigid tube 158 carried by the print head 28 . the tube 158 passes through a support member 160 and is connected to the input side of a particulate filter 162 . referring to fig3 the output side of the filter 162 is connected to an aperture 164 located at one end of the oblong central cavity 82 in the frame 80 . the aperture 164 delivers heated air into the enclosed chamber formed by the cavity 82 , opening 86 and the cut - out 90 in the rear frame member 88 . the heated air flows around the sides of the corona shield 78 and passes through the gap between the corona shield and the aperture mask 94 to the interior of the corona shield , where it surrounds the corona wire 76 in the course of passing out of the print head through the apertures 96 , 98 and the slotted mask 108 . the second output of the tee 148 is connected via tubing 166 to the input side of an adjustable flow meter 168 of the floating ball type . flow meter 168 is connected via tubing 170 to the input side of another air heater 171 similar to air heater 157 . the output side of air heater 171 is connected via heat resistant tubing 172 to tee 174 , which is connected via heat resistant tubing 176 , 178 to corona neutralizer unit 180 . corona neutralizer unit 180 comprises two identical side - by - side corona neutralizers 44 and 45 . referring to fig7 tubing 178 is connected to tubing 412 which delivers heated air into the enclosed cavity 408 . the heated air flows around diffuser disk 44 , through filter screens 410 , 411 and through the series of holes 404 through corona shield 402 , where it surrounds corona wire 400 . the heated air then passes through screen 416 against the dielectric coating of drum 34 . the flow of heated air through the electrostatic print head 28 has been found to retard the buildup of ammonium nitrate on the corona wire 76 , and in and around the electrically controlled apertures 96 , 98 , to a point where the useful life of the print head can be extended by an order of magnitude . this represents an enormous increase over the average lifetime of a print head not supplied with heated air , which is typically about 75 hours . the flow of heated air through the corona neutralizers , such as corona neutralizer 44 , has been found to retard the buildup of ammonium nitrate on the corona wire 400 and screen 416 . although elevated temperatures may cause the corona wires to expand somewhat , this may be alleviated by the use of springs or other compensating means to support the corona wires . the following examples , provided merely by way of illustration and not being intended as limitations on the scope of the invention , will assist in an understanding of the invention and the manner in which these advantageous results are obtained . an apparatus was constructed which was capable of testing several print heads at the same time for the purpose of determining the lifetime of each print head . a power supply was wired in parallel to each print head with an led indicator showing the power going to each print head . an hour meter was also attached to each print head to measure the head life . two print heads were tested to measure the effect on lifetime of heating the air which is pumped through the apertures in the print heads . the two print heads used were of the type shown in fig2 . the testing apparatus which was used is shown schematically in fig9 . a gast oilless pump ( type doa - u111 - aa ), designated by the numeral 300 , was connected by tubing to a balston oil coalescing filter ( type 92 with dx filter ) designated by the numeral 302 . all tubing used to connect the components of the apparatus was 1 / 8 in . i . d . bev - a - line iv tubing . the oil coalescing filter 302 was connected to a balston charcoal filter ( type 92 housing with ci - 100 - 12 filter ), designated by the numeral 304 . the charcoal filter 304 was connected by a tee joint 306 to two dwyer flowmeters ( model rma - 8 - ssv ; 0 - 100 scfh ), designated by the numerals 308 and 310 . each flowmeter was connected to a balston dfu particulate filter , designated by the numerals 312 and 314 . dfu filter 312 was connected directly to the plenum behind the corona shield on one of the print heads 316 . the corona wire in the print head 316 , which received unheated air , operated at or near ambient temperature . the other dfu filter 314 was connected to a heater 318 comprising a nichrome wire wound around a ceramic tube . the heater was connected to the plenum behind the corona shield of the second print head 320 . the heater was controlled by a proportional controller which maintained the air temperature at 180 ° f . ( 82 ° c .). the heater power was regulated to maintain the desired temperature by sensing the air temperature in the plenum behind the corona shield with a thermocouple located in the plenum . the coronas were turned on and the air was allowed to equilibrate at 180 ° f . ( 82 ° c .). the air flow to each print head was 30 scfh . ambient relative humidity during the test was above 40 percent on the average . the hours of operation , corona voltage and voltage change from the initial value during the test are set forth in tables i and ii below : table i______________________________________print head 316 ( ambient air ) approximate change fromelapsed time corona starting ( hours ) voltage ( kv ) voltage ( kv ) ______________________________________ 0 2 . 70 0 90 2 . 71 0 . 01134 2 . 72 0 . 02229 2 . 79 0 . 09269 2 . 82 0 . 12382 2 . 84 0 . 14424 2 . 85 0 . 15520 2 . 80 0 . 10545 2 . 87 0 . 17589 2 . 89 0 . 19656 2 . 96 0 . 26672 2 . 93 0 . 23837 3 . 07 0 . 37______________________________________ table ii______________________________________print head 320 ( heated air ) approximate change fromelapsed time corona starting ( hours ) voltage ( kv ) voltage ( kv ) ______________________________________ 0 2 . 48 0 . 00 90 2 . 47 - 0 . 01 134 2 . 48 0 . 00 229 2 . 48 0 . 00 269 2 . 50 0 . 02 382 2 . 50 0 . 02 424 2 . 53 0 . 05 520 2 . 65 0 . 17 545 2 . 60 0 . 12 589 2 . 63 0 . 15 656 2 . 64 0 . 16 672 2 . 60 0 . 12 837 2 . 53 0 . 051020 2 . 47 - 0 . 011138 2 . 48 0 . 001186 2 . 47 - 0 . 011234 2 . 38 - 0 . 101287 2 . 43 - 0 . 051375 2 . 45 - 0 . 031423 2 . 46 - 0 . 021452 2 . 45 - 0 . 031502 2 . 48 0 . 001596 2 . 50 0 . 021756 2 . 46 - 0 . 021826 2 . 47 - 0 . 011924 2 . 44 - 0 . 042062 2 . 47 - 0 . 01______________________________________ after 229 hours of operation , the two print heads were examined . in print head 316 which used the ambient air , the corona shield exhibited whitish deposits of ammonium nitrate which extended the length of the apertures . the deposits were heavier toward the end farthest from the air inlet . the material appeared as a whitish haze on the shield . the corona wire was covered with a dark deposit which was irregular in places , having a flaky appearance . the dark deposit was opposite the conductive plane of the aperture mask , not the kapton - insulated area . on the back of the print head there were heavy deposits of ammonium nitrate in the apertures at the ends of the print head . the apertures were clear in the center of the print head . there were no unusual deposits or changes on the front ( outside ) of the print head . in print head 320 which used the heated air , the corona shield did not have any obvious deposit of material . the corona wire was golden in color and quite clean , with a small number of white needles growing axially out from the wire . on the back of the print head , the entire cavity was filled with very fine glass fibers from the thermocouple insulation . the apertures were free of ammonium nitrate deposits . there was some clear or golden deposits around the apertures , especially near the center of the print head . there were no unusual deposits on the outside of the print head . after 229 hours of operation , print head 320 with heated air was much cleaner than print head 316 with air at ambient temperature . after 423 hours , print head 316 was examined and found to have continued accumulation of deposits on the corona shield and in the print head . after 424 hours , print head 320 was examined and was still observed to be much cleaner . after 672 hours , print head 320 was examined . the corona wire was golden in color with some whiskers . the print head exhibited a light brown deposit along the row of apertures . the apertures were generally clear of ammonium nitrite . the corona shield was covered with a very light haze of ammonium nitrate . after 837 hours , print head 320 was examined and found to be very similar to the last inspection . a slight haze of ammonium nitrate was visible on the shield . after 840 hours , the corona on print head 316 would not turn back on and the print head was examinated . print head 316 had reached the end of its life . extensive deposits of ammonium nitrate were visible in the center portion of the corona shield with golden brown deposits on each end of the shield . there were white and green deposits on the inboard end of the print head . the center was relatively clean . there was an extensive brown deposit on the outboard end . the corona wire was dark . the printing performance of the print head would be unacceptable long before 840 hours . after 1020 hours , print head 320 was examined . the appearance was still good and not substantially different from the previous inspection . after 1234 hours , print head 320 was again examined . there were diffuse ammonium nitrate deposits on the corona shield . the corona wire was golden brown with whiskers . a brown conductive deposit was found on the print head . the apertures were clear . ammonium nitrate was building up on the outside of the print head . after 1502 hours , the appearance was much the same as it was after 1234 hours . the wire was golden in color with an increased number of whiskers . the apertures were clear on the inside with a diffuse haze on the corona shield . after 1756 hours , print head 320 was again examined . the nitrate haze on the corona shield had become nonuniform , showing narrow bands of cleaner areas on the shield . these bands corresponded to the locations of several small dark areas on the wire . the appearance of the inside of the mask was generally clean with some brownish discoloration at either end . after 2062 hours , print head 320 was again opened and examined . in addition , a print test was done . at least 13 areas on the inside of the mask showed damage from arcing . at the corresponding location on the wire , scars from high voltage arcs were also visible . the corona shield retained the banded appearance . the print quality after 2062 hours was poor . it was not appreciably improved by cleaning the mask with distilled water . replacing the corona wire ( along with water cleaning of the mask ) did , however , restore the print quality to a very good condition . the results of tests indicate that , at some time between 1756 hours and 2062 hours , the corona wire began to arc appreciably . it was observed that there was a gradual buildup of ammonium nitrate on the corona shield and in the form of whiskers on the corona wire . these areas of ammonium nitrate possibly provided points for the arcing to start . no evidence of deterioration of the mask itself was observed after 2000 hours at 180 ° f . ( 82 ° c .). the ion generator described in these examples is of the current regulated type . the sum of the currents flowing from the corona wire 76 to the corona shield 78 and to the conductive layer 102 is regulated to a constant value . the voltage of the corona wire 76 is then allowed to reach a level to maintain this constant current . as the interior of the corona cavity becomes coated with ammonium nitrate and other materials , the voltage needed to maintain constant current must be increased . therefore , the increase in the voltage of the corona wire as a life test proceeds is an indicator of the degree to which the corona cavity is being contaminated with ammonium nitrate or other materials . the data for the change in the voltage from the initial level for the print heads with ambient air and heated air versus elapsed time from tables i and ii , respectively , is graphically illustrated in fig7 . a second test was conducted to determine the lifetime of a print head using air heated to a temperature of 160 ° f . ( 71 ° c .). the testing apparatus employed in example 1 above was modified by adding a humidifier to the air pump intake . the relative humidity was maintained at about 40 - 50 percent . print tests were made periodically . the air flow to each print head was 30 scfh . this test demonstrated that a print head which was run with ambient air suffered severe degradation of print quality between 300 and 490 hours , whereas a print head which was run with the same air heated to about 160 ° f . ( 71 ° c .) showed substantial degradation of print quality between 637 and 818 hours . the test further showed that print quality could be substantially restored by cleaning the mask with water and by replacing the corona wire . in print head 316 , which operated at or near ambient temperature , print quality had substantially degraded after only 101 hours . after 490 hours , the print quality from print head 316 was very bad . in print head 320 , which received the heated air , the print quality was quite consistent until 490 hours . by 637 hours , print quality from print head 320 was starting to degrade , and after 818 hours the print quality had degraded substantially . the corona wire quality had degraded to the point where its gold coating had disappeared . this corresponded to the areas of light print . print quality could be restored to the new state by cleaning the mask with water and replacement of the corona wire . the hours of operation , corona voltage , voltage change from the initial value , and relative humidity during the test are set forth in tables iii and iv below : table iii______________________________________print head 316 ( ambient air ) approximate change fromelapsed time corona starting ( hours ) voltage ( kv ) voltage ( kv ) % rh______________________________________ 31 2 . 70 0 . 00 70102 2 . 73 0 . 03 45170 2 . 73 0 . 03 48257 2 . 76 0 . 06 45349 2 . 78 0 . 08490 2 . 83 0 . 13 39______________________________________ table iv______________________________________print head 320 ( heated air ) approximate change fromelapsed time corona starting ( hours ) voltage ( kv ) voltage ( kv ) % rh______________________________________ 31 2 . 47 0 . 00 70101 2 . 48 0 . 01 45170 2 . 50 0 . 03 48256 2 . 51 0 . 04 45349 2 . 54 0 . 07490 2 . 56 0 . 09 39586 2 . 59 0 . 12637 2 . 60 0 . 13 50678 2 . 61 0 . 14 42776 2 . 65 0 . 18 42818 2 . 66 0 . 19______________________________________ the data for the change in the voltage from the initial level for the print heads with ambient air and heated air versus elapsed time from tables iii and iv , respectively , is graphically illustrated in fig8 .	6
fig3 shows an x - decoder 106 b which may be used in a flash memory device , similarly to the local x - decoder 106 within the flash memory device 100 of fig1 . referring to fig3 , the x - decoder 106 b includes eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 , each driving a respective word - line wl 0 , wl 1 , . . . , and wl 7 of the flash memory device . each driver such as the example driver 200 includes a driving mosfet ( metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor ) 212 and a pull - down mosfet 214 . the driving mosfet 212 has a drain with a respective line voltage avw 0 applied thereon . the driving mosfet 212 also has a gate coupled to a common node 216 also coupling all the gates of the driving mosfets of the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 . the source of the driving mosfet 212 is coupled to the drain of the pull - down mosfet 214 . the pull - down mosfet 214 has a source coupled to a low voltage vss . the sources of the pull - down mosfets for all the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 are coupled to the low voltage vss . the pull - down mosfet 214 has a gate coupled to a common control terminal 218 with a ngw control signal applied thereon . the gates of the pull - down mosfets for all the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 are coupled to the common control terminal . thus , each driver 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 has a respective driving mosfet with a respective line voltage avw applied on the drain of the respective driving mosfet for driving a respective word line wl to the line voltage avw . the gates of the driving mosfets are coupled together at the common node 216 . the x - decoder 106 b also includes a control mosfet 220 having a source coupled to the common node 216 . the pgw control signal is coupled to the drain of the control mosfet 220 , and the wlg control signal is coupled to the gate of the control mosfet 220 . in addition , the x - decoder 106 b includes a capacitor 222 coupled between the common node 216 and a capacitance node 224 . in an example embodiment of the present invention , the capacitor 222 is comprised of a mosfet ( metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor ) having a gate coupled to the common node 216 and having a drain and a source that are coupled together at the capacitance node 224 . the operation of the x - decoder 106 b is now described in reference to fig4 , and 6 . first assume that the control signals pgw and wlg are at a boost voltage vbst ( while the control signal ngw is at the low voltage vss ) for driving one of the word lines wl 0 , wl 1 , . . . , and wl 7 to the boost voltage vbst . referring to fig1 and 4 , the control signals pgw and ngw are generated by the global x - decoder 108 of the flash memory device , and the control signal wlg is generated by the vertical block decoder 110 of the flash memory device . the global x - decoder 108 activates the pgw control signal to the boost voltage vbst and de - activates the ngw control signal to the low voltage vss such that the driver 106 b drives one of the word lines wl 0 , wl 1 , . . . , and wl 7 to the boost voltage vbst . assume for example that the first word line wl 0 is to be driven to the boost voltage vbst . referring to fig4 , initially , all of the line voltages avw 0 , av 1 , . . . , and avw 7 applied on the driving mosfets of the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 are set to the low voltage vss . in addition , the low voltage vss is applied on the capacitance node 224 . with such voltages in fig4 , an initial boost voltage ( vbst - vth ) is generated on the common node 216 , with vth being the threshold voltage of the control mosfet 220 . in addition with such voltages in fig4 , the low voltage vss is generated on the word - lines wl 0 , wl 1 , . . . , and wl 7 . thereafter , referring to fig5 , the boost voltage vbst is applied simultaneously on the capacitance node 224 and on the drain of the driving mosfet 212 as the line voltage avw 0 . generally , the boost voltage vbst is applied on the drain of the driving mosfet within the driver coupled to the selected one of the word lines wl 0 , wl 1 . . . , or wl 7 to be driven to the boost voltage vbst . with such voltages in fig5 , a final boost voltage ( vbst + δv ) is generated on the common node 216 , with δv being at least ( and substantially about ) the threshold voltage of the driving mosfet 212 . thus , the first word line wl 0 is driven to the original boost voltage vbst . since the other line voltages avw 1 , . . . , and avw 7 are the low voltage vss , the other word lines wl 1 , . . . , and wl 7 are deactivated to the low voltage vss . referring to fig4 and 5 , the capacitor 222 stores charge from the bias voltages of fig4 as the initial boost voltage ( vbst − vth ) is generated on the common node 216 . thereafter , when the boost voltage vbst is applied on the driving transistor 212 and the capacitance node 224 in fig5 , the final boost voltage ( vbst + δv ) is generated on the common node 216 . such a final boost voltage ( vbst + δv ) is stepped up from the initial boost voltage ( vbst - vth ). such a final boost voltage ( vbst + δv ) is higher than the original boost voltage vbst for advantageously turning on the driving mosfet 212 when the source of the driving mosfet 212 is biased to the original boost voltage vbst . because the gates of the eight driving mosfets for the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 are coupled to the common node 216 , the capacitor 222 is coupled to the common node 216 for maintaining the voltage at the common node 222 . the capacitance of the capacitor 222 is designed to be substantially larger than the gate capacitance of each of the driving mosfets for the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 for preventing degradation of the voltage at the common node 216 . any of the other drivers 201 , . . . , and 207 operates similarly to the driver 200 to drive the respective word line wl to the boost voltage vbst when the corresponding line voltage avw at the drain of the driving mosfet is activated to the boost voltage vbst . fig6 illustrates the case when the pgw control signal is deactivated to the low voltage vss and the ngw control signal is activated to the boost voltage vbst such that the eight word lines wl 0 , wl 1 , . . . , and wl 7 are deactivated to the low voltage vss . in that case , the pull - down mosfets ( such as 214 ) within each of the drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 are turned on such that each of the eight word lines wl 0 , wl 1 , . . . , and wl 7 are coupled to the vss voltage source . in addition , the common node 216 has the low voltage vss generated thereon no matter the voltage applied on the capacitance node 224 . in this manner , the x - decoder 106 b is implemented with just one control mosfet 220 and the capacitor 222 that is common to all of the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 . thus , the x - decoder 106 b is implemented with a minimized number of the control mosfet 200 . furthermore , the one common node 216 is used to bias the gates of the driving mosfets of the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 . such a common node 216 is advantageous for minimizing wiring to the eight drivers 200 , 201 , . . . , and 207 . as a result , the eight drivers may be fabricated compactly with minimized area . the foregoing is by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting . for example , the present invention is described for a local x - decoder within a flash memory device . however , the present invention may be used for any type of decoder within any type of memory device . in addition , any number of elements illustrated and described herein is by way of example only , and the present invention may be used for any number of such elements . the present invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and equivalents thereof .	6
while the novel techniques described above are applicable in general to the amplification of multiple input laser beams in a single laser amplifier , such as the two beams produced by a two - photon , three - level laser system , the technique will be typically described herein as applied to the 16 μm co 2 bending mode laser system . the vibrational energy level diagram for this laser is illustrated in fig1 with the three levels corresponding to an upper laser level of 00 0 1 , an intermediate level of 02 0 0 , and a lower level of 01 1 0 . the major interactions of the 16 μm co 2 bending mode laser are also illustrated in fig1 . a detailed description of the operation of this laser is provided in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 168 , 474 which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference . a sectioned schematic illustration of a 16 μm co 2 laser oscillator is shown in fig2 . the lasing medium , lm , consists of a gas composition including a lasing gas co 2 , an energizing gas n 2 , and a buffer gas he . the gases are contained between the two laser windows w 1 , w 2 and cooled by a cooling fluid which surrounds the laser tube lt . the laser medium is electrically excited by a discharge pulse from the electrical excitation source es . as in a conventional 10 . 6 μm co 2 laser , the 00 0 1 level of co 2 and the vibrational states of n 2 are preferentially pumped by the electrical discharge . after the discharge pulse , the excited n 2 transfers much of its excitation energy to the upper co 2 laser level 00 0 1 , via vibrational - vibrational collisions , while the intermediate laser level , 02 0 0 , and the lower laser level , 01 1 0 , lose much of their excitation energy by vibrational - translational collisions with the he atoms in the laser gas mixture lm . these energy transfers result in a long lived population inversion on the 9 . 4 μm laser transition , 00 0 1 → 02 0 0 . the excess population of the 00 0 1 level is then transferred to the intermediate co 2 laser level , 02 0 0 , by stimulated emission caused by an externally delivered 9 . 4 μm laser pulse from pulse source ps . the latter pulse is delivered at an optimum time after the discharge pulse from the excitation source es , i . e ., when the potential population inversion for the 16 μm lasing is a maximum . the optimum time corresponds to the condition reflected in fig6 where the δn , or population difference , between the 00 0 1 and 01 1 0 laser levels is maximum . this can be determined theoretically or experimentally . typically , the actuation pulse from the source es is 1μ sec . in duration and the maximum δn occurs about 100μ seconds later . the stimulated transfer resulting from the application of the 9 . 4 μm pump pulse of source ps at this optimum time generates a population inversion between the intermediate laser level and the lower laser level of fig1 which results in laser emission at 16 μm . the buildup of the 16 μm laser radiation is controlled by the laser cavity mirrors m 1 , m 2 , and proceeds as in conventional laser oscillators . the effects of rotational relaxation , i . e . rotational - rotational collisional energy exchanges , on the laser kinetics of oscillators and amplifiers are illustrated in fig3 . in this figure j is the rotational level quantum number , the wavy arrows t indicate the direction of population flow due to the lasing transitions , and the solid arrows r indicate the general direction of population flow due to rotational relaxation . the 9 . 4 μm lasing effectively &# 34 ; burns a hole &# 34 ; h1 in the rotational manifold m u of the upper laser level 00 0 1 , and produces an overpopulated rotational level h2 in the rotataional manifold m i of the intermediate laser level 02 0 0 . rotational relaxation acts to fill in the &# 34 ; hole &# 34 ; h1 in the manifold m u while reducing the population of the overpopulated level h2 in the manifold m i . this overpopulation in the manifold m i generates the population inversion necessary for the 16 μm lasing which in turn reduces the overpopulated rotational level in manifold m i while creating an overpopulation h3 of the rotational level in manifold m l . rotational relaxation therefore acts to increase the underpopulated level in manifold m u of fig3 a , and to reduce the overpopulated levels in manifolds m i and m l of fig3 b and 3c respectively . the effects in manifolds m u and m l act to increase the laser performance whereas the effect in manifold m i is to reduce the laser performance of the 16 μm transition . these experimentally verified effects of rotational relaxation on the performance of two - photon , three - level laser systems form the basis for the novel techniques described herein . before proceeding , it is important to note that another method of operating the 16 μm co 2 bending mode laser is to allow the 9 . 4 μm lasing transition to terminate on rotation level j &# 39 ; in the manifold m i and to have the 16 μm lasing transition originate from the rotational level j &# 34 ; in manifold m i where j &# 39 ;≠ j &# 34 ;. this operating mode is illustrated in fig5 . in this case , enough rotational relaxation within the manifold m i must occur to create the short - lived population inversion needed for the 16 μm lasing -- but without allowing too much vibrational relaxation of the 02 0 0 level which would destroy the population inversion . however , the first method of operation ( j &# 39 ;= j &# 34 ;) is the more common method and is assumed for the description of the preferred embodiment . from this understanding of the operation of a two - photon , three - level laser , the technique for operating an amplifier to amplify both input laser beams can be appreciated . one possible configuration is shown in fig4 where the two beams coming from a 16 μm co 2 laser oscillator , as shown in fig2 are split by a beam splitter bs1 , travel different optical paths , and are recombined by the second beam splitter bs2 . the combined beams are then focused by a beam condenser bc to match the laser medium volume in the laser amplifier . the amplifier increases the laser intensity of both the 9 . 4 μm and the 16 μm laser beams . the 9 . 4 μm beam , the first beam , which is usually more intense than the 16 μm beam , the second beam , is isolated by the first beam splitter bs1 , reflected by the first mirror m1 , into an optical delay od , through an absorber ab , and is reflected by a second mirror m2 , such that it can be recombined with the 16 μm beam via the second beam splitter bs2 . the first technique to achieve amplification of both beams is to initiate the amplifier excitation source es &# 39 ; at the proper time relative to the initiation of the oscillator excitation source es as illustrated in fig6 . fig6 illustrates vibrational level populations as a function of time without lasing . the time delay circuit td delays the activation of excitation source es &# 39 ; for a predetermined time following the activation of the excitation source es . this timing is necessary because the optimum time between excitation and lasing for the oscillator 10 and amplifier 20 is usually different , and to further account for the travel time of the beams from the oscillator 10 to the amplifier 20 . the activation of the excitation source es &# 39 ; is controlled by the delay circuit td to correspond to the time when the population inversion , δn of fig6 is about maximum for one of the two laser input beams , or pulses . in the case of input laser beams of 9 . 4 μm and 16 μm the maximum δn is essentially coincidental . in the event the maximum δn for two or more input laser beams is different than the activation of the excitation source es &# 39 ; would be controlled to occur at one of the maximum δn conditions or at a predetermined point relative to the several δn maximum of the respective input laser beams , or pulses . since the population inversion needed for the amplification of the 16 μm beam is formed by the 9 . 4 μm beam and rapidly lost by rotational relaxation ( or by vibrational relaxation ), the 16 μm pulse must be present in the amplifier 20 while the inversion is there and before it disappears . this feature of the amplifier 20 operation dictates that the 16 μm pulse cannot precede the 9 . 4 μm pulse and cannot significantly trail the 9 . 4 μm pulse . in other words , the leading edges of the pulses of the two laser beams as inputs to the amplifier 20 should be nearly coincident in time and space . this near - coincidence is achieved by the optical delay od in the 9 . 4 μm optical path , and the beam condenser bc . the beam condenser bc is commercially available from commercial suppliers such as perkin elmer . the optical delay od can be implemented by using spaced apart mirrors . the optical absorber ab can be implemented with commercial devices or simply through the use of a material such as saran wrap . furthermore , the 9 . 4 μm pulse cannot be so short that the population inversion needed for the amplification of the 16 μm beam is lost before the end of the 16 μm pulse transverses the amplifier 20 . the proper 9 . 4 μm pulse length can be achieved by using an external source of the 9 . 4 μm radiation which can be more easily controlled or by using a conventional optical shutter device eo in the 9 . 4 μm beam path as shown in fig4 . on the other hand , once the lower laser level has reached a certain value of population , the 9 . 4 μm radiation cannot produce any population inversion for 16 μm amplification . in fact , any further 16 μm radiation will be absorbed and will actually reduce the amplification of the remaining 9 . 4 μm radiation . in order to avoid this condition the 16 μm pulse may be shortened by a conventional optical shutter device eo . furthermore , the two beam paths , or input pulses , are optically adjusted in fig4 so they transverse as much of the same laser medium volume v in the amplifier 20 as possible since both beams must be present in the same spatial volume . the first beam , or input pulse , functions to create the population inversion for the second beam or input pulse . since , under ideal conditions , it takes only one 9 . 4 μm photon to provide the necessary conditions to amplify one 16 μm photon , any excess 9 . 4 μm photons are wasted as far as amplifying the 16 μm radiation . furthermore , if too many 9 . 4 μm photons are used , the entire 02 0 0 level will be so heavily populated that the vibrational - translational collisions will quickly transfer much of the 02 0 0 level population to the 01 1 0 level , thereby destroying the population inversion needed for the amplification of the 16 μm beam . the absorber ab in fig4 reduces the 9 . 4 μm beam intensity to achieve a condition whereby the intensity of the 16 μm beam is sufficient to realize the goal of one 16 μm photon to one 9 . 4 μm photon goal and yet is less than that which would significantly reduce the amplification of the 16 μm beam . this corresponds typically to a 9 . 4 μm beam intensity which is approximately 170 % of the intensity of the 16 μm beam . the lifetime and magnitude of the population inversion needed for amplification of the 16 μm input beam in amplifier 20 is a function , in part , of the gas mixture , pressure , and temperature . these gas properties are be selected to optimize the two - photon amplifier performance . the ratios of the laser gas constituents , i . e . co 2 , n 2 , he , will in general be slightly different than those typically used in two - photon , three - level laser oscillators as described in the above - referenced u . s . patent . however , there is a significant difference in the amplifier operation compared to a conventional 10 . 6 μm co 2 amplifier since the he content of the gas must be sufficient to maintain the low bending mode population in the intermediate and lower laser levels . thus , while the he content of a conventional 10 . 6 μm laser gas medium is typically about 50 %, in this amplifier embodiment the he content is about 90 %. this corresponds to a co 2 : n 2 : he laser gas composition of about 1 : 2 : 25 . furthermore , the low pressures , i . e ., about 50 torr , and low temperatures , i . e ., about 160 ° k ., needed for laser operation of the 16 μm co 2 bending mode laser oscillator will typically be needed for good laser operation of the amplifier . these teachings of the disclosed invention for amplifying both laser beams of a two - photon , three - phase laser oscillator have been applied to a pulsed , infrared laser . experimental verification of the inventive concepts were conducted at a pressure of 8 . 25 torr and a temperature of 157 ° k . however , other lasers such as electronic lasers , e . g . krf , hgbr , etc ., are also considered to be a part of the teaching of this application . furthermore , the requirements for amplifier performance which deal with the relative beam intensities , the transversing of the same amplifier volume by the two beams , and the proper selection of gas mixture , pressure , and temperature , are applicable to continuous wave , cw , operation and are considered to be a part of the teaching of this application . finally , the extension to non - gaseous laser media ; three - photon , four - level lasers , etc . ; and to laser systems in which the two laser beams originate in different sources , rather than from a single laser oscillator , is considered to be a part of the teachings of this application .	7
the double - flywheel damper represented diagrammatically in fig1 includes a primary inertia mass 10 ( in the form of a primary flywheel ) fixed to the end of a drive shaft 12 , such as the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine m , and a secondary inertia mass 14 ( in the form of a secondary flywheel ) fixed to a driven shaft 15 and coaxial with the primary inertia mass 10 . the secondary inertia mass 14 is , for example , connected by a clutch e to an input shaft of a gearbox bv . the two inertia masses ( or flywheels ) 10 , 14 are connected together in rotation by a pre - damper 16 and by a torsion damper 18 . according to the invention , the torsion damper 18 includes an epicyclic gear train consisting of a sun wheel 20 , an outer crown wheel 22 and a planet gear carrier 24 the planet gears 25 of which mesh with external teeth on the sun wheel 20 and internal teeth on the outer crown wheel 22 . in the embodiment of fig1 , the pre - damper 16 , which is of a standard type , is mounted between the primary inertia mass 10 and the planet gear carrier 24 . the driven shaft 15 of the sun wheel 20 is fastened to the secondary inertia mass 14 , which can be centered and guided in rotation on the primary inertia mass 10 in the standard manner . the outer crown wheel 22 is guided in rotation in a fixed chassis 26 which surrounds the epicyclic gear train . in this example , the torsion damper 18 also includes a coil spring 28 around the outer crown wheel of the epicyclic gear train that extends approximately 360 ° around the rotation axis of the double - flywheel damper , this spring 28 being housed and guided in an annular chamber of the fixed chassis 26 , for example . the ends of the spring 28 bear on the one hand on a radial lug 30 of the fixed chassis 26 and on the other hand on a radial lug 32 of the outer crown wheel 22 , the radial lug 30 of the chassis 26 extending inward whereas the radial lug 32 of the outer crown wheel 22 extends outward . in a known manner , the radial lug 32 of the outer crown wheel 22 can extend in a diametral plane of the end turns of the spring 28 , whereas in this case the chassis 26 has two radial lugs 30 on respective opposite sides of the diametral lug 32 of the outer crown wheel 22 , as is often the case in torsion dampers using circumferential springs . the spring 28 of the torsion damper can be curved in the free state to facilitate fitting it around the outer crown wheel 22 . alternatively , it can be straight in the free state and bent into a curve in order to fit it around the outer crown wheel 22 . in another variant , the spring 28 can be replaced by two or more springs mounted end - to - end , these springs being curved or straight in the free state . the double - flywheel damper that has just been described operates in the following manner : when idling and at low loads , vibrations and acyclic rotation are absorbed and damped by the pre - damper 16 , whereas the spring 28 of the torsion damper 18 remains in the state represented in fig2 , where it extends approximately 360 ° around the outer crown wheel 22 , its two ends bearing on the radial lug 30 of the fixed chassis and on the radial lug 32 of the outer crown wheel 22 . when the torque transmitted by the double - flywheel damper increases , vibration and acyclic rotation transmitted by the drive shaft 12 to the primary inertia mass 10 are absorbed by the spring 28 , which is compressed either in the forward direction as represented in fig3 or in the opposite direction as represented in fig4 , the vibrations and acyclic rotations being damped by friction means mounted in the standard manner in the torsion damper 18 between the two inertia masses , these friction means being well known to the person skilled in the art and not being represented in the drawings for reasons of clarity . in fig3 and 4 , the spring 28 is in a maximally compressed state , its turns being contiguous or substantially contiguous . in this state , the rotation of the outer crown wheel 22 relative to the fixed chassis 26 is approximately 120 °, for example . the corresponding rotation of the secondary inertia mass relative to the primary inertia mass is determined by the transmission ratio of the epicyclic gear train . if this ratio is 1 . 5 , for example ( which means that the rotation speed of the secondary inertia mass 14 is 1 . 5 times the rotation speed of the primary inertia mass 10 ), the maximum possible angular range of movement of the secondary inertia mass 14 relative to the primary inertia mass 10 is 80 ° to either side of a median position if the angular range of movement of the outer crown wheel 22 relative to the fixed chassis is 120 ° to either side of a median position . the resulting vibration damping performance is very much better than that of a standard double - flywheel damper . passage through the resonant frequency , which is a problem encountered in all double - flywheel dampers when stopping and starting the engine of the vehicle , can be solved very simply in the double - flywheel damper of the invention , either by preventing rotation of the outer crown wheel 22 or by releasing the outer crown wheel , the secondary inertia mass being then either prevented from rotating relative to the primary inertia mass or free to rotate relative to that primary inertia mass on passing through the resonant frequency . the outer crown wheel 22 can be immobilized by immobilizing its radial lug 32 or by application of a brake shoe to the outer crown wheel . releasing it so that it can rotate is simply achieved by retracting the radial lug 30 of the fixed chassis on passing through the resonant frequency . when the double - flywheel damper of the invention is mounted in the standard way in an automobile vehicle between the engine and the gearbox , the epicyclic gear train of the torsion damper must be accommodated in a sealed chamber containing a lubricating liquid . if the double - flywheel damper of the invention is included fully or at least partially in the internal combustion engine of the vehicle , the sealed chamber is no longer necessary and the components of the epicyclic gear train are lubricated directly by the engine oil . an electro - rheological or magneto - rheological fluid can also be used as an energy dissipating element in the double - flywheel damper of the invention , these fluids consisting of suspensions of solid particles the mechanical properties of which can be adjusted by an external electric or magnetic field . in the fig5 variant , the primary inertia mass 10 is constrained to rotate with the outer crown wheel 22 and the planet gear carrier 24 is retained by the spring means 28 housed in a chamber of a fixed element 26 . this embodiment differs from that of fig1 in that the connections of the primary mass 10 and the chassis to the planet gear carrier and to the outer crown wheel are reversed , the secondary inertia mass 14 remaining connected to the sun wheel 20 . fig6 shows the fig5 embodiment to which has been added a second stage of planet gears 25 ′. the planet gears 25 of the first stage mesh with the outer crown wheel 22 and the planet gears 25 ′ mesh with the sun wheel 20 , the planet gears 25 and 25 ′ being mounted on the same support 24 . these two stages of planet gears offer greater freedom in the choice of the transmission ratio of the epicyclic gear train for a small overall size in the radial direction . the input and output rotation directions of the epicyclic gear train are reversed . fig7 shows the device from fig6 with a modification of the contacts of the outer crown wheel 22 and the planet gears 25 from the outside to the inside of the planet gears . this arrangement has the advantage that the input and output rotation directions of the epicyclic gear train are the same . the device represented in fig8 is that from fig1 with the addition of a second stage of planet gears 25 ′ as in fig6 . the input and output rotation directions of the gear train are identical . there is a wider choice of transmission ratios of the gear train for a small overall size in the radial direction . the fig9 variant features the arrangement of the epicyclic gear train of the type used in a gearbox differential , that includes two coaxial sun wheels 20 and 22 , and a planet gear carrier 24 having planet gears 25 meshing with both of the sun wheels 20 and 22 . specifically , as illustrated in fig9 , the planet gears 25 are in the form of 45 ° bevel gears of the type used in a gearbox differential . the transmission ratio of the gear train is equal to 1 , the input and output rotation directions are reversed , and the overall size is minimal in all the embodiments represented in the drawings , the inertia masses are interchangeable , i . e . the primary inertia mass 10 can be connected to the sun wheel 20 and the secondary inertia mass 14 can be connected to the outer crown wheel 22 or to the planet gear carrier 24 .	8
the present invention will be discussed herebelow in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a diagrammatic illustration showing one example of a facility for laser heat treatment employing a conical mirror 1 of the present invention . the conical mirror 1 is made from sheet metal , such as a copper plate and formed into a conical shaped configuration . the inner surface 2 is processed into a mirror surface by plating of gold and so forth or by polishing so that an incident laser beam can be easily reflected . it should be noted that the configuration of the mirror is not specified to be a conical shaped configuration but can be a polygonal cone shaped configuration . in the case of a polygonal cone shaped configuration of the mirror , the peak angle θ ( angle to the tangent of inscribing circle ) is preferably in a range of 5 ° to 20 °. the top end of the conical mirror 1 defines an outlet opening 4 for a metal wire 3 that is to be subject to heat treatment . the diameter of the output opening 4 is set to be greater than the metal wire 3 in a range of 0 . 2 to 2 mm . a deflecting mirror 5 is provided on the bottom of the conical mirror 1 for deflecting a laser beam toward the interior of the conical mirror . the deflecting mirror 5 is oriented to the mirror surface thereof essentially at 45 ° with respect to the axis of the conical beam . the deflecting mirror 5 is provided with a mirror angle adjusting mechanism 6 ( see fig2 and 3 ) that permits the adjustment of the orientation of the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror 5 in a range of ± 10 °. in the drawings , the reference numeral 7 denotes a laser beam generator . the laser beam 8 discharged from the laser beam generator 7 irradiated onto the deflecting mirror 5 through deflecting mirrors 9 , 9 and a window 10 defined through the periphery of the conical mirror 1 and then irradiated into the interior of the conical mirror . the reference numeral 11 denotes a feeding device for the metal wire 3 , which adjusts the feed speed for feeding the metal wire through the conical mirror 1 at a predetermined speed . the reference numeral 12 denotes an inlet opening for the metal wire 3 defined through the deflecting mirror 5 . the reference numeral 13 denotes gas inlets for introducing non - oxidation gas into the conical mirror 1 for establishing a non - oxidizing atmosphere within the interior space of the conical mirror . fig2 shows one example of a mirror angle adjusting mechanism 6 , the mirror angle adjusting mechanism 6 includes adjusting means 6a and 6b movable toward and aft with respect to the flanges 1a and 1b of the conical mirror with threading means or so forth for displaceably mounting the deflecting mirror 5 onto the bottom of the conical mirror 1 . the adjusting means 6a and 6b are operable independently of each other , or , as an alternative , in synchronism with each other for enabling fine adjustment of the orientation of the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror 5 in a range of ± 10 ° in relation to a set position ( i . e . 45 ° with respect to the center axis of the conical mirror 1 ). at the set position , in which the laser beam 8 is irradiated onto the deflecting mirror 5 so that the axis thereof coincides with the center axis p1 - p2 of the conical mirror at the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror 5 , the laser beam irradiated onto the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror 5 is reflected in a coaxial fashion with the center axis p1 - p2 of the conical mirror . at this position , the angle α0 formed by the center axis p1 and p2 and the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror is 45 ° . consequently , the deflecting angle formed by the incident laser beam 8 onto the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror 5 and the reflected laser beam therefrom becomes 90 °. for establishing angular offset α , the adjusting means 6a and 6b are operated so as to cause angular displacement of the deflecting mirror 5 about the center p1 in a direction indicated by the arrow r . at the adjusted position with the angular offset α , the deflecting angle α1 of the laser beam becomes smaller or greater than 90 ° ( becomes smaller in the shown case ). fig3 shows another embodiment mirror angle adjusting mechanism . in this embodiment , the incident angle of the laser beam for the deflecting mirror 5 is adjusted by adjusting the reflecting angle of the deflecting mirror 9 . namely , when the reflecting angle α2 of the deflecting mirror 9 is adjusted to be a smaller angle α2 &# 39 ; as shown by the broken line , the deflecting angle α1 of the deflecting mirror 5 correspondingly becomes a smaller angle α1 &# 39 ;. in such cases , since variation of the incident angle for the deflecting mirror 5 associates with the offset of an irradiating position of the laser beam onto the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror 5 , it is preferable to shift the deflecting mirror 9 to a position ( 9 &# 39 ;) along the incident beam so that the irradiating point of the laser beam on the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror 5 becomes coincident with the position of the center axis of the conical mirror 1 . for the conical mirror 1 with the mirror angle adjusting mechanism , the metal wire 3 is introduced through the inlet opening 12 , fed along the center axis of the conical mirror , subject to surface heat treatment ( surface annealing ) by the laser beams and then fed out through the outlet opening 4 at the top end . by the operation of the mirror angle adjusting mechanism 6 for establishing the angular offset of the reflected laser beam 8 from the deflecting mirror 5 , the axis of the reflected beam becomes slightly angled with respect to the center axis p1 - p2 of the conical mirror ( within an angular range less than or equal to 10 ° with respect to the center axis of the conical mirror ). then , the reflected beam is advanced and repeatedly reflected on the interior mirror surface of the conical mirror around the metal wire 3 and reaches a working point w in the vicinity of the top end of the conical mirror 1 . it has been found that there is a close relationship between the angular offset α of the laser beam and the energy density around the circumferential surface of the angle α . as can be clear from fig5 by employing the laser beam 8 having an incident angle offset in a magnitude of α , higher peak power can be obtained for heat treatment of the wire in comparison with that employing the laser beam deflected to be substantially parallel to the center axis of the conical mirror 1 . also , as can be clear from fig6 with the angular offset α in a range of less than or equal to 10 °, uniform heat treatment over the entire circumference of the metal wire becomes possible . when the angular offset α is set greater than 10 °, the reversal of the advance of the laser beam can occur before it reaches the working point w resulting in insufficient peak power at the working point . on the other hand , the necessary power a for heat treatment of the metal wire can be obtained relative to the laser beam source power p and process speed v based on the results of experiments and expressed by the following equation . wherein c is a constant in process , d is a given diameter of the metal wire preferably , the power for treatment is at least 5 kw / cm 2 . for obtaining this condition , is becomes necessary to specify the construction of the conical mirror 1 . namely , by setting the peak angle θ of the conical mirror greater than or equal to 5 °, the power for heat treatment is greater than or equal to 5 kw / cm 2 . however , when the peak angle θ of the conical mirror 1 exceeds 20 °, uniformity of the treatment power in the circumferential direction becomes difficult to obtain thereby making it difficult to perform a uniform heat treatment . on the other hand , the diameter of the outlet opening 4 of the top end of the conical mirror 1 also influences the focussing of the laser focussed power . through experiments performed by the inventors for heat treatment for a steel wire of a 0 . 3 mm diameter with a laser beam having 500 w of output power and a 10 mm diameter , the relationship between the diameter of the outlet opening 4 at the top end of the conical mirror 1 and the energy loss is shown in the following table . as can be seen from the table , energy loss is significantly increased according to an increase of the outlet diameter . ______________________________________outlet diameter ( mm ) energy loss ( w ) ______________________________________0 . 4 0 . 70 . 5 11 . 01 . 0 30 . 32 . 5 80 . 6______________________________________ from the results set out above , the diameter at the outlet opening 4 is set to be greater than that of the metal wire in a magnitude of 0 . 2 to 2 mm . namely , when the diameter difference between the metal wire and the outlet opening 4 is smaller than 0 . 2 mm , the energy loss can be significantly reduced . however , interference between the metal wire and the peripheral edge of the outlet opening can occur . on the other hand , when the difference is set to be greater than 2 mm , energy loss becomes substantial and unacceptably lowers the treatment efficiency . in the present invention , during heat treatment with the laser beam , it is preferable to maintain the interior of the conical mirror in inert atmosphere , e . g ., ar gas and so forth , so that oxidation on the treated surface of the steel wire cannot occur within the conical mirror . furthermore , the treatment can be further facilitated by positioning the above - mentioned laser heat treatment apparatus between dies of the metal wire production line . the present invention is particularly suitable for producing thin metal wire of diameter less than or equal t 1 mm and having a tensile strength greater than or equal to 280 kgf / mm 2 . for achieving this , the composition is specified for the following reasons . c is contained for providing sufficient tensile strength . when the content of c is less than 0 . 6 %, the tensile strength becomes insufficient . on the other hand , when the content of c exceeds 1 . 2 %, toughness degradation can occur . accordingly , the preferable range of the content of c is specified within a range of 0 . 6 to 1 . 2 %. si is a normally contained composition for deoxidation . up to 1 % of the si content is acceptable for increasing steel strength . preferred content is 0 . 8 %. mn is added for assuring sufficient hardenability . however , when the content of mn exceeds 0 . 8 %, workability of the heat treatment can be degraded . p and s are contained for increasing toughness . contents of both are limited to be less than or equal to 0 . 02 %. it should be noted that lowering of the s content may contribute to improving the tightness of brass plating . cr is an additive to be added as required and added in the content of greater than or equal to 0 . 1 % for increasing the strength . however , when the content of cr exceeds 0 . 7 %, workability in heat treatment can be degraded . it should be noted that brass plating enhances the corrosion resistance of the steel wire and , when the steel wire is used for tires and so forth , the tightness fitting ability with rubber can be enhanced . with the apparatus shown in fig1 treatment is performed for high carbon steel wire of 0 . 3 mm diameter . namely , within the conical mirror 1 , by means of the feeding device , the steel wire was fed through the conical mirror at a speed of 80 m / min . the laser beam ( 11 mmφ ) with 500 w of output power was discharged from the laser beam generator 7 . 0 . 3 ° of angular displacement with respect to the center axis of the conical mirror was provided by the deflecting mirror for irradiation within the interior space of the conical mirror . the peak angle of the conical mirror is 10 °, and the diameter at the outlet opening was 1 mm . the steel wire was processed by the method according to the invention , an annealed thin surface layer of 1 μm was formed while maintaining uniformity in the circumferential direction . the steel wire thus produced has 330 kgf / mm 2 of tensile strength , 60 kgf / mm 2 ( test was performed by aggregating seven wires ) of bending fatigue strength . in contrast , the steel wire of which the laser treatment is not performed , had a tensile strength of 330 kgf / mm 2 equivalent to that of the present invention as set forth above . however , the bending fatigue strength was 30 kgf / mm 2 . from the comparison , it should be appreciated that the steel wire treated by the heat treatment according to the present invention has better properties in terms of fatigue strength .	1
the following description will describe the invention in relation to preferred embodiments of the invention . the invention is in no way limited to these preferred embodiments . possible variations and modifications would be readily apparent without departing from the scope of the invention . as depicted in fig1 , control regulator 1 comprises a body 4 , preferably having a substantially cylindrical outer shape , a length 5 , variable inner and outer diameters 12 and 13 , a non - attachable end 6 , and an attachable end 7 . the attachable end 7 has internal threads 8 for attaching the control regulator to a firebox manifold 2 or equivalent thereof , as shown in fig3 - 5 . other means of affixing the control regulator are equally possible , including but not limited to press fitting or external threading . incoming air enters body 4 via non - attachable end 6 , flows through the body , and exits from attachable end 7 . body 4 has outer walls defining an outer wall surface 9 and inner walls defining an inner wall surface 10 . outer wall surface 9 and inner wall surface 10 further define a variable wall thickness having an inner diameter 12 , and outer diameter 13 which vary along the length 5 . in one embodiment , the shoulder 14 of the outer wall is shaped in a stepped manner to facilitate removable affixing of the control regulator to any external device such as a manifold 2 . the outer walls can be shaped and dimensioned as desired . non attachable end 6 has a leading outer corner edge 15 and inner corner edge 16 . inner wall surface 10 may or may not be similar in shape to outer wall surface 9 . as shown in fig1 , inner wall surface 10 defines an internal configuration comprising a lower first portion 20 , leading upwardly to a second portion 21 , a third portion 22 above the second portion , and uppermost , a fourth portion 23 . in a preferred embodiment , the inner wall surface 10 is shaped in a stepped fashion comprising tapered and angled or curved portions forming a venturi chamber . as shown in fig1 , fourth portion 23 has substantially parallel inner and outer walls , with internal threading 8 , for engaging a pipe , manifold 2 , or any equivalent air receiving means which can be connected to a firebox . as further depicted in fig1 , first portion 20 tapers inwardly before leading into the venturi chamber formed by the upper portions of the body 4 . the venturi chamber includes a choked section above circumferential line 25 . inner surface 24 , located within second portion 21 , does not form a general single curvature , but comprises a series on interconnected differing curves being made up of different diameters and ovaloids . first portion 20 which is located at the inlet or front face of regulator body 4 can be formed as planar slopes or , in the preferred embodiment shown in fig2 , may consist of several interconnected curvilinear slopes of different curve diameters which are three semi - diameters spaced equidistant around the inner edge of regulator body 4 . the semi - diameters are angled in and towards the centre of the body . while three semi - circular diameters are shown in fig2 , the number of diameters may be greater or lesser than three . control regulator 1 has a support crossbar 30 extending across the diameter of regulator body 4 , and is located near attachable end 7 of the body 4 . support bar 30 has ends 31 and 32 supported by the thickness of the body walls at ends 31 and 32 . support bar 30 can be removably fixed and adjustably attached by first fixing means 34 such as being threadingly , engaged and / or being keyed in place with screw fixing means or some other equivalent which can be accessed from the shoulder 14 . as depicted in fig1 , support bar 30 is located in third portion 22 . support bar 30 can be adjusted rotationally in an arc and longitudinally . support bar 30 is further comprised of a hollow or solid cross section having a determined thickness , diameter , and shape that can be circular or square . support bar 30 is further comprised of two spaced apart apertures 35 and 36 . apertures 35 and 36 are sized to allow passage of first and second support rods 40 and 41 therethrough so that support rods 40 and 41 are oriented substantially parallel with the body length 5 and with each other . first support rod 40 , acts as a guide for movement of the disc 43 , and is further comprised of lower disc stop member 42 . disc 43 has a central hole , and is disposed about first support rod 40 , and is vertically movable along it . lower disc stop member 42 is located near non - attachable end 6 . first support rod 40 is adjustably and slidably supported near attachable end 7 . preferably , support bar 30 is further comprised of a second fixing member 37 for affixing first support rod 40 . second fixing member 37 is preferably comprised of a guide pin and locking screw extending within support bar 30 and abutting the side of first support rod 40 . the guide pin and locking screw can be unscrewed or screwed to allow first support rod 40 to move up or down . as depicted in fig1 , first support rod 40 is centrally located in the body 4 . first support rod 40 can be mounted and positioned such that first support rod 40 can be laterally and rotationally adjusted if desired . support bar 30 is further comprised of a third fixing member 38 for fixing second support rod 41 . third fixing member 38 preferably comprises a guide pin and locking screw located within the length of support bar 30 . one end of third fixing member 38 abuts second support rod 41 , and the other end of third fixing member 38 contacts and is coincident with the outer wall surface 9 to permit adjustment of third fixing member as desired . second support rod 41 provides a fixed support for an upper disc stop member 45 . upper disc stop member 45 is preferably comprised of a first aperture 46 to allow first support rod 40 to slide therethrough . second support rod 41 can be independently adjusted to position upper disc stop member 45 as desired . when first support rod 40 moves up , disc 43 eventually contacts upper disc stop member 45 and is restricted from any further upward movement . as illustrated in fig2 , disc member 43 has at least one aperture 47 and a disc diameter that is smaller than the main internal diameter of body 4 so that disc 43 can slidably move up and or down first support rod 40 between upper and lower disc stop members 45 and 42 , thus choking the air flow as desired . preferably , upper disc stop member 45 covers any aperture ( s ) in disc 43 . preferably , disc 43 is further comprised of a centrally located , aperture 48 . aperture 48 allows disc 43 to slidably attach to first support rod 40 . disc 43 can be made of a specified gauge and material type according to the desired performance required . as shown in fig2 , first portion 20 is comprised of a plurality of arc - shaped depressions 49 , an ovaloid opening 50 , and a plurality of scalloped edges 51 . in a preferred embodiment , there are three arc - shaped depressions 49 and three scalloped edges 51 , spaced equidistantly around the lip 16 of ovaloid opening 50 . when air passes into ovaloid opening 50 , three air columns are formed as the air flow contacts arc - shaped depressions 49 . different numbers of arc - shaped depressions and scalloped edges are possible . the number of air columns formed is dependent on the number of arc - shaped depressions . control regulator 1 can be incorporated into an existing firebox . as depicted in fig3 - 5 , control regulator 1 can be retrofitted to an existing firebox by drilling or punching a hole into the rear of the firebox . manifold 2 can be in the form of a “ t ” section with capped ends 53 , metering vents 54 , and an elbow - shaped section for attachment of the control regulator 1 which can be varied according to the size of the regulator and firebox . the metering vents 54 can also be sized in accordance with their compatibility with control regulator 1 . retrofitting control regulator 1 will not interfere with the operation of any controllable air vents on an existing firebox . the control regulator 1 automatically controls and limits the amount of air flowing into an enclosed firebox , combustion chamber , furnace , or equivalent thereof , which , in turn , affects the heat output . the moving disc 43 regulates the airflow by slidably moving up and down first support rod 40 between the lower and upper disc stop members 42 and 45 . control regulator 1 is in an open position when disc 43 rests on lower disc stop member 42 . when disc 43 rests in the open position air is free to enter body 4 . when a fire is ignited , drawn air flows past disc 43 through the first portion 20 , and forms a plurality of air columns as a result of contacting the plurality of arc - shaped depressions and scalloped edges comprising first portion 20 . when the fire is drawing sufficient air , disc 43 will be lifted past the ovaloid opening 50 into the venturi chamber — formed by second and third portions 21 and 23 . upper disc stop member 45 , which is preferably adjustable vertically with second support rod 41 , limits the maximum flow of the air . disc 43 is steadily supported by the resulting plurality of air columns . subsequently , the force of gravity causes the weight of disc 43 to direct the air flow on to the tapered sides of the venturi chamber , slowly damping the volume and speed of air drawn into the combustion chamber of the firebox . disc 43 will then slowly descend toward ovaloid opening 50 at which point air begins passing disc 43 through a plurality of apertures between the ovaloid opening 50 and the disc 43 . at this stage , the disc is no longer supported by columns of air and descends to a resting position . the result is a lean burning combustion that either extinguishes or is repeated by re - stoking the foregoing cycle . fig7 , depicts a graphical comparison of temperature in degrees celsius ( y axis ) versus time ( x axis ) taken at the rear of a firebox at 30 minute intervals for ( 1 ) an unmodified firebox ; ( 2 ) a closed firebox with the control regulator with air vents closed and air tube removed ; and ( 3 ) a closed firebox with the control regulator air vents closed and air tube removed . the difference in peak firebox temperatures between ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) is 100 degrees celsius . after three hours the difference between ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) shows the control regulator having a marked advantage . at the five hour point , unmodified firebox ( 1 ) has extinguished while modified firebox ( 2 ) is still running at 150 degrees celsius . at the five hour point ( 2 ) has maintained a higher level of effectiveness over ( 1 ) by approximately 50 %. therefore the control regulator has a marked effect on the heat output over time by maintaining heat output for a longer period and reducing peak temperatures . it will of course be realized that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention , all , such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the scope and ambit of this invention as is herein described .	8
fig1 illustrates a plastic one - way beer keg 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the plastic beer keg 10 includes an outer container 12 having a removable lid 14 . the outer container 12 has an outer wall 16 extending upward from a periphery of a base 18 . the plastic beer keg 10 is symmetric , such that the side not in view of fig1 is symmetric to that of fig1 . the wall 16 includes a pair of handle openings 20 extending through an upper portion of the outer wall 16 . an annular rib 26 extends outward from the outer wall 16 above the handle openings 20 to increase the rigidity of the container mouth . an annular skirt 28 extends outward from the outer wall 16 below the handles 20 to increase the rigidity of the outer wall 16 and to provide additional grip points . it should be noted that the container 12 is generally in the form of a pail , which provides several advantages as will be described below . it should be noted that , in general , the familiar form factor of the pail with removable lid provides many of the advantages of the present invention beer keg 10 , including nestability of the containers 12 with one another , ease of carrying , removability and replacability of the lid 14 , and reusability of the container 12 and lid 14 . this also provides advantages to the extent that there are existing technologies for the manufacture , labeling and handling of pails generally . the container 12 and lid 14 may be hdpe , polypropylene or other suitable materials . fig2 and 3 illustrate the beer keg 10 of fig1 partially broken away . a liner 40 ( or “ bottle ”) has an outer wall 42 , which generally matches the shape of the interior of the container 12 . the liner 40 may be blow - molded pet or other suitable material . as is known with pet beverage bottles , the liner 40 is provided with a base having a plurality of feet 44 , to make the liner stable for stacking , shipping and conveying . the mouth 46 of the liner 40 is aligned with an opening 30 through the lid 14 . the feet 44 of the liner 40 rest on the base wall 18 of the container 12 . the base 18 of the container 12 includes corrugations 32 that interlock with the feet 44 of the liner 40 . the lid 14 is shown as having a snap - on fit with the outer container 12 , but a threaded attachment between the lid 14 and the outer wall 16 could also be used . the lid 14 has an outer annular wall 36 or lip 36 that is radially outward of the upper edge 36 of the container 12 . a valve / spear assembly 50 is secured to the mouth 46 of the pet bottle 40 . the valve / spear assembly 50 includes a spear 52 extending downwardly to the bottom of the liner 40 from a valve 54 at the liner 40 mouth 46 . the valve 54 and spear 52 are not shown in detail . in fig4 and 5 , the right side of the drawing shows the liner 40 in its initial state in the outer container 12 , while the left side of the drawing shows the liner 40 in its pressurized state after being filled with a carbonated beverage . as shown , the liner 40 expands when pressurized . the lid 14 is angled downwardly to the opening around the valve 54 . the opening 30 in the lid 14 permits the liner 40 to expand without the liner 40 contacting the lid 14 . at either height , the valve 54 is below the height of the outer wall 16 of the outer container 12 to protect the valve 54 and above the height of the lid 14 to keep the valve 54 in the proper location . there is also sufficient room to place a removable cap ( not shown ) over the valve 54 . referring to fig5 , the lid 14 includes an annular outer portion 62 over the upper edge 34 of the wall 16 of the container 12 and an annular inner portion 64 within the annular outer portion 62 . the annular inner portion 64 is offset downwardly from the annular outer portion 62 . the opening 30 is formed through the annular inner portion 64 . the lid 14 also includes an annular angled portion 66 extending between the annular outer portion 62 and the annular inner portion 64 . the lid 14 includes an annular inner wall 68 adjacent an interior surface of the wall 16 of the container 12 . a plurality of radial ribs 70 on a lower surface of the lid 14 connect the annular inner wall 68 to the annular angled portion 66 . in fig6 and 7 , it is shown that the feet 44 interlock with the corrugations 32 in the bottom wall 18 of the outer container 12 . this prevents relative rotation between the liner 40 and the outer container 12 during tapping of the keg 10 . fig8 illustrates one method for filling the keg 10 . the keg 10 is filled in the inverted orientation as shown . the liner 40 , after being formed , it pressurized with co 2 ( or other suitable fluid ) before or after being inserted in the outer container 12 . this expands the liner 40 sufficiently that the liner 40 bears against the outer wall 16 . the lid 14 is secured to the mouth of the outer container 12 . the pressure in the liner 40 is sufficient to hold the liner 40 inside the outer container 12 when inverted . the empty inverted keg 10 is placed on rails 58 . the filling valve 60 rises to engage the valve 54 , while an upper clamp 62 bears down on the bottom wall 18 of the outer container 12 . if the liner 40 does slide down when inverted , the filling valve 60 lifts it up against the bottom wall 18 . the pressure inside the liner 40 also assists the liner 40 to withstand the clamping force between the upper clamp 62 and the filling valve 60 . optionally , the neck of the liner 40 could be corrugated to increase strength . the liner 40 is then filled by the filling valve 60 . the filling valve 60 then lowers again . the liner 40 when full is pressurized and expanded against the outer wall 16 of the outer container 12 . the friction between the liner 40 and outer wall 16 holds the liner 40 in the outer container 12 even when the liner 40 is full . optionally , portions of the outer wall 16 could be made with a smaller inner diameter to increase the friction between the liner 40 and outer wall 16 after the liner 40 is pressurized . the filled keg 10 is then turned back to the upright position for shipping , sale and use . prior to filling , and after removal of an empty liner 40 by the user , empty containers 12 can be nested within one another , thus reducing their overall stacking height . further , the lids 14 are also stackable and partially nestable . the used liners 40 and valve / spear assemblies 50 can be recycled . the empty outer containers 12 can be returned to be used with new liners 40 , or recycled . the empty outer containers 12 can also be reused for other purposes . in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence , exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention . however , it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope . alphanumeric identifiers on method claim steps are for ease of reference in dependent claims and do not signify a required sequence unless otherwise specified .	1
the present invention provides a nearly perfect kinematic mount between structural or optical elements and can easily be remotely controlled . clamping force and drive position feedback can be incorporated to allow controlled closure and continuous force monitoring during and after clamping . a minimum number of moving parts maintains reliability at a value of 0 . 9994 or better . when in the closed position , the interface consists of a ball captured between two conical surfaces . a novel flexured ball and floating clamp plate is attached to the structure being deployed . the latch base is equipped with a conical seat to accept the ball , and three clamp fingers grip the floating clamp plate once the ball is seated in the socket . a lead screw driven axial cam serves to drive the clamping mechanism into both a clamped and a retracted position . a four bar linkage is formed by the latch cam , coupler link , follower link , and seat . once the follower link is grounded on the seat , the coupler link acts as a simple lever applying force to the clamp plate . advantage is taken of the relatively large motion available from a four bar mechanism , as well as the mechanical advantage of a simple lever , once latching is initiated . large clamping forces generated at the interface by the coupler are reacted at the seat , thereby providing high interface stiffness and linearity . no latching forces are transferred to the optical support structure . high interface clamping forces on the order of thousands of pounds can be achieved with low input torque at the lead screw by choosing appropriate cam angles . employing a flat cam area at the end of travel eliminates the need for accurate final cam position . choosing appropriate materials can eliminate thermally induced force variation . end mounting the lead screw in the latch seat with a spherical bearing compensates for part tolerances and equalizes clamp finger force during latching . lobes on the upper cam surface and lower follower links provide a positive closure in the event that retention springs fail or debris prevents the pawls from moving into position properly . a high level of reliability is obtained by minimizing the number of moving parts . limit sensors at extremes of cam travel and strain gauges on clamp arms can be provided to monitor operation during the latching procedure . referring to fig1 through 3 , there are three distinct stages that occur during a deployment operation of a large optical system . a single corner of a typical deployed optical system is illustrated in fig1 through 3 . during the first stage as illustrated in fig1 , the deployed member 10 has attached to it a flexured ball assembly 12 . the flexured ball assembly 12 ( shown in greater detail in fig4 and 8 ) is in alignment with a latch mechanism 14 ( shown in greater detail in fig4 and 5 ) which is mounted in a reference structure 16 . any number of common methods can be used to maintain axial alignment . latching pawls 18 are driven to their open position , providing clearance for the approaching flexured ball assembly 12 . as deployment proceeds , the flexured ball assembly 12 , makes contact with the latch mechanism 14 as shown in fig2 . position sensing of the deployed member 10 is generally provided by an external system ( not shown ), and indicates when the flexured ball assembly 12 is in its mated position with latch mechanism 14 . at this point the latch mechanism 14 is actuated , which causes the latching pawls 18 to engage the flexured ball assembly 12 , as illustrated in fig3 . applying a large force , typically about 1000 pounds , to seat the ball assembly 12 , completes the latching operation . turning to fig4 , a more detailed view is shown of the latch 14 and flexured ball assembly 12 removed from their respective structures 10 and 16 . mounting plate 20 serves as the interface between the latch 14 and the reference structure 16 to which it is mounted . drive motor 22 moves the latching pawls 18 in and out and supplies clamping force when the latching pawls 18 are in the latched state . the latch mechanism 14 is capable of locking the latching pawls 18 tightly in an open position as well as applying a large clamping force when the latching pawls 18 are in the fully latched position . the latching pawls 18 are supported within a latch body 24 to which mounting plate 20 is integral . referring next to fig5 , there is shown a cross - sectional view of the latch mechanism 14 and flexured ball assembly 12 taken along line 5 — 5 of fig4 . the center portion of latch body 24 provides the clamping force reaction structure as well as the lead screw spherical bearing seat 38 a ( as shown in fig6 ). the joint stiffness relative to the structure is controlled by the interface stiffness of mounting plate 20 . the actual latch stiffness is controlled by the interface characteristics of the ball seat 28 , clamp plate 30 , and ball 32 . consequently , the latch mechanism 14 and flexured ball assembly 12 are generally made of a hard material . although the ball seat 28 is shown as an insert in the latch body 24 , those skilled in the art will conclude that the ball seat 28 may be integral to the latch body 24 . still referring to fig5 and also fig6 , there is a spherical bearing assembly 34 attached to the latch body 24 . the spherical bearing assembly 34 is comprised of a spherical bearing 36 , bearing seat 38 a centrally located on the bottom of latch body 24 , and bearing cup 38 b on bearing housing 40 . the geometry of bearing seat 38 a and bearing cup 38 b is such that when bearing housing 40 is mounted on the base of the latch body 24 ( see fig6 ), bearing seat 38 a and bearing cup 38 b provide a running fit with the spherical bearing 36 . ball stem 42 , which is integral to lead screw 52 , extends through an axial bore 44 in the bearing housing 40 . the axial bore 44 is sized to clear the lead screw threads and allow up to 18 ° of tilt on the ball stem 42 in any direction . material selection for bearing seat 38 a ( integral to latch body 24 ) and bearing cup 38 b ( integral to bearing housing 40 ) are typically hardened 440 c stainless steel and must be different for the material for spherical bearing 36 ( typically hardened m6 tool steel ) to prevent micro welding at the contact area , which can occur if the lubricant migrates . solid lubricants or low friction coatings may also be used on the contacting surfaces . referring to fig7 , the lead screw / cam assembly 48 is comprised of drive cam 50 , lead screw 52 , having a drive slot 139 , spring element 54 , motor coupling 56 , and motor coupling pin 60 . the drive cam 50 is preferably a hardened 440 c stainless steel ( or material dissimilar to the lead screw 52 ) and is threaded to mate with the lead screw 52 which is preferably made of hardened m6 tool steel . a fine pitch thread , typically ¼ – 80 , is employed to provide great mechanical advantage and axial load bearing capabilities . those skilled in the art will recognize the possibility of employing other thread types such as acme geometry or a ball screw based on available motor torque , link geometry , and required clamping force . optimization methods for these mechanisms are well known in the art . for wet lubricated interfaces red brass , beryllium copper , or titanium is employed for the drive cam 50 . similar materials for the drive cam 50 and coupler links 64 ( shown in fig5 ) may be employed if low friction coatings are applied to mating surfaces . motor coupling 56 is internally threaded to match the thread of lead screw 52 . motor coupling 56 is positioned on the lower end of lead screw 52 to serve as a limit or travel stop for drive cam 50 when the latch is in the full open state . once properly located , motor coupling 56 is pinned in place to prevent rotational and axial movement when contacted by the lower surface of drive cam 50 . the lower surface 58 of the bearing housing 40 serves as an upper limit or travel stop for drive cam 50 . motor coupling pin 60 serves to lock motor coupling 56 in place on lead screw 52 . the drive cam 50 is kept from rotating as the lead screw 52 turns via three anti - rotation flanges 62 that engage the latch housing 26 ( shown in fig5 ). the latch housing 26 should be made be made from a material dissimilar to drive cam 50 ( typically aluminum or magnesium alloy ), or a low friction surface treatment may be employed . still referring to fig7 and also fig5 , lead screw 52 extends through drive cam 50 . the bottom of the lead screw 52 , to which is attached motor coupling 56 via drive slot 139 , interfaces with or is otherwise coupled to the drive shaft 68 of drive motor 22 ( both are shown in fig5 ). drive motor 22 ( shown in fig5 ) is supported from motor mount 72 ( shown in fig5 ) which is attached to the latch housing 26 . an inward radial force is applied to the coupler links 64 ( shown in fig5 ) by a spring element 54 , which is mounted on the lower surface of drive cam 50 . the latch housing 26 also serves as an anti - rotation surface for the drive cam 50 and as a mounting surface for the motor mount 72 . lead screw / cam assembly 48 resides inside of latch housing 26 and is integral to the spherical bearing assembly 34 . drive cam 50 engages the actuating arms 76 of coupler links 64 to operate the latch ( both are shown in fig5 ). an exploded view of the flexured ball assembly 12 is shown in fig8 . the flexured ball assembly 12 comprises a flexured stem 80 including a cylindrical mounting shaft 82 , a clamp plate retaining flange 84 , a clamp plate centering shoulder 86 , and a threaded shank 88 . the cylindrical mounting shaft 82 is typically mounted in an interface block attached to a bipod flexure pair ( not shown ). three such bipod flexure pairs constitute an arrangement well known in the art as a kinematic mount . compliant member 90 is placed on threaded shank 88 and moved down until it meets the clamp plate retaining flange 84 . clamp plate 30 is placed on the threaded shank 88 and also moved down to meet compliant member 90 . ball 32 is then threaded onto threaded shank 88 and is tightened against clamp plate centering shoulder 86 . a diametrically located hole 92 is provided in ball 32 to allow the ball 32 to be pinned by drilling a hole through the threaded shank 88 after assembly . the geometry of the clamp plate centering shoulder 86 , clamp plate inner bore 94 , clamp plate conical surface 96 , and ball 32 , is such that compliant member 90 is only slightly compressed , keeping the clamp plate 30 perpendicular to the axis of flexured stem 80 , and clamp plate conical surface 96 in contact with the ball 32 . clamp plate inner bore 94 is slightly larger than clamp plate centering shoulder 86 allowing the clamp plate 30 to tip about the axis with only a slight force on the edge of the clamp plate 30 . this “ floating clamp ” feature prevents locking in strains due to deployment mechanism misalignment or part dimensional variations in the latch . ball 32 and clamp plate 30 are preferably made from hardened 440 c stainless steel , since they define the clamped interface stiffness . flexured stem 80 can be of any metal although a 400 series stainless steel is preferred . it is obvious to those skilled in the art that selection of low thermal expansion material may be employed to enhance dimensional stability . each coupler link 64 ( shown in fig5 ) is part of a linkage assembly 100 as shown in an exploded view in fig9 . each linkage assembly 100 is comprised of a coupler link 64 , follower link 102 , and upper pivot pin 106 . upper pivot pin 106 inserts through bores 108 in follower link 102 and pivot bore 110 in coupler link 64 . bores 108 in follower link 102 are sized to allow a press fit of upper pivot pin 106 . bore 110 in the coupler link 64 is sized as a running fit with upper pivot pin 106 . all surfaces of coupler link 64 are treated with low friction coatings to maintain with low interface friction . high stresses in follower link arm 104 and coupler link 64 in the regions of the bores 108 and 110 require these to be made of a high tensile strength material such as hardened 440 c stainless steel . similarly , the pivot pin 106 is precision ground hardened tool steel . pivot bar 112 maintains alignment of the follower link arms 104 during assembly and provides a pivot surface fitting in circular groves 39 ( shown in fig6 ) in the latch body 24 . mating circular groves 41 ( shown in fig7 ) on the bearing housing 40 capture the pivot bar 112 when mounted to the latch body 24 . each coupler link 64 has a latching pawl 18 that applies force to the clamp plate 30 ( shown in fig8 ). when follower links 102 are grounded via nubs 114 on secondary cam 63 , ( shown in fig7 ), each coupler link 64 forms a simple lever , where the lever arms are defined as the distance from the center of the pivot bore 10 to the end of the respective latching pawl 18 , and from the center of the pivot bore 110 to the cam follower 116 at the ends of actuating arms 76 . tab 118 is provided to allow the coupler links 64 to be drawn into the open position . tapering of each coupler link 64 provides a sliding surface for residence of spring element 54 , ( shown in fig7 ), and allows the bending stiffness of the coupler link 64 to be controlled . the bending stiffness of coupler link 64 and the amount of deflection produced by drive cam 50 ( also , shown in fig7 ) controls the force applied to the clamp plate 30 . spring element 54 ( shown in fig7 ) maintains contact of the coupler link 64 with the drive cam 50 throughout operation . follower link 102 is equipped with nubs 114 that are engaged by the drive cam secondary surfaces 63 ( shown in fig7 ) to insure positive positioning of the follower link 102 . an exploded view of the complete latch of the present invention is shown in fig1 to illustrate the final assembly procedure . internal subassemblies including the linkage assemblies 100 , lead screw / cam assembly 48 , and ball seat 28 are assembled onto the latch body 24 . linkage assemblies 100 are pushed into upper clearance slots 134 in the mounting plate 20 until the pivot bars 112 can seat in the circular grooves 39 ( shown in fig6 ) on the latch body 24 . pivot bars 112 on follower link 102 ( shown in fig9 ) are positioned in circular grooves 39 of the latch body 24 . lead screw / cam assembly 48 is then mounted to the latch body 24 via the bearing housing 40 , capturing the three pivot bars 112 between circular grooves 39 and 41 . this creates a running fit between pivot bars 112 and circular grooves 39 and 41 . ball seat 28 ( shown in fig5 ) is also press fit into the axial bore 126 of latch body 24 . clearance holes in the bearing housing 40 allow the lead screw / cam assembly 48 to be mounted to the bottom of the latch body 24 with screws . the assembled mechanism comprising the latch body 24 and ball seat 28 , linkage assemblies 100 , and lead screw / cam assembly 48 , is then inserted into latch housing 26 . upper clearance slots 134 in the mounting plate 20 allow free movement of the linkage assemblies 100 . as the lead screw / cam assembly 48 is moved into place on latch body 24 coupler links 64 ( shown in fig9 ) are interposed between the drive cam 50 surfaces and the spring element 54 ( both are shown in fig7 ). spring element 54 is placed therein to apply an inward radially directed force to the backs of coupler links 64 . lower clearance slots 136 in the latch housing 26 allow the lead screw / cam assembly 48 to pivot radially about the spherical bearing 36 ( shown in fig6 ) to accommodate mechanical misalignments during latching . the sides of lower clearance slots 136 provide a reaction surface for the anti - rotation flanges 62 ( shown in fig7 ). motor mount 72 spaces the drive shaft 68 from the end of lead screw 52 ( shown in fig7 ). preferably , a drive pin 137 extending from drive shaft 68 fits loosely into a drive slot 139 in the lead screw 52 ( both are shown in fig7 ) to allow angular motion at the spherical bearing 36 ( shown in fig6 ). the entire clamping mechanism is allowed to float within the latch housing 26 , allowing clamping to occur even if debris enters the system . to better understand the functions of the individual latch parts , it is necessary to understand the basic kinematic stages of the latching operation . these are illustrated schematically in fig1 a , b , c , d , and e , by showing only one linkage assembly 100 on the latch housing 26 . it is assumed the flexured ball assembly 12 is seated in the latch housing 26 when the latching operation begins . the first stage , illustrated in fig1 a , shows latching pawl 18 in its widest position allowing clamp plate 30 of the flexured ball assembly 12 to easily move into the latch . drive cam 50 on the lead screw 52 pulls the coupler link 64 into its lowest position . contact between the drive cam 50 and coupler link 64 is maintained by the radially inward force from spring element 54 . a four bar linkage is formed by the drive cam 50 , lead screw 52 , coupler link 64 , and follower link 102 in this stage . at the second stage , shown in fig1 b , drive cam 50 has moved up on lead screw 52 toward the latch housing 26 to a point where nubs 114 almost contact secondary cam surface 63 . further upward motion of the drive cam 50 initiates contact of the secondary cam 63 with the nubs 114 on follower link 102 . even further upward motion forces follower link 102 into the position illustrated in fig1 c . at this third stage , drive cam 50 has moved further up on lead screw 52 toward the latch housing 26 allowing nubs 114 to move down the curved surface of secondary cam 63 , preventing the follower link 102 from moving back to a previous position . at this point the clamp plate 30 is considered captured . although no force is being applied , the flexured ball assembly 12 cannot move out of the capture range of the latch . grounding of the follower link 102 on secondary cam 63 via the nubs 114 degenerates the four bar linkage into a simple lever that is activated in the final latching stage by the drive cam 50 . the end of the fourth stage of the latching process is illustrated in fig1 d and 11 e . here , the drive cam 50 has moved nearly to its final position on the lead screw 52 . movement of the coupler link 64 along the drive cam 50 initiates contact of latching pawl 18 with the clamp ring 30 and applies the full clamping force . in the final clamped position , illustrated in fig1 e , the cam 50 has moved to its final position on lead screw 52 and a full clamping force is applied . drive cam 50 is designed to have six distinct operating regions as illustrated in fig1 a , b , c , d , e , and f . the first state is shown schematically in fig1 a where coupler link 64 and follower link 102 are fully retracted , putting the latch in its open position . the top of drive cam 50 is equipped with a flange 140 having a lip 142 that prevents tab 118 from leaving upper cam surface 144 as it is pulled down by lead screw 52 . spherical bearing assembly 34 reacts to an initial upward force from the lead screw 52 , while spring element 54 applies a radially directed force on coupler link 64 . it is not necessary for cam follower 116 to be in contact with the surface of drive cam 50 . secondary cam follower 160 at the end of nub 114 contacts the top portion of secondary cam surface 63 . in the event that spring element 54 does not have enough force to push follower link 102 and coupler link 64 into position , for example , if debris is in the interface , secondary cam surface 63 of cam 50 can force them into position . the second state is shown schematically in fig1 b ; where drive cam 50 has slightly moved up on the lead screw 52 to a point where tab 118 is still in contact with upper cam surface 144 , but has moved in radially from lip 142 to allow cam follower 116 to make positive contact with cylindrical surface 146 on drive cam 50 . contact between coupler link 64 and cylindrical surface 146 is maintained by spring element 54 and contact between the secondary cam surface 63 and the secondary cam follower 160 . a slight downward force is applied to the spherical bearing assembly 34 by lead screw 52 . the third state is shown schematically in fig1 c ; where drive cam 50 has moved up further along lead screw 52 . cam follower 116 has moved from the cylindrical surface 146 to the steep tapered surface 148 on drive cam 50 , while tab 118 is no longer in contact with any surface . spherical bearing 34 reacts only to a light upward force and spring element 54 maintains a radially directed force on coupler link 64 . latching pawl 18 ( shown in fig1 a – 14 e ) closes on the clamp plate 30 ( shown in fig1 a – 11 e ) during this stage . when cam follower 116 reaches the end of the steep tapered surface 148 , the latching pawl 18 is in contact with the clamp plate 30 . secondary cam follower 160 has moved down the secondary cam surface 63 . the four bar linkage degenerates into a simple lever at this stage since the follower link 102 is grounded to the secondary cam 63 via the nubs 114 of follower link 102 . the fourth state is shown schematically in fig1 d ; where drive cam 50 has moved further up along lead screw 52 . cam follower 116 has moved to the end of the steep tapered surface 148 on drive cam 50 . secondary cam follower 160 is now contacting the side of secondary cam surface 63 preventing follower link 102 from releasing clamp plate 30 ( shown in fig1 a – 11 e ) even if a dislodging force is encountered on any of the three pawls . spherical bearing assembly 34 still reacts only to a light upward force and spring element 54 is no longer needed to keep follower link 102 and coupler link 64 in position . the fifth state is shown schematically in fig1 e ; where drive cam 50 has moved further up along lead screw 52 almost to its final position . cam follower 116 has moved from the steep tapered surface 148 to a shallow tapered surface 150 on drive cam 50 . displacement due to drive cam &# 39 ; s 50 motion bends the coupler link 64 applying a high load on the clamp ring 30 ( not shown ). spherical bearing 34 assembly reacts to a high downward force substantially greater than spring element 54 . when cam follower 116 reaches the end of the shallow tapered surface 150 the latching pawls 18 ( shown in fig1 a – 11 e ) generate the maximum force on clamp plate 30 . use of a shallow taper gives a large mechanical advantage while clamping , thereby reducing the required motor torque for a desired clamping force . the final state is shown schematically in fig1 f ; where drive cam 50 has reached its final position on lead screw 52 . cam follower 116 has moved from the shallow tapered surface 150 to a lower cylindrical surface 152 on drive cam 50 . no changes in reaction forces are seen , since the coupler link 64 has experienced no further deflection on the lower cylindrical surface 152 than that seen at the end of the shallow tapered surface 150 . this eliminates the need to have a precise stopping point for the drive motor 22 , and allows motor slip to occur with out changing the clamping force . the invention has been described with reference to one or more preferred embodiments . however , it will be appreciated that a person of ordinary skill in the art can effect variations and modifications , without departing from the scope of the invention .	8
for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . referring now more particularly to fig1 for an alternative embodiment of the present invention , there is shown a device 10 for cutting a slot 15 in stone 14 located in the ground . device 10 includes a vehicle 11 movably mounted atop a pair of conventional rails 13 . vehicle 11 includes four wheels 12 rotatably mounted to the bottom end of the vehicle frame with a pair of wheels located on one side of the vehicle engaging one of the rails and with the second pair of wheels mounted to the opposite side of the vehicle engaging the second rail . a braking means is used in the present embodiment of device 10 to prevent relative motion between vehicle 11 and rails 13 during operation . vehicle 11 includes a jib 20 pivotally mounted to the main frame of the vehicle with jib 20 including a pair of sheaves 22 and 23 rotatably mounted to the opposite ends of the jib . sheaves 22 and 23 are spaced apart and are aligned . jib 20 includes an elongated member 21 with the opposite ends thereof having sheaves 22 and 23 rotatably mounted in a conventional fashion . a pair of downwardly extending legs 30 and 32 are fixedly mounted to elongated member 21 . a pair of idler sheaves 31 and 33 are rotatably mounted in a conventional manner to the bottom end of legs 30 and 32 . belt saw 25 extends in continuous fashion around sheaves 22 and 23 and immediately adjacent and in contact with idler sheaves 31 and 33 . vehicle 11 includes a shaft 30 rotatably mounted thereto and extending through the opposite sides of the vehicle . one end of shaft 30 includes a pulley wheel 31 fixedly secured thereto in driven engagement with v - belt 32 in turn extending around and driven by a pulley wheel 33 mounted to the output shaft of a conventional motor 39 mounted to tbe vehicle . the opposite end of shaft 30 has sheave 22 fixedly secured thereto which is in driving engagement with belt 25 . thus , operation of motor 39 causes rotation of shaft 30 and movement of belt 25 . flange 34 is pivotally mounted by conventional bearings to vehicle 11 about the axis of rotation of shaft 30 . elongated member 21 is fixedly secured to flange 34 on one side of shaft 30 whereas a plurality of gear teeth 35 are fixedly mounted to flange 34 on the opposite side of shaft 30 . teeth 35 are in meshing engagement with a conventional worm gear 36 in turn rotated by a hand crank 37 . a conventional gear box 38 is positioned between hand crank 37 and worm gear 36 . the operator may therefore rotate hand crank 37 causing rotation of worm gear 36 and thus pivotal motion of the elongated member 21 and the jib about the axis of rotation of shaft 30 . saw belt 25 is a continuous flexible belt which extends around and is in driven engagement by the aligned sheaves 22 and 23 . belt 25 includes a continuous flexible main body 41 which is produced from polyurethane or other suitable plastic or flexible material . the main body 41 of the belt includes a wire cable 50 which extends through the length of the belt main body to increase the strength thereof . as shown in fig8 the cable is arranged in a plurality of rows which extend at least partially across the width of the belt main body . in the preferred embodiment , the belt includes a single cable which extends multiple times around the length of the belt thereby forming the multiple rows . alternatively , a plurality of wire cables may be arranged in side - by - side fashion with each cable extending through the length of the belt . the bottom end 51 of the belt main body is configured as a truncated v - shaped projection extending complementarily into the outer circumference 60 ( fig3 ) of each sheave 22 , 23 , 31 and 33 thereby enabling sheave 22 to drivingly engage the belt . the top surface 61 of the belt main body is flat and is arranged perpendicularly relative to the flat sides 62 and 63 of the belt . belt 25 includes a plurality of spaced apart abrasive cutting strips 40 which extend across the top and sides of the belt and are flush therewith . abrasive cutting strip 40 ( fig7 ) includes a top flat surface 44 arranged perpendicularly relative to the opposite flat sides 43 of the strip . each strip 40 may be produced from a powdered metal mix such as bronze having diamonds of a size of u . s . 16 - 20 mesh positioned uniformly throughout . the powdered metal and bronze is inserted into a resistance sintering press and heated to 1800 ° f . such a press is available from dr . fitch gmbh , stuttgart germany . the main body 41 of the belt is produced by initially tensioning cable 50 at approximately 1 , 000 pounds tension and then coating the cable with a primer to cause plastic to adhere thereto . the abrasive cutting strips are then placed in an injection mold with the mold being at approximately 150 ° f . polyurethane is then ejected into the mold to encapsulate the cable . the encapsulated belt is then cured at 280 ° f . in one embodiment , approximately seven and one - half feet of belt was produced in a mold at a time . the top surface 44 of the abrasive cutting strip is positioned flush with the top surface 61 of the main body 41 . likewise the opposite sides 43 of the abrasive cutting strip are flush with the opposite sides 62 and 63 of the main body . as the belt is moved across stone 14 to cut slot 15 therein , the plastic main body of the belt positioned between the abrasive cutting strips 40 wears so that the top surface and side surfaces of the plastic are located approximately 0 . 015 inches below the top and side surfaces of the abrasive cutting strips . thus , the abrasive cutting strips are protected from snagging on external objects and likewise vibration problems are minimized . best results have been obtained by operating device 10 at belt speeds of between 3000 and 6000 feet per minute . each cutting strip is anchored to the main body by a pair of hollow dowel pins 64 and 65 which are silver soldered to each abrasive strip . the bottom side of each strip 40 is indented as shown in fig7 to allow cable 50 to extend therethrough . the cable is not actually affixed to the cutting strip but is merely positioned adjacent thereto . the hollow dowel pins 64 and 65 have lengths sufficient to extend outwardly of each cutting strip such as shown in fig6 and into the adjacent portion of the plastic main body thereby anchoring the abrasive cutting strip to the belt main body . the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in fig9 - 15 . the preferred embodiment of the present invention is a device for cutting a slot in stone located in the ground including a vehicle atop rails as previously described . the vehicle includes a jib 70 shown in fig9 pivotally mounted to the main frame of the vehicle with jib 70 including a pair of sheaves 71 and 72 rotatably mounted to the opposite ends of the jib . sheaves 71 and 72 are spaced apart and are aligned . by making sheaves 71 and 72 of equal diameter , flexing of cutting belt 76 is uniform during operation , thereby extending belt life . jib 70 includes an elongated main body 73 with the opposite ends thereof having sheaves 71 and 72 rotatably mounted in a conventional fashion . the end of the main body 73 which remains above ground and higher during operation of the device includes conventional adjustable water inlet valves 77 and 78 . in one embodiment , inlet valves 77 and 78 are 3 / 4 inch pipe with conventional adjustable valves . groove members 74 and 75 are mounted to the top and bottom edges of main body 73 in a conventional manner . belt 76 extends in continuous fashion around sheaves 71 and 72 and immediately adjacent and in contact with groove members 74 and 75 . the operation of the vehicle pivoting of the jib and movement of the belt during operation of the preferred embodiment of the stone cutting device has been previously described for the alternative embodiment and applies equally to the preferred embodiment of the invention . further , the embodiment shown in fig9 through 15 is identical to that described for the embodiment of fig1 through 8 with the exception of the design of the jib 70 and the belt mounted thereon . thus , the description of the vehicle or the structure for the mounting of the jib to the vehicle will not be repeated . referring now more particularly to fig1 for a description of the construction of main body 73 and groove members 74 and 75 . main body 73 includes side plates 83 and 84 spaced apart and attached by fastening devices , such as bolts , to rectangular spacers 79 - 82 which extend the length of main body 73 . in the preferred embodiment , side plates 83 and 84 are 3 / 16 inch aluminum . between spacers 79 - 82 are cavities 85 - 87 . the cavities are defined by the spacers 79 - 82 which extend the length of main body 73 and the spacers located at each end . water inlet means 77 and 78 open respectively into cavities 85 and 87 . in the preferred embodiment , water is allowed to pass freely between cavities 85 , 86 and 87 through passageways 100 and 101 provided at various locations through and along spacers 80 and 81 . the proximal end of main body 73 pivotally mounted to the vehicle as well as the distal end of main body 73 are capped by the spacers to prevent the water within the cavities from escaping exoept at locations between the belt and grooved members 74 and 75 . groove members 74 and 75 are attached by conventional means respectively to spacers 79 and 82 . in the preferred embodiment , typically a screw 92 is countersunk into groove member 75 to hold groove member 75 to spacer 82 . similiar screws hold groove member 74 to spacer 79 . communication of the water which fills cavities 85 - 87 during operation is provided to space 89 between belt 76 and groove member 74 through passageway 88 . passageway 88 is accomplished by aligning holes drilled in spacer 79 and groove member 74 . passageway 88 is typical of multiple passageways spaced 12 inches apart in the preferred embodiment . the diameter of the passageways in the preferred embodiment is 1 / 8 inch . in the preferred embodiment , space 89 varies from 0 . 030 inches thickness at the bottom most part adjacent to passageway 88 to 0 . 015 inches thickness at the upper levels adjacent surface 110 of the belt . a space identical to space 89 exists between the belt and the bottom groove member 75 such as shown in fig1 . water emitted into space 89 is partially maintained in space 89 during operation of the device because of the sealing action which is caused by projections 90 and 91 of the grooved members as they support belt 76 on underside 96 . during operation , the water provided under pressure by water inlet means 77 and 78 travels through and between cavities 85 - 87 and is emitted ar groove members 74 and 75 through passageway 88 ( fig1 ) into space 89 . some of the water is maintained in space 89 while some water escapes where the bottom surface 96 of belt 76 is supported by projections 90 and 91 of groove members 74 and 75 . this thin layer of escaping water provides lubrication to the moving belt by virtue of a hydroplaning effect . additionally , the water maintained in space 89 because of projections 90 and 91 aids in starting the belt into motion initially . the construction and method of manufacturing belt 76 has been previously described in the alternative embodiment of the present invention . in the preferred embodiment , belt 76 includes a plurality of spaced apart abrasive cutting strips 93 which extend completely across the top and completely across one side in the version shown in fig1 through 14 thereby having an l - shape configuration and being flush with the belt . that is , top surface 102 and side surface 103 are flush with the main body of the belt . top flat surface 102 is arranged perpendicular to the side surface 103 . each strip 93 may be produced as previously described . the plurality of l - shaped abrasive cutting strips 93 are arranged in alternative orientation along the belt so that the side of the cutting strip which extends down the side of the belt alternates from one side of the belt to the other along the length of the belt as shown in fig1 . abrasive strip 115 ( fig1 ) is identical with strip 92 with the exception that strip 115 also extends down the opposite side of the belt thereby having a c - shape . abrasive cutting strip 93 is anchored to the main body of the belt by an l - shaped plate which is silver soldered to each abrasive strip . as shown in fig1 - 14 , the l - shaped plate 97 extends beneath the cutting strip but above the wire cable extending the length of the belt . thus , plate 97 includes a horizontal portion 116 positioned between the cutting strip and the wire cables and a vertical portion 117 extending between the vertical portion of the cutting strip and the recessed side of the belt . the plate 98 identical to plate 97 is silver soldered to cutting strip 115 but has a c - shape in lieu of the l - shape of strip 97 . thus plate 98 includes a horizontal portion 118 located between the cutting strip 115 and the wire cables and two downwardly extending legs portions 119 located between the cutting strip and the sides of the belt . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected .	1
attention is first drawn to fig1 , where there is shown a schematic cross - sectional view of a vertically positioned heat pump ( 10 ), adapted for production of ice slurry . the heat pump comprises a casing ( 12 ) with a lower end section ( 2 ), an upper end section ( 4 ) and an intermediate section ( 3 ). the evaporator ( 20 ) is located at the bottom end section ( 2 ) and is in the form of a cavity adapted to accommodate a certain amount of water ( 22 ), having a water inlet ( 21 ) and an ice slurry outlet ( 23 ). the evaporator further comprises a set of scoops for agitation ( 26 ) adapted to be powered by a motor ( 24 ) located outside the casing ( 12 ), and an optional demister ( 28 ) located above the water ( 22 ) level adapted for filtering water droplets over a certain size from the water vapor passing therethrough . the upper end section ( 4 ) houses a compressor ( 40 ) having a rotor ( 42 ), and compressor blades ( 43 ) mounted on a main shaft ( 49 ) adapted to be powered by a motor ( 48 ) located outside the casing ( 12 ). the compressor is in fluid communication with the evaporator via an intake conduit ( 32 ) and is designed for maintaining vacuum within the evaporator ( 20 ) and the intake conduit ( 32 ). the intake conduit ( 32 ) comprises a wide conical portion ( 32 a ) with a first end merged with the circumference of the evaporator ( 20 ), and a narrow straight portion ( 32 b ) with a second end adjacent and leading to the compressor ( 40 ). the compressor further comprises at least one diffuser channel ( 44 ). the intermediate section ( 3 ) of the heat pump ( 10 ) includes a condenser ( 30 ) and compressor intake conduit ( 32 ) passing therethrough , allowing fluid communication between the evaporator ( 20 ) and compressor ( 40 ). on the outside perimeter of the intake conduit ( 32 ) is a condenser ( 30 ), comprising a large surface area packing ( 34 ) adapted to increase heat transfer between a vapor and a coolant , a coolant distribution mechanism ( 36 ) adapted to spray said coolant on top of said packing ( 34 ), and a coolant inflow opening ( 31 ) adapted to be connected to a feed line ( 31 a ), supplying the condenser with the coolant . the condenser further comprises one or more vacuum means ( 39 ) adapted to be connected through outflow line ( 39 a ) to vacuum pumps ( not shown ) designed for creating an initial vacuum within the casing ( 12 ) prior to operation of the heat pump ( 10 ), and for the removal of non - condensable gasses from the condenser ( 30 ). in addition , the condenser ( 30 ) comprises a sump storage space ( 37 ) formed by the conical shape portion ( 32 a ) of the intake conduit ( 32 ) and the casing ( 12 ) wall . the sump space comprises an outflow opening ( 33 ), adapted to be connected to an outflow line ( 33 a ) which is , in turn , connected to a pump ( 35 ), both line and pump adapted for removing the accumulated water sump ( 38 ) from the sump storage space ( 37 ). the sump may be used for a number of implementations like a source for distilled water or the like . alternatively , the sump ( 38 ) may be removed all together to an external reservoir . prior to operation of the heat pump ( 10 ), the air within the casing ( 12 ) is removed through the vacuum means ( 39 ) and outflow line ( 39 a ), and the pressure within the casing ( 12 ) is lowered to near vacuum . subsequently , the compressor ( 40 ) commences its operation , maintaining a state of vacuum within the space of the evaporator ( 20 ) and intake conduit ( 32 ), inducing evaporation of water from the evaporator ( 20 ). the agitator scoops ( 26 ) of the evaporator ( 20 ) spray the water ( 22 ) on to the evaporator walls ( 29 ) creating a larger surface area for evaporation . the vapor ( not shown ) created by evaporation of water from the evaporator walls ( 29 ) and pool surface is being displaced in an upward direction into the conical portion ( 32 a ) of the intake conduit ( 32 ) due to the suction of the compressor ( 40 ). most of the water droplets entrained in the vapor updraft are pulled back down into the water ( 22 ) in the evaporator pool simply by gravity whereas the remainder of the droplets are trapped by the demister ( 28 ). after passing the demister ( 28 ), the vapor passes through both wide conical ( 32 a ) and straight narrow ( 32 b ) portions of the intake conduit ( 32 ) and reaches the compressor ( 40 ). when the vapor reaches the compressor ( 40 ), the vapor is compressed and displaced through the diffuser channels ( 44 ) into the condenser ( 30 ) in a downward direction towards the condenser packing ( 34 ). at the same time , a coolant ( not shown ) is provided through feed line ( 31 a ) and distributed through the distribution mechanism ( 36 ) onto the packing ( 34 ) as well . as a result , a heat transfer process takes place between the coolant and the vapor in which the vapor cools down and condenses while transferring heat to the coolant . after this heat transfer , the condensed water and coolant drip down forming a sump ( 38 ) accumulated in the sump storage space ( 37 ). the heat pump ( 35 ) draws the sump ( 38 ) through outflow line ( 33 a ) outside the casing ( 12 ) where some of the sump ( 38 ) may be reused , after it is cooled by cooling means ( not shown ) and redirected back to feed line ( 21 a ), some of the sump may be returned through an optional overflow mechanism ( not shown ). as a result of the process , heat is taken away from the water ( 22 ), transforming part of the water ( 22 ) into an ice slurry . the slurry is pumped away from the evaporator ( 20 ) through an outflow line ( 23 a ) using a slurry pump ( 25 ). since the process is continuous , water and coolant are constantly being pumped into evaporator and condenser ( 20 ; 30 ) through feed lines ( 21 a ; 31 a ) respectively , and sump ( 38 ) is constantly being pumped out of the sump space ( 37 ) through outflow line ( 33 a ). non - condensable gasses as well as the remainder of compressed vapor that has not condensed are pumped out through vacuum means ( 39 ) in the condenser ( 30 ). the ncg ( non - condensable gasses ) and vapor are directed outside the heat pump ( 10 ) and may be also used for a variety of implementations . fig2 illustrates the use of the heat pump ( 10 ) with an ice slurry tank ( 50 ) adapted to be used as a low temperature reservoir . the outflow line ( 23 a ) withdraws ice slurry from the evaporator ( 20 ) and feeds it into the ice slurry tank ( 50 ) on its top side . when the slurry has been introduced into the tank ( 50 ), the cold water ( 54 ) from the slurry sink down to the bottom of the tank ( 50 ) causing the reduced ice slurry ( 52 ) to float on top of it . the low temperature reservoir may be used in a number of applications , for example , in conjunction with an air conditioning unit or system ( not shown ) whereby the inflow ( 51 ) and outflow ( 53 ) lines , and the pump ( 55 ) are used for circulation of cold water between the tank ( 50 ) and the air conditioning system . due to the use of ice slurry ( 54 ), the tank ( 50 ) required to store the low temperature medium , i . e . ice slurry , requires much less space than in common systems using only cold water . another implementation of the heat pump ( 10 ) is shown in fig3 , where the heat pump is used for the purpose of water distillation in conjunction with an ice separator ( 80 ), comprising an internal portion ( 82 ) and an external portion ( 84 ) each adapted to hold ice slurry of different qualities . the separator ( 80 ) is further connected to a feed line ( 89 ) connected to the bottom portion of the separator ( 80 ) and to two outflow pipes ( 81 ; 87 ) connected to the bottom of the external portion ( 84 ) and top of the internal portion ( 82 ) respectively . in this embodiment , a further use is also made of the sump ( 38 ) collected in the condenser ( 30 ) of the heat pump for distillation purposes . since the heat pump ( 10 ) in the latter embodiment works essentially the same as in the previous embodiments , only its operation and connection to the external elements ( 70 ; 80 ) will be described : in operation , the ice slurry withdrawn from the evaporator ( 20 ) through outflow line ( 23 a ) is being pumped through feed line ( 89 ) using pump ( 25 ) into the internal portion ( 82 ) of the ice separator ( 80 ) where a separation of the water from the ice slurry takes place , leaving a water reduced ice slurry at the top of the internal portion ( 82 ) of the separator ( 80 ). the water sinking down to the bottom of the external portion ( 82 ) is withdrawn using outflow line ( 87 ) into feed line ( 21 a ) of the heat pump ( 10 ). the water reduced ice slurry received at the top of the internal portion ( 82 ) is being carried away using outflow line ( 81 ) to be used for various implementations . the sump ( 38 ) accumulated in the sump storage space ( 37 ) is withdrawn using outflow pipe ( 33 a ) and is pumped into feed line ( 31 a ) using a pump ( 35 ). however , a certain amount of sump is being redirected to an outflow line ( 33 b ) as distilled water intended for various purposes . the remainder of the sump is carried through the line ( 31 a ) where it undergoes heat transfer in a heat exchanger ( 70 ) using a line ( 72 ). the heat exchanger ( 70 ) is also used as a buffer for water purification resulting in cool clean water which is moved through line ( 31 a ) to enter the condenser ( 30 ) as the condenser coolant . another embodiment of the heat pump ( 10 ) is shown in fig4 , where the heat pump ( 10 ) is used as a chiller and has a modified evaporator and an enlarged upper end section ( 4 ). in this embodiment , the evaporator comprises a set of plates ( 67 ) having a large surface area and a set of sprinlders ( 66 ) connected to a feed line ( 21 a ). in operation , the water from the feed line ( 21 a ) is sprayed over the plates ( 67 ), allowing evaporation of the water . from the evaporator ( 20 ), vapor moves in an upward direction through the intake conduit ( 32 ) until it reaches the compressor ( 30 ). the upper end section ( 4 ) is shown containing a de - superheating chamber ( 45 ) housing a second compressor ( 80 ), which may be similar to the original compressor ( 40 ). both compressors ( 40 ; 80 ) are mounted on a single shaft ( 49 ). an additional feed line ( 41 a ) is connected to the de - superheating chamber ( 45 ) adapted to supply de - superheated water into said chamber using a distribution mechanism ( 47 ). in such an embodiment the compressors ( 40 ; 80 ) are connected such that in operation , the first compressor ( 40 ) directs the vapor upwards towards the second compressor ( 80 ) as opposed to the previous embodiment where the vapor was directed to the condenser ( 30 ). the second compressor ( 80 ) further compresses the vapor and directs it into the condenser ( 30 ) where the process continues much like in the first embodiment . the addition of the compressor ( 80 ) to the heat pump ( 10 ) allows for a higher temperature lifts of the water ( 22 ) within the heat pump ( 10 ). in fig5 a snow dome ( 120 ) is shown of the kind where a heat pump according to the first aspect of the invention or another heat pump may be used , comprising a slope ( 121 ) having a plurality of barriers ( 122 ) disposed along it , a roof ( 123 ) supporting a slurry feed line ( 124 ), a plurality of dispersion valves ( 125 ) disposed along the feed line ( 124 ), drainage channels ( 126 ) disposed on both sides of the slope ( 121 ), a water tank ( 127 ) and two ice slurry production heat pumps ( 129 ). the heat pumps are connected to the tank ( 127 ) by a feed pipe ( 128 ) and to the feed line ( 124 ) by an outflow pipe ( 130 ). in operation , as shown in fig6 , screens ( 131 ) are erected intermittently along the slope ( 121 ) prior to dispersion of ice - slurry thereon . the heat pump ( 129 ) receives feed water from the water tank ( 127 ) through line ( 128 ) and produces ice slurry containing a high level of ice crystals . the slurry is then pumped through a pipe ( 130 ) into the slurry feed line ( 124 ), and using the dispersion valves ( 125 ), is distributed onto the slope ( 121 ). the melt water from the ice - slurry form a water layer ( 132 ) on which the slurry is free to slip in a downward direction , indicated by arrow ( 134 ). the screens ( 131 ) prevent the slurry from slipping , allowing only water ( 132 ) to drip down , resulting in the piling of wet snow ( 133 ) against the screens ( 131 ). the water ( 132 ) dripping passed the screens ( 131 ) are blocked by the barriers ( 122 ) and directed into the drainage channels ( 126 ) from which it is fed into the water tank ( 127 ). once the piles ( 133 ) have been formed , the screens ( 131 ) may be removed and the piles may be groomed manually or by mechanical means ( not shown ) to create an even layer of snow ( 133 ) on the slope ( 121 ) allowing skiing and snow related activities . during the operation of the dome ( 120 ), the snow ( 133 ) on the slope ( 121 ) is constantly melting . the snow - melt water ( 132 ) seeping down the slope ( 121 ) are blocked by the barriers ( 122 ) and directed into the drainage channels ( 126 ), thus a low water level on the slope ( 21 ) is maintained . the water from the drainage channels ( 126 ) is fed back into the water tank ( 127 ) where the entire process may repeat itself . since the snow ( 133 ) on top of the slope ( 121 ) is allowed to melt , skiing and snow related activities may be carried out within the dome ( 120 ) in above zero degrees centigrade , and refrigeration of the dome ( 120 ) environment is not obligatory . furthermore , the dome ( 120 ) is naturally cooled by the latent heat taken by the snow ( 133 ) in the process of melting . should further refrigeration of the dome ( 120 ) be desired , part of the water from the tank ( 127 ) may be diverted for such purposes . in addition , the snow dome ( 120 ) may be fitted with an air - conditioning system adapted for de - humidifying the air within the dome . it should be noted that the screens ( 131 ) and barriers ( 122 ) may be of various shapes and form allowing the functionality as described in the above specifications , e . g . angular , semi - circular etc . those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readily appreciate that numerous changes , variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention mutatis mutandis .	8
the plasmid harboring the transgene nflgp160 ( fig1 a ) was derived as follows : the puc18 vector , harboring the 2 . 2 kb nfl promoter , was modified by introducing not1 sites at the unique kpn1 and ecor1 sites . the 4 . 8 kb sall - xbal gpl60 fragment of hiv - 1 hxbc2 strain and the 3 . 5skb xba fragment of the nfl gene were introduced in the puc18 at sall and / or xbal sites , as described in materials and methods . the 2 . 2 kb sall segment containing the human nfl promoter was inserted in sall site at the 5 &# 39 ; end of the hiv - 1 4 . 8 kb fragment . nflgpl60xba transgene was deleted from the vector puc18 by not1 digestion before microinjection . the hxbc2 fragment expresses only rev and env proteins , the former being necessary for the transport of env mrna from the nucleus to the cytoplasm . it also harbors the vpu and nef genes which are not expressed because of a premature stop codon in their respective sequences , the entire 3 &# 39 ; ltr that provides the polyadenylation signal and 1 . 8 kb of cellular sequences with no function . the transgene was completed by fusing to the 3 &# 39 ; end of the hiv - 1 segment a 3 . 5 kb fragment corresponding to the xba fragment of the human neurofilament gene . this segment was added because , according to j . p . julien , it may contain positive regulatory elements which enhance the promoter activity . for transient expression experiments in cos - 1 cells , the sv4 origin of replication was inserted in the puc18 backbone of the construct . the ks - styt3 construct ( fig1 b ) was derived to provide the probes for southern , northern and rnase protection analyses . ks - styt3 plasmid was constructed by insertion of the 2 . 2 kb hind iii subfragment of hiv - 1 env gene in hind - iii site of ks + vector . this construct contains the 2 . 2kb hind - iii fragment of the env gene in bluescript ks (+) vector ( stratagene ). the env expressor plasmid , psviiiexe7 , and its non expressor derivative , psviiiex δe7 , were respectively used as positive and negative controls for in vitro expression experiments . the cell lines cos - 1 , hela - cd4 + and hela - cd8 + used for transfection experiments were all maintained in dulbecco modified eagle medium ( dmem , gibco / brl ) supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum ( gibco / brl .) and 0 . 1 % gentamicin . hiv - 1 infected and non - infected u937 were maintained in rpmi ( gibco / brl ) medium supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum and 0 . 1 % gentamicine . the transfections were performed by the standard calcium phosphate technique as described by ( shen , y . m . et al ., 1982 , mol . cell . biol ., 2 : 1145 - 1154 ) fifteen micrograms of plasmid dna , coprecipitated with calcium phosphate , were added for 12 - 16 hours to rapidly growing cells plated onto a 10 cm diameter plate containing 10 ml dmem supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum and 0 . 1 % gentamicine . the cells were then rinsed with dmem and incubated in fresh medium for 36 to 48 hours . the expression of gpl60 precursor protein and its processed products , gpl20 and gp41 , was assessed by immunoprecipitation of cos - 1 cells transfected with the transgene construct . two days after transfection with either nflgpl60 , psviiiexe7 ( positive control ) or psviiiexδe7 ( negative control ), cos - 1 cells were labelled with 100 μci / ml of [ 35 s ] cysteine ( 600ci / mmol ) for 6 hours in cysteine - deficient dmem . hiv - 1 infected u937 cells were similarly labelled in cysteine deficient rpmi . the cells were washed and lysed in ripa lysis buffer ( 20 mm tris - hcl [ ph 8 . 0 ], 1 mm edta , 120 mm nacl , 1 % np40 , 0 . 1 % sodium dodecyl sulfate [ sds ], 0 . 25 % deoxycholate 0 . 2 % phenyl - methylsulfonyl fluoride ). the cell lysates were first clarified by centrifugation at 13000 rpm for one hour at 4 ° c . and the supernatant was reacted with normal serum for 2 hours at 4 ° c . the precipitates were pelleted by centrifugation at the same speed for 5 minutes ; the supernatants were incubated at 4 ° c . overnight with the immunoserum of an hiv - 1 infected patient . the immune complexes were precipitated for 2 hours at 4 ° c . with 50 μl of protein a - sepharose suspension . the precipitates were finally pelleted , washed 6 times with 1 ml of washing buffer ( 1 % np40 , 120 mm nacl , 20 mm tris - hcl , ph 8 . 0 ) and resuspended in 50 μl of 2 × sds gel loading buffer ( 100 mm tris .- hcl , ph 6 . 8 , 200 mm dithiothreitol , 0 . 4 % sds , 0 . 2 % bromophenol blue and 20 % glycerol ). they were boiled for 3 minutes and fractionnated on a 9 % polyacrylamide / sds gel . the gels were dried and exposed to radioautographic films for 24 to 48 hours . for immunoperoxidase reaction , cos - 1 , hela - cd4 + and hela - cd8 + cells were seeded on glass coverslips and transfected as described above . forty - eight hours later , the transfected cells and the appropriate controls were rinsed with pbs , air dried , fixed in cold acetone for 10 minutes and reacted first with a normal serum for 20 minutes and then with mouse monoclonal antibodies ( dupont / nen ) directed against gp41 or gpl20 . the immunoreactivity was revealed according to the avidin / biotin / peroxidase method ( abc ) using a biotinylated horse anti - mouse igg and an abc complex ( vectastain , vector ) with diaminobenzidine as chromogen . the cells were then rinsed with pbs , stained with hematoxylin for 10 seconds , washed in water , dehydrated in ethanol and coverslipped with dpx . the 10 . 5 kb fragment containing the transgene nflgpl60xba was deleted from the plasmid using not1 enzyme ( fig1 a ), purified with several phenol / chloroform extractions and ethanol precipitation and finally microinjected at 2 μg / ml into the male pronuclei of fertilized eggs . microinjected eggs were transferred to the oviducts of pseudopregnant females . all the transgenic mice were developed and maintained in a pathogen - free facility . the integration of the transgene into the mouse genome was assessed by southern blot hybridization of genomic dna . tail samples of 3 week old mice were digested with proteinase k at 55 ° c . for at least 5 hours and the dnas were purified by several phenol / chloroform / isoamyl alcohol and chloroform extractions followed by ethanol precipitation . ten to 15 μg genomic dnas were digested with either sac - 1 or ecor - 1 enzymes , fractionated on 1 % agarose gels and transferred to nitrocellulose membrane ( schleicher & amp ; schuell ). the filters were prehybridized in 5 × ssc ( 1 ssc is 150 mm nacl and 5 mm na 3 citrate [ ph 7 ]) 1 % sds , 20 mm tris ( ph 7 . 5 ), 533 denhart &# 39 ; s solution ( 1 × denhart is 0 . 02 % bovine serum albumine , 0 . 02 % ficoll ™, 0 . 02 % polyvinyl pyrolidone ), 10 % dextran sulfate and 100 μg / ml denatured salmon sperm dna for at least 3 hr at 65 ° c . the dna probe made of the env 2 . 2 kb hindiii subfragment labeled with [ a 32 p ] dctp ( 3000ci / mmol .) was denatured and added to the filter for an overnight hybridization at 65 ° c . the filter was then washed 10 min . at room temperature in 2 × ssc , 1 % sds ; 2 × 30 min . at 65 ° c . in 1 × ssc and 1 % sds ; 30 min . in 0 . 5 × ssc , 1 % sds ; 1 min . in 0 . 2 × ssc at room temperature . the filters were finally exposed to kodak ™ x - omat ar and / or rp with an intensifying screen . the rnases protection experiments were carried out to detect the env mrna expression and compare its level among different organs . transgenic and control mice were sacrificed and tissue samples from the forebrain , cerebellum / brainstem , lung , liver , heart and kidney were removed and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen . the rnas were prepared by homogeneizing the different organs in 10 ml / g of a solution 3m licl / 6m urea . the homogenates were kept on ice for 1 hour , sonicated for 1 minute and incubated at 0 ° c . overnight . the rnas were harvested by centrifugation , rinsed with licl / urea solution , pelleted again and resupended in 10 mm tris - hcl , ph 7 . 6 , 1 mm edta , 0 . 5 % sds in volumes equivalent to 5 ml / gr original tissue . the rnas were extracted with an equal volume of phenol / chloroform / isoamyl alcohol ( 24 : 24 : 1 ) followed with chloroform / isoamyl alcohol ( 24 : 1 ) and finally precipitated in 2 volumes ethanol , 1 / 10 volume 3m naoac at - 20 ° c . the purified rnas were again pelleted , redissolved in sterile water and kept at - 80 ° c . until use . as positive control , rnas from hiv - 1 infected u937 monocytic cells were prepared in the same conditions . for rnases protection reactions , rna samples ( 25 μg ) were redissolved in 30 μl of hybridization buffer containing 2 . 5 × 10 5 cpm of an antisens env rna probe labeled with [ a 32 p ] utp ( 3000 ci / mmol ). this probe was transcribed from styl linearized ks - styt3 plasmid using t3 polymerase ; it spanned 92 nucleotides specific to gp160 transcripts and 73 nucleotides belonging to the ks (+) plasmid . as a standard for these hybridization reactions , we used a 292 nucleotides antisens rna probe specific to the ubiquitus l32 riboprotein mrna ( guy , c . t . et al ., 1992 , mol . cell . biol ., 12 : 954 - 961 ) and labeled with [ 35 s ] utp ( 3000 ci / mmol ). the hybridization products were digested with 0 . 1 μg and 5 μg of rnases t1 and a ( brl ), respectively , , and fractionnated on 8 % polyacrylamide / urea gels . the gels were dried and exposed to x - omat ar ™ films with intensifying screens for 2 to 8 days . the expression of the env proteins in the nervous tissues of transgenic mice was investigated by immunohistochemistry , using monoclonal antibodies against gp41 and gpl20 or the serum from an hiv - 1 infected patient . transgenic and control mice were anesthetized with an overdose of pentobarbital ( somnotol , 70 mg / kg , i . p . ), and perfused transcardially with 0 . 01m pbs , ph 7 . 4 followed by 4 % paraformaldehyde in 0 . 1m phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 4 . the brain and spinal cord were removed , further fixed by immersion in the same fixative and then cut into 40 μm thick sections with a vibratome . the sections were rinsed extensively , preincubated with 10 % normal goat serum for 2 hours and incubated overnight at room temperature with the primary antibodies . this was followed by pbs washings and immunoreactivity detection according to the abc method ( vectastain ™ vector ). the sections were mounted on slides , air dried at 37 ° c . overnight , dehydrated with ethanol and coverslipped with dpx mountant . the stereotaxic atlas for the rat and the atlas of the mouse brain and spinal cord were used as anatomical references . before using the nflgpl60xba transgene to develop transgenic animals we carried out transient expression experiments to determine if the hiv - 1 env products , under the control of the heterologous nfl promoter , were expressed and processed correctly . cos - 1 cells were transfected either with nflgpl60xba , the env expressor psviliexe7 or its negative derivative psviiiexδe7 , and metabolically labeled with [ 35 s ] cysteine . the radiolabeled lysates of the transfected cells and appropriate controls including non infected and hiv - 1 infected u937 cells were immuno - precipitated with total immune sera from normal and hiv - 1 infected individuals . the autoradiogram in fig2 ( lanes 1 to 8 ) illustrates the results of these experiments . cos - 1 cells were transfected with nflgpl60xba ( that has been modified by addition of a 450 bp fragment harboring sv40 origin of replication ), env expressor psviiiexe7 and its negative derivative psviiiexδe7 . the immunoprecipitation reaction was performed using normal or hiv - 1 infected patients immunoserum . the immunoprecipitates of hiv - 1 infected controls and transfected cos - 1 cells are shown in the autoradiogram . lane 1 : hiv - 1 infected u937 cells ; lane 2 : non transfected cos - 1 cells ; lane 3 : psviiiexδe7 transfected cos - 1 cells ; lanes 4 : nflgpl60xba - cos immunoprecipitated with human normal serum ; lanes 5 and 6 : nflgpl60xba - cos transfected cells ( 15 and 30 mg , respectively ) immunoprecipitated with human anti - hiv - 1 serum . lanes 7 and 8 : psviiiexe7 transfected cells immunoprecipitated with human anti - hiv - 1 and normal sera , respectively . arrows indicate the position of the gpl60 and gpl20 . hiv - 1 infected u937 cell lysates treated with the immunoreactive serum showed the signals corresponding to gpl20 and its precursor gpl60 ( lane 1 ). similar signals were obtained with lysates of cos - 1 cells transfected with 15 and 30 μg of nflgpl60xba plasmid dna ( fig2 lanes 5 and 6 respectively ) or with the hiv - 1 env expressor psviiiexe7 ( fig2 lane 7 ). the control reactions which included lysates of non transfected cos - 1 cells treated with normal or hiv - 1 immune sera ( fig2 lanes 2 and 3 , respectively ), cos - 1 cells transfected with the psviiiexδe7 plasmid ( fig2 lane 4 ), as well as lysates of cos - 1 cells transfected with the env expressor psviiiexe7 , but immunoprecipitated with normal serum ( fig2 lane 8 ), were all negative for the signals corresponding to gpl20 and gpl60 . the gp41 protein , which is present in equimolar ratio to gpl20 in the immunoprecipitates of positive samples , was less clearly visualized on the autoradiograms . since the nflgpl60xba transgene was found to express the gpl60 protein and its subunits gpl20 and gp41 , it was important to determine if the env moiety encoded by this recombinant construct had retained the biological property to induce syncitia in cd4 + cells . immunostaining of nflgpl60xba transfected hela - cd4 + and hela - cd8 + cells , with monoclonal antibodies against gp41 or gpl20 showed that both types of cells expressed the viral envelope proteins ( fig3 b and 3d ). the cd4 + and cd8 + hela cells transfected with the transgenic construct were immunoreacted with either normal or monoclonal antibodies against gp120 and gp41 using avidin / biotin / peroxidase technique and examined for syncitia formation . a : cd8 + hela cells with normal serum ; b : cd8 + hela cells treated with anti - gpl20 or anti - gp41 ; c : hela cd4 + cells immunoreacted with normal serum ; d : hela cd4 + cells treated with anti - gpl20 or gp41 . syncitia are observed only in cd4 + cells expressing the env proteins ( c and d ). magnification × 2600 . although present on the cell surface and all over the cytoplasm , the protein was mostly concentrated in areas corresponding to the rough endoplasmic reticulum / golgi compartments , as already reported ( stein , b . s . et al ., 1990 , j biol chem , 265 : 2640 - 2649 ). no immunostaining was found in cells reacted with normal serum ( fig3 a and 3c ). as anticipated , several multinucleated cells were observed in hela - cd4 + ( fig3 c and 3d ), but not in hela - cd8 + transfected cells ( fig3 a and 3b ). in these syncitia , the nuclei were often forming a ring around the immunostained area . these findings confirmed that the nflapl60xba construct was correctly expressing the hiv - 1 envelope components and clearly indicated that gpl20 , like the native protein in hiv - 1 infected cells , was capable of inducing syncitia formation . the integration of the transgene in the mouse genome was determined by southern blot hybridization of genomic dna extracted from mice tails . out of 25 animals tested , 3 were found to carry 1 to 30 full length copies of the transgene per haploid genome . these 3 founders , 844 , 852 and 854 , were maintained in a pathogen - free facility and , for 11 months now , have remained apparently healthy . they all reproduced normally and transmitted the transgene in a mendelian fashion , except for female 852 which was found less fertile . heterozygous colonies of transgenic mice have been developed from founders 844 and 854 and a homozygous line has already been established from founder 854 . because of its lower fertility , founder 852 had , from several matings , three f1 transgenic offsprings that are still used as progenitors to develop a colony . tissue specific expression of the nfl driven env gene in transgenic animals was analyzed by rnases protection assay on rnas extracted from the targeted nervous tissues , ( forebrain and cerebellum / brainstem ), as well as from non targeted organs such as heart , liver , kidney and lung , of three months old mice derived from 844 and 854 founders . the reaction specificity was controlled with rnas purified from the same organs of non transgenic littermates and from hiv - 1 infected u937 = cells . equal amounts of sample rnas were simultaneously hybridized to [ a 32 p ] utp labeled antisens rna probe specific to env transcripts and [ 35 s ] utp labeled antisens probe specific to l32 ribosomal protein mrna . as illustrated on the autoradiogram in fig4 ( lanes 5 to 23 ), a signal with similar intensity and corresponding to the protected segment of the l32 probe was observed in all the tested rna samples ; this indicated that the hybridization reactions contained approximately equivalent amounts of rna . rnas isolated from different tissues of normal and transgenic mice 844 and 854 and hiv - 1 infected u937 cells were hybridized to gpl60 and l32 ribosomal gene specific probes . the env 32 p - labeled antisens rna was transcribed from styl digested ks - stylt3 plasmid and protected 92 nucleotides of gpl60 mrna . the 35 s - labeled probe for internal control l32 ribosomal gene was transcribed from xbal linearized rpl3227 . 3 . 7 plasmid and protected 278 nucleotides of l32 mrnas . the rnase protected products were analyzed on 8 % polyacrylamide / urea gels and distributed as follows : rnas from forebrain , cerebellum / brainstem , heart , liver , lung and kidney of normal mouse are respectively in lanes 5 to 11 ; in the - same order , the rna samples from the same tissues of transgenic mice 844 are in lanes 12 to 17 and from mice 854 in lanes 18 to 23 . rna sample from hiv - 1 infected cells is in lane 25 . the hybridization of test samples with the probe specific for the gpl60 • transcripts led to the following findings . i ) the rnas from infected cells exhibited a protected fragment of 92 nucleotides ( fig4 lane 25 ). ii ) the forebrain , cerebellum / brainstem , heart , liver , lung and kidney of the normal mouse ( fig4 lanes 5 to 10 , respectively ) were all negative . iii ) with the rnas of the 844 transgenic mice , the probe specific for gpl60 transcripts protected the anticipated 92 nucleotides segment in forebrain and cerebellum / brainstem ( fig4 lanes 12 and 13 ) and unexpectedly , in non targeted organs such as heart , liver , lung and kidney ( lanes 14 to 17 , respectively ). curiously , the level of env mrnas expression in the cns tissues appeared lower than that of the ectopic organs . iv ) in contrast , among all the tissues tested in heterozygous or homozygous mice of line 854 , only the forebrain and cerebellum / brainstem exhibited the protected fragment ( fig4 lanes 18 and 19 , respectively ). no signficant signal was observed in the other tissues ( fig4 lanes 20 to 23 ). overall , these results clearly indicated that the transgene was transcribed in the cns of both investigated lines . in addition , they showed in both transgenic mice a higher level of env mrna expression in the cerebellum / brainstem than in the forebrain . immunohistochemistry with a hiv - 1 infected human immunoserum and monoclonal antibodies against gp41 and gpl20 was performed on serial sections of the brain and spinal cord from three month - old transgenic ( lines 844 and 854 ) and control mice . the forebrain ( telencephalon and diencephalon ) of both types of transgenic mice was essentially immunonegative , with the exception of the lateral hypothalamus ( lh ) in line 844 , which displayed some immunostained cell bodies with the hiv - 1 immunoserum . the cerebellum was also completely immunonegative . in contrast , several nuclei of the brainstem and spinal cord exhibited immunoreactive perikarya ( table 1 and fig5 ). their distribution was consistent among transgenic mice of both lines and with all three antibodies , although the hiv - 1 human immunoserum was the most sensitive , producing a more intense staining which indicated some brain areas immunonegative with one or both of the other antibodies . the motoneurons of cranial nerve nuclei ( 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 12 ) and spinal cord ( fig5 a , 5b and 5c ) were the most prominent in terms of number of labeled neurons and staining intensity , the immunoreactivity extending distally into the dendrites . a ) immunolabeling of motor trigeminal neurons ( mo5 ); b ) immunolabelling of the motor facial neurons ( 7 ); c ) immunostaining of neurons in the anterior gray horns of the spinal cord . magnification : a × 15 , b × 15 , c × 40 . lower numbers of labeled neurons were observed in the mesencephalic , pontine and medullar reticular formation ( ddme , pno / pnc , mdv / gi , lrt ), the red nucleus ( r ), superior colliculus ( sc ), lateral and superior vestibular nuclei ( lve , suve ) and dorsal root ganglia ( drg ). thus , most brain regions which were shown in other studies to display perikaryal nfl immunoreactivity in normal adult mouse were also immunopositive for env proteins in nflgpl60xba transgenic mice , with the notable exception of the cerebral and cerebellar cortices . however , a few brain areas immunopositive in one or both transgenic mouse lines were found unlabeled for nfl in normal mice : lh , lrt and layers 4 - 8 of spinal cord . these areas were nevertheless immunopositive for nfl during postnatal development , in normal mice and in adult mice transgenic for human nfl . table 1__________________________________________________________________________cns distribution of neuronal perikarya immuno - reactivewith hiv - 1 infected human serum , or with anti - gp41 oranti - gp 120 antibodies in two lines of nflgp160 trans - genic mouse line 844 line 854 human human serum gp41 gp120 serum gp41 gp120__________________________________________________________________________hypothalamus lm - - - nd - - lh + - - nd - - mesencephalon r + - - + + - snr - - - - - - 3 ++ - - ++ + - sc + - - + + - ic nd nd nd - - - 4 ++ - - ++ + - dpme + - - + + - pcom + - - nd - - pons pno / pnc + - + ++ + - pr5 - - - - - - mo5 +++ +++ ++ ++ ++ ++ sp5 + - - + + + acs5 ++ + + + + + me5 + + + ++ ++ + 6 - - - - - - 7 ++ ++ + ++ + + acs7 ++ + + ++ + - lve + - + + + + suve + - + + + nd subca - - - - - nd vll - - - + nd nd pl - - - + nd ndmedulla 10 - - - - - - 12 ++ ++ + + + + amb + - - + - - mdv / gi + + + + - - lrt + ++ + ++ - - cerebellum purkinje cell layer - - - - - - deep nuclei - - - - - - spinal cord drg + nd nd nd nd nd layers 4 - 8 - - - nd + nd motoneurons ++ - nd + nd nd__________________________________________________________________________ cns distribution of neuronal perikarya immunoreactive with hiv - 1 infected human serum , or with antibodies against gp41 or gpl20 in two lines of nflgpl60 transgenic mouse . semi - quantitative estimates of the number of immunoreactive neurons rated on a scale from - ( absent ) to +++ ( virtually every neuron ); nd , ( not determined ). data were collected from transverse 40 μm - thick sections taken every 200 μm through the whole brain and from sections of the cervical spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia . neuroanatomical abbreviations : 3 , oculomotor nucleus ; 4 , trochlear nucleus ; 6 , abducens nucleus ; 7 , facial nucleus ; 10 , dorsal motor nucleus of vagus ; 12 , hypoglossal nucleus ; acs5 , accessory trigeminal nucleus ; acs7 , accessory facial nucleus ; amb , ambiguus nucleus ; dpme , deep mesencephalic nucleus ; drg , dorsal root ganglia ; gi , gigantocellular reticular nucleus ; ic , inferior colliculus ; lh , lateral hypothalamic area ; lm , lateral mammillary nucleus ; lrt , lateral reticular nucleus ; lve , lateral vestibular nucleus ; mdv , medullary reticular nucleus , ventral part ; me5 , mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus ; mo5 , motor trigeminal nucleus ; pcom , nucleus of the posterior commissure ; pl , paralemniscal nucleus ; pnc , pontine reticular nucleus , caudal part ; pno , pontine reticular nucleus , oral part ; pr5 , principal sensory trigeminal nucleus ; r , red nucleus ; sc , superior colliculus ; snr , substantia nigra , reticular part ; sp5 , spinal trigeminal tract nucleus ; subca , subcoeruleus nucleus , alpha part ; suve , superior vestibular nucleus ; vll , ventral nucleus of tha lateral lemniscus . the cns of transgenic and control mice was also fixed in 10 % formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin blocks for serial 5 μm - thick sectionning . the sections were stained with hematoxylin - phloxin - safran ( hps ). selected sections were further stained with modified bielchowsky ™, luxol - cresyl ™ violet and holzer ™ stains . preliminary immunohistochemical exploration for gfap and the phosphorylated neurofilament triplet was done with the abc method . preliminary observations with anti - hiv - 1 immunostaining in the cns of three month old transgenic 844 and 854 mice showed a similar topographic distribution of the env protein in sections from paraffinembedded brain although these antibodies did not react as strongly as in non embedded tissue . most immunostained cells appeared normal in shape . the reaction was confined to the perikaryal area with a variable extension into the dendrites ( fig6 a ). a ) neuron of the reticular formation of the medulla . intense immunostaining in perikaryon with extension in the dendritic tree . b ) immunostaining of numerous neurons in the 5th motor nucleus . elongated ( arrow ) or spherical ( arrowhead ) neuritic swellings present in or around the nucleus . c ) gracilis nucleus with numerous immunostained neuritic swellings of variable size . d ) immunostained segment of one axon with row of swellings in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord . magnification : a × 800 , b × 320 , c × 800 , d × 1280 . initial segments of axons were occasionally positive . the modified bielschowsky ™ and the antibodies against the phosphorylated neurofilament triplet remained negative in the perikarya of gpl60 positive nuclei of brainstem and spinal cord anterior gray horn . however these two stains showed the expected positivity in axons of various tracts and nerve roots . with the anti - hiv - 1 antibodies , particularly in non - embedded vibratome sections but also in paraffinembedded sections , numerous small abnormal dendritic swellings were found in and around the most intensely stained motor nuclei such as the motor trigeminal ( mo5 ) and the facial ( 7 ) nuclei ( fig6 b ); they were also present in anterior gray horn of the spinal cord . interestingly , these dendritic swellings were not stained with antibodies against phosphorylated neurofilament triplet or with the modified bielschowsky method , which suggests that the neurofilaments were not involved in these changes . in addition , hiv - 1 immunoreactive axonal swellings were also observed in a region corresponding to nucleus gracilis and to the gracilis and cuneate fascicles in the medulla and spinal cord ( fig6 c ). similar swellings were occasionally found in the same regions of the cns in control mice , but they were much more numerous and larger in transgenic animals . these were stained by the antibodies against the phosphorylated neurofilament triplet and the modified bielschowsky ™ stain , but this reaction was variable in intensity . finally some axonal swellings were found in other areas of the medulla and spinal cord ( fig6 d ). the glial fibrillary acidic protein ( gfap ) reaction suggested early reactive astrocytosis in several areas of the cns . quantitative analysis to better evaluate it are in progress . the hematoxylin / phloxin / safran ( hps ) did not show any sign of inflammatory reaction , migration disorder , or any developmental or acquired changes . the hps was also used for evaluation of the thoracic and abdominal organs : no inflammation or cytological changes were observed . the results described in accordance with the present invention clearly show that nflgpl60xba transgenic mice express the hiv - 1 env proteins in their cns . in this transgene the env protein expression was driven by the neuron specific promoter of the human nfl . analysis of the expression products of nflgpl60xba construct in cos - 1 and hela - cd4 + cells has shown that the recombinant proteins were very similar to the native moieties with respect to their processing and biological function . in both 844 and 854 lines , env transcripts have been detected in cerebellum / brainstem and forebrain , although , in the latter region , the signal was always lower . as anticipated with the nfl promoter , the transgene expression was restricted to the nervous tissue in line 854 : no transcriptional activity was detected in ectopic organs . in mice 844 , however , rnases protection experiments demonstrated the presence of env mrnas not only in cns but also in liver , kidney , heart and lung . such ectopic expression could be explained by integration site effects as already reported for various genes in different transgenic animals . the expression of the env protein or its localization within these ectopic tissues has not yet been determined , but does not appear to have any effect according to the aspect of these tissues after hps staining . notwithstanding these differences in mrna expression , the expression and distribution of the env proteins in the cns were identical for both 844 and 854 mice . they represent the first animal model displaying neuronal expression of hiv - 1 env proteins . in the transgenic mice developped by toggas et al . ( 1994 , nature , 367 : 188 - 193 ), in which the expression of gpl20 was under the control of the gfap promoter , the env protein was not detected despite the presence of high level of mrna . as already mentioned , the immunoreactive structures in nflgpl60xba mice were all localized in the brainstem and spinal cord . most of the labeled nuclei displayed also perikaryal nfl immunoreactivity in normal adult or developing mice . the nfl promoter has thus responded as expected for these areas . additional structures like lh , lrt and layers 4 - 8 of spinal cord , where the nfl protein is normally not detected in perikarya , displayed env positive neuronal cell bodies . interestingly , these same areas were found immunoreactive for the nfl protein in transgenic animals carrying the human neurofilament light gene . it thus appears that env proteins were detected in neurons that express the highest levels of nfl . surprisingly , no significant env immunopositivity was observed in cerebral cortex although nfl protein is normally present in perikarya in layers ii / iii and v of the parietal cortex . this apparent absence of env protein could be due to the low level of expression of the transgene in the forebrain of both transgenic mice , as demonstrated by the rnases protection assay . it could also be the effect of a neuronal loss due to neurotoxic properties of gpl20 . the loss of certain neuronal subpopulations has been well documented in hiv - 1 infected patients ; it was also reported in gfap - gpl20 transgenic mice by toggas et al ., ( 1994 , nature , 367 : 188 - 193 ). if such a loss had occured in nflgpl60xba transgenic mice , one would predicts that nfl immunoreactivity in parietal cortex should also be reduced . to test this possibility immunostaining of alternate series of vibratome sections was performed with anti - nfl and anti - hiv - 1 antibodies . these experiments showed a normal distribution of nfl immunoreactive cell bodies in cerebral cortex of the transgenic mice thus indicating that the absence of hiv - 1 immunoreactivity in layers ii / iii and v in the parietal cortex was not related to neuronal loss in these structures . neuropathological evaluation of the two transgenic lines demonstrated cellular alterations manifested by two types of neuritic swellings . in brain regions with high hiv - 1 env protein expression i . e . brainstem motor nuclei and the anterior gray horns of the spinal cord , such morphological anomalies were observed in the dendritic trees , sometimes quite distally . the negative reaction of the small neuritic swellings in the motor nuclei and anterior gray horns with the modified bielschowski and with antibodies directed against the phosphorylated neurofilament triplet suggests that this anomaly did not involve neurofilaments . however , the involvement of the neurocytoskeleton should not be totally excluded until analyses of ageing animals are completed . in addition , early reactive astrocytosis , as demonstrated by the gfap staining in several cns structures , suggests that there may be a neuronal loss in these young mice . a second type of neuritic swelling was found in the gracilis nuclei and cuneate fascicles . these large , pleomorphic structures seem to represent an amplification of a normal physiological process since similar , but fewer and smaller spheroids were also present in normal mice . their immunoreactivity with anti - hiv1 antibodies shows that the env protein was axonally transported . in conclusion , the expression of the env proteins in the cns of these transgenic mice has produced moderate changes of the dendritic trees that could represent a first phenotypic manifestation of neuronal dysfunction . the limited effects we have detected could be related to a low level of gpl20 in neurons . indeed , toggas et al . ( 1994 , nature , 367 : 188 - 193 ) have reported that the severity of neuropathological changes in gfap - gpl20 transgenic mice correlated with the level of gpl20 mrna expression . the mild pathological changes we have observed could also be due to the relatively young age at which these animals have been analyzed . the preliminary neurocytological anomalies observed in the dendritic trees of motor neurons in our transgenic mice reproduced changes present in the cerebral cortex in human aids ( masliah , e . et al ., 1992 , lab . investigation , 66 : 285 - 291 ). in humans , the possibility that these changes could have been caused by an inflammatory process rather than by the viral infection itself cannot be excluded . in nflgpl60xba mice , so far , there was no inflammatory process and hence , the observed changes could be a direct effect of env protein expression . extensive analysis of these transgenic mice by electron and confocal microscopy is in progress and might yield some clues on the role and mechanisms of hiv - 1 env neuronal toxicity in aids infected individuals . 2further studies using offsprings obtained from matings of different transgenic lines will help determine the effects of higher levels of gpl20 on cns morphology . in addition , the neuronal expression of env proteins at levels detectable by immunocytochemistry in several cns regions of these animals provides useful models for studies of the neuropathological effects of gpl20 during embryonic development and ageing . the transgenic mice of the present invention can be used for the study of neurobiology and to understand the function of neuronal cells . the transgenic mice of the present invention can be used for the study of the mechanism of the neurotoxicity induced by gpl60 . the transgenic mice of the present invention can be used to test pharmaceutical compounds for used as antagonist against the neurotoxicity induced by gpl60 or for the treatment of the neuronal syndrome of hiv - 1 infections . the transgenic mice of the present invention can be combined to other transgenic mice which are carrying other genes of hiv for the study of the pathogenesis of this virus and the testing of pharmaceutical compounds effective against the pathogenesis . while the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof , it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and 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 or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth , and as follows in the scope of the appended claims . other embodiments are within the following claims . for example , any species of transgenic animal can be employed . in some circumstances , for instance , it may be desirable to use a species , e . g ., such as the rhesus monkey , which is evolutionary closer to human .	2
fig1 is a side elevation view of a 32 v crt 10 of the type used for color television , having a glass envelope 11 , including a front display panel 11a , a funnel 11b , a neck 11c , and a transition region between the funnel and the neck , which is obscured by the yoke assembly 16 . yoke assembly 16 includes a deflection coil 17 , and yoke clamp 18 , which secures the assembly to the crt envelope . implosion protection band 12 , including crt mounting ears 12a and 12b , high voltage anode button 14 , and resistive coatings 13 and 15 , are also illustrated in this figure . fig2 a through 2c are , respectively , a side view of a yoke clamp 30 of the prior art , a front view of both the yoke clamp 30 of the prior art and a yoke clamp 32 of the invention , and a side view of the yoke clamp 32 of the invention . these two yoke clamps are similar in that both include a band 34 , the ends of which each terminate in an upstanding tab ( 36a , 36b ), which tabs define central apertures 38 and 40 , and face one another in the manner shown so that the apertures 38 and 40 are aligned . an adjustable securing means such as a threaded nut and bolt , not shown , engages the apertures and during assembly draws the tabs toward each other , thereby to tighten the band 34 and the yoke assembly 16 against the neck 11c of the crt 10 in the known manner . the yoke clamp 32 of fig2 c has its band 34 divided into two sub bands 34a and 34b , which are separated by a space along substantially the entire length of the band . the dimensions and locations of the yoke clamps of fig2 a and 2c relative to the neck of the 32 v crt are shown in the boundary element models of fig3 a and 3b , respectively . in these illustrative examples , the neck 11c has a length l i + l e of 2 . 364 inches , an inner radius r i of 0 . 451 inches , an outer radius r o of 0 . 576 inches , and a neck thickness t of 0 . 126 inches . the clamp of fig2 a in fig3 a has a band width 1 of 0 . 354 inches , the center c of which is located a distance l i of 0 . 953 inches from the interface between the neck and the funnel transition region , and a distance l e of 1 . 411 inches from the opposite end of the neck . other dimensions are as follows : r o = 0 . 576 r i = 0 . 451 inches , t = 0 . 126 inches , l ac and l bc = 0 . 382 inches . the band of fig2 c in fig3 b is divided into two sub bands , each having a width ( w a , w b ) of 0 . 1335 inches and separated by a space having a width ( w s ) of 0 . 087 inches . the yoke clamp in fig3 b has the same position as the yoke clamp in fig3 a , so that the center c of sub band 34a is located a distance l i of 1 . 062 inches from the interface between the neck and the funnel transition region , and a distance l e of 1 . 302 inches from the end of the neck . l ac and l bc are 0 . 273 and 0 . 491 inches , respectively . the glass breaking strength depends upon the flaw size of existing defects . since such defects are usually found to occur in the outer glass surface , failures generally originate at the outer surface , which is consistent with the observation of neck cracking at the outer surface in 32 v crts ; however , neck cracking at the inner surface has also been observed in 27 v crts . cracking of the 32 v crt neck glass has been observed to propagate from point a as shown in fig3 a . in order to determine the cause of this cracking , boundary element analysis was carried out for maximum principal tensile stress at points a , b and c using an assumption of axisymmetry , which assumption is justified since the cracking is localized in the neck region of the crt , and is not related to the pressure of the implosion protection band or the overall vacuum inside the envelope . material constants used for the glass at a reference temperature of 70 f are as follows : ______________________________________young &# 39 ; s modulus 10 . 07 e + 6 psipoisson &# 39 ; s ratio 0 . 23thermal conductivity 1 . 4 e - 5 btu / in - s f . thermal expansion coefficient 5 . 5 e - 6 in / in f . ______________________________________ the yoke clamp pressure needed for the stress analysis was determined as follows . the yoke clamps employed a screw with an iso thread having a major diameter of 0 . 1575 inches and a pitch of 0 . 02756 inches . for a coefficient of friction of the threads of 0 . 12 , the relationship between screw force w and clamp torque t can be expressed as using a value for torque t of 8 . 851 1bf - inch in eq . ( 1 ), the screw force w was found to be 598 pounds . equilibrating the screw force w to the tension of the yoke clamp , the yoke clamp pressure p can be expressed as where r o is the outer radius of the neck and 1 is the width of the band of the yoke clamp . by substituting the values of 0 . 576 for r o , 0 . 354 for 1 , and 598 for w , p becomes 2932 psi . the normal force f n on the neck is then determined by the equation by substituting the known values for r o , 1 and p , then f n becomes 3756 pounds . substituting the same values into equations ( 1 ) through ( 3 ) for the clamp of the invention , except for the width of the band , which is w a + w b = 0 . 267 inches , instead of 0 . 354 inches , the values of w and f n are the same , but the value of p is 3888 psi . table 1______________________________________ prior art inventiveitems yoke clamp yoke clamp______________________________________yoke clamp torque 8 . 851 lbf - in 8 . 851 lbf - intotal width of yoke 0 . 354 &# 34 ; 0 . 354 &# 34 ; clampband width of yoke 0 . 354 &# 34 ; 0 . 1335 × 2 = 0 . 267 &# 34 ; clampnormal force to the 3756 lb . 3756 lb . neckslots width none 0 . 0870 &# 34 ; yoke clamp pressure 2932 psi 3888 psi______________________________________ the stress analysis results at points a , b and c of the neck for each clamp are shown in table 2 together with the reduction in stress at each point for the clamp of the invention . table 2______________________________________ point c point a point b______________________________________prior art yoke 7942 . 8 psi 2993 psi 3040 psiclampinventive yoke 6328 . 3 psi 2871 psi 2925 psiclampthe amount of 1614 . 5 psi 122 psi 115 psireduced stress______________________________________ the breaking strength at the inner glass surface of the neck has been determined by polarimetry as 8500 psi . as seen in table 2 , the stress at point c , the center of the band width at the inner surface of the neck , is below the breaking strength , so the analysis in this respect is consistent with the observed result of no cracking at point c . however , the stress at points a and b is about the same , so in this respect the mechanical stress analysis of the clamps is inconclusive . it is known from polarimetry analysis however , that residual stresses are present in the neck glass due to thermal treatments during manufacture , and that the residual thermal stress at point a is significant , while that around point b is negligible . therefore , it can be concluded that the cracking at point a is the result of the combined residual thermal stress of manufacturing processing and the mechanical stress of the yoke clamp . as may be seen , the clamp of the invention results in significantly reduced levels of stress at points a , b and c , as shown in the last line of table 2 . the stresses can be reduced even further by increasing the width of the slot between sub bands . the stress distributions along the inner and outer surfaces of the neck are shown graphically in fig4 through 7 , as maximum principal tensile stress in - psi versus distance along the neck , from the neck end to the neck / transition region interface for the inner surface of the neck in fig4 and 6 , and from the interface to the neck end for the outer surface of the neck in fig5 and 7 . fig4 and 6 show the stress distributions of the inner stresses in the neck for a yoke clamp of the type shown in fig2 a and for a yoke clamp of the invention shown in fig2 c , respectively ( where e is 10 and in is the exponent of e ; for example 10 + 3 = 10 3 = 1000 ; 10 - 2 = 10 - 2 = 1 / 100 ). in fig4 the stress outside the region of the clamp is at an approximately constant level of about zero , and then abruptly rises at point c to a peak of 7942 . 8 psi ( see table 2 ). in comparison , fig6 shows a somewhat similar stress level as fig4 outside the region of the clamp , but a significantly lower peak stress at point c of the clamp of 6328 . 3 psi . in addition , since the peak stress is divided into two peaks , the peak stress is distributed over an area , rather than being concentrated in a single point as shown in fig4 . fig5 and 7 show the stress distributions of the outer stresses in the neck for a yoke clamp of the type shown in fig2 a and for a yoke clamp of the invention shown in fig2 c , respectively . in fig5 the stress begins at zero , rises to a peak of 2993 psi at point a just outside the region of the clamp , then drops precipitously due to the yoke clamp pressure of - 2932 psi under the clamp , and then traces a symmetrical path on the other side of the clamp to a peak of 3040 psi at point b . in fig7 a similar pattern occurs , except that the peak stresses at points a and b are somewhat lower , 2871 and 2925 psi , respectively , and the yoke clamp pressure is - 3888 psi under the subbands . to demonstrate further the advantages of the clamp of the invention , tests were carried out on 32 v crts having the clamps of fig2 a and 2c , respectively , by increasing the torque t on the clamps until the neck glass cracked . results are shown in table 3 . table 3______________________________________t = 8 . 851 lbf - in t = 10 . 62 lbf - in t = 12 . 39 lbf - in______________________________________inventive no fail no fail no failclampprior art no fail no fail neck crackclamp______________________________________ as can be seen from table 3 , the crt of the invention can withstand a yoke clamp torque t of 12 . 39 1bf - in without cracking of the neck glass , while the crt of the prior art failed at this level of torque . the invention has been described in terms of a limited number of embodiments . other embodiments and variations of embodiments will become apparent to the skilled artisan from the above description , and these embodiments and variations are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the claims appended hereto .	7
the skin is one of the largest organs of the body . in many instances , portions of the skin are continuously exposed to the environment and thus subject to the damaging effects of various environmental factors that are present in the atmosphere . for instance , the skin is often exposed to harmful oxidants , such as uv radiation and other reactive oxygen species , as well as pollutants , harmful chemical agents , microbial , bacterial , and / or viral agents that are present within the environment and which can have damaging effects on the skin . for example , prolonged exposure to uv light , as well as other harmful environmental factors , may lead to the generation of reactive oxygen species within the skin that may harm the natural condition , texture , structure , and / or appearance of the skin . specifically , exposure to various harmful environmental factors can cause the appearance of aging and wrinkles in an otherwise youthful , smooth portion of skin . the skin is composed of several layers . youthful skin is typically pliable , resilient , and thereby poses a stringent barrier to the harmful effects of the environment . the two main layers of the skin are the epidermis and dermis . the dermis lies below the epidermis and is comprised of a number of pores and structural components such as blood vessels , nerves , hair , follicles , smooth muscles , glands , connective tissues and lymphatic tissues . the outermost layer of the epidermis of the skin is made up of a dense sub - layer of skin called the stratum corneum . the stratum corneum includes about 15 to 20 cell layers that are connected by a small number of adhesive plates , e . g ., protein - rich parts of the cell membrane , which give the epidermis both a brick and mortar appearance as well as function . between the adhesive plates of the stratum corneum are epidermal lipids , which fill the spaces between the cells like mortar or cement , and form a skin - specific lipid barrier in the structure of lamellar bilayer - lipid membranes . the epidermal lipid membranes include about 10 to 30 percent of the total volume of the stratum corneum and pose a permeability barrier which regulates the flow of water and compounds through the skin . typically , youthful skin has a high degree of keratinization within cells of the stratum corneum as well as a dense packed and cemented configuration of ordered , semicrystalline lipids create a substantially impermeable barrier to penetration . however , with exposure to adverse environmental agents and / or with the general effects of aging , these proteins and / or epidermal lipids may become degraded and the interstitial fluid between the cells of the skin may decrease in volume leading to a breakdown in the “ brick and mortar ” configuration of the skin , which in turn , may result in a loss of skin elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles and / or age spots . in such instances , the function of the permeability barrier to both prevent the passage of various substances such as microorganisms , chemicals and allergens , and to minimize transepidermal water loss may be compromised , and thus , with aging , the skin may lose its ability to protect the body from infection and dehydration . such a compromise may lead to skin that appears rough , old , and wrinkled . additionally , although the permeability barrier functions to prevent invasion from foreign molecules , it also functions to prevent and slow the penetration of chemical compounds , such as rejuvenating proteins , peptides , and their analogs , and thereby greatly reduces the effectiveness of cosmetic compositions that employ such proteins and / or their analogs . the longer it takes for an active agent , such as a protein , peptide , and / or its analog , from reaching a site of activity within the layers of the skin , the greater the chances are that the active agent will be broken down and degraded before it has the opportunity to promote its rejuvenating effects within the structures of the skin . another barrier to be overcome in the successful infiltration of an active agent , such as a protein and / or peptide composition of the disclosure , into the epidermis and / or into the dermis of the skin is the ph barrier thereof . the effective topical application of many active agents within cosmetic compositions currently available can be difficult because of the insolubility of the active agent ( s ) in various carrier compositions ( such as water , alcohol or oil based carriers ) and / or because of the effects that changes in the ph of the skin cause with respect to the permeability barrier of the epidermis . for example , the skin of the face produces a fine oily film that is secreted on to the surface of the skin and has a slightly acidic ph that functions as an integral part of the barrier function of the stratum corneum . the buffer capacity of the skin is the ability of healthy , normal skin to resist a change in ph from acid to alkaline , and the speed at which the skin reacts to an alkaline substance and returns to its natural acid ph value . youthful skin of the face has a high buffer capacity that actively resists changes in ph . however , with age and / or prolonged exposure to harmful environmental factors the skin may lose its buffer capacity , resulting in increased changes to the ph level of the skin . changes to the ph level of the skin can cause inflammation , redness and discomfort , all of which should be avoided in a cosmetic composition . although this ph barrier protects the skin against infection , it also makes the skin less permeable to various agents of the disclosure , especially those active agents that are basic or otherwise polar compounds . accordingly , to maximize the effectiveness of a skin care composition , such as a composition including proteins , peptides , and / or their analogs as active agent ( s ) in a cosmetic composition , the composition may be formulated in such a manner and with agents , active or otherwise , that promote skin penetration while at the same time maintaining and / or modulating the ph of the skin so as to better enable the active agent ( s ) to deeply penetrate the epidermis and contact the constituents therein . the compositions of the disclosure meet these objectives by presenting novel and synergistic combinations of agents that are specially formulated to rejuvenate the skin , moisturize both the dermis and epidermis , increase the resiliency of the layers of the skin , as well as to relax the underlying muscles thereof . in certain instances , a composition of the disclosure may additionally increase the effectiveness of the barrier of the stratum corneum as well as help restore the ph balance of the buffer capacity of the skin . a result of the application of a composition of the disclosure to the skin may be a more a healthy , vibrant and youthful appearance . in certain instances , a benefit of the application of a composition of the disclosure to the skin of the body may be a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles , e . g ., a substantial reduction in the appearance of wrinkles . by substantial reduction in the appearance of wrinkles is a skin portion that appears to evidence about a 10 %, for instance , about a 15 %, such as a 20 %, for example , a 25 %, including a 30 % reduction in the appearance of wrinkles as compared to a portion of skin to which a composition of the disclosure has not been applied . accordingly , in one aspect of the disclosure , topical skin care compositions are herein provided for the cleansing , conditioning , and / or moisturizing of the skin as well as for rejuvenating and / or preventing damage associated with disruptions caused by harmful exposure to environmental factors ( e . g ., oxidative stressors ) and / or other skin aggravators that may lead to the appearance of aging , e . g ., wrinkles , of the skin . the skin care compositions of the disclosure include synergistic combinations of cosmetically effective amounts of various proteins , peptides , analogs thereof , as well as rejuvenating emollient ingredients that are formulated to penetrate the barrier of the skin , moisturize the epidermis and dermis , restore the stratum corneum , rejuvenate the skin &# 39 ; s natural elasticity , modulate the endogenous ph balance , and / or prevent or reverse a variety of aging - related conditions of the skin that may lead to the appearance of aging and / or wrinkles within the skin . accordingly , an effective amount of a topical composition of the disclosure may be used to cleanse and condition the skin as well as to repair and / or protect the skin from various conditions , such as e . g ., the appearance of aging , dry skin , dermatitis , eczema , sunburn , inflammation , pruritic lesions , and other inflammatory and non - inflammatory lesions of the skin of a subject . in another embodiment , the present disclosure is to provide cosmetic compositions that may be formulated for topical administration and applied to the skin so as to reduce oxidative stress and / or to rejuvenate the skin . by a “ cosmetically effective amount ” ( e . g ., of a skin care composition of the disclosure ) is meant a quantity of the composition provided for topical administration and at a particular dosing regimen that is sufficient to achieve a desired appearance , feel , and / or protective effect . for example , an amount that results in the prevention of or a decrease in the appearance and / or symptoms associated with an undesired condition , such as wrinkles . the amount of the composition to be administered to the subject will depend on the type and severity of the condition of the skin , the amenability of the skin to respond to the formulated agents ( e . g ., proteins , peptides , and / or their analogs ), and on the characteristics of the subject and the subject &# 39 ; s natural ability to respond to the synergistic compositions of the disclosure ; such characteristics include general health , age , sex , body weight , skin condition , and tolerance to the active agents in the compositions . one of skill will be able to determine appropriate dosages depending on these and other factors . the term “ subject ,” as used herein , may be a mammal , such as a human , but may also be an animal , e . g ., domestic animals ( e . g ., dogs , cats and the like ), farm animals ( e . g ., cows , sheep , pigs , horses and the like ) and laboratory animals ( e . g ., rats , mice , guinea pigs and the like ). without being held to theory , the present cosmetic compositions are based on the discovery by the inventors that the combination of the various proteins , peptides , analogs thereof , and / or emollient agents herein detailed can be formulated into cosmetic topical compositions that are effective in promoting the rejuvenation of the skin , reducing the appearance of aging , and decreasing the amount of damage caused by adverse environmental factors , while at the same time moisturizing and conditioning the skin as compared other such compositions . it has been found that the active agents of the disclosure are capable of interacting with the skin of the body in such a way as to increase the skin &# 39 ; s natural resiliency , moisture content , and self - defense mechanisms . specifically , without being held to theory , it is believed that the compositions of the disclosure not only promote the structural integrity of the skin , they also moisturize the skin , restore the ph barrier thereof , and act as a barrier in and of themselves to harmful environmental factors . the end result is that a subject &# 39 ; s skin that is contacted with the compositions of the disclosure appears to be healthier , more vibrant looking ( e . g ., evidenced in a decreased appearance of wrinkles ), and more resilient when faced with harmful environmental aggravators and / or aging than skin that is not conditioned with the compositions of the disclosure . accordingly , the compositions of the disclosure create an overall decrease in the environmental stress and moisture loss experienced by the skin and result in a more youthful appearance when applied topically . accordingly , one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide rejuvenating cosmetic compositions that include natural and / or synthetic proteins , peptides , and / or their analogs . in another aspect , the rejuvenating compositions of the disclosure may be topically applied to the skin for the rejuvenation thereof . these and other aspects of the present disclosure will be more readily apparent and understood by considering the following description . accordingly , one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide rejuvenating cosmetic compositions that include natural and / or synthetic proteins , peptides , and / or their analogs . in certain embodiments , the rejuvenating compositions of the disclosure may be topically applied to the skin . specifically , the individual ingredients herein provided have been found to be useful alone or in combination formulation that when applied topically to a portion of the body protects the skin from harmful environmental factors ( e . g ., such as those that lead to oxidative stress ) while also increasing the skin &# 39 ; s natural resilience . for instance , in one embodiment , the topical compositions may be applied to the skin so as to clean the skin and give it a more vibrant , youthful appearance and to decrease the indicia of aging , e . g ., the appearance of wrinkles , inflammation , abrasions , and lesions . in certain embodiments , a topical skin care composition of the disclosure may include one or more of ( e . g ., a synergistic combination of ): acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 . the active agent ( s ) of the composition may be formulated in conjunction with a cosmetically acceptable vehicle so as to be applied topically to the skin to clean , rejuvenate , reduce oxidative stress , and / or generally improve the appearance of the skin . the proteins , peptides , and / or analogs found to be useful in accordance with the disclosure are set forth and described herein below . acetyl hexapeptide - 3 , commonly known as argireline ™ ( manufactured by lipotec , sa and available from centerchem , norwalk , conn . ), is a synthetic peptide comprised of the six amino acids : glutamic acid - glutamic acid - methionine - glutamine - arginine - arginine ( glu - glu - met - gln - arg - arg ). acetyl hexapeptide - 3 is an oligopeptide that functions as a catecholamine inhibitor and a muscle relaxant . with out being held to theory , and within the context of the present disclosure , acetyl hexapeptide - 3 functions as an agent promoting a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles , for example , by inhibiting the formation of the snare complex and / or the release of catecholamines . for instance , the present inventors recognize that acetyl hexapeptide - 3 may alleviate muscular contractions when in contact with the muscles present within the dermis and / or epidermis . specifically , without being held to theory , it is believed that acetyl hexapeptide - 3 may reduce the appearance and depth of wrinkles and promote the smoothing of the skin by promoting the relaxation of the muscles and / or nerves that cause contractions within the layers of the skin . palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 ( or palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 ) is a peptide comprised of 3 amino acids : glycine - histidine - lysine ( n - palmitoyl - gly - his - lys ). palmitoyl tripeptide may be used individually or in combination with one or more of the peptides described herein . for instance , palmitoyl tripeptide is available as syn ™- coll ( manufactured by pentapharm , ltd ., switzerland ). palmitoyl tripeptide is a synthetic peptide that the inventors recognize as a collagen synthesis booster . without being held to theory , it is recognized that palmitoyl tripeptide may interact with tgf - β so as to promote its interaction with human fibroblasts , which in turn increases the production of collagen thereby protecting and / or restoring the conformation of the collagen triple helix within the tissues of the skin . specifically , without being held to theory , and within the context of the present disclosure , it is believed that palmitoyl tripeptide promotes collagen production as well as penetration deep within the skin and may also function as a moisturizer thereby promoting a smoother skin that appears less wrinkled . palmitoyl oligopeptide ( e . g ., palmitoyl tripeptide ) and / or palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , and derivatives thereof , commonly known as matrixyl ™ 3000 ( manufactured by sederma , sa ), is a blend of two or more peptide complexes . palmitoyl oligopeptide ( e . g ., palmitoyl tripeptide ), as set forth above , is a peptide comprised of 3 amino acids : glycine - histidine - lysine ( n - palmitoyl - gly - his - lys ). palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 is a peptide comprised of four amino acids : glycine - glutamine - proline - arginine ( n - palmitoyl - gly - gln - pro - arg ). a blend of palmitoyl oligopeptide ( palmitoyl tripeptide ) and palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 when delivered in a mixture functions as a dermal stimulating and / or regenerating composition . the present inventors recognize that a blend of the recited peptides may interact with the tissues of the epidermis and dermis , as well as the matrix inherent in the tissues therein . further , such a blend may also have the added benefits of promoting penetration within the skin , promoting circulation , acting as an anti - oxidant , for instance , as a metalloprotease inhibitor , and as an anti - inflammatory . specifically , without being held to theory , and within the context of the present disclosure , it is believed that the recited blend of palmitoyl oligopeptide ( palmitoyl tripeptide ) and palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 may interact with the dermal matrix and surrounding tissues to stimulate repair and support of the extracellular matrix of the cells of the skin and thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles . dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , commonly known as syn ™- ake ( manufactured by pentapharm , ltd ., switzerland ), is a synthetic peptide comprised of the following sequence : h - beta - ala - pro - dab - nhbzl (× 2 acoh ). dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate is an oligopeptide that functions as an anti - cholinergic and a muscle relaxant . with out being held to theory , and within the context of the present disclosure , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate functions as an agent that inhibits muscular contraction . for instance , the present inventors recognize that dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate may act as a reversible antagonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of the muscles located in and between the epidermis and dermis . specifically , without being held to theory , it is believed that dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate may reduce the appearance of wrinkles and promote the smoothing of the skin by promoting the relaxation of the muscles and / or nerves that cause contractions within the layers of the skin . acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 commonly known as snap - 8 ( synaptosome - associated protein — manufactured by lipotec , sa and available from centerchem , norwalk , conn . ), is a peptide comprised of the eight amino acids : acetyl glutamyl - glutamyl - methionyl - glutaminyl - arginyl - arginyl - alanyl - aspartylamide . acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 is an oligopeptide that functions at the neuromuscular junction to inhibit nerve cell signals and thereby to relax muscle contractions . with out being held to theory , and within the context of the present disclosure , acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 functions by inhibiting the transmission of neural signals to muscle cells within the skin and thereby diminishing and / or relaxing their contractions . for instance , the present inventors recognize that acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 may act by competing with snap - 25 at the snap receptor complex to inhibit its formation and thereby destabilize the complex and thus diminish and / or prevent the release of excitatory transmitters . specifically , without being held to theory , it is believed that acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 may reduce the appearance of wrinkles and promote the smoothing of the skin by promoting the relaxation of the muscles and / or nerves that cause contractions within the layers of the skin . accordingly , in a particular embodiment , a composition of the disclosure includes as an active agent at least one or more peptide components selected from ( e . g ., a synergistic combination of ): acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 . in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure includes as an active agent one peptide component selected from : acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 . in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure includes as an active agent two peptide components selected from ( e . g ., a synergistic combination of ): acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 . in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure includes as an active agent three peptide components selected from ( e . g ., a synergistic combination of ): acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 . in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure includes as an active agent four peptide components selected from ( e . g ., a synergistic combination of ): acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 . in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure includes as an active agent five peptide components selected from ( e . g ., a synergistic combination of ): acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 . in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure includes as active agents all of ( e . g ., a synergistic combination of ): acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 . the cosmetic compositions of the present disclosure are formulated for topical use . accordingly , in a particular embodiment , a component from the one or more peptides detailed herein may serve as an active agent and may be incorporated into a topical composition by itself or in combination with one or more of the other plant derived active agents . in general , the subject cosmetic compositions contain at least about 0 . 0001 %, at least about 0 . 01 %, at least about 0 . 1 %, or at least about 1 . 0 % and may be as great as or more than about 5 % or about 10 % or about 15 %, or about 20 %, or about 25 % or more ( weight / weight ). for instance , in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure may contain from about 0 . 0001 % to about 20 % of a peptide selected from one or more of acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 as an active ingredient . in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure may contain from about 0 . 0001 % to about 20 % of a peptide selected from all of acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 as an active ingredient . without being held to theory , the anti - aging and / or anti - wrinkle effect of the composition of the disclosure stems in part from the synergistic activities of its individual peptide components , which may relax the muscles of the skin , promote the structuring of the collagen and / or extracellular matrix , and / or counteract the oxidative effects of environmental factors , such as free radicals , for instance , reactive oxygen species , which can lead to inflamed , irritated and dry skin and / or promote the generation of other skin - damaging free - radicals . as such , the cosmetic compositions of the present disclosure are uniquely suited to rejuvenate and condition the skin . in some embodiments , the cosmetic compositions of the present disclosure are carefully formulated to provide one or more of acetyl hexpeptide , palmitoyl tripeptide - 3 , palmitoyl oligopeptide , palmitoyl tetrapeptide - 7 , dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacatate , and / or acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide - 1 in active form as active agents , thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the overall composition . in many embodiments , additional ingredients are included as part of the subject cosmetic compositions to enhance the synergistic effect of the active agents of the peptide compositions . accordingly , one or more of the following ingredients may be included in a cosmetic formulation of the present disclosure . in certain variations , a composition of the disclosure may additionally include one or more other beneficial agents as set forth herein below . the cosmetic compositions of the present disclosure may also contain agents that sooth , condition and / or rejuvenate the skin . one such agent is panthenol , a pro - vitamin moisturizing agent . panthenol may be incorporated into cosmetic formulations and may function within a cosmetic composition of the disclosure by readily penetrating the skin to help deliver the active agents to a site of action and to sooth and moisturize the skin . panthenol derivatives ( e . g ., ethyl panthenol ) may also be used in the compositions of the disclosure as well as other agents such as provitamins b5 and e , as well as their derivatives , aloe vera ( e . g ., for soothing the skin ), allantoin ( e . g ., for both soothing and softening of the skin ), bisabolol ( e . g ., for soothing the skin ), dipotassium glycyrrhizinate , pantothenic acid and its derivatives , as well as sorbitol ( e . g ., for moisturizing the skin ). a variety of emollients may also be included , such as neopentyl glycol dicaprylate / dicaprate - ester , dimethicone , tridecyl trimellitate , and other such suitable emollients known in the art . other skin conditioning / soothing agents can be included in the subject compositions , some of which are discussed below . for instance , one or more of the following may be included : bis - peg - 18 methyl ether dimethyl silane , squalane , peg 3350 , phospholipids , vitamin a and its derivatives , sodium hyaluronate , behenyl alcohol , butyrospermum parkii ( shea butter ), cyclomethicone , lactobacillus / eriodictyon californicum ferment extract and the like , methyl gluceth - 20 , prunus amygdalus dulcis ( sweet almond ) oil , sodium lactate , borago officinalis ( borage ) seed oil , persea gratissima ( avocado ) oil , vitamin d and its derivatives , caprylic / capric triglyceride , and the like . other beneficial agents include : lanolin oil , lanolin alcohol , ceramide iii , urea , trehalose , mannan , and the like . the skin soothing and / or conditioning agents may be present at a concentration of at least about 0 . 01 % or more , including about 0 . 25 % or more , such about 0 . 5 % or more , for instance about 1 . 0 % to about 10 % or more , such as about 20 % or more . the compositions of the disclosure may optionally include other beneficial materials . these may include steroidiol hormones ; progesterone ; pregnanalone ; coenzyme q10 ; methylsolanomethane ( msm ); sodium phytate ( which may function as a chelating and / or stabilizing agent ); copper peptide ( copper extract ); plankton extract ( phytosome ); transforming growth factor beta 1 ( tgf - β1 ); glycolic acid ; kojic acid ; ascorbyl palmitate ; all - trans - retinol ; azaleic acid ; salicylic acid ; analgesics ; non - steroidal anti - inflammatory drugs ( nsaids ); broparoestrol ; and the like . if present , steroids may be present at a concentration of less than about 2 % of the total by weight of the composition , while the other optional skin benefit materials may be present at higher levels , for example as much as 10 to 15 %. the compositions may further include sunscreens to lower skin &# 39 ; s exposure to harmful uv rays . sunscreens may include those materials commonly employed to block ultraviolet light . exemplary compounds are the derivatives of paba , cinnamate and derivatives of salicylate ( other than ferulyl salicylate ). for example , octyl methoxycinnamate and 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxy benzophenone ( also known as oxybenzone ) can be used . octyl methoxycinnamate and 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxy benzophenone are commercially available under the trademarks , parsol mcx and benzophenone - 3 , respectively . dermascreen may also be used . additionally , a composition may further include aloe vera or an extracted component or powder thereof , such as anthraquinone glycosides , resins , polysaccharides , sterols , gelonins , and chromones . the exact amount of sunscreen or aloe employed in the compositions can vary depending upon the degree of protection desired from the sun &# 39 ; s uv radiation . the cosmetic compositions of the present disclosure may also contain one or more of the following agents , which agents may act synergistically with the various active agents in various cosmetic compositions of the disclosure to treat aging - related conditions and / or disorders . butylene glycol , saccharomyces cerevisiae extract , tripeptide - 29 , sodium chondroitin sulfate , hyaluronic acid , silica dimethyl silylate , yeast polysaccharides , glycine soja ( soybean ) seed extract , lactobacillus / capsicum frutescens fruit extract , pectin , hydrolyzed vegetable protein , serine , arginine , proline . pentylene glycol , sodium polyacrylate , c12 - 15 alkyl benzoate , matricaria recutita ( chamomile ) extract , symphytum officinale ( comfrey ) extract , camellia sinensis ( green tea ) leaf extract , alanine , ethoxydiglycol , hydrogenated lecithin , and the like . other beneficial materials may include glycerin , histidine , collagen , elastin , algae extract , echinacea angustifolia leaf extract , ginkgo biloba extract , vitis vinifera ( grape ) seed extract , sodium pca , centella asiatica ( gotu kola ) extract , wheat amino acids , foeniculum vulgare ( fennel ) seed extract , linoleic acid , oleic acid , viola tricolor extract , rosa canina fruit oil , superoxide dismutase , linoleic acid , oleic acid , polyquaternium 51 , sodium cocoyl amino acids , sarcosine , potassium aspartate , magnesium aspartate , glycosaminoglycans , and the like . the cosmetic compositions of the present disclosure may also contain benzoyl peroxide , which may act synergistically with the various active agents in various cosmetic compositions of the disclosure to treat aging - related conditions and / or disorders . benzoyl peroxide is a commonly used topical treatment for mild acne . benzoyl peroxide has antiseptic properties , i . e ., it reduces the number of skin surface bacteria and yeast ; is an oxidizing agent , making it keratolytic and comedolytic ; and has anti - inflammatory activity . the cosmetic compositions may contain benzoyl peroxide at concentrations contain at least about 1 %, at least about 2 . 5 %, at least about 5 %, and usually not more than about 10 % ( weight / weight ). benzoyl peroxide is commercially available as a cream , gel , lotion , or wash under the following brand names : benoxyl ™, benzac ™, brevoxyl ™, oxy ™ and panoxyl ™. the compositions of the disclosure may include a cosmetically acceptable vehicle to act as a dilutant , dispersant or carrier for the active ingredients , so as to facilitate its distribution and uptake when the composition is applied to the skin . vehicles other than or in addition to water can include liquid or solid emollients , solvents , humectants , thickeners , powders , and perfumes , some of which have been described above . for instance , a suitable carrier may include , for example , glycerin , butylene glycol , propylene glycol , water , various oils ( jojoba , sweet almond , soybean , sunflower , apricot , etc . ), and the like . the cosmetically acceptable vehicle may range form from about 1 % or less to about 99 . 9 % or more , such as from about 10 % to about 90 %, including about 25 % to about 80 % by weight of the composition , and can , in the absence of other cosmetic adjuncts , form the balance of the composition . the compositions may be in the form of aqueous , aqueous / alcoholic or oily solutions ; dispersions of the lotion or serum type ; anhydrous or lipophilic gels ; emulsions of liquid or semi - liquid consistency , which are obtained by dispersion of a fatty phase in an aqueous phase ( o / w ) or conversely ( w / o ); or suspensions or emulsions of smooth , semi - solid or solid consistency of the cream or gel type . these compositions are formulated according to the usual techniques as are well known to this art . when the compositions of the disclosure are formulated as an emulsion , the proportion of the fatty phase may range from about 5 % or less to about 80 % or more by weight , such as from about 10 % to about 50 % by weight , relative to the total weight of the composition . oils , emulsifiers and co - emulsifiers incorporated in the composition in emulsion form are selected from among those used conventionally in the cosmetic or dermatological field . the emulsifier and coemulsifier may be present in the composition at a proportion ranging from about 0 . 3 % or less to about 30 % or more by weight , such as from about 0 . 5 % to about 20 % by weight , relative to the total weight of the composition . when the compositions of the disclosure are formulated as an oily solution or gel , the fatty phase may constitute more than about 50 % or less , more than about 60 %, more than about 70 %, more than about 80 %, more than about 90 % of the total weight of the composition . the compositions of the disclosure may be in the form of body cleansing compositions . as such , these compositions may contain one or more wash - active surfactant in an aqueous base . the surfactants can be present , alone or in a mixture , and are contained in an amount of from about 1 % or less to about 50 % or more by weight or from about 1 % or less to about 30 % or more by weight . nonionic surfactants , amphoteric surfactants , zwitterionic surfactants and anionic surfactants are generally suitable . suitable anionic surfactants include , e . g . alkaline or alkaline earth salts , alpha - olefin sulfonates , sulfosuccinates , disodium laureth - 3 sulfosuccinate , disodium peg - 5 lauryl citrate sulfosuccinate , disodium ricinolamido mea - sulfosuccinate or disodium laurylamido mea - sulfosuccinate and alkyl ether carboxylates . suitable nonionic surfactants include e . g ., alkoxylated fatty alcohols , alkoxylated fatty acid esters , alkoxylated partial glycerides , saturated or unsaturated fatty acids , alkoxylated polyol esters , and alkylpolyglucosides , such as coconut glucosides , lauryl glycosides or decylglucosides . for example , ethoxylated lauryl alcohol , tetradecyl alcohol , cetyl alcohol , oleyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol , which are used alone or in mixtures with each other , as well as fatty alcohols of ethoxylated lanolin , are suitable as fatty alcohol ethoxylates . furthermore the ethoxylated fatty acid sugar esters known as nonionic surfactants , especially ethoxylated sorbitan fatty acid ester , are suitable for use in the cosmetic preparations according to the disclosure . the suitable ethoxylated fatty acid sugar esters include those marketed under the trade names tween ™ and arlacel ™ by ici surfactants and the alkyl - polyglycosides , which are marketed under the trade names plantaren ™ or plantacare ™ by henkel or under the trade name oramix ™ by seppic . suitable amphoteric surfactants include for example betaines , such as cocoamidopropylbetaine or lauryl betaine , sulfobetaines , such as cocoamidopropyl hydroxysultaine , glycinates , such as cocoamphoglycinate ( inci - name : sodium cocoamphoacetate ) and diglycinates and propionates , such as cocoampho - propionate . the compositions of the disclosure may also include additives and adjuvants which are conventional in the cosmetic , pharmaceutical or dermatological field , such as hydrophilic or lipophilic gelling agents , hydrophilic or lipophilic active agents , preservatives , antioxidants , solvents , fragrances , perfumes , sunscreens , fillers , bactericides , odor absorbers and dyestuffs or colorants . the amounts of these various additives and adjuvants are those conventionally used in the field , and , for example , range from about 0 . 01 % or less to about 10 % or more of the total weight of the composition . depending on their nature , these additives and adjuvants may be introduced into the fatty phase or into the aqueous phase . exemplary oils which may be used according to this disclosure include mineral oils ( liquid petrolatum ), plant oils ( liquid fraction of karite butter , sunflower oil ), animal oils ( perhydrosqualen ( e ), synthetic oils ( purcellin oil ), silicone oils ( cyclomethicone ) and fluoro oils ( perfluoropolyethers ). fatty alcohols , fatty acids ( stearic acid ) and waxes ( paraffin wax , carnauba wax and beeswax ) may also be used as fats . emulsifiers which may be used include glyceryl stearate ( e . g ., to help the oil and water phases combine ), polysorbate 60 , peg - 6 / peg - 32 / glycol stearate mixture , etc . solvents which may be used include the lower alcohols , in particular ethanol and isopropanol , and propylene glycol . suitable fatty alcohols and acids include those compounds having from 10 to 20 carbon atoms . for instance , compounds such as cetyl , myristyl , palmitic and stearyl alcohols and acids . for example , cetearyl alcohol and ceteareth 20 , as well as cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol - fatty alcohols may also be included . hydrophilic gelling agents include carboxyvinyl polymers ( carbomer ), acrylic copolymers , such as acrylate / alkylacrylate copolymers , polyacrylamides , polysaccharides , such as hydroxypropylcellulose , natural gums and clays ( such as xanthan gum ), and , as lipophilic gelling agents , representative are the modified clays such as bentones , fatty acid metal salts such as aluminum stearates and hydrophobic silica , or ethylcellulose and polyethylene . an oil or oily material may be present , together with an emollient to provide either a water - in - oil emulsion or an oil - in - water emulsion , depending largely on the average hydrophilic - lipophilic balance ( hlb ) of the emollient employed . levels of such emollients may range from about 0 . 5 % to about 50 %, preferably between about 5 % and 30 % by weight of the total composition . emollients may be classified under such general chemical categories as esters , fatty acids and alcohols , polyols and hydrocarbons . esters may be mono - or di - esters . acceptable examples of fatty di - esters include dibutyl adipate , diethyl sebacate , diisopropyl dimerate , and dioctyl succinate . acceptable branched chain fatty esters include 2 - ethyl - hexyl myristate , isopropyl stearate and isostearyl palmitate . acceptable tribasic acid esters include triisopropyl trilinoleate and trilauryl citrate . acceptable straight chain fatty esters include lauryl palmitate , myristyl lactate , oleyl eurcate and stearyl oleate . preferred esters include coco - caprylate / caprate ( a blend of coco - caprylate and coco - caprate ), propylene glycol myristyl ether acetate , diisopropyl adipate and cetyl octanoate . among the polyols which may serve as emollients are linear and branched chain alkyl polyhydroxyl compounds . for example , propylene glycol , sorbitol and glycerin are preferred . also useful may be polymeric polyols such as polypropylene glycol and polyethylene glycol . butylene and propylene glycol are also especially preferred as penetration enhancers . exemplary hydrocarbons which may serve as emollients are those having hydrocarbon chains anywhere from 12 to 30 carbon atoms . specific examples include mineral oil , petroleum jelly , squalene and isoparaffins . another category of functional ingredients within the cosmetic compositions of the present disclosure are thickeners . a thickener may be present in amounts anywhere from about 0 . 1 % or less to about 20 % or more by weight , such as from about 0 . 5 % to about 10 % by weight of the composition . exemplary thickeners may be cross - linked polyacrylate materials available under the trademark carbopol . gums may be employed such as xanthan , carrageenan , gelatin , karaya , pectin and locust beans gum . under certain circumstances the thickening function may be accomplished by a material also serving as a silicone or emollient . for instance , silicone gums in excess of 10 centistokes and esters such as glycerol stearate have dual functionality . powders may be incorporated into the cosmetic composition of the disclosure . these powders include chalk , talc , kaolin , starch , smectite clays , chemically modified magnesium aluminum silicate , organically modified montmorillonite clay , hydrated aluminum silicate , fumed silica , aluminum starch octenyl succinate and mixtures thereof . other adjunct minor components may also be incorporated into the cosmetic compositions . these ingredients may include coloring agents , opacifiers and perfumes . amounts of these other adjunct minor components may range anywhere from about 0 . 001 % or less up to about 20 % or more by weight of the composition . in use , a quantity of the composition , for example from about 1 ml or less to about 100 ml or more , is applied to a site of interest ( e . g ., skin , scalp , etc .) from a suitable container or applicator and , if necessary , it is then spread over and / or rubbed into the site using the hand or fingers or a suitable device , such as a brush , comb , or other suitable applicator . the composition may be specifically formulated for use as a treatment for a specific area , e . g . the hands , the face , the scalp , the feet , etc . the cosmetic composition of the disclosure may be formulated in any form suitable for application to the site of interest , including a lotion , cream , gel , shampoo , etc . the composition can be packaged in a suitable container to suit its viscosity and intended use by the consumer . for example , a lotion or cream can be packaged in a bottle , or a propellant - driven aerosol device or a container fitted with a pump suitable for finger operation . when the composition is a cream , it can simply be stored in a non - deformable bottle or squeeze container , such as a tube or a lidded jar . the disclosure accordingly also provides a closed container containing a cosmetically acceptable composition as herein defined . the following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to make and use the subject compositions , and are not intended to limit the scope of what is regarded as the disclosure . efforts have been made to insure accuracy with respect to the numbers used ( e . g . amounts , temperature , concentrations , etc .) but some experimental errors and deviations should be allowed for . unless otherwise indicated , parts are parts by weight , molecular weight is weight average molecular weight , temperature is in degrees centigrade , and pressure is at or near atmospheric . example 1 illustrates topical compositions according to the present disclosure . the compositions can be processed in accordance with conventional manners well known in the art . they are suitable for cosmetic use . in particular the compositions are suitable for application to a site of interest that has an aging - related condition or disorder . application of the cosmetic compositions will combat these conditions thereby restoring a more youthful appearance . in addition , certain of these cosmetic compositions can be used to prevent the onset of the aging - related condition or disorder . a composition that can be topically applied by a human as an anti - cellulite cream emulsion includes the following ingredients in three phases : the water phase and the oil phase are heated to 55 ° c . the oil phase is then added to the water phase with high - energy mixing ( homomixing ). the mixture is then sweep cooled to 35 ° c ., and the peptide phase is added , and mixing is continued , while cooling to 30 ° c . in a test group of three panels , each having twenty users , samples with compositions having the above - cited water - phase and oil - phase components at concentrations in the above ranges were used ( a ) without the peptide phase ( control ) phase , ( b ) with 3 of the 5 peptide - phase ingredients ( partial ) and ( c ) with all 5 peptide ingredients ( complete ) during a six week period . significant positive performance scores ( versus existing brands ) were evident in the complete formulation after two weeks of daily usage . significant scores with the partial formulation were recorded after 4 weeks of daily usage . the control samples showed no specific advantages versus the existing brands in the six - week panel test . important attributes that scored well for both the partial and complete compositions included : another formulation , which was balanced for moisturizing anti - aging , wrinkle - reduction benefits , has the following composition : the water and oil phases are heated in separate kettles to 70 ° c . the oil phase is then added to the water phase with vigorous agitation ( homomixing ). after 5 minutes , the mixture is sweep cooled to 35 ° c . the peptide phase is then added to the cooled mixture , and mixing is continued to 30 ° c . in a series of panels ( with fifteen members per panel ), three blind coded formulations were tested . these formulations comprised the above - cited water - phase and oil - phase components at concentrations in the above ranges . the formulations included a control formulation ( no peptides ), a partial formulation ( 3 - 4 of the peptides listed ), and a full formulation ( all of the peptides listed ). each panel member was instructed to use her best wrinkle remover on one side of her face and the test product on the other each day for six weeks . weekly interviews were made to record their observations ( if any ). after three weeks , directional significant preferences were reported from the panel using the complete formulation . these preferences became significant ( versus their brand ) during the 4th week . the partial - formulation panel began reporting directional significant benefits at the end of the 5th and at the beginning of the 6th week of testing . the control - product panelists felt their brands outperformed the control product . test - product attributes that were recorded included : skin tightening , return of skin elasticity , skin smoothness , healthier appearance , supple feel in eye skin , reduction of wrinkle appearance , and elimination of dark circles . in describing embodiments of the disclosure , specific terminology is used for the sake of clarity . for purposes of description , each specific term is intended to at least include all technical and functional equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose . additionally , in some instances where a particular embodiment of the disclosure includes a plurality of elements or method steps , those elements or steps may be replaced with a single element or step ; likewise , a single element or step may be replaced with a plurality of elements or steps that serve the same purpose . moreover , while this disclosure has been shown and described with references to particular embodiments thereof , those skilled in the art will understand that various other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the disclosure . all publications and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference . although the foregoing disclosure has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding , it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this disclosure that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims .	0
fig4 shows a current mirror 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . current mirror 400 includes a current source cs 41 , an output terminal 401 , a pmos ( p - type metal - oxide - semiconductor ) transistor p 41 , and nmos ( n - type metal - oxide - semiconductor ) transistors n 42 , n 43 , and n 44 . note that , for exemplary purposes , transistors p 41 , n 42 , n 43 , and n 44 are all described as being matched transistors , and therefore share the same saturation voltages vdsat and threshold voltages vt . this matching of transistors allows current mirror 400 to provide a gain of unity ( i . e ., output current i_out is equal to reference current i_ref ). however , according to various other embodiments of the invention , the transistors can be sized differently ( i . e ., can have different gate widths and / or lengths ) to produce differing electrical characteristics so that any desired gain can be provided by current mirror 400 . current source cs 41 , transistor p 41 , and transistor n 42 are connected in series between an upper supply voltage vdd and a lower supply voltage vss ( e . g ., ground ), while transistors n 43 and n 44 are connected in series between output terminal 401 and lower supply voltage vss . current source cs 41 supplies ( sources ) a reference current i_ref that must flow to lower supply voltage vss through transistors p 41 and n 42 . because the gate of transistor n 44 is connected to the gate of transistor n 42 , transistor n 44 receives the same gate voltage generated by diode - connected transistor n 42 . therefore , as long as the drain - source voltage across transistor n 44 is large enough to keep transistor n 44 in saturation ( described in greater detail below ), transistor n 44 will mirror reference current i_ref as output current i_out ( since transistors n 42 and n 44 are matched ). meanwhile , because current mirror 400 includes cascoded output transistors n 43 and n 44 , and because transistor n 43 is gate - coupled to the source of transistor p 41 , the output impedance rout ( 400 ) of current mirror 400 is substantially similar to that of wilson current mirror 200 shown in fig2 . output impedance rout ( 400 ) can therefore be given by : rout ( 400 )≈ ro ( 43 )( 2 + gm ( 41 ) ro ( 41 )) ( 10 ) where ro ( 43 ) is the output impedance of transistor n 43 , gm ( 41 ) is the transconductance of transistor p 41 , and ro ( 41 ) is the output impedance of transistor p 41 . in this manner , current mirror 400 provides a high output impedance . furthermore , by properly sizing transistor p 41 , the output voltage swing of current mirror 400 can be maximized . according to an embodiment of the invention , transistor p 41 is sized such that it is in saturation at a gate - source voltage vgs ( 41 ) equal to the sum of saturation voltage vdsat and threshold voltage vt , as indicated below : consequently , while transistor p 41 is in saturation , the voltage drop across transistor p 41 ( i . e ., its drain - source voltage vds ( 41 )) is equal to saturation voltage vdsat . therefore , the voltage vs ( 41 ) at the source of transistor p 41 is equal to saturation vdsat plus the drain - source voltage vds ( 42 ) of transistor n 42 . based on equation 1 , the gate - source voltage of diode - connected transistor n 42 is equal to the sum saturation voltage vdsat and threshold voltage vt , as indicated below : thus , since the gate - source and drain - source voltages of transistor n 42 are the same , the voltage vs ( 41 ) at the source of transistor p 41 is given by : this voltage is then provided to the gate of transistor n 43 . meanwhile , the voltage at the gate of transistor n 42 ( i . e ., gate - source voltage vgs ( 42 )) is provided to the gate of transistor n 44 . the minimum output voltage of current mirror 400 is therefore equal to the sum of the minimum drain - source voltages of transistors n 43 and n 44 that keep those two transistors in saturation . for transistors n 43 and n 44 to remain in saturation , their drain - source voltages must be at least equal to their gate - source voltages minus threshold voltage vt ( as indicated by equation 1 ). for example , since transistor n 44 receives a gate - source voltage equal to the sum of saturation voltage vdsat and threshold voltage vt , the minimum drain - source voltage required for transistor n 44 to remain in saturation is simply equal to saturation voltage vdsat . similarly , for transistor n 43 to remain in saturation , its drain - source voltage vds ( 43 ) must be at least equal to its gate voltage minus threshold voltage vt . the voltage provided at the gate of transistor n 43 is equal to twice saturation voltage vdsat plus threshold voltage vt ( as indicated by equation 13 ), while the voltage at the source of transistor n 43 is equal to saturation voltage vdsat ( since the minimum drain - source voltage of transistor n 44 is equal to saturation voltage vdsat ). therefore , the gate - source voltage vgs ( 43 ) of transistor n 43 is given by : therefore , the minimum drain - source voltage vds ( 43 ) of transistor n 43 is simply equal to saturation voltage vdsat ( once again using equation 1 ). as a result , the minimum output voltage vout ( min ) of current mirror 400 is equal to twice saturation voltage vdsat , as indicated by the following : in this manner , current mirror 400 combines a wide output voltage swing with a high output impedance in a simple ( four - transistor ) design . the output voltage of current mirror 400 can swing from upper supply voltage vdd all the way down to twice saturation voltage vdsat . current mirror 400 therefore provides a much higher output voltage range than wilson current mirror 200 shown in fig2 , while providing the same high output impedance . likewise , current mirror 400 provides as wide an output voltage range and as high an output impedance as cascode current mirror 300 shown in fig3 , but in a much more compact and power - efficient circuit . fig5 shows a current mirror 500 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . current mirror 500 includes a current source cs 51 , an output terminal 501 , an nmos ( n - type metal - oxide - semiconductor ) transistor n 52 , and pmos ( p - type metal - oxide - semiconductor ) transistors p 51 , p 53 , and p 54 . note that , for exemplary purposes , transistors p 51 , n 52 , p 53 , and p 54 are once again all described as being matched transistors having the same saturation voltages vdsat and threshold voltages vt . as noted above , this transistor matching allows current mirror 500 to provide a unity gain . however , according to various other embodiments of the invention , the transistors can be sized differently to produce differing electrical characteristics so that any desired gain can be provided by current mirror 500 . transistor p 51 , transistor n 52 , and current source cs 51 are connected in series between an upper supply voltage vdd and a lower supply voltage vss ( e . g ., ground ), while transistors p 43 and p 44 are connected in series between upper supply voltage vdd and output terminal 501 . current source cs 51 supplies ( sinks ) a reference current i_ref that must be sourced by transistors p 51 and n 52 . because the gate of transistor p 53 is connected to the gate of transistor p 51 , transistor p 53 receives the same gate voltage generated by diode - connected transistor p 51 . therefore , as long as the drain - source voltage across transistor p 53 is large enough to keep transistor p 53 in saturation , transistor p 53 will mirror reference current i_ref as output current i_out ( since transistors p 51 and p 53 are matched ). meanwhile , because current mirror 500 includes cascoded output transistors p 53 and p 54 , and since transistor p 54 is gate - coupled to the source of transistor n 52 the output impedance rout ( 500 ) of current mirror 500 is substantially similar to that of current mirror 200 shown in fig2 . output impedance rout ( 500 ) can therefore be given by : rout ( 500 )≈ ro ( 54 )( 2 + — gm ( 52 ) ro ( 52 )) ( 17 ) where ro ( 54 ) is the output impedance of transistor p 54 , gm ( 52 ) is the transconductance of transistor n 52 , and ro ( 52 ) is the output impedance of transistor n 52 . in this manner , current mirror 500 provides a high output impedance . furthermore , by properly sizing transistor n 52 , the output voltage swing of current mirror 500 can be maximized . according to an embodiment of the invention , transistor p 52 is sized such that it is in saturation at a gate - source voltage vgs ( 52 ) equal to the sum of saturation voltage vdsat and threshold voltage vt , as indicated below : consequently , while transistor p 52 is in saturation , the drain - source voltage vds ( 52 ) across transistor p 52 is equal to saturation voltage vdsat . therefore , the voltage vs ( 52 ) at the source of transistor n 52 is equal to upper supply voltage vdd minus saturation voltage vdsat minus the drain - source voltage vds ( 51 ) of transistor p 51 . based on equation 1 , the gate - source voltage vgs ( 51 ) of diode - connected transistor p 51 is equal to the sum of saturation voltage vdsat and threshold voltage vt , as indicated below : thus , since the gate - source and drain - source voltages of diode - connected transistor p 51 are the same , the voltage at the source of transistor p 52 is given by : this voltage is also provided to the gate of transistor p 54 . meanwhile , the voltage at the gate of transistor p 51 is provided to the gate of transistor p 53 . note that because both transistors p 51 and p 53 are source - coupled to upper supply voltage vdd , the gate - source voltages of the two transistors are the same ( i . e ., vgs ( 51 )= vgs ( 53 )). the maximum output voltage of current mirror 500 is equal to upper supply voltage vdd minus the sum of the minimum drain - source voltages of transistors p 53 and p 54 that keep those two transistors in saturation . for transistors p 53 and p 54 to remain in saturation , their drain - source voltages must be at least equal to their gate - source voltages minus threshold voltage vt ( as indicated by . equation 1 ). for example , since transistor p 53 receives a gate - source voltage equal to the sum of saturation voltage vdsat and threshold voltage vt , the minimum drain - source voltage required for transistor n 53 to remain in saturation is simply equal to saturation voltage vdsat . similarly , for transistor p 54 to remain in saturation , its drain - source voltage vds ( 54 ) must be at least equal to its gate voltage minus threshold voltage vt . the voltage provided at the gate of transistor p 54 is equal to upper supply voltage vdd minus twice saturation voltage vdsat minus threshold voltage vt ( as indicated by equation 20 ), while the voltage at the source of transistor p 54 is equal to supply voltage vdd minus saturation voltage vdsat ( since the minimum drain - source voltage of transistor n 53 is equal to saturation voltage vdsat ). therefore , the gate - source voltage vgs ( 54 ) of transistor p 54 is given by : therefore , the minimum drain - source voltage vds ( 54 ) of transistor p 54 is simply equal to saturation voltage vdsat ( once again using equation 1 ). as a result , the maximum output voltage vout ( min ) of current mirror 500 is equal to upper supply voltage vdd minus twice saturation voltage vdsat , as indicated by the following : in this manner , current mirror 500 combines a wide output voltage swing with a high output impedance in a simple ( four - transistor ) design . the output voltage for current mirror 500 can swing from lower supply voltage vss all the way to two times saturation voltage vdsat of upper supply voltage vdd − i . e ., from lower supply voltage vss to upper supply voltage vdd minus 2vdsat . therefore , like current mirror 400 shown in fig4 , current mirror 500 provides the same high output impedance and a much higher output voltage range than wilson current mirror 200 shown in fig2 , and also provides the same high output impedance and wide output voltage range of cascode current mirror 300 shown in fig3 in a much more compact and power - efficient circuit . the various embodiments of the structures and methods of this invention that are described above are illustrative only of the principles of this invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiments described . thus , the invention is limited only by the following claims and their equivalents .	6
in order to clearly understand the present invention first a conventional pantograph and its associated locking device used on conventional electric trains will be explained briefly . fig1 is a conventional device for locking a folded pantograph 100 partially in cross - section . fig1 illustrates a pantograph collector 1 , a support spring 2 of the collector , an upper frame structure 3 , a lower frame structure 4 , a top bar 5 , a base frame 6 , a main spring 7 for raising the pantograph , a hook lever 8 , an air cylinder 9 , a piston 10 , and a tensile spring 11 . the pantograph 100 generally consists of the above elements . the upper frame structure 3 , the lower frame structure 4 , and the top bar 5 together form a main frame structure 110 . in fig1 a solid line indicates the operating or unfolded position of the pantograph 100 . in this operating condition , the main frame structure 110 lifts up the pantograph collector 1 through the linear mechanism under the tensile force of the main spring 7 . the pantograph collector 1 is further biased upwardly by the support spring 2 . depending upon the extended position of the trolley wire ( not shown ) against which the pantograph collector 1 is pushed , the collector 1 follows the wire and adjusts position to achieve a continuous contact . to adjust for larger deviations of the trolley wire in the vertical direction , the collector moves vertically by the structure formed by the upper frame structure 3 and the lower frame structure 4 with the aid of the main spring 7 . for small deviations of the trolley wire in the vertical position , the collector 1 follows the deviation only by the spring action of the support spring 2 . as can be seen from the dotted broken line in fig1 the pantograph 100 may be folded down in the inoperative position . in this case , the top bar 5 is engaged by the hook 8 . the hook 8 maintains its locking position by the pulling action of the tensile spring 11 and the top bar 5 is locked in the inoperative position . when the pantograph 100 is to be raised to the operative position , a piston 10 in an air cylinder 9 is pushed out under high pressure iar in a direction of arrow a . the hook 8 is rotated in the direction of arrow b against the pulling force of a tensile spring 11 . by this rotation the hook 8 is disengaged from the top bar 5 and the pantograph moves up into the operating position by the pulling force of the main spring 7 . after the pantograph collector 1 comes in contact with the trolley wire , the abovementioned continuous contact is established . in case of an electric train running on the rail , the range of vertical movement of the overhead trolley wire is comparatively small and the vertical shock or vibration applied against the vehicle from the rail is rather small so that the vertical movement of the pantograph collector 1 of the pantograph 100 is also small . for this reason , even a small stroke of the support spring 2 for the collector 1 ensures the proper operation . whereas in the trolley assist system , it is necessary for the vehicle to run over an uneven road surface such as mineral product carrying road or a road in a newly opened mining area . the pantograph 100 , mounted on the vehicle in order to collect power from the trolley wire , must have good vertical flexibility . the main frame structure 110 of the pantograph 100 should be improved and the stroke of the support spring 2 is made large to allow a large vertical motion of the collector 1 to ensure a greater range while maintaining continuous contact . when a diesel electric power drive vehicle , mounted with the type of pantograph 100 which allows a large vertical deviation , is running over an uneven off - road zone with the pantograph 100 in the inoperative position , the top bar 5 of the main frame structure 110 is locked only by the conventional hook 8 . a large shock or vibration applied to the vehicle from the uneven ground is simultaneously applied to the pantograph 100 and such a shock or vibration can cause the collector 1 and its supporting structure to be broken or damaged . further there is a risk that the hook 8 may be disengaged from the top bar 5 . as has been mentioned in the foregoing , the present invention is to provide a device to safely and rigidly lock the whole structure of the pantograph 100 including the collector 1 . the invention will now be explained by referring to fig2 to 5 . as has been mentioned above , fig2 is a partial side view for showing one embodiment of the present invention . in the fig2 to 5 , the reference numeral 21 designates a portion of the pantograph collector , which is supported by a supporting lever 22 forming a part of the frame mounting the pantograph collector . the supporting lever 22 can be locked by a hook 23 comprising a hook bar 23a at one end and a guide end bar 23b at the other end . this hook 23 is pivotally supported by a support pin 24 mounted on a hook base 26 . the hook 23 is biased counterclockwisely by a tensile spring 25 and abuts against a stopper 26a of the hook base 26 . the hook 23 can rotate about the pivot pin 24 on the hook base 26 . in fig2 reference numeral 30 designates base frame of the pantograph . on this base frame 30 , an air cylinder 31 is mounted vertically . the air cylinder 31 houses a piston 32 having a piston rod 33 coupled thereto . a guide plate 27 having u - shape cross - section is rigidly mounted on an upper support plate 31 &# 39 ; of the air cylinder 31 . a stopper pin 28 is fixed at top portion of the guide plate 27 . this is also shown in fig4 . on the top of the piston rod 33 , the hook base 26 is coupled rigidly . the hook base 26 having the hook 23 pivoted thereto and the guide end bar 23b held on the stopper 26a is guided for the vertical movement in the u - shape groove of the guide plate 27 . an electromagnetic valve 40 for feeding air to the air cylinder 31 is provided and a compressed air source 43 shown only schematically serves to feed the air under control of the electromagnetic valve 40 through pipe systems in which throttle valves 41 and 42 are interposed for controlling the moving speed of the piston 32 . as mentioned above , the hook device of the present invention , generally shown by the reference numeral 200 , comprises the hook 23 having the hook bar 23a and the guide end bar 23b , the pivot pin 24 , the tensile spring 25 for pulling the hook 23 , the hook base 26 , the guide plate 27 having stopper pin 28 , the air cylinder 31 coupled with the piston 32 connected with the piston rod 33 . this hook device 200 may be mounted on the base frame 30 of the vehicle at a location not disturbing the movement of the pantograph at its operation . furthermore , the hook device 200 may even be mounted at a side portion of the main frame structure 110 of the pantograph 100 , when the position and construction of the supporting lever 22 of the pantograph 21 being engaged by the hook 23 are suitable . the direction of operation of the hook 23 is not limited in the forward direction of the vehicle . this may be arranged in a direction normal thereto and the hook operation is effected as same as that shown in the drawing as will be mentioned hereinafter . the number of the hook device 200 is not limited to one per one pantograph , and a plural number of the devices may be provided to obtain a more steady locking . fig2 to 4 show the condition where the supporting lever 22 of the pantograph collector 21 of a pantograph 100 is locked by the hook device 200 . whereas , fig5 shows a the hook device 200 in the released position . when the pantograph 100 is locked as shown in fig2 the electromagnetic valve 40 may be energized to operate and introduce pressurized air from the pressurized air source 43 to the lower chamber of the air cylinder 31 via the throttle valve 42 and the pipe system , driving piston 32 upwardly . accordingly the piston rod 33 and the hook base 26 connected thereto are also moved upwardly . during this movement , the hook 23 , which is pivotally mounted on the hook base 26 by the pin 24 and pulled by the tensile spring 25 fixed on the hook base 26 , also moves upwardly . towards the end of the upward movement , the guide end bar 23b of the hook 23 abuts against the stopper pin 28 . at this point hook 23 rotates about the pin 24 in a clockwise direction and the hook bar 23a provided at the upper top end of the hook is moved away from the supporting lever 22 of the pantograph collector 21 . after release of supporting lever 22 , the pantograph 100 moves the pantograph collector 21 upwardly . after it comes in contact with the trolley wire , the collector 21 is guided by the trolley wire and conducts the power supply current therefrom . after the ascending movement of the pantograph 100 , if the electromagnetic valve 40 is deenergized , the pressurized air is supplied from the pressure air source 43 in the upper chamber of the cylinder 31 via the electromagnetic valve 40 and the throttle valve 41 , and acts to lower the piston 32 . the hook 23 coupled to the piston rod 33 is also brought down to assume the original rest position indicated in fig2 . however , the pantograph collector 21 is in the ascended operative position . when the pantograph 100 operating in the ascended position is to be lowered , the electromagnetic valve 40 is at first energized to bring the hook 23 upwardly to the position shown in fig5 in which the hook 23 is in releasing position . then via a conventional control ( not illustrated in the drawings ), the tensile force of the main spring 7 of the pantograph 100 is counteracted and the pantograph 100 is lowered , allowing the main frame structure 110 to be folded . in the above condition with the main frame structure 110 of the pantograph folded down , the electromagnetic valve 40 is deenergized to switch over the path of the pressurized air and to bring the air in the upper chamber of the cylinder 31 through the throttle valve 41 , the piston 32 is lowered and the hook support base 26 connected to the piston rod 33 is also brought downwardly . in this descending operation , when the guide end 23b is lowered below the stopper pin 28 , the hook 23 returns the position to abut against the stopper 26a under the action of the tensile spring 25 . during further downward movement of the hook support base 26 , the hook 23 is no longer restricted by the stopper pin 28 and rotates counterclockwise about the pivot pin 24 and engages supporting lever 22 . at the lower bottom position of this piston rod 33 , the hook 23 with the base 26 comes in contact with the air cylinder 31 or it may be said that the hook 23 is locked against the base frame 30 of the pantograph on which the air cylinder is fixed . the supporting lever 22 of the pantograph collector 21 is rigidly engaged and locked by the hook 23 which is locked against the base frame 30 and abuts against the stopper 26a . in this condition , the compressed air system is controlled so as to apply air pressure downwardly on the piston 32 while leaving a small clearance of stroke below it . no substantial shock can be applied between the hook bar 23a and the supporting lever 22 of the pantograph collector 21 . therefore , the collector 21 is quite rigidly locked in the lowermost position . as has been explained in the foregoing , by locking the supporting lever 22 of the pantograph collector 21 with some clearance stroke , the pantograph 100 is held quite rigidly . the clearance stroke allows for some shock absorption of pantograph movements . with the present invention , the pantograph can be locked rigidly even when the vehicle is running over unpaved bad roads and is subjected to strong shock and vibration , thus avoiding the undesired movement or vibration of the pantograph collector and the frame . this has the practical effect of preventing breakage or damage of the pantograph structures . for an electric vehicle running on rails , the inventive hook device can also be used for locking the pantograph collector . in this case , the vertical height thereof in the folded position can be decreased by an amount corresponding to the vertical stroke of the piston rod 33 . this results in a space saving in the overall size of the vehicle and affords an additional advantage in the construction of the pantograph .	1
referring now to the drawings , a fastening system for automobile assist straps incorporating the teachings of the present invention is shown generally at 10 . the fastening system 10 is utilized to fasten an assist strap 12 to a panel 14 or other surface of an automobile . the panel 14 has a decorative overlay 16 which may be of vinyl , vinyl and pressboard , cloth , or other material . the panel 14 also includes a metal plate or other backing 18 . the assist strap 12 can be manufactured generally as shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 174 , 988 , issued nov . 20 , 1979 , and assigned to the same assignee of the present invention . the assist strap 12 has a metal , strength - imparting core of flat strip stock . the core extends the length of the strap 12 and is formed at ends 20 as shown in fig1 one such end being shown in fig1 . as illustrated most readily in fig1 the formed end 20 defines a generally u - shaped channel member 22 having a longitudinally extending base 24 and two generally parallel longitudinally extending sidewalls 26 . each sidewall 26 is formed with a depending flange portion 28 along its length , whose function will be described more fully hereinafter . as shown in fig1 and 2 , channel member 22 is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced holes 30 which are suitably spaced along channel member 22 for alignment with a pair of holes 32 in panel 14 . holes 30 and 32 are adapted to receive a pair of threaded fasteners 34 for attaching the formed end 20 to panel 14 . the fasteners 34 to be utilized in this connection may be the usual type of fasteners as shown , or may be a serrated fastener . in general terms , fasteners 34 comprise rounded - headed threaded fasteners which are self - threading into the metal backing 18 of the panel 14 . the fastening system 10 also includes a cover 60 which is slidingly engageable with channel member 22 to conceal channel member 22 and fasteners 34 as described more fully hereinafter . as shown in fig1 and 4 , cover 60 includes a substantially planar cover surface 62 , a pair of opposite longitudinally extending sidewalls 64 , and a pair of opposite end walls 66 and 68 . as illustrated in the drawings , cover 60 defines an enclosure 70 within which channel member 22 is received upon assembly of cover 60 therewith . cover 60 also includes a longitudinally extending lip 72 formed along the interior surface 74 of each sidewall 64 . as shown most readily in fig6 lips 72 are operative to engage the undersurface 76 of each flange portion 28 during the sliding assembly of cover 60 with channel member 22 . cover 60 also includes an integrally formed locking member or post 80 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the interior surface 82 of cover surface 62 across enclosure 70 . as shown in fig5 and 6 , locking post 80 is of a length substantially equal to the height of cover 60 and terminates in an end portion 83 which is operative to be received within a recess or opening 84 of similar diameter formed in base 24 of channel member 22 . in this connection , it is to be noted that cover 60 is formed from a resilient plastic material . the material properties and the length of locking post 80 will therefore result in end portion 83 being initially engaged and deflected by base 24 when cover 60 is slid onto channel member 22 . however , upon movement of cover 60 into its operative position shown in fig5 and 6 , the end portion 83 of post 80 will snap into and engage opening 84 . this engagement between end portion 83 and opening 84 will lock the cover 60 into the position shown in fig5 and 6 so as to conceal channel member 22 and the fasteners 34 . to utilize the fastening system 10 of this embodiment of the invention , assist strap 12 is fastened to panel 14 by aligning holes 30 in channel member 22 with holes 32 in panel 14 and installing fasteners 34 therein . cover 60 may thereafter be slidingly assembled over channel member 22 by positioning the cover 60 adjacent the exposed end 90 of channel member 22 and sliding cover 60 in the direction of the arrow in fig5 into its operative position shown therein . movement of cover 60 in this manner will effect an engagement of lips 72 with the undersurface 76 of each flange portion 28 , as well as an engagement between end portion 83 and opening 84 once cover 60 is placed in its operative position . these engagements result in an installation wherein cover 60 is locked in its operative position as shown in fig5 and 6 . more specifically , the engagement between lips 72 and undersurfaces 76 of flange portions 28 will operate to retain cover 60 against lateral movement relative to channel member 22 . on the other hand , the engagement of end portion 83 with opening 84 will secure or retain cover 60 against longitudinal movement relative to channel member 22 . when so retained in its operative position by the above - described engagements , cover 60 cooperates with the formed end 20 to effectively conceal channel member 22 and fasteners 34 from view . moreover , the above - described engagements between cover 60 and channel member 22 insure that the cover 60 cannot be readily tampered with . however , cover 60 can be moved relative to formed end 20 and removed therefrom by an upward prying force exerted upon the end wall 66 of the cover 60 . such a force will tend to deflect that area of cover 60 upward and away from channel member 22 and effect a withdrawal of end portion 83 of locking post 80 from opening 84 and thereby break the engagement therebetween . the cover 60 may thereafter be slid along channel member 22 and removed therefrom . application of the above - described upward force can be accomplished by the insertion of a screwdriver or the like between overlay 16 and end face 94 of end wall 66 . another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig7 through 9 . in these figures , the parts which are similar to those illustrated and described in the first embodiment are indicated with the same numbers followed by a prime . in this embodiment , channel member 22 &# 39 ; is provided with a longitudinally spaced pair of nubs 96 on undersurface 76 &# 39 ; of each flange portion 28 &# 39 ;. these nubs 96 are operative to be received within complementary shaped recesses 98 disposed in the upper surface 100 of lips 72 &# 39 ; upon the sliding assembly of cover 60 &# 39 ; into its operative position upon channel member 22 &# 39 ;, as shown in fig8 and 9 . the purpose and function of these nubs 96 and recesses 98 are similar to that of end portion 83 of locking post 80 and opening 84 in the previously described embodiment . more specifically , the engagement of nubs 96 with recesses 98 will inhibit longitudinal movement of cover 60 &# 39 ; with respect to channel member 22 &# 39 ; and thereby effectively lock cover 60 &# 39 ; in its operative position once it has been moved into that position . cover 60 &# 39 ; may however be slid along channel member 22 &# 39 ; and removed therefrom by applying a combination of longitudinal and lateral forces sufficient to disengage nubs 96 from recesses 98 . in this embodiment , two nubs 96 and recesses 98 are provided on each lip 72 &# 39 ; and adjacent flange portion 28 &# 39 ;. however , the number of nubs 96 and recesses 98 may be varied as desired . it should also be noted that nubs 96 in this embodiment can be formed in flange portions 28 &# 39 ; during the forming of channel member 22 &# 39 ;. however , nubs 96 could also be provided in the form of projections on the undersurface 76 &# 39 ; of each flange portion 28 &# 39 ;. alternatively , the configuration of nubs 96 and recesses 98 could be reversed while still achieving the results of this embodiment of the invention . more specifically , nubs 96 could be integrally formed longitudinally along the upper surface 100 of lips 72 &# 39 ; of cover 60 &# 39 ;, while recesses 98 could be formed in the undersurface 76 &# 39 ; of each flange portion 28 &# 39 ; for receivably engaging nubs 96 . as is readily apparent from the preceding description , each of the embodiments of the invention provides a metal strap member or core which serves the function of a structural strength - imparting member and which establishes the configuration of the assist strap . the strap member of core extends the length of the strap and includes integral formed ends which provide an area for direct attachment to a vehicle surface , and which are configured to removably retain covers for concealing the fasteners used to attach the assist strap to the vehicle surface . the invention therefore provides an assist strap system having fewer parts than prior known devices . it therefore achieves a system requiring the manufacture and assembly of fewer parts , resulting in an attendant lowering of manufacturing and assembly costs . it is also apparent that each of the above - described embodiments of the invention enables a non - destructive removal of the covers to permit servicing of the assist strap . moreover , these embodiments provide a simple and efficient way of achieving a tamper resistant cover for a vehicle assist strap system , since the cover can be manipulated , loosened and removed only if one possesses knowledge of the required method for doing so . in addition , the engagements effected between the covers and the formed ends of the strap member increases the level of force necessary to loosen and / or remove the covers , thereby making it more difficult for children to tamper with the system . these features result in a fastening system which reduces the possibilities of exposed and lost parts . on the other hand , the fact that the covers can be simply and efficiently removed from the formed ends of the strap member when necessary results in a fastening system which allows access to the fasteners which attach the strap member to a vehicle surface so that the assist strap can be serviced or removed as desired . it is readily apparent that the strap member can be simply and easily formed as one piece , with the disclosed ends being formed , and provided with the previously - described holes or recesses , flanges and nubs , in one stamping operation . the strap member can be provided with a decorative covering intermediate the formed ends as shown in fig1 and 5 . the covers can be provided with a texture complementary with that of the covering over the strap member so that the assist strap has good appearance and is aesthetically pleasing . it is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined in the appended claims .	8
the liquid density measurement system to be described hereafter is particularly suited to density measurement of liquid mixtures such as liquid natural gas ( lng ). l . n . g . consists primarily on non - polar hydrocarbons such as methane , ethane and propane , and nitrogen which is a non - polar inorganic element . l . n . g . thus follows established theory describing its response as a dielectric fluid in an electric field ( the clausiur - mosotti law ) and the relationship between its dielectric constant k and density d can be expressed by the following equation : the value of the constant b changes with variations in the composition of l . n . g . and plotting dielectric constant ( k ) against density ( d ) for different l . n . g . mixtures will give a series of parallel lines of slope a ( see fig1 ). this has been shown both by test data and mathematical calculations . similar results are obtained for liquid petroleum gas mixtures . the temperature ( t ) of liquid under measurement varies along each curve as is indicated in fig1 by the temperature points marked on one of the liquid mixture curves . it can also be seen from fig1 that if the composition of the liquid mixture were constant , a liquid density measurement system could be set to provide a proportionality factor of a between changes in dielectric constant and density . however , where the composition of the liquid mixture varies , errors in density measurement based solely on dielectric constant measurement will be produced . setting up a liquid density measurement system to correspond to a &# 34 ; best fit &# 34 ; curve ( dashed line , fig1 ) for all mixes at all temperatures , while reducing the errors , will not eliminate them . the liquid density measurement system to be described hereinafter incorporates a temperature sensor to sense the temperature of the liquid under measurement . combination of the signal derived from the sensor with that obtained from the capacitance probe enables the system to compensate for liquid composition changes in a manner now to be described . shown in fig2 are a series of parallel dielectric constant vs density curves similar to those shown in fig1 each curve corresponding to a particular liquid mixture and having a slope c equivalent to slope a of fig1 . constant temperature curves ( dashed lines of slope a ) have been drawn through the mixture curves . to obtain an accurate density reading for any liquid composition , first a measurement of the dielectric constant of the liquid mixture is used to give the liquid density assuming the liquid temperature were at a reference value t o ( that is , d is read off from the line t + t o for a particular value of k ), and then correction is made for any variation of liquid temperature from the reference temperature . for the straight line &# 34 ; curves &# 34 ; shown in fig2 the density calculation is of the form d = d . sub . o + a ( k - k . sub . o ) + b ( t - t . sub . o ) ( 2 ) where d = d o + a ( k - k o ) is the equation of the t = t o line d o = density at k = k o = predetermined constants b = function of difference between slope a and slope c an alternative form of this equation is d = d . sub . o + a δ k + b δ t ( 3 ) as shown in fig3 the liquid density measurement system comprises a capacitance probe 10 , ( for example , in the form of two concentric tubes between which the liquid under measurement can pass ), connected to a capacitance converter unit 12 which converts the a . c . signal across the capacitance probe 10 into a d . c . output signal proportional to δ k . the system further comprises a temperature sensor 14 ( for example , a temperature dependent resistance immersed in the liquid ) connected to a temperature signal conditioner unit 16 which produces a d . c . output signal proportional to t . the outputs of the units 12 and 16 are fed to a density computation unit 18 which performs the various proportioning and summing functions necessary to execute equation ( 3 ) above . the output of the unit 18 is a d . c . voltage directly proportional to the liquid density . a select switch 20 enables the output of any one of the units 12 , 16 or 18 to be displayed on a digital voltmeter display 22 . the capacitance converter unit 12 is shown in greater detail in fig4 and comprises a line driver 24 which serves to amplify an a . c . reference signal to drive an a . c . current through the capacitance probe 10 . the magnitude of the a . c . current is proportional to the capacitance of the probe and thus to the dielectric constant of the liquid under measurement . an inverter 26 ( for example , an operational amplifier ) drives a reference current , of inverse polarity to that passing through the probe 10 , through a capacitor 28 . the probe current and reference current are both fed to a summing input of an a . c . amplifier 30 where the reference current is subtracted from the probe current . the value of the capacitor 28 is selected to give such a magnitude of reference current that the a . c . voltage output signal of the amplifier 30 is directly proportional to changes in capacitance of the probe 10 and thus to changes in dielectric constant of the liquid . the a . c . voltage output signal of the amplifier 30 is fed to an a . c ./ d . c . converter 32 , the output of which is connected to an amplifier 34 . the amplifier 34 is provided with a voltage offset adjust capability to ensure that the d . c . voltage output signal is directly proportional to the change in dielectric constant . the temperature signal conditioner unit 16 ( fig5 ) comprises a constant current source arranged to drive a constant current through the temperature sensor 14 ( which , for example , takes the form of a platinum resistance ). the constant current source is formed by an operational amplifier 36 which has its non - inverting input connected to receive a reference voltage from a reference voltage source 38 and its inverting input connected to sense the voltage drop across a standard resistor 40 connected in series with the sensor 14 but not immersed in the liquid . the amplifier 36 serves to maintain the voltage drop across the resistor 40 at a value set by the magnitude of the reference voltage fed to the non - inverting input of the amplifier 36 , and this ensures that a constant current is driven through the sensor 14 . the voltages on each side of the sensor 14 are fed to operational amplifiers 42 and 44 respectively , and the outputs of these amplifiers are connected in a differential mode via a variable resistor 46 to the noninverting input of an operational amplifier 48 . the signal fed to the non - inverting input of the amplifier 48 is therefore proportional to the voltage drop across the sensor 14 and thus proportional to the liquid temperature . a reference signal derived from the reference voltage source 38 via an operational amplifier 50 , is fed to the inverting input of the amplifier 48 . this reference signal is preset , using a variable resistor 52 , to the value of the voltage drop present across the sensor 14 at the reference temperature t o . the amplifier 48 serves to subtract the reference signal from the signal representing the actual voltage drop across the sensor 14 . the signal appearing at the output of the amplifier 48 is thus directly proportional to the change in voltage drop across the sensor 14 and therefore is directly proportional to δ t , the change in liquid temperature from the reference temperature t o . the density computation unit 18 ( fig6 ) comprises operational amplifiers 52 and 54 , respectively , receiving the outputs of the units 12 and 16 . the amplifiers 52 and 54 have respective variable feedback resistors 56 and 58 which serve to set the gain of the amplifiers . the resistors 56 and 58 are so adjusted that the signals representing the quantities δ k and δ t are proportioned by respective factors which are mutually in the same ratio as the factors a and b appearing in equation ( 3 ). the outputs of the amplifiers 52 and 54 are both connected to the inverting input of an operational amplifier 60 as is the slider of a variable resistor 62 . the setting of the variable resistor 62 is such that the voltage appearing on its slider is proportional to the predetermined reference density d o . the signals from the outputs of the amplifiers 52 and 54 and from the slider of the resistor 62 are summed at the inverting input of the amplifier 60 and the resultant signal produced at the output of the amplifier 60 is directly proportional to the density of the liquid , independently of its composition . the gain of the amplifier 60 is made variable by the provision of a variable resistor 62 in its feedback path and this enables the density signal to be scaled for compatability with the display 22 . the operational amplifiers in the described system can for example , be national semiconductors lm 101a integrated circuits and the reference voltage source 38 can be formed around a fairchild μa723 integrated circuit . the described system can be provided with various additional features such as an alarm circuit responsive to an excessive liquid temperature being sensed , fail safe circuitry and zener barrier protection for the circuitry positioned adjacent the l . n . g . the described system can be advantageously used for high accuracy measurement of liquid mixture densities in cases where a single valued function curve can be drawn through all the mixture ( dielectric constant vs density ) curves at a constant temperature point .	6
several preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanied drawings . fig4 is a block diagram showing a semiconductor memory device supporting the double data rate mode in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention . the semiconductor memory device is composed of a memory cell array 5 having a number of memory cells , an address register 1 , an address decoder 2 for receiving and decoding an address as latched by the address register 1 , a row selection circuit 3 receiving from the address decoder 2 a row address signal for selecting a row of the memory cell array 5 , a column selection circuit 4 receiving from the address decoder 2 a column address signal for selecting a column of the memory cell array 5 , a data bus 21 , a data bus 22 , an output control unit 6 and a multiplexer 8 . the row selection circuit 3 and the column selection circuit 4 serve to select two memory cells for one i / o terminal in accordance with the address signals as decoded . the row selection circuit 3 serves to select one row of the memory cell array 5 in accordance with the row address signal decoded by means of the address decoder 2 . on the other hand , the column selection circuit 4 serves to select two columns of the memory cell array 5 at the same time in accordance with the column address signal decoded by means of the address decoder 2 . two data items are read out from the two memory cells substantially at the same time and input to data input / output circuit 6 through the data bus 21 and the data bus 22 . a multiplexer 18 serves to select and output one of the data items as outputted from the data input / output circuits 16 and 17 in synchronism with the high and low levels of the clock signal as illustrated in fig7 ( a ). in accordance with the double data rate mode , the data bus structure is designed , unlike a conventional semiconductor memory device , in a dual structure consisting of two equivalent buses inside of a semiconductor memory device in order to read out and write at the doubled speed . furthermore , the data transmission rate is doubled by alternately reading out or writing in the semiconductor memory device through the output control unit 6 and the multiplexer 8 in synchronism with the high and low levels of the clock signal . [ 0052 ] fig5 is a block diagram showing the output control unit of the semiconductor memory device supporting the double data rate mode in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention . the output control unit in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention is composed of two data transmission paths respectively through a sense amplifier 61 and an output register 62 and through a sense amplifier 63 and an output register 64 , the multiplexer 8 for sequentially selecting and outputting one of the data items as latched by the output register 62 and the output register 64 , and a delay circuit 19 for delaying a sense amplifier enabling signal which functions to activate the sense amplifier 63 . the data items read out from the memory cells ( not shown in the figure ) are transferred to the sense amplifier 61 and the sense amplifier 63 through the data bus 21 and the data bus 22 , respectively . the sense amplifier 61 is activated by directly receiving the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae and serves to sense and amplify a data item outputted when the clock signal is pulled up while the sense amplifier 63 is activated by receiving the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae as delayed through the delay circuit 19 and serves to sense and amplify a data item outputted when the clock signal is pulled down . [ 0054 ] fig6 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration inclusive of exemplary circuits of the sense amplifiers and the delay circuit as illustrated in fig5 . in the figure , each sense amplifier is composed of a latch type sense amplifier while the delay circuit is composed of an inverter chain . namely , each sense amplifier is composed of pmos transistors t 1 , t 2 and t 3 and nmos transistors t 4 and t 5 . the gate terminals of the pmos transistor t 2 and the nmos transistor t 4 are connected to the data bus 21 while the gate terminals of the pmos transistor t 3 and the nmos transistor t 5 are connected to the data bus 22 . the delay circuit is composed of the inverter chain having inverters 191 and 192 , which are connected in series . [ 0056 ] fig7 is a schematic diagram showing waveforms of the respective signals appearing when data is read from the semiconductor memory device provided with the output control unit as illustrated in fig6 . fig7 ( a ) shows the waveform of the clock signal ( ck ) for use in the output circuit ; fig7 ( b ) shows the waveform of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 1 ; fig7 ( c ) shows the waveform of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 2 ; fig7 ( d ) shows the waveform of the output signal of the sense amplifier 61 ; fig7 ( e ) shows the waveform of the output signal of the sense amplifier 63 ; fig7 ( f ) shows the waveform of the current flowing through the sense amplifier 61 ; and fig7 ( g ) shows the waveform of the current flowing through the sense amplifier 62 . the latch type sense amplifier generates a through current when activated by means of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae . the output control unit as described above serves to activate the sense amplifier 61 by means of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 1 and then , after the delay ( δt 1 ) implemented by means of the inverter chain of the delay circuit 19 , serves to activate the sense amplifier 63 by means of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 2 . accordingly , the time of the current peak of the sense amplifier 61 does not coincide with the time of the current peak of the sense amplifier 63 so that it is possible to disperse the current peak time points during operation . the output signal of the sense amplifier 63 is therefore delayed as compared with that of the sense amplifier 61 . however , this never imposes a bottleneck limiting the operation speed of the memory because there is no problem as long as the data item of the sense amplifier 63 becomes ready only during the later half of the subsequent cycle of the clock signal , i . e ., when the clock signal is pulled down . it is required that the delay time δt 1 satisfies 0 ≦ δt 1 ≦ tcy / 2 to delay the data item of the sense amplifier 63 until the later half of the subsequent cycle . also , the interval between the time point at which the address becomes ready and the time point at which the sense amplifier enabling signal is given is elongated in the case of the sense amplifier 63 , as compared with the case of the sense amplifier 61 , so that the differential input level to the sense amplifier 63 is relatively increased when activated , resulting in a relatively large margin for sensing and therefore resulting in a noise proof structure . [ 0060 ] fig1 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration , inclusive of an exemplary circuit , of the output registers 62 and 64 in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention . the output register is composed of a master latch and a slave latch . each latch is composed of clocked inverters 41 and 42 and an inverter 43 . in accordance with the present embodiment , when two data items are read out from the memory cells in the double data rate mode , the current peak time points of the sense amplifier 61 and the sense amplifier 63 can be displaced from each other as illustrated in fig7 ( f ) and fig7 ( g ) by displacing the timing of activation of the sense amplifier 63 from that of the sense amplifier 61 . in this case , since the displacement is adjusted to satisfy the relationship of 0 ≦ δt 1 ≦ tcy / 2 , the noise level can be reduced without compromising the reading speed . meanwhile , as illustrated in fig7 ( d ) and fig7 ( e ), the input level to the sense amplifier 63 when the sensing / amplifying operation thereof is initiated is higher than that to the sense amplifier 61 so that it is possible to reduce the area of the semiconductor chip as occupied by selecting the size of the transistors of the sense amplifier 63 to be smaller than that of the transistors of the sense amplifier 61 . [ 0063 ] fig8 is a block diagram showing the output control unit of the semiconductor memory device supporting the double data rate mode in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention . also in fig8 like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements in the drawing as the output control unit as illustrated in fig6 and , therefore redundant explanation is not repeated . for the output control unit as illustrated in fig6 the delay circuit 19 is always connected to the data bus 22 and is not connected to the data bus 21 . in this case , however , some inconvenience may occur when data stored in an odd address is accessed while the data bus 21 is connected to the memory cells assigned to even addresses and the data bus 22 is connected to the memory cells assigned to odd addresses as given . namely , when an odd address is given , some technical handling may be required , for example , insertion of a pause and neglect the leading data item of the even address which is input after decrementing the odd address . in the case of the semiconductor memory device in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention , a switch circuit is inserted to the output control unit thereof for switching even / odd addresses as illustrated in fig8 . as illustrated in the figure , the sense amplifier 61 is connected to the data bus 21 through an nmos transistor t 6 and an nmos transistor t 7 which constitute a transfer gate . also , the sense amplifier 61 is connected to the data bus 22 through an nmos transistor t 8 and an nmos transistor t 9 which constitute a transfer gate . on the other hand , the sense amplifier 63 is connected to the data bus through the nmos transistor t 6 and the nmos transistor t 7 which constitute a transfer gate . also , the sense amplifier 63 is connected to the data bus 22 through the nmos transistor t 8 and the nmos transistor t 9 which constitute a transfer gate . the data item with an odd address can be read out by fixing the data lines b and c to the low level and the data lines a and d to the high level and connecting the upper sense amplifier 61 to the data bus 21 and the lower sense amplifier 63 to the data bus 22 , respectively . accordingly , in this case , the effective configuration of the circuit is equivalent to the circuit as illustrated in fig5 . also , the data item with an even address can be read out by fixing the data lines a and d to the low level and the data lines b and c to the high level and connecting the upper sense amplifier 61 to the data bus 22 and the lower sense amplifier 63 to the data bus 21 respectively . accordingly , in this case , the effective configuration of the circuit is equivalent to the circuit as illustrated in fig9 . in the figure , the connection relationship of the sense amplifier 61 , the sense amplifier 63 , the data bus 21 and the data bus 22 is opposite to that as illustrated in fig5 . [ 0069 ] fig7 is a schematic diagram showing waveforms of the respective signals appearing when data is read from the semiconductor memory device with the signal d_rise as the output signal of the sense amplifier 61 and the signal d_fall as the output signal of the sense amplifier 63 . the configuration as illustrated in fig8 is particularly effective when the semiconductor memory device in accordance with the present invention is actually implemented . namely , it is realized by providing the switch circuit so that one of the sense amplifiers , i . e ., the sense amplifier 61 always serves to sense and amplify the data item to be output when the clock signal is pulled up while the other sense amplifier , i . e ., the sense amplifier 63 always serves to sense and amplify the data item to be output when the clock signal is pulled down . accordingly , the delay circuit can be fixedly connected to the other sense amplifier , i . e ., the sense amplifier 63 senses and amplifies the data item to be output when the clock signal is pulled down . [ 0071 ] fig1 is a block diagram showing the output control unit of the semiconductor memory device supporting the double data rate mode in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention . also in fig1 , like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements in the drawing as the output control unit as illustrated in fig5 and , therefore redundant explanation is not repeated . the output register 65 connected to the sense amplifier 61 is composed only of a master latch 1 . this is because data need not be maintained when the clock signal is pulled down . however , there is no problem even if a slave latch is provided for some reason in manufacturing processes . on the other hand , the output register 66 connected to the sense amplifier 63 is composed of a master latch and a slave latch . in this case , the clock signal ( ckm 2 ) for driving the master latch of the output register 66 is given a delay δt 2 by means of the delay circuit 20 as compared with the clock signal ( ckm 1 ) for driving the master latch of the output register 65 . by this control configuration , the output signal from the output register 66 is delayed as compared with the output signal from the output register 65 . however , this never impose a bottleneck limiting the operation speed of the memory because there is no problem as long as the data item as output from the output register 66 becomes ready when the later half of the subsequent cycle of the clock signal , i . e ., when the clock signal is pulled down . it is required that the delay time δt 1 satisfy 0 ≦ δt 1 ≦ tcy / 2 to delay the data item as output from the output register 66 until the later half of the subsequent cycle . [ 0075 ] fig1 is a schematic diagram showing waveforms of the respective signals appearing when data is read from the semiconductor memory device provided with the output control unit as illustrated in fig1 . fig1 ( a ) shows the waveform of the clock signal ( ck ) for use in the output control unit ; fig1 ( b ) shows the waveform of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 1 ; fig1 ( c ) shows the waveform of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 2 ; fig1 ( d ) shows the waveform of the output signal of the sense amplifier 61 ; fig1 ( e ) shows the waveform of the output signal of the sense amplifier 63 ; fig1 ( f ) shows the waveform of the clock signal for driving the master latch of the output register 65 ; fig1 ( g ) shows the waveform of the current the clock signal for driving the master latch of the output register 66 ; fig1 ( h ) shows the waveform of the current the clock signal for driving the slave latch of the output register 66 ; fig1 ( i ) shows the output data of the output register 65 ; fig1 ( j ) shows the output data of the output register 66 ; and fig1 ( k ) shows the output data of the multiplexer 8 . by providing the delay circuit 20 , and thereby providing a delay between the clock signal ckm 1 and ckm 2 for driving the master latches , to secure a sufficient margin for latching data after output data becomes ready at the output terminals of the sense amplifier 61 and the sense amplifier 63 , which are connected to the input terminals of the output register 65 and the output register 66 , i . e ., to provide a sufficient time period between the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 1 and the clock signal ckm 1 and also a sufficient time period between the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 2 and the clock signal ckm 2 . the data transmission from the sense amplifier 63 to the output register 65 can be performed with a sufficient marginal time even with delay times of δt 1 and δt 2 , as compared with the data transmission from the sense amplifier 61 to the output register 66 , by adjusting the delay times of the delay circuit 19 and the delay circuit 20 to satisfy [ 0077 ] fig1 is a block diagram showing the output control unit of the semiconductor memory device supporting the double data rate mode in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention . also in fig1 , like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements in the drawing as the output control unit as illustrated in fig5 and , therefore redundant explanation is not repeated . in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention , the differential activation time between the sense amplifier enabling signals / sae 1 and / sae 2 is extended to about a half of the cycle time , i . e ., tcy / 2 . in this case , the output register 68 is no longer responsible for maintaining data while the clock signal is pulled up so that the master latch of the output register 68 can be dispensed with in the same manner as the slave latch of the output register 67 is dispensed with , since the output register 67 is not responsible for maintaining data while the clock signal is pulled down . it is therefore possible to make the semiconductor memory device faster and to reduce the power dissipation . [ 0079 ] fig1 is a schematic diagram showing waveforms of the respective signals appearing when data is read from the semiconductor memory device provided with the output control unit as illustrated in fig1 . fig1 ( a ) shows the waveform of the clock signal ( ck ) for use in the output control unit ; fig1 ( b ) shows the waveform of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 1 ; fig1 ( c ) shows the waveform of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 2 ; fig1 ( d ) shows the waveform of the output signal of the sense amplifier 61 ; fig1 ( e ) shows the waveform of the output signal of the sense amplifier 63 ; fig1 ( f ) shows the waveform of the clock signal for driving the master latch of the output register 65 ; fig1 ( g ) shows the waveform of the current the clock signal for driving the slave latch of the output register 66 ; fig1 ( h ) shows the output data of the output register 65 ; fig1 ( i ) shows the output data of the output register 66 ; and fig1 ( j ) shows the output data of the multiplexer 8 . in this case , the period between the amplification by the sense amplifier 63 and the reception by the output register 68 , i . e ., the period between the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 2 and the clock signal cks corresponds to the period between amplification by the sense amplifier 61 and the reception by the output register 67 , i . e ., the period between the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 1 and the clock signal ckm . [ 0081 ] fig1 is a block diagram showing the output control unit of the semiconductor memory device supporting the double data rate mode in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention . also in fig1 , like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements in the drawing as the output control unit as illustrated in fig5 and , therefore redundant explanation is not repeated . in the case where the sense amplifier 61 and the sense amplifier 62 are designed to maintain data for a time period no shorter than a half of the machine cycle , the register circuit can be dispensed with as illustrated in fig1 . [ 0082 ] fig1 is a schematic diagram showing waveforms of the respective signals appearing when data is read from the semiconductor memory device provided with the output control unit as illustrated in fig1 . fig1 ( a ) shows the waveform of the clock : signal ( ck ) for use in the output circuit ; fig1 ( b ) shows the waveform of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 1 ; fig1 ( c ) shows the waveform of the sense amplifier enabling signal / sae 2 ; fig1 ( d ) shows the waveform of the output signal of the sense amplifier 61 ; fig1 ( e ) shows the waveform of the output signal of the sense amplifier 63 ; and fig1 ( f ) shows the output data of the multiplexer 8 . the sense amplifier enabling signals / sae 1 and / sae 2 are displaced from each other a distance of about tcy / 2 so that the sense amplifiers 61 and 63 are can maintain data for a half of the cycle time tcy , from the sense amplifier enabling signal , respectively , to make the semiconductor memory device faster and to reduce the power dissipation . as explained above in detail , in accordance with the present invention , it is possible to disperse the electric current peak time points and reduce the noise level without compromising the reading speed by deferring activation of the sense amplifier , which is one of the two sense amplifiers for sensing and amplifying data to be outputted when the clock signal is pulled down , while the other sense amplifier serves to sense and amplify data to be outputted when the clock signal is pulled up . also , in the sense amplifier which senses and amplify data to be outputted when the clock signal is pulled up , the interval between when the address becomes ready and the time point when the sense amplifier enabling signal is given is elongated , as compared with the case with the sense amplifier 61 , resulting in a relatively large margin for sensing and therefore resulting in a noise proof structure . furthermore , it is possible to reduce the power consumption and the area of the semiconductor chip by designing the size of the transistors of the sense amplifier for sensing and amplifying data to be outputted when the clock signal is pulled down to be smaller than that of the transistors of the sense amplifier for sensing and amplifying data to be outputted when the clock signal is pulled up . the design of one of the output registers can be simplified by deferring activation of the sense amplifier provided for sensing and amplifying data to be outputted when the clock signal is pulled down with a delay time δt 1 of about the cycle time tcy , satisfying the equation of 0 ≦ δt 1 ≦ tcy / 2 , so that it is possible to make the semiconductor memory device faster and to reduces the power dissipation . also , it is possible to make the semiconductor memory device faster and to reduces the power dissipation by deferring activation of the sense amplifier provided for sensing and amplifying data to be outputted when the clock signal is pulled down with a delay time of about a half of the cycle time . furthermore , the sense amplifier 61 and the sense amplifier 62 are designed to maintain data for a time period of no shorter than a half of the machine cycle while deferring activation of the sense amplifier provided for sensing and amplifying data to be outputted when the clock signal is pulled down by a half of the machine cycle , so that it is possible to reduce the area of the semiconductor chip and to make the semiconductor memory device faster and to reduce the power dissipation . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiments were chosen in order to explain most clearly the principles of the invention and its practical application thereby to enable others in the art to utilize most effectively the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated .	6
as already noted , the activators utilized in carrying out the invention are compounds of the formula : wherein m is an alkali or alkaline earth metal , copper , zinc , boron , aluminum , silicon , titanium , zirconium , vanadium , chromium , molybdenum , tungsten , uranium , iron , cobalt , or nickel , a is an electronegative element or -- o --, -- oh , or -- or , wherein r is alkyl or aryl , and x and y are integers of 1 to 2 and 1 to 5 respectively . the activators may also be reaction products of hydroxy and / or alkoxy compounds of aluminum or magnesium with boron trifluoride , there being included among the hydroxy and alkoxy compounds , the partially hydrolyzed aluminum and magnesium alkoxides . the latter constitute a transition between the boundary types , and namely between the hydroxides and alkoxides of the indicated metals . there are also operable compounds of the formulae : al ( oh ) 2 x , al ( oh ) x 2 , al ( or ) 2 x , al ( or ) x 2 , mg ( or ) x , and mg ( oh ) x , wherein x is an electronegative element or group , such as halogen , -- o --, -- oh and the like and such as where x is -- or , r being alkyl or aryl . another class of operable activators are the aluminates , silicates and carbonates of univalent and bivalent metals , activated carbon and finely dispersed metallic zinc , copper aluminum and iron . in carrying out the instant process , the catalyst and activator can be added to the reaction mixture in any order , i . e ., in an arbitrary order in increments or as a previously blended mixture . the activator having a drying effect is advantageously added as the first component to the polymerization mixture thereby being operative to remove traces of moisture from the system . the polymerization velocity can be safely controlled by careful metering of the catalyst and activator and by regulating the action of the light on the reaction mixture . overheating can be avoided by removal of any excess heat . this method for the controlled polymerization and co - polymerization of olefinic monomers may be advantageously and successfully carried out for the polymerization of monomers without the need to resort to any auxiliary solvent . the molecular weights of the polymers and copolymers can be varied over a broad range at the given temperature by the proper combination of the catalyst , activator and the action of light . the polymers and , especially , the high molecular weight co - polymers of isobutylene with butadiene can be obtained with an appropriate combination even at relatively high temperatures . butyl rubber of the required molecular weight and concentration of double bonds can be prepared by the aforesaid method at temperatures of about - 40 ° to - 30 ° c . higher temperatures may also be employed and are advantageous for reasons of reaction rate etc . the polymerization which may be carried out without the need to employ an auxiliary solvent , results in high conversions ( 70 to 80 %), the effective drying of the monomers with one component of the catalyst ( koh , maoh , etc . ), and the possibility to use the more accessible and cheaper co - monomers ( i . e . butadiene ) thereby providing a new and economical means for the production of polyisobutylene and butyl rubber . in addition to the homopolymerization of mono - olefins such as isobutylene and the copolymerization thereof with a diolefin such as butadiene , the following olefinic monomers may also be copolymerized with isobutylene or therpolymerized with the aforesaid copolymers of isobutylene ( branched or straight chain ) and butadiene : styrene , - methylstyrene , cl - 6 alkyl vinylethers , 2 - chloro - butadiene - 1 , 3 , 2 - methyl - butadiene - 1 , 3 , dimethallyl , 2 , 3 - dimethyl - butadiene - 1 , 3 , piperylene , cyclohexadiene , cyclopentadiene , alkoxybutadienes and the like . where desired , the solution polymerization can be carried out in aliphatic ( i . e . heptane ) aromatic ( i . e . toluene ) or halogenated ( i . e . carbon tetrachloride ) solvents . the influence of light and various of the activating compounds of vanadium ( iv ) chloride catalyst can be seen from the following table : table 1__________________________________________________________________________influence of light and activating compounds upon vanadium ( iv ) chloride monomer time concn . of % of irradia - ( polym . catalyst vcl . sub . 4 ( mol / g ) isobutylene tion period ) conversion mol . wt . __________________________________________________________________________vcl . sub . 4 1 . 87 × 10 . sup .- 5 100 60 min 60 min . 45 230 000 200 w elec . lampvcl . sub . 4 + bao 4 . 86 × 10 . sup .- 6 100 5 min 30 min 78 130 000 100 w elec . lampvcl . sub . 4 + koh 5 . 00 × 10 . sup .- 6 100 5 min 30 min 70 137 000 100 w elec . lampvcl . sub . 4 + 5 . 15 × 10 . sup .- 6 100 5 min 30 min 62 196 000li terbutoxide 100 w elec . lamp__________________________________________________________________________ polymerization carried out at temperature of - 40 ° c the following examples are given by way of illustration only and are in no - wise to be construed as limitative of the scope thereof . the examples of the polymerization reactions disclosed were each carried out in a glass reactor equipped with a magnetic stirrer under anhydrous conditions in an inert atmosphere , for example of oxygen - free argon . the application of the ultraviolet light was carried out using a quartz apparatus . the periods of irradiation set out in the examples represent a sum of the irradiation periods for the entire reaction , which periods were controlled so as to provide the isothermal course of the reaction . the molecular weights of the resultant polymers were determined by viscometry , in n - heptane and carbon tetrachloride at 20 ° c and were calculated by means of the flory relationship : for carbon tetrachloride : [ η ] = 4 . 52 × 10 - 4 m 0 . 64 the polymerization of 25 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . vanadium ( iv ) chloride and lithium tertbutoxide were used as the catalyst components in the following amounts : 8 . 79 × 10 - 5 mol and 2 × 10 - 5 mol , respectively . after introducing the catalyst components , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 100 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the polymerization was stopped after 30 minutes by the addition of a small amount of acetone . a conversion of 62 % was thereby obtained . the molecular weight of the polymer was 196 , 000 . the polymerization of 23 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 8 . 79 × 10 - 5 mol ) and barium oxide ( 2 × 10 - 3 mol as a fine suspension in n - heptane ) were used as the catalyst components . after addition of the catalyst components , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 100 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the polymerization was stopped by the addition of ethanol after 30 minutes . the conversion amounted to 78 % and molecular weight of the polymer was 130 , 000 . the polymerization of 25 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . after the catalyst components had been introduced , the reaction mixture was irradiated for 5 minutes with a 100 watt electric lamp . the polymerization was stopped after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol . the following catalyst components were used : a . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 8 . 79 × 10 - 5 mol ) and potassium hydroxide ( 1 × 10 - 3 mol ) which potassium hydroxide was introduced in the form of a fine suspension in n - heptane . the conversion was 72 % and the molecular weight of the polymer was 137 , 640 . b . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 8 . 79 × 10 - 5 mol ) and sodium hydroxide ( 2 × 10 - 3 mol ), the latter being introduced as a fine suspension in n - heptane . the conversion was 72 % and the molecular weight of the polymer was 140 , 000 . the polymerization of 25 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . titanium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 . 42 × 10 - 4 mol ) and sodium hydroxide ( 2 . 2 × 10 - 3 mol ) were used as co - catalysts . the sodium hydroxide was introduced as a fine suspension in n - heptane . after the catalyst components had been introduced , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 2 minutes . the polymerization was terminated after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol . the conversion amounted to 50 % and the polymer had a molecular weight of 130 , 000 . the polymerization of 25 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . titanium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 . 42 × 10 - 4 mol ) and aluminium oxide ( 3 . 2 × 10 - 3 mol ) were used as co - catalysts . the aluminium oxide was introduced as a fine suspension in n - heptane . the reaction mixture was irradiated for 5 minutes with a 100 watt electric lamp following introduction of the catalyst components . the polymerization was stopped after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol . there was realized a conversion of 65 %. the polymer had a molecular weight of 144 , 000 . the polymerization of 24 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . titanium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 . 42 × 10 - 4 mol ) and vanadium ( iv ) oxide ( 1 . 2 × 10 - 3 mol ) as a fine suspension in heptane were used as the co - catalyst components . after the two components had been introduced , the reaction mixture was irradiated for 1 hour with a 60 watt electric lamp . the polymerization was stopped by addition of ethanol . the conversion amounted to 10 . 4 % and the polymer had a molecular weight of 255 , 500 . the polymerization of 25 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . titanium ( iv ) bromide ( 1 . 5 × 10 - 4 mol ) and magnesium oxide ( 2 . 4 × 10 - 3 mol ) were used as co - catalyst components . magnesium oxide was introduced in the form of its suspension in heptane . after introduction of the two catalyst components , the reaction mixture was irradiated for 5 minutes with a 500 watt electric lamp . the polymerization was interrupted after 20 minutes by the addition of ethanol . the conversion amounted to 51 . 3 % and the molecular weight of the polymer was 150 , 000 . the polymerization of 25 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 100 ° c . titanium ( iv ) iodide ( 1 . 5 × 10 - 4 mol ) and calcium oxide ( 1 . 1 × 10 - 3 mol ) were used as co - catalyst components . the calcium oxide was introduced as its suspension in heptane . after the two catalyst components had been introduced , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 10 minutes . the polymerization was stopped at 120 minutes by the addition of ethanol . the conversion amounted to 6 % and the polymer had a molecular weight of 1 , 550 , 000 . the polymerization of isobutylene was carried out in heptane ( concentration 50 % ( w / w ) ) at a temperature of - 50 ° c . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 . 8 × 10 - 4 mol ) and ferric oxide ( 1 . 1 × 10 - 4 mol ) were used as co - catalyst components . the ferric oxide was introduced in the form of a heptane suspension . after introducing the two catalyst components into 30 g of the heptane solution containing the isobutylene , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt mercury discharge lamp for 35 minutes . the polymerization was stopped after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol . the conversion amounted to 70 % and the polymer had a molecular weight 250 , 000 . the polymerization of isobutylene was carried out in a toluene solution ( concentration 50 % ( w / w ) ) at a temperature of - 60 ° c . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 . 5 × 10 - 4 mol ) and calcium hydroxide ( 1 . 8 × 10 - 3 mol ) were used as co - catalyst components . the calcium hydroxide was introduced as a suspension in heptane . after introducing the two catalyst components into 30 g of isobutylene solution , the reaction mixture was irradiated for 10 minutes with a 200 watt electric lamp . the polymerization was terminated by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 69 % and a molecular weight of the polymer of 145 , 000 . the polymerization of isobutylene was carried out without a solvent at a temperature of - 30 ° c . vcl 4 ( 3 × 10 - 5 mol ) and a heptane suspension of moo 3 ( 2 . 5 × 10 - 3 mol ) were added to 23 g of isobutylene . the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 500 watt electric lamp for 2 minutes . the polymerization was stopped after 30 minutes . 15 g of the polymer were obtained having a molecular weight 175 , 000 . vci 4 ( 5 × 10 - 5 mol ) and 3 × 10 - 4 mol of cuo , in a heptane suspension were added to 20 g of isobutylene at - 25 ° c . after irradiation with a 500 watt electric lamp for 2 minutes polyisobutylene was obtained having a molecular weight 100 , 000 at a conversion of 40 %. the copolymerization of 20 g of isobutylene with 4 g of butadiene was carried out at a temperature of - 40 ° c . vcl 4 ( 6 × 10 - 5 mol ) and moo 3 ( 2 . 5 × 10 - 3 mol ) were added to the mixture of monomers which was then irradiated with a 500 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the copolymerization was stopped after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol . the conversion amounted to 30 % and the molecular weight of the copolymer was 325 , 000 . the copolymerization of isobutylene and betadiene was carried out at a temperature of - 40 ° c . vcl 4 ( 3 × 10 - 5 mol ) and a koh suspension in heptane ( 5 × 10 - 3 mol ) were added to 25 g of the mixture of monomers which contained 20 % w / w of butadiene . the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 500 watt electric lamp for 1 minute and the polymerization stopped after 45 minutes . the conversion amounted to 55 %. the copolymer contained 70 % of insoluble gels . the copolymerization of 20 g of isobutylene and 1 g of isoprene was carried out in accordance with the disclosure of example 14 . the copolymer formed had a molecular weight of 105 , 000 at a conversion of 30 %. the polymerization of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent . into 25 g of isobutylene there were introduced : a . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 8 . 79 × 10 - 5 mol ) and aluminum sec - butoxide ( 6 × 10 - 6 mol ). the polymerization was carried out at a temperature of - 40 ° c and by means of irradiation with a 100 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the polymerization was stopped after 25 minutes by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 70 % and a molecular weight of 220 , 000 . b . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 5 . 86 × 10 - 5 mol ) and 8 × 10 - 6 mol of aluminum sec - butoxide saturated with boron trifluoride . the polymerization was carried out at a temperature of - 40 ° c by means of irradiation with a 100 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the polymerization was stopped after 20 minutes by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 69 % and a molecular weight of 250 , 000 . the terpolymerization of 30 g of isobutylene , 4 . 4 g of butadiene and 1 g of styrene was carried out at a temperature of - 40 ° c . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 9 . 8 × 10 - 5 mol ) and a heptane suspension of sodium ethoxide ( 5 . 1 × 10 - 3 mol ) were added to the mixture of monomers . the sodium ethoxide was prepared by the reaction of ethanol and metallic sodium , followed by heating to 200 ° c in vacuo for 2 hours and a final heating at this temperature in a stream of hydrogen for 1 hour . after the catalyst components had been introduced , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 100 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the reaction was stopped after 60 minutes by the addition of 10 cc . of ethanol at a conversion of 52 %. the molecular weight of the product was 152 , 000 and the concentration of the double bonds 1 . 72 %. the copolymerization of 22 g of isobutylene and 1 . 5 g of 2 , 3 - dimethylbutadiene - 1 , 3 was carried out without an auxiliary solvent . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 8 . 79 × 10 - 5 mol ) and potassium phenoxide ( 6 × 10 - 3 mol ), as a suspension in heptane , were introduced into the mixture of monomers . the reaction mixture was then irradiated with a 100 watt mercury discharge lamp for 10 minutes and the reaction was stopped after 60 minutes by the addition of 10 cc . of ethanol . the resulting copolymer had a molecular weight of 210 , 000 and contained 0 . 95 % of double bonds at a conversion of 50 . 8 %. the copolymerization of 25 g of isobutylene and 2 . 2 g of chloroprene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 × 10 - 4 mol ) and lithium tertbutoxide ( 5 × 10 - 6 mol ) were introduced into the mixture of monomers . the reaction mixture was then irradiated with a 100 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the reaction was stopped after 60 minutes by the addition of 10 cc . of ethanol at a conversion of 49 %. the polymer had a molecular weight of 170 , 000 . the product contained 1 . 17 % of chlorine . the copolymerization of isobutylvinylether with isobutylene was carried out at a temperature of - 50 ° c . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 × 10 - 4 mol ) and barium hydroxide ( 5 × 10 - 3 mol ) were added to the monomer mixture which consisted of 30 g of isobutylene and 2 g of isobutylvinylether . the reaction mixture was then irradiated with a 100 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the reaction was stopped by the addition of 10 cc . of ethanol after 50 minutes . the conversion amounted to 38 % and the intrinsic viscosity of the product amounted to 1 . 3 ( heptane , 20 ° c ). the polymerization of a 10 % solution of isobutylene in hexane was carried out at a temperature of - 30 ° c at continuous stirring . the catalyst was used as a 0 . 5 % suspension in hexane and was prepared by saturation of a 10 % suspension of aluminum hydroxide in hexane with boron trifluoride at 10 ° c . the free bf 3 was removed by distillation of about a half of the hexane , and addition of 0 . 5 mol of ticl 4 per mole of the aluminum compound . the aluminum hydroxide used was obtained by precipitation of aluminum sulfate with ammonia or alkaline aluminate with carbon dioxide in an aqueous medium , centrifuged , washed with water and dehydrated by butanol and hexane . by saturation of the hydroxide with bf 3 , a green complex was formed which turned yellow after the addition of ticl 4 thereto . after the catalyst had been added , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 30 minutes . the polymerization was stopped by the addition of acetone after 30 minutes at a conversion of 99 % and molecular weight of 700 , 000 . the polymerization of a 10 % solution of isobutylene in hexane was carried out at 0 ° c with continuous stirring of the solution and by means of 0 . 5 % of a catalyst suspension in hexane . the catalyst was prepared from a 10 % solution of a partially hydrolyzed aluminum sec - butoxide in hexane , which was saturated with boron trifluoride at 10 ° c . after half of the volume of hexane was distilled off and 0 . 5 mol of ticl 4 per 1 mole of aluminum alkoxide was added , the original green color of the suspension turned yellow . the suspension obtained was used as a catalyst . the hydrolysis of an about 10 % solution of aluminum sec butoxide in sec butanol was carried out at - 50 ° c using a calculated amount of water ( 1 mol of water per 2 mol of alkoxide ) which was added as a solution in alcohol under continuous stirring within a period of 1 hour . after the hydrolysis , the alcohol was distilled off from the reaction mixture in vacuo and the product thusly obtained dissolved in hexane and saturated with bf 3 . after introduction of the catalyst , the polymerization mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 30 minutes . the reaction was stopped after 1 hour by the addition of acetone at a conversion of 98 % and a molecular weight of 180 , 000 . the polymerization of a 10 % solution of isobutylene in hexane was carried out at 0 ° c under continuous stirring and with 0 . 5 % of a catalyst suspended in hexane . the catalyst was prepared from dihydroxyfluoroaluminum which was washed with water , dehydrated with absolute alcohol and hexane , suspended in hexane and saturated with bf 3 at 10 ° c . the suspension was used after the addition of 0 . 5 mol of ticl 4 per mol of the aluminum compound . after addition of the catalyst , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 30 minutes . the polymerization was stopped after 1 hour by the addition of acetone at a conversion of 58 % and a molecular weight of 150 , 000 . the polymerization of isobutylene was carried out with the catalyst prepared as described in example 21 . magnesium hydroxide was used in place of the aluminum hydroxide , which was obtained from magnesium sulfate or another magnesium salt by precipitation with sodium hydroxide in an aqueous medium and then treated similarly as the aluminum hydroxide in example 21 . after the catalyst had been introduced into the polymerization mixture , it was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp under continuous stirring for 30 minutes . the polymerization was stopped by the addition of acetone after 1 hour at a conversion of 97 % and a molecular weight of 160 , 000 . the polymerization of a 10 % ( w / w ) solution of isobutylene in hexane was carried out at 0 ° c under continuous stirring with 0 . 5 % ( w / w ) of the catalyst which was suspended in hexane . the catalyst was prepared by saturation of dipropoxychloroaluminum with bf 3 in a hexane solution . the free bf 3 was removed by distilling off half of the hexane . vanadium ( iv ) chloride was added in a molar ratio to the aluminum in the alkoxychloroaluminum equal to 0 . 5 . after the catalyst had been introduced , the polymerization mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 30 minutes . the reaction was stopped after 1 hour by the addition of acetone at a conversion of 95 % and a molecular weight of 120 , 000 . the terpolymerization of 25 g of isobutylene , 4 . 4 g of butadiene and 1 . 2 g of styrene was carried out at - 60 ° c without an auxiliary solvent . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 8 × 10 - 5 mol ) and 0 . 01 g of an activator in the form of a hexane suspension were used as the co - catalyst components . the activator was prepared by introducing bf 3 into a 10 % solution of aluminum tertbutoxide in hexane at a temperature of 10 ° c to maximal saturation . the greenish , voluminous precipitate thereby obtained was treated with 1 mol tibr 4 per 1 mol of alkoxide and the resulting suspension used as activator . after introducing the vanadium ( iv ) chloride and the activator into the monomer mixture , it was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 4 minutes . the reaction was stopped after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 59 % and a molecular weight of 210 , 000 . the terpolymer contained 1 . 4 % of double bonds . the terpolymerization of 25 g of isobutylene , 0 . 3 g of isoprene and 3 g of butadiene was carried out without an auxilliary solvent at - 40 ° c . vandadium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 × 10 - 4 mol ) and 0 . 01 g of a hexane suspension of an activator were introduced into the reaction mixture . the activator was prepared by mixing chloroethane solutions of aluminum sec butoxide and alcl 3 in a molar ratio of 1 : 3 . the mixture was then diluted with dry hexane , the precipitate formed decanted with dry hexane , treated with tii 4 in a molar ratio of 1 : 1 to aluminum sec butoxide and then used as its suspension . after the catalyst and activator had been introduced , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the reaction was stopped by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 69 % and a molecular weight of 290 , 000 . the terpolymer thus obtained contained 2 . 1 % of double bonds . the polymerization of 30 g of a c 4 - fraction was carried out at a temperature of - 78 ° c . the c 4 - fraction was previously twice washed with 5 % sulfuric acid and dried over potassium hydroxide and consisted of : 1 , 3 - butadiene 730 ppm , isobutylene 45 . 4 % ( w / w ), butene - 1 20 . 1 % w / w , trans - butene - 2 13 . 2 % w / w , cis - butene - 2 8 . 8 % w / w , isobutane 1 . 8 % w / w and n - butane 10 . 6 % w - w . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 1 . 5 × 10 - 4 mol ) and 0 . 01 g of the activator were used as the catalyst co - components . the activator was prepared by the addition of resublimed alcl 3 in a 10 % hexane solution of aluminum sec butoxide in a molar ratio of 3 : 1 . the suspension was thoroughly blended in a ball mill and then employed . after introducing the catalyst and activator , the c 4 - fraction was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 5 minutes . the reaction was terminated after 60 minutes by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 98 % ( based on isobutylene ) and a molecular weight of 210 , 000 . the polymerization of 30 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at - 50 ° c . the following catalyst components were used : a . vanadium ( iv ) bromide ( 1 × 10 - 4 mol ) and aluminum hydroxide in a heptane suspension ( prepared as described in example 21 , 6 × 10 - 5 mol ). after introducing the catalyst components , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 3 minutes . the reaction was terminated after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 76 % and a molecular weight of 250 , 000 . b . vanadium ( iv ) iodide ( 1 . 5 × 10 - 4 mol ) and magnesium hydroxide ( prepared as in example 24 ) in a heptane suspension ( 5 × 10 - 5 mol ). after introducing the catalyst and activator , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 2 minutes . the reaction was stopped after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 72 % and a molecular weight of 279 , 000 . the polymerization of 25 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at - 40 ° c in the presence as catalyst of vanadium ( iv ) chloride . the vcl 4 ( 9 × 10 - 5 mol ) was added to the isobutylene under continuous stirring and , after addition of an activator , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 2 minutes . the reaction was terminated after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol . the following activators were used : a rubber - like polymer was formed in all of the cases having a molecular weight of about 180 , 000 . the conversion amounted to about 70 %. the polymerization of 30 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent and with vanadium ( iv ) chloride as the catalyst at - 50 ° c . the vcl 4 ( 5 . 8 × 10 - 5 mol ) was added to the isobutylene under continuous stirring . following the addition of an activator , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 3 minutes . the reaction was stopped after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol . the following activators were used : c . 0 . 20 g of amorphous powdered silicon dioxide in heptane suspension . a rubber like polymer having a molecular weight of about 290 , 000 was obtained in all cases at a conversion of 79 %. the polymerization of 26 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at - 40 ° c . vanadium ( iv ) chloride ( 8 . 9 × 10 - 5 mol ) was used as the catalyst and n - butyl orthoborate ( 6 × 10 - 6 mol ) as the activator . after both of the components had been introduced , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 2 minutes . the polymerization was terminated after 30 minutes by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 78 % and a molecular weight of the polymer of 280 , 000 . the polymerization of 27 g of isobutylene was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 30 ° c . active carbon ( 0 . 1 g ) and 7 . 2 × 10 - 5 mol of vanadium ( iv ) chloride were added into the continuously agitated isobutylene in a stream of nitrogen . the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 2 minutes and the reaction stopped by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 65 % and a molecular weight of 150 , 000 . the copolymerization of isobutylvinylether with 2 , 3 - dimethylbutadiene - 1 , 3 was carried out without an auxiliary solvent at a temperature of - 40 ° c . 2 , 3 - dimethylbutadiene - 1 , 3 ( 5g ) was added to 25 g of isobutylvinylether , the mixture then cooled to the polymerization temperature and 1 . 1 × 10 - 4 mol of titanium ( iv ) idodide and 3 . 2 × 10 - 3 mol of aluminum oxide in heptane suspension were introduced . the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric infrared lamp for 2 minutes . the polymerization was stopped by the addition of ethanol after 30 minutes at a conversion of 5 . 8 % and an intrinsic viscosity of the copolymer of 1 . 43 ( ccl 4 , 20 ° c ). isobutylene ( 25 g ) was polymerized without an auxiliary solvent at - 50 ° c using 5 × 10 - 5 mol of vanadium ( iv ) chloride . after an activator had been added , the reaction mixture was irradiated with a 200 watt electric lamp for 3 minutes and after 30 minutes , the reaction was stopped by the addition of ethanol at a conversion of 74 %. the following compounds were used as activators : a rubber - like polymer was formed in all of the cases , which was of a similar character and properties to that obtained in example 31 .	2
referring to fig1 and 2 , a known microchannel relay comprises two integrated circuit carriers 10 and 11 having recesses 12 and 13 in their respective juxtaposed , spaced - apart surfaces 14 and 15 . recesses 12 and 13 house integrated circuits 16 and 17 , respectively . lenslet units 18 and 19 extend across the mouths of recesses 12 and 13 , respectively . lenslet unit 18 comprises four lenslets 18a , 18b , 18c and 18d whose focal points register with four emitters 16a , 16b , 16c and 16d , respectively , provided on the opposed surface of integrated circuit 16 . likewise , lenslet unit 19 comprises four lenslets 19a , 19b , 19c and 19d whose focal points register with four receivers 17a , 17b , 17c and 17d provided on the opposed surface of integrated circuit 17 . the emitters 16a - 16d might comprise lasers and the receivers 17a - 17d might comprise pin diodes . collimation of the light passing between each pair of lenslets allows them to be spaced apart by a significant distance . consequently , the carriers 10 and 11 might be on , or part of , separate printed circuit cards . the spacing between the lenslet units 10 and 11 then might be about 25 mm . and the focal length of each lenslet about 12 . 5 mm . the pitch of lenslets 18a - 18d , and lenslets 19a - 19d , is equal to the lenslet width , so the lenslets in each row are contiguous . the microchannel relay thus comprises four telecentric channels , a , b , c and d , each combination of an emitter 16 , receiver 17 , and intervening pair of lenslets 18 , 19 constituting one channel . when the emitters , lenslets and receivers are correctly aligned , with the respective optical axes of each pair of lenslets coincident , as shown in fig1 light from each of the emitters 16a - 16d is transmitted by the associated one of lenslets 18a - 18d as a collimated beam to the corresponding one of lenslets 19a to 19d and there is negligible &# 34 ; crosstalk &# 34 ;, i . e . a portion of the light destined for one receiver being received instead by an adjacent receiver . although , for clarity , the drawings show only four channels , in practice , a microchannel relay usually will have many parallel channels , perhaps 1000 or more , provided in a very small space . consequently , even though precise mechanical construction is used , there will usually be some slight translational or rotational misalignment , either between the optoelectronic devices ( emitters / receivers ) and the associated lenslets , or between the two arrays of lenslets . it is assumed that the sources are accurately pre - aligned with respect to their lenslets during the packaging stage ; likewise for the receivers and their lenslets . the misalignment of concern is with respect to these two pre - aligned units . fig2 illustrates the effect of carrier 11 and lenslet array 19 being offset translationally relative to carrier 10 and lenslet array 18 by a distance δx in the common plane of the respective optical axes of the lenslets . hence , the optical axes of lenslets 18a - 18d are still parallel to the optical axes of lenslets 19a - 19d , but no longer coincident . most of the light emitted by emitter 16a , and transmitted by lenslet 18a , still impinges upon corresponding lenslet 19a and is refocussed to the correct receiver 17a . some of the light , however , now impinges upon adjacent lenslet 18b . this leakage light , identified by the reference letter x , is refocussed to receiver 18b , resulting in optical crosstalk between channel a and channel b . although not depicted in fig2 similar crosstalk will occur between channels b and c and between channels c and d . the corresponding &# 34 ; leaked &# 34 ; light from channel d will not couple to an adjacent channel but will simply be lost . the present invention is concerned with reducing the crosstalk caused by light destined for one receiver being received instead by a neighbouring receiver . a first embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to fig3 . the individual components of the telecentric microchannel relay illustrated schematically in fig3 are the same as those of the microchannel relay of fig1 and 2 and so have the same reference numbers . in the microchannel relay shown in fig3 the lenslet units 18 and 19 are mounted , as before , with the optical axes 20a , 20b , 20c and 20d of the lenslets 18a , 18b , 18c and 18d , respectively , coincident with the optical axes 21a , 21b , 21c and 21d of lenslets 19a , 19b , 19c and 19d , respectively -- assuming optimal alignment . the emitters 16a - 16d and the receivers 17a - 17d , however , are each offset relative to the optical axis of the adjacent lenslet . the offsets of adjacent elements are in opposite directions . the pitch d p between lenslets is equal to the lenslet aperture d l . for convenience , the directions &# 34 ; upwards &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; downwards &# 34 ; will be used to specify relative positions of the components as they are shown in the drawings , it being appreciated that the relays are not limited to use in any particular orientation . also , in fig3 offsets upwards are depicted as positive and offsets downwards are depicted as negative . thus , in channel a , emitter 16a is offset upwards by a distance + dw / 2 relative to optical axes 20a and 21a and the associated receiver 17a is offset downwards by an equivalent distance - dw / 2 . in channel b , however , emitter 16b is offset downwards by - dw / 2 relative to optical axes 20b and 21b and receiver 17b is offset upwards by + dw / 2 . emitter 16c is offset upwards by + dw / 2 relative to optical axes 20c and 21c and receiver 17c offset downwards by - dw / 2 relative to optical axes 20c and 21c . finally , receiver 16d is offset downwards by - dw / 2 and receiver 17d offset upwards by + dw / 2 . the dimension dw is the &# 34 ; window &# 34 ; size of each source or receiver , which is equal to the radius of the light beam so as to use the whole area . the paths taken by the light beams are as shown in fig3 . light beams from emitters 16a - 16d still leave the corresponding lenslets 18a - 18d as collimated beams . because the emitters 16a - 16d are offset , however , the beams are no longer parallel to the optical axes 20a - 20d and 21a - 21d . rather , the light beams in adjacent channels a and b , respectively , converge towards the receivers , as do the light beams in adjacent channels c and d , while the light beams in adjacent channels b and c diverge . because each of the receivers 17a to 17d and the corresponding one of the emitters 16a - 16d are offset by an equal and opposite distance relative to the optical axes 20a - 20d , light leaving each of the emitters 16a - 16d is received by the corresponding one of receivers 17a - 17d . it will be seen from fig3 that there is a reduction in the amount of light traversing each of channels a - d , because the whole aperture of each lenslet is not used . nevertheless , the reduction is acceptable because the offsetting results in a significant reduction in the level of crosstalk , between channels , caused by misalignment . thus , fig4 shows the paths of the light beams when carrier unit 11 and lenslet unit 19 are misaligned translationally ( upwards ) by a distance + δx relative to carrier unit 10 and lenslet unit 18 . as a result , though most of the light leaving lenslet 18a will impinge upon lenslet 19a and be refocussed upon receiver 17a , a portion of the light leaving lenslet 18a will impinge on lenslet 19b , as indicated by reference letter x and &# 34 ; leak &# 34 ; into channel 6 . however , as shown in fig5 this portion x of the light beam will be refocussed at a position 22b which is offset downwards by distance - dw / 2 relative to the optical axis 20b of lenslet 18b . receiver 17b is offset upwards by distance + dw / 2 relative to the optical axis 21b of lenslet 19b . the leakage light x is refocussed at a position 22b which is a distance dw from the center of the window of receiver 17b , as shown in detail in fig5 . the distance δx does not affect the position of the light with respect to axis 21b -- the light is focused a distance dw / 2 below axis 21b . hence , receiver 17b will not receive the refocussed light portion x from emitter 16a . similar considerations apply to alternate channel c . the bulk of the light from emitter 16c is received by receiver 17c , while the leakage portion leaks into channel d where it impinges upon lenslet 19d and is refocussed at 22b , missing the final receiver 17d the situation is slightly different in channels b and d because the misalignment δx is about equal to , and in the same direction as , offsets + dw / 2 of lenslets 19b / 19d and receivers 17b / 17d . the collimated light beams from lenslets 18b and 18d , respectively , impinge upon lenslets 19b and 19d , respectively , and there is no leakage . if the misalignment δx were greater than offset + dw / 2 , a portion of light from lenslet 18b would impinge upon lenslet 19c but would be refocussed at a position δx + dw way from receiver 17c . consequently , there will be no significant increase in crosstalk between the channels as a result of the misalignment by δx . a comparison between the embodiment of the invention shown in fig3 with an equivalent symmetrical on - axis microchannel relay , such as that shown in fig1 and 2 , will now be made for an interconnect having the following parameters : lenslet facet pitch d p = 250 μm ., offset d w = 20 μm ., wavelength λ = 850 nm ., and lenslet focal length f = 1 . 884 mm . in the case of a conventional on - axis system which has the same device window size and lenslet facet pitch d p = 250 μm , a misalignment of δx = 50 μm will result in a signal to crosstalk ratio ( sxr ) of ≈ 13 db ( p sig : p xtalk = 39 . 8 : 1 ), and a misalignment of δx = 100 μm will result in a sxr of ≈ 4 . 75 db ( p sig : p xtalk = 3 : 1 ). it should be noted that a misalignment of δx -- 100 μm will only reduce the throughput from about 100 per cent to about 75 per cent . thus , with the embodiment of the invention described above , even a misalignment of 100 μm will not give rise to optical crosstalk between neighbouring channels , although the throughput of the interconnect will be similarly reduced . it may be concluded , therefore , that embodiments of the invention will be advantageous in systems requiring a robust tolerance to misalignment . although some of the leakage light may still reach the neighbouring receiver as a result of diffraction , it is expected that this will be minimal compared to the crosstalk produced in an equivalent symmetrical microchannel relay . in the microchannel relay shown in fig3 the symmetry is &# 34 ; broken &# 34 ; by offsetting both the lenslets 19a - 19d and the receivers 17a - 17d , by the distance δx . it is also possible to &# 34 ; break &# 34 ; the symmetry of the microchannel relay by offsetting adjacent ones of the lenslets in opposite directions , while keeping the sources 16a - 16d and receivers 17a - 17d , respectively , in register . thus , in fig6 in which components have the same reference members as corresponding components in fig3 each of sources 16a - 16d is aligned with a corresponding one of receivers 17a - 17d along a corresponding one of common axes 20a / 21a - 20d / 21d . in channel a , lenslets 18a and 19a are offset , downwards and upwards , respectively , by distance x 1 . in channel b , lenslets 18b and 19b are offset oppositely , i . e . upwards and downwards , respectively , by distance x 1 . likewise , in channel c , lenslets 18c and 19c are offset , downwards and upwards , respectively , by distance x 1 , while in channel d , lenslets 18d and 19d are offset , upwards and downwards , respectively , by distance x 1 . as a result , the respective axes of the collimated light beams are inclined at an angle α to the axes 20a / 21a - 20d / 21d and , as in the earlier embodiments , light from each of the sources 16a - 16d is received by the corresponding one of the receivers 17a - 17d . fig7 illustrates the effect of misalignment of the lenslets 19a - 19d and associated receivers 17a - 17d relative to the sources 16a - 16d and lenslets 18a - 18d in this case , the former are displaced downwards relative to the latter . as before , a major portion of the light from source 16a is refocussed at receiver 17a . a portion y of the collimated light beam misses the lenslet 19a and is lost . in channel b , a major portion of the collimated light beam is caught by lenslet 19b and is refocussed at receiver 17b while a leakage portion x impinges upon lenslet 19a and is refocussed at a position 22a &# 39 ; away from receiver 17a . the situation in channel c is similar to that in channel a . in channel d , a leakage portion x of the light beam from lenslet 18d impinges upon lenslet 19c , but it is refocussed at position 22c &# 39 ; which is away from receiver 17c . it should be noted that the invention is not limited to optical interconnections between integrated circuits or printed circuit boards or to the use of lasers and pin diodes as the sources and receivers . for example , fig8 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a vertical cavity surface emitting laser ( vcsel ) 23 , comprising four laser light sources 24a , 24b , 24c and 24d , is connected to a fiber ribbon comprising four optical fibers 25a , 25b , 25c and 25d . ( as before , only four are shown , but there could be 1000 or more ) two arrays of lenslets 26a - 26d and 27a - 27d , similar to those described with reference to fig3 and 4 , relay light from each of the sources 24a - 24d to a corresponding one of the fibers 25a - 25d . the geometry and operation of the interconnect of fig8 are similar to those of the free - space interconnect of fig3 and 4 . fig9 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention interconnecting two - dimensional arrays of sources and receivers . nine sources 28a to 28i are arranged in a planar 3 × 3 array . a first array of nine lenslets 29a to 29i collimate light beams from the sources 28a to 28i , respectively , and a second array of nine lenslets 30a to 30i refocus the light beams onto an array of nine receivers 31a to 31i , respectively . each of the optical axes of the lenslet array 29a - 29i is coincident with the corresponding one of the optical axes of lenslet array 30a - 301 . with the exception of the centre channel e , the sources and receivers in a particular channel are offset relative to each other . as illustrated in fig1 a , each source is offset relative to the position at which the optical axis of the associated lenslet intersects the plane of the lenslet array . for convenience , offsets upwards or to the right ( in the drawings ) are positive , while offsets downwards or to the left are negative . hence , for the sources 28a - 28i of fig1 a , the offsets are as follows : the effect of misalignment in any direction perpendicular to the optical axes will be analogous to the effect of misalignment upon the relay described with reference to fig3 and 4 . it will be seen that the centre source 28e and corresponding receiver 31e are not mutually offset , but they are , of course , offset relative to the corresponding sources or receivers in the neighbouring channels , so there is still a lack of symmetry . although only nine channels are depicted in fig9 there could be many more for example 32 × 32 . it is possible to employ both &# 34 ; broken symmetry &# 34 ; i . e . offsets , with so - called &# 34 ; clustered window &# 34 ; geometries and obtain simultaneously high window densities and tolerance to misalignment . thus , fig1 illustrates a microchannel relay comprising a 3 × 3 array of nine clusters 32 1 - 32 9 , each cluster comprising a 4 × 4 array of device &# 34 ; windows &# 34 ; 33 , for example sources or receivers . the width of each window 33 is d w and the spacing between adjacent windows is 2d w . each array of device windows 33 is offset relative to the corresponding optical axes of the adjacent lenlet unit . the lenslet unit is not shown , but will comprise a corresponding array of lenslets . of the embodiment of fig9 a and 10b , the offsets are ± d w or 0 , the pattern for the nine clusters 32 1 - 32 9 being similar to that of the nine sources 28a - 28d of fig1 a . the nine clusters of receivers will be offset in a similar manner to the receivers 31a - 31i of fig1 b . as before there might be many more clusters in a practical array and many more devices in each cluster . it should be appreciated that various substitutions and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention . for example , the lenslets could be diffractive or refractive ; or one - quarter pitch grin lenses might be substituted for the lenslets . it should also be noted that it is not necessary for all of the sources to be in one array and all of the receivers to be in the other array . one array might include a mixture of sources and receivers and the other array be complementary . moreover , collimation of the light from the sources is not essential , though it has the advantage of allowing the spacing between the lenslet units to be relatively large . the technique is applicable to both emitter - based systems and modulator - based systems , such as multiple quantum well seed devices which modify absorption of a reflecting window to encode electrical data optically . hence , in the context of this patent specifications , the terms &# 34 ; source &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; receiver &# 34 ; embrace such modulation devices , optical fibers , and so on . other approaches might be used to provide a lack of symmetry between the ends of the channels , such as an array of prisms , an offset source array and offset lenslet array . it is also envisaged that the invention could be implemented using polarization - based systems ( e . g . in the case of optical couplers , orthogonal polarizations might be used to reduce crosstalk ) or differing beam profiles . optical interconnects embodying the present invention advantageously require less precise mechanics , resulting in reduced cost . it is expected that they will be of particular benefit where connections are to be made and broken repeatedly ( for example in fiber ribbon or fiber bundle connections ) where the precision of the optomechanics will begin to deteriorate after many insertion cycles . although embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in detail , it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and not to be taken by way of the limitation , the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the appended claims .	6
an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a power supply system to determine a dc power source ( e . g ., an automobile cigarette lighter outlet or an empower airplane outlet ) coupled thereto and send a signal indicative of the power source to an electronic device coupled thereto . the electronic device may be a notebook computer or other portable consumer electronic device , for example . based on the signal sent to the electronic device , the electronic device may control the amount of power drawn to prevent overheating . for example , when a notebook computer is hooked up and the power source is the empower system , the electronic device may disable charging of the internal batteries of the notebook computer , in order to prevent damage or overheating of the batteries due to malfunction or failure . the dc power source may be determined by voltage comparison circuitry , such as a comparator , or by a voltage comparison device including a processor . fig3 illustrates a power supply system 301 according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown , the adapter 340 may be used with an ac power source 300 or a dc power source 305 . in other embodiments , only a dc power source 305 may be utilized to supply power . the ac power source 300 may be coupled to an ac / dc adapter 310 via a cable 342 . the dc power source 305 may be coupled to both a dc / dc adapter 315 and comparison circuitry 320 via a cable 345 . the dc power source 305 may be an automobile &# 39 ; s cigarette lighter outlet or an airplane &# 39 ; s empower system outlet , for example . ac / dc adapter 310 may convert ac power from the ac power source 300 into regulated dc power , which is supplied to post - regulation circuitry 325 . the post - regulation circuitry 325 may provide an output voltage ( vout ) and a ground reference ( gnd ) to a tip 330 coupled to the adapter 340 via a cable 350 , as further explained below with respect to fig4 a and 4b . the tip 330 may be coupled to an electronic device 335 to provide the power thereto from the power supply system 301 . the tip 330 may be removable from the cable 350 and may be inserted into a power input opening of the electronic device . tips 330 may have different shapes and sizes , depending up the shape and sizes of the power input openings of the respective electronic devices 335 being powered . the tip 330 may also include control circuitry 365 to provide a signal to control circuitry 370 of the adapter 340 . the signal may be sent to the control circuitry 370 via the cable 350 . in one embodiment , the control circuitry 365 of the tip 330 may include digital components to provide a digital signal to the control circuitry 370 of the adapter 340 . the digital signal may be utilized to set the magnitude of vout and limit the amount of current which may be drawn from the adapter 340 . the post - regulation circuitry 325 regulates the voltage to what the tip 330 tells it to provide . alternatively , the tip 330 may include analog components and may provide voltage programming and current programming voltages ( v vprogram and v iprogram , respectively ) to the adapter 340 . v vprogram may be utilized to set the magnitude of vout . for example , there may be a linear relationship between v vprogram and vout where vout is 3 times as large as v vprogram . accordingly , if v vprogram had a magnitude of 3 . 0 volts , vout would have a magnitude of 9 . 0 volts , and if v vprogram had a magnitude of 2 . 0 volts , vout would have a magnitude of 6 . 0 volts . the analog circuitry may contain passive or active components . accordingly , regardless of whether the tip 330 has analog or digital control circuitry , a single adapter 340 may be used to supply power to a plurality of different electronic devices 335 having different power requirements . the adapter 340 may also include comparison circuitry 320 . the comparison circuitry 320 may compare a magnitude of a voltage received from the dc power source 305 with a reference voltage to determine whether the dc power source 305 is an automobile cigarette lighter outlet or an empower airplane outlet . as stated above , automobile cigarette lighter outlets typically provide a dc voltage having a magnitude within the range of 11 . 0 volts and 14 . 1 volts . an empower airplane outlet typically provides a dc voltage having a magnitude within the range of 14 . 5 and 15 . 5 volts . accordingly , the reference voltage may be set at a level between the high end of the automobile cigarette light outlet voltage ( i . e ., 14 . 1 volts ) and the low end of the empower airplane outlet voltage ( i . e ., 14 . 5 volts ). for example , the reference voltage may be set at 14 . 3 volts . accordingly , if the magnitude of the dc power source is greater than 14 . 3 volts , then the comparison voltage may determine that the received dc voltage has a greater magnitude than the reference voltage and the dc power source 305 is therefore the empower airplane outlet . however , if the magnitude of the dc power source is less than 14 . 3 volts , then the comparison voltage may determine that the received dc voltage has a smaller magnitude than the reference voltage and the dc power source 305 is therefore the automobile cigarette lighter outlet . the comparison circuitry 320 may output a signal vdata based upon whether the dc power source is determined to be the automobile cigarette lighter outlet or the empower airplane outlet . for example , the comparison may output 5 volts if the automobile cigarette lighter outlet is detected , and 0 . 0 volts if the empower airplane outlet is detected . in alternative embodiments , different voltages for vdata may be used . in additional embodiments , the comparison circuitry 320 may output a digital signal , such as a stream of bits , indicative of the dc power source 305 . vdata may be sent via cable 350 to the tip 330 , and straight over to the electronic device 335 . the electronic device 335 may include a controller 360 which is responsive to vdata . for example , if the electronic device 335 is a notebook computer and vdata is indicative of the empower airplane outlet system , the controller 360 may disable battery charging circuitry 600 , thereby preventing recharging of the batteries . and if the vdata is indicative of the automobile cigarette lighter outlet as the dc power source 305 , the controller 360 may enable battery charging circuitry to allow the batteries to be recharged . although fig3 illustrates an adapter 340 which includes both a ac / dc adapter and a dc / dc adapter , other embodiments may include only a dc / dc adapter , and no ac / dc adapter . fig4 a illustrates a tip 400 having digital control circuitry 402 according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown , the tip 400 receives vdata , vout and gnd from the adapter 340 and allows them to all flow to the electronic device 335 . the digital control circuitry 402 may receive the vout and gnd signals and may output a control signal to the adapter 340 to set the magnitude of vout and limit the current provided . the control signal may be sent to the adapter 340 via the cable 350 between the tip 400 and the adapter 340 . the digital control circuitry 402 may include a processor and a memory device , for example . in some embodiments , the tip 400 may be separable from cable 350 , and in other embodiments , the tip 400 may be physically part of the cable 350 . fig4 b illustrates a tip 405 having analog control circuitry 410 according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown , the tip 405 receives vdata , vout and gnd from the adapter 340 and allows them to all flow to the electronic device 335 . the analog control circuitry 410 may receive the vout and gnd signals and may outputv vprogram and v iprogram to the adapter 340 . v vprogram and v iprogram may be sent to the adapter 340 via the cable 350 between the tip 405 and the adapter 340 . the analog control circuitry 400 may include passive or active components , for example . in some embodiments , the tip 400 may be separable from cable 350 , and in other embodiments , the tip 400 may be physically part of the cable 350 . fig5 a illustrates comparison circuitry 320 according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown , the comparison circuitry 320 includes a comparator 500 . the comparator 500 receives ( a ) the dc power signal from the dc power source 305 , and ( b ) a reference voltage , vref . the comparator outputs vdata based on whether the magnitude of the dc power from the dc power source exceeds vref , as described above with respect to fig3 . fig5 b illustrates comparison circuitry 320 according to an additional embodiment of the invention . as shown , the comparison circuitry 320 includes a processor 505 . the processor 505 receives ( a ) the dc power signal from the dc power source 305 , and ( b ) value of a reference voltage stored in memory . the processor 505 then outputs vdata based on whether the magnitude of the dc power from the dc power source exceeds vref , as described above with respect to fig3 . the processor 505 may output a single high or low voltage ( e . g ., 5 . 0 volts or 0 . 0 volts ) based on the detected dc power source . alternatively , the processor 505 may output a stream of bits to indicate the dc power source . fig6 illustrates an electronic device 335 according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown , the electronic device 335 may receive gnd , vout and vdata from the tip 330 . vdata may be received by a controller 360 . the controller 360 may disable battery charging circuitry 600 of the electronic device 335 from charging batteries when vdata is indicative of the empower outlet . alternatively , the controller 360 enables battery charging circuitry 600 so that the batteries of the electronic device may be charged based on the value of vdata . fig7 a illustrates a method of determining and outputting vdata according to an embodiment of the invention . the processing shown in fig7 a may be implemented by the adapter 340 . first , dc power is received 700 from the dc power source 305 . next , the comparison circuitry determines 705 whether the magnitude of the voltage of the dc power received is greater than vref . if “ no ,” the comparison circuitry determines the dc power source 305 to be an automobile cigarette lighter outlet , and processing proceeds to operation 710 , where vdata is output with a signal / voltage magnitude indicating that the dc power source 305 is the automobile cigarette lighter outlet . processing then returns to operation 700 . if “ yes ,” at operation 705 , processing proceeds to operation 715 , where vdata is output with a signal / voltage magnitude indicating that the dc power source 305 is the empower airplane outlet . fig7 b illustrates a method of receiving vdata and allowing power to flow to devices within the electronic device 335 based on vdata according to an embodiment of the invention . first , the electronic device 335 receives 720 the vdata signal . as discussed above , the vdata signal is sent from the adapter 340 through the tip 330 and over to the control circuitry 365 of the electronic device 335 . next , based on the vdata signal , a first set of predetermined devices may be prevented 725 from receiving power . for example , if the electronic device 335 is a notebook computer , the control circuitry 365 may prevent batteries from recharging if vdata indicates that the dc power source is the empower airplane outlet . other devices / components in the electronic device 335 may also be prevented from receiving power or from functioning in a certain way . at operation 730 , a second set of predetermined devices may be allowed to receive power based on the vdata signal . for example , if vdata indicates that the dc power source is an automobile cigarette lighter outlet , then power may be available to batteries of the electronic device 335 to allow recharging . other devices / components in the electronic device 335 may also be allowed to receive power or function in a particular way . in embodiments described above , the vdata signal may be used to send a signal to the control circuitry 365 indicating the dc power source . this signaling may be done via a discrete bit , an analog signal , a data signal line , an analog voltage , or via any other suitable manner . the vdata signal may be transmitted from the adapter 340 to the tip 330 and electronic device 335 via a single signaling line or multiple signaling lines . fig8 illustrates a power supply system 800 according to an embodiment of the invention . the power supply system 800 is similar to the power supply system 301 shown in fig3 . however , unlike the power supply system 301 , in which the adapter 340 itself contains comparison circuitry 370 , the adapter 340 of power supply system 800 does not contain the comparison circuitry 805 . instead , a regular adapter 340 may be used and the electronic device 335 itself includes the comparison circuitry 805 for determining the dc power source . the electronic device 335 may be a notebook computer and may implement the methods shown in fig7 a and 7b . while the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof . the accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention . the presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims , rather than the foregoing description , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein .	7
in general terms , in accordance with principles of the present invention , it is possible to produce a groove base which is free of cracks , wherein a process technique is used which can be used without limitation as a result of the groove contour and groove track of fir - tree grooves at risk of cracking , without the groove contour being altered or renewed in its configuration according to design . one solution according to principles of the present invention is determined by a milling process by a milling tool which is dimensionally matched to the groove crack shape , is guided along the crack contour by a tool guide ( milling tool positioning device 17 in fig3 and 4 ) which is spatially controllable in up to five axes , and the depth setting of which is matched to the crack depth during the milling process and which removes the possible cracks in fir - tree grooves . the crack - free , new groove base is determined by the current damage state first being determined , i . e ., by existing cracks being identified . the milling tool contour is then matched to the type and shape of the cracks . according to fig3 , by a probe 18 , running over of the groove contour which is flawed with a crack 21 is carried out with a multi - axially controllable milling tool positioning device 17 which can be both moved in the three spatial directions and pivoted in different directions ( arrows in fig3 ) and is in communication with a control unit 23 which controls the movement and stores the scanned groove contour . the groove contour which is recorded by the probe 18 is supplemented by a depth to which the material in the region of the crack 21 has to be removed in order to reliably remove the crack 21 ( dashed cutting - out region 22 in fig3 and 4 ). a subsequent exchange of the probe 18 with a milling tool 20 which is dimensionally matched to the crack shape ( fig4 ) and its guiding along the course of the crack enables its spatially freely configurable milling out without alteration to the design - conformal fir - tree groove 13 overall . in this case , a rotating milling body as a tool for the material - removal process of the crack - flawed groove base surface is guided over the crack zone in the groove base of the fir - tree grooves 13 which is to be machined out . for this , the milling tool 20 is guided along the previously programmed fir - tree groove track contour so that this is not affected by the cutting process . the milling tool 20 is moved in the groove in a plurality of planes in a program - controlled manner by a suitable drive unit which is fastened outside the groove . by variable equipping of the tool with different cutting bodies or different tool shapes , machining zone surface roughness and the surface material - removal profile can be varied . the drive unit can be a speed - controllable motor which is positioned on the outside ( above the groove ). for scanning the groove contour and milling out the cracks , a freely positionable device for five - axis movement or positioning is especially suitable , as is disclosed and described in detail in printed publication wo - a1 - 03 / 037562 . in practice , a rotor of a low - pressure steam turbine , which is to be repaired on account of incipient cracks in the surface of the fir - tree groove , is fixed in a horizontally lying manner ( see fig1 ). a milling tool ( 20 in fig1 ) is guided along the crack - flawed groove base of the fir - tree groove 13 and motor driven , wherein a material - removal process results on the contact surfaces between working tool and groove base as the surface which is to be machined . the milled - out groove flank surface , which is defined in contour and depth , is the aim of the material - removal process , wherein the surface depth which is to be milled out is predetermined by the crack depth which is determined before or during the material - removal process . the milling tool 20 in this case machines a groove surface which is defined by the spatial movement of the milling tool positioning device 17 along the groove . in order to free all grooves which are flawed with cracks by material removal by machining of such grooves , a repositioning in steps of the setting of rotor 10 and milling tool 20 is advantageously carried out by a faceplate with increments which drives the rotor shaft . methods according to the invention can be carried out especially simply and with considerably reduced cost and also , if necessary , directly at the operating site of the rotor , if a configuration according to fig5 is used . the rotor 24 in this case is jacked up horizontally above the ground onto two pedestals 25 and 26 so that the rotor disks 11 , which are to be machined , with their blade grooves are completely accessible from the bottom or from the side . in the example of fig5 , a milling tool 27 is placed directly beneath or to the side of the rotatably mounted rotor 24 . in the milling device 27 , the milling tool 20 , by a corresponding milling tool positioning device 17 which is controlled by the control unit 23 , again has the capacity to machine the grooves on the rotor in the previously described manner . the milling device 27 is only schematically shown in fig5 and in practice can be constructed in different ways . for repair of crack - flawed fir - tree grooves on low - pressure steam turbine rotors , the crack - flawed fir - tree grooves are recut by a spatially freely movable milling facility in the region of the cracks , wherein the cracks as such are removed . the groove contour in the transition of the groove flanks is variably formed in width and radii , being predetermined in each case by the shape of the milling tool . crack - susceptible groove shapes which were formerly introduced in rotors during the original manufacturing process can also be advantageously subsequently reconfigured into crack - resistant groove shapes by milling . the motor - driven tool guide is preferably positioned beneath or next to the turbine shaft which is to be machined , which saves on conventional platforms or frames which are for positioning the operator or the machine . it is a prerequisite for the rotor mass to be sufficiently large to absorb the machining forces from the milling process without additional costly component securing . while the invention has been described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes can be made , and equivalents employed , without departing from the scope of the invention . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments 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 entirety of each of the aforementioned documents is incorporated by reference herein .	8
fig1 schematically illustrates a plate - shaped or plate - like element 1 comprised of a core 2 of foamed plastic , for instance polystyrene , said core 2 being , in particular holohedrally , covered with plastic sheets or films 6 and 7 both on its surfaces 3 and 4 , respectively , and on its peripheral border or peripheral edge or a surrounding side face 5 to achieve an appropriate strength or resistivity , wherein it is apparent from the schematic illustration of fig1 that the plastic sheets 6 , 7 are connected in the region of an edge or side edge 8 between the surface 6 and the peripheral border or surrounding side face 5 at a connection denoted by 9 . the connection 9 provided in the region of the side edge 8 enables the reliable positioning of the sheets 6 and 7 , the arrangement of the connection 9 in the region of the side edge 8 also ensuring a reliable connection between the plastic sheets 6 , 7 so as to sheath the core 2 completely . in the following figures , the same reference numerals are each retained for identical elements despite partially varying designs . it can thus be taken from the method steps illustrated in fig2 a to 2 d that a core again denoted by 2 is provided with a plurality of support elements or feet generally denoted by 10 . to form the sheathing to be produced by the plastic sheets 6 and 7 , it is apparent from fig2 a that these sheets 6 and 7 are brought into the region of the core 2 to be sheathed as well as the support elements 10 , wherein clamping sites 11 are indicated on the outer edges of the plastic sheets 6 and 7 . in addition , it can be seen in the region of the edge 9 , which is recessed or comprises a depression 12 in the configuration depicted in fig2 a to 2 d , that a vacuum from a vacuum source not illustrated in detail is applied to this region via slotted elements 13 , which will be explained in more detail below . in fig2 a to 2 d it is , moreover , indicated that the plastic sheet 7 in subportions 14 is reinforced , comprising an additional plastic sheet layer , said subportions 14 upon completion of the sheathing by the plastic sheets 6 and 7 providing reinforced portions 14 , which , when using the plate - shaped element 1 as a pallet , are able to take up elevated forces possibly occurring during the transport of the pallet , and an object ( not illustrated ) to be arranged thereon , by fork lifts or similar devices . to connect the plastic sheets 6 and 7 with the core 2 and to sheathe the support elements or feet 10 , the plastic sheets 6 and 7 are heated or softened by heating means ( not illustrated ) and , in particular , provided simultaneously , whereupon the clamping sites 11 are substantially brought into mutual abutment so as to surround the slotted means 13 as indicated in fig2 b , whereupon the hollow space formed between the sheets 6 and 7 and enclosing the core 2 to be sheathed as well as the support elements or feet 10 arranged thereon is evacuated by applying an underpressure or vacuum in the sense of arrow 15 in fig2 c and 2 d such that , with the progressing application of vacuum 15 , an attachment of sheets 6 and 7 to the core 2 and the support elements 10 is effected . in fig2 c , an intermediate step during the evacuation procedure is indicated , while fig2 d shows the completed , attached position of the plastic sheets 6 and 7 to the core 2 and the support elements or feet 10 . from fig2 , it is apparent that the use of molds adapted to the contour of the core 2 to be coated , as well as the indicated feet 10 , or of mechanical supports can be completely obviated for the proper attachment of the sheets 6 and 7 , the attachment of the sheets 6 and 7 to the core 2 as well as the feet 10 being merely effected by the application of an underpressure or vacuum to the interior of the hollow space defined by the sheets 6 and 7 and accommodating the core 2 . from the schematic illustration according to fig3 , it is apparent that slot - shaped means 13 are arranged substantially about the entire periphery of the core 2 , by which an underpressure or vacuum is again applied in the sense of arrows 15 . the means 13 , on the one hand , serve to evacuate in the sense of arrows 15 and , on the other hand , to support the core 2 during the coating procedure . such an evacuation substantially about the entire periphery in the region of the peripheral border 5 of the core 2 , thus , ensures the reliable evacuation of the hollow space defined between the plastic sheets 6 and 7 , the clamping sites indicated in fig2 a to 2 d having been omitted from fig3 for the sake of simplicity and clarity . fig4 , on an enlarged scale , illustrates in detail the positioning of a tubular or slotted means 13 in the region directly below the side border 5 or depression 12 , an evacuation in the sense of arrow 15 being indicated as well . fig4 substantially depicts the state represepted in fig2 d , according to which the sheets 6 and 7 are substantially in abutment both on the core 2 and on the illustrated subregion of the support element or foot 10 . at this stage , a retraction of the slot - shaped element 13 in the sense of arrow 16 is effected such that , in particular , sheet 6 and , subsequently , also sheet 7 will mutually overlap in the region of the depression or peripheral recess 12 in the region of the side edge at the end of the peripheral border 5 , whereby , in this overlapped state , a connection is effected between the sheets as indicated in detail in fig5 . the region of the overlapping connection between the sheets 6 and 7 is again denoted by 9 . after having completed the connection 9 in this overlapping region , the remaining residues of the sheets 6 and 7 are separated as indicated by cutting means 17 . from fig5 , it is apparent that a sheet 6 is refolded or folded back into itself while covering the second sheet 7 , the two sheets 6 and 7 being subsequently welded together so as to form a strong or reinforced edge after the separation of the residuals of sheets 6 and 7 . the arrangement of the connection site 9 in the region of the edge between the peripheral border 5 and the core surface to be covered allows for the achievement of a reliable connection between the sheets 6 and 7 so as to ensure proper strength even in the region of the connection 9 . the following figures are partially perspective views of different , modified embodiments of plate - shaped elements each again denoted by 1 and each in the form of a pallet . from the embodiment according to fig6 a and 6 b , it is apparent that a plurality of support elements or feet again denoted by 10 are arranged in rows and columns so as to enable the handling of such a plate - shaped element or pallet 1 with an object ( not illustrated ) to be accommodated or transported thereon , for instance , by a stacker truck or fork lift . in the illustration according to fig6 a , it is , moreover , indicated that the plate - shaped element 1 , on its surface facing away from the feet or support elements 10 , comprises additional depressions or recesses 18 , which are , for instance , adapted to corresponding fixing elements or feet of an object to be mounted thereon , so that , by arranging an object on the plate - shaped element 1 or pallet , the former will be secured against shifting by the additionally provided reception recesses . in the embodiment represented in fig7 , modified support elements 10 in the form of continuous support elements extending substantially over a dimension of the plate - shaped element 1 are illustrated , said support elements having additional depressions or recesses 19 in their end regions , as is apparent from fig7 . such additional depressions or recesses 19 , for instance , enable such a plate - shaped element 1 to be mounted on a shelf construction merely comprising accordingly adapted carrier or beam structures , without said shelf structure having to be equipped with substantially full - area storage or stacking surfaces . in a similar manner , further embodiments of a plate - shaped element 1 each formed by a pallet are illustrated in fig8 and 9 , wherein support elements or feet 10 substantially extending over a longitudinal extension are again provided , which are again formed with depressions or recesses 19 in adaptation to different bearing constructions of shelves in order to achieve an appropriate shelvability by the respective depressions or recesses 19 . in addition , it is indicated in the embodiment represented in fig9 that additional guiding grooves 20 are provided between the support elements or feet 10 in the region of the surfaces of the core 2 , which guiding grooves may , for instance , be used to receive , in particular belt - shaped or strap - shaped , fixing means for fixing objects to be immobilized on the plate - shaped element . from the modified embodiment depicted in fig1 , it is apparent that a core again denoted by 2 is supported via means again denoted by 13 , said means 13 comprising slot - shaped or tubular passage openings for creating an underpressure or vacuum in the sense of arrows 15 . the plastic sheets 6 and 7 provided for coating the core 2 in this embodiment are mounted and clamped in a suitable holding means 19 and 20 or 21 , respectively , in a manner that the sheets 6 and 7 will be clamped and sealed in their peripheral regions when closing the holding elements 19 , 20 and 21 . a hermetically sealed space 22 is thus provided between the sheets 6 and 7 and the holding means 19 , which is subsequently evacuated in the sense of arrow 15 by the means 13 comprising tubular or slot - shaped openings , so that the sheets 6 and 7 , which are , for instance , heated by heating means integrated in the holding means 20 and 21 and schematically indicated at 23 , will be attached to the contour of the core 2 , and optionally feet 10 , by the application of a vacuum , as is illustrated for the embodiment of fig2 , for instance , in fig2 c and 2 d . if required , the means 13 , which are also used to support the core 2 , may optionally comprise additional passage openings , via which an additional evacuation of the hollow space 22 stretched between the sheets 6 and 7 is effected , for instance in the sense of broken - line arrows 24 . thus , also in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , a connection of sheets 6 and 7 is effected in the region of the support on the edge 25 of the core 2 so as to ensure an overall sheathing of the core 2 by the sheets 6 and 7 . similarly , as in the preceding embodiment and as illustrated , in particular , in fig4 and 5 , the means 13 which , through their tubular of slot - shaped openings , serve both to evacuate the interior 22 and to support and position the core 2 between the sheets 6 and 7 are removed after having attached the sheets 6 and 7 to the outer contour of the core 2 to be coated , so that a connection of the sheets 6 and 7 is effected in the region of the edge 25 by further evacuation . if required , residual portions of the sheets 6 and 7 may be removed after connection , in particular welding , as discussed in the preceding embodiments . the schematic side view of a core 2 represented in fig1 may constitute a side view of the plate - shaped element 1 illustrated in fig7 to 9 , with throughgoing or longitudinally extending feet 10 being indicated . in order to obtain a plate - shaped element having an accordingly low weight , yet exhibiting the required stiffness or strength , the core of the plate - shaped element 1 is , for instance , made of foamed polystyrene , epe , epp and / or alloys or copolymers thereof . while such a core 2 of foamed plastic , as a rule , has a relatively low strength or resistivity , sufficient strength of the plate - shaped element or pallet 1 will be ensured by providing a sheet 6 , 7 of an accordingly impact - proof or high - impact material , which will be connected therewith during the connection procedure illustrated , for instance , in fig2 and 3 . as a function of the strengths to be achieved , or loads to be taken up , sheets 6 , 7 having , for instance , thicknesses of between 0 . 3 and 4 mm , in particular about 1 to 2 . 5 mm , can be used . where low loads are to be taken up , comparatively thin sheets 6 , 7 will , for instance , serve primarily as protection means against dirt , while sheets 6 , 7 having thicknesses of at least 1 mm will , for instance , provide the desired strength for accommodating accordingly higher loads . sheet materials for the sheets or foils 6 , 7 , for instance , include high - impact or impact - resistant polystyrene , polyethylene and / or mixtures of polystyrene and polyethylene , wherein multi - layer and , in particular , co - extruded sheets of polystyrene and polyethylene will , for instance , be used to achieve the desired strength properties . if both the core 2 , and also support elements or feet 10 to be optionally attached thereto , and the sheets 6 and 7 are made of polystyrene , an accordingly pure - grade plate - shaped element 1 will be provided such that its reusability or recycling ability will be enhanced , and / or duties to be paid will be reduced considering the fact that a pure - grade and , hence , readily recyclable plate - shaped element 1 can be provided . when forming the plate - shaped element 1 as a pallet including support elements or feet 10 adjoining the core 2 , as indicated in fig2 a to 2 d as well as in fig6 a to 9 and 10 , the dimensions of the substantially or generally rectangular or oblong core 2 may range between a minimum size of 400 × 600 × 50 mm and a maximum size of usually 1500 × 1500 × 200 mm . suitable intermediate sizes may be made available as a function of the requirements of at least one object to be transported or supported by the plate - shaped element or pallet 1 . in particular as a function of the loads to be taken up , or the forces to be expected , for instance , during transportation , the plate - shaped element 1 may have a density of , in particular , 25 g / l to 70 g / l so as to provide an accordingly light - weight pallet or plate - shaped element 1 having a comparatively low weight , for instance , as compared to known transport supports or pallets made , for instance , of wood . as already pointed out above , high - impact polystyrene , a co - extruded sheet material comprising an upper layer and a lower layer each made of a styrene - butadiene copolymer and a high - impact polystyrene , a mixture of a styrene - butadiene block copolymer with high - impact polystyrene and similar sheet compositions may , for instance , be used for the sheets 6 , 7 . such a structure of the core 2 of polystyrene and such sheets 6 , 7 allow for the accommodation of loads of , for instance , 1000 to 1800 kg of a dynamic load and 2000 to 6000 kg of a static load at a core size of the plate - shaped element 1 of , for instance , 1200 × 1000 mm . with smaller dimensions of the core 2 , for instance , of about 1000 × 750 mm , static loads of up to approximately 3000 kg and dynamic loads of up to approximately 800 to 1000 kg can be taken up . in addition , such material combinations allow for the achievement of dynamic breaking loads of up to 3600 kg . in the event of evacuation procedures possibly requiring extended periods of time , as in accordance with the method steps represented in fig2 and 3 , additional heating of the plastic sheets 6 and 7 to be brought into abutment on the core 2 and the optionally present support elements or feet 10 may also be provided during the evacuation procedure , as is , for instance , indicated by the heating means of fig1 .	1
according to the invention there is provided footwear for a golfer . the footwear provided in accordance with the invention comprises a pair of shoes conventionally including soles with spikes depending therefrom . the pair of shoes is provided for the left foot and for the right foot of the golfer . it is well known that golfers will normally have dominant sides unless they are ambidexterous . golfers with dominant sides are known as left - handed and right - handed golfers respectively . a right - handed golfer stands with his left foot forward or in the direction in which he expects to propel the ball . the right foot is in rearward or trailing direction . a left - handed golfer stands with his right foot forward and with his left foot in trailing direction . both of these golfers with their respective dominant sides have a back swing during which the golf club is cocked rearwardly during a period in which the golfer tends to sway rearwardly and bring his body out of constant attitude relative to the golf ball which is the object of the swing . the invention provides for preventing this sway and may be used both during play and for instructional purposes such as during practice . in accordance with the invention , while there is provided a pair of shoes inclusive of spikes , it is only the rearmost shoe corresponding to the dominant side of the golfer which is modified to provide the benefits of the invention . the golf shoe shown in fig1 - 3 is a shoe for the right foot of the golfer and is thus intended for a golfer whose dominant side is his right side . the right shoe illustrated at 10 in fig1 - 3 is intended to brace the golfer &# 39 ; s foot at an angle a bearing somewhere between 15 and 25 degrees to the horizontal as appears in fig2 and preferably an angle in the vicinity of about 20 degrees . the shoe 10 conventionally has an upper part 12 adapted to surround the foot of the wearer and a sole 14 which is conventionally of constant thickness in transverse cross - section and is not wedge - shaped or tapered as is required by certain previously patented shoes . the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 - 3 includes a line of standard or conventional monolithic spikes 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 and 24 which are adjacent the inner periphery or edge of the golf shoe 10 and a line of monolithic spikes 26 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 and 36 which are adjacent the outer periphery of the golf shoe 10 . there is also an additional spike 38 which is at the front of the shoe 10 but which may also be considered as included in the line of spikes adjacent the outer periphery of the shoe . as appears more particularly in fig1 the shoe 10 includes spikes having a number of dimensions which are significant . one dimension is indicated at b . this dimension is the diametral dimension of the spikes involved . a further dimension is indicated at c . this dimension is the axial length of the spikes involved . still another dimension appears at d , this dimension being the diametral dimension of a spike at its distal end ; i . e ., the end of the spike remote from the sole to which the spike is attached in depending relationship . appearing in the view of fig1 are spikes 24 , 38 and 36 . spikes 36 and 38 correspond in dimension . they are larger than the spike 24 which is representative of the conventional or standard spikes forming a line along the inner periphery or edge of the shoe 10 . the spike 24 is , as noted above , of normal conventional or standard length . it is , for example , of a length of about 5 / 16 of an inch . contrary thereto , spikes 36 and 38 as well as all of the other spikes extending adjacent the outer periphery of the shoe 10 are of an axial dimension at least twice that of the spike 24 . they are , for example , 7 / 8 of an inch long thereby being as stated above at least about twice the corresponding dimension of the smaller spikes . the distal end diameter d of spikes 36 and 38 and the other corresponding spikes is about 3 / 16 of an inch . this is significantly greater than that of the spike 24 , the end of which is substantially pointed . the spikes are constructed from the same type of steel or other such metal as the other conventional spikes . as is apparent from fig2 the spikes 26 - 38 prevent the outer periphery from approaching too closely to the ground whereas the smaller spikes 16 - 24 penetrate readily in the ground thereby giving the shoe an inclined attitude as appears in fig2 . as a result , the golfer has his rearward strong side foot braced in tilted position thereby bracing the golfer against sway and imparting to the golfer a feel which will ultimately significantly improve his game . there are other ways of achieving the benefits of the invention by varying the dimensions of the outward line of spikes on the rearward dominant side shoe . one of these ways involves employing the type of spike illustrated in fig4 wherein appears a spike 50 . this spike includes the usual cup - shaped flange 52 and a threaded portion 54 . the threaded portion 54 may preferably include a heavier or stronger thread than is conventional in order to add strength to the spike giving the bracing action . this feature may also be employed in the embodiment of fig1 - 3 . in fig4 the shape of a conventional spike is indicated at 56 by the use of dotted lines . the solid illustration at 58 indicates that the spike of the presently described embodiment of the invention is of a corresponding axial length but that it has a diametral dimension d1 at , for example , the mid point of the height of the spike which is substantially greater than the corresponding dimension d2 of the standard spike . this provides for an apex angle m which is substantially greater for the spike of the invention than it is for the standard spike . this increased apex angle will resist penetration of the spike into the ground thereby urging the shoe 10 into tilted attitude bracing the rearward foot of the golfer such that sway is avoided and the golfer &# 39 ; s swing is significantly improved . another embodiment of the invention appears in fig5 in the form of a spike 70 . the spike 70 includes a flange 72 and a threaded portion 74 as described above relative to fig4 . in this embodiment of the invention , the pointed portion of the spike indicated at 76 may be of conventional dimension or modified . what is significant in fig5 is the truncated conical portion 78 presenting a flat lower surface of annular form such as indicated at 80 . this flat face will brace against the turf or grass upon which the golfer is standing , thus , urging the shoe into tilted attitude much as illustrated in fig2 and preventing sway in the manner which has been discussed hereinabove . in each of the embodiments of the invention noted hereinabove by way of illustration , it is seen that the spikes employed in accordance with the invention have axial and diametral dimensions at least one of which is enlarged so as to exceed substantially the corresponding dimension of the other of the spikes employed on the same shoe and employed in entirety on the other or foremost shoe . the enlarged dimension is in most cases at least about twice the corresponding dimension of the smaller spikes . by implication , it now follows that the invention provides a method of improving the stance of a golfer having a dominant side . the golfer wears shoes with spikes depending therefrom and the method comprises enlarging at least one dimension of selected of the spikes on only one of the shoes corresponding to the dominant side of the golfer to brace said one shoe at about 15 - 25 degrees from the horizontal . the dimensions as noted hereinabove which may be enlarged include the length , diameter and apex angle of the selected spikes . there will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations of the structures and methods set forth hereinabove . these modifications and variations will not depart from the scope of the invention if defined by the following claims .	0
it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved construction for internally cooled mandrels to be used in mills for rolling hollows , the improvement relating particularly to the temperature distribution between inner and outer surface of the mandrel so that the outer surface of the mandrel can be more effectively cooled . in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention , it is suggested to provide a tubular , thickwalled mandrel with solid , radial cooling fingers made of highly thermally conductive material such as copper . these cooling fingers are to be distributed all around the mandrel , over its entire extension and over its entire circumference ; portions of these cooling fingers adjacent to the outer surface of the mandrel are covered by welded - on , hard - facing plugs for local cladding . preferably , buffer layers are provided between the copper fingers and the cladding ; the buffer is preferably comprised of an alloy with a significant portion of nickel or a nickel - copper alloy . the fingers are preferably widened closer to the outer surface of the mandrel . preferably , one will arrange these fingers in rows , extending axially but being staggered azimuthally . the fingers will preferably project into the interior of the hollow mandrel to enhence contact with cooling fluid . while the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention , it is believed that the invention , the objects and features of the invention and further objects , features and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which : fig1 is a cross - section through a portion of a rolling mandrel with cooling fingers inserted in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention ; fig2 is a portion of an elevation of a mandrel constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment ; fig3 is a cross - section taken in any of the planes i indicated in fig2 ; and fig4 is a view similar to fig1 but showing a modified cooling finger . proceeding now to the detailed description of the drawings , fig1 shows a hollow mandrel for use in a tube rolling mill , and the figure illustrates particularly a portion of the wall 1 of such a mandrel . the mandrel is provided with bores 2 , which penetrate the wall and extend radially . individual cooling fingers 3 are inserted in the bores . these fingers 3 are substantially cylindrical , elongated pins , made of copper . the bore 2 in wall 1 , shown representatively in fig1 is widened close to the outer surface 11 of the mandrel in order to accommodate a widened head 4 of , and being integral with , the cooling finger 3 . the head 4 has a conical transition or shoulder 5 which rests against a correspondingly conical shoulder of bore 2 . the head 4 ends short of the outer surface 11 of the mandrel and the resulting recess has been filled by welding with hard - facing or building - up type substance to establish a local cladding 8 . the cladding plug 8 is flush with the outer surface 11 of the mandrel . the material for this particular cladding is , for example s -- nicr15femn ( din 1736 ). for reasons of improved strength and improved interfacing , a nickel - copper alloy buffer layer 7 is interposed between the cladding plug 8 and the head 4 of finger 3 . as far as the internal space of the hollow mandrel is concerned , the inner end 6 of finger 3 is not flush with the internal surface 12 , but projects into that hollow space circumscribed by the surface 12 . this way , one ensures better and more intimate contact of and by the cooling fingers with the coolant flowing through that interior of the tubular mandrel . turning now to fig2 and 3 , one can see how these particular fingers and bores are arranged on and in the mandrel . one can see that the fingers are arranged in axial rows and are spaced from each other by a particular distance l . there are altogether sixteen such rows , and these rows are azimuthally spaced by an angle of 22 . 5 °. however , the fingers and bores receiving these fingers are staggeredly arranged , so that in any particular plane transversely to the axis of the mandrel and traversing at least one such pin , altogether 8 pins are present being angularly spaced by 45 °. axial planes are identified by i and ii in fig2 . it can readily be seen that the planes i are axially spaced - apart by the axial pin distance l within one row , and the pattern of pins in cross - section is repeated exactly , i . e . in axial alignment , in sequential ones of such planes i , while , on the other hand , the interspaced planes ii show the respective pins angularly displaced by the 22 . 5 ° with respect to the pins as arranged in plane i . planes i and ii alternate , of course , at an axial spacing of l / 2 . the pins or cooling fingers 13 could have a tapered or concical configuration in lieu of the head as is illustrated in fig4 . the bores , of course , will be inwardly tapered in that instance . the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but all changes and modifications thereof not constituting departures from the spirit and scope of the invention are intended to be included .	1
an elementary sensor formed of a flexible ribbon made from a material having piezo - electric properties associated with two electrodes is equivalent , from the electric point of view , to a voltage generator v i in series with a capacity c i ( fig1 ). this sensor is connected to an amplifier a with a charge capacitor of capacity c mounted for feedback . from the electronic point of view , the amplifier is equivalent to a generator of voltage noise c applied to the input . it can be shown that the voltage gain g i obtained by amplifier a is equal to -( c i / c ) and that the noise b s at the output is in the ratio ( 1 +( c i / c ) with the noise voltage c . to increase the signal to noise ratio , elementary sensors can be combined in series or in parallel . the application to an amplifier a of a series combination of n elementary sensors of unitary capacity c i and each delivering a voltage v i produces a voltage gain identical to the preceding case ( g v =-( c i / c ) but it can be observed that the noise b s at the output related to the noise voltage e at the input decreases as a function of the number n : in a series combination , only a fraction of the elementary electric charges is transferred into capacitor c . if we apply to amplifier a the voltage delivered by a parallel combination of n elementary sensors of unitary capacity c i and each delivering a voltage v i , it can be observed that the voltage gain is multiplied by n : the method of the invention takes advantage of the increase in gain provided by the parallel combination and avoids the concomittant increase of noise . the decrease in the electric capacity of the combination of parallel sensors is obtained by inserting ( fig4 ) a transformer of impedance t whose transformation ratio is equal to the number n of sensors in the combination . the gain provided by such a circuit is identical to the preceding one : and corresponds to the noise which is observed in a series circuit . this first solution is advantageous for certain applications in which the number of combinations of sensors to be formed is relatively low , for the impedance transformers are both heavy and relatively expensive . for some applications , particularly for the construction of marine seismic streamers in which : the density of integration of components in the streamer sheath is very high , the weights and the distribution thereof have important repercussions on the hydrodynamic balance during towing operations , the method of the invention may still be used in the following way . the combination of parallel piezo - electric sensors is connected ( fig5 ) to a first input i 1 of a three position switch i . a second input i 2 of the switch is connected to the input of a charge amplifier a including a charge capacitor c . a third terminal i 0 is connected to the mass . the central terminal i 3 of switch i is connected to a capacitor c t whose capacity is very much less than that of the charge capacitor c . a synchronization element h applies to switch i a control signal causing sequentially the electric connection of capacitor c t with the assembly of the piezo - electric sensors , with the input of amplifier a and with mass so as to provide a discontinuous series of electric charge transfers from the sensors to the charge capacitor c . cyclic connection with the mass , when terminals i 0 and i 3 are interconnected , results in removing from the transfer capacitor c t the noise voltage generated by the amplifier . by c g and q are designated respectively the capacity and the electric charge of the assembly of parallel piezo - electric sensors . in a first step , capacitor c t receives from the assembly of sensors a charge ; ## equ1 ## which in the second step , by switching of switch i , is transferred into switch c where it develops a voltage : ## equ2 ## or ## equ3 ## during the second transfer cycle , a charge : ## equ4 ## which , using the same conventions , is again expressed by : is first of all transferred into capacitor c t then into the charge capacitor c where it develops a voltage : ## equ5 ## with the transfer cycles continuing , it can be shown that at the end of n transfers , the voltage v s accumulated in the capacitor c is : ## equ6 ## if the number n is large , the voltage v s then tends towards a limit : ## equ7 ## thus the complete transfer is achieved into the capacitor of amplifier a of the electric charge developed by the piezo - electric sensors of combination f . it can be readily shown that the noise voltage generated after the successive switchings , is expressed by the relationship : ## equ8 ## since the capacity c t is much smaller than c , the noise voltage is thus very much reduced and comparable to that which is observed with an impedance transformer . the charge transfer takes place by successive transfers . the time required for these transfers is defined by its time constant τ and it can be shown that it is expressed by the relationship : ## equ9 ## where f represents the frequency of the control signal of switch i . this relationship is valid in the particular case where the resistance of the switch is negligible . in practice , when the switch has a certain impedance r , the time constant τ r is expressed by the relationship ## equ10 ## it should be emphasized that , because of its time constant τ , the device behaves like a low pass filter whose characteristics may be adjusted by suitably choosing the value of the capacity c t and the sampling frequency f . the pass band of the amplified signal may then be limited to the useful width . the device then automatically fulfills the function of antialiasing filter which in any case is included in every seismic data acquisition chain . in the embodiment shown in fig6 two transfer capacitors c t . sbsb . 1 and c t . sbsb . 2 are used connected respectively to the terminals i 31 , i 32 of two switches i 1 and i 2 . the terminal i 11 and the terminal i 22 respectively of switches i 1 and i 2 are connected to the assembly e of piezo - electric sensors . the terminal i 21 and the terminal i 12 respectively of switches i 1 and i 2 are both connected to the input of amplifier a . the terminals i 01 and i 02 of the two switches are connected to the mass . the same synchronization element h controls the switching of switches i 1 and i 2 . the central terminals i 31 and i 32 are successively connected , the first one to i 11 , i 21 and i 01 and the second to i 12 , i 22 and i 02 . taking into account the interconnections provided , there is permanently a transfer capacitor c t . sbsb . 1 or c t . sbsb . 2 which receives charges from the assembly of sensors e while the other is discharging into the capacitor c of amplifier a . similarly , the residual noise voltages are removed in passing through terminals i 01 and i 02 . since amplifier a is charged during two thirds of each cycle by one of the two transfer capacitors c t . sbsb . 1 or c t . sbsb . 2 , the noise level which is measured at the output is expressed by the relationship : ## equ11 ## where c t expresses the common capacity of the capacitors c t . sbsb . 1 and c t . sbsb . 2 . the variant shown in fig7 relates to the adaptation of the transfer system to two charge capacitors , in the case where the sensor assembly includes two subassemblies e 1 and e 2 of piezo - electric sensors connected in series , the terminal common to the two subassemblies being connected to mass . a first switch i 1 is adapted for connecting a first transfer capacitor c t . sbsb . 1 connected to its terminal i 31 , either with a terminal i 11 , which is connected to the positive terminal of the subassembly e 1 , or with a terminal i 21 which is connected to the input of a charge amplifier a , or with the terminal i 01 which is connected to mass . a second switch i 2 is adapted for connecting a first terminal of a second transfer capacitor c t . sbsb . 2 ( which is connected to its central terminal i 32 ) either with a second terminal i 12 connected to mass , or with a negative terminal of the second subassembly e 2 which is connected to a second terminal i 22 , or else with a third terminal i 32 connected to mass . a third switch i 3 is adapted for connecting the other terminal of the second transfer capacitor c t . sbsb . 2 connected to its central terminal i 33 , either with a first terminal i 13 , which is connected to the input of amplifier a , or with a second terminal i 23 connected to mass , or with a third terminal i 03 , also connected to mass . the same synchronization element h controls simultaneously the switching of the three switches i 1 , i 2 and i 3 at a switching frequency f . considering the connection mode used , the electric charge transfer from the first subassembly e 1 to the first transfer capacity c t . sbsb . 1 , is accompanied by a transfer , into the capacitor c of amplifier a , of charges accumulated by the second transfer capacitor c t . sbsb . 2 , the simultaneous switching of the three switches causing the symmetric operation , that in which the first charge capacitor c t . sbsb . 1 empties into the charge capacitor c and the second transfer capacitor accumulates charges taken from the second subassembly e 2 . a fraction of each cycle during which the central terminals i 31 , i 32 , i 33 of the three switches are connected respectively to the terminals i 01 , i 02 , i 03 , is used for discharging , from the transfer capacitors c t . sbsb . 1 , c t . sbsb . 2 , the residual noise voltages . in this embodiment , using the same amplifier , amplification is obtained of the charges accumulated in two groups of piezo - electric sensors of opposite polarities . hereagain , the substantially permanent connection of a transfer capacitor c t . sbsb . 1 or c t . sbsb . 2 to the input of the amplifier avoids switching noise . the intermittent short circuiting of the transfer capacitors produced by using three pole switches remains however an optional operation . without departing from the scope of the invention two - position switches may be used in which the transfer capacitors are connected alternately to the sensors and to the input of the associated charge amplifier .	6
directional phrases used herein , such as , for example and without limitation , top , bottom , left , right , upper , lower , front , back , and derivatives thereof , relate to the orientation of the elements shown in the drawings and are not limiting upon the claims unless expressly recited therein . as employed , herein , the statement that two or more parts or components are “ coupled ” together shall mean that the parts are joined or operate together either directly or through one or more intermediate parts or components . as employed herein , the term “ number ” shall mean one or an integer greater than one ( i . e ., a plurality ). fig2 a is an exploded view and fig2 b is an isometric view of a portion of a bus bar assembly 12 according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of bus bar assembly 12 taken along lines 3 - 3 in fig2 a . bus bar assembly 12 includes a first main conductor 14 having distribution prongs or fingers 15 and a second main conductor 16 having distribution prongs or fingers 17 . in the exemplary embodiment , first main conductor 14 and second main conductor 16 are made of copper , although other suitable conductive materials , such as other metals , may also be used . a plated insulator member 18 is provided in between first main conductor 14 and second main conductor 16 . as seen in fig2 a , 2 b and 3 , plated insulator member 18 includes insulator element 20 having a conductor layer 22 a provided on a top surface thereof and a conductor layer 22 b provided on a bottom surface thereof in the exemplary embodiment , insulator element 20 is sheet of dielectric material such as , without limitation , fr - 4 , gpo - 2 or gpo - 3 , or ceramic dielectric material . also in the exemplary , non - limiting embodiment , plated insulator member 18 is made by plating conductor layer 22 a on the top surface of insulator element 20 and plating conductor layer 22 b on the bottom surface of insulator element 20 is made by plating conductor layers 22 a , 22 b onto insulator element 20 using any suitable metal plating technique , such as any of a number of known plating techniques used in printed circuit board manufacture to lay metallization onto a dielectric substrate such as fr - 4 . the deposition of conductor layers 22 a , 22 b onto insulator element 20 as just described will shift the charge point to the surface of each of conductor layers 22 a , 22 b . in the exemplary embodiment , the plating process will ensure that no air is trapped between conductor layer 22 a and the top surface of insulator element 20 or between conductor layer 22 b and the bottom surface of insulator element 20 ( i . e ., the possibility of entrained air or voids is eliminated ). alternatively , conductor layers 22 a , 22 b may be deposited on the respective surfaces of insulator element 20 using other suitable deposition methods , such as , without limitation , vapor deposition or sputtering , wherein no air is trapped between conductor layer 22 a and the top surface of insulator element 20 or between conductor layer 22 b and the bottom surface of insulator element 20 . the metallization deposited on both the top and bottom surfaces of insulator element 20 is then etched back from each of the outer edges 24 of insulator element 20 by an amount / distance that will make the creepage distance for bus bar assembly 12 , when finally assembled as described herein , appropriate for the given application , thereby forming plated insulator member 18 . in the exemplary , non - limiting embodiment shown in fig2 a , 2 b and 3 , the plating on both the top and bottom surfaces of insulator element 20 is etched back an amount / distance at each outer edge location 24 that will result in conductor layer 22 a being aligned with the adjacent outer edge portion 26 ( not including prongs 15 ) of first main conductor 14 and conductor layer 22 b being aligned with the adjacent outer edge portion 28 ( not including prongs 17 ) of second main conductor 16 when bus bar assembly 12 is assembled as described below . in the exemplary , non - limiting embodiment , the remaining plating comprising conductor layers 22 a , 22 b are then tinned or plated to prevent corrosion . in an alternative embodiment , rather than the metallization being etched back as just described , the metallization is selectively deposited on both the top and bottom surfaces of insulator element 20 in a manner wherein conductor layer 22 a is aligned with the adjacent outer edge portion 26 ( not including prongs 15 ) of first main conductor 14 and conductor layer 22 b is aligned with the adjacent outer edge portion 28 ( not including prongs 17 ) of second main conductor 16 when the bus bar assembly 12 is assembled . after plated insulator member 18 is formed as just described , first main conductor 14 is coupled to the top surface of plated insulator member 18 on top of conductor layer 22 a in a manner wherein first main conductor 14 is electrically coupled to conductor layer 22 a and second main conductor 16 is coupled to the bottom surface of plated insulator member 18 on top of conductor layer 22 b in a manner wherein second main conductor 16 is electrically coupled to conductor layer 22 b . in the exemplary embodiment , this is accomplished by sandwiching plated insulator member 18 between first and second main conductors 14 , 16 using , for example , a non - conductive clamp or bracket , although other suitable affixation methods ( e . g ., an adhesive ) may also be employed . as can be seen in fig3 , due to the etching back of the metallization to form conductor layers 22 a , 22 b , bus bar assembly 12 will include an overhanging insulator portion 30 that extends beyond both first and second main conductors 14 , 16 and the conductor layers 22 a , 22 b around the outer perimeter of bus bar assembly 12 . as noted above , overhanging insulator portion 30 will increase the surface path distance between first and second main conductors 14 , 16 and , depending on the amount of etching selectively performed , enable bus bar assembly 12 to satisfy the creepage distance requirements of the application for which it is being made . in any particular application , the required creepage distance is determined by the voltage that will be applied to the two conductors ( first and second main conductors 14 , 16 ) and whatever standard is appropriate ( e . g ., iec or ul ). more fundamentally , the required creepage distance is determined to prevent arcing between the two conductors under reasonable cases of contamination and air quality . typically , this is anywhere from 0 . 5 inches for low voltages (& lt ; 1 kv ), several inches for medium voltages ( e . g ., 1 - 30 kv ), and several feet for high voltages (& gt ; 30 kv ). in addition , the required creepage distance is typically greater than the required air gap between two conductors because an arc may travel across moisture or other contaminates deposited on the surface . moreover , by including plated insulator member 18 as just described , the inception voltage of partial discharge for bus bar assembly 12 will be increased significantly , thereby reducing the likelihood that detrimental partial discharge will occur . furthermore , if air is trapped between first main conductor 14 and conductor layer 22 a and / or between second main conductor 16 and conductor layer 22 b , partial discharge there between will be prevented because both surfaces will be at the same potential . fig4 is a cross - sectional view of a portion of a bus bar assembly 12 ′ according to an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention . bus bar assembly 12 ′ includes a number of the same components as bus bar assembly 12 , and like components are labeled with like reference numerals in fig4 . as seen in fig4 , bus bar assembly 12 ′ a first main conductor 14 and a second main conductor 16 which , in the exemplary embodiment , are made of copper , although other suitable conductive materials , such as other metals , may also be used . in addition , a plurality of plated insulator members 18 as described elsewhere herein are provided in between first main conductor 14 and second main conductor 16 . in the illustrated embodiment , four plated insulator members 18 a , 18 b , 18 c and 18 d are provided in between first main conductor 14 and second main conductor 16 , although more or less plated insulator members 18 may also be used within the scope of the present invention . as described elsewhere herein , the conductor layers 22 on each plated insulator member 18 are formed by depositing a conductive material on the respective surface of the plated insulator member 18 and etching that conductive material back from the edge of the associated insulator element 20 so that overhanging insulator portion 32 comprising a plurality of overhanging insulator portions 30 will be formed when bus bar assembly 12 ′ is assembled . in the exemplary embodiment , bus bar assembly 12 ′ is assembled by sandwiching plated insulator members 18 a , 18 b , 18 c , 18 d between first and second main conductors 14 , 16 using , for example , a non - conductive clamp or bracket , although other suitable affixation methods ( e . g ., an adhesive ) may also be employed . overhanging insulator portion 32 comprising the plurality of overhanging insulator portions 30 will increase the surface path distance between first and second main conductors 14 , 16 and , depending on the amount of etching selectively performed , enable bus bar assembly 12 ′ to satisfy the creepage distance requirements of the application for which it is being made . while preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated above , it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting . additions , deletions , substitutions , and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims .	7
the block diagram of fig1 shows an air - conditioning compressor 1 with a compressor drive 2 . a current actual compressor drive torque 3 is detected at the compressor drive 2 and received by the engine control unit 4 , where the actual compressor drive torque 3 is compared to a targeted compressor torque value 5 that is calculated from the torque reserve that the combustion engine has available to carry the additional load of driving the air - conditioning compressor . the torque reserve is determined within the engine management device based on data of the combustion engine such as the actual engine torque 6 and the position of a throttle valve 7 . the engine control device 4 sends a control signal 8 to the priority control device 9 which , in response to the control signal 8 , regulates the air - conditioning compressor to increase or decrease its throughput of air - conditioning fluid . the priority control device is arranged to take precedence over the air - conditioning control device or regulation device 10 and overrides the signals that would normally be sent from the air - conditioning control device 10 to the compressor . in the illustrated arrangement of fig1 , the priority control device acts directly on the compressor control valves 11 ( ccv 1 ) and 12 ( ccv 2 ). the two control valves regulate the flow of air - conditioning fluid into and out of the compressor drive chamber and thereby control the tilt angle of the piston drive element — specifically a swash plate or wobble plate — of the air - conditioning compressor . fig2 represents a variation of the control loop of fig1 . the description of components that have already been described in the context of fig1 applies identically to fig2 . the arrangement shown in fig2 differs from fig1 in that the control target signal 8 for the compressor torque is sent to an electronic control unit ( ecu ) 13 which belongs to the compressor and gives priority to the control target signal 8 over the signal that arrives from the air - conditioning control device 10 . the embodiment of fig3 , likewise , shares elements of fig1 and 2 that have already been described . the embodiment of fig3 is distinguished in that the engine control device sends a signal 18 representing the torque reserve of the engine directly to the air - conditioning control device 10 . alternatively , the torque reserve available from the engine is communicated as a signal 19 to an electronic control unit 17 , in parallel with the signal of the air - conditioning control device 10 . the electronic control unit 17 could be considered as an integrated functional box arranged in the area of the compressor . the electronic control unit 17 transmits signals to the compressor control valves 11 ( ccv 1 ) and 12 ( ccv 2 ). as a further difference from the preceding embodiments , the actual drive torque of the air - conditioning compressor 1 is determined on the basis of characteristic data 14 of the air - conditioning control loop , for example by way of a calculation based on the mass flow rate 15 or the pressure ratio 16 between the output pressure and the suction pressure , and possibly from other data , and the result of the calculation is entered into the electronic control unit 17 as an actual torque value 3 ′. in summary , the invention proposes the concept of controlling the tilt angle through the engine - management device and thus controlling the air - conditioning system with an overriding priority input from the engine - management device . as an alternative , the control can be realized as an internal control loop with detection of the torque at the compressor or through data values calculated from various sensor signals in the air - conditioning system , in some cases with an integrated regulating box at the compressor assigning priority to the engine control device . as a prerequisite in both cases , the compressor needs to react to control inputs with a very fast dynamic response and a low level of mechanical hysteresis . by letting the engine control device act directly on the compressor control valves , it is possible to realize a control loop for the torque regulation that responds very quickly to dynamic changes . under the inventive concept , the torque reserve available from the combustion engine at any given time to drive the air - conditioning compressor can be determined , for example from the position of the throttle valve . if the result conflicts with the air - conditioning control unit 10 , the priority control device allows the control signal from the engine control unit to take precedence and override the air - conditioning control unit 10 . the invention further offers the possibility to provide a control loop in which the torque adjustment is performed by way of an additional control box which is located at the air - conditioning compressor and controls the compressor control valves . the input quantities for the electronic control unit are a targeted amount as well as the actual current amount of the drive torque of the air - conditioning compressor . the actual current drive torque can be determined by a direct measurement at the compressor or based on measured values of the air - conditioning loop and using a characteristic data field . by using the foregoing control concepts according to the invention , one can ensure that the requirement for the vehicle to remain drivable or maintain a level of driving performance always takes priority over the air - conditioning control , or that the regulation finds a compromise in which the maximum amount of engine torque that remains available is used to drive the air - conditioning compressor .	1
with reference first to fig1 , a connector is shown at 2 as a hybrid electrical connector , having a housing 4 with a plurality of contact cavities 6 for receipt of power contacts , and a plurality of contact receiving cavities 8 for receipt of signal contacts . the housing 4 further includes polarizing lugs at 10 and mounting apertures at 12 . with reference still to fig1 , the power terminal receiving cavities include terminal locking members 14 snapped in place to retain the terminals in the individual passageways 6 , as will be described further herein . as shown in fig2 , a rear perspective view of the connector housing 4 is shown , where the power terminal receiving cavities 6 are shown in greater detail , as will be described herein . finally , the connector housing 4 includes a plurality of locking inserts 16 to lock the signal contacts in place , which are further described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 460 , 900 incorporated herein by reference . with reference to fig2 and 3 , the detail of the power cavities 6 will be described in greater detail . as shown in fig2 , each of the cavities 6 include an enlarged opening portion 20 having rib portions 22 positioned opposite the enlarged portions 20 . the rib portion is positioned centrally so as to define two slot portions at 24 , which flank the rib 22 . as shown best in fig3 , the central rib 22 terminates in a forwardly facing shoulder at 26 , as will be described herein . as also shown best in fig3 , the housing 4 includes a slot at 28 , which extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of the cavity 6 and intersects with the cavity to communicate therewith . it should be noted that a rear surface 36 defining the cavity 28 is proximate to the forwardly facing shoulder 26 . slot 28 extends through top surface 30 of housing 4 and through inner surface 32 of housing 4 . with respect now to fig4 , terminal locking member 14 is shown in greater detail . terminal locking member 14 is y - shaped in configuration , including two resilient fork members 40 and a lower leg portion 42 . each of the fork members 40 are resiliently biasable inwardly and include locking members at 44 . the locking members 44 are defined by upper and lower surfaces 44 a and 44 b , which are spaced apart slightly greater than the distance between surfaces 30 and 32 of the housing member 4 ( fig3 ). the terminal locking member 14 further includes gripping area 46 for removal of the terminal locking member 14 , as described herein . with respect now to fig8 , an electrical terminal 50 is shown as a power terminal , generally comprised of a front contact portion 52 , a crimp barrel 54 , and a strain relief member at 56 . the front contact portion 52 is generally comprised of a contact having a u - shaped cross - section , generally comprised of side - by - side parallel contact plates 58 ( only one of which is shown in fig8 ) connected together by way of a bight portion 60 . as shown in fig8 , the terminal 50 also includes an opening 62 , which extends through the bight portion 60 and partially into the side - by - side contact plates 58 , thereby defining a retaining and locking shoulder 64 on the terminal 50 . with the above elements as described , the assembly and application of the connector will now be described in detail . with respect first to fig2 and 8 , it should be appreciated that the conductors for the power are terminated to contacts in a conventional manner , that is , by stripping the end of the insulation , then placing the bared conductors in the crimp barrel portion 54 of the terminals and crimping the conductors to the crimp barrel , at the same time applying the strain relief 56 around the insulation of the wire . as shown in fig2 , the connector is designed to accommodate 10 power conductors , and therefore 10 such terminals would be prepared . it is also evident from fig2 that some of the cavities 6 for receiving the power terminals are inverted relative to each other , and that the enlarged opening portion 20 is to receive the crimp barrel strain relief and conductor therein . therefore , the terminals 50 , when prepared , are inserted such that the side - by - side contact plates are positioned in the slots 24 , with the contact plates flanking the rib 22 and are slidably received therein , with the bight portion 60 positioned on a lower surface of the enlarged opening 20 . thus , when the terminals 50 are fully positioned in their cavities 6 , a front edge of the contact plates 58 abut the corresponding shoulder 34 of housing 4 to locate the terminals therein . when in this position , and as shown in fig5 , the retaining members 14 can be received transversely into the slot 28 , which then causes leg 42 to communicate within the cavity 6 and lock terminals 50 in place , as to be described . it should also be appreciated from fig7 and 8 that , when terminal 50 is fully positioned as described above , and as retaining member 14 is fully positioned as shown in fig8 , the yoke members 40 of retaining member 14 project into the portion of opening 62 , which extends into the opposed contact plates 58 , while the leg portion 42 extends between the side - by - side contact plates and is positioned adjacent to the forwardly facing surface 26 of rib 22 . thus , as shown in fig8 , the power terminals are fixedly held in place in their corresponding cavities 6 by the retaining members 14 . for example , if a strain is placed on the conductors towards the right as viewed in fig8 , the locking surface 64 of opening 62 would cause an abutment against the retaining member 14 . retaining member 14 is held fixed against surface 36 , and even leg portion 42 is backed up by forwardly facing surface 26 of rib member 22 . it should also be appreciated from fig7 that the retaining members 14 extend in alternate directions , such that one retaining member extends with the leg portion 42 extending downwardly , whereas an adjacent or alternate cavity has a retaining member 14 , with the leg portion 42 extending upwardly . this is consistent with the alternate staggering of the contact cavity 6 as shown in fig2 . it should also be appreciated from fig7 that the portions 46 of the retaining members 14 are exterior to surface 30 , such that a common gripping tool , such as standard hook - nose tweezers , can be used for extracting the retaining members 14 . with reference now to fig9 and 10 , it should be appreciated that various cavities are staggered , from the front face 38 to a front edge of the contact plate 58 . for example , as shown in fig9 , the front edge of the contact plate 58 is positioned a distance x 1 from the front faced 38 of the housing 4 . with respect now to fig1 , other power cavities can be configured as shown at 106 , with a shoulder such as 134 positioned further inwardly than shoulder 34 , such that the front edge of contact plate 58 is positioned a distance x 2 from the front edge 38 of housing 4 , to perform a last - mate , first - break sequencing of the power terminals . contacts 50 are modified slightly in the length of the contact plate 58 to accommodate this difference . in the preferred embodiment , the dimensions x 1 and x 2 are on the order of 0 . 035 inches and 0 . 073 inches , respectively . fig1 depicts an alternative embodiment of a mate - first , break - last ( mfbl ) connector generally indicated by numeral 202 . with respect to the description of mfbl connector 202 , only the differences distinguishing mfbl connector 202 from the previous mfbl connector 2 ( fig1 ) will be discussed . in fig1 , connector 202 has been illustrated with the side wall of housing 204 removed in order to better illustrate the internal configuration of connector 202 . connector 202 includes a modified housing 204 and modified terminal 250 . modified housing 204 includes a lower surface 270 with an integral protrusion 272 formed therein . in the present embodiment , integral protrusion 272 extends upward from lower surface 270 . protrusion 272 extends across housing 204 from the internal surface of one wall to the internal surface of the opposing wall . with reference still to fig1 , modified terminal 250 includes a modified front contact portion 252 comprising a pair of modified parallel contact plates 258 . terminal 250 is similar to terminal 50 described in detail above and depicted in fig8 , with the exception that plates 252 each include a notch 280 . in the present embodiment , notch 280 is positioned in the front , lower corner of parallel contact plates 258 . in the present embodiment of the invention , the notches 280 are sized and configured to receive the integral protrusions 272 formed in the lower surface 270 of housing 204 . the engagement between protrusion 272 and notches 280 ensures modified terminal 252 is located properly within housing 204 after insertion . with protrusion 272 received within notch 280 , slot 228 of modified housing 204 should be in alignment with opening 262 of terminal 250 . accordingly , terminal locking member 14 may be inserted into both slot 228 and opening 262 in the manner described above thereby locking terminal 250 within housing 204 . fig1 and 13 depict an incorrectly assembled connector generally indicated by numeral 202 . connector 202 includes a standard terminal 50 , of the type described above and depicted in fig8 , inserted into mfbl modified housing 204 . it should be noted that the contact plates 58 of standard terminal 50 do not include notches such as those present within modified contact plate 258 ( see fig1 ). as seen specifically in fig1 , the lack of notches in contact plate 58 prevents terminal 50 from being fully inserted into modified housing 204 , that is , into the wrong housing . accordingly , slot 228 does not align with opening 62 of terminal 50 . the misalignment between opening 62 and slot 28 prevents terminal locking members 14 from being inserted into housing 204 . it should be apparent that the inclusion of protrusion 270 in modified housing 204 and notches 280 in the corresponding terminal 250 ensures proper alignment between these components in the final assembly . moreover , protrusion 270 prevents insertion of a standard terminal 50 during assembly . accordingly , the modified housing 204 and terminal 250 reduces mistakes in assembling a mfbl connector by preventing usage of a standard terminal with a mfbl housing .	7
an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to fig5 a to 5e and 6 . in fig5 a to 5e , a method for forming a triple well according to the present invention is shown . first , referring to fig5 a , a photoresist pattern 51 is formed on a p - type semiconductor substrate 50 . the photoresist pattern 51 exposes two regions , in which an n - well a and a second p - well c are respectively to be formed . the second p - well c is surrounded by the n - well a . after forming the photoresist pattern 51 , n - type impurities are deeply implanted into the n - well a to form a first impurities doped region 52 . referring to fig5 b , the photoresist pattern 51 is removed and a photoresist pattern 53 is formed . the photoresist pattern 53 is formed , exposing the upper surface of the n - well a . after forming the photoresist pattern 53 , n - type impurities are implanted into the region exposed by the photoresist pattern 53 , to form a second impurities doped regions 54 in the n - well . the implantation processes are carried out by three or four times with different energy . in the implantation process to form the n - well a , none of the n - type impurities are implanted in the second p - well c . therefore , it is easy to design the doping profile of the second p - well c surrounded by the n - well a . referring next to fig5 c , the photoresist pattern 53 is removed and a photoresist pattern 55 is formed . the photoresist pattern 55 exposes a region in which a first p - well b is to be formed . the first p - well b is apart , by a predetermined distance , from the second p - well c and is adjacent to the n - well a . after forming the photoresist pattern 55 , the implantation processes are carried out by three or four times with different energy to form the p - type impurities doped regions 56 . referring next to fig5 d , the photoresist pattern 55 is removed and a photoresist pattern 57 is formed . the photoresist pattern 57 exposes a region , in which the second p - well c is to be formed . the second p - well c is surrounded by the n - well a . after forming the photoresist pattern 57 , the implantation processes are carried out by three or four times with different energy to form the p - type impurities doped regions 58 . in the second p - well c , only p - type impurities are implanted , which is different from the conventional method . accordingly , it is possible to prevent the reduction of the mobility of carriers and reduces the leakage current . referring next to fig5 e , the triple well , including the n - well a , the first p - well b and the second p - well c , is formed in the semiconductor substrate 50 by the thermal treatment performed after the implantation processes . fig6 shows an ion concentration profile 61 of the region taken along the line x - x &# 39 ; in fig5 e . the ion concentration profile 62 of the n - type impurities implanted in the process to form the n - well a and the ion concentration profile 63 of p - type impurities implanted in the process to form the second p - well c are also shown in fig . 6 . the longitudinal axis represents the logarithm of the effective concentration . the effective concentration is defined by the difference between the p - type impurities concentration na and n - type impurities concentration nd . the ion concentration profile 61 in the second p - well c region is determined only by the implantation process for forming the second p - well c . another method for forming a triple well will be described below . according to another method of the present invention , three or four times of the implantation processes are carried out with different energy , to form a first p - well surrounded by an n - well . thereafter , three or four times of implantation processes are carried out with different energy to form a second p - well which is apart , by a predetermined distance , from the first p - well and is adjacent to the n - well . thereafter , n - type impurities are deeply implanted into the n - well to form a first impurities doped region of the n - well and the implantation processes are carried out by three or four times with different energy to form a second impurities doped regions of the n - well . according to further embodiment of the present invention , a first and a second p - well are simultaneously formed . that is to say , n - type impurities are implanted only into a portion of an n - well , thereafter , p - type impurities are simultaneously implanted into the first and the second p - well . otherwise , p - type impurities are simultaneously implanted into the first and the second p - well , thereafter , n - type impurities are implanted only into the n - well . the first p - well is surrounded by the n - well and the second p - well is apart , by a predetermined distance , from the first p - well and is adjacent to the n - well . in the above - mentioned embodiments , impurities deeply implanted in said deepest part of the n - well are phosphor . the dose of implanted phosphor is in the range of 3e13 / cm 2 to 5e13 / cm 2 and it is implanted at an energy level in the range of 1 . 6 mev to 2 mev . although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications , additions and substitutions are possible , without departing from the scope and the spirit of the present invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims .	7
a clear flexible pvc ring shaped device is attached to the underside of a cymbal using an adhesive that allows a bond of metal and pvc plastic . the clear pvc layer provides the dampening or muting effect by limiting the vibratory response of the cymbal while also allowing the natural surface of the cymbal to show through the transparent pvc material , thus a cymbal with my device attached will appear to have no device attached at all , but will have a limited vibratory response . fig1 shows a brass alloy cymbal 10 with a half - inch hole in the center 20 and a bell 15 . the hole 20 located at the center of the bell 15 , allows the cymbal to be centrally mounted by standard means known to those of ordinary skill in the art . a ring shaped layer of clear flexible pvc material 40 is bonded to the underside of the cymbal 10 by a thin layer of clear two - sided pressure sensitive adhesive 30 . a 0 . 08 inch pvc material 40 with an outside dimension equal to that of the cymbal 10 , inside dimension of the pvc material 40 equal to the diameter of the cymbal &# 39 ; s bell 15 and 2 mil clear acrylic two - sided pressure sensitive adhesive has proved satisfactory . fig2 shows a cross section view of the cymbal 10 with the hole 20 and the bell 15 . the adhesive layer 30 is sandwiched between the cymbal 10 and the pvc ring 40 . fig3 shows a top view of the cymbal 10 with the center hole 20 and the bell 15 . as you can see from this view , the muting system comprised of the clear pvc ring layer is not visible as it is bonded to the underside . fig4 shows a bottom view of the cymbal 10 with the hole 20 and the bell 15 . from this bottom view you can see that the pvc ring 40 covers the underside of the cymbal 10 , except for the bell 15 . the pvc ring 40 , being comprised of a clear pvc material , allows the natural surface and color of the cymbal 10 to be visible . fig5 shows how the pvc material 40 acts as a vibration dampening system by minimizing vibrations 60 of the cymbal 10 , when it is struck with a stick 50 . fig6 shows the prior art for a comparison of how the cymbal 10 will cause more vibrations 60 without the pvc ring layer , when it is struck with the stick 50 . an experiment was conducted to measure the sound pressure level of a cymbal without a dampening layer versus the same cymbal with the dampening layer . the cymbal without the dampening layer was measured at 88 db from a distance of one foot with a c weighted sound pressure level meter . the same cymbal with the dampening layer applied measured 72 db from the same distance , using the same meter and meter settings . while the preferred embodiment has been described , my invention could be produced using slightly different components and options . for example : although most metal cymbals are made from a brass or bronze alloy , any material that vibrates could be used to make the cymbal . although the cymbal used in my invention contains a bell , the bell is not required and cymbals without a bell may be used . although the pvc layer &# 39 ; s outside diameters is the same as the cymbal &# 39 ; s diameter , a different outside diameter could be used for either the cymbal or pvc layer . although the inside dimension of the pvc ring matches the diameter of the cymbal &# 39 ; s bell , the inside dimension of the pvc ring could be any size as long as it does not obstruct the cymbal &# 39 ; s center mounting hole . although the pvc layer and cymbal are in the shape of a circle , any shape cymbal and any shaped pvc layer may be used . although the round striking surface of the cymbal is superior , any shaped striking surface for the cymbal may be used . although a clear acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive is a superior permanent bonding method , several methods of permanent , semi - permanent , or temporary adhesion means could be utilized to bond the pvc layer to the cymbal including epoxy , tape , rivets , screws , double sided adhesive tape , or glue . although the preferred embodiment mounting of the clear pvc layer to the bottom ( i . e ., second ) surface of the cymbal is generally superior because it does not change the top ( i . e ., playing ) surface , mounting the pvc layer to the top is also possible . while a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles and that various modifications , alternate constructions , and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure . thus , the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described herein , but is defined by the appended claims .	6
now , an embodiment of the electric power steering system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a partially cross - sectional view showing the embodiment of the electric power steering system 100 according to the present invention , in which the power steering system is shown along its axis . as shown in fig1 the electric power steering system 100 includes a housing 101 and a tube 110 protruding from the housing 100 . the housing 101 is fixed to the vehicle body ( not shown ) by a bracket 114 while the tube 110 is fixed to the vehicle body by a bracket 115 . an input shaft 111 one end of which is to be connected with the steering wheel ( not shown ) is inserted in and revolvably supported by the tube 110 . the other end of the input shaft 111 is connected with a torque detection device 112 . a transmission shaft 113 which is inserted in and revolvably supported by the housing 101 is also connected with the torque detection device 112 . the transmission shaft 113 is further connected with a steering device ( not shown ) to transmit the torque for turning the wheels . as the torque detection device 112 for detecting the relative torque between the input shaft 111 and the transmission shaft 113 and properly controlling the assist steering effort according to the detected relative torque is well known , the construction thereof will not be described below in detail . in the vicinity of the torque detection device 112 , a worm wheel 104 is provided coaxially with the transmission shaft 113 . the worm wheel 104 engages with a worm 103a ( see fig2 ) of an output shaft 103 , which is arranged along the direction perpendicular to the plane of fig1 . the output shaft 103 is connected with a rotation shaft ( not shown ) of a motor 102 part of which is shown in fig1 . the functions of the electric power steering system 100 shown in fig1 will be described below . when torque for turning the wheels is applied through the steering wheel ( not shown ), the input shaft 111 is rotated . at the same time , the torque generated from the rotation of the input shaft 111 is transmitted through the torque detection device 112 to the transmission shaft 113 . note that the transmission shaft 113 is connected with the steering device ( not shown ), as described before , in order to transmit the torque for turning the wheels . the torque detection device 112 detects the magnitude of the torque , and the detected value is sent to a decision circuit ( not shown ) to be compared with a predetermined value . if the detected value of the magnitude of the torque is greater than the predetermined value , the assist steering effort is judged to be required . then , a drive command is issued to drive the motor 102 . the motor 102 driven according to the drive command rotates the output shaft 103 , and the torque is transmitted through the worm wheel 104 to the transmission shaft 113 . on the other hand , if the value of the magnitude of the torque detected by the torque detection device 112 is smaller than the predetermined value , the assist steering effort is judged to be unnecessary . in this case , the motor 102 is not driven . fig2 is a view showing the cross - section of the power steering system cut as indicated by ii -- ii in fig1 . as shown in fig2 the electric motor 102 is attached to the right side of the housing 101 . the rotation shaft ( not shown ) of the electric motor 102 is connected via a clutch mechanism 102a with the output shaft 103 . the clutch mechanism 102a and the output shaft 103 are connected with each other , by arrangement of an internal serration 102b formed in the clutch mechanism 102a engages with the external serration 103b formed around the output shaft 103 . a duplex ball bearing ( bearing components 105 and 106 ) serving as parts of a first bearing means is arranged near the motor 102 in a pouched bored concavity 101c of the housing 101 , while a slide bearing ( bush ) 107 serving as a second bearing means is arranged at the innermost recess of the bored cavity 101c . both of the bearing means revolvably support the respective end portions of the output shaft 103 . incidentally , the bored cavity 101c is formed by boring the housing 101 while the housing 101 is worked , wherein the side on which the motor 102 is attached is cut , for example , with a drill . as the outer diameter of the slide bearing 107 is smaller than those of the bearing components 105 and 106 , the slide bearing 107 and the output shaft 103 can be put in the bored concavity 101c of the housing 101 from the side to which the motor 102 is attached . fig3 is an enlarged view showing the part iii in fig2 . as shown in fig3 the bored cavity 101c of the housing 101 has a large - diameter portion 101g and a step 101d at the end of the large - diameter portion 101g . the outer rings of the bearing components 105 and 106 of the duplex ball bearing are held in the large - diameter portion 101g , wherein the outer ring of the bearing component 105 is in contact with the step 101d . the output shaft 103 has a collar portion 103d and is held in the inner rings of the bearing components 105 and 106 , with the collar portion 103d being in contact with the inner ring of the bearing component 105 . a thread portion 101f is formed near the motor 102 ( right side in fig3 ) in the bored cavity 101c to engage with a thread portion 118a formed around the outer periphery of a bearing cap 118 . when the bearing cap 118 is fastened , the outer ring of the bearing component 105 comes in contact with the step 101d and the outer rings of the bearing components 105 and 106 are compressed between the bearing cap 118 and the step 101d . note that the bearing cap 118 serves as the pressure member and that the duplex bearings ( 105 , 106 ) and the bearing cap 118 constitute the first bearing means . the duplex bearing ( 105 , 106 ) is a ; well known face - to - face duplex bearing of pre - load type ( cf . jis , b - 0104 ), so it will not be described in detail here . when the bearing components 105 and 106 are put together in the housing 101 as shown in fig3 the outer rings of these bearing components 105 and 106 , whose widths are properly designed , are compressed and pressed against each other , thereby preventing play between the outer rings and balls and between the balls and the inner rings . accordingly , by fastening the bearing cap 118 so that the end faces of the outer rings are suitably pressed against each other , the duplex bearing comes to have substantially no play both in its axial direction and in the radial directions . one end portion of the outer periphery of the bearing cap 118 engages with a lock nut 119 , which prevents the bearing cap 118 from coming off and maintains the proper preload an the duplex bearing components ( 105 , 106 ). a thread portion 103e is formed near the external serration 103b around the output shaft . a bearing nut 117 which engages with the thread portion 103e presses the inner ring of the bearing component 106 toward the collar portion 103d in order to prevent the bearing components 105 and 106 from shifting along the output shaft 103 . in the above - mentioned construction , the output shaft 103 is revolvably supported in the housing 101 with little play . thus , vibration and / or the noise can be effectively prevented . note that the embodiment described above is not limiting of the present invention , and various modifications and revisions are possible within the scope of the invention . for example , the slide bearing 107 may be replaced by a needle bearing . in the electric power steering system according to the present invention , the pressure member compresses the duplex bearing , that is , presses the bearing components of the duplex bearing against each other , as described before . thus , as the play which the output shaft has in the bearings is removed , the vibration and / or the noise associated with such play can be prevented .	5
reference will now be made to the drawings to describe exemplary embodiments of the present invention in detail . fig1 is a circuit diagram of a photo sensor 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the photo sensor 20 includes a photo transistor 21 , a resistor 22 , a first voltage terminal 23 , a second voltage terminal 24 , and a signal output terminal 25 . the photo transistor 21 is an amorphous silicon ( a - si ) tft , and includes a gate electrode 211 , a source electrode 212 , a drain electrode 213 , and an a - si layer ( not shown ) for generating photocarriers . the gate electrode 211 is connected to the first voltage terminal 23 . the source electrode 212 is connected to the second voltage terminal 24 . the drain electrode 213 is connected to the signal output terminal 25 and one end of the resistor 22 . the other end of the resistor 22 is grounded . the first voltage terminal 23 outputs a first voltage to the gate electrode 111 and the second voltage terminal 24 outputs a second voltage to the source electrode 112 , to drive the photo transistor 21 . the first voltage terminal 23 is an ac voltage output terminal . the first voltage is an ac voltage . in detail , the first voltage is a continuous alternating square signal , and includes a frequency , a first amplitude , and a second amplitude . the frequency of the first voltage is in the range from greater than 0 hertz ( hz ) to less than or equal to 100 hz , and is preferably 0 . 4 hz . the first amplitude of the first voltage is in the range from greater than 0v to less than or equal to 20v , and is preferably 5v . the second amplitude of the first voltage is in the range from less than or equal to − 20v to less than 0v , and is preferably − 3v . the duty ratio of the first amplitude is in the range from 1 : 11 to 10 : 11 , and is preferably 1 : 2 . the duty ratio of the second amplitude is also in the range from 1 : 11 to 10 : 11 , and is also preferably 1 : 2 . the second voltage terminal 24 is a dc voltage output terminal . the second voltage is in range from 1v to 10v , and is preferably 1v . in operation , a period of the first voltage can be divided into two sub - periods t 1 and t 2 . a value of the first voltage is the first amplitude during sub - period t 1 . that is , the first voltage is a positive voltage , and a plurality of electrons are attracted by the first voltage and reside in the a - si layer of the photo transistor 21 . in the subsequent sub - period t 2 , the value of the first voltage is the second amplitude . that is , the first voltage is a negative voltage . a plurality of positive holes are attracted by the first voltage and neutralize said plurality of electrons in the a - si layer of the photo transistor 21 . as a result , most or even all of the photocarriers generated by the a - si layer are not restricted by said plurality of electrons , and a corresponding signal output by the signal output terminal 25 can be steady . the light - electricity conversion efficiency of the photo transistor 21 and thus the photo sensor 20 is significant . referring to fig2 , a comparison of the signals output by the signal output terminals 15 , 25 of the photo sensors 10 , 20 under the same external environmental light intensity is shown . l 1 is a plot of the signals of the output terminal 15 of the photo sensor 10 . l 2 is a plot of the signals of the output terminal 25 of the photo sensor 20 . under the same external environmental light intensity , the signal l 1 of the output terminal 15 begins to weaken from a tome about 5 minutes after the photo sensor 10 is enabled ; whereas the signal l 2 of the output terminal 25 remains substantially steady even 13 hours after the photo sensor 20 is enabled . referring to fig3 , a comparison of the signals output by the signal output terminals 15 , 25 of the photo sensors 10 , 20 under gradually increasing external environmental light intensity is shown . in the illustration , the light intensity is increased in steps , with a ramp - up from one step to the next . l 3 is a plot of the signals of the output terminal 15 of the photo sensor 10 . l 4 is a plot of the signals of the output terminal 25 of the photo sensor 20 . under the illustrated regime of gradually increasing external environmental light intensity , the signal l 3 of the output terminal 15 begins to exhibit weakening about 2 hours after the photo sensor 10 is enabled ; whereas the signal l 4 of the output terminal 25 exhibits substantial steadiness even 3 hours after the photo sensor 20 is enabled . in summary , the gate electrode 211 of the photo transistor 21 is provided with an ac voltage , and electrons attracted by the positive cycle of the ac voltage can be neutralized by the positive holes attracted by the negative cycle of the ac voltage . as a result , most or even all of the photocarriers are not restricted by said electrons , and the signal output by the signal output terminal 25 can be very steady . the light - electricity transfer conversion of the photo transistor 21 and the photo sensor 20 are improved . accordingly , the reliability of the photo sensor 20 is also improved . referring to fig4 , a circuit diagram of a photo sensor 30 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown . the photo sensor 30 includes a first tft 31 , a second tft 35 , a first resistor 32 , a second resistor 36 , a first voltage terminal 33 , a second voltage terminal 34 , and a difference amplifier 37 . the first tft 31 and the second tft 35 are a - si tfts , and each includes a gate electrode ( not labeled ), a source electrode ( not labeled ), and a drain electrode ( not labeled ). the difference amplifier 37 includes two input terminals 371 , 372 and an output terminal 373 . the gate electrodes of the first and the second tfts 31 , 35 are connected to the first voltage terminal 33 . the source electrodes of the first and the second tfts 31 , 35 are connected to the second voltage terminal 34 . the drain electrode of the first tft 31 is connected to the input terminal 371 and to one end of the first resistor 32 . the other end of the first resistor 32 is grounded . the drain electrode of the second tft 35 is connected to the input terminal 372 and to one end of the second resistor 36 . the other end of the second resistor 36 is grounded . the first voltage terminal 33 outputs a first voltage to the gate electrodes of the first and the second tfts 31 , 35 , and the second voltage terminal 34 outputs a second voltage to the source electrodes of the first and the second tfts 31 , 35 , to drive the first and the second tfts 31 , 35 . the first voltage terminal 33 is an ac voltage output terminal . the first voltage is an ac voltage . in detail , the first voltage is a continuous alternating square signal , and includes a frequency , a first amplitude , and a second amplitude . the frequency of the first voltage is in the range from greater than 0 hz to less than or equal to 100 hz , and is preferably 0 . 4 hz . the first amplitude of the first voltage is in the range from greater than 0v to less than or equal to 20v , and is preferably 5v . the second amplitude of the first voltage is in the range from less than or equal to − 20v to less than 0v , and is preferably − 3v . the duty ratio of the first amplitude is in the range from 1 : 11 to 10 : 11 , and is preferably 1 : 2 . the duty ratio of the second amplitude is also in the range from 1 : 11 to 10 : 11 , and is also preferably 1 : 2 . the second voltage terminal 34 is a dc voltage output terminal . the second voltage is in the range from 1v to 10v , and is preferably 1v . the first and the second resistors 32 , 36 have the same impedance . the first tft 31 serves as a photo transistor . the second tft 35 serves as a comparing transistor , and is shaded by an object , such that light of the external environment is prevented from reaching the second tft 35 . in operation , due to the first tft 31 serving as a photo transistor and the second tft 35 being shaded , the first tft 31 generates a quantity of photocarriers that the second tft 35 does not . this causes the resistance between the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first tft 31 to differ from that between the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second tft 35 . thereby , the signals of the two input terminals 371 , 372 are correspondingly different , with a difference value therebetween considered as a light intensity signal of the external environment . because the difference value is typically small , the difference amplifier 37 amplifies the difference value . in summary , the gate electrode of the first tft 31 is provided with an ac voltage , and electrons attracted by the positive cycle of the ac voltage can be neutralized by positive holes attracted by the negative cycle of the ac voltage . as a result , most or even all the photocarriers generated by the first tft 31 are not be restricted by said electrons , and a signal of the output terminal 373 can be steady . thus , the light - electricity conversion efficiency of the first tft 31 and thus the photo sensor 30 may be considerable . accordingly , the reliability of the photo sensor 30 is also improved . referring to fig5 , a block diagram of a flat panel display 1 according to the present invention is shown . the flat panel display 1 includes a brightness adjustment unit 2 , a controller 3 , an analog to digital ( a / d ) converter 4 , and a photo sensor 5 . the photo sensor 5 can be the same as the photo sensor 20 or 30 . the photo sensor 5 provides a light intensity signal to the a / d converter 4 . the a / d converter 4 converts the light intensity signal to a digital signal . the controller 3 outputs an adjustment signal to the brightness adjustment unit 2 according to the digital signal . the brightness adjustment unit 2 adjusts the brightness of the flat panel display 1 accordingly . the improved performance of the photo sensor 20 or 30 provides corresponding improvement in the reliability of the flat panel display 1 . it is to be understood , however , that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description , together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments , the invention is illustrative only ; and that changes may be made in detail , especially in matters of arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed .	6
referring to fig1 , a preferred embodiment of a recharge sleeve 20 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated for use with a standard spray dispenser device having a container body 12 for holding fluid , a sprayhead 14 mounted with a sealing cap 14 a , spray trigger 14 b , and spray orifice or nozzle 14 c , an elongated diptube 10 which is inserted into the body of the container 12 during use , and a retainer 30 attached to the lower end of the diptube during manufacture of the diptube . the recharge sleeve 20 is comprised of an absorbent matrix material with one or multiple layers wherein at least one layer is impregnated with a chemical composition , leaving the sleeve dry - to - the - touch , the chemical composition becoming dissolved in solution with a diluent fluid such as commonly available tap water . the recharge sleeve 20 is shaped as a rectangular elongated sleeve by adding or combining at least two layers of water insoluble fibrous material sealed along their elongated edges , and having an open channel parallel to the elongated edges with openings on the short edges . when the original contents of the spray bottle are used up , the sealing cap is removed ( typically by unthreading ) from the container body . in the preferred embodiment , the retainer 30 is attached to the intake end of the plastic diptube either during manufacture of the diptube or on site before the sleeve is mounted onto the diptube . the recharge sleeve is mounted by inserting it over the diptube 10 until the intake end of the diptube projects from the end of the sleeve 20 and the upper end of the retainer . the application / mounting of the sleeve can be achieved without the user touching the sleeve as shown in part 2 of fig1 . when the spray bottle is filled with water w , sealed with the sealing cap 14 a , and shaken , the chemical composition impregnated in the absorptive material of the sleeve 20 becomes dissolved by the fluid to form a cleaning , sanitizing or disinfectant solution ws . obviously , alternative sequences of steps for recharging can be followed . for example , the sleeve can be mounted to the diptube before the retainer is attached at the lower end of the diptube . most preferably , the diptube , the sprayhead and the retainer that matches the diptube , are packaged and provided as a unit . the retainer is dimensioned to fit the diptubes with a particular outside diameter , but not any generic diptubes . in this case , the retainer can be optionally manufactured as an integral part of the diptube or fused with the lower end of the diptube . the sleeve material and / or each layer thereof comprises a water insoluble , binder - free fibrous substrate . the layers are bonded together without a chemical binder , such as by ultrasonic bonding , stitching , or mechanical or hydraulic entanglement . for example , the layers can be made up of synthetic fibers processed into woven , knitted , or nonwoven forms , or synthetic fibers combined with natural fibers . the substrate can also be a flexible , open - celled foam material . use of a chemical binder is avoided to prevent such chemicals from being dissolved by and leaching into the fluid , thereby contaminating or reducing the effectiveness of the cleaning , sanitizing or disinfectant solution . the nonwoven substrate can be fabricated and / or processed so that its outer surface has a desired porosity to allow fluid to readily penetrate into the adsorptive material and dissolve the chemical impregnated therein . the fluid penetration is significantly facilitated by the use of sonic bonding or needling in the manufacture of the sleeve material for joining multiple layers to form a unitary composite material . the sonic and needling process leaves pores in the material which allow efficient fluid flow . if there is more than one layer , the layers can be bonded together using any of the above - mentioned bonding methods . needling clearly offers the added benefit of enhanced fluid flow efficiency . the layer or multiple layers can be made into the sleeve after sealing along the elongated edges using any of the means mentioned above . in an embodiment of the sleeve , as shown in fig2 , two layers 200 of the fibrous material form the sleeve 20 , and each layer is further divided to two layers 101 and 102 . the layer facing outside 102 comprises non - woven synthetic material that provides enhanced structural integrity to minimize the damage to the sleeve during vigorous shaking . the layer facing inside 101 comprises non - woven synthetic material that is optimized to absorb large amount of cleaning composition . in an alternative mode of the preferred embodiment , each layer of the sleeve comprises three layers , the middle layer being the absorptive layer , and the outmost and innermost layers being structural mechanical stabilization layers . each layer is needle punched ( pores introduced by needling and shown as 201 ), as the bonding methods for layers comprising multiple layers , which further provides pores that facilitate the liquid flow across the layer ( s ). the two layers of fibrous material are preferably joined together to form the sleeve by ultra - sonically bonding them along the two elongated edges . the desired cleaning , sanitizing or disinfectant chemical composition can be impregnated in the matrix material by any suitable means . for example , a simple chemical impregnation process is described in commonly owned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 091 , 102 to sheridan , which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference . in the sheridan process , the matrix substrate is coated with non aqueous treatment solution so that the resulting material is dry to the touch and has the desired amount of chemical composition impregnated therein so that it can be released by contact with water prior to use . the absorptive material is capable of absorbing a cleaning composition in an amount of up to at least six times of its basis weight . the treatment solution can comprise between about 25 % and 75 % of at least one glycol compound , between 0 . 2 % and 60 % of an antimicrobial component , between about 5 % and 45 % of a surfactant , and optionally effective amounts of fragrances , dyes and other additives . the preferred means of holding the sleeve in its position on the diptube and therefore stabilizing it and preventing it from blocking the intake end of the diptube during use or recharging , the latter typically involving vigorous shakings , and the preferred means of facilitating the extraction of spent sleeve from the spray bottle after use , are by the application of a retainer ( 30 in fig1 ) onto the lower end of the diptube during manufacture of the diptube before the sleeve has been applied to the tube . further , in one embodiment , the retainer possesses an inwardly tapered end to facilitate the insertion of the diptube and the retainer into the sleeve before use . one example of a retainer that can be used for this purpose is illustrated in fig3 a and fig3 b . the upper end of the retainer has an opening 300 larger than the outside diameter of the diptube , and an inside diameter 301 that can allow the retainer to tightly fit onto the lower end of the diptube . the lower end of the retainer has an inside diameter 302 that is smaller than the outside diameter of the diptube , and therefore does not allow the diptube to protrude out of the lower end of the retainer . the lower end of the retainer further has an outside diameter 303 that is significantly smaller than the diameter of the sleeve opening , allowing the diptube and the retainer to be easily inserted into the sleeve in the absence of direct finger contact with the treated sleeve by the users . multiple ridges 400 are provided on the outside surface of the retainer in a radial manner to increase the maximum effective outside diameter 401 of the retainer structure . the retainer is attached to the lower end of the diptube before use , i . e ., in manufacture as in the preferred embodiment , but can be separate and applied after the sleeve has been applied to the diptube . the combination of the diptube and the retainer in manufacture or the subsequent tight fitting attachment of the retainer to the diptube , and the enlarged effective diameter of the retainer through the introduction of the ridges can prevent the sleeve from slipping downwardly on the diptube and allow easy removal of the spent sleeves which tend to be heavier , wet and flimsy after use . the lower end of the retainer possesses at least one opening 500 to the side . the opening allows the solution to flow into the diptube as when the lower end of the retainer is in contact with the bottom of the spray bottle . because diptubes employed in various commercial spray bottles may possess different outside diameters , in the case of the separate retainer and diptube multiple retainers would be necessary for typical daily recharging operations with each combination of the upper end and lower end inside diameters optimized for a diptube with a particular outside diameter . preferably , in this case , instead of having two distinct inside diameters for the upper and lower ends , the retainer can possess a void with a conical shape , with the upper end opening larger than the lower end opening . retainers designed in this manner have the potential of universally fitting diptubes with different outside diameters , provided that the upper end opening is large enough to accommodate the outside diameter of the thickest diptubes , and the lower end opening is smaller than the outside diameter of the narrowest diptubes . another design of the retainer can have multiple inside diameters in the central void in a decreasing and stepwise order from the upper end opening to the lower end opening . retainers designed in this manner also possess the capability of universally fitting diptubes with different outside diameters . fig4 a depicts a three dimensional view of a preferred embodiment of a retainer ( 30 in fig1 ). fig4 d is a cross sectional view of fig4 b along line a - a . as depicted in fig4 d , the retainer is conically shaped having a point 40 to facilitate the insertion of the diptube and the retainer into the sleeve before use . the upper end of the retainer has an opening 600 larger than the outside diameter of the diptube , and an inside diameter 601 that can allow the retainer to fit snugly onto the lower end of the diptube . the lower end of the retainer has an inside diameter 602 that is smaller than the outside diameter of the diptube , and therefore does not allow the diptube to protrude out of the lower end of the retainer . because of the retainer &# 39 ; s conical shape , the lower end of the retainer comes to a point 40 , which is smaller than the diameter of the sleeve opening , thus allowing the diptube and the retainer to be easily inserted into the sleeve in the absence of direct finger contact with the treated sleeve by the users . multiple ridges 700 are also provided on the outside surface of the retainer in a radial manner to increase the maximum effective outside diameter 801 of the retainer structure . as in other embodiments of the retainer , the retainer is preferably attached to the lower end of the diptube before use , i . e ., in manufacture as in the preferred embodiment , but can be separate and applied after the sleeve has been applied to the diptube . the combination of the diptube and the retainer in manufacture or the subsequent tight fitting attachment of the retainer to the diptube , the enlarged effective diameter of the retainer through the introduction of the ridges 700 , and the square - cut shoulder 42 ensures that the retainer retains the sleeve onto the diptube and can prevent the sleeve from slipping downwardly on the diptube and allow easy removal of the spent sleeves which tend to be heavier , wet and flimsy after use . the lower end of the retainer possesses at least one opening 800 to the side . the opening 800 allows the solution to flow into the diptube when the lower end of the retainer is in contact with the bottom of the spray bottle . because diptubes employed in various commercial spray bottles may possess different outside diameters , in the case of the separate retainer and diptube multiple retainers would be necessary for typical daily recharging operations with each combination of the upper end and lower end inside diameters optimized for a diptube with a particular outside diameter . instead of having two distinct inside diameters for the upper and lower ends , the retainer can possess a tapered void to accommodate different sized diptubes . retainers designed in this manner have the potential of universally fitting diptubes with different outside diameters , provided that the upper end opening is large enough to accommodate the outside diameter of the thickest diptubes , and the lower end opening is smaller than the outside diameter of the narrowest diptubes . the retainer whether integral with the diptube or not can be manufactured using various materials with appropriate mechanical strength , ease of manufacturing , low cost , and chemical stability toward typical cleaning , sanitizing and disinfecting compositions . the preferred materials are rigid synthetic polymers . the most preferred synthetic polymers for this purpose are polyesters or polypropylene . most preferably , the retainer is dimensioned to fit diptubes with a specific diameter , but not necessarily generic diptubes . in this case , the retainer can be optionally manufactured as an integral part of the diptube or fused with the lower end of the diptube . the sleeve is applied on to the diptube as earlier described . of course , other modes for mounting the recharge sleeve on the diptube of a standard spray dispenser can be used , such as those discussed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 250 , 511 . the invention thus provides a dry - to - the - touch recharge sleeve for allowing convenient re - use of a spray dispenser bottle . the recharge sleeve and the retainer are preferably provided together as an entirely self - contained unit which does not require any modification to standard spray dispenser devices for its use . most preferably , the retainer is dimensioned to fit diptubes of specific outside diameters , but not necessarily only generic diptubes . the retainer is preferably attached to the lower end of the diptube before the application of the sleeve , for example , during manufacture of the diptube . optionally , the retainer can be provided as an integral part of the diptube or fused together using known methods . the dry - to - the - touch recharge sleeve eliminates the need to ship , stock , and stack refill bottles for each type and grade of cleaning fluid of the original product . they are a fraction of the weight and volume of refills in solution , and can be manufactured at low cost . it can also be installed easily , without potential hazards to the user due to spillage , or puncturing or bursting of cartridges . the recharge sleeves have been described herein for use with a spray dispenser device for delivering cleaning , sanitizing and the like solutions . the recharge sleeves can additionally be used to deliver flavorants , medicinals or nutriceuticals by impregnating the sleeve matrix material with a composition which when the sleeve is introduced into a delivery bottle or container such as conventionally used for water , juice or the like provided with a cap having attached on its inner aspect a diptube by placement of the sleeve over the diptube , on contact with the water or other fluid in the bottle or container the impregnated flavorant , nutriceuticals , etc ., will be dissolved in the water or other fluid . when the container is emptied all that is necessary is to remove the recharge sleeve and replace it with another . an early appreciated advantage of this aspect of the invention is that it is no longer necessary to ship or carry filled bottles , or to refrigerate filled bottles . the bottle once emptied can have a new recharge sleeve inserted at the point or time of use . another advantage lies in the economics ; a packet of sleeve inserts can be purchased without having to repurchase a bottle or container for each use . it is to be understood that many modifications and variations may be devised given the above description of the principles of the invention . it is intended that all such modifications and variations be considered as within the spirit and scope of this invention , as defined in the following claims .	1
it has now been found that nemorubicin hydrochloride may exist in crystalline polymorphic form containing two molecules of water . this novel crystalline form is fully characterized herein below and is referred to , for convenience , as “ form a ”. owing to its crystalline properties , the new form a of nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate according to the invention has surprising advantages with regard to the amorphous in terms of stability and process ability . as a matter of fact , an amorphous substance is more hygroscopic and much less chemically stable than a crystalline one . crystalline substances are easier to be handled than amorphous substances with particular regard when amorphous form is highly hygroscopic such as nemorubicin amorphous is . in particular , new form a of nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate allows also its formulation into pharmaceutical forms intended for the oral route . as a matter of fact , high hygroscopicity and amorphous state are features not compatible with the design and realization of plain formulations intended for the oral route of administration such as capsules and tablets , due to the difficulties in handling the active drug substance in terms of homogeneity within formulation blends , changes in its physico - chemical properties along the formulation stages due to the severe absorption of water , difficulties in maintaining the chemical and physical stability of the formulations themselves with ageing due to the natural chemical instability of hygroscopic amorphous substances . even more a crystallization step is a very good way to enhance chemical purity without the use of costly techniques such as chromatography . no prior art of which applicants are aware describes form a as now provided herein . to the best of applicants &# 39 ; knowledge , form a of the invention is previously unknown and not suggested by the art . it is therefore an object of the present invention a new crystalline form of nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate , which is here below referred as form a . the absolute intensity ( cps — counts per second ) and relative intensity (%) of the characteristics reflection peaks of form a at the 2θ angle values are reported in the following table i . form a was characterized with a principal reflection peak ( 100 % of relative intensity ) at 6 . 4 deg ( 2θ ). in particular , the form a polymorph is characterized by an x - ray powder diffraction spectrum substantially in accordance with that shown in fig1 . modification in relative intensity may occur according to particular properties of the particles ( e . g . size , aggregation ) without indicating a modification of the crystal form . moreover , instrument variation and other factors may affect the 2θ values ; therefore , the peak assignments may vary by plus or minus 0 . 2 °. the dsc thermogram of the form a showed an initial broad endotherm related to desolvation ( up to 140 ° c .) followed by endothermic peak related to melting with decomposition in the range 170 - 200 ° c . the form a and amorphous of nemorubicin hydrochloride may be readily distinguished by x - ray powder diffraction and dsc . what differentiates form a towards the amorphous form of nemorubicin is its behaviour when exposed to humidity . the crystalline form a of nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate in fact is non hygroscopic . this specific beneficial property allows a more convenient manufacturing of the final drug , in particular oral formulations that are not subject to instability of the active drug substance both along the manufacturing process and subsequently when formulations are subject to stability studies . owing to its crystalline properties , form a of nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate according to the invention possesses greater stability than the previously known amorphous form , which makes the form a more suitable for preparing the final drug in any formulation , including the oral ones . as a matter of fact , the hygroscopicity of the form a is much lower than that one of the amorphous , as shown in the following table ii : the above - tabulated data provide strongly evidence of the different hygroscopicity between the known amorphous and form a of the present invention , stable in its dihydrate form . the crystalline form a of the present invention , when subject to a desorption cycle , loses the two moles of water . the same amount of water is promptly re - adsorbed when the rh of the atmosphere reaches 30 %. the change in mass of about 5 % at about 55 % rh indicates that the form a is a dihydrate even though a slight water excess is absorbed at higher rh . therefore , the different hygroscopicity profile of the crystalline material allows for a much higher stability of the moisture content upon handling and storage . as a consequence , considering working conditions , the possibility to work with a stable material allows the transformation of the active drug substance in the final dosage form without technical difficulties . even more , the handling of a crystalline material versus an amorphous one allows easier blending , tabletting , capsule filling processes . the invention also provides a process for preparing the above form a according to the invention . specifically , crystalline nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate can be produced by dissolving amorphous nemorubicin hydrochloride in an alcoholic solution , optionally partially removing the solvent from the solution at a temperature of up to about 25 ° c ., optionally under vacuum , and crystallizing nemorubicin hydrochloride at a temperature of from 0 ° to 30 ° c ., preferably at room temperature . preferably the solution of nemorubicin hydrochloride is kept under inert atmosphere , more preferably under nitrogen . suitable alcohols include methanol , ethyl alcohol and mixture thereof . the amount of the alcohol dissolving nemorubicin hydrochloride is , for example , 1 to 50 parts by weight per part of nemorubicin hydrochloride . preferably , the amount of alcohol may be 1 to 20 parts by weight , more preferably i to 10 parts by weight per part of nemorubicin hydrochloride . if it is necessary to partially remove the solvent , the temperature of the solution of nemorubicin hydrochloride may be , for example , up to 30 ° c ., more preferably of from 20 ° to 30 ° c . the solution from which nemorubicin hydrochloride is crystallized is held at a temperature of 0 ° to 30 ° c . during the crystallization , preferably at room temperature . the period of time for crystallizing the nemorubicin hydrochloride is not limited , but preferably it is in the range of 15 to 30 days . more preferably , the process comprises standing from 20 to 22 days the solution of nemorubicin hydrochloride ( as amorphous ) in methanol . seed crystals of crystalline nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate may be added into the solution to accelerate crystallization , the thus obtained crystals may be recovered by common procedures , for example by filtration under reduced pressure or by centrifugal filtration , followed by drying the crystals . the drying treatment can be carried out in a conventional manner , for example by subjecting the crystals to a reduced pressure at a temperature of from 0 ° to 30 ° c ., preferably from 15 to 25 ° c ., more preferably at room temperature . the pressure in drying may be , for example , less than 200 mmhg , preferably 1 to 50 mmhg . the drying treatment can be monitored by measuring the solvent amount in the crystals . usually , the drying will be completed in 1 to 48 hours . the dried product is then placed in presence of room humidity , rh about 40 - 60 %, preferably rh 45 - 50 %, for a period of time from 5 ′ to 1 hour , preferably from 15 to 30 minutes , even more preferably for about 20 ′, so as to obtain the crystalline nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate of the present invention crystalline nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate may be also prepared by subjecting amorphous nemorubicin hydrochloride to a procedure analogous to that described above . x - ray powder diffraction analyses were performed using a thermo / arl xtra apparatus based on bragg - brentano geometry with a cu kα generator working at 45 kv / 40 ma ( 1 . 8 kw power ) and a peltier - cooled solid - state detector . the spectral range was from 2 to 40 2θ , explored with a single continuous scan acquisition at a rate of 1 . 2 degree / min ( steps of 0 . 020 ° and acquisition time of 1 second / step . the sample was loaded on a low background silicon plate by flattening the powder on its surface by gently pressing with a flat spatula . the obtained patterns were reported in intensity ( cps — counts per second ) vs . 2 0 ( two - theta ) angle ( deg ) charts . hygroscopicity tests were performed by means of a dvs 1000 apparatus ( sms ) allowing dynamic water vapour sorption analysis . multiple sorption / desorption cycles between 0 % and 90 % rh were performed at 25 ° c . the equipment is a “ controlled atmosphere microbalance ” where the weighed sample is exposed to controlled variations of the relative humidity ( rh ) at a constant temperature . differential scanning calorimetry analysis was carried out with a perkin - elmer dsc - 7 apparatus . aluminum dsc pans ( volume of 50 μl with holes ) were loaded with 2 ÷ 4 mg of sample . an aluminum disc was placed over the powder in order to obtain a thin layer and improve thermal exchange . the sample was analyzed at least in duplicate under nitrogen flow at a heating rate of 10 ° c / min over the range 30 - 250 ° c . indium , tin and lead ( loc certified reference materials ) were used to assess the calibration of the apparatus with regard to the temperature scale and the enthalpy response . the starting materials for preparing form a , can be obtained by a variety of procedures well known to those of ordinary skill in the art . for example , nemorubicin hydrochloride as amorphous can be prepared by the general procedure taught by the above - cited us patents . the following examples illustrate but do not limit the scope of the invention . 1 . 0 g of nemorubicin hydrochloride amorphous , prepared as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 304 , 687 , was dissolved in 10 ml of methanol at room temperature . the mixture was left for 20 days at room temperature and then filtered . the product was dried in vacuo at 20 - 25 ° c . for 18 hours and then placed in a chamber in presence of humidity ( rh 40 - 50 %) for 20 minutes . nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate formulation in capsule can be prepared with common fillers and excipients . compositions for the 1 mg and 2 . 5 mg unit dosage strengths are here below presented . experimental batches were prepared using mortar and pestle with batch size of about 25 - 50 g . required amount of active ingredient and an amount of filler equivalent in volume were passed through 400 - 500 μm net and gently blended into the mortar . then aliquot of filler equivalent in volume to the mortar content was added and pestle mixing continued . the previous step was continued until the addition of filler was completed . the final blend obtained was distributed into hard gelatin capsules . to increase dose flexibility , formulations useful for automatic capsules filling process are prepared starting from prototypes described in the above example . lubricant is added to avoid sticking to pistons of dosing tubes . application of volumetric dosing tubes allows use of single formulation to prepare capsules with different strengths . two formulations are shown covering strength ranges between 1 - 4 mg and 2 . 5 - 10 mg respectively . the capsule size and filling weight corresponding to different strengths are listed in the following table the capsule size and filling weight corresponding to different strengths are listed in the following table starting from compositions proposed in the above examples , formulation for nemorubicin hydrochloride dihydrate tablets can be defined . in this case lactose , mannitol and pregelatinized starch grade is suitable for direct compression process , microcrystalline cellulose is added to improve compressibility and the amount of lubricant is slightly increased to reduce sticking risk to punches and help ejection from dies .	2
one or more implementations of the present disclosure relate to ammunition storage and delivery in firearms . more particularly , one or more implementations of the present disclosure relate to the delivery of shotgun shells from a tubular magazine to a firing chamber by a follower and a magazine spring . referring to fig1 , a compression follower according to the present disclosure includes , generally , a follower body 100 , a spring 200 , and a follower tail 300 . the follower body 100 may be generally cylindrical in shape with a diameter that substantially matches but is smaller than the diameter of a tubular magazine . the follower body need not be cylindrical , however . the follower body may be an octagon , hexagon , pentagon , or other polygon in cross - section . in the case of a polygonal follower body , the diameter of the circle ascribed by the vertices of the polygon should substantially match but be smaller than the diameter of a tubular magazine . references to “ diameter ” hereinafter should be understood to encompass polygons ascribing circles of such diameter . the terms “ approximately ”, “ about ”, and “ substantially ” as used herein represent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result . for example , the terms “ approximately ”, “ about ”, and “ substantially ” may refer to an amount that varies within less than 10 % of , within less than 5 % of , within less than 1 % of , within less than 0 . 1 % of , and within less than 0 . 01 % of the stated amount . in the present example , the follower body should have a diameter that closely matches the diameter of the inner wall of the magazine , but may vary dependent on the length of the follower body . more specifically , a longer body is less likely to rotate in the magazine and the diameter of the body may be smaller in relation to the magazine diameter while rotating less , and thereby reducing the chance of ammunition delivery failure . in an embodiment , the ratio of follower body length to follower body diameter (“ l - d ratio ”) is greater than about 1 . in another embodiment , the l - d ratio is less than about 1 . in yet another embodiment , the l - d ratio is less than about 0 . 8 . in yet another embodiment , the l - d ratio is less than about 0 . 5 . the compression follower may be adapted to work with a variety of gauges , such as 10 , 12 , 16 , 20 , 28 , 0 . 410 , or other gauge . an outer diameter of the body may be such that the body can slide freely within the magazine but not turn sideways . the follower body and tail may be made of stainless steel , aluminum , delrin ® and / or any other machinable material . in addition , the follower may include a coating to increase wear resistance and / or decrease friction with the magazine . referring now to fig2 , shotguns may be used in situations that allow dirt and debris to enter the magazine , either during transport or during the loading process of the firearm . prior art followers can jam due to debris in the magazine tube lodging between the interior wall of the magazine and the follower . the body may have longitudinal grooves 102 in the outer wall 104 of the body to allow the compression follower to move past debris . in addition , the grooves 102 in the body may accommodate the installation of the compression follower into remington ® stock tubular magazines or similar magazines . the grooves 102 may be flat , stepped , concave , convex , may vary in shape and / or curvature along their length , or may be otherwise shaped . a compression follower may include additional openings or apertures to reduce the weight of the follower or to aid in machining , tooling , and / or manufacture of the follower . for example , as in the embodiments shown in fig9 and 10 , a follower body 400 may include an opening or aperture at the proximal surface of the proximal end 428 . fig3 a depicts an assembled compression follower 10 . a proximal end 302 of the follower tail may be disposed or partially disposed within a distal end 106 of the follower body , with the spring 200 disposed therebetween . as shown in fig3 b , the follower body 100 has a cavity 108 that is open at a distal end 110 . the distal end 110 of the cavity 108 may have a lip or flange 112 . when the follower is assembled , the compression spring 200 may be disposed within the cavity 108 and configured to push the follower body 100 and follower tail 300 apart . in the illustrated embodiment , an expansion force is supplied by a coil spring , but an expansion force may be applied to the follower body 100 and follower tail 300 by other types of springs ( e . g ., leaf springs ), pistons , or other resilient and / or elastic members , expansion devices , or combinations thereof . a proximal end 202 of the spring may mate with a recess 114 in the cavity 108 to hold the spring 200 in line with the axis of the follower body 100 and tail 300 . for example , the spring 200 may be press fit into the recess 114 , such that the proximal end 202 of the spring is retained within the recess 114 or there may be a post ( not shown ) in the proximal end 116 of the cavity 108 configured to retain and align the proximal portion 202 of spring . in other embodiments , a spring may be joined to a cavity of a follower body by adhesives , welding , clamps , pins , or other means of securing a spring in position . as shown in fig4 , a distal end 204 of the spring 200 may mate with a recess 304 in the follower tail 300 . the follower tail 300 may have an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of the cavity 108 in the follower body 100 such that the follower tail 300 may slide into the follower body 100 when the device is compressed . the follower tail 300 may include one or more tabs 306 to enable a press or snap fit between the compression follower body 100 and the compression follower tail 300 . for example , the one or more tabs 306 may be configured to engage with or abut against a lip or flange 112 of the follower body 100 to stop further movement of the follower tail 300 as the follower tail 300 is pushed toward the distal end 106 of the follower body by the spring 200 and / or is pushed out of the cavity 108 . in other embodiments , other stops may be used in order to maintain the follower tail 300 in position within the follower body 100 and / or to prevent dissociation of the follower tail 300 and follower body 100 . for example , pins , braces , latches , snap rings , or a combination of these or other stops may be employed . the follower tail 300 may also be striated , channeled , fluted , or otherwise slotted to aid in the press or snap fit , as well as reduce the weight of the follower . reducing the weight of the follower can be advantageous because it reduces the swing weight of the firearm and can improve handling of the firearm . the connection of the tail 300 to the body 100 may also include a threaded cap , clips , or other retention devices or combinations thereof to ensure the tail 300 cannot slide out of the body 100 . in a particular embodiment , as shown in fig5 and 6 , a compression follower in accordance with the present disclosure may include a follower body 400 , a spring 500 , and a follower tail 600 . fig5 depicts an exploded view of such an embodiment . in the embodiment illustrated in fig5 , for example , a follower body 400 includes one or more key members 418 extending from a distal surface of the follower body 400 ( see also fig9 ). the one or more key members 418 may be uniform in size and shape and may be equally radially spaced along the distal end 406 of the follower body 400 , as shown in fig5 and 6 . in other embodiments , one or more key members may not be evenly radially spaced , or may be non - uniform in size and shape . the one or more key members 418 preferably extend a distance radially inward from the distal end 406 of the follower body 400 , and are configured to fit into and mate with one or more keyways 612 included in a follower tail 600 . the follower tail 600 may include one or more keyways 612 configured to receive the one or more key members 418 of the follower body 400 . for example , a keyway 612 may include an opening 618 at the proximal end 602 of the follower tail 600 such that the keyway 612 extends all the way through the proximal end 602 of the follower tail 600 , and such that a key member 418 may be inserted into the keyway 612 at the keyway opening 618 . a keyway 612 may also include a locking section 614 configured to maintain the position of a key member 418 within the locking section 614 and away from an opening 618 in the keyway 612 . for example , a keyway 612 may extend toward a distal end 610 of the follower tail 600 before turning or angling around at an angled section 616 and extending back toward the proximal end 602 of the follower tail 600 to define a locking section 614 . a locking section 614 of a key member 612 does not extend fully through the proximal end 602 of the follower tail 600 , such that a key member 418 within the locking section 614 cannot pass through the proximal end 602 of the follower tail 600 without passing back through the angled section 616 and out of the keyway opening 618 . fig6 illustrates an assembled compression follower . the proximal end 602 of the follower tail 600 may be disposed or partially disposed within a distal end 406 of the follower body 400 , with the spring 500 disposed between the follower body 400 and follower tail 600 . the follower tail 600 may have an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of a cavity 408 of the follower body 400 such that the follower tail 600 may slide into the follower body 400 when the device is compressed . when such a compression follower is assembled , the compression spring 500 may be disposed within the cavity 408 of the follower body 400 and configured to push the follower body 400 and follower tail 600 apart . for example , a spring 500 may be joined to the follower body 400 and / or follower tail 600 by press fitting into a recess of the follower body 400 and / or a recess of the follower tail 600 , as described above in relation to other embodiments ( see , e . g ., fig3 b and 4 ). in the particular embodiment shown in fig5 and 6 , the follower body 400 may be joined to the follower tail 600 by inserting one or more key members 418 of the follower body 400 into the one or more keyways 612 configured for receiving the corresponding one or more key members 418 . the follower body 400 and the follower tail 600 may then be positioned relative to one another ( e . g ., rotated ) such that the one or more key members 418 pass through the one or more angled sections 616 and are positioned within the one or more locking sections 614 . in this configuration , the spring 500 may force the follower body 400 and the follower tail 600 apart , and as the device compresses and expands , the follower body 400 will remain joined to the follower tail 600 by the position of the one or more key members 418 within the locking section ( s ) 614 of the one or more keyways 612 . as shown in fig7 , the outer diameter of the follower tail 300 may also be less than that of an inner diameter of a magazine spring 42 to enable the tail 300 to extend through the center of the magazine spring 42 , thereby encouraging axially aligned compression and expansion of the magazine spring 42 and aligning the compression follower 10 axially within the magazine . in one embodiment , the ratio of follower body length to follower tail length (“ b - t ratio ”) is less than about 1 . in another embodiment , the b - t ratio is greater than about 1 . in yet another embodiment , the b - t ratio is greater than about 1 . 5 . in yet another embodiment , the b - t ratio is greater than about 2 . in yet another embodiment , the b - t ratio is greater than about 3 . the follower tail 300 may also be tapered toward a distal end to more reliably expand into the magazine spring 42 without catching on the coils . the tail 300 may alternatively include a plurality of pieces of decreasing diameter joined in a manner similar to the way in which any of the components of the other embodiments are joined , as previously described ( e . g ., in a manner similar to the way in which the tail 300 is connected to the body 100 ), to create a telescoping tail . in an extended state , the plurality of pieces may be extended by the spring 200 . the plurality of pieces may be connected as described above in relation to connecting a follower body to a follower tail ( e . g ., using a snap or press fit with a lip or flange or by locking keyways or by other retention devices or combination thereof ). in a compressed state , the plurality of pieces would each slide into the cavity 108 in an axially aligned , concentric relationship . a telescoping tail would enable longer extension and , in addition , would intrinsically include the advantageous tapering of the tail previously mentioned . referring to fig8 a - 8c , a compression follower 10 ( shown compressed in fig8 b and expanded in fig8 c ) may replace a standard follower 20 ( shown in fig8 a ) in a tubular magazine 40 . the compression follower 10 is disposed within the tubular magazine 40 in an expanded form , similar to the prior art “ performance follower ” 30 with a rigid follower tail , until the magazine 40 is loaded to capacity . as shells 50 are loaded into the magazine 40 , the shells 50 may push against the follower body 100 , and the follower body 100 , in turn , may push against and compress the magazine spring 42 . as can be seen in fig8 d - 8f , upon insertion of the final shell 52 into the magazine 40 , the follower tail 300 may contact a magazine cap 44 or other end of the magazine 40 . however , upon contacting the end of the magazine 44 , the compression follower tail 300 may slide into the compression follower body 100 , compressing to the size of the prior art “ standard follower ” 20 and allowing the full magazine capacity . the tail 300 need not compress fully into the follower body 100 , but only enough to permit loading of the full capacity of the magazine . likewise , the compression follower 10 operates to expand upon delivery of a first shell from the magazine to the firing chamber . when the first ( final loaded ) shell is delivered to the firing chamber and the line of ammunition moves away from the forward end of the magazine , the compression follower spring 200 expands and the compression follower tail 300 extends . upon extension , the tail slides into the inner diameter of the magazine spring 42 , and the configuration returns to that of fig8 a - 8c . fig9 illustrates another view of an embodiment of a follower body 400 according to the present disclosure . in the embodiment shown in fig9 , the distal end 406 of the follower body 400 includes a collar section 420 that is substantially solid ( e . g ., is substantially free of cutouts , voids , etc .). in other embodiments , the collar section 420 may not be substantially flat and / or substantially solid . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 a and 10b , for example , the collar section 420 includes a circumferential cutaway or recess ( e . g ., a trepan cut ), extending from the distal end 406 of the follower body 400 a distance toward a proximal end 428 of the follower body 400 , thereby forming a receptacle area 422 disposed between an outer collar 424 and an inner collar 426 of the follower body 400 . the cutaway or recess forming the receptacle area 422 may extend from the distal end 406 of the follower body 400 to the proximal end 428 of the follower body 400 without passing completely through the proximal end 428 . for example , the receptacle area 422 may be as deep as possible while still maintaining the structural integrity of the follower body 400 , such as extending through about 80 % or more of the length of the follower body 400 . alternatively , the cutaway or recess forming the receptacle area 422 may extend only partially through the length of the follower body 400 , such as extending through less than about 80 % of the length in some embodiments , or less than about 65 % in other embodiments . in other embodiments , the receptacle area 422 may extend less than about 50 % or even less than about 35 %. in yet other embodiments , the receptacle area 422 may extend through about 20 % of the length of the follower body 400 or less . fig1 a - 11c illustrate a compression follower ( shown compressed in fig1 b and expanded in fig1 c ) that may replace a standard follower ( shown in fig1 a ) in a tubular magazine . an embodiment of a compression follower may include a follower body 400 including a receptacle area 422 configured to receive a magazine spring 42 or portion thereof . as described above in relation to fig8 a and 8b , as shells 50 are loaded into the magazine 40 , the shells 50 push against the follower body 400 , and the follower body 400 , in turn , may push against and compress the magazine spring 42 . upon insertion of the final shell 52 into the magazine 40 , the follower tail 600 may contact a magazine cap 44 or other end of the magazine 40 , whereupon the follower tail 600 may slide into the follower body 400 , compressing the length of the compression follower device . in the particular embodiment shown in fig1 , the magazine spring 42 may also enter and be positioned within the receptacle area 422 of the follower body 400 and / or may be secured or attached therein . in some embodiments , this may allow further compression of space within the magazine 40 and ability to reach full magazine capacity . the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the disclosure is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope . additionally , any combination of the featured disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments can be combined , such that components and elements from one embodiment may be incorporated into and / or replace elements from any of the other embodiments described herein .	5
as previously indicated , prior workers have identified the sulfactive metallic oxide and metallic sulfide constituents which can be used in sour gas ( i . e . synthesis gas streams containing sulfur compounds ) conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and hydrogen . thus , reitz and lorenz have , early on , identified the catalyst mixtures of sulfides or oxides of the transition elements listed in groups va and viia of the periodic system as hereinafter defined as a sulfide of cobalt or nickel either alone or on carriers . the term &# 34 ; transition element &# 34 ; listed in the groups va , via and viia of the periodic system as used in the specification refers to the periodic system prepared and published by the radio corporation of america , includes the elements of vanadium , niobium , tantalum , chromium , molybdenum , tungsten , uranium , manganese and rhenium . as a matter of commercial practice , however , the catalytic constituents have reasonably well defined themselves as oxides or sulfides of cobalt , nickel or molybdenum . further , the prior art workers have found that certain carriers have a rather profound effect upon the activity of the catalyst in the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in gas streams containing sulfur compounds . thus , lorenz and others have found that zinc aluminate spinels and magnesium aluminate spinels produce a definite effect upon the activity of the sulfactive catalyst which again they identify as the sulfides of transition elements of group vi of the periodic system admixed with cobalt or nickel . additionally , many investigators have reported the promotional effect of alkali metal compounds in these reactions . thus , for example , aldridge , et . al ., of esso research and development set forth in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 850 , 840 and 3 , 850 , 841 , the promotional effect of an alkali metal compound derived from an acid having an ionization constant less than 1 × 10 - 3 in conjunction with the known sulfactive oxides and sulfides previously set forth . however , insofar as we are aware , no one has so far demonstrated the synergistic promotional effect of manganese dioxide or sulfide to the alkali promoted sulfactive catalyst . our researches have shown that even at temperatures as low as 450 ° f ., that or sulfide manganese dioxide and potassium carbonate impregnated onto the conventional cobalt oxide and molybdenum oxide catalyst on spinel or gamma alumina carriers enhances the activity of the catalyst by a factor of 1 . 5 to 2 times . additionally , the b . e . t . surface area of the catalytic carrier and the total catalyst seems to have very little influence on the activity of the catalyst . thus , for example , some of the spinel carriers had initial surface areas of less than 100 m 2 / gm and surface areas after use of as low as 5 to 6 m 2 / gm . on the other hand , the stabilized alumina catalyst in which the gamma aluminum oxide was stabilized by the addition of small amounts of rare earth metal oxides ( as disclosed in the dienes and hausberger u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 153 , 580 and 4 , 233 , 180 ) had initial surface areas in the neighborhood of 125 to 150 m 2 / gm with very little loss of surface area after use . in some of the cases , the alumina had relatively high surface area identified as the gamma phase . in other instances , the alumina was in the alpha phase and in some instances the x - ray diffraction showed both alpha and gamma phases in the catalyst . the addition of manganese dioxide to the carrier without the alkali metal compound had little effect on the activity of the catalyst . alkali metal in the form of potassium carbonate added to the catalyst had a substantial effect , as had previously been reported . further , the spinel carriers served to enhance the activity of the sulfactive catalyst . however , the activity of the sulfactive catalytic constituents supported on the spinel carriers and alumina carriers were considerably improved and comparable to each other when doubly promoted with the potassium carbonate and manganese oxide or sulfide constituents . this was particularly true at low temperatures . the composition of the catalyst can vary through a limited range . the oxide or sulfide of cobalt should be present in a weight concentration of from at least 2 % to about 10 %. molybdenum oxide or molybdenum sulfide should be present in a concentration by weight of from about 5 % to 20 %. the alkali metal compound is preferably present in the form of potassium carbonate . the carrier material may be aluminum oxide in the gamma form or in the alpha form , or may be present in the form of a spinel , such as a zinc - aluminate spinel or a magnesium - aluminate spinel . the spinel constituent may be present in a concentration by weight in the range of from about 5 % to about 95 % of the total of the aluminous carrier . the manganese constituent , on the other hand , is effective in weight concentrations of as low as 0 . 1 %, by preferably is available in concentrations by weight of between 0 . 1 % and 5 %. this catalyst is a cobalt molybdate on magnesium alumnate extrusions . the 1 / 8 &# 34 ; extrusions had the following composition . ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 2 . 99 moo . sub . 3 10 . 9 mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 balance______________________________________ twenty - five pounds of hydrated alumina were placed into a blender along with 53 grams of spray - dried silica . to this were added slowly 362 grams of high lanthanum rare earth nitrate solution dissolved in 30 pounds of deionized water . the entire mixture was blended until homogeneous . the homogeneous mixture was dried at 300 ° f . to a level of 25 percent loss of ignition . the dried material was granulated and mixed with 3 percent of aluminum stearate . the mixture was tableted and thereafter calcined at 1250 ° f . these tablets were immersed in an aqueous cobalt - molybdenum ammine solution , dried , and calcined again at 900 ° f . the finished catalyst contained by analysis : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 3 . 60 moo . sub . 3 15 . 5 reo ** 1 . 8 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 4 . 5 moo . sub . 3 15 . 0 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ the surface area of this catalyst , measured by nitrogen absorption , was 130 m 2 / g for the new catalyst and 74 m 2 / g for the used catalyst . the spheres of example 3 were impregnated by immersion into an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate . the catalyst was immersed and dried and immersed and dried until a concentration of 12 percent k 2 co 3 was obtained . the catalyst was then calcined at a temperature of 800 ° f . this catalyst had an initial surface area measured by nitrogen absorption of 74 m 2 / g and a surface area in the used state of 70 m 2 / g . this preparation has magnesium aluminate spinel as the support . magnesium aluminate spinel has both chemical and physical properties which are unique and which result in a support having high thermal resistance to the catalyst applied to the support migrating into the support interstitially . the magnesium aluminate support was prepared by mixing 28 . 3 parts mgo , 63 . 7 parts alpha alumina ( 10 - 15 m 2 / g surface area ) and 8 . 0 parts alumina ( acid reactive boehmite type ) with a nitric acid solution . after drying , granulating , and blending with a lubricant , the particles were compressed into tablets 3 / 16 &# 34 ; in diameter and 1 / 8 &# 34 ; in height . the tablets were then dried and calcined at 1600 ° f . and incorporated into a catalyst via solution impregnation and calcination for a nominal composition of 4 % of coo and 16 % moo 3 . the analyzed product contained : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 3 . 87 moo . sub . 3 14 . 6 mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 balance______________________________________ the surface area of the new product , measured by nitrogen absorption , was 7 . 8 m 2 / g and the surface area of the used product was 7 . 2 m 2 / g . the catalysts prepared in accordance with example 5 in the form of 1 / 8 × 3 / 16 &# 34 ; tablets were immersed in a solution of potassium carbonate and dried and reimmersed and dried for a sufficient time that the finished tablets contained 4 percent by weight of potassium carbonate k 2 co 3 . these catalysts were then calcined at 800 ° f . these tablets had a nominal composition : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 3 . 87 moo . sub . 3 14 . 6 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 4 mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 balance______________________________________ the catalyst tablets prepared according to example 5 were immersed into a solution of manganese nitrate . the immersed tablets were thereafter dried and calcined at 1600 ° f . for sufficient time to convert the manganese nitrate over to manganese dioxide ( mno 2 ). these catalysts contained on analysis : the surface area was not run on the new catalyst but the used catalyst had a surface area as measured by nitrogen absorption of 3 . 4 m 2 / g . catalyst tablets prepared in accordance with example 5 were immersed into a solution of potassium carbonate and dried and reimmersed and dried until 4 percent by weight of potassium carbonate was added to the catalyst by impregnation . this catalyst was then calcined at 800 ° f . the calcined catalyst was then immersed into an aqueous solution of manganese nitrate and the manganese nitrate impregnated catalyst was recalcined at 800 ° f . to convert the manganese nitrate to manganese dioxide . due to the fact that the manganese nitrate solution is acidic , the catalyst was impregnated by exact solution dipping . multiple dips , therefore , are avoided to prevent dissolution of the k 2 co 3 . the surface area of the catalyst after use , as measured by nitrogen absorption , was 6 . 6 m 2 / g . while surface area measurements were not run on the new catalyst , they were run on some other preparations of the same components and were in the range of 6 . 1 to 7 . 8 in the new state , again , as measured by nitrogen absorption . the catalyst spheres prepared according to example 4 were immersed by exact dipping into a solution of manganese nitrate so as to incorporate 1 % by weight manganese dioxide ( expressed as the oxide ) onto the catalyst . the catalyst was thereafter dried and calcined at 800 ° f . to convert the nitrate to the oxide . this catalyst had a surface area in the new state as measured by nitrogen absorption of 175 m 2 / g and in the used state of 140 m 2 / g . the composition was as follows : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 3 . 80 moo . sub . 3 14 . 77 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 11 . 11 mno . sub . 3 0 . 82 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ x - ray diffraction measurement of the used catalyst showed both gamma and alpha phases of alumina . another catalyst was prepared by the same method as described in example 8 , except that the potassium carbonate concentration was increased from 4 percent to 10 percent . the manganese dioxide concentration remained the same . the composition of the new catalyst was as follows : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 3 . 24 moo . sub . 3 17 . 5 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 7 . 81 mno . sub . 2 . 23 mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 balance______________________________________ the catalyst of this example was again prepared in the same manner as example 10 except that the manganese dioxide concentration was increased from 1 percent to 2 percent . the composition of the new catalyst by analysis was : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 2 . 15 moo . sub . 3 16 . 5 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 7 . 91 mno . sub . 2 1 . 53 mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 balance______________________________________ this catalyst was prepared in the same method of example 9 except that the potassium carbonate concentration was decreased to 10 percent and the manganese dioxide increased to 2 percent . the nominal composition of this catalyst was : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 4 . 0 moo . sub . 3 16 . 0 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 10 . 0 mno . sub . 2 2 . 0 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ this catalyst was prepared by the same method as example 12 except that the potassium carbonate concentration was reduced to 4 percent and the manganese dioxide remained at the 2 percent level . the catalyst support in this case was manganesium aluminate , prepared in the method described in example 5 except that the mgal 2 o 4 carrier was calcined at 1200 ° f . rather than 1600 ° f . the calcined tablets were then immersed into a cobalt - molybdenum ammine solution and dried . this procedure was repeated a sufficient number of times so that the cobalt oxide concentration was about 4 percent and the molybdenum oxide concentration was about 16 percent . thereafter , the catalyst was dried and calcined and after cooling was then immersed into a potassium carbonate solution and dried to impregnate onto the catalyst 10 percent by weight of potassium carbonate . this catalyst was then calcined and cooled and manganese nitrate impregnated thereon by exact dipping to obtain 1 percent mno 2 . the catalyst was again calcined to convert the manganese nitrate to the oxide at a concentration of about 1 percent . the surface area of the new catalyst , as measured by nitrogen absorption , was 69 m 2 / g , whereas the surface area of the used catalyst was in the neighborhood of 7 m 2 / g . the nominal composition was as follows : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 4 . 0 moo . sub . 3 16 . 0 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 10 . 0 mno . sub . 2 1 . 0 mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 balance______________________________________ this catalyst was prepared identically to that of example 14 , except for omission of the final impregnation of the catalyst in the manganese nitrate solution . as a consequence , the catalyst contained no manganese dioxide but was otherwise identical . the surface area of the new catalyst was 65 . 0 m 2 / g and the used catalyst was 4 . 3 m 2 / g . the catalyst of this example was prepared by the same method as that of catalyst 12 except that only 1 percent of manganese dioxide was impregnated onto the catalyst rather than 2 percent . the surface area of the new catalyst was 190 m 2 / g and surface area of the used catalyst was 107 m 2 / g . ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 4 . 0 moo . sub . 3 16 . 0 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 10 . 0 mno . sub . 2 1 . 0 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ all the alumina in the new catalyst was in the gamma phase . the alumina of the used catalyst was found to be in both the alpha phase and the gamma phase . the catalyst of example 2 was immersed into a solution of potassium carbonate and calcined a sufficient number of times to impregnate 10 percent by weight of potassium carbonate thereon . this catalyst was then immersed only once into a manganese nitrate solution to add 1 . 0 percent of manganese dioxide to the finished catalyst by exact dipping . during calcination at a temperature of 800 ° f ., the manganese nitrate was converted to manganese dioxide . ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 4 . 0 moo . sub . 3 16 . 0 reo 6 . 3 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 10 . 0 mno . sub . 2 1 . 0 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ alumina tablets , consisting of gamma alumina in the form of 1 / 8 × 3 / 16 &# 34 ; tablets , were immersed into a cobalt - molybdenum ammine solution of such concentration to add about 4 . 0 percent cobalt oxide and 16 percent molybdenum oxide to the catalyst . upon calcination , the metal salts were converted over to metal oxides . thereafter , the calcined catalyst was immersed in a potassium carbonate solution . the catalyst then containing 10 percent by weight of potassium carbonate was calcined at 800 ° f . and the calcined and cooled catalyst was then immersed once in a manganese nitrate solution so that 1 percent by weight of manganese expressed as the oxide was added by exact dipping . this catalyst was again calcined at 800 ° f . the physical properties of the finished catalyst showed that the new catalyst had a surface area of 124 m 2 / g as measured by nitrogen absorption whereas the finished catalyst had a surface area of 24 m 2 / g . x - ray diffraction measurements of the new catalyst showed that the alumina existed both in the gamma and the alpha phases . ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 4 . 0 moo . sub . 3 16 . 0 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 10 . 0 mno . sub . 2 1 . 0 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ the catalyst prepared in accordance with example 2 was immersed in a solution of potassium carbonate . this procedure was continued with intermittent drying steps until the potassium carbonate concentration reached 10 percent . thereafter , the catalyst was calcined at 800 ° f . the calcined and cooled catalyst was then immersed into a manganese nitrate solution to impregnate onto the catalyst 1 percent by weight expressed as the oxide of manganese and the catalyst was then calcined at 800 ° f . as previously described . the surface area of this catalyst was 122 m 2 / g in the new state . the catalyst contained gamma alumina . ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 4 . 0 moo . sub . 3 16 . 0 reo 6 . 0 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 10 . 0 mno . sub . 2 1 . 0 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ this catalyst was prepared identically to the method of example 16 . the finished catalyst contained the following : ______________________________________ constituent % ______________________________________ coo 4 . 0 moo . sub . 3 16 . 0 k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 10 . 0 mno . sub . 2 1 . 0 al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 balance______________________________________ the surface area of the new catalyst was 86 m 2 / g and of the used catalyst , 45 m 2 / g . x - ray diffraction indicated that the alumina existed in the alpha phase in both the new and used catalyst . in the used catalyst , the å size of the alumina was about 2000 . the used catalyst also contained molybdenum sulfide ( mos 2 ), having an å size of 164 . the activity test results on the sour gas shift catalysts are given in tables i and ii . the conditions of the tests are shown therein . thus , in table i , the dry gas space velocity was 4500 vol / vol - hr . as is shown , gas space velocity relates to the velocity of gas under standard conditions per volume of catalyst per hour . in table i , the doubly promoted potassium carbonate / manganese oxide catalyst shown in example 9 was chosen as the standard . thus , it was assigned a relative activity of 100 and all the other catalysts were measured in relation to this catalyst . the steam - to - gas ratio , the pressure and the catalyst volume are all shown on the table . at each temperature tested , i . e ., 450 ° f ., 550 ° f . and 650 ° f ., there is indicated the approach - to - equilibrium in degrees fahrenheit at that operating temperature . approach - to - equilibrium is defined as the number of degrees required above the operating temperature at which the outlet composition would be at thermodynamic equilibrium . thus , since lower temperatures favor the desired reaction of carbon monoxide and steam to co 2 and hydrogen , the lower the approach - to - equilibrium figure , the higher the activity that can be accorded to the catalyst . referring now to table i , it will be seen that under standard conditions operating at 450 ° , catalyst 9 , which is the cobalt oxide - molybdenum oxide on alumina promoted with 12 percent potassium carbonate and 1 percent manganese oxide , had a relative activity of 100 in the sulfided state while the same composition of cobalt , molybdenum on the magnesium aluminate spinel catalyst had a relative activity of 101 . the potassium concentration of catalyst 8 was only 4 % as compared to 12 %. however , at 550 °, the relative activity of catalyst 8 was 128 , versus 100 for the standard catalyst . at 650 ° the relative activity was 135 to 100 . further , at 650 ° f ., catalyst 8 was operating at equilibrium . the catalyst of example 7 had the same composition as the catalyst of example 8 except for the omission of potassium carbonate . this catalyst ( example 7 ) had a relative activity of only 21 at 450 ° f ., 25 at 550 ° f ., and 24 at 650 ° f . thus , the addition of manganese dioxide to the standard cobalt molybdenum catalyst supported on the magnesium aluminate spinel without the alkali metal component promoter had no appreciable promotional effect on the catalyst . referring to example 6 , in which this catalyst has the same composition as example 8 , but without the manganese oxide , the relative activity of the catalyst of example 6 was only 38 at 450 ° f ., 17 at 550 ° f ., and 19 at 650 ° f . this catalyst , in other words , had slightly less activity than the commercial catalyst , of example 2 , which was also unpromoted . the beneficial effect of potassium carbonate is clearly shown in the example 4 in which 12 percent potassium carbonate showed a 65 relative activity at 450 ° f . and a 47 percent relative activity at 650 ° f . nevertheless , even though the beneficial effect of the spinel carriers and the beneficial effects of the potassium carbonate promoters are clearly demonstrated , the beneficial effect of the double promotion is 1 to 2 times that of the individual constituents . referring now to table ii , the space velocity of the activity test was increased from 4500 to 6750 vol / vol - hr . otherwise , the conditions remained identical . thus , for example , in examples 10 and 11 , in which the identical composition was maintained on the magnesium aluminate carrier , the addition of an additional 1 percent mno 2 in example 11 to raise that constituent from 1 percent to 2 percent did not increase the activity , and , in fact , decreased it slightly . the relative activity of example 10 , as can be seen at 450 ° f . was 56 . 8 , whereas the activity of example 11 was 46 . 6 . the same catalyst containing 2 percent manganese dioxide and 10 percent potassium carbonate in example 12 had an activity of 48 . 9 . reducing the potassium carbonate from 10 percent to 4 percent , in example 13 , however , reduced the relative activity down to 16 . 6 . that catalyst of example 14 , however , showed an extremely good relative activity of 99 . 4 . this catalyst was supported on the magnesium aluminate spinel , but was calcined at 1200 ° f . rather than 1600 ° f . as had been the case with examples 10 and 11 . omitting the manganese oxide constituent in example 15 resulted in an activity of 69 . 5 as compared to 99 . 4 for example 14 . referring now to examples 19 and 20 , both of these preparations contained essentially the same composition on alumina and each had high relative activities . the relative activity of example 19 was 86 . 4 and 100 for the catalyst of example 20 ( reference standard for table ii ). the addition of potassium compounds has a promotional effect upon the sulfactive metal oxide catalyst . supporting the sulfactive oxides on specific carriers , as for example , magnesium aluminate spinels , zinc aluminate spinels , and alumina also appears to enhance the activity of the catalyst . the sulfactive metal oxide components comprise cobalt oxide , cobalt sulfide , nickel sulfide , nickel oxide , in combination with an oxide of a transition element of groups v through vii and sulfides of the transition elements of groups v through vii of the periodic system of elements . this invention , however , shows that the addition of a metal oxide of a fourth period metal such as manganese dioxide , to these known components in relatively small percentages produces a synergistic effect with the potassium promoter upon the catalytic activity . we have found that the activity of the doubly - promoted catalyst is 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 fold that of the singly - promoted catalysts containing potassium carbonate or manganese dioxide alone . it is felt , therefore , that we have provided to the art a doubly - promoted catalyst for the conversion of carbon monoxide with steam to carbon dioxide and hydrogen in sour gas and a catalyst having unexpectedly high activity at low temperatures . the examples given herein were meant to be exemplary in nature and nonlimiting except so as to be commensurate in scope with the appended claims . table i__________________________________________________________________________activity test results on sour gas shift catalystsconditions : dry gas space velocity = 1500 inlet gas composition : % co = 6 . 0 steam / gas ratio = 1 : 1 % co . sub . 2 = 32 . 0 pressure ( psig ) = 412 % n . sub . 2 = 2 . 0 catalyst vol . ( cc ) = 15 % h . sub . 2 s 0 . 25 % h . sub . 2 = balance example 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9__________________________________________________________________________temp . ° f . 650 % co inlet 5 . 95 5 . 95 5 . 31 4 . 75 5 . 56 4 . 77 5 . 50 5 . 50 5 . 77 % co exit 1 . 98 2 . 29 2 . 05 1 . 44 2 . 68 1 . 50 2 . 30 1 . 23 1 . 16 approach (° f .) 98 . 00 127 . 00 102 . 00 32 . 00 155 . 00 44 . 00 110 . 00 0 2 . 00 relative activity * 32 . 00 26 . 20 27 . 70 47 . 30 19 . 20 42 . 50 24 . 10 135 . 00 100 . 00550 % co inlet 5 . 86 5 . 86 5 . 51 4 . 81 5 . 74 4 . 85 5 . 50 5 . 50 5 . 89 % co exit 1 . 62 3 . 17 2 . 51 0 . 66 3 . 32 1 . 06 2 . 53 0 . 68 77 . 00 approach (° f .) 209 . 00 285 . 00 248 . 00 16 . 00 297 . 00 84 . 00 229 . 00 8 . 00 25 . 00 relative activity * 86 . 80 19 . 30 27 . 00 114 . 00 17 . 40 61 . 90 25 . 00 128 . 00 100 . 00450 % co inlet 5 . 59 5 . 59 5 . 57 5 . 52 5 . 88 4 . 82 5 . 50 5 . 50 5 . 89 % co exit 1 . 30 4 . 06 3 . 91 0 . 68 3 . 77 1 . 33 2 . 64 0 . 39 0 . 40 approach (° f .) 147 . 00 443 . 00 443 . 00 108 . 00 425 . 00 212 . 00 344 . 00 47 . 00 39 . 00 relative activity * 23 . 20 9 . 10 10 . 10 65 . 60 12 . 80 38 . 00 21 . 40 101 . 00 100 . 00chemical composition ( by percentage ) coo nominal 4 . 50 3 . 87 new 2 . 99 3 . 60 4 . 00 4 . 45 3 . 87 -- 3 . 71 3 . 37 3 . 80 used 2 . 93 2 . 66 3 . 83 3 . 75 3 . 07 -- -- 3 . 18moo . sub . 3 nominal 15 . 00 14 . 60 new 10 . 90 15 . 50 13 . 10 14 . 43 14 . 66 -- 16 . 00 16 . 01 14 . 77 used 9 . 30 12 . 00 14 . 30 16 . 10 12 . 20 -- -- 11 . 93k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3 nominal 0 0 0 12 . 00 0 4 . 00 0 4 . 00 12 . 00 new 13 . 69 0 -- 4 . 57 11 . 11 used 11 . 58 0 5 . 89 7 . 43mno . sub . 2 nominal 1 . 00 1 . 00 1 . 00 new 0 0 . 50 0 . 50 0 . 82 used 0 0 . 69rare nominal 6 . 30earthoxidesal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 bal . bal . bal . mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 bal . bal . physical propertiessurface new 160 . 00 188 . 00 130 . 00 74 . 00 7 . 80 175 . 00area used 131 . 00 59 . 00 74 . 00 70 . 00 7 . 20 3 . 40 6 . 60 140 . 00 ( m . sup . 2 / g ) x - ray new mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 + αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 mgodiffrac - used -- αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3tion αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 50 / 50__________________________________________________________________________ table ii__________________________________________________________________________activity test results on sour gas shift catalystsconditions : dry gas space velocity = 6750 inlet gas composition : % co = 6 . 0 steam / gas ratio = 1 : 1 % co . sub . 2 32 . 0 pressure ( psig ) = 412 % n . sub . 2 2 . 0 catalyst vol . ( cc ) = 15 % h . sub . 2 s 0 . 25 % h . sub . 2 balance catalyst 1011 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20__________________________________________________________________________temp .° f . 650 % co 5 . 57 5 . 57 6 . 21 6 . 14 6 . 14inlet % co 1 . 99 2 . 31 1 . 25 1 . 33 1 . 21exitapproach 112 . 00 142 . 00 9 . 00 11 . 00 2 . 00 (° f . ) relative 30 . 50 24 . 70 77 . 70 70 . 00 100 . 00activ - ity * 550 % co 5 . 53 -- 5 . 84 7 . 14 6 . 92inlet % co 1 . 77 -- 0 . 75 0 . 99 0 . 81exitapproach 161 . 00 -- 27 . 00 69 . 00 40 . 00 (° f . ) relative 40 . 60 -- 110 . 00 81 . 50 100 . 00activ - ity * 450 % co 5 . 52 6 . 52 6 . 06 6 . 06 6 . 08 6 . 08 5 . 45 5 . 45 5 . 84 6 . 92 6 . 92inlet % co 1 . 24 1 . 66 1 . 49 3 . 65 0 . 53 0 . 93 0 . 83 1 . 33 0 . 68 0 . 85 0 . 67exitapproach 186 . 00 236 . 00 220 . 00 404 . 00 74 . 00 147 . 00 139 . 00 209 . 00 88 . 00 159 . 00 124 . 00 (° f . ) relative 56 . 80 45 . 60 48 . 90 16 . 60 99 . 40 69 . 50 72 . 50 51 . 70 80 . 70 86 . 40 100 . 00activ - ity * chemical composition ( by percentage ) coo nominal 4 . 00 4 . 00 4 . 00 4 . 00 4 . 00 4 . 00 4 . 00 4 . 00 4 . 00new 3 . 24 2 . 15 3 . 81 4 . 06 1 . 02 1 . 77 3 . 75 3 . 03 2 . 76 4 . 79 3 . 03used 2 . 93 2 . 03 -- -- 1 . 51 0 . 63 3 . 51 2 . 99 2 . 77 -- 3 . 60moo . sub . 3nominal 16 . 00 16 . 00 16 . 00 16 . 00 16 . 00 16 . 00 16 . 00 16 . 00 16 . 00new 17 . 50 16 . 50 15 . 98 16 . 56 12 . 73 16 . 35 19 . 07 16 . 01 11 . 46 18 . 29 12 . 43used 16 . 40 17 . 20 -- -- 9 . 94 10 . 30 12 . 13 10 . 38 11 . 84 -- 14 . 38k . sub . 2 co . sub . 3nominal 10 . 00 10 . 00 10 . 00 4 . 00 10 . 00 10 . 00 10 . 00 10 . 00 10 . 00 10 . 00 10 . 00new 7 . 81 7 . 91 9 . 30 4 . 09 12 . 28 11 . 75 11 . 70 12 . 68 14 . 81 9 . 81 12 . 29used 6 . 13 7 . 09 -- -- 9 . 29 9 . 90 3 . 90 4 . 43 0 . 61 -- 2 . 99mno . sub . 2nominal 1 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 2 . 00 1 . 00 -- 1 . 00 1 . 00 1 . 00 1 . 00 1 . 00new 0 . 23 1 . 53 1 . 40 1 . 61 -- -- 0 . 67 0 . 99 1 . 05 0 . 94 0 . 71used 0 . 19 1 . 32 -- -- 0 . 61 -- 0 . 67 1 . 07 0 . 81 -- 0 . 83rare nominal 6 . 30earthoxidesal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 bal . bal . bal . mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 bal . bal . physical propertiessurfacenew 109 . 00 122 . 00 62 . 00 144 . 00 69 . 00 65 . 00 190 . 00 161 . 00 124 . 00 122 . 00 86 . 00area used 109 . 00 7 . 00 4 . 30 107 . 00 128 . 00 24 . 00 -- 45 . 00 ( m . sup . 2 / g ) x - raynew αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3diffrac - used αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 γal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 αal . sub . 2 o . sub . 3tion γ50 / 50 γ60 / 40__________________________________________________________________________	8
referring to the drawings , preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail . a digital camera device 1 , embodying the present invention , is of a portable size and a substantially parallelepipedic shape , as shown in fig1 showing the appearance of the device from the front side . in the present digital camera device 1 , a shutter button 3 , an objective lens 4 and a flash device 5 are mounted on an upper portion of a casing 2 . the shutter button 3 can be pressed with an index finger of the user &# 39 ; s right hand . on a lateral surface 6 of the casing 2 of the digital camera device 1 is mounted an opening / closing lid 7 . from the lateral surface 6 , a floppy disc cartridge 8 holding a floppy magnetic disc 9 of the size of 3 . 5 inch can be loaded into the inside of the casing 2 . this floppy magnetic disc 9 is referred to herein simply as a magnetic disc 9 . specifically , as shown in fig2 showing the appearance from the back side of the digital camera device 1 , there is arranged in the inside of the casing 2 a floppy disc drive 32 which will be explained subsequently in detail . the floppy disc cartridge 8 is inserted via a cartridge inserting opening 32 a of the floppy disc drive 32 from the side of a shutter 8 a . on the back side of the casing 2 of the digital camera device 1 is mounted a liquid crystal display panel ( lcd panel ) 11 on which an object is displayed during photographing . if , in the digital camera device 1 , the object is photographed by pressing the shutter button 3 , there are recorded on a magnetic disc 9 in the floppy disc cartridge 8 loaded on the floppy disc drive 32 picture data of the object ( main picture data ) and thumbnail picture data operating as an index for the main picture data , during reproduction of the main picture data after photographing the object , a thumbnail picture for thumbnail picture data recorded on the magnetic disc 9 is displayed for a pre - set number of pictures , such as six pictures , on the lcd display 11 . if a particular one of the thumbnail pictures is designated , the main picture data corresponding to the thumbnail picture are read out from the magnetic disc 9 so as to be displayed n the lcd panel 11 . the digital camera device 1 can erase unneeded main picture data and the thumbnail picture data recorded on the magnetic disc 9 or change the arraying manner of the thumbnail pictures displayed on the lcd panel 11 , by way of a variety of editing operations . that is , in the present digital camera device 1 , a variety of actuating buttons / switches 12 a , 12 b , 12 c , 12 d , 12 e , 12 f and 12 g are arranged around the lcd panel 11 . by actuating these operating buttons , zooming during photographing , designation of particular thumbnail pictures during reproduction or data erasure can be performed by way of editing operations . the opening / closure of the opening / closing lid 7 can be achieved by vertically moving an opening / closure actuator 13 for canceling or holding the engaged state of engagement pawls 14 a , 14 b interlocked with the opening / closure actuator 13 with engagement portions 7 a , 7 b of the opening / closing lid 7 . the circuit configuration of the digital camera device 1 is hereinafter explained . referring to fig3 the present digital camera device 1 includes a ccd 21 , as a photographing element , a sample - and - hold / analog - to - digital conversion circuit , abbreviated hereinafter to a sample - and - hold circuit 22 , a camera signal processing circuit 23 , a dram 24 and a dram controller 25 . the digital camera device 1 also includes a panel signal processing circuit 26 for furnishing rgb signals to the lcd panel 11 , an actuating input unit 27 , a micro - computer 28 , a floppy disc controller or fdc 31 and the floppy disc drive or fdd 32 , already explained with reference to fig2 . the digital camera device 1 also includes a flash memory 29 as an additional constituent element . the dram 24 , dram controller 25 , micro - computer 28 , flash memory 29 and the fdc 31 are interconnected over a common bus . in the digital camera device 1 , light rays from an object are passed through the objective lens 4 and received by the ccd 21 so as to be thereby converted into electrical signals . an output signal from the ccd 21 is sample - held by the sample - and - hold circuit 22 and subsequently converted by a / d conversion into 10 - bit digital signals . the converted 10 - bit signals are sent to the camera signal processing circuit 23 . the camera signal processing circuit 23 processes the 10 - bit digital signals supplied from the sample - and - hold circuit 22 in a pre - set manner to output the processed signals to the dram controller 25 . the camera signal processing circuit 23 in the present embodiment generates 8 - bit luminance signals y and 4 - bit chroma signals c from the input signal to output the signals y and c to the dram controller 25 . the dram controller 25 directly sends the luminance signals y and the chroma signals c from the camera signal processing circuit 23 to the panel signal processing circuit 26 . if the ccd 21 is not of the tetragonal lattice structure , the camera signal processing circuit 23 forms the luminance signals y and the chroma signals c into the signals of the tetragonal lattice structure to send the resulting signals to the panel signal processing circuit 26 , which then generates red signals r , green signals g and blue signals b from the input luminance signals y and chroma signals c to output the r , g and b signals to the lcd panel 11 . this displays an image of the photographing object on the lcd panel 11 . the dram controller 25 also causes the luminance signals y and the chroma signals c from the camera signal processing circuit 23 in pre - set areas of the dram 24 under control from the camera signal processing circuit 23 . the dram 24 is made up of two 4 mb drams , and thus has a storage area of 8 mbs . the actuating input unit 27 detects the actuation contents of the shutter button 3 and the actuating buttons / switches 12 a to 12 g to output the detected signals as actuating signals to the micro - computer 28 . the micro - computer 28 is of the reduced instruction set computer risc type capable of high - speed processing , and includes a read - only memory ( rom ) 28 a holding on memory the software program designed for controlling the respective blocks . the micro - computer 28 is responsive to actuating signals from the actuating input unit 27 to cause the software program in the rom 28 a to be executed to perform the processing such as picture compansion or file management during the photographing , reproduction and editing . specifically , the micro - computer 28 causes the luminance signals y and the chroma signals c to be stored during photographing of an object in a pre - set area of the dram 24 from the dram controller 25 in order to compress the stored luminance signals y and chroma signals c in accordance with the jpeg ( joint photographic coding experts group ) system . the micro - computer 28 also causes the data compressed in accordance with the jpeg system to be written in an area different from the above - described area of the dram 24 as jpeg stream data . the micro - computer 28 also causes jpeg stream data to be read out from the dram 24 to convert the jpeg stream data into mos - dos ( microsoft disc operating system , a trademark owned by microsoft inc .) format data to supply the converted data to the fdc 31 . the micro - computer 28 controls the fdc 31 in order to write the data converted into the ms - dos format data on a magnetic disc 9 of the floppy disc cartridge 8 loaded on the floppy disc drive 32 . the flash memory 29 is used for storage of the version - up program in case of version - up of the function of the digital camera device 1 , and represents an additional constituent element in the present embodiment . moreover , the digital camera device 1 includes an acceleration sensor 33 for detecting the impact from outside , an amplification circuit 34 for amplifying an output signal from the acceleration sensor 33 and a flip - flop 35 for setting an output signal from the amplification circuit 34 , as shown in fig4 . the acceleration sensor 33 outputs a detection signal in case of detection of an impact exceeding a pre - set g - value in a manner as will be explained in detail subsequently . an output of the flip - flop 35 is supplied not only to the micro - computer 28 but also to the floppy disc drive 32 via one of input terminals of an and gate 36 . the micro - computer 28 also outputs a reset signal to the flip - flop 35 . the and gate 36 has its opposite side input terminal connected to an output side of the fdc 31 for control signals and has its output terminal connected to the floppy disc drive 32 so as to perform the function as a gate ( w gate ) for issuing a permit / non - permit command for the recording operation by the floppy disc drive 32 , as shown in fig4 . the acceleration sensor 33 will be explained in detail subsequently . the internal mechanical structure of the digital camera device 1 is now explained . referring to fig5 the casing 2 of the digital camera device 1 can be exploded into a front side half 2 a and a rear side half 2 b . in these front and rear side halves 2 a and 2 b are arranged a circuit substrate 41 , a chassis 42 and the floppy disc drive 32 as explained with reference to fig3 . specifically , the circuit substrate 41 , chassis 42 and the floppy disc drive 32 are in the form of substantially co - extensive rectangles and arranged in the inside of the casing 2 so that the rectangles overlap with one another . more specifically , the circuit substrate 41 has its four corners secured by plural set screws 43 on one of the major surfaces of the chassis 42 facing the front side half 2 a , as shown in fig5 . also , the floppy disc drive 32 is mounted via four buffer members 45 , 46 , 47 and 48 for facing the opposite side major surface of the chassis 42 facing the rear side half 2 b . the chassis 42 , carrying the circuit substrate 41 and the floppy disc drive 32 , is secured to the front side half 2 a of the casing 2 by set screws 44 from the upper side and from the lateral side by set screws , not shown . the circuit substrate 41 is substantially rectangular in shape in its entirety and has a variety of chips , such as lsis , operating as blocks of the circuit shown in fig3 and 4 . on the major surface 41 a of the circuit substrate 41 facing the rear side half 2 b is mounted the acceleration sensor 33 having a substantially rectangular profile , as shown in fig6 the acceleration sensor 33 is as explained with reference to fig4 . specifically , the acceleration sensor 33 is mounted at an approximately lower rightward side of the major surface 41 a of the circuit substrate 41 so that the long side of a substantially rectangular casing 61 is at an angle of approximately 45 ° relative to a lower side 41 b of the circuit substrate 41 , as shown in fig6 . the acceleration sensor 33 will be explained further in detail subsequently . the chassis 42 is molded from metal , such as stainless steel , and has its major surface 42 a recessed significantly . an upper flange 42 b , a lower flange 42 c and a side flange 42 d are formed from the upper edge , lower edge and the right - side edge ( fig5 ) of the major surface 42 a of the chassis 42 , respectively , in a direction facing the rear side half 2 b . the floppy disc drive 32 is of a thin type f a so - called ½ height having a casing 32 of metal . this floppy disc drive 32 is mounted on the chassis 42 by set screws via the four buffer members 45 , 46 , 47 and 48 . specifically , the upper flange 42 b and the lower flange 42 c of the chassis 42 and the buffer members 45 to 48 are provided with bores adapted to be passed through by set screws 49 to 52 . these set screws 49 to 52 are passed through these bores and screwed into tapped holes formed in the corresponding positions of the floppy disc drive 32 for securing the floppy disc drive 32 to the chassis 42 . referring to fig7 showing the mounting state of the circuit substrate 41 and the floppy disc drive 32 to the chassis 42 looking from the side of the cartridge inserting opening 32 a , the casing 32 b of the floppy disc drive 32 is not directly contacted with the major surface 42 a of the chassis 42 , such that the vibrations or impacts applied to the chassis 42 are transmitted via the buffer members 45 to 48 to the floppy disc drive 32 . as for the relation between the chassis 42 and the circuit substrate 41 , since the circuit substrate 41 has its four corners secured to the major surface 42 a of the chassis 42 by set screws 43 , the vibrations or impacts applied to the chassis 42 are directly transmitted to the circuit substrate 41 . the buffer members 45 to 48 function to delay the time which elapses until the impact applied to the casing 2 from outside is transmitted to the floppy disc drive 32 , and are formed of a relatively soft material , such as rubber , sponge , silicon or soft plastics . the buffer members 45 to 48 also function to weaken the impact applied to the casing 2 to some extent to transmit the thus weakened impact to the floppy disc drive 32 . in the present embodiment , the floppy disc drive 32 and the casing 2 are interconnected via the chassis 42 . alternatively , the floppy disc drive 32 and the casing 2 may also be interconnected without interposition of the chassis 42 . in this case , it suffices if the casing 2 is provided with bores for traversing by the set screws 49 to 52 and the floppy disc drive 32 is mounted on the casing via the buffer members 45 to 48 by inserting the set screws 49 to 52 into these bores . referring to the see - through perspective view of fig8 an impact detection plate 62 for detecting the impact is arranged in the inside of the casing 61 of the acceleration sensor 33 . this impact detection plate 62 is substantially rectangular in profile in its entirety . specifically , the impact detection plate 62 is formed as a thin girder by two piezoelectric ceramic plates 62 a , 62 b having electrodes at mid positions on its major surface , as shown in fig9 . the impact detection plate 62 has its longitudinal ends secured within the casing 61 and has the mid portions of the major surface thereof movable within the casing 61 . thus , if an impact is applied in the in - plane direction of the impact detection plate 62 , this impact detection plate 62 is warped arcuately to issue a signal proportionate to the intensity of the applied impact . this impact detection plate 62 is arranged in the inside of the casing 61 so that its long sides are parallel to the long side of the casing 61 and so that its both major surfaces are inclined at an angle of 45 ° to the bottom surface 63 of the casing 61 , as shown in fig8 . the bottom surface 63 represents the attachment surface to the circuit substrate 41 . by mounting the acceleration sensor 33 so that the long side of the casing 61 is inclined 45 ° relative to the lower side 41 b of the major surface 41 a of the circuit substrate 41 , as shown in fig6 impacts applied from a variety of directions can be detected . meanwhile , it has been confirmed experimentally that , by mounting the acceleration sensor 33 at this angle , impact detection signals of a uniform strength an be obtained without regard to the direction of application of the impacts . that is , in the digital camera device 1 , since the acceleration sensor 33 is mounted so that the major surface of the impact detection plate 62 of the acceleration sensor 33 will be approximately at an angle of 45 ° relative to the three axes x , y and z shown in fig5 in case the casing 2 is used in the basic position shown in fig1 and 2 , the impacts from the axial directions of x , y and z can be detected uniformly , such that a sufficient function can be manifested by a sole acceleration sensor . fig1 shows the mechanism around a magnetic head arranged in a casing 32 b of the floppy disc drive 32 . within the casing 32 b of the floppy disc drive 32 is mounted a head actuator 70 , as shown in fig1 a . this head actuator 70 includes a head arm 73 formed as - one with upper and lower arm members 71 , 72 , upper and lower magnetic heads 74 ( 74 a , 74 b ) mounted on the distal ends of the arm members 71 , 72 , a feed motor 75 for moving the head arm 73 and a feed screw 76 mounted on a rotor of the feed motor 75 . the head actuator 70 also includes a pin 77 mounted on the distal end of the arm member 73 for engagement with a spiral groove 76 a formed in the feed screw 76 and a guide shaft 79 mounted in a through - hole 78 formed in the arm member 72 for guiding the movement of the head arm 73 . the arm members 71 , 72 are molded from , for example , synthetic resin , and has upper and lower paired magnetic heads 74 , 74 at the distal ends thereof , these magnetic heads being positioned on both sides of the major surfaces of the magnetic disc 9 , as shown in fig1 b . although not shown , a spindle motor for rotationally driving the magnetic disc 9 is mounted below the mid position of the major surface of the magnetic disc 9 . with the above - described head actuator 70 , the magnetic head 74 is slid against the major surface of the magnetic disc 9 , run in rotation by the spindle motor , for applying a magnetic field on the recording track of the magnetic disc or detecting magnetic signals recorded on the recording track of the magnetic disc in order to record or reproduce main picture data or thumbnail picture data . the head arm 73 of the head actuator 70 is reciprocated along a guide shaft 79 in the radial direction of the guide shaft 79 , that is in the direction indicated by arrow in fig1 a and 10b . specifically , when the feed motor 75 is rotated a pre - set rotational angle , the head arm 73 is moved track - by - track on the recording tracks formed on the magnetic disc 9 . if a strong impact is applied to the floppy disc drive 32 in its entirety , the casing 32 b or the head arm 73 is flexed to cause position offset of the magnetic heads 74 a , 74 b relative to the recording track of the magnetic disc 9 , or failure in contact , thus causing erosion of neighboring tracks during data recording or otherwise causing failure in writing on the current track . in the case of the 3 . 5 inch ½ height floppy disc drive , as described above , it has been found by experiments that the g - value of occurrence of writing errors for the current recording tracks is 3 g to 12 g , with the g - value of occurrence of the erosion to the neighboring tracks being not less than 50 g . it is therefore reasonable to select the setting value for impact detection of the acceleration sensor 33 to not less than approximately 50 g for preventing erosion to the neighboring tracks and to select the setting value for impact detection of the acceleration sensor 33 to a suitable value ranging between 3 and 12 g for preventing error occurrence for the current track as well . it has been found by experiments that an optimum result can be obtained with the present digital camera device 1 by selecting the setting value for impact detection of the acceleration sensor 33 to 7 g to 8 g , in particular to approximately 8 g . the operation of the acceleration sensor 33 and the floppy disc drive 32 in case an impact is applied to the casing 2 of the digital camera device 1 from outside is no explained with reference to fig1 . in the digital camera device 1 , the track number and the sector number on the magnetic disc 9 for recording are set by the micro - computer 28 shown in fig4 prior to proceeding to recording respective data . the track number is herein set to n . the micro - computer 8 then controls the fdc 31 to move the magnetic head 74 to the track and sector positions by way of the seek operation . at a time point t 0 corresponding to the end of the seek operation , the micro - computer 28 outputs a reset signal to the flip - flop 35 to reset the output of the flip - flop 35 , at the same time as a control signals is outputted from the fdc 31 to invert the output signal of the and gate 36 to permit the data recording in the fdd 32 . then , recording data is supplied from the fdc 31 to the floppy disc drive 32 to supply the recording current to the magnetic head 74 so that recording data is written on pre - set sectors of the track n as from time t 1 . the time between t 0 and t 1 stands for the rise time until coming into operation of the floppy disc drive 32 . if an impact exceeding e . g ., 8 g is produced at time t 2 , this impact is sequentially transmitted from the casing 2 via chassis 42 , circuit substrate 41 and the acceleration sensor 33 , which then outputs an impact detection signal . this detection signal from the acceleration sensor 33 is amplified by the amplification circuit 34 and thence supplied to the flip - flop 35 to invert the output thereof . the inverted output signal of the flip - flop 35 is sent to the micro - computer 28 and to the and gate 36 . this complements the output signal of the and gate 36 to close the gate of the control signals from the fdc 31 for the floppy disc drive 32 . thus , the control current ceases to be supplied as from time t 2 to the recording head 74 of the floppy disc drive 32 . since the chassis 42 and the floppy disc drive 32 are interconnected via buffer members 45 to 48 adapted for delaying the impact transmission , this impact is transmitted at a timing delayed from the transmission timing to the acceleration sensor 33 , herein a pre - set timing delayed from time t 2 . since no recording current is supplied at this timing to the magnetic head 74 of the floppy disc drive 32 , it becomes possible to prevent erosion to neighboring tracks or failure in writing in the current track even on occurrence of detracking of the magnetic head 74 by impacts . that is , in the present embodiment , since the time when the impact applied to the casing 2 is transmitted to the floppy disc drive 32 can be retarded , the impact applied to the acceleration sensor 33 can be relatively quickened thus compensating for the time delay required for interrupting the recording current . in particular , if the casing 2 or the chassis 42 is of high tenacity , the speed at which the impact is transmitted to the magnetic head 74 of the floppy disc drive 32 is increased significantly , such that the recording current interruption after detection of the acceleration sensor 33 cannot be achieved in time . in such case , it is highly effective to interconnect the floppy disc drive 32 and the casing 2 with interposition of the buffer members 45 to 48 since the impact transmission timing can then be retarded to permit the function of the acceleration sensor 33 to be performed more effectively . it has been confirmed experimentally that , in the present embodiment , the time until the impact applied to the casing 2 is transmitted to the floppy disc drive 32 is 11 msec ± 5 msec . if an output signal of the flip - flip 35 , complemented on occurrence of the impact , is fed to the micro - computer 28 at time t 2 , the micro - computer 28 outputs a control signal to the fdc 31 to move the magnetic head 74 to an original track of the track n by way of re - seeking control . at a time t 3 when the re - seeking comes to a close , a reset signal is outputted to the flip - flop 35 . the output signal of the flip - flop 35 is complemented at time t 4 corresponding to the decay time of the reset signal , this complemented signal being sent to the micro - computer 28 and to the and gate 36 . by the complemented output signal being sent to the and gate 36 , the output signal of the and gate 36 is complemented at this time t 4 to open the gate to permit data recording by the floppy disc drive 32 . the micro - computer 28 then controls the fdc 31 to supply the recording data from the fdc 31 to the floppy disc drive 32 , with the recording data as from the recording start time t 1 as the re - trial data . this furnishes the recording current for the re - trial data to the recording head 74 of the floppy disc drive 32 as from time t 5 , as shown in fig1 , thus causing the recording data to be written as from the preset sector of the track n . meanwhile , the time interval since time t 4 until time t 5 is the rise time until actuation of the floppy disc drive 32 .	7
the present invention provides compounds of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , or a stereoisomer thereof , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the stereoisomer thereof : r 1 is selected from — c 1 - 10 alkyl , — c 2 - 10 alkenyl , — c 2 - 10 alkynyl , and — c 1 - 6 alkoxy , wherein in r 1 said alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , and alkoxy are each optionally substituted with 1 , 2 , or 3 r 8 substituents ; r 2 and r 3 are each independently selected from hydrogen , and — c 1 - 10 alkyl optionally substituted with 1 , 2 , or 3 substituents selected from halo , hydroxyl , and — oc 1 - 10 alkyl ; v , w , x , y , and z are each independently selected from n and ch , wherein v , w , x , y or z is substituted with one or two nitrogens , and at least one of v or w must be n ; and r 8 is selected from halogen , hydroxyl , — c 1 - 10 alkyl , — c 1 - 10 alkenyl , — c 1 - 10 alkynyl , cyano , oxo , difluoromethoxy , trifluoromethoxy , and 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluorethoxy . an illustrative but nonlimiting example of compounds of the invention are 4 - hydroxy - n -{ 1 -[ 6 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) pyridin - 3 - yl ]- 1 - methylethyl }- 2 - pyridazin - 3 - ylpyrimidine - 5 - carboxamide ; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . in one embodiment of the invention , r 1 is selected from — c 1 - 10 alkyl , — c 2 - 40 alkenyl , and — c 2 - 10 alkynyl , wherein in r 1 said alkyl , alkenyl , and alkynyl , are each optionally substituted with 1 , 2 , or 3 r 8 substituents . in another embodiment of the invention , r 1 is selected from — c 1 - 10 alkyl and — c 1 - 6 alkoxy , said alkyl , and alkoxy are each optionally substituted with 1 , 2 , or 3 r 8 substituents . in another embodiment of the invention , r 1 is selected from — c 1 - 6 alkoxy optionally substituted with 1 , 2 , or 3 r 8 substituents . in a variant of this embodiment r 1 is methoxy . in one embodiment of the invention , r 2 and r 3 are each independently c 1 - 10 alkyl optionally substituted with 1 , 2 , or 3 substituents selected from halo , hydroxyl , and — oc 1 - 10 alkyl . in a variant of this embodiment , r 2 and r 3 are each independently c 1 - 10 alkyl . in another variant , r 2 and r 3 are each methyl . in one embodiment of the invention , w is n and v , x , y , and z are each ch . in one embodiment , w and x are n . in another embodiment of the invention , w and y are n . in yet another embodiment of the invention , w and z are n . in one embodiment of the invention , v is n and w , x , y , and z are each ch . in another embodiment of the invention , v and z are n . in another embodiment of the invention , v and y are n . in yet another embodiment of the invention , w and x are n . in another embodiment of the invention , w and v are n and x , y , and z are each ch . the compounds of this invention , particularly example 1 , where r 1 is methoxy , r 2 ═ r 3 is methyl , w ═ x ═ n and v , y and z are each ch or v ═ z ═ n and w , x and y are each ch provides for an unexpectedly more desirable pharmacokinetic and off target activity profile relative to example 187 disclosed in international pct application pct / us09 / 036 , 501 , filed mar . 9 , 2009 . as used herein except where noted , “ alkyl ” is intended to include both branched - and straight - chain saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon groups , including all isomers , having the specified number of carbon atoms . commonly used abbreviations for alkyl groups are used throughout the specification , e . g . methyl may be represented by “ me ” or ch 3 , ethyl may be represented by “ et ” or ch 2 ch 3 , propyl may be represented by “ pr ” or ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 , butyl may be represented by “ bu ” or ch 2 c 1 - 12 ch 2 c 1 - 13 , etc . “ c 1 - 6 alkyl ” ( or “ c 1 - c 6 alkyl ”) for example , means linear or branched chain alkyl groups , including all isomers , having the specified number of carbon atoms . c 1 - 6 alkyl includes all of the hexyl alkyl and pentyl alkyl isomers as well as n -, iso -, sec - and t - butyl , n - and isopropyl , ethyl and methyl . “ c 1 - 4 alkyl ” means n -, iso -, sec - and t - butyl , n - and isopropyl , ethyl and methyl . the term “ alkylene ” refers to both branched - and straight - chain saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon groups , including all isomers , having the specified number of carbons , and having two terminal end chain attachments . for illustration , the term “ unsubstituted a - c 4 alkylene - b ” represents a - ch 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 — b . the term “ alkoxy ” represents a linear or branched alkyl group of indicated number of carbon atoms attached through an oxygen bridge . the term “ halogen ” ( or “ halo ”) refers to fluorine , chlorine , bromine and iodine ( alternatively referred to as fluoro ( f ), chloro ( cl ), bromo ( br ), and iodo ( i )). when any variable occurs more than one time in any constituent or in any formula depicting and describing compounds of the invention , its definition on each occurrence is independent of its definition at every other occurrence . also , combinations of substituents and / or variables are permissible only if such combinations result in stable compounds . the term “ substituted ” ( e . g ., as in “ aryl which is optionally substituted with one or more substituents . . . ”) includes mono - and poly - substitution by a named substituent to the extent such single and multiple substitution ( including multiple substitution at the same site ) is chemically allowed . the term “ oxy ” means an oxygen ( o ) atom . the term “ thio ” means a sulfur ( s ) atom . the term “ oxo ” means “═ o ”. the term “ carbonyl ” means “ c ═ o .” under standard nomenclature used throughout this disclosure , the terminal portion of the designated side chain is described first , followed by the adjacent functionality toward the point of attachment . for example , a c 1 - 5 alkylcarbonylamino c 1 - 6 alkyl substituent is equivalent to in choosing compounds of the present invention , one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the various substituents , i . e . r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , etc ., are to be chosen in conformity with well - known principles of chemical structure connectivity . lines drawn into the ring systems from substituents indicate that the indicated bond can be attached to any of the substitutable ring atoms . if the ring system is polycyclic , it is intended that the bond be attached to any of the suitable carbon atoms on the proximal ring only . it is understood that substituents and substitution patterns on the compounds of the instant invention can be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art to provide compounds that are chemically stable and that can be readily synthesized by techniques known in the art , as well as those methods set forth below , from readily available starting materials . if a substituent is itself substituted with more than one group , it is understood that these multiple groups can be on the same carbon or on different carbons , so long as a stable structure results . the phrase “ optionally substituted with one or more substituents ” should be taken to be equivalent to the phrase “ optionally substituted with at least one substituent ” and in such cases one embodiment will have from zero to three substituents . structural representations of compounds having substituents terminating with a methyl group may display the terminal methyl group either using the characters “ ch 3 ”, e . g . “— ch 3 ” or using a straight line representing the presence of the methyl group , e . g ., “—”, i . e ., for variable definitions containing terms having repeated terms , e . g ., ( criri ) r , where r is the integer 2 , r i is a defined variable , and r j is a defined variable , the value of r i may differ in each instance in which it occurs , and the value of r j may differ in each instance in which it occurs . for example , if r i and r j are independently selected from the group consisting of methyl , ethyl , propyl and butyl , then ( cr i r j ) 2 can be compounds described herein may contain an asymmetric center and may thus exist as enantiomers . where the compounds according to the invention possess two or more asymmetric centers , they may additionally exist as diastereomers . the present invention includes all such possible stereoisomers as substantially pure resolved enantiomers , racemic mixtures thereof , as well as mixtures of diastereomers . the above formula i is shown without a definitive stereochemistry at certain positions . the present invention includes all stereoisomers of formula i and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof . unless specifically mentioned otherwise , reference to one isomer applies to any of the possible isomers . whenever the isomeric composition is unspecified , all possible isomers are included . diastereoisomeric pairs of enantiomers may be separated by , for example , fractional crystallization from a suitable solvent , and the pair of enantiomers thus obtained may be separated into individual stereoisomers by conventional means , for example by the use of an optically active acid or base as a resolving agent or on a chiral hplc column . further , any enantiomer or diastereomer of a compound of the general formula i may be obtained by stereospecific synthesis using optically pure starting materials or reagents of known configuration . when compounds described herein contain olefinic double bonds , unless specified otherwise , such double bonds are meant to include both e and z geometric isomers . some of the compounds described herein may exist with different points of attachment of hydrogen , referred to as tautomers . for example , compounds including carbonyl — ch 2 c ( o )— groups ( keto forms ) may undergo tautomerism to form hydroxyl — ch ═ c ( oh )— groups ( enol forms ). both keto and enol forms , individually as well as mixtures thereof , are included within the scope of the present invention . pharmaceutically acceptable salts include both the metallic ( inorganic ) salts and organic salts ; a list of which is given in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , 17th edition , pg . 1418 ( 1985 ). it is well known to one skilled in the art that an appropriate salt form is chosen based on physical and chemical stability , flowability , hydro - scopicity and solubility . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” refers to salts prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non - toxic bases or acids . when the compound of the present invention is acidic , its corresponding salt can be conveniently prepared from inorganic bases or organic bases . salts derived from such inorganic bases include aluminum , ammonium , calcium , copper ( ic and ous ), ferric , ferrous , lithium , magnesium , manganese ( ic and ous ), potassium , sodium , zinc and the like salts . preferred are the ammonium , calcium , magnesium , potassium and sodium salts . salts prepared from organic bases include salts of primary , secondary , and tertiary amines derived from both naturally occurring and synthetic sources . pharmaceutically acceptable organic non - toxic bases from which salts can be formed include , for example , arginine , betaine , caffeine , choline , n , n ′- dibenzylethylenediamine , diethylamine , 2 - diethylaminoethanol , 2 - dimethylaminoethanol , ethanolamine , ethylenediamine , n - ethylmorpholine , n - ethylpiperidine , glucamine , glucosamine , histidine , hydrabamine , isopropylamine , dicyclohexylamine , lysine , methylglucamine , morpholine , piperazine , piperidine , polyamine resins , procaine , purines , theobromine , triethylamine , trimethylamine , tripropylamine , tromethamine and the like . when the compound of the present invention is basic , its corresponding salt can be conveniently prepared from inorganic or organic acids . such acids include , for example , acetic , benzenesulfonic , benzoic , camphorsulfonic , citric , ethanesulfonic , fumaric , gluconic , glutamic , hydrobromic , hydrochloric , isethionic , lactic , maleic , malic , mandelic , methanesulfonic , mucic , nitric , pamoic , pantothenic , phosphoric , succinic , sulfuric , tartaric , p - toluenesulfonic acid and the like . preferred are citric , hydrobromic , hydrochloric , maleic , phosphoric , sulfuric , and tartaric acids . the present invention includes within its scope solvates of compounds of formula i . as used herein , the term “ solvate ” refers to a complex of variable stoichiometry formed by a solute ( i . e ., a compound of formula i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a solvent that does not interfere with the biological activity of the solute . examples of solvents include , but are not limited to water , ethanol , and acetic acid . when the solvent is water , the solvate is known as hydrate ; hydrate includes , but is not limited to , hemi -, mono , sesqui -, di - and trihydrates . the present invention includes within its scope the use of prodrugs of the compounds of this invention . in general , such prodrugs will be functional derivatives of the compounds of this invention which are readily convertible in vivo into the required compound . thus , in the methods of treatment of the present invention , the term “ administering ” shall encompass the treatment of the various conditions described with a compound of formula i or with a compound which may not be a compound of formula i , but which converts to a compound of formula i in vivo after administration to the patient . conventional procedures for the selection and preparation of suitable prodrug derivatives are described , for example , in “ design of prodrugs ,” ed . h . bundgaard , elsevier , 1985 . compounds of the present invention are inhibitors of hypoxia - inducible factor ( hif ) prolyl hydroxylases , and as such are useful in the treatment and prevention of diseases and conditions in which hif modulation is desirable , such as anemia and ischemia . compounds of the invention can be used in a selective and controlled manner to induce hypoxia - inducible factor stabilization and to rapidly and reversibly stimulate erythropoietin production and secretion . accordingly , another aspect of the present invention provides a method of treating or preventing a disease or condition in a mammal , the treatment or prevention of which is effected or facilitated by hif prolyl hydroxylase inhibition , which comprises administering an amount of a compound of formula i that is effective for inhibiting hif prolyl hydroxylase . this aspect of the present invention further includes the use of a compound of formula i in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment or prevention of a disease or condition modulated by hif prolyl hydroxylase . in one embodiment is a method of enhancing endogenous production of erythropoietin in a mammal which comprises administering to said mammal an amount of a compound of formula i that is effective for enhancing endogenous production of erythropoietin . another embodiment is a method of treating anemia in a mammal which comprises administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula i . “ anemia ” includes , but is not limited to , chronic kidney disease anemia , chemotherapy - induced anemia ( e . g ., anemia resulting from antiviral drug regimens for infectious diseases , such as hiv and hepatitis c virus ), anemia of chronic disease , anemia associated with cancer conditions , anemia resulting from radiation treatment for cancer , anemias of chronic immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis , inflammatory bowel disease , and lupus , and anemias due to menstruation or of senescence or in other individuals with iron processing deficiencies such as those who are iron - replete but unable to utilize iron properly . another embodiment is a method of treating ischemic diseases in a mammal , which comprises administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula i . compounds of formula i may be used in combination with other drugs that are used in the treatment / prevention / suppression or amelioration of the diseases or conditions for which compounds of formula i are useful . such other drugs may be administered , by a route and in an amount commonly used therefor , contemporaneously or sequentially with a compound of formula i . when a compound of formula i is used contemporaneously with one or more other drugs , a pharmaceutical composition containing such other drugs in addition to the compound of formula i is preferred . accordingly , the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention include those that also contain one or more other active ingredients , in addition to a compound of formula i . the compounds of this invention can be administered for the treatment or prevention of afflictions , diseases and illnesses according to the invention by any means that effects contact of the active ingredient compound with the site of action in the body of a warm - blooded animal . for example , administration can be oral , topical , including transdermal , ocular , buccal , intranasal , inhalation , intravaginal , rectal , intracisternal and parenteral . the term “ parenteral ” as used herein refers to modes of administration which include subcutaneous , intravenous , intramuscular , intraarticular injection or infusion , intrasternal and intraperitoneal . for the purpose of this disclosure , a warm - blooded animal is a member of the animal kingdom possessed of a homeostatic mechanism and includes mammals and birds . the compounds can be administered by any conventional means available for use in conjunction with pharmaceuticals , either as individual therapeutic agents or in a combination of therapeutic agents . they can be administered alone , but are generally administered with a pharmaceutical carrier selected on the basis of the chosen route of administration and standard pharmaceutical practice . the dosage administered will be dependent on the age , health and weight of the recipient , the extent of disease , kind of concurrent treatment , if any , frequency of treatment and the nature of the effect desired . usually , a daily dosage of active ingredient compound will be from about 0 . 1 - 2000 milligrams per day . ordinarily , from 10 to 500 milligrams per day in one or more applications is effective to obtain desired results . these dosages are the effective amounts for the treatment and prevention of afflictions , diseases and illnesses described above , e . g ., anemia . another aspect of the present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions which comprises a compound of formula i and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . the term “ composition ”, as in pharmaceutical composition , is intended to encompass a product comprising the active ingredient ( s ), and the inert ingredient ( s ) ( pharmaceutically acceptable excipients ) that make up the carrier , as well as any product which results , directly or indirectly , from combination , complexation or aggregation of any two or more of the ingredients , or from dissociation of one or more of the ingredients , or from other types of reactions or interactions of one or more of the ingredients . accordingly , the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention encompass any composition made by admixing a compound of formula i , additional active ingredient ( s ), and pharmaceutically acceptable excipients . the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention comprise a compound represented by formula i ( or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof ) as an active ingredient , a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and optionally other therapeutic ingredients or adjuvants . the compositions include compositions suitable for oral , rectal , topical , and parenteral ( including subcutaneous , intramuscular , and intravenous ) administration , although the most suitable route in any given case will depend on the particular host , and nature and severity of the conditions for which the active ingredient is being administered . the pharmaceutical compositions may be conveniently presented in unit dosage form and prepared by any of the methods well known in the art of pharmacy . the active ingredient can be administered orally in solid dosage forms , such as capsules , tablets , troches , dragées , granules and powders , or in liquid dosage forms , such as elixirs , syrups , emulsions , dispersions , and suspensions . the active ingredient can also be administered parenterally , in sterile liquid dosage forms , such as dispersions , suspensions or solutions . other dosages forms that can also be used to administer the active ingredient as an ointment , cream , drops , transdermal patch or powder for topical administration , as an ophthalmic solution or suspension formation , i . e ., eye drops , for ocular administration , as an aerosol spray or powder composition for inhalation or intranasal administration , or as a cream , ointment , spray or suppository for rectal or vaginal administration . gelatin capsules contain the active ingredient and powdered carriers , such as lactose , starch , cellulose derivatives , magnesium stearate , stearic acid , and the like . similar diluents can be used to make compressed tablets . both tablets and capsules can be manufactured as sustained release products to provide for continuous release of medication over a period of hours . compressed tablets can be sugar coated or film coated to mask any unpleasant taste and protect the tablet from the atmosphere , or enteric coated for selective disintegration in the gastrointestinal tract . liquid dosage forms for oral administration can contain coloring and flavoring to increase patient acceptance . in general , water , a suitable oil , saline , aqueous dextrose ( glucose ), and related sugar solutions and glycols such as propylene glycol or polyethylene gycols are suitable carriers for parenteral solutions . solutions for parenteral administration preferably contain a water soluble salt of the active ingredient , suitable stabilizing agents , and if necessary , buffer substances . antioxidizing agents such as sodium bisulfite , sodium sulfite , or ascorbic acid , either alone or combined , are suitable stabilizing agents . also used are citric acid and its salts and sodium edta . in addition , parenteral solutions can contain preservatives , such as benzalkonium chloride , methyl - or propylparaben , and chlorobutanol . suitable pharmaceutical carriers are described in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , a . osol , a standard reference text in this field . for administration by inhalation , the compounds of the present invention may be conveniently delivered in the form of an aerosol spray presentation from pressurized packs or nebulisers . the compounds may also be delivered as powders which may be formulated and the powder composition may be inhaled with the aid of an insufflation powder inhaler device . the preferred delivery system for inhalation is a metered dose inhalation ( mdi ) aerosol , which may be formulated as a suspension or solution of a compound of formula i in suitable propellants , such as fluorocarbons or hydrocarbons . for ocular administration , an ophthalmic preparation may be formulated with an appropriate weight percent solution or suspension of the compounds of formula i in an appropriate ophthalmic vehicle , such that the compound is maintained in contact with the ocular surface for a sufficient time period to allow the compound to penetrate the corneal and internal regions of the eye . useful pharmaceutical dosage - forms for administration of the compounds of this invention include , but are not limited to , hard and soft gelatin capsules , tablets , parenteral injectables , and oral suspensions . a large number of unit capsules are prepared by filling standard two - piece hard gelatin capsules each with 100 milligrams of powdered active ingredient , 150 milligrams of lactose , 50 milligrams of cellulose , and 6 milligrams magnesium stearate . a mixture of active ingredient in a digestible oil such as soybean oil , cottonseed oil or olive oil is prepared and injected by means of a positive displacement pump into gelatin to form soft gelatin capsules containing 100 milligrams of the active ingredient . the capsules are washed and dried . a large number of tablets are prepared by conventional procedures so that the dosage unit is 100 milligrams of active ingredient , 0 . 2 milligrams of colloidal silicon dioxide , 5 milligrams of magnesium stearate , 275 milligrams of microcrystalline cellulose , 11 milligrams of starch and 98 . 8 milligrams of lactose . appropriate coatings may be applied to increase palatability or delay absorption . a parenteral composition suitable for administration by injection is prepared by stirring 1 . 5 % by weight of active ingredient in 10 % by volume propylene glycol . the solution is made to volume with water for injection and sterilized . an aqueous suspension is prepared for oral administration so that each 5 milliliters contain 100 milligrams of finely divided active ingredient , 100 milligrams of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose , 5 milligrams of sodium benzoate , 1 . 0 grams of sorbitol solution , u . s . p ., and 0 . 025 milliliters of vanillin . the same dosage forms can generally be used when the compounds of this invention are administered stepwise or in conjunction with another therapeutic agent . when drugs are administered in physical combination , the dosage form and administration route should be selected depending on the compatibility of the combined drugs . thus the term coadministration is understood to include the administration of the two agents concomitantly or sequentially , or alternatively as a fixed dose combination of the two active components . compounds of the invention can be administered as the sole active ingredient or in combination with a second active ingredient , including other active ingredients known to be useful for improving the level of erythropoietin in a patient . acoh acetic acid aq aqueous brine saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution cdi 1 , 1 ′ - carbonyldiimidazole co carbon monoxide dcm dichloromethane dppf 1 , 1 ″ - bis ( diphenylphosphino ) ferrocene dbu 1 , 8 - diazabicyclo [ 5 . 4 . 0 ] undec - 7 - ene diea n , n - diisopropylethylamine dmap 4 - n , n - dimethylaminopyridine dmf n , n - dimethylformamide dmso dimethyl sulfoxide etoac ethyl acetate et ( et ) ethyl etoh ethanol et 2 o or ether diethyl ether g grams h or hr hour hatu o -( 7 - azabenzotriazol - 1 - yl )- n , n , n ′, n ′- tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate hcl hydrochloric acid hplc high - performance liquid chromatography i - proh or ipa isopropyl alcohol m - cpba 3 - chloroperbenzoic acid mg milligrams ml milliliters mmol millimole mecn acetonitrile meoh methanol min minutes ms or ms mass spectrum mtbe methyl tert - butyl ether μg mierogram ( s ) μl microliters nahso 4 sodium bisulfate naoet sodium ethoxide naome sodium methoxide na 2 so 4 sodium sulfate nh 4 cl ammonium chloride nh 4 oh ammonium hydroxide ppts pyridinium p - toluenesulfonate r t retention time rt room temperature tea triethylamine tfa trifluoroacetic acid thf tetrahydrofuran reactions sensitive to moisture or air were performed under nitrogen using anhydrous solvents and reagents . the progress of reactions was determined by either analytical thin layer chromatography ( tlc ) performed with e . merck precoated tlc plates , silica gel 60e - 254 , layer thickness 0 . 25 mm or liquid chromatography - mass spectrum ( lc - ms ). analytical hplc / ms — standard method : mass analysis was performed on a waters micrornass ® zq ™ with electrospray ionization in positive ion detection mode . high performance liquid chromatography ( hplc ) was conducted on an agilent 1100 series hplc on waters c18 xterra 3 . 5 μm 3 . 0 × 50 mm column with gradient 10 : 90 - 100 v / v ch 3 cn / h 2 o + v 0 . 05 % tfa over 3 . 75 min then hold at 100 ch 3 cn + v 0 . 05 % tfa for 1 . 75 min ; flow rate 1 . 0 ml / min , uv wavelength 254 nm ( all hplc / ms data was generated with this method unless indicated otherwise ). analytical hplc / ms — basic method : mass analysis was performed on a waters micromas ® zq ™ with electrospray ionization in positive ion detection mode . high performance liquid chromatography ( hplc ) was conducted on an agilent 1100 series hplc on waters c18 xbridge 3 . 5 μm 3 . 0 × 50 mm column with gradient 10 : 90 - 98 : 2 v / v ch 3 cn / h 2 o + v 0 . 025 % nh 4 oh over 3 . 25 min then hold at 98 : 2 ch 3 cn + v 0 . 025 % nh 4 oh for 2 . 25 min ; flow rate 1 . 0 ml / min , uv wavelength 254 nm . concentration of solutions was carried out on a rotary evaporator under reduced pressure . flash chromatography was performed using a biotage horizon or sp1 flash chromatography apparatus ( dyax corp .) on silica gel ( 32 - 63 μm particle size , kp - sil 60 å packing material type ) in pre - packed cartridges or using an isco combiflash ™ sq 16 × or combiflash ® companion ™ apparatus on silica gel ( 32 - 63 μm , 60 å ) in pre - packed cartridges . microwave reactions were carried out on a biotage initiator ™ 2 . 0 or cem discover ™ system . 2 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfonyl ]- 2 , 3 - dihydropyridazine - 3 - carbonitrile . a solution of pyridazine ( 1 . 807 ml , 24 . 98 mmol ), aluminum chloride ( 0 . 010 g , 0 . 075 mmol ) and trimethylsilyl cyanide ( 6 . 03 ml , 45 . 0 mmol ) in dcm ( 30 ml ) was stirred under a nitrogen atmosphere at 0 ° c . for 20 min . a solution of p - toluenesulfonyl chloride ( 8 . 19 g , 43 . 0 mmol ) in dcm ( 60 ml ) was added dropwise over 1 h . the reaction was warmed to room temperature , stirred for an additional 65 h and concentrated . the residue was treated with etoh ( 50 ml ) and the resulting solids were filtered to afford the title compound . hplc / ms : 262 . 1 ( m + 1 ); r t = 2 . 51 min . pyridazine - 3 - carbonitrile . to the product of intermediate i ( 4 . 98 g , 19 . 06 mmol ) in thf ( 50 ml ) was added dbu ( 3 . 59 ml , 23 . 82 mmol ). the reaction was stirred at room temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h . saturated aq . nh 4 cl ( 50 ml ) was added and the reaction was poured into water ( 50 ml ). the aqueous medium was extracted with etoac , dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography on silica gel gradient eluted with 0 - 50 % etoac / hexane to afford the title compound . hplc / ms : 106 . 2 ( m + 1 ); r t = 0 . 38 min . amino ( pyridazin - 3 - yl ) methaniminium chloride . to the product of intermediate 2 ( 1 . 7 g , 16 . 18 mmol ) in meoh ( 10 ml ) was added sodium methoxide ( 0 . 370 ml , 1 . 618 mmol , 25 wt % in meoh ). the reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight when ammonium chloride ( 0 . 952 g , 17 . 79 mmol ) was added . the reaction was refluxed for 2 . 5 h , cooled to room temperature , diluted with meoh and concentrated to afford the title compound . hplc / ms : 123 . 1 ( m + 1 ); r t = 0 . 34 min . 4 - hydroxy - 2 - pyridazin - 3 - ylpyrimidine - 5 - carboxylic acid . to the product of intermediate 3 ( 0 . 500 g , 3 . 15 mmol ) in etoh ( 8 . 0 ml ) was added diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate ( 0 . 637 ml , 3 . 15 mmol ) and sodium methoxide ( 0 . 793 ml , 3 . 47 mmol , 25 wt % in meoh ). the reaction was heated in a microwave for 10 min at 120 ° c . additional diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate ( 0 . 319 ml , 1 . 576 mmol ) was added and the reaction was heated in a microwave for 10 min at 120 ° c . potassium hydroxide ( 4 . 73 ml , 9 . 46 mmol , 2 . 0 m ) was added and the reaction was heated in a microwave for 10 min at 120 ° c . the reaction was diluted with water and concentrated . the residue was dissolved in a minimal volume of water and extracted with etoac . the aqueous layer was adjusted to ph = 2 using cone . aq . hcl and stirred for 15 min . the solids were filtered and rinsed with water and hexane to afford the title compound . hplc / ms : 219 . 0 ( m + 1 ); r t = 0 . 28 min ( basic method ). ethyl 6 - chloronicotinate ( 372 g , 200 mmol ) ( or an equivalent molar amount of methyl 6 - chloronicotinate ) was dissolved in thf ( 315 ml ) and placed in an ice - water bath ( reactor a ). a separate reaction vessel was placed in an ice - water bath and sequentially charged with thf ( 335 ml ) and methylmagnesium chloride ( 200 ml , 601 mmol ) ( reactor b ). the contents of reactor a were slowly added to reactor b with stirring while maintaining a core temperature range of 15 - 25 ° c . following the addition , the reaction mixture was re - cooled to 0 ° c . using an ice - water bath and treated with aq . 2 . 5 m hcl ( 240 ml , 600 mmol ). the aqueous medium was partitioned with mtbe and the aqueous layer was re - extracted with mtbe . the combined organic layers were washed with saturated aq . nacl , dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was diluted with ch 3 cn and concentrated . this was repeated once . the product was dried under high vacuum . hplc / ms : 172 . 0 ( m + 1 ); r t = 1 . 71 min . a solution of the product from step a , 1 - a , ( 33 . 42 g , 195 mmol ) in ch 3 cn ( 250 ml ) was cooled to 0 ° c . using an ice - water bath . sulfuric acid ( 72 . 7 ml , 1363 mmol ) was slowly added and the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to rt and was stirred between 48 - 72 h . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c . using an ice - water bath , diluted with h 2 o ( 100 ml ) and subsequently treated slowly with aq . 29 % nh 4 oh ( 203 ml ). the quenched mixture was extracted with mtbe and the organic layer was separated . the aqueous layer was extracted with mtbe and the combined organic layers were concentrated under reduced pressure until a solid was present . the solids were treated with hexanes , collected by vacuum filtration and dried under high vacuum . hplc / ms : 213 . 0 ( m + 1 ); r t = 1 . 71 min . the product from step b , 1 - b , ( 37 . 11 g , 174 mmol ), 4 - methoxyphenylboronic acid ( 47 . 7 g , 314 mmol ) and bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( ii ) chloride ( 6 . 12 g , 8 . 72 mmol ) were suspended in dma ( 325 ml ) and aq . 2 . 0 m na 2 co 3 ( 288 ml , 576 mmol ). the atmosphere of the reaction vessel was evacuated / purged with n 2 ( 3 ×) and the reaction mixture was heated at 90 ° c . over 3 h . the reaction mixture was cooled to rt and partitioned between etoac and h 2 o . the organic layer was separated , washed with h 2 o , saturated aq . nacl , dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was suspended in ch 2 cl 2 and the solid were isolated by vacuum filtration and dried under high vacuum . alternative work - up : the reaction mixture was cooled to rt and diluted with h 2 o ( 1 . 85 l ). the solids were collected by vacuum filtration rinsing with hexanes and dried under high vacuum . hplc / ms : 285 . 0 ( m + 1 ); r t = 1 . 53 min . the product of step c , 1 - c , ( 23 . 34 g , 82 mmol ) was suspended in h 2 o ( 66 ml ) and cone . hcl ( 58 . 1 ml , 708 mmol ). the reaction mixture was heated at 100 ° c . for 24 h . the reaction mixture was cooled to rt and partitioned with mtbe . the organic layer was discarded . the aqueous layer was treated with aq . 5 . 0 m naoh ( 160 ml , 800 mmol ) and extracted with etoac ( 2 ×˜ 700 ml ). the combined organic layers were dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure to about ¼ of the original volume . benzenesulfonic acid ( 12 . 98 g , 82 mmol ) was added as a solid and the mixture was agitated and allowed to stand at rt for 10 min . the solids were isolated by vacuum filtration , rinsed with hexanes and dried under high vacuum . hplc / ms : 243 . 0 ( m + 1 ); r t = 1 . 49 min . to a solution of intermediate 4 ( 4 - hydroxy - 2 - pyridazin - 3 - ylpyrimidine - 5 - carboxylic acid ) ( 12 . 12 g , 55 . 6 mmol ) in nmp ( 97 ml ) was added triethylamine ( 23 . 10 ml , 167 mmol ) and cdi ( 9 . 01 g , 55 . 6 mmol ). the reaction mixture was heated at 70 ° c . over 1 h . to the hot solution was added the product from step d ( 26 . 7 g , 66 . 7 mmol ) as a solid . the reaction mixture was aged at 70 ° c . over 1 h and subsequently cooled to rt . the reaction mixture was diluted with h 2 o ( 300 ml ) and transferred into a separatory funnel . the aqueous medium was washed with etoac ( 2 × 175 ml ) ( discard organic washes ). the aqueous layer was separated and treated with 290 ml of ph = 7 buffer solution ( fisher scientific part number sb108 - 1 ) followed by aq . 6 . 0 m hcl ( 18 . 52 ml , 111 mmol ). the resulting suspension was agitated and allowed to stand for about 20 min . the solids were isolated by vacuum filtration , rinsed with h 2 o ( 3 ×) followed by etoac ( 3 ×) and dried under high vacuum . hplc / ms : 443 . 1 ( m + 1 ); r t = 2 . 04 min . 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 9 . 49 ( dd , = 5 . 06 , 1 . 60 hz , 1h ); 8 . 64 ( d , j = 2 . 11 hz , 1h ); 8 . 52 ( dd , j = 8 . 42 , 1 . 72 hz , 2h ); 8 . 02 - 7 . 97 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 83 - 7 . 76 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 02 ( d , j = 8 . 70 hz , 2h ); 3 . 80 ( s , 3h ); 1 . 75 ( s , 6h ). the pharmacokinetics and cytochrome p450 activity of example 1 ( e - 1 ) were evaluated , and compared to that of example 187 disclosed in international pct application pct / us09 / 036 , 501 , filed mar . 9 , 2009 . compounds were formulated in a 1 : 1 solution ( by volume ) of peg200 : water and dosed at 0 . 5 mg / kg of body weight . the formulation was dosed intravenously in 2 dogs ( beagles ), and blood was drawn at the following time points ( hours ) 0 . 08 , 0 . 25 , 0 . 5 , 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 24 . the plasma concentrations shown in the table below were determined by protein precipitation followed by liquid chromatography — tandem mass spectrometry analysis . the example of the present invention in which r 2 and r 3 are methyl and r 1 is methoxy shows the unexpected benefit of having a 7 - fold faster intrinsic clearance with concomitant decrease in mean residence time ( mrt ) and half - life ( t½ ) relative to the similar example ( example 187 ) of pct / us09 / 036 , 501 . improvements in pharmacokinetic properties such as exhibiting a faster clearance benefits the safety profile of a compound by reducing the time it takes for the drug to be removed from circulation should a patient experience an adverse event . the compounds of example 1 and also example 187 of pct / us09 / 036 , 501 were tested for their activity at the cytochrome p450 enzymes cyp3a4 and cyp2c8 . utilizing procedures similar to that described by walasky et al . and the references therein , the following human ic 50 values were determined ( walsky , r . l . ; obach , r . s . drug metab . dispos . 2004 , 32 , 647 - 660 .) as is shown in the above table , the example of the present invention is exhibits an unexpectedly , improved selectivity for the inhibition phd2 and its interaction with the hif peptide and a lower activity in the inhibition of cyp3a4 and cyp2c8 . as a result , the compound of the present invention in which r 2 and r 3 are methyl and r 1 is methoxy unexpectedly shows improvements over example 187 of pct / us09 / 036 , 501 relating to minimization off target activity at the cytochrome p450 enzymes cyp3a4 and cyp2c8 . these improvements can diminish the potential for drug - drug interactions ( a situation where the administration of one drug may alter the affects of another drug and cause an adverse event ). the exemplified compound in example 1 of the present invention has been found to inhibit the interaction between phd2 and a hif peptide and exhibit ic 50 values ranging between 0 . 1 nanomolar to 10 micromolar . non - limiting examples of assays that may be useful to detect favorable activity are disclosed in the following publications : oehme , f ., et al ., anal . biochem . 330 : 74 - 80 ( 2004 ); m , et al ., j . bio . chem . 278 ( 33 ): 30772 - 30780 ( 2005 ); hyunju , c ., et al ., biochem . biophys . res . comm . 330 ( 2005 ) 275 - 280 ; and hewitson , k . s ., et al ., methods in enzymology , ( oxygen biology and hypoxia ); elsevier publisher ( 2007 ), pg . 25 - 42 ( issn : 0076 - 6879 ). the biological activity of the present compound may be evaluated using assays described herein below : to each well of a 96 - well plate was added 1 μl of test compound in dmso and 20 μl of assay buffer ( 50 mm tris ph 7 . 4 / 0 . 01 % tween - 20 / 0 . 1 mg / ml bovine serum albumin / 10 μm ferrous sulfate / 1 mm sodium ascorbate / 20 μg / ml catalase ) containing 0 . 15 μg / ml flag - tagged full length phd2 expressed in and purified from baculovirus - infected sf9 cells . after a 30 min preincubation at room temperature , the enzymatic reactions were initiated by the addition of 4 μl of substrates ( final concentrations of 0 . 2 μm 2 - oxoglutarate and 0 . 5 μm hif - 1α peptide biotinyl - dldlemlapyipmdddfql ). after 2 hr at room temperature , the reactions were terminated and signals were developed by the addition of a 25 μl quench / detection mix to a final concentration of 1 mm ortho - phenanthroline , 0 . 1 mm edta , 0 . 5 nm anti -( his ) 6 lance reagent ( perkin - elmer life sciences ), 100 nm af647 - labeled streptavidin ( invitrogen ), and 2 μg / ml ( his )- 6 - vial complex ( s . tan ( 2001 ) protein expr . purif . 21 , 224 - 234 ). the ratio of time resolved fluorescence signals at 665 and 620 nm was determined , and percent inhibition was calculated relative to an uninhibited control sample run in parallel . inhibition of the catalytic activity of hif - phd1 and hif - phd3 can be determined similarly . the phd2 binding activity expressed as ic 50 ( nm ), for the compounds of the present invention disclosed in example 1 was found to be ≦ 10 nm .	2
fig1 illustrates the general chemical structure of the series of quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts according to the invention . anion a − is a halide ( chloride , bromide , iodide ), acetate , p - toluenesulfonate or any other pharmaceutically acceptable anion . r and r ′ are alkyl groups such as methyl , ethyl , propyl or butyl ( they are either the same group or different from each other ). w is a chemical tether , characterized by a carbon chain ( ch 2 ) n constituted by a number n of methylene units such that n = 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ; the structure of the chemical tether w either a normal or a branched hydrocarbon chain . w is also a chemical tether constituted by an oxycarbonated chain with structure represented by —( ch 2 ) s [( ch 2 ) 2 — o —] t ( ch 2 ) u —, made of a number s of methylene units such that s = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and a number t of ethyleneoxy units such that t = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and a number of u methylene units such that u = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 . in addition , w is also a chemical tether constituted by a chain with structure ( ch 2 ) p [— o — si ( ch 3 ) 2 ] q — o — ch 2 ) r — made of a number p of methylene units such that p = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and a number q of dimethylsiloxane units such that q = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and a number of r methylene units such that r = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 . the tail g is a methyl group , a hydroxyl group , or an alkenyl system with groups v , y and z attached to the vinylic carbons . v , y and z are either the same group or they are different from each other when g is an alkenyl system . substituents v and / or y and / or z correspond to hydrogen , phenyl group or any aromatic or heteroaromatic group , or any alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl group . the aromatic or heteroaromatic group bears hydrogen atoms or any kind and number of substituents in any place of the ring , with the aromatic substituents including hydroxyl , methoxy or any alkoxy group , o - acetyloxy or any o - acyloxy group , amino , n - acetylamino or any n - acylamino group , fluorine , chlorine , bromine , iodine , α , α , α - trifluoromethyl , any alkyl substituent , or any other pharmaceutically acceptable substituent and any substitution pattern , with a total number of substituents in the ring being zero , one , two , three , four , five or six . these substituents may also be chemically connected with some others generating additional annular patterns . according to fig1 , the screening revealed that compounds inhibit the growth of parasites , even though they work out with different capacities . quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents , is a series of compounds that are characterized by a general structure consisting of a quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium cation head , a tail g , a chemical tether w , and a counter ion a − . the counter ion a − is chloride ( cl − ), bromide ( br − ), iodide ( i − ), acetate ( ch 3 coo − ), tosylate ( p - ch 3 c 6 h 4 so 3 − ), or any other pharmaceutically acceptable anion . the quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium cation head is constituted by a nitrogen atom which is coordinated to four ligands with the following specific description : ( i ) a halomethyl group ( ch 2 — x ) where the halogen x is fluorine ( f ), chlorine ( cl ), bromine ( br ) or iodine ( i ); ( ii ) an alkyl group r , such as methyl , ethyl , n - propyl or n - butyl ; ( iii ) another alkyl group r ′, such as methyl , ethyl , n - propyl or n - butyl ; ( iv ) a chemical tether w which joins the quaternary nitrogen head to the tail g . the tail g is a methyl group , a hydroxyl group , or an alkenyl system with groups v , y and z attached to the vinylic carbons . v , y and z are either the same group or different from each other when g is an alkenyl system . substituents v and / or y and / or z correspond to hydrogen , phenyl group or any aromatic or heteroaromatic group , or any alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl group . the aromatic or heteroaromatic group bears hydrogen atoms or any kind and number of substituents in any place of the ring , with the aromatic substituents including hydroxyl , methoxy or any alkoxy group , o - acetyloxy or any o - acyloxy group , amino , n - acetylamino or any n - acylamino group , fluorine , chlorine , bromine , iodine , α , α , α - trifluoromethyl , any alkyl substituent , or any other pharmaceutically acceptable substituent and any substitution pattern , with a total number of substituents in the ring being zero , one , two , three , four , five or six . these substituents may also be chemically connected with some others generating additional annular patterns . the chemical tether w is a carbon chain ( ch 2 ) n constituted by a number n of methylene units such that n = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 . this chemical tether w could also be a branched hydrocarbon chain . quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents with a chemical tether w is characterized by a chain with structure —( ch 2 ) p [— o — si ( ch 3 ) 2 ] q — o —( ch 2 ) r — made of a number p of methylene units such that p = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and a number q of dimethylsiloxane units such that q = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and a number of r methylene units such that r = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 . also , the chemical tether w is characterized by an oxycarbonated chain with structure represented by —( ch 2 ) s [( ch 2 ) 2 — o -] t ( ch 2 ) u —, made of a number s of methylene units such that s = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and a number t of ethyleneoxy units such that t = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and a number of u methylene units such that u = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 . quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents are effective against leishmania tarentolae parasites , non - pathogenic species that are used for pre - screening processes in the promastigote stage . some of the quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents are effective against axenic l . ( v ) panamensis and l . ( l ) amazonensis parasites , human pathogenic species that causes cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis . also , some of the quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents are effective against l . ( v ) panamensis and l . ( l ) amazonensis parasites , in the amastigote stage that have infected macrophage cells . quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents is a series of compounds that inhibit the growth of parasites , even though they work out with different capacities . those compounds with a terminal arylalkenyl or diarylalkenyl ( i . e . g = alkenyl system with v = h , y = h , z = c 6 h 5 or v = h , y = c 6 h 5 , z = h or v = h , y = c 6 h 5 , z = c 6 h 5 ) were more effective against the parasites than those without this moiety . interestingly , compounds with g being a terminal diarylalkenyl moiety ( i . e . v = h , y = c 6 h 5 , z = c 6 h 5 ) are the most effective . the use of quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents for a topical treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis on infected golden hamsters led to 100 % healing of the lesion after three months of treatment . the invention originates from the study of the effect of some quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts on the in vitro viability of l . tarentolae parasites . in consideration of the structural similarity of this salts and choline , it was hypothesized that quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts should have an effect on the choline transport and metabolic role in the formation of the parasite membrane , resulting in consequence in a possible active ingredient for a pharmaceutical composition against trypanosomal parasites . so , compounds shown in fig4 were tested for their in vitro efficacy against l . tarentolae parasites ( a non - pathogenic species ) in the promastigote stage . the screening revealed that compounds inhibit the growth of parasites , even though they work out with different capacities . of all these tested compounds fig4 the compounds with a terminal arylalkenyl moiety ( compounds 4 , 6 - 9 , 11 ) or diarylalkenyl moiety ( compound 3 ) were more effective against the parasites than those without this moiety ( compound 1 ). interestingly , compound 3 , having a terminal diarylalkenyl moiety is the most effective . then , a series of compounds analogous to compound 3 ( characterized by a tail g being a diarylalkenyl moiety ) were synthesized in order to assess their in vitro effectiveness against l . ( v ) panamensis , a pathogenic species which causes human mucocutaneous leishmaniasis . other halogenated analogs of choline were also synthesized and included in this in vitro effectiveness study . fig2 illustrates the compounds evaluated for their in vitro effectiveness against axenic amastigotes of l . ( v ) panamensis . given that leishmania parasites are known to infect monocyte cells , mostly macrophages and neutrophils , the in vitro effectiveness of some of the compounds was also tested on l . ( v ) panamensis in the amastigote stage that have been set to infect macrophage cells . fig5 contains the list of compounds evaluated . it was decided then to carry out a preliminary in vivo animal study according to standard practices using the golden hamster model for cutaneous leishmaniasis , using the compounds with the better profile as therapeutic agents against leishmaniasis . for that purpose the in vivo effectiveness of compounds 3b , 13b and 14c were tested fig6 . the table shown in fig7 contains the ec 50 values ( molar amount of compound that kills 50 % of parasites in sample ) obtained against axenic amastigotes of l . ( v ) panamensis . quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents were compared with the respective non - halogenated ( i . e . n , n , n - trimethyl quaternary ammonium salts ) and with two compounds commonly used to treat leishmaniasis ( meglumine antimoniate and amphotericin b ). as shown in fig7 compound 14a is the most effective of them , being more efficient than compound 3a . the ec 50 values for meglumine antimoniate and amphotericin b are 312 ± 18 . 6 μm and 0 . 041 ± 0 . 001 μm respectively . on the other hand , the results of the in vitro activity study of some quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts as therapeutic agents shown in fig5 against infected macrophage cells with leishmania panamesis are shown in fig8 . the ec 50 values for meglumine antimoniate and amphotericin b are 6 . 33 ± 0 . 86 μg / ml and 0 . 05 ± 0 . 001 μg / ml respectively . it was decided then to carry out a small in vivo animal study according to standard practices using the golden hamster model for cutaneous leishmaniasis . for that purpose the in vivo effectiveness of compounds 3b , 13b and 14c were tested . treatment consisted of a topical application of the compound suspended in an aqueous buffer ( neutral ph ) daily for ten days . the results are summarized in fig9 ( a - d ) and evidence that application of the compounds topically is conductive to the cure of the majority of the animals in the study , with similar results to those found when using meglumine antimoniate via intramuscular injection . the required dosage of compounds 3b , 13b , and 14c is smaller than that of meglumine antimoniate . some additional studies show that the compounds induce parasites death via an apoptotic mechanism . an understanding of the mechanism of parasite &# 39 ; s death is of importance in the future development of compounds that are better against the parasites . choline is a quaternary ammonium salt that is necessary for the construction of cell membranes . choline is used by cells to biosynthesize phosphatidyl choline , one of the primary phospholipids that constitute cellular membranes . given the similarity between the compounds tested and choline ( see compound 12c in fig7 , it was hypothesized that the compounds of the invention may inhibit the uptake of choline by the parasites , or that they may inhibit some enzymes which are catalyzing the transformation of choline . phosphatidyl choline can be synthesized by the parasite following the traditional kennedy pathway ( zhang and beverley , 2010 ), in which choline is converted to phosphatidyl choline via a sequence of steps , each catalyzed by a specific enzyme . the first step involves the phosphorylation of choline with the enzyme choline kinase . kinetic studies using the choline kinase of l . ( l ) infantum reveal that some of the compounds , especially compound 14a is able to inhibit this enzyme , lowering its catalytic efficiency . other studies reveal that some of the compounds with structure 1 , especially compound 14a , interferes with the in vitro uptake of choline by promastigotes of l . tarentolae and , also inhibits the in vitro production of phosphatidyl choline by these parasites according to an embodiment of the invention , a daily topical application of a composition based on the quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts in an aqueous buffer solution ( neutral ph ) is proposed . the syntheses of some representative quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts are accomplished according to standard procedures , fig3 . the starting materials for this three - step sequence are ω - bromoacyl chlorides 1 which are converted into ω - bromo - α , α - diphenyl - α - alkenes 2 via a grignard reaction with excess of phenylmagnesium bromide and the further dehydration of the resulting tertiary ω - bromo - α , α - diphenylcarbinols with p - toluenesulfonic acid . then , bromide anion is displaced by dimethylamine affording the respective tertiary amine 15 , which is in turn made to react with diiodomethane or chloroiodomethane giving rise to the target quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salts 3 , 13 or 14 . in a typical run , 2 . 6 equivalents of phenyl magnesium bromide are added to 1 . 0 equivalent of 5 - bromopentanoyl chloride dissolved in dried diethyl ether under inert atmosphere at 0 ° c . and stirred during 15 minutes . after this time the mixture is warmed up to room temperature , and then ammonium chloride is added slowly to the mixture , and worked up in the usual manner to produce 5 - bromo - 1 , 1 - diphenyl - 1 - pentanol as a white solid . the crude product is then refluxed during 6 hours with p - toluenesulfonic acid ( ratio 60 : 1 ) under benzene , and worked up in the usual manner to yield 5 - bromo - 1 , 1 - diphenyl - 1 - pentene as a yellow oil . next , an aqueous solution ( 40 %) of dimethyl amine ( 25 equivalents ) is added slowly to a thf solution of 1 . 0 equivalent of 5 - bromo - 1 , 1 - diphenyl - 1 - pentene that has been obtained in the previous step . the mixture is then stirred at room temperature for 24 hours , and worked up in the usual manner to yield 5 -( n , n - dimethyl ) amino - 1 , 1 - diphenyl - 1 - pentene as a yellow oil . finally , 1 . 0 equivalent of the resulting amine is mixed with 4 . 0 equivalents of diiodomethane in acetonitrile . the mixture is stirred for 20 hours or until the quaternary n -( halomethyl ) ammonium salt precipitates as a white solid . the product is then recrystallized from hot water . although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , the invention is intended to embrace all of the alternatives and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	0
fig6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a pin arrangement for a dimm that is compatible with embodiments of the invention . the dimm includes a number of memory devices 30 - 1 , . . . 30 - n mounted to a front side 30 of a module board and a number of memory devices 40 - 1 , . . . 40 - n mounted to a back side 40 of a module board . compared to the conventional dimm illustrated in fig5 , the dimm illustrated in fig6 commonly applies a reset signal ( reset ) from the memory controller ( not shown ) to the memory devices 30 - 1 , . . . , 30 - n on the front side 30 of the memory module and to the memory devices 40 - 1 , . . . , 40 - n on the rear side 40 of the memory module . thus , the memory devices have an additional pin that is configured to receive the reset signal . the reset signal is used to initialize the memory devices 30 - 1 , . . . 30 - n , 40 - 1 , . . . 40 - n . the memory devices 30 - 1 , . . . , 30 - n , 40 - 1 , . . . , 40 - n may include , for example , a number of high frequency dram devices that are compatible with the ddr3 dram . before normal dram operations may be performed , the ddr3 dram devices are periodically initialized using the reset signal . fig7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a memory device 800 capable of mirror mode function according to some embodiments of the invention . the memory device 800 may correspond to the individual memory devices 30 - 1 , . . . , 30 - n , 40 - 1 , . . . , 40 - n illustrated in fig6 . the device 800 receives a number of external signals such as power signals ( vcc , vref , gnd ), non - shared command signals ( ncom ), command signals ( com ), address signals ( add ), and data signals ( data ) at external pins . the external signals mentioned above appear at corresponding pads pvcc , pvref , pgnd , pncom , pcom , padd , and pdata . furthermore , the memory device 800 also has a reset pin to receive an initializing signal ( reset ) from a memory controller to a reset pad preset . the memory device 800 may be initialized in response to the reset signal ( reset ), which typically operates at a relatively low frequency . the memory device 800 includes a switching circuit 810 , which has the capability of applying the externally applied signals to a variety of internal circuits . the switching circuit 810 is controlled by a mirror mode control circuit 820 , which produces a mirror control signal ( con ) in response to the reset signal ( reset ) and one of the non - shared command signals ( ncom ). in alternative embodiments of the invention , the mirror mode control circuit 820 may be responsive to the reset signal ( reset ) and more than one of the non - shared command signals ( ncom ). according to some embodiments of the invention , the memory device 800 may operate in mirror mode when the mirror control signal ( con ) is at a “ high ” level . in this case , the switching circuit 810 may transfer the input signals applied to the command and address pads ( pncom , pcom , and padd ) to a number of corresponding internal data signals ( idata ). the input signals of the data signal pads ( pdata ) may be transferred to a number of corresponding internal command and address signals such as income , icom . conversely , when the control signal ( con ) is at a “ low ” level , the memory device 800 operates in a normal mode . in this case the switching circuit 810 applies the input signals of the command and address pads ( pncom , pcom , and padd ) to a number of corresponding internal command signals ( income , icom ) and internal address signals ( iadd ), and also applies the input signals of the data signal pads ( pdata ) to a number of corresponding internal data signals ( idata ). alternatively , it should be apparent that the memory device may be operated in a mirror mode when the mirror control signal ( con ) is at a “ low ” level and in a normal mode when the control signal ( con ) is at a “ high ” level . compared to the conventional memory device illustrated in fig5 , the memory device 800 does not require additional bonding pads as well as additional pins for receiving a mirror mode control signal or a normal mode control signal . in other words , a high frequency memory device such as ddr3 dram has basically a reset signal for initializing a memory device irrespective of mirror mode operation . therefore , memory devices according to embodiments of the invention may use the existing reset signal and another existing non - shared command signal to control the operation of the device in mirror mode and normal mode . as a result , the size of a memory device according to embodiments of the invention may be reduced compared to the conventional memory devices described above . furthermore , because the memory device 800 may be operated in mirror mode , a dimm incorporating a number of memory devices 800 , such as the dimm illustrated in fig6 , may operate without reflections and signal degradation from short stubs . fig8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mirror mode control circuit 900 according to some embodiments of the invention . the mirror mode control circuit 900 generates a mirror control signal ( con ) in response to a reset signal input from a reset pad ( preset ) and in response to a chip select signal ( csb ) input from a chip select pad ( pcsb ). the chip select signal ( csb ) is an example of a non - shared command signal ( ncom ), as illustrated in fig7 . the chip select signal ( csb ) is input to a chip select buffer 910 that generates an internal chip select signal for a flip flop 930 . the reset signal ( reset ) is input to a reset buffer 920 that generates an internal reset signal for the flip flop 930 . the flip flop 930 is latched to the internal chip select signal from the chip select buffer 910 and generates the mode control signal ( con ) in response to the internal reset signal generated by the reset buffer 920 . fig9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mirror mode control circuit 1000 according to other embodiments of the invention . the mirror mode control circuit 1000 generates a mirror control signal ( con ) in response to a reset signal input from a reset pad ( preset ) and in response to a chip select signal ( csb ) input from a chip select pad ( pcsb ). the chip select signal ( csb ) is an example of a non - shared command signal ( ncom ), as illustrated in fig7 . the chip select signal ( csb ) is input to a chip select buffer 1010 that generates an internal chip select signal for a flip flop 1040 . the reset signal ( reset ) is input to a reset buffer 1020 that generates an internal reset signal for the flip flop 1040 . the flip flop 1040 is latched to the internal chip select signal from the chip select buffer 1010 and generates the mirror control signal ( con ) in response to the internal reset signal generated by the reset buffer 1020 . additionally , the mirror control circuit 1000 includes a delay element 1030 that is configured to reduce a current flowing through the chip select buffer 1010 . that is , the chip select buffer 1010 is enabled in response to an internal reset signal which is delayed by delay element 1030 and generates an internal chip select signal for the flip flop 1040 . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mirror mode control circuit 1100 according to still other embodiments of the invention . the mirror mode control circuit 1100 generates a mirror control signal ( con ) in response to a reset signal input from a reset pad ( preset ) and in response to a clock enable signal ( cke ) input from a clock enable pad ( pcke ). the clock enable signal ( cke ) is an example of a non - shared command signal ( ncom ), as illustrated in fig7 . the clock enable signal ( cke ) is input to a clock enable buffer 1110 that generates an internal clock enable signal for a flip flop 1130 . the reset signal ( reset ) is input to a reset buffer 1120 that generates an internal reset signal for the flip flop 1130 . the flip flop 1130 is latched to the internal chip select signal from the clock enable buffer 1110 and generates the mode control signal ( con ) in response to the internal reset signal generated by the reset buffer 1120 . although not shown in fig1 , in alternative embodiments the mirror mode control circuit 1100 may also include a delay element . in this case , the delay element may be connected to the mirror mode control circuit in the same manner as the delay element 1030 of fig9 . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mirror mode control circuit 1200 according to some other embodiments of the invention . the mirror mode control circuit 1200 generates a mirror control signal ( con ) in response to a reset signal input from a reset pad ( preset ) and in response to an on - die termination signal ( otc ) input from an on - die termination pad ( potc ). the on - die termination signal ( otc ) is an example of a non - shared command signal ( ncom ), as illustrated in fig7 . the on - die termination signal ( otc ) is input to an on - die termination buffer 1210 that generates an internal on - die termination signal for a flip flop 1230 . the reset signal ( reset ) is input to a reset buffer 1220 that generates an internal reset signal for the flip flop 1230 . the flip flop 1230 is latched to the internal on - die termination signal from the on - die termination buffer 1210 and generates the mirror control signal ( con ) in response to the internal reset signal generated by the reset buffer 1220 . although not shown in fig1 , in alternative embodiments the mirror mode control circuit 1200 may also include a delay element . in this case , the delay element may be connected to the mirror mode control circuit in the same manner as the delay element 1030 of fig9 . according to the embodiments of the invention illustrated in fig8 - 11 , a mirror control circuit generates a control signal in response to a reset signal and a non - shared command signal that are transferred from a memory controller . as described above , the non - shared command signal may include a chip select signal ( csb ), a clock enable signal ( cke ), or an on - die termination signal ( otc ). fig1 is a timing diagram illustrating the signal levels that may trigger mirror mode operation in keeping with embodiments illustrated in fig8 and 9 . when the mirror control signal ( con ) has a “ high ” level , the memory device operates in a mirror mode . the mirror control signal ( con ) transitions to a “ high ” level in response to the buffered chip select signal ( scsb ) at a “ high ” level and a falling edge of the buffered reset signal ( sreset ). the embodiments of fig1 and 11 may have similar timing diagrams except for the fact that the buffered chip select signal ( scsb ) is replaced by another non - shared command signal , i . e ., a buffered clock enable signal ( scke ) or a buffered on - die termination signal ( sotc ). fig1 is a timing diagram illustrating the signal levels that may trigger normal mode operation in keeping with embodiments illustrated in fig8 and 9 . when the mirror control signal ( con ) has a “ low ” level , the memory device operates in a normal mode . the mirror control signal ( con ) has a “ low ” level in response to the buffered chip select signal ( scsb ) at a “ low ” level and in response to a falling edge of the buffered reset signal ( sreset ). the embodiments of fig1 and 11 may have similar timing diagrams except for the fact that the buffered chip select signal ( scsb ) is replaced by another non - shared command signal , i . e ., a buffered clock enable signal ( scke ) or a buffered on - die termination signal ( sotc ). fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a switching circuit 1500 according to some embodiments of the invention . the switching circuit 1500 is suitable for use as , for example , the switching circuit 810 of fig7 . the switching circuit 1500 includes a first selection circuit 1510 and a second selection circuit 1520 . all the external signals ( reset , ncom , com , add , data ) shown in fig7 are applied to each of the first and second selection circuits 1510 , 1520 . the mirror control signal ( con ) from the mirror mode control circuit ( not shown ) is also applied to each of the first and second selection circuits 1510 , 1520 . depending on the logic state of the mirror control signal ( con ), the first and second selection circuits 1510 , 1520 operate in mirror mode or normal mode . in mirror mode , the external signals from the pads preset , pncom , pcom , and padd are applied to a corresponding number of internal data signals ( idata ). similarly , the external signals from the pads pdata are applied to a corresponding number of internal command and address signals ( ireset , incom , icom , iadd ). when operating in normal mode , the memory device passes the external signals directly to the corresponding internal circuit without re - assignment . for example , the external data signals from the pdata pads are assigned to a corresponding number of internal data signals ( idata ). similarly , the external address and command signals from the preset , pncom , pcom , padd , and pdata pads are assigned to a corresponding number of internal command and address signals ( ireset , income , icom , iadd ). the invention may be practiced in many ways . what follows are exemplary , non - limiting descriptions of some embodiments of the invention . according to some embodiments of the invention , a system includes a memory module ; the memory module having a first memory device , a second memory device , and a module board ; and a memory controller , the first memory device structured to operate in a mirror mode or a normal mode in response to a first shared signal and a first non - shared signal received from the memory controller through a first shared signal line and a first non - shared signal line , respectively , the second memory device structured to operate in the mirror mode or the normal mode in response to the first shared signal and a second non - shared signal received from the memory controller through the first shared signal line and a second non - shared signal line , respectively . according to some embodiments of the invention , the first shared signal is a chip reset signal . according to some embodiments of the invention , the first non - shared signal and the second non - shared signal are chip select signals . according to some embodiments of the invention , the first non - shared signal and the second non - shared signal are clock enable signals . according to some embodiments of the invention , the first non - shared signal and the second non - shared signal are on - die termination signals . according to some embodiments of the invention , the memory module includes a dimm with the first memory device arranged on a front side of the module board in a position that corresponds with the second memory device that is arranged on a rear side of the module board . according to some embodiments of the invention , the first memory device includes a first control circuit structured to generate a first control signal in response to the first shared signal and the first non - shared signal ; and a first switching circuit structured to route a second shared signal that is input to the first memory device to a selected internal circuit of the first memory device in response to the first control signal . according to some embodiments of the invention , the second memory device includes a second control circuit structured to generate a second control signal in response to the first shared signal and the second non - shared signal ; and a second switching circuit structured to route the second shared signal that is input to the second memory device to a selected internal circuit of the second memory device in response to the second control signal . according to other embodiments of the invention , a semiconductor memory device includes a control circuit structured to generate a control signal in response to a first command signal and a second command signal ; and a switching circuit structured to route an input of the semiconductor memory device to a selected internal circuit in response to the control signal . according to some embodiments of the invention , the control circuit includes a first buffer structured to generate a first internal signal in response to the first command signal ; a second buffer structured to generate a second internal signal in response to the second command signal ; and a flip flop structured to generate the control signal in response to the first internal signal and the second internal signal . according to some embodiments , the control circuit further includes a delay element coupled between the first buffer and the flip - flop and between the second buffer and the first buffer , the delay element structured to reduce a current flowing through the first buffer . according to some embodiments , the first command signal includes a chip select signal from a memory controller and the second command signal includes a chip reset signal from the memory controller . according to some embodiments , the first command signal includes a clock enable signal from a memory controller and the second command signal includes a chip reset signal from the memory controller . according to some embodiments , the first command signal includes an on - die termination signal from a memory controller and the second command signal includes a chip reset signal from the memory controller . according to some embodiments , the switching circuit includes a first switching element structured to route the input to a first internal circuit in response to the control signal ; and a second switching element structured to route the input to a second internal circuit in response to the control signal . according to still other embodiments of the invention , a method includes operating a first memory device in a normal mode in response to a shared signal and a first non - shared signal that are inputs to the first memory device ; and with respect to the first memory device , operating a second memory device in a mirror mode in response to the shared signal and a second non - shared signal that are inputs to the second memory device . according to some embodiments , operating the first memory device includes generating a first internal signal in response to the shared signal and the first non - shared signal , the first internal signal configured to control a first switching circuit that routes an input of the first memory device to one of at least two outputs of the first memory device . according to some embodiments , operating the second memory device includes generating a second internal signal in response to the shared signal and the second non - shared signal , the second internal signal configured to control a second switching circuit that routes an input of the second memory device to one of at least two outputs of the second memory device . according to some embodiments , the shared signal includes a chip reset signal that is received from a memory controller . according to some embodiments , the first non - shared signal and the second non - shared signal are selected from the group comprising a chip select signal , a clock enable signal , and an on - die termination signal . although the principles of the invention were described and illustrated above in numerous exemplary embodiments , it should be apparent that the invention is not limited only to the specific embodiments that were described . rather , the exemplary embodiments may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from the inventive principles . we claim all modifications and variations falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims .	6
the invention will be illustrated below in conjunction with an exemplary communication system . although well suited for use with , e . g ., a system using a server ( s ) and / or database ( s ), the invention is not limited to use with any particular type of communication system or configuration of system elements . those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed techniques may be used in any communication application in which it is desirable to increase communication efficiencies . the exemplary systems and methods of this invention will also be described in relation to analysis software , modules , and associated analysis hardware . however , to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention , the following description omits well - known structures , components and devices that may be shown in block diagram form , are well known , or are otherwise summarized . for purposes of explanation , numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it should be appreciated , however , that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific details set forth herein . referring now to fig1 , an exemplary communication system 100 will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention . the communication system 100 may comprise a communication network 104 that facilitates communications between one or more communication devices 108 . the communication network 104 may be any type of known communication medium or collection of communication mediums and may use any type of protocols to transport messages between endpoints . the communication network 104 may include wired and / or wireless communication technologies . the internet is an example of the communication network 104 that constitutes and ip network consisting of many computers and other communication devices located all over the world , which are connected through many telephone systems and other means . other examples of the communication network 104 include , without limitation , a standard plain old telephone system ( pots ), an integrated services digital network ( isdn ), the public switched telephone network ( pstn ), a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ), a session initiation protocol ( sip ) network , and any other type of packet - switched or circuit - switched network known in the art . in addition , it can be appreciated that the communication network 104 need not be limited to any one network type , and instead may be comprised of a number of different networks and / or network types . moreover , the communication network 104 may comprise a number of different communication mediums such as coaxial cable , copper cable / wire , fiber - optic cable , antennas for transmitting / receiving wireless messages , and combinations thereof . the communication devices 108 may be any type of known communication or processing device such as a personal computer , laptop , personal digital assistant ( pda ), cellular phone , smart phone , telephone , contact center resource , or combinations thereof . the communication devices 108 may be controlled by or associated with a single user or may be adapted for use by many users ( e . g ., an enterprise communication device that allows any enterprise user to utilize the communication device upon presentation of a valid user name and password ). in general each communication device 108 may be adapted to support video , audio , text , and / or data communications with other communication devices 108 . the type of medium used by the communication device 108 to communicate with other communication devices may depend upon the communication applications available on the communication device 108 . in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention , the communication devices 108 may alternatively , or additionally , comprise a server , switch , gateway , router , proxy , or other type of network communication device . more specifically , the communication device 108 is not necessarily limited to user communication devices . rather , the present invention contemplates that a communication device 108 may comprise any device capable of receiving , sending , generating , processing , and / or parsing messages . accordingly , a communication device 108 may include user devices as well as network and / or enterprise devices . as can be seen in fig1 , the communication devices 108 may be equipped with a processor 112 , memory 116 , and a network interface 120 . certain details of the processor 112 and memory 116 are described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 625 , 718 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference . more specifically , the memory 116 may be adapted to store electronic messages in a contiguous segment of memory and that segment of memory 116 may be divided into a fixed portion and a variable portion . the fixed portion may comprise a pointer that points to associated data in the variable portion . in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention , the pointer in the fixed portion may be either a self - relative pointer that defines a pointed - to location in the variable portion in terms of an offset value from its own location . in other words , the address of the pointer is offset by the value of the pointer obtaining the address of the pointed - to location . the memory 116 may comprise solid - state memory resident , removable or remote in nature , such as dram and sdram . where the processor 112 comprises a controller , the memory 116 may be integral to the processor 112 . additionally , the memory 116 may be volatile and / or non - volatile memory . the processor 112 may be adapted to store messages received from the communication network 104 in memory 116 and / or prepare messages for transmission across the communication network 104 based on data stored in the memory 116 . the network interface 120 is provided to facilitate the communication device &# 39 ; s ability to send / receive messages across the communication network 104 . in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention , the network interface 120 may comprise a network adapter such as a modem , a network card , an ethernet card or ethernet port , a usb port , a wireless adapter , or any other known type of network interface . with reference now to fig2 and 3 , additional details of an electronic message 200 , 300 will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention . as can be seen in fig2 , the electronic message 200 may occupy a contiguous segment of memory that is divided into a fixed portion 204 and a variable portion 208 . a header may be provided in the fixed portion 204 that points to another memory location in the variable portion 208 . the fixed portion 204 is generally used to store pointers and other relatively small amounts of data . the variable portion 208 , on the other hand , is generally used to store strings of data . however , embedded pointers 212 may also be included in the variable portion 208 that point to another memory location 216 also within the variable portion 208 of the contiguous memory segment . in a normal mode , the electronic message 200 is at a particular communication device 108 and may be stored in memory 116 of such a device 108 . in this state , the message 200 may be parsed into a binary object such that additional processing based on the message contents ( i . e ., contents in the variable portion 208 ) can be executed by the communication device 108 . in the normal mode , the pointers in the message 200 identify a pointed - to location by actually identifying the address of the memory location . for example , if the pointed - to memory location comprises a memory address of 0x12345 , then the pointer for that pointed - to memory location would actually identify the memory address 0x12345 . in this mode , the distance between the pointer memory location and the pointed - to memory location is not necessarily reflected by the pointer itself . this is a traditional pointer that can be readily processed by the communication device 108 . as can be seen in fig3 , however , the message 200 may be converted from the normal mode into a wire mode . once in the wire mode or offset mode the message 300 is transportable over any media or communication medium in the communication network 104 . more specifically , if the message 300 comprises an electronic message such as a sip message , then the message 300 is a sip packet in the wire mode . one advantage of the wire mode is that the data in the message 300 can be transmitted to another communication device 108 or be moved in memory without any building and parsing of a sip message . this greatly reduces the amount of processing required of the sip message . furthermore , in this mode , a self - relative pointer is used as opposed to the actual pointers employed in the normal mode . the self - relative pointer is a scalar value 320 , 324 that identifies a distance between the pointer memory location and the pointed - to memory location . the binary form of the message 200 can be converted into the wire - mode by toggling the pointers into self - relative pointers . this is accomplished by executing a subtract operation that subtracts the distance between the pointed - to location and the location of the self - relative pointer . since the message is maintained in a contiguous segment of memory that is divided into a fixed portion 304 and a variable portion 308 , the self - relative pointer 320 in the fixed portion 304 identifies the actual distance in terms of memory size ( e . g ., 100 bytes in the example depicted in fig3 ) from the pointer location to the pointed - to location . accordingly , the self - relative pointer can be represented as a simple scalar value 320 , 324 . additionally , embedded pointers 212 are also converted into self - relative pointers 312 similar to the conversion of the pointers in the fixed portion 204 , 304 . in the example depicted in fig3 , the embedded pointer 312 comprises a scalar value 324 having a value of 10 that corresponds to the distance of 10 bytes between the pointer location and the pointed - to location 316 . by keeping the message 200 , 300 in a contiguous chunk of data , processor intensive “ new ” operations can be replaced with a simple check for space ( i . e ., space available in the contiguous memory segment ), add , and return operation . this series of operations is an order of magnitude faster for allocation of a new portion of memory as compared to previous “ new ” operations . furthermore , in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention , memory is not deleted when a string or the like is removed from the message 200 , 300 . therefore , destructors are not necessary , thereby simplifying the operation and enhancing the speed with which the message 200 can be processed at a particular communication device 108 . while the message 200 , 300 has been described as having two distinct modes or states corresponding to two distinct forms of pointers , one skilled in the art will appreciate that distinct message states and pointer forms are not necessarily required . more specifically , embodiments of the present invention contemplate that the pointers in the message may always be in the form of self - relative pointers . in other words , the message may comprise self - relative pointers even when it is at a particular communication device 108 and / or is being processed ( e . g ., parsed ) by that communication device 108 . furthermore , if both communication devices 108 are capable of processing the message when that message has self - relative pointers , then the communication devices 108 may negotiate that fact during call set - up and agree to use messages with self - relative pointers . with reference now to fig4 , an exemplary message 400 comprising virtual pointers will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention . again , the message 400 is generally provided in a contiguous segment of memory comprising a fixed portion 404 and a variable portion 408 . more specifically , the message 400 may be embodied as a sip message that comprises virtual pointers that point to a virtual class . the virtual pointer may reside in the fixed portion 304 . of course , the virtual pointer may also be embodied as an embedded pointer in the variable portion 408 . furthermore , the virtual pointer may be a normal pointer or a self - relative pointer . the state of the virtual pointer ( i . e ., normal or self - relative ) may depend upon whether the message 400 is residing at a particular communication device 108 or is being transmitted across a communication medium in the communication network 104 , although such a dependence is not necessary . as can be seen in fig4 , the pointed - to location may comprise an empty default constructor that is associated with a virtual function 412 . the empty constructor may be in a virtual base class that can be used to generate a virtual table for the virtual function . different operators ( e . g ., towire operators , fromwire operations , parse operators , build operators ) may be referenced by the virtual function via an index 416 . the index may identify one of the available operators in the static operator table 420 for use when the virtual class is called . accordingly , the virtual pointer may be used to request one of many different operators in the static table 420 , and the operator selected may vary depending upon where the message resides and what operation is needed . in other words , the same virtual pointer may be used to execute a to - wire conversion of the message as well as a from - wire conversion of the message . as one example , with an empty default constructor , the “ new ” operator can be overridden and setup the virtual table 412 for the class during the from - wire conversion of the self - relative pointers from offsets to actual pointers that actually identify address locations in the variable portion of the message . this model basically walks the data structure and executes commands as the appropriate instruction is approached in the data structure . in an alternative embodiment , the self - relative pointers may be mapped such that they can be switched relatively quickly without traversing the entire data structure . referring now to fig5 , an exemplary message generation and transmission method will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention . the method is initiated when instructions are received to generate and send a sip message ( step 504 ). these instructions may be received directly from a user of the communication device 108 and / or may be received from an internal component of the communication device . for instance , the user may take the communication device 108 off - hook and dial a particular number . upon completion of dialing the number the user may hit a “ send ” button on the device 108 or may simply wait for the communication device 108 to begin dialing automatically after a predetermined amount of time . the predetermined amount of time or the actual receipt of user input at the “ send ” button may correspond to instructions that initiate the method . thereafter , the method continues with the communication device 108 allocating a contiguous memory block for the message ( step 508 ). the contiguous memory segment may be allocated from any type of local or remote memory . the contiguous memory block is then divided into a fixed portion and a variable portion . pointers are then created in the fixed portion of memory that point to memory locations in the variable portion of memory ( step 512 ). this allows the pointers in the fixed portion maintain a relatively small size ( e . g ., on the order of bits or a couple of bytes ), while allowing actual data ( e . g ., strings , objects , headers , etc .) to be stored in the variable portion . furthermore , the contents of the variable portion of memory may be changed or updated without altering the pointers in the fixed portion . this allows the data to be accessed relatively easily regardless of whether it has been changed or not . as noted above , pointers may also be created in the variable portion of the contiguous memory block . the method continues by determining whether the message generation process is complete ( step 516 ). if the message is not yet completed , then the message generation process continues ( step 520 ) until it is determined that the message is fully generated ( as determined in step 516 ). once the message generation process is complete , however , the message is then prepared for transmission across the communication network 104 . to facilitate transmission across the communication network 104 , the message may be converted from a normal mode to a wire mode , whereby the pointers are transformed from normal pointers into self - relative pointers ( step 524 ). this conversion may not be necessary , however , if the message was originally generated with self - relative pointers . once the message has been adequately prepared for transmission across the communication network , the method continues with the communication device 108 transmitting the message across the communication network 104 via its network interface 120 ( step 528 ). referring now to fig6 , an exemplary message receiving method will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention . the method begins when a message is received at a communication device 108 ( step 604 ). the received message may then be converted from the wire mode to a normal mode . if the receiving communication device 108 needs to transform the pointers of the message to complete this conversion , then the pointers are converted from self - relative pointers to actual pointers ( step 608 ). as noted above , however , the receiving communication device 108 may have negotiated with the sending communication device 108 to use self - relative pointers even during processing . in such an embodiment , the conversion of pointers from their self - relative state may not be necessary . after the message has been converted to a useable format for the communication device 108 , the method proceeds with the communication device 108 processing the message and performing any necessary tasks on the message ( step 612 ). the way in which the message is processed may vary depending upon the nature of the receiving communication device 108 . for instance , if the receiving communication device 108 is the target communication device 108 , then the message may be fully parsed and its payload ( e . g ., voice data , image data , or other types of data ) may be provided or otherwise displayed to the user of the communication device 108 . if , however , the receiving communication device 108 is a communication device within the communication network 104 , then the receiving communication device 108 may process the message just enough to identify another communication device 108 to which the message should be forwarded . although embodiments of the present invention have generally discussed the generation of a sip electronic message , those skilled in the art will appreciate that self - relative pointers may be useful for many other types of communication messages . furthermore , although embodiments of the present invention have generally discussed the use of classes in connection with the generation and format of an electronic message . those skilled in the art will appreciate that any type of programming language may be used to generate a message in accordance with embodiments of the present invention . more particularly , c ++, java , any object oriented programming language , native programming languages , or any combination thereof may be employed to generate messages without departing from the spirit of the present invention . while the above - described flowchart has been discussed in relation to a particular sequence of events , it should be appreciated that changes to this sequence can occur without materially effecting the operation of the invention . additionally , the exact sequence of events need not occur as set forth in the exemplary embodiments . the exemplary techniques illustrated herein are not limited to the specifically illustrated embodiments but can also be utilized with the other exemplary embodiments and each described feature is individually and separately claimable . the systems , methods and protocols of this invention can be implemented on a special purpose computer in addition to or in place of the described communication equipment , a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element ( s ), an asic or other integrated circuit , a digital signal processor , a hard - wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit , a programmable logic device such as pld , pla , fpga , pal , a communications device , such as a server , personal computer , any comparable means , or the like . in general , any device capable of implementing a state machine that is in turn capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various communication methods , protocols and techniques according to this invention . furthermore , the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in software using object or object - oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms . alternatively , the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or vlsi design . whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with this invention is dependent on the speed and / or efficiency requirements of the system , the particular function , and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized . the analysis systems , methods and protocols illustrated herein can be readily implemented in hardware and / or software using any known or later developed systems or structures , devices and / or software by those of ordinary skill in the applicable art from the functional description provided herein and with a general basic knowledge of the communication and computer arts . moreover , the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium , executed on a programmed general - purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory , a special purpose computer , a microprocessor , or the like . in these instances , the systems and methods of this invention can be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an applet , java ® ( although the invention is not limited to these technologies ), as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation , as a routine embedded in a dedicated communication system or system component , or the like . the system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and / or method into a software and / or hardware system , such as the hardware and software systems of a communications device or system . it is therefore apparent that there has been provided , in accordance with the present invention , systems , apparatuses and methods for generating communication messages comprising a self - relative pointer . while this invention has been described in conjunction with a number of embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations would be or are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts . accordingly , it is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications , equivalents and variations that are within the spirit and scope of this invention .	7
fig1 illustrates a circuit , indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 , capable of vector magnitude control and phase reversal for a broadband radio signal . two such circuits are employed in the phase shifter which is to be described in connection with fig2 . in the phase shifter , a radio signal , such as an if signal , is split with one of the resulting signals being applied to a circuit like circuit 10 , and the other of the resulting signals is applied , with a constant 90 ° phase shift , to another circuit like circuit 10 . fig1 is used to illustrate the operation of both circuits . labels applicable to the circuit with the signal shifted 90 ° are shown in fig1 in parenthesis . thus , at the terminal marked input , there is an indication of the input being at 0 ° phase shift angle ; then , in parenthesis the indication is that the signal vector applied to the second circuit would be at 90 °. circuit 10 has two main paths , one containing pin diode cr1 and primary winding p1 of transformer t1 . the other path contains pin diode cr2 and primary p2 of transformer t1 . the operations of the two paths are nearly identical , so most of the description will be directed at only one of them . at the function control input a , there is applied a bias level selected to control the magnitude of the signal vector output by circuit 10 . when the select input c is positive , switching on transistor q2 , bias current from the function control input flows through a resistor r1 , diode cr1 , primary p1 and transistor q2 . the magnitude of the bias current through diode cr1 determines the resistance presented by the diode to the if signal which is input to the circuit . it is by the control of the pin diode resistance that circuit 10 exerts control over the magnitude of the radio signal . capacitor c1 connects the function control input a to if ground , isolating the function control input source from the if signal source . capacitor c2 couples the if signal to diode cr1 and resistance r1 , but blocks the bias current of the function control input from the if signal source . capacitor c5 places one terminal of primary p1 at if ground . thus , when select input c turns transistor q2 on , the if signal flows through capacitor c2 , diode cr1 , primary transformer p1 and capacitor c5 . the signal level across primary p1 depends on the resistance of diode cr1 and therefore the bias generated at function control input a . the signal across primary p1 is coupled , without inversion , to the secondary winding s of transformer t1 and thus to the output terminal of circuit 10 . thus , when select input c is activated , the output of circuit 10 is in phase with its input and scaled ( in magnitude ) in accordance with function control input a . if select input c turns transistor t2 off , then diode cr1 operates in the zero bias condition , and presents a high resistance to the if signal . accordingly , in this mode , substantially no if signal is coupled to the output of circuit 10 . the operation of the path including diode cr2 and transformer primary p2 is the same as the first path , except that the if signal through diode cr2 is delivered inverted to the circuit output by means of transformer secondary s . thus , if an inverted signal is desired from circuit 10 , a positive input is applied to select input d to switch on transistor q1 , while select input c is not activated , leaving transistor q2 off . fig3 is a vector and phase diagram illustrating the operation of the circuits of fig1 and fig2 . if the select 180 ° input d is activated , then the vector of the if signal output of circuit 10 will be as vector 12 in fig3 . the magnitude of the vector 12 will , of course , be controlled by the bias level applied as function 180 ° control input b . if the select 0 ° input c and function 0 ° control input a are employed , then the output signal vector will opposite in phase to vector 12 in fig3 . in fig3 curved arrows labeled &# 34 ; select 0 °&# 34 ; and &# 34 ; select 180 °&# 34 ; indicate the respective sectors of the phase diagram controlled by these select inputs . other curved arrows similarly labeled indicate sectors of the phase diagram controlled by the select 90 ° and select 270 ° inputs , as employed in circuit 11 of fig2 . in the construction of the circuit of fig1 there are certain practical considerations . the capacitors are selected to provide good bypass for the frequency band of interest , and lead lengths should be kept as short as possible . resistors r1 and r2 will have a value high enough to not degrade input return loss with pin diode bias current set for reference output level . the pin diodes cr1 and cr2 should have very low junction capacitance in order to minimize positive frequency response slope at reduced output vector level , since this capacitance is in parallel with the resistance of the diode . the transformer t1 can be implemented using a trifilar winding on a high permeability toroid . the total wire length should not exceed 0 . 1 wavelength at the maximum frequency of operation . the operation of a circuit actually constructed was such that the frequency response of a 60 % bandwidth signal at 70 mhz was identical ( within 0 . 02 db peak - to - peak variation ) for inverting and noninverting operation . the variation in phase for inverted versus noninverted operation was within 0 . 2 ° in the 60 % bandwidth . fig2 illustrates how a phase shifter , generally referred to by the referenced numeral 18 , can be embodied using circuit 10 and an identical circuit 11 . in the phase shifter 18 , an input if signal vector is designated as having 0 ° phase shift . the input is to a hybrid power splitter 20 , which introduces no phase shift . the outputs of splitter 20 are input to all pass phase shifters 22 and 23 . shifter 22 introduces a phase shift φ in the signal vector , and the signal thus shifted is input to circuit 10 . shifter 23 introduces a phase shift of φ ± 90 ° into the if signal vector , which is then input to circuit 11 . under control of inputs a - d , magnitude control and phase reversal circuit 10 can selectively introduce a phase shift of 0 ° or 180 °. circuit 11 , under the control of comparable inputs a &# 39 ;- d &# 39 ; introduces a phase shift of 90 ° or 270 °. the outputs of circuits 10 and 11 are taken to a linear power combiner 26 to sum them . the output of combiner 26 , which is the output of the phase shifter , has introduced a shift of φ + θ , with θ being derived from the operations of circuits 10 and 11 . in fig3 there is illustrated how the phase shift θ is produced . for example , if the select 270 ° ( d &# 39 ;) input of circuit 11 is activated , then the phase shift introduced by circuit 11 is as indicated by vector 14 in fig3 . the magnitude of vector 14 is of course controlled by the function 270 ° control input b &# 39 ;. assuming by way of example that the output of circuit 10 is vector 12 , then the action of combiner 26 is to produce the output vector 16 , which has an associated phase angle θ . it can be seen that the quadrant in which vector 16 lies is determined by the use of the four select inputs c , d , c &# 39 ; and d &# 39 ;, while the exact value of θ is obtained by controlling the magnitudes of vectors 12 and 14 through function inputs a , b , a &# 39 ; and b &# 39 ;. of course , if the overall phase shift φ + θ to be introduced by circuit 18 is known , then θ is selected so that the sum φ + θ equals the desired overall shift . in fig3 the tip of vector 16 lies on a circle labeled &# 34 ; constant power circle &# 34 ;. this is to emphasize that it will generally be desirable , when generating various phase shifts θ to generate them in such a way that the resultant vector 16 has the same magnitude for each phase shift produced . in order to accomplish this the function control inputs a , b , a &# 39 ; and b &# 39 ; are mutually controlled so that as the phase shift changes , the output power does not . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that phase shifter 18 can also be arranged so that the phase shift introduced by all - pass shifter 23 is φ - 90 °, rather than φ + 90 °. in the former case , vector 14 of fig3 would be generated by the use of control inputs a &# 39 ; and c &# 39 ;, no inversion being necessary in circuit 11 . thus , in accordance with the invention , there is provided a circuit for producing magnitude and phase control for a radio signal such as an if signal . in addition , two such circuits can be combined to provide a phase shifter which produces a preselected phase shift in any quadrant , without the use of expensive rf components or the introduction of high spurious frequencies .	7
fig1 - 5 are exemplary embodiments of the present invention showing a method for safeguarding data stored temporarily in a nonvolatile memory . fig1 shows the invention as applied to a digital copier . fig2 shows the invention as applied to a facsimile machine . fig3 show the invention as applied to a printer . fig4 a and 4b show the invention as applied to a several digital document processors . fig5 shows the invention as applied to a method for safeguarding data stored temporarily in a plurality of memories . these examples , as will be discussed individually , embody the basic principles of the methods or approaches of the present invention for concealing (“ obscuring ,” “ obliterating ,” “ erasing ,” or “ deleting ”) information stored in at least one memory . specifically , these examples show storing information to memory , conducting an operation on the information , and automatically overwriting the information by storing a bit mask to the memory . [ 0037 ] fig1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the present invention directed to a digital copier system . as shown , an original document is scanned 100 , converted to image data 105 , and stored in a copier memory 110 . the steps are repeated until all pages of the original document have been scanned and stored in memory 115 . the image data is read from memory 120 and used to print an image of each page of the original document 125 . after the requested number of copies have been printed 130 , the image data stored in the copier memory is automatically overwritten with a bit mask 135 . it should be noted that this method may be modified , for example , by automatically overwriting after each page is printed . [ 0038 ] fig2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the present invention directed to a facsimile machine . as shown , an original document is scanned 200 , converted to image data 205 , and stored in a facsimile memory 210 . the image data is used to transmit an image of the original document to a receiver 215 . the receiver may be a facsimile machine , a computer system , a printer , or any other digital document processor capable of receiving facsimile transmissions . the receiver may have receiver memory associated with it . after successful transmission to the receiver , the image data stored in the facsimile memory is automatically overwritten with a bit mask 220 . these steps are repeated until all pages of the original document have been scanned and transmitted to the receiver 225 . in an alternative preferred embodiment , the facsimile memory is automatically overwritten with a bit mask after all pages are scanned and transmitted . it should be noted that the facsimile machine or other digital document processor that receives the image may include an embodiment of the present invention in which the received image is saved to memory and automatically overwritten after it is printed . [ 0039 ] fig3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the present invention directed to a printer . as shown , an image is received from a transmitting device 300 and stored in a printer memory 305 . the transmitting device may be a computer system or any other device capable of transmitting image data . the image data is read from the printer memory 310 and used to print an image 315 . after the image is successfully printed , the image data stored in the printer memory is automatically overwritten with a bit mask 320 . it should be noted that this method may be modified . in a large document , for example , memory may automatically be overwritten as the image data is used to print each page of the image . [ 0040 ] fig4 a , 4b show an exemplary embodiment of the present invention as applied to a scanner , computer , and printer . these figures show how the present invention may be used in multiple digital document processors . as shown in fig4 a , an original document is scanned 400 , converted to image data 405 , and stored in a scanner memory 410 . the image data is transmitted to the computer 415 where it is received 420 and stored in a computer memory 425 , then the scanner &# 39 ; s memory is automatically overwritten with a bit mask 430 . the image data is transmitted to the printer 435 , and , as shown in fig4 b , is received 450 and stored in a printer memory 455 . in one preferred embodiment , the stored image data in the computer memory is automatically overwritten with a bit mask 440 . in an alternative preferred embodiment , the stored image data in the computer memory is not automatically overwritten with a bit mask . the image data is read from the printer memory 460 and used to print an image 465 . after the image is successfully printed , the image data stored in the printer memory is automatically overwritten with a bit mask 470 . [ 0041 ] fig5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the present invention directed to a method of deleting a plurality of temporary image data files stored in a plurality of nonvolatile memories by automatically overwriting the image data in each file with a bit mask when the operation or operations that created the temporary image data files are complete . temporary image data files are created by digital document processors for many reasons including internet downloading , viewing , backing - up , printing , and for other reasons readily apparent to one skilled in the art . these temporary files tend to clutter a system and create a security risk . as shown , a digital document processor receives a document image 500 , and stores the image data in a first temporary memory 505 . in one preferred embodiment , a computer receives image data via the internet , and it is stored in a temporary internet file . a user views the image data on a display or computer screen 515 . the viewing operation includes an operation of storing image data 520 in a second temporary memory dedicated to the display . an automatic backup operation is performed 525 wherein image data is stored in a third temporary memory 530 . ( automatic backup operations may be performed at short periodic intervals so that if the system loses power before the user requests a save operation , only those changes made by a user to a document since the last automatic save operation will be lost ). a user performs a printing operation 535 that includes the operations of storing image data 540 in a fourth temporary memory on the digital document processor and in a printer memory . as shown in fig5 at the end of a user session ( comprising several operations ) 545 , a search is performed to find an image data file stored in a temporary memory 550 . when the image data is found , the image is overwritten with a bit mask 555 . the steps of finding image data and overwriting the image with a bit map are repeated until all images stored in memory are found and overwritten 560 . in an alternative preferred embodiment , the image data stored in a temporary memory is overwritten with a bit mask when each operation that created the image is complete . for example , a viewing operation may result in image data being stored in a first temporary memory . after viewing is concluded , the image data stored in the first memory is automatically overwritten with a bit mask . the present invention may be adopted for many purposes and may have many variations . for example , the present invention may be adopted for use with any digital document processor including a photocopier , a printer , a document scanner , a facsimile machine , a computer , a personal digital assistant , a cellular telephone , or a digital camera . the operation that triggers the automatic overwrite may be printing , copying , scanning , deleting , storing , modifying , transmitting , reading , writing , viewing , or any other type of operation implemented by a digital document processor . the overwrite function may overwrite memory with a variety of bit masks , for example , a pseudo - randomly generated bit mask , a randomly generated bit mask , a predetermined bit mask , a sequence of binary ones , a sequence of binary zeros , a predetermined sequence of binary numbers , information bits with a positive polarity , or information bits with a negative polarity . in addition , the overwrite function may consist of overwriting memory multiple times with one or more different bit masks . the overwriting scheme selected may be optimized for specific types of storage technology . for example , overwriting schemes may include : ( 1 ) a single write with a random or pseudo - random bit mask ; ( 2 ) multiple writes with random or pseudo - random bit masks ; or ( 3 ) multiple writes with a combination of predetermined , predictable bit masks ( such as all ones , all zeros , checkerboard , etc .) and unpredictable ( such as random and pseudo - random ) bit masks . in one preferred embodiment , if an operation being conducted is interrupted ( for example , by a power failure or a paper jam ) the invention will automatically overwrite any stored information on the memory (“ automatic interruption overwrite ”). it should be noted that automatic interruption overwrite could require an additional backup power source , so that if power were interrupted , there would be enough energy available to automatically overwrite the information . automatic interruption overwrite would prevent information from being stolen by someone &# 39 ; s disrupting power and then pulling the memory . in an alternate preferred embodiment the operation must be completed before the invention automatically overwrites any information on the memory (“ completed overwrite ”). this embodiment might be chosen if a user were more concerned with losing information by computer error than by theft . it should be noted that devices may allow a user to toggle between or select between the automatic interruption overwrite feature and the completed overwrite feature . alternately , a programmer may select the automatic interruption overwrite or completed overwrite for select or all operations , so that devices are preprogrammed with the features . the terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoing specification are used as terms of description , not of limitation , and are not intended to exclude equivalents of the features shown and described or portions of them . the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow .	6
referring to fig1 and 2 , an illustrative embodiment of a surgical drill guide according to the present invention is shown . drill guide 10 may generally include a handle 12 , a first drill guide body 14 , and a second drill guide body 16 . drill guide 10 may also include a detent mechanism 18 ( such as shown in detail in fig6 ) and / or a locking member 20 . first drill guide body 14 and second drill guide body 16 may be substantially tubular shafts that slide or telescope with respect to one another . according to one preferred embodiment , second drill guide body 16 may slide within first drill guide body 14 along a common longitudinal axis a 1 , however other configurations are possible . when second drill guide body 16 is received within first drill guide body 14 , the first and second drill guide bodies 14 , 16 preferably define a common cannula for receiving a drill bit . by holding the drill guide 10 by its handle 12 and inserting a drill bit through the cannula , the user may control the insertion point and / or the orientation of the drill bit . first drill guide body 14 may include a distal end 22 and second drill guide body 16 may include a proximal end 24 . by sliding second drill guide body 16 with respect to first drill guide body 14 , or vice versa , the distance x between distal end 22 and proximal end 24 may be adjusted . when used in conjunction with a drill bit having a known length ( for example , the drill bit 100 shown in fig1 ), the distance x between the distal end 22 and the proximal end 24 may be adjusted to set the maximum depth to which the drill bit penetrates the bone . for example , the distal end 22 of the first drill guide body 14 may be placed substantially adjacent the bone , and drill bit 100 may be inserted into the cannula in the first and second drill guide bodies 14 , 16 and drilled into the bone until a fixed stop 102 ( or other enlarged diameter portion ) located a predetermined distance from the tip 104 of the drill bit contacts the proximal end 24 of the second drill guide body 16 , at which point the first and second drill guide bodies 14 , 16 prevent further penetration of the drill bit 100 into the bone . one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that drill bit 100 is shown for illustrative purposed only , and that drill guide 10 may be used with any drill bit known in the art , with or without a fixed stop . handle 12 may be shaped and dimensioned to fit comfortably in the user &# 39 ; s hand and may be provided with knurling , grooves , ridges , bumps , serrations , or other known surface treatments to increase a user &# 39 ; s grip thereon . additionally or alternatively , handle 12 may have a rubber , silicone or other coating . as shown in fig3 , one illustrative embodiment of first drill guide body 14 may comprise a substantially tubular shaft , and may have an upper portion 26 and a lower portion 28 . upper portion 26 may have an inner diameter d 1 that is configured and dimensioned to receive , and preferably slidably receive , second drill guide body 16 . lower portion 28 may have an inner diameter d 2 that is smaller than inner diameter d 1 , but is sufficient to allow the drill bit to extend therethrough . alternatively , the inner diameter d 2 of lower portion 28 may also be configured and dimensioned to receive second drill guide body 16 ( e . g ., inner diameter d 2 may be equal to or larger than d 1 ). lower portion 28 may also have a reduced outer diameter d 3 in comparison to upper portion 26 . the reduced outer diameter d 3 may facilitate minimally invasive insertion of first drill guide body 14 into the patient ; and may also aid in accessing difficult to reach areas . according to an alternative embodiment contemplated by the present invention , the first drill guide body 14 may be received within the second drill guide body 16 . still referring to fig3 , a graduated scale 30 may be provided on first drill guide body 14 , which may assist in determining the penetration depth of the drill bit , as will be discussed in more detail below . alternatively , the graduated scale 30 may be provided on second drill guide body 16 . distal end 22 may have two or more projections 32 formed thereon that may engage the bone and stabilize the position of distal end 22 . projections 32 may have sharply pointed tips to ease penetration into the bone surface . a stem portion 34 may extend between first drill guide body 14 and handle 12 , however first drill guide body 14 may alternatively be connected directly to handle 12 . handle 12 and stem portion 34 may be formed integrally , or as two separate points that are joined together . preferably , stem portion 34 and first drill guide body 14 are formed integrally , however other configurations are possible . it is also contemplated that second drill guide body 16 may be connected to handle 12 in addition to , or instead of , first drill guide body 14 , as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure . referring to fig4 and 5 , an illustrative embodiment of second drill guide body 16 is shown in detail . second drill guide body 16 may comprise a substantially tubular shaft having an outer diameter d 4 ( shown in fig4 ) that is dimensioned and configured for second drill guide body 16 to fit within first drill guide body 14 . for example , outer diameter d 4 may be slightly smaller than the inner diameter d 1 of first drill guide body 14 , allowing second drill guide body 16 to slide or telescope within first drill guide body 14 . second drill guide body 16 may also have an inner diameter d 5 ( shown in fig4 ) that is configured and dimensioned to receive the drill bit . preferably , inner diameter d 5 is substantially equal to the inner diameter d 2 of the lower portion 28 of first drill guide body 14 , however other configurations and dimensions are possible . second drill guide body 16 may have an enlarged diameter head 36 at proximal end 24 , which may serve to engage a fixed stop or other feature on the drill bit or drill . head 36 may also facilitate gripping by the user in order to , for example , slide or telescope second drill guide body 16 with respect to first drill guide body 14 , or vice versa . thus , head 36 may be provided with knurling , grooves , ridges , bumps , serrations , or other known surface treatments to increase a user &# 39 ; s grip thereon . alternatively , head 36 may have a rubber , silicone , or other coating . while not shown , it is contemplated that a lever or other mechanism may optionally be provided to cause second drill guide body 16 to slide or telescope with respect to first drill guide body 14 . for example , drill guide 10 may include a lever or other mechanism that a user may operate with the hand holding handle 12 to adjust the distance between distal end 22 and proximal end 24 , as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art . still referring to fig4 and 5 , second drill guide body 16 may include a peg 38 configured and dimensioned to prevent rotation of second drill guide body 16 within first drill guide body 14 . for example , peg 38 may fit within a track 40 defined in first drill guide body 14 , such as shown in fig2 . peg 38 , or alternatively another part of second drill guide body 16 , may include a marker 42 ( such shown in fig5 ) that works in conjunction with the graduated scale 30 on first drill guide body 14 to indicate the penetration depth of the drill bit ( based , in part , on the distance x between proximal end 22 and distal end 24 and the length of the drill bit ). second drill guide body 16 may also include a plurality of detents 44 , such as shown in fig4 . as shown , the detents 44 may comprise one or more angular or v - shaped indentations defined on second drill guide body 16 , however other shapes and configurations are contemplated . for example , detents 44 may alternatively comprise one or more protrusions defined on second drill guide body 16 . also , other embodiments are contemplated where the detents 44 are associated with or defined on the first drill guide body 14 . as will be explained in more detail below , detents 44 may form part of a detent mechanism for releasably retaining the position of the first drill guide body 14 with respect to the second drill guide body 16 in predetermined increments . peg 38 may be oriented with respect to detents 44 in order to maintain detents 44 in proper alignment with other parts of the detent mechanism . as shown , detents 44 are diametrically opposite peg 38 , however other orientations are contemplated . referring to fig6 , one illustrative embodiment of a detent mechanism 18 is shown in cross - section . detent mechanism 18 may operate to releasably retain the position of the first drill guide body 14 with respect to the second drill guide body 16 in predefined increments . thus , a user may adjust the first distance x ( shown in fig1 ; defined between the distal end 22 of first drill guide body 14 and the proximal end 24 of second drill guide body 16 ) in predefined , known increments . when used in conjunction with a drill bit of a known length , this may permit incremental adjustment of the maximum penetration depth of the drill bit without the use of an external measuring device . this may also permit the user to adjust the maximum penetration depth of the drill bit without having to remove the drill guide 10 from the incision in the patient . graduated scale 30 may be calibrated for use with a drill bit having a predetermined length . for example , by subtracting the first distance x ( between proximal end 24 and distal end 22 ) from the length of the drill bit , the exposed length of the drill bit may be determined . using this convention , graduated scale 30 may be provided with markings indicating predefined maximum drill penetration depths ( e . g ., between 10 mm and 50 mm in 2 mm increments , or between 10 mm and 60 mm in 2 mm increments ). accordingly , graduated scale 30 and marker 42 ( located on peg 38 ) may be read by the user to determine the maximum drill penetration depth . this may , among other things , allow the user to measure the maximum penetration depth without the use of extra measuring devices , and / or may allow the user to change the maximum penetration depth while the drill guide is still positioned inside the incision . the detent mechanism 18 may comprise a detent body 46 ( shown in detail in fig7 ) capable of engagement with one or more detents 44 formed on the first drill guide body 14 or the second drill guide body 16 . according to the illustrative embodiment shown , detent body 46 may be slidably mounted in a bore in stem 34 , however other configurations are possible . for example , detent body 46 may alternatively be mounted in or on the handle 12 , the first drill guide body 14 , the second drill guide body 16 , or any combination of these items . detent body 46 may be resiliently biased into engagement with detents 44 , such as by a first coil spring 48 or other known resilient member . interaction between detent body 46 and detents 44 preferably releasably retains the position of the first drill guide body 14 with respect to the second drill guide body 16 unless a sufficient force is applied to the drill guide bodies 14 , 16 to change their relative positions . for example , in order to slide or telescope the second drill guide body 16 with respect to first drill guide body 14 , a user may be required to impart sufficient force to the second drill guide body 16 ( substantially along the first axis al ) in order to cause detent body 46 to move backwards against the first spring 48 sufficiently to disengage from the detent 44 and move into engagement with the adjacent detent 44 . as shown in fig6 , detent body 46 may include an angular tip 50 and / or detents 44 may have corresponding angular shapes that act as ramps to cause detent body 46 to move away from second drill guide body 16 upon sliding of the second drill guide body 16 with respect to the first drill guide body 14 along first axis a 1 . adjacent detents 44 may be spaced apart to provide the appropriate sized increments of the maximum drill bit penetration depth . detents 44 may also extend over a sufficient distance to provide an appropriate range of adjustment of the maximum penetration depth . for example , according to one illustrative embodiment , adjacent detents 44 may be dimensioned and configured to provide depth adjustment from 10 mm to 50 mm in 2 mm increments . referring to fig6 and 7 , detent body 46 may also include a first pin 52 or other member extending transversely therethrough . first pin 52 may slide in a first elongated slot 54 ( shown in fig3 ) provided in stem 34 or other part of drill guide 10 . interaction between first pin 52 and first slot 54 may captivate detent body 46 on drill guide 10 , even if second drill guide body 16 is completely removed from the first drill guide body 14 . this may be beneficial , for example , to permit ultrasonic , steam or autoclave cleaning of the second drill guide body 16 . other configurations and structures for captivating detent body 46 on drill guide 10 are contemplated by the present invention , as will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure . referring now to fig1 and 6 , drill guide 10 may additionally or alternatively include a locking member capable of substantially preventing sliding of second drill guide body 16 with respect to first drill guide body 14 . for example , locking member 20 ( shown in detail in fig8 and 9 ) may be normally located in a first position ( shown in fig1 and 6 ) in which second drill guide body 16 is substantially prevented from sliding with respect to first drill guide body 14 ( or vice versa ) unless a user actively moves locking member 20 to a second position ( not shown ), for example , toward handle 12 in fig1 and 6 . this feature may , among other things , help prevent the first and second drill guide bodies 14 , 16 from inadvertently moving or sliding with respect to one another during the drilling process . as shown in fig1 and 6 , locking member 20 may be located on stem portion 34 . according to the illustrative embodiment shown , locking member may have a substantially u - shaped cross - section ( as shown in fig9 ) that fits over stem portion 34 , however other shapes and configurations are possible . a second pin 56 ( shown in fig8 and 9 ) may extend between the sides 58 , 60 of locking member 20 and through a second elongated slot 62 in stem portion 34 . additionally or alternatively , a third pin 64 ( shown in fig8 and 9 ) may extend between the sides 58 , 60 of locking member 20 and through a third elongated slot 66 in stem portion 34 . the second and / or third pins 56 , 64 may serve to secure locking member 20 on stem portion 34 so that locking member 20 can slide along stem portion 34 generally toward or away from the first and second body members 14 , 16 ( e . g ., between the first and second positions ). locking member 20 may be biased towards the first position by , for example , a second coil spring 68 or other resilient member . in the illustrative embodiment shown , coil spring 68 may be located in second elongated slot 62 and press a plunger member 70 ( also located in second elongated slot 62 ; shown in detail in fig1 ) against second pin 56 to bias locking member 20 toward the first position , however , other configurations are contemplated . when locking member 20 is in the first position , such as shown in fig1 and 6 , a portion of locking member 20 may engage detent body 46 and prevent detent body 46 from moving sufficiently to disengage the detents 44 and allow the second drill guide body 16 to move or slide with respect to the first drill guide body 14 . for example , locking member 20 may have one or more blocking surfaces 71 that contact or engage first pin 52 ( or other part of the detent mechanism 18 or detent body 46 ) when locking member 20 is in the first position . blocking surfaces 71 are preferably angled with respect to detent body 46 such that the forces applied by detent body 46 on blocking surfaces 71 ( when detent body 46 is moved or attempted to be moved out of engagement with detents 44 ) results in little or no forces tending to move locking member 20 from the first position toward the second position ( i . e ., a low pressure angle ). when locking member 20 is moved to the second position by the user ( e . g ., sufficiently towards handle 12 in fig1 and 6 ), the blocking surfaces 71 move sufficiently far out of contact with first pin 52 to allow detent body 46 to move far enough out of engagement with the detents 44 such that the first and second drill guide bodies 14 , 16 can incrementally slide or telescope with respect to one another . as shown in fig1 , locking member 20 may alternatively pivot between the first position and the second position . for example , locking member 20 may pivot about a pivot pin 21 that extends through stem portion 34 . a spring biased plunger 23 or other member may bias locking member 20 into the first position ( shown ), in which blocking surfaces 71 engage first pin 52 , to prevent detent body 46 from moving sufficiently to allow the second drill guide body 16 to move or slide with respect to the first drill guide body 14 . the locking member 20 may be pivoted about pivot pin 21 to the second position ( against the force of the spring biased plunger 23 ) in which position the blocking surfaces 71 are a sufficient distance from first pin 52 to allow detent body 46 to move far enough out of engagement with the detents 44 such that the first and second drill guide bodies 14 , 16 can incrementally slide or telescope with respect to one another . as shown in fig1 , locking member 20 may alternatively engage the detents 44 themselves when locking member 20 is in the first position , thereby substantially preventing movement or sliding of the first drill guide body 14 with respect to the second drill guide body 16 , or vice versa . the locking member 20 is preferably configured and positioned so that it can be moved between the first and second positions by the thumb or finger of a hand holding the handle 12 , however other configurations and positions are contemplated . as shown in fig8 , locking member 20 may be provided with ridges 72 or other known surface treatments to increase a user &# 39 ; s grip thereon , such as knurling , grooves , bumps , or serrations . additionally or alternatively , locking member 20 may have a rubber , silicone , or other coating . although locking member 20 is shown and described as slidably mounted to stem portion 34 , other configurations and locations are contemplated . for example , locking member 20 may alternatively or additionally be mounted in , on , or associated with handle 12 , first drill guide body 14 , second drill guide body 16 , and / or some other part of drill guide 10 . drill guide 10 may be used to position , orient and / or measure the depth of holes to be drilled in bone tissue , such as , for example , a vertebra . by positioning distal end 22 against the vertebra and inserting a drill bit through the first and second drill guide bodies 14 , 16 , drill guide 10 may be used to control the starting point of the hole to be drilled , and / or the angular orientation of the hole . alternatively or additionally , drill guide 10 may be used to measure the depth of the hole . for example , when used in conjunction with a drill bit having a fixed stop or similar feature , the distance between the distal end 22 and the proximal end 24 may be adjusted to determine the maximum penetration depth of the drill bit ( assuming , for example , that the drill bit is inserted into the first and second drill guide bodies 14 , 16 until the fixed stop or other feature engages or contacts proximal end 24 ). detent mechanism 18 may provide incremental adjustment of the maximum penetration depth , as explained above . also , locking member 20 may prevent accidental or inadvertent adjustment of the distance between the distal end 22 and proximal end 24 during drilling or other operations . also , due to the configuration drill guide 10 , a user may incrementally adjust the maximum penetration depth to a known value without the necessity of moving drill guide 10 away from the drilling site . one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that drill guide 10 may be used with other bone tissue besides the vertebrae , such as , for example , long bones . while it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of the invention herein disclosed fulfill the objectives stated above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art . for example , the first drill guide body may alternatively slide or telescope within the second drill guide body ; or the detent body may alternatively engage or contact the first drill guide body 14 or other portion of the drill guide . therefore , it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and embodiments which come within the spirit and scope of the present invention .	0
as used here throughout , the term “ water - absorbing compound ” is intended to include any suitable compound such as , for example , ( i ) cellulose gum , whether identified as water - absorbing or otherwise , ( ii ) carboxymethylcellulose , commonly referred to as “ cmc ” and which is commercially available , for example , as blanose ® brand water soluble polymer from hercules incorporated of wilmington , del ., ( iii ) karaya gum , and even ( iv ) specific brands of superabsorbent polymers such as water lock ® g - 430 and water lock ® a - 240 , each being commercially available from grain processing corporation of muscatine , iowa . also as used here throughout , the terms “ synthetic urine ” or “ suitable liquid ” in the context of evaluation are intended to include any suitable liquid having properties similar to human urine such as , for example , urisub ™ synthetic urine for testing purposes from cst technologies , inc . of great neck , n . y ., and even a “ no - rinse incontinence cleanser ” such as peri - wash ii ® cleanser from coloplast a / s of denmark . in development of the topical skin barriers of the present invention , several experimental compositions were formulated . these are presented as the following examples 1 - 10 . 25 . 0 grams of karaya gum is added to 74 . 5 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 0 . 5 grams of tocopheryl acetate is added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture adheres well in the presence of synthetic urine and provides a good barrier to moisture . however , the mixture is dark in color due to the karaya gum . 25 . 0 grams of cellulose gum is added to 74 . 5 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 0 . 5 grams of tocopheryl acetate is added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture adheres well in the presence of synthetic urine and provides a better moisture barrier than example 1 . the mixture is lighter in color than example 1 but is still slightly dark . 25 . 0 grams of water lock ® g - 430 superabsorbent polymer is added to 74 . 5 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 0 . 5 grams of tocopheryl acetate is added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture does not adhere well in the presence of synthetic urine . 25 . 0 grams of water lock ® a - 240 superabsorbent polymer is added to 74 . 5 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 0 . 5 grams of tocopheryl acetate is added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture does not adhere well in the presence of synthetic urine . 25 . 0 grams of cellulose gum is added to 74 . 0 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 1 . 0 gram of zinc oxide is added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture adheres well in the presence of synthetic urine and provides a good moisture barrier . the color is more appealing than examples 1 or 2 . 25 . 0 grams of cellulose gum is added to 73 . 0 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 2 . 0 grams of dimethicone is added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture adheres well in the presence of synthetic urine and provides a good moisture barrier . the dimethicone gives a mixture that is easier to spread . 25 . 0 grams of cellulose gum is added to 72 . 0 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 1 . 0 gram of zinc oxide and 2 . 0 grams of dimethicone are added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture adheres well in the presence of synthetic urine and provides a good moisture barrier . it is easy to spread and has an appealing color . 25 . 0 grams of cellulose gum is added to 72 . 5 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 0 . 5 grams of tocopheryl acetate and 1 . 0 gram of dimethicone are added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture adheres well in the presence of synthetic urine and provides a good moisture barrier . it is easy to spread . 25 . 0 grams of cellulose gum is added to 73 . 5 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 1 . 0 gram of zinc oxide and 0 . 5 gram of tocopheryl acetate are added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture adheres well in the presence of synthetic urine and provides a good moisture barrier . it has an appealing color . 25 . 0 grams of cellulose gum is added to 71 . 5 grams of melted petrolatum . the two are mixed with a spatula . 1 . 0 gram of zinc oxide , 0 . 5 gram of tocopheryl acetate , and 2 . 0 grams of dimethicone are added and the mixture is spatulated and cooled to room temperature . this mixture adheres well in the presence of synthetic urine and provides a good moisture barrier . it is easy to spread and has an appealing color . the foregoing examples are presented in tabular form as follows ( amounts are expressed in grams ): it is to be understood that the foregoing examples 1 - 4 have been presented as test results in development of the instant invention , while examples 5 - 10 specifically serve as preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention . also , the phrase “ appealing color ” in the examples is intended to mean an appealing or subjectively aesthetic quality ; additionally , “ appealing color ” is intended to include “ detectable transparency ” as aforementioned . it is to be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure that the present invention satisfies the long - felt needs for a substantially transparent , anhydrous , topical skin barrier for general skin care which ( i ) is not limited in application to a specific area of a patient &# 39 ; s body , ( ii ) may optionally include an antifungal , ( iii ) adheres well to skin and provides a good barrier in an environment of moisture and waste , and ( iv ) has detectable transparency . the present invention , therefore , may be further characterized , for example , as performing at least as satisfactorily as the prior critic - aid ® paste from coloplast a / s of denmark . although not presented in examples 1 - 10 above , further discoveries have been made relative to development of an antifungal property in the topical skin barriers of the present invention . the addition of a suitable antifungal , such as , for example , miconazole nitrate or clotrimazole , is desirable in some instances because the aforedescribed skin maladies are often susceptible to fungal infections . in this regard , it has been further discovered that such addition of a suitable antifungal gives an unexpected , additional result of an enhanced moisture and waste barrier property in a given formulation of the present invention . in a preferred , exemplary embodiment , utilization of miconazole nitrate in a range by weight from about 1 . 5 % to about 2 . 5 % alleviates a need for a material ( e . g ., zinc oxide ) which lightens a coloration appearance of a given formulation . as an alternative clotrimazole may be substituted for miconazole nitrate , in a range by weight from about 0 . 5 % to about 2 . 0 %. specifically , it has been found that the addition of miconazole nitrate or clotrimazole in such proportions inherently provides an appealing subjectively aesthetic quality along with detectable transparency . in development of further preferred or exemplary embodiments of the present invention , it was recognized that utilization of an antifungal often occurs in an unpleasant odor - producing fungal environment . therefore , it may be desirable to add an odor control agent to a given formulation of the invention , in a range by weight from about 0 . 1 % to about 10 . 0 %. a suitable odor control agent could be virtually any compatible , commercially available fragrance or deodorizer such as , for example , ordenone ® brand deodorizer from belle - aire fragrances , inc ., of mundelein , ill . turning , now , to fig1 and 2 , there shown is a exemplary in vitro method of evaluating the efficacy of topical skin barriers in protecting skin from moisture and waste , further in accordance with the present invention . the method was developed in response to rather complex evaluation protocols involving , for example , rolled filter paper as disclosed in shah , et al ., evaluation of moisture penetration through skin protectant barriers by paper chromatography , adv . wound care p . 20 - 21 , 25 , and 27 ( july - august , 1995 ). in general , testing has shown that an understanding of barrier properties of compositions may be gained from such simple devices as filter material , a synthetic urine bath , and a stopwatch . for instance , a small amount of a selected composition can be coated onto the filter material and immersed directly into a bath for a specified period of time . many prototypes can be studied by this simple method to establish optimum moisture and waste barrier properties . in a specific exemplary embodiment of such an in vitro method of evaluating protection from moisture and waste , and with particular reference to fig1 , filter material 10 is cut into strips ( a - d , as shown ) measuring about 5 . 25 ″ by about 0 . 50 ″. the “ filter material ” may be any suitable filter paper such as , for example , whatman ® brand # 4 filter paper from whatman paper limited of the united kingdom . using a pencil , a line is drawn about 0 . 50 ″ from the material &# 39 ; s bottom edge ( at 15 ). a small hole 25 is made near a top center portion of the strip of material 10 . hole 25 is provided to hang the strip on a horizontally - positionable string s over a suitable liquid serving as synthetic urine bath b by way of posts p . a dot 30 of water soluble ink is then placed just above line 15 , which is utilized in tracking moisture migration as will be described . each strip a - d of material 10 is then evenly coated on both sides thereof with , respectively , approximately 0 . 1 g . of a separate topical skin barrier to be respectively evaluated ( as shown , tsb ( 1 )- tsb ( 4 )). each coating corresponds , as shown , to a portion of material 10 between line 15 and its bottom edge . with each strip a - d of material 10 so prepared , they are then suspended from string s via hangers h at holes 25 so that topical skin barriers tsb ( 1 )-( 4 ) may be simultaneously , or nearly so , submerged in bath b of synthetic urine at a temperature of about 25 c by way of lowering string s at each post p . in this manner , it is to be appreciated that each strip a - d of filter material 10 including the respective coatings of barriers tsb ( 1 )-( 4 ) may be maintained at a selected depth in bath b not to exceed lines 15 . strips a - d are maintained in such immersed positions for about 2 hours . as shown in fig2 , it can be helpful to monitor the progress of the synthetic urine migrating up strips a - d with respect to lines 15 at intermediate elapsed times ( e . g ., 30 minutes and 1 hour , etc .). after about 2 hours strips a - d are removed from bath b . respective distances of moisture migration as evidenced by an extent of vertical transport of ink from dot 30 , up each strip of filter material 10 relative to lines 15 , are then measured . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such distances are indicative of the efficacy of the respective topical skin barriers in protecting skin from moisture and waste , and may be conveniently expressed as a rate of penetration in mm / 2 hr . of course , the aforedescribed evaluation method may be carried out with virtually any number of strips a -( n ) of material 10 , for , respectively , any number of different topical skin barriers tsb ( 1 )-( n ) to be evaluated with respect to one another . finally , although not specifically illustrated but with analogous continued reference to the drawings , the present invention also provides an in vitro method of evaluating the efficacy of topical skin barriers in their adhesion to skin . this evaluation method , in accordance with another aspect of the present invention , shows that as in the aforedescribed barrier property evaluation , an understanding of efficacy of adhesion in a particular topical skin barrier may be gained from utilization of simple devices . in this method , a stainless steel plate is substituted for each strip of material 10 , and bath b is provided as a sonication bath of synthetic urine ( i . e ., a bath of synthetic urine intentionally agitated by way of ultrasonic waves . using a suitable marker , a line is drawn about 4 cm . from the plate &# 39 ; s bottom edge . a small hole is made near a top center portion of the plate , with the hole providing means to hang the plate on a horizontally - positionable string over the sonication bath by way of posts . each plate is then evenly coated on one side thereof with , respectively , approximately 1 . 0 g . of a separate topical skin barrier to be respectively evaluated , corresponding to a portion of the plate between the line and its bottom edge . each plate is then suspended from the string via a hanger engaging the hole so that a given topical skin barrier coated on each plate may be simultaneously , or nearly so , submerged in the sonication bath of synthetic urine at a temperature of about 25 c by way of lowering the string as aforedescribed . in this manner , it is to be appreciated that each plate including the respective topical skin barrier coatings are equally maintained at a selected depth in the bath exceeding the lines drawn on each plate . the plates are maintained in such immersed positions for about 5 minutes , at which time they are removed from the bath and respective adhesions of the various topical skin barriers are compared to one another . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such comparisons are indicative of the efficacy of the topical skin barriers to remain adhered to skin in a dynamic patient environment where the presence of moisture and waste is typical . of course , as with the aforedescribed barrier evaluation method , this adhesion evaluation method may be carried out with any number of plates for , respectively , any number of different topical skin barriers to be evaluated with respect to one another . from the aforedescribed evaluation methods of the present invention , it was found that moisture and waste barrier properties , and also adhesion properties , were noticeably affected by incorporation of semi - solid hydrocarbon and cellulose gum as apparent by study of the foregoing examples 1 - 10 . in addition , it was discovered that a specific type of cellulose gum is critical to performance of the topical skin barriers of the present invention , with a combination of petrolatum and specific grades of cellulose gum providing desired barrier and adhesion properties better than other combinations . in particular , an optimum cellulose gum has a “ degree of substitution ” of 0 . 80 - 0 . 95 and a “ fine ” particle size . generally , a lower degree of substitution results in better moisture absorption and hence better adhesion ; however , too low a degree of substitution actually absorbs moisture too well and thereby degrades adhesion . while the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the accompanying figures and specification , it will be understood however that other modifications thereto are of course possible ; and all of which are intended to be within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . it should be appreciated that components , dimensions , elapsed times , and other particulars of exemplary embodiments of the invention aforedescribed may be substituted for others which are suitable for achieving desired results , or that various accessories may be added thereto . it is also to be understood in general that any suitable alternatives may be employed to provide the topical skin barriers and their evaluation methods of the present invention . lastly , of course , the choice of compositions , sizes , and strengths of various aforementioned elements of the products and methods of the present invention are all a matter of design choice depending upon intended uses thereof . accordingly , these and other various changes or modifications in form and detail of the present invention may also be made therein , again without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	0
referring to fig1 and 2 , an extension ladder l having a main section lm and an extension section lex is depicted with the bottom end of lm resting on the ground g and the top end of lex is resting against a wall w of a building . pivoted foot supports lm &# 39 ; at the base of lm provide a safe and secure support for supporting the ladder l . however , it is well recognized that even commercial grade ladders of the type described are subject to some hazards which can , if not addressed , can pose a risk to humans using the ladder and possible damage to property for example , a ladder such as ladder l could , when subjected to strong side winds , be blown over laterally . another potential risk is that an individual climbing the ladder could cause a change in the center of gravity so as to cause the ladder to rotate away from the building as shown in fig1 with the ladder operator , and the ladder per se , tumbling to the ground , with the obvious potential adverse consequences . each of the ladder sections lm and lex includes a pair of side rails maintained in spaced relationship by plurality of transversely extending steps or rungs s . thus , in fig2 the left and right side rails of ladder section lm are respectively designated lml and lmr . commercial grade ladders of the type described usually are made out of appropriate aluminum alloy having the requisite high strength characteristics . it should be understood , of course , that the present invention might be used with ladder sections fabricated from other materials , such as wood . the present invention provides left and right stabilizer attachment members respectively connected to the outer side surfaces of the left and right side rails of a ladder , each of the stabilizer attachment members having stub - shaft connected to and projecting outwardly and laterally from said side rails . the stub - shaft are further characterized by having means for receiving a universal pivot means on the end of the first member of the assemblies 10 and 12 . thus , referring to fig5 and 5a , the left side rail lml is shown as a support for a left stabilizer attachment members which comprises a base 40 abutted against lml and secured thereto by a pair of bolts with cooperating nuts 40 &# 39 ;. each stabilizer attachment members includes a stub - shaft members 41 extending normal or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ladder section lml . thus the stub - shaft 41 is connectable to and projects outwardly from the side rail lml , and is sized to receive universal pivot elements 42 and 16 adjacent the outer end 43 thereof . universal pivot element 42 is shown in fig5 to have a spherical shape and element 16 has a complementary curved surface . a first holding pin 44 ( of the type shown in fig6 ) is insertable through a bore 43aa at the end 43 of the stub - shaft 41 so as to hold universal pivot elements 42 and 16 on the shaft 41 ; this pivoting arrangement permitting the assemblies 10 and 12 to be rotatable away from a rest position such as is shown in fig4 a , to an operative position such as is shown in fig1 and 2 . the invention further comprises identical left and right elongated telescoped extendable tubular pole assemblies 10 and 12 ( see fig1 and 2 ), each of the assemblies having a first and second member . in fig2 the assembly 10 is shown to comprise a first member 14 telescoped with a second member 24 . referring to fig4 and 4a , it is seen that the first member 14 has a larger diameter than the second member 24 but it will be understood that the reverse relationship could be used . it will also be understood that the component parts of the assembly 12 are essentially identical to the component parts of assembly 10 which will now be discussed in further detail . the first or upper member 14 of assembly 10 is a tube characterized by having a preselected length with universal pivot elements 16 and 42 at a first or top end thereof adapted to be connected to the stub - shaft 41 . the universal pivot elements 16 and 42 are best shown in fig5 a , 5b and 8 , wherein element 16 is depicted as being in the form of an eye bolt with an interior bore 19 being the inner bore of the element 42 . the eye bolt has a threaded shank 17 adapted to be threaded into an end plug 15 , secured to the end of the first member 14 and held against further rotation by a lock nut 18 . as shown in fig8 the first member 14 further has at least one transverse bore 21 . the second member 24 of the telescoped assembly 10 is shown in detail in fig7 and comprises a tube with first and second ends 25 and 26 , and has a plurality of spaced apart transverse bores 28 , including a transverse bore 29 adjacent end 26 thereof . it will be understood that the inside diameter of the first member 14 is large enough to receive the outside diameter of the second member 24 . the fit should be close enough to avoid excessive play , but yet permit free adjustment of members 14 and 24 relative to one another along their longitudinal axes . a detachable end or foot piece is fitted into the end 26 of the second member 24 . a pointed tip - type end or foot piece 32 , shown in fig9 has a shank portion 32 &# 39 ; with a preselected diameter adapted to fit within the bore of the member 24 . the point is identified by reference numeral 32 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;, and a shoulder portion 32 &# 34 ; has a diameter greater than shank portion 32 &# 39 ;. a bore 33 in shank portion 32 &# 39 ; is adapted to register with the transverse bore 29 and member 24 , and a holding pin of the type shown in fig6 may be used to pass through bores 29 and 33 and thus hold the pointed end or foot piece 32 with respect to the member 24 as is shown in fig4 and 4a wherein the holding pin means is identified by reference numeral 44b . an alternate end or foot piece 35 is shown in fig1 , comprising a cylindrical body portion having an outer diameter 35 &# 39 ; adapted to fit in the bore of member 24 at end 26 thereof . member 35 further comprises an internal bore 35 &# 34 ; and an end section 35 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; having a central longitudinal bore 35 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; to permit passage therethrough of a threaded bolt 37 which is adapted to be threaded into an appropriate threaded recess in a base portion 39 and held in locked relationship by a lock nut 38 . a transverse bore 36 is adapted to register with the transverse bore 29 of member 24 and held in place therewith by use of the holding pin means 44b . it will be understood that the choice of end or foot pieces 32 or 35 of fig9 or 10 respectively will be influenced by the type of surface upon which the ladder rests . in operation , the ladder is first raised and positioned against the wall w as is shown in fig1 and 2 . then the assemblies 10 and 12 are adjusted in accordance with the terrain . it will be understood that the invention will accommodate installing the ladder on a sloped terrain . in all cases , the first and second members 14 and 24 are adjusted longitudinally with respect to each other so as to achieve the desired amount of extension so that the lower end of member 24 is contacting the ground at a desired location ; then the members 14 and 24 are locked together by use of a holding pin means 44a passing through bore 21 of member 14 and one of the transverse bores 28 in member 24 as is shown in fig4 a . it should be noted in fig1 that the bottom end of the assembly 10 is further away from the building than the feet of the ladder . this is a very important relationship because it prevents the ladder from being pulled away from the wall w , and thus avoids the problem discussed above of the potential rotation of the ladder away from the building upon a person climbing the ladder and changing the center of gravity . commercial ladders are frequently transported by vehicles from one location to another , sometimes on a daily or more frequent basis . the present invention provides a safe and efficient method of transporting an extension ladder on the top of a vehicle . referring to fig3 a vehicle aa is shown with an extension ladder supported on top of the vehicle . it will be noted that the main ladder section lm is closest to the roof of the vehicle , with the extension section lex immediately above . the telescoped assembly 10 is shown and the right end thereof as depicted in fig3 is shown in greater detail in fig4 a and 4b . the invention provides left and right support blocks for the first members of assemblies 10 and 12 . the left support blocks , i . e ., the support means for the left side rail lml is identified in fig4 a and 4b by reference numeral 50 , comprising a block - like member attached to the side rail by bolt means 51 and having a hook portion or slot 50 &# 39 ; therein for receiving the first member 14 , the slot being shown best in fig4 b . thus the telescoped members 14 and 24 can rest within the aforesaid slot 50 &# 39 ; and are restrained against all motion except upward motion . it will be understood that the support blocks 50 is attached to the side rail lml at a point preselected so that when the universal pivot means 16 and 42 engages the stub - shaft 41 , then the other end of member 14 may be supported by the support means 50 as is shown in fig4 and 4a . as indicated , the support blocks 50 do not prevent the upward motion of the assembly ( when the ladder is in a horizontal position such as is shown in fig3 ). the telescoped assembly is retained in the horizontal position for this case by left and right retainer means for receiving and retaining the first end of the second member , the retainer means being respectively connected to the outer side surfaces of the left and right side rails adjacent one end thereof . the retainer means for the left side rail lml is shown in fig4 and 4a and is identified by reference numeral 60 . the retainer means 60 comprises a block or flange extending outwardly from the side rail and secured thereto by bolt means 61 , member 60 further including a bore 60 &# 39 ; therethrough , having a preselected diameter so as to receive the point 32 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; of the foot piece 32 , but smaller than the diameter of the shoulder 32 &# 39 ; of foot piece 32 . thus when it is desired to transport the ladder with the telescoped assemblies attached , the holding pin 44a will be temporarily removed so as to allow the pointed tip 32 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; to be inserted into the bore 60 &# 39 ; of retainer means 60 . then the holding pin 44a is reinserted through bores 21 and 28 as aforesaid . thus the members 14 and 24 are supported by the support blocks 50 and retained , as aforesaid , by the retainer blocks 60 . it should be understood that it might be desired to detach or uncouple the telescoped assemblies from the ladder . it may be desired to transfer the telescoped assemblies to another ladder or it may be desirable to temporarily remove the telescoped assemblies from the ladder so as to reduce the total weight thereof in connection with movement of the ladder by a worker from a first to a second location . the present invention efficiently facilitates rapid disengagement of the telescoped assemblies from the ladders . this is accomplished simply by removing the holding pin 44 shown in fig5 and 5a . on removal of the holding pin 44 , then the pivot means 16 and 42 can be readily decoupled from shaft 41 . while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated , it will be understood that variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept . accordingly , the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims .	4
fig1 shows the reactor , indicated generally by the numeral 10 , which reacts the liquid alkali metal hydroxide , such as caustic , supplied by feed line 11 with the gaseous halogen , such as chlorine , to produce the solid salt crystals and the gaseous product , such as hocl . the hocl is condensed to produce liquid hypochlorous acid which , for example , can be mixed with a lime slurry to produce calcium hypochlorite . although the reactor will be discussed in terms of producing hypochlorous acid , it is to be understood that any halogen , including chlorine , bromine , fluorine or iodine could be employed to produce a hypohalogenated acid . additional such acids include , for example , hypobromous or hypofluorous acid . similarly , although the instant invention will be discussed primarily in terms of spraying caustic or sodium hydroxide droplets , it is to be understood that any suitable hydroxide could be employed , such as any of the alkali metal hydroxides or alkaline earth metal hydroxides , or mixtures thereof . it is also possible that the method of the instant invention could employ any suitable basic compound , including carbonates , in lieu of the hydroxide . gaseous chlorine , along with some chlorine monoxide in the recycle system , is fed into reactor 10 via gas infeed 12 in the top 14 . top 14 is in the shape of an inverted funnel , that can be constructed of a suitable corrosion resistant material , such as titanium ; coated titanium ; an alloy of nickel , chrome , molybdenum , iron and other materials ; tantalum ; and lined carbon steel or lined fiberglass reinforced plastic . the lining can be a suitable polyfluoropolymer . reactor vessel 15 has a perforated plate 16 at the top between the reactor top 14 and the vessel 15 . the plate 16 is also made of a suitable corrosion resistant material , such as polytetrafluoroethylene or one of the above mentioned materials with respect to top 14 , and serves to create a straight cocurrent flow path for the chlorine gas flowing down from the top 14 . the fresh chlorine gas enters the reactor vessel 15 through feed line 20 at a temperature of about 40 ° c . ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene has also been used as a construction material for reactor vessel 15 . vessel 15 , similarly can be made from any suitable corrosion resistant material , such as carbon steel with a liner or coating of a suitable perfluoropolymer , such as that sold under the tradename teflon (®) pfa . reactor vessel 15 has a generally elongated cylindrical central section 18 which tapers to a conically shaped funnel bottom 19 to permit solid alkali metal halide salt , such as nacl , product to discharge out through a standpipe , not shown , for further processing . vessel 15 has a caustic feed line 11 that enters through its side and provides the caustic , which is heated to between about 80 ° to about 110 ° c . and more preferably between about 95 ° to about 100 ° c ., to an atomizer nozzle 21 . nozzle 21 is mounted along the center line 22 of the vessel 15 about six ( 06 ) inches below the top of vessel 15 . nozzle 21 creates caustic droplets of a desired size between about 50 to 200 microns which are of sufficient size to absorb virtually all of the gaseous chlorine feed while the chlorine and caustic react fast to produce the reaction product mixture of gaseous and solid products as shown in the equation : the reaction occurs at a ph of about 4 to about 6 with a stoichiometric ratio of about 30 to 1 chlorine to caustic . the gaseous mixture in the reactor vessel 15 includes hypochlorous acid vapor that results form the almost instantaneous vaporization of the liquid phase hypochlorous acid , dichlorine monoxide , unreacted chlorine and water vapor . the gaseous mixture includes high concentration of the dichlorine monoxide , which is the predominate chloroxy species present and which is present in equilibrium with the hypochlorous acid vapor and the water vapor as expressed by the equation : the gaseous hocl and water vapor are condensed by a condenser 32 of fig1 between about 0 ° to about 10 ° c ., after exiting the reactor and the appropriate gas - solid salt by - product separation equipment ( not shown ), to recover a concentrated hocl solution . the dichlorine monoxide dissolves in substantially all of the condensed water to significantly add to the concentrated hocl solution . recycled gases , such as chlorine and dichlorine monoxide , are exhausted from the vessel 15 through exhaust duct 24 and are fed back into reactor 10 as a gaseous heated medium via a recirculation loop 30 at about 140 ° c ., after passing through a heat exchanger 31 to achieve the necessary heat , when combined with the heat of reaction to evaporate the hypohalogenated acid , such as hypochlorous acid , and water phase to leave a dry sodium chloride or salt solid by - product . the desired reaction temperature ranges from about 80 ° to about 100 ° centigrade . the recycled gases are also used as reactant gases in the production of the hypohalogenated acid . the recycled gases , for example chlorine and dichlorine monoxide , enter the reactor vessel top 15 and disperse outwardly in the inverted funnel top 14 and pass through the flow directing means or perforated plate 16 to enter the reactor vessel 15 in a generally vertical flow orientation . fresh halogen gas , for example chlorine , is fed in through chlorine feed line 20 through the reactor top 14 and is directed down over the nozzle or atomizer 21 . nozzle 21 may be a single fluid atomizer , a two fluid or a wheel atomizer dependent upon the viscosity and density of the alkali metal hydroxide being atomized and the amount of pressure to which the liquid is subjected . the materials of construction of the nozzle must be capable of withstanding the harshness of the environment within the reactor . the vessel 15 has an outlet or exhaust duct 24 at the bottom of the drying zone 26 just above the funnel or conically shaped bottom 19 to remove the product gas , the unreacted halogen gas and some by - product into the recirculation loop 30 as previously described . outlet or exhaust duct 24 exits through the side of vessel 15 generally horizontally and has an inlet 28 that is undercut such that the top overhangs or overlies and covers the bottom to preclude solid alkali metal chloride by - product , for example sodium chloride , from falling directly into it . the preferred shape of the inlet 28 is an undercut ellipsoid , as seen in fig2 . alternately , and more preferably the product gas , the unreacted halogen gas and the by - product solid salt all exit through the funnel bottom 19 into a common outlet pipe 23 for routing to a common gas - solid salt by - product separation apparatus , such as a baghouse ( not shown ). the vessel 15 has its central section 18 preferably cylindrically shaped , but it could also be polygonal , as appropriate . the cylindrical design has a desired diameter and length . the length extends from the top at the perforated plate 16 to the bottom of the drying zone 26 , just above the funnel bottom 19 , or alternately the length can be defined as the distance of the straight side portion of the cylinder or reactor vessel 15 . the dimensions of the length and the diameter can be selected so that the length to diameter ratio , l / d , can range from about 1 to 1 to about 5 to 1 . a preferred ratio is about 3 . 7 to 1 , with the more preferred ratio being about 2 . 3 to 1 . the larger the diameter of the reactor vessel 15 the slower is the rate of fall of the solid salt by - product particles , utilizing a fixed gas flow rate . the length of the reactor vessel 15 in proportion to its diameter helps determine the moisture content of the solid by - product salt particles , in combination with the size of the alkali metal hydroxide droplets sprayed into the vessel 15 from atomizer nozzle 21 and the amount of heat introduced into the vessel 15 to accomplish drying . since the alkali metal hydroxide droplets react almost instantaneously with the halogen gas to form the solid salt by - product particles , the size of the reactor is determined by the time required to dry the resultant salt by - product particles . the constant rate drying time is negligible since a crust forms on the surface of the salt by - product particles almost instantaneously . therefore , the reactor vessel 15 dimensions are determined assuming only a falling rate drying time by using the following derivation of the equation presented by w . e . ranz and w . r . marshall jr . as part of graduate study at the university of wisconsin presented in the march and april 1952 editions of chemical engineering progress : ## equ1 ## in this equation w &# 39 ; represents the moisture content of the solid by - product salt particle , t represents the falling time of the solid by - product salt particle , k d represents the thermal conductivity of the unreacted recycled chlorine gas used for drying , δt represents the temperature difference between the solid by - product salt particle and recycled gases , τ represents the latent heat of vaporization of water , ρ s represents the density of the dry solid salt by - product , and d c represents the solid by - product salt product diameter at the point of evaporation . the equation is solved for the drying time , knowing the temperature of the gas and of the hydroxide as it comes into the reactor , the volume of gas that must pass throught the reactor to dry the material in the reactor , as calculated from the material balance , and the heat that must be supplied by the recycled gas to evaporate the quantity of moisture in the by - product salt particles in the reactor . using these factors the length and diameter of the reactor are sized to be able to handle the required flow rate and the time required for drying . in operation the halogen gas , for example chlorine , is fed into the reactor 10 through feed line 20 and is directed generally vertically downward over nozzle 21 . recycled gases are fed in from the recirculation system via gas infeed 12 into the reactor top 14 and are directionalized by perforated plate 16 down into reactor vessel 15 . vessel 15 has an elongate cylindrical section 18 which has a spraying and drying zone 25 adjacent the top surrounding nozzle 21 and a drying zone 26 therebelow . the reacted gases exit the reactor 10 through outlet or exhaust duct 24 for processing and recirculation , as appropriate . the solid by - product alkali metal halide , such as sodium chloride , exits the vessel 15 through the conically shaped funnel bottom 19 for processing . bottom 19 is connected by conventional flanging to outlet pipe 23 and then to other connecting pipes ( not shown ). the solid by - product alkali metal halide is dried as it passes down through the drying zone 26 . when employed , the overhanging top portion of exhaust duct 24 prevents substantial quantities of the solid by - product from being drawn out through the undercut ellipsoid inlet 28 with the product hocl gas and the recycle gases . the preferred water content of the solid by - product alkali metal halide is less than 5 % by weight , preferably less than 2 % and more preferably less than 1 %. low moisture or water contents such as these facilitate separating the solid by - product salt and product gas streams , while limiting the decomposition of the product hypohalogenated acid . the following example is presented to define and illustrate the advantages of the present invention more fully without any intention of limiting the invention thereby . all percentages are by weight , unless otherwise specified . a plurality of nacl salt samples were obtained from the reactor of fig1 utilizing isokinetic sampling . the reactor vessel was about 11 feet seven inches long with a vessel diameter of about 3 feet two inches . each sample was analyzed for water content by gravimetric measurement . the salt sample was first weighed as taken from the reactor and then was dried for about 5 minutes , such as by infrared heating . the dried sample was then weighed and the weight differential is the water content . a corresponding product hocl sample was obtained from the condenser and was analyzed for percentage concentration . this is significant when determining the yield of hocl from the process since the concentration is directly proportional to yield . the yield is defined as the percentage conversion of caustic to hocl on a molar basis . an hocl concentration of 49 % is believed to translate to a yield of about 85 %, while a concentration of about 40 % is believed to translate to a yield of about 65 %. the caustic atomization pressure of the atomizer within the reactor for all samples was maintained between about 975 and 1000 psig . the data corresponding to the samples taken is shown below in table 1 . the reactor temperature was increased to obtain a drier nacl sample , although the most important controlling factor is the atomization size of the caustic droplets , since the drying rate is a function of the square of the size of the by - product salt particle that is formed by the drying of the caustic droplets . as seen from the data in table 1 , there is an inverse relationship between the moisture content of the solid salt by - product particle and the concentration of the product hypochlorous acid . table 1______________________________________hoci concentration vs . nacl &# 34 ; dryness &# 34 ; nacl reactor hocl condenserwt . % h . sub . 2 o temp (° c .) wt . % temp (° c . ) ______________________________________2 . 09 84 45 . 4 62 . 49 95 41 . 9 60 . 95 93 51 . 4 51 . 92 84 46 . 2 51 . 89 94 47 . 1 414 . 07 82 23 . 8 51 . 90 95 45 . 9 21 . 64 99 46 . 1 31 . 65 99 45 . 7 73 . 31 98 42 . 6 33 . 66 98 43 . 3 84 . 10 97 43 . 1 98 . 43 86 38 . 6 921 . 89 93 32 . 7 920 . 03 98 31 . 9 72 . 22 82 44 . 7 4______________________________________ the graphical plot depicted in fig3 shows the correlation between the concentration of the product hypochlorous acid and the nacl water content . generally , the lower the water content of the solid by - product salt , the higher is the concentration of the product hocl . the data points with the higher percent by weight water analyses were likely the result of caustic droplets being formed from a clogged or blocked spray nozzle . the center line on the plot represents the computed value of the hocl concentration using the equation - 0 . 89x + 46 . 87 = y derived from the statistical analysis linear regression of the data in table 1 , while the two parallel lines above and below represent the statistical upper and lower limits of the hocl concentration at 95 % confidence . one random data point occurred with the nacl percentage of water content of 14 . 07 % which fell outside the lower limit of the computed hocl concentration . while the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated is shown and described above , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the particular details thus presented , but , in fact , widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of this invention . for example , it is possible to practice the method of the instant invention in either a cocurrent reactor , such as is described herein , or a counter - current reactor such as that disclosed in patent application u . s . ser . no . 254 , 559 , filed oct . 7 , 1988 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention , which is hereinafter specifically incorporated by reference in pertinent part . the scope of the appended claims is intended to encompass all obvious changes in the details , materials , and arrangement of parts which will occur to one of skill in the art upon a reading of the disclosure .	2
the following description of the preferred embodiment ( s ) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . referring to fig2 and 3 , there is generally shown a strapless bra 100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the bra 100 preferably includes two cup members 102 , 104 that are operable to receive a breast therein . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , each cup member 102 , 104 , respectively , has an individual underwire member 106 , 108 , respectively , or , alternatively , one unitary underwire member that extends through both cup members 102 , 104 , respectively . generally , a typical women &# 39 ; s figure is narrower ( i . e ., has a lesser torso girth ) at the top of her breast area , than it is at the bottom of her breast area ( i . e ., has a greater torso girth ) which causes the problems with conventional strapless bras , as previously described . conversely , female athletes ( e . g ., bodybuilders , weightlifters , and the like ) that have well - developed back and chest muscles , may find conventional strapless bras extremely confining and uncomfortable , especially around the top of her breast area , i . e ., her upper torso area . with the present invention , the user can compensate for this difference in relative torso girths , regardless of whether the upper torso area ( i . e ., corresponding to the top of the breast area ) has a lesser girth than the lower torso area ( i . e ., corresponding to the bottom of the breast area ), or vice versa . the present invention overcomes these problems by use of dual torso straps , including an upper torso strap system 110 and a lower torso strap system 112 . the upper torso strap system 110 preferably includes two upper torso strap members 114 , 116 , respectively , that are sewn or otherwise fastened to the upper portions 118 , 120 , respectively , of the cup members , 102 , 104 , respectively . the lower torso strap system 112 preferably includes two lower torso strap members 122 , 124 , respectively , that are sewn or otherwise fastened to the lower portions 126 , 128 , respectively , of the cup members , 102 , 104 , respectively . the respective strap members 114 , 116 , 122 , 124 , respectively , preferably remain the same size ( e . g ., height ) from front ( e . g ., cup member ) to back ( e . g ., the middle of the user &# 39 ; s back ), i . e ., they do not significantly taper . by way of a non - limiting example , the approximate size ( e . g ., height ) of each torso strap member is approximately 1 to 2 inches . the end portions 130 , 132 , 134 , 136 , respectively , of the upper and lower torso strap members 114 , 116 , 122 , 124 , respectively , are selectively operable to be fastened together by any number of suitable methods , such as but not limited to hooks / loops , laces , velcro , and / or the like . by way of a non - limiting example , with each of the strap systems 110 , 112 , respectively , being independent from each other , the upper torso strap system 110 can be tightened to a greater degree than the lower torso strap system 112 , or vice versa . by way of a non - limiting example , this can be achieved by any number of methods , such as but not limited to by placing more ( or less but further spaced apart ) clasps on the upper torso strap system 110 than on the bottom torso strap system 112 to allow for a tighter ( or looser ) fit , as shown in fig4 . as with the previously described embodiments , the upper torso strap system 200 includes first and second upper torso strap members 202 , 204 , respectively . each of the ends 206 , 208 , respectively , of the upper torso strap members 202 , 204 , respectively , includes connection members , such as a hook member 210 or at least one loop member 212 . the loop members 212 may be provided in a relatively great number or may be spaced apart to provide a number of fastening options to the user . although six loop members 212 are shown , it should be appreciated that either more than or less than this number can be provided . furthermore , although the loop members 212 are spaced relatively closely together , it should be appreciated that they can be further spaced apart than shown . as with the previously described embodiments , the lower torso strap system 202 includes first and second lower torso strap members 214 , 216 , respectively . each of the ends 218 , 220 , respectively , of the lower torso strap members 214 , 216 , respectively , includes connection members , such as a hook member 222 or at least one loop member 224 . the loop members 224 may be provided in a relatively great number or may be spaced apart to provide a number of fastening options to the user . although three loop members 224 are shown , it should be appreciated that either more than or less than this number can be provided . furthermore , although the loop members 224 are spaced relatively far apart , it should be appreciated that they can be more closely spaced together than shown . referring to fig5 , in order to provide even more support to the strapless bra of the present invention , two additional underwire members 300 , 302 , respectively , can be provided to the bra 304 , e . g ., wherein the respective underwire members 300 , 302 , respectively , are located along the top portions of each of the cup members 306 , 308 , respectively , and the other underwire members 310 , 312 , respectively , are located along the bottom portion of the cup members 306 , 308 , respectively . referring to fig6 , in order to provide even more support to the strapless bra of the present invention , a single unitary underwire member 400 can be provided to the bra 402 , e . g ., wherein the underwire member 400 is located along the top portions of each of the cup members 404 , 406 , respectively , and the other underwire members 408 , 410 , respectively , are located along the bottom portion of the cup members 404 , 406 , respectively . the present invention will allow the strapless bra of the present invention to be better adjusted according to the particular shape of a woman &# 39 ; s figure . for example , the front area of the bra will fit tighter to the skin , giving the breast fuller support . the user should also notice better support of the bra on the top and bottom portions of the bra , wherein conventional strapless bras only provide support through the underwire members . the strapless bra of the present invention will enable a woman to feel more comfortable , move about more freely , and not feel restricted . furthermore , the support in the strapless bra of the present invention will enable the bra to stay in place and not shift downwardly , as conventional strapless bras are prone to do . this feature will also improve the look of the clothing that is worn on top of the strapless bra of the present invention . additionally , it should be appreciated that the underlying principles of the strapless bra of the present invention can easily be applied to other clothing items , such as but not limited to bikini tops and / or the like . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
the invention outlined hereinafter addresses the concerns of the aforementioned shortcomings or limitations of current fiber cement siding 10 . a shape molded , extruded or wire cut foam board 12 has been developed to serve as a combination installation / alignment tool and an insulation board . this rectangular board 12 , shown in fig2 is designed to work with 1¼ inch trim accessories . the board &# 39 ; s 12 exterior dimensions will vary depending upon the profile it has been designed to incorporate , see fig3 . with reference to fig2 there is shown a plan view of a contoured foam alignment backer utilized with the installation method of the first preferred embodiment . installation and alignment foam board 12 includes a plurality or registration of alignment ribs 14 positioned longitudinally across board 12 . alignment board 12 further includes interlocking tabs 16 which interlock into grooves or slots 18 . as illustrated in fig2 a , and in the preferred embodiment , this construction is a dovetail arrangement 16 , 18 . it is understood that the dovetail arrangement could be used with any type of siding product , including composite siding and the like where it is beneficial to attach adjacent foam panels . typical fiber cement lap siding panels 10 are available in 12 foot lengths and heights ranging from 5¼ inches to 12 inches . however , the foam boards 12 are designed specifically for a given profile height and face such as , dutch lap , flat , beaded , etc . each foam board 12 generally is designed to incorporate between four and twelve courses of a given fiber cement lap siding 10 . spacing between alignment ribs 14 may vary dependent upon a particular fiber cement siding panel 10 being used . further size changes will naturally come with market requirements . various materials may also be substituted for the fiber cement lap siding panels 10 . one commercially available material is an engineered wood product coated with special binders to add strength and moisture resistance ; and further treated with a zinc borate - based treatment to resist fungal decay and termites . this product is available under the name of lp smartside ®. manufactured by lp specialty products , a unit of louisiana - pacific corporation ( lp ) headquartered in nashville , tenn . other substituted materials may include a combination of cellulose , wood and a plastic , such as polyethylene . therefore , although this invention is discussed with and is primarily beneficial for use with fiber board , the invention is also applicable with the aforementioned substitutes and other alternative materials such as vinyl and rubber . the foam boards 12 incorporate a contour cut alignment configuration on the front side 20 , as shown in fig3 . the back side 22 is flat to support it against the wall , as shown in fig4 . the flat side 22 of the board , fig4 , will likely incorporate a drainage plane system 24 to assist in directing moisture runoff , if moisture finds its way into the wall 12 . it should be noted that moisture in the form of vapor , will pass through the foam from the warm side to the cold side with changes in temperature . the drainage plane system is incorporated by reference as disclosed in application ser . no . 60 / 511 , 527 filed on oct . 15 , 2003 . to install the fiber cement siding , according to the present invention , the installer must first establish a chalk line 26 at the bottom of the wall 28 of the building to serve as a straight reference line to position the foam board 12 for the first course 15 of foam board 12 , following siding manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . the foam boards 12 are designed to be installed or mated tightly next to each other on the wall 28 , both horizontally and vertically . the first course foam boards 12 are to be laid along the chalk line 26 beginning at the bottom corner of an exterior wall 28 of the building ( as shown fig5 ) and tacked into position . when installed correctly , this grid formation provided will help insure the proper spacing and alignment of each piece of lap siding 10 . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the vertical edges 16 a , 18 a of each foam board 12 are fabricated with an interlocking tab 16 and slot 18 mechanism that insure proper height alignment . ensuring that the tabs 16 are fully interlocked and seated in the slots 18 , provides proper alignment of the cement lap siding . as shown in fig7 , 7 a , 7 b , the horizontal edges 30 , 32 incorporate ship - lapped edges 30 , 32 that allow both top and bottom foam boards 12 to mate tightly together . the foam boards 12 are also designed to provide proper horizontal spacing and alignment up the wall 28 from one course to the next , as shown in phantom in fig7 and 7 a . as the exterior wall 28 is covered with foam boards 12 , it may be necessary to cut and fit the foam boards 12 as they mate next to doorways . windows , gable corners , electrical outlets , water faucets , etc . this cutting and fitting can be accomplished using a circular saw , a razor knife or a hot knife . the opening ( not shown ) should be set back no more than ⅛ inches for foundation settling . once the first course 15 has been installed , the second course 15 ′ of foam boards 12 can be installed at any time . the entire first course 15 on any given wall should be covered before the second course 15 ′ is installed . it is important to insure that each foam board 12 is fully interlocked and seated on the interlocking tabs 16 to achieve correct alignment . the first piece of fiber cement lap siding 10 is installed on the first course 15 of the foam board 12 and moved to a position approximately ⅛ inches set back from the corner and pushed up against the foam board registration or alignment rib 14 ( see fig8 ) to maintain proper positioning of the panel 10 . the foam board registration or alignment rib 14 is used to align and space each fiber cement panel 10 properly as the siding job progresses . unlike installing the fiber cement lap siding in the prior art , there is no need to measure the panel &# 39 ; s relative face height to insure proper alignment . all the system mechanics have been accounted for in the rib 14 location on the foam board 12 . the applicator simply places the panel 10 in position and pushes it tightly up against the foam board alignment rib 14 immediately prior to fastening . a second piece of fiber cement lap siding can be butted tightly to the first , pushed up against the registration or alignment rib and fastened securely with fasteners 17 with either a nail gun or hammer . because the alignment ribs 14 are preformed and pre - measured to correspond to the appropriate overlap 30 between adjacent fiber cement siding panels 10 , no measurement is required . further , because the alignment ribs 14 are level with respect to one another , an installer need not perform the meticulous leveling tasks associated with the prior art methods of installation . with reference to fig7 , 7 a , 7 b , vertically aligned boards 20 include a ship lap 30 , 32 mating arrangement which provides for a continuous foam surface . furthermore , the interlocking tabs 16 , 18 together with the ship lap 30 , 32 ensures that adjacent fiber boards 12 , whether they be vertically adjacent or horizontally adjacent , may be tightly and precisely mated together such that no further measurement or alignment is required to maintain appropriate spacing between adjacent boards 12 . it is understood that as boards 12 are mounted and attached to one another it may be necessary to trim such boards when windows , corners , electrical outlets , water faucets , etc . are encountered . these cuts can be made with a circular saw , razor knife , or hot knife . thereafter , a second course of fiber cement siding 10 ′ can be installed above the first course 10 by simply repeating the steps and without the need for leveling or measuring operation . when fully seated up against the foam board alignment rib 14 , the fiber cement panel 10 ′ will project down over the first course 10 to overlap 34 by a desired 1¼ inches , as built into the system as shown in fig3 . the next course is fastened against wall 28 using fasteners 36 as previously described . the foam board 12 must be fully and properly placed under all of the fiber cement panels 10 . the installer should not attempt to fasten the fiber cement siding 10 in an area that it is not seated on and protected by a foam board 12 . the board 12 , described above , will be fabricated from foam at a thickness of approximately 1¼ inch peak height . depending on the siding profile , the board 12 should offer a system “ r ” value of 3 . 5 to 4 . 0 . this addition is dramatic considering that the average home constructed in the 1960 &# 39 ; s has an “ r ” value of 8 . an r - 19 side wall is thought to be the optimum in thermal efficiency . the use of the foam board will provide a building that is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter . the use of the foam board 12 of the present invention also increases thermal efficiency , decreases drafts and provides added comfort to a home . in an alternate embodiment , a family of insulated fiber cement lap siding panels 100 has been developed , as shown in fig9 , in the interest of solving several limitations associated with present fiber cement lap sidings . these composite panels 100 incorporate a foam backer 112 that has been bonded or laminated to a complementary fiber cement lap siding panel 110 . foam backing 112 preferably includes an angled portion 130 and a complementary angled portion 132 to allow multiple courses of composite fiber cement siding panels 100 to be adjoined . foam backer 112 is positioned against fiber cement siding 110 in such a manner as to leave an overlap region 134 which will provide for an overlap of siding panels on installation . the fiber cement composite siding panels 100 of the second preferred embodiment may be formed by providing appropriately configured foam backing pieces 132 which may be adhesively attached to the fiber cement siding panel 110 . the composite siding panels 100 according to the second preferred embodiment may be installed as follows with reference to fig1 b , 10 c and 13 . a first course 115 is aligned appropriately against sill plate 40 adjacent to the foundation 42 to be level and is fastened into place with fasteners 36 . thereafter , adjacent courses 115 ′ may be merely rested upon the previous installed course and fastened into place . the complementary nature of angled portions 130 , 132 will create a substantially uniformed and sealed foam barrier behind composite siding panels 100 . overlap 134 , which has been pre - measured in relation to the foam pieces allows multiple courses to be installed without the need for measuring or further alignment . this dramatic new siding of the present invention combines an insulation component with an automatic self - aligning , stack - on siding design . the foam backer 112 provides a system “ r ” value in the range of 3 . 5 to 4 . 0 . the foam backer 112 will also be fabricated from expanded polystyrene ( eps ), which has been treated with a chemical additive to deter termites and carpenter ants . the new self - aligning , stack - on siding design of the present invention provides fast , reliable alignment , as compared to the time consuming , repeated face measuring and alignment required on each course with the present lap design . the new foam backer 112 has significant flexural and compressive strength . the fiber cement siding manufacturer can reasonably take advantage of these attributes . the weight of the fiber cement siding 110 can be dramatically reduced by thinning , redesigning and shaping some of the profiles of the fiber cement 110 . fig8 a shows the current dimensions of fiber cement boards , fig8 b , 8 c , and 8 c show thinner fiber cement board . experience with other laminated siding products has shown that dramatic reductions in the base material can be made without adversely affecting the product &# 39 ; s performance . the combination of weight reduction with the new stack - on design provides the installers with answers to their major objections . it is conceivable that the present thickness ( d ′) of fiber cement lap siding panels 110 of approximately 0 . 313 inches could be reduced to a thickness ( d ′) of 0 . 125 inches or less . the fiber cement siding panel may include a lip 144 which , when mated to another course of similarly configured composite fiber cement siding can give the fiber cement siding 110 the appearance of being much thicker thus achieving an appearance of an increased shadow line . further , it is understood although not required , that the fiber cement siding panel 110 may be of substantially reduced thickness , as stated supra , compared to the 5 / 16 ″ thickness provided by the prior art . reducing the thickness of the fiber cement siding panel 110 yields a substantially lighter product , thereby making it far easier to install . a pair of installed fiber cement composite panels having a thickness ( d ′) of 0 . 125 ″ or less is illustrated in fig8 b - 8d and 10 b and 10 c . such installation is carried out in similar fashion as that described in the second preferred embodiment . the present invention provides for an alternate arrangement of foam 112 supporting the novel configuration of fiber cement paneling . in particular , the foam may include an undercut recess 132 which is configured to accommodate an adjacent piece of foam siding . as shown in fig1 a , 10 b and 10 c , the new , thinner , insulated fiber cement lap siding panel 110 will allow the siding manufacturers to market panels with virtually any desirable shadow line , such as the popular new ¾ inch vinyl siding shadow line with the lip 144 formation . the lip 144 can have various lengths such as approximately 0 . 313 inch ( e ), 0 . 50 inch ( f ), and 0 . 75 ( g ) inch to illustrate a few variations as shown in fig8 b , 8 c , and 8 d , respectively . this new attribute would offer an extremely valuable , previously unattainable , selling feature that is simply beyond the reach with the current system . no special tools or equipment are required to install the new insulated fiber cement lap siding 100 . however , a new starter adapter or strip 150 has been designed for use with this system , as shown in fig1 and 12 . it is preferable to drill nail holes 152 through the adapter 150 prior to installation . the installer must first establish a chalk line 26 at the bottom of the wall 28 to serve as a straight reference line to position the starter adapter 150 for the first course of siding and follow the siding manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . the siding job can be started at either corner 29 . the siding is placed on the starter adapter or strip 150 and seated fully and positioned , leaving a gap 154 of approximately ⅛ inches from the corner 29 of the building . thereafter , the siding 100 is fastened per the siding manufacturer &# 39 ; s installation recommendations using a nail gun or hammer to install the fasteners 36 . thereafter , a second course of siding 115 ′ can be installed above the first course 115 by simply repeating the steps , as shown in fig1 . where practical , it is preferable to fully install each course 115 before working up the wall , to help insure the best possible overall alignment . installation in difficult and tight areas under and around windows , in gable ends , etc . is the same as the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instruction of the current fiber cement lap siding 10 . the lamination methods and adhesive system will be the same as those outlined in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 019 , 415 and 6 , 195 , 952b1 . the insulated fiber cement stack - on sliding panels 100 described above will have a composite thickness of approximately 1¼ inches . depending on the siding profile , the composite siding 100 should offer a system “ r ” value of 3 . 5 to 4 . 0 . this addition is dramatic when you consider that the average home constructed in the 1960 &# 39 ; s has an “ r ” value of 8 . an “ r - 19 ” side wall is thought to be the optimum in energy efficiency . a building will be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter with the use of the insulated fiber cement siding of the present invention . 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 fiber cement siding board disclosed in the invention can be substituted with the aforementioned disclosed materials and 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 .	8
methods , systems , user interfaces , and other aspects of the invention are described . reference will be made to certain embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . while the invention will be described in conjunction with the embodiments , it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments alone . on the contrary , the invention is intended to cover alternatives , modifications and equivalents that are within the spirit and scope of the invention . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense . moreover , in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these particular details . in other instances , methods , procedures , components , and networks that are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art are not described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the present invention . according to certain embodiments , a social media game combines elements of gambling slots and adventure ( herein referred to as slots journey game ). certain embodiments include a mobile version of the game . according to certain embodiments , the slots journey game presents “ worlds ” and locations and levels within each world to the gamer for playing the game . for example , each world comprises several levels of the slots game . when the gamer first enters a given “ world ” ( egypt , for example ) and the gamer then plays the game in that world by progressing from one location to another ( within that world ) and from one level to another within a location . when the gamer finishes all the locations and levels associated with a world , then the game presents the next world to the gamer for play . for example , the gamer plays the slots using in - game coins or chips , earns points and moves forward in the locations and levels within the world . according to certain embodiments , one way of obtaining in - game coins or chips is by collecting hourly bonuses in the game . another way of obtaining in - game coins or chips is by buying the in - game coins or chips using an in - application purchase . for example , the game application can present a user interface , such a tool bar , to the gamer that allows the gamer to purchase in - game coins using a credit card , electronic wallet , sms payment , or some electronic payment service , etc . according to certain embodiments , the game includes a virality aspect where the gamer entices her / his friends to the game . according to certain embodiments , the game allows the gamer to purchase boosters and power - ups . according to certain embodiments , a booster is a technique for multiplying the gamer &# 39 ; s winnings and enhancing the game experience and is activated before spinning the reel of the slots journey game . according to certain embodiments , a power - up is a technique for changing the positions of one or more reels before spinning the reels when playing the game . according to certain embodiments , the game includes “ bigwins ”. a bigwin is an amount of winnings that is several times the betting amount . for example , a bigwin can be 10 times the betting amount in the social media version of the slots journey game . as another example , a bigwin can be 5 times the betting amount in the mobile version of the slots journey game . fig1 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates a general scheme for a social media version of the slots journey game , according to certain embodiments . the slots journey game can be accessed via browsers such as chrome , firefox , opera , etc . the game can also be installed and run on smart devices such as smart phones , smart tablets , smart pads etc . in fig1 , at block 101 , the simulated gambling slots journey game is launched . the gamer has the option to select a “ world ” at block 102 , or select the option of collecting bonuses at block 103 . if the gamer selects to collect bonuses then the gamer is presented with a variety of ways to collect bonuses . some non - limiting examples of collecting bonuses include : a scratch game 104 , a dice game 105 , an hourly bonus 106 , and friend &# 39 ; s bonuses 107 . the scratch game , dice game , hourly bonus and friend &# 39 ; s bonuses are described in greater detail herein . if the gamer selects a “ world ”, then the gamer can start playing one of several locations and levels within the world . for example , the game starts at the first location and level if the gamer is just starting the game in that particular world or the gamer can resume at the location and level in which he / she was playing previously . at block 108 , the gamer can select the amount of in - game coins to bet ( a bet ) and then spin the reels of the slots journey game . at block 109 , it is determined if the reels have arrived at a winning combination . for example , a result of a winning combination can include : winning in - game coins 110 , winning a bonus game offering 111 , or winning a risk game offering 112 . the number of in - game coins that is won is calculated based on a pay table that is described in greater detail herein . if there is no winning combination , then at block 113 , it is determined if the gamer has enough in - game coins left in order to place a new bet to continue playing the game . if it is determined that the gamer has enough remaining in - game coins to place a new bet , then the gamer can place a bet and spin the reel again as described with respect to block 108 . if it is determined that the gamer does not have any remaining in - game coins , then at block 114 it is determined if there are any bonuses available to the gamer . if it is determined there are bonuses available , then the gamer can collect bonuses as described with respect to block 103 . if it is determined there are no bonuses available , then at block 115 , the gamer can decide if she / he would like to purchase in - game coins . if the gamer purchases in - game coins , then it is determined if the gamer has enough in - game coins to place a bet to continue playing the game as described with respect to block 113 . if the gamer does not purchase in - game coins , then the game ends at block 116 . according to certain embodiments , the gamer can purchase in - game coins using a payment toolbar that appears in the game application . the gamer can purchase in - game coins using a credit card , electronic wallet , sms payment , or some electronic payment service , etc . the gamer can also use the payment toolbar to purchase boosters and power - ups . fig2 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates aspects of a central function for reel start - up and crediting a win to a gamer , according to certain embodiments . at block 201 , the gamer can select the amount of in - game coins to bet and then spin the reels ( reel start - up ) of the slots journey game . at block 202 , it is determined if the reels have arrived at a winning combination . for example , a result of a winning combination can include : winning in - game coins 203 , winning a bonus game offering 204 , or winning a risk game 205 . the number of in - game coins that is won is calculated based on a pay table and at block 206 the winnings are applied to the gamer &# 39 ; s total in - game coins that are available for game play . if there is no winning combination , then at block 207 , it is determined if the gamer has enough in - game coins left in order to place a new bet to continue playing the game . if it is determined that the gamer has enough remaining in - game coins to place a new bet , then the gamer can place another bet and spin the reel again as described with respect to block 201 . if it is determined that the gamer does not have any remaining in - game coins , then the game ends at block 208 unless the gamer can purchase more in - game coins or otherwise obtain more in - game coins as previously described . fig3 and fig4 illustrate sample start - up reels showing selection and setting of bets , according to certain embodiments . the gamer can manually select the number of lines and the amount of coins she / he would like to bet for each line . fig3 shows a sample play with one line on the reel selected 301 and three lines on the reel selected 302 . fig4 shows a sample play with ten lines on the reel selected 401 and twenty five lines on the reel selected 402 . the gamer also has the option of selecting the maximum bet option ( see “ max bet ” 303 , 304 of fig3 and 403 , 404 of fig4 ). fig5 illustrates a sample pay table , according to certain embodiments . fig5 shows symbols 501 - 511 . each symbol is associated with a corresponding set of payouts 501 b - 511 b , such as payouts for 2 in - a - row , 3 in - a - row , 4 in - a - row , and 5 in - a - row matching symbols . for example , the payout for 3 in - a - row matching symbols is more than the payout for 2 in - a - row matching symbols . according to certain embodiments , symbol 501 is a “ wild ” symbol . the wild symbol can substitute for any symbol except for the “ scatter ” symbol 502 . according to certain embodiments , three or more scatter symbols on a line on the reel activate a bonus game . fig6 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates a scheme for a scratch game , according to certain embodiments . the scratch game is a type of “ daily bonus ” game that is part of the slots journey game , according to certain embodiments . at block 601 in fig6 , it is determined if the lifetime of the current 3 × 3 matrix of “ scratch ” cells is less than 8 days . if the lifetime is less than 8 days , then the current matrix is loaded at block 602 . if the lifetime is greater than 8 days , then at block 603 , a new 3 × 3 matrix of “ scratch ” cells is generated . according to certain embodiments , each week a new 3 × 3 matrix of “ scratch ” cells is generated whether or not the cells of the current 3 × 3 matrix have been scratched opened . at block 604 , the 3 × 3 matrix of “ scratch ” cells is displayed to the gamer . at block 605 , it is determined if the gamer has the opportunity to scratch a cell . according to certain embodiments , the gamer has the opportunity to scratch only one cell in the matrix once each weekday and two cells on each of saturday and sunday . if it is determined that the gamer has no opportunity to scratch a cell , then the scratch game ends at block 612 . if it is determined that the gamer has the opportunity to scratch a cell , then at block 606 , it is determined if the day is a saturday or a sunday . if it is determined that the day is a saturday or a sunday , then at block 607 , the gamer is allowed to scratch a cell . then at block 608 it is determined if today the gamer has scratched less than 2 cells . if it is determined that today the gamer has scratched less than 2 cells , then the gamer is allowed to scratch another cell ( block 607 ). if it is determined that today the gamer has scratched at least 2 cells , then at block 610 it is determined if there are at least 3 scratched open cells with identical symbols . if there are at least 3 scratched open cells with identical symbols , then at block 611 , a bonus amount of in - games coins are credited to the gamer , after which the game ends at block 612 . if there are no 3 scratched open cells with identical symbols , then the game ends at block 612 . if at block 606 , it is determined that the day is not a saturday or a sunday , then at block 609 the gamer is allowed to scratch a cell . control then passes to block 610 which is described above . the dice game is another type of “ daily bonus ” game that is part of the slots journey game , according to certain embodiments . for example , a “ treasure map ” is displayed and the gamer rolls a dice to move forward on a path ( e . g ., stepping stones ) on the treasure map . depending on where the dice lands , the gamer can win any of 5 types of point ( bonuses ). according to certain embodiments , the 5 types of points are : 1 ) simple points — a bonus amount of in - game coins are credited to the gamer according to the established rules of the game ; 2 ) gift booster — a bonus amount of in - game coins and a booster are credited to the gamer according to the established rules of the game ; 3 ) gamer &# 39 ; s win multiplier — the gamer wins a multiplier for her / his points which he / she has won ; 4 ) additional move — the gamer wins the opportunity to roll the dice to move one additional step ; 5 ) multiple moves — the gamer wins the opportunity to move several additional steps . according to certain embodiments , if the gamer advances through the whole path ( all the steps on the path ) of the treasure map , then a bonus amount of in - game coins and three booster are credited to the gamer for game playing . according to certain embodiments , the gamer is given the opportunity to advance one step for free per day ( allowed to roll the dice once for free per day ). the gamer can also purchase additional opportunities to roll the dice in order to advance on the treasure map . fig7 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates a scheme for the dice game , according to certain embodiments . at block 701 , the rolling dice game is launched . at block 702 it is determined if the gamer has an opportunity to roll the dice ( to advance a step on the map ). if it is determined that the gamer does not have an opportunity to roll the dice , then at block 704 , it is determined if the gamer wishes to purchase an opportunity to roll the dice . if the gamer does not wish to purchase an opportunity to roll the dice , then the rolling dice game ends at block 705 . if at block 702 it is determined that the gamer has an opportunity to roll the dice ( or the gamer has purchased an opportunity to roll the dice at block 704 ), then the gamer can roll the dice at block 703 . at block 706 the gamer advances a predetermined number of winning steps in the map . at block 707 , the gamer is credited with the winnings depending on the type of points the gamer has won . if at block 708 , it is determined that the gamer has won “ simple points ”, then a bonus amount of in - game coins are credited to the gamer according to the established rules of the game at block 713 . if at block 709 , it is determined that the gamer has won a “ gift booster ”, then a bonus amount of in - game coins and a booster are credited to the gamer according to the established rules of the game at block 714 . if at block 710 , it is determined that the gamer has won a “ daily bonus multiplier ”, then the gamer wins a multiplier for her / his points at block 715 . if at block 711 , it is determined that the gamer has won an “ additional move ”, then the gamer wins the opportunity to roll the dice to move one additional step on the map at block 716 . if at block 712 , it is determined that the gamer has won “ multiple moves ”, then the gamer wins the opportunity to move several additional steps on the map at block 717 . at block 718 , it is determined if the points based on advancement on the map is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of points . if the points is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of points , then at block 719 , the gamer &# 39 ; s level and final reward is increased by a predetermined amount and control returns block 702 . if the points is not greater than or equal to a predetermined number of points , then control returns to block 702 . according to certain embodiments , if the gamer achieves a “ bigwin ” winning combination , then the gamer is offered an opportunity to accept or refuse a “ risk game .” if the gamer refuses the offer to play the risk game , then the bigwin points ( in - game coins ) are credited to the gamer . in the risk game , the gamer has to guess a number . if the gamer guesses a number that is bigger than the game &# 39 ; s number , then the gamer wins and the game points ( in - game coins ) in the main slots journey game is doubled . if the gamer wins , the gamer is offered another opportunity to double his / her winnings . if the gamer refuses this new offer , then the points ( in - game coins ) are credited to the gamer . if the gamer accepts this new offer , then a new game number is generated and the gamer has to again guess a number that is greater than the newly generated number in order to win . if the gamer fails to guess an appropriate number then no game points are credited to the gamer and the gamer is returned to the main slots journey game . fig8 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates a scheme for the risk game , according to certain embodiments . in fig8 at block 801 , it is determined if the gamer has won a “ bigwin ”. if it is determined that the gamer has not won a bigwin , then there is no risk game offer . if it is determined that the gamer has won a bigwin , then at block 802 , it is determined if the gamer accepts the offer to play the risk game . if the gamer does not accept the offer to play the risk game then at block 804 the bigwin points that the gamer won are credited to the gamer . if the gamer accepts the offer to play the risk game then at block 803 , a game number is generated . at block 805 , the gamer guesses a number . at block 806 , it is determined if the number guessed by the gamer is greater than the game number . if the number guessed by the gamer is not greater than the game number , then no points are credited to the gamer and the gamer is returned to the main slots journey game . if the number guessed by the gamer is greater than the game number , then the gamer &# 39 ; s bigwin points are doubled at block 807 and control is passed back to block 802 . fig9 illustrates some sample bonus games , according to certain embodiments . fig9 shows sample bonus games 901 , 902 and 903 . according to certain embodiments , the gamer wins a bonus game when a winning combination of 3 or more “ scatter ” icons appear on the reel in the slots journey game . in a given bonus game , the gamer is presented with an array of elements on a panel and each element is associated with a predetermine number of points . when the gamer opens an element , the gamer wins the points that are associated with that particular element . according to certain embodiments , the number of opportunities to open the elements on the panel depends on each bonus game &# 39 ; s betting amount . according to certain embodiments , at each hour , the gamer can collect a predetermined amount of bonus in - game coins ( points ) for game play . the clock restarts for the hour countdown from the moment when the gamer collected the previous hourly bonus . the amount of hourly bonus depends on the number of levels ( worlds , locations ) to which the gamer has advanced in the slots journey game . according to certain embodiments , uncollected hourly bonuses are not accumulated and are not carried forward to the next day . according to certain embodiments , the gamer can obtain bonuses from each of the gamer &# 39 ; s friends that have installed the slots journey game or that have registered to play the game on a social media site . the gamer receives an opportunity to make three start - ups of the reel for each friend . the bonus from each friend are credited to the gamer . uncollected bonuses are not accumulated and are not carried forward to the next day . according to certain embodiments , information on the gamer and the gamer &# 39 ; s friends are collected from the gamer &# 39 ; s profile at the social media site where the gamer is playing the slots game . such information is stored at the server database associated with the game . fig1 shows a display of friends and bonuses , according to certain embodiments . fig1 shows a slots journey game 1000 and a toolbar 1001 that displays the gamer &# 39 ; s game level , the gamer &# 39 ; s friends and corresponding bonuses . fig1 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates a general scheme for a mobile version of the slots journey game according to certain embodiments . this scheme is similar to that as described for the social media version except that there is no dice game in the mobile version . in fig1 , at block 1101 , the slots journey game is launched . the gamer has the option to select a “ world ” at block 1102 , or select the option of collecting bonuses at block 1103 . if the gamer selects to collect bonuses then the gamer is presented with a variety of ways to collect bonuses . some non - limiting examples of collecting bonuses include : a scratch game 1102 , an hourly bonus 1105 and friend &# 39 ; s bonuses 1106 . the scratch game , hourly bonus and friend &# 39 ; s bonuses were previously described herein . if the gamer selects a “ world ”, then the gamer can start playing one of several locations and levels within the world . for example , the game starts at the first location and level if the gamer is just starting the game in that particular world or the gamer can resume at the location and level in which he / she was playing previously . at block 1108 , the gamer can select the amount of in - game coins to bet ( a bet ) and then spin the reels of the slots journey game . at block 1109 , it is determined if the reels have arrived at a winning combination . for example , a result of a winning combination can include : winning in - game coins 1110 , winning a bonus game offering 1111 , or winning a risk game 1112 . the number of in - game coins that is won is calculated based on a pay table that is described in greater detail herein . if there is no winning combination , then at block 1113 , it is determined if the gamer has enough in - game coins left in order to place a new bet to continue playing the game . if it is determined that the gamer has enough remaining in - game coins to place a new bet , then the gamer can place a bet and spin the reel again as described with respect to block 1108 . if it is determined that the gamer does not have enough remaining in - game coins , then at block 1114 it is determined if there are any bonuses available to the gamer . if it is determined there are bonuses available , then the gamer can collect bonuses as described with respect to block 1103 . if it is determined there are no bonuses available , then at block 1115 , the gamer can decide if she / he would like to purchase in - game coins . if the gamer purchases in - game coins , then it is determined if the gamer has enough in - game coins to place a bet to continue playing the game as described with respect to block 1113 . if the gamer does not purchase in - game coins , then the game ends at block 1116 . according to certain embodiments , the gamer can purchase in - game coins using a payment toolbar that appears in the game application . the gamer can purchase in - game coins using a credit card , electronic wallet , sms payment , or some electronic payment service , etc . the gamer can also use the payment toolbar to purchase boosters and power - ups . fig1 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates a mobile version of the scratch game , according to certain embodiments . this scheme is similar to that as described for the social media version . at block 1201 in fig1 , it is determined if the lifetime of the current 3 × 3 matrix of “ scratch ” cells is less than 8 days . if the lifetime is less than 8 days , then the current matrix is loaded at block 1202 . if the lifetime is greater than 8 days , then at block 1203 , a new 3 × 3 matrix of “ scratch ” cells is generated . according to certain embodiments , each week a new 3 × 3 matrix of “ scratch ” cells is generated whether or not the cells of the current 3 × 3 matrix have been scratched opened . at block 1204 , the 3 × 3 matrix of “ scratch ” cells is displayed to the gamer . at block 1205 , it is determined if the gamer has the opportunity to scratch a cell . according to certain embodiments , the gamer has the opportunity to scratch only one cell in the matrix once each weekday and two cells on each of saturday and sunday . if it is determined that the gamer has no opportunity to scratch a cell , then the scratch game ends at block 1212 . if it is determined that the gamer has the opportunity to scratch a cell , then at block 1206 , it is determined if the day is saturday or sunday . if it is determined that the day is saturday or sunday , then at block 1207 , the gamer is allowed to scratch a cell . then at block 1208 it is determined if today the gamer has scratched less than 2 cells . if it is determined that today the gamer has scratched less than 2 cells , then the gamer is allowed to scratch another cell ( block 1207 ). if it is determined that today the gamer has scratched at least 2 cells , then at block 1210 it is determined if there are at least 3 scratched open cells with identical symbols . if there are at least 3 scratched open cells with identical symbols , then at block 1211 , a bonus amount of in - games coins are credited to the gamer , after which the game ends at block 1212 . if at block 1206 , it is determined that the day is not the saturday or sunday , then at block 1209 the gamer is allowed to scratch a cell . control then passes to block 1210 which is described above . according to certain embodiments , the mobile version of the risk game is similar to the social media version of the risk game . fig1 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates a mobile version of the bonus game , according to certain embodiments . in fig1 , at block 1301 , the bonus game is launched . at block 1302 , the game &# 39 ; s bonuses are generated . at block 1303 , the gamer opens elements in the game . at block 1304 , the points of the opened elements are credited to the gamer . at block 1305 , it is determined if the gamer has used up all his opportunities for opening elements . if the gamer has not used up all his opportunities for opening elements , then control is passed back to block 1303 . however , if the gamer has used up all his opportunities for opening elements , then the bonus game ends at 1306 . according to certain embodiments , the mobile version of the hourly bonus is similar to the social media version of the hourly bonus . according to certain embodiments , the mobile version of the friend &# 39 ; s bonus is similar to the social media version of the friend &# 39 ; s bonus except that the winning combination of a spin is multiplied by the number of friends that made not less than one start - up of the reel since the time that the game was set . fig1 shows a sample interface for collecting friend &# 39 ; s bonus , according to certain embodiments . fig1 show a display 1400 of the gamer &# 39 ; s friends 1401 and corresponding bonuses . the gamer can add friends by activating 1402 and can collect all friends &# 39 ; bonuses by activating option 1403 . fig1 illustrates a game interface model , according to certain embodiments . fig1 shows a game interface model 1500 that includes an hourly bonus feature 1501 , current amount of in - game coins 1502 that the gamer has , a reel area 1503 , power - ups & amp ; boosters features 1504 , a bet setting area 1505 , a maximum bet feature 1506 , tool bar 1507 display of gamer &# 39 ; s friends , an “ invite friend ” feature 1508 , a pay table feature 1509 , a table of achievements feature 1510 , a vip club feature 1511 , a scratch game feature 1512 , a dice game feature 1513 , a game settings feature 1514 ( e . g ., sound control music , quality , image quality ). according to certain embodiments , the table of achievements includes highlights of the gamer &# 39 ; winnings at a given level of the game , such as 4 in - a - row , 5 in - a - row , boosters etc . the gamer may get in - game coins and boosters as a gift if the table of achievements is full , according to certain embodiments . according to certain embodiments , the gamer can purchase a vip club membership . according to certain embodiments , a vip club membership provides the gamer with benefits that include : 1 ) an hourly bonus + 10 %, 2 ) ability to obtain daily “ friend &# 39 ; s bonus ” at one click , 3 ) extra feature ( ability to get more bonuses ), 4 ) a predetermined number of additional coins per month , and 5 ) a “ big pack ” of boosters per month . according to certain embodiments , the slots journey game includes various “ worlds ” that the gamer can access for playing the game . each world includes a number of locations , and each location includes a number of levels , for example . when a gamer plays the game for the first time , the gamer can access only one world ( for example , egypt ). fig1 illustrates a sample 1600 of “ worlds ”, “ locations ” and “ levels ” features of the slots journey game , according to certain embodiments . fig1 shows worlds 1601 , location 1602 within a world , levels 1603 within a location , and the slots game 1604 at a given level . according to certain embodiments , when a world is selected , a map of various locations associated with that world is displayed . when a location is selected , a map of the levels ( steps ) within the selected location is displayed . the gamer can advance to the next location upon completing all the levels of the preceding location . in order to advance to the next level , the gamer needs to score a predetermined number of points , according to certain embodiments . the number of points is based on the level that the gamer is playing . the gamer can access the next world only after the gamer has played all the locations of the preceding world . according to certain embodiments , the slots journey game includes a star rating system . one function of the star rating system is to hold the interest of gamers , especially those gamers that play the game for long periods at a time . for example , a gamer earns a star for successfully completing each world and its associated locations and levels . when the gamer completes the third world , she / he earns the third star . the gamer can earn a rating point when she / he completes each level in a given location . gamers that earn a large number of rating points for a given world become “ ratings leaders .” the ratings leaders are ranked based on their rating points and the ratings leaders are displayed on a leader board . according to certain embodiments , the rating leaders in each world are given an opportunity to raise their rate (+ 30 , for example ). according to certain embodiments , the game provides interest to a gamer by offering the gamer an opportunity to increase his / her chances of winning using power - ups . there are different types of power - ups that include : 1 ) restart all the reels except one reel that is selected by the gamer , 2 ) restart one reel that is selected by the gamer , and 3 ) change the position of the selected reel one position up or down . boosters allow the gamer to multiply her / his winnings and thus provide an enhanced gamer experience . for example , booster can be × 2 , × 3 , × 4 , × 5 , × 10 , × 20 . according to certain embodiments , the game provides a “ hold ” feature for stopping a reel from spinning when the gamer clicks on the “ hold ” button . according to certain embodiments , the game includes several methods of monetization including : 1 ) sale of in - game coins for game play , and 2 ) sale of game items wherein the items can influence the game process . such game items can include : 1 ) a dice game whereby a gamer can purchase additional moves if the gamer would like to get more than the one daily free move . 2 ) friend &# 39 ; s assistance whereby a gamer can earn another “ star ” by asking a friend for assistance in providing extra hours to the gamer in order to provide the gamer more time to complete the world . the gamer also has the option to purchase the friend &# 39 ; s hours . 3 ) sale of bonuses such as vip club membership , boosters and power - ups as previously described herein . according certain embodiments , the game includes features to produce viral effects . such features include inviting friends to play the game and sharing achievement information with friends . for example , the presence of friends in the game allows the gamer to speed up the levels of achievement , receive daily bonuses from the friends , increase the time available to complete a given task in the game , and send gifts to or receive gifts from friends . fig1 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates the “ invite friends ” feature , according to certain embodiments . at block 1701 , the gamer can select the “ invite friend ” feature . at block 1702 , the game requests a list of the gamer &# 39 ; s friends from the database . at block 1703 , the list of friends is displayed in the game . at block 1704 , the gamer can select friends to which an invitation can be sent to join the game . at block 1705 , invitations are sent to the selected friends . at block 1706 the selected friends can see and can accept the invitation in their facebook top panel , for example . fig1 is a high - level flow chart that illustrates the “ share ” feature , according to certain embodiments . according to certain embodiments , the gamer can post information of her / his game winnings and achievements ( e . g . level of achievement , bigwin , and awards ) on the gamer &# 39 ; s wall . in fig1 , at block 1801 , an achievement event occurs . at block 1802 , the gamer is given the option to share information on the achievement . if the gamer selects the option to share the information , then at block 1803 the gamer can add a comment . at block 1804 , the comment is posted to the gamer &# 39 ; s profile page . at block 1805 , the gamer is returned to the game . if at block 1802 , the gamer decides not to select the option to share the achievement information , then control passes to block 1805 whereby the gamer is returned to the game . fig1 illustrates samples of the share application , according to certain embodiments . fig1 shows an achievement occurrence 1901 and a “ share with friends ” feature 1902 . fig1 also shows a gamer &# 39 ; s profile page 1903 , gamer &# 39 ; s wall 1904 and a share option 1905 . the foregoing description , for purpose of explanation , has been described with reference to specific embodiments . however , the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings . 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 .	6
the straight chain fluoropolyether compound used in this invention has a divalent perfluoropolyether structure in its backbone chain . the perfluoropolyether structure includes , for example , ones represented by the following general formula ( 2 ): wherein rf is a straight chain or branched perfluoroalkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms , preferably 1 to 3 carbon atoms , and q is an integer of 1 to 500 , preferably 2 to 400 , more preferably 10 to 200 . the repeating unit represented by said --( rf -- o )-- includes , for example , -- cf 2 o --, -- cf 2 cf 2 o --, -- cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 o --, -- cf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 0 --, -- cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 o --, -- cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 o -- and -- c ( cf 3 ) 2 o --; among which preferred are -- cf 2 o --, -- cf 2 cf 2 o --, -- cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 o -- and -- cf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 o --. said perfluoropolyether structures may be comprised of one of the repeating units represented by these --( rf -- o )-- or a combination of two or more thereof . the alkenyl group contained in the straight chain fluoropolyether compound of said component ( a ) includes , for example , that having a ch 2 ═ ch -- structure at the ends , such as vinyl , allyl , propenyl , isopropenyl , butenyl , and hexenyl groups , preferably vinyl and allyl groups . the alkenyl group may be bonded directly to both ends of the backbone chain of the straight chain fluoropolyether compound or may be bonded through a divalent connecting group such as -- ch 2 --, -- ch 2 o --, or -- y -- nr -- co -- wherein y is -- ch 2 -- or a group represented by the formula : ## str1 ## ( o -, m - or p - position ), and r is a hydrogen atom , a methyl group , a phenyl group or a allyl group . typical examples of the straight chain fluoropolyether compound used in the present invention include , for example , a fluoropolyether compound having a molecular weight of 400 to 100 , 000 , preferably 1 , 000 to 50 , 000 , represented by the following general formula ( 1 ): ## str2 ## wherein x are independently -- ch 2 --, -- ch 2 o -- or -- y -- nr -- co -- wherein y is -- ch 2 -- or a group represented by the formula : ## str3 ## ( o -, m - or p - position ), and r is a hydrogen atom , a methyl group , a phenyl group or an allyl group ; p are independently 0 or 1 , l is an integer of 2 to 6 , and m and n are each an integer of 0 to 200 , preferably 5 to 100 . specific examples of the fluoropolyether compound represented by the general formula ( 1 ) include straight chain fluoropolyether compounds represented by the following formulas : ## str4 ## wherein m and n are each as defined in the above formula ( 1 ). further , in order to previously adjust the molecular weight of the straight chain fluoropolyether compound to a desired value depending upon its uses , the component ( a ) may be a chain - extended product obtained by subjecting a straight chain fluoropolyether compound having said general formula ( 1 ) and an organosilicon compound having two sih groups in its molecule to hydrosilylation reaction to thereby extend the chain length of the fluoropolyether compound . examples of the organosilicon compound having two sih groups in its molecule include a straight chain or cyclic organohydrogenpolysiloxane such as a compound represented by the following formula : ## str5 ## wherein r 1 is a methyl group , an ethyl group , a propyl group or a 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoropropyl group , and a is 1 or 2 ; and a compound represented by the following formula : ## str6 ## wherein r 2 is a methyl group or a 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoropropyl group , and b is an integer of 0 to 6 ; and preferably a compound represented by the following formula : ## str7 ## a reaction product obtained by reacting at least one of these compounds with , for example , a compound represented by the formula ( 1 ) so that the product has a desired chain length , may be also used as the component ( a ). for example , there is enumerated a reaction product obtained by a reaction represented by the following formulas : ## str8 ## wherein p , m , l and n are as defined above , and q is a reaction mole number . the polytetrafluoroethylene of the component ( b ) used in the present invention includes a homopolymer of tetrafluoroethylene , and a thermal decomposition product thereof . preferable polytetrafluoroethylenes include a homopolymer having a molecular weight of at least 2 , 000 , particularly about 2 , 000 to 5 , 000 , 000 , and a telomer having a molecular weight of about 2 , 000 to 5 , 000 , 000 obtained by polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene in the presence of a telogen . incidentally , the terms &# 34 ; telogen &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; telomer &# 34 ; teach have the same meaning as defined in the specification of u . s . pat . no . 2 , 440 , 800 . the telomers used herein include a tetrafluoroethylene telomer represented by the following formula : these telomers contain at least 85 % by weight , preferably at least 90 % by weight , of tetrafluoroethylene , within the range of the above - mentioned molecular weights . in this formula , the groups x and y are derived from a molecule x - y ( telogen ). the tetrafluoroethylene telomer is prepared by polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene in the presence of the x - y to thereby introduce the x - y element into the telomer . the molecular x - y should be capable of cleavage under the conditions of polymerization and includes wide range kinds of compounds . the preparation method is taught in the specifications of u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 411 , 158 ; 2 , 433 , 844 ; 2 , 443 , 003 ; 2 , 540 , 088 ; 2 , 562 , 547 ; 3 , 019 , 261 ; and 3 , 067 , 262 . the molecular weight of a telomer is first related to the activity of a telogen . a relatively active telogen as described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 067 , 262 specification provides a low molecular weight telomer . a relatively unreactive telogen such as , for example , trichlorotrifluoroethane provides a high molecular weight telomer . british patent 583 , 874 specification also discloses tetrafluoroethylene telomers in detail . the telogens x - y as mentioned above include , for example , aliphatic hydrocarbons where x is a hydrogen atom , and y is a hydrocarbon radical ; aliphatic ethers each containing α - hydrogen where x is a hydrogen atom , and y is an ether radical ; tertiary amines where x is a hydrogen atom , and y is an amine radical ; aliphatic alcohols where x is an hydrogen atom , and y is an alcohol radical ; mercaptans where x is a hydrogen atom , and y is a mercaptan radical ; disulfides where x and y are each rs - wherein r is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group ; aliphatic carbonyl compounds ( aldehydes , ketones , diketones , ketonic acids , ketonitriles and acids ) each containing α - hydrogen where x is a hydrogen atom , and y is a carbonyl compound radical ; dialkylamides where x is a hydrogen atom , and y is an amide radical ; and aliphatic halohydrocarbons each containing a halogen other than fluorine where x is a halogen atom , and y is a radical . they may be used singly or in a combination of two or more thereof . specific examples of each of the above telogens include , for example , butane , isobutane , methylcyclohexane , 2 , 3 - dimethylbutane , tetrahydrofuran , diethyl ether , dioxane , trimethylamine , triethylamine , methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , secondary butanol , cyclohexanol , ethyl mercaptan , butyl mercaptan , dodecyl mercaptan , dimethyl disulfide , diethyl disulfide , dibutyl disulfide , acetaldehyde , propionaldehyde , butylaldehyde , acetone , butanone , 2 , 4 - pentanedione , acetoacetic acid , acetic acid , butyric acid , ethyl acetate , dimethylformamide , dimethylacetamide , carbon tetrachloride , chloroform , carbon tetrabromide , bromoform , methyl chloride , hexachloroethane , monofluorotrichloromethane , trichlorotrifluoroethane , difluorotetrachloroethane , sulfur dioxide , and mercaptans . preferable tetrafluoroethylene polymers are telomers prepared from tetrafluoroethylene and trichlorotrifluoroethane . in case where tetrafluoroethylene telomer is used , a dispersion in which the telomer has been dispersed in an amount of 1 to 50 % by weight in a solvent can be used . the polytetrafluoroethylene resin of the component ( b ) is preferably spherical fine particles having an average particle diameter of 0 . 1 to 20 μm , particularly about 1 to 10 μm . the amount of the component ( b ) added is 5 to 50 parts by weight , preferably 10 to 30 parts by weight , per 100 parts by weight of the straight chain fluoropolyether compound , the component ( a ). component ( c ): organohydrogenpolysiloxane having at least two hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms in its molecule the organohydrogenpolysiloxane of the component ( c ) used in the present invention is a straight chain , branched or cyclic organohydrogenpolysiloxane having at least two , preferably three or more , hydrogen atoms ( namely , sih group ) bonded to silicon atoms in its molecule . the organohydrogenpolysiloxane of the component ( c ) includes , for example , a straight chain or cyclic organohydrogenpolysiloxane having , in its molecule , at least two , preferably three or more , units represented by the following formula : ## str9 ## wherein r 1 in the plural units are monovalent organic groups , which may be the same or different , such as a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms , preferably ones having 1 to 12 carbon atoms and being free of aliphatic unsaturation , and a fluorine - containing monovalent organic group having 3 to 30 carbon atoms , preferably 6 to 20 carbon atoms , represented by the formula -- z -- rf wherein z is a divalent connecting group for connecting rf to si , and rf is a monovalent perfluoroalkyl group or a monovalent perfluoroalkyl ether group . the above substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms includes , for example , an alkyl group such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , butyl , hexyl , cyclohexyl , octyl and decyl groups ; an alkenyl group such as vinyl and allyl groups ; an aryl group such as phenyl , tolyl and naphthyl groups ; an aralkyl group such as benzyl and phenylethyl groups ; and a group derived from said groups by substituting part of the hydrogen atoms contained in these groups with a chlorine atom , a cyano group or the like , such as chloromethyl , chloropropyl and cyanoethyl groups . the above monovalent perfluoroalkyl group or perfluoroalkyl ether group includes , for example , -- cf 3 , -- cf 2 cf 3 , -- c 3 f 7 , -- c 4 f 9 , -- c 6 f 13 , -- c 8 f 17 , -- c ( cf 3 ) f -- oc 3 f 7 , -- c ( cf 3 ) f -- ocf 2 c ( cf 3 ) f -- oc 3 f 7 , cf 2 cf 2 -- ocf 2 c ( cf 3 ) f -- oc 3 f 7 and -- c ( cf 3 ) f -- ocf 2 c ( cf 3 ) f ! 2 -- oc 3 f 7 . as the divalent connecting group represented by z , there are enumerated an alkylene group , an arylene group and a combination thereof ; and a group in which said groups are each present through an ether - bonding oxygen atom , an amido bond , a carbonyl bond or the like . specific examples of the divalent connecting group include those having 2 to 12 carbon atoms , such as -- ch 2 ch 2 --, -- ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 --, -- ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 och 2 --, -- ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 -- nh -- co --, -- ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 -- n ( ph )-- co -- wherein ph stands for a phenyl group ( the same being applied hereinafter ), -- ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 -- n ( ch 3 )-- co --, and -- ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 -- o -- co --. in addition to the divalent siloxane unit having a si -- h group as mentioned above , the organohydrogenpolysiloxane may generally have a repeating unit represented by the following formula : ## str10 ## wherein r 1 has the same meaning as above , or a terminal group represented by at least one of the following formulas : ## str11 ## wherein r 1 has the same meaning as above . the organohydrogenpolysiloxane has preferably at least one monovalent fluorine - containing organic group represented by the above formula -- z -- rf in its molecule , from the viewpoint of compatibility with the component ( a ), etc . generally , an organohydrogenpolysiloxane having about 3 to 100 , particularly about 4 to 60 , silicon atoms in its molecule is suitably used . specific examples of the organohydrogenpolysiloxane , the component ( c ), used in the present invention include , for example : an organohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by the formula : ## str12 ## wherein i is 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 ; an organohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by the formula : ## str13 ## wherein p is an integer of 2 to 50 ; and an organohydrogenpolysiloxane represented by the formula : ## str14 ## wherein q is an integer of 2 to 50 , and r is an integer of 0 to 5 . the amount of the component ( c ) added is 0 . 1 to 20 parts by weight , preferably 1 to 15 parts by weight , per 100 parts by weight of the straight chain fluoropolyether compound , the component ( a ). further , the amount of the component ( c ) may be set so that the content of the hydrogen atoms ( namely , sih groups ) bonded to the silicon atoms contained in the component ( c ), based on the alkenyl groups contained in the component ( a ), is 0 . 5 to 5 mole / mole , preferably about 1 to 3 mole / mole , in terms of molar ratio . the catalyst of the component ( c ) used in the present invention includes transition metals , for example , platinum group metals such as pt , rh and pd ; and compounds of these transition metals . specific examples of the catalyst include modified complexes of h 2 ptcl 6 with olefins , modified complexes of h 2 ptcl 6 with alcohols , modified complexes of h 2 ptcl 6 with vinylsiloxanes , rhc1 3 , rh ( ch 3 cochcoch 3 ) 3 , rh ( pph 3 ) 3 cl , rh ( pph 3 ) 3 br , rh 2 ( aco ) 4 wherein ac stands for an acetyl group , rh ( pph 3 ) 2 ( co ) cl , rh ( η 4 -- c 7 h 8 ) cl , rh ( ch 3 cochcoch 3 )( co ) 2 , rh 4 ( co ) 12 , rh ( co ) 16 , rh ( pph 3 ) 3 ( co ) h , ( nh 4 ) 2 pdcl 6 , ( nh 4 ) 2 pdcl 4 , pd ( ch 3 cochcoch 3 ) 2 , pd ( phcn ) 2 cl 2 , pd ( pph 3 ) 2 cl 2 and pd ( pph 3 ) 4 . the amount of the component ( c ) added may be 0 . 1 to 500 ppm , preferably about 0 . 5 to 200 ppm , in terms of the amount of a transition metal , such as platinum group metals , based on the total weight of the component ( a ) and the component ( c ). in addition to the above components ( a ) to ( d ), conventionally known various additives may be optionally added to the composition of the present invention in such amounts that the effects of the present invention are not injured . such other components include , for example , control agents for hydrosilylation reaction catalysts , such as 1 - ethyl - 1 - hydroxycyclohexane , 3 - methyl - 1 - butyn - 3 - ol , 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 1 - hexyn - 3 - ol and 3 - methyl - 1 - pentene - 3 - ol , acetylene alcohols ( e . g . phenylbutynol ), 3 - methyl - 3 - pentene - 1 - yne , and 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 - hexene - 1 - yne ; adhesion - providing agents such as an organosiloxane containing an alkoxy group , an epoxy group and a sih group in its molecule , for example : ## str15 ## pigments such as iron oxide , cerium oxide and carbon black ; colorants ; dyes ; and antioxidants . the composition of the present invention may be constituted as a so - called one - component type in which all the essential components , said components ( a ) to ( d ), are blended as only one composition in accordance with uses , or may be constituted as a two - component type in which , for example , one composition is made of part of the component ( a ), part of the sub - component ( b ), and the component ( c ), while the other sub - composition is made of the remainder of the component ( a ), the remainder of the component ( b ), and the component ( d ), in order to mix these two sub - compositions in use . although the composition of the present invention can be readily cured by being left to stand at room temperature or being heated , in general , it is preferred to thermally cure the composition at room temperature ( for example , 10 ° to 30 ° c .) to 180 ° c . for 5 minutes to 24 hours . the present invention is hereinafter described in more detail with reference to working examples and comparative examples after 100 parts by weight of a fluoropolyether polymer represented by the following formula ( 2 ): ## str16 ## wherein a is an integer of 12 to 24 , b is an integer of 12 to 24 , provided that a + b equals to 36 on average , and 200 parts by weight of a 7 . 5 weight % trichlorotrifluoroethane dispersion ( tradename : vydax 1000 , produced by e . i . du pont de nemours and co .) of a tetrafluoroethylene telomer ( average particle diameter : about 5 μm ) having a molecular weight of 25 , 000 were mixed and then stirred for 10 minutes , the mixture was further stirred at 120 ° c . for 22 hours under vacuum to evaporate therefrom the trichlorotrifluoroethane into a cold lap . the thus obtained cake - like mixture was passed through a three - roll three times to produce a smooth paste - like base compound . to 115 parts by weight of the base compound , 0 . 6 part by weight of a 50 % toluene solution of 1 - ethynyl - 1 - hydroxycyclohexane and 0 . 6 part by weight of a toluene solution ( content of platinum : 0 . 5 weight %) of a modified complex of chloroplatinic acid with vinylsiloxane were added and then blended in a shinagawa mixer for 20 minutes . thereafter , 10 . 9 parts by weight of a si -- h group - containing polysiloxane having a structure represented by the following formula : ## str17 ## was added thereto , blended in the shinagawa mixer for 10 minutes , and then further blended for 20 minutes under vacuum to produce a paste - like composition a . the thus obtained composition a was formed into a sheet : having a thickness of 2 mm , and the sheet was cured . the forming and curing were conducted under the conditions of press cure being at 150 ° c . for 10 minutes under 100 kg / cm 2 and after cure being 150 ° c . for 50 minutes . the thus obtained rubber sheet as measured for the following physical properties and surface properties . the results are shown in table 1 . hardness ( graduation ), tensile strength ( kgf / cm 2 ) and elongation (%) were measured in accordance with jis k 6301 . incidentally , measurement of hardness was conducted using a a type spring hardness tester . contact angle ( with each of pure water and octane ) was measured at 25 ° c . by a contact angle meter ca - dta type manufactured by kyowa kaimen kagaku co ., ltd . friction coefficient was measured under the conditions of load : 200 gf , and velocity : 75 mm / min . by a surface properties - measuring apparatus heidon 14 type manufactured by shinto kagaku co ., ltd . surface lubricating qualities were evaluated by the feeling of finger touch in terms of superior (⊚), good (∘), fair ( δ ), and inferior ( x ). a paste - like composition b for comparison was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , except that the vydax 1000 was replaced by 10 parts by weight of fine powdery silica , which was obtained by surface - treating a silicic anhydride ( tradename : aerosil 300 , produced by degussa ) having a specific surface area of 300 m 2 / g with hexamethyldisilazane . from the resulting composition b , a rubber sheet was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , and the sheet was measured for the physical properties and the surface properties in the same measurement method as described in example 1 . the results are shown in table 1 . an oily composition c for comparison was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , except that the vydax 1000 was not used . from the resulting composition c , a rubber sheet was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , and the sheet was measured for the physical properties and the surface properties in the same measurement method as described in example 1 . the results are shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________ example 1 comp . example 1 comp . example 2 composition a composition b composition c______________________________________hardness 41 57 35 ( graduation ) tensile 24 46 18strength ( kgf / cm . sup . 2 ) elongation (%) 300 200 230specific 1 . 86 1 . 83 1 . 86gravitycontact angle 113 119 119 ( pure water ) contact angle 55 42 44 ( octane ) friction 0 . 6 0 . 9 1 . 1coefficientsurface ⊚ ◯ . increment . lubricatingqualities ( finger touch ) ______________________________________	2
with reference initially to fig1 there is shown a telecommunications network 1 in the form of a transport network and comprising first and second access devices a 1 and a 2 on one side of the network and third and fourth access devices b 1 and b 2 on the other side of the network . each network device comprises an interface card . the access devices a 1 and b 1 , and a 2 and b 2 , are connected by respective ( long - distance ) communication connections 7 and 8 . furthermore , access devices a 1 and a 2 , and b 1 and b 2 , are connected by a respective communication connection 9 and 10 . routers 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 are connected to the access devices a 1 , a 2 , b 1 and b 2 respectively . the routers form part of respective ip backbone networks . each access device provides an interface to the network 1 for the respective router to allow traffic to be sent and / or received to / from another router on the other side of the network 1 . the connection 8 between interconnected routers is the restoration connection ( represented by a dashed line ), so that it can be implemented only during a fault condition and use shared resources . fig3 shows the packet forwarding capabilities of the access device a 1 . however , each of the access devices a 2 , b 1 and b 2 has identical capabilities . each access device comprises three interface ports : c towards the respective client router , r towards the transport connection to the core router and d towards the transport connection to its ( corresponding ) access device on that side of the network 1 . if interface r is disabled ( either performing a restoration role in normal conditions or when the connection is faulty ), the packet forwarding functions are between c and d , as shown in fig2 , in a det or detour mode . if interface r is enabled ( working connection in normal conditions or activated restoration during a fault ), packets are forwarded between c and r and between d and r , as in fig3 in a mux or multiplexing mode . packets sent from c to r and d to r must be tagged to distinguish between c and d . packets sent from r to c and d must be inspected and have the tag removed which was added by the ( remote ) access device , to decide if the packet must be forwarded to c or d . each access device a 1 , a 2 , b 1 and b 2 each comprises a monitoring arrangement ( for example circuit alarm detection or operations , administration and management ( oam )) to monitor the alarm status of the transport connections 7 , 8 , 9 and 10 that originate from them . counterpart access devices ( eg a 1 and a 2 ) must communicate ( eg on the overhead information of the transport connection between them ) the alarm status of the long ( r ) distance connection ( eg a 1 must communicate to a 2 the status of the connection 7 from a 1 to b 1 ). the connections 9 and 10 between each two counterpart access devices are used also to monitor the status of the access device itself . status monitoring using the connections , 7 , 8 , 9 and 10 can be achieved in various ways . one way comprises each device periodically , or on demand , issuing a status signal . should such a signal not be received or be indicative of a fault having been detected , then the appropriate re - routing can be effected . if one of the following conditions is met , the restoration connection 8 must be activated : 1 . the ( working ) connection 7 is faulty , 2 . the connection 9 or 10 between ( corresponding ) access devices is faulty , or 3 . the access device originating the working transport connection 7 is faulty . the restoration transport connection 8 can be activated according to any suitable scheme or protocol . some examples are : pre - planned restoration — the restoration path and the resources it uses ( during the fault ) are defined ( and stored in each access device ) at the time of connection definition ; resources can only be shared with restoration paths whose working path do not share common points of failure on - the - fly restoration with a distributed control plane — the restoration path is computed by the access device that originates the path after fault detection ; the access device must maintain an updated database of the network topology and operational status of the other access devices and communication links optical restoration with shared wavelengths — a pre - planned scheme can be applied to an all - optical network ; the shared resources are represented by the wavelengths used by the restoration light paths . alternatively the access devices may be arranged to communicate operational status information with ( separate ) control equipment , and the control equipment is operative to control the access devices accordingly by way of control signals . various examples are now provided of how the above described switching functionality of the access devices a 1 , a 2 , b 1 and b 2 is used to advantageously re - route traffic in the event of a fault or a congestion condition . reference is now made to fig4 in which thickened lines show the traffic flow under normal conditions . traffic of both router paths is multiplexed on the working connection 7 by the access devices a 1 and bl . the multiplexing is feasible because each router pair will transport half of the traffic . if one of the routers fails , its traffic will drop to zero , while the operational router pair will carry the total traffic , the sum of traffic between a 1 and b 1 remaining constant . fig5 shows how the traffic flow is re - distributed when a fault 20 affects the working connection 7 between a 1 and bl . switching within the access devices causes traffic to follow a path comprising connections 8 , 9 and 10 . fig6 shows the traffic flow when the connection 9 between the two access devices a 1 and b 1 is broken at 22 . both working and restoration connections 7 and 8 are simultaneously active carrying traffic . in the situation of there being no fault on any of the routers , each router carries half of the total traffic . fig7 shows the traffic flow in the case of a fault 21 on access device a 1 . if the fault is on the access device originating the working connection 7 , the restoration connection 8 is activated . if however the fault is on an access device originating the restoration connection 8 , no restoration is activated and the restoration bandwidth is free for other restorations on the network . the routers 3 and 5 adjust their traffic according with the changed topology and the connected pair will carry the total traffic . although it is assumed that the sum of traffic sent by the two routers a 1 and b 1 never exceeds the capacity of a single interface towards the transport network 1 , it is good practice to define within each router a response for the anomalous condition where this condition is not satisfied . the congestion condition occurs when the access device in mux mode detects congestion ( eg queue overflow or queue crossing a certain threshold ). this condition can be communicated to the counterpart access device , that is supposed to be in det mode in which the r connection is not activated . the determination of the congestion condition from the access device in mux mode to the access device in det mode can trigger the activation of the restoration connection 8 . in this way , extra transport capacity is allocated and the congestion condition is removed . both access devices ( eg a 1 and a 2 ) are then in mux mode . the above described embodiments result in numerous advantages over known router interconnection arrangements . these include increasing savings in the restoration resources which is achieved by shared restoration arrangements and also enhancing survivability , ie resilience to combinations of multiple faults . it is also to be noted that all functionality of a conventional router interconnection scheme is preserved in the illustrated embodiment .	7
whether a sound pressure peak in the noise frequency spectrum of a gas turbine engine propulsion system leads to being outside the noise requirements imposed by the icao is based on the baseline spectrum having that peak and the corresponding noy value spectrum , and on sound pressures at frequencies further along the frequency scale in those spectra that are rapidly attenuated by the atmosphere . thus , as indicated above , an engine configuration that produces acoustic emission peaks that a ) have corresponding noy values occurring farther along the frequency scale , that is , at frequencies past the frequency range of the maxima in the noy value versus frequency characteristics to frequency ranges where the sound pressures in those characteristics are declining in value with increasing with frequency , and b ) that occur in frequency ranges where the atmospheric attenuation is increasing with increasing frequency , will realize diminished values for its corresponding epnl . in a turbofan gas turbine engine in an aircraft , the acoustic noise emissions from the front of the engine are typically caused by the fan and the low pressure compressor and those emissions from the rear of the engine are typically caused by the low pressure turbine . the frequencies at which the tonal , or spectral , peaks occur in those emissions are typically set by the rotational speed of the rotors in such fans , compressors and turbines , and by the number of airfoils supported on those rotors . such peaks are usually traceable from the acoustic data taken for the engine to the causal one of those rotors . shifting along the frequency scale a tonal or spectral peak occurring in the acoustic emissions of a gas turbine engine at corresponding frequencies in one configuration thereof to thereafter occur at other frequencies can physically be achieved by altering that configuration of the engine in one or more manners that include , but are not restricted to , the following : 1 ) increase the number of airfoils supported on a rotor causing the peak so as to position that tonal or spectral peak at a location in a frequency band further along the frequency scale , or to position it at a location straddling the boundary between two adjacent frequency bands so as to have that peak occur at frequencies in both adjacent bands . 2 ) increase in the rotational speed of a rotor causing the peak so as to position that tonal or spectral peak at a location in a frequency band further along the frequency scale , or to position it at a location straddling the boundary between two adjacent frequency bands so as to have that peak occur at frequencies in both adjacent bands . 3 ) increase the number of airfoils supported on one rotor and decrease the number of airfoils supported on another rotor each contributing to causing the same peak so as to have two peaks each occurring at different frequencies one in each of adjacent frequency bands . the first of the manners above , in which tonal or spectral peaks are shifted farther along the frequency scale through the engine configurational change of adding to the number of airfoils on the rotor causing that peak , is usually the easiest to implement . the third of those manners above , involving altering in different ways the counts of airfoils supported on each of the rotors jointly contributing to a peak , is also relatively easily implemented . the second manner above involving changing the rotational speed of the rotor causing that peak is usually substantially more difficult , other than relatively quite small speed changes , because of requiring an operating point change for the engine . because of the correlation between such engine configurational changes and the locations of the resulting tonal or spectral peaks in the acoustic emission versus frequency characteristics of the reconfigured engine , and similarly , because of the correlation between the previous engine configuration and the locations of the tonal or spectral peaks in its acoustic emissions characteristic , the effects of configurational changes on the engine acoustic emissions characteristics can be well simulated by a suitably programmed computer . these simulation results can then be subjected by a suitable program in that computer to the icao noise requirements to thereby determine whether those requirements have been met or not by the engine configuration changes , or at least to determine how much closer the reconfigured engine is to meeting those requirements because of those configurational changes with respect to the previous engine configuration without those changes . a flow chart , 10 , for such computer programs is shown in fig4 beginning at the start balloon in fig4 a . from there the computer begins in a block , 11 , by storing in a database , 12 , the results of spectrum analyzer measurements obtained following icao measurement rules of the engine acoustic noise at n points in time emitted over the time of flight in flight tests of that engine flown suitably with respect to the measurement location , or the spectral results of the simulated emitted noise in a computer based simulation of such a flight at n points over the simulated time of the simulated flight of the engine , as well as the time interval at selected between each of the adjacent ones of those n time points . also , a sample counter in the computer is set to n = 1 to count the first of the number of emission spectra out of the n acoustic emission spectra stored for a flight or a simulation , each acquired at a corresponding one of the n sample times during such flight or simulation , which have been operated on by the computer in determining the corresponding effective perceived noise level of the engine in that flight or that simulation in accord with the icao noise evaluation rules . in addition for the initial engine acoustic emission data preparation in the situation of actual flight tests , the computer goes on in a further block , 13 , of the engine to a ) transform this data into data equivalent to that which would result from being measured by the spectrum analyzer at a fixed distance of 150 ft . from the engine as required by the icao rules , and to b ) remove the atmospheric attenuation effects in the spectrum analyzer data to thereby form effective static engine acoustic emissions spectra that are a truer representation of the actual noise emissions of the engine . simulated spectra need not have such an operation performed thereon as they are determined at the static engine location and so are already effective spectra . the n effective spectra from either measurement during flight or simulation are stored in database 12 by the computer in a block , 14 , to complete the initial engine acoustic emission data preparation . having this engine acoustic emission data basis in the form of effective acoustic spectra , these spectra are next evaluated following the icao rules to determine the noise characteristics of the corresponding engine as indicated above . the n th effective spectrum , starting with the first , is converted in a block , 15 , to equivalent ⅓ octave - band spectra as described above so that the effective spectrum for sampling instant nδt becomes the n th unaltered baseline spectrum based on that effective spectrum . this n th unaltered baseline spectrum is stored in database 12 by the computer in a further block , 16 , and also multiplied in another block , 17 , by an atmosphere attenuation characteristic , such as plot 4 in fig3 , to form an n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum which is stored in database 12 . this n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum is further converted to a n th unaltered noy value spectrum in a following block , 18 , as described above , and stored in database 12 in a subsequent block , 19 . the noy values in this n th shift altered noy value spectrum are then summed by the computer in a further block , 20 , across the acoustic spectrum frequency range in this last found spectrum to determine the corresponding perceived noise level for this nδt sampling instant also as described above . the computer determines in a decision diamond , 21 , whether it still has the n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum from block 17 following the summation in block 20 to proceed further , or whether it must retrieve the n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum from database 12 to proceed further . the computer , upon so being ready to proceed further , enters the tone correction process in a subsequent block , 22 , to select excess magnitude spectral peaks in the n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum , and to therefrom determine the corresponding penalty value , as described above . the computer adds this penalty value to the corresponding n th perceived noise level to thereby determine the n th unaltered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise level ( pnlt ). upon completing this determination of the n th unaltered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise level corresponding to the n th effective spectrum , the computer checks the sample counter to determine in a decision diamond , 23 , if the count n kept therein has reached n . such a count value indicates that all of sample spectra for a flight or simulation have been operated on by the computer to determine the effective unaltered perceived noise level for that flight or simulation . if not , the computer increments the sample counter in a further block , 24 , retrieves the next sample effective spectrum from database 12 in another block , 25 , and returns ahead of block 15 to operate on this next sample effective spectrum . if all of the sample effective spectra have been operated on by the computer , the sample counter has n = n and the computer in a subsequent block , 26 , retrieves from database 12 the n stored unaltered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels , one for each sample effective spectrum , and δt . the computer then sums in a further block , 27 , these n stored unaltered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels and divides the result by the total time nδt of the flight or the simulation to average these n stored unaltered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels over the time of the flight or simulation . thus , the computer thereby provides the unaltered effective perceived noise level ( epnl ) of that flight or simulation in accord with the icao noise evaluation rules which is stored in database 12 in a next block , 28 . this result for the unaltered effective perceived noise level ( epnl ) of that flight or simulation is checked in a decision diamond , 29 , to determine if the icao rules limits have been met thereby , and so by the engine configuration from which the acoustic emission spectrum or simulation was obtained . if not , the computer goes through balloon a to fig4 b ( skipping through a decision diamond not of concern here but will be involved in a further process described below ) to begin a baseline spectrum spectral peak redistribution process versus frequency corresponding to an engine reconfiguration to find a configuration meeting the icao rules limits . if , in the alternative , these rules limits have been met by the epnl result , the computer goes through balloons b and d in fig4 to end this evaluation and reconfiguration process in the stop balloon in fig4 c . if these rules limits have not been met by the epnl result , an engine configuration change is required to mitigate the effects of the offending tonal or spectral peak , or peaks , giving rise to this failure . as indicated above , the easiest engine configurational change to implement is based on increasing the number of airfoils on the engine rotor or rotors appearing to be the source of the foregoing failure to meet the icao noise limits . a change of this nature , then , is the first resort and an estimate in this regard needs to be made as to the needed increase in airfoil numbers on such a rotor , within the realm of physical and economic possibility , that will lead to a sufficient shift of the tonal or spectral peaks outward along the emissions frequency scale to result in meeting these limits , a configuration change which then must be evaluated to determine if indeed the limits are now met by the proposed reconfigured engine . this is undertaken by the computer in fig4 b after the start balloon designated a which has been reached from fig4 a after the failure of the previous engine to meet the icao noise rules limits . the computer determines in a decision diamond , 30 , whether it has the previously prepared n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum , starting with the first , stored in database 12 in block 16 of fig4 a as the basis from which the offending tonal or spectral peak or peaks will be shifted to proceed further , or whether it must retrieve that spectrum from database 12 to proceed . this n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum is then subjected by the computer to the peak shift process in a block , 31 , where it uses well known estimation procedures to estimate a sufficient and feasible shift outward along the frequency axis of the estimated offending spectral peak or peaks needed with respect to that spectrum to form the corresponding first shift altered baseline spectrum . these procedures are based on the substantially proportional linearity of the relationship between the number of airfoils on a rotor at a rotational speed and the corresponding acoustic emission frequency . this n th shift altered baseline spectrum is further converted to a n th shift altered noy value spectrum in a following block , 32 , as described above , and stored in database 12 in a subsequent block , 33 . the noy values in this last spectrum are then summed by the computer in a further block , 34 , across the acoustic spectrum frequency range in this n th shift altered noy value spectrum to determine the corresponding perceived noise level for this nδt sampling instant also as described above . the computer determines in a decision diamond , 35 , whether it retained the n th shift altered baseline spectrum from block 31 during the summation in block 34 to proceed further , or whether it must retrieve the n th shift altered baseline spectrum from database 12 to proceed further . the computer , upon so being ready to proceed further , enters the tone modification or correction process in a subsequent block , 36 , to select what have now , after the peak shifting , become the excess magnitude spectral peaks in the n th shift altered baseline spectrum , and to therefrom determine the corresponding penalty value as described above . the computer adds this penalty value to the corresponding n th perceived noise level to thereby determine the n th shift altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise level ( pnlt ). upon completing this determination of the n th shift altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise level corresponding to the n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum ( and both the n th unaltered baseline and the n th effective spectra ), the computer checks the sample counter to determine in a decision diamond , 37 , if the count n kept therein has reached n . such a count value indicates that all of unaltered baseline spectra for a flight or simulation have been operated on by the computer to determine the effective shift altered perceived noise level for that flight or simulation . if not , the computer increments the sample counter in a further block , 38 , and returns ahead of decision diamond 30 to operate on this next modified unaltered baseline spectrum . if all of the modified unaltered baseline spectra have been operated on by the computer , the sample counter has n = n and the computer in a subsequent block , 39 , retrieves from database 12 the n stored shift altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels ( pnlt ), one for each sample effective spectrum , and δt . the computer then sums in a further block , 40 , these n stored shift altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels and divides the result by the total time nδt of the flight or the simulation to average these n stored shift altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels over the time of the flight or simulation . thus , the computer thereby provides the shift altered effective perceived noise level ( epnl ) of that flight or simulation in accord with the icao noise evaluation rules which is stored in database 12 in a next block , 41 . an example of the results of this first estimated reconfiguration is shown in the graph of fig5 in which the midpoints of the frequency bands in the equivalent ⅓ octave - band spectrum formed from an acoustic emission spectrum are plotted . the solid line plot portion up to the dashed line and that dashed line together are the modified unaltered baseline spectrum , and the entire solid line spectrum is the modified shift altered baseline spectrum . the foregoing procedure is shown implementing a shift of a spectral peak at 4000 hz in the modified unaltered baseline spectrum to a spectral peak at 5000 hz in the modified shift altered baseline spectrum with , as indicated by use of “ modified ”, the sound pressure level values accounting for atmospheric attenuation . the unaltered and the resulting shift altered pnlt time variations are shown in fig6 a . fig6 b shows that reconfiguration alters the location on the emission frequency axis of the maximum spectral peak by having shifted it from 4000 hz to 5000 hz , as expected , with an improvement in the associated epnl values shown in fig6 c . the overall benefit in epnl in this particular example is estimated to be about 0 . 5 db . the next engine reconfiguration resort to be estimated , and then evaluated for emission noise improvement , to determine whether greater emission noise improvements can be made turns to the often more difficult to implement alternatives . these involve changing the numbers of airfoils on multiple rotors involved in the compressors or turbines in providing the offending tonal or spectral peaks and changing the rotation speed of those rotors to thereby distribute a spectral or tonal peak over at least portions of two adjacent frequency bands in the unaltered baseline spectra , and so in the engine acoustic emission spectra . again , an estimate in this regard needs to be made as to the needed changes in airfoil numbers on such rotors , and the rotational speed changes needed therefor , again within the realm of physical and economic possibility , that will lead to sufficient shift and distributing of the tonal or spectral peaks outward along the emissions frequency scale to result in meeting these limits . again , these configuration changes must then be evaluated to determine if indeed the limits are now met by the proposed reconfigured engine . this is undertaken by the computer in fig4 c after the start balloon designated c has been reached from fig4 b after completing the selection of the peak shifting reconfiguration and the noise evaluation thereof in the process set out in fig4 b . the computer determines in a decision diamond , 50 , whether it has the previously prepared n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum , starting with the first , stored in database 12 in block 16 of fig4 a as the basis from which the offending tonal or spectral peak or peaks will be shifted to proceed further , or whether it must retrieve that spectrum from database 12 to proceed . this n th modified unaltered baseline spectrum is then subjected by the computer to the peak distribution process in a block , 51 , where it uses well known estimation procedures to estimate a sufficient and feasible shift outward along the frequency axis of the estimated offending spectral peak or peaks to position and redistribute that peak , or each of the peaks , over two adjacent frequency bands as needed with respect to that spectrum to form the corresponding first distribution altered baseline spectrum . again , these procedures are based on the substantially proportional linearity of the relationship between the number of airfoils on a rotor at a rotational speed and the corresponding acoustic emission frequency over a range of rotational speeds . this n th distribution altered baseline spectrum is further converted to a n th distribution altered noy value spectrum in a following block , 52 , as described above , and stored in database 12 in a subsequent block , 53 , as well having the noy values therein then summed by the computer in a further block , 54 , across the acoustic spectrum frequency range in this n th distribution altered noy value spectrum to determine the corresponding perceived noise level for this nδt sampling instant also as described above . the computer determines in a decision diamond , 55 , whether it retained the n th distribution altered baseline spectrum from block 51 during the summation in block 55 to proceed further , or whether it must retrieve the n th distribution altered baseline spectrum from database 12 to proceed further . the computer , upon so being ready to proceed further , enters the tone modification or correction process in a subsequent block , 56 , to select what have now , after the peak shifting and redistributing , become the excess magnitude spectral peaks in the n th distribution altered baseline spectrum , and to therefrom determine the corresponding penalty value as described above . the computer adds this penalty value to the corresponding n th perceived noise level to thereby determine the n th distribution altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise level ( pnlt ). upon completing this determination corresponding to the n th unaltered baseline spectrum ( and the n th effective spectrum ), the computer checks the sample counter to determine in a decision diamond , 57 , if the count n kept therein has reached n . such a count value indicates that all of unaltered baseline spectra for a flight or simulation have been operated on by the computer to determine the effective distribution altered perceived noise level for that flight or simulation . if not , the computer increments the sample counter in a further block , 58 , and returns ahead of block 50 to operate on this next modified unaltered baseline spectrum . if all of the modified unaltered baseline spectra have been operated on by the computer , the sample counter has n = n and the computer in a subsequent block , 59 , retrieves from database 12 the n stored distribution altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels ( pnlt ), one for each sample effective spectrum , and δt . the computer then sums in a further block , 60 , these n stored distribution altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels and divides the result by the total time nδt of the flight or the simulation to average these n stored distribution altered tone - corrected , or tone - modified , perceived noise levels over the time of the flight or simulation . thus , the computer thereby provides the distribution altered effective perceived noise level ( epnl ) of that flight or simulation in accord with the icao noise evaluation rules which is stored in database 12 in a next block , 61 . a further example of the results of this second estimated reconfiguration is shown in the graph of fig7 in which the midpoints of the frequency bands in the equivalent ⅓ octave - band spectrum formed from an acoustic emission spectrum are plotted . the solid line plot portion up to the dashed line and that dashed line together are the modified unaltered baseline spectrum matching the one shown in fig5 with a dominant spectral peak at 4000 hz , and the entire solid line spectrum is the modified distribution altered baseline spectrum . the foregoing procedure is shown implementing through suitably estimated airfoil counts and rotor rotational speeds of the offending rotors a shifting and redistribution of the spectral in this peak at 4000 hz in the modified unaltered baseline spectrum so as to promote “ band - sharing ” around 5000 hz in the modified distribution altered baseline spectrum with , as indicated by use of “ modified ”, the sound pressure level values accounting for atmospheric attenuation . the unaltered and the resulting distribution altered pnlt time variations are shown in fig8 a . fig8 b again shows that this reconfiguration alters the location on the emission frequency axis of the maximum spectral peak is shifted from 4000 hz to being about 5000 hz , as expected , with an improvement in the associated epnl values shown in fig8 c . the overall benefit in epnl in this particular example is estimated to be about 1 . 0 db . the foregoing process for evaluating engine acoustic emission spectra for an engine configuration following the icao rules to determine the corresponding noise characteristics , and for estimating engine reconfigurations and the corresponding emissions spectra and noise characteristics , can be made a part of the larger computer aided engine design process by including as a design goal the desired epnl value for the configuration being examined . a flow chart for such an inclusive engine design optimization process , 70 , is shown in fig9 which begins from the start balloon shown there by entering , in a block , 71 , the design parameters and constraints specifying an initial engine configuration conceived as meeting the engine design goals , and storing same in database 12 . these parameters and constraints are converted by the computer to a an initial or preliminary turbine engine configuration in a further block , 72 , and the computer simulates the performance of this configuration with respect to engine acoustic emissions in a following block , 73 , to obtain the engine acoustic emissions flight time history from which the computer determines the engine configuration noise characteristics and seeks any needed improvements therefor in a subsequent block , 74 . this undertaking by the computer in block 74 is based on the engine acoustic emissions flight time history to provide the engine acoustic emission spectrum for each sample point used in the previously described process in fig4 which is indicated to be entered in block 74 and so again begins at the start balloon in fig4 a . the computer checks the noise performance of the unaltered configuration in fig4 a and if the initial or preliminary engine configuration is found by the computer in decision diamond 29 in fig4 a to meet the icao noise requirements , the computer exits the fig4 process , as described above , by proceeding from diamond 29 to balloon b in that figure and in fig4 b , and through balloon d in that latter figure and fig4 c to the stop balloon in this last figure to thereby reach a decision diamond , 75 , in fig9 . if , in the alternative , the initial or preliminary engine configuration is found by the computer in decision diamond 29 of fig4 a to not meet the icao noise requirements , the computer determines by proceeding from diamond 29 in fig4 a to a further decision diamond , 76 , in that figure . the computer there determines whether it is operating a ) in the fig4 process to evaluate the noise characteristics of an initial or preliminary engine design in block 74 of fig9 to pick a more suitable configuration for reaching an engine noise emissions performance goal in guiding further engine development , or is operating b ) in the fig4 process to evaluate the noise performance of a more fully developed engine configuration design that has been optimized for reaching all of the engine performance goals which evaluation occurs beginning in such a fig4 process evaluation block located further along in the fig9 process to be further described below . if the computer determines it is operating in the configuration choice guidance effort of block 74 in fig9 , the computer proceeds from this determination in decision diamond 76 in fig4 a to balloon a and on to find the engine configuration variants that may be developed in continuing through the flow charts in fig4 b and 4c to reach the stop balloon in this last figure , and from there moves to decision diamond 75 in fig9 . if , in the alternative , the computer determines in decision diamond 76 in fig4 a that it is evaluating a more fully developed , optimized engine configuration design because of having entered the fig4 process evaluation block to be described below , the computer provides only the noise characteristics evaluation of fig4 a for the unaltered engine configuration and exits the fig4 process by again proceeding from decision diamond 76 in fig4 a to balloon b in that figure and fig4 b , and through balloon d in that latter figure and fig4 c to the stop balloon in this last figure . from there , the computer moves from this fig4 process evaluation block in fig9 to be described below to a subsequent decision diamond in fig9 that will also be described below . however , at the present point in the description of fig9 , the computer will be in the configuration choice guidance effort of block 74 in fig9 , and the computer will have gone through the fig4 process there to either find that the initial or preliminary engine configuration design meets the icao noise requirements or will have provided reconfiguration variants estimated to better do so , and so , in either situation , will reach the stop balloon in fig4 c from where the computer moves to decision diamond 75 in fig9 . there , the computer determines whether it has all of the results from performing the fig4 process in block 74 of fig9 and , if not , proceeds to get from database 12 any that it does not have of the unaltered effective perceived noise level which at a minimum will have been found in that process , and possibly also the shift altered perceived and the distribution altered perceived noise levels that may have also been found in that process . once the computer has all of these results , it chooses the one of them in a subsequent block , 77 , that provides the minimum perceived noise level . of course , in the first instance of the engine initial or preliminary design having met the icao noise requirements , by default the choice must be the unaltered effective perceived noise level . if either of the shift altered perceived noise level and the distribution altered perceived noise level have been found in block 74 , and one is chosen as the minimum , the computer determines if accommodating the corresponding noise characteristic based configuration change requires other engine configuration design changes in a further decision diamond , 78 . if so , a modified accommodation engine reconfiguration is determined in a next block , 79 , sufficient to provide an operable engine which then undergoes a design optimization process in a further block , 80 , subject to the objective function involving such goals engine weight , engine fuel consumption , engine acoustic emissions , engine cost , etc ., and the design constraints based on various relationships between the engine structural and operating parameters , all earlier stored in database 12 which are retrieved therefrom in block 80 . the design parameters from this optimization process are then stored in database 12 in a following block , 81 . the performance of the optimal turbine engine configuration found in block 80 is then found by simulation in a further block , 82 , including the flight time acoustic emissions history . that history provides the engine acoustic emission spectrum for each sample point to be the basis for beginning the fig4 process again in a subsequent block , 83 , this being the fig4 process block indicated above to be later described and which is distinguished from block 74 by the computer in decision diamond 76 of fig4 a . the more fully developed optimized engine configuration design found in block 80 is , as indicated above , subjected to only the noise characteristics evaluation process of fig4 a for the unaltered configuration found in block 80 , whether that configuration meets the icao rules noise limits or not , as the computer exits the fig4 process through decision diamond 29 if the limits are met , or through decision diamond 76 if the limits are not met . either of these diamonds takes the computer to balloon b in fig4 a and 4b , balloon d in fig4 b and 4c and then to the stop balloon in fig4 c . the computer emerges from the fig4 process in block 83 to move to a further decision diamond , 84 , this being the decision diamond also indicated above to be later describe , and in which a broader test of the optimized engine configuration found in block 80 is undertaken to determine if this configuration has met all of the engine requirements including the acoustic emission noise rules limits . if the optimized turbine engine configuration has not met all of the turbine engine requirements , or has met them in an unacceptable manner , the computer uses various methods to estimate what tradeoffs between engine goals in the objective function can be accepted , if any , and what changes can and should be made in the constraining engine structural and operating parameters , to meet , or better meet , these requirements and forms a corresponding set of modified design parameters in a subsequent block , 85 . then the computer moves ahead of block 72 to begin going through most of engine design optimization process 70 again with the computer determining a preliminary turbine engine configuration from the design parameters found in block 85 in view of the unchanged parameters and constraints , if any , previously stored in database 12 in block 71 . these processes repeat continue until a turbine engine configuration is found to meet the turbine engine requirements in decision diamond 84 upon which the process ends in a last block , 86 . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	8
fig1 illustrates a disinfection apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention , which has a chamber 3 which is adapted to receive objects for disinfection . the chamber 3 is partly made from mountable wall , ceiling and floor elements of , for instance , stainless sheet steel . moreover a movably arranged door 13 is mounted for opening and closing the entrance to the chamber . fig2 is , inter alia , a section of parts of the chamber of the disinfection apparatus 1 . the disinfection apparatus 1 also has a centrifugal pump 4 , which via an inlet 6 is connected to a collection space 5 which extends substantially horizontally . the collection space 5 is in this case formed of an elongated sump 14 and a space between a cap - shaped means 7 ( also called partition ) and the bottom 8 of the chamber . the cap - shaped means 7 is connected to the inlet 6 of the pump and extends substantially horizontally through the chamber wall and along parts of the bottom 8 of the chamber where the cap - shaped means has a slightly inclined extent . a peripheral flow gap 9 is thus formed along the periphery of the cap - shaped means 7 in the chamber 3 and the bottom 8 of the chamber to provide the required liquid supply to the pump 4 . the pump 4 is further connected to a washing system 2 which is shown in fig2 in the form of a washing pipe which , for instance , is provided with nozzles ( not shown ) for distributing liquid in the chamber 3 . fig2 also shows a liquid - permeable floor 15 which is spaced from the bottom 8 of the chamber and suitably arranged at the same level as the floor ( not shown ) outside the entrance to the chamber . the liquid - permeable floor 15 serves to carry , for instance , the objects that are placed in the chamber for disinfection , such as trolleys carrying objects . fig3 shows that the bottom 8 of the chamber has an extent which is inclined to the horizontal plane , the inclination being adjusted to allow used liquid in the chamber 3 to flow to the inlet 6 of the pump . the centrifugal pump 4 is angled relative to the horizontal plane with an inclination of the axis α , which in this case is about 45 °. this allows the space to be effectively used in the vertical direction at the pump inlet 6 compared with the case where the inclination of the axis α is for instance 0 °. although it is conceivable to have an inclination of the axis of 90 °, this may , however , cause flow problems at the pump inlet 6 . referring once more to fig2 , a vertical partition 12 is shown , which in this case is part of the cap - shaped means 7 . fig3 shows a highest point 11 of the pump inlet and a highest point 10 of the peripheral flow gap 9 . the highest point 10 of the flow gap is at a level which , at the point 11 , is below half of the cross - sectional dimension of the pump inlet 6 seen from below . a drain pump 16 is also to be seen in fig2 and 3 , which is arranged perpendicular to the horizontal plane and which is connected to the sump 14 for discharging used liquid to a drain ( not shown ). in the centre of the floor 15 of the chamber in fig3 , for instance a connecting device 17 is arranged , which is connectable to , for example , a trolley provided with wash nozzles for supplementary cleaning . in the following the function of the disinfection apparatus will be described . liquid , such as water , is supplied from a supply means ( not shown ) in the upper part of the chamber 3 to the sump 14 or to the bottom 8 of the chamber . this liquid can be supplied , for instance , from a public water system and / or from a temporary receptacle ( not shown ) for reuse of liquid . the supply means can ensure supply of hot water , cold water and / or distilled water ( desalinated water ). optionally , the sump 14 is supplied also with a disinfection liquid or some other cleaning liquid in addition to other liquids , which may occur by means of a flexible tube pump ( not shown ). as shown in fig4 , the liquid in the collection space 5 is drawn into the centrifugal pump 4 through the pump inlet 6 . the pressurised liquid is then conducted to a heating device ( not shown ), which uses , for instance , heating by steam or the like . then the pressurised liquid is filtered by a filtering means ( not shown ), after which the pressurised liquid is conducted to the washing system 2 . in this case the washing system comprises , inter alia , two supply conduits , one for the left and one for the right side of the chamber 3 , which conduct the liquid to , for instance , the plurality of washing pipes or alternatively movably arranged washing equipment or the like which are provided with said nozzles . the liquid is in this case pressurised from the centrifugal pump 4 out to the nozzles in the chamber and thus forms a pressurised liquid system . the liquid is ejected from the nozzles for the purpose of , for instance , disinfecting objects in the chamber 3 . the descending liquid flows through the liquid - permeable floor 15 and flows along the inclined floor 8 of the chamber . liquid descending on the cap - shaped means 7 flows along the descending extent of the means down to the peripheral flow gap 9 . then the pump draws in the liquid in the collection space 5 so that it will be circulated once more . thus , only one pump — the centrifugal pump 4 — is required in order to circulate the liquid in this embodiment . the pressurised liquid system with the centrifugal pump 4 gives the advantage that the liquid can quickly be circulated and a possibility of eliminating the use of intermediate storage of the liquid . this means in turn that the liquid volume in the system can be reduced in contrast to prior - art systems which require intermediate storage of liquid . in order to remove liquid from the circulation system , the drain pump 16 is used , which in turn can be connected to a cooling tank ( not shown ) for reducing the temperature of the liquid before drainage occurs to the drain . parts of the liquid in the circulation system which can be reused are pumped by means of a tank pump ( not shown ) to the temporary receptacle . the function of the cap - shaped means 7 thus is to restrain any supply of air to the centrifugal pump 4 . moreover , the adjusted design of the cap - shaped means 7 and the bottom 8 of the chamber makes it possible to reduce the risk of cavitation , and a substantially laminar supply of liquid can be provided adjacent to and around the collection space 5 . in this embodiment , the area of the peripheral flow gap 9 , around the cap - shaped means 7 , exceeds the area of the pump inlet 6 , thereby ensuring a sufficient supply of liquid . below follow various technical data for this embodiment . it should be noted , however , that these data merely illustrate examples and may therefore be varied by a person skilled in the art based on the inventive concept defined in the claims . for instance , about 100 l of liquid , mainly consisting of water , are circulated in the liquid system . this amount of liquid can be compared with prior - art disinfection apparatus , which use intermediate storage of liquid and thus require a larger liquid volume in the liquid system , for instance about 300 l of liquid . to achieve the desired pressure and flow rate in the washing system 2 , the centrifugal pump 4 must have good performance , in this case about 1300 l / min , which pump in operation pumps about 700 l / min . by comparison , the drain pump 16 has lower performance , for instance about 125 l / min , which drain pump in operation pumps about 100 l / min . it will be appreciated that the above - described embodiment of the invention can be modified and varied by a person skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept as defined in the claims . for instance , the cap - shaped means 7 can be formed of one or more partitions . the plurality of partitions can , for instance , form a labyrinth design of the bottom of the chamber so as to provide the desired supply of liquid to the inlet 6 of the pump . the cap - shaped means 7 can also extend between the partitions of the chamber , in which case the cap - shaped means 7 has a free end ( on the opposite side of the pump inlet ) in the chamber instead of three side portions of the embodiment . moreover , one or more partitions can be movably controllable and adjustable , and can be adjusted , for instance , to the disinfection programme and other parameters . furthermore the pump means 4 can be arranged at a distance from the sump ( or an equivalent collection space ) via the inlet 6 . for example , the sump need not be arranged at the side of the chamber wall but adjacent the more central bottom portions . moreover a plurality of different liquids can be used in addition to water , detergents , cleaning and disinfecting agents , which can have different ph values in the range 1 . 5 - 14 .	0
turning now to the remaining drawings , fig2 shows some of the operational components used in the computing environment of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . computer system 200 is an enhanced ibm iseries computer system , although other computer systems could be used . depicted components include : main memory 205 , processor 210 , mass storage 215 , network interface 220 , and user interface 225 . processor 210 is a power pc processor used in iseries computer systems , which is used in the preferred embodiments in the conventional way . main memory 205 is also used in the preferred embodiments in the conventional manner . mass storage 215 is used in fig2 to represent one or more secondary storage devices such as magnetic or optical media . network interface 220 is used to communicate with other computer systems , while user interface 225 is used to accept commands and relay information to the one or more users of computer system 200 . shown within main memory 205 is operating system 206 . operating system 206 is that known in the industry as ibm i5 / os . shown utilizing operating system 206 are applications 207 , event handler 208 , and virtual machine 209 . applications 207 are programs that make use of the facilities provided by event handler 208 and virtual machine 209 . event handler 208 , which is explained in more detail in subsequent paragraphs , is responsible for receiving and handling events generated by applications 207 or by some other facility . it should be noted , however , that while event handler 208 is shown and described herein as a separate entity , it could well be incorporated into operating system 206 , one or more of applications 207 , virtual machine 209 , or into some other facility . virtual machine 209 provides an abstraction layer and runtime environment for applications 207 , and potentially any of the other facilities and programs associated with computer system 200 . as stated above , the first preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes the jvm virtual machine , while the second preferred embodiment utilizes the clr virtual machine . it should be noted that while the inventors have set forth a specific hardware platform within this specification , the present invention and the preferred embodiments should be considered fully applicable to other platforms . it should be further understood that while the embodiments of the present invention are being described herein in the context of a complete system , the program mechanisms described ( e . g ., event handler 208 and virtual machine 209 ) are capable of being distributed in program product form . of course , a program product can be distributed using different types of signal bearing media , including , but not limited to : recordable - type media such as floppy disks , cd roms , and memory sticks ; and transmission - type media such as digital and analog communications links . it should also be understood that embodiments of the present invention may be delivered as part of a service engagement with a client company , nonprofit organization , government entity , internal organizational structure , or the like . aspects of these embodiments may include configuring a computer system to perform , and deploying software systems and web services that implement , some or all of the methods described herein . aspects of these embodiments may also include analyzing the client company , creating recommendations responsive to the analysis , generating software to implement portions of the recommendations , integrating the software into existing processes and infrastructure , metering use of the methods and systems described herein , allocating expenses to users , and billing users for their use of these methods and systems . fig3 is a block diagram showing a high - level view of the virtual machine environment used in the preferred embodiments . programs , such as applications 207 and event handler 208 are presented in source code form [ block 300 ] to a compiler . for the purposes of this patent , the transformations undergone by event handler 208 are at issue . in the first preferred embodiment , the compiler of block 305 is that known in the industry as the java compiler , again from sun microsystems ®. in the second preferred embodiment , the compiler represented by block 305 is that known in the industry as the . net compiler , from microsoft corporation ®. the compilers of block 305 compile the source code of event handler 208 into an intermediate representation , which is represented on fig3 as block 310 . in the first preferred embodiment , this intermediate representation is that known in the industry as java byte codes , again from sun microsystems ®, while in the second preferred embodiment the intermediate representation is known as microsoft intermediate language ( msil ). at this point , the reader should note that event handler 208 can be utilized on other platforms ( i . e ., having the same virtual machine type — java or clr in the preferred embodiments ) which do not include the enhancements of the present invention . said another way , the applicability of event handler 208 to other platforms is not diminished because of the enhancements of the preferred embodiments . continuing with this point , the intermediate representation of event handler 208 is compiled into native instructions by native compiler 320 ( referring to fig3 ) and it is native compiler 320 that provides / contains the enhancements of the preferred embodiments . thus , the intermediate representation of event handler 208 , not having undergone native compilation , is still fully usable on other virtual machines of the same type . once compiled , event handler 208 can be executed on processor 208 . interpreter 315 can also be used to convert a program &# 39 ; s intermediate representation in a native one . while it would be possible to incorporate the benefits and advantages of the present invention into interpreter 315 , the focus here is on native compiler 320 . referring now to fig4 , shown is an expanded view of the virtual machine architectures used in the preferred embodiments of the present invention . it should be noted that we have characterized the basic virtual machine functions in generic terms so as to be applicable to both a java implementation and a clr implementation . semantic differences and functional divisions aside , the majority of the functions and steps shown in the exploded view of virtual machine 208 are present in the standard versions of the java and clr virtual machines . as stated earlier , the enhancements of the present invention are made in the native compilers ( shown as native compiler 320 ) of the preferred embodiments . however , other functions are also presented here for completeness . the base class library support 400 is a standard set of application programming interfaces ( apis ) that allow for an application to have access to commonly used data structures and methods . this support is common across all implementations of the jvm and clr . thread support 405 is used to provide applications 207 with the ability to perform tasks in parallel by executing on multiple threads . this area of the virtual machine 208 provides method calls and access to specific thread related method and data structures to control application execution . type checker 410 ensures that data being assigned to different pointers or being manipulated in methods ( for example mathematical methods , or text processing ) is of the same data type to ensure program correctness . communication support 415 is the interface to the communication subsystem of computer system 200 . this allows for applications running on virtual machine 208 to access other computer systems or to broadcast messages across a network . security engine 420 allows for applications to be implemented in a secure manner on the virtual machine 208 . this engine controls access to specific areas of code and ensure tamper free execution . this area also interfaces with the security engine of operating system 206 to provide features such as password verification and resource access verification . exception handler 425 allows for virtual machine 208 to catch user program errors and allow them to exit gracefully without destroying the system runtime as well as gather information from the error to allow the programmer to debug and fix the error . code manager 430 is the mechanism in virtual machine 208 that manages access to the byte code or msil to ensure it is passed to the jit effectively and compiled to native code when needed . it also controls loading of classes via the classloader 440 . the garbage collector 435 manages object clean up inside of the memory space of virtual machine 208 . this mechanism removes unused objects from the memory space , compacts objects that still have references to them , and returns a range of available memory to the virtual machine 208 for future object allocation . interpreter 315 is the mechanism that executes the java byte code or msil directly without compiling it to native code via the jit . this allows for infrequently used code to be executed without being compiled to native code if not necessary . class loader 440 is the mechanism that allows for byte codes to be loaded into memory from their repository on the system disks . this allows for dynamic loading of the byte code / msil into memory when it is needed by applications 207 and not before . still referring to fig4 , an exploded view of native compiler 320 will now be presented . it should be noted that within the preferred embodiments ( i . e ., java and clr ) native compiler 320 is referred to as the just in time compiler or jit compiler for short . the blocks shown in the exploded view of native compiler 320 represent the compilation steps . while a new step ( shown as call back optimizer step 445 ) has been added , other steps are shown here for completeness . the flow analysis step involves statistically analyzing the code executing in virtual machine 208 ( initially all code executed is interpreted ) and then marking the most frequently executed methods and files in the byte code / msil for compilation to native code . optimization is done here as well as the flow of the program is inspected and dead code is removed , loops are unrolled , etc . the method inlining step involves finding the most frequently accessed methods between classes and attempting to insert the to - be - called method directly into the caller method thus optimizing performance by eliminating the calling of the method and associated overhead of operating system 206 . exception check elimination involves analyzing programs that are to be executed on virtual machine 208 to determine whether one or more exception handlers can be removed , and if they can , doing so . common subexpression elimination involves removing redundant or repeated subexpressions in methods to optimize the method so that it does not perform repeated or unnecessary execution . it also optimizes out expressions that can be executed once for the length of the runtime then cached for future execution of the wrapping method logging / versioning involves marking loaded byte codes based on the number of passes the flow analysis engine has passed over it to keep track of the possibility of further improvement if necessary . stack analysis involves introspection on virtual machine 208 &# 39 ; s stack to make sure memory usage is as optimal as possible and the stack is operating as efficiently as possible . fig5 is a flow diagram showing highlighted steps used to carry out the call back optimizer of the preferred embodiments of the present invention . in block 500 , call back optimizer 445 inspects the intermediate representation of event handler 208 to identify each event structure ( see event tables of fig1 ) handled by event handler 208 . the event structures are then processed one by one . the first step is to remove the location identifier for each registered listener from the dynamic event structure and place it in a stack structure for later processing [ block 505 ]. in the preferred embodiments , the event structure is the arraylist structure , having objects stored therein . thus the objects are removed from the arraylist structure and stored in the stack structure . after the stack structure has been created in block 505 , call back optimizer 445 traverses the stack using reflection on each object to gain access to its method calls ( i . e ., direct call statements ). the method calls are then statically linked into the newly generated code segment [ block 510 ]. this step thus inserts direct calls to each listener into event handler 208 . the processing of blocks 505 and 515 is then repeated for each event structure [ block 515 ]. after all of the event structures have been processed , native compiler 320 proceeds to native code generation . returning briefly to fig4 , native code generation follows the call back optimizer steps . it is in this phase that the executable version of event handler 208 is created . once made into executable form , event handler 208 can be scheduled for execution . when event handler 208 does run on processor 210 ( i . e ., in this optimized form ), its performance will be markedly improved because each listener can be called directly without the overhead of first determining its location . production level testing has shown a 14 % improvement in overall performance . the embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order to best explain the present invention and its practical application and to thereby enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention . however , those skilled in the art will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for the purposes of illustration and example only . thus , the description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims .	6
in the following detailed description , certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 usc 112 , but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims . referring to fig1 , a roadway segment is shown comprised two end to end abutting gutter curb sections 10 a , 10 b resting in a prepared roadway bed 12 . the gutter - curb sections 10 a , 10 b ( preferably on the order of three feed long ) comprise elongated bodies , which are connected together end to end with ½ inch elongated steel plates 14 predrilled with holes aligned with through holes extending between the opposite sides of each section 10 a , 10 b . both ends of the tie rods 16 and on end of the tire rods to receive pairs of epoxy coated threaded rods 16 and tie rods 18 threaded at a backend , have nuts and lock washers installed thereon . the tie rods 18 project from the front face of the gutter - curb sections 10 a , 10 b a substantial distance , i . e ., 8 inches more or less to be securely joined to the paving 20 , typically either reinforced concrete or asphalt . the gutter - curb sections 10 a , 10 b are preferably molded from an elastomeric such as rubber comprised of particles of ground up recycled used tires bound together with a urethane binder . such molded material is well known in the art and has been used for sidewalks , etc . preferably a smoother surface layer comprised of fine particles , i . e . 30 mesh , is deposited over a more porous inner region using coarser ( 14 mesh ) particles at the time the gutter curb sections are being molded . each gutter curb section 10 a , 10 b has a slightly inclined bottom surface with a raised shoulder 22 at an opposite side from a downwardly inclined sloping surface 24 extending from a front side , thereby forming a gutter depression able to collect water and direct it to drains ( not shown ) typically provided along a roadway for handling rain water runoff . fig3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the gutter - curb sections 10 c , 10 d which are of a profile designed to allow driving over the same as where a driveway 26 intersects the roadway 20 . this eliminates the need for removing or cutting away the gutter - curbs 10 at driveways . in this embodiment instead of a pronounced shoulder , a shallowly inclined surface 22 a intersects a shortened street side shallowly inclined surface 24 a which is shorter than the corresponding inclined surface 24 in the first described embodiment . the surface 22 a creates a very gentle shoulder on the side of the sections 10 c , 10 d away from the roadway 20 . a shallow vee shaped gutter is created in the upper surface of the sections 10 c , 10 d thereby while eliminating the steeper shoulder 22 of the first described embodiment so as to render the gutter - curb 10 c , 10 d easily “ mounted ” or driven over . thus , removal of the shoulder 22 at driveways is not necessary . there are a number of advantages of using this gutter - curb in roadway construction , including : the freeze / thaw advantage of rubber over concrete is that rubber will move with surface aggregates even in most extreme conditions . easy installation is afforded as no on site forming is needed , thus saving time and labor on a project . premanufactured parts reduce amount of skilled labor and time needed to complete a project . cure time of concrete can vary according to weather , temperature , and multiple other conditions . premanufactured rubber gutter - curbs are unaffected by these on site conditions . northern climate areas can have longer road working season because rain and snow conditions will not affect rubber gutter curb parts , whereas concrete work must be stopped in those conditions . because of the makeup of the materials and density of the rubber gutter curb , flash flooding in low areas or dips in roadway will be significantly reduced because rubber gutter curbs will allow drainage through them rather than trapping the water and creating dangerous puddles that can cause drivers to lose control . the life expectancy of a rubber gutter - curbs will be significantly longer than concrete , as rubber tires can last up to as long as 100 years . rubber gutter curbs also have a great safety advantage over concrete , as they are less likely to hurt pedestrians in a fall . rubber gutter curbs also have the option of being colored with a wide range of colors , be it for safety , decorative reasons , or reflective markings for night locating . rubber gutter curb systems can easily adapt to existing storm water systems . a mountable gutter curb used in roadways are also a great advantage to residential developers because no curb cuts are necessary after road is completed . the rubber gutter curbs are preferably made of 100 % recycled tires and water based urethane binders . they use very little energy to manufacture and help clean up what is a serious environmental problem , i . e ., discarded tires . the rubber gutter curb can be dismantled , relocated and reused easily again . sections 36 inches long allow new openings to be made or repairs to the curbing with minimal interruption to existing curbing .	4
a key system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to fig1 to 5 . as shown in fig1 , a vehicle 1 has a key cylinder 4 located near a steering wheel in the passenger compartment . a mechanical key 2 , which corresponds to a typical master key , is used to perform various operations in the vehicle 1 ( lock and unlock doors , start an engine , lock and unlock a glove compartment , and open a trunk lid ). the vehicle 1 is one example of an operation subject of the present invention . the mechanical key 2 is one example of a key of the present invention . the key cylinder 4 is connected to an ignition ( ig ) switch 5 that is electrically connected to accessories ( not shown ) and an engine ecu ( electronic control unit ) 7 . if the mechanical key 2 is an authorized key , that is , if the mechanical key 2 has a key plate 3 including a proper key groove 3 a ( key code ) 3 a , the key cylinder 4 permits the mechanical key 2 , when inserted in the key cylinder 4 , to be turned to four positions , an off position , an acc position , an ig position , and an engine start position . the position to which the mechanical key 2 is turned determines the switching state of the ignition switch 5 . the engine ecu 7 , which controls the engine 6 and executes ignition control and fuel injection control on the engine 6 , is connected to the key cylinder 4 via the ignition switch 5 . when the authorized mechanical key 2 is turned to the engine start position , a starter relay of the ignition switch 5 goes on , and the engine ecu 7 starts the engine 6 . an immobilizer system 9 is installed in the vehicle 1 . the immobilizer system 9 uses a first transponder 8 embedded in the mechanical key 2 to perform id authentication through wireless communication . the immobilizer system 9 includes an immobilizer ecu 10 , which performs the id authentication . the immobilizer ecu 10 is connected to the engine ecu 7 via an in - vehicle bus 11 . a first coil antenna 12 wound around the key cylinder 4 is connected to the immobilizer ecu 10 via an amplifier 12 a . the key cylinder 4 includes a key switch 13 . the key switch 13 is connected to the immobilizer ecu 10 . when insertion ( partial insertion ) of the mechanical key 2 into the key cylinder 4 is detected , the key switch 13 provides the immobilizer ecu 10 with a switch signal . the first transponder 8 is one example of a contactless communication tag of the present invention . in one embodiment , the immobilizer ecu 10 functions as a first authentication part , a second authentication part , a condition - imposing part , a communication control part , and a controller of the present invention . in response to the switch signal from the key switch 13 , the immobilizer ecu 10 intermittently transmits a first drive radio wave sv 1 from the first coil antenna 12 . the first transponder 8 receives the first drive radio wave sv 1 . the first drive radio wave sv 1 energizes or powers the first transponder 8 so that the first transponder transmits to the vehicle 1 a first transponder signal sk 1 including a first transponder code ( a key code or a second key code ) unique to the mechanical key 2 . the immobilizer ecu 10 receives the first transponder signal sk 1 and compares the first transponder code with a transponder code registered in the vehicle 1 to perform key transponder authentication . when the immobilizer ecu 10 notifies the engine ecu 7 that the key transponder authentication has been successful , the engine ecu 7 provides an encryption code of the engine ecu 7 to the immobilizer ecu 10 . the immobilizer ecu 10 receiving the encryption code from the engine ecu 7 refers to the encryption code to determine whether the engine ecu 7 is associated with the immobilizer ecu 10 . when these authentication processes are successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 , for example , sets a key transponder authentication success flag f 1 at a predetermined address of a memory 10 a in the immobilizer ecu 10 . the immobilizer ecu 10 then deactivates the immobilizer lock with the first transponder 8 to enable the starting of the engine 6 . fig2 shows a glove compartment 14 defining an accommodation space in front of a front passenger seat in the passenger compartment . the glove compartment 14 includes a cylinder lock 15 for locking and unlocking the glove compartment 14 . the cylinder lock 15 is unlocked when , for example , its key hole 15 a , which is an elongated groove , extends vertically as shown in the state of fig2 a . the cylinder lock 15 is locked state ( fig2 b ) by inserting the mechanical key 2 into the key hole 15 a , turning the key hole 15 a with the mechanical key 2 in the clockwise direction by , for example , 90 degrees , and removing the mechanical key 2 from the cylinder lock 15 . the glove compartment 14 including the cylinder lock 15 is one example of an accommodation case of the present invention . fig3 shows a trunk open switch 18 arranged on an inner side surface of a driver seat door 16 . the trunk open switch 18 is operated to open ( completely open ) a trunk lid 17 ( refer to fig1 ). the trunk open switch 18 is , for example , a push switch that goes on when pushed . when the trunk open switch 18 is pushed in a state in which the trunk lid 17 is closed , the trunk open switch 18 unlocks a trunk lock device . this lifts the trunk lid 17 with a gas cylinder or the like and automatically opens the trunk lid 17 . as shown in fig4 , a trunk open cancel switch 19 is arranged in the glove compartment 14 . the trunk open cancel switch 19 prohibits the opening of the trunk lid 17 ( refer to fig1 ). the trunk open cancel switch 19 is a push switch that alternately goes on and off whenever the trunk open cancel switch 19 is pushed . the trunk open cancel switch 19 is on when , for example , a button 19 a is in a projected state . in this state , the trunk open cancel switch 19 does not allow the trunk lid 17 to automatically open when the trunk open switch 18 is operated . the trunk open cancel switch 19 goes off when , for example , the button 19 a is pushed to a retracted state . in this state , the trunk open cancel switch 19 enables the trunk lid 17 to automatically open when the trunk open switch 18 is operated . as shown in fig1 , the vehicle 1 includes a trunk lock ecu 20 for controlling the trunk lock device . the trunk lock ecu 20 is connected to the immobilizer ecu 10 , via the in - vehicle bus 11 , and a trunk lock motor 21 , which drives the trunk lock device . the trunk lock ecu 20 locks and unlocks the trunk lock device by controlling the trunk lock motor 21 based on switch signals transmitted from the trunk open switch 18 and the trunk open cancel switch 19 . fig4 shows an id card 22 for performing id authentication with the vehicle 1 through wireless communication . this id authentication differs from the authentication performed with the mechanical key 2 . the id card 22 is inserted in a slot 23 a of a card receptacle 23 arranged in the glove compartment 14 . the id card 22 can be removed from the slot 23 a of the card receptacle 23 . the id card 22 can be flat and can have a portable size . the id card 22 is one example of a communicable data medium or a removable data storage medium having a data communication function of the present invention . the card receptacle 23 is one example of a holding mechanism or a media reader of the present invention . as shown in fig1 , a second coil antenna 24 wound along the card receptacle 23 is connected to the immobilizer ecu 10 via an amplifier 24 a . the card receptacle 23 has a card switch 25 for detecting insertion ( partial insertion ) of the id card 22 into the card receptacle 23 . the card switch 25 is connected to the immobilizer ecu 10 . the id card 22 includes a second transponder 26 . a second transponder code ( medium code ), which differs from the code of the first transponder 8 is registered or stored in the second transponder 26 of the id card 22 . the second coil antenna 24 is one example of a wireless signal receiver and a wireless signal transmitter of the present invention . when detecting that the id card 22 has been inserted in the card receptacle 23 based on a switch signal from the card switch 25 , the immobilizer ecu 10 intermittently transmits a second drive radio wave sv 2 from the second coil antenna 24 . the second drive radio wave sv 2 energizes or powers the second transponder 26 so that the second transponder 26 transmits a second transponder signal sk 2 including the transponder code of the second transponder 26 to the vehicle 1 . when receiving the transponder code , the immobilizer ecu 10 compares the transponder code of the id card 22 with a transponder code registered in the vehicle 1 to authenticate the id card . when the id card authentication is successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 sets , for example , an id card authentication success flag f 2 at a predetermined address of the memory 10 a so that the successful id card authentication can be recognized . when the id authentication of the id card 22 is unsuccessful , the immobilizer ecu 10 imposes conditions that restrict the functions of the vehicle 1 that can be performed . in this case , when , for example , a third party tries to start the engine 6 with the mechanical key 2 to drive the vehicle 1 , unless the id card 22 is inserted in the card receptacle 23 , the immobilizer ecu 10 imposes conditions restricting the vehicle functions so that the third party cannot drive the vehicle 1 in an unconditional manner . the card switch 25 is one example of a detector of the present invention . first , when the vehicle owner or an authorized user of the vehicle 1 intends to drive the vehicle 1 , the vehicle owner ( or the authorized user ) inserts the id card 22 in the card receptacle 23 , which is arranged in the glove compartment 14 . if the cylinder lock 15 of the glove compartment 14 is locked , to insert the id card 22 in the card receptacle 23 , the vehicle owner unlocks the cylinder lock 15 with the mechanical key 2 and opens the glove compartment 14 . when detecting insertion of the id card 22 in the card receptacle 23 based on a switch signal from the card switch 25 , the immobilizer ecu 10 intermittently transmits the second drive radio wave sv 2 from the second coil antenna 24 and performs id card authentication with the second transponder 26 , which is embedded in the id card 22 . the immobilizer ecu 10 sets the id card authentication success flag f 2 in the memory 10 a when the transponder code of the second transponder 26 matches the transponder code of the vehicle 1 , that is , when the id card authentication is successful . to start the engine 6 , the vehicle owner inserts the mechanical key 2 into the key cylinder 4 . when detecting insertion of the mechanical key 2 in the key cylinder 4 with the key switch 13 , the immobilizer ecu 10 intermittently transmits the first drive radio wave sv 1 from the first coil antenna 12 to perform the key transponder authentication with the first transponder 8 , which is embedded in the mechanical key 2 . the immobilizer ecu 10 sets the key transponder authentication success flag f 1 in the memory 10 a when determining that the transponder code of the first transponder 8 matches the transponder code of the vehicle 1 , that is , when the key transponder authentication is successful . when determining that the key transponder authentication and the id card authentication are both successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 notifies the engine ecu 7 that the two authentication processes have been successful . the engine ecu 7 receiving the notification of the successful authentication processes is set in an engine start standby state . in this state , there are no driving conditions imposed on the vehicle 1 . the flags f 1 and f 2 may , for example , be cleared when the immobilizer ecu 10 notifies the engine ecu 7 of the results of the authentication processes . when inserted in the key cylinder 4 , the mechanical key 2 can be turned as long as the key groove 3 a of the mechanical key 2 engages tumblers ( not shown ) in the key cylinder 4 , that is , when the key groove authentication ( mechanical operation authentication ) is successful . when the mechanical key 2 inserted in the key cylinder 4 is turned to the engine start position , the starter relay of the ignition switch 5 goes on . when detecting the activation of the starter relay , the engine ecu 7 checks whether notifications on the authentication processes have been received from the immobilizer ecu 10 . when notifications from the immobilizer ecu 10 indicate that the two authentication processes have been successful , the engine ecu 7 determines that the id card 22 inserted in the card receptacle 23 is the authorized id card . in this case , the engine ecu 7 permits the engine 6 to start without any driving conditions imposed on the vehicle 1 . when using a valet parking service , the vehicle owner opens the glove compartment 14 and removes the id card 22 from the card receptacle 23 . the vehicle owner carries the id card 22 and gives the mechanical key 2 to the parking attendant . the parking attendant inserts the mechanical key 2 into the key cylinder 4 to start the engine 6 . since the id card 22 is not inserted in the card receptacle 23 , the immobilizer ecu 10 determines that the key transponder authentication is successful but the id card authentication is unsuccessful . when determining that the id card authentication is unsuccessful and only the key transponder authentication is successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 notifies the engine ecu 7 that only the key transponder authentication has been successful . this sets the engine ecu 7 in a conditional engine start standby state with driving conditions imposed on the vehicle 1 . when the mechanical key 2 inserted in the key cylinder 4 is turned to the engine start position , the starter relay of the ignition switch 5 goes on . when detecting activation of the starter relay , the engine ecu 7 checks on notifications on the authentication processes from the immobilizer ecu 10 . the engine ecu 7 determines that the id card 22 has not been inserted in the card receptacle 23 when the notification received from the immobilizer ecu 10 indicates that only the key transponder authentication has been successful . in this case , the engine ecu 7 activates the engine 6 while imposing driving conditions on the vehicle 1 . thus , the parking attendant can drive the entrusted vehicle 1 only under a conditional state . an example of a driving condition is a limited driving velocity in which the engine ecu 7 limits the maximum driving velocity of the vehicle 1 to a low velocity ( e . g ., 30 km per hour ). under the limited driving velocity , when the accelerator pedal is depressed and the vehicle velocity reaches a threshold , the engine ecu 7 limits the fuel injection amount to a fixed amount and maintains the fixed amount even if the accelerator pedal is further depressed . this keeps the vehicle velocity low . a further example of a driving condition is a limited driving range in which the vehicle 1 is permitted to travel only within a predetermined radius about the position where the mechanical key 2 is given to the parking attendant . the vehicle 1 is prohibited from traveling outside the driving range . under the limited driving range , when detecting that the vehicle 1 has started to move without the id card 22 in the card receptacle 23 , the engine ecu 7 notifies a car navigation device 27 that the vehicle has started to move . the car navigation device 27 , which is provided with information on the present location of the vehicle 1 through a global positioning system ( gps ) or the like , determines the position from which the vehicle 1 starts to move . the car navigation device 27 continuously monitors the distance of the vehicle 1 from the start position so that the vehicle 1 does not go beyond a maximum distance ( e . g ., 1 km ). when determining that the traveling distance from the start position has gone beyond the maximum distance , the car navigation device 27 notifies the engine ecu 7 that the traveling distance of the vehicle 1 has exceeded the permissible distance . when receiving a notification that the vehicle 1 has traveled beyond the permissible distance , the engine ecu 7 immediately and forcibly stops the engine 6 . another example of a driving condition is a limited trunk operation in which the trunk lock device is electrically locked . the immobilizer ecu 10 sends the results of the id authentication processes not only to the engine ecu 7 but also to the trunk lock ecu 20 . more specifically , when the key transponder authentication and the id card authentication are both successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 notifies the trunk lock ecu 20 of the two successful authentication processes . when only the key transponder authentication is successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 notifies the trunk lock ecu 20 of only the successful key transponder authentication . when the trunk open switch 18 goes on , the trunk lock ecu 20 detects the activation of the trunk open switch 18 and checks notifications of the authentication processes from the immobilizer ecu 10 . when the notification indicates that only the key transponder authentication has been successful , the trunk lock ecu 20 prohibits opening of the trunk lid 17 . more specifically , when the trunk open switch 18 is pushed without the authorized id card 22 in the card receptacle 23 , the trunk lock ecu 20 prohibits opening of the trunk lid 17 irrespective of the switch state of the trunk open cancel switch 19 . if the notifications indicate that the two authentication processes have been successful when the trunk open switch 18 is operated , the trunk lock ecu 20 determines that the authorized id card 22 is inserted in the card receptacle 23 . in this case , the trunk lock ecu 20 opens the trunk lid 17 in an unconditional manner . more specifically , when the trunk open cancel switch 19 is deactivated when the trunk open switch 18 is operated , the trunk lock ecu 20 drives the trunk lock motor 21 to unlock the trunk lock device . as a result , the trunk lid 17 automatically opens . when using a valet parking service , the vehicle owner is required to give a vehicle key to the parking attendant . in such a case , the vehicle owner should give the parking attendant a key that imposes conditions to the vehicle functions , such as the conventional sub - key , to improve security and prevent the vehicle or goods in the passenger compartment from being stolen . that is , when using a valet parking service , instead of a master key , the vehicle owner should give the parking attendant a key corresponding to the sub - key that imposes conditions to vehicle functions . accordingly , when using a valet parking service , the vehicle owner removes the id card 22 from the card receptacle 23 , carries the id card 22 , and leaves the mechanical key 2 with the parking attendant as shown in fig5 . after the id card 22 is removed from the vehicle 1 , the id card authentication becomes unsuccessful . in this state , the vehicle 1 cannot be driven in a normal manner with only the mechanical key 2 , which corresponds to a master key . this imposes driving conditions to the vehicle 1 when entrusting a third party with the mechanical key 2 and the vehicle 1 . in the first embodiment , the vehicle owner removes the id card 22 from the vehicle 1 and leaves the mechanical key 2 with the parking attendant when using a valet parking service . thus , unlike in the conventional system that requires the vehicle owner to carry both the master key and the sub - key , the structure of the first embodiment eliminates the need for carrying two keys and the inconvenience caused when carrying two keys . further , the first embodiment does not use a sub - key . this eliminates the need for changing the structure of the mechanical key 2 . since the structure of the mechanical key 2 does not have to be changed , there is no need to enlarge the key structure . ( 1 ) conditions are imposed on the vehicle only when the mechanical key 2 is used in a state in which the id card 22 is removed from the card receptacle 23 . thus , when using a valet parking service , the vehicle owner removes the id card 22 from the card receptacle 23 , and carries the id card 22 , and leaves the mechanical key 2 with the parking attendant . thus , even when using a valet parking service , the vehicle owner does not have to constantly carry two keys , such as a master key and a sub - key . this eliminates the inconvenience caused when there is a need to carry two keys . ( 2 ) the trunk lid 17 is electrically locked when the id card 22 is removed from the card receptacle 23 . thus , the removal of the id card 22 from the card receptacle 23 prevents the trunk lid 17 from being opened by a third party without the vehicle owner &# 39 ; s permission . this reduces the possibility of goods being stolen from the trunk . further , the trunk lid 17 is locked immediately when the id card 22 is removed from the card receptacle 23 . this prohibits the opening of the trunk lid 17 without having to operate the trunk open cancel switch 19 . thus , the burden of operating a switch is reduced . ( 3 ) when the id card 22 is removed from the card receptacle 23 , the starting of the engine is enabled . however , driving conditions are imposed on the vehicle 1 . for example , the vehicle 1 may not be allowed to travel beyond a radius of 1 km from the position where the key is entrusted to a third party and the maximum velocity of the vehicle 1 may be limited to a low velocity . thus , even when the vehicle owner uses a valet parking service and leaves the mechanical key 2 with a third party , it would be difficult to steal to the vehicle 1 . ( 4 ) the structure using the id card 22 does not include a sub - key . thus , there is no need for registering a key with the vehicle 1 and adding the registered key as the sub - key . accordingly , a plurality of vehicle keys are not necessary , the possibility of a key being stolen is reduced , and the possibility of the vehicle being stolen is reduced . ( 5 ) at least the mechanical key 2 is necessary to start the engine 6 . thus , the engine 6 cannot be started just with the id card 22 . accordingly , the id authentication of the mechanical key 2 , which is always held by the vehicle owner , is necessary to start the engine 6 . this reduces the possibility of the vehicle 1 being stolen . ( 6 ) the id card 22 is inserted in the card receptacle 23 , which is arranged in the glove compartment 14 , to keep the id card 22 in the vehicle 1 . since the id card 22 is inserted in the card receptacle 23 , the possibility of losing the id card 22 is reduced . further , communication failures caused by the id card 22 being located at different position with respect to the second coil antenna 24 do not occur . ( 7 ) the second transponder 26 , which includes a unique code of the id card 22 , is energized or powered by the drive radio wave transmitted from the communication subject . thus , the id card 22 does not need to include an additional power supply . this enables the id card 22 to be more compact and reduces the number of components and cost of the id card 22 . ( 8 ) the mechanical key 2 includes the first transponder 8 . the engine 6 is started on condition that the key groove authentication performed with the mechanical key 2 and the transponder authentication performed with the first transponder 8 are both successful . this reduces the possibility of unauthorized starting of the engine 6 as compared with when the engine is started on condition that only the key groove authentication is successful . ( 9 ) the glove compartment 14 has the cylinder lock 15 . thus , when locked , the mechanical key 2 is necessary to open the glove compartment 14 . this reduces the possibility of the id card 22 being removed from the card receptacle 23 in the glove compartment 14 in an unauthorized manner . a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig6 to 9 . except for the type of key , the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment . referring to fig6 , a hands - free system 29 is installed in a vehicle 1 . the hands - free system 29 locks and unlocks a door lock device and enables the starting of an engine without having to carry a mechanical key 2 as long as a portable remote controller 28 is carried . the vehicle 1 includes a smart ecu 30 for performing id authentication in the hands - free system 29 . the smart ecu 30 includes an exterior low - frequency ( lf ) transmitter 31 , an interior lf transmitter 32 , and a radio - frequency ( rf ) receiver 33 . the exterior lf transmitter 31 is installed outside the vehicle 1 . the interior lf transmitter 32 is installed inside the vehicle 1 . the rf receiver 33 is also installed inside the vehicle 1 . the portable remote controller 28 is one example of a key ( electronic key ) of the present invention . the smart ecu 30 is one example of a first authentication part of the present invention . a door ecu 34 for controlling the locking and unlocking of the door lock device is connected to the smart ecu 30 via an in - vehicle bus 11 . a door lock motor 35 , which drives the door lock device when the door lock device is locked or unlocked , is connected to the door ecu 34 . further , a door courtesy switch 36 , which detects the open or closes state of the door , is connected to the door ecu 34 . the door ecu 34 receives an input of an open signal or a close signal from the door courtesy switch 36 , and determines whether the door is in an open state or a closed state . a lock button 37 is provided for a door handle , which is arranged on the outer side of a door . a touch sensor 38 is embedded in the door handle . the lock button 37 and touch sensor 38 are connected to the smart ecu 30 . the lock button 37 is a push button . the lock button 37 is pushed when the door lock device is unlocked to lock the door lock device . the touch sensor 38 detects whether the vehicle owner has touched and operated the door handle . when detecting that the vehicle owner has touched and operated the door handle in the locked state of the door lock device , the door lock device is unlocked . the portable remote controller 28 includes a communication control unit 39 . the communication control unit 39 controls wireless communication of the portable remote controller 28 in a centralized manner . a receiver circuit 40 and a transmitter circuit 41 are connected to the communication control unit 39 . the receiver circuit 40 receives a signal having a low frequency ( lf signal ). the transmitter circuit 41 transmits a signal having a radio frequency ( rf signal ) that is in accordance with a command provided from the communication control unit 39 . the receiver circuit 40 demodulates the received lf signal and provides the demodulated signal as reception data to the communication control unit 39 . the transmitter circuit 41 transmits an id signal sid with a radio frequency including an id code ( key code ) of the portable remote controller 28 in accordance with a command provided from the communication control unit 39 . a first transponder 8 for transmitting a first transponder code is embedded in the portable remote controller 28 . when the vehicle 1 is in a parked state ( the engine being stopped and the doors being locked ), the smart ecu 30 transmits a request signal sreq having a low frequency as an id transmission request from the exterior lf transmitter 31 . this forms an exterior communication area outside the vehicle 1 . when the smart ecu 30 includes a plurality of exterior lf transmitters 31 , the exterior lf transmitters 31 sequentially transmit the request signal sreq and repeat such transmission of the request signal sreq . when the portable remote controller 28 enters the exterior communication area , the portable remote controller 28 receives the request signal sreq with its receiver circuit 40 . when determining that the received lf signal is an id transmission request , in response , the communication control unit 39 transmits the id signal sid having a radio frequency including an id code , which is registered in a memory 39 a of the communication control unit 39 , from its transmitter circuit 41 . the smart ecu 30 receives the id signal sid with its rf receiver 33 while transmitting the request signal sreq from the exterior lf transmitter 31 and determines that the exterior communication has been established . the smart ecu 30 then performs , as the id authentication , exterior authentication by comparing the id code of the portable remote controller 28 with the id code registered in the vehicle 1 . when determining that the exterior authentication has been successful , the smart ecu 30 activates the touch sensor 38 . when the touch sensor 38 detects the vehicle owner touching the door handle , the smart ecu 30 outputs a door unlock request signal to the door ecu 34 . the door ecu 34 receiving the door unlock request signal drives the door lock motor 35 and unlocks the door lock device in a locked state . upon detection of the lock button 37 being pushed when the door lock device is unlocked , the smart ecu 30 transmits a request signal sreq from the exterior lf transmitter 31 and determines whether exterior authentication with the portable remote controller 28 is successful . when the smart ecu 30 determines that the exterior authentication has been successful after the lock button 37 is operated , the smart ecu 30 outputs a door lock request signal to the door ecu 34 . the door ecu 34 receiving the door lock request signal drives the door lock motor 35 and locks the door lock device . when detecting with the door courtesy switch 36 that the vehicle owner has entered the vehicle , the smart ecu 30 transmits a request signal sreq from the interior lf transmitter 32 . this forms an interior communication area in the vehicle 1 . when the portable remote controller 28 enters the interior communication area , the portable remote controller 28 returns an id signal sid in response to the request signal sreq . the smart ecu 30 receives the id signal sid of the portable remote controller 28 with the rf receiver 33 while transmitting the request signal sreq from the interior lf transmitter 32 . in this case , the smart ecu 30 determines that interior communication has been established . the smart ecu 30 then performs , as the id authentication , interior authentication ( wireless communication authentication ) by comparing the id code of the portable remote controller 28 , which is located in the passenger compartment , with the id code registered in the vehicle 1 , and determining the result of the interior authentication . when the interior authentication is successful , the smart ecu 30 sets , for example , an interior authentication success flag f 3 in the memory 30 a for recognition of successful interior authentication . a portable remote controller receptacle 42 is arranged near a steering wheel in the vehicle 1 . the portable remote controller 28 is insertable in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 . the portable remote controller receptacle 42 includes a partial - insertion detection switch 42 a and a complete - insertion detection switch 42 b . the partial - insertion detection switch 42 a detects partial insertion of the portable remote controller 28 in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 . the complete - insertion detection switch 42 b detects complete insertion of the portable remote controller 28 in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 . the partial - insertion detection switch 42 a and the complete - insertion detection switch 42 b are electrically connected to an immobilizer ecu 10 . when the portable remote controller 28 is partially inserted in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 , the partial - insertion detection switch 42 a provides an on signal to the immobilizer ecu 10 . when the portable remote controller 28 is completely inserted in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 , the complete - insertion detection switch 42 b provides an on signal to the immobilizer ecu 10 . a power supply ecu 43 for controlling power supplies for various electric components in the passenger compartment is connected to the smart ecu 30 via the in - vehicle bus 11 . an engine start switch 44 , which is operated to start or stop an engine 6 , is connected to the power supply ecu 43 . the engine 6 of the vehicle 1 is started if the engine start switch 44 goes on when the gearshift lever is located at a parking position ( p position ) and the brake pedal is depressed . an acc relay 45 , an ig relay 46 , and an st relay 47 are connected to the power supply ecu 43 . the acc relay 45 switches the activation and deactivation of accessory power supplies . the ig relay 46 switches the activation and deactivation of the ignition switch . the st relay 47 energizes and de - energizes the starter motor . to start the engine 6 , the portable remote controller 28 is first inserted in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 . the immobilizer ecu 10 detecting that the portable remote controller 28 has been partially inserted in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 performs key transponder authentication ( wireless communication authentication ) with the first transponder 8 , which is embedded in the portable remote controller 28 . when the key transponder authentication is successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 sets , for example , a key transponder authentication success flag f 1 in a memory 10 a for recognition of the successful key transponder authentication . when the portable remote controller 28 is completely inserted in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 , the power supply ecu 43 is activated . if the power supply ecu 43 detects that the engine start switch 44 has been switched on when the gearshift lever is at the parking position and the brake pedal is depressed , the power supply ecu 43 checks the id authentication results with the immobilizer ecu 10 . in this state , the immobilizer ecu 10 deactivates the immobilizer lock when at least the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication have been successful . the immobilizer ecu 10 then transmits the id authentication results to the power supply ecu 43 . the power supply ecu 43 receiving the id authentication results activates the acc relay 45 , the ig relay 46 , and the st relay 47 when the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication have been successful ( or when only the key transponder authentication has been successful such as when the battery of the portable remote controller 28 is drained ). the power supply ecu 43 that has activated the relays outputs an activation signal to the engine ecu 7 . the engine ecu 7 receiving the activation signal performs encrypted communication with the immobilizer ecu 10 , checks whether the id authentication has been successful , and checks whether the engine ecu 7 is associated ( paired ) with the immobilizer ecu 10 . when the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication have been successful ( or when only the key transponder authentication has been successful such as when the battery of the portable remote controller 28 is drained ) and the pairing has been successful , the engine ecu 7 starts the engine 6 . as shown in fig7 a and 7b , an emergency key 48 is accommodated in the portable remote controller 28 . the emergency key 48 is a mechanical key used to operate the vehicle 1 through an actual key operation . the emergency key 48 does not perform wireless communication . the emergency key 48 includes a key plate 48 a formed from an elongated plate and a handle 48 b fixed to an end portion of the key plate 48 a . a key body 28 a functioning as a case for the portable remote controller 28 has a long and thin key insertion groove 28 b extending from end portion in the longitudinal direction of the key body 28 a . as shown in fig7 a , the key plate 48 a is inserted in the key insertion groove 28 b to accommodate the emergency key 48 in the key body 28 a of the portable remote controller 28 . as a result , the emergency key 48 engages an engagement pin 48 c ( fig7 c ), to which biasing force is applied by a spring member ( not shown ) arranged in the handle 48 b . the engagement pin 48 c is received in an engagement hole 28 c of the key body 28 a . to remove the emergency key 48 from the key body 28 a of the portable remote controller 28 , a tab 48 d arranged on an upper surface of the handle 48 b is moved as shown in the state of fig7 b . as a result , the engagement pin 48 c of the emergency key 48 moves against the force of the spring member . this disengages the engagement pin 48 c from the engagement hole 28 c . as shown in fig8 a and 8b , an id card 22 has a key insertion groove 22 a shaped in correspondence with the key plate of the emergency key 48 . the key insertion groove 22 a extends in the longitudinal direction of the id card 22 to in correspondence with the length of the key plate 48 a . the key insertion groove 22 a also extends in the widthwise direction of the id card 22 . more specifically , the key insertion groove 22 a is shaped in correspondence with the id card 22 so as to extend in the planar direction of the id card 22 . the emergency key 48 is removably set on the id card 22 by pressing the key plate 48 a into the key insertion groove 22 a of the id card 22 as shown in the state of fig8 b . a step portion 22 b is formed by cutting away a corner of the id card 22 in a manner that an upper end surface of the handle 48 b is flush with the end surface of the id card 22 when the emergency key 48 is set on the id card 22 . the key insertion groove 22 a is one example of an accommodation structure of the present invention . the operation of the key system of the second embodiment will now be described . to drive the vehicle 1 , the vehicle owner first inserts the id card 22 into a card receptacle 23 arranged in a glove compartment 14 . when a cylinder lock 15 of the glove compartment 14 is locked , the cylinder lock 15 cannot be unlocked by wireless communication with the portable remote controller 28 . thus , the vehicle owner removes the emergency key 48 from the portable remote controller 28 and uses the emergency key 48 to unlock the cylinder lock 15 and open the glove compartment 14 . the vehicle owner then inserts the id card 22 into the card receptacle 23 . the immobilizer ecu 10 detects that the id card 22 has been inserted in the card receptacle 23 with a card switch 25 . the immobilizer ecu 10 then intermittently transmits a second drive radio wave sv 2 from a second coil antenna 24 to perform the id card authentication with the second transponder 26 , which is embedded in the id card 22 . when determining that the id card authentication has been successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 sets an id card authentication success flag f 2 in the memory 10 a . to start the engine 6 , the vehicle owner first inserts the portable remote controller 28 into the portable remote controller receptacle 42 . when the portable remote controller 28 is partially inserted in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 , the immobilizer ecu 10 intermittently transmits a first drive radio wave sv 1 from a first coil antenna 12 and performs the key transponder authentication with the first transponder 8 , which is embedded in the portable remote controller 28 . when determining that the key transponder authentication has been successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 sets the key transponder authentication success flag f 1 in the memory 10 a . when the portable remote controller 28 is then completely inserted in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 , the power supply ecu 43 is activated . when detecting that the engine start switch 44 has been pushed in a state in which the gearshift lever is located at the parking position and the brake pedal is depressed , the power supply ecu 43 checks the id authentication result obtained by the immobilizer ecu 10 . in addition to the id authentication result of the immobilizer ecu 10 , the id authentication result of the smart ecu 30 is also checked . thus , the results of the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication are sent to the power supply ecu 43 . more specifically , the immobilizer ecu 10 sends an engine start enable notification to the power supply ecu 43 when the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication are both successful . the immobilizer ecu 10 sends an engine start disable notification to the power supply ecu 43 when the two authentication processes are both unsuccessful . the power supply ecu 43 activates the relays 45 to 47 when receiving the engine start enable notification and provides an activation signal to the engine ecu 7 . the immobilizer ecu 10 also transmits the id authentication results to the engine ecu 7 when transmitting the id authentication results to the power supply ecu 43 . more specifically , the immobilizer ecu 10 transmits the results of the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication together with the result of the id card authentication to the engine ecu 7 . as a result , when the interior authentication , the key transponder authentication , and the id card authentication are each successful , the immobilizer ecu 10 transmits an unconditional engine start enable notification to the engine ecu 7 . when the id card authentication is unsuccessful , the immobilizer ecu 10 transmits a conditional engine start enable notification to the engine ecu 7 . the engine ecu 7 receives the activation signal from the power supply ecu 43 . as a result , the engine ecu 7 activates the vehicle 1 in a state determined based on the id authentication result input from the immobilizer ecu 10 . more specifically , the engine ecu 7 activates the vehicle 1 without any conditions imposed on the driving of the vehicle 1 when receiving the unconditional engine start enable notification from the immobilizer ecu 10 . the engine ecu 7 permits conditional driving of the vehicle when receiving the conditional engine start enable notification from the immobilizer ecu 10 . when the vehicle owner pushes the engine start switch 44 and performs an engine start operation in a state in which the id card 22 is inserted in the card receptacle 23 , the engine ecu 7 receives an unconditional engine start enable notification from the immobilizer ecu 10 . thus , the engine start operation performed by the vehicle owner starts the engine 6 without the engine ecu 7 imposing any driving conditions on the vehicle 1 . in this case , the vehicle owner is permitted to drive the vehicle in a normal manner . when using a valet parking service , the vehicle owner opens the glove compartment 14 , removes the id card 22 from the card receptacle 23 , closes the glove compartment 14 , and then removes the emergency key 48 from the portable remote controller 28 . then , the vehicle owner uses the emergency key 48 to lock the cylinder lock 15 . this prevents the glove compartment 14 from being open without the vehicle owner &# 39 ; s permission . the vehicle owner inserts the emergency key 48 in the key insertion groove 22 a of the id card 22 to integrate the id card 22 with the emergency key 48 . the vehicle owner carries the id card 22 in which the emergency key 48 has been inserted and leaves the portable remote controller 28 from which the emergency key 48 has been removed with the parking attendant . the parking attendant receiving the portable remote controller 28 inserts the portable remote controller 28 in the portable remote controller receptacle 42 to start the engine 6 . without the id card 22 being inserted in the card receptacle 23 , the immobilizer ecu 10 determines that the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication have been successful but the id card authentication has been unsuccessful . when the engine start switch 44 is pushed in a state in which the gearshift lever is located at the parking position and the accelerator pedal is depressed , the engine ecu 7 receives an authentication result notification from the immobilizer ecu 10 . since the engine ecu 7 receives the conditional engine start enable identification from the immobilizer ecu 10 , the engine ecu 7 determines that the id card 22 has not been inserted in the card receptacle 23 . thus , the engine ecu 7 starts the engine 6 with driving conditions imposed on the vehicle 1 . as a result , the parking attendant is permitted to drive the vehicle 1 only under the conditional driving conditions . accordingly , even when the hands - free system 29 is installed in the vehicle 1 , conditions are imposed on the driving function of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 and the portable remote controller 28 are left with the parking attendant in a state in which the id card 22 is removed from the card receptacle 23 as shown in the state of fig9 . in this case , the parking attendant cannot freely move the vehicle 1 . the second embodiment reduces the possibility of the vehicle 1 being stolen by a third party . in the second embodiment , the emergency key 48 is removed from the portable remote controller 28 before giving the portable remote controller 28 to a parking attendant . thus , the cylinder lock 15 of the glove compartment 14 cannot be unlocked with the portable remote controller 28 from which the emergency key 48 has been removed . this reduces the possibility of a third party , who is carrying the portable remote controller 28 , opening the glove compartment 14 without the vehicle owner &# 39 ; s permission and reduces the possibility of valuables from being stolen from the glove compartment 14 . typically , the mechanical key ( emergency key 48 ) may be used to open the trunk lid 17 irrespective of the activation and deactivation of the trunk open cancel switch 19 . however , the vehicle owner leaves the portable remote controller 28 from which the emergency key 48 has been removed with the parking attendant in the second embodiment . this prevents the trunk lid 17 from being opened by the parking attendant without the vehicle owner &# 39 ; s permission and prevents valuables from being stolen from the trunk . the second embodiment has the advantages described below in addition to the advantages described in the first embodiment . ( 10 ) the portable remote controller 28 that performs the id authentication through wireless communication is used as the vehicle key . this enables the door lock device to be locked and unlocked and the engine to be started without requiring an actual mechanical operation , such as the insertion of the key into the key cylinder and the turning of the key . thus , the door lock device is locked and unlocked and the engine is started through a simple operation . ( 11 ) the portable remote controller 28 accommodates the emergency key 48 . thus , as long as the vehicle owner is carrying the portable remote controller 28 , the glove compartment 14 can be locked and unlocked with the emergency key 48 . further , when using a valet parking service and leaving the portable remote controller 28 with the parking attendant , the vehicle owner just needs to remove the emergency key 48 from the portable remote controller 28 . this prevents a third party , including the parking attendant , entrusted with the portable remote controller 28 from opening the glove compartment 14 without the vehicle owner &# 39 ; s permission . ( 12 ) the id card 22 has the key insertion groove 22 a . the emergency key 48 removed from the portable remote controller 28 is set on the id card 22 by inserting the emergency key 48 in the key insertion groove 22 a . this reduces the possibility of losing the emergency key 48 that has been removed from the portable remote controller 28 . a third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 . except for the locking structure of the glove compartment 14 , the third embodiment is similar to the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 , the glove compartment 14 includes an electric lock 49 electrically activated to lock and unlock the glove compartment 14 . the electric lock 49 is locked when , for example , a motor drives and engages a lock member with an engagement hole of a vehicle body frame . the electric lock 49 is unlocked when the lock member is disengaged from the engagement hole . a glove compartment lock control unit 50 for controlling the locking and unlocking of the electric lock 49 is connected to the electric lock 49 . an antenna 51 is connected to the glove compartment lock control unit 50 . the antenna 51 receives various rf signals transmitted from a portable remote controller 28 when wireless communication is established with the portable remote controller 28 . the portable remote controller 28 includes a glove compartment lock button 52 and a glove compartment unlock button 53 . the glove compartment lock button 52 is operated to lock the glove compartment 14 . the glove compartment unlock button 53 is operated to unlock the glove compartment 14 . the buttons 52 and 53 are push switches and connected to a communication control unit 39 . when the buttons 52 and 53 are pushed , the communication control unit 39 transmits corresponding rf signals ( glove compartment lock signal s 1 a and glove compartment unlock signal s 1 b ) from a transmitter circuit 41 . an immobilizer ecu 10 enables unconditional driving of a vehicle 1 when determining that id authentication ( interior authentication and key transponder authentication ) performed with the portable remote controller 28 and id card authentication have both been successful . the immobilizer ecu 10 enables conditional driving of the vehicle 1 when determining that only the id authentication , which is performed with the portable remote controller 28 , or the id card authentication has been successful . the glove compartment accommodating the electric lock 49 , the glove compartment lock control unit 50 , and the antenna 51 is one example of an accommodation case of the present invention . to drive the vehicle 1 , the vehicle owner opens the glove compartment 14 and sets an id card 22 in a card receptacle 23 . after setting the id card 22 in the card receptacle 23 , the vehicle owner closes the glove compartment 14 and pushes the glove compartment lock button 52 of the portable remote controller 28 to lock the glove compartment 14 . this prevents the set id card 22 from being removed by a third party without the vehicle owner &# 39 ; s permission . when the glove compartment lock button 52 is pushed , the portable remote controller 28 transmits the glove compartment lock signal s 1 a . the glove compartment lock control unit 50 receives the glove compartment lock signal s 1 a via the antenna 51 and locks the electric lock 49 . when detecting that the id card 22 has been set in the card receptacle 23 , the immobilizer ecu 10 performs the id card authentication with the id card 22 and determines whether the id card 22 set in the card receptacle 23 is an authorized card . when the id card 22 is set in the card receptacle 23 , the id authentication ( interior authentication and key transponder authentication ) performed with the portable remote controller 28 and the id card authentication are both successful . thus , the unconditional driving of the vehicle 1 is enabled . when using a valet parking service , the vehicle owner leaves either the portable remote controller 28 or the id card 22 with the parking attendant . in this case , the immobilizer ecu 10 determines that only the id authentication ( the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication ) performed with the portable remote controller 28 or the id card authentication is successful . thus , the engine ecu 7 receives a conditional engine start enable notification from the immobilizer ecu 10 when the engine 6 is started . as a result , the engine 6 is started with conditions imposed on the driving functions of the vehicle 1 . when leaving the portable remote controller 28 with the parking attendant , the vehicle owner removes the id card 22 in the glove compartment 14 from the card receptacle 23 and carries the id card 22 . to remove the id card 22 from the glove compartment 14 , the vehicle owner first pushes the glove compartment unlock button 53 of the portable remote controller 28 to unlock the glove compartment 14 . the glove compartment unlock signal s 1 b is transmitted from the portable remote controller 28 . the glove compartment lock control unit 50 receives the glove compartment unlock signal s 1 b via the antenna 51 and unlocks the electric lock 49 . this enables the vehicle owner to open the glove compartment 14 . the vehicle owner opens the glove compartment 14 and removes the id card 22 from the card receptacle 23 . when leaving the id card 22 with the parking attendant , the vehicle owner leaves the id card 22 in the card receptacle 23 . the vehicle owner carries the portable remote controller 28 and entrusts the parting attendant with the vehicle 1 in which the id card 22 is inserted in the card receptacle 23 . when the glove compartment 14 is locked , the parking attendant cannot remove the id card 22 from the glove compartment 14 unless operating the portable remote controller 28 to unlock the glove compartment 14 . when the vehicle owner does not want the id card 22 to be removed without the vehicle owner &# 39 ; s permission , the vehicle owner may keep the glove compartment 14 locked . in the third embodiment , the glove compartment 14 is locked and unlocked through wireless communication . this eliminates the need for performing an actual mechanical key operation to lock and unlock the glove compartment 14 . thus , the glove compartment 14 is easily locked and unlocked . further , the vehicle 1 may be driven with only the id card 22 and without the portable remote controller 28 on hand . in such a state , conditions are imposed on the driving of the vehicle 1 . however , since the vehicle 1 can be driven with just the id card 22 , this structure may be used for various applications . the third embodiment has the advantages described below in addition to the advantages of the first and second embodiments . ( 13 ) the electric lock 49 is used as the lock of the glove compartment 14 . the glove compartment 14 is locked and unlocked through wireless communication performed with the portable remote controller 28 . thus , the glove compartment 14 is locked and unlocked without the need of performing an actual mechanical operation such as the insertion of the key into the key cylinder and the turning of the key . accordingly , the glove compartment 14 is easily locked and unlocked . ( 14 ) to start the engine 6 , the portable remote controller 28 must be on hand or the id card 22 must be set in the card receptacle 23 . the engine 6 may be started with only the portable remote controller 28 or the id card 22 . thus , the starting of the engine 6 is enabled even when only the id card 22 is on hand . it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . particularly , it should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in the following forms . in the above embodiments , the timing at which the id card authentication ( including the key transponder authentication ) is started is not limited to the timing at which a switch signal of each corresponding switch is transmitted . for example , the id card authentication may be started under the condition that the vehicle velocity becomes zero after the engine 6 is started and when the gearshift lever is arranged at the parking position . in this manner , the timing at which the authentication is started may be freely set . in the above embodiments , the id code authentication does not have to be determined as being unsuccessful just because the id code authentication is unsuccessful once . for example , the above embodiments may additionally include a retry function for retrying the id code authentication until the number of times the id code matching is unsuccessful reaches a predetermined number . in the above embodiments , the communicable data medium is not limited to the id card 22 . the communicable data medium may be any medium of which id can be transmitted through wireless communication and may be formed to have any shape . in the above embodiments , the id card authentication performed between the vehicle 1 and the id card 22 is not limited to the transponder authentication and may be id authentication performed through various wireless communications . the id card authentication may be , for example , smart authentication in which the portable remote controller 28 receives a request and returns in response an id to perform id authentication . in the above embodiments , the trunk lid 17 may be unlocked using the mechanical key 2 ( the emergency key 48 ) regardless of the switch state of the trunk open cancel switch 19 . in the above embodiments , the opening of the trunk lid 17 through communication may be disabled when the trunk open cancel switch 19 is activated . for example , when the trunk open cancel switch 19 is activated , the opening of the trunk lid 17 may be disabled by smart communication performed with the portable remote controller 28 , which receives a request and returns an id in response , or by remote control communication performed by pushing a lock button or an unlock button of the portable remote controller 28 . in the first and second embodiments , the condition for enabling the driving of the vehicle 1 is not limited to the condition in which at least the id authentication ( the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication ) of the vehicle keys ( the mechanical key 2 and the portable remote controller 28 ) is successful . more specifically , the driving of the vehicle 1 may be enabled when the id authentication of the vehicle key or the id card authentication is successful . in the second and third embodiments , the portable remote controller 28 is not limited to the smart key that receives a request from the vehicle 1 and returns in response the id of the portable remote controller 28 . for example , the portable remote controller 28 may be a wireless key for locking and unlocking the door lock device . in this case , the portable remote controller 28 may have a lock button and an unlock button pushed to lock and unlock a door lock device . further , the electronic key is not limited to the portable remote controller 28 described in the above embodiments and may be a wearable key , such as a watch - like key having an id transmission function . in the second and third embodiments , the condition for starting the engine with the portable remote controller 28 may be the interior authentication or the key transponder authentication being successful . in the second and third embodiments , the emergency key 48 may be eliminated . this eliminates the need for accommodating the emergency key 48 in the portable remote controller 28 and reduces the size of the portable remote controller 28 . in the first embodiment , the first transponder 8 arranged in the mechanical key 2 may be eliminated . more specifically , the first id authentication is not limited to the interior authentication and the key transponder authentication and but may be key groove authentication in which the key groove 3 a is authenticated . in this case , the key groove authentication is performed by determining whether the key groove 3 a of the mechanical key 2 matches the key groove defined by the tumblers ( first authentication part ) of the key cylinder 4 . when the groove matching is successful , the driving of the vehicle 1 is enabled . in the third embodiment , the wireless communication between the glove compartment 14 and the portable remote controller 28 is not limited to wireless communication in which a signal is transmitted through a button operation . the wireless communication between the glove compartment 14 and the portable remote controller 28 may be smart communication in which an id is returned in response to a request or transponder communication performed with a transponder . further , the glove compartment 14 may be formed , for example , to be automatically locked when the glove compartment 14 is closed . in the above embodiments , the location at which the id card 22 is held is not limited to the inside of the glove compartment 14 . the id card 22 may be held at any hidden or inconspicuous location , for example , in a center cluster or a center console of the passenger compartment . in the above embodiments , the operation subject to which the key system is applied is not limited to a vehicle . the key system may be applied for various operation subjects , such as a door lock device for a house . the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive , and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein , but may be modified within the scope and equivalence of the appended claims .	1
for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will , nevertheless , be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended ; any alterations and further modifications of the described or illustrated embodiments , and any further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein , are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . as shown in fig1 a , embodiments of the invention include a system for data transmission 100 using spin waves . the system 100 generally includes a spin wave generator 105 coupled to a ferromagnetic ( fm ) stripe 110 at a first location 115 and a spin wave detector 120 coupled to the fm stripe 110 at a second location 125 . an input signal 130 delivered from a transmitting device a can be passed to the spin wave generator 105 which causes a spin wave 135 to be generated within the fm stripe 110 . spin wave propagates by changing the local polarization of spins of nearby ferromagnetic material . thus , spin waves propagate without the transfer or movement of charge carriers within the spin wave media , i . e . the fm stripe 110 . the spin wave 135 , having propagated through the fm stripe 110 ( e . g . in the direction of arrow 140 ), can then be detected by the spin wave detector 120 and translated into an output signal which corresponds to the input signal 130 . the output signal can thus be received by a receiving device b coupled with the detector 120 . in this manner , systems according to the invention can accomplish data transfer between devices a , b located at or near the first and second locations 115 , 125 with spin waves ( rather than charge transfer ) serving as the data carrier between the devices . the fm stripe 110 is a patterned film of a ferromagnetic material deposited on or within a substrate between devices to be connected . the stripe has thickness t , width w and length l dimensions . the stripe length l is the dimension of the stripe between the devices a , b to be connected . in some embodiments , the fm stripe 110 comprises a single layer of fm material . however , the stripe should not be limited to such , for example in some embodiments , the stripe can comprise a multi - layer structure . a multi - layer fm stripe can comprise for example two or more exchange - biased layers , such as for example a ferromagnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer . multilayer coupling can be used to pin the magnetization direction or adjust sensitivity of the fm stripe to provide for improved transmission of spin waves . the magnetization direction of the fm stripe is indicated by arrow 145 . in the embodiment of fig1 a , the direction of magnetization 145 is generally parallel with the stripe length l , however the magnetization direction 145 can be oriented in generally any direction . for example , the direction of magnetization can be perpendicular with the stripe length l ( i . e . along the stripe width w ), out of the stripe plane ( i . e . along the stripe thickness t ), or at any combination of angles relative to the various axes of the stripe . the fm stripe 110 can comprise generally any ferromagnetic material . for example , the fm stripe can comprise ferromagnetic transition metals and their alloys . in some embodiments , the fm stripe 110 comprises a ferromagnetic film , such as for example , ni , co , fe and their alloys , and doped materials including for example , cofeb . a multi - layer fm stripe can comprise a ferromagnetic film deposited upon an antiferromagnetic film , for example irmn ( coo ). the materials and structure selected for the fm stripe can effect the characteristics and ability to generate spin waves therein . for example , a “ softer ” fm material can allow for generation of spin waves of greater magnitude , yet with higher attenuation . in addition , the frequencies of the excited spin waves depend upon the magnetic properties of the fm stripe . width w and thickness t dimensions of the stripe 110 can be on the submicron scale . for example , embodiments can include an fm stripe approximately 500 nm thick and less than 500 nm wide . the stripe length l can be up to 2 cm depending upon the level of attenuation of spin waves within the stripe . spin wave attenuation within the fm stripe 110 depends on stripe material properties including , for example , crystal geometry , imperfections , impurities , and anisotropy bias . external factors such as external magnetic field and temperature can likewise affect spin wave attenuation within the stripe and further limit the stripe length l . in any case , the fm stripe should be provided such that spin waves generated therein have a propagation vector along the length of the stripe . the fm stripe , as well as all components described below including generators and detectors , can be fabricated by any techniques known in the art . for example , known lithographic and deposition techniques or other standard thin film processes can be used to provide the components described herein . the generator 105 is one of the basic system components according to embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , such as that of fig1 a , the generator 105 can be a spin - momentum transfer ( smt ) device ( also referred to as a “ spin torque transfer ” ( stt ) device ). in such devices , spin waves 135 are locally generated within the fm stripe 110 by the injection of a current through a stack 150 . in smt excitation approaches , the frequency of the locally generated spin waves can be selected and tuned by the injected current density . by controlling the magnitude and frequency of the injected current ( or applied voltage ), i . e . where the injected current is representative of a signal 130 , the generated spin wave 135 can be encoded with the signal 130 . smt devices in most embodiments , comprise a stack of layers 150 . the stack 150 generally includes at least three layers : ( i ) a pinned fm layer 155 having a generally fixed magnetization direction 160 , ( ii ) a non - magnetic spacer layer 165 , and ( iii ) a free layer . when smt devices are used as spin wave generators according to embodiments the invention , the pinned layer 155 and nonmagnetic spacer 165 are deposited directly adjacent to a segment of the fm stripe 170 , which corresponds to the free layer . thus , the generator 105 is integral with the stripe 1 10 . current injected through the stack 150 passes through the pinned layer 155 which functions as a spin polarizer to polarize the spins of the electrons of the current with the spins of electrons residing in the pinned layer 155 . current then flows through the nonmagnetic spacer 165 and into the stripe segment 170 , where the polarized spins of the current exert a torque on the spins of the pinned layer electrons . in embodiments wherein the spacer 165 comprises an insulating nonmagnetic material ( e . g . a thin oxide layer ), the device is referred to as a magnetic tunnel junction ( mtj ). where the nonmagnetic spacer comprises a conducting layer ( e . g . a nonmagnetic metallic layer ), the device is referred to as a spin valve . generators 105 according to embodiments of the invention can be of either arrangement . with respect to the stripe segment 170 , one should note that it is not a free layer in which the magnetization direction is switched by the injected current . rather , the magnetization direction of the fm stripe 145 remains generally fixed with the smt effect of the injected current causing the generation of spin waves 135 . spin wave generation by smt stacks can occur so long as the magnetization direction of the stripe 145 (“ first magnetization direction ”) is not oriented in the same direction as the magnetization direction of the pinned layer 160 (“ second magnetization direction ”). thus , generators 105 according to some embodiments of the invention include a second magnetization direction 160 that is different from the first magnetization direction 145 . in some embodiments , the second magnetization direction 160 is perpendicular to the first magnetization direction 145 so as to maximize the torque exerted upon the magnetic moments of electrons in the fm stripe and provide spin waves 130 of maximum magnitude . it should be recognized that the above described smt stack represents a simple variation of such a device . many other stacks comprising more layers of different composition , thickness , and arrangement can provide the smt effect and all such variations should be considered to be within the scope of the invention . moreover , the various smt stacks can be substituted ( where appropriate ) for any smt stack used in systems and devices of the invention , be it as a generator , stripe , detector , or other system component . another type of generator 175 is shown in fig1 b . here , spin wave generation is accomplished using a magnetic field source 175 , such as magnets 180 , magnetically or directly coupled to the stripe 110 . magnetic field spin wave generation can be described as a more indirect method of spin wave generation than smt effect spin wave generation , because the input signal or a current corresponding thereto must first be translated to a varying magnetic field , which then interacts with the fm stripe to generate the spin wave . the translation of an electrical signal into a varying magnetic field can be accomplished by a copper lead , as any such lead will induce a magnetic field about the lead when a current is passed therethrough . certain embodiments of the invention include an enhanced magnetic field generator which can generate a magnetic field having a greater magnitude than that of a lead or plurality of co - planar leads . a write head is one example of an enhanced magnetic field generator . in such devices , a current representing the signal can be passed through a coil about a magnetic write tip . the energized coil induces a magnetic field in a gap of the write tip . this magnetic field can then be used to stimulate and tune spin wave formation within the fm stripe 110 . systems according to embodiments of the invention further include detectors 120 magnetically or physically coupled to the fm stripe 110 to detect a propagated spin wave 135 therein and provide a corresponding output signal . as can be seen in fig1 a and 1b , a detector 120 is provided on the fm stripe 110 at a second location 125 along the stripe length l and positioned relative to the stripe such that the detector 120 can perceive the spin wave 135 . detectors can be positioned to directly or indirectly perceive the spin wave . for example , the detectors of fig1 a and 1b represent one form of indirect detectors . here , the detector is one or more coplanar waveguide strips or metallic leads 185 within which a current is induced by the proximity to the propagating spin wave 135 . fig1 c and 1d show schematics of systems including an enhanced magnetic field detector 190 . in these examples , the detector 190 is a magnetic read head 195 . a read head utilizes the magnetoresistive effect to provide an output signal having a large amplitude relative to small changes in magnetic field . many such devices comprise a stack of at least three layers : ( i ) a pinned layer , ( ii ) a nonmagnetic spacer layer , and ( iii ) a free layer . the pinned layer is a magnetic layer having a generally fixed magnetization direction . the spacer layer is generally nonmagnetic and can comprise a conductive material ( e . g . a metal ), or an insulating material ( e . g . a thin oxide layer ). the free layer comprises a soft magnetic material having a free or unfixed direction of magnetization . in the presence of an external magnetic field ( such as that provided by the propagating spin wave ), the spins of electrons of the free layer change orientation , which causes the resistance of the entire stack to vary . for example , when the spins of the electrons in the free layer are oriented parallel with the spins of electrons of the pinned layer the stack provides the least resistance . as the spins of the free layer are pulled toward antiparallel relative to the pinned layer , the stack resistance increases . thus , a read current or voltage applied to the read head can pick up the changing resistance of the head and provide an output signal corresponding to the spin wave causing the changes in the free layer . one of skill in the art will recognize that the detector signal - to - field ratio can be improved by using a detector having a high magnetoresistance ratio . for this reason , some embodiments use a magnetic tunnel junction arrangement where the spacer layer comprises a thin oxide or other insulating layer . however , detectors should not be limited to such , for example , a spin valve ( having a conductive spacer layer ) can be used . moreover , the stack need not be limited to the three layers described above . many read head or other enhanced magnetic field sensors can be used and all such devices should be considered as within the scope of the invention . fig2 a shows an example of a system 200 including a local magnetoresistive effect ( lmre ) detector 205 coupled to the receiving device b . in this embodiment , the detector 205 is generally structurally analogous to the smt generator 105 of fig1 a and 1b . that is , the detector 205 comprises a stack of layers 210 directly coupled with the fm stripe 110 . for example , the stack 210 can comprise at least three layers : ( i ) a pinned fm layer 215 having a fixed magnetization direction 220 , ( ii ) a nonmagnetic spacer layer 225 , and ( iii ) a segment of the fm stripe 230 . with contrast to the enhanced magnetic field detectors 190 of fig1 c and 1d , where output signal is produced relative to a magnetic field , the resistance of a lmre detector 205 is locally generated by the propagating spin wave 135 . this is due to the incorporation of a segment of the fm stripe 230 in the stack 210 . like the read head above , parallel orientation of the spins of the electrons in the stripe segment 230 and the pinned layer 215 yield a relatively low resistance . as the relative spin orientations of these layers moves toward antiparallel , the resistance of the stack 210 increases . thus , embodiments including a lmre detector have a pinned layer magnetization direction 220 that is not parallel with the magnetization direction of the fm stripe 145 , for example , the magnetization directions can be arranged at a 90 degree angle relative to each other . lmre detectors 205 further include read - out circuitry 235 for applying a read current or voltage 240 to the stack 210 . fluctuations in the lmre detector 205 resistance caused by the propagating spin wave can thus be detected as changes in the read current or voltage 240 . an additional benefit of providing a lmre detector 205 can be seen in the system 200 ′ of fig2 b . here , without changing the system layout of fig2 a , where device a was transmitting a signal 130 to device b , a signal 245 is being transmitted from device b to device a . in other words , the generator 105 coupled with device a in fig2 a is used as a detector 205 for device a in fig2 b . meanwhile , the detector 205 coupled with device b in fig2 a , is used as a generator 105 to generate a spin wave 250 representative of the signal 245 provided by device b in fig2 b . thus , by providing an smt stack according to embodiments of the invention with a switchable connection to input signal 130 , 245 and readout circuitry 235 , 255 , the stack can provide both spin wave generation and detection functionality to a connected device . this allows for devices to be simplified because instead of having to provide both generator and detector structures to accomplish two - way data transfer , only one structure need be provided . for purposes of this application , the terms “ smt device ” and “ smt effect device ” shall generally refer to a stack of layers such as those described herein , irrespective of their function . for example , the term “ smt device ” should be interpreted to include and describe both smt generators and lmre stacks . some magnetic field devices can likewise be used as both generators and detectors . for example , metallic coplanar waveguide strips , can be arranged about the fm stripe such that the strips can both generate a magnetic field ( for creating spin waves ) and sense a magnetic field ( for detecting spin waves and producing an output signal ). with the basic structure having been illustrated , many devices can be built for particular functions . fig3 a shows a device 300 with an fm stripe 305 having branches 310 to function as a splitter 300 . each branch 310 of the stripe 305 includes a detector 120 , 120 ′ positioned thereon . in such embodiments , the data carrying spin waves 130 generated by the generator 105 at a single first location 110 propagate through the branched stripe and reach two separate second locations 125 , 125 ′ along the stripe 305 . thus , a single device a coupled with the generator 105 can simultaneously communicate with multiple receiving devices b , c coupled with each detector 120 , 120 ′. as can be seen in fig3 b , the detectors need not be magnetic field detectors , as shown in fig3 a , but can be replaced with lmre detectors 205 , 205 ′ to accomplish the same splitter function . similarly , a signal mixer 400 with a branched fm stripe 405 and at least two spin wave generators 105 , 105 ′ can be constructed as shown in fig4 a . data in the form of spin waves 130 , 130 ′ generated at the generator locations 115 , 115 ′ can propagate along the branched stripe 405 to be received by a common detector 120 at a single second location 125 . thus , multiple devices a , b can simultaneously communicate with a single receiving device c . for example the data transmitted from devices a , b at each generator 105 , 105 ′ can provide spin waves 130 , 130 ′ at different frequencies f 1 , f 2 . a filter 410 can be included at the receiving device c or the common detector 120 to select a signal having a particular frequency to differentiate between the two sources 105 , 105 ′. the filter 410 can comprise a hardware component coupled with the detector 120 or installed within device c . alternatively , the filter can be a software process implemented within or by a component separate from device c . fig4 b shows the mixer 400 of fig4 a wherein the field detector 120 has been replaced with an lmre detector 205 . one can appreciate that , given the two - way communication capabilities of the lmre detector and generators ( as discussed above ), the mixer 400 ′ of fig4 b is analogous to the splitter 300 ′ of fig3 b . to switch from mixer to splitter , the read - out circuit coupled with the detector 120 can be switched out for a signal input circuit . likewise , the signal input circuits of one or more of the generators 105 , 105 ′ can be switched out for a read - out circuit . thus , the branched fm stripe 405 can transmit a signal generated at the lmre detector 205 to be received by the smt generators 105 , 105 ′. note that if one or more of the generators are not capable of two - way communication , the system of fig4 b is not operational as a splitter with respect to that generator . fig5 a shows a coupler 500 according to embodiments of the invention . the coupler 500 comprises a branched fm stripe 505 having branches 510 for spin wave generators 105 , 105 ′ coupled with input devices a , b and branches 510 for spin wave detectors 120 , 120 ′ coupled with output devices c , d . such a coupler 500 can also be created by providing two separate fm stripes connected at a location . when carried by spin wave packets 130 , 130 ′ of different frequencies e . g . frequencies f 1 and f 2 , the detectors 120 , 120 ′ or their associated devices c , d can include filters 515 to selectively receive one or more of the transmitted signals . likewise , fig5 b shows a system including a branched fm stripe 505 so as to provide a coupler 500 ′. here , it should be noted that detectors 205 , 205 ′ are lmre detectors , allowing for two - way communication . thus , in a system where each generator is also capable of two - way communication , each of the smt stacks 105 , 105 ′, 205 , 205 ′ of fig5 b , can send and receive signals to and from each of the other stacks . the proposed coupler can be extended to a router 600 , or exchanger , with n - branches of an fm stripe 605 coupled with spin wave generators 105 and m - branches of an fm stripe 605 coupled with spin wave detectors 120 as seen in fig6 a . as above , a filter can be connected with each of the detectors 120 or their associated devices for frequency or other signal selection functionality . likewise , fig6 b shows a router 600 ′ arrangement where each generator 105 and detector 205 comprise an smt stack , thus each stack coupled with the router can send or receive signals in the form of spin waves 130 . in the embodiment shown in this figure , the generators and detectors have become indistinguishable because each stack is capable of both generation and detection ( as discussed above ). fig7 shows a schematic of a system 700 , wherein a spin wave generator 705 , detector 710 , and a plurality of intermediate smt stacks 715 have been positioned along a single fm stripe 720 . such an arrangement can be useful , for example , for delivering a spin wave 725 signal between distant ( i . e . where stripe length l is such that spin wave attenuation becomes a concern ) devices a , b . each intermediate smt stack 715 can be used as a repeater to provide for amplification of the spin wave as it propagates through the fm stripe 720 . amplification can be accomplished , for example , by successive detection and retransmission . for example , in this embodiment , each successive intermediate smt stack 715 can detect the spin wave 725 and regenerate a duplicate spin wave to decrease the effects of spin wave attenuation along the length l of the fm stripe 720 . alternatively , each intermediate smt stack 715 can be coupled with a separate device so that each device receives the signal transmitted by the generator 705 . in such an arrangement , each intermediate smt stack 715 can be used to generate a spin wave to be received by all other devices along the fm stripe 720 . one should recognize that the intermediate detectors / generators need not be smt stacks as shown , but rather could be any combination of any of the types of detectors and / or generators described above . thus , embodiments of devices and systems for data transmission using spin waves are disclosed . although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain disclosed embodiments , the disclosed embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation and other embodiments of the invention are possible . one skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes , adaptations , and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims .	6
a vacuum - compression injector 11 of the invention is illustrated in fig1 . therein , an exterior cylindrical housing 13 contains a vacuum chamber 15 and an interior cylindrical chamber 17 . the interior cylindrical chamber 17 contains a movable piston 19 with an o - ring 21 providing an air - tight seal between the piston 19 and the interior of cylindrical chamber 17 . the piston 19 has a piston rod or plunger 23 extending forwardly in the interior chamber 17 and maintained in an axial position by a guide bushing 25 which is held in position by a retaining ring 27 at the right end of the interior chamber 17 in fig1 . the other end of the interior cylindrical chamber 17 contains a port 29 through which air under pressure enters and impinges upon a face 31 of the piston 19 . the right end of the interior cylindrical chamber 17 adjacent to the piston rod guide bushing 25 has a plurality of vents 33 opening through the cylindrical housing 13 to the atmosphere . the air supply port 29 is connected by an air supply line 35 to a two - phase pneumatic switch 37 which , in turn , is connected through an air pressure regulator valve 34 to an air supply source ( not shown ). the air pressure regulator valve 34 has a dial with a central handle 36 to regulate the air pressure to the switch 37 and the supply line 35 . the right end of the cylindrical housing 13 in fig1 has interior threads 38 for threadably joining the tapered base 39 of a generally cylindrical nozzle housing 41 . the cylindrical nozzle housing 41 contains a hollow concentric cylindrical medicament - insert - holder 43 which is spaced from the interior of the cylindrical housing 41 leaving an annular passageway 45 extending from a forward end 47 of the housing 41 back through a plurality of vacuum ports 49 to the vacuum chamber 15 . the vacuum chamber 15 is connected to a second annular passageway 51 contained within the cylindrical housing 13 . this second passageway 51 extends to the end of the housing 13 where it joins a vacuum line 53 . the vacuum line 53 is connected through the two phase pneumatic switch 37 and a vacuum pressure regulator valve 52 to a source of vacuum ( not shown ). the vacuum pressure regulator valve 52 has a dial with a control handle 54 to regulate the vacuum pressure to the switch 37 and the vacuum line 53 . a cylindrical medicament insert 55 ( fig2 ) has an interior cavity 57 for storing a supply of medicament . the medicament insert 55 has an orifice 59 at its forward end 61 and is sealed at its other end by a plunger - plug 63 . as can be seen in fig3 the forward end 47 of the nozzle housing 41 is spaced from the medicament insert holder 43 by a plurality of spacers 65 defining the annular vacuum passageway 45 . the forward end 61 of the medicament insert 55 protrudes through the forward end wall of the insert holder 43 , as shown in fig1 and 3 . the medicament orifice 59 in the insert 55 is centrally located in the forward end 61 of the insert 55 to form a nozzle as can be seen in fig2 and 3 . in an alternative embodiment , not shown , the nozzle is formed integrally with the holder 43 and the insert 55 located therebehind but ; of course , in communication with the passageway leading to orifice 59 . in still another alternative embodiment , the insert is essentially stationary with medicament being supplied thereto from an outside source as required . in another embodiment as illustrated in fig4 , and 6 , a disposable medicament insert 71 has a plurality of nodules 73 positioned about the periphery of its outer surface . the nodules 73 hold the medicament insert 71 in position inside the nozzle housing 41 and a removable forward - end section 75 which is slidably or threadably engaged in the housing 41 . the nodules 73 provide spacing between the medicament insert 71 and the nozzle housing 41 and its forward end section 75 for an annular vacuum passageway 77 . a forward end 79 of the medicament insert 71 contains an orifice 81 and protrudes beyond a cylindrical end 83 of the removable forward end section 75 of the nozzle housing 41 . in still another embodiment as illustrated in fig7 and 8 , the removable forward - end section 75 of the nozzle housing 41 has an oval - shaped end 85 or the like to permit access to somewhat elongated surface areas in an oral cavity , for example . other end - shapes are used to accommodate confined or other areas into which medicament is to be injected . the medicament inserts shown in fig4 through 8 may be constructed from a plastic , or a metal or the like and are preferably disposable . in operation , with a medicament insert 55 in position within the holder 43 of the nozzle housing 41 , the two phase pneumatic switch 37 is initially depressed halfway to open the vacuum source through line 53 and intervening passageway 51 , chamber 15 , and passageway 45 to the forward end 47 of the nozzle housing 41 to draw a patient &# 39 ; s tissue firmly over the forward end 61 of the medicament insert 55 and its orifice 59 . in this manner the tissue is immobilized . the two phase pneumatic switch 37 is then fully depressed to release a charge of compressed air through line 35 to impinge upon the piston face 31 driving the piston 19 forward in the interior chamber 17 . at the same time the piston rod 23 drives the plunger - plug 63 forward in the medicament insert 55 forcing the medicament out through the passageway leading to orifice 59 ( and orifice 59 itself ) with sufficient force to penetrate the soft tissue of the patient . as this occurs air trapped forward of the piston 19 is exhausted from the chamber 17 through the vents 33 to the atmosphere . the depth of penetration of the medicament into the tissue of the patient is controlled by adjusting the control handle 36 of the air pressure regulator valve 34 . this adjustment is made by reference to the dial on the regulator 34 prior to actuation of the switch 37 . in this respect , it has been found that in one embodiment the depth of penetration was limited to only 1 / 4 centimeter at a pressure of 20 psi but extended to 8 . 9 centimeters at a pressure of 110 psi , with different depths of penetration , of course , resulting from different pressures in between . after the injection has been completed , the nozzle housing 41 is unscrewed from the cylindrical housing 13 and the cylindrical medicament insert 55 is removed from the insert holder 43 and disposed of . a new medicament insert 55 containing a medicament charge is then inserted into the holder 43 . pressure is then exerted against the piston rod 23 to return the piston 19 to its aft position in the cylindrical housing 13 and then the housing 41 is again threaded into the cylindrical housing 13 . as has been illustrated , the patient &# 39 ; s tissue is immobilized by using an annular ring of vacuum to draw the patient &# 39 ; s tissue tightly over the orifice of a pressure injector prior to discharging it through the dermis or mucosa so as to prevent the trauma of tearing the tissue and the related post - operative pain . in addition , the replaceable medicament insert 55 with its forward end 61 and orifice 59 provide a completely sanitary and safe means for using the injector on a series of patients or for interchanging the medicaments between injections . in the alternate embodiments of fig4 - 8 forward - end sections 75 may be removed from the nozzle housing 41 after use on one patient and either disposed of and replaced by a new end section 75 or sterilized before treating a second patient . similarly , the medicament insert 71 may also be disposed of after use on one patient . the amount of vacuum employed to draw a patient &# 39 ; s tissue over the forward end section of the medicament insert 55 is controlled by adjusting the control handle 54 of the vacuum pressure regulator valve 52 with reference to the dial on the regulator 52 . while the invention has been particuarly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
as shown in fig1 launcher 10 includes a foldup forward sight 12 and a foldup rear sight 14 both pivotally mounted on a tube 16 . the tube has a firing mechanism 18 mounted thereon as well as a folding shoulder recoil stop 20 and a shoulder carrying strap 22 . end caps 24 close the opposite ends of the tube and thereby protect a rocket carried in the tube . fig2 shows one of the end caps with an end wall 26 provided with scoring 28 which defines a tear strip 30 . a tab 32 is provided for manual severance of the tear strip and is attached to the leading end of the tear strip by a hollow rivet 34 formed in the tear strip and extending through an aperture in the tab with a peripheral bead of the rivet overlapping the tab adjacent the aperture . in the non - use storable condition sights 12 and 14 are folded down from their position shown in fig1 so that they lie along the tube 16 and are protected in transporting and storage . shoulder stop 20 is folded along the tube and held in this position by nylon hook pile means 36 . several launchers may then be stacked upon each other without damaging individual operating parts . when the launcher is to be operated sights 12 and 14 are folded up and shoulder stop 20 is released from its closed position . tabs 32 are manually engaged and pulled to sever end walls 26 from their respective end caps 24 . the launcher is now in condition for firing . in the embodiment shown in fig3 - 5 the launcher is provided with a removable telescope 38 . the telescope is removably mounted on a support bracket 40 which is fixedly attached to the tube section 16 . the launcher shown in this embodiment includes the firing mechanism 18 , shoulder stop 20 and carrying strap 22 as described in the first embodiment . bracket 40 includes a longitudinal recessed slot 42 on the lower side thereof and compression springs 44 are mounted therein to exert an outward force when loaded . the springs are held in the slot by pins 45 . the upper side of bracket 40 is provided with a v - shaped groove 46 . telescope 38 is secured to a frame 48 which includes two cylindrical bars 50 for supporting the telescope on bracket 40 . the forward end cap 52 has an end wall 54 which is secured by adhesive means to a polyethylene foam housing 56 . the housing is partially split and has a plurality of contiguous cavities 57 for supporting the telescope 38 inside the launcher tube as clearly shown in fig5 . an &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; ring 58 is located on the rim 60 of the end cap for sealing the tube . reference numeral 62 shows an aluminum ring that is secured to the tube 16 to stiffen the end of the tube . when cap 52 is placed on the end of the tube its outer edge 64 abuts the aluminum ring and tape 66 secures the cap to the ring . when a launcher of the modification shown in fig3 - 5 is to be used , end cap 52 is removed from the tube section and telescope 38 is taken out of the housing 56 . the lowermost bar 50 of the telescope is placed in recessed slot 42 and the springs 44 compressed while the telescope is rotated to a position where the upper bar 50 engages v - shaped groove 46 . the telescope is now in position for rocket launching . it is noted that for sake of economy only one telescope could be used for several launchers merely by transferring it to a new launcher . thus only one telescope would be enclosed in a specifically marked launcher and a number of other launchers would not be provided with a telescope . the rear end cap 64 would be removed and shoulder stop 20 released from its closed position and the launcher is in condition for firing .	5
before describing the present invention in detail , it is to be understood that unless otherwise indicated , this invention is not limited to specific materials ( e . g ., specific polymers or metals ), processing conditions , manufacturing equipment , or the like , as such may vary . it is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only , and is not intended to be limiting . it must be noted that , as used in this specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ,” “ an ” and “ the ” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . thus , for example , reference to “ a curable polymer ” includes mixtures of curable polymers , reference to “ a microstructure ” includes two or more microstructures , and the like . in describing and claiming the present invention , the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below . the term “ polymer ” is used herein . in its conventional sense to refer to a compound having two or more monomer units , and is intended to encompass homopolymers as well as copolymers and polymer blends . those polymers herein that are referred to as “ curable ” are capable of becoming crosslinked , either thermally , chemically or photolytically , so that a cured polymeric matrix may be provided . the terms “ microstructure ,” “ micropart ” and “ microcomponent ” are used interchangeably herein to refer to a three - dimensional solid structure whose height , width ( or diameter ) or length is less than about 100 microns , i . e ., at least one dimension of the three - dimensional structure is less than about 100 microns . the term “ aspect ratio ” is used herein in its conventional sense to refer to the ratio of an object &# 39 ; s height to its width ( or diameter ). high aspect ratio structures are thus prepared using molds ( such as liga molds ) having voids , or recesses , that are extremely narrow relative to their height . the invention thus features a method for preparing multi - layered microstructures using liga micro - machining processes . the method is capable of producing cantilevered microparts without post processing gluing or diffusion bonding of separately processed microcomponents or electroplating of additional sacrificial metal layers . using the method of the invention , it is possible to fabricate entire systems of devices from a single substrate . in the method , a plating base is initially provided . this plating base may be a metal substrate , a silicon or glass substrate , a thick photoresist sheet , or a variety of other materials , including a silicon semiconductor wafer with or without electronic circuitry thereon . if an insulating substrate is utilized , metallic layers may be bonded to the surface of the wafer in order to provide conductive means or in order to create a “ sacrificial ” metal layer . the use of sacrificial metal layers to form movable microstructures is presented in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 190 , 637 to guckel et al . the metal layers can be deposited by any conventional method , i . e ., thermal evaporation , e - beam , sputtering , or the like . in one embodiment , a tri - layered metal laminate is deposited onto the surface of a silicon wafer to form the plating base . the first metal layer provides an adhesion layer that assists in the application of the plating layer which constitutes the center layer . the final layer improves adhesion of the polymer layer that is subsequently deposited onto the plating base and protects the inner plating layer from the chemicals used to develop the exposed polymer layer . each of the metal layers has a thickness in the range of about 500 å to about 5000 å , preferably about 1000 å to about 2000 å . a titanium - copper - titanium laminate is the preferred laminate , although other laminates such as titanium - nickel - titanium or chromium - copper - chromium , etc . may be used . once the plating base has been provided , a first level microstructure is formed on the plating base . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , preparation of a liga fabricated microstructure involves deposition of a first polymer layer of an x - ray radiation degradable polymer on a plating base having a conductive surface , which may or may not be pretreated with an adhesion - promoting layer such as a metal oxide ( e . g ., oxides of titanium and / or copper ) or with a silanization reagent such as methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane , to facilitate adhesion of the resist to the surface of the plating base . suitable polymers degradable by x - ray radiation may comprise , for example , poly ( methylmethacrylate ) (“ pmma ”) or copolymers thereof such as poly ( methyl methacrylate - co - t - butylmethacrylate ), a poly ( lactide ) such as poly ( lactide - co - glycolide ), polymethacrylamide , polyoxymethylene , polyalkenesulfone , or poly ( glycidylmethacrylate - co - ethyl acrylate ). the polymer layer is deposited using any of a number of conventional techniques ,. e . g ., sequential spin coating or the like . in a preferred embodiment , an adhesive composition is spin coated or otherwise deposited onto the plating base , thickened by removal of the solvent or optionally cured using a suitable curing agent to form an adhesive layer and then covered with a preformed sheet of pmma . suitable adhesive compositions will be well known to those skilled in the art and include solutions of poly ( methylmethacrylates ) and copolymers thereof . a particularly preferred adhesive composition is a solution of 5 % w / w high molecular weight pmma , i . e ., pmma having a mw of at least 2 , 000 kd , in chlorobenzene . the adhesive composition may be cured using a suitable chemical agent and / or heating ( generally in the presence of a cross - linking agent ) or may be hardened by solvent removal . for 5 % w / w pmma , the composition may be hardened by heating to around 180 ° c . for a minimum of about 1 hour , preferably for at least 2 hours or , alternatively , may be heating to around 55 ° c . under vacuum for a time sufficient to remove the solvent . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the length of time required to evaporate the solvent or crosslink the polymer is a function of temperature and / or vapor pressure , e . g ., long periods of time are required at lower temperatures and higher atmospheric pressures . a preformed sheet of pmma is then solvent bonded to the cured polymer layer thus forming the first polymer layer . preformed sheets of pmma are commercially available , i . e . from goodfellow corporation , berwyn , pa . or rohm gmbh , darmstadt , germany . adhesion between the pmma sheet and the adhesive layer may be readily obtained by utilizing a methylmethacrylate ( mma ) monomer liquid applied to the interface between the preformed sheet and the adhesive layer . those skilled in the art will appreciate that other monomer liquids ( optionally containing additives , particularly cross - linking agents ) will also be suitable to bond the polymer sheet to the adhesive layer . once adhered to the plating base , the first polymer layer may be mechanically worked , as by milling , to reduce the thickness of the first polymer layer to a precise height above the surface of the plating base , e . g ., by using commercially available micromilling equipment . generally the first polymer layer will be milled to a height in the range of about 100 μm to about 800 μm , with a range of about 200 μm to about 400 μm being more customary . the deposited first polymer layer is irradiated using x - ray radiation , such as from a synchrotron , and an x - ray mask to provide the desired pattern of exposed , dissolvable areas . following exposure , the first polymer layer is developed using a suitable solvent to remove the irradiated areas . a preferred developing solvent , known as “ gg developer ,” is comprised of 60 % v / v diethyl glycol butyl ether , 20 % v / v morpholine 5 % v / v ethanolamine , and 15 % v / v water . other suitable developing solutions are known in the art and are discussed in madue ( 1995 ) fundamentals of microfabrication , crc press , inc . p . 291 . the resulting mold is comprised of a substrate having a patterned relief structure on the substrate surface made up of elevated segments ( i . e ., the undeveloped resist ) with corresponding voids therebetween . if a tri - layered laminate has been applied to the plating base , the upper layer exposed by the removal of the irradiated areas of the first polymer layer is also removed to expose the mid - layer underneath . the upper layer may be removed by any conventional method including plasma etching , wet etching or the like . the resultant first level mold is then electroplated using conventional electroplating techniques with a selected metal or metal alloy such as cu , au , ni , feni , pt , ag , nico , or the like . typically , the metal is overplated and then lapped and polished to form a substantially planar surface of the desired final thickness . suitable lapping methods are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 718 , 618 to guckel et al . and are well known in the art . the remaining unexposed areas of the first polymer layer may be removed using any suitable chemical and / or thermal method , i . e ., dissolution in acetone or in any suitable organic solvent , heating , dissolution in heated solvent , ashing in an oxygen plasma or the like . it should be noted that the first level microstructures may also be fabricated using other techniques , as alluded to above . liga methods are preferred , however , insofar as such methods can provide high aspect ratio microstructures . the aspect ratio of the microstructures prepared herein , using liga molds , can be 20 : 1 or even 40 : 1 or higher . next , the first level microstructure is covered and surrounded by a layer of conductive polymer comprised of conductive particles in a suitable polymer . the conductive polymer is generally deposited as a curable polymer that is then allowed to crosslink for a suitable amount of time at room temperature , usually at least about an hour . once properly cured , the conductive polymer is machined down to a substantial planar surface at a level sufficient to expose the surface of the first layer microstructure . it is generally preferred that prior to polymer deposition , the exposed surface of the first level microstructure is treated with an adhesion - promoting layer as discussed above . the conductive particles comprise in the range of about 60 % w / w to about 80 % w / w of the conductive polymer , preferably in the range of about 65 % w / w to about 75 % w / w and most preferably comprise about 70 % w / w of the conductive polymer . additives such as adhesion promoters may also be included . suitable conductive particles include , silver , copper , gold , carbon powders , or mixtures thereof , and are not greater in diameter than the smallest feature in the desired final microstructure . a particularly suitable metal particle is silver flake , from alcatan metal powders . the presence of the conducting particles serves to decrease the coefficient of thermal expansion , thus reducing interfacial stresses caused by exposure to the radiation source . the polymer element of the conductive polymer may be any polymer that can be chemically and / or thermally removed from the electroplated microstructure without causing damage to the microstructure . generally , however , the polymer will be pmma or a copolymer thereof as such polymers are readily available and easily removed . a pmma / silver composition is preferred . the upper surface of conductive polymer and the exposed surface of the first layer microstructure are then covered by a metal sealing layer . the metal layer hermetically seals the surface of the conductive polymer , protecting it from the developer used later during the process . the metal layer may be of any metal that adheres well to the conducting polymer and is easily removable . titanium is preferred as it is readily removable with gas etching . the metal layer may be applied by thermal evaporation and will be in the range of about 100 å to about 2000 å in thickness , normally in the range of about 500 å to about 1500 å , and generally about 1000 å thick . a second polymer layer is then deposited onto the metal sealing layer or onto an adhesion - promoting layer as above , deposited on the metal sealing layer . the first and second polymer layers may be the same or different , but will generally be the same . in order to avoid delamination of the metal sealing layer , excessive heating can not be used during the curing or solvent removal of the second adhesive layer . for example , when the 5 % v / v pmma adhesive composition is used , the solvent is removed by heating to about 55 ° c . under vacuum for a period of at least about 24 hours , preferably for at least about 2 days . once the second adhesive composition is applied and suitably cured or hardened , the second polymer sheet is solvent bonded to the second adhesive layer thereby forming the second polymer layer . the second polymer sheet may be milled to a desired height either before or after bonding to the second adhesive layer . the second polymer layer is subsequently irradiated using x - ray radiation , such as from a synchrotron , and an x - ray mask to provide the desired pattern of exposed , dissolvable areas . alignment of the x - ray masks used in the photoresist layers can be obtained by creating fiducial marks or mechanical alignment structures during exposure of each layer and then using these alignment structures or fiducial marks to obtain mechanical registration between each layer and a subsequent layer . optical alignment methods are also known in the art and may be used as well . following exposure , the second polymer layer is developed using a suitable solvent , as discussed above . removal of the irradiated areas in the second polymer layer reveals the underlying areas of the metal sealing layer which are then removed via plasma etching . the portions of the conductive polymer and first level microstructure revealed when areas of the metal sealing layer are removed serve as the plating base for the second level microstructure . the cantilevered areas of the second level microstructure are plated onto the surface of the exposed portions of the conductive polymer layer . as before , the second level microstructure is overplated and then lapped and polished to a desired height . finally , the remainder of the unexposed second polymer layer , the metal sealing layer and the conductive polymer layer are removed , leaving behind the multi - layered liga microstructure . the unexposed second polymer layer , the metal sealing layer and the conductive polymer layer may all . be removed as discussed above . if desired , the process can be repeated so as to add additional microstructure levels . the method of the invention is illustrated schematically in fig1 where the plating base is shown generally at 10 . the first polymer layer 12 is deposited onto the plating base 10 and exposed to a radiation source 14 , such as from a synchrotron , and a patterning mask 16 to provide the desired pattern of dissolvable areas in the first polymer layer 18 . the dissolvable areas 18 are removed and the resulting void electroplated , thus forming the first level microstructure 20 . the remaining areas of the first polymer layer are removed to reveal the first level microstructure 20 . next , the first level microstructure 20 is covered and surrounded by a conductive polymer layer 22 and once the conductive polymer layer has been lapped and polished to expose the surface of the first level microstructure 20 , a metal sealing layer 24 is applied . second polymer layer 26 is deposited on the metal sealing layer 24 and a pattern of dissolvable areas in the second polymer layer 30 is provided by exposure to radiation source 14 and a second patterning mask 28 . when the dissolvable areas in the second polymer layer 30 are removed , underlying areas of metal sealing layer 24 are exposed . the exposed areas of the metal sealing layer are then removed , revealing the underlying areas of the conductive polymer layer 22 and the first level microstructure 20 . the second level microstructure 32 is electroformed into the void provided by the removal of the dissolvable areas of the second polymer layer and the underlying metal sealing layer . the remaining portions of the second polymer layer 26 , the metal sealing layer 24 and the conductive polymer layer 22 are then removed , providing the finished multi - layered cantilevered liga microstructure 34 . prior to use , the microstructures are optionally removed from the substrate surface , e . g ., mechanically , chemically , and / or by removal of any sacrificial release layer that may be incorporated . a poly ( methyl methacrylate ) release layer can be removed , for example , by immersion in a pmma solvent such as acetone . if the - microstructures are to be used on the base , the base area surrounding each microstructure may be etched or otherwise treated so as to electrically isolate each microstructure . the processes of the invention thus provide multi - level microstructures , i . e ., microcomponents having micron or submicron dimensions . the present method is readily scaled up to provide a viable manufacturing process for the fabrication of such microstructures . the method allows for the formation of continuous cantilevered microparts having all the benefits of liga methods . that is to say , the method allows for the fabrication of cantilevered , high aspect ratio components that are free from discontinuities , and does not require the use of a sacrificial metal layer to surround and cover each fabricated layer of microstructures . the invention is useful in a host of applications and technical fields , including mems fabrication and semiconductor processing , information storage , medical diagnostics , optics , and the manufacture of structural materials . for example , the present invention is useful in the preparation of mirrors , fiber positioners , multiplexers , demultiplexers , switches , variable capacitors , transformers , and the like . it is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred specific embodiments thereof , the foregoing description , as well as the examples which follow , are intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention . other aspects , advantages and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . all patents , patent applications , journal articles and other references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entireties . the following example is put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to make and use the materials of the invention , and is not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their invention . efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers ( e . g ., amounts , temperature , etc .) but some errors and deviations should be accounted for . unless indicated otherwise , parts are parts by weight , temperature is in ° c . and pressure is at or near atmospheric . for the first level , a pre - fabricated copper microstructure was used . the substrate was a 3 mm thick copper plate and the existing copper microstructure was a 1 mm thick pattern . the first level microstructure was covered in conducting poly ( methylemethacrylate ) “ pmma ” containing 70 % w / w silver particles ( silver flake , alcatan metal powders ) mixed with a pmma based adhesive ( ps - 30 acrylic adhesive , caseway industruial products ). the conducting pmma was lapped and polished until the first level microstructure broke through the surface . the conducting pmma and surface of the first level microstructure were coated with approximately 1000 å of titanium by thermal evaporation . a layer of high molecular pmma ( nano 2200 pmma c5 , manufactured by microchem corp ., newton mass .) was spin coated onto the titanium layer . the spun pmma was thickened by heating at 55 ° c . for two days under rough vacuum ( 50 mtorr ). sheet pmma ( 1 . 6 mm thick clinical grade from goodfellow , berwyn , pa .) was solvent bonded with methylmethacrylate ( 99 % pure , aldrich chemical , milwaukee , wis .) and flycut down to 500 μm . an x - ray mask containing a gear pattern for a rotary motor was placed onto the surface of the sheet pmma and the pmma and mask were placed in a standard aluminum exposure frame . the pmma and mask assembly were then exposed to the x - ray radiation at the stanford synchrotron radiation laboratory . the exposed pmma was then chemically developed using the standard liga gg developer ( 60 % diethyl glycol butyl ether , 20 % morpholine , 5 % ethanolamine , and 15 % water , all by volume ). two innovative aspect of the inventive process are evident at this point . first , in previous attempts at multilevel liga , the pmma or polymer surrounding the first level microstructure inevitably gets exposed to the x - ray radiation . because of the difference in density between the exposed and the unexposed pmma , the exposed pmma would crack . in the present process , since the pmma surrounding the first level pmma was 70 % silver , the density change of the exposed areas was not sufficient to cause mechanical failure . the second innovation involves the titanium seal which prevented the gg developed from attacking the exposed conducting pmma . next , the titanium seal accessible through the developed areas of the exposed pmma was plasma etched with fluorine ( 150 w , 50 mtorr , 100 sccm , cf 4 ). the second level microstructures were then electroformed using a copper sulfate bath ( cubath , enthone - omi , conn .). the cantilevered parts of the second level microstructures were plated from the conducting pmma . the non - cantilevered parts were plated directly from the first level microstructure without discontinuity . the second level microstructure was then lapped and polished to about 480 μm . the first level conducting pmma and the second level pmma was then dissolved ( one day in acetone and another day in methylene chloride ) resulting in a two level part . the remaining titanium sealing layer was plasma etched away as before . sem photographs of the prepared microstructures , magnified 35 ×, 35 × and 100 ×, are presented in fig2 and 4 , respectively .	7
fig1 shows an inflated floor 1 which is surrounded by a circumferentially extending air tube 2 forming a peripheral collar . the floor 1 can comprise a plurality of chambers and is formed of at least two parallel plies 3 , 4 which are connected to one another by spacer webbing 5 and are thus held parallel to one another with avoidance of bulges . the diameter of the circumferentially extending air tube 2 is more than twice as large as the height of the floor 1 . on the circumferentially extending air tube 2 there are supported upwardly arcuately curving air tubes which constitute the support elements 6 for a roof and wall structure . the support elements 6 can be connected by simple wall plies , provided if required with insulating layers . the support elements 6 bear holder 7 from which the closed capsule can be suspended and transported in a suspended condition . fig2 and 3 show plan view of the floor of two embodiments , the floor 1 in fig2 being -- as indicated -- formed for two persons and the floor 1 according to fig3 being formed for four persons . in both cases , the floor 1 is formed substantially rectangularly , with , however , sloping corners , so that in both cases a substantially hexagonal form of the floor 1 is produced . fig4 shows a plan view of another embodiment of the rescue capsule which is suitable for receiving three people . the bottom 1 &# 39 ; of this rescue capsule has a long end 8 and a narrow end 9 . two longitudinal sides 10 extend slightly inclined towards one another at first and , shortly before the narrow end 9 , form more strongly convergent sections 11 in order to provide the transition to the narrow end 9 . fig4 to 7 show that an arcuately shaped tube 12 forms the support for the sloping roof walls , which are formed of tarpaulins . the floor 1 &# 39 ; is , in the embodiments illustrated in fig4 to 7 , surrounded by a plurality of aid tubes 14 , 15 , 16 . the floor 1 &# 39 ; is -- as fig7 shows -- formed by two parallel plies 3 &# 39 ; 4 &# 39 ;, which are connected together by spacer webbing 5 &# 39 ;. the floor is pumped up with a relatively high pressure of 0 . 5 to 1 bar and is therefore made relatively hard . it is surrounded and retained by a first air tube 14 . the air tube 14 has a diameter which is relatively small but which forms a peripheral collar relative to the floor 1 &# 39 ;. on this first tube there is fixed a second tube 15 , which has the same dimensions and the same cross - section . the second tube 15 is connected to the tube 12 which is formed in a curve . the tubes 12 , 14 , 15 are pumped up with a relatively high pressure between 0 . 5 and 1 bar . the first tube 14 is surrounded by a third tube 16 having a substantially greater cross - sectional diameter , the part of the third tube 16 which projects beyond the first tube 14 extending downwardly and radially outwardly of the first tube 14 . the third tube 16 has a diameter which is at least twice that of the first tube 14 , but is pumped up with only a lower pressure of the order of magnitude of 0 . 01 to 0 . 1 bar . a downwardly convexly curved wall 17 , which terminates at the other side of the third tube 16 , forms a pressure free chamber 18 with the third tube and the floor 1 &# 39 ;. in order to ensure the convex curvature of the wall 17 , which due to lack of pressure in the chamber 18 has to be produced only by the weight of the flexible wall 17 or the preforming thereof , and to maintain it during the transportation of the rescue capsule , it may be suitable to provide a weight 19 , for example in the form of a lead chain , in the lower middlepoint of the flexible wall 17 . closely beneath the third tube 16 , the wall 17 has air outlet openings 20 , which enable a rapid escape of the air from the chamber 18 . further air outlet openings for the chamber 18 can be provided in the floor 1 &# 39 ;. if these air outlet openings 20 are not sufficient , additional air outlet openings can be provided . the stability of the rescue capsule illustrated in fig4 to 7 is produced exclusively by the strongly inflated tubes 14 , 15 , 12 and the similarly inflated floor 1 &# 39 ;. the third tube 16 , which together with the first tube 14 forms a double tube arrangement , serves for shock absorption in case the rescue capsule , hanging from the helicopter , intentionally or unintentionally falls from a small height ( max . about 3 m ) to the ground . this can happen unintentionally when the helicopter plunges as a result of air turbulence . the third tube 16 , with its relatively small pressure , is compressed or bent upwardly by the weight of the rescue capsule , so that the capsule finally comes to rest with the first peripheral tube 14 and the floor 1 &# 39 ; on the ground . the third tube 16 thus only has the function of damping an impact of the capsule on the ground . the shock - absorbing damping of the third tube 16 is further reinforced by the formation of a pressure - free air chamber 18 at the underside of the rescue capsule . the deposition of the capsule on the peripheral first tube 14 and the floor 1 &# 39 ; is slightly delayed by the air escaping from the chamber 18 through the air outlet openings 20 . any shape - defining reinforcement provided in the flexible wall 17 must in that case be so formed that it immediately deflects upwardly under the weight of the capsule and enables the flexible wall 17 to lie flat beneath the floor 1 &# 39 ; within the briefest time . the air outflow through the air outlet openings 20 must occur so quickly that the capsule is in fact shock - damped on reaching the ground , but not cushioned unstably so that it can tip over . the rescue capsule formed in accordance with fig4 to 7 thus allows an effective shock absorption even in the case of a non - vertical arrival of the capsule on the ground . the laterally protruding third tube 16 , which is pumped up with only a low pressure , ensures that a lateral impact of the rescue capsule is effectively damped , so that a safe transportation of the injured with the rescue capsule -- even in suspension under a helicopter -- is possible . the form of the floor 1 &# 39 ; of the rescue capsule apparent from fig4 makes possible the transportation of this capsule in an inflated condition on a truck , if this should be expedient . the shape of the capsule suggests that two people be arranged with their heads to the wide end 8 and one person be laid in the opposite direction on the floor 1 &# 39 ;. in each floor region , openings can be provided in the two plies 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ; and in the spacer webbing 5 &# 39 ; in order to make possible the ventilation of the chamber 18 in the required and , if necessary load - dependent manner . if necessary , ventilation openings must be provided in the walls 13 . it is particularly effective if sick - beds , likewise formed of inflated spaced webbing , are laid on the floor 1 &# 39 ;. the shock - damping , effective for the injured , which is produced by the floor 1 &# 39 ; is still further improved by the sick - beds . this is particularly the case if , by a deposition of the rescue capsule on a ground from which pointed objects project , the floor 1 &# 39 ; should be partially damaged . the sick - beds can be formed so that , when provided in the right number for the particular rescue capsule , they form a complete second floor . it can be seen that the concept of the closed capsule for the transportation of injured people offers considerable advantages and completely new treatment possibilities . while the preferred application of the present invention has been shown and described , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications are possible without departing from the invention concept herein described . it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	0
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . however , it will be understood by those 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 so as not to obscure the present invention . unless specifically stated otherwise , as apparent from the following discussions , it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as “ processing ”, “ computing ”, “ calculating ”, “ determining ”, or the like , refer to the action and / or processes of a computer or computing system , or similar electronic computing device , that manipulate and / or transform data represented as physical , such as electronic , quantities within the computing system &# 39 ; s registers and / or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system &# 39 ; s memories , registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . embodiments of the present invention may include apparatuses for performing the operations herein . this apparatus may be specially constructed for the desired purposes , or it may comprise a general purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer . such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium , such as , but is not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disks , optical disks , cd - roms , magnetic - optical disks , read - only memories ( roms ), random access memories ( rams ) electrically programmable read - only memories ( eproms ), electrically erasable and programmable read only memories ( eeproms ), magnetic or optical cards , or any other type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions , and capable of being coupled to a computer system bus . the processes and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus . various general purpose systems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein , or it may prove convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the desired method . the desired structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description below . in addition , embodiments of the present invention are not described with reference to any particular programming language . it will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the inventions as described herein . it is understood that a specification location may refer to a retailer , business , store , shopping mall , restaurant , entertainment center , movie theatre , cinema complex , airport , bus stop , train station , franchise or a group of franchises or any other place that may have interest or interest in sending messages associated with that place . now turning to fig1 a , there is shown a diagram ( 100 ) illustrating localization of a wireless device according to embodiments of the present invention . a wireless device , such as wireless communication device 102 may be associated with a crude location such as target device coarse location ( tdcl ) 104 . a specification location within tdcl 104 such as retailer 108 and retailer 106 may receive a signal , via a network such as distributed network 112 , to initiate poling for target device 102 . optionally , additional information such as an identifier of target device 102 may also be received retailers 108 and 106 . retailers 106 and 108 may scan for target device 102 within a coverage area such as retailer coverage areas ( rca ) 118 and 120 ( respectively ). retailer 106 may detect target device 102 within rca 118 . thus , an exemplary mode of no - click check - in may be achieved wherein wireless communication device 102 was detected within rca 118 without a dedicated application turned on or running in the background . according to some embodiments , additional retailers such as retailer 110 , which are outside , excluded , extraneous , extrinsic or foreign to target device coarse location 104 may refrain from scanning for target device 102 . according to some embodiments , retailer 106 may detect target device 102 within rca 118 and subsequently may relay information via the distributed network 112 . detection of target device 102 may cause retailer 108 to conclude poling for target device 102 . turning now to fig1 b , target device there is shown a diagram ( 200 ) illustrating localization of a wireless device according to embodiments of the present invention . it is understood that elements 200 - 220 are substantially similar to elements 100 - 120 of fig1 a in accordance to some embodiments of the present invention . in this example , retailers 206 and 208 are within tdcl 204 and may poll for target device 202 within rca 218 and 220 ( accordingly ). in this example target device 202 is not within rca 218 or 220 , thus retailers 206 and 208 may not detect target device 202 . according to some embodiments , retailers 206 and 208 may pole for target device 202 continuously , intermittently or may stop polling after a predetermined length of time , or when target device 202 is no longer detected within a tdcl in which they reside , or when receiving a signal via distributed network 212 to conclude poling . turning now to fig1 c , target device there is shown a diagram ( 300 ) illustrating localization of a wireless device according to embodiments of the present invention . it is understood that elements 300 - 320 are substantially similar to elements 100 - 120 of fig1 a in accordance to some embodiments of the present invention . in this example , target device 302 may be associated with a crude location such as target device coarse location ( tdcl ) 304 . retailers 310 and 306 may initiate poling for target device 302 and may scan for target device 102 within a coverage area such as retailer coverage areas ( rca ) 322 and 318 ( respectively ). additional retailers such as retailer 308 , which are outside , excluded , extraneous , extrinsic or foreign to target device coarse location 304 may refrain from scanning for target device 302 . turning now to fig2 is shown a diagram ( 700 ) illustrating some of the functional elements of an exemplary system for localizing and messaging a wireless communication device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . a communication device such as target device 702 may be associated with a crude location such as tdcl 704 . tdcl may be determined based on one or more known location estimation algorithms based on the specific solutions associated with target device 702 . accordingly , tdcl 704 may be based on wifi hotspots , cellular based , gps or other depicted by coarse location detection facilitating devices / systems 705 and may be calculated / derived / determined at the target device or relayed to the target device via a gateway or base station ( not shown ). tdcl 704 may be relayed to a localization server such as localization and messaging server ( lms ) 706 . according to some embodiments of the present invention , lms 706 may include a controller such as controller 708 , a communication module such as ip network communication module ( ipncm ) 710 for carrying out communication to and from lms 706 , and databases for storing information . some of the databases may include : an identification database such as device identifier database 712 , for storing unique identifiers of communication devices associated with a first type of network , a secondary identification database such as device mac address database 714 , for storing unique identifiers of communication devices associated a second or more type of networks , and a specification location database such as retailer location database 716 , for storing geographical / location information of retailers . according to some embodiments of the present invention , lms 706 may receive information ( which may include a unique identifier , tdcl and more ) from target device 702 via a network such as distributed network 720 . lms 706 may compare the received unique identifier to device identifier database 712 to determine if target device 702 is stored / enrolled in lms 706 . furthermore , device mac address database 714 may retrieve secondary addresses associated with the same target device . lms may review / go over / scan retailer location database 716 to determine which ( if any ) of the stored / enrolled retailers are located within the tdcl 704 . in our example , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , two specification location are depicted as residing within tdcl 704 : retailer 724 and retailer 722 . accordingly , lms 706 may relay triggers to the retailers 722 and 724 to scan or pole for target device 702 . retailer 722 may activate one or more poling signals associated with a specific secondary address , received from device mac address database 714 . retailer 724 may substantially proceed as described above for retailer 722 . in our example , in accordance with some embodiments , target device 702 may be detected by retailer 724 and may acknowledge detection . in response to receipt of acknowledgement or detection retailer 724 may signal to lms 706 that target device 702 is within its retailer coverage area ( as described in fig1 a - c ). in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention , lms 706 may respond to a confirmation or notification of detection of target device 702 by notifying a push server , such as push notification server 750 , that a detection has been made . lms 702 may forward information such as target device unique address associated with a first network and additional unique address associated with secondary networks , rca in which target device 702 was found , retailer that found target device 702 and more . furthermore , information such as which message / content of the message to be sent , compiled statistics ( for example : tally of visits to retailer 724 ), conditional logic and parameters for determining the content of the message may either be relayed to or stored on push notification server 750 . in accordance with some embodiments , push notification server 750 may relay the message to target device 702 , this may be executed via the cdan or anyone of the additional or secondary networks to access target device 702 including activating local nodes associated with retailer 724 . in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention , push notification server 750 may be functionally associated with lms 706 , or it may be integral or included in lms 706 . notification server 750 may further be associated with a group of lms servers and may also receive information and messages to push from systems other than localization and messaging servers . in accordance with some embodiments , a push notification server may be associated with a specification location stations discussed in detail below . turning now to fig3 a , a flow chart ( 800 ) including steps of various methods by which a system for localizing a wireless communication device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention may function . an application running on a target device may sense a change in location ( step 802 ). the application may then transmit coarse location to a lms ( step 804 ). the lms may check for retailers having messaging stations ( retailer stations ) within the coarse location ( step 806 ). if the lms detects such retailers within the coarse location , the lms may send to the one or more identified / detected retailer stations a mac address of the target device radio ( s ) ( step 808 ). the retailer station may receive a mac address of the target device radio and may transmit a mac based poling signal from a local radio included or associated with the retailer station ( step 810 ). it is understood with regard to step 808 and step 810 , that the mac address being sent may be several mac addresses associated with the same target device ( for example : wifi address , bluetooth address and more ) and that the retailer may poll for the target device on several different local radios ( for example , bluetooth , wifi or other ). the retailer station may receive an acknowledgement from the target device if it is within the retailer &# 39 ; s rca ( step 812 ). if a target device is detected within the rca of a given retailer , the retailer may further transmit to the lms an indication that the target device is within the given retailer &# 39 ; s rca ( step 814 ). turning now to fig3 b , a flow chart ( 900 ) including steps of various methods by which a system for messaging a wireless communication device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention may function . it is understood that step 914 may be substantially the same as step 814 of fig3 a . and that the steps of flow chart 900 may follow some or all of the steps of flow chart 800 . a lms may check for a unique identifier of the target device ( step 916 ), this may also include unique identifiers associated with secondary networks and the lms may forward the unique identifiers associated with a first or secondary networks to a push notification server , as well as a message associated with the retailer that the target device was found within its rca ( step 918 ). turning now to fig3 c , a flow chart ( 1000 ) including steps of various methods by which initialization of a system for localization and messaging a wireless communication device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention may function . a target device may subscribe to an application or loyalty program for example by downloading an application for localizing and messaging a communication device ( step 1002 ). optionally a user may then choose different configurations including enabling no - click check in for example . the target device may send to an lms information relating to the device such as unique identifier of first and / or subsequent networks , personal information ( age , income , home location , work location , hobbies etc ), configuration selections ( enable no - click check in , selection of preferred retailers ) and more ( step 1004 ). upon receipt of the information the lms may store the information in databases ( step 1006 ). the information may be stored in manner to enable withdrawal of secondary identifiers , personal information and more when receiving a unique identifier substantially identical to a stored unique identifier . turning now to fig4 , a block diagram ( 2000 ) of a specification location is shown , in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . a specification location such as retailer messaging station ( rms ) 2001 may include one or more local communication nodes such as antenna ( s ) 2006 . antenna ( s ) 2006 may include different types of radios such as wifi , bluetooth , gps , cellular and more . rms 2001 may receive a trigger to its controller 2002 and cause one or more of antenna ( s ) 2006 to poll for a transceiver of a target device . if a target device is detected within an rca of rms 2001 , rms 2001 may trigger a message to be pushed to the target device . according to some embodiments of the present invention , rms 2001 may also include an updatable memory module such as memory / database 2004 - for storing information associated with a message to be pushed to polled targeted devices : for example : content of a message , parameter dependant messages ( how many times has the target device been detected at rms 2001 etc ). rms 2001 may further include a messaging server , such as push notification server 2008 for pushing a message to the detected device . the server may be integral or associated with rms 2001 . furthermore push notification server 2008 may utilize antenna ( s ) ( 2006 ) for sending the message .	7
the invention disclosed herein is an active suture that may be used to deliver one or more therapeutic liquids to the direct vicinity of the wound , in a continuous or discontinuous fashion , over an extended period of time , without the need for additional invasive devices or procedures , without substantially increasing the amount of material that must be metabolized by the body , and without the need for investment in auxiliary devices or equipment . deployment of the active suture in tissue may be conducted without the need for cannulas and guide wires commonly used with conventional infusion catheters . the active suture 10 , schematically depicted in fig1 a , comprises a braided suture 14 with one or more internal passageway 12 capable of conducting and expelling a therapeutic fluid into at least a portion of the braided suture . the active suture may be connected to a suture needle 16 at the distal end . the internal passageway that is located in at least a portion of the suture may extend from the suture and a connector 18 may be fitted to the proximal end of the said passageway to enable fluid communication between an external fluid reservoir and the internal passageway 12 contained within the active suture . the connector 18 may be designed to directly accommodate a variety of conventional fluid reservoirs , including but not limited to a syringe , or conventional medical tubing attached to intravenous ( iv ) delivery systems or a variety of fluid infusion pumps , such as described in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 626 , 392 , 6 , 626 , 855 , 5 , 284 , 481 and 5 , 080 , 652 . as described in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 626 , 392 and 6 , 626 , 855 an inflatable reservoir 34 produced from an elastomeric polymer may be attached in series between the connector 18 and the syringe fitting 20 . a syringe may be attached to the syringe fitting 20 and used to inflate the reservoir . a variety of commercially available fittings including but not limited to : luer locks , one - way valves , two - way valves , and t - fittings may be used . specially made fittings that limit connection of the active suture to a specific reservoir , syringe , or fluid source may be used in lieu of commercially available fittings . other accessory components as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 626 , 855 that filter fluids or limit or block flow may be integral to the fluid source . additional devices that measure flow rate , for example as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 371 , 937 , may be incorporated into the tubing used to connect the infusion pump to the active suture . fluid may be delivered from an external fluid source , through the connector and internal passageway and out the interstices of the braided suture to tissue surrounding the suture before , during , or after the wound closure procedure . the pressures exerted on or by the external fluid source may exceed any pressures that can evolve within the braided suture due to capillary or diffusional phenomena . further , by controlling the pressures exerted on or by the external fluid source , the supply of fluid may be regulated and the fluid delivery rate may be actively controlled . alternatively , as depicted in fig1 b , the active suture 10 may be connected to a suture needle 16 at the distal end and a connector 18 may be fitted to the proximal end of the internal passageway 12 to enable fluid communication between an external fluid reservoir and the internal passageway 12 of the active suture . the connector 18 may be designed to directly accommodate a variety of conventional fluid reservoirs , including but not limited to syringes , fluid pumps or intravenous ( iv ) delivery systems . as shown in fig1 b , the connector may fit around both the internal passageway and braided suture of the device . a critical component of the active suture is the internal passageway for conducting fluid to the interstices of the braided suture . transverse cross - sectional views of a braided suture taken along 2 - 2 of fig1 a or 1 b that contain an internal passageway are schematically depicted in fig2 a , 2 b , 3 a and 3 b . as shown in fig2 a , the lumen 12 of a polymeric tube 24 that is incorporated into a braided suture 14 may serve as the internal passageway . as shown in fig2 b , the tube 24 may contain a slit or fine opening 15 along its entire length to serve as a channel for fluid egress into the braided suture 14 . tubes used as the internal passageways that are incorporated into the braided sutures may take a variety of cross - sectional shapes including but not limited to circular , rectangular , and triangular . likewise , the fluid conducting lumen may assume a variety of shapes including circular , triangular , rectangular , as well as cross or star - shaped . alternatively , as shown in fig3 a and 3 b , the interstices 13 between the filaments of a fiber tow 26 or braided suture that has been coated with a continuous polymer sheath 28 , or otherwise surrounded by a polymeric tube and embedded coaxially in braided suture 14 , may serve as the internal passageway . as shown in fig3 b , the polymer coated filaments of a fiber tow , or the polymer coated braided suture may serve as a stand alone fluid conducting suture as well . as depicted in the longitudinal cross - sectional view of a portion of an active suture shown in fig4 a , the internal passageway 12 may terminate within the braided suture 14 at a location between the connector and the suture needle . in this embodiment , fluid would enter through the connector 18 in fig1 , and travel within the proximal end of the active suture reaching location 43 of fig4 a , continuing on through the internal passageway 12 , out the open end of the passageway 46 , and into the interstices of the braided suture 14 . the fluid accumulates within the interstices of the braided suture 14 , eventually reaching the surface 42 where it may be dispensed into the surrounding tissue . in an alternate embodiment , the fluid may be emitted from several locations along the length of the internal passageway . as depicted in the longitudinal cross - sectional view shown in fig4 b , the internal passageway 12 , receiving the fluid from location 43 , may emit the fluid into the braided suture though one or more openings 48 along the length of the passageway as well as through the truncated end of the passageway 46 . openings in the passageway may be of practically any geometrical shape including , but not limited to circular , oval , and rectangular . openings may also be of different sizes or be packed more densely at one location than another to achieve different rates of fluid delivery from different locations along the suture . in another embodiment , the internal passageway , containing at least one opening 48 , may pass along the entire length of the active suture from the proximal end of the suture to the suture needle . as depicted in the longitudinal cross - sectional view of a segment of an active suture shown in fig4 c , fluid entering at location 43 may be emitted from one or more openings 48 along the length of the active suture . as with the embodiment depicted in fig4 b , the openings may assume a variety of geometrical shapes and may be distributed in variety of ways along the length of the suture . a continuous opening in the internal passageway , such as the channel 41 schematically depicted in fig4 d , may also be used to facilitate fluid egress from the internal passageway to the braided suture and wound site . the channel may be located in a straight line , for example along the length of a tube , or may be made to spiral along the length of a tube . in this embodiment fluid may egress from any location along the length of the active suture . finally , a braided suture that is surrounded by a tube or polymeric coating along a portion of its length , as schematically depicted in a longitudinal cross - sectional view in fig4 e , may also be employed to transport a fluid from the connector 18 shown in fig1 a and b to the braided suture . it is important to note that active sutures with a combination of fluid conducting elements may be produced . for example , a fluid conducting element that bridges the space between the connector 18 and the proximal end of the braided suture , as shown in fig1 a , may a fine tube . this fine tube may then fit into and be secured within a slightly larger tube embedded inside the braided suture that exhibits multiple perforations or channels along its length to form the internal passageway of the active suture . the active suture may be deployed to deliver therapeutic fluids in a variety of ways . with the simplest method , the active suture may be used to infuse a therapeutic fluid to the wound site without serving as a device for wound approximation or closure . fig5 a , 5 b and 5 c schematically represent the sequential steps used to deploy an active suture 10 as a fluid infusion device . the suture needle 16 is passed through the skin 17 and subcutaneous tissue adjacent to the wound and continues on into the incision site 21 itself as shown in fig5 a . the active suture is then pulled through the hole produced by the suture needle 16 and positioned inside the incision , as shown in fig5 b . at this stage , a portion of the internal passageway 12 and connector 18 remain external to the body . a knot or series of knots 23 may be tied in the proximal end of the active suture to secure it in place and to prevent accidental removal of the device , as shown in fig5 b . the excess suture including the suture needle 25 are trimmed away and discarded . the incision 21 is then closed with conventional means using additional sutures , staples , or skin adhesives . in a final step shown in fig5 c , the therapeutic fluid is supplied to the active suture via a syringe 22 or reservoir pump 29 . alternatively , the active suture may be deployed to serve as both a suture for wound closure and a fluid infusion device . fig6 a , 6 b , 6 c and 6 d schematically represents the sequential steps used to deploy an active suture , of the type shown in fig1 a , as both a suture for wound closure and fluid infusion . in the first step , a series of knots 23 are tied across the incision at a location in the active suture between the distal end of the internal passageway 12 and the suture needle 16 . this step in essence divides the suture into two segments , a segment to be used for wound approximation 33 and a segment to be used for fluid infusion 31 . the segment of the suture that is located between the knots and suture needle 33 is then deployed in a continuous stitch 35 to approximate tissue , as shown in fig6 b . the infusion segment of the suture 31 in then placed over the line of stitches 35 , as shown in fig6 c . alternatively , the infusion segment 31 may be secured underneath one or more of the continuous stitches during the wound approximation step described in fig6 b . the incision is then closed by conventional means using additional sutures , staples , and / or skin adhesives . in a final step , fig6 d , the therapeutic fluid is supplied to the device via a syringe 23 or reservoir pump 29 . as an alternative to the deployment methods described above , instead of implanting the active suture at the site of the incision , the active suture may be implanted in the tissue surrounding the incision . implantation may be conducted through the skin by using the suture needle 16 of fig1 a , and 1 b , at any time before , during , or after the surgery . as a further alternative , the active suture may be implanted in any tissue that requires delivery of a therapeutic fluid regardless of the location or operative procedure , provided its presence does not cause undue trauma to the surrounding tissue . it is important to note that in addition to the method of delivering the therapeutic fluid to the wound after closure of the wound , as previously described , delivery of the therapeutic agent may occur perioperatively during the deployment of the active suture . indeed in certain instances it may be desirable to pre - load or wet - out the active suture with a therapeutic fluid even before deployment . a further variation may involve delivery of one type of therapeutic fluid pre - operatively or perioperatively , followed by delivery of another type of therapeutic fluid post - operatively . the invention may also be embodied in the form of a double - armed suture , as schematically depicted in fig7 a and 7 b , wherein two suture needles 16 and a single connector are employed . in these embodiments , a connector 18 designed to receive fluid from an external fluid reservoir is attached either to a tube that extends from the center portion of the active suture , fig7 a , or to the active suture 10 itself , fig7 b , in a manner that enables fluid communication with the internal passageways 12 of the active sutures . the double - armed suture may also be deployed in a variety of ways . schematic representation of double - armed sutures 10 used with an interrupted horizontal mattress stitch are shown in fig8 a and 8 b . in the case where a reservoir pump or other continuous fluid supply means is connected to the active suture , the rate at which the fluid is emitted from the active suture is controlled predominantly be three factors : fluid viscosity , applied pressure , and passageway design . the hagen - poiseuille relationship for fluid flow through a cylindrical pipe may be used to approximate the volume flow rate of the fluid through the active suture with a passageway described by fig2 a and 4 a . where , applied pressure is the pressure exerted by the fluid source , radius is the effective radius of the internal passageway through which the fluid passes , and the passageway length is the effective length of the internal passageway from the connector to the location of the opening in the passageway . if an iv is used , the applied pressure may be determined by the height of the iv above the wound site where for example if the iv bag is held approximately one meter above the wound site , approximately 0 . 1 atmosphere ( atm ) of applied pressure would drive the fluid through the active suture . if an elastomeric inflatable reservoir , 34 in fig1 a , is used , the applied pressure that drives the fluid through the active suture may be as high as one atmosphere . finally fluid pumps , commonly used in conjunction with iv delivery systems , are tunable and may be used to deliver the fluid to the active suture at a variety of pressures and rates . in fig9 , the hagen - poiseuille relationship has been used to estimate the volume flow rate of water at standard temperature and pressure ( stp ) through active sutures that contain tubular internal passageways , similar to the embodiment depicted in fig1 a , 2 a and 4 a , with lumens having inside diameters of 50 , 75 , and 100 μm that terminate within the braided suture at a distance of less than 0 . 2 m from the connector . the solid curves of fig9 represent the range of delivery rates attainable with 0 . 1 atm of applied pressure . elastomeric reservoir pumps typically supply pressures on the order of 0 . 1 to 1 atm of pressure . the dashed lines of fig9 represent the range of delivery rates attainable with approximately 1 atm of applied pressure . both lumen diameter and length of the internal passageway strongly influence the rate of fluid flow , with smaller diameter lumens and longer passageways resulting in reduced delivery rates . it is important to note that fig9 provides an estimate of drug delivery rate in the absence of knots . knotting of the suture produces a more tortuous path for the internal passageway and can lead to slower delivery rates . in some applications , it will be desirable to tie knots in the active suture to facilitate wound closure . in many cases , a wound closure procedure , such as the procedure sequentially depicted in fig6 a , 6 b , 6 c and 6 d , may eliminate the need to tie knots in the portion of the active suture containing the internal passageway . in this way , the device may be used as both a suture for wound closure and a device for the infusion of therapeutic fluids without adversely impacting the control of fluid delivery rate . however , if a procedure is adopted which requires the use of a knot in the portion of the active suture containing the internal passageway , the internal passageway must remain intact in order for the active suture to conduct fluid past the location in which the knot is placed . if the interstices of the coated fiber tows or coated braided sutures are employed as the internal passageway of the active sutures , as schematically depicted in fig3 a and 3 b , the interstices therein will remain intact . however , if fine tubes are used in lieu of a coated fiber tow or coated braided suture to form the internal passageway , collapse and closure of the lumen can occur upon knot tying . in order to prevent closure of the lumens , tubes with sufficiently thick walls must be employed . variables that influence the likelihood of collapse of the lumen inside of knots include thickness of the braided suture in which the internal passageway is imbedded , the stiffness of the tube , strength of the tube , and the overall tension applied in forming the knots . for active sutures that will be tied into surgically acceptable knots such as square knots or surgeons knots , preferably the ratio of the tube outside diameter ( o . d .) to inside diameter ( i . d .) is greater than 1 . 7 and more preferably , the ratio of the o . d . to i . d . is greater than 2 . 0 for most polymeric materials that are currently employed in sutures . the active suture may be manufactured , for example , via steps that include : production of the fluid conducting element to be used as the internal passageway of the active suture , incorporation of the fluid conducting element into a braided suture to form the active suture , attachment of the proximal end of the fluid conducting element or active suture to a connector , and attachment of the distal end of the active suture to a suture needle . fine tubes compatible in size and form with the active suture shown in fig1 a and 1 b , for example , may be produced using conventional polymer extrusion technology . the tubes may be extruded directly to the proper size or may be extruded to a larger than preferred size and subsequently reduced in size with conventional fiber drawing techniques . if coated fiber tows or coated braided sutures are selected to serve as the fluid conducting element of the active suture , as depicted in fig3 a and 3 b , the first step in production would involve a process for coating the braided suture or fiber tow with a continuous polymer sheath . a polymer extruder may be outfitted with a die that allows a fiber tow or braided suture to pass through and as the tow or braided suture pass through the die , they become encapsulated with a polymer film . this process is similar to the wire - coating process used to coat metal wires with insulative polymers and is well - know in the art . the tubes , coated fiber tows or coated braided sutures may be subsequently processed to form holes or channels as shown in fig4 b , c and d . these openings in the fluid conducting element may be formed with mechanical methods or may be produced with precision laser equipment . it is important to note that in several embodiments , the step of forming a series of openings along the length of the fluid conducting element is optional . indeed , the embodiment depicted in fig4 a simply allows the fluid to emit through the end of the truncated passageway and does not call for openings to be formed along the length of the fluid conducting element . once the tube , coated fiber tow or coated braided suture has been formed , it may be braided along with other fiber strands to form the active suture of fig4 a , 4 b , 4 c or 4 d . this may be accomplished by passing the tube , coated fiber tow or coated braided suture along side the core filaments of a braided suture thereby allowing the woven filaments of the braided suture to encircle the tube , coated fiber tow or coated braided suture . alternate braiding schemes wherein the tube , coated fiber tow or coated braided suture is woven around the core filaments of the braided suture may also be envisioned . after braiding , the embodiments represented in fig4 a and 4 b may be produced by removing a portion of the tube or coated fiber tow or coated braided suture . this may be accomplished by grasping the tube , coated fiber tow or coated braided suture with precision needle holders and pulling it through the braided suture until only a portion of the tube , coated fiber tow or coated braided suture remains inside the braided suture to form the active suture . alternatively a polymeric tube exhibiting a smaller outside diameter than that of the braided suture may be pressed into the proximal end of the braided suture . in this way , a portion of the tube , up to several centimeters , may be positioned coaxially within the braided suture , as shown in fig4 a , while a portion of the same tube extends from the proximal end of the braided suture as shown in fig1 a . to prevent the tube from slipping out of the braided suture a small amount of adhesive may be applied at the proximal end of the braided suture to cement the tube to the multiple filaments of the braided suture . alternate methods for attaching tubes to the proximal end of the braided suture , involving thermal bonding or the use of shrinkable polymeric sleeves , may also be envisioned . components of the active suture may be made from both bioabsorbable and non - absorbable materials . the sutures , tubes , coated fiber tows , coated braided sutures , adhesives , and connectors of this invention may be made from polymers that are commonly employed in the manufacture of sutures including but not limited to polypropylene , polyethylene , polyamides , polyethyleneterephthalate ( pet ), polytetraflouroethylene ( ptfe ), silk , polycaprolactone , polydioxanone , polyglycolide , polylactide , or blends of polycaprolactone , polydioxanone , polyglycolide or polylactide . additionally , since the connectors do not necessarily become implanted in the body of the patient , they may be produced from even a broader variety of engineering polymers , including but not limited to solvent free polyvinyl chlorides , polyurethanes , polyesters , polycarbonates , polyolefins and polyamides . fluids that may be utilized with any of the sutures described above include any therapeutic or bioactive agent or fluid , including but not limited to antimicrobial or antibiotic agents such as 2 , 4 , 4 ′- trichloro - 2 ′ hydroxydiphenyl ether , benzalkonium chloride , silver sulfadiazine , povidone iodine , triclosan , gentamiacin ; anti - inflammatory agents , steroidal or non - steroidal , such as celecoxib , rofecoxib , aspirin , salicylic acid , acetominophen , indomethicin , sulindac , tolmetin , ketorolac , mefanamic acid , ibuprofen , naproxen , phenylbutazone , sulfinpyrazone , apazone , piroxicam , anesthetic agents such as channel blocking agents , marcaine , lidocaine , bupivacaine , mepivacaine , procaine , chloroprocaine , ropivacaine , tetracaine , prilocalne , levobupivicaine , and combinations of local anesthetics with epinephrine , opioid analgesic agents such as morphine , fentanyl , codeine , anti - proliferatives such as rapamycin , growth factors such as pdgf , oxygen rich liquids for wound healing , scar treatment agents such as hylauronic acid , angio - genesis promoting agents , pro - coagulation factors , anti - coagulation factors , chemotactic agents , agents to promote apoptosis , immunomodulators , mitogenic agents , diphenhydramine , chlorpheniramine , pyrilamine , promethazin , meclizine , terfenadine , astemizole , fexofenidine , loratidine , aurothioglucose , auranofin , cortisol ( hydrocortisone ), cortisone , fludrocortisone , prednisone , prednisolone , 6α - methylprednisone , triamcinolone , betamethasone , and dexamethasone ; hemostatic agents such as thrombin , tranexamic acid , epinephrine ; as well as antithrombotic agents , biologics such as stem cells in a liquid solution , proteins , and enzymes may also be delivered through the active suture . irrigation of the wound site may also be conducted through an active suture . an alternate method and purpose for using the active suture would be for the extraction of fluids from the wound site . by applying a vacuum through tubing that is connected to the proximal end of the active suture , body fluids may be drawn directly from the wound site thus providing a novel means of fluid removal to compliment wound irrigation procedures . alternatively , the fluid may be drawn from the wound and analyzed to determine the condition of the wound . for example , the chemical signature of the sampled fluid may give an indication as to the progress of wound healing , or the detection of bacteria may enable early diagnosis of an infection in the wound . in order to demonstrate the ability of the active suture to distribute a fluid to surrounding tissue , a pet braided suture , containing a polypropylene tube that terminates within the braided suture , as depicted in fig1 b , and 4 a , was employed in an in vitro experiment wherein the active suture was passed multiple times though gelatin and subsequently connected to an iv delivery system that delivered water containing a blue pigment to the portion of the active suture that was imbedded in the gelatin . a series of time - elapsed images are shown in fig1 a , 10 b and 10 c . fig1 a , taken at the onset of the experiment , shows the active suture 70 embedded in gelatin 72 . the black mark on the active suture 74 indicates the location at which the internal passageway terminates . as time progresses , the pigment 76 spreads out around the active suture as shown in fig1 b . ultimately , as shown in fig1 c , the fluid spreads to encompass the entire region surrounding the wound . the incorporation of internal passageways into the active sutures should not compromise the tensile strength and knot tensile strength of the sutures to below standard acceptable levels if the active suture is to be used for both wound approximation and fluid infusion . the knot tensile strengths of pet braided sutures in united states pharmacopia ( usp ) standard sizes of 0 and 2 that have polypropylene tubes imbedded along side their core filaments were measured according to united states pharmacopia ( usp ) standard 23 . size 0 sutures contained tubes with outside diameters of approximately 130 μm and inside diameters of ˜ 75 μm , and size 2 sutures contained tubes with outside diameters of approximately 230 μm and inside diameters of ˜ 135 μm . for each test , at least 10 samples were tested per usp specifications . the performance of the pet braided sutures containing the polypropylene tubing at their core easily exceeded minimum performance requirements as set by usp standards , with average knot tensile strength values of 13 . 5 and 7 . 7 lbs for size 2 and 0 sutures respectively . experimental data indicates that extruded polymeric tubes produced from polypropylene , with outside diameters ranging from 0 . 005 ″ to 0 . 010 ″, with youngs moduli ranging between 0 . 1 and 3 gpa , with outside diameters ( o . d . s ) that are less than 1 . 7 times that of their inside diameters ( i . d . s ) will buckle and collapse when the braided sutures in which they are embedded are tied into square knots similar in form to those commonly used in surgical procedures . similar experiments conducted with polymeric tubes comprised of polyethylene and polytetraflouroethylene tubes with youngs moduli ranging between 0 . 1 and 3 gpa with o . d . to i . d . ratios of greater than 2 . 3 do not collapse completely inside the square knots of the active suture and fluid can indeed be transferred through the knotted portions . for active sutures that will be tied into knots , preferably the ratio of the o . d . to i . d . is greater than 1 . 7 . more preferably , the ratio of the o . d . to i . d . is greater than 2 . 0 . in these experiments , the tubes were embedded in braided sutures produced from polyethyleneterephthalate ( pet ) fibers with usp sizes ranging from 2 - 0 to 5 . other variables that influence the likelihood of collapse of the lumen inside of knots include thickness of the braided suture in which the internal passageway is imbedded , strength of the fluid conducting tube , and the overall tension applied in forming the knots .	0
fig1 is a view of the therapeutic end of a typical prior art over - the - wire angioplasty balloon catheter 10 . such catheters are usually non - complaint with a fixed maximum dimension when expanded with a fluid such as saline . fig2 is a view of a dilating angioplasty balloon catheter 20 according to an embodiment of the invention . the catheter 20 includes an elongated carrier , such as a hollow sheath 21 , and a dilating balloon 26 formed about the sheath 21 in sealed relation thereto at a seal 23 . the balloon 26 forms an annular channel 27 about the sheath 21 through which fluid , such as saline , may be admitted into the balloon to inflate the balloon . the channel 27 further permits the balloon 26 to be provided with two electrodes 22 and 24 within the fluid filled balloon 26 . the electrodes 22 and 24 are attached to a source of high voltage pulses 30 . the electrodes 22 and 24 are formed of metal , such as stainless steel , and are placed a controlled distance apart to allow a reproducible arc for a given voltage and current . the electrical arcs between electrodes 22 and 24 in the fluid are used to generate shock waves in the fluid . the variable high voltage pulse generator 30 is used to deliver a stream of pulses to the electrodes 22 and 24 to create a stream of shock waves within the balloon 26 and within the artery being treated ( not shown ). the magnitude of the shock waves can be controlled by controlling the magnitude of the pulsed voltage , the current , the duration and repetition rate . the insulating nature of the balloon 26 protects the patient from electrical shocks . the balloon 26 may be filled with water or saline in order to gently fix the balloon in the walls of the artery in the direct proximity with the calcified lesion . the fluid may also contain an x - ray contrast to permit fluoroscopic viewing of the catheter during use . the carrier 21 includes a lumen 29 through which a guidewire ( not shown ) may be inserted to guide the catheter into position . once positioned the physician or operator can start with low energy shock waves and increase the energy as needed to crack the calcified plaque . such shockwaves will be conducted through the fluid , through the balloon , through the blood and vessel wall to the calcified lesion where the energy will break the hardened plaque without the application of excessive pressure by the balloon on the walls of the artery . fig3 is a schematic of the high voltage pulse generator 30 . fig3 a shows a resulting waveform . the voltage needed will depend on the gap between the electrodes and generally 100 to 3000 volts . the high voltage switch 32 can be set to control the duration of the pulse . the pulse duration will depend on the surface area of the electrodes 22 and 24 and needs to be sufficient to generate a gas bubble at the surface of the electrode causing a plasma arc of electric current to jump the bubble and create a rapidly expanding and collapsing bubble , which creates the mechanical shock wave in the balloon . such shock waves can be as short as a few microseconds . fig4 is a cross sectional view of the shockwave catheter 20 showing an arc 25 between the electrodes 22 and 24 and simulations of the shock wave flow 28 . the shock wave 28 will radiate out from the electrodes 22 and 24 in all directions and will travel through the balloon 26 to the vessel where it will break the calcified lesion into smaller pieces . fig5 shows another dilating catheter 40 . it has insulated electrodes 42 and 44 within the balloon 46 displaced along the length of the balloon 46 . fig6 shows a dilating catheter 50 with an insulated electrode 52 within the balloon 56 . the electrode is a single electrode pole in the balloon , a second pole being the ionic fluid 54 inside the balloon . this unipolar configuration uses the ionic fluid as the other electrical pole and permits a smaller balloon and catheter design for low profile balloons . the ionic fluid is connected electrically to the hv pulse generator 30 . fig7 is another dilating 60 catheter with electrodes 62 and 64 within the balloon 66 and studs 65 to reach the calcification . the studs 65 form mechanical stress risers on the balloon surface 67 and are designed to mechanically conduct the shock wave through the intimal layer of tissue of the vessel and deliver it directly to the calcified lesion . fig8 is another dilating catheter 70 with electrodes 72 and 74 within the balloon 76 and with raised ribs 75 on the surface 77 of the balloon 76 . the raised ribs 75 ( best seen in fig8 a ) form stress risers that will focus the shockwave energy to linear regions of the calcified plaque . fig9 is a further dilating catheter 80 with electrodes 82 and 84 within the balloon 86 . the catheter 80 further includes a sensor 85 to detect reflected signals . reflected signals from the calcified plaque can be processed by a processor 88 to determine quality of the calcification and quality of pulverization of the lesion . fig1 is a pressure volume curve of a prior art balloon breaking a calcified lesion fig1 b shows the build up of energy within the balloon ( region a to b ) and fig1 c shows the release of the energy ( region b to c ) when the calcification breaks . at region c the artery is expanded to the maximum dimension of the balloon . such a dimension can lead to injury to the vessel walls . fig1 a shows the initial inflation of the balloon . fig1 is a pressure volume curve showing the various stages in the breaking of a calcified lesion with shock waves according to the embodiment . the balloon is expanded with a saline fluid and can be expanded to fit snugly to the vessel wall ( region a )( fig1 a ) but this is not a requirement . as the high voltage pulses generate shock waves ( region b and c ) extremely high pressures , extremely short in duration will chip away the calcified lesion slowly and controllably expanding the opening in the vessel to allow blood to flow un - obstructed ( fig1 b ). fig1 shows , in a cutaway view , shock waves 98 delivered in all directions through the wall 92 of a saline filled balloon 90 and intima 94 to a calcified lesion 96 . the shock waves 98 pulverize the lesion 96 . the balloon wall 92 may be formed of non - compliant or compliant material to contact the intima 94 . fig1 shows calcified plaque 96 pulverized by the shock waves . the intima 94 is smoothed and restored after the expanded balloon ( not shown ) has pulverized and reshaped the plaque into the vessel wall . fig1 is a schematic of a circuit 100 that uses the generator circuit 30 of fig3 and a surface ekg 102 to synchronize the shock wave to the “ r ” wave for treating vessels near the heart . the circuit 100 includes an r - wave detector 102 and a controller 104 to control the high voltage switch 32 . mechanical shocks can stimulate heart muscle and could lead to an arrhythmia . while it is unlikely that shockwaves of such short duration as contemplated herein would stimulate the heart by synchronizing the pulses ( or bursts of pulses ) with the r - wave , an additional degree of safety is provided when used on vessels of the heart or near the heart . while the balloon in the current drawings will provide an electrical isolation of the patient from the current , a device could be made in a non - balloon or non - isolated manner using blood as the fluid . in such a device , synchronization to the r - wave would significantly improve the safety against unwanted arrhythmias . fig1 shows a still further dilation catheter 110 wherein a shock wave is focused with a parabolic reflector 114 acting as one electrode inside a fluid filled compliant balloon 116 . the other electrode 112 is located at the coaxial center of the reflector 114 . by using the reflector as one electrode , the shock wave can be focused and therefore pointed at an angle ( 45 degrees , for example ) off the center line 111 of the catheter artery . in this configuration , the other electrode 112 will be designed to be at the coaxial center of the reflector and designed to arc to the reflector 114 through the fluid . the catheter can be rotated if needed to break hard plaque as it rotates and delivers shockwaves . while particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , modifications may be made . for example , instead of manual actuation and spring loaded return of the valves used herein , constructions are possible which perform in a reversed manner by being spring actuated and manually returned . it is therefore intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by those claims .	0
fig1 - 4 show schematic representations of the circuit of the invention during different operative modes of the circuit . the basic concept of the circuit is the revelation that , regardless of the filament resistance at room temperature of a halogen lamp , any halogen lamp of a given wattage and voltage can be safely brought to incandescence if placed in series with an equivalent , properly matched resistor . a properly matched resistor being a resistor that has the same nominal resistance as that of the halogen lamp when heated at incandescence and has a relatively high resistance at room temperature . furthermore , when any two halogen lamps having the same nominal wattage and voltage are brought to incandescence , they can then be disconnected from the start up resistor matched with the lamp and the two lamps can then be placed in series without failure of either of the lamps . because all lamps will eventually fail in use , when either of the two lamps of the circuit are operating in series and one eventually does fail , the circuit automatically and immediately reconnects both lamps to their matched start up resistors and the operative lamp will continue to function at substantially full brightness . by eliminating the two significant problems of lamp operation in series , the circuit of the invention makes the series operation of pairs of 18 - 36 volt lamps practical with a 36 - 42 volt electrical supply source . referring to fig1 the circuit 10 of the invention is provided with a first junction or input junction 12 that is adapted to be connected to a power source , in the illustrative embodiment a 42 volt dc power system . connection of the first junction 12 with the dc power source is selectively controlled by a first manual switch 14 connected in series between the power source and the first junction . the circuit also includes a second junction or an output junction 16 . the second junction 16 is adapted to be connected to a source of ground g . in the illustrative embodiment , the ground g is a ground of a vehicle having a 42 volt dc power system , for example the chassis of the vehicle . extending between the first , input junction 14 and the second , output junction 16 of the circuit are several different conductive paths that are ultimately connected in series and in parallel to each other in the operation of the circuit to be explained . the first conductive path 20 extends from the first , input junction 12 to a first lamp 22 , preferably a 21 volt dc halogen lamp . from the first lamp 22 , the first conduct path continues to a means for switching such as the first switching device 24 represented by dashed lines in the drawing figures . the first switching device 24 is represented in the drawing figures as a double pole , double throw relay . additional switching devices of the circuit yet to be described are also represented in the drawing figures as electromechanical relays . however , the electromechanical relays shown and to be described are employed in the illustrative embodiment of the circuit to simplify its description . it should be understood that the same circuit of the invention could be made to function using other equivalent means for switching , for example , low resistance , solid state switches such as field effect transistors ( fet &# 39 ; s ). the first conductive path 20 continues from the first switching device to a first resistor 26 . in the preferred embodiment , the first resistor 26 has a relatively high resistance at room temperature that substantially matches the resistance of the first lamp 22 when heated at incandescence . from the first resistor 26 , the first conductive path 20 continues to its termination at the second output junction 16 . thus , the first conductive path connects in series the first input junction 12 , the first lamp 22 , the first switching device 24 , the first resistor 26 and the second output junction 16 . a second conductive path 30 also begins at the first , input junction 12 and extends to a second resistor 32 . from the second resistor 32 , the second conductive path 30 extends to the first switching device 24 . from the first switching device 24 , the second conductive path 30 continues to a second lamp 34 and then continues on to its termination at the second , output junction 16 . thus , the second conductive path 30 provides a series circuit between the first input junction 12 , the second resistor 32 , the first switching device 24 , the second lamp 34 and the second output junction 16 . in the preferred embodiment , the second lamp 34 is the same as the first lamp 22 in that it is also a 21 volt dc lamp and has the same resistance when heated at incandescence . in addition , the second resistor 32 is the same as the first resistor 26 having the same resistance as the first resistor . a third conductive path 38 also begins at the first input junction 12 . the third conductive path 38 extends from the first input junction 12 to a time delay switch 40 . the time delay switch 40 is operable to remain open for a predetermined period of time when supplied with a predetermined voltage before closing . in the preferred embodiment , the period of time delay is approximately 5 seconds and the minimum voltage applied to the time delay switch 40 causing it to close is 42 volts dc . from the time delay switch 40 , the third conductive path 38 continues to a second switching device 42 also represented by dashed lines in the drawing figures . in the drawing figures and in the description to follow , the second switching device , like the first switching device 24 is an electromechanical relay . however , as explained earlier , equivalent types of switching devices may be employed other than the electromechanical relays shown in the illustrative embodiment of the circuit of the invention . in the illustrative embodiment , the second switching device 42 is a single pole , double throw relay . from the second switching device 42 , the third conductive path 38 continues to the first switching device 24 . from the first switching device 24 , the third conductive path 38 continues to a third switching device 44 that is the same as the second switching device 42 . from the third switching device 44 , the third conductive path 38 continues to its termination at the second , output junction 16 . thus , the third conductive path 38 provides a series circuit between the first , input junction 12 , the time delay switch 40 , the second switching device 42 , the first switching device 24 , the third switching device 44 and the second , output junction 16 . a fourth conductive path 48 also begins at the first , input junction 12 . from the first input junction 12 , the fourth conductive path 48 extends to the second switching device 42 . from the second switching device 42 , the fourth conductive path 48 continues to the third switching device 44 and then terminates at the second output junction 16 . thus , the fourth conductive path 48 provides a series connection from the first , input junction 12 , through the second switching device 42 , the third switching device 44 to the second , output junction 16 . the circuit also includes a fifth conductive path 52 that begins at a junction 54 with the fourth conductive path 48 between the second switching device 42 and the third switching device 44 . from the junction 54 with the fourth conductive path 48 , the fifth conductive path 52 continues to the first switching device 24 . the first start - up stage of operation of the circuit 10 is shown in fig1 . in fig1 the manual switch 14 has been moved from its open position shown in dashed lines , to its closed position shown in a solid line . this connects the 42 volt dc power source to the first , input junction 12 . when initially connected with power , the time delay switch 40 of the circuit is open preventing power from reaching the coil 58 of the relay employed as an example of the first switching device 24 . this allows the pair of normally closed contacts 60 of the first switching device 24 to remain closed , connecting the first lamp 22 in series with the first resistor 26 and the second lamp 34 in series with the second resistor 32 . the relays of the second switching device 42 and third switching device 44 have their respective coils 64 , 66 connected in series . in the preferred embodiment , each coil 64 , 66 is a 42 volt coil that each open their contact at about 75 % of the coil ratings and hold their contacts open at 50 % or less of the coil ratings . the capacitors 62 across each of the coils 58 , 64 , 66 of the relays dampen any oscillations and provide added circuit stability . with the manual switch 14 closed , the circuits through the normally closed contacts 60 of the first switching device 24 are energized and the first lamp 22 is connected in series with the first resistor 26 between the first , input junction 12 and second , output junction 16 and the second lamp 34 is connected in series with the second resistor 32 between the first , input junction 12 and second , output junction 16 . thus , the first conductive path 20 and the second conductive path 30 are each series circuits including a lamp and resistor , and the two series circuits are connected in parallel between the first , input junction 12 and the second , output junction 16 . this applies 42 volts to the first lamp 22 in series with the first resistor 26 and to the second lamp 34 in series with the second resistor 32 . both of the lamps 22 , 34 come to incandescence within a few seconds and stabilize . because the draw on amperage is greater with the two parallel circuits , each having a lamp 22 , 34 operating independently through its respectively paired resistor 26 , 32 , than with a single circuit with two lamps operating together in series , the first lamp 22 and second lamp 34 connected in parallel come to incandescence but not full brightness . this soft start of the two lamps provides time for the lamps to stabilize before being connected in series . as shown in fig2 after an interval of about 5 seconds following closing of the manual switch 14 , the time delay switch 40 also closes , holds , and applies 42 volts to the coil 58 of the first switching device 24 . this voltage applied to the coil of the first switching device 24 causes its contacts 60 to open , disconnecting the first lamp 22 from the first resistor 26 and disconnecting the second lamp 34 from the second resistor 32 . the voltage applied to the coil 58 of the first switching device 24 also causes the first lamp 22 to be connected in series with the second lamp 34 as shown in the operational circuit of fig2 . with the first lamp 22 and second lamp 34 connected in series across the first switching device 24 , 42 volts are applied across the series connected lamps and they come to full brightness . the lamps continue to operate at full brightness until the manual switch 14 is opened . when the manual switch 14 is opened , the voltage source is removed from the circuit and the circuit is deenergized , the first lamp 22 and the second lamp 34 are extinguished and the time delay switch 42 is opened and reset . as explained earlier , each of the coils 64 , 66 of the respective second switching device 42 and third switching device 44 are 42 volt coils that cause the contacts of the switching devices to open at about 75 % of the coil rating and hold the contacts open at about 50 % of the coil ratings . during normal operation of the circuit described above and as illustrated in fig2 with the switching device coils 64 , 66 being connected in series , and with the series connected coils also being connected in parallel with the series connected first lamp 22 and second lamp 34 , about half of the circuit voltage of 21 volts is applied across the two coils . this voltage is inadequate to cause either of the contacts of the second switching device 42 or third switching device 44 to open . if the filament in the first lamp 22 fails , the midpoint 70 of the series connection between the first lamp 22 and the second lamp 34 remains connected to the source of ground g through the filament in the second lamp 34 and the voltage at the midpoint 70 goes to 0 volts . when the series circuit of the two lamps 22 , 34 is opened by the failure of the first lamp 22 , the voltage across the coil 64 of the second switching device 42 then rises to 42 volts and the contact 72 of the second switching device is opened and holds as illustrated in fig3 . when the contact 72 of the second switching device 42 is opened , it breaks the circuit to the coil 58 of the first switching device 24 which then causes its series connection between the first lamp 22 and second lamp 34 to be broken and closes the first switch contacts 60 reconnecting the first lamp 22 in its series connection with the first resistor 26 and reconnecting the second lamp 34 and its series connection with the second resistor 32 . the first lamp 22 , which has burned out , remains out , but the second lamp 34 is instantly relighted as it is re - energized by reconnection through its paired resistor 32 . the change over between the series connection between the two lamps 22 , 34 and the paired connections of the lamps with their associated resistors is so rapid that it is imperceptible to the human eye and the second lamp 34 appears to be continuously lit throughout the change over . opening the manual switch 14 extinguishes the second lamp 34 and closing the manual switch 14 re - energizes the circuit 10 which causes the second lamp 34 to again illuminate in the same manner as described above . replacing the first lamp 22 restores the circuit 10 to normal operation . should the second lamp 34 fail before the first lamp 22 is replaced , the circuit continues to function , but of course there is no light from either lamp . in a similar manner as shown in fig4 if during normal operation of the circuit the second lamp 34 should burn out , the voltage at the midpoint 70 of the series connection between the two lamps increases to 42 volts which then causes the coil 66 of the third switching device 44 to open its contact 74 . this again breaks the series connection between the first lamp 22 and the second lamp 34 and causes the switch contacts 60 of the first switching device 24 to close . this connects the first lamp 22 to its paired , first resistor 26 and the first lamp continues to operate . although the drawing figures contained herein show the first and second halogen lamp as being two separate lamp elements , it should be noted that the first and second lamps may be of the type where the lamp filament for each lamp is contained in the same lamp envelope or capsule . typically , lamps of this type have a double contact , bayonet base that is wired so that one end of each of the filaments is interconnected and have a common termination to the shell . the other ends of each filament are then separately terminated to one of the base contacts . in a circuit using such a style of halogen lamp , the switching means would be configured as shown in fig5 with auxiliary contacts or other switching means to switch the ground connection , as necessary to align the filaments in lamp 25 in parallel with the associated start - up resistor in the start - up circuit or in series together in the operation circuit . preferably , each filament would be designed to operate at about 25 watts for a total of 50 watts when both filaments are at incandescence . in such style of lamp , in the event of failure of either filament , the other filament would continue to light and provide continued protection at half power . this arrangement would be particularly suited for a light bar having a configuration where there is only one lamp in the circuit to provide the required level of warning , for instance , a single yellow element used in the rear of the light bar . referring to fig5 a further embodiment of the circuit 10 of the invention is provided with a first junction or input junction 12 that is adapted to be connected to a power source , in the illustrative embodiment a 42 volt dc power system . connection of the first junction 12 with the dc power source is selectively controlled by a first manual switch 14 connected in series between the power source and the first junction . the circuit also includes a second junction or an output junction 16 . the second junction 16 is adapted to be connected to a source of ground g . in the exemplary embodiment , the ground g is a ground of a vehicle having a 42 volt dc power system , for example the chassis of the vehicle . extending between the first , input junction 14 and the second , output junction 16 of the circuit are several different conductive paths that are ultimately connected in series and in parallel to each other in the operation of the circuit to be explained . the first conductive path 20 extends from the first , input junction 12 to a first resistor 26 . from the first resistor 26 the first conductive path continues to a means for switching such as the contacts 63 contained in the first switching device 29 represented by dashed lines in the drawing figures . the first switching device 29 is represented in the drawing figures as a three pole , double throw relay . additional switching devices of the circuit yet to be described are also represented in the drawing figures as electromechanical relays . however , the electromechanical relays shown and to be described are employed in the illustrative embodiment of the circuit to simplify its description . it should be understood that the same circuit of the invention could be made to function using other equivalent means for switching , for example , low resistance , solid state switches such as field effect transistors ( fet &# 39 ; s ). the first conductive path 20 continues from the first switching device to the first lamp filament 28 . from the first lamp filament 28 the first conductive path 20 continues to a second set of contacts 65 contained in the first switching device 29 . from the first switching device 29 , the first conductive path 20 continues to its termination at the second , output junction 16 . thus , the first conductive path connects in series the first , input junction 12 , the first resistor 26 , the first lamp filament 28 , the first switching device 29 , and the second , output junction 16 . a second conductive path 30 also begins at the first , input junction 12 and extends to a second resistor 32 . from the second resistor 32 , the second conductive path 30 extends to the third set of contacts 67 in the first switching device 29 . from the first switching device 29 , the second conductive path 30 continues to a second lamp filament 27 which merges with the first conductive path 20 , and then continues on to its termination at the second , output junction 16 . thus , the second conductive path 30 provides a series circuit between the first , input junction 12 , the second resistor 32 , the first switching device 29 , the second lamp filament 27 , and the second , output junction 16 . in the preferred embodiment , the second lamp filament 27 is the same as the first lamp filament 28 in that it is also a 21 volt dc filament and has the same resistance when heated at incandescence . in addition , the second resistor 32 is the same as the first resistor 26 having the same resistance as the first resistor . a third conductive path 38 also begins at the first , input junction 12 . the third conductive path 38 extends from the first , input junction 12 to a time delay switch 40 . the time delay switch 40 is operable to remain open for a predetermined period of time when supplied with a predetermined voltage before closing . in the preferred embodiment , the period of time delay is approximately 5 seconds and the minimum voltage applied to the time delay switch 40 causing it to close is 36 - 42 volts dc . from the time delay switch 40 , the third conductive path 38 continues to a second switching device 42 also represented by dashed lines in the drawing figures . in the drawing figures and in the description to follow , the second switching device , like the first switching device 29 , is an electromechanical relay . however , as explained earlier , equivalent types of switching devices may be employed other than the electromechanical relays shown in the illustrative embodiment of the circuit of the invention . in the illustrative embodiment , the second switching device 42 is a single pole , double throw relay . from the second switching device 42 , the third conductive path 38 continues to the first switching device 29 . from the first switching device 29 , the third conductive path 38 continues to a third switching device 44 that is the same as the second switching device 42 . from the third switching device 44 , the third conductive path 38 continues to its termination at the second , output junction 16 . thus , the third conductive path 38 provides a series circuit between the first , input junction 12 , the time delay switch 40 , the second switching device 42 , the first switching device 29 , the third switching device 44 and the second , output junction 16 . a fourth conductive path 48 also begins at the first , input junction 12 . from the first , input junction 12 , the fourth conductive path 48 extends to the second switching device 42 . from the second switching device 42 , the fourth conductive path 48 continues to the third switching device 44 and then terminates at the second , output junction 16 . thus , the fourth conductive path 48 provides a series connection from the first , input junction 12 , through the second switching device 42 , the third switching device 44 to the second , output junction 16 . the circuit also includes a fifth conductive path 52 that begins at a junction 54 with the fourth conductive path 48 between the second switching device 42 and the third switching device 44 . from the junction 54 with the fourth conductive path 48 , the fifth conductive path 52 continues to the first switching device 29 . the first start - up stage of operation of the circuit 10 is shown in fig5 . in fig5 the manual switch 14 has been moved from its open position shown in dashed lines , to its closed position shown in a solid line . this connects the 42 volt dc power source to the first , input junction 12 . when initially connected with power , the time delay switch 40 of the circuit is open , preventing power from reaching the coil 58 of the relay employed as an example of the first switching device 29 . this allows the pair of normally closed contacts 63 , 67 of the first switching device 29 to remain closed , connecting the first resistor 26 in series with the first lamp filament 28 and the second lamp filament 27 in series with the second resistor 32 . the relays of the second switching device 42 and third switching device 44 have their respective coils 64 , 66 connected in series . in the preferred embodiment , each coil 64 , 66 is a 42 volt coil that each open their contact at about 75 % of the coil ratings and hold their contacts open at 50 % or less of the coil ratings . the capacitors 62 across each of the coils 58 , 64 , 66 of the relays dampen any oscillations and provide added circuit stability . with the manual switch 14 closed , the circuits through the normally closed contacts 63 of the first switching device 29 are energized and the first lamp filament 28 is connected in series with the first resistor 26 between the first , input junction 12 and second , output junction 16 and the second lamp filament 27 is connected in series with the second resistor 32 between the first , input junction 12 and second , output junction 16 . thus , the first conductive path 20 and the second conductive path 30 are each series circuits including a lamp and resistor , and the two series circuits are connected in parallel between the first , input junction 12 and the second , output junction 16 . this applies 42 volts to the first lamp filament 28 in series with the first resistor 26 and to the second lamp filament 27 in series with the second resistor 32 . both of the lamp filaments 27 and 28 come to incandescence within a few seconds and stabilize . because the draw on amperage is greater with the two parallel circuits , each having a lamp filament 27 and 28 operating independently through its respective paired resistor 26 , 32 , then with a single circuit with two lamp filaments operating together in series , the first lamp filament 28 and second lamp filament 27 connected in parallel come to incandescence but not full brightness . this soft start of the two lamp filaments provides time for the lamps to stabilize before being connected in series . after an interval of about 5 seconds following closing of the manual switch 14 as shown in fig6 the time delay switch 40 also closes , holds , and applies 42 volts to the coil 58 of the first switching device 29 . this voltage applied to the coil of the first switching device 29 causes its contacts 63 , 67 , and 65 to change over . the change over disconnects the first lamp filament 28 from the first resistor 26 and the second lamp filament 27 from the second resistor 32 . the change over also connects first lamp filament 28 to junction 16 , and the ground g and connects the second lamp filament 27 to input junction 12 and the source of 42 volts . the change over also disconnects the junction 53 of the first and second lamp filaments 28 , 27 from output junction 16 and connects the junction 53 of the filaments to point 54 . with the first lamp filament 28 and the second lamp filament 27 connected in series and 42 volts applied across the series connected lamp filaments , the filaments come to full brightness . the lamps continue to operate at full brightness until the manual switch 14 is opened . when the manual switch 14 is opened , the voltage source is removed from the circuit and the circuit is deenergized , the first lamp filament 28 and the second lamp filament 27 are extinguished and the time delay switch 42 is opened and reset . as explained earlier , each of the coils 64 , 66 of the respective second switching device 42 and third switching device 44 are 42 volt coils that cause the contacts of the switching devices to open at about 75 % of the coil rating and hold the contacts open at about 50 % of the coil ratings . during normal operation of the circuit described above and as illustrated in fig5 with the switching device coils 64 , 66 being connected in series , and with the series connected coils also being connected in parallel with the series connected first lamp filament 28 and second lamp filament 27 , about half of the circuit voltage of 21 volts is applied across the two coils . this voltage is inadequate to cause either of the contacts of the second switching device 42 or third switching device 44 to open . if the first lamp filament 28 fails as is shown in fig7 point 53 remains connected to input 14 through lamp filament 27 and goes to 42 volts . point 54 which is connected to point 53 by contact set 65 in the first switch means 29 also goes to 42 volts and in turn closes and holds point set 74 in switching device 44 and breaks the circuit to switching means 29 and returns contacts 63 , 67 , and 65 to the open position . lamp filament 27 is reconnected to 42 volts through resistor 32 and to ground through point set 65 and is illuminated . in an analogous fashion , if lamp filament 27 fails as is shown in fig8 point 53 and 54 go to ground and switching means 42 closes and holds and in turn returns switching means 29 to the open position . lamp filament 28 is then reconnected to ground through contact set 65 and through contact set 63 to 42 volts through resistor 26 and is illuminated . opening and closing switch 14 permits normal operation of the remaining , intact filament . replacing the lamp restores the normal operation of the circuit . although the circuit has been described herein using mechanical relays and switches , it is also possible to create the circuit of the present invention using solid state electronics and replacing the switching mechanisms with various types of transistors . accordingly , the circuit of the present invention may be modified using these types of devices and incorporating other electronic devices to provide the required operational conditions for the solid state electronic devices to be used . various other changes to the preferred embodiments of the invention described above may be envisioned by those of ordinary skill in the art . however , those changes and modifications should be considered as part of the invention which is limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto and their legal equivalents .	1
in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . for the purpose of this description , it is assumed that the lcd flat panel display surface is related to the video signal such that one input line will be displayed over two rows of the lcd flat panel display . however , it will be recognized that the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described below and may be readily adapted to other display resolutions , either greater than or less than the video signal , without loss of generality . fig1 shows a preferred simplified electronic video interface . an incoming video signal 101 typically conforms to a standard rs - 170 video signal , having 525 lines , a 60 hz field rate , a 2 : 1 interlace , and a bandwidth of 4 . 5 mhz . the incoming video signal could take - on many forms including an intensity signal or a color video signal having red , green , and blue components . the incoming video signal is preferably bandwidth limited by a low pass filter ( lpf ) 103 of substantially 4 mhz in order to reduce noise and to assure that known image characteristics are provided . the filtered signal is then typically sent to a line splitter 129 where the signal is sampled by a line delay module , which is preferably of the form of a charge coupled device ( ccd ) array 105 . the ccd array 105 might take and output , for example , 455 samples from an input signal horizontal scan line , corresponding to a horizontal resolution of 455 for the input signal scan line . the sampled output from the ccd array 105 is sent through a second lpf 107 to remove any sampling artifacts and provide a smoothly varying analog signal . the smoothly varying sampled analog signal is then preferably applied to a weighting module 131 , having summing amplifiers 109 through 115 . the summing amplifiers are supplied with weighting resistors in order to provide for an interpolation of the inputs provided to each amplifier . the value of the weighting resistors depends on how the incoming video signal must be interpolated for the lcd flat panel display . for example , assuming that one input signal horizontal scan line will be displayed over two rows of the lcd flat panel display , summing amplifier 109 has resistors which provide a weighting factor of 1 : 1 for the sampled video signal . therefore , the output of summing amplifier 109 is equal to the input . summing amplifier 111 has a weighting factor of 1 : 2 such that the sampled video signal is divided in half , which is equivalent to averaging the field scan line with the zero of the alternate field scan line . summing amplifier 113 does not use the sampled video signal and instead outputs a zero to the display , representing a missing line of the scan . summing amplifier 115 provides a signal which is the average of the missing line ( zero ) and the next input line from the original filtered input video source . it will be recognized that both the number of summing amplifiers and the values for the corresponding weighting resistors may be changed to accommodate alternative scan line conversion ratios without loss of generality . the output from the summing amplifiers 109 through 115 is typically applied to a series of row delay modules 117 through 123 , with each row delay module preferably implemented by a ccd . the delay modules 117 through 123 serve to provide the necessary conversion of horizontal scanning standards . for example , the ccd row delay modules might take 968 samples per line such that the sampling is done in a 1 - to - 1 fashion with a lcd flat panel horizontal pixel count of 968 . the row delay modules 117 through 123 typically receive the weighted interpolated video signals in parallel from the summing amplifiers 109 through 115 , and each subsequently outputs a single horizontal scan line to the lcd flat panel in a sequential manner . the sequential read - out of the row delay modules 117 through 123 is preferably accomplished by a 4 : 1 multiplexer 125 . this corresponds to the present example where the lcd flat panel horizontal scan rate is four times the incoming video horizontal scan rate . the preferable use of a separate line delay module , followed by low pass filtering and row delay modules permits the number of samples per line to be altered between the input and output stages , as in the present example of converting from 455 samples per input line of 968 samples per output row . as a practical matter it may be desirable , in terms of clock generation and parts commonality , to provide the line delay module with the same sampling structure as the row delay modules , although this is not essential to the inventive aspect of the present invention . one horizontal scan line time later from the first input scan line being used , the display interpolation cycle is repeated with the next scan line of the input video signal . thus , lines 1 and 3 of the incoming video signal are used to create rows 1 through 4 on the lcd flat panel , as described by fig4 a . one horizontal scan line time later , incoming video lines 3 and 5 are used to create rows 5 through 8 on the lcd flat panel , as illustrated by fig4 a . the signal from the row delay modules 109 through 115 is delayed two line intervals , and therefore the lcd flat panel display exhibits minimal latency , typically two video lines plus any delays encountered in a lcd flat panel display driver system . in the alternate field from the first incoming video refresh field , the same sampling and reconstruction technique is applied , but the output from the row delay modules 109 through 115 is shifted down by two rows on the lcd flat panel , as shown by fig4 b . the first scan line ( line 0 ) is directed to a &# 34 ; null &# 34 ; state corresponding to non - existent rows above the panel , while row 1 receives a zero and row 2 receives the average of a zero and line 2 data , as illustrated by fig4 b . video lines 2 and 4 are then directed to lcd flat panel rows 3 through 6 , and so on . fig2 reveals an alternative method of interpolation in which the actual lines of incoming data are summed together , but with some weighting factors which are very small . this simulates the case in which the incoming video display beam width provides some overlap of the information within a single horizontal scan line . there are no artificially introduced zero intensities , but the weighting factor ( beam overlap ) is set to be quite small for some areas of the lcd flat panel display . summing amplifier 133 has resistors which provide a weighting factor of 1 : 1 for the sampled video signal . summing amplifier 135 has a weighting factor of 1 : 2 for the sampled video signal , and 1 : 10 for the incoming video signal . summing amplifier 137 weights the sampled video signal by a factor of 1 : 5 , and also the incoming video signal by a factor of 1 : 5 . summing amplifier 139 provides a signal which weights the sampled video signal by a factor of 1 : 10 , and the incoming video signal by a factor of 1 : 2 . by weighting the incoming video signal instead of using zero intensities , better output resolution is achieved by the device . it will be recognized that number of summing amplifiers and the values for the corresponding weighting resistors may be changed to accommodate alternative scan line conversion ratios without loss of generality . fig3 describes a generalized version of the video interface . a line splitter 141 incorporating one or more delay modules takes the incoming video signal 101 and sends it to one or more weighting functions 143 . by selecting the appropriate number of delay modules within the line splitter 141 , any number of corresponding desired output scan lines can be generated by the weighting functions 143 . fig4 a through 4c illustrate a typical mapping of input video horizontal scan lines onto the lcd flat panel rows corresponding to the simplified circuit of fig1 . in fig4 a through 4c , hypothetical input lines are shown with example values . it will be noticed that row 3 alternates in intensity between a zero ( fig4 a ) and a value equal to the input line 2 intensity ( fig4 b ), while row 2 alternates between one - half of line 1 intensity and one - half of line 2 intensity . the net effect is that the lcd flat panel exhibits a time average intensity which is the same as what would be calculated by averaging all the fields together and with a zero ( fig4 c ). thus , the lcd flat panel intensity is one - half of what would be obtained with a full - frame memory version of the same lcd flat panel display . while the brightness of the display is reduced , the present invention eliminates the need for a full - frame memory , which , for an rs - 170 input of the preferred embodiment described herein , requires 256k words of memory operating at approximately 9 mhz , plus all the associated analog to digital conversion and digital image reconstruction circuitry . the present invention thus provides for a low - cost , minimal parts count design . in the case of the first embodiment shown by fig1 scan lines 2 , 4 , etc . are zero during the odd field time , and scan lines 1 , 3 , etc . are zero during the even field time . this results in a reduction of brightness of 2 : 1 compared with the case of having all lines present in numerical sequence . that is , in the case of a non - interlaced input there is twice the luminance than is observed with an interlaced input . fig5 illustrates how scan lines are mapped onto the flat panel ( a scan line being a theoretical construct of infinitesimal width ). the first scan line shown lies roughly on the center of physical panel row l r1 . the second scan line lies somewhat below the center of panel row l r5 . this pattern repeats , with the spacing between panel rows and scan lines dependent on the relative geometries . in a particular instance of interest to the assignee of the present invention , honeywell , inc ., the lcd flat panel consists of 1024 rows and the scanning standard is 480 lines . this represents a ratio of 32 rows to 15 scan lines , or 2 . 133 : 1 . this invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed 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 specifically different equipment and devices , and that various modifications , both as to the equipment details and operating procedures , can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself . the present invention is to be limited only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims , since others skilled in the art may devise other embodiments still within the limits of the claims .	6
the invention relates to the newly isolated virus as a source of the above said antigen which will be defined later . the newly isolated virus , which will hereafter be termed as lav 1 , will however be described first . the virus is transmissible to cultures of t lymphocytes obtained from healthy donors . particularly virus transmission was attempted with the use of a culture of t lymphocytes established from an adult healthy donor of the blood transfusion center at the pasteur institute . on day 3 , half of the culture was co - cultivate with lymphocytes from the biopsy after centrifugation of the mixed cell suspensions . reverse transcriptase activity could be detected in the supernatant on day 15 of the coculture but was not detectable on days 5 and 10 . the reverse transcriptase had the same characteristics as that released by the patient &# 39 ; s cells and the amount released remained stable for 15 to 20 days . cells of the uninfected culture of the donor lymphocytes did not release reverse transcriptase activity during this period or up to 6 weeks when the culture was discontinued . the cell - free supernatant of the infected coculture was used to infect 3 - day - old cultures of t lymphocytes from two umbilical cords , lc1 and lc5 , in the presence of polybrene ( 2 μg / ml ). after a lag period of 7 days , a relatively high titer of reverse transcriptase activity was detected in the supernatant of both cord lymphocyte cultures . identical cultured , which had not been infected , remained negative . these two successive infections clearly show that the virus could be propagated on normal lymphocytes from either new - borns or adults . in the above co - cultures one used either the cells of patient 1 as such ( they declined and no longer grew ) or cells which had been pre - x - rayed or mitomycin c - treated . the lav 1 virus , or lav 1 virus suspensions , which can be obtained from infected cultures of lymphocytes have characteristics which distinguish them completely from other htlv . these characteristics will be referred to hereafter and , when appropriate , in relation to the drawing . it shows curves representative of variation of reverse transcriptase activity and [ 3 h ] uridine activity respectively versus successive fractions of the lav 1 virus in the sucrose gradient , after ultracentrifugation therein of the virus contents of a cell - free supernatant obtained from a culture of infected lymphocytes . the analysis of lav 1 virus by resorting to reverse transcriptase activity can be carried out according to the procedure which was used in relation to virus from patient 1 , on fig1 . the results of the analysis are illustrated on fig1 . cord blood t lymphocytes infected with virus from patient 1 were labelled for 18 hours with [ 3 h ] uridine ( 28 ci / mmol , amersham ; 20 μci / ml ). cell - free supernatant was ultracentrifuged for 1 hour at 50 , 000 rev / min . the pellet was resuspended in 200 μl of nte buffer ( 10 mm tris , ph 7 . 4 , 100 mm nacl , and 1 mm edta ) and was centrifuged over a 3 - ml linear sucrose gradient ( 10 to 60 percent ) at 55 , 000 rev / min for 90 minutes in an iec type sb 498 rotor . fractions ( 200 μl ) were collected , and 30 μl samples of each fraction were assayed for dna rna dependant polymerase activity with 5 mm mg 2 + and poly ( a )- oligo -( dt ) 12 - 18 as template primer ; a 20 - μl portion of each fraction was precipitated with 10 percent trichloroacetic acid and then filtered on a 0 . 45 - μm millipore filter . the 3 h - labelled acid precipitable material was measured in a packard β counter . that the new virus isolate was a retrovirus was further indicated by its density in the above sucrose gradient , which was 1 . 16 , and by its labelling with [ 3 h ] uridine ( fig1 ). a fast sedimenting rna appears to be associated with the lav 1 virus . virus - infected cells from the original biopsy as well as infected lymphocytes from the first and second viral passages were used to determine the optimal requirements for reverse transcriptase activity and the template specificity of the enzyme . the results were the same in all instances . the reverse transcriptase activity displayed a strong affinity for poly ( adenylate - oligodeoxythymidylate ) [ poly ( a )- oligo ( dt ) 12 - 18 ], and required mg 2 + with an optimal concentration ( 5 mm ) and an optimal ph of 7 . 8 . the reaction was not inhibited by actinomycin d . this character , as well as the preferential specificity for ribosendenylate - deoxythymidylate over deoxyadenylatedeoxythymidylate , distinguish the viral enzyme from dna - dependent polymerases . electron microscopy of ultrathin sections of virus - producing cells shows two types of particles , presumably corresponding to the immature and mature forms of the virus : immature particles are budding at the cell surface , with a dense crescent in close contact with the plasma membrane . occasionally , some particles remain in this state , while being freed from the cell surface . mature particles have a quite different morphology with a small , dense , eccentric core ( mean diameter : 41 nm ). most of virions are round ( mean diameter : 139 nm ) or ovoid , but in some pictures , especially in the particles seen in the original culture from which the virus was isolated , a tailed morphology can also be observed . the latter form can also be observed in cytoplasmic vesicles which were released in the medium . such particles are also formed by budding from vesicle membranes . morphology of mature particles is clearly distinct from htlv , whose large core has a mean diameter of 92 nm . helper t - lymphocytes ( leu3 cells ) form the main target of the virus . in other words the lav 1 virus has particular tropism for these cells . leu 3 cells are recognizable by the monoclonal antibodies commercialized by ortho under the trademark okt4 . in contrast enriched cultures of leu 2 cells , which are mainly suppressor or cytotoxic cells and which are recognized by the monoclonal antibodies commercialized by ortho under the trademark okt8 did not produce , when infected under the same conditions , any detectable rt activity even 6 weeks after virus infection . in most cases of aids , the ratio of okt4 + over okt8 + cells which is normally over 1 , is depressed to values as low of 0 . 1 or less . the lav 1 virus is also immunologically distinct from previously known htlv - 1 isolates from cultured t lymphocytes of patients with t lymphomas and t leukemias . the antibodies used were specific for the p19 and p24 core proteins of htlv - 1 . a monoclonal antibody of p19 ( m . robert - guroff et al . “ j . exp . med .” 154 , 1957 ( 1981 )) and a polyclonal goat antibody to p24 ( v . s . kalyanaraman et al . “ j . virol .”, 328 , 906 ( 1981 )) were used in an indirect fluorescence assay against infected cells from the biopsy of patient 1 and lymphocytes obtained from a healthy donor and infected with the same virus . the lav 1 virus - producing cells did not react with either type of antibody , whereas two lines of cord lymphocytes chronically infected with htvl 1 ( m . popovic , p . s . sarin , m . robert - guroff , v . s . kalyanaraman , d . mann , j . minowada , r . c . gallo , “ science ” 219 , 856 ( 1983 )) and used as controls showed strong surface fluorescence . in order to determine which viral antigen was recognized by antibodies present in the patient &# 39 ; s sera , several immunoprecipitation experiments were carried out . cord lymphocytes infected with virus from patient 1 and uninfected controls were labelled with [ 35 s ] methionine for 20 hours . cells were lysed with detergents , and a cytoplasmic s10 extract was made . labelled virus released in the supernatant was banded in a sucrose gradient . both materials were immunoprecipitated by antiserum to htvl - 1 ′ p24 , by serum from patient 1 , and by serum samples from healthy donors . immunocomplexes were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under cenaturing conditions . a p25 protein present in the virus - infected cells from patient 1 and in lc1 cells infected with this virus , was specifically recognized by serum from patient 1 but not by antiserum to htlv - 1 p24 obtained under similar conditions or serum of normal donors . conversely the p24 present in control htlv - infected cell extracts was recognized by antibodies to htlv but not by serum from patient 1 . the main protein ( p25 ) detected after purification of 35 s - methionine - labelled virus has a molecular weight of about 25 , 000 ( or 25k ). this is the only protein recognized by the serum of patient 1 . by analogy with other retroviruses , this major protein was considered to be located in the viral core . this can be confirmed in immuno - electron microscopy experiments , which show that the patient &# 39 ; s serum can agglutinate the viral cores . conversely , an antiserum raised in rabbit against an ether treated virus did not precipitate the p25 protein . the viral origin of other proteins seen in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified virus is more difficult to assess . a p15 protein could be seen after silver staining , but was much weaker after 35 s - methionine perhaps due to the paucity of this amino - acid in the protein . in the higher mw range , a contamination of the virus by cellular proteins , either inside or outside the viral envelope , is likely . a 36k and a 42k protein and a 80k protein were constantly found to be associated with the purified virus and may represent the major envelope proteins . ndp19 ( or having a molecular weight of about 19 , 000 was isolated from lav 1 extracts . the invention concerns more particularly the extracts of said virus as soon as they can be recognized immunologically by sera of patients afflicted with las or aids . needless say any type of immunological assay may be brought into play . by way of example immunofluorescence or immunoenzymatic assays or radio - immunoprecipitation tests are particularly suitable . as a matter of fact and except under exceptional circumstances , sera of diseased patients do not recognize the intact lav 1 virus , or viruses having similar phenotypical or immunological properties . the envelope proteins of the virus appeared as not detectable immunologically by the patients &# 39 ; sera . however as soon as the core proteins become exposed to said sera , the immunological detection becomes possible . therefore the invention concerns all extracts of the virus , whether it be the crudest ones — particularly mere virus lyzates — or the more purified ones , particularly extracts enriched in the p25 protein or even the purified p25 protein or in protein immunologically related therewith . any purification procedure may be resorted to . by way of example only , one may use purification procedures such as disclosed by b . c . montelero et al , j . of virology , june 1982 , pp . 1029 - 1038 . the invention concerns more generally extracts of any virus having similar phenotype and immunologically related to that obtained from lav 1 . sources of viruses of the lav type consist of t - lymphocyte cultures isolatable from las - and aids — patients or from haemophiliacs . in that respect other preferred extracts are those obtained from two retroviruses obtained by propagation on normal lymphocytes of the retroviruses isolated from : 1 ) lymph node lymphocytes of a caucasian homosexual with multiple partners , having extensive kaposi sarcoma lesions and severe lymphopenia with practically no okt4 + lymphocytes in his blood ; 2 ) blood lymphocytes of a young b haemophillac presenting neurotoxoplasmosis and okt4 + / okt8 + ratio of 0 . 1 . these two retroviruses have been named idav1 and idav2 respectively ( for immune deficiency associated virus ). results of partial characterization obtained so far indicate similarity — if not identity — of idav1 and idav2 to lav1 : antigenically related p25 proteins : serum of lav1 patient immunoprecipitates p25 from idav1 and idav2 ; conversely , serum from idav2 patient immunoprecipitates lav1 p25 . idav1 patient serum seemed to have a lower antibodies titer and gave a weak precipitation band for lav1 and idav1 p25 proteins . the p25 protein of idav1 and idav2 was not recognized by htlv p24 antiserum . these similarities suggest that all these three isolates belong to the same group of viruses . the invention further relates to a method of in vitro diagnosis of las or aids , which comprises contacting a serum or other biological medium from a patient to be diagnosed . . . with a virus extract as above defined and detecting the immunological reaction . preferred methods brig into play immunoenzymatic or immunofluorescent assays , particularly according to the elisa technique . assays may be either direct or indirect immunoenzymatic or immunofluorescent assays . thus the invention also relates to labelled virus extracts whatever the type of labelling : enzymatic , fluorescent , radioactive , etc .. depositing determined amounts of the extract according to the invention in the wells of titration microplate ; introducing in said wells increasing dilutions of the serum to be diagnosed ; introducing in the wells of the microplate labelled antibodies directed against blood immunoglobulines , and labelling being by an enzyme selected among those which are capable of hydrolysing a substrate , whereby the latter then undergoes a modification of its absorption of radiations , at least in a determined wavelength band and detecting , preferably in a comparative manner with respect to a control , the amount of substrate hydrolysis as a measure of the protential risks or effective presence of the disease . the invention also relates to kits for the abovesaid diagnosis which comprise : an extract or more purified fraction of the abovesaid types of viruses , said extract or fraction being labelled , such as by a radioactive , enzymatic or immunofluorescent label ; human anti - immunoglobulins or protein a ( advantageously fixed on a water - insoluble support such as agarose beads ); other features of the invention will further appear as the description proceeds of preferred isolation and culturing procedures of the relevant virus , of preferred extraction methods of an extract suitable as diagnostic means , of a preferred diagnosis technique and of the results that can be achieved . cultured t - lymphocytes from either umbilical cord or blood , or also bone marrow cells from healthy , virus negative , adult donors are suitable for virus propagation . there is however some variation from individual to individual in the capacity of lymphocytes to grow the virus . therefore , it is preferable to select an adult healthy donor , which had no antibodies against the virus and whose lymphocytes repeatly did not release spontaneously virus , as detected by reverse transcriptase activity ( rt ) nor expressed viral proteins . lymphocytes of the donor were obtained and separated by cytophoresis and stored frozen at − 180 ° c . in liquid nitrogen , in rpmi 1640 medium , supplemented with 50 % decomplemented human serum and 10 % dmso until used . for viral infection , lymphocytes were put in culture ( rpmi 1640 medium ) with phytohaemogglutinin ( pha ) at the concentration of 5 × 10 6 cells / ml for 3 days . then , the medium was removed and cells resuspended in viral suspension ( crude supernatant of virus - producing lymphocytes , stored at − 80 ° c .). optimal conditions of cell / virus concentrations were 2 × 10 6 cells for 5 to 10 , 000 cpm of rt activity , the latter determined as previously described . after 24 hours , cells were centrifuged to remove the unadsorbed virus and resuspended in culture pha - free medium and supplemented with pha - free tcgf ( interleukin 2 ): ( 0 . 5 - 1 u / ml , final concentrations ), polybren ( sigma ) 2 μg / ml and anti - interferon a sheep serum , inactivated at 56 ° c . for 30 minutes ( 0 . 1 % of a serum which is able to neutralize 7u of a leucocyte interferon at a { fraction ( 1 / 100 , 000 )} dilution ). virus production was tested every 3 days by rt activity determination on 1 ml samples . the presence of anti - interferon serum is important in virus production : when lymphocytes were infected in the absence of anti - human - α - interferon serum , virus production , as assayed by rt activity , was very low or delayed . since the sheep antiserum used was raised against partly purified a leucocyte interferon , made according to the cantell technique , the role of components other than interferon cannot be excluded . virus production starts usually from day 9 to 15 after infection , and lasts for 10 - 15 days . in no cases , the emergence of a continuous permanent line was observed . for its use in elisa , the virus was concentrated by 10 % polyethylenglycol ( peg 6000 ) precipitation and banded twice to equilibrium in a 20 - 60 % sucrose gradient . the viral band at density 1 . 16 is then recovered and usable as such for elisa assays . for use in ripa radio - immune precipitation assay , purification in isotonic gradients of metrizamide ( sold under the trademark hycodenz by nyegaard , oslo ) were found to be preferable . viral density in such gradients was very low ( 1 : 10 - 1 . 11 ). metabolic labelling with 35 s - methionine of cells and virus ( ripa ) followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were performed as above described , except the following modifications for ripa : virus purified in hycodenz who lysed in 4 volumes of ripa containing 500 u / ml of aprotinin . incubation with 5 μl of serum to be tested was made for 1 hour at 37 ° c . and then 18 hours at + 4 ° c . further incubation of the immunocomplexes with protein a sepharose beads was for 3 hours at + 4 ° c . virus purified in sucrose gradient as above described , is lysed in ripa buffer ( 0 . 5 % sds ) and coated on wells of microtest plates ( nunc ). after addition to duplicate wells of serial dilutions of each serum to be tested , the specifically fixed iggs are revealed by goat anti - human igg coupled with peroxydase . the enzymatic reaction is carried out on ortho - phenylene - diamine as substrate and read with an automatic spectrophotometer at 492 nm . on the same plate each serum is tested on a control antigen ( a crude cytoplasmic lysate of uninfected t - lymphocytes from the same donor ) is used in order to eliminate unspecific binding , which can be high with some sera . sera are considered as positive ( antibodies against the virus ) when the difference between o . d . against the viral antigen and o . d . against control cellular antigen was at least 0 . 30 . hereafter there is disclosed a specific test for assaying the above mentioned disease or exposure to disease risks . this elisa test is for detecting and titration of seric anti - retrovirus type lav antibodies . it comprises carrying out a competition test between a viral antigen ( cultivated on t lymphocytes ) and a control antigen constituted by a lysate of the same through non - infected lymphocytes . the binding of the antibodies on the two antigens is revealed by the use of a human antiglobulin labelled with an enzyme which itself is revealed by the addition of a corresponding substrate . the cellular cultures which are used are t lymphocytes of human origin which come from : after infection of the cells by the virus , the supernatant of the infected cell culture is used . it is concentrated by precipitating with 10 % peg , then purified ( two or three times ) on a ( 20 - 60 %) sucrose gradient by ultracentrifugation to equilibrium . the viral fractions are gathered and concentrated by centrifugation at 50 000 rotations per minute for 60 minutes . the sedimented virus is taken in a minimum volume of buffer hte at ph 7 . 4 ( tris 0 . 01m , nacl 0 . 1m , edta 0 . 001m ). the virus is then lysed by a ( ripa + sds ) buffer ( 0 . 5 % final ) for 15 minutes at 37 ° c . the non - infected lymphocytes are cultured according to the preceeding conditions for from 5 to 10 days . they are centrifuged at low speed and lysed in the ripa buffer in the presence of 5 % of the product commercialized under the name of zymofren ( special ( 500 μ / ml ). after a stay of 15 minutes at 4 ° c . with frequent stirrings with vortex , the lysate is centrifuged at 10 000 rotations per minute . the supernatant constitutes the control antigen . its concentration in protein is measured by the lowry method . 5 — non foetal calf serum : which is stored in frozen state ( biopro ). 7 — human anti igg ( h + l ) labelled with peroxydase pasteur , in tubes of 1 ml preserved at 4 ° c . dilution of the conjugate is carried out at the dilution indicated in pbs buffer + tween 20 ( 0 . 05 %)+ bovine albumine 0 . 5 g per 100 ml 9 — dilution buffer of sera = pbs buffer + 0 . 05 % tween 20 − 0 . 5 g bsa bovine serum albumine per 100 ml citrate buffer ph = 5 . 6 trisodic citrate ( c 6 h 5 na 4 o 3 , 2h 2 o ), 0 . 05m ; citric acid ( c 6 h 8 o 7 , 1h 2 o ), 0 . 05m . hydrogen peroxyde = at 30 % ( 110 volumes )− used at 0 . 03 % when using citrate buffer . 75 mg per 25 ml of buffer — which is diluted in buffer extemporaneously . the plates which are used have 96u - shaped wells ( nunc = elisa ). they include 12 rows of 8 wells each , numbered from 1 to 12 . 100 μl of the viral antigen , diluted in carbonate buffer at ph 9 . 6 , are deposited in each of the wells of rows ( marked θ ) 100 μl of the control antigen , diluted in carbonate buffer at ph 9 . 6 , are deposited in each of the wells of rows ( marked θ ) the dilution of the viral antigen is titrated at each viral production . several dilutions of viral antigen are tested and compared to positive and negative known controls ( at several dilutions ) and to human anti - igg labelled with peroxydase , the latter being also tested at several dilutions . as a rule , the proteic concentration of the preparation is of 5 to 2 . 5 μg / ml . the plates are closed with a plastic lid and are incubated overnight at 4 ° c . then they are put once in distilled water and centrifuged . the wells are then filled with 300 μl of non foetal calf serum at 20 % in pbs buffer . the plates are washed 3 times in pbs buffer with tween 20 , 0 . 05 % ( pbs - tw buffer ): the plates are carefully dried and sealed with an adhesive plastic film . they can be stored at − 80 ° c . after defreezing , the plates are washed 3 times in pbs - tween . they are carefully dried . the positive and negative control sera as well as the tested sera are diluted first in the tube , with pbs - tween containing 0 . 5 % bovine albumine . 100 μl of each serum are deposited in duplicate on the viral antigen and in duplicate on the control antigen . the same is carried out for the positive and negative diluted sera . 100 μl of pbs + tween + bovine serum albumine are introduced in two wells θ and in two wells θ to form the conjugated controls . the plates equipped with their lids are incubated for 1 . 5 h at 37 ° c . they are washed 4 times in pbs + tween 0 . 05 %. − 100 μl of human anti - igg ( labelled with peroxydase ) at the chosen dilution are deposited in each well and incubated at 37 ° c . the plates are again washed 5 times with the ( pbs + tween ) buffer . they are carefully dried . revealing the enzymatic reaction is carried out by means of a orthophenylene - diamine substrate ( 0 . 05 % in citrate buffer ph 5 . 6 containing 0 . 03 % of h 2 o 2 ). the plates are left in a dark room 20 minutes at the laboratory temperature . reading is carried out on a spectrophotometer ( for microplates ) at 492 nm . sera deemed as containing antibodies against the virus are those which give a odd ( optical density difference = optical density of viral antigen less optical density of control antigen ) equal or higher to 0 . 30 . this technique enables a qualitative titration as well as a quantitative one . for this purpose , it is possible either to use several dilutions of the serum to be assayed , or to compare a dilution of the serum with a range of controls tested under the same conditions . the table hereafter provides first results of serological investigations for lav antibodies , carried out by using the above exemplified elisa assay . the number of positive sera is probably overestimated in this test , since no control of unspecific binding could be done . * out of the 5 las htlv1 positive , 3 were born in haiti , 1 had stayed for a long time in haiti and 1 had made several travels to usa . all of them had also antibodies against lav . the table shows clearly high prevalence of lav antibodies in the homosexual patients with las , the very low incidence in the normal population and also a moderate spread of virus infection in still healthy homosexuals . in the latter group , all the positive individuals had a high number of partners (& gt ; 50 per year ). the incidence of htlv antibodies was very low in all three groups ( determined by using a commercial elisa test ( biotech )). the groups of aids patients gave less interpretable results : approximatively 20 % had lav antibodies , but some of the sera were taken at a very late stage of the disease , with a possible negativation of the humoral response . it should further be mentioned that lymphocytes of all las patients do not produce detectable amounts of lav - type virus . particularly cells of lymph nodes from 6 more las patients were put in culture and tested for virus production , as described for patient 1 . no virus release could be detected by rt activity . however , a p25 protein recognized by the serum of the first patient could be detected in cytoplasmic extracts of the t - cells labelled with 35 s - methionine in 3 other cases . this suggests partial expression of a similar virus in such cases . moreover , all ( 6 / 6 ) of these patients had antibodies against lav p25 proteins , indicating that they all had been infected with a similar or identical virus . interestingly , in lymphocytes of one of the patients ( patient 2 ), there was a weak but definite immunoprecipitation of a band of similar size ( p24 - p25 ) with goat antiserum raised against htlv1 . similarly , the patient &# 39 ; s serum had antibodies against both htlv and lav , suggesting a double infection by both viruses . such cases seem rather infrequent . the invention finally also relates to the biological reagents that can be formed by the lav extracts containing the p25 protein or by the purified p25 protein , particularly for the production of antibodies directed against p25 in animals or of monoclonal antibodies . these antibodies are liable of forming useful tools in the further study of antigenic determinants of lav viruses or lav - related viruses . it is acknowledged that the okt designations which have been used with respect to the designation of some sub - sets of lymphocytes or related monoclonal antibodies by way of ease of language , should in no way be opposed to the validity of any corresponding trademark , whether registered or not by its owner . it should further be mentioned that the viral extracts , particularly viral lysates or enriched fractions can also be defined by reference to their immunological relationship or similitude with the extracts or enriched fractions containing a p25 protein as obtainable from the strain lav1 , idav1 or idav2 . thus any protein fraction which is capable of giving similar patterns of immunological reaction as do the protein extracts of lav1 , idav1 or idav2 with the same sera , must be considered as equivalent thereof and , accordingly , be deemed as encompassed by the scope of the claims which follow . a similar conclusion extends of course to the diagnostic means ( process and kits ) which may make use of such equivalent protein extracts . the lav1 virus has been deposited at the “ collection nationale des cultures de micro - organismes ” ( c . n . c . m .) under n ° i - 232 on jul . 14 , 1983 and idav1 and idav 2 viruses have been deposited at the c . n . c . m ., institut pasteur , 28 rue de docteur roux , 75724 paris cedex 15 , france , on sep . 15 , 1983 under n ° i - 240 and i - 241 , respectively . the invention encompasses as well the extracts of mutants of variants of the above deposited strains as long as they possess substantially the same immunological properties .	2
the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the drawings , the thickness of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity , and like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout . it will also be understood that when an element such as a layer , region or substrate is referred to as being &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; another element , it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present . on the other hand , when an element is referred to as being &# 34 ; directly on &# 34 ; another element , there are no intervening elements present . referring now to fig1 a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) apparatus used for carrying out the wafer stripping method of the present invention includes a cvd chamber 101 and a boat 104 . the boat 104 on which wafers 105 are mounted is loaded into the chamber 101 to grow a desired film on the wafers 105 . the chamber 101 comprises an inner tubular member 102 and an outer tubular member 103 . the boat 104 and the chamber 101 are formed of quartz . a heater 106 surrounds the chamber 101 . the cvd apparatus also includes a plurality of gas inlet tubes 108a and 108b for injecting into the chamber 101 various gases depending on the types of films to be grown , and a gas outlet tube 131 for exhausting the gas from the chamber 101 . the boat 104 is installed on an adiabatic sleeve 129 and is transported into or out of the chamber 101 by a boat drive unit 130 . fig2 shows a test wafer having a lower film 210 and an upper film 220 which were sequentially formed on the substrate 200 of the wafer . a method of stripping the upper film 220 from the wafer will now be described . a plurality of the test wafers 200 are mounted on the boat 104 . the boat 104 is loaded into the chamber 101 , and then a gas is injected into the tube 101 through the gas inlet tube 108a to strip the upper film 220 from each of the test wafers 200 . the gas may be selected according to the type of upper film 220 to be stripped . when the upper film 220 is polysilicon , cif 3 is used at a flow rate of 500 ˜ 1 , 000 sccm , preferably , 700 sccm . for example , a polysilicon film having a thickness of 16 , 000 å can be completely stripped from the wafer by injecting the cif 3 into the chamber 101 at the above - mentioned flow rate for 85 ˜ 100 min . while the upper film 220 formed on the substrate 200 is being stripped , the temperature in the chamber 101 is preferably maintained at 350 ˜ 450 ° c ., and more preferably , at 400 ° c . also , while the upper film 220 is being stripped , the pressure in the chamber 101 is preferably maintained at 1 . 0 ˜ 2 . 0 torr , and more preferably , at 1 . 5 torr . to this end , ambient gas is injected through the gas inlet tube 108b to maintain the pressure in the chamber 101 constant . n 2 or ar is preferably used as the ambient gas , and is preferably injected into the tube at a rate of 2 , 500 ˜ 3 , 000 sccm , and more preferably , at 2 , 800 sccm . furthermore , as the stripping gas is being injected into the chamber 101 , the boat 104 on which the wafers are mounted is rotated . this action assists in the removal of the upper film 220 from the wafers . after the upper film 220 has been stripped according to the present invention , only a lower film 210 &# 39 ; remains on the substrate 200 of the test wafer , as shown in fig3 . the effect of the present invention on the lower film was checked as follows . with reference to fig2 an oxide film 210 having a thickness of 5 , 000å , and a polysilicon film 220 having a thickness of 16 , 000å were formed on a substrate of the test wafer . then , the test wafer was loaded into the cvd chamber 101 shown in fig1 and cif 3 was injected into the chamber 101 at a rate of 700 sccm for 90 min , to strip the upper film 220 . subsequently , a txrf ( total reflection x - ray fluorescence ) analysis was performed on the test wafer for examining the amounts of elements existing on the lower film 210 &# 39 ; after the upper film 220 was stripped therefrom . the result of the txrf analysis is shown in table 1 and in fig4 . txrf analysis is employed to analyze inorganic elements existing on the surface of a sample by detecting the fluorescence of a surface of a sample radiated with x - rays . however , it should be noted that only elements of atomic number 10 or higher can be detected using txrf analysis . meanwhile , a comparison wafer was analyzed to allow the effects of the present invention on the lower film 210 to be fully evaluated . in the comparison wafer , a lower film ( i . e ., oxide film ) was formed on a substrate under the same conditions and at the same thickness as the lower film 210 of the sample wafer , but no upper film was formed thereon . then , the amounts of elements existing on the oxide film were determined by txrf analysis . the results are also shown in table 1 and in fig4 . in table 1 , comparison 1 refers to the txrf analysis of the oxide film of the comparison wafer , and samples 1 through 4 refer to the txrf analysis of the oxide film of four test wafers after the upper film was stripped from the test wafers according to the present invention . moreover , in table 1 , the units are 10 10 atoms / cm 2 , and each value listed is each actually the mean of four values obtained from points distributed evenly about the wafer . table 1______________________________________txrf ( total reflection x - ray fluorescence ) analysis com - parison sample sample sample sampleelement 1 1 2 3 4______________________________________s 187 255 171 699 860cl 154 208 110 119 140k 1 . 27 1 . 03 0 . 32 1 . 31sn 2 . 13 1 . 66 3 . 3 1 . 94 1 . 46ca 1 . 96 2 3 . 15 2 . 46 2 . 39i 0 . 66 0 . 81 0 . 67 0 . 46ti 0 . 79 0 . 74 0 . 44 0 . 5 0 . 57cr 0 . 53 0 . 45 0 . 4 0 . 38 0 . 27mn 0 . 81 0 . 85 0 . 93 0 . 56 0 . 53fe 1 . 07 1 . 11 1 . 76 0 . 71 0 . 64ni 1 . 05 1 . 03 1 . 09 0 . 69 0 . 75cu 0 . 39 0 . 79 0 . 48 0 . 47 0 . 43zn 0 . 09 0 . 1 0 . 13 0 . 08 0 . 09______________________________________ fig4 is a log graph of the values listed in table 1 . that is , in fig4 the elements are distributed along the x - axis , and the amounts of each element found in the lower film are distributed in a logarithm along the y - axis . referring to table 1 and fig4 it is apparent that there is no difference in quality between the oxide film formed on the comparison wafer and the oxide film on the test wafer from which an upper film had stripped according to the present invention . accordingly , it can be inferred that stripping the polysilicon film ( i . e ., the upper film ) according to the present invention does not affect the oxide film ( i . e ., the lower film ). in fig4 there was a small difference in the amount of s ( sulfur ) between the comparison wafer and the sample wafers . however , considering that the units of measurement are 10 10 atoms / cm 2 , the difference is not considered to be appreciable . an hpic ( high performance ion chromatography ) analysis was also performed for determining what effect , if any , the present invention has on the lower film 210 . the sample wafers and a comparison wafer analyzed by the hpic process were equivalent to those prepared for the txrf analysis . hpic analysis is employed to analyze a sample by separating the components , or solutes , of a mixture on the basis of the relative amounts of each solute distributed between a moving fluid stream , called the mobile phase , and a contiguous stationary phase . table 2 shows the results of the hpic analysis . in table 2 , comparison 1 refers to the hpic analysis of the lower film 210 of the comparison wafer , and samples 1 through 4 refer to the hpic analysis of the lower film 210 &# 39 ; of samples from which the upper film 220 had been stripped according to the method of the present invention . in table 2 , the units are 10 - 13 atoms / cm 2 . table 2______________________________________hpic ( high performance ion chromatography ) analysis com - parison sample sample sample sampleelement 1 1 2 3 4______________________________________li 0 . 19 0 . 19 0 . 19 0 . 19 0 . 19na 0 . 09 0 . 22 0 . 06 0 . 07 0 . 24nh . sub . 4 4 . 16 5 . 10 3 . 53 5 . 67 5 . 86k 0 . 05 0 . 13 0 . 09 0 . 32 0 . 36f 3 . 19 5 . 16 16 . 73 1 . 50 2 . 87cl 0 . 08 0 . 09 0 . 07 0 . 12 0 . 09no . sub . 2 0 . 08 0 . 06 0 . 09 0 . 13 0 . 11br 0 . 02 0 . 02 0 . 02 0 . 02 0 . 02no . sub . 3 0 . 03 0 . 09 0 . 11 0 . 08 0 . 06hpo . sub . 4 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 22 0 . 18so . sub . 4 0 . 08 0 . 09 0 . 01 0 . 84 0 . 98______________________________________ fig5 is a graph of the values listed in table 2 . in fig5 the elements are distributed along the x - axis , and the amounts of the elements existing on the lower film are distributed along the y - axis in units of 10 - 13 atoms / cm 2 . table 2 and fig5 show that there is little difference in the qualities of the oxide films of the comparison wafer and the sample wafers . although fig5 shows some difference in the case of fluorine ( f ), this difference is negligible considering that the units are on the order of 10 - 13 atoms / cm 2 . accordingly , it is clear that stripping the polysilicon film ( i . e ., the upper film ) according to the present invention does not affect the oxide film ( i . e ., the lower film ). because the upper film can be stripped according to the present invention without affecting the lower film , there is no need to reform the lower film when reusing the wafer as a test wafer . therefore , the present invention saves time and costs . also , because the present invention makes use of a cvd apparatus , a plurality of wafers can be simultaneously stripped , whereby the present invention is efficient . although the present invention has been described through the use of preferred embodiments thereof , it should be clear that various changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the true spirit of the present invention . for example , the lower film need not be an oxide layer but can be other layers , such as a nitride layer . accordingly , all such changes and modifications are seen to be within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .	8
in fig1 a , a well 11 is shown in the process of being drilled through a formation 10 . a drill string 12 is suspended from the surface by means of a drilling rig 13 . a drill bit 12 - 1 is attached to the bottom of the drill string 12 . while drilling , a drilling fluid is circulated through the drill string 12 and the drill bit 12 - 1 to return to the surface via the annulus between the wall of the well 11 and the drill string 12 . during this process , part of the drilling fluid invades a shallow zone 15 around the borehole 11 thus contaminating the formation fluid . after completing the drilling through a hydrocarbon bearing formation , a wireline tool 16 as shown in fig1 b is lowered into the well 11 using a wireline cable 17 . in the example as illustrated , the wireline tool includes a formation testing device 16 - 1 to be used for generating a flow in the formation and an nmr - based tool 16 - 2 with a combination of permanent magnets and antennas ( not shown ) to generate a magnetic field within the volume of the formation affected by the flow . such tools have been described in the prior art , including the co - owned u . s . pat . no . 7 , 180 , 288 to scheven , the co - owned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 642 , 715 to speier et al ., and the u . s . pat . no . 6 , 856 , 132 to appel et al . a further variant of such a tool is illustrated in fig2 a and 2b showing a frontal and cross - sectional view , respectively , of the schematics of a combined sampling and nmr tool . the body 20 of the downhole logging tool includes a sampling probe taking the shape of a pad 21 . the pad 21 includes an outer zone 211 of magnetic material behind a sealing layer of elastic material . the magnetic material of this example is permanently magnetic and can hence generate a magnetic field in those parts of the formation which face the probe . an inner zone of the pad 21 includes an antenna area 212 and the flowline 213 . a feed circuit 22 to power and control the antenna is located behind the pad 21 . the flowline includes a flowmeter q similar to the known devices . the antenna is designed to deliver nmr pulses 23 into the formation . the tool as illustrated is in a state of injecting fluid from the tool body 20 into the formation 10 . in other states , fluid may flow in reverse direction , i . e ., from the formation 10 into the flowline 213 . the tool shown is distinguishable from known designs of combined sampling and nmr tools by having the antenna 212 in a recessed area of the pad 21 . it is seen as a novel aspect of such designs to have the recessed area act effectively like a funnel , thus drawing in or injecting flow from a bigger effective area and in turn enlarging the measuring volume where flow and magnetic field overlap . the recessed area serves further to protect the antenna from the impact and sealing forces acting when the pad makes contact with the formation . for an electromagnetic or resistivity - based measurement , the combination of an nmr tool and formation testing tool as shown above can be replaced by a combination of resistivity array tool and formation testing tool . such a tool is described for example in the co - owned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 335 , 542 to ramakrishnan et al . other sensing fields require a corresponding change of the type of source and receivers in the tool body . however for most of the known sensing fields whether acoustic , sonic or electromagnetic , corresponding logging tool designs exists and can be thus adapted to methods and tools described herein . integrated into the flowline of the sampling tool are typically further measuring devices ( not shown ), such as optical , nmr , or resistivity based sensors etc ., to measure composition - related parameters of the sampled or ejected flow inside the tool . these devices include also flowmeters q to determine the total flow qw + qo and the water flow qw and the hydrocarbon flow qo . the flowline 213 is further connected to a flow generator or pump ( not shown ) located within the body of the logging tool . the flow generator is designed to move fluids from the formation into the body of the tool or from a storage tank ( not shown ) within the body of the tool into the formation . a wireline suspended dual packer tool suitable for performing measurements in accordance with another example of the invention is shown in fig3 . the tool 31 of fig3 is suspended from a wireline 32 into an open hole . it has a pair of packers 33 with integrated arrays of sensors 34 . the sensors can be designed as an array of electrodes , antennas gamma - ray receivers or emitters etc . depending on the measurement to be performed . the pair of packers isolates a zone 30 of the formation . the tool further comprises a fluid reservoir chamber 35 connected to the fluid ports 361 via a flow line 36 . the flow through the flow line 35 is driven by a pumping module 37 . the pumping module can be designed to support flow from the formation into the reservoir chamber or from the chamber into the formation . depending on the type of experiment to be performed , the chamber may contain sample fluids such as water or oil , or solutions of active chemicals to modify the formation , the formation fluids , or the response of the formation or formation fluid to the sensing field . the lines 38 and 39 provide an electrical connection and a hydraulic connection , respectively , to the packer 33 and the sensors 34 . it is important to note that the measurement as proposed in the present invention will result in a response signal from the fluid as located inside the measuring volume and hence inside the formation . previous efforts of combining nmr and a sampling tool have mostly focused on measuring the properties of the sampled fluid or its velocity after it leaves the formation and moves through the flow line of the tool . in the present invention , the sampling tool is employed as a means to generate a flow in the formation . this flow changes the values of parameters associated with the formation whilst leaving others unchanged . it has been observed that by recording such changes , parameters of great importance for the characterization of the formation can be determined with potentially much higher accuracy , revealing even previously unknown aspects . in a first example of an embodiment of the invention , the oil and water saturations of the formation fluids are determined as a function of the flow rate . the saturations can be determined for example by evaluating measured t 1 or t 2 distribution curves . to illustrate the principle of the evaluation , a simplified example of such curves is shown in fig4 a . the water signal is shown as a solid line 41 and oil as a dashed line 42 . saturations can be determined from such a measurement by calculating the ratio of the relative areas under the curves to the total area . the response of the formation to many measurements , including the nmr type measurement above , can be modified through injection of a suitable chemical . using for example either mncl2 or nicl as part of any injected fluid reduces the water response signal or , at the very least , shifts it to very short t 2 values . this effect results in a clear separation between the water and oil signals in the t 2 domain and the residual oil saturation estimation becomes a simple volumetric determination based on the measured t 2 distribution . whilst the example as illustrated is simplified in order to make important aspects more transparent , it is expected that real measurements are based on more advanced methods of evaluating nmr data such as mrf methods or other any known method to acquire and interpret three dimensional ( 3d ) nmr data . for details of the theory and implementation of the mrf method , reference can be made to freedman , r ., sezginer , a ., flaum , m ., matteson , a ., lo , s ., and hirasaki , g . j . : “ a new nmr method of fluid characterization in reservoir rocks : experimental confirmation and simulation results ,” spe 63214 , transactions of the 2000 spe annual technical conference and exhibition , dallas , tex ., usa , 1 - 4 oct . 2000 . with the saturation values determined using either the nmr based methods as described in the above example or measurements based on other sensing fields , the flowmeter q can be used to measure the water cut or flow qw and / or the hydrocarbon cut or flow qo of the sampling tool . the term “ cut ” is used to indicated the amount of a single phase in what is typically a multiphase flow produced from the borehole . if required , the time lag between the flow measurements and the saturation measurements can be compensated for by for example calculating the average flow velocity between the location of the saturation measurement and the flowmeter location inside the tool body . another way of performing such compensation may include using correlations between the nmr measurements and the flowmeter and selecting the time lag which maximizes such correlations . the compensation ensures that the measurement as performed by the flowmeter reflects the composition of the flow as it passes through the measuring volume of the nmr tool for evaluation . in a preferred embodiment of the invention the measured saturations and flow rates are matched to fit a relations or model which includes the relative permeabilities k ( ro ) or k ( rw ). in principle all measured points lie on curves such as shown in fig5 a . in fig5 a , there are shown the relative permeability kro of hydrocarbon as a function of saturation and the relative permeability krw of water as a function of saturation . the endpoints of both curves are defined by the residual water saturation swr and the residual hydrocarbon saturation ros . based on the current knowledge of the theory of this relation , it is in many cases not required to determine more than two points to derive a useful estimate of a relative permeability curve . these two points could be the permeability at the residual water saturation swr and the residual hydrocarbon saturation ros . however the accuracy of such an estimate or model is increased by determining more measurements points on the curves . a further , more detailed example of a model based approach for evaluating saturation measurements to derive relative permeabilities is described in : “ water - cut and fractional - flow logs from array - induction measurements ” by t . s . ramakrishnan and d . j . wilkinson , 1999 spe reservoir evaluation and engineering 2 ( 1 ), pp . 85 - 94 . once the relative permeabilities krw ( sw ) and kro ( sw ) are established as functions of the saturation , it is possible to derive the fractional flow using for example equation [ 1 ] below with μw being the μw and fw ( sw )=( krw ( sw )/ μ w )/( krw ( sw )/ μ w + kro ( sw )/ μ o ) [ 1 ] resulting in curves for the fractional flowrates as a function of the saturation as shown for the flowrate fw ( sw ) of the water phase in fig4 b . once established , this function can be used to determine important parameters . for example , a measure of the recoverable oil in the formation can be derived by measuring the actual saturations and their respective distance to the endpoints of the saturation curves indicating the residual oil or water saturations . in another example of the invention , the t 1 or t 2 distributions as shown in fig4 a can be recorded as a function of time and hence as a function of the flow which passed through the monitored formation volume . the benefit of such a measurement can be demonstrated by comparing the schematic fig4 a and 4b . the latter figure shows the same measuring volume but after an injection of water . the measured distribution gives an indication of the residual oil saturation ros by evaluating the area of the “ oil peak ”, which is reduced after the injection of water from the tool as described above . however apart from the determination of saturations , the distribution can further be evaluated to make determinations as to the composition of the hydrocarbon . it is generally known that the absolute value of t 1 or t 2 can be linked to fluid related parameters such as viscosity . hence each value of t 1 ( or t 2 ) is taken in this example as a value representative of viscosity . in fig4 a and 4b , which together illustrates the case of a composition change in the formation fluid due to a water injection , the oil peak is not only reduced in amplitude , but the amplitude reduction in fig4 b relative to the original amplitudes of fig4 a differs for different values of t 1 . in the illustrated example , the composition of the formation oil has changed , with the low viscosity fractions of the oil ( at higher t 1 values ) being apparently flushed more effectively from the formation than the higher viscosity fractions . the higher viscosity portion of the formation oil remains in place and forms a relatively larger fraction of the residual oil which cannot be produced by water injection or flush alone . to observe compositional changes such as described in the example above provides important information to assist in decisions concerning the methods chosen at various stages in the life of the reservoir to recover its hydrocarbon content . it can also be used in determining the most efficient form of eor treatment . if , for example , the recoverable oil left in the formation is more viscous than the produced oil , eor treatments will need to be planned differently taking into account the change in the viscosity of the remaining oil . apart from drawing conclusions on the efficacy of types of eor treatments , it is further possible to measure the effects of such a treatment on a very small scale but within a very short time period . repeating the injection measurements as described above with an eor treatment fluid rather than water , it is possible to monitor directly the changes in the formation , in particular the residual oil saturation without and with the eor treatment tested . when testing a chemical based method , the relevant chemical components can be mixed to the internal fluid flow inside the tool . if a heat treatment is contemplated for testing , the fluid injected can be heated inside the tool body prior to injection into the formation . thus the invention can provide a very fast screening method for a wide variety of existing and future eor treatments which would otherwise take months or even years to test .	4
fig1 shows a light sensing device 10 in the form of a wrist - worn device for sensing the ambient light intensity in the environment of a user ( not shown ) wearing this device 10 . generally the light sensing device 10 comprises an operation module 12 in the shape of a flat rectangular box , and a flexible wrist band 14 that is attached with its ends to opposite sides of the operation module 12 such that the operation module 12 and the wrist band 14 form a ring . the inner diameter of the wristband 14 is dimensioned such that the wrist - worn device 10 can comfortably be worn on the wrist of a user . for putting on the device 10 , the wristband 14 may have a certain elasticity to be widened , or an opening and closing mechanism ( not shown in the figures ) may be provided for connecting one end of the wristband 14 to the operation module 12 . generally the operation module 12 and the wristband 14 are formed similar to a common wristwatch . the operation module 12 is formed as a housing that receives integrated electronic circuits for processing and storing electric signals and for performing the operation of sensing ambient light intensity . on the top surface 16 of the operation module 12 , there is a display 18 for displaying a status information of the device 10 or any other information , like , for example , the daytime . further provided on the top surface 16 of the operation module 12 there is an ambient light sensor 20 for measuring the ambient light intensity . this ambient light sensor 20 is provided to measure the intensity of light within the visible light spectrum and to generate electric signals representing the measured light intensity within this spectrum . these signals can be interpreted as data concerning the present ambient light intensity . in this embodiment , only one light sensor 20 is provided with one spectral range within the visible light . however , as will be further explained below , it is also possible to provide the light sensing device 10 with a plurality of light sensors 20 for different spectral ranges to be measured . the light sensor 20 provides an electric output intensity signal that corresponds to the measured light intensity . for example , this output intensity signal is proportional to the light intensity . the original light intensity signal is multiplied by a gain factor of this light sensor 20 , which is a constant parameter , to result in the output intensity signal . to provide an accurate and reliable measurement result that represents the real intensity exposition , the light sensing device 10 shown in fig1 is to be calibrated by a calibration device 30 shown in fig2 . the light sensing device 10 and the calibration device 30 represent different elements of a light sensing system 100 . the calibration device 30 is formed as stand alone unit , which is a docking station 32 for supporting the light sensing device 10 in a non - use situation . the docking station 32 comprises a flat base plate 34 , a flat column 36 rising vertically from one end of the base plate 34 , and an upper support portion 38 for supporting the operation module 12 of the light sensing device . the support portion 38 comprises a lower flat portion 40 and an upper flat portion 42 that stand horizontal and parallel to each other with a gap 44 formed therebetween . this gap 44 is for receiving the operation module 12 , as shown in fig2 . in the support situation the operation module 12 rests flat on the upper surface of the lower portion 40 . within the upper portion 42 , one light source ( not shown in the figs .) is arranged in a position that faces the light sensor 20 in the supported state of the light sensing device 10 . by this arrangement the light sensor 20 can be illuminated directly by the light source . upon this illumination , the light sensor 20 generates an output intensity signal corresponding to the measured light intensity . the present light sensing system 100 is provided for performing a calibration operation to calibrate the light sensor 20 . to perform this calibration , the light source is provided to emit light with a standard intensity which is defined by system parameters and environmental parameters . this standard intensity can also be controlled by a control means , like an electronic circuit , within the light sensing system 100 . the control means can be provided , for example , within the calibration device 30 . it is possible to provide a light source that it emits light of a polychromatic spectrum within a broad range . the output intensity signal of the light sensor 20 is compared with an expected signal , which corresponds to the standard intensity , and the output intensity signal is matched to the expected signal . for example , if the output intensity signal of the light sensor 20 is lower than expected , the gain factor of this light sensor 20 is increased to meet the expected signal . for this calibration process , communication means can be provided within the light sensing system 100 for communicating between the calibration device 30 and the light sensing device 10 . these communication means can be wireless communication means , or wire - bound communication means that operate when the light sensing device 10 and the calibration device 30 are in contact with each other . the light sensing system 100 , especially the calibration device 30 may also comprise a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the light source . this temperature sensor may provide an information that contributes to the accuracy of calibration , because the intensity of the light source may vary with temperature . for example , if the light source is a semiconductor light emitting device ( led ), the output intensity may depend inversely on the temperature . this can be balanced by adapting the gain parameter of the light sensor 20 accordingly . in case there is more than one light sensor 20 provided , these light sensors can cover different spectral ranges , while they are illuminated with light of one single light source of a spectral range that covers all spectral ranges of the light sensors 20 , i . e ., from a polychromatic light source . for example , the light source is a white light source , while the light sensors 20 are colour specific sensors , like , for example , a red light sensor , a green light sensor and a blue light sensor . in this case the gain parameters of the light sensors 20 are adjusted based on the known energy level emitted in each respective colour band to match the expected signal accordingly . in a common model , the resulting general output intensity signal can be described by the following formula . where red_irradiance , green_irradiance and blue_irradiance are the original intensity signals produced by the sensors in their respective colour bands , and α , β , χ are the gain parameters of each respective red , green and blue colour channel . different values for α , β , χ correspond to the different contributions of the sensors in their respective colour band to the overall intensity . by adjusting the gain parameters α , β , χ , the different light sensors can be calibrated to adjust them to match their contribution to the general resulting output intensity signal illum ( 1x ). the new gain parameters can be stored in a memory of the light sensing system 100 . according to a different embodiment , there is also the possibility to provide a plurality of different light sources , namely one light source for each sensor with a spectral range that corresponds to the spectral range of its allocated sensor . in this case the calibration can be performed for each sensor separately , taking the standard intensity of each single light source as the calibration parameter . the gain parameter of each light sensor is adjusted to match its output intensity signal to the expected signal that corresponds to the standard intensity of the respective light source . for example , there are three light sensors , namely a red light sensor , a green light sensor and a blue light sensor , as described in the example above , while there are also three light sources , namely a red light source , a green light source and a blue light source . each of these light sources is operated with a known standard intensity . the gain parameter of the red light sensor is adjusted so that the output intensity signal of this red light sensor matches the expected signal corresponding to the standard intensity of the red light source , and so on . by this operation mode it is possible to adjust the gain parameter of each light sensor to match the light energy emitted in each respective color band and to store the new gain values in the memory . optionally , the spectrum of each light sensor can be adapted , for example , to a light temperature or to correspond to a specific light source ( halogen , incandescent light , outdoor sunlight , etc .) within the expected intensity range . the above described calibration methods can be performed by a computer software that it stored within a calibration device 30 , that can be operated by the end user . the calibration process can be performed automatically each time the light sensing device 10 is placed within the calibration device 30 , as shown in fig2 . the calibration device 30 may than automatically detect the presence of the light sensing device 10 within the support portion 38 , and start the calibration process , i . e . starting to perform a respective computer program . in this arrangement the calibration process can be performed each time the light sensing device 10 is not in use , between two subsequent measuring epochs . consequently the light sensing device 10 is calibrated each time a new measurement epoch is started . this is a large advantage over known light sensing devices 10 which are calibrated once by the manufacturer and do not provide a possibility for the user to calibrate the light sensing device 10 afterwards , to keep the reliability of the measurement results . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive ; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention , from a study of the drawings , the disclosure , and the appended claims . in the claims , the word “ comprising ” does not exclude other elements or steps , and the indefinite article “ a ” or “ an ” does not exclude a plurality . the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage . any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope .	6
fig1 and 1a show bags for carrying trash and the draw tape for them . they include two panels which are formed from an extruded tube of polyethylene . the sides of the panels are heat sealed and cut from the tube at 11 , 12 and 13 in a perpendicular direction . the tube is slit along one side to form open tops in the bag for reception of trash and the like . hem portions of each panel are folded over adjacent the top . draw tapes 14 and 15 are secured by the heat seal at the sides of the panels . a cut - out in each panel and hem portion at the middle of the bag , exposes the draw tapes so they can be grasped . when the bag is loaded with trash , the bag is grasped by the draw tape , thereby closing the bag . the draw tapes can thereafter be tied forming a neat bundle . the draw tape has a relatively thin and narrow central portion 16 of stretched , oriented , polyethylene and end portions 17 at the extremities . the relatively thick and wide end portions are unstretched , unoriented , polyethylene tape . the heat seal which secures the draw tape to the sides of the panels is through the relatively thick and wide end portions . referring to fig2 and 3 , the present invention includes a rotating disk 20 , about six feet in diameter in the exemplary embodiment . six radial tracks , which are the slots 21 - 26 , guide clips 27 - 32 radially along the tracks . a stationary cam , having a groove 33 which extends in a spiral , is positioned adjacent to the rotating disk . the groove 33 positions the clips radially . as the disk rotates , the clips move further from each other as determined by the radius at which the cam positions them . unoriented tape 34 ( fig3 ) from the oven 35 is fed to the clip 27 which is closest to the center of rotating disk 20 . the tape 34 is heated in oven 35 in order to avoid line drawing and to obtain smooth stretching and orientation of the tape . as the disk rotates , the clips 27 - 32 move farther from each other , stretching the tape between the clips , while the segments of the tape held by the clips remains unoriented . in an exemplary embodiment , a tape for a thirty inch wide bag has a two inch unstretched end portion in every thirty inches . a six foot diameter disk with six radial tracks produces a stretch ratio for the 28 &# 34 ; portions of stretched tape of 5 : 1 . more or less than six tracks may be used but the stretching diameter must be proportionally more or less than six feet . fig4 shows the apparatus of the present invention with bag making machine . polyethylene tape from the roll 36 is stretched by the rotating disk 20 of the present invention after it has passed through the oven 35 . the stretched tape is fed to the tape inserter 37 where it is inserted into the hem of a continuously moving line of bags . in order to operate the tape stretching apparatus of the present invention in line with this bag making machinery , it is necessary to synchronize the tape stretcher with the bag machine in two respects : 1 . cyclic register : there must be exactly one interruption for every cycle of the bag machine . this can be accomplished by driving the disk relative to the crank in the bag machine which advances the bags so the disk makes one revolution for every six rotations of the bag machine crank , and therefore every six bags . 2 . linear speed match : the linear speed of the exiting oriented tape must be the same as the speed of the film entering the bag machine , in order to match tensions . this can be accomplished by moving the cam laterally relative to the disk , so that when the clips are at their farthest spacing they are farther from or closer to the center . this has the effect of stretching the tape a bit more or less , so that there is more or less tape length between interruptions , and the tape is moving faster or slower . the remainder of the line for producing draw tape bags shown in fig5 is more fully described in the aforementioned applications . briefly , a roll 38 feeds a continuous , extruded tube of polyethylene which has been slit and folded along a median longitudinal line . the material is drawn from the roll 38 by pinch rollers 39 . these draw the folded film , forming the two opposing panels , through a hemmer 40 and through a punch 41 which forms the cut - outs in each panel . the continuous line of bags passes through the tape inserter 37 where the draw tape from the stretching apparatus of the present invention is inserted into each hem of the bag . the continuous length of film with the draw tapes inserted in the hem thereof is advanced from the pinch rollers 39 , through rollers 42 and a hem sealer 43 , by means of a second pair of pinch rollers 44 . as the length of continuous hem sealed film exits the hem sealer 43 , it passes through a set of dancer rolls 45 , to the seal cutter assembly 46 . the reciprocating heat seal bar carries a knife edge into contact with the moving web in an intermittent action timed to form a heat seal down the sides of each bag at regular intervals along its length . after bonding , the seal bar also severs the continuous length of film through the center of the heat seal , thereby separating individual bags from the continuous length of film . while a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described , various modifications are within the true spirit and scope of the invention . the appended claims are , therefore , intended to cover all such modifications .	1
fig1 shows a receptacle - treatment machine 1 for treatment of receptacles 2 made of glass or a similar non - metallic material . the receptacle - treatment machine 1 is configured as a rotating machine having receptacle - treatment positions 3 that are provided at the circumference of a rotor 4 that rotates about a vertical machine axis ma . with the rotor 4 circulating in a rotor direction a , receptacles 2 that are to be treated are conducted to the receptacle - treatment positions 3 by way of a receptacle inlet 1 . 1 . the treatment of receptacles 2 is carried out within an angular region of the rotor &# 39 ; s movement . this angular region extends between the receptacle inlet 1 . 1 and a receptacle outlet 1 . 2 , at which the treated receptacles 2 are taken from the treatment positions 3 . in some embodiments , the receptacle - treatment machine 1 is a filling machine for pressure - filling receptacles 2 with a filling product . in pressure - filling , the receptacles 2 , which stand on their bases on a horizontal level n , are pre - tensioned to a filling pressure with a pressurized inert gas . this occurs while the receptacles are in a tension zone , before actually filling the receptacles with the liquid filling - product . in the region of this tension zone , there is a risk of a receptacle 2 bursting . this may arise , for example , from previous damage to the receptacle 2 as a result of thermal loads during a previous cleaning procedure . when a receptacle 2 bursts , the resulting shards or receptacle fragments 2 . 1 move at high speed , and therefore with high kinetic energy from the receptacle - treatment position 3 in uncontrollably different directions b , as shown in fig2 . these shards move in all directions . to avoid injury to personnel and damage to machines located adjacent to the receptacle - treatment machine 1 , it is useful to provide a shielding system in the tension zone . in some cases , the shielding system comprises rigid and fixed wall elements . although such shielding systems prevent the receptacle fragments 2 . 1 from being hurled outwards , shards that impact them often ricochet and undergo further breakage . in many cases , the ricochet directs the shards back toward the receptacle - treatment machine 1 . this can contaminate components of the receptacle - treatment machine 1 with receptacle fragments 2 . 1 . the contamination hinders cleaning of the receptacle - treatment machine 1 . fig2 - 6 show an alternative shielding system 5 a that avoids these difficulties . this shielding system 5 a includes cladding segments 6 a , each of which is configured in the form of lamellae and comprises a rectangular structural element . in the normal state of the shielding system 5 a , these cladding segments 6 a are arranged with longitudinal sides 6 . 1 of this shape arranged in the vertical direction . a carrier element 7 on a guide 8 holds each cladding segment 6 a at its upper end , i . e . at the narrow side at that point of the structure . as a result , the cladding segment 6 a hangs freely like a pendulum . the guide 8 , as shown in fig1 extends in from an arc of a circle about the rotor 4 , along the tension zone . in the embodiment represented , the lower ends of the cladding segments 6 a are located below the level n . the carrier elements 7 move the cladding segments 6 a along the guide 8 , while at the same time enabling them to pivot about their vertical middle axes . as a result , the cladding segments 6 a corresponding to fig3 and 5 can be arranged in an effective state , in which the cladding segments 6 a are connected to one another and form a continuous vertical protection wall 9 of the shielding system 5 a . this can be opened , wholly or partially , by pivoting the cladding segments 6 a about their vertical middle axis , in order , for example , to provide access to the treatment positions 3 , as represented in fig6 . fig7 shows the cladding segments 6 a after having adopted a state in which they are pushed together and with their planes radial or essentially radial to the machine axis ma . this permits unimpeded access through the shielding system 5 a to the receptacle - treatment machine 1 , and in particular also to the treatment positions 3 and the function elements located therein . fig4 shows the shielding system 5 a and its cladding segments 6 a in operation . in particular , diagram ( a ) of fig4 shows a broken fragment 2 . 1 of a receptacle flying into a cladding segment 6 a . upon being impacted by this receptacle fragment 2 . 1 , this cladding segment 6 a deflects sideways . simultaneously , the cladding segment 6 a assumes an elastic concave camber on the side facing towards the receptacle fragment 2 . 1 , as shown in diagram ( b ). in its further course , the cladding segment 6 a , with the receptacle fragment 2 . 1 in contact or coming in contact , deflects outwards until the point at which the kinetic energy of the receptacle fragment 2 . 1 has at least for the most part been converted into potential energy of the cladding segment 6 a . as a result , the cladding segment 6 a decelerates and catches the receptacle fragment 2 . 1 . an upper protection wall 10 , shown in fig2 and 3 , catches receptacle fragments 2 . 1 that are projected upwards from the treatment position 3 . the upper protection wall 10 is formed from upper cladding segments 11 that are produced with a rectangular cross - section and that connect with one another along the shielding system 5 a when it is in its effective state . the upper cladding segments 11 are suspended so that they hang freely at the holding elements 11 . 1 . this means that they too can deflect outwards sorb kinetic energy upon being hit by receptacle fragments 2 . 1 . due to the elastic deformation and / or deflection of the cladding segments 6 a upon being hit by receptacle fragments 2 . 1 , a large part of the kinetic energy of these fragments 2 . 1 is converted into potential energy of the cladding segments 6 a . this also discourages further fragmentation of the receptacle fragments 2 . 1 and , in particular , ricocheting of these receptacle fragments 2 . 1 in the direction of the treatment machine 1 . the cladding elements 6 a convert their potential energy back into kinetic energy by reverting to their respective initial positions . as they do so , they give up this energy to internal and external friction and air resistance . these combine to dampen the movement of the cladding elements 6 a so that the potential energy can be dispersed without any undesirable consequences . because the cladding elements 6 a in the pushed together position , shown in fig7 , are still spaced apart from one another , this position is also particularly well - suited for the cleaning and / or disinfection of the cladding segments 6 a , and specifically by spraying them with a suitable cleaning and / or disinfection medium . fig8 and 9 show the cladding segments 6 b of the vertical protection wall 9 of a shielding system 5 b in the effective state ( fig8 ) and in the completely opened state of this shielding system , i . e . with the cladding segments 6 b pushed together ( fig9 ). this alternative shielding system 5 b differs from the shielding system 5 a essential only in that the lamellar - type cladding segments 6 b , at least in the starting position , are slightly cambered about at least one axis parallel to their vertical longitudinal extensions , and specifically in such a way that the convex cambered side , in the effective state of the shielding system 5 b , faces towards the receptacle - treatment machine 1 . furthermore , the cladding segments 6 b , which in turn are held freely hanging at their upper end only in pendulum fashion and are entirely free at the lower end , are set obliquely in the effective state of the shielding system 5 b ( fig8 ) and arranged in such a way that , with two adjacent cladding segments 6 b , the longitudinal edge 6 . 1 of the one cladding segment 6 b of the receptacle - treatment machine 1 lies closer than the longitudinal edge 6 . 1 , adjacent to this longitudinal edge 6 . 1 of the other cladding segment 6 b . as a result of this , a gap 12 forms between the adjacent cladding segments 6 b , oriented obliquely to the circumference of the rotor 4 , for example for the passage of an air flow produced by the circulating rotor 4 , but nevertheless the cladding segments 6 b following one another still overlap in an axial direction radially or essentially radially to the machine axis ma sufficiently far for the receptacle fragments 2 . 1 moved or thrown outwards from the treatment machine 1 or from the treatment positions 3 respectively will be reliably caught by the shielding system 5 b in the manner described heretofore . fig1 shows a further embodiment in which a shielding system 5 c with a plurality of lamellar cladding segments 6 c forms the vertical protection wall of this cladding , which in each case are provided on one of their longitudinal sides 6 . 1 with an angle arrangement 6 . 1 . 1 . for the pendulum - type suspension of the cladding segments 6 , two guides 8 are provided . the two guides 8 are offset radially to the machine axis by an amount that is equal to or essentially equal to the length of the angle arrangements 6 . 1 . 1 . in the effective state represented in fig1 of the shielding system 5 c , the angle arrangement 6 . 1 . 1 of a cladding segment 6 c lies against the adjacent cladding segment 6 c or is adjacent to this , and specifically on the longitudinal side 6 . 1 that does not comprise the angle arrangement 6 . 1 . 1 . fig1 shows a representation similar to that in fig1 and in the effective state of a shielding system 5 d with a plurality of cladding segments 6 d . these cladding segments 6 d are not configured in lamellar manner . instead , they are formed from tubular elements that are held at their upper ends on two guides so as to hang freely as pendulums , and specifically in such a way that the cladding segments 6 d , at least in the effective state of the shielding system 5 d , form two rows and from row to row are set forward with a gap . fig1 and 13 show representations corresponding to fig2 and 3 of a shielding system 5 e that differs from the shielding system 5 a - 5 c only in that the upper cladding segments 11 are not held hanging at the respective suspension point 11 . 1 , but are tensioned at the guide 8 . these cladding segments 11 , upon being hit by receptacle fragments 2 . 1 , deflect elastically in order to absorb and eliminate the kinetic energy . widely differing materials are suitable for producing the cladding segments 6 a - 6 d and 11 , but plastics are preferred . in a particularly advantageous embodiment , at least the cladding segments 6 a - 6 d are made of a transparent material , for example of polycarbonate . as a result , even with the shielding system 5 a in the effective state , it is possible to see the treatment of the receptacles at the treatment positions 3 . by suitably selecting a cladding segment &# 39 ; s size and the material from which it is made , it is possible to ensure that its mass is at least equal to or preferably greater than the mass of the largest receptacle fragment 2 . 1 to be anticipated . in certain embodiments , the mass of each cladding segment 6 a - 6 d amounts to less than 50 % of the mass of the receptacles 2 . in particular when the cladding segments 6 a - 6 d and 11 consist of a non - metallic material , they are provided , at least on that surface side which in the effective state of the shielding system 5 a - 5 e faces towards the treatment machine 1 and its rotor 4 respectively , with a flexible and / or elastic coating . this coating prevents damage to this surface side that might otherwise result from impact by receptacle fragments 2 . 1 and / or the penetration of receptacle fragments 2 . 1 . a suitable coating is one with a higher hardness value than that of the cladding segments 6 a - 6 d and 11 . this coating is then arranged so as to be either continuous or formed from a plurality of adjacent coating regions or particles . suitable materials include glass , or also particles of a hard material , such as particles of glass or particles of metal . it is understood that this coating is applied sufficiently thinly onto the cladding segments 6 a - 6 d and 11 so that the flexibility and elasticity of these segments is retained . in addition to the configuration described of the cladding segments 6 a - 6 d , there is also the possibility of providing lengths of chain as cladding segments . these hang at the guide 8 and are otherwise free . each cladding segment then comprises at least one length of chain with a plurality of chain links . the latter consist in turn of a metallic material or of plastic . it has been assumed that the shielding system 5 a - 5 e at the receptacle - treatment machine 1 is used in a filling machine . it is of course possible for the shielding system to be used also with other receptacle - treatment machines in critical zones or regions in which there is a risk of receptacle breakage with receptacle fragments being moved or hurled away from the machine , for example by centrifugal force . it has also been assumed heretofore that the cladding segments 6 a - 6 d are arranged at the receptacle - treatment machine 1 for the formation of the protection wall 9 following on from one another , and in each case are held hanging freely in pendulum fashion , by their upper ends only . this is not essential , however . in some embodiments , the cladding elements 6 a - 6 d are accommodated elastically at least at one of their ends . it is to be understood by this that the cladding elements are connected via a working connection to an elastically deformable element , to its mounting , and / or to the receptacle - treatment machine . if , with this embodiment , a glass splinter or a glass shard now impacts a cladding element 6 a - 6 d , it is capable of undergoing further elastic deformation . in addition , however , the elastic mounting element is also elastically deformed . when the effect of the glass splinter or glass shard has ended , the elastically deformable element reverts to its original overall arrangement , wherein , however , a part of the energy stored by the elastic deformation is converted by inner or outer friction processes into heat . this reduces the effects of shattering glass bottles or similar receptacles made of glass . the invention has been described heretofore on the basis of exemplary embodiments . it is understood that numerous modifications and divergences are possible without thereby leaving the inventive concept on which the invention is based .	5
having discussed the problems associated with post - operative partial discectomy with respect to fig1 a - 1c , reference will now be made to fig2 , which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention , wherein a device in the form of a stent 202 is used to occlude a detect 204 in a human disc , as shown . in this preferred embodiment , the device is composed of a flexible material , which may be cloth , polymeric or metallic . for reasons discussed below , a titanium mesh screen is preferred with respect to this embodiment of the invention . a flexible device is also preferred because the surgeon is presented with a very small working area . the incision through the skin is typically on the order of 1 to 1 . 5 inches in length , and the space at the disc level is approximately 1 centimeter on the side . as a consequence , the inventive device and the tools associated with insertion and fixation described below must be sufficiently narrow to fit within these confines . as shown in fig3 a - 3c , a flexible screen enables the device to be collapsed into an elongated form 302 , which , in turn , facilitates introduction into a sheath 304 associated with insertion . a push rod 306 may then be introduced into the other end of the sheath 304 , and either the sheath pulled backwardly or the push rod pushed forwardly , or both , resulting in the shape shown in fig3 c , now suitable for implantation . to further assist in fixation with respect to the surrounding physiology , anchors 402 may be provided around a peripheral edge of the device , as shown in fig4 a . fig4 b shows an end view of the device of fig4 a , and fig5 illustrates the device with anchors generally at 500 , being fixed relative to a defective disc 504 bounded by upper and lower vertebrae at 502 . it will be apparent to those of skill that each of the devices disclosed herein may be made in different sizes , having varying peripheral dimensions , for example , to match differently sized defects . fig6 a and 6b illustrate how a distracting tool 602 may be used to force the anchors into the vertebrae . that is , having introduced the device into the approximate area , the tool 602 , having a forward shape corresponding to that of the expanded mesh shape , may be introduced therein , as shown in fig6 b . with force being applied to the tool 602 , the anchors may be permanently set into the surrounding bone / tissue . fig7 a illustrates an alternative approach to fixation , wherein one or more notches 700 may be made into the upper and lower vertebra , preferably through the use of an air - operated drill 704 shown in fig7 b , having a cutting wheel 702 adapted for such a purpose . fig7 c illustrates the way in which a flexible body 708 may be retained by the notches 700 described with respect to fig7 a and 7b . fig8 illustrates an alternative orientation of a flexible body having a convex surface facing outwardly with respect to the wall of the disc being repaired . fig9 a illustrates a further alternative associated with fixation wherein anchors 902 which penetrate the outer wall of the disc 905 are used to hold a flexible repair device 900 in place as shown . fig9 b shows yet a further alternative fixation modality , wherein disc anchors 906 , which do not penetrate the outer wall of the disc , but , rather remain there within , are used to hold the device 904 in place . fig9 c illustrates yet a further alternative mode of fixation , wherein anchors 908 are used to hold the device to upper and lower vertebra , as opposed to the anchors of fig9 a and 9b , which are used with respect to the disc . regardless of whether fixation takes place within the vertebra or within the disc , it will be noted that according to the preferred embodiment of the invention , both the device used to occlude the defect and the fixation means are sufficiently flexible that the defect remains occluded with movement of the spine , that is , with the patient leaning forwardly and backwardly which will tend to change the spacing between the upper and lower vertebra . fig1 illustrates yet a different embodiment of the invention wherein , as opposed to a piece of flexible material or mesh , a resilient plug 1002 is instead utilized to occlude the disc defect . as in the case of the flexible sheath - like embodiments described above , such plugs are preferably offered in different sizes to correlate with differently sized defects . in terms of a preferred material , a device according to the invention will therefore remain sufficiently flexible during movement while being capable of exerting continuous outward forces and withstanding repetitive compression and distraction of millions of cycles . the device would , therefore , preferably be made of a material that has these characteristics , while , additionally being radio - opaque for x - ray imaging , without producing too many unwanted artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging . a wire mesh of titanium is therefore preferable , since this has the proper x - ray / mri characteristics while exhibiting the requisite flexibility for the cyclic flexion and extension . with respect to the embodiment of fig1 , a resilient , rubber - like material may be used to occlude the defect as shown in the drawing from a side - view perspective . the invention is not limited in the sense that any conformable device may be used with a first shape permitting the device to be introduced into the defective area and a second shape wherein the device includes a defect . as shown in fig1 a - 11c , for example , a wire 1102 having a “ memory effect ” may be used , preferably having a final diameter which is larger than void 1104 . fig1 b shows the coil 1102 in cross - section between upper and lower vertebra . preferably , this embodiment would use a metal wire that may be straightened , but retain the memory of its coiled shape . as such , the apparatus of fig1 c may be used to introduce the wire in straightened form 1108 with a plunger 1110 , such that as the wire exits at 1106 , it returns to its memorized state of a coil ( or alternative second shape operative to include the defect ). as yet a different alternative mode of introduction , a material may be injected into the disc in liquid form , then allowed to hardened into a size sufficient to occlude the annular hole . as shown in fig1 , material 1202 may be injected into the void of the disc space using a plunger 1204 inserted into a tube 1206 . upon introduction in this manner , the liquid would then solidify , forming a resilient plug . various materials may be utilized for this purpose , including various polymers which are caused to solidify by various means , including thermal or optical activation , or chemical reaction as part of multi - part compounds . a preferred material with respect to this embodiment would be a hydrogel . hydrogels may be placed into the disc in a dehydrated state , and , once inside the disc , they imbibe water . after hydration , hydrogels have the same biomechanical properties as a natural nucleus and , in addition , as the hydrogels swell , they become too large to extrude back through the annular window . u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 047 , 055 and 5 , 192 , 326 provide a listing of hydrogels , certain of which are applicable to this invention . an elastomer may be used as an alternative to a hydrogel or other material . a number of elastomers may be suited to the invention , including a silicon elastomer , which comprises a cured dimethylsiloxane polymer and hexsyn , having a composition of one - hexane with three to five percent methylhexaiene . a preformed elastomer may be inserted into the inclusion upon curing or , alternatively , as discussed with reference to fig1 , may be injected into the disc space and liquid form . chemicals may be added to accelerate curing , as discussed above , or , a hot or cold probe , or uv light may be introduced to facilitate or accelerate the curing process . preferably , such materials would include a radio - opaque additive which would enable the physician to verify the position of the implant with an x - ray . ideally , the radio - opaque additive would not change the mechanical properties of the gel or elastomer , and would ideally incorporate contrast throughout to enhance detail . now making to fig1 and 14 , fig1 a and 13b illustrate an alternative type of stent having leaves or other appendages that may be folded into a compact state for insertion , fig1 a , and which expand , through memory affect , for example , to a state such as that shown in fig1 b . a stent such as this , as well as other devices disclosed herein such as the coil form of fig1 , may be used in conjunction with a gel or other void - filling material as described above . as shown in fig1 a , a stent 1402 of the type shown with respect to fig1 , may be introduced into the void , after which the remaining volume of the void may be filled with a material 1404 which solidifies into a resilient material . fig1 b is a side - view drawing of the embodiment of fig1 a . an expandable stent of this kind may be incorporated into the elastomer or other resilient material to help prevent migration of the prosthesis through the annular hole . in contrast to embodiments of the invention wherein a stent is used independently , in this particular embodiment , the stent would preferably not touch vertebra , since it would be surrounded entirely by the elastomer or other gel material . fig1 a - 15e illustrate various alternative embodiments according to the invention wherein a patch material is used inside , outside , or partially inside and outside of a defect to be blocked . fig1 a illustrates a fiat patch attached onto the outside of the disc . fig1 b illustrates a patch attached on the outside but wherein a central portion extends inwardly into the void . fig1 c illustrates a patch disposed within the disc to block the defect . fig1 d illustrates how a patch may be anchored to the bone above and below the disc , and fig1 e illustrates how the patch may be anchored to the disc itself . the patch material be a fiber , including natural materials , whether human , non - human or synthetic ; an elastomer ; plastic ; or metal . if a fiber material is used , it may be selected so as to promote tissue in - growth . growth of a patient &# 39 ; s tissue into the material would assure a more permanent closure of the annular window . the patch may be attached within appropriate means , including stitches , staples , glue , screws or other special anchors . in addition to the use of patches attached with sutures , staples or other materials , the annular defect may be closed with staples or other devices which attach to the annulus without the need for patch material . for example , as shown in fig1 a , darts 1602 may be inserted through the wall of the annulus 1604 , then linked with sutures 1606 , preferably in woven or criss - crossed fashion , as shown in fig1 b . as an alternative , appropriately shaped darts 1702 may be criss - crossed or otherwise interlocked to the close the annular hole , as shown in the top - view cross - section drawing of fig1 a or a side - view of fig1 b . the use of flexible stents as described elsewhere herein may take on other forms , as shown in fig1 a - 18d . the device of fig1 a , for example , preferably includes a body 1802 , preferably including a blunt anterior end to prevent penetration of the anterior annulus , and outer spikes 1806 , preferably having different lengths , as best seen in the on - axis view of fig1 b . such a stent configuration may provide more areas of contact with the vertebral end plates , thereby decreasing the chances of stent extrusion . as shown in fig1 c , the longer spikes 1806 are configured to bend during insertion , thereby preventing posterior extrusion . the shorter spikes , 1806 ′, are sized so as not to engage the vertebrae , and therefore may be made thicker to prevent deflection by disc material . as an option , the shorter spikes 1806 ′ may also be angled in the opposite direction as compared to the longer spikes 1806 to resist migration of the disc material . as yet a further option , the longer spikes may vary in length on the same stent so as to be conformal to the vertebral end plate concavity . as shown in fig1 d , multiple spike stents of this kind may be inserted so as to interlock with one another , thereby preventing migration of the group . as shown in fig1 a - 19c , shapes other than spiked stents may be used in interlocking fashion . in fig1 a , a first piece 1902 is inserted having a removable handle 1904 , after which pieces 1902 ′ and 1902 ″ are inserted , each having their own removable handles , as shown . in fig1 b , the handles are pulled , so as to bring the pieces together , and in fig1 c , the handles are removed , and the pieces are either snapped together or , through the use of suitable material , sutured into place . fig2 a - 20e illustrate a different configuration of this kind , wherein a body 2002 having anchor or wire - receiving apertures 2004 is inserted into the annular hole , as shown in fig2 b , at which time a wire 2006 is inserted through the body 2002 as shown in fig2 c . as shown in fig2 d , the wire is installed sufficient to lock one portion of the body into place , and this is followed with a wire on the opposite side , thereby holding the body 2002 in a stabilized manner . it will be appreciated that although multiple wires or anchors are used in this configuration , bodies configured to receive more or fewer wires or anchors are also anticipated by this basic idea . fig2 a - 21c illustrate a different alternative , wherein wires 2102 each having a stop 2104 are first inserted through the annular window , after which blocking beads having snap - in side configurations are journaled onto the wire across the annular hole , as shown in fig2 b . fig2 c illustrates how , having locked multiple beads onto the wire , the defect is affectively occluded . fig2 a and 22b illustrate the use of a removable dam component . as shown in fig2 a , bodies 2202 , each having removable handles 2204 , are first inserted on the side portions of the defect , each member 2202 including slots , grooves or apertures 2206 , configured to receive a dam 2210 , which may be made of a rigid or pliable material , depending upon vertebral position , the size of the defect , and other factors . fig2 b illustrates the dam 2210 locked in position . certain of the following embodiments illustrate how the invention permits the use of a flexible device which allows movement between the vertebrae yet blocks extrusion of nucleus through an annular hole or defect . in fig2 a , for example , a flexible element 2302 is tacked into position on the upper vertebrae , as perhaps best seen in fig2 d , though it should be apparent that a fixation to the lower vertebrae may also be used . fig2 b illustrates how , once the member 2302 is fastened in place , it may flex under compression , but return to a more elongated shape in distraction , as shown in fig2 c . the blocking element 2302 may be made from various materials , including shape - memory materials , so long as it performs the function as described herein . fig2 a illustrates a different configuration , which is tacked to both the upper and lower vertebrae , and fig2 b and 24c show how the device performs in compression and distraction , respectively . since devices attached to both the upper and lower vertebrae need not automatically assume a memorized shape , alternative materials may preferably be used , including biocompatible rubbers and other pliable membranes . it is important that the flexible member not be too redundant or stretched so as to compress the nerve , as shown in fig2 . fig2 illustrates an alternative z - shaped installation configuration . as an alternative to inherently flexible materials which occlude a defect while accommodating compression and distraction , interleaving members may alternatively be used , as shown in fig2 - 28 . fig2 a is a view from an oblique perspective , showing how upper and lower plate 2702 and 2704 of any suitable shape , may be held together with springs 2706 , or other resilient material , between which there is supported interleaving tines 2708 . as better seen in fig2 b , the springs 2706 allow the upper and lower plates 2702 and 2704 to move toward and away from one another , but at all times , tines 2708 remain interleaving , thereby serving to block a defect . fig2 a and 28b illustrate the way in which interleaving members or tines are preferably inserted directly to vertebrae . since each member overlaps with the next , such tines are preferably installed from front to back ( or back to front , as the case may be ), utilizing a tool such as 2810 , as shown in fig2 b . the instrument 2810 forces each tack into one vertebrae at a time by distracting against the other vertebrae , thereby applying pressure as the jaws are forced apart , driving the tack into the appropriate vertebrae . the tack may be held into place on the instrument by a friction fit , and may include a barbed end so as not to pull out following insertion . as a further alternative configuration , a collapsed bag may be placed into the disc space , then filled with a gas , liquid or gel once in position . the bag may be empty , or may contain a stent or expanding shape to assist with formation . in the case of a gel , silicon may be introduced so as to polymerized or solidify . as shown in fig2 a and 29b , the use of a non - contained silicon vessel may be used , but , under distraction , may remain in contact with the vertebrae , thereby increasing the likelihood of a reaction to silicone . the invention therefore preferably utilizes a contain structure in the case of a silicon filler , as shown in fig3 a , such that , upon distraction , the vessel remains essentially the same shape , thereby minimizing vertebral contact . it is noted that , depending upon the configuration , that the invention may make use of a bioabsorbable materials , that is , materials which dissolve in the body after a predetermined period of time . for example , if darts such as those shown in fig1 and 17 are used , they may bioabsorb following sufficient time for the in - growth of recipient tissue sufficient to occlude the defect independently . any of the other configurations described herein which might not require certain components in time may also take advantage of bioabsorbable materials . furthermore , although the invention has been described in relation to preventing the release of natural disc materials , the invention may also be used to retain bone graft for fusion ; therapeutic materials including cultured disc cells , glycosaminoglycans , and so forth ; and artificial disc replacement materials . disc fusions are generally performed for degenerative disc disease , spondylolysis ( a stress fracture through the vertebra ), spondylolisthesis ( slippage of one vertebra on another ), arthritis of the facet joints , spinal fractures , spinal tumors , recurrent disc herniations , and spinal instability . the procedure attempts to eliminate motion between vertebra to decrease a patient &# 39 ; s pain and / or prevent future problems at the intervertebral level . devices such as spinal cages are generally used in conjunction with such procedures to maintain the separation between the vertebrae until fusion occurs . some surgeons believe that cages are not necessary to maintain the separation , and instead use pedicle screws or hooks and rods to perform this function . whether or not a cage is used , bone graft is generally introduced through a hole formed in the disc space to achieve an interbody fusion . unfortunately , bone material placed into the disc space can extrude through the hole used for insertion . bone graft extruded through a hole in the posterior portion of the disc may cause nerve root impingement . the procedure to fuse vertebra across the disc space from a posterior approach is known as a plif ( posterior lumbar interbody fusion ). bone can also be placed into the disc space from an anterior approach alif ( anterior lumbar interbody fusion ). extruded bone from an anterior approach would not lead to nerve impingement but could decrease the likelihood of a successful fusion by decreasing the volume of bone graft . the present invention may be used to prevent the loss of the bone graft material associated with fusion techniques , whether or not a cage is used . in this particular regard , however , some of the devices disclosed herein may be more suitable than others . generally speaking , since the goal is not to preserve disc function and motion , the stent , plug , and patch embodiments may be more appropriate . although the plug embodiment would be a good choice when there is ample room in the spinal canal to allow insertion , the expandable stent design would be beneficial when plug insertion risks nerve injury . conversely , since the goal is to maximize the amount of bone inserted into the disc space , the embodiments using hydrogels and elastomers might not be optimum , since such materials may occupy too much space in some circumstances . the preferred choice of materials may also be changed since motion is not being maintained . materials and designs with shape memory may be beneficial . as another example , the polymer plug embodiment may changed to a metal such as titanium . a metal plug may be fabricated with threads and screwed into place , as shown in fig3 a , or the device may feature ridges and be impacted into place ( fig3 b ). as shown in fig3 c , the ridges may also be asymmetric to resist posterior migration . in all cases , the teeth , screw threads or ridges would extent at least partially into the adjacent vertebra for secure purchase , as depicted in fig3 d . such plugs may also be positioned bilaterally , that is , with two per level , as shown in fig3 .	0
the automated tactical datalink translator ( atdt ) proposes a process that would provide an automated method of generating code configured to facilitate the translating between two computer system protocols . the first step in the atdt process , illustrated in fig6 , is to load the each protocol of interest 602 into a database 604 . loading each protocol into a database requires that the respective protocols be dissected into their most fundamental building blocks . most protocols are comprised of one or more messages 606 that are made up of one or more fields 610 , 612 , 614 . the simplistic nature of the depiction of the messaging format shown in fig6 is for illustration purposes . the atdt tool is capable of handling protocols consisting of far greater complexity than that illustrated in fig6 , requiring further grouping and nesting of fields . during the process of dissecting the protocol , each message and field will be tagged with a standardized metadata tag 620 , 622 , 624 . the purpose of these metadata tags is to establish the common constructs between protocols so that one protocol can be mapped to another through automation . accordingly , fig6 shows the beginnings of the dissection of a basic message that has at least three fields 610 , 612 , 614 . each field has an associated field type 620 , 622 , 624 . this field type represents metadata that can be used during code generation to determine how to translate from one protocol to the next . only two pieces of metadata , type 620 , 622 , 624 and enumerations 630 , 632 , 634 are shown in fig6 in an effort to simply the illustration . however , there can be numerous pieces of metadata on any given component ( message , field , or abstract grouping ). such metadata includes but is not limited to , field size , maximum and minimum values , purpose , description , starting bit location , ending bit location , transmission rates , associated messages , message sequences , enumerations ( valid field values ), transmit / receive rules , revision , update rates , applicable standards , starting delimiter , ending delimiter , encryption or encoding , minimum and maximum number of occurrences , validity checking rules , and usage of the same field within other messages within the protocol . while the majority of the process description for the present invention has focused on the message and field level of the computer protocols , it is to be understood that the atdt process allows for higher abstraction of messages and would therefore be supported by an ontology . for example , some protocols group messages into a common category . examples may include concepts such as network control , air surveillance , distributed routing and the like . these higher - level abstractions typically represent groups of two or more messages . it is contemplated that a respective ontology developed for the atdt process would include the ability to group messages and allow the operator to quickly identify several messages at once simply by selecting a higher level function as opposed to having to determine each individual message ( although the process allows the operator to determine each individual message ). many protocols require a sequence of messages . this is often referred to as ‘ handshaking ’ or ‘ transactions ’ in the trade whereby a successful message exchange is comprised of the ordered sequence of one or more messages . it is contemplated that the atdt process shall support the identification of related handshaking messages . this would allow the operator to selected the highest level message ( or the core message in the sequence ) and rely on the atdt tool to incorporate the rest of the related messages . this information would be stored in the protocol database and would also be tagged with metadata so as to allow the atdt process to identify those common constructs , or in this case , message sequences . in the present embodiment , once the protocol is loaded into a protocol database 604 , the process does not need to be repeated unless the protocol changes or if a new protocol needs to be added that has not been added to the database previously . additionally , the atdt process does not imply that all protocols need to reside in a single database . it is to be understood that a given database may contain as few as one protocol or as many as the underlying database can contain . the most important factor in the loading of a protocol into a database is the mapping of the individual building blocks to a common metadata representation . as illustrated in fig7 , the second step in the atdt process is prefaced by some operator interaction , whereby the operator is provided with a method of selecting which protocols the operator would like to have translated 640 . in particular , the operator would be given the option to selectively choose which individual messages or fields they desire to have translated . the selection process provides the operator with considerable control over the scalability of the process and thereby control over the amount of information that is translated . the list of available messages and protocols is retrieved from the database 604 . once the operator finishes a selection of the messages 642 that they would like to have translated , the selections made are passed to a second process ( which in some embodiments shall be automated ) that maps the common constructs from a first protocol to a second protocol 644 . this process is accomplished by retrieving the protocol definitions and metadata from each of the respective protocol databases 604 and mapping the two protocols based on the protocol definitions . as an example , suppose two protocols contained a message for reporting the location of some entity , e . g . an airplane . this part of the process would search for the corresponding position reporting message in the desired output protocol , which is chosen by the operator . next this automated process would look for common constructs such as latitude , longitude , altitude , air speed , etc . depending on what fields are available from the source protocol message , if there are any required translation ( e . g . feet to meters , degrees to radians , et al ), this process would also identify the required translations . in addition to identifying messages that may be translated , the mapping process also identifies constructs , which could not be translated . constructs cannot be translated if there are no custom conversion routines 646 . if there are custom translation routines , the routines are retrieved from data storage 648 , 650 . if there are no custom conversion routines , the operator is provided both the successful and unsuccessful mappings 652 . at this point , the operator may either ignore these discrepancies caused by the unsuccessful mappings or provide custom conversion routines if the mapping process failed to adequately identify a method for translating this information from one protocol to the next 654 , 656 . since the operator would most likely want to repeat this entire process multiple times , any corrections that the operator is required to make at this point in the process could be saved to persistent storage ( e . g . a file or database ) for retrieval later . thus if the operator had to provide custom conversion routines for ten of the translations , these could be retrieved automatically the next time the operator runs the process , thereby streamlining the entire operation on successive iterations . the final steps of the atdt process is to convert the required mappings and translations into code 658 . like the construct mapping process , this is an automated process working off of the information gathered from the previous processes . the final piece of information required from the operator would be the software language 662 , 664 to use for the translation . the software language determines the output format of the translation code 668 . one of the distinguishing factors of the atdt process is its ability to support multiple software languages . this is accomplished by defining the translations in a language agnostic form . thus the process of converting the mappings and translations to code 660 involves the cross referencing of the language agnostic translation instructions into language specific constructs . these software language specific constructs are retrieved from a separate database . this would allow new software languages to be added in the future without the need to completely revamp the atdt process . further it would allow the operator to choose the output language that best fits their specific needs based on the host platform on which they are trying to run . thus , instead of forcing the operator to adapt to the output of the atdt process , the atdt process adapts its output to the needs of the operator by constructing the code in a format that best matches the needs of the operator . one of the keystones to the atdt process is the development of an ontology , which allows the operator to define their protocols in an agnostic format . this ontology would be the basis for the metadata that would allow the operator to categorize each of the messages , fields , or any other construct that can be used to represent a protocol . this would include things such as enumerations . for example , one protocol may represent an f / a - 18 as a string while another protocol may represent an f / a - 18 as the number ten in binary . the ontology would provide a common means of representing these two formats so that the atdt process could identify these clearly different representations as the same item . in addition to enumerations , the ontology would define common types as well . in the computing industry these are relatively finite and include such things as integers , floating point numbers , fixed point numbers , and strings . there are variants of each of these and it is contemplated that the atdt process would enumerate each of these . these basic types are the foundation for determining how to generate the code that would translate a field value from one protocol to the next . reference has been made throughout this specification to “ one embodiment ,” “ an embodiment ,” or “ an example embodiment ” meaning that a particular described feature , structure , or characteristic is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention . thus , usage of such phrases may refer to more than just one embodiment . furthermore , the described features , structures , or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . one skilled in the relevant art may recognize , however , that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details , or with other methods , resources , materials , etc . in other instances , well known structures , resources , or operations have not been shown or described in detail merely to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention . while example embodiments and applications of the present invention have been illustrated and described , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise configuration and resources described above . various modifications , changes , and variations apparent to those skilled in the art may be made in the arrangement , operation , and details of the methods and systems of the present invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the claimed invention .	7
in the text below , unless otherwise stated , the terms “ inner ” and “ outer ” relate to the location of various components in relation to a rim mounted on a vehicle axle , marked x . the terms “ axial ” and “ radial ” consequently relate to a location or extent in relation to the central axis of the rim . fig1 a shows a vehicle wheel according to the invention , in this case a front wheel for a heavy truck or a bus . the wheel 1 comprises a tire 2 , mounted on a rim 3 , the rim being provided with a number of openings 4 and a central section having a number of holes ( not shown ) for wheel bolts 5 for mounting the wheel 1 on a wheel hub ( not shown ) with an axis of rotation x on the vehicle . when mounting the wheel 1 , a holder 6 is placed against the rim 3 and is securely bolted by means of the wheel bolts 5 . the holder 6 comprises attachments 7 having a pair of first contact surfaces 7 ′, for resting against the rim 3 , and a second contact surface 8 , for resting against the wheel cap and located at an axial distance from the first contact surface 7 ′. the first contact surface 7 is designed as a bent plate having a cross section in the shape of a hat - shaped profile , ends 7 ″ ( see fig2 ) of the profile being fastened to the second contact surface 8 . the location and the design shape of the attachment 7 are illustrated by means of a section through the holder 6 . the second contact surface is designed as an annular disc 8 having an outer peripheral edge 9 , which is angled axially inwards in relation to the wheel axis x in order to provide further protection for the wheel bolts . for the same reasons the disc 8 may also be provided with a corresponding or somewhat smaller inner peripheral edge . the first contact surfaces 7 ′ are each provided with a first hole 10 , preferably corresponding in diameter to the wheel bolts 5 , for fastening the holder 6 to the rim 3 . the annular disc 8 is provided with a number of second holes 11 , of which two holes are located concentrically with the first hole 10 . the number of second holes 11 corresponds to the number of wheel bolts 5 , but the holes have a larger diameter in order to allow access to the wheel bolts 5 with a box spanner or similar tool . the holder 6 constitutes a fastening for a wheel cap 12 , which has been endowed with a suitable design shape to match the diameter of the rim 3 and the axial extent thereof . on its inner surface the wheel cap 12 is provided with at least two , preferably five clips 13 for detachable mounting of the wheel cap 12 on the annular disc 8 of the holder 6 . the clips 13 are fitted to the wheel cap 12 in order to permit interaction with a corresponding number of second holes 11 in the disc 8 . the location of the clips is illustrated by means of a section through the wheel cap . the number of clips can be varied having regard to the adhesive force that is exerted on the holder by different types of clips . the clips can be fastened to the wheel cap by screwing , riveting , adhesive bonding or spot - welding , depending on the material of the clips and the wheel cap . the clips can also be molded into the material if a plastic material is used in the wheel cap . the number of clips may vary from two up to a number corresponding to the number of wheel bolts , depending on the type of clip and the forces to which the wheel cap is likely to be exposed . the figure shows the wheel cap with openings to reveal the clips , but it is naturally possible to make the wheel cap entirely plane . the latter design results in improved aerodynamic characteristics and / or less accumulation of dirt and the like in the holder and around the wheel bolts . the embodiment according to fig1 a shows wheel bolts , but fasteners in the form of wheel nuts are naturally also possible . the holder is preferably made from sheet metal of a suitable metal and a suitable thickness and also provides the wheel bolts with protection against external influences . fig1 b shows an alternative embodiment of the wheel cap , in which a wheel cap 12 has been given a diameter only slightly larger than the diameter of the holder 6 . otherwise the holder 6 and the wheel cap 12 ′ are mounted in the same way as described in connection with fig1 a . this embodiment means that a driver can use the wheel cap 12 ′ as a foothold for climbing up into the cab , for example on a ferry when the door cannot be fully opened . the outer peripheral edge of the wheel cap will thereby come to rest against the outer peripheral edge 9 of the holder , which carries the load when the driver stands on the wheel cap 12 ′. fig2 shows a view of the holder 6 according to fig1 , with the wheel cap 12 fitted . as will be seen from the figure , the attachments 7 are fitted to the inner surface 8 ′ of the annular disc 8 by spot - welding . the attachments can naturally be fitted by means of rivets , screws , or the like . the figure also shows how the wheel cap 12 is held fast to the holder 6 by means of five clips 13 , which have been inserted through holes in the annular disc 8 in order to be locked against the inner surface 8 ′ of the disc facing the rim . according to the embodiment shown each clip 13 is mounted radially in its longitudinal direction , in order to interact with the corresponding radially inner and outer edges of the respective hole 11 ( see fig3 b ). in addition the wheel cap 12 is provided with a number of guides 14 for interaction with the holes 11 in the annular disc 8 that have not been used by the clips 13 . these guides 14 are preferably located in a tangential direction relative to each hole , in order to interact with the corresponding edges of the holes . the guides help to guide the clip correctly in toward the respective hole when mounting the wheel cap . the guides preferably comprise bent plates having a first end fixed to the wheel cap and a second end arranged at right angles to the plane of the annular disc 8 adjoining the respective hole . the guides can be fastened in the same way as the clips . it is naturally possible to orient the respective guides in other directions , for example at right - angles to the placement shown in fig2 . alternatively , the guides may be replaced entirely by clips , these being suitably oriented radially and tangentially by turns , as a substitute for the locating function of the guide when mounting the wheel cap . fig3 a shows an alternative embodiment of the holder 6 , as described in connection with fig1 . the holder 6 consists of a first contact surface in the form of a first annular disc 7 ″, for resting against the rim 3 , a second annular disc 8 , located at an axial distance from the first annular disc 7 ″, and a cylindrical section 15 , which joins the respective first and second annular discs 7 ″, 8 together along the radially outer periphery of the respective disc . the first annular disc 7 ″ is provided with a number of first holes 10 , preferably corresponding to the wheel bolts 5 in number and diameter , for fastening the holder 6 to the rim 3 . the second annular disc 8 is provided with a number of second holes 11 , located concentrically with the first holes 10 . the number of second holes 1 1 corresponds to the number of wheel bolts 5 , but the holes have a larger diameter in order to allow access to the wheel bolts 5 with a box spanner or similar tool . the inner peripheral edge 16 of the second annular disc 8 has been angled axially inwards in relation to the wheel axis x in order to afford further protection for the wheel bolts . fig3 b shows a section a - a through the holder in fig3 a . in fig3 b a wheel bolt 5 has been indicated by dashed lines , the diameter d of a first hole 10 in the first annular disc 7 ″ being somewhat greater than the diameter of the threaded section of the wheel bolt 5 . the second annular disc 8 has a second hole 11 of a diameter d that allows a box spanner or the like to be inserted for fitting / removal of the wheel bolt . the hole 11 also forms an attachment for a clip 13 on the wheel cap 12 , which is indicated by a dot - and - dash line . according to this embodiment the clip comprises a sheet metal plate that is fastened to the wheel cap along its central section , the two outer sections thereof being bent out from the wheel cap . these outer sections are bent so that the largest distance between the ends is greater than the diameter d of the second holes 11 in the holder . when the wheel cap 12 is mounted a pair of angled ends of the clip 13 will come into contact with a second hole 11 in the holder 6 , the ends in a first step being pressed toward one another before snapping back a short distance and locking the wheel cap 12 against the holder 6 . fig4 a shows an alternative embodiment of the holder shown in fig3 a . the holder 6 comprises a first contact surface in the form of a first annular disc 7 ″, for resting against the rim 3 , a second annular disc 8 , located at an axial distance from the first annular disc 7 ″, and a cylindrical section 17 which joins the respective first and second annular discs 7 ″, 8 together along the radially inner periphery of the respective disc . the outer peripheral edge 18 of the second annular disc 8 has been angled axially inwards in relation to the wheel axis x in order to afford further protection for the wheel bolts . fig4 b shows a section b - b through the holder 6 in fig4 a . in fig4 b a wheel bolt 5 has been indicated by dashed lines , the diameter d of a first hole 10 in the first annular disc 7 ″ being somewhat greater than the diameter of the threaded section of the wheel bolt 5 . the second annular disc 8 has a second hole 11 of a diameter d that allows a box spanner or the like to be inserted for fitting / removal of the wheel bolt . the hole 11 also forms an attachment for a clip 13 on the wheel cap 12 , as described above . in fig3 a and 4a the holder has been described as a component manufactured in one piece , but it is naturally possible to manufacture each holder in two or more parts which are suitably joined in order to form one component . the reason for this may be that an assembled holder is easier and / or less expensive to manufacture for production engineering reasons . the examples above describe only one type of clip , the two tongues of which are designed to interact with diametrically opposing edges in a preferably circular opening . alternative embodiments may comprise clips having only one tongue , which snaps around a radially inner or outer edge of two or more openings , or around a radially inner or outer peripheral edge of the second contact surface of the holder . the exemplary embodiments above are primarily intended for heavier vehicles , such as trucks and buses , but can also be applied to light trucks , automobiles and other types of vehicle with exposed wheel bolts or wheel nuts . in the present application , the use of terms such as “ including ” is open - ended and is intended to have the same meaning as terms such as “ comprising ” and not preclude the presence of other structure , material , or acts . similarly , though the use of terms such as “ can ” or “ may ” is intended to be open - ended and to reflect that structure , material , or acts are not necessary , the failure to use such terms is not intended to reflect that structure , material , or acts are essential . to the extent that structure , material , or acts are presently considered to be essential , they are identified as such . the invention must therefore not be regarded as being limited to the exemplary embodiments described above , a number of further variants and modifications being feasible without departing from the scope of the following claims .	1
fig1 depicts a block diagram of a location system 100 . the system 100 illustratively uses a global positioning system ( gps ) 101 ( or other similar satellite position location system ) having a plurality of satellites 102 orbiting the earth . the system 100 comprises a reference station network 115 comprising a plurality of geographically dispersed reference stations where each reference station comprises fixed site gps receivers 1101 through 110 ( collectively fixed site gps receiver 110 ), an aiding server 120 with software that executes gps signal processing algorithms 142 , and at least one mobile device 130 . the mobile device 130 is coupled to , or otherwise associated with , an object that is to be located , e . g ., mobile object 131 including personal assets , equipment , persons and the like . the mobile device 130 communicates with the aiding server 120 via a wireless carrier 114 ( e . g ., a cellular telephone network ). each reference station 110 further comprises a conventional gps receiver 112 1 through 112 n ( collectively conventional gps receivers 112 ). for example , for a global network , the network may comprise just a few stations to observe all satellites at all times . each of the conventional gps receivers 112 is coupled to the aiding server 120 via a network communications link 103 . the aiding server 120 receives the satellite information from reference station network 115 and processes the information . the processed information generally contains ephemeris , long term satellite orbit data , or other satellite tracking data . some or all of the processed information , known as aiding information , is coupled to the wireless carrier 114 for transmission to the mobile device 130 . the aiding server 120 provides the mobile device 130 with the aiding information such that the mobile device can compute its position . the mobile device 130 contains a wireless communications transceiver 140 that enables the receiver to communicate with the aiding server 120 through the wireless carrier 114 . the wireless carrier communicates with the server through a conventional communication network 111 . as discussed below , the device 130 comprises a wireless transceiver 140 , a gps receiver front end 134 , and a gps signal processor 138 . in one embodiment , the gps signal processor 138 includes a parallel gps signal correlator and associated software to perform various algorithms described below . one embodiment of such a correlator is described in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 861 , 086 , filed may 18 , 2001 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . in one embodiment , the mobile device 130 receives aiding information ( e . g ., aiding data that provides one or more of satellite ephemeris , the coefficients of a pseudorange model , doppler information , and estimated position of the device 130 ) from the aiding server 120 through the wireless link 109 , determines a position estimate for the mobile device 130 , receives gps satellite signals , and processes the gps signals . the mobile device 130 uses the processed gps signals and the aiding information to compute its location . in an alternative embodiment , the device 130 provides the processed gps signals to the wireless carrier 114 which transmits the processed signals to the aiding server 120 . the aiding server 120 uses an optional position processor 142 to further process the gps signals from the device 130 to determine the device &# 39 ; s location . a location requestor 122 can then request the receiver &# 39 ; s location through a number of communications paths 105 , e . g ., dial up access , internet access , wired land line and the like . the location requester can also be the user of the mobile device 130 . in various embodiments described herein , the location can be displayed at the mobile device 130 and / or communicated through the wireless carrier 114 to the server 120 . fig2 depicts a block diagram of a global positioning system ( gps ) receiver 200 incorporating the present invention . the use of a gps receiver 200 as the platform within which the invention is incorporated forms one application of the invention . other platforms that require signal correlation may find use for the present invention . the receiver 200 comprises a gps front end 134 and a gps baseband processor 138 . the gps front end 134 comprises a radio - frequency to intermediate frequency ( rf / if ) converter 204 and an analog - to - digital converter ( a / d ) 206 . the front end 134 is coupled to an antenna 202 that is adapted to receive gps signals from gps satellites . the radio - frequency - to - intermediate - frequency converter ( rf / if converter ) 204 filters , amplifies , and frequency shifts the signal for digitization by the analog - to - digital converter ( a / d ) 206 . the elements 202 , 204 and 206 are substantially similar to those elements used in conventional gps or assisted gps receivers . the gps baseband processor 138 comprises a plurality of processing channels 208 and a microcontroller 222 . each processing channel 208 comprises a tuner 210 , a carrier numerically controlled oscillator ( nco ) 212 , a decimation circuit 214 , a code nco 216 , a plurality of correlators 218 , a clock 250 , and a summer 220 . the output of the a / d 206 is coupled to each of the processing channels 208 1 , 208 2 , . . . 208 n ( where n is an integer ) implemented in digital logic . each processing channel 208 n may be used to process the signal from a particular gps satellite . the signal in a particular channel is tuned digitally by the tuner 210 , driven by the carrier nco 212 . the tuner 210 serves two purposes . first , the if frequency component remaining after rf / if conversion is removed to produce a baseband or near - baseband signal . second , the satellite doppler frequency shift resulting from satellite motion , user motion , and reference frequency errors is removed . the output from the tuner is a baseband ( or near baseband ) signal consisting of an in - phase component ( i ) and a quadrature component ( q ). a decimation circuit 214 processes the output of the tuner 210 . the output of the decimation circuit 214 is a series of complex signal samples with i and q components , output at a rate precisely timed to match the timing of the input signal . in one embodiment of the invention , the decimation operation is a simple pre - summer that sums all the incoming signal samples over the period of an output sample . a numerically controlled oscillator ( nco ) 216 is used to time the sampling process . for example , if two samples per chip of the c / a code is desired , the code nco 216 is set to generate a frequency of ( 2 × f s ), where f s is f o ( the gps signal &# 39 ; s c / a code chipping rate ), adjusted for doppler shift . the nco 216 adjusts for doppler shift based on external input from firmware commands . because the doppler shift is different for each satellite , a separate code nco 216 and decimation circuit 214 is required for each channel 208 n . it should be noted that there is no requirement that the incoming sample rate be an integer multiple of the f s , as the code nco 108 is capable of generating an arbitrary frequency . if the decimation circuit 214 is a pre - summer , the number of samples summed will typically toggle between two values , so that over the long term , the correct sample timing is maintained . for example , if the incoming sample rate is 10 mhz , and the desired sample rate is 2 . 046 mhz , the pre - summer will add either 4 or 5 samples , so that the desired sample rate is maintained on average . the decimation circuit 214 may also include a quantizer ( not shown ) at its output to reduce the number of bits in the signal components before further processing . in one embodiment of the invention , 2 - bit quantization is used . the signal samples from decimation circuit 214 are coupled to correlators 218 1 - 218 n ( hereinafter “ correlators 218 ”). each of correlators 218 is designed to produce a correlation between the input signal and a reference code ( the prn code ). the reference code supplied to each of correlators 218 is shifted by one one - half “ chip ” of the gps prn code . as is well known in the art , the correlator 218 having the input signal and prn code aligned will have a high correlation output , all the other correlators will have no output signal . the summer 220 sums all the outputs together such that if a high correlation occurs in any one of the correlators , an output signal will result from the summer 220 . the output of the summer 220 is coupled to a microcontroller 222 . the timing of the correlators 218 is controlled by a clock 250 . the local clock timing adjustment is known as a local clock bias . the prn code used to faun the gps signal repeats every 1023 chips i . e ., one epoch . in one embodiment , to accurately correlate the signal , the correlation is performed in ½ chip intervals , i . e ., requiring 2046 delays . as such , if the entire code were to be correlated at once , 2046 correlators 218 would be required for each of the i and q signals . however , power consumption and circuit size restrictions presently make a processor having 4092 correlators impractical . as such , the gps baseband processor comprises less that 4092 correlators , e . g ., 2046 correlators with 1023 correlators used for i signal processing and 1023 correlators used for q signal processing . these 1023 correlators for each i and q signal are operated in accordance with the invention to facilitate finding a high correlation result as described below . the output of each processing channel 208 is coupled to the microprocessor 222 for processing the parallel correlation results of the 2046 correlators of each processing channel . the microprocessor 222 comprises a central processing unit ( cpu ) 224 , support circuits 226 , and a memory 228 . the cpu 224 may be any form of microprocessor or microcontroller integrated circuit that is known in the art . the support circuits 226 are well known circuits for facilitating the operation of the cpu 224 . the support circuits 226 include , for example , one or more of the following : a cache , power supplies , clock circuits , input / output circuits , and the like . the memory 228 may be one or more of random access memory , read only memory , flash memory , and the like . the memory 228 may be used for storing correlation results as well as for storing executable software such as the correlation software 230 . the correlation software 230 processes the correlation results , controls the timing of the code nco 216 , as well as the timing of the clock 250 that controls prn code delay within the correlators 218 . to facilitate full convolution of an epoch of gps signal using less than the number of correlators available to perform the full convolution , the correlation software must repeatedly utilize the correlators in a sequential manner to compute a full convolution . however , a full convolution may not be necessary since a partial correlation result may be used for timing synchronization . for example , if enough correlators are available to correlate signals in a half of an epoch , then the correlation software 230 will delay the prn code for 0 through 1023 half chips and perform a correlation . if no signal is found then the prn code will be delayed 1024 through 2046 half chips and the correlation will be processed a second time . the correlation will result in either the first half of an epoch , the second half of an epoch , or not at all in some instances when no gps signal is available . once the delay is found that results in the correlation occurring either in the first half epoch or the second half epoch , the timing of the prn code can be adjusted thereafter such that a correlation peak occurs for each epoch of gps signal received . once a correlation peak is found in channel 208 , then the timing parameters ( e . g ., which half epoch resulted in the correlation peak ) can be used to determine a timing parameter estimate ( e . g ., an estimate of clock bias within the clock 250 ) for the other channels 208 2 . . . 208 n . as such , the aiding information is used in combination with the timing parameters of channel 208 1 to reduce the search range for the other satellite signals . using this method of deriving the timing synchronization for the gps receiver allows for timing synchronization without computing an accurate pseudorange to the satellite . in one embodiment of the invention , the correlators 218 during the signal acquisition process used by channel 208 ; may accumulate correlation results for multiple epochs of the gps signal , which repeats at nominal 1 millisecond intervals . for example , if 10 milliseconds of the signal are processed , the output values are the sum of 10 correlation results each generated over one epoch . all the individual correlations should have a similar characteristic , since the timing of the decimation operation ensures that samples are taken at the same relative moment within each epoch . accumulating similar results from individual correlations improves the signal to noise ratio , enhancing the ability of the receiver to detect weak signals . this processing may be referred to as coherent integration and can be combined with magnitude integration to yield correlation results averaged over a time period of up to several seconds . fig3 depicts a flow diagram of software for implementing a correlation method 300 of the present invention . the method 300 begins at step 302 , and proceeds to step 303 wherein the method 300 selects a first gps satellite signal for processing , e . g ., channel 208 1 is tuned to receive signals from a first satellite . at step 304 , the method 300 defines a period of correlation (“ window ”) equal to a range of delays within a predefined time period ( i . e ., a range of relative delays between the received satellite signal and the corresponding pseudorandom reference code ). for a gps signal , the predefined time period is one epoch of 1023 chips in length and the window is a portion of the epoch . for other digital signals , the predefined time period may other lengths of digital code . in one embodiment , the window is selected to be one - half of an epoch . at step 306 , the parallel correlators are used to correlate the received satellite signal across the window defined at step 304 , wherein a prn reference code is delayed by a half a chip in each correlator . as described above , there are 1023 correlators that correlate on half chip increments of the 1023 chips within the prn code of the gps signal . at step 308 , the method 300 queries whether a correlation peak was found within the half epoch that was processed . if a high correlation peak was found , the method 300 proceeds to step 312 , knowing that the prn code needs to be delayed to a time within the half epoch . if the correlation peak is not found in step 308 , then the method 300 proceeds to step 310 , where another window within the predefined time period is selected ( i . e ., another range of delays ). for example , the window selected at step 310 may be the second half of the epoch . the method 300 then proceeds to step 306 , where the correlation is repeated for the newly selected window . in this manner , the prn code phase delay or timing can be determined to within a half epoch without computing an accurate pseudorange to the first satellite . at step 312 , timing parameters are determined and used to correlate other gps satellite signals . notably , each processing channel 208 2 through 208 n will perform a correlation using the timing parameters of the first channel in combination with the aiding information . more specifically , the result of the first channel is used to bound the clock 250 in the gps receiver , e . g ., a delay range is known to be in the half epoch . the method 300 ends at step 314 . although the above embodiment has been described with respect to a window equal to one half of an epoch , those skilled in the art will realize that other windows or range of delays may be used to perform correlation of a digital signal . for example , with a gps epoch being 1023 chips long , if the correlation period were one fourth of an epoch , where 512 correlators were used in the correlation method of fig3 , then 512 correlations would be performed at most four times to identify which one fourth of an epoch the correlation occurs . as such the timing parameter , e . g ., the local clock bias , would be found to an accuracy of within one fourth of an epoch . other alternative techniques may be used to perform the timing estimation . such procedures include using a half epoch correlation period that is staggered by one third of an epoch , using a period of one third of an epoch , and so on . fig4 a - 4d graphically depict an exemplary process for performing signal correlation in accordance with the invention . fig4 a depicts a predefined period 402 having 2046 samples of 1023 pn code chips . fig4 b depicts two correlation periods 406 and 408 used to correlate in half epoch increments . in the present example , a correlation performed within the period 406 produces noise ( i . e ., a correlation is not present within the first half epoch ). a shown in fig4 c , a correlation is then performed within the period 408 to produce a high correlation output ( i . e ., a correlation is present within the second half epoch ). for example , a plurality of high correlation peaks 410 resulting from repeated correlations during the second half epoch of the signal are shown . generally , the software as described above will integrate a number of correlation results to achieve an accurate correlation peak 412 , as depicted in fig4 d . the peak 412 clearly shows that the prn code phase is estimated to be within the second half epoch . as such , a timing parameter may be derived and used in combination with the aiding information to receive other gps signals from other satellites . as such , signal acquisition may be performed without determining an accurate pseudorange to the satellite . although various embodiments , which incorporate the teachings of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein , those skilled in the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments that still incorporate these teachings .	7
embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures , which form a part hereof and show , by way of illustration , specific exemplary embodiments . these embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention . however , embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . the numeral 10 refers to a livestock squeeze chute having a tail end 12 , a head end 14 , a first side 16 and a second side 18 . squeeze chute 10 includes a lower frame means 20 which extends between the tail end 12 and the head end 14 of the squeeze chute 10 . squeeze chute 10 also includes an upper frame means 22 which extends between the tail end 12 and the head end 14 of the squeeze chute 10 . the lower frame means 20 and the upper frame means 22 are interconnected by various frame members generally collectively referred to by the reference numeral 24 . the squeeze chute 10 includes spaced - apart side panels 26 and 28 which are laterally movable in conventional fashion to aid in restraining the animal being handled . the numeral 30 refers generally to a conventional tail gate assembly consisting of two movable tail gates 32 and 34 which are selectively movable between open and closed positions in a transverse manner with respect to the longitudinal axis of the squeeze chute 10 . the tail gates 32 and 34 are pivotally movable by hydraulic cylinders attached thereto in conventional fashion . the numeral 36 refers to a horizontally disposed lower head gate support including a first support member 38 and a second support member 40 which are joined together at their inner forward ends to define a v - shape . as seen , support member 38 extends inwardly and forwardly from side 16 at approximately 30 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the chute 10 at the head end 14 of squeeze chute 10 . support member 38 has a rearward end 42 which is positioned outwardly of the squeeze chute 10 . as seen , support member 40 extends forwardly and inwardly from side 18 of squeeze chute 10 at approximately a 30 - degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the chute 10 . support member 40 has a rearward end 44 which is positioned outwardly of the squeeze chute 10 . the numeral 46 refers to a first head gate member while the numeral 48 refers to a second head gate member . head gate member 46 includes an upper end 50 , a lower end 52 , an outer side 54 and an inner side 56 . inner side 56 of head gate member 46 has an outwardly extending angular or arcuate portion 58 to provide a space for the animal &# 39 ; s neck . the lower end 52 of head gate member 40 is pivotally secured to support member 38 at 60 . the upper inner end of head gate member 46 has an upwardly extending protrusion or contact point 62 , the purpose of which will be described hereinafter . the lower end of a hydraulic cylinder 64 is pivotally connected to the rearward end 42 of support member 38 at 66 . the rod end of hydraulic cylinder 64 is pivotally secured to head gate member 46 at 68 . head gate member 48 includes an upper end 70 , a lower end 72 , an outer side 74 and an inner side 76 . inner side 76 of head gate member 48 has an outwardly extending angular or arcuate portion 78 to provide a space for the animal &# 39 ; s neck . the lower end 72 of head gate member 48 is pivotally secured to support member 40 at 80 . the upper inner end of head gate member 48 has an upwardly extending protrusion or contact point 82 , the purpose of which will be described hereinafter . the lower end of a hydraulic cylinder 84 is pivotally connected to the rearward end 44 of support member 40 at 86 . the rod end of hydraulic cylinder 84 is pivotally secured to head gate member 48 at 88 . the numeral 90 refers to a horizontally disposed upper head gate support including a first support member 92 and a second support member 94 which are joined together to define a v - shape which is the same as the v - shaped support 36 . as seen , support member 92 extends inwardly and forwardly from side 16 at the head end 14 of squeeze chute 10 . support member 92 has a rearward end 96 which is positioned outwardly of the squeeze chute 10 . as also seen , support member 94 extends forwardly and inwardly from side 18 of the squeeze chute 10 . support member 94 has a rearward end 98 which is positioned outwardly of the squeeze chute 10 . support member 92 has an elongated slot 100 formed therein and support member 94 has an elongated slot 102 formed therein . the forward ends of the slots 100 and 102 communicate with each other . protrusion 62 of head gate member 46 extends upwardly through slot 100 in support member 92 with protrusion 82 of head gate member 48 extending upwardly through slot 102 in support member 94 . the squeeze chute 10 is operated as follows when it is desired to perform a procedure on an animal . the head gate members 46 and 48 will initially be completely closed in the position of fig1 - 3 . tail gate assembly 30 will be moved to its open position to allow the animal to enter the chute 10 . as soon as the animal has entered the chute 10 , the tail gate assembly 30 will be closed . hydraulic cylinders 64 and 84 will be retracted somewhat so that the animal may extend the animal &# 39 ; s head and neck through the opening defined by the angular or arcuate portions 58 and 78 in head gate members 46 and 48 respectively . when the animal &# 39 ; s head has been captured between the head gate members 46 and 48 , the head gate members 46 and 48 may be partially closed to keep the animal still and safe . the head gate members 46 and 48 , when in their closed positions , extend forwardly and inwardly to conform to the configuration of the animal captured by the head gate members . the angular configuration of the head gate members 46 and 48 substantially reduces the pressure on the animal &# 39 ; s front quarters which would be exerted on the animal by transversely extending head gate members . the angular configuration of the head gate members 46 and 48 keeps the safety of the animal at a top priority for humane handling , as well as producing top quality meats . when the procedure has been performed on the animal , the head gate members 46 and 48 are moved to their open positions of fig4 to allow the animal to exit the chute 10 . thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives . although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps , it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and / or steps described . rather , the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention . since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended .	0
the present invention provides a novel method in which a subject &# 39 ; s eeg is evaluated to either find a valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) or to require an additional recording . a subject &# 39 ; s eeg is quantitatively analyzed with an algorithm by reviewing discreet epochs of an eeg , analyzing epoch iafs of each epoch ( m i ), successively pruning the values of these epoch iafs until the remaining epoch - iafs values are within a specific range of the mean . the final iaf estimate for that eeg is equal to the mean value of the remaining epochs &# 39 ; iafs . this final iaf ( fiaf ) is utilized as a primary setting for neuro - eeg synchronization therapy ( nest ) using low frequency magnetic stimulation with a nest device . the nest device is specifically tailored to deliver low amplitude stimulation at the patient &# 39 ; s intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ). the present invention describes an eeg algorithm to determine a valid iaf ( viaf ). it is different , but , in part , derived from the iaf algorithm from u . s . pat . no . 8 , 585 , 568 — systems and methods for neuro - eeg - synchronization therapy . a recent published paper by leuchter , et al . ( 2013 ) states that an effect on the symptoms of major depressive disorder ( mdd ) will be obtained when the treatment frequency is delivered at the subject &# 39 ; s iaf . in addition , a paper by arns , et al . ( 2010 ) shows that using an rtms pulse rate 1 . 0 hz away from the subject &# 39 ; s iaf does not result in significant benefit to the patient . therefore , it is imperative that a stable , repeatable iaf value be obtained . thus in a clinical trial setting , subjects having an eeg of sufficient duration and quality that can be processed for quantitative analysis should be of primary interest for inclusion , and that a valid iaf can be obtained for each patient . described herein are methods and devices for utilizing an algorithm by which a valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) is determined by quantitatively analyzing eeg recordings one at a time to determine whether or not they are valid , and if necessary , requiring additional recordings until a valid eeg is found . provided herein is a method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject comprising : applying an eeg discrimination routine comprising : obtaining a first eeg recording in a time domain ; dividing the first eeg recording into a plurality of epochs , each comprising a segment of data , wherein a total number of epochs is n ; filtering the segment of data of each epoch using a high - pass filter ; converting each epoch into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); filtering each frequency domain epoch ( i ) using a smoothing filter ; calculating an epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) of each frequency domain epoch ( i ); calculating a mean ( m ) intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of all intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i - n ), wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m , if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ), decrementing n , and returning to step g ), or if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , continuing to next step ; setting a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) equal to m ; and outputting the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) to a user or to a device . disclosed herein , in various embodiments , are methods of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject in a neuro - eeg synchronization therapy comprising : applying an eeg discrimination routine comprising : receiving a first eeg recording obtained from an eeg sensor in a time domain ; segmenting the first eeg recording into a plurality of epochs , each comprising a segment of data , wherein a total number of epochs is n ; filtering the segment of data of each epoch using a high - pass filter ; converting each epoch into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); filtering each frequency domain epoch ( i ) using a smoothing filter ; calculating an epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) of each frequency domain epoch ( i ); calculating a mean ( m ) intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of all intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i - n ), wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m , if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ), decrementing n , and returning to step g ), or if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , continuing to next step ; setting a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) equal to m ; and outputting the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) to a user or to a neuro - eeg synchronization therapy device ; utilizing the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) in the neuro - eeg synchronization therapy . in some embodiments , the first eeg recording length is 128 seconds . in some embodiments , the first eeg recording is a single - channel recording . in some embodiments , the first eeg recording is a multi - channel recording , wherein an iaf estimate is made for each channel in an epoch and averaged together , or wherein each channel is treated separately , generating an iaf estimate for each channel for the full eeg recording , and wherein valid iaf estimates from each channel , as determined by step h ), are averaged together to generate a final iaf . in some embodiments , a channel of the first eeg recording initially comprises 16 epochs . in some embodiments , the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) of each frequency domain epoch ( i ) is calculated from 7 . 0 hz to 14 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is from 8 . 0 hz to 13 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the first eeg recording comprises a sample rate of 128 samples / sec . in some embodiments , the high - pass filter comprises a 4 th order butterworth iir filter with the 3 db cutoff set to 5 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency of each epoch ( m i ) is determined using a fast fourier transform ( fft ). in some embodiments , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) uses a resolution of 1024 points , which results in a 0 . 125 hz resolution per bin from 0 hz to 64 hz . in some embodiments , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) is smoothed with an averaging filter that averages the 5 points ± 2 from the target . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a second eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a second standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values ≧ 0 . 75 hz obtained using the second eeg recording , a third eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a third standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values ≧ 0 . 75 hz obtained using the third eeg recording , a range of fiaf intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , a second eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the second eeg recording is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , a third eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , a range of fiaf intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) of the eeg is from 8 . 0 hz to 13 . 0 hz and the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values is & lt ; 0 . 75 hz , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is determined to be a valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a second eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the second eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the second eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a third eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the third eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the third eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a fourth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the fourth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the fourth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the fourth eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a fifth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the fifth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the fifth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the fifth eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a sixth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the sixth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the sixth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the sixth eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a seventh eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the seventh eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the seventh eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the seventh eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a eighth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 1 is repeated using the eighth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz or if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the third eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a range of fiaf intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the eighth eeg recording is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz or if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the eighth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a range of fiaf intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , the eighth eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , the eighth eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in some embodiments , a channel intrinsic alpha frequency is determined for each channel in the frequency domain epoch ( i ), and are averaged to generate the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ). disclosed herein , in various embodiments are methods of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject in a neuro - eeg synchronization therapy comprising : applying an eeg discrimination routine comprising : obtaining a multi - channel eeg recording in a time domain ; dividing the multi - channel eeg recording into a plurality of epochs , each epoch comprising a corresponding data segment from each channel , and averaging the data segments in each epoch together , wherein a total number of epochs is n ; filtering the data segments of each epoch using a high - pass filter ; converting each epoch into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); filtering each frequency domain epoch ( i ) using a smoothing filter ; calculating an epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) of each frequency domain epoch ( i ); calculating a mean ( m ) intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of all intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i - n ), wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m , if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ), decrementing n , and returning to step g ), or if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , continuing to next step ; setting a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) equal to m ; and outputting the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) to a user or to a device , wherein the device is configured to conduct the neuro - eeg synchronization therapy . in some embodiments , the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) is generated by averaging channel intrinsic alpha frequencies generated from the channels meeting inclusion criteria and averaged together , wherein the inclusion criteria comprise : a greatest alpha power as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording ; a lowest variance as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording ; or a highest q - factor as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording . disclosed herein , in various embodiments are methods of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject in a neuro - eeg synchronization therapy comprising : applying an eeg discrimination routine comprising : obtaining a multi - channel eeg recording from an eeg sensor in a time domain ; treating each channel separately , dividing each channel of the multi - channel eeg recording into a plurality of epochs , each epoch comprising a data segment from each channel , wherein a total number of epochs for each channel is n ; filtering the data segments of each epoch , of each channel , using a high - pass filter ; converting each epoch , of each channel , into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); filtering each frequency domain epoch ( i ), of each channel , using a smoothing filter ; calculating an epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) of each frequency domain epoch ( i ) for each channel ; calculating a mean ( m ) channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) of all intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i - n ) for each channel , wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m for each channel , if \| m i − m \|≧ 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ), decrementing n , and returning to step g ), or if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , continuing to next step ; averaging the mean ( m ) channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) of all channels to determine a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ); setting a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) equal to m for the entire multi - channel eeg recording ; and outputting the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) to a user or to a device , wherein the device is configured to conduct the neuro - eeg synchronization therapy . in some embodiments , a single channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) of the multi - channel eeg recording comprises ; a frequency band between 8 . 0 hz - 13 . 0 hz ; a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; the lowest ( sd ) of all the channel intrinsic alpha frequencies ( ciafs ) of the multi - channel eeg recording ; and the single channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) is selected as a representative intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) for the multi - channel eeg recording . in some embodiments , the intrinsic channel alpha frequencies ( ciafs ) of all channels of the multi - channel eeg recording that are within a band between 8 . 0 hz - 13 . 0 hz and have a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz , are averaged together to obtain a representative intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . disclosed herein , in various embodiments are methods of determining a valid intrinsic frequency of an eeg band of a subject in neuro - eeg synchronization therapy comprising : applying an eeg discrimination routine comprising : obtaining a first eeg recording in a time domain ; dividing the first eeg recording into a plurality of epochs , wherein a total number of epochs is n ; filtering the data using a high - pass filter ; converting each epoch into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); filtering each frequency domain epoch ( i ) using a smoothing filter ; calculating an epoch intrinsic frequency ( m i ) in an eeg band of each frequency domain epoch ( i ); calculating a mean ( m ) intrinsic frequency ( if ) in the eeg band of all epoch intrinsic frequencies ( m i - n ), wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean , if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ), decrementing n , and returning to step g ), or if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , continuing to next step ; setting a final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) in the eeg band equal to m ; and outputting the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) in the eeg band to a user or device , wherein the device is configured to conduct the neuro - eeg synchronization therapy . in some embodiments , the eeg band comprises one or more selected from : an alpha band ; a theta band ; a beta band ; a gamma band ; and a delta band . in some embodiments , the eeg recording length is 128 seconds . in some embodiments , the eeg recording is a single - channel recording . in some embodiments , the eeg recording is a multi - channel recording , wherein a channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) estimate is made for each channel in an epoch and averaged together , or wherein each channel is treated separately , generating a final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) estimate for each channel for the full eeg recording , and wherein final intrinsic frequency estimates from each channel , as determined by step h ), are averaged together to generate a final intrinsic frequency ( fif ). in some embodiments , a channel of the eeg recording comprises 16 epochs . in some embodiments , the calculated epoch intrinsic frequency ( m i ) of the eeg comprises a range that is at least : ± 0 . 5 hz outside a range of the eeg band ; ± 1 . 0 hz outside the range of the eeg band ; ± 1 . 5 hz outside the range of the eeg band ; and ± 2 . 0 hz outside the range of the eeg band . in some embodiments , the eeg recording comprises a sample rate of 128 samples / sec . in some embodiments , the high - pass filter uses a 4 th order butterworth iir filter with the 3 db cutoff set to 5 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency of each epoch ( m i ) is determined using a fast fourier transform ( fft ). in some embodiments , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) uses a resolution of 1024 points , which results in a 0 . 125 hz resolution per bin from 0 hz to 64 hz . in some embodiments , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) is smoothed with an averaging filter that averages 5 points ± 2 from the target . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a second eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the second eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a third eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the third eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a fourth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the fourth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the fourth eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a fifth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the fifth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the fifth eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a sixth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the sixth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the sixth eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a seventh eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the seventh eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the seventh eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , an eighth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the eighth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if an eighth standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values ≧ 0 . 75 hz obtained using the eighth eeg recording , a range of fif intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , and the eighth eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , and the eighth eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , if a third standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values ≧ 0 . 75 hz obtained using the third eeg recording , a range of fif intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording is & gt ; a predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a second eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , the predetermined amount is : ± 0 . 5 hz ; ± 1 . 0 hz ; ± 1 . 5 hz ; or ± 2 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the second eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a third eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the third eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a fourth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the fourth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the fourth eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a fifth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the fifth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the fifth eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a sixth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the sixth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the sixth eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a seventh eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the seventh eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the seventh eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , an eighth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the eighth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a range of fif intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a range of fif intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of three or more of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , and the eighth eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , and the eighth eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) is & gt ; a predetermined amount outside the eeg band , wherein the predetermined amount is ± 0 . 5 hz , ± 1 . 0 hz , ± 1 . 5 hz , or ± 2 . 0 hz ; then a second eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the second eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the second eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a third eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the third eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the third eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a fourth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the fourth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the fourth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the fourth eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a fifth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the fifth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the fifth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the fifth eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a sixth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the sixth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the sixth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the sixth eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a seventh eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the seventh eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the seventh eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the seventh eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a eighth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the eighth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , or if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the third eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a range of fif intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the eighth eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band or if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the eighth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a range of fif intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , the eighth eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , the eighth eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) is within the eeg band and the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values is & lt ; 0 . 75 hz , the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) is determined to be a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , a channel intrinsic frequency is determined for each channel in the frequency domain epoch ( i ), and are averaged to generate the epoch intrinsic frequency ( m i ). in some embodiments , an epoch intrinsic frequency ( m i ) is generated by averaging channel intrinsic frequencies generated from the channels meeting inclusion criteria and averaged together , wherein the inclusion criteria comprise : a greatest power in the eeg band as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording ; a lowest variance as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording ; or a highest q - factor as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording . in some embodiments , each channel from a multi - channel time domain eeg recording is treated separately and generates a channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) for each channel of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording , wherein a number of channel intrinsic frequencies ( cifs ) is equal to the number of channels . in some embodiments , all channel intrinsic frequencies ( cifs ) from a multi - channel time domain eeg recording are averaged together to obtain a representative intrinsic frequency ( if ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . in some embodiments , a single channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) of a multi - channel time domain eeg recording comprises : a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; the lowest ( sd ) of all the channel intrinsic frequencies ( cifs ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording ; and the single channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) is selected as a representative intrinsic frequency ( if ) for the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . in some embodiments , the channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) of all channels of a multi - channel time domain eeg recording that have a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; are averaged together to obtain a representative intrinsic frequency ( if ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . disclosed herein , in various embodiments , are computer - implemented systems for determining an intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject comprising : an input device configured to receive a first time domain eeg recording of a subject , wherein the eeg recording is obtained from an eeg sensor external to the computer - implemented system ; a digital processing device comprising an operating system configured to perform executable instructions and a memory ; a computer program including instructions executable by the digital processing device configured to discriminate a valid intrinsic alpha frequency of at least one time domain eeg recording of a subject comprising a software module configured to : determine if the time domain eeg recording has a stable intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) throughout a plurality of epochs , wherein a valid intrinsic alpha frequency comprises : a standard deviation between the epochs & lt ; 0 . 75 hz , and a mean ( m ) of epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) between 8 . 0 hz to 13 . 0 hz , set a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) equal to m ; output the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) to a device , or , label the first time domain eeg recording suspect , and continue to sequentially evaluate a plurality of subsequent time domain eeg recordings until a valid intrinsic alpha frequency is be obtained from a subsequent time domain eeg recording , wherein the plurality of subsequent time domain eeg recording are obtained from an eeg sensor external to the computer - implemented system . in some cases , a total number of time domain eeg recordings is eight . in some cases , if the software module routine cannot obtain a valid intrinsic alpha frequency within the first time domain eeg recording , a second time domain eeg recording or a third time domain eeg recording , a range of epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) of the first time domain eeg recording , the second time domain eeg recording and the third time domain eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , the mean ( m ) of the first time domain eeg recording , the second time domain eeg recording and the third time domain eeg recording is calculated and is set equal to the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ). in some cases , if the software module routine cannot obtain a valid intrinsic alpha frequency within eight time domain eeg recordings , the software module routine ends and outputs a message to a user that a valid intrinsic alpha frequency cannot be found . in some cases , the device is a neuro - eeg synchronization therapy ( nest ) device . in some cases , the device is configured to deliver low amplitude stimulation at an intrinsic alpha frequency that is the same as a patient &# 39 ; s intrinsic alpha frequency . disclosed herein , in various embodiments are methods of quantitatively analyzing eeg recordings to obtain a valid intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject using a neuro - eeg synchronization therapy ( nest ) device comprising : obtaining a single 128 - second time domain eeg recording from an eeg sensor external to the device ; dividing the 128 - second eeg recording into sixteen eight - second epochs ; converting each epoch into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); calculating an epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) for each frequency domain epoch ( i ); and successively eliminating the epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) that are farthest from a mean , until the remaining epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) are all within 0 . 5 hz of the mean ; and outputting a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) for the eeg recording that is equal to the mean value of the remaining epochs &# 39 ; epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies . in some cases , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is determined to be valid if a standard deviation of the epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) from the epochs is & lt ; 0 . 75 hz and the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) within the band of 8 . 0 - 13 . 0 hz . in some cases , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is determined to be suspect if a standard deviation of the epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) from the epochs is ≧ 0 . 75 hz or the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is outside the band of 8 . 0 - 13 . 0 hz , and wherein a second eeg recording is obtained to determine if a valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) can be determined by repeating the steps of claim 88 replacing the single 128 - second time domain eeg recording with the second eeg recording . in some cases , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) using the second eeg recording is determined to be suspect if a standard deviation of the epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) from the epochs is ≧ 0 . 75 hz or the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is outside the band of 8 . 0 - 13 . 0 hz , and wherein a third eeg recording is obtained to determine if the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) can be determined by repeating the steps of claim 88 replacing the single 128 - second time domain eeg recording with the third eeg recording . in some cases , if the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) cannot be obtained using the third eeg recording , a range of the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) values of the three previous eeg recordings is calculated , and if the range of the previous three final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) values is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) is set to the mean of the three previous final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ). in some cases , determining the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m comprises calculating an index ( i ) of the frequency domain epoch that is farthest from the mean ( m ), wherein i = index ( max i \| m i − m \|). in some cases , determining the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m comprises calculating an index ( i ) of the frequency domain epoch that is farthest from the mean ( m ), wherein i = index ( max i \| m i − m \|). in some embodiments , wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m comprises calculating an index ( i ) of the frequency domain epoch that is farthest from the mean ( m ), wherein i = index ( max i \| m i − m \|). as described above , an iaf estimate is created based on a frequency analysis of the eeg . the eeg recording is divided into 8 - second epochs . an iaf estimate is made for each epoch , resulting in a number of discreet epoch - iaf values . a routine performs successive pruning of these values by eliminating the farthest from the mean , until the remaining epoch - iaf values were all within 0 . 5 hz of the mean . the final iaf estimate for that eeg is equal to the mean value of the remaining epochs &# 39 ; iafs . in some embodiments , the first eeg recording length is 128 seconds . in some embodiments , the first eeg recording is a single - channel recording . in some embodiments , the first eeg recording is a multi - channel recording , wherein an iaf estimate is made for each channel in an epoch and averaged together , or wherein each channel is treated separately , generating an iaf estimate for each channel for the full eeg recording , and wherein valid iaf estimates from each channel , as determined by the step ; determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m , if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ), decrementing n , and returning to step g ), or if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , are averaged together to generate a final iaf . in some embodiments , a channel of the first eeg recording initially comprises 16 epochs . in some embodiments , the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) of each frequency domain epoch ( i ) is calculated from 7 . 0 hz to 14 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is from 8 . 0 hz to 13 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the first eeg recording comprises a sample rate of 128 samples / sec . in some embodiments , the high - pass filter comprises a 4 th order butterworth iir filter with the 3 db cutoff set to 5 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency of each epoch ( m i ) is determined using a fast fourier transform ( fft ). in some embodiments , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) uses a resolution of 1024 points , which results in a 0 . 125 hz resolution per bin from 0 hz to 64 hz . in some embodiments , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) is smoothed with an averaging filter that averages the 5 points ± 2 from the target . as described above , a final iaf estimate for an eeg recording is equal to the mean value of the remaining epoch &# 39 ; s iafs ( following successive pruning ) in order to accomplish this , an iaf estimate of each epoch must be calculated . in the following example , a typical eeg is 128 seconds and is divided in 16 8 - second epochs , and each single recorded eeg epoch input data is analyzed as follows . a filter is applied to the data of the epoch . the sample rate is 128 samples / sec . the filtering uses a 4 th order butterworth iir filter with the 3 db cutoff set to 5 . 0 hz . next the data is run through a fast fourier transform ( fft ) to convert the data from a sequence to frequency . the fft uses 1024 points , which results in a 0 . 125 hz resolution per bin over the range of 0 - 64 hz . a single smoothing filter is used on the fft to remove spurious peaks . this is a simple averaging filter that averages the 5 points +/− 2 from the target . the data is analyzed to determine the peak location of the fft between 7 . 0 hz and 14 . 0 hz . the peak iaf estimate of the epoch is equal to the frequency of that peak . it should be noted , the peak iaf estimates are found in the range from 7 . 0 - 14 . 0 hz . however , the alpha band is 8 . 0 - 13 . 0 hz . the eeg discrimination algorithm will label an iaf estimate as “ suspect ” if it is out of band . to determine if an estimate is out of band , the range to find peak iaf estimates must be wider than the alpha band . for this example of the algorithm a window 1 . 0 hz outside the alpha band was chosen . however , depending on the band being analyzed , a different window may be chosen . as noted previously , outliers are identified and discarded in order to determine a final iaf estimate . alpha waves tend to be bursty in an eeg , with large sections showing little to no alpha activity , followed by a rhythmic section with significant alpha peaks . after sixteen 8 - second epochs have been processed to obtain 16 iaf estimates , the algorithm removes outliers , which are most likely due to noise . a routine performs successive pruning of these values by eliminating the farthest from the mean , until the remaining epoch - iaf values are all within 0 . 5 hz of the mean . the sequence below gives the specifics of the routine . in this , n is the total number of remaining epochs after pruning . m is the mean of the iafs for all remaining epochs . m i is the iaf estimate for epoch i . the routine is described as follows : set n to 16 ; the mean of the iafs for all remaining epochs is calculated using the following formula : next , the index , i , of the farthest epoch from the mean is calculated , wherein i = index ( max i \| m i − m \|); and if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , then the farthest epoch is removed , the value n is decreased by 1 , and the process is repeated by recalculating the mean of the iafs for all remaining epochs , again using the formula : this routine is repeated until the remaining epoch - iaf values are all within 0 . 5 hz of the mean . once this condition is met , the iaf estimate for the eeg is set equal to m . as described herein , the index ( i ) is the frequency domain epoch number ( 1 . . . n ) in any iteration of the time domain eeg . during pruning , the algorithm finds the index ( i ) of the epoch ( 1 . . . n ) where the epoch iaf is farthest from the mean m . if this difference is greater than 0 . 5 hz , the epoch is discarded and n is decreased . for example , if one begins with the following 16 epochs : ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ); and then find that epoch # 6 is farthest from the mean ( i . e ., i = 6 ), and is also greater than 0 . 5 hz , epoch # 6 would be discarded , so the new list will be : ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , ______ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ), and n is decreased by 1 . the remaining epochs are then renumbered , resulting in ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ). the routine performs successive pruning of these values until the remaining epoch - iaf values were all within 0 . 5 hz of the mean . quite conceivably , one could wind up removing the same index in two iterations of the pruning routine . for example , utilizing the previous result : the 6 th epoch ( index = 6 ) is again found to be farthest from the mean . it is again removed : ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , ______ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ); and the remaining epochs are again renumbered : 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ). this process would continue until the remaining epoch - iaf values were all within 0 . 5 hz of the mean . the purpose of the discrimination routine is to find a stable , repeatable iaf . such an iaf is referred to as a “ valid ” iaf . if an eeg recording results in a final iaf ( fiaf ) that is either highly variable throughout the 16 epochs ( standard deviation of the n epoch iafs is greater than or equal to 0 . 75 hz ), or the fiaf is out of band ( 8 . 0 - 13 . 0 hz ), it is labeled as “ suspect ”, and another eeg may be required . if the first eeg results in a valid iaf , the routine ends and the treatment frequency is set to that value . if not , a second eeg recording is performed to see if that one results in a valid iaf . if that iaf is suspect , a 3 rd eeg is recorded . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a second eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a second standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values ≧ 0 . 75 hz obtained using the second eeg recording , a third eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . after the 3 rd eeg , an additional option is available to find a valid iaf . it has been found that , even if the iafs are highly variable ( standard deviation of the 16 epochs is greater than or equal to 0 . 75 hz ), many times the final iafs of consecutive eeg recordings are still close to the same value . therefore , after the 3 rd eeg , the range of fiaf values of the previous 3 eegs is calculated , and if that range is less than 2 . 0 hz , then the valid iaf is set to the mean of the 3 suspect fiafs . in some embodiments , if a third standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values ≧ 0 . 75 hz obtained using the third eeg recording , a range of fiaf intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in still other embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , a second eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in still other embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the second eeg recording is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , a third eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in still other embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , a range of fiaf intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). still further , in other embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) of the eeg is from 8 . 0 hz - 13 . 0 hz and the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values is & lt ; 0 . 75 hz , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is determined to be a valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in some embodiments of the method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ; if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a second eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the second eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the second eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a third eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the third eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the third eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a fourth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the fourth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the fourth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the fourth eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a fifth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the fifth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the fifth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the fifth eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a sixth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the sixth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the sixth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the sixth eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a seventh eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the seventh eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the seventh eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the seventh eeg reading is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz , then a eighth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the eighth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz or if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the third eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a range of fiaf intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in still other embodiments , if the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) calculated using the eighth eeg recording is & lt ; 8 . 0 hz or & gt ; 13 . 0 hz or if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch iaf values calculated using the eighth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a range of fiaf intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of the at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , the eighth eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ) of at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , the eighth eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ). in still other embodiments , if an 8 th eeg recording is performed and does not result in a valid iaf , then the routine ends , and informs the user that a valid iaf cannot be found . due to the previously noted “ bursty ” nature of alpha waves in an eeg , it should be noted that the clinician should replace electrodes between each eeg and check electrode placement and electrode impedance . also , the clinician must speak to the subject before each eeg , reminding the subject to relax , keep still , not move or open their eyes , clench their jaw , or shift around as these activities may exacerbate the problem . the flowchart in fig1 provides an illustrative example of this discrimination routine . also as noted earlier , it has been shown that a magnetic field frequency within 1 . 0 hz of the patient &# 39 ; s iaf is required to obtain a benefit from nest therapy . therefore , the discrimination algorithm should be applied in order to find a valid iaf for each subject , and then exclude from the analysis those whose valid iaf is more than 1 . 0 hz from the treatment frequency . in a trial , the baseline eeg can be used to determine the magnetic field frequency . however , weekly single - channel eegs may also be recorded for each subject in a trial . a subject &# 39 ; s natural iaf does not change significantly over time , and no evidence has been found from eeg evaluation that iaf values would change week to week during a treatment protocol . the flowchart in fig2 is a representative description of a process of using the eeg discrimination algorithm from fig1 as an inclusion / exclusion criterion for the clinical trial . in a trial , weekly eegs are recorded for each subject . the magnetic field frequency is based on each subject &# 39 ; s baseline eeg . the eeg discrimination algorithm determines a valid iaf for the subject , using subsequent eegs if necessary . if a valid iaf cannot be found , the subject is excluded . if a valid iaf is found which is not within 1 . 0 hz of the treatment frequency ( tx freq ), then the subject is excluded as well . otherwise , the subject is included in the analysis . the methodology that was used to compare the treatment frequency ( tx freq ), equal to the baseline eeg iaf value , with all recorded eegs ( up to 8 ) to determine if a subject had a valid baseline iaf , and includes the subject if the valid iaf is within 1 . 0 hz of the tx freq . final determination of a valid iaf resulted in a subject &# 39 ; s inclusion or exclusion from eligibility for a clinical trial . provided herein is a method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject comprising applying an eeg discrimination routine comprising : obtaining a multi - channel eeg recording in a time domain ; dividing the multi - channel eeg recording into a plurality of epochs , each epoch comprising a corresponding data segment from each channel , and averaging the data segments in each epoch together , wherein a total number of epochs is n ; filtering the data segments of each epoch using a high - pass filter ; converting each epoch into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); filtering each frequency domain epoch ( i ) using a smoothing filter ; calculating an epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) of each frequency domain epoch ( i ); calculating a mean ( m ) intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of all intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i - n ), wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m , wherein , i ) if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ), decrementing n , and returning to step g ), or , ii ) if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , continuing to next step ; setting a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) equal to m ; and outputting the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) to a user or to a device . in some embodiments , a channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) is determined for each channel in the frequency domain epoch ( i ) of a multi - channel eeg recording , and they are averaged together to generate the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ). in some embodiments , the epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) is generated by averaging channel intrinsic alpha frequencies generated from the channels meeting inclusion criteria and averaged together , wherein the inclusion criteria comprise : i ) a greatest alpha power as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording ; ii ) a lowest variance as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording ; or iii ) a highest q - factor as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording provided herein is a method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject comprising applying an eeg discrimination routine comprising : obtaining a multi - channel eeg recording in a time domain ; treating each channel separately , dividing each channel of multi - channel eeg recording into a plurality of epochs , each epoch comprising a segment data , from each channel , wherein a total number of epochs for each channel is n ; filtering the data segments of each epoch , of each channel , using a high - pass filter ; converting each epoch , of each channel , into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); filtering each frequency domain epoch ( i ), of each channel , using a smoothing filter ; calculating an epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) of each frequency domain epoch ( i ) for each channel ; calculating a mean ( m ) channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) of all intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i - n ) for each channel , wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m for each channel , wherein , i ) if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ), decrementing n , and returning to step g ), or ii ) if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , continuing to next step ; averaging the mean ( m ) channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) of all channels to determine a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ); setting a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) equal to m for the entire multi - channel eeg recording ; and outputting the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) to a user or to a device . in some embodiments , a single channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) of the multi - channel eeg recording comprises ; a frequency band between 8 . 0 hz - 13 . 0 hz ; a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; the lowest ( sd ) of all the channel intrinsic alpha frequencies ( ciafs ) of the multi - channel eeg recording ; and the single channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) is selected as a representative intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) for the multi - channel eeg recording . in some embodiments , the intrinsic channel alpha frequencies ( ciafs ) of all channels of the multi - channel eeg recording that are within a band between 8 . 0 hz - 13 . 0 hz and have a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; are averaged together to obtain a representative intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . in some embodiments , a multiple - channel time domain eeg recording may be used , wherein different options exist for determining the intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ). in one embodiment , each channel from the first multi - channel time domain eeg recording is treated separately and generates a channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) for each channel of the full multi - channel time domain eeg recording , wherein a number of channel intrinsic alpha frequencies ( ciafs ) is equal to the number of channels from the first multi - channel time domain eeg recording . in some embodiments , all channel intrinsic alpha frequencies ( ciafs ) from the first multi - channel time domain eeg recording are averaged together to obtain a representative intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . in some embodiments a single channel alpha frequency ( ciaf ) of the first multi - channel time domain eeg recording is within a band between 8 . 0 hz - 13 . 0 hz ; has a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; has the lowest ( sd ) of all the channel intrinsic alpha frequencies ( ciafs ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording ; and is selected as a representative intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . still further , the channel intrinsic alpha frequency ( ciaf ) of all channels of the first multi - channel time domain eeg recording that are within a band between 8 . 0 hz - 13 . 0 hz ; and have a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; are averaged together to obtain a representative intrinsic alpha frequency ( iaf ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . provided herein is a method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject comprising : applying an eeg discrimination routine comprising : obtaining a first eeg recording in a time domain ; dividing the first eeg recording into a plurality of epochs , wherein a total number of epochs is n ; filtering the data using a high - pass filter ( to reduce the influence of heartbeat and low frequency noise ); converting each epoch into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); filtering each frequency domain epoch ( i ) using a smoothing filter ; calculating an epoch intrinsic frequency ( m i ) in an eeg band of each frequency domain epoch ( i ); calculating a mean ( m ) intrinsic frequency ( if ) in the eeg band of all epoch intrinsic frequencies ( m i - n ), wherein determining the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean , wherein if \| m i − m \|& gt ; 0 . 5 hz , removing the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) decrementing n , and returning to the step for calculating a mean ( m ) intrinsic frequency ( if ) in the band of all epoch intrinsic frequencies , or if \| m i − m \|≦ 0 . 5 hz , then ; continue to the next step for setting a final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) equal to m ; and outputting the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) in the eeg band equal to m ; and outputting the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) in the eeg band to a user or device . in some embodiments , wherein determining a farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m comprises determining an index ( i ) of the frequency domain epoch that is farthest from the mean ( m ), wherein i = index ( max i \| m i − m \|). in some embodiments , the eeg band comprises : an alpha band ; a theta band ; a beta band ; a gamma band ; and a delta band . in some embodiments , the eeg recording length is 128 seconds . in some embodiments , the eeg recording is a single - channel recording . in some embodiments , the eeg recording is a multi - channel recording . in some embodiments the eeg is a multi - channel recording , wherein a channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) estimate may be made for each channel in an epoch and averaged together , or wherein each channel is treated separately , generating a final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) estimate for each channel for the full eeg recording , and wherein final intrinsic frequency estimates from each channel , as determined by step h ), are averaged together to generate a final intrinsic frequency ( fif ). in some embodiments , a channel of the eeg comprises 16 epochs . in some embodiments , the calculated epoch intrinsic frequency ( m i ) of the eeg comprises a range that is at least : ± 0 . 5 hz outside the range of the eeg band ; ± 1 . 0 hz outside the range of the eeg band ; ± 1 . 5 hz outside the range of the eeg band ; and ± 2 . 0 hz outside the range of the eeg band . in some embodiments , the eeg recording comprises a sample rate of 128 samples / sec . in some embodiments , the high - pass filter uses a 4 th order butterworth iir filter with the 3 db cutoff set to 5 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the epoch intrinsic frequency of each epoch ( m i ) is determined using a fast fourier transform ( fft ). in some embodiments , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) uses a resolution of 1024 points , which results in a 0 . 125 hz resolution per bin from 0 hz to 64 hz . in some embodiments , the fast fourier transform ( fft ) is smoothed with an averaging filter that averages 5 points ± 2 from the target . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if value is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a second eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the second eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a third eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the third eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a fourth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the fourth eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the fourth eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a fifth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the fifth eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the fifth eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a sixth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the sixth eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the sixth eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a seventh eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the seventh eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the seventh eeg recording is ≧ 0 . 75 hz , an eighth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the eighth eeg recording in place of the first recording . in still other embodiments , if the eighth standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values is ≧ 0 . 75 hz obtained using the eighth eeg recording , a range of final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , and the eighth eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , and the eighth eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , if a third standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values ≧ 0 . 75 hz obtained using the third eeg recording , a range of final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments of the method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording is & gt ; a predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a second eeg recording is obtained and the method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , the predetermined amount is : ± 0 . 5 hz ; ± 1 . 0 hz ; ± 1 . 5 hz ; or ± 2 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the second eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a third eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the third eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a fourth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the fourth eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the fourth eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a fifth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the fifth eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the fifth eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a sixth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the sixth eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the sixth eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a seventh eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the seventh eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) of the eeg recording obtained using the seventh eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , an eighth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the eighth eeg recording in place of the first recording . in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a range of final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , a range of final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of three or more of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , and the eighth eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the three or more of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , and the eighth eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments of the method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) is & gt ; a predetermined amount outside the eeg band , wherein the predetermined amount is ± 0 . 5 hz , ± 1 . 0 hz , ± 1 . 5 hz , or ± 2 . 0 hz ; then a second eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the second eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the second eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the second eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a third eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the third eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the third eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the third eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a fourth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the fourth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the fourth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the fourth eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a fifth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the fifth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the fifth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the fifth eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a sixth eeg recording is obtained and the method of claim 35 is repeated using the sixth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the sixth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the sixth eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a seventh eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the seventh eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in some embodiments , if a standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the seventh eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , or if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the seventh eeg reading is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , then a eighth eeg recording is obtained and the previously described method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject ( using a first eeg recording ) is repeated using the eighth eeg recording in place of the first eeg recording . in still further embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the third eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band , or if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the third eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a range of final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording and the third eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). further still , in some embodiments , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) calculated using the eighth eeg recording is & gt ; the predetermined amount outside the eeg band or if the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if values calculated using the eighth eeg reading ≧ 0 . 75 hz , a range of final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , the eighth eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the mean value of the final intrinsic frequencies ( fifs ) of the at least three of the first eeg recording , the second eeg recording , the third eeg recording , the fourth eeg recording , the fifth eeg recording , the sixth eeg recording , the seventh eeg recording , the eighth eeg recording is determined to be the valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments of the method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ) of an eeg band of a subject , if the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) is within the eeg band and the standard deviation ( sd ) of the n epoch if value is & lt ; 0 . 75 hz , the final intrinsic frequency ( fif ) is determined to be a valid intrinsic frequency ( vif ). in some embodiments , a channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) is determined for each channel in the frequency domain epoch ( i ), and they are averaged to generate the epoch intrinsic frequency ( m i ). in some embodiments , an epoch intrinsic frequency ( m i ) is generated by averaging channel intrinsic frequencies ( cifs ) generated from the channels meeting inclusion criteria and averaged together , wherein the inclusion criteria comprise : a greatest power in the eeg band as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording ; a lowest variance as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording ; or a highest q - factor as compared to all other channels of the eeg recording . further still , in some embodiments , each channel from a multi - channel time domain eeg recording is treated separately and generates a channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) for each channel of the full multi - channel time domain eeg recording , wherein a number of channel intrinsic frequencies ( cifs ) is equal to the number of channels from the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . in other embodiments , all channel intrinsic frequencies ( cifs ) from a multi - channel time domain eeg recording are averaged together to obtain a representative intrinsic frequency ( if ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . in some embodiments , the channel intrinsic frequency ( cif ) of a single channel of a multi - channel time domain eeg recording comprises : a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; the lowest ( sd ) of all the channel intrinsic frequencies ( cifs ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording ; and is selected as a representative intrinsic frequency ( if ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . in still other embodiments , all channel intrinsic frequencies ( cifs ) of channels of a multi - channel time domain eeg recording that have a standard deviation ( sd ) below 0 . 75 hz ; are averaged together to obtain a representative intrinsic frequency ( if ) of the multi - channel time domain eeg recording . to use the invention , an eeg is recorded from the patient . the algorithm will generate an iaf estimate for the patient and label it as either “ valid ” or “ suspect ”, depending on whether or not it is in band and stable . if the iaf is valid , then the procedure ends . if the iaf is suspect , then another eeg may need to be recorded . this process continues until either a valid iaf is generated or 8 eeg recordings have been completed . if the subject reaches 8 eegs without a valid iaf , the subject is informed that he or she does not have an eeg that contains a detectable alpha frequency . a single - channel eeg or multiple - channel eeg may be used . for a multiple - channel eeg , different options exist for determining the iaf of an eeg recording . in one aspect , an iaf estimate may be made for each channel in an epoch and then averaged together . iaf estimates from all channels for a single epoch could be averaged together . alternately , iaf estimates only from channels whose eegs meet a specific criteria could be averaged , such as : greatest alpha power ; lowest variance ; or highest q factor . in one aspect , each channel is treated separately , generating its own iaf estimate for the full recording . in the end , a number of iaf estimates exist equal to the number of channels . afterward , valid iaf estimates from the channels can be averaged together for a final iaf estimate for the eeg recording . alternately , the channel that is in band with the lowest standard deviation could be used as the representative channel for the eeg recording . alternately , all channels which are in band with a standard deviation below 0 . 75 hz could be averaged together to get an iaf estimate for the full recording . in a preferred aspect , the intrinsic frequency of the alpha band is calculated . alternately , the intrinsic frequency of other eeg bands could be calculated . these include : the theta band ; the beta band ; the gamma band ; and the delta band . in the part of the routine to find peak iaf of a single epoch , the window to find the peak is 1 . 0 hz outside the eeg band of interest . the decision of the window width may be different depending on the eeg band , the patient , or the therapy being provided . in one aspect , the window is 0 . 5 hz outside the eeg band of interest . in one aspect , the window is 1 . 5 hz outside the eeg band of interest . in one aspect , the window is 2 . 0 hz outside the eeg band of interest . there were several variables that can be chosen for the algorithm , which may change based on the eeg band , the patient , or the therapy . some of these include : eeg recording length ( preferred : 128 seconds ); sample rate ( preferred : 128 hz ); filtering settings ( filter type , order , cutoff frequency ), wherein a preferred filtering includes : butterworth , 4 th order , 5 . 0 hz . ; fft resolution ( preferred : 1024 point ), ( with an example of the output illustrated by fig4 ); averaging filter settings ( preferred : +/− 2 samples ); number of epochs , ( preferred = 16 , as illustrated in fig3 ); number of channels ( preferred : 1 ); distance from the mean threshold to remove epochs ( preferred : 0 . 5 hz ); standard deviation threshold to label an iaf as suspect ( preferred : 0 . 75 hz ); the number of eeg recordings before the additional option to average a number of previous eegs in finding a valid iaf ( preferred : 3 ); the number of eeg recordings averaged to find a valid iaf ( preferred : 3 ); and , the number of eeg recordings without a valid iaf before the algorithm informs the user that none can be found ( preferred : 8 ). the eeg recordings from a clinical trial database formed the test set for a validation of the algorithm ( see clinicaltrials . gov registration # nct01370733 ). the validation was performed to ensure that at least 90 % of subjects in the test set were found to have a recalculated iaf estimate that is within 1 . 0 hz away from the treatment frequency used in a clinical trial . in addition , an expert qualitative analysis was performed on those subjects whose recalculated iaf estimates were more than 1 . 0 hz away from the baseline estimate . 229 subjects were evaluated out of the total of 231 . two subjects had no eegs available due to an error made when downloading the eegs . five of the subjects did not have a stable eeg to get a valid iaf . of the 229 subjects , 22 either had a recalculated iaf that was greater than 1 . 0 hz from the baseline iaf or were unable to determine a valid iaf . it was noted that these were the same subjects that were previously excluded from the “ per protocol ” analysis of a clinical trial . in the majority of the remaining subjects , the new algorithm produced an iaf value that was exactly the same as original treatment frequency used in the clinical study . result : ( 22 inaccurate iafs )/( 229 subjects )= 9 . 6 %, which is less than 10 . 0 %. pass . provided herein is a device comprising a computer - implemented system configured to discriminate a valid intrinsic alpha frequency of at least one time domain eeg recording of a subject comprising a software module with a routine configured to : evaluate a first time domain eeg recording of a subject ; determine if the time domain eeg recording has a stable intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) throughout a plurality of epochs wherein a valid intrinsic alpha frequency comprises ; a standard deviation between the epochs is & lt ; 0 . 75 hz , and a mean ( m ) of epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) between 8 . 0 hz to 13 . 0 hz ; set a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) equal to m ; and output the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) to the device ; or , label the first time domain eeg recording suspect ; and continue to sequentially evaluate a plurality of subsequent time domain eeg recordings until a valid intrinsic alpha frequency can be obtained from a subsequent time domain eeg recording . in some embodiments of the computer implemented system , a total number of time domain eeg recordings is eight . in some embodiments of the computer implemented system , if the software module routine cannot obtain a valid intrinsic alpha frequency within the first time domain eeg recording , a second time domain eeg recording or a third time domain eeg recording , a range of epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) of the first time domain eeg recording , the second time domain eeg recording and the third time domain eeg recording is calculated , wherein if the range is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , the mean ( m ) of the first time domain eeg recording , the second time domain eeg recording and the third time domain eeg recording is calculated and is set equal to the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ). in some embodiments of the computer implemented system , if the software module routine cannot obtain a valid intrinsic alpha frequency within eight time domain eeg recordings , the software module routine ends and outputs a message to a user that a valid intrinsic alpha frequency cannot be found . in some embodiments , the device comprises a neuro - eeg synchronization therapy ( nest ) device . in some embodiments , the device is configured to deliver low amplitude stimulation at an intrinsic alpha frequency that is the same as a patient &# 39 ; s intrinsic alpha frequency . provided herein is a method of quantitatively analyzing eeg recordings to obtain a valid intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject using a neuro - eeg synchronization therapy ( nest ) device comprising : obtaining a single 128 - second time domain eeg recording ; dividing the 128 - second eeg recording into sixteen eight - second epochs ; converting each epoch into a frequency domain epoch ( i ); calculating an epoch intrinsic alpha frequency ( m i ) for each frequency domain epoch ( i ); successively eliminating the epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) that are farthest from a mean , until the remaining epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) are all within 0 . 5 hz of the mean ; and outputting a final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) for the eeg recording that is equal to the mean value of the remaining epochs &# 39 ; epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies . in some embodiments , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is determined to be valid if the standard deviation of the epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) from the epochs is & lt ; 0 . 75 hz and the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is within the band of 8 . 0 - 13 . 0 hz . in some embodiments , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is determined to be suspect if a standard deviation of the epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) from the epochs is ≧ 0 . 75 hz or the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is outside the band of 8 . 0 - 13 . 0 hz , and wherein a second eeg is recorded is obtained to determine if a valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) can be determined as defined previously , by replacing the single 128 - second time domain eeg recording with the second eeg recording . in some embodiments , the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) using the second eeg recording is determined to be suspect if a standard deviation of the epoch intrinsic alpha frequencies ( m i ) from the epochs is ≧ 0 . 75 hz or the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) is outside the band of 8 . 0 - 13 . 0 hz , and wherein a third eeg recording is obtained to determine if the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) can be determined as defined previously , by replacing the single 128 - second time domain eeg recording with the third eeg recording . in some embodiments , if the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) cannot be obtained using the third eeg recording , a range of the final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) values of the three previous eeg recordings is calculated , and if the range of the previous three final intrinsic alpha frequency ( fiaf ) values is & lt ; 2 . 0 hz , then the valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) is set to the mean of the three previous final intrinsic alpha frequencies ( fiafs ). in some embodiments of the method of determining a final intrinsic alpha frequency of a subject , wherein determining the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m comprises calculating an index ( i ) of the frequency domain epoch that is farthest from the mean ( m ), wherein i = index ( max i \| m i − m \|). in some embodiments of the method of determining a valid intrinsic frequency of an eeg band of a subject , wherein determining the farthest frequency domain epoch ( m i ) from the mean m comprises calculating an index ( i ) of the frequency domain epoch that is farthest from the mean ( m ), wherein i = index ( max i \| m i − m \|). in some embodiments , up to eight eeg recordings are performed in an attempt to obtain a valid intrinsic alpha frequency ( viaf ) if a valid intrinsic alpha frequency is not obtained as previously defined . in some embodiments , the quantitative analysis ends if a valid intrinsic alpha frequency cannot be determined after eight recordings . in some embodiments , the platforms , systems , media , and methods described herein include a digital processing device , or use of the same . in further embodiments , the digital processing device includes one or more hardware central processing units ( cpu ) that carry out the device &# 39 ; s functions . in still further embodiments , the digital processing device further comprises an operating system configured to perform executable instructions . in some embodiments , the digital processing device is optionally connected a computer network . in further embodiments , the digital processing device is optionally connected to the internet such that it accesses the world wide web . in still further embodiments , the digital processing device is optionally connected to a cloud computing infrastructure . in other embodiments , the digital processing device is optionally connected to an intranet . in other embodiments , the digital processing device is optionally connected to a data storage device . in accordance with the description herein , suitable digital processing devices include , by way of non - limiting examples , server computers , desktop computers , laptop computers , notebook computers , sub - notebook computers , netbook computers , netpad computers , set - top computers , media streaming devices , handheld computers , internet appliances , mobile smartphones , tablet computers , personal digital assistants , video game consoles , vehicles , and wearable computing devices . those of skill in the art will recognize that many smartphones are suitable for use in the system described herein . those of skill in the art will also recognize that select televisions , video players , and digital music players with optional computer network connectivity are suitable for use in the system described herein . suitable tablet computers include those with booklet , slate , and convertible configurations , known to those of skill in the art . those of skill in the art will recognize wearable computing devices suitable to work with the platforms , systems , media , and methods described herein comprise a smart watch , smart glasses ( e . g ., google glass ®, microsoft hololens ®), clothing comprising computing devices , and any other computing device that can be attached to or worn by a person and / or animal . in some embodiments , the digital processing device includes an operating system configured to perform executable instructions . the operating system is , for example , software , including programs and data , which manages the device &# 39 ; s hardware and provides services for execution of applications . those of skill in the art will recognize that suitable server operating systems include , by way of non - limiting examples , freebsd , openbsd , netbsd ®, linux , apple ® mac os x server ®, oracle ® solaris ®, windows server ®, and novell ® netware ®. those of skill in the art will recognize that suitable personal computer operating systems include , by way of non - limiting examples , microsoft ® windows ®, apple ® mac os x ®, unix ®, and unix - like operating systems such as gnu / linux ®. in some embodiments , the operating system is provided by cloud computing . those of skill in the art will also recognize that suitable mobile smart phone operating systems include , by way of non - limiting examples , nokia ® symbian ® os , apple ® ios ®, research in motion ® blackberry os ®, google ® android ®, microsoft ® windows phone ® os , microsoft ® windows mobile ® os , linux ®, and palm ® webos ®. those of skill in the art will also recognize that suitable media streaming device operating systems include , by way of non - limiting examples , apple tv ®, roku ®, boxee ®, google tv ®, google chromecast ®, amazon fire ®, and samsung ® homesync ®. those of skill in the art will also recognize that suitable video game console operating systems include , by way of non - limiting examples , sony ® ps3 ®, sony ® ps4 ®, microsoft ® xbox 360 ®, microsoft xbox one , nintendo ® wii ®, nintendo ® wii u ®, and ouya ®. in some embodiments , the device includes a storage and / or memory device . the storage and / or memory device is one or more physical apparatuses used to store data or programs on a temporary or permanent basis . in some embodiments , the device is volatile memory and requires power to maintain stored information . in some embodiments , the device is non - volatile memory and retains stored information when the digital processing device is not powered . in further embodiments , the non - volatile memory comprises flash memory . in some embodiments , the non - volatile memory comprises dynamic random - access memory ( dram ). in some embodiments , the non - volatile memory comprises ferroelectric random access memory ( fram ). in some embodiments , the non - volatile memory comprises phase - change random access memory ( pram ). in other embodiments , the device is a storage device including , by way of non - limiting examples , cd - roms , dvds , flash memory devices , magnetic disk drives , magnetic tapes drives , optical disk drives , and cloud computing based storage . in further embodiments , the storage and / or memory device is a combination of devices such as those disclosed herein . in some embodiments , the digital processing device includes a display to send visual information to a user . in some embodiments , the display is a cathode ray tube ( crt ). in some embodiments , the display is a liquid crystal display ( lcd ). in further embodiments , the display is a thin film transistor liquid crystal display ( tft - lcd ). in some embodiments , the display is an organic light emitting diode ( oled ) display . in various further embodiments , on oled display is a passive - matrix oled ( pmoled ) or active - matrix oled ( amoled ) display . in some embodiments , the display is a plasma display . in other embodiments , the display is a video projector . in still further embodiments , the display is a combination of devices such as those disclosed herein . in some embodiments , the digital processing device includes an input device to receive information from a user . in some embodiments , the input device is a keyboard . in some embodiments , the input device is a pointing device including , by way of non - limiting examples , a mouse , trackball , track pad , joystick , game controller , or stylus . in some embodiments , the input device is a touch screen or a multi - touch screen . in other embodiments , the input device is a microphone to capture voice or other sound input . in other embodiments , the input device is a video camera or other sensor to capture motion or visual input . in various embodiments , the input device is a device capable of recognizing one or more physical gestures and / or motions . in further embodiments , the input device is a microsoft kinect ®, leap motion ®, or the like . in still further embodiments , the input device is a combination of devices such as those disclosed herein . in some embodiments , a suitable server configuration includes about 1 , about 2 , about 3 , about 4 , about 5 , about 6 , about 7 , about 8 , about 9 , about 10 , about 20 , about 30 , about 40 , about 50 , about 60 , about 70 , about 80 , about 90 , about 100 , about 200 , about 500 , about 1000 , more than about 1000 servers , one or more server farms , and cloud - based server resource allocation systems . in some embodiments , the servers are co - located . in some embodiments , the servers are located in different geographical locations . in some embodiments the servers are housed in the same rack . in some embodiments , the servers are housed in multiple racks . in some embodiments , the multiple racks are in the same geographic region . in some embodiments the racks are in different geographic regions . in some embodiments , the server is or a plurality of servers employ a software framework such as hadoop , google mapreduce , hbase , and / or hive , for storage and large - scale processing of data - sets on clusters of hardware . in some embodiments , the platforms , systems , media , and methods disclosed herein include one or more non - transitory computer readable storage media encoded with a program including instructions executable by the operating system of an optionally networked digital processing device . in further embodiments , a computer readable storage medium is a tangible component of a digital processing device . in still further embodiments , a computer readable storage medium is optionally removable from a digital processing device . in some embodiments , a computer readable storage medium includes , by way of non - limiting examples , cd - roms , dvds , flash memory devices , solid state memory , magnetic disk drives , magnetic tape drives , optical disk drives , cloud computing systems and services , and the like . in some cases , the program and instructions are permanently , substantially permanently , semi - permanently , or non - transitorily encoded on the media . in some embodiments , the platforms , systems , media , and methods disclosed herein include at least one computer program , or use of the same . a computer program includes a sequence of instructions , executable in the digital processing device &# 39 ; s cpu , written to perform a specified task . computer readable instructions may be implemented as program modules , such as functions , objects , application programming interfaces ( apis ), data structures , and the like , that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types . in light of the disclosure provided herein , those of skill in the art will recognize that a computer program may be written in various versions of various languages . the functionality of the computer readable instructions may be combined or distributed as desired in various environments . in some embodiments , a computer program comprises one sequence of instructions . in some embodiments , a computer program comprises a plurality of sequences of instructions . in some embodiments , a computer program is provided from one location . in other embodiments , a computer program is provided from a plurality of locations . in various embodiments , a computer program includes one or more software modules . in various embodiments , a computer program includes , in part or in whole , one or more web applications , one or more mobile applications , one or more standalone applications , one or more web browser plug - ins , extensions , add - ins , or add - ons , or combinations thereof . in some embodiments , a computer program includes a web application . in light of the disclosure provided herein , those of skill in the art will recognize that a web application , in various embodiments , utilizes one or more software frameworks and one or more database systems . in some embodiments , a web application is created upon a software framework such as microsoft ® . net or ruby on rails ( ror ). in some embodiments , a web application utilizes one or more database systems including , by way of non - limiting examples , relational , non - relational , object oriented , associative , and xml database systems . in further embodiments , suitable relational database systems include , by way of non - limiting examples , microsoft ® sql server , mysql ™, and oracle ®. those of skill in the art will also recognize that a web application , in various embodiments , is written in one or more versions of one or more languages . a web application may be written in one or more markup languages , presentation definition languages , client - side scripting languages , server - side coding languages , database query languages , or combinations thereof . in some embodiments , a web application is written to some extent in a markup language such as hypertext markup language ( html ), extensible hypertext markup language ( xhtml ), or extensible markup language ( xml ). in some embodiments , a web application is written to some extent in a presentation definition language such as cascading style sheets ( css ). in some embodiments , a web application is written to some extent in a client - side scripting language such as asynchronous javascript and xml ( ajax ), flash ® actionscript , javascript , or silverlight ®. in some embodiments , a web application is written to some extent in a server - side coding language such as active server pages ( asp ), coldfusion ®, perl , java ™, javaserver pages ( jsp ), hypertext preprocessor ( php ), python ™, ruby , tcl , smalltalk , webdna ®, or groovy . in some embodiments , a web application is written to some extent in a database query language such as structured query language ( sql ). in some embodiments , a web application integrates enterprise server products such as ibm ® lotus domino ®. in some embodiments , a web application includes a media player element . in various further embodiments , a media player element utilizes one or more of many suitable multimedia technologies including , by way of non - limiting examples , adobe ® flash ®, html 5 , apple ® quicktime ®, microsoft ® silverlight ®, java ™, and unity ®. in some embodiments , a computer program includes a mobile application provided to a mobile digital processing device . in some embodiments , the mobile application is provided to a mobile digital processing device at the time it is manufactured . in other embodiments , the mobile application is provided to a mobile digital processing device via the computer network described herein . in view of the disclosure provided herein , a mobile application is created by techniques known to those of skill in the art using hardware , languages , and development environments known to the art . those of skill in the art will recognize that mobile applications are written in several languages . suitable programming languages include , by way of non - limiting examples , c , c ++, c #, objective - c , java ™, javascript , pascal , object pascal , python ™, ruby , vb . net , wml , and xhtml / html with or without css , or combinations thereof . suitable mobile application development environments are available from several sources . commercially available development environments include , by way of non - limiting examples , airplaysdk , alchemo , appcelerator ®, celsius , bedrock , flash lite , . net compact framework , rhomobile , and worklight mobile platform . other development environments are available without cost including , by way of non - limiting examples , lazarus , mobiflex , mosync , and phonegap . also , mobile device manufacturers distribute software developer kits including , by way of non - limiting examples , iphone and ipad ( ios ) sdk , android ™ sdk , blackberry ® sdk , brew sdk , palm ® os sdk , symbian sdk , webos sdk , and windows ® mobile sdk . those of skill in the art will recognize that several commercial forums are available for distribution of mobile applications including , by way of non - limiting examples , apple ® app store , android ™ market , blackberry ® app world , app store for palm devices , app catalog for webos , windows ® marketplace for mobile , ovi store for nokia ® devices , samsung ® apps , and nintendo ® dsi shop . in some embodiments , a computer program includes a standalone application , which is a program that is run as an independent computer process , not an add - on to an existing process , e . g ., not a plug - in . those of skill in the art will recognize that standalone applications are often compiled . a compiler is a computer program ( s ) that transforms source code written in a programming language into binary object code such as assembly language or machine code . suitable compiled programming languages include , by way of non - limiting examples , c , c ++, objective - c , cobol , delphi , eiffel , java ™, lisp , python ™, visual basic , and vb . net , or combinations thereof . compilation is often performed , at least in part , to create an executable program . in some embodiments , a computer program includes one or more executable complied applications . in some embodiments , the computer program includes a web browser plug - in . in computing , a plug - in is one or more software components that add specific functionality to a larger software application . makers of software applications support plug - ins to enable third - party developers to create abilities which extend an application , to support easily adding new features , and to reduce the size of an application . when supported , plug - ins enable customizing the functionality of a software application . as a non - limiting example , plug - ins are commonly used in web browsers to play video , generate interactivity , scan for viruses , and display particular file types . those of skill in the art will be familiar with several web browser plug - ins including , adobe ® flash ® player , microsoft ® silverlight ®, and apple ® quicktime ®. in some embodiments , the toolbar comprises one or more web browser extensions , add - ins , or add - ons . in some embodiments , the toolbar comprises one or more explorer bars , tool bands , or desk bands . in view of the disclosure provided herein , those of skill in the art will recognize that several plug - in frameworks are available that enable development of plug - ins in various programming languages , including , by way of non - limiting examples , c ++, delphi , java ™, php , python ™, and vb . net , or combinations thereof . web browsers ( also called internet browsers ) are software applications , designed for use with network - connected digital processing devices , for retrieving , presenting , and traversing information resources on the world wide web . suitable web browsers include , by way of non - limiting examples , microsoft ® internet explorer ®, mozilla ® firefox ®, google ® chrome , apple ® safari ®, opera software ® opera ®, and kde konqueror . in some embodiments , the web browser is a mobile web browser . mobile web browsers ( also called mircrobrowsers , mini - browsers , and wireless browsers ) are designed for use on mobile digital processing devices including , by way of non - limiting examples , handheld computers , tablet computers , netbook computers , subnotebook computers , smartphones , music players , personal digital assistants ( pdas ), and handheld video game systems . suitable mobile web browsers include , by way of non - limiting examples , google ® android ® browser , rim blackberry ® browser , apple ® safari ®, palm ® blazer , palm ® webos ® browser , mozilla ® firefox ® for mobile , microsoft ® internet explorer ® mobile , amazon ® kindle ® basic web , nokia ® browser , opera software ® opera ® mobile , and sony ® psp ™ browser . in some embodiments , the platforms , systems , media , and methods disclosed herein include software , server , and / or database modules , or use of the same . in view of the disclosure provided herein , software modules are created by techniques known to those of skill in the art using machines , software , and languages known to the art . the software modules disclosed herein are implemented in a multitude of ways . in various embodiments , a software module comprises a file , a section of code , a programming object , a programming structure , or combinations thereof . in further various embodiments , a software module comprises a plurality of files , a plurality of sections of code , a plurality of programming objects , a plurality of programming structures , or combinations thereof . in various embodiments , the one or more software modules comprise , by way of non - limiting examples , a web application , a mobile application , and a standalone application . in some embodiments , software modules are in one computer program or application . in other embodiments , software modules are in more than one computer program or application . in some embodiments , software modules are hosted on one machine . in other embodiments , software modules are hosted on more than one machine . in further embodiments , software modules are hosted on cloud computing platforms . in some embodiments , software modules are hosted on one or more machines in one location . in other embodiments , software modules are hosted on one or more machines in more than one location . in some embodiments , the platforms , systems , media , and methods disclosed herein include one or more databases , or use of the same . in view of the disclosure provided herein , those of skill in the art will recognize that many databases are suitable for storage and retrieval of item , buyer , and seller information . in various embodiments , suitable databases include , by way of non - limiting examples , relational databases , non - relational databases , object oriented databases , object databases , entity - relationship model databases , associative databases , and xml databases . in some embodiments , a database is internet - based . in further embodiments , a database is web - based . in still further embodiments , a database is cloud computing - based . in other embodiments , a database is based on one or more local computer storage devices . in some embodiments , the platforms , systems , media , and methods disclosed herein include one or more input devices or output devices , or use of the same . in view of the disclosure provided herein , those of skill in the art will recognize that many devices are suitable for inputting and / or outputting information eeg data and / or frequency information of a subject . in various embodiments , suitable devices includes : a digital display , a keyboard , a touch - screen , computer readable medium , a eeg sensor , a eeg recording device , an auxiliary connection , a usb connection , an electrode , an interactive interface , a user interface , a mouse , a microphone , a joy stick , light pen , a scanner , a graphic tablet , a magnetic ink card reader ( micr ), optical character reader ( ocr ), a computer readable medium reader , optical mark reader ( omr ), or the like . 30 subjects ( 14 male , 16 female , 33 . 8 ± 11 . 5 yrs old ) participated in the validation study ( see clinicaltrials . gov registration # nct01370733 ). the subjects had a varied ethnic mix ( 16 white , 5 asian , 4 hispanic , 1 pacific islander , and 4 mixed races ). 15 of the subjects underwent eeg recording in the morning , and 15 in the afternoon . each subject underwent three different phases : phase 1 : eyes closed , relaxed ; phase 2 : eyes open ; and phase 3 : eyes closed , with muscle artifact . three disposable patch ag — agcl snap - type electrodes are affixed to the subject &# 39 ; s head , one in the center of the forehead ( fpz ) approximately 1 ″ ( two fingers ) above the nasal bridge between the eyebrows ; one on the subject &# 39 ; s forehead right of center ( fp1 ); and one ( oz ) approximately 1 ″ ( two fingers ) above the protuberance of the occipital bone ( inion ). eeg recording is done automatically at the push of the start button on the neosync nest device . preferred embodiments of the neosync nest device are described in the related u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 237 , 319 , u . s . application ser . no . 12 / 237 , 328 , and u . s . application ser . no . 12 / 237 , 304 , u . s . application ser . no . 12 / 850 , 547 , u . s . application ser . no . 12 / 944 , 591 , u . s . application ser . no . 13 / 681 , 964 , all of the above identified applications previously mentioned are incorporated herein by reference . in this validation study , the test device is not used to deliver therapy to subject but instead to acquire and interpret eeg signal . the hardware and / or software module specific to acquiring and interpreting an eeg signal is internal to the neosync nest device and is the component evaluated during this study . iaf stands for individual alpha frequency ; stms stands for synchronized transcranial magnetic stimulation ; nvc , mja , djb , sc are initials of technicians performing the eeg recording ; cvs is the initial for an outside consultant who performed an independent analysis of the eeg recordings . there were 4 technicians who recorded eegs . two of the technicians ( nvc and mja ) were experienced , having performed numerous eeg recordings during the nnd - 3001 nest clinical trial . the other two technicians ( djb and sc ) were inexperienced , having never recorded an eeg with the nest device or otherwise . all four technicians underwent training on electrode application , device connectivity and use , and eeg acquisition as part of the study . to determine the effect of technician experience , we evaluated the average number of recordings to obtain a valid eeg during phase 1 . the experienced technicians recorded eegs for 14 subjects , with an average of 2 . 57 ± 2 . 44 recordings for a valid iaf . the inexperienced technicians recorded eegs for 16 subjects , with an average of 2 . 31 ± 2 . 47 recordings . using a 2 - tailed t - test , the p value of the number of recording to obtain a valid iaf equals 0 . 77 and thus , there is no statistical significance between the experienced and inexperienced technicians . therefore , experience level of the technician is not considered a factor in obtaining a valid iaf . among all of the 30 test subjects , average number of eeg recording attempts to obtain a valid iaf during phase 1 was 1 . 57 , and number of subjects excluded , due to 8 invalid iaf recordings during phase was 4 out of 30 , which is 13 %. iaf consistency between phase 1 and phase 2 , phase 1 and phase 3 was tested . 0 . 0 % of the test subject had more than 1 . 0 hz difference . iaf estimation was also compared to blinded independent calculation of iaf . the average difference identified across all subjects was 0 . 175 hz . only 1 of the subject , 3 . 33 % of the total number of subjects , had more than 1 . 0 hz difference when compared to blinded independent calculation of iaf . average difference between iaf from first recording segment phase 1 and the final valid iaf was 0 . 141 hz . only 1 subject , 3 . 33 % of the total number of subjects , had more than 1 . 0 hz difference between the iaf measured from the first recording segment and the final valid iaf . the average absolute difference in iafs between phase 1 and phase 2 or 3 was 0 . 33 hz , which indicates that the measurement is consistent and not greatly affected by noise artifact . there were no subjects that had a difference in iafs between phases that is greater than 1 . 0 hz . there were 5 subjects with absolute difference in iafs of greater than 0 . 5 hz between phase 1 and phase 2 / 3 . the eegs of these individuals were generally very noisy or had certain characteristics , such as a double - hump , which led to the difference . the highest absolute difference was 0 . 865 hz . noise artifact , obtained from jaw clenching , eye rolling behind closed lids , frowning , etc . did not appear to be a factor in obtaining a valid iaf . based on these results , the discrimination routine has been shown to be very effective at finding a consistent , stable , valid iaf and rejecting noisy eegs . interestingly , 14 / 30 subjects obtained a valid iaf during phase 2 ( eyes open ). although this is not the preferred method of recording an eeg , it is encouraging that even if subjects are not fully compliant during eeg recording , a valid iaf may still be found . one of the technicians , mja , recorded a disproportionally large number of noisy eegs where a valid iaf was unable to be obtained . in order to better understand this relationship , a follow - up meeting was scheduled where the technician repeated the recording procedure ( skin prep , electrode placement , etc .) on an additional subject . issues identified in the recording technique were that an alcohol wipe was not used before applying the abrasive gel , and the rear electrode was placed approximately 1 ″ too low , situated almost directly over the inion bone . neither of these resulted in any excessive noise artifact in an analysis of the eeg recording . the eeg data from phase 1 was analyzed independently by cvs , who is experienced in eeg analysis and algorithm development . his estimates differed on average − 0 . 076 hz from the iaf produced by the eeg discrimination algorithm . the average absolute difference was 0 . 175 hz . this independent analysis confirms that the eeg system generates repeatable , reliable iaf estimates that correlate well with independent qualitative analysis . there were specific subjects in the study who had eegs that were very noisy or had unique characteristics ( e . g ., double - hump , out - of - band peaks ), which gave the algorithm problems in finding a valid iaf . fig5 shows non - limiting exemplary waveforms from eegs recorded in one of the test subject the study is shown . one image is shown per phase . the images were selected as a “ typical ” 8 - second epoch from the entire recording . the top waveform in each image of a phase is the raw eeg . the bottom waveform in each image of a phase is a1028 point ( 128 hz sample rate ) fft for the raw eeg waveform , showing the frequency of the dominant peak . some of the subjects have two images shown for one phase , in order to exemplify variations in alpha activity throughout the recording ( not shown ). while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous variations , changes , and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention . it should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention . it is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby .	0
with reference to the figures , a tool changing device for a cutting head of a machine for cutting flat glass sheets is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 . the device 10 comprises , so that they can slide in a parallel arrangement with sliding means on a bridge 11 that supports a cutting head 12 , a carriage 13 for supporting the cutting head 12 , provided with motorization means 14 for translational motion on the bridge 11 , and a tool supporting slider 15 , which is normally coupled , by way of reversible fixing means 16 for detachably fixing the tool supporting slider 15 to the carriage 13 , to the carriage 13 during the work of the cutting head 12 and which can be uncoupled , for tool changing operations , in order to allow the movement of the carriage with respect to the slider , which is stationary , to select a tool to be used . the bridge 11 is understood to be laterally supported by abutments 17 which are associated with a worktable 18 . the means for the sliding of the carriage 13 on the bridge 11 are constituted by an electric motor 19 , which is supported by a bracket 23 that is jointly connected to the carriage 13 , with a pinion 20 engaged with a rack 21 which is fixed to the bridge 11 . the carriage 13 for supporting the head 12 is constituted by a supporting plate 22 , which is substantially perpendicular with respect to the worktable 18 , which is normally horizontal , the cutting head 12 with the respective means for moving the tool being fixed to the plate 22 at one end , i . e . an actuator 24 for the vertical translational movement of the end 30 a to which the tool is fixed , and a motor 25 for the rotation of such end , and at the opposite side , on the bridge side , at least four sliders 26 for sliding on corresponding rails 27 and 28 associated with the bridge 11 , as well as stroke limiting means 29 for the vertical actuator 24 , which are designed to measure the lowering of the end 30 a of the stem 30 of the cutting head for tool changing operations , described in more detail hereinbelow . the tool supporting slider 15 is constituted by a bracket 31 which is l - shaped , the vertical section of which has two second sliders 32 , which are arranged so as to slide on the rails 27 and 28 , each interposed between two first sliders 26 of the carriage 13 which can slide on the same rail . the horizontal portion 33 of the l - shaped bracket 31 carries a rack 34 for supporting tools 35 , which is moved in a sliding fashion by means of an actuator 36 which is fixed below the horizontal portion 33 . the tool supporting rack 34 is moved by a stem 36 a of the actuator 36 , and is supported by means of a frame 37 to which it is fixed , the frame 37 being provided with sliding wheels 38 which are associated with corresponding guides 39 which are fixed to the actuator 36 and are therefore jointly connected to the bracket 31 . the reversible fixing means 16 for detachably fixing the tool supporting slider 15 to the carriage 13 , are constituted by an actuator which is fixed to the vertical portion of the bracket 31 , with a tip 40 which can be extracted and retracted for engagement or disengagement with respect to a hole 41 chosen among a series of holes formed in the face of the supporting plate 22 that is directed toward the bridge 11 . there are at least as many holes 41 as the number of tools carried by the tool supporting rack 34 . the tools 35 , which are understood to be known per se , with clip bodies for quick and reversible engagement in a corresponding seat formed in the end 30 a of the cutting head 12 , and since they are known they are not shown for simplicity , have two lateral symmetric hollows 44 , which are extended at right angles with respect to the vertical direction of movement of the stem 30 of the cutting head and are designed to slide on complementary shaped protrusions 45 which protrude laterally from teeth 47 in compartments 46 of the rack 34 . the stroke limit means 29 for the vertical actuator 24 , which are designed to measure the lowering of the end 30 a of the stem 30 of the cutting head for tool changing operations , are constituted by a fluid - operated actuator designed to produce the translational motion of a piston 19 a . when the stem 30 needs to be lowered for the tool to be changed , the fluid - operated actuator is commanded to extract the piston 19 a to protrude from the plate 22 until it affects the downward stroke of the motor 25 , to which the stem 30 is fixed . when the stem 30 needs to be lowered until the tool is brought to the worktable 18 , then the fluid - operated actuator is actuated to retract , so freeing the vertical motion of the motor 25 to which the stem 30 is fixed . the operation of the tool changing device 10 according to the invention is as follows , and is illustrated in the figures from 5 to 14 . a first step of the tool changing operations is shown in fig5 and 6 . in this first , illustrative , step , the slider 15 is jointly connected to the carriage 13 , and therefore the tip 40 , which is jointly connected to the slider 15 , is inserted into a first hole 41 a formed in the plate 22 of the carriage 13 . the slider 15 is fixed in a first relative position with respect to the carriage 13 . it is assumed that the cutting head 12 has a first tool 35 a in use and that it needs to uncouple it . in fig7 the piston 29 a can be seen extracted so as to interfere with the downward stroke of the motor 25 . the position of the piston 29 a on the plate 22 determines a stroke of the motor 25 which is such as to lower the tool 35 a to the height of the tool supporting rack 34 . fig8 shows the sliding movement of the tool supporting rack 34 , and this sliding movement ensures that the corresponding prearranged compartment , which is designated by the reference numeral 46 a in order to identify it by way of example with respect to the other similar compartments 46 of the rack 34 shifts until the protrusions 45 protruding on it couple with the corresponding hollows 44 of the tool 35 a , the compartment 46 a , the protrusions 45 and the hollows 44 being shown in fig3 and 4 . the subsequent operation of lifting the stem 30 determines the rapid detachment of the first tool 35 a from the end 30 a , as in fig9 . also in fig9 the tip 40 is shown retracted from the hole 41 . this configuration of the tip frees the slider 15 from the carriage 13 , allowing the latter to move with respect to the slider itself as shown in fig1 . with the slider 15 stationary , the carriage 13 , now freed from the slider , moves to a second position , for example to load the second tool 35 b , which is arranged at the other end of the rack 34 with respect to the first tool 35 a , as shown in fig1 , the first tool 35 a and the rack 34 being shown for example in fig7 and 8 , and the second tool 35 b being shown by way of example in fig1 to 14 . the end 30 a remains lifted and the piston 29 a remains extracted , as shown in fig1 . fig1 shows the end 30 a lowered to engage the second tool 35 b , with the motor 25 , shown for example in fig7 , which is in abutment at its stroke limit against the piston 29 a , already shown in fig1 . fig1 shows the rack 34 which retracts , the stem 30 with the new tool 35 b which raises and the piston 29 a which retracts in order to permit the lowering to the level of the worktable 18 , such situation being shown in fig1 . in practice it has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects . in particular , with the invention a tool changing device has been developed which makes it possible to eliminate fruitless idle excursions to arrive at the tool changing region , since the slider 15 with the tool supporting rack 34 travels with the carriage 13 that carries the cutting head 12 , and long excursions are not necessary for the cutting head to reach magazines which are fixed at the edges of the worktable . this improves the production rates of the cutting machine of which the device is a part . moreover , with the invention a tool changing device has been developed in which the translational movement of the slider with the tool supporting rack with respect to the cutting head supporting carriage to change the tool is executed by the same motor that moves the cutting head with respect to the bridge , without the addition of other motors . further , the tip 40 of the reversible fixing means 16 is controlled by position sensors which enable a correct mechanical alignment between the tool supporting rack and the cutting head before and during every tool change . the device according to the invention makes it possible to resolve all the above - mentioned problems concerning current , fixed - position tool changing systems . the tool change is thus extremely simple , precise , i . e . always mechanically aligned , and extremely rapid . the invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations , all of which are within the scope of the appended claims . moreover , all the details may be substituted by other , technically equivalent elements . in practice the materials employed , as well as the dimensions and the contingent shapes , may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art . the disclosures in italian patent application no . pd2009a000315 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference .	8
the present invention is an active lighting system that analyzes a subject ( by measuring a range of properties of a subject , inclusive of nature , dimensions , shape , texture , contrast , reflectivity , transparence , temperature , etc . ), analyzes the environment ( by measuring properties such as existing illumination ), incorporates a knowledge of the eye characteristics of the user , understands the task the user is performing , and provides the most appropriate lighting conditions for any given environment and situation by automatic control of a range of variables ( spectrum , intensity , color , contrast , temperature , angle , focus , data ). since the user is human , properties specifically include the user eye characteristics , relative position of the subject with respect to the source of light , etc . not only does the system provide lighting best suited to environment and task , but also provides dynamic lighting that is adjusted over time to adapt to changing environmental and task requirements . fig1 is a perspective view , and fig2 is a block diagram of the primary components of the semantic lighting system 2 according to the present invention . the system 2 generally includes a programmable light unit 40 ( plu ), sensor pod 50 ( sp ) and control unit 30 ( cu ), all of which are available for sensing and controlling the appropriate lighting conditions in a given area for a given subject . in addition , the system 2 includes a processing unit 60 ( pu ) and network unit 70 ( nu ). the subject 80 is the target of illumination such as a magazine or a book . the sensor pod ( sp ) 50 incorporates a variety of sensors including , but not limited to , a visual spectrum camera 52 , infrared spectrum camera 54 , range sensors 56 , a sensor for tracking eye movement 58 , and other possible sensors . the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) preferably includes one or more digital programmable light sources such as a conventional dlp or lcd projectors , one or more high intensity programmable led clusters , one or more conventional incandescent or fluorescent light sources including halogen , or any combination of the foregoing . plu 40 also contains conventional means of focusing and directing light to a particular area of the subject . the control unit 30 ( cu ) includes a user interface with controls for controlling the pu 60 , and may be configured as a conventional ir remote controller . the control unit 30 ( cu ) is used for user - input of a task requirement and personalization depending on the particular task or environment that the user desires lighting for . the task requirement may be a categorical choice of task such as user reading lighting , user writing lighting , surgery lighting , working , etc . the network unit ( nu ) 70 may be any conventional network interface for wired or wireless connection to other remote - programmed devices , including but not limited to other semantic lighting systems , the internet , or any other programmable devices and wireless devices . network unit 70 ( nu ) provides networking capability with other remote systems or accessories having a like networking capability . the processing unit 60 ( pu ) includes an on - board ( one or more ) processors with memory and peripheral communications interfaces for receiving inputs from the sensor pod 50 ( sp ), control unit 30 ( cu ) and network unit 70 ( nu ), and for delivering appropriate outputs to the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ), control unit 30 ( cu ) and network unit 70 ( nu ). thus , the processing unit 60 ( pu ) also includes one or more outputs as appropriate for coupling to the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ), including , for example , a standard data output ( usb , serial , parallel , etc .). there is software resident on the processing unit 60 ( pu ) that creates an array of models inclusive of a user eye model , task model , and subject model . the user eye model is constructed using specific user physiological eye parameters such as , light perception , color perception , age , eye injury , and lens prescription . the data necessary to construct the user eye model may be pre - programmed or input by the user via control unit 30 ( cu ). the task model is built using a specific categorical task description such as reading , writing or a specific manufacturing task . the data necessary to construct the task model is typically an input by the user via control unit ( cu ). the subject task model is a 2d / 3d model of the subject including existing illumination , the shape of the subject , contrast , temperature , color , transparency , reflection and texture . given the three completed models , the software resident in the processing unit 60 ( pu ) executes a suite of algorithms that analyze data inputs from the sensor pod 50 ( sp ) ( and , optionally , control unit 30 ( cu ) data and network unit 70 ( nu ) data ) in accordance with the user eye model , the task model , and subject model , to create a subject illumination profile comprising a set of instructions to control the programmable lighting unit 40 ( plu ) in order to produce at any given time light with specified spectrum , intensity , focus , color , contrast , temperature and angle . in addition , if the task model so requires , the plu 40 will project text and images for aesthetic value or task oriented value . in addition , the processing unit 60 ( pu ) may deliver outputs to the control unit 30 ( cu ) for user - feedback , and to the network unit 70 ( nu ) for remote control of other networked systems or accessories . fig3 is a flow diagram illustrating the general operation of the semantic lighting system 2 according to the present invention . in operation , generally designated by input 100 in fig3 , the processing unit 60 ( pu ) receives programming inputs from the control unit 30 ( cu ), plus sensor inputs from the sensor pod 50 ( sp ) which may comprise spectral analyses from the visual spectrum camera 52 , infrared spectral analyses from spectrum camera 54 , subject range data from range sensors 56 , eye tracking information from the tracking device 58 , etc . the processor processing unit 60 ( pu ) may additionally receive sensor inputs from the network unit 70 ( nu ), and deliver appropriate outputs to the foregoing devices . the processing unit 60 ( pu ) will execute its internal algorithms as appropriate on the data from the sensor pod 50 ( sp ), and will determine the most appropriate lighting conditions and or text to display based on the user eye model 110 , the task requirement 120 ( which may be programmed at control unit 30 ( cu )), and the subject model 80 / 130 ( including visual spectrum , infrared spectrum , range , etc .). additionally , network unit 70 ( nu ) data may be considered . the processing unit 60 ( pu ) algorithms analyze the combined data , generally designated by the subject illumination model 140 in fig3 , generate the most appropriate lighting profile , and outputs control signals to the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) as necessary to control the stated lighting variables ( spectrum , intensity , color , contrast , temperature , angle , etc . ), generally designated by outputs 150 . in addition , it is envisioned that use of dlp projector ( s ) will allow text projecting capabilities such as projection of recipes in a kitchen , directions for repair , etc . like outputs may be delivered to the control unit 30 ( cu ) for visual confirmation , and to the network unit ( nu ) 70 for remote control of networked systems and accessories . to further understand the various embodiments of the present invention the following are examples of certain application , though the list is not exhaustive : in this application the semantic lighting system 2 delivers light that has the most comfortable color , spectrum intensity and temperature for a user that is reading / writing and / or manipulating objects related to a task all collocated on a desk . the subject 80 is a collection of reading / writing materials and objects that are on a work desk . the user is the person that is using the desk . the semantic lighting system 2 takes into consideration the particular user eye performance parameters , the subject position , angle , contrast , texture , color , reflection and the distribution of objects on the desk . based on the above considerations the processing unit 60 ( pu ) analyzes the data , builds models for the subject and the user , and instructs the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) to deliver appropriate light to each part of the subject . since in one implementation the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) uses a data projector , in this case the semantic light is a projected image over the subject that could include text that possibly will be used to communicate with the user . since , the sensor pod 50 ( sp ) is continuously analyzing the subject , user movements , change of lighting condition , change of subject and some user gestures ( such as writing , hands movement , moving of objects on the desk , pointing to different part of the subject ) are registered and employed as inputs to adjust the programmable light unit ( plu ) image . in this application the semantic lighting system delivers light that has the most comfortable color , spectrum intensity and temperature for a reading user . the subject is an instance of a reading material ( book , magazine , etc .). the semantic lighting system 2 will take in consideration particular user eye performance parameters , the subject position , angle , contrast , texture , color , reflection , the distribution of text / pictures , and the character set . based on the above considerations the processing unit 60 ( pu ) analyzes the data , builds models for the subject and the user , and instructs the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) to deliver appropriate light to each part of the subject . since in one implementation the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) uses a data projector unit , in this case , the semantic light is a projected image over the subject that could also include the text to be read , or any other text for communicating with the user . the present system continuously analyzes the subject , user movements , change of lighting condition , change of subject and some user gestures ( such as pointing to different part of the subject ), and all these are registered and used as input to adjust the plu image . in this application the semantic lighting system 2 delivers light that has the most comfortable color , spectrum intensity and temperature for users that are collocated around a dining table . the subject 80 is a collection of objects that are on a dining table . the users are the people that are using dining table . the semantic lighting system 2 takes into consideration the subject position , angle , contrast , texture , color , reflection and the distribution of objects on the dining table . based on the above considerations the processing unit 60 ( pu ) analyzes the data , builds models for the subject , and instructs the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) to deliver appropriate light to each part of the subject . since in one implementation programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) uses a data projector unit , in this case the semantic light is a projected image over the subject that may also include text . since , the semantic lighting system is continuously analyzing the subject , user movements , change of lighting condition , changes of subject are registered and employed as inputs to adjust the programmable light unit ( plu ) image . in this application semantic lighting system 2 delivers light that has the most comfortable color , spectrum intensity and temperature for a room . the subject 80 is a collection of objects that are in a room . the users are the people that are using the room . the semantic lighting system 2 takes into consideration the subject position , angle , contrast , texture , color , reflection and the distribution of objects in a room . based on the above considerations the processing unit 60 ( pu ) analyzes the data , builds processing unit 60 ( pu ) models for the subject , build models for the expected user task in the room and instruct the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) to deliver appropriate light to each part of the subject . since in one implementation programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) uses a collection of clusters of led high intensity lights that could be programmed in terms of color , temperature , spectrum and color , the semantic light is differentiated for each part of the subject . since , sp is continuously analyzing the subject , user movements , change of lighting condition , change of subject are registered and employed as inputs to adjust the plu image . in this application the semantic lighting system 2 delivers light that has the most effective color , spectrum intensity and temperature for a physician that is performing a surgery in a surgery room . the subject 80 is the human body that is under the medical procedure . the semantic lighting system 2 takes into consideration particular user eye performance parameters , the particular body part or organ position , range , angle , contrast , texture , color , reflection and other visual properties that are related to the task . based on the above considerations the processing unit 60 ( pu ) analyzes the data , builds models for the subject and the user , and instructs the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) to deliver appropriate light to each part of the subject . since in one implementation programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) uses a data projector unit , in this case the semantic light is a projected image over the subject that could also include text that could be used to communicate with the user by projecting physiological data directly on the subject . since the semantic lighting system 2 continuously analyzes the subject , user movements , change of lighting condition , change of subject and some user gestures ( such as pointing to different part of the subject ) are registered and used as input to adjust the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) light . in addition a wearable semantic light unit may be mounted on the forehead of the user to direct the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) to deliver appropriate light that is controlled by user head movement . in addition to the foregoing , the semantic lighting system lends itself to specific medical procedures . using the same principles as in the surgery theater illumination , semantic lighting system may be adapted for specific medical procedures . the same is true for specific manufacturing jobs . this application is similar to that of task lighting ( above ) but may also include a manufacturing task model . for example , the algorithms may employ additional models for a lathe , for the manufactured part , the manufacturing process , etc . moreover , the programmable light unit ( plu ) may project text on the manufacturing part to indicate current dimensions or the like . employing semantic lighting in the work place is likely to have a substantial impact in the worker comfort and productivity . in this application the semantic lighting system will deliver light that has the most effective and comfortable color , spectrum , intensity , focus , range and temperature for night driving . the subject 80 is the road ahead of the driver and any object that is in the path of the vehicle movement . the semantic lighting system 2 will take in consideration a particular driver night eye performance parameters , the subject temperature , infrared image , position , range , angle , contrast , texture , v color , reflection and other visual properties that are related to driving . based on the above considerations the processing unit 60 ( pu ) will analyze the data , build models for the subject and the user , and instruct the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) to deliver appropriate light to each part of the subject , while taking in consideration the current regulation for headlight range , color and intensity . since in one implementation programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) uses a combination of halogen , high intensity led and data projection engines , the semantic light is obtained by a real time programmed combination of all three light sources . programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) also have the capability to project data directly on the subject . since the sensor pod 30 ( sp ) continuously analyzes ( both in visual and infrared spectrum ) the change in lighting condition and the change of subject ( such as new object in the path ) the programmable light unit 40 ( plu ) light could change to focus light on an object of relevance ( such as a deer in the path of the vehicle ). it should now be apparent that the foregoing semantic lighting system provides a dynamic , full customized , and automatic lighting profile to a subject by controlling that is optimized in spectrum , intensity , color , contrast , temperature , angle , focus , etc ., for any given environment , subject and task . moreover , the invention disclosed herein provides dynamic light that changes over time to adapt to changing environments and changing requirements of the task requiring illumination . having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention , various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications thereto may obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with the underlying concept . it is to be understood , therefore , that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth herein .	0
while the invention will be described in connection with exemplary embodiments , it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those embodiments . referring to fig1 as an example , there is illustrated a melodic artificial flower 10 . the melodic flower contains an electronic circuit assembly 20 , which is illustrated further in fig2 . the electronic circuit assembly 20 contains an integrated circuit unit ( icu ) 22 , a power source 24 , a switch mechanism 26 and a sound production mechanism , e . g ., a speaker , 28 . the circuits of the electronic circuit assembly 20 are complete and closed except for the switch mechanism 26 . the icu 22 contains a memory stage 30 . the memory stage 30 contains preprogrammed electronic signal sequences that are converted to audible tones or messages through the speaker 28 when the switch mechanism 26 is closed and activates the icu 22 . the icu 22 contains programs that play one or more of complete cycles of preprogrammed electronic signals of audible tones or messages once the switch mechanism 26 is closed to activate the icu . the program in the icu preferably is a program that completes the preprogrammed cycle or cycles even when the switch mechanism is opened before the completion of the programmed cycle . however , different needs for different party - favors may require that the playing duration of the electronic signals that are programmed in the icu needs to correspond to the closing sequence and duration of the switch mechanism . additionally , if there is a specific requirement to have the electronic signals from the icu and , correspondingly , the auditory message therefrom to respond to the closing sequence and duration of the switch mechanism , it may be desirable to program the icu to reset itself to the initial stage of its programmed cycle when the switch mechanism is opened after each use . as is well known in the art , icus suitable for the present invention may be programmed with various musical tones and / or voice messages , and they are commercially available . an illustrative example of such icus is melody ic erso 3830 ser . such suitable integrated circuit units are conventional and within the current state of the relevant art ; consequently , no further description is disclosed herein . the icu 22 may also contain an amplifier 32 that amplifies the electronic signals from the icu , if a louder audible response is desired . the power source 24 , e . g ., a battery , is selected to properly accommodate the requirements of the electronic circuit assembly 20 , especially the icu 22 . in accordance with the convention of the relevant electronic circuit art , the preferred icu has 1 . 5 volt circuitries and , correspondingly , the preferred power source potential is 1 . 5 volt . the switch mechanism 26 contains a resistor 34 , a bipolar transistor 35 and a physical interruption 36 . the resistor 34 is connected between the power source 24 and the memory stage 30 , and the bipolar transistor 35 is placed in series with the resistor 34 with respect to the power source 24 . the bipolar transistor 35 contains a collector terminal , a base terminal and a emitter terminal . the collector terminal is connected to the positive polarity of the power source 24 ; the base terminal is connected to the physical interruption 36 ; and the emitter terminal is connected to the memory stage 30 . as mentioned above , the electronic circuit assembly 20 is a closed circuit except for the switch mechanism , more particularly the physical interruption 36 . the interruption 36 is a break in the circuit , creating a first conductive terminal 38 and a second conductive terminal 39 . the first and second terminals 38 , 39 are fabricated from an insulated conductive material , e . g ., insulated wire . the first terminal 38 is connected to the positive potential of the power source 24 , and the second terminal 39 is connected to the transistor 35 , more particularly the base terminal of the transistor . the first and second terminals 38 , 39 are extended away from the electronic circuit assembly 20 and are connected to a first electrically conductive end 42 and a second electrically conductive end 44 , respectively . in order to facilitate an easy activation of the icu , the first and second conductive ends 42 , 44 can be fitted with a conductive material having a large surface area . the conductive ends 42 , 44 can be strips or wires fabricated from an electrically conductive material , for example , metal , e . g ., copper and aluminum ; an electrically conductive polymer , e . g ., polyaniline ; or a conductively modified polymer , e . g , a carbon or metal particle filled rubber . the conductive ends 42 , 44 are exposed to the exterior surface of the flower stem 12 and are placed and affixed closed to each other , but they must not touch each other . when the conductive ends 42 , 44 are simultaneously contacted with an electrically conductive material , the electrical current is conveyed to the bipolar transistor 35 and then the transistor 35 amplifies the current to a level that activates the icu . the activated icu causes the preprogrammed tone or message to be audibly played through the speaker 28 . although any conductive material may be employed to activate the icu , the more desired method of activating the icu in accordance with the present invention is simultaneously contacting the two conductive ends 42 , 44 with the human skin . in accordance with the present invention , the sensitivity of the switch mechanism can be controlled by varying the resistance level of the resistor 34 , thereby making the switch mechanism sensitive enough to activate the icu even when a relatively low conductive material such as the human skin is employed to close the switch mechanism and thus activate the icu . however , the sensitivity of the switch mechanism should not be too high as to activate the icu when contacted by a materials that is less conductive than the human skin , thereby preventing unexpected or unwanted activation of the icu . for example , when the method of activation is a human skin contact , the suitable resistance is between about 10 megohms and about 100 megohms , preferably between about 25 megohms and about 90 megohms , more preferably between about 50 megohms and about 80 megohms , and most preferably between about 60 megohms and about 75 megohms . referring back to fig1 the melodic flower 10 houses the electronic circuit assembly 20 inside its flower petals 14 , and the electronic circuit is firmly affixed to the flower base 16 . the conductive ends 42 , 44 are placed at the end of the flower stem 12 . however , the placement of the conductive ends 42 , 44 is not critical as long as the position of the exposed conductive ends are easily accessible to the user . as stated above , the electronic circuit assembly 20 is activated to produce audible tones or messages when the conductive ends 42 , 44 are simultaneously contacted by a conductive material or simultaneously touched . now referring to fig3 a wand 50 is equipped with the electronic circuit assembly 20 . the electronic circuit assembly is the same assembly described above in connection with the melodic flower . one or both ends of the wand 50 may be equipped with a multitude of regularly placed strips 52 of a conductive material that are separated by a small gap and are firmly affixed to the peripheral surface of the ends , forming conductive ends . the conductive strips 52 are alternatively connected to the first terminal 38 and the second terminal 39 of the electronic circuit assembly 20 . consequently , when at least one end of the wand 50 is touched or contacted with a conductive material , thereby simultaneously contacting the first and second terminals , the switch mechanism is closed , activating the icu 20 and playing the preprogrammed audible tone or message . it is to be noted that as the width of the conductive strips 52 decreases , consequently increasing the number of the conductive strips on the wand , the likelihood of simultaneously connecting the two terminals 38 , 39 and thus activating the icu increases . alternatively , each of the two ends of the wand may be fitted with a conductive material that completely wraps the outer periphery of the end , forming two fitted ends 56 , 58 , as illustrated in fig4 . one of the fitted ends 56 is connected to the first terminal 38 of the switch mechanism , and the other end 58 is connected to the second terminal 39 . a melodic wand equipped with this switch arrangement can be activated by one person simultaneously touching both ends of the wand . if desired , the wand can be made highly sensitive enough such that two persons physically separated by a short distance can be able to activate the icu when each person simultaneously touches each end of the wand . yet other exemplary uses of the present electronic circuit assembly are illustrated in fig5 and 6 . fig5 illustrates a knife 60 , more particularly a cake knife , and fig6 illustrates a cake server 62 . the electronic circuit assembly is placed inside of the handles of the knife and server , and both of the switch mechanism described above in connection with the wand 50 are equipped on the handles . although fig5 and 6 disclose party - favor articles having two types of switch mechanisms , only one of the two switch mechanisms is necessary to activate the electronic circuit assembly provided that the switch mechanism is placed in an easily accessible location on the handles for easy activation of the icu . as another embodiment of the present invention , the switch mechanism may additionally contain a resilient , conductive member that surrounds or covers both of the conductive terminals of the physical interruption , 36 of fig2 of the switch mechanism but do not make contact with one or both of the terminals , 38 and 39 of fig2 . the resilient , conductive member is placed over the two terminals so that when the conductive member is depressed , e . g ., by a finger , the conductive member contacts both of the terminals to complete the circuit , activating the circuit and the icu . in addition , the conductive member is resilient such that it substantially returns to its original position , deactivating the circuit , when the pressure is removed . suitable conductive member can be produced from a wide variety of elastomers or elastomeric materials , including natural rubber , neoprene , polyurethane , styrene - butadiene rubbers , butadiene rubbers , ethylene - propylene rubbers , silicone elastomers and fluoro elastomers , provided that the elastomeric materials are modified to be electrically conductive . the modification of the elastomeric material can be accomplished by any known means such as dispersing or filling fine carbon or metal particles while the elastomeric material is in a fluid or molten state , or laminating a conductive metal foil on the inside surface of the conductive member which is fabricated from an elastomeric material . fig7 illustrates an example of the conductive member that is fitted at the end of the stem 12 of the above illustrated melodic flower 10 . for example , the suction - cup - shaped resilient conductive member 70 is molded from a silicone rubber composition that is filled with fine metal particles . the small opening of the conductive member 70 is tightly and permanently fitted over the end of the stem 12 , and the first and second electrically conductive ends , 42 and 44 , are enclosed within the conductive member 70 but do not make contact with the conductive member . when the resilient conductive member 70 is squeezed to make a contact with both of the electrically conductive ends , 42 and 44 , the circuit is completed and the icu is activated to play the programed audible sound . the use of the resilient conductive member may be advantageous in that the sensitivity of the switch mechanism can be retarded to prevent false activations of the icu , e . g , activation by ambient static conditions or accidental contacting of the conductive ends . in addition , the use of the resilient conductive member allows simplification of the electronic circuit assembly 20 . when the resilient conductive member is utilized , the bipolar transistor can be eliminated from the electronic circuit assembly , as shown in fig8 . since the conductive member allows a sufficient level of electrical flow that is high enough to activate the icu , the need for the amplification which is provided by the bipolar transistor is eliminated . consequently , when the resilient conductive member is utilized , the sensitivity of the switch mechanism can be reduced . the resistor 34 of the switching mechanism should be have a resistance between about 1 megohms and about 20 megohms , preferably between about 5 megohms and about 15 megohms , more preferably between about 8 megohms and about 12 megohms . the present electronic circuit assembly can be placed in many different novelty articles that are used to enhance festive mood of special occasions , e . g ., birthdays , holidays , various anniversaries and the like , and such novelty articles include flowers , batons , candles , hats , cake - serving utensils and the like .	6
embodiments of the present invention are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 ( a )- 1 ( c ) show the main part ( i . e ., the part related to an image combining process ) of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig1 ( a ), a first color conversion circuit 1 converts color - decomposed signals of b , g and r , that have been produced by an image reading means using , for instance , a ccd line sensor and represent a reflectivity distribution , into system values l , a and b * of the equivalent color space . the l - axis represents lightness , and saturation and hue are expressed in the two - dimensional plane defined by the a - and b - axes that are perpendicular to the l - axis . an image processing circuit 2 performs editing operations such as a combining operation according to the invention , an image data input / output operation with external systems , and other image processing operations using the signals l , a and b * of the equivalent color space . a second color conversion circuit 3 converts the signals l , a and b * of the equivalent color space into colorant signals y , m and c to be used in an image output means . fig1 ( b ) shows an example of a configuration of a perspective combining circuit included in the image processing circuit 2 . a multiplier 4 multiplies image data b by a combining factor &# 34 ; f &# 34 ;. a subtracter 5 subtracts the combining factor &# 34 ; f &# 34 ; from &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, and a multiplier 6 multiplies an image signal a by a resultant difference &# 34 ; 1 - f &# 34 ;. an adder 7 adds the outputs of the multiplier 4 and the multiplier 6 together to produce combined image data . the perspective combining operation having the proportion of f :( 1 - f ) is performed by using the circuit of fig1 ( b ) for each of the signals l , a and b * of the equivalent color space to combine the image data a and b . fig1 ( c ) shows another example in which the subtracter 5 of fig1 ( b ) is omitted and multiplication factors &# 34 ; f &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; for the respective image signals b and a can be set independently . with this configuration , for instance , even an image having high densities or low densities as a whole can properly be subjected to the combining operation by adjusting the multiplication factors &# 34 ; f &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; g &# 34 ;. next , the whole image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention is described . fig2 ( a ) shows an example of a configuration of a signal processing system of the image processing apparatus , and fig2 ( b ) shows details of an editing section 400 of fig2 ( a ). fig3 shows an example of the image processing apparatus . in fig2 ( a ), an image input terminal ( iit ) 100 has , for instance , a reduction - type image sensor consisting of three ccd line sensors of b , g and r arranged perpendicularly to the sub - scanning direction . the image sensor performs a scanning operation in the main scanning direction in synchronism with a timing signal - sent from a timing generation circuit 12 to read a document image while moving in the sub - scanning direction at a speed in accordance with a reduction / enlargement factor . analog image data is converted into , e . g ., 8 - bit digital image data having gradations . the digital image data is subjected to shading correction in a shading correction circuit 11 to correct for variations among pixels due to various factors , and to gap correction in a gap correction circuit 13 to correct for a gap between the respective line sensors . in the gap correction , the image data , that has been obtained by reading the document image , is delayed by fif0 14 by a time corresponding to the gap between the ccd line sensors so that the image data of b , g and r of the same position are obtained at the same time point . an enl ( equivalent neutral lightness ) conversion circuit 15 performs gray balancing of the image data using parameters that are in accordance with the type of document . further , the enl conversion circuit 15 performs negative / positive inversion by reversing , on a pixel - by - pixel basis , the manner of taking a gray level based on a negative / positive inversion signal from an editing section 400 ( described later ) so that , for instance , the negative / positive inversion is effected only in a specified area . the image data of b , g and r that has been subjected to the process of the enl conversion circuit 15 is converted , for instance , into signals l , a and b * of the equivalent color space by a matrix conversion circuit 16a . the l -, a - and b - axes of the equivalent color space are orthogonal axes , and the l - axis represents lightness , and the a - and b - axes form the chromaticity plane ( hue and saturation ). the conversion into the signals l , a and b * of the equivalent color space provides such advantages that the interface with external systems such as a computer can be facilitated via a memory system 200 , and that the color conversion , editing operation and image signal detection can also be made easier . a selector 17 selects between the output image data of the matrix conversion circuit 16a and the image data from the memory system 200 as the interface with external systems , or takes both image data at the same time , to perform texture combining operation or perspective combining operation . therefore , the selector 17 has the functions of setting the combining factors and performing computations and the combining operation . an ucr ( under color removal ) circuit 18 is intended to improve the copying quality of foggy original documents such as newspapers , for example , by detecting the under color density by producing a histogram of the document density during the pre - scanning operation , and skipping pixels having a density lower than the under color density . a document detection circuit 19 detects the size of the document by determining a circumscribed rectangular by detecting a boundary between a black back surface of the platen and the document , and stores the detected size . the ucr circuit 18 and the document size detection circuit 19 utilize the lightness signal l * among the signals of the equivalent color space . the editing section 400 sets an area command to be used for changing over the editing process , parameters , etc . for each area , and generates an area control signal based on the area command . the editing section 400 further performs , on the image data , operations such as color editing , color conversion and marker color detection . the image data subjected to such processes is input to the matrix conversion circuit 16a and to a picture / character separation circuit ( tis circuit ) 20 . the matrix conversion circuit 16a processes the image data that has been subjected to the editing processes to convert the signals of l , a and b * into the toner color signals of y , m and c . the picture / character separation circuit 20 discriminates among areas of color characters , black characters , pictures ( characters / halftone ) while forming a block of a plurality of pixels . the ucr circuit 21 generates data of black ( k ) and removes equivalent amounts of y , m and c based on the image data of y , m and c provided from the matrix conversion circuit 16a in accordance with a mono - color / full - color signal , and produces image data of the process color . the ucr circuit 21 further performs hue judgment to generate a hue signal . in the discrimination process of the picture / character separation circuit 20 , an area discrimination signal is delayed , e . g ., by 12 lines because of the formations of blocks . fifos 22a and 22b times the hue signal and the image data to this delayed area discrimination signal . a reduction / enlargement circuit 23b performs a reduction / enlargement operation on the image data in accordance with a specified reduction / enlargement factor . since reduction / enlargement in the sub - scanning direction is performed in the iit 100 by changing the sub - scanning speed in accordance with the reduction / enlargement factor , the reduction / enlargement circuit 23b thins or interpolates the image data only in the main scanning direction . a reduction / enlargement circuit 23a reduces or enlarges the area command so that areas in which the area control information is to be executed are not deviated in the manner corresponding to the reduction / enlargement operation . the area control information subjected to the reduction / enlargement operation is decoded by an area decoder 24 , and then subjected to the operations of the respective processing blocks . the area decoder 24 generates changeover signals for parameters of a filter 25 , coefficients of a multiplier 26 and parameters of a trc circuit 27 from the area command , the area discrimination signal and the hue signal , and distributes such changeover signals to the respective processing blocks . the filter 25 performs , on the image data that has been reduced or enlarged by the reduction / enlargement circuit 23b , the operations of halftone moire removal and character edge emphasis . the trc circuit 27 performs density adjustment using a conversion table in accordance with characteristics of the iot . pal 29 is a decoder for changing over parameters of the conversion table of the trc circuit 27 based on the development process and the area discrimination signal . the multiplier 26 performs a calculation of ( ax + b ) on the image data x using coefficients a and b , which are changed over such that the multiplier 26 is just passed for halftone images and coefficients of a high - γ characteristic are provided for characters . by using the multiplier 26 in combination with the trc circuit 27 and by properly selecting the coefficients and conversion table for the respective colors , color and density adjustments for color characters , black characters and pictures are performed . the character edge emphasis can be adjusted by means of the coefficients a and b by standardizing the parameters of the filter 25 . the image data thus adjusted is stored in the memory system 200 , or dot - developed and output as a dot image by a screen generator 28 of a ros interface 300 . referring to fig2 ( b ), a configuration of the editing section 400 is described below in detail . receiving the image data l , a and b * from the selector 17 , the editing section 400 performs such operations as the color conversion , color editing and generation of the area control signal . lut 415a converts the chromatic information in the form of orthogonal coordinates a * and b * into that in the form of polar coordinates c * ( chromatics ) and h * ( hue ) to facilitate the color detection of a marker color etc ., color editing , color conversion , etc . having , for instance , 32 kinds of pallets for colors to be used in the color conversion and color editing , a color conversion and pallets 413 performs , on the image data l , c and h , operations such as the marker color detection , color editing and color conversion in accordance with the area command sent via a delay circuit 411a . only the image data of the selected area to be subjected to the operations such as the color conversion is processed in the color conversion and pallets 413 , inverse - converted from the data c and h into data of a and b , and then provided to a selector 416 . the image data of the remaining areas is directly sent to the selector 416 . the image data are provided from the selector 416 to the matrix conversion circuit 16b described above . a 4 - bit signal representing a marker color ( 3 colors ) and a closed area , that has been detected in the color conversion and pallets 413 from the image data , is sent to a density conversion and area generation circuit 405 , which performs density conversion from 400 spi to 100 spi by a binarizing operation with 4 × 4 windows using fifos 410a - 410c , in which operation a value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is established when there exist not less than a predetermined number of black pixels in 16 pixels . the marker signal ( e . g ., a closed loop and a marker dot ) thus generated is provided from the density conversion and area generation circuit 405 to plane memories 403 via a dram controller 402 . to avoid erroneously detecting small dust etc . as a marker , fifos 408 delay the marker dot signal by three lines to produce 3 × 3 windows , which is then subjected to marker dot detection and a coordinates generation in the coordinates generation circuit 407 , and finally stored into a ram 406 . this process is performed to prevent the erroneous detection although the marker dot is also stored into the plane memories 403 . the plane memories 403 are memories for storing the area commands to be used for the color conversion , color editing and other area editing operations . for example , a particular area can be specified from an editing pad , and an area command for that area can be written into the plane memories 403 . more specifically , the area command for that specified area , which has been specified using the editing pad , is transferred via a cpu bus to a graphic controller 401 , and then written into the plane memories 403 via the dram controller 402 . the plane memories 403 consist of four planes , in which 16 area commands ( i . e ., 0 - 15 ) can be set . the 4 - bit area command stored in the plane memories 403 is read out in synchronism with the output of the image data , to be used for the editing operation in the color conversion and pallets 413 , as well as for changing over the parameters , etc . of the image data processing blocks of fig2 ( a ), i . e ., the enl conversion circuit 15 , matrix conversion circuit 16 , selector 17 and ucr circuit 21 , and further the filter 25 , multiplier 26 , trc circuit 27 , screen generator 28 , etc . ( via the area decoder 24 ). when the area command is read from the plane memories 403 to be used for the editing operation in the color conversion and pallet 413 and the changing over of the parameters in the image data processing blocks , the density conversion from 100 spi to 400 spi is required . this is done by the density conversion and area generation circuit 405 . the density conversion and area generation circuit 405 performs such density conversion by producing blocks of 3 × 3 using fifos 409a and 409b and performing data interpolation using that pattern , to prevent a problem that the boundary of a closed - loop curve or editing area is zigzagged . delay circuits 411a and 411b , 1m fifo 412 , etc . are for the timing adjustment between the area command and the image data . in the above signal processing system , the image combining operation of the invention can also be performed in the color conversion and pallet 413 by fetching the image data from each of the iit 100 and the memory system 200 by properly controlling the selector 17 . fig3 shows a color copier to which the invention is applied . a base machine 30 includes a platen glass 31 on which an original document is to be placed , an image input terminal ( iit ) 32 , an electrical system control unit 33 , an image output terminal ( iot ) 34 , paper trays 35 , a user interface ( i / f ) 36 . following parts can be provided optionally : an editing pad 61 , an automatic document feeder ( adf ) 62 , a sorter 63 and a film image reading device consisting of a film projector ( f / p ) 64 and a mirror unit ( m / u ) 65 . having an imaging unit 37 , a wire 38 for driving it , a drive pulley 39 , etc ., the iit 32 , actually the imaging unit 37 reads image information of a color document by a ccd line sensor while decomposing the reflection light into components of the primary colors b , g and r of light by color filters . further , the iit 32 converts the signals thus obtained into digital image data bgr , which is input to an image processing system ( ips ). placed in the electrical system control unit 33 , the ips receives the image data of bgr , and performs various converting and correcting operations for improving the color , gradations , resolution and other image quality characteristics , and reproduction performance , as well as various operations such as an editing operation . the ips produces image data of y , m , c and k ( primary colors of toners ), and further converts a gradation toner signal of the process color into a binary ( i . e ., on / off ) toner signal that is to be sent to the iot 34 . having a scanner 40 and a photoreceptor belt 41 , the iot 34 converts the image data into an optical signal in its laser output section 40a , forms a latent image that corresponds to the document image onto the photoreceptor belt 41 via a polygon mirror 40b , an f / θ - lens 40c and a mirror 40d , and transfers the image onto a sheet fed from one of the paper trays 35 to output a color copy . in the iot 34 , the photoreceptor belt 41 is driven by a drive pulley 41a , and a cleaner 41b , a charging device 41c , developers 41d of y , m , c and k , and a transfer device 41e are disposed around the photoreceptor belt 41 . a transfer unit 42 , that is opposed to the transfer device 41e , holds a sheet provided from the paper tray 35 via a sheet feeding path 35a . in the case of 4 - full - color copying , the four rotations are performed in the transfer unit 42 to transfer the respective images of y , m , c and k onto the sheet , and the sheet is sent to a fuser 45 via a vacuum conveyer 43 . then , the sheet is finally output from the iot . 34 . a single sheet inserter ( ssi ) 35b enables a user to manually insert a selected kind of sheet into the sheet feeding path 35a . the u / i 36 is used by a user to select his desired function and input conditions for executing that function , and includes a color display 51 and a hard control panel 52 . further , an infrared touchboard 53 is employed to enable a user to directly input his instructions through soft buttons formed on the screen . the electrical system control unit 33 includes a plurality of controls circuit boards which are separated for the individual process units of the iit 32 , iot 34 , u / i 36 , ips , f / p 64 , etc . the electrical system control unit 33 further includes a machine control board ( mcb ) for controlling the operations of the mechanisms of the iot 34 , adf 62 , sorter 63 , etc ., and a sys circuit board for controlling all the above circuit boards . fig4 ( a )- 6 ( c ) show the main part ( i . e ., the part related to an image combining process ) of image processing apparatuses according to other embodiments of the invention . fig4 ( a )- 4 ( c ) show an embodiment which enables combining of a black - and - white image and a color image . the same circuit as fig1 ( b ) is employed for processing the lightness information l ( see fig4 ( a )), and selectors 11 &# 39 ; and 11 &# 34 ; are provided for the chromaticity information a * and b * to use the information of the color image itself . if image data a and b represent a black - and - while image and a color image , respectively , the selectors 11 &# 39 ; and 11 &# 34 ; select the image data b in accordance with a selection signal sel . if both image data a and b represent a color image , the selectors 11 &# 39 ; and 11 &# 34 ; select the image signal a in accordance with the selection signal sel . that is , if the image signal a represents a black - and - white image , the selectors 11 &# 39 ; and 11 &# 34 ; are controlled so that the image data b itself is employed as representing the chromaticity information a * and b * and is output from adders 7 &# 39 ; and 7 &# 34 ;. therefore , the selectors 11 &# 39 ; and 11 &# 34 ; may be provided downstream of the adders 7 &# 39 ; and 7 &# 34 ; so as to receive the outputs of the adders 7 &# 39 ; and 7 &# 34 ; and the image data b to select one of these data . it is apparent that the image data a of a color image can be processed in the same manner as a black - and - white image in the above process , to combine its lightness information and another color image . in an embodiment of fig5 ( a )- 5 ( c ), multiplication factors for the image data a and b can be set independently for each of the lightness information and the chromaticity information , and further the multiplication factors can be set independently for the lightness information and the chromaticity information . with these circuits , two black - and - white images can be combined by setting both factors f2 and g2 for the chromaticity information at &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. further , the same combining operation as performed by the circuits of fig4 ( a )- 4 ( c ) can be performed by setting the factor g1 at &# 34 ; 1 - f1 &# 34 ;, f2 at &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, and g2 at &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. in an embodiment of fig6 ( a )- 6 ( c ), selectors 12 &# 39 ; and 12 &# 34 ; are provided downstream of the adders 7 and 7 &# 34 ; for the chromaticity information in the circuits of fig5 ( a )- 5 ( c ), to select and output an arbitrary chromaticity pattern . with these circuits , for instance , a chromaticity pattern of constant values is preliminarily registered as the chromaticity information , so that a mono - color - like combined image can be obtained in which the hue and saturation are fixed and only the lightness is a one as obtained by combining the image data a and b . the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the above embodiments , but various modifications are possible . for example , in the above embodiments , the respective image data are multiplied by the multiplication factors to obtain the combined image data : in the case of this modification , one multiplier can be omitted from the circuit of fig1 ( b ). this modification can similarly be applied to the circuits of fig5 ( a )- 5 ( c ) and to the cases of the data of b , g and r , the data of y , m and c , or the like . further , the combined image data may be subjected to a pixel - by - pixel selection as to whether or not the data have been subjected to the perspective combining operation , in accordance with an area signal provided externally . as described in the foregoing , according to the invention , the combining proportion can be adjusted freely such that the multiplication factor f is set at 0 . 5 to produce a combined image of two images with identical contribution , or that the factor f is set at 0 . 9 or 0 . 1 to produce a combined image of two images with unequal contribution . further , the combined image data can be output after subjected to the pixel - by - pixel selection as to whether or not the data have been subjected to the perspective combining operation . therefore , not only images having a rectangular editing area but images having an arbitrarily shaped area can be processed without causing any problems . further , the combining operation can deal with not only the signals l , a and b * of the equivalent color space but the signals of b , g and r , signals of y , m and c , or the like . therefore , two television images , two images displayed on a crt of a workstation etc ., two output data of a color copier , and other kinds of two images can be combined according to the invention .	7
as detailed hereinbelow with reference to fig1 through 11c , the description is a reiteration of the method and system described and claimed in parent patent application ser . no . 09 / 429 , 990 . referring to fig1 input parameters 100 are received and input to code module 102 running in a main frame or pc using rexx language and / or windows type interfaces . the output of code module 102 includes script file 118 and graphical file 106 , centroid file 108 , and wireability files 110 , including summary file 112 , crossing file 114 , wireable text file 116 , and ( slc ) or buildup layer count file , as described hereinbelow in specific detail . graphical file 106 includes and when printed or displayed provides , as is illustrated in fig2 an annotated graphical drawing of the module design , including graphical layout display 133 showing the point to point connections between die or chip pads 120 to ball grid array ( bga ) pads 122 . the annotations include alpha numeric pad row and column identifiers 124 , 126 , bga pad designations 128 , chip pad designations 130 , chip input parameters 132 , and chip carrier , substrate or parameters 134 . these are shown enlarged in fig3 and 4 . centroid file 108 includes die pad number , chip pad name , x - y position of chip pad center , quadrant , bga alpha - numeric designation ( when applicable ), x - y position of bga pad center , and chip pad to bga pad line slope . ( an example of centroid file 108 is shown in table 2 .) the slope column indicates the slope of the line described by the direct line from chip pad to bga pad , and is tracked for closest slope routing . also , in the north and south quadrants the slope is defined as x / y whereas in the east and west quadrants it is the traditional y / x . this is done inasmuch as direct north y / x explodes into the undefined value 1 / 0 . the crossing column indicates how many lines cross a particular line . [ 0030 ] fig9 and 10 illustrate the interconnect configuration for flip chip , and fig7 and 8 illustrate the interconnect configuration for wire bond . flip chip interconnection includes chip attach pad 190 , wire 192 , top via land 194 , via 196 , bottom via land 198 , dogbone 200 , and bga pad 202 , on substrate 204 . [ 0031 ] fig8 illustrates a wiring configuration with wire bond fingers . interconnection is from die pad 206 , to wirebond 208 , to wire bond finger 210 , to wire 212 , to top via land 194 . referring to fig1 in connection with table 1 , the processes executed by code 102 are set forth pseudo code . referring to tables 2 and 3 , a “ rat ” is a colloquial term meaning an unedited straight line that emanates from the center of a die pad to a ball grid array ( bga ) pad , or analogous connections on a mother board . it is then manipulated by moving within a layer and / or placing part of the path on other layers of the package . in the examples of tables 2 and 3 , the centroid data of a die has been created and routed out to the center of a bga pad , either by a customer definition ( case c ) or by creation within the program ( case a ). in tables 2 and 3 , the numbering ( no .) convention is counterclockwise . identifier ( id ) represents the name assigned . typically , but not in the examples of tables 1 and 2 , signals are given unique names , such as signal 1 , signal 2 , etc . chipx is the x dimension to the center of die with reference to the center of the package ( 0 , 0 ). chipy is the y dimension to the center of die with reference to the center of the package ( 0 , 0 ). side is the quadrant ( north , south , east or west ) to which the die belongs . alpha is the alphanumeric position of the ball grid array ( bga ) pad as defined by the jedec standard . bgax is the x dimension to the center of the bga pad with reference to the center of the package ( 0 , 0 ). bgay is the y dimension to the center of the bga pad with reference to the center of the package ( 0 , 0 ). table 3 is the centroid file 108 for the example illustrated in fig2 a . ( 1 ) table 4 : chip statistics ( die size , die pitch , die pad siize , and die matrix size ), chip input / output total and per quadrant , number of signals total and per quadrant , ground and voltage pads on the chip total and per quadrant . ( 2 ) table 5 : module statistics , including module input / output input parameter , number of signal pads , voltage and ground pads , percent number of signal bga pads per total bga pads , percent number of ground and voltage bga pads per total ground and voltage bga pads ; module laminate size ; bga pad pitch ; bga matrix size ( rows by columns ); full matrix or depopulated matrix identifier ; die facing parameter ( whether die pads are facing toward or away from carrier ); enumerate the number of voltage rings ; wire bond length , space for fingers plus fan out wiring , space for fan out wiring ; ( 3 ) table 6 : truth table for testing that five required parameters ( table 7 ) evaluate true , as follows : first , wiring distance between wire bond fingers and either ( a ) the edge of via lands on an upper facing die , or ( b ) either the procoat opening or copper diameter of bga pads on a downward facing die ; third , enough wiring channel capacity to match total die signal count ( referring to fig3 wiring channel 123 represents the spacing between adjacent procoat openings for downward facing die , and wiring channel 125 represents the spacing between via pad 136 and closest via pad 138 ) for , based on the amount of depopulation , the number of channels is calculated and multiplied by three lines per channel and four lines per channel ; forth , calculated wire line width compared with minimum manufacturing line width capability ( which is an input requirement ); fifth , calculated wire line space compared with minimum manufacturing line space capability ( which is an input requirement ); first , calculated choke factor ( choke = channel space divided by ( line space plus the line width )), back door vias ( vias located in the space between the inner most edge of bond finger on the laminate and the outer most edge of the most outer voltage ring ); second , chip escape factor ( die area divided by number of chip signal pads ); third , chip density factor ( die area divided by number of chip i / o pads ); and fourth , bga escape factor (( laminate area minus die area )/ number of chip signals ), for giving an estimate of density of wiring in the global area of the laminate for chip escape . ( 5 ) tables 10 and 11 : gold area , including boa pads , cavity wall ( for wire bond ), via areas , wiring surface front and back , wire bonding surfaces , gold stiffener ( if included ), including total area and cost , and minimum total thermal resistance required based on ambient temperature , chip power , and junction temperature . [ 0052 ] table 5 module statistics module i / o signal ratio / signal count g / v ratio / g / v count 48 . 6 %/ 204 51 . 4 %/ 216 420 module size = 35 mm bga pitch = 1 . 27 mm matrix size = 26 × 26 this is a 5 outer row configuration this is run is for a cavity part . this is run is for a 2s0p part . there are 1 voltage ring ( s ) in addition to the ground ring [ 0053 ] table 6 truth table # outer i / o signals signals wiring multiples deficit deficit works works rows count @ 3 1 pc @ 4 1 pc fanout of pitch @ 3 @ 4 @ 3 @ 4 1 100 97 / 388 121 / 484 9 . 06 77 . 251 − 44 − 68 n . ynyyy n . ynyyy 2 192 89 / 356 111 / 444 7 . 79 66 . 424 − 36 − 58 n . ynyyy n . ynyyy 3 276 81 / 324 101 / 404 6 . 52 55 . 597 − 28 − 48 y . yyyyy y . yyyyy 4 352 73 / 292 91 / 364 5 . 25 44 . 770 − 20 − 38 y . yyyyy y . yyyyy 5 420 65 / 260 81 / 324 3 . 98 33 . 943 − 12 − 28 y . yyyyy y . yyyyy 6 480 57 / 228 71 / 284 2 . 71 23 . 116 − 4 − 18 y . yyyyy y . yyyyy 7 532 49 / 196 61 / 244 1 . 44 12 . 289 4 − 8 n . yynyy y . yyyyy 8 576 41 / 164 51 / 204 0 . 17 1 . 462 12 2 n . nynyy n . nynyy 9 612 33 / 132 41 / 164 − 1 . 10 − 9 . 365 20 12 n . nynyy n . nynyy 10 640 25 / 100 31 / 124 − 2 . 37 − 20 . 192 28 22 n . nynyy n . nynyy 11 660 17 / 68 21 / 84 − 3 . 64 − 31 . 019 36 32 n . nynyy n . nynyy 12 672 9 / 36 11 / 44 − 4 . 91 − 41 . 846 44 42 n . nynyy n . nynyy 13 676 1 / 4 1 / 4 − 6 . 18 − 52 . 673 52 52 n . nynyy n . nynyy [ 0054 ] table 7 parameters test output first position = enough wiring room after fingers ( non - choked ) second position = enough bga balls for chip signals third position = enough channel capacity to match signal count fourth position = wire width above minimum fifth position = wire to wire space above minimum [ 0055 ] table 8 wire dimension and pitch nominal wire bond length is 2 . 4 mm . space for fingers plus fanout wiring 6 . 05 mm space for fanout wiring is 3 . 98 mm multiples of pitch ( lower is more choked ) 33 . 9 back door vias selected ( per quadrant ) is 10 lines per channel selected is 4 corresponding line width , space , and pitch is 51 . 0 , 66 . 3 , and 117 . 3 microns . procoat registration is 25 microns . lines / wire wire wire channel width space pitch 1 148 . 6 193 . 2 341 . 8 2 90 . 7 117 . 9 208 . 6 3 65 . 2 84 . 8 150 . 0 4 51 . 0 66 . 3 117 . 3 5 41 . 8 54 . 3 96 . 1 6 35 . 4 46 . 0 81 . 4 [ 0056 ] table 9 escape factors chip escape factor ( die area / chipsigs ) is 0 . 31 sq mm / chipsig chip density factor ( die area / chipio ) is 0 . 27 sq mm / chipio bga escape factor ( laminate area - die 5 . 7 sq shadow / chipsig ) is mm / chipsig [ 0057 ] table 10 die up total gold area on a die up 0 . 36 sq . inches cost of gold area on a die up 0 . 03 dollars flower area is 0 . 08 sq . inches bonding surface ( fingers , voltage ring , ground ring ) 0 . 055 via land area on s2 side 0 . 001 ground buss on s2 side 0 . 019 bga area is 0 . 202 gold runner area is 0 . 008 wiring gold on a die up part is assumed to be masked via count for die - up part is 206 [ 0058 ] table 11 cavity part total gold area on a cavity part ( minus stiffener ) 1 . 00 sq . inches gold stiffener area is 1 . 90 sq . inches total gold area cost on a cavity part ( with stiffener ) 0 . 28 dollars bonding surface ( fingers , 0 . 055 voltage ring , ground ring ) wiring front and back ( from 0 . 668 fingers out ) boa pads 0 . 202 cavity wall 0 . 022 via area 0 . 054 via count for cavity part is 77 [ 0059 ] table 12 miscellaneous flatness per inch 2 . 07 cavity size is 9 . 00 mm [ 0060 ] table 13 thermals ambient temperature is 40 c . chip power is 10 watts . assumed maximum junction 125 temperature is minimum total resistance 8 . 5 c ./ watt needed is ( 4 ) number of lines that have crossed the die pad to bga pad line . code 102 analyzes each connection line for the number of times any other connection line crosses it . the more crosses , the tougher the design . this file is sorted in descending order of number of crossings , so that the top of the file identifies the lines ( or , nets ) that are not well placed . table 14 is an example of the top part of a crossing file 114 . an optional output is illustrated , in part , in table 15 . holes . txt is a file that gives the x , y coordinates of where vias are positioned next to bgas . these are calculated by code 102 from input parameters 100 . wireable text file 116 ( tables 16 and 17 ) is multi - purpose . it provides a code 102 generated count of consecutive ( that is , runs ) signals or grounds or voltages — the larger the run of signals , the more difficult it is to wire . code 102 scans the netlist which has either been generated or received as input , identifies the power and ground names and quadrant , and determines the number of wirebond finger positions needed . ( 1 ) table 16 : runs analysis , in which for each of the four quadrants runs are defined by the number of consecutive signals or consecutive power and ground lines , number of wirebond fingers needed per side , and a total number of die pads , signal pads , and ground / voltage pads . ( 2 ) table 17 : net list scan , whether fabricated by program or provided as input , that enumerates the different voltage levels per quadrant . table 17 is a pseudo code representation of the process implemented by code 102 for generating script file 118 . this is the script file that is “ played ” when in the autocad environment to generate graphical representation 106 , a display of which is shown in fig2 . in a preferred embodiment , script file 118 is an autocad script file , but equivalent computer automated design ( cad ) environments may also be used . this table 17 sets forth editing friendly code within code 102 for the “ rats ”. rats is a term referring to a straight line that emanates from the center of a die pad 178 to a bga ball 180 . it is then manipulated by moving within a layer and / or placing part of the path on other layers of the package 144 . in this case , the centroid data of the die has been created and routed out to the center of the bga pad ; either by customer definition ( case “ c ”) or by creation within the program 102 ( case “ a ”). as is set forth in table 17 , code 102 creates a line or rat from ( chipx , chipy ) to ( bgax , bgay ). this line is multiverticed . each rat has a width that is first zero and then increments to a final value with steps in the middle . it is stepped larger and larger as processing and graphical display moves counter clockwise ( ccw ) around the die . after code 102 creates the rats , autocad displays graphical file 106 which shows where rats come from relative to the die sequence without having to window out and over to the die or having to select the wire to have a dialog box displayed . at the end of processing , all the wires are then converted to one width . alternatively to using different line widths , the graphic display may use different colors . depopulation refers to removal of a center most matrix of bga balls to leave some number of outside rows . this is done to remove balls immediately under the chip site . referring to fig2 an example output of graphical file 106 is illustrated for a wire bond constructed module . this shows an annotated plan view of a module 140 including chip 142 , laminate 144 which includes wires 146 interconnecting chip pads 142 with bga site 150 and associated via . this is further illustrated in fig7 and 8 where bga site 150 includes bga 156 , procoat opening 154 , procoat layer 152 , substrate layers 164 , top side 160 of plated through via 158 , dogbone 162 ( a dogbone is a connector between bga pad 156 and via 160 ). voltage ring 166 is a continuous surface of constant width , generally , that is offset from and encompasses or surrounds chip 142 site . some wires ( the power and ground wires ) from chip pads 148 connect to voltage rings 166 . the innermost voltage ring 166 is usually the ground level . ( for a flip chip constructed module , voltage rings 166 are not required .) wire bond fingers 210 , shown in fig9 are not shown in fig2 . these are oblong shaped copper features that are placed between rings 166 and bga procoat opening 154 in a die down configuration or between rings 166 and via lands 160 in a die up configuration . as shown in fig2 and enlarged in fig5 which is an enlargement of the north west corner of fig2 on the west side there are circuit lines 172 which run between die pads 174 and bga sites 176 ( which only appear in fig2 ) without crossover . on the north side , extensive cross over 170 occurs for lines interconnecting die pads 178 and bga sites 180 . [ 0080 ] fig1 sets forth method steps executed within code module 102 , and these are further described in the pseudo code representation of table 1 . set analysis step 210 controls the files 106 - 116 to be output , and the run mode . the user may specify the pitch of the die or the number of die i / o desired . also , the user may specify the number of outer rows ( matrix size minus ( the depopulation divided by 2 )) or the number of bga i / o pads desired . set variables step 212 defines cases a , b and c . for case a , the user tells the program 102 that the die and net list are to be calculated by code 102 ( that is , the program creates its own ). for case b , the user specifies the die in terms of a die centroid file input without defining the net list . a net list is a listing of die pad connections giving pad number and / or die pad names to bga connections in terms of alpha numeric coordinate . for case c , the user defines both the die centroid file and the net list . the assembly technology is set as flip chip or wirebond . chip parameters are received as input , including such parameters as chip size , chip width , chip length , chip pitch , chip i / o , die pad size , die pad shape , and percent ground and voltage ( defined above ). package parameters are defined , including such parameters as die up or cavity configuration , substrate size , module i / o count , number of outer rows , bga pitch , number of vertex points defined for a line , number of rings , width and spacing of voltage and ground rings , size of via features ( pad , dogbone , vias ), increment of variable width , wire bond length , and wiring rules ( minimum wire space and width ). full matrix determination step 214 , based on module size and pitch of bga , calculates whether the number of columns is odd or even . quadrant dividing slope is calculated , which is the slope of an imaginary line from the center of the package to the corner of the die , and an adjacent pair of these defines a quadrant . if the desired number of module i / o pads , or the number of outer rows , is provided by the user , the amount of depopulation is calculated . the jedec alpha designation is entered for each row . for case a , create die step 216 creates centroid data for flip chip or wire bond configuration . table 17 sets forth the code 102 for step 216 generation of die . there are two cases of generation of a die : 1 ) wirebond single row peripheral , and 2 ) flip chip area array ( which assumes square die ). for case b , create centroid data step 218 , responsive to user provided centroid data , assigns each pad to a quadrant . this list is reordered , if needed , to a clockwise order while calculating the minimum chip pitch for output to graphical file 106 ( minimum spacing between wire pads on a wirebound ) and the curve ( distance between edge of die and center line of outermost wire bond pad ). code 102 then calculates composition ratios . for case c , create centroid step 220 , assigns quadrants and calculates compositions ( less work than case b ). create bga matrix step 222 for all cases a , b and c , starting with a full bga matrix , creates a line of data with its x position , y position , slope from center of package , and quadrant . an alphanumeric matrix specifies the alpha / numeric location of the ball . punch out depops data for balls that are not supposed to be there ( from input ). the resulting data set is separated into four separate quadrants . this step randomly assigns a type for each bga pad in a quadrant to a signal , ground or voltage . for case a and b , chip to bga routing 224 separates chip centroid data into four matrices based on quadrant . the closest slope search routine starts on east side , takes the quadrant dividing slope ( step 214 ) for this die pad position , determines the slope to all bgas in the quadrant , and then finds the slope that is the closest to the quadrant dividing slope , and that slope defines the routing for this chip pad . signal , but not ground and voltage , lines are thus routed . the selected bga pad is then designated “ used ”, and not available for subsequent pad selection . this process is repeated for die pads in order in this quadrant . the new maximum slope is that defined by the routing of the previous pad . step 226 calculates the runs , the power levels , wire bond fingers needed , and outputs to a file . step 228 uses cramer &# 39 ; s rule to solve for the intersection of all possible line combinations within the quadrant to see if the intersection falls within the space between a die pad and its connected bga pad . if so , the count of crossings is incremented . step 230 generates summary file 112 , and is more fully described in tables 19 - 21 . [ 0092 ] table 20 calculation of gold area /* gold area for ground ring , voltage ring ( s ) and / / bond fingers / / unit of area used is in square microns / / set width to voltage ring width established at the / / beginning of the overall program / width = voltagewidth / ring area accumulator / ringarea = 0 / create a routine that sums up the ring areas / / starting at the inner ground area and working out / / j stands for the ring number ; j = 1 is the ground / / ring , j = 2 is the first voltage ring , j = 3 is the / / second voltage ring , etc . / do j = 1 to ( numberrings + 1 ) select when j = 1 then do width = groundwidth end otherwise width = voltagewidth end select when j = 2 then do voltageringpitch = groundwidth / 2 + ringspace + voltagewideth / 2 end otherwise voltageringpitch = voltagewidth + ringspace end ring1length = chiplength 1000 + diespace +( j − 1 ) * voltageringpitch ring2length = chipwidth * 1000 + diespace +( j − 1 ) * voltageringpitch ringarea =( ring1length + ring2length ) * width * 2 + ringarea end /* end of summation of ring areas / / calculate the total area of all the wire / / bond fingers / finger = chipsig wbfingerlgth * wbfingerwdth /* gold area for vias on full gold for cavity / / via area is the addition of the lands ( top and / / bottom ; which are disks ) and the inner vertical / / surface / finishedvia = viasize - 2cuthk / estimate via count for cavity , 16 vias added in / viacnc =. 3 chipsig + 4 * 4 * numberrings /* calculate lands / vialandsc = 2 3 . 1416 ( viapadf * 2 - finishedvia ** 2 )/ 4 * viacnc /* inside vertical surface of pth / viainnerc = finishedvia 3 . 1416 * lamthick * viacnc /* lands + inner surface / viagdc = vialandsc + viainnerc / flower pad / / estimate the diameter of the solid part of the / / flower pad / diaf =. 5 cz * 1000 /* add the petals of the flower plus the circular / / area / flower = 6 cz * 1000 * petalwidth + 3 . 1416 * diaf * diaf / 4 /* gold area of vias for selective die up flower / / and ring regions / / estimate 2 vias per . 25 ″× . 25 ″ area for diaup / / flower area / viacndflower = flower /( 6 . 35 * 2 * 1000 ** 2 )* 2 /* total number of drilled vias in a diaup / viacnd = viacndflower + chipsig / total number of backside ( s2 ) land area / viagdd = viacndflower 3 . 1416 ( viapadb * 2 = finishedvia ** 2 )/ 4 /* estimate of ground bussing typically found on / / s2 under the die / groundbussd = 3 . 1416 diaf * diaf / 4 /* adjust flower area for vias and inner surface / flower = flower - 3 . 1416 ( viasize - 2 * cuthk )** 2 / 4 * viacondflower + 3 . 1416 ( viasize = 2 cuthk )* viacndflower /* gold area bga pads / bgarea =) bgapadsize * 2 * 3 . 1416 / 4 ) + dogwidth ( bgaprocoat = bgadia )/ 2 / number of bga pads on a cavity / bgac = modio bgarea /* number of bga pads on a dia up / bgad = bgac + thermal bgarea /* stiffener area / / stiffener is a piece of copper , the size of the / / substrate , on cavity parts / stiff = size size * 1000 * 1000 /* cavity wall area / / this is the area , on a cavity only , where the / / ground ring wraps around the corner and downward / / to the s2 / cav =(( chipwidth 1000 + diespace )* 2 +( chiplength * 1000 + diespace ))( lamthick + 2 cuthk ) /* cavity wiring area front and back / / figure out the area remaining that is available for / / wiring and then apply a percentage of that area / / that is wiring distance in one dimension / / encompassing the fingers , die , etc . / innerside =( outeractual / 1000 - spacefnactual ) / area of this innerside / innerarea = innerside innerside /* area of part , minus inner area , lands , bga / wiringarea = stiff - innerarea - vialandsc - bgac / estimate wiring covers 30 % front 10 % back / wdensc =( 0 . 3 + 0 . 1 ) wiring area /* circuit wiring gold summation / / add fingers and bonding rings ; these are the / / surface that are bonded to / bondinggold = finger + ringarea / gold runner / / gold runner is a small area used during the molding / / process for die up / goldrun = goldrunwdth goldrunhgt /* total gold for cavity / / add the bonding surfaces , vias , wiring , cavity / / wall , and bga / togold = bondinggold -+- viagdc + bgac + cav / multiply by gold thickness to get volume and / / multiply by density / cost = goldcost ( tcgold + stiff )* goldthk * water * gdens /* total gold for die up selective / / add the bonding surfaces , flower pads , vias , bga , / / and ground buss / tdgold = bondinggold + flower + viagdd + bgad + groundbussd / multiply by gold thickness to get volume and / / multiply by density / dcst = goldcost tdgold * goldthk * water * gdens table 21 is a pseudo code representation of choke factor determination . choke factor is a measure of the amount of room left between the bond fingers and either the array of via lands ( in a die up ) or bga pads ( in a cavity ). it is not a linear dimension but is unitless . it is unitless because the linear space is divided by the wiring pitch . this by definition is then the number of wiring pitches that can fit into the allotted space . lower numbers are more choked , higher numbers are less choked . negative numbers mean that there is no fanout room . dividing by the pitch gives a relative measure of the distance verses the ‘ fineness ’ of the wiring technology . a choke clip level is used to determine whether the module can be wired . basically , the buildup technology ( slc ) which is employed in providing the chip carrier layer count calculating method and system comprises a subroutine as follows : this program keys in one the number of signals required to be fanned out per quadrant and calculates the number of sequential layers that would be required . layer count is a critical cost intensive parameter since each layer added to the laminate has a compounding effect on yield . 1 layer = 80 %, 1 layers = 80 % 80 %= 64 %, etc . this routine is part of the foregoing described larger program . the inputs to this subroutine are from this program . the recommended subroutine below indicates these inputs . extracted and contracted commented aspects are derived from this program that serves as a general flow chart : cz was defined above ; it is the size of the physical chip expressed in mm ; cp was defined above as minimum chip bump to chip bumppitch ; it can be an input or calculated ; c4pad is an input ; it is the size of the pad on the substrate that the chip bump sits on ; c4line this is an input ; it is the minimum line width capable by mfg process ; c4space this is an input ; it is the minimum space line to line capable by mfg process ; “ customer ” is an input by the user , tags the file with the company name ; figure out if the copper pad edge or procoat opening edge will define the wiring channel ; calculate the maximum number of wiring pitches ( spaces + width ) that fit into the wiring channel ; calculate the number of rows and corresponding number of chip pads on a quadrant basis ; take a quadrant slide of the die along the diagonals padsrow . o is a matrix that will define the number of pads that are left as you proceed towards the middle of the die , row by row , starting from edge and decremented by the two flanking diagonals . pads a variable that has been calculated either by pitch / die size inputs or total chipio input . this variable is the number of pads across one side of the chip . calculates the number of wires per layer and stores in a matrix . calculates the total number of pads rows until center is reached . calculate number of slc layers to handle required chip signal count . this value is stored in a variable called max layers . the signal needs per quadrant , the layer number , the number of wires on this layer , the resulting un - wired of the total signals per quadrant , the number need divided by the wires per this layer . . . this is important on the last layer because it gives you an idea if you needed every bit of the last layer or you needed a very small pct . this either effects your confidence ( the former ), or ( the latter ) tells you might be able to go one layer less if you could just find a way to wire out just several . pursuant to a more specific application , and wherein the particular layouts of the wiring lines or rats are illustrated in fig1 a through 12d , the tabular representation of the foregoing is indicated in table 22 referring to slc output . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * beginning of code * * * * * * * * * * * * * * /* begin slc sizing section / if c4pad & gt ; c4procoat then c4definintion =‘ smd ’ if c4procoat & gt ; c4pad then c4definition =‘ nsmd ’ select when c4definition =‘ smc ’ then do c4wirespace = cp − c4pad end otherwise c4wirespace = cp − c4procoat end c4wiringpitches − c4wirespace /( c4line + c4space )- c4space /( c4line4 + c4space ) c41pc = c4wiringpitches % 1 spread_rule = c4wirespace /( 2 crlpc + 1 )/* optimized spread / spread_rule = format ( spread_rule , 3 , 0 ) padsrow . 1 = pads do 0 = 2 to 1000 p + 0 − 1 padsrow . 0 = padsrow . p − 3 / note it is not minus 2 ; have to account for quad neighbor / if padsrow . 0 & lt ; 0 then do ttlrows = o − 1 leave end end start = 1 ; finish = start + c41pc do layer = 1 to 30 wires = 0 do 0 = start to finish wires = padsrow . 0 + wires if ttlrows = 0 then leave end numberwires . layer = wires start = finish + 1 ; finish = startn + c41pc if start & gt ; ttlrows then keave end maxlayers = layer chipsigneed = chipsig / 4 out =‘ signals needed ” layer ” number of wires ” deficit ” needed / wires in layer ’ out_file ˜ lineout ( out ) out =‘ per quadrant ” number ” per layer ’ out_file ˜ lijeout ( out ) do layer = 1 to maxlayers if numberwires . layer & lt ;= 0 then do leave end delta = chipsigneed - numberwires . layer pct = chipsigneed / numberwires . layer pct = format ( pct , 2 , 2 ) out = chipsigneed ’ layer ’ ‘ numberwires . layer ’ ‘ delta ’ ‘ pct out_file ˜ lineout ( out ) chipsigneed = chipsigneed - numberwires . layer if chipsigneed & lt ;= 0 then leave end slccount = layer ’ ‘ pct ’ ************ end of code ************* furthermore , there is provided a tabulation of two outputs as follows : under chart . txt . file : which is a routine that looks at all the possible combinations of a chip carrier given a set of input structure . portion layer lw / space case size rows io pitch pwr / gnd size pitch sigs pwr / gnd layers used full = 1 c4lpc 1 17 3 156 1000 40 % 5 250 94 77 % 1 + 1 0 . 64 42 2 17 4 192 1000 51 % 5 250 94 77 % 1 + 1 0 . 64 42 3 17 5 220 1000 57 % 5 250 94 77 % 1 + 1 0 . 64 42 4 17 6 240 1000 61 % 5 250 94 77 % 1 + 1 0 . 64 42 under slc . txt file : this focuses in on one particular point and gives more detail on how the signals are being signals needed layer number of wires needed / per quadrant number per layer deficit wires in layer 112 . 25 1 45 67 . 25 2 . 49 67 . 25 2 33 3 . 25 2 . 04 34 . 25 3 21 13 . 25 1 . 63 13 . 25 4 9 4 . 25 1 . 47 the foregoing , by way of an example , is in connection with a 5 + 5 slc structure , although other variations are readily implementable through intermediary of the present invention , which essentially is a further improvement on the parent patent application . it will be appreciated that , although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . in particular , it is within the scope of the invention to provide a computer program product or program element , or a program storage or memory device such as a solid or fluid transmission medium , magnetic or optical wire , tape or disc , or the like , for storing signals readable by a machine , for controlling the operation of a computer according to the method of the invention and / or to structure its components in accordance with the system of the invention . further , each step of the method may be executed on any general computer , such as an ibm system 390 , as / 400 , pc or the like and pursuant to one or more , or a part of one or more , program elements , modules or objects generated from any programming language , such as c ++, java , pl / 1 , fortran or the like . and still further , each said step , or a file or object or the like implementing each said step , may be executed by special purpose hardware or a circuit module designed for that purpose . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
in order to clarify the inventions , some examples of its use will now be described in connection with fig1 to 7 fig1 shows a view of a linear actuator unit 100 according to the invention . the linear actuator 100 comprises an electrical motor 114 which is coupled to a transmission 112 , which in turn is coupled to a spindle and spindle nut arrangement to thereby linearly drive an actuation rod / element 111 . the spindle and spindle nut arrangement , in this illustration covered by the spindle outer tube 110 , will convert a rotary motion of the electrical motor 114 and transmission 112 to a linear motion of the actuation rod / element 111 . either the spindle or the spindle nut is driven by / coupled to the transmission depending on the type of linear actuator . the linear actuator 100 according to the invention further comprises an absolute rotary position sensor 150 , control electronics 116 and a power / control connector 118 . the power / control connector ( s ) 118 are to provide the linear actuator 100 with power and a control connection to either discrete control switches , a bus system , serial or parallel , according to an industry standard or a proprietary one , or a connection to a network , industry standard or proprietary , for controlling and possibly also monitoring the linear actuator . in some embodiments , a control connection is not needed as these linear actuators are directly controlled by connection and reversing of the power . in some embodiments the control electronics 116 will comprise circuitry for conversion of the value output of the absolute rotary position sensor , into a linear position of the actuation rod / element 111 . often it is not necessary to know a numerical value of the position , but only for example when an end stop is being reached . fig2 shows a part of the linear actuator unit according to the invention with a cover of the control electronics removed thus displaying a circuit board 217 comprising circuitry 256 to determine the rotary position of an absolute rotary position sensor 252 , 254 . the absolute rotary position sensor 252 , 254 will suitably be of a full turn or partial turn type and preferably not of a multi - turn type as these are more expensive and not necessary according to the invention . as the rotating part to which the absolute rotary position sensor 252 , 254 is coupled 213 will be of a multi - turn nature , then the circuitry 256 further comprises a counter to count the number of over / under flows of the absolute rotary position sensor 252 , 254 . the absolute rotary position sensor 252 , 254 can be mechanically coupled 213 to a rotating part such as a rotor of the electrical motor , an axle or gear of the transmission 212 , or directly coupled 213 to the spindle or spindle nut of the linear actuator . it is preferable to couple the absolute rotary position sensor to the spindle / screw instead of the motor or another part of the transmission as the measurement then does not get subjected to any play in the gear train . it even makes it possible to correct for gear train play . the absolute rotary position sensor 252 , 254 suitably comprises two parts , one rotating 252 and one stationary . the rotating part 252 of the absolute rotational position sensor , is suitably a magnet or magnet ring , mounted directly or indirectly , i . e . coupled to , a rotating part of the linear actuator , such as a spindle or spindle nut . the non - rotating part 254 of the absolute position sensor , suitably a hall effect sensor , mounted in proximity to the rotating part 252 of the absolute position sensor , suitably on or coupled to the circuit board . the circuitry 256 suitably also comprises non - volatile memory for storage of the count at the time of power shutdown . to properly enable the function of saving the count and optionally the value of the absolute rotational position sensor at or during shutdown , there are embodiments comprising a power storage unit 258 , such as a capacitor / battery to ensure that there is enough power to store the count and possibly the value , when the linear actuator is shut down . finally there is provided means to pass the electrical power 219 through to the electrical motor . fig3 illustrates a functional block diagram of the controller 360 , absolute rotary position sensor 350 and surrounding circuitry according to the invention . there will be electrical power supply line ( s ) 340 that are regulated and controlled 348 before being fed as power 349 to an electrical motor ( not shown ). control signals 364 from the controller 360 determine how the control circuitry 348 for the electrical motor will regulate the power supply 340 . the electrical motor can be controlled to determine end stops , be given a lower power close to the end stops , determine direction of operation and also be provided with safety functions such as overload protection . end stop determination and overload protection are according to the invention done in conjunction with the absolute rotary position sensor 350 . if a rate of movement according to the absolute rotary position sensor 350 changes for a given amount of power , this could be an indication of approaching an end stop during end stop calibration ; or , during ordinary operation if the linear actuator is not close to an end stop , could be an indication of increasing load . it is also possible to detect any drift in the mechanical system when the actuator is not driven . if movement is detected , either a warning / error message can be generated and sent and / or the motor can be activated to counter this undesired movement , i . e . act as an active stop . the electronic circuitry is supplied with regulated power through a power supply regulator 343 . the regulator 343 suitably has reserve power 358 comprising for example a capacitor or a battery . the reserve power 358 is used to ensure that the controller 360 , non - volatile memory 370 and absolute rotary position sensor 350 have sufficient power to fulfill shutdown sequences even though the main power 340 has gone . shutdown sequences will typically comprise saving a shutdown count and possibly a shutdown value into the non - volatile memory 370 . preferably the controller 360 , such as a micro controller or asic , is connected to a control bus or network through one or more control lines 362 . such a control network can then suitably control more than one linear actuator . fig4 a , 4 b , and 4 c show different types of absolute rotary position sensors and their output over a full turn of a rotating element that the absolute rotary position sensor is connected to . the figures illustrate the absolute rotary position sensor output 405 in relation to rotational angle 407 , where one full turn 409 is indicated . fig4 a illustrates an absolute rotary position sensor with a full turn 470 unambiguous output . fig4 b illustrates an absolute rotary position sensor with a third of a full turn 473 , 474 , 475 of unambiguous output . and finally fig4 c illustrates an absolute rotary position sensor with less than a full turn 478 , 479 of unambiguous output . since the linear actuator according to the invention also uses an under - flow / over - flow count , it does not matter if the absolute rotary position sensor has a full turn or a partial turn unambiguous output . in fig4 b , there is illustrated an overflow 481 when the output value 405 goes from a maximum angle representation to a minimum angle representation and also illustrated an underflow 483 when the output value goes from a minimum angle representation to a maximum angle representation . it would be ideal to have a multi - turn absolute rotary position sensor with more turns than a measured rotating member will rotate during a full stroke of the actuation element . however , with the current invention of having a limited absolute rotary position sensor in combination with an over -/ under - flow counter , a cheap and robust solution is given . the linear actuator according to the invention is able to determine if there has been movement of the actuation element during shutdown . the value of the absolute rotary position sensor has to be saved and the allowable / detectable movement during shutdown is limited by the range of the absolute rotary position sensor . detectable , thus allowable movement during shutdown is plus / minus half the range of the absolute rotary position sensor . the solution according to the invention does not rely on any power being supplied when the linear actuator is shut off . it is only required during a shutdown phase to be able to get a higher accuracy of where the actuation element really is when stopped . fig5 shows a flow chart of a basic functionality of the absolute position sensor according to the invention . in a first step 510 it is determined if there is a rotation or not . in a second step 520 , if there is rotation , it is determined if we are still within the absolute rotational position sensor range , or if there is an under or overflow of the sensor output . in a third step 530 , if it is determined that there is an under - or over - flow , then the counter is adjusted accordingly by counting up one if there has been an overflow and by counting down one if there has been an underflow . in a fourth step 540 it is determined if there is a power loss / shutdown or not . in a fifth step 550 if it is determined that there is a power loss / shutdown , then the count is stored in a non - volatile memory . optionally in a sixth step 560 , if there is a power loss / shutdown , then the absolute rotary position sensor value is also stored in a non - volatile memory . fig6 shows a flow chart of an optional check of a linear actuator with an absolute position sensor according to the invention . in a first step 600 it is determined if there is a power - up or not , if there is , then this routine / process is executed . in a second step 610 a stored count in the non - volatile memory is retrieved and the counter is updated with this count . in a third step 620 a stored value of the absolute rotary position sensor in the non - volatile memory is retrieved . in a fourth step 630 a current value of the absolute rotary position sensor is acquired / determined . in a fifth step 640 the retrieved stored value is compared with the determined current value of the absolute rotary position sensor , to determine if there has been an underflow / overflow during shutdown or not . in a sixth step 650 , if it determined that there has been an overflow / underflow , then the counter is updated accordingly by counting up one if there has been an overflow and by counting down one if there has been an underflow . in a seventh step 660 the retrieved stored value is compared with the determined current value , and if the difference is less than a first predetermined amount , then the routine / process is terminated without further action with an eleventh step 699 . if the difference is equal or greater than the first predetermined amount , then the process continues with an eighth step 670 where the retrieved stored value is compared with the determined current value in relation to a second predetermined amount . if it is determined that the difference is less than the second predetermined amount then in a ninth step 680 a warning action is performed . if it is determined that the difference is equal or greater than the second predetermined amount then in a tenth step 690 an error action is performed . the error action can include a recalibration . in the eleventh step 699 further processing after power - up is done . fig7 shows a flow chart of an optional virtual end stop determination of a linear actuator with an absolute position sensor according to the invention . in a first step 705 it is determined if it is the first power - up or a recalibration , if so then this routine / process is executed . in a second step 710 the electrical motor power is set to a low / calibration value . in a third step 715 the electrical motor / linear actuator is set to run in a first direction . in a fourth step 720 it is determined if the absolute rotary position sensor registers a movement or not . in a fifth step 725 , when it is determined that the movement has stopped , then the electrical motor is stopped . in a sixth step 730 a count of the counter and a value of the absolute rotary position sensor is determined in a seventh step 735 the first end stop is set to the position determined by the absolute rotary position sensor value and the count of the counter minus a predetermined amount . in an eighth step 740 the electrical motor / linear actuator is set to run in a second direction . in a ninth step 745 it is determined if the absolute rotary position sensor registers a movement or not . in a tenth step 750 , if it is determined that the movement has stopped , then the electrical motor is stopped . in an eleventh step 755 the count of the counter is read and the value of the absolute rotary position sensor is read . in a twelfth step 760 a second end stop is set to the position determined by the absolute rotary position sensor and counter , minus a predetermined amount . in a thirteenth step 765 the electrical motor power is set to a normal / nominal value . the fourteenth step 770 exits the routine / process . the invention is not restricted to the above - described embodiments , but may be varied within the scope of the following claims . fig1 shows a view of a linear actuator unit according to the invention , 100 a linear actuator unit according to the invention 110 spindle outer tube 111 actuation rod , inner tube , 112 transmission , 114 electrical motor , 116 control electronics , 118 connector , power / control , 150 absolute rotary position sensor . fig2 shows a cross section of a part of the linear actuator unit according to the invention , 212 transmission , 213 coupling to absolute position sensor , 217 circuit board , 218 power / control connector , 219 connector to electrical motor , 252 first part of absolute position sensor , suitably a magnet or magnet ring , mounted directly or indirectly , i . e . coupled to , a rotating part of the linear actuator , such as a spindle or nut 254 second part of absolute position sensor , suitably a hall effect sensor , mounted in proximity to the first part of the absolute position sensor , suitably on or coupled to the circuit board , 256 circuitry to determine the rotary position , comprising a counter to count the number of over / under flows of the absolute rotary position sensor , and a memory for storage of the count at the time of power shutdown , 258 power storage , such as a capacitor / battery to ensure that there is enough power to store the count when the linear actuator is shut down . fig3 shows a functional block diagram of the controller and absolute position sensor according to the invention , 340 electrical power supply line ( s ), 343 power supply regulator for electronic circuitry , 345 regulated power supply to electronic circuitry , 348 control circuitry for electrical motor power , 349 power to electrical motor , 350 absolute rotary position sensor , 358 electrical power storage , such as a capacitor or battery , for supplying power to electronic circuitry during linear actuator shutdown , 360 controller , such as a micro controller or asic ( application specific integrated circuit ), 362 optional control signal lines , 364 control signals from controller to control circuitry for electrical motor , 370 memory for storage during shut down of a count of over / under flow of absolute rotary position sensor . fig4 a , 4 b , and 4 c show different types of absolute rotary position sensors and their output over a full turn . 405 absolute rotary position sensor output , 407 rotational position of spindle / nut / motor rotor / gear in transmission , 409 one full turn of spindle / nut / motor rotor / gear in transmission to which absolute rotary position sensor is coupled , 470 one full turn output of a one full turn absolute rotary position sensor , 473 first full range output of a one third partial turn absolute rotary position sensor , 474 second full range output of a one third partial turn absolute rotary position sensor , 475 third full range output of a one third partial turn absolute rotary position sensor , 478 first full range output of a partial turn absolute rotary position sensor , 479 start of second full range output of a partial turn absolute rotary position sensor fig5 shows a flow chart of a basic functionality of the absolute position sensor according to the invention , 510 is there rotation ?, 520 if there is rotation , are we still within absolute rotational position sensor range , or is there an under or overflow , 530 if there is an under or overflow , then adjust counter accordingly , 540 is there a power loss / shutdown ? 550 if there is a power loss / shutdown , then store count in non - volatile memory , 560 optionally , if there is a power loss / shutdown , then also store the absolute rotary position sensor value . fig6 shows a flow chart of an optional check of a linear actuator with an absolute position sensor according to the invention , 600 if there is a power - up then do this routine / process , 610 retrieve count stored in the non - volatile memory and update counter with this count , 620 retrieve absolute rotary position sensor value stored in the non - volatile memory , 630 acquire / determine current value of absolute rotary position sensor , 640 compare retrieved value with current value , and if the difference shows that there has been an under or overflow during shutdown , then continue with step 650 , otherwise continue with step 660 , 650 if there has been determined that there has been an overflow or underflow during shutdown , then adjust counter accordingly , 660 compare retrieved value with current value , and if the difference is less than a first amount , then exit routine / process without further action , otherwise continue with step 670 670 compare retrieved value with current value in relation to a second amount , 680 if the difference is less than the second amount then do a warning action , can be a message sent back to a controller via communication network , 690 if the difference is equal or greater than the second amount then do an error action , such as a recalibration , 699 further processing after power - up . fig7 shows a flow chart of an optional virtual end stop determination of a linear actuator with an absolute position sensor according to the invention , 705 if it is the first power - up or a recalibration , then do this routine / process , 710 set electrical motor power to low / calibration value , 715 set electrical motor / linear actuator to run in a first direction , 720 check that the absolute rotary position sensor registers a movement , 725 when movement has stopped , then stop electrical motor , 730 read count of counter , read value of absolute rotary position sensor , 735 set first end stop to position determined by absolute rotary position sensor and counter minus a predetermined value , 740 set electrical motor / linear actuator to run in a second direction , 745 check that the absolute rotary position sensor registers a movement , 750 when movement has stopped , then stop electrical motor , 755 read count of counter , read value of absolute rotary position sensor , 760 set second end stop to position determined by absolute rotary position sensor and counter minus a predetermined value , 765 set electrical motor power to normal value , 770 exit routine / process .	7
hereinafter , exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . hereinafter , a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described . the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as those of fig1 and fig1 described above , and the detailed description thereof will be omitted . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a semiconductor storage device 10 . as shown in fig1 , the semiconductor storage device 10 includes a memory cell array 12 in which plural memory cells including a mos transistor or the like are arranged . namely , in the memory cell array 12 , plural word lines wl disposed in a column direction are arranged to intersect plural bit lines bl disposed in a row direction perpendicular to the column direction . in the memory cell array 12 , memory cells ( not shown ) are disposed at the intersecting portion of the word lines wl and the bit lines bl , respectively . a gate of each memory cell is connected to the word line wl . a source and a drain of each memory cell are connected to the bit line bl . the word lines wl are connected to a row decoder 14 , and the bit lines bl are connected to a column decoder 16 . the row decoder 14 and the column decoder 16 are connected to a controller 18 . the controller 18 controls an operation such as writing , reading , or erasing of data to / or / from the memory cell array 12 . when receiving operation for any one of writing , reading , and erasing of data from the outside , the controller 18 outputs voltages or signals to the row decoder 14 or the column decoder 16 , to select the word lines wl or the bit lines bl depending on the details of the received operation . fig2 is a circuit diagram illustrating the row decoder 14 . according to this exemplary embodiment . as shown in fig2 , the row decoder 14 includes an lv_slct signal output circuit 20 , a level shift circuit 22 , and a word line selection circuit 24 . the lv_slct output circuit 20 includes an inverter 26 and an nand circuit 28 . a signal hvxb from the controller 18 is input to one input terminal of the nand circuit 28 . an output signal of the inverter 26 is input to the other input terminal of the nand circuit 28 . the nand circuit 28 outputs a signal lv_slct , which is a negative logic signal of the inputted signals , to the level shift circuit 22 . the level shift circuit 22 includes a pmos transistor p 1 , dmos transistors d 1 and d 2 , and nmos transistors n 1 and n 2 . signals lv_slct , slct , vwlx , hvxd , and vwlxd are input from the controller 18 to the level shift circuit 22 , and a signal hv_slctb is output to the word line selection circuit 24 , depending on the input status of the above signals . the word line selection circuit 24 includes a pmos transistor p 2 ; pmos transistors p 30 , p 31 , . . . , p 3 n disposed for each hvxpb [ n : 0 ] signals ; pmos transistors p 30 a , p 31 a , . . . , p 3 na to which a signal vwlxp is input and which are disposed in accordance with the number lines of word lines wl ; and nmos transistors n 30 , n 31 , . . . , n 3 n , n 40 , n 41 , . . . , n 4 n , and n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n disposed for each xpb [ n : 0 ] signals . fig3 is a chart illustrating the voltage values of the signals in normal operation ( normal ) that uses a normal voltage when reading data , and in high voltage operation ( hv ) that uses a high voltage , for example , when writing or erasing data , in selection and non - selection of the word lines . fig4 a is a diagram illustrating a timing chart of the respective signals in the normal operation . fig4 b is a diagram illustrating a timing chart of the respective signals in the high voltage operation . vpp shown in fig3 is a high voltage supplied from an external power supply ( not shown ). an example of vpp is 10 . 0 [ v ]. vcc is a voltage supplied from the external power supply ( not shown ). examples of vcc are 3 . 0 to 4 . 0 [ v ]. vnn is a ground potential and an example of vnn is 0 . 0 [ v ]. irrespective to the normal operation or the high voltage operation , slct becomes “ h ” when any one of the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] is selected . further , irrespective to the normal operation or the high voltage operation , the slct becomes “ l ” when none of the word lines are selected . here , “ h ” is vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] and “ l ” is 0 . 0 [ v ]. when the slct becomes “ h ”, hvxpb [ n : 0 ] corresponding to the selected word line becomes 3 . 0 [ v ] in the normal operation , and becomes 10 . 0 [ v ] in the high voltage operation . accordingly , in the normal operation , 3 . 0 [ v ] is supplied to the selected word line wl , and in the high voltage operation , 10 . 0 [ v ] is supplied to the selected word line wl . hvxb becomes “ h ” in the normal operation and becomes “ l ” in the high voltage operation , irrespective to the selection or the non - selection of a word line . vwlx becomes 3 . 0 [ v ] in the normal operation and becomes 10 . 0 [ v ] in the high voltage operation , irrespective to the selection or the non - selection of a word line . hvxd becomes 0 . 0 [ v ] in the normal operation and becomes 10 . 0 [ v ] in the high voltage operation , irrespective to the selection or the non - selection of a word line . vwlxd becomes 0 . 0 [ v ] in the normal operation and becomes 3 . 0 [ v ] in the high voltage operation , irrespective to the selection or the non - selection of a word line . xpb becomes “ l ” in the selection of a word line and becomes “ h ” in the non - selection of a word line , irrespective to the normal operation or the high voltage operation . vnn is 0 . 0 [ v ] irrespective to the selection of a word line , the non - selection of a word line , the normal operation , and the high voltage operation . first , an operation for selecting a word line in the normal operation will be described . when selecting a word line wl , the controller 18 outputs the signal hvxb =“ h ” to the lv_slct output circuit 20 . further , the controller 18 outputs hvxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], and the vwlx = vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 22 . furthermore , the controller 18 outputs vwlxp = 0 . 0 [ v ] and vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ] to the word line selection circuit 24 . hereinafter , an operation for selecting the word line wl 0 and supplying the signal vcc to the word line wl 0 , will be described as an example for selecting a word line in the normal operation . note that , “ h ”= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] and “ l ”= 0 . 0 [ v ]. in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ h ”, hvxpb [ 0 ]= 0 . 0 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”, hvxpb [ n : 1 ]= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ” to each circuit . note that , n is a positive integer , and hvxpb [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] correspond to n + 1 lines of the word lines wl . an operation of the lv_slct output circuit 20 will be described . the lv_slct output circuit 20 operates as lv_slct = slct based on hvxb =“ h ”. accordingly , lv_slct becomes “ h ” because of slct =“ h ”. next , an operation of the level shift circuit 22 will be described . dmos transistors d 1 and d 2 are in a conductive state based on hvxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], and vwlx = vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], irrespective to the logical value of slct and lv_slct . therefore , the level shift circuit 22 operates as an inverter circuit configured by the pmos transistor p 1 and the nmos transistor n 1 . accordingly , the level shift circuit 22 outputs the lv_slct =“ h ” input from the lv_slct output circuit 20 , as hv_slctb =“ l ” to the word line selection circuit 24 . hereinafter , an operation of the word line selection circuit 24 will be described . all the nmos transistors n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n in which the inverse logic of slct is input to the gates become a non - conductive state based on slct =“ h ”. here , to select the word line wl 0 , hvxpb [ 0 ] is 0 . 0 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ] is “ l ”, hvxpb [ n : 1 ] are vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ] are “ h ”. the pmos transistors p 2 , p 30 , and p 30 a become a conductive state based on hv_slctb =“ l ”, hvxpb [ 0 ]= 0 . 0 [ v ], and vwlxp = 0 . 0 [ v ]. the nmos transistor n 30 becomes a non - conductive state based on xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”. due thereto , the word line wl 0 is connected to vwlx = vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] and is disconnected from vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ]. accordingly , word line wl 0 becomes vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ]. further , the other word lines wl are disconnected from vwlx and are connected to vnn based on hvxpb [ n : 1 ]= 3 . 0 [ v ] and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ”. accordingly , wl [ n : 1 ] become 0 . 0 [ v ]. note that when slct =“ h ”, hvxpb [ n : 0 ]= 0 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 0 ]=“ l ”, all the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] may be selected , as in the above - described case of the selection of the word line wl 0 . accordingly , wl [ n : 0 ] become vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ]. next , an operation for selecting none of the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] will be described . in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ l ” to the lv_slct output circuit 20 . for hvxpb [ n : 0 ], an in put of vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] may be input , and for xpb [ n : 0 ] an arbitrary input value of “ h ” or “ l ” may be input . by inputting slct =“ l ”, lv_slct = 0 . 0 [ v ] becomes hv_slctb = 3 . 0 [ v ]. therefore , the pmos transistor p 2 becomes a non - conductive state . on the other hand , all the nmos transistors n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n , into which the inverse logic of the signal slct is input , become a conductive state . due thereto , the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] are disconnected from the signal vwlx and are connected to the signal vnn . accordingly , wl [ n : 0 ] become 0 . 0 [ v ]. next , an operation for selecting a word line while in the high voltage operation will be described . the controller 18 outputs slct =“ h ” and hvxb =“ l ” to the lv_slct output circuit 20 . the controller 18 outputs hvxd = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ], and vwlx = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 22 . the controller 18 outputs vwlxp = 3 . 0 [ v ] and vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ] to the word line selection circuit 24 . note that , “ h ”= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] and “ l ”= 0 . 0 [ v ]. in the voltage value , slct of the level shift circuit 22 , hv_slctb of the level shift circuit 22 , and hvxpb [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] of the word line selection circuit 24 are different from each other , depending on the selection of a word line wl . hereinafter , an operation for selecting the word line wl 0 and supplying wl 0 = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] will be described , as an example for the selecting a word line . in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ h ”, hvxpb [ 0 ]= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”, hvxpb [ n : 1 ]= vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ” to each circuit . note that , n is a positive integer , and hvxpb [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] correspond to n + 1 lines of word lines wl . an operation of the lv_slct output circuit 20 will be described . the signal lv_slct output from the lv_slct output circuit 20 is fixed to lv_slct = vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] based on slct =“ h ” and hvxb =“ l ”. next , an operation of the level shift circuit 22 will be described . irrespective to the logical value of the signal slct , the pmos transistor p 1 and the nmos transistor n 2 are in a conductive state based on lv_slct = 3 . 0 [ v ], hvxd = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ], and vwlx = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ]. when the gate voltage of the dmos transistor d 2 is equal to “ h ”= 3 . 0 [ v ] based on slct =“ h ”, the dmos transistor d 2 is connected to the signal vwlxd , so that the voltage of the signal hv_slctb is lowered . when the voltage of the signal hv_slctb is lowered , the driving force of the dmos transistor d 1 connected to the signal hv_slctb is further lowered . at this time , in order to lower the voltage of the signal hv_slctb to near vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ], the driving force of the dmos transistor dl is adjusted to be considerably lower than the driving force of the dmos transistor d 2 . on the contrary , when no word line is selected , slct =“ l ” is input to the level shift circuit 22 . when the gate voltage of the dmos transistor d 2 is “ l ”= 0 . 0 [ v ], the dmos transistor d 2 becomes a non - conductive state based on a source voltage = vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ]. on the other hand , the dmos transistor d 1 maintains the conductive state . therefore , the signal hv_slctb increases up to vwlx = 10 . 0 [ v ]. thus , the level shift circuit 22 operates as a level shifter , configured by the dmos transistors d 1 and d 2 , that shifts the voltage range of vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ]/ 0 . 0 [ v ] to the voltage range of vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ]/ vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], and as an inverter circuit . note that , a relation of hv_slctb becomes 3 . 0 [ v ] from slct =“ h ”= 3 . 0 [ v ]. an operation of the word line selection circuit 24 will be described . all the nmos transistors n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n , in which the inverse logic of the signal slct is input to the gate terminal , become a conductive state based on slct =“ h ”. note that , since the word line wl 0 is selected , hvxpb [ 0 ] becomes 3 . 0 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ] becomes “ l ”, hvxpb [ n : 1 ] become vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ] become “ h ”. the pmos transistors p 2 , p 30 , and p 30 a become a conductive state based on relations of hv_slctb = 3 . 0 [ v ], hvxpb [ 0 ]= 3 . 0 [ v ], and vwlxp = 3 . 0 [ v ]. the nmos transistor n 30 becomes a non - conductive state based on xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”. thus , the word line wl 0 is connected to vwlx = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] and is disconnected from vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ]. therefore , wl 0 becomes vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ]. further , the other word lines wl 1 to wln are disconnected from vwlx , and are connected to the signal vnn based on hvxpb [ n : 1 ]= vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ”. therefore , wl [ n : 1 ] become 0 . 0 [ v ]. when slct =“ h ”, hvxpb [ n : 0 ]= 3 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 0 ]=“ l ”, all the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] may be selected , as in the above - described case of the selection of the word line wl 0 . accordingly , wl [ n : 0 ] become vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ]. next , an operation for selecting none of the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] will be described . in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ l ”. for hvxpb [ n : 0 ], vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] or vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] may be input , and for xpb [ n : 0 ] an arbitrary input value of “ h ” or “ l ” may be input . by inputting slct =“ l ”, hv_slctb becomes 10 . 0 [ v ]. therefore , the pmos transistor p 2 becomes a non - conductive state . on the other hand , all the nmos transistors n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n , into which the inverse logic of slct is input , become a conductive state . thus , the word line wl [ n : 0 ] are disconnected from the signal vwlx and are connected to the signal vnn . accordingly , wl [ n : 0 ] becomes 0 . 0 [ v ]. the row decoder 14 according to the first exemplary embodiment includes the level shift circuit 22 that shifts the voltage range so that the voltage applied to the electrodes of the pmos transistor p 30 and the like of the word line selection circuit 24 is in the range from 0 . 0 [ v ] to vcc in the normal operation , and is not in the range from 0 . 0 [ v ] to vpp but in the range from vcc to vpp in the high voltage operation . thus , it is not necessary for the row decoder 14 according to the first exemplary embodiment to use a high - voltage pmos transistor for the pmos transistor p 30 and the like , in the word line selection circuit 24 . accordingly , in the row decoder 14 according to the first exemplary embodiment may prevent an increase in the area of a circuit , and may maintain high operation speed . next , a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig5 is a circuit diagram illustrating a row decoder 14 a according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the row decoder 14 a according to the second exemplary embodiment is different from the row decoder 14 , described with reference to fig2 according to the first exemplary embodiment , in that a level shift circuit 30 is disposed instead of the lv_slct output circuit 20 . a level shift circuit 22 and a word line selection circuit 24 are the same of those of the row decoder 14 . in the level shift circuit 30 , pmos transistors p 4 and p 5 and nmos transistors n 6 , n 7 , and n 8 are connected , as shown in fig5 . in fig6 , the voltage values of the respective signals in normal operation ( normal ) that uses a normal voltage when reading data , and in high voltage operation ( hv ) that uses a high voltage , for example , when writing or erasing data , in selection and non - selection of the word lines , are shown . in fig7 a , a timing chart of the respective signals in the normal operation is shown . in fig7 b , a timing chart of the respective signals in the high voltage operation is shown . first , an operation for selecting a word line in the normal operation will be described . the controller 18 outputs hvx =“ l ”, hvxb =“ h ”, and vcwx = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 30 . a signal vcw is a voltage which is supplied from an internal power supply ( not shown ). the controller 18 outputs hvxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], and vwlx = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 22 . the controller 18 outputs the vwlxp = 0 . 0 [ v ] and the vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ] to the word line selection circuit 24 . note that , “ h ”= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] and “ l ”= 0 . 0 [ v ]. the signals slct and lv_slct of the level shift circuit 30 , the hv_slctb of the level shift circuit 22 , and the signals hvxpb [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] of the word line selection circuit 24 , are different from each other in a voltage value , depending on the selection of a word line wl . hereinafter , as an example for the selecting a word line , an operation for selecting the word line wl 0 and supplying wl 0 = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] will be described . in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ h ”, hvxpb [ 0 ]= 0 . 0 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”, hvxpb [ n : 1 ]= vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ” to each circuit . note that , n is a positive integer , and hvxpb [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] correspond to n + 1 lines of word lines wl . next , an operation of the level shift circuit 30 will be described . the level shift circuit 30 operates as a level shift circuit which shifts the signal from vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] to vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] based on hvx =“ l ” and hvxb =“ h ”. accordingly , the level shift circuit 30 shifts slct =“ h ”= vcc to lv_slct = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] and outputs the shifted signal to the level shift circuit 22 at the rear stage thereof . the same description of the other operations as those of the first exemplary embodiment will be omitted in fig8 , the voltage states at the portions are shown when a word line is selected in the high voltage operation . in fig9 , the voltage states at the portions are shown when no word line is selected in the high voltage operation . the row decoder 14 according to the second exemplary embodiment includes the level shift circuit 22 that shifts the voltage range , so that the voltage applied to the electrodes of the pmos transistor p 30 and the like of the word line selection circuit 24 is in the range from 0 . 0 [ v ] to vcc , in the normal operation , and is not in the range from 0 . 0 [ v ] to vpp but in the range from vcc to vpp , in the high voltage operation . accordingly , the row decoder 14 according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is not necessary to use a high - voltage pmos transistor for the pmos transistor p 30 and the like of the word line selection circuit 24 . accordingly , in the row decoder 14 according to this exemplary embodiment may prevent an increase in the area of a circuit , and may maintain a high operation speed . next , a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig1 is a circuit diagram illustrating a row decoder 14 b according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the row decoder 14 b according to the third exemplary embodiment is different from the row decoder 14 a , described with reference to fig5 according to the second exemplary embodiment , in that the pmos transistors p 2 of the word line selection circuit 24 are not used , and hv_slctb and hvxp are input to the gates and the sources of the pmos transistors p 30 , p 31 , . . . , p 3 n , respectively . note that the level shift circuits 30 and 22 are the same of those of the row decoder 14 a according to the second exemplary embodiment . in fig1 , the voltage values of the respective signals in normal operation ( normal ) that uses a normal voltage when reading data , and in high voltage operation ( hv ) that uses a high voltage , for example , when writing or erasing data , in selection and non - selection of the word lines , are shown . first , an operation for selecting a word line in the normal operation will be described . in the selection operation in the normal operation , the controller 18 outputs hvx =“ l ”, hvxb =“ h ”, vcwx = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 30 . further , the controller 18 outputs hvxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 0 . 0 [ v ] and vwlx = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 22 . the controller 18 outputs vwlxp = 0 . 0 [ v ] and vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ] to the word line selection circuit 24 . note that , “ h ”= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] and “ l ”= 0 . 0 [ v ]. the voltage value of slct and lv_slct of the level shift circuit 30 , the hv_slctb of the level shift circuit 22 , and the signals hvxp [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] of the word line selection circuit 24 are different from each other due to the selection of a word line wl . hereinafter , an operation for selecting the word line wl 0 and supplying wl 0 = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] will be described , as an example for selecting of a word line . in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ h ”, hvxp [ 0 ]= vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”, hvxp [ n : 1 ]= 0 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ” to each circuit . note that , n is a positive integer , and hvxp [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] correspond to n + 1 lines of word lines wl . an operation of the level shift circuit 30 will be described . the level shift circuit 30 operates as a level shift circuit which shifts the signal from vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] to vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] based on hvx =“ l ” and hvxb =“ h ”. accordingly , the level shift circuit 30 outputs the input slct =“ h ”= vcc as lv_slct = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 22 at the rear stage thereof . next , an operation of the level shift circuit 22 will be described . the dmos transistors d 1 and d 2 are always in a conductive state based on hvxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 0 . 0 [ v ], and vwlx = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ], irrespective to the logical value of the signals slct and lv_slct . therefore , the level shift circuit 22 operates as an inverter circuit configured by the pmos transistor p 1 and the nmos transistor n 1 . accordingly , the level shift circuit 22 outputs the input lv_slct = 3 . 6 [ v ] as hv_slctb = 0 . 0 [ v ] to the word line selection circuit 24 . next , an operation of the word line selection circuit 24 will be described . all the nmos transistors n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n in which the inverse logic of slct is input to the gate terminals become a non - conductive state based on slct =“ h ”. here , since the word line wl 0 is selected , hvxp [ 0 ] becomes vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ] becomes “ l ”, hvxp [ n : 1 ] become 0 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ] become “ h ”. the pmos transistors p 30 and p 30 a become a conductive state based on hv_slctb = 0 . 0 [ v ], hvxp [ 0 ]= 3 . 6 [ v ], and vwlxp = 0 . 0 [ v ]. the nmos transistors n 30 , n 31 , . . . , n 3 n become a non - conductive state based on xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”. thus , the word line wl 0 is connected to hvxp [ 0 ]= vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] and is disconnected from vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ]. accordingly , wl 0 becomes vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ]. the other word lines wl are disconnected from hvxp [ n : 1 ] and are connected to vnn based on hvxp [ n : 1 ]= 0 . 0 [ v ], vwlxp = 0 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ”. accordingly , wl [ n : 1 ] become 0 . 0 [ v ]. when slct =“ h ”, hvxp [ n : 0 ]= vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 0 ]=“ l ”, all the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] may be selected , as in the above - described case of the selection of the word line wl 0 . accordingly , wl [ n : 0 ] become vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ]. next , an operation for selecting none of the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] will be described . in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ l ”. for hvxp [ n : 0 ], vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] or vcw = 0 . 0 [ v ] may be input , and for xpb [ n : 0 ] an arbitrary input value of “ h ” or “ l ” may be input . by inputting slct =“ l ”, lv_slct = 0 . 0 [ v ] becomes hv_slctb = 3 . 6 [ v ]. therefore , the pmos transistors p 30 , p 31 , . . . , p 3 n become a non - conductive state . on the other hand , all the nmos transistors n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n , into which the inverse logic of the signal slct is input , become a conductive state . thus , since the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] are disconnected from the signal hvxp [ n : 0 ] and are connected to the vnn , wl [ n : 0 ] become 0 . 0 [ v ]. next , an operation for selecting a word line in the high voltage operation will be described . in this operation , the controller 18 outputs hvx =“ h ”, hvxb =“ l ”, and vcwx = vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 30 . further , the controller 18 outputs hvxd = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ], and vwlx = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] to the level shift circuit 22 . furthermore , the controller 18 outputs vwlxp = 3 . 0 [ v ] and vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ] to the word line selection circuit 24 . note that , “ h ”= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] and “ l ”= 0 . 0 [ v ]. further , in the voltage value , slct of the level shift circuit 30 , the signal hv_slctb of the level shift circuit 22 , and the signals hvxp [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] of the word line selection circuit 24 are different from each other , depending on the selection of a word line wl . hereinafter , an operation for selecting the word line wl 0 and supplying wl 0 = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] will be described as an example for selecting a word line . in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ h ”, hvxp [ 0 ]= vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”, hvxp [ n : 1 ]= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ” to each circuit . note that , n is a positive integer , and hvxp [ n : 0 ] and xpb [ n : 0 ] correspond to n + 1 lines of word lines wl . an operation of the level shift circuit 30 will be described . lv_slct output from the level shift circuit 22 is fixed to lv_slct = vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] based on hvx =“ h ” and hvxb =“ l ”. next , an operation of the level shift circuit 22 will be described . irrespective to the logical value of slct , the pmos transistor p 1 and the nmos transistor n 2 are always in a conductive state , based on lv_slct = 3 . 0 [ v ], hvxd = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ], and vwlx = vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ]. when the gate voltage of the dmos transistor d 2 is equal to “ h ”= 3 . 0 [ v ] based on slct =“ h ”, the dmos transistor d 2 is connected to the signal vwlxd , and the voltage of the signal hv_slctb is lowered . when the voltage of the signal hv_slctb is lowered , the driving force of the dmos transistor d 1 connected to the signal hv_slctb is further lowered . at this time , in order to lower the voltage of the signal hv_slctb to near vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ], the driving force of the dmos transistor d 1 is adjusted to be considerably lower than the driving force of the dmos transistor d 2 . on the contrary , when no word line is selected , slct =“ l ” is input . when the gate voltage of the dmos transistor d 2 is “ l ”= 0 . 0 [ v ], the dmos transistor d 2 becomes a non - conductive state based on a source voltage = vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ]. on the other hand , since the dmos transistor d 1 maintains the conductive state , the signal hv_slctb increases up to vwlx = 10 . 0 [ v ]. thus , the level shift circuit 22 operates as a level shifter , configured by the dmos transistors d 1 and d 2 , that shifts the voltage range of vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ]/ 0 . 0 [ v ] to the voltage range of vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ]/ vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], and as an inverter circuit . here , slct =“ h ”= 3 . 0 [ v ] is output as hv_slctb = 3 . 0 [ v ] to the word line selection circuit 24 . next , an operation of the word line selection circuit 24 will be described . all the nmos transistors n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n , in which the inverse logic of the signal slct is input to the gate terminal , become a non - conductive state based on slct =“ h ”. here , since the word line wl 0 is selected , the controller 18 outputs hvxp [ 0 ]= vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”, hvxp [ n : 1 ]= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ” to the word line selection circuit 24 . the pmos transistors p 30 and p 30 a become a conductive state based on relations of hv_slctb = 3 . 0 [ v ], hvxp [ 0 ]= 10 . 0 [ v ], and vwlxp = 3 . 0 [ v ]. the nmos transistors n 30 , n 31 , . . . , and n 3 n become a non - conductive state based on xpb [ 0 ]=“ l ”. thus , the word line wl 0 is connected to hvxp [ 0 ]= vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] and is disconnected from vnn = 0 . 0 [ v ]. therefore , wl 0 becomes vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ]. the other word lines wl 1 to wln are disconnected from hvxp [ n : 1 ] based on hvxp [ n : 1 ]= vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ], vwlxp = 3 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 1 ]=“ h ” and are connected to the signal vnn . therefore , wl [ n : 1 ] become 0 . 0 [ v ]. when slct =“ h ”, hvxp [ n : 0 ]= vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ], and xpb [ n : 0 ]=“ l ”, all the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] may be selected , as in the above - described case of the selection of the word line wl 0 . accordingly , wl [ n : 0 ] become vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ]. next , an operation for selecting none of the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] will be described . in this case , the controller 18 outputs slct =“ l ”. for hvxp [ n : 0 ], vpp = 10 . 0 [ v ] or vcc = 3 . 0 [ v ] may be input , and for xpb [ n : 0 ] an arbitrary input value of “ h ” or “ l ” may be input . by inputting slct =“ l ”, hv_slctb becomes 10 . 0 [ v ]. therefore , the pmos transistors p 30 , p 31 , . . . , p 3 n become a non - conductive state . on the other hand , all the nmos transistors n 50 , n 51 , . . . , n 5 n , into which the inverse logic of slct is input , become a conductive state . thus , the word lines wl [ n : 0 ] are disconnected from hvxp [ n : 0 ] and are connected to the signal . vnn . accordingly , wl [ n : 0 ] become 0 . 0 [ v ]. in the third exemplary embodiment , the pmos transistor p 2 of the row decoder 14 a shown in fig5 is not used . accordingly , in the row decoder 14 b according to the third exemplary embodiment , the number of transistors may be reduced and a circuit operation may be performed at a high speed . next , a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig1 is a circuit diagram illustrating a row decoder 14 c according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the row decoder 14 c according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is different from the row decoder 14 a , described with reference to fig5 according to the second exemplary embodiment , in that the dmos transistor d 3 is connected to the dmos transistor d 1 in parallel in the level shift circuit 22 . a level shift circuit 30 and a word line selection circuit 24 are the same as those of the row decoder 14 a . first , an operation when slct changes from “ h ” to “ l ” while in the normal operation , will be described . when in an equilibrium state , the voltage of hv_slctb becomes hv_slctb = 0 . 0 [ v ] when slct is “ h ”, and becomes hv_slctb = vcw = 3 . 6 [ v ] when slct is “ l ”. accordingly , when slct changes from “ h ” to “ l ”, the voltage of the hv_slctb increases from 0 . 0 [ v ] to 3 . 6 [ v ] with a time constant . when slct changes from “ h ” to “ l ” in the row decoder 14 a described in the second exemplary embodiment , the dmos transistor d 1 becomes a conductive state , and therefore , the voltage of the signal hv_slctb increases . however , in the fourth exemplary embodiment , since the gate terminal and the source terminal are connected to each other in the dmos transistor d 1 , the voltage between the gate and source is always set to vgs = 0 . 0 [ v ]. when slct is “ h ” in the selection operation of the word line while in the high voltage operation , the voltage of the signal hv_slctb is lowered to near vwlxd = 3 . 0 [ v ]. therefore , in the dmos transistor d 1 , the driving force is adjusted to be considerably lowered when compared to the dmos transistor d 2 . due thereto , in the row decoder 14 a according to the second exemplary embodiment , the time constant of the signal hv_slctb becomes larger relatively , when the voltage increases from 0 . 0 [ v ] to 3 . 6 [ v ]. on the other hand , in the row decoder 14 c according to the fourth exemplary embodiment , the dmos transistor d 3 is added to the row decoder 14 a and is connected to the dmos transistor d 1 in parallel : therefore , when slct is “ l ”, the gate terminal of the dmos transistor d 3 becomes “ h ”. accordingly , when the signal slct changes from “ h ” to “ l ” in the row decoder 14 c , not only the dmos transistor d 1 but also the dmos transistor d 3 becomes a conductive state of vgs = 3 . 0 [ v ]. when slct is “ h ” in the selection operation of a word line while in the high voltage operation , the dmos transistor . d 3 becomes a non - conductive state of vgs & lt ;− 3 . 0 [ v ]. therefore , in the fourth exemplary embodiment , the driving force of the dmos transistor d 3 is not required to be lowered than the driving force of the dmos transistor d 2 . thus , in the row decoder 14 c according to the fourth exemplary embodiment , the transition of hv_slctb ( from 0 . 0 [ v ] to 3 . 6 [ v ]) may be performed at a high speed in the selection operation of a word line in the normal operation .	6
fig1 shows a longitudinal path slide designated as a whole as 10 . the longitudinal path slide 10 comprises a housing 12 which constitutes an inner space 14 . the inner space 14 is configured symetrically to a longitudinal axis 16 . an inner wall 18 of the inner space 14 is provided with a slideway 20 which is preferably produced by a casting method in a known way . when we consider the housing 12 in cross section , it is formed for example cylindrically , in particular however as a right parallelepiped . correspondingly , the inner space 14 , considered in cross section , has a round or preferably a rectangular cross - sectional area . an outer face 22 of the housing 12 preferably forms a mounting surface and possesses a groove 24 for receiving a feather key or the like which serves for positioning and for absorbing the shifting forces . a slide 26 which is guided completely free from backlash in the slideway is placed inside the housing 12 , thus in the inner space 14 . considered in cross section , the slide 26 possesses a contour which is adapted to the inner space 14 , is thus preferably configured as a right parallelepiped . the slide 26 forms a prismatic slide . the slide 26 possesses a section 28 , protruding lengthwise over the housing 12 , which constitutes an actuation surface 30 . the actuation surface 30 serves for example for receiving tools which are not represented in detail , for example cutting tools or the like , or as a pressure or as a pressing surface which is brought into a bearing contact with a subject to be machined . the forces which the slide 26 must apply in axial direction and resulting transverse forces are within the range of 10 kn to 150 kn , in individual cases also up to 250 kn . because of an off - center load of the slide 26 during the working process , in particular for cutting tools placed on the slide 26 , transverse forces which act onto the slide 26 can be a multiple of the nominal longitudinal force . the housing 12 is closed at its end opposite the section 28 of the slide 26 by a sealing flange 32 . the sealing flange 32 is connected with the housing 12 by intercalating an intermediate plate 34 over connecting means 36 . thus , the inner space 14 becomes a blind opening so that a motion stopper is constituted for the slide 26 by the sealing flange 32 or the intermediate plate 34 . the slide 26 forms for its own part a blind opening 38 which is open in direction of the intermediate plate 34 . the blind opening 38 serves for receiving a hydraulic driving gear designated as a whole as 40 . the hydraulic driving gear 40 is thus integrated into the slide 26 . the blind opening 38 of the slide 26 forms the cylinder of the hydraulic driving gear which receives a working piston . the working piston comprises a piston rod 42 which engages with an ring shoulder 44 into a ring groove 46 constituted correspondingly by the sealing flange 32 and the intermediate plate 34 . the piston rod 42 is thus positioned aligned with the longitudinal axis 16 . the piston rod 42 is thus placed fixed , i . e . not movable lengthwise . the piston rod 42 is coaxially encompassed by a guiding element 48 which constitutes a first section 50 forming a cylinder tube 50 ′ and a second section 52 . the sections 50 and 52 have a circumferential backlash of approximately 0 . 5 mm to the inner wall 54 of the blind opening 38 of the slide 26 . a guiding without any backlash is also possible . it comes to the formation of an ring space 56 between the guiding element 48 and the piston rod 42 . the section 50 of the guiding element 48 is closed pressure sealed by a plug 58 at its front side turned to the section 28 of the slide 26 . the plug 58 is screwed into the cylinder tube 50 ′, i . e . it is screwed by means of an external thread 60 into an internal thread of the cylinder tube 50 ′. a gasket 62 which is outlined here is additionally provided . the sections 50 and 52 of the guiding element 48 are non - positively connected with each other , for example over a thread connection 64 . for this purpose , the sections 50 and 52 are provided with respective corresponding recesses at their ends which are turned to each other . the piston rod 42 possesses a first section 66 with a smaller diameter and a second section 68 with a bigger diameter . a transition piece 70 is placed on the section 66 , this transition piece being placed tightly to the piston rod 42 with a gasket 72 and to the guiding element 48 with gaskets 84 . thus , there comes to the constitution of a first inner space 74 and of a second inner space 76 of the ring space 56 . the transition piece 70 thus forms a bulkhead wall between the inner spaces 74 and 76 . the transition piece 70 engages with a ring shoulder 78 into a corresponding ring recess 80 between the sections 50 and 52 of the guiding element 48 . thus , the guiding element 48 and the transition piece 70 are placed in such a way that they are not movable in relation to each other . the piston rod 42 carries a first piston 82 fixedly placed thereon which is placed opposite the plug 58 . the piston 82 is guided by gaskets 84 on the section 50 of the guiding element 48 so that it comes to the constitution of a hydraulic working space 86 between the piston 82 and the plug 58 . due to the arrangement of the piston 82 and of the transition piece 70 , the inner space 74 also simultaneously forms a hydraulic working space 75 . the piston rod 42 carries a second piston 88 which is also fixedly placed on the piston rod 42 . the piston 88 is guided by means of gaskets 90 on the section 52 of the guiding element 48 . thus , there comes to the constitution of a hydraulic working space 92 between the piston 88 and the transition piece 70 . furthermore , the piston rod 42 is encompassed by a screwed connection 94 which is tightly placed on the piston rod 42 by means of gaskets 96 . the screwed connection 94 simultaneously forms a front side seal for the guiding element 48 and the slide 26 . due to the arrangement of the screwed connection 94 , the inner space 76 simultaneously also forms a hydraulic working space 77 . the piston rod 42 possesses a first axial bore hole 100 and a second axial bore hole 102 . the axial bore hole 100 runs on the one side into the hydraulic working space 86 and over a radial bore hole 104 into the hydraulic working space 92 . the axial bore hole 102 runs over a radial bore hole 106 into the hydraulic working space 74 and over a radial bore hole 108 into the hydraulic working space 76 . the axial bore holes 100 or 102 are respectively connected with a hydraulic oil connecting flange 110 or 112 . the connecting flanges 110 or 112 are connected with not represented hydraulic oil sources . the linear path slide 10 represented in fig1 shows the following functions . for drawing out the slide 26 , hydraulic oil is set under pressure at the connecting flange 110 . due to the pressure connection over the axial bore hole 100 , the pressure builds up in the hydraulic working space 86 and over the radial bore hole 104 additionally in the hydraulic working space 92 . thus , a force of pressure orientated to the left — according to the representation of fig1 — is exerted onto the plug 58 and the transition piece 70 . an actuation force resulting herefrom depends on the pressure head and on the pressure loaded surface . thus , there results the surface of the plug 58 which is turned to the hydraulic working space 86 as pressure loaded surface and the surface of the transition piece 70 which is turned to the hydraulic working space 92 as pressure loaded surface . these pressure loaded surfaces add up to a whole pressure loaded surface so that , compared with the known linear path slides , a higher actuation force can be applied . however , the surface of the transition piece 70 is not completely integrated into the increase of force but must be reduced by the cross section of the section 66 of the piston rod 42 . the force which is building up is transferred over the plug 58 and the guiding element 48 to the slide 26 so that the slide is submitted to a corresponding axial adjusting movement along the longitudinal axis 16 . the maximal stroke of the slide 26 is predetermined here by the axial distance of the piston 82 to the transition piece 70 or of the piston 88 to the screwed connection 94 . a reset movement of the slide 26 is possible in that hydraulic oil under pressure is applied to the connecting flange 112 . this pressure builds up over the axial bore hole 102 and the radial bore holes 106 and 108 in the hydraulic working spaces 75 and 77 . a restoring force orientated to the right — according to the representation in fig1 — builds up according to the pressure loaded surface of the transition piece 70 which is turned to the hydraulic working space 75 and to the pressure loaded surface of the screwed connection 94 which is turned to the hydraulic working space 77 , whereby this restoring force moves the slide 26 into the housing 12 . the screwed connection 94 constitutes simultaneously with the ring shoulder 44 of the piston rod 42 a reset stopper . it is clear that , due to the arrangement of two pistons 82 or 88 on the piston rod 42 — by intercalating a transition piece 70 — the hydraulic driving gear 40 is configured with two stages so that there results an increase of the pressure loaded surface and thus an increase of the actuation force . the piston 82 constitutes in connection with the hydraulic working space 86 and with the section 50 of the guiding element 48 a first partial hydraulic driving gear 40 ′, while the piston 88 in connection with the transition piece 70 and the guiding element 48 constitutes a second partial hydraulic driving gear 40 ″. with respect to the further advantages of the linear path slide 10 , in particular with respect to its compact construction and to the fundamental advantages of a hydraulic driving gear 40 integrated into the housing 12 , we refer to the ep 1 050 685 a2 , the content of which is made herewith to the content of disclosure of this invention . the invention self - evidently is not limited to the represented embodiment . so , multiple stage constructions ( with more than two stages ) are also conceivable . it comes then either to a reduction of the maximal stroke of the linear path slide , or to a bigger axial extension of the linear path slide .	5
referring initially to fig1 and 2 , the present invention involves the use of a slim , longitudinal tunnel hook 2 , which includes a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end . the distal end of tunnel hook 2 is provided with a hook 4 , having a capture slot 6 . various features of tunnel hook 2 are provided for ease of use in the inventive procedure of the present invention . the purpose of the following features will become more clear in light of the method described below . angled opening 8 allows escape of a graft - passing wire from capture slot 6 . channels 10 on either side of hook 4 accommodate portions of the graft - passing wire as it forms a loop through a femoral tunnel . the proximal end of tunnel hook 2 features a mounting flange 11 for engagement with a drill guide . referring to fig3 , and 5 , the invention also involves the use of a drill pin 12 , which includes an elongated , narrow shaft having a pointed distal end and a proximal end . the distal end of drill pin 12 is provided with a sharp , trocar tip 14 and a fluted drilling region 16 disposed adjacent to and proximal the faces of trocar tip 14 . the proximal end of drill pin 12 includes a hook 18 having an angled opening into its capture slot for engaging the graft - passing wire , as described more fully below . referring to fig6 a tunnel dilator 20 is shown . tunnel dilator 20 has a tapered distal end and a proximal end . dilator 20 is cannulated to be received over drill pin 12 . the dilator has an initial taper 22 at the distal end for insertion into the bone where the drill pin enters . a cylindrical portion 24 forms a channel in the femur for receiving an implant shaft . an interim fluted portion 26 can be provided alternatively to form a hole for receiving threads of the implant , as described below . a depth stop 28 is formed proximally . referring to fig7 a nitinol graft - passing wire 30 is shown . passing wire 30 includes a flexible portion 32 having a loop 34 formed on the distal end and a rounded proximal end 36 . [ 0047 ] fig8 and 9 illustrate a transverse implant 40 . implant 40 has a threaded proximal end and a threaded distal ends . the implant is cannulated to be received over graft - passing wire 30 . the implant has a taper 42 formed toward the distal end . the proximal end includes back - biting , helical threads 44 and a drive socket 46 . as shown in detail in fig9 threads 44 have a sloping distal face 48 and a proximal face 50 meeting at a radiused edge 52 . distal face 48 forms an angle a of about 72 ° with a perpendicular to the central axis of the implant . proximal face 50 forms an angle b of about 18 ° with the perpendicular . the implant can be driven by impaction into bone , and then , if necessary , can be subsequently removed by screw rotation as discussed below . the method of the present invention is described with reference to fig1 through 16 . a longitudinal tibial tunnel 56 is formed using known techniques of drilling up through the tibia 58 . reproducible tunnel placement is achieved using instruments that reference intra - articular anatomical constants . a cannulated drill , received over a guide , is used to drill the tibial tunnel . depending on the size of the graft , tunnel diameters of 7 , 8 , 9 , and 10 mm are can be used . once the tibial tunnel is formed , a cannulated headed reamer is used to form a closed - ended socket 60 in the femur 62 . the socket is formed to a minimum depth of about 40 mm to accommodate the insertion depth of tunnel hook 2 . the knee should be placed in 90 ° of flexion when forming the tibial tunnel and femoral socket . the tunnel and socket can be modified in various ways using tunnel taps . for example , crenulations formed in the tibial tunnel provide additional friction and helps eliminate unwanted graft rotation during interference screw insertion . a spiral groove formed in the tunnel wall provides additional interference friction of the graft collagen against the compressed cancellous bone in the tunnel . a rasp may be used to create an oval - shaped tunnel and femoral socket to accommodate insertion of four tendon strands . after the tibial tunnel and femoral socket are complete , tunnel hook 2 , fitted onto a c - ring cross - pin drill guide 64 , is inserted through tibial tunnel 56 and into femoral socket 60 . tunnel hook 2 will capture within slot 6 the graft - passing wire 12 used in loading the graft tendons into the femoral socket , as described below with respect to fig1 and 13 . referring again to fig1 , with tunnel hook 2 and drill guide 64 in place , a 2 mm drill pin sleeve 66 is advanced in the direction of arrow a up to the skin proximal to the femoral condyle to indicate an incision site . the drill guide is positioned to allow the pin to pass parallel to the coronal plane , without excessive posterior or anterior divergence . a 2 - cm incision is made transversely at this site through the skin and fascia lata , and soft tissue is cleared down to the condyle . drill pin sleeve 66 is advanced until it contacts bone . over - tightening of the drill pin sleeve against the femoral cortex is avoided to prevent the drill pin from deviating and missing capture slot 6 of tunnel hook 2 . a depth indicator on the sleeve is used to gauge the length of implant 40 that will be required . with the sleeve in position against the cortical bone , drill pin 12 , 2 mm . in diameter , is chucked into a power drill 68 , and advanced with rotation through the femur until it exits the skin on the medial side 70 . to ensure that the drill pin passes within the capture slot 6 of tunnel hook 2 , torque on the drill guide and changes in knee flexion are avoided during drilling . referring to fig1 , a cannulated drill is placed over the guide pin to drill a hole 71 to accommodate threaded section 44 of implant 40 . the drill is replaced with tunnel dilator 20 , which is used to form a channel in the femur for the remainder of implant 40 . tunnel dilator 20 is mounted onto a driver / extractor 72 and driven with a mallet in the direction of arrow b up to the depth stop 28 . referring to fig1 , once the channel has been formed , loop 34 of nitinol graft - passing wire 30 is hooked onto hook 18 on the proximal end of drill pin 12 . by pulling on the drill pin , the graft - passing wire is drawn through the femur until it is positioned with equal lengths at either end protruding from the medial and lateral sides of the femoral shaft . hemostats 74 are clipped onto the ends of the wire to prevent them from being pulled into the transverse femoral tunnel 70 , as shown in fig1 . referring to fig1 and 14 , once the graft - passing wire has been drawn through the femur , tunnel hook 2 is retracted from femoral socket 60 and tibial tunnel 56 , pulling graft - passing wire 30 with it to form a loop that protrudes from the entrance of tibial tunnel 56 on the anterior tibial cortex . the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons 76 are placed evenly over the wire loop , and the loop containing the tendons is retracted in the direction of arrow c back through the tibial tunnel and into the femoral socket by pulling evenly on the medial and lateral ends of the graft - passing wire , as shown by arrows d and e , respectively . twisting of the graft during insertion is avoided . referring to fig1 , once the tendons 76 have been drawn completely into femoral socket 60 , implant 40 is inserted over the guide wire and advanced by hand until the threaded section 44 contacts the femur . an implant impactor 78 is chucked into driver / extractor 72 and placed over the wire 30 . the head of the implant 40 is engaged and a mallet is used to drive the implant into the femur until a depth stop 82 on the driver 78 contacts the cortical bone . pulling on the tendons 76 is avoided during impaction of the implant 40 . the implant is advanced along the wire in the direction of arrow f . the implant passes under the loop formed in tendons 76 , toward the medial side of the femur , to provide cross - pin support of tendons 76 . if removal of the implant should become necessary , reverse cutting threads 44 facilitate removal by unscrewing the implant with a 3 . 5 mm hex head screwdriver . referring to fig1 , the repair is completed by interference screw 84 fixation of graft 76 in tibial tunnel 56 . the femoral tunnel is narrow so that tendons 76 fit snugly within tibial tunnel 56 and femoral socket 60 , thus avoiding wiping of the tendons along the implant . although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof , many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , the present invention is to be limited not by the specific disclosure herein , but only by the appended claims .	8
as shown in fig1 and 2 , semiconductor and other electronic chips 2 ( ic and capacitors ) which are 30 μm in thickness were attached to a surface of a circuit board 1 having a circuit 4 printed thereon , by using an electroconductive paste 3 ( fa - 320 , tradename , made by kk asahi kagaku kenkyusho ). it is also possible to form the printed circuit 4 by selectively etching a layer of copper foil . a spacer sheet 7 having cut - outs 8 was placed over the surface of the circuit board 1 . fig3 shows the spacer 7 in a plan view . the cut - outs 8 were dimensioned so as to define a gap of 50 to 2 , 000 μm around each of the chips . in this embodiment , the spacer sheet 7 comprises 25 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 72 coated with a 25 μm thick bonding agent layer 71 , and a 1 μm thick primer layer which is not shown in the drawing . additionally , a casing consisting of 125 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 and serving as an upper cover , was laminated over the spacer 7 by using a laminator . once this lamination process was completed , the chips were placed in the neutral plane of the ic card which is 326 μm in thickness . in other words , the semiconductor chips 2 were placed substantially in a middle part of the thickness of the ic card . because the compressive and tensile stress due to the bending deformation of the ic card increases linearly with in proportion to the distance from the neutral plane , the semiconductor chips 2 are substantially free from compressive and tensile stresses . the neutral plane as defined here may be a geometrical neutral plane when the ic card assembly is substantially uniform , but may be offset from the geometrical neutral plane if there is any asymmetricity about the geometrical neutral plane in the structure of the ic card as well known in the field of mechanics . as shown in fig4 an additional layer of 75 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 1 to produce an ic card which was 516 μm in thickness . thus , the casing 5 , in this case , comprises a pair of upper layers 52 and a single lower layer 52 . similarly to embodiment 2 , an additional layer of 188 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 1 to produce an ic card which was 742 μm in thickness . 30 μm thick chips 2 were used in place of the 50 μm thick chips of embodiment 1 , and a 50 μm thick spacer 7 made of polyethylene terephthalate was used to produce an ic card which was 346 μm in thickness . an additional layer of 75 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 , was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 4 to produce an ic card which was 536 μm in thickness as shown in fig4 similarly to embodiment 5 , a cover film , an additional layer of 188 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 4 to produce an ic card which was 762 μm in thickness . 100 μm thick semiconductor chips 2 were used in place of the chips of embodiment 1 , and a 100 μm thick spacer 7 made of polyethylene terephthalate film 72 was used to produce an ic card which was 346 μm in thickness . the cut - outs 8 were provided such that a gap of 50 to 1 , 000 μm was defined around each of the chips 2 which may consist of ics and other electronic components . an additional layer of 75 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 7 to produce an ic card which was 586 μm in thickness as shown in fig4 . similarly to embodiment 8 , an additional layer of 188 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 7 to produce an ic card which was 812 μm in thickness . 200 μm thick chips 2 were used in place of the chip of embodiment 1 , and a 188 μm thick spacer 7 made of polyethylene terephthalate film 72 was used to produce an ic card which was 496 μm in thickness . the cut - outs 8 were provided such that a gap of 50 to 500 μm was defined around each of the chips 2 . an additional layer of 75 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 , was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 10 to produce an ic card which was 686 μm in thickness as shown in fig4 . similarly to embodiment 11 , an additional layer of 188 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 10 to produce an ic card which was 912 μm in thickness . 500 μm thick chips 2 were used in place of the chips of embodiment 1 , and a 500 μm thick spacer 7 made of polyethylene terephthalate film 72 was used to produce an ic card which was 796 μm in thickness . an additional layer of 75 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 13 to produce an ic card which was 986 μm in thickness as shown in fig4 . similarly to embodiment 14 , an additional layer of 188 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film 52 coated with a 20 μm thick bonding agent layer 51 was laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the ic card of embodiment 10 to produce an ic card which was 1 , 212 μm in thickness . referring to fig5 to 7 in which the parts corresponding to the previous embodiments are denoted with like numerals , a printed circuit board 1 was formed by placing an antenna circuit 41 , consisting of a 18 μm thick electroconductive layer , over the both surfaces of a 75 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film layer , and semiconductor chips and capacitor chips 4a and 4b which are 50 μm in thickness were mounted on this printed circuit board 1 by using an anisotropic electroconductive film 31 marketed under the trade name of anisolm so as to form a functional part of an ic card . an antenna coil 41 and 42 was formed on each side of the 75 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film , and the two coils on the upper and lower surfaces of the film were connected with each other via through holes 43 and 44 provided in prescribed parts of the circuit board 1 in advance . three layers of spacer film 71 were placed over this functional part , and a pair of cover film layers 52 , consisting of 188 μm and 75 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate coated with a 24 μm thick bonding agent , were laminated over the upper and lower surfaces of the assembly , respectively , by using a laminator so as to form an ic card which was 474 μm in thickness after the lamination process . a pair of cover film layers 51 , consisting of 250 μm and 125 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film , were used in place of the 188 μm thick upper cover film and the 75 μm thick lower cover film of embodiment 16 , respectively , so as to obtain an ic card which was 574 μm in thickness . 125 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate film was used for the printed circuit board 1 instead of the 75 μm thick film of embodiment 16 to thereby improve the printing precision . additionally , two layers 51 of cover film , measuring 188 μm and 100 μm , respectively , in thickness , were used for the upper cover film , and 125 μm thick film was used in place of the 75 μm thick lower cover film so as to obtain an ic card which was 720 μm in thickness . in embodiments 10 and 13 , surface irregularities exceeding 100 μm were produced on the surfaces of the ic cards under the condition of l - k & gt ; 500 μm where k is the dimension of the chip , and l is the dimension of the cut - out 8 in the spacer . these irregularities may be attributed to the excessive size of the internal gaps , and were reduced to 80 μm or less by adjusting so that l - k & lt ; 500 μm . in embodiment 7 , surface irregularities exceeding 100 μm were produced on the surfaces of the ic cards under the condition of l - k & gt ; 1 , 000 μm . these irregularities may be attributed to the excessive size of the internal gaps , and were reduced to 80 μm or less by adjusting so that l - k & lt ; 1 , 000 μm . in embodiment 4 , surface irregularities exceeding 100 μm were produced on the surfaces of the ic cards under the condition of l - k & gt ; 2 , 000 μm . these irregularities may be attributed to the excessive size of the internal gaps , and were reduced to 80 μm or less by adjusting so that l - k & lt ; 2 , 000 μm . the reliability of electric connection in the thus prepared ic cards when subjected to bending deformation was tested . physical damages have been observed in some cases , but no electric disconnection occurred for the 50 μm thick ic chips when the radius of curvature is from 2 . 5 to 5 mm , for the 100 μm thick ic chips when the radius of curvature is from 10 to 15 mm , and for the 200 μm thick ic chips when the radius of curvature is from 25 to 30 mm . fig1 is a graph showing the relationship between minimum tolerable radius of curvature and the thickness of the semiconductor chip which was experimentally obtained by using the arrangement of embodiment 1 . for comparison , ic cards were prepared according to the teaching of japanese patent laid - open publication no . 7 - 99267 by mounting a semiconductor chip on a circuit base board with the connecting terminals of the semiconductor chip and the connecting terminals of the circuit base board exposed on a common plane , and connecting these connecting terminals with each other by using electroconductive paste . the materials were identical to those used in embodiment 1 , and the final thickness was matched with those according to the present invention . according to these ic cards for comparison , electric disconnections occurred in 20 to 40 % of the cases for the same range of bending deformation , which proves a high level of reliability of electric connection in the ic cards prepared according to the present invention . thus , the device of the present invention is highly reliable with regard to electric connection , and economical to manufacture . although the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments thereof , it is possible to modify and alter details thereof without departing from the spirit of the present invention .	7

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