text stringlengths 1.55k 332k | label int64 0 8 |
|---|---|
a pdp can be directly computed from a single reference ofdm symbol , or from a combination of several reference ofdm symbols through a combination technique as previously described in relation to fig1 to 4 . the proposed method is not limited to whether the underlying frequency - domain implementation uses any specific combination or not . for completeness , we describe the proposed method both with and without combination . throughout this specification , a pdp is defined as ‘ original pdp ’ when it is computed from a single ofdm symbol . pdp n denotes the original pdp obtained from reference ofdm symbol n . a pdp is defined as ‘ combined pdp ’ when a combination is applied and the combined pdp is obtained from a combination of several ofdm symbols . pdp ( n , n + 1 ) denotes the combined pdp obtained from reference ofdm symbols n and n + 1 . fig4 shows an example . fig6 shows examples where pdp is an original pdp obtained from the reference ofdm symbol n , and pdp ( n , n + 1 ) is a combined pdp of symbols n and n + 1 . by convention , the timing range of an original pdp is [− 1024 , 1023 ], and of a combined pdp is [ 0 , 2047 ] with the origin as shown in fig6 . the preceding pdp of original pdp is defined as the combined pdp ( n − 1 , n ) . the succeeding pdp of original pdp is defined as the combined pdp ( n , n + 1 ) . the preceding pdp of combined pdp ( n , n + 1 ) is defined as original pdp n . the succeeding pdp of combined pdp ( n , n + 1 ) is defined as original pdp n + 1 . for each pdp ( the main , the preceding , and the succeeding pdps ), the following is calculated : channel metric : this may be channel power , channel - power - to - noise ratio , or any other quantity that can be used to estimate the quality of the positioning symbol of interest on this ofdm symbol channel main tap : this is the tap with the maximum power between the different taps of the channel region ( see below for the definition of channel region ) delay estimate : this is the rstd estimate obtained from the pdp in question . turning to the example as shown in fig7 to illustrate the main tap and delay estimate , assuming that the positioning symbol n of the measured cell is located at position 70 as shown in fig7 a where it is in a delay of τ with respect to reference symbol n + 1 ( 71 ). assuming a one - tap channel , the pdp computed from reference symbol n + 1 will show the channel tap at position τ as shown in fig7 b . this channel tap is the main tap , and τ is the main tap delay obtained from the pdp n + 1 . however for the delay estimate , we need to take into account the fact that there is a delay of one symbol between the reference symbol n and the reference symbol n + 1 . this symbol delay is t sym = 2048 + cp n where cp n is the size of the cyclic prefix of symbol n . therefore , the delay estimate obtained from pdp n + 1 , say { circumflex over ( d )} n + 1 , will be μ 0 , τ 0 , { circumflex over ( d )} 0 : channel metric , main tap delay , and delay estimate obtained from the main pdp respectively . μ − 1 , τ − 1 , { circumflex over ( d )} − 1 : channel metric , main tap delay , and delay estimate obtained from the preceding pdp respectively . μ + 1 , τ + 1 , { circumflex over ( d )} + 1 : channel metric , main tap delay , and delay estimate obtained from the succeeding pdp respectively . for a given pdp , let n be the number of its taps . n is essentially the size of the ifft used for frequency - domain to time - domain transform . { p k , k = 0 , . . . , n − 1 }: is defined as the set of tap powers of the pdp . { d k , k = 0 , . . . , n − 1 }: is defined as the set of tap delays of the pdp . r i ( l ) (( i + k ) mod n , k = 0 , . . . , 1 − 1 ). here , the window r i ( l ) is a candidate channel region , the index 1 stands for the length of this candidate channel region and the index i for its position inside the pdp ( see section “ control parameters ” below for additional information ). p i ( l ) σ jεr i ( l ) p j : is defined as the power of r i ( l ). w arg max jεr i ( l ) { p j }: is defined as the main tap of r i ( l ). from the above notation , an estimate of the channel region with length l of a given pdp , say a , is determined as : λ = r j ( l )| j = arg max i = 0 , . . . , n − 1 { p i ( l )}, given l the channel main tap is the main tap of λ . its delay is τ = d w . coherence testing checks the coherence between the estimates obtained from the main , the preceding , and the succeeding pdps to detect ambiguity . the below describes ambiguity resolution when symbol combination is used ( when symbol combination is not used , the metric estimation on each pdp is the same but coherent testing on the estimated metrics to detect ambiguity and the actual ambiguity correcting should be adapted as would be understood ): application of ambiguity correction when symbol combination is applied and the main pdp is a non - combined pdp . the case where a non - combined pdp is selected as the main pdp statistically occurs in situations where the signal to be measured is nearly aligned with the fft window ( in the examples herein the size of the fft window is 2048t s ) used to generate this main pdp . actually , for high delays ( typically higher than +/− 400 ts ), the measured signal will have significant overlap with two consecutive ofdm symbols and there is a high probability that the corresponding combined pdp will be selected as the main pdp . thus , in the case of main pdp being a non - combined pdp , we can make the assumption that there is no significant overlap , and consider that the estimated timing does not require any ambiguity correction . application of ambiguity correction when symbol combination is applied and the main pdp is a combined pdp . first , following the previous section , we can add a pre - processing stage where , if the signal to be measured is nearly aligned with the fft window used for pdp computation , the timing measure is carried out on the corresponding non - combined pdp and the ambiguity resolution described below is optional . this occurs typically when the measured delay is in a neighborhood of symbol time , i . e . in the case where the measured delay is close to either 0 or 2047 . this can be expressed as min ( τ 0 , 2047 − τ 0 )& lt ; ξ . the value of is configurable , and can be typically equal to a few hundreds of t s , e . g . 400t s . in the case where the delay is , for example , more than 400t s , the procedure below may be applied to remove the ambiguity . it follows that , the main tap delay obtained from the main pdp is τ 0 ε [ 0t s , 2047t s ] as the main pdp is a combining pdp . an ambiguity in τ 0 will result in ambiguity of the delay estimate { circumflex over ( d )} 0 . we examine τ 0 for the two following cases : this main tap can correspond to two possibilities as shown in fig8 b . if the real channel tap is positioned as in fig8 b ( case a ), we detect a timing of τ 0 whereas the real timing is 2047 + τ 0 + 1 , so that the delay estimate { circumflex over ( d )} 0 will contain an ambiguity error of this is a correction of adding a delay equivalent to the fft window size and can be generically thought of as such . the point here is that this correction must not be applied if the real channel tap is positioned as in fig8 b ( case b ). the two following coherence testing conditions allow the detection of case ( a ) or case ( b ): firstly , as previously described , the succeeding pdp is the original pdp n + 1 obtained from the reference ofdm symbol n + 1 . its delay estimate { circumflex over ( d )} + 1 is taken for case a . thus , it is easy to verify that { circumflex over ( d )} + 1 ={ circumflex over ( d )} 0 + 2048 . for the fact that channel may change over ofdm symbols , this condition can be re - expressed as where ε ≧ 0 is a configurable matching threshold . a possible value for ε is 72 ts ( half the size of the cp ). secondly , the channel tap for case a implies that reference ofdm symbol n + 1 should contain the positioning symbol of the measured cell whereas reference ofdm symbol n should not . thus , the channel metric measured on the succeeding pdp , μ + 1 , should be better than that measured on the preceding pdp , μ − 1 . this is expressible as where α ≧ 1 is a configurable threshold to compensate the effect of noise . a possible value for α is 1 . 5 , which provides good results in the tested configurations . that is the difference between the main pdp channel metric and the preceding pdp channel metric divided by the difference between main pdp channel metric and succeeding pdp channel metric being higher than α . generically , ( 3 ) could be the result of a two variable function having channel metric of preceding pdp as a first argument and channel metric of succeeding pdp as a second argument being higher than α . thus , correction ( 1 ) shall be applied when detecting conditions ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) hold . we refer to the subsequent section for how to choose the involving parameters . when τ 0 ε [ 1024 , 2047 ] as shown in fig9 a the channel tap can correspond to two possibilities as shown in fig9 b where the delay estimate { circumflex over ( d )} 0 will contain an ambiguity error if the real channel tap is at position ( a ). the ambiguity error is thus , the delay estimate { circumflex over ( d )} 0 should be corrected as this is a correction of subtracting a delay equivalent to the fft window size and can be generically thought of as such . similar to the cases of fig7 , this correction must not be applied when the real channel tap is position as in fig9 b ( case b ). detecting this ambiguity can be detected by using the following coherent testing conditions : firstly , the preceding pdp is the original pdp obtained from dlp symbol n . its delay estimate { circumflex over ( d )} − 1 is taken at position ( a ), resulting in to take into account channel variation over ofdm symbols , this condition can be re - expressed as secondly , channel tap at position of case a of fig9 b implies that dlp symbol n contains the positioning symbol of the measured cell while dlp symbol n + 1 does not . as a consequence , channel metric measured on the preceding pdp should be better than that measured on the succeeding pdp , expressible as that is the difference between the main pdp channel metric and succeeding pdp channel metric divided by the difference between main pdp channel metric and preceding pdp channel metric being higher than a . generically , ( 6 ) could be the result of a two variable function having channel metric of the succeeding pdp as a first argument and channel metric of the preceding pdp as a second argument being higher than a . thus , ambiguity correction ( 4 ) shall be applied when detecting conditions ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) hold . while the proposed method remains flexible for parameter setting , guidelines are provided for the configuration of these parameters . although the channel length l should be proportional to the channel delay spread , evaluation over different channel types has shown that l = 3 in 512 ifft basis is an efficient tradeoff for all channels . preferably , l is tuned to the exact delay spread of the channel since this measures the width of the window containing the useful signal . therefore , preferably , l is equal to one tap for single tap channel and the value of l is increased to values greater than 3 for wider channels . in practice , using the same value l = 3 for all channels provides a good tradeoff . matching threshold is aimed at taking into account channel variation over symbols , as well as possible imperfection of the channel tap estimation . evaluation has shown that the proposed method is not sensitive to ε ( where we recall that ε ≧ 0 is the configurable matching threshold , see above ). one can set ε to some tens of ts , even to one hundred ts . metric coefficient α is used to take into account the effect of noise . however , the comparison of relative channel metrics as proposed in eq ( 3 ) and eq ( 6 ) has been shown to be significantly robust against simulated signal - power - to - noise ratio ( snr ) over different channels . setting α = 1 . 5 gives the best performance tradeoff over different scenarios . the proposed ambiguity resolution method with the parameter setting described above has been challenged over different scenarios and its performance is shown for additive white gaussian noise ( awgn ) in fig1 , extended pedestrian a5 ( epa5 ) in fig1 , extended vehicular a70 ( eva70 ) in fig1 , and extended typical urban30 ( etu30 ) in fig1 respectively . these channels are defined in annex b2 of 3gpp contribution 36 . 101 and correspond to classical multipath fading propagation conditions tested in lte . also , coherent combination of frequency - domain data is used . these evaluation scenarios have been set for the most challenging configuration with the maximum uncertainty window of [− 3 × 1023 , + 3 × 1023 ] ts , and input rstd varying from − 3000 ts to 3000 ts . this case is the most challenging one because it corresponds to the maximum parameter values authorized by the lte standard . in addition , the snr of the measured cell was set as low as − 13 db . the performance was evaluated as the percentage of remaining rstd measures that contain ambiguity . the evaluation results show that the proposed ambiguity resolution method enables frequency - domain implementation to work over a wide range of delay and of uncertainty . in each graph of fig1 , 11 , 12 and 13 , the top line is with no correction and the bottom line is with the correction applied . the various embodiments described above may be implemented by a computer program product . the computer program product may include computer code arranged to instruct a computer ( processor ) to perform the functions of one or more of the various methods described above . the computer program and / or the code for performing such embodiments may be provided to an apparatus , such as a computer ( processor ), on a computer readable medium or computer program product . the computer readable medium may be transitory or non - transitory . the computer readable medium could be , for example , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , or a propagation medium for data transmission , for example for downloading the code over the internet . alternatively , the computer readable medium could take the form of a physical computer readable medium such as semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disc , and an optical disk , such as a cd - rom , cd - r / w or dvd . an apparatus such as a computer ( processor ) may be configured in accordance with such code to perform one or more processes in accordance with the various embodiments discussed herein . | 7 |
before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown , since the invention is capable of other embodiments . also , the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation . referring first to fig1 the present alarm apparatus has a small housing 10 with a chain 11 of electrically conductive metal by which it is suspended from an electrically conductive metal doorknob 12 on the inside of a door 13 of wood or other suitable electrically non - conductive material . a two - wire power cord 14 extends from the lower end of the housing 10 and carries a two - pronged plug 15 for insertion in the usual 117 volt a . c . wall socket ( not shown ) of the electrical wiring system of the premises to be protected . enclosed within the housing 10 are all of the components of the electrical circuit shown in fig2 except the power plug 15 , the two wires 14a and 14b of the power cord 14 , and the sensor k , which includes the chain 11 , the inside doorknob 12 , and the doorknob ( not shown ) on the outside of the door . referring to fig2 the circuit shown there comprises , in series across the power lines 14a and 14b , a set of switch contacts 16 and 17 of a manually operated test switch s , the cathode - anode path of a silicon - controlled rectifier 18 , and an electrically operated alarm signalling device 19 , such as a bell or other audible sounding device . it will be apparent that with the switch contacts 16 , 17 closed , the alarm signalling device 19 will be energized whenever the scr 18 conducts current through its anode - cathode path . the scr has an anode 20 , a cathode 21 and a gate electrode 22 . a bias resistor 23 is connected between the cathode 21 and the gate 22 of the scr . a first gaseous glow discharge tube 24 , such as a neon tube , is connected between the gate 22 of the scr and one terminal of a capacitor 25 , whose opposite terminal is connected through a variable resistor 34 to the sensor k . the previously - mentioned switch contacts 16 , 17 are part of a test switch s having two ganged mobile contacts 16 and 26 which are individually engageable , respectively , with a first pair of fixed contacts 17 and 27 or with a second pair of fixed contacts 28 and 29 . as shown in fig2 the mobile switch contacts 16 and 26 are in the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position of the switch , engaging the fixed contacts 17 and 27 respectively . the lower mobile switch contact 26 is connected to the juncture 30 between the glow discharge tube 24 and the capacitor 25 . variable resistor 34 provides a sensitivity adjustment connected in series between sensor k and capacitor 25 . the switch also has a &# 34 ; test &# 34 ; position , in which the mobile switch contacts 16 and 26 engage the opposite pair of fixed contacts 28 and 29 . switch contact 28 is connected through a second glow discharge tube 31 and a resistor 32 to the cathode 21 of scr 18 . the other fixed contact 29 of this second pair is connected directly to the juncture 33 between the scr gate 22 , the lower end of resistor 23 and the first glow discharge tube 24 . the switch s is set in its &# 34 ; test &# 34 ; position when the user wants to determine whether the plug 15 is plugged into the wall socket with the correct polarity . the power line 14b should be connected to the neutral terminal of the wall socket for the alarm circuit to operate . with the apparatus hanging on the doorknob as shown in fig1 when the plug 15 is inserted into the wall socket with the correct polarity and the switch s is in the &# 34 ; test &# 34 ; position ( with its mobile contacts 16 and 26 engaging the fixed contacts 28 and 29 ), the circuit operates as follows : the scr is maintained non - conductive even if a person touches the doorknob , thereby connecting the sensor k to neutral potential . the potential at the cathode 21 of the scr is kept substantially below the voltage on the &# 34 ; hot &# 34 ; wire 14a because of the series resistance of the second glow discharge tube 31 and resistor 32 . the circuit from the &# 34 ; hot &# 34 ; wire 14a to the gate 22 of the scr includes glow discharge tube 31 and resistors 32 and 23 . the net effect of these impedances is to prevent the scr from turning on when the doorknob is effectively connected to neutral potential . the &# 34 ; test &# 34 ; glow tube 31 turns on when a person touches the doorknob , completing a circuit from the &# 34 ; hot &# 34 ; wire 14a to neutral via the switch contacts 16 , 28 , tube 31 , resistor 32 , resistor 23 , switch contacts 29 , 26 , capacitor 25 , variable resistor 34 , and sensor k . the fact that tube 31 is illuminated tells the user that the plug 15 is in the power socket with the correct polarity . if the plug polarity were incorrect and wire 14a were connected to the neutral terminal of the socket , then the tube 31 would not turn on as a result of a person touching the doorknob , there being substantially no potential difference between the nowneutral wire 14a and the person touching the doorknob . the failure of tube 31 to turn on would tell the user that the plug must be reversed in the socket for the alarm apparatus to be operable . with the determination having been made that the plug 15 is in the socket with the correct polarity , the user shifts the switch s from the &# 34 ; test &# 34 ; position to the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position ( shown in fig2 ). in this position , the switch open - circuits the glow discharge tube 31 and resistor 32 and it removes the previous short - circuit around the glow discharge tube 24 . now if a person touches the doorknob , this completes a circuit from the &# 34 ; hot &# 34 ; wire 14a to neutral through the switch contacts 16 , 17 , resistor 23 , glow discharge tube 24 , capacitor 25 , variable resistor 34 , and sensor k . this gates on the scr , whose amode - cathode path completes an energization circuit for the alarm signalling device 19 , which will remain on as long as the person continues to touch the doorknob . if the plug polarity were incorrect , with the switch s in the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position its contacts 16 , 17 would connect the neutral wire 14a to the gate 22 of the scr ( via resistor 23 ). a person touching the doorknob would not thereby produce a gate signal that would turn on the scr because there would be little or no potential difference between the neutral wire 14a and the sensor k , and the first glow discharge tube 24 would not fire . in one practical embodiment , resistor 23 has a resistance of 22 , 000 ohms and resistor 32 a resistance of 10 , 000 ohms , the capacitor 25 has a capacitance of 1 , 000 micro - microfarads , each of the glow discharge tubes 24 and 31 is a type ne - 2h neon tube manufactured by chicago miniature , chicago , ill . model no . c2a , and the scr 18 is a general electric co . model no . c106b1 . variable resistor 34 has a maximum resistance of 3 megohms . instead of a bell or buzzer , the alarm signalling device 19 might be a siren , light , telephone , camera , sound recorder or other electrically operated device suitable for this purpose . from the foregoing it will be evident that the present alarm apparatus is extremely simple in its circuitry yet versatile in its operation , enabling the user to assure himself that the power plug is in the socket with the correct polarity . this indication of plug polarity is obtained in the &# 34 ; test &# 34 ; position of the switch without any chance of sounding the alarm , which can happen only when the switch has been placed in its &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position . also , the testing for plug polarity is based on the same condition ( i . e ., touching the doorknob ) as will be involved in the actual operation of the apparatus after the switch has been shifted to its &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position . by suitable adjustment of variable resistor 34 , the apparatus can be made so sensitive that the alarm signalling device will be turned on in response to a close approach to , but not direct touching of , the outside doorknob by a person , as already explained . | 6 |
modes for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . [ 0039 ] fig1 is a schematic perspective view to show one example of a gantry in an x - ray ct system mounted on rails in a mode for carrying out the invention . as shown in fig1 a gantry 1 has a gantry base part 2 and is mounted on a pair of side rails 3 a and 3 b . the gantry 1 can move along the side rails 3 a , 3 b and while the gantry 1 moves , a scan is performed . moreover , a center rail 4 is disposed at the central position sandwiched between the side rails 3 a and 3 b in the direction along the side rails 3 a and 3 b . the structure of the center rail 4 will be described later . for the sake of convenience in the following description , let &# 39 ; s define a direction of disposition of the side rails 3 a and 3 b , that is , a direction in which the gantry moves , as a z - axis direction , a direction along a floor and perpendicular to the z - axis direction as an x - axis direction , and a direction perpendicular to the floor ( vertical direction ) as a y - axis direction . [ 0042 ] fig2 is a side view of the gantry 1 shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 wheels rolling on the side rails are provided in the gantry base part 2 ( wheels 5 , 6 rolling on the side rail 3 a are shown in fig2 ). this enables the gantry 1 to move in the z - axis direction . [ 0043 ] fig3 is an illustration to show the relationship between the wheel 5 and the side rail 3 a . as shown in fig3 the side rail 3 a is formed convexly in its cross section and its protruding portion becomes a rail tread surface . moreover , a groove corresponding to the width of the rail tread surface is formed on the wheel tread surface of the wheel 5 along the direction in which the wheel rolls . that is , the wheel tread surface is formed concavely . then , the groove is engaged with the rail &# 39 ; s protruding portion to enable the wheel 5 to move along the rail 3 a to thereby prevent the wheel from coming off the rail . this holds true also for the other wheels . [ 0044 ] fig4 is a top perspective view to show the side rails 3 a and 3 b , the center rail 4 , and the gantry 1 which are shown in fig1 . as described above , the wheels 5 , 6 are set on the side rail 3 a whereas wheels 7 , 8 are set on the other side rail 3 b . the wheels 6 and 8 are connected to each other by a shaft 9 and are driven by a motor 11 via a gear 10 ( both of them are mounted in the gantry base part 2 ). that is , the wheels 6 , 8 are driving wheels and the wheels 5 , 7 are driven wheels . a linear guide rail 41 is mounted on the center rail 4 in the z - axis direction . then , two linear guide blocks 42 , 43 mounted on the bottom surface of the gantry base part 2 are mounted on the linear guide rail 41 so that they can slide on the linear guide rail 41 . fig5 shows one example of a state in which the linear block 42 is mounted on the linear guide rail 41 and fig6 shows a cross - sectional view taken on a line a - a in fig5 . referring to this cross - sectional view makes it clear that the linear guide block 42 is fitted on the linear guide rail 41 with bearings 45 a , 45 b interposed between their side surfaces . such structure enables the linear guide block 42 to slide along the linear guide rail 41 . this holds true also for the linear guide block 43 . moreover , in order to absorb errors in height of the side rails 3 a , 3 b and the center rail 4 , respectively , the linear guide block 42 is mounted on the bottom surface of the gantry base part 2 with a gap of about several millimeters in the y - axis direction so that it can slide thereon . measuring the position of the gantry 1 in the z - axis direction ( also simply referred to as a position detection ) in the embodiment is performed by the use of a linear encoder . first , a linear scale 50 of the linear encoder is mounted on the center rail 4 along the linear guide rail 41 . further , a pickup sensor 51 is mounted on the gantry base part 2 so as to oppose the linear scale 50 . the outputs of this pickup sensor 51 ( a - phase and b - phase encoder signals ) are sent to a control board 100 ( see fig4 ) and the position of the gantry 1 in the z - axis direction can be measured based on this outputs . since the two linear guide blocks 42 , 43 mounted on the bottom surface of the gantry base part 2 are fitted in this manner on the linear guide rail 41 mounted on the center rail 4 so that they can freely slide , the deviation of the gantry 1 in the x - axis direction with respect to the movement of the gantry 1 in the z - axis direction is forcibly limited . therefore , even if the gaps between the grooves of the wheels 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 and the rails 3 a , 3 b apply forces to the gantry 1 in the x - axis direction as the gantry 1 moves or apply a force for changing the direction of the gantry 1 gradually to the gantry 1 as the gantry 1 moves , the gantry 1 is not deviated by the forces but can be moved correctly straight . this can reduce a deviation in the rotational center of scan and a deviation in a scan position in the z - axis direction . further , it is possible to detect the position of the gantry 1 in the z - axis direction with high accuracy without being affected by the machining accuracy such as the size of the wheel and the direction of an axle . moreover , since the linear scale 50 is mounted on a lower portion near the center in the x - direction of the gantry 1 , even if a force of torsion is applied to the gantry base part 2 to deform the gantry base part 2 , it is possible to detect the scan position correctly . next , an operation of moving the gantry 1 will be described . here , referring to fig4 on the right side of paper is provided a table ( not shown ) on which a body to be inspected is placed . in the following description , in the direction of movement of the gantry 1 , that is , in the z - axis direction , let &# 39 ; s call a direction in which the gantry is brought near to the table as an in side and a direction in which the gantry is brought away from the table as an out side . further , in fig4 on the bottom surface of the gantry base part 2 are mounted a first limit switch s 1 and a second limit switch s 2 . moreover , a protrusion 52 for operating the first limit switch s 1 is provided on an outside movement limit position ( out limit position ) as a first check point on the center rail 4 and a protrusion 53 for operating the second limit switch s 2 is provided on a predetermined position sandwiched between the protrusion 52 and the table as a second check point on the center rail 4 . these protrusions 52 , 53 are used in a processing of setting the scan base position that will be described later . [ 0054 ] fig7 is a block diagram to show the constitution of the control board 100 ( see fig4 ) built in the gantry base part 2 . in fig7 a reference numeral 61 denotes a cpu for controlling the movement of the gantry 1 and a reference numeral 62 denotes a rom for storing the operation processing procedure ( program ) of the cpu 61 and a reference character 63 a denotes a ram functioning as a main storage and a reference character 63 b denotes a flash memory functioning as an auxiliary storage . a reference numeral 64 denotes an interface for inputting data from an operator console 200 for outputting information relating to scan to the gantry 1 . reference numerals from 65 to 68 denote an operating panel 20 , the first limit switch s 1 , the second limit switch s 2 , and an interface for inputting data from the pickup sensor 51 . a reference numeral 69 denotes an up / down counter indicting a relative position in the z - axis direction based on the a - phase and b - phase encoder signals from the pickup sensor 51 and a reference numeral 70 denotes a motor driver for performing the driving control of the motor 11 . before performing a scan , for example , after turning on the power , an operation of moving the gantry 1 once on the in side and the out side by a manual operation to make a check that moving the gantry 1 does not cause a danger is performed . the movement of the gantry 1 by this manual operation can be performed by the use of a movement button provided on the operating panel 20 ( see fig1 ) arranged on the gantry 1 . [ 0057 ] fig8 shows one example of the operating panel 20 . a reference numeral 21 denotes a first movement button for moving the gantry 1 on the in side , and a reference numeral 22 denotes a second movement button for moving the gantry 1 on the out side , and a reference numeral 23 denotes a setting button for setting the base position of the scan . moreover , a reference numeral 24 denotes a display part for producing various displays . of course , buttons for other objects can be provided but only the ones necessary for describing the present invention are shown in the drawing . while the operator presses the first movement button 21 ( on ), the gantry 1 is moved on the in side at a predetermined speed . while the operator presses the second movement button 22 ( on ), conversely , the gantry 1 is moved on the out side at a predetermined speed . in both the buttons , when the operator presses off the button , the button is immediately turned off to stop the movement of the gantry 1 . the maximum range of movement of the gantry 1 performed by this manual operation is stored in the ram 63 a . then , the gantry 1 can be moved by a remote control from the operating console 200 and in this case , the gantry 1 is allowed to move only within the maximum movement range stored in the ram 63 a . here , for example , it is also possible to clear the maximum movement range stored in the ram 63 a when any one of operations of moving the gantry 1 to a retracted position ( out - side movement limit position ), moving the table , and a predetermined operation on the operating console 200 is performed . however , in order to move the gantry 1 or to perform a scan by a remote control thereafter , it is necessary to move the gantry 1 again by the manual operation to make a check of safety . it is possible to ensure safety by limiting the movable range of the gantry 1 by the remote control in this manner . next , a processing of setting the scan base position in the embodiment will be described . the scan base position can be set by moving the gantry 1 and pressing the setting button 23 at a desired position . as described above , however , there is presented the problem that even if the scan base position is the same for each scan , the setting operation by the setting button 23 ( manual setting operation ) needs to be performed every time , which makes operability worse . in the case where the manual setting operation is performed every time , a setting error or a setting miss may be caused . thus , in the embodiment , the scan base position is automatically set as far as no abnormality is found in the above - described checking operation performed by moving the gantry 1 by the manual operation after turning on the power . a processing of setting the scan base position in the embodiment will be described in detail by the use of a flow chart shown in fig9 and fig1 . [ 0066 ] fig9 is a flow chart to show a process for setting the positional relations of the first limit switch s 1 , the second limit switch s 2 , and the desired scan base position , respectively . it is preferable to perform this process when the system is adjusted . further , the above - mentioned desired scan base position is usually determined in accordance with the installation environment of the system ( such as size of a room ). first , the operator keeps pressing the second movement button 22 to move the gantry 1 to the out limit position ( step s 1 ). the fact that the gantry is moved to the out limit position can be detected by the fact that the first limit switch s 1 is put into contact with the protrusion 52 to be switched from off to on . at this time , the gantry is forcibly stopped . next , the operator presses the first movement button 21 to move the gantry 1 toward the desired scan base position ( step s 2 ). during the movement of the gantry 1 , a position z 1 where the first limit switch s 1 is switched from on to off ( first check point ) is detected and further a position z 2 where the second limit switch s 2 is put into contact with the protrusion 53 to be switched from off to on ( second check point ) is detected , and the distance ds between z 1 and z 2 is stored in the flash memory 63 b ( step s 3 ) thereafter , when the gantry 1 comes to a desired position as the scan base position , by the manual operation , that is , by setting the setting button 23 , the desired position z 0 is set as the scan base position ( step s 4 ). then , the distance dr between the position z 2 where the second limit switch s 2 is switched from off to on and z 0 is stored in the flash memory 63 b ( step s 5 ). in this manner is finished the process for initially setting the positional relations of the first limit switch s 1 , the second limit switch s 2 , the desired scan base position , respectively , which is preferably performed when the system is adjusted . [ 0072 ] fig1 is a flow chart to show a processing of setting the scan base position which is performed in a checking operation performed by moving the gantry 1 by the manual operation after turning on the power or the like . a program corresponding to this flow chart is stored in the rom 62 and is executed by the cpu 61 after turning on the power . first , at step s 11 , it is judged based on the input of the second movement button 22 whether a movement command to the out side is given or not . when the second movement button 22 is pressed down , the routine advances to step s 12 and the gantry 1 starts to move to the out side . here , in the case where the second movement button 22 is separated from the operator to be turned off , at this time , the present process is finished . at step s 13 , it is monitored whether the first limit switch s 1 is turned on or not during the movement of the gantry 1 . then , when the first limit switch s 1 is turned on , the routine advances to step s 14 where the movement of the gantry 1 is stopped . next , at step s 15 , it is judged based on the input of the first movement button 21 whether a movement command to the in side is given or not . when the first movement button 21 is pressed down , the routine advances to step s 16 and the gantry 1 starts to move to the in side . here , also in the case where the first movement button 21 is separated from the operator to be turned off , at this time , the present process is finished . at step s 17 , it is monitored whether the first limit switch s 1 is switched from on to off or not . then , when the first limit switch s 1 is turned off , at step s 18 , a position z 1 ′ at this time is stored in the ram 63 a . next , at step s 19 , it is monitored whether or not the second limit switch s 2 is switched from off to on during the movement of the gantry 1 . then , when the second limit switch s 2 is turned on , at step s 20 , a position z 2 ′ at this time is stored in the ram 63 a . next , at step s 21 , it is judged whether or not the error between the distance between the position z 1 ′ when the first limit switch s 1 is switched from on to off and the position z 2 ′ when the second limit switch s 2 is switched from off to on and the distance information ds stored in the flash memory 63 b is within a predetermined range . that is , it is judged whether or not the error satisfies the following equation . here , in the case where the above - mentioned equation is not satisfied , a position detection by any one of the first limit switch s 1 , the second limit switch s 2 , and the pickup sensor 51 is judged to be not correct and the routine advances to step s 22 where a predetermined error is displayed on the display part 24 , or an alarm sound may be issued to inform the operator of an error . in any case , in the case of such error , the scan in this state is prohibited . further , in the case where the above - mentioned equation is satisfied , the routine advances to step s 23 where a position obtained by adding the distance information dr stored in the flash memory 63 b to the position z 2 ′ when the second limit switch s 2 is switched from off to on is set as the scan base position and where the obtained base position information is stored in the ram 63 a . in the case where the base position in each scan is the same , as far as no abnormality is found in the checking operation performed by moving the gantry 1 by the manual operation performed after turning on the power , the scan base position is automatically set , so that operability can be drastically improved and the occurrence of a setting error and a setting miss can be prevented . further , in the case where an abnormality is caused in a position detection mechanism provided in the system , the abnormality is informed and the scan in this state is prohibited , so that safety can be ensured . here , while the protrusions 52 , 53 are provided at the predetermined positions in the direction of movement of the gantry 1 and the predetermined positions are detected by the use of the limit switches s 1 , s 2 that are operated when they come in contact with the protrusions 52 , 53 in the embodiment described above , the predetermined positions can be detected also by the other means , for example , a combination of an optical sensor and an optical passing slit , a combination of an optical sensor and an optical reflector , a magnetic position detection sensor , a position detection sensor by an electrostatic capacity , a position detection by an image by means of a ccd camera , and the like . further , while the out limit position is made the first check point and a position where the gantry 1 is moved forward by a predetermined distance from the first check point is made the second check point in the embodiment described above , it is also recommended that a sensor for detecting the first check point and a sensor for detecting the second check point are provided independently from each other and that the first check point and the second check point be provided at the positions that are detected by both the sensors at the same time when the gantry 1 is moved to the predetermined position . further , at step s 5 in fig9 the distance dr from the second check point z 2 to the scan base position z 0 by the manual operation is stored , and at step s 5 in fig1 , the scan base position is set again by using this dr , but it is also recommended that the distance dr ′ from the first check point z 1 to the scan base position z 0 by the manual operation be stored at step s 5 in fig9 and that the scan base position be set again by using this dr ′ at step s 23 in fig1 . still further , while two linear guide blocks 42 , 43 mounted on the bottom surface of the gantry base part 2 are mounted on the linear guide rail 41 in the embodiment described above , as far as they are fixed with sufficient accuracy so that the direction of the gantry 1 is not changed , it is also recommended that only one guide block be used . many widely different embodiments of the invention may be configured without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in the specification , except as defined in the appended claims . | 0 |
according to the present invention , there is used a polymeric substance of the compound having the general formula ( i ) above described as an effective component to control plant virus diseases . in a compound the general formula ( 1 ), r 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group ; r 2 represents a linear or a branched alkylene group containing from 2 to 5 carbon atoms , preferably dimethylene , trimethylene , tetramethylene group or ethylene group having at least one side chain methyl group , such as iso - propyl group , tert - butyl group ; r 3 and r 4 may be same or different , represent a lower alkyl group , preferably an alkyl group containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms , concretely a methyl group , a ethyl group or a propyl group ; r 5 represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group , preferably a hydrogen atom or a alkyl group containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms , concretely a methyl group , a ethyl group or a propyl group ; x represents a halogen atom such as a chlorine atom , a bromine atom and an iodine atom , an inorganic acid radical such as no 3 and 1 / 2 ( so 4 ), a lower fatty acid radical such as hcoo , ch 3 coo and c 2 h 5 coo or a lower alkyl sulfuric acid radical such as ch 3 so 4 and c 2 h 5 so 4 , preferably a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , an iodine atom , an inorganic acid radical , a fatty acid radical containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms or an alkyl sulfuric acid radical containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety thereof . in case of r 5 is a hydrogen atom , x is selected from a halogen atom , a inorganic acid radical and a lower fatty acid radical , and in case of r 5 is an alkyl group , x is selected from a halogen atom and a lower alkyl sulfuric acid radical . the following are examples of dialkylaminoalkyl acrylate derivatives or dialkylaminoalkyl methacrylate derivatives according to formula ( i ), dimethylamino ( α - methyl ) ethyl methacrylate hydrochloride , dimethylamino ( β - dimethyl ) ethyl methacrylate acetate , dimethylaminotrimethyl methacrylate sulfate , dimethylammonium ( β - dimethyl ) ethyl methacrylate methylsulfate , dimethylammonium ( β - dimethyl ) ethyl methacrylate bromide , diethylammonium ( α - methyl ) ethyl methacrylate chloride , dimethylammoniumethyl acrylate methylsulfate , dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride . it is known that the compound of formula ( i ) can be prepared by either quaterizing a compound expressed by the general formula ( ii ) ## str2 ## ( wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 have the same meanings as defined in the foregoing formula ( i ), respectively ) with an alkyl halide such as methyl chloride , methyl bromide , methyl iodide , ethyl bromide or the like or with an alkylsulfuric acid such as dimethylsulfuric acid or diethylsulfuric acid , or neutralizing the compound of formula ( ii ) with an acid such as hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , nitric acid , sulfamic acid or acetic acid . the preparation of the polymer , an effective component of the chemical according to the invention , from the compound of formula ( i ) is feasible by any of known techniques . for instance , the polymer can be obtained by subjecting to polymerize the compound of formula ( i ) alone or in combination with at least one copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer in the manner of a precipitation or a suspension polymerization in the presence of a catalyst for the polymerization . examples of the ethylenically unsaturated monomers copolymerizable with the compound of formula ( i ) include nonionic monomers such as lower alkyl esters of unsaturated carboxylic acids , i . e ., methylacrylate , ethylacrylate , methylmethacrylate and the like , acrylamide , methacrylamide , vinylpyrrolidone , acrylonitrile , methacrylonitrile , vinylacetate , vinyl methyl ether , vinyl ethyl ether , ethylene , isobutylene and the like , cationic monomers such as vinyl pyridines , p - dimethylaminomethylstyrene and the like . of these , acrylamide and methacrylamide are preferred . when a copolymer is used as the effective component of the chemical of the invention , the content of the compound of formula ( i ) in the copolymer should be within a range of above 10 mol %, preferably above 30 mol %. a polymer and copolymer of this invention are water - soluble or water - suspensible , preferably water - soluble . therefore , when the ethylenically unsaturated monomers in the copolymer are water - insoluble , the rate of said monomer in a compound limited within a rage of from 1 to 20 mol %. the intrinsic viscosity of polymers may be within a rage of from 0 . 3 to 15 . the polymer or copolymer described above may be used , as it is , as the control agent but is generally admixed with adjuvants to use in the form of a wettable powder , a dust , an emulsion or a solution . in the case of the dust , a carrier and a surface active agent are employed to mix with the polymer . suitable examples of the carrier include kaolin , bentonite , talc , clay , white carbon and diatomaceous earth . these carriers may be used singly or in combination . when using in the form of a wettable powder , the surface active agents are employed so as to improve the dispersiveness of the chemical in water and to increase the extend effect when sprayed on plants . ( in this specification , the wettable powder means that which does not contain the carriers .) a wide variety of surface active agents including nonionic active agents and cationic active agents are usable for this purpose . suitable agents include nonionic active agents such as polyoxyethylene alkylallyl ether , polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoalorate , etc . these agents may be used singly or in combination , which depends on the purpose in end use of the wettable powder . further , when the chemical is used as an emulsion or solution , water and / or a solvent miscible with water is employed aside from the above - mentioned two types of adjuvants . such solvents include alcohols such as methyl alcohol , ethyl alcohol and ethylene glycol , ketones such as acetone , ether such as dioxane and tetrahydrofuran , amides such as dimethylformamide , and a mixture thereof . when the polymer is applied as the control agent in the form of a wettable powder , 70 - 99 parts by weight of the polymer and 1 - 30 parts by weight of a surface active agent are mixed in a suitable ratio . in application , the mixture is diluted with water to have a desired concentration and applied for the control . to apply the polymer in the form of an emulsion or solution , 10 - 60 parts by weight of the polymer , 20 - 90 parts by weight of a solvent and 1 - 20 parts by weight of a surface active agent are mixed in desired ratios . then , the mixture is applied by dilution with water similarly to the case of the wettable powder . in the case of the dust , 1 - 20 parts by weight of the polymer , 80 - 98 parts by weight of a carrier and 1 - 5 parts by weight of a surface active agent are uniformly mixed in desired ratios and applied . the chemical for the plant virus disease control according to the invention can effectively control an contagion of viruses such as tmv , cmv , cgmmv , etc ., by soil treatment or by spraying on stems and leaves of growing plants . with the case of the wettable powder , emulsion or solution , a solution having a concentration of the effective component ranging 500 - 5000 ppm is sprayed on plants or irrigated into soils in an amount of 50 - 3000 l per 10 ares . with the dust , it is admixed with soils in an amount of 300 - 10000 g / 10 ares as effective component . as a matter of course , the polymer may be used by mixing with other active components which do not impede the antiviral activity of the polymer , e . g ., fungicide , insecticide , miticide , etc . the chemicals of the invention are effective to the mosaic diseases by the following viruses , tmv , cmv , cgmmv , pvx , lmv , mnsv and the like , especially , tmv , cmv and cgmmv . the chemicals of this invention are effective to prevent the virus deseases from spreading over the plants belong to solanaceae , cucurbitaceae , luguminosae , rosaceae and cruciferae , concretely , tobacco , tomato , spanish paprika , potato , cucumber , melon , watermelon , cowpea , french bean , radish , chinese cabbage , strawberry and the like , especially , solanaceae such as tobacco , tomato and spanish paprika , and cucurbitaceae such as cucumber , watermelon and melon . the present invention will be particularly described by way of the following examples showing preparations of polymers and experiments of the chemicals using such polymers as effective component . these examples are for purposes of exemplification only and in no way are intended to limit the scope of the invention . 4 . 94 g of dimethylamino ( α - methyl ) ethyl methacrylate , and 10 . 04 g of water were introduced into a test tube , to which was added 3 . 02 g of 35 % concentrated hydrochloric acid under agitation to obtain an aqueous hydrochloride solution . then , 2 . 0 g of an aqueous 1 % ammonium persulfate solution was added to the aqueous solution and , after degassing , nitrogen gas was charged into the reaction system , followed by polymerization at 60 ° c . for 3 hours . thereafter , acetone was added to the reaction system to precipitate a gel , followed by a decantation and a removal of acetone and water thereby obtaining a polymer of the hydrochloride of dimethylamino ( α - methyl ) ethyl methacrylate ( compound no . 1 ). the above process was repeated using various salts of methacrylate derivatives and acrylate derivatives to obtain polymers ( compound nos . 2 - 14 , 16 - 23 and 26 ). the structural formulae and intrinsic viscosities of these compounds ( nos . 1 - 14 , 16 - 23 and 26 ) are indicated in table 1 . in table 1 , n and m independently represent a natural number . 1 . 23 g of dimethylaminopropyl methacrylate and 33 . 51 g of water were introduced into a test tube , to which was further added 0 . 75 g of 35 % concentrated hydrochloric acid under agitation to obtain an aqueous hydrochloride solution . to the aqueous solution were added 0 . 51 g of acrylamide and 2 . 0 g of an aqueous 1 % ammonium persulfate and , after degassing , the system was filled with nitrogen gas , followed by copolymerization at 60 ° c . for 3 hours . after completion of the copolymerization , acetone was added to the reaction system to precipitate a gel , followed by a decantation and a removal of acetone and water to obtain a copolymer ( compound no . 15 ). the above process was repeated using different starting materials to obtain a copolymer of a hydrochloride of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and acrylamide ( compound no . 24 ) and a copolymer of a hydrochloride of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and vinylpyridine ( compound no . 25 ). the structural formulae and intrinsic viscosities of these compounds ( nos . 15 , 24 and 25 ) are indicated in table 1 below . table 1__________________________________________________________________________compound intrinsic * no . structural formula viscosity remarks__________________________________________________________________________ ## str3 ## 0 . 982 ## str4 ## 0 . 803 ## str5 ## 1 . 074 ## str6 ## 1 . 655 ## str7 ## 1 . 266 ## str8 ## 1 . 157 ## str9 ## 0 . 828 ## str10 ## 1 . 959 ## str11 ## 1 . 2310 ## str12 ## 1 . 2411 ## str13 ## 1 . 7712 ## str14 ## 1 . 0013 ## str15 ## 1 . 2914 ## str16 ## 1 . 3715 ## str17 ## 2 . 0616 ## str18 ## 1 . 2917 ## str19 ## 1 . 1718 ## str20 ## 1 . 9 ( average degree of polymeri - zation of about 1000 ) 19 ## str21 ## 6 . 3 ( average degree of polymeri - zation of about 4000 ) 20 ## str22 ## 11 . 2 ( average degree of polymeri - zation of about 8000 ) 21 ## str23 ## 5 . 122 ## str24 ## 3 . 823 ## str25 ## 8 . 524 ## str26 ## 2 . 45 n / m = 125 ## str27 ## 1 . 58 n / m = 3 / 726 ## str28 ## 8 . 1__________________________________________________________________________ * in 1n nacl at 25 ° c . aqueous solutions containing 2 , 000 ppm and 1 , 000 ppm of each of the compounds ( nos . 1 - 17 ) indicated in table 1 were , respectively , sprayed over potted tobacco seedlings ( xanthi nc ) of leaf stages of 10 - 11 in an amount of 50 ml per seedling by means of a spray gun . after drying in air , each seedling was inoculated with a separately prepared purified tmv solution ( 0 . 25 × 10 - 6 g / ml ) by an ordinary carborundum method and then allowed to stand in a glasshouse for 3 - 4 days thereby causing local lesions to form on leaves . the number of the formed local lesions was checked for comparison with that obtained with non - treated seedlings to determine a rate of inhibiting formation of tmv lesions for each test solution . the purified tmv solution was prepared by isolating tmv from a sap of tmv - infected leaves and purifying it by means of an ultra - centrifuge . furthermore , chemical damage was observed by spraying 2 , 000 ppm of each of the compounds ( nos . 1 - 17 ) over tobacco seedlings ( bright yellow ) of leaf stages of 10 - 11 , with the result that neither withering of the seedling nor chemical spot was observed . table 2______________________________________compound rate of inhibiting formation of tmv lesion (%) no . 2000 ppm 1000 ppm______________________________________1 97 . 3 89 . 22 94 . 3 88 . 43 93 . 7 88 . 64 96 . 2 89 . 75 95 . 4 90 . 46 95 . 7 88 . 77 93 . 8 86 . 58 95 . 9 90 . 19 94 . 0 91 . 110 95 . 6 89 . 411 97 . 1 92 . 112 96 . 6 92 . 313 92 . 1 86 . 414 90 . 3 86 . 915 87 . 5 77 . 416 92 . 5 85 . 917 94 . 1 87 . 0non - treated 0 0______________________________________ rate of inhibiting formation of tmv lesion ## str29 ## the procedure of example 1 was repeated using the compound nos . 18 - 26 except that the concentrations of the chemical solutions of each compound were 2 , 500 ppm and 1 , 250 ppm , respectively , and the purified tmv solution has a concentration of 5 × 10 - 7 g / ml , thereby determining the inhibition rates of each compound at different concentrations . furthermore , chemical damage was observed by spraying a solution of each of the compound nos . 18 - 26 in a concentration of 2 , 500 ppm over tobacco seedlings ( bright yellow ) of leaf stages of 10 - 11 , with the result that neither withering of the seedlings nor chemical spot appeared . table 3______________________________________compound rate of inhibiting formation of tmv lesion (%) no . 2500 ppm 1250 ppm______________________________________18 96 . 9 90 . 619 98 . 7 92 . 120 99 . 2 94 . 121 98 . 5 93 . 022 97 . 7 92 . 423 97 . 5 92 . 224 96 . 5 91 . 825 95 . 8 90 . 526 95 . 4 91 . 7non - treated 0______________________________________ rate of inhibiting formation of tmv lesion ## str30 ## aqueous solutions of each of the compounds indicated in table 4 with concentrations of 2 , 000 ppm and 1 , 000 ppm were each sprayed over young cowpea plants growing for 10 days after seedling ( vigna sinenis var . sesguipendalis , cv kurodane sanjaku ) in an amount of 5 ml per plant by means of a spray gun . after drying in air , a separately prepared cmv inoculation solution ( with a concentration of 10 × 10 - 6 g / ml ) was inoculated into the plants by an ordinary carborundum method , followed by allowing to stand in a glasshouse for 3 - 4 days to cause local lesion to form on leaves of the plant . the number of the formed local lesions was checked and compared with that obtained with the non - treated plant to determine a rate of inhibiting formation of cmv lesions for each test solution . table 4______________________________________compound rate of inhibiting formation of cmv lesion (%) no . 2000 ppm 1000 ppm______________________________________1 96 . 7 92 . 33 95 . 8 90 . 54 97 . 2 93 . 45 96 . 2 93 . 66 92 . 4 89 . 99 91 . 5 87 . 110 94 . 8 90 . 611 95 . 8 92 . 214 90 . 2 85 . 4non - treated 0 0______________________________________ rate of inhibiting formation of cmv lesion =? ## str31 ## the compound nos . 18 - 26 were tested in the same manner as in example 3 except that the concentration of the solutions being sprayed were 2 , 500 ppm and 1 , 250 ppm , respectively , to determine the inhibition rate for cmv . table 5______________________________________compound rate of inhibiting formation of cmv lesion (%) no . 2500 ppm 1250 ppm______________________________________18 95 . 5 90 . 119 96 . 7 89 . 920 99 . 0 92 . 721 97 . 7 91 . 222 98 . 1 92 . 323 96 . 8 90 . 424 96 . 7 90 . 625 95 . 0 89 . 726 96 . 2 91 . 3non - treated 0______________________________________ rate of inhibiting formation of cmv lesion =- ## str32 ## tobacco seedlings of bright yellow to be a kind of systemic infection plant were used to examine the effect of the chemicals of the invention in a field artificially contaminated with tmv *. aqueous solution having a concentration of 2 , 000 ppm of the compound nos . 4 , 8 , 9 and 13 indicated in table 1 were each sprayed over the tobacco seedlings by means of a sprayer of a knapsack type in an amount of 50 ml per seedling . after drying in air , the sprayed seedlings were planted in the contaminated field . 14 days , 21 days and 28 days after the planting , the seedlings were observed to check how many seedlings were infected with the mosaic disease . table 6______________________________________compound infected seedlings / total of seedlingsno . 14 days 21 days 28 days______________________________________4 0 / 15 1 / 15 3 / 158 2 / 15 4 / 15 5 / 159 0 / 15 1 / 15 2 / 1513 1 / 15 3 / 15 5 / 15non - treated 12 / 15 15 / 15 15 / 15______________________________________ potted tobacco seedlings bright yellow to be a kind of systemic infection plant were used to examine the effect of the chemicals of the invention . aqueous solutions containing 2 , 500 ppm of the compound nos . 19 , 20 , 21 and 24 indicated in table 1 were each sprayed over the tobacco seedlings by means of a spray gun . after drying in air , the purified tmv solution having a tmv concentration of 2 × 10 - 7 g / ml was inoculated in the largest leaf of each of the seedlings in a size of 5 × 5 cm , followed by allowing to stand in a glasshouse . the seedlings which shows symptoms of the mosaic disease was regarded as infected seedlings . 14 days , 21 days and 28 days after the inoculation , the infected condition was observed with the results shown in table 7 below . table 7______________________________________compound infected seedlings / total of inoculated seedlingsno . 14 days 21 days 28 days______________________________________19 0 / 15 1 / 15 3 / 1520 0 / 15 0 / 15 2 / 1521 0 / 15 2 / 15 3 / 1522 1 / 15 2 / 15 3 / 15non - treated 14 / 15 15 / 15 15 / 15______________________________________ tomato seedlings ( kind : yuyake ) were used to examine the effect of the chemicals of the invention in a field artificially contaminated with tmv . an aqueous solution containing 2 , 000 ppm of each of the compounds corresponding to nos . 4 , 8 , and 10 indicated in table 1 was applied to the seedlings , prior to planting , in an amount of 50 ml per seedling and also to the planting hole in an amount of 500 ml by means of a sprayer of a knapsack type . after drying the seedlings in air , the seedlings were each planted in the hole . about 1 month after the planting , the seedlings which were infected with the mosaic disease were checked . the test results are shown in table 8 . note : the hole was charged with a soil which was mixed with a dry powder of tomato leaves attacked with tmv in an amount of 0 . 5 g per l of the soil . table 8______________________________________ preven - compound tiveno . infected seedlings / total of seedlins value (%) ______________________________________4 2 / 20 90 . 08 4 / 20 80 . 010 4 / 20 80 . 0non - treated 20 / 20 0______________________________________ preventive value =- ## str33 ## the procedure of example 7 was repeated using an aqueous solution containing 2 , 500 ppm of each of the compound nos . 19 , 24 and 25 indicated in table 1 . the test results are shown in table 9 below . table 9__________________________________________________________________________ preven - compound tiveno . infected seedlings / total of seedlings value (%) __________________________________________________________________________19 1 / 20 94 . 124 2 / 20 88 . 225 2 / 20 88 . 2non - treated 17 / 20 0__________________________________________________________________________ preventive value =- ## str34 ## | 0 |
the first lipoprotein plasma fraction as used herein is a fraction of plasma derived from blood plasma after separation of red cell component . typically the source of blood is blood of domesticated livestock obtained from meat processing plants , preferably beef , pork or poultry . anticoagulant is added to the whole blood and then the blood is centrifuged to separate the plasma . it is the separated blood plasma collected from abattoirs , that is the starting material for the first lipoprotein plasma fraction of the present invention . the plasma , normally obtained in a chilled fashion , usually at a temperature of about 10 ° c . is mixed with silica at a level of from about 3 % by weight of the plasma to about 10 % by weight of the plasma , preferably about 5 % by weight of the plasma . after thorough mixing , the silica / plasma mixture is centrifuged and the first lipoprotein plasma fraction precipitated out along with the silica . silica is , of course , well known and commercially available from a variety of reliable sources . this first step is a flocculation separation step and while silica is preferred , other flocculating agents can be employed . silica comes in a variety of forms . colloidal silica and fumed silica may be used . other flocculents may include other lipid precipitants such as chitosan and activated charcoal . the mixture of first lipoprotein plasma fraction and flocculent is thereafter diluted with water such that the water - first lipoprotein - fraction - silica mixture is about 40 % to 70 % of the silica - fraction mixture , preferably about 60 %. after the dilution , the ph is adjusted with , for example , 10 % sodium hydroxide to a ph of between 10 . 5 and 11 . 5 . the solution is then stirred for from one hour to 12 hours and the ph adjusted to acidic condition to a ph between 4 . 3 and 4 . 6 , preferably 4 . 5 . suitable acids include a lactic acid solution , an acetic acid solution , citric acid , sulfuric and hydrochloric . these can be used at for example 5 % to 25 % concentration . eventually the ph is adjusted to between 2 . 0 and 3 . 0 while continually stirring . thereafter the solution is allowed to react for from 1 hour to 12 hours and thereafter adjusted using a base , for example 10 % sodium hydroxide solution to a ph less than 4 . 0 , preferably between 3 . 2 and 3 . 4 . the mixture is centrifuged again , and the supernatant collected . the supernatant is thereafter concentrated , for example , using membrane dialysis ( 10 , 000 molecular weight membranes and de ionized water ) to provide a solids concentration of between 8 % and 12 %. thereafter , the ph is adjusted again , for example , using 10 % sodium hydroxide and / or 2 normal hcl to a ph less than 4 . 0 preferably between 3 . 2 and 3 . 5 to provide a target range of percent solids of from 12 % to 16 % in the concentrate . it is this concentrate that can be spray dried to provide the dried plasma fraction . typical spray drying conditions might be 194 ° c . to 220 ° c . inlet temperature and between 90 ° c . and 95 ° c . outlet temperature to provide a final moisture content below 5 %. other drying conditions may also be used , for example , ambient air drying , oven drying , vacuum drying and freeze drying . if liquid format is to be used , the concentration will be adjusted based on the specific application . product characteristics both physical and chemical of the dried plasma fraction have been observed . the following product characteristics are noted . a plasma fraction , as above prepared and characterized , can be used in a topical application as a cream dispensed with a non - allergenic over - the - counter hand cream . it can be used in an oral application in a powdered dosage form , for example mixed in a cocoa drink mix . it can also be used with other conventionally used pharmaceutical carriers that provide elegant dosage forms , the likes of which are well - known to formulary pharmacists . the pharmaceutical preparations of the present invention are manufactured in a manner which is itself well known in the art . for example , the pharmaceutical preparations maybe made by means of conventional mixing , granulating , drageemaking , dissolving , lyophilizing processes . the processes to be used will depend ultimately on the physical properties of the active ingredient used . suitable excipients are , in particular , fillers such as sugars for example , lactose or sucrose , mannitol or sorbitol , cellulose preparations and / or calcium phosphates , for example , tricalcium phosphate or calcium hydrogen phosphate , as well as binders such as starch , paste , using , for example , maize starch , wheat starch , rich starch , potato starch , gelatin , gum tragacanth , methyl cellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose , and / or polyvinyl pyrrolidone . if desired , disintegrating agents maybe added , such as the above - mentioned starches as well as carboxymethyl starch , cross - linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone , agar , alginic acid or a salt thereof , such as sodium alginate . auxiliaries are flow - regulating agents and lubricants , for example , such as silica , talc , stearic acid or salts thereof , such as magnesium stearate or calcium stearate and / or polyethylene glycol . dragee cores maybe provided with suitable coating which , if desired , maybe resistant to gastric juices . for this purpose concentrated sugar solutions maybe used , which may optionally contain gum arabic , talc , polyvinylpyrrolidone , polyethylene glycol and / or titanium dioxide , lacquer solutions and suitable organic solvents or solvent mixtures . in order to produce coatings resistant to gastric juices , solutions of suitable cellulose preparations such as acetylcellulose phthalate or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate , dyestuffs and pigments maybe added to the tablet or dragee coatings , for example , for identification and in order to characterize different combination of compound doses . other pharmaceutical preparations which can be used orally include push - fit capsules made of gelatin , as well as soft , sealed capsules made of gelatin and plasticizer such as glycerol or sorbitol . the push - fit capsules can contain the active compounds in the form of granules which maybe mixed with fillers such as lactose , binders such as starches , and / or lubricants such as talc or magnesium stearate and , optionally , stabilizers . in soft capsules , the active compounds are preferably dissolved or suspended in suitable liquids , such as fatty oils , liquid paraffin , or liquid polyethylene glycols . in addition stabilizers maybe added . generally speaking , when mixed in dry form as a granular powder , the amount of the plasma fraction should be from 4 % to 18 %, preferably from 7 % to 10 %. when mixed in a topical cream , it should be from 0 . 5 % to 5 . 0 %, preferably 1 % to 3 %. the compositions of the present invention have also been found useful toward enhancing viability of cells or tissues in culture or culture - like conditions . when so used , the level should be at from 0 . 5 % to 2 % by weight concentration . the following examples are offered to provide anecdotal evidence of anti - inflammatory therapy . six grams of first lipoprotein plasma fraction , as above prepared , was mixed with 453 g of an over - the - counter non - allergenic hand cream . thereafter , this was used by a series of patients suffering from inflammatory joint soreness , with some of the patients rubbing it on the stiff and sore joints twice daily , and others using it on an as - needed basis . all of the patients noticed a decrease in soreness , stiffness and reported ease of pain . some patients suffering from auto - immune diseases such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis were orally dosed under the care and supervision of a doctor . oral dosing was of a cocoa drink mix with 60 g of the bovine first lipoprotein plasma fraction from spray drying , as above described , mixed with 840 g of a cocoa drink . the dosage amount was 1 t with an 8 oz . drink added to luke - warm water at a temperature not to exceed 40 ° c . patients taking the drink again noted improvement both in the lack of swelling and ease of pain and observed an increase in joint mobility . one patient , diagnosed with multiple sclerosis has observed dramatic effects . the patient took 2 heaping tablespoons of the bovine first plasma lipid fraction cocoa mix powder in luke - warm in a cup every morning . within two weeks , the patient described that she noticed more energy while pain and numbness started to decrease . this patient has been treated now for over a year and pain and numbness has decreased by 50 % with a notable increase in energy . doctors in her neurology clinic have noticed the difference , commented on her increased energy and observed her notable increase in strength on the left side of her body . work is now underway to investigate a further supervised clinical trial . from the above , it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives . | 0 |
the invention is described in a more detailed manner first by means of an implementation and after by means of few use examples . the device that utilizes the solution is in the description a nokia 9500 communicator . it will be , however , appreciated that the device can be some other device , which is movable and which has means for network connection and which comprises a clock or is somehow connected to one . other examples are a mobile phone , a pda device , a laptop etc . the main idea according to the invention is to deduce the start and end dates of daylight saving time ( dst ) from the home city . the time of the home city is the time of the city the user usually is located in . the “ current time ”, which may change according to moving of the user , is acquired from a network for the country in question . the current time is updateable when the user moves to a city with different dst calculation rules . the method is described further by means of fig1 , but before that , an example of the device according to the invention is described and illustrated in fig3 . the device 300 comprises a time measuring means , e . g . clock 360 and display 340 for displaying visual information e . g . the time . further the device 300 comprises a database 371 ( arranged into the memory 370 ) that stores the cities and corresponding time zones and dst calculating rules . the memory 370 may store other data , programs etc . as well . the database is updated according to the relationships of cities to time zones and to start and end dates of dst . the database can be preconfigured with the country / city list , which can be updated by a user , but naturally the whole list can be inserted by the user according to his / her interests . the user can use e . g . a keypad 350 for entering data to the database . by means of the keypad 350 the user can enter data or control the device 300 . the device 300 comprises also a control unit 330 for controlling functions in the device 300 . the control unit 330 may comprise one or more processors ( cpu , dsp ). the device 300 comprises an update converter 331 that is configured to implement the updating or resetting the time and may for instance be arranged into the control unit 330 as shown . the time zone and the status of dst of the current city can be acquired from an update message that describes the time information of the city . this kind of update message can be a nitz message that informs about the current network and the current time zone . the home city is updated , when an update message with a different time zone is received . the update message can be received via a network by means of a communication means 320 having a transmitter 321 and a receiver 322 . there can be also other communicating means 380 having a transmitter 381 and a receiver 382 arranged into the device 300 . the first communicating means 320 can be adapted for telecommunication and the other communicating means 380 can be a one kind of short - range communicating means , such as bluetooth ™ system , wlan system ( wireless local area network ) or other system which is suited for local use and for communicating with another device . the device 300 can also comprise other means , such as audio means , including an earphone and a microphone and optionally a codec for coding ( and decoding , if needed ) the audio information . further the device 300 can operate also with location / positioning systems , e . g . a gps . referring now to fig1 , there is shown an instance of when the update converter receives ( 100 ) an update message from the network , which update message is e . g . a nitz message , with current time information . the update converter can also detect a country related information , e . g . by user input . when noticing a new time information message the converter is configured to decide ( 110 ), which operations it is supposed to do . the update converter can be programmed to neglect the update message and do nothing ( 120 ) if the current time zone remains or if the user does not want the updating . the update converter can also alert ( 130 ) the user and give the user a possibility to update the time and update the current city from a list of cities within the current country with the current time zone ( both can be deduced from the message ) or ignore the update . the update converter can also operate automatically ( 140 ) to update the time and , if the time zone changes or the dst status changes unexpectedly , also to update the home city ( and hence time zone of the device ). the update of home city can be requested , when the update message with the same time zone but an unexpected change in dst is received . the dst calculation rules of all the cities in a country can be updated when the country changes its dst calculation rules . if the user has chosen the automatic update for the home city from the update message and other location data is available that uniquely determines ( 150 ) the city within the set of known cities with the correct country and time zone , the home city can be updated to that city . the location can be determined by the area code or known positioning systems , e . g . gps . if there is no unique city , the update converter may create a temporary city ( 160 ) based on the known location information , choose the last visited city that matches the location information or choose a default city that matches the location information and update that to be the current home city . the user can change the home city manually if he / she so wishes . after having determined the current country or city the corresponding time rules are fetched from the database ( 170 ). the time rules may be time zone and daylight saving time calculation rules for the country / city in question . when new location information with new time definitions is acquired , the converter is configured to determine times for the events being stored in the device ( 180 ). there is no need to specify the events , because an event can be any event which can be measured by time . as an example , the events can be e . g . a calendar event , a task , an alarm , but it is understood that the event can be another type of event relating to time . the operation is also illustrated in fig2 , wherein a mobile terminal ( mt ) at current time ( ct 1 ) moves over ( x 1 ) at least one time zone border ( tzb ), wherein the new current time ( ct 2 ) is , according to the situation in fig2 , three hours ahead the previous ( ct 1 ). in the new time zone the mobile terminal ( mt ) receives ( x 2 ) an update message ( um ) from network ( n ). the mobile terminal ( mt ) determines the new time for the events being stored in the terminal . the previous description is clarified with following examples . four different use cases are assumed , wherein 1 ) user a is located in london , but moves to new york ; 2 ) user a locates in london , but moves to new york and returns to london again ; 3 ) user a locates in london , user b locates in new york , user c locates in tokyo and the users are having a telephone conference together . user a lives in london and has home time , which is a local time of london , set to his movable device . he has set calendar events in the local time , although he is aware of going to new york for a meeting . the meeting is marked to the calendar to start on monday at 12 p . m . however the marking does not take into account where the meeting is held . when user a flies to new york , switches on the movable device , he will get the update message informing about the new time , a local time of new york . user a has chosen the option of automatic update , because he finds that option more usable because of lot of travelling . as a result of the update the marking is maintained on its place ( on monday 12 p . m .) regardless of the time difference and not kept in english local time that would be 5 p . m . on monday , at 11 a . m . new york time , user a is reminded by an alarm , which was programmed to alarm an hour before the meeting . although the user had set the meetings in his home country , the change in time zones maintains the marked time according to the visited time zone , therefore the alarm is launched at the “ wrong time ” compared to london ( 4 p . m . london time ), where the mark was made . the alarming time corresponds to the correct time in the city the user is located in and where the meeting is to be held . it is possible to program the device to automatically detect the place of stay according to the place code marked into calendar . for example user a could have marked “ 12 p . m . meeting nyc ”, whereby the update converter would automatically keep the time in new york time . similarly the marking can be displayed in the calendar at hour 12 , but with the place code . user a can be given a possibility for e . g . a scheduled sms - messaging or other automatic function ( e . g . email synchronization ). for example , if user a wants to send new year &# 39 ; s eve wishes from new york city to london , he can determine the sms message , with an option “ send earliest 00 : 00 lon ”, whereby the time is determined by london time , and due to it , is sent at 7 p . m . in new york time . if user a would have sent the sms according to his current time ( time in new york ) the message would have reached the recipient 5 hours too late . the automatic conversion is made by the country code , e . g . lon , by the update converter . while user a stays in new york his secretary , who resides in london , can send a sms and add an appointment to user a &# 39 ; s calendar that will be held in london on friday at 3 p . m . the marking is made according to secretary &# 39 ; s current time and the appointment is shown to the secretary in 3 p . m . it should be noticed here , that when user a synchronized calendar data with corporate server the appointment is in the same time regardless of his location . when user a returns to london , the update converter transforms the time in such a manner that it maintains the time at 3 p . m . in london time . basically the operations for returning time are carried out similarly to the time updating . the update message is received and the updating operations are implemented by the converter . in some cases , e . g . in a phone conference between london , new york and tokyo , the time should be maintained as it is . user c from tokyo sets up the meeting at 10 a . m . and informs the others to be available at 10 a . m . tokyo &# 39 ; s local time . user a in london is reserved then at 2 a . m . and user b in new york is reserved at 9 p . m . ( previous day ). usually the update converter would transform the time to the corresponding ( same ) time of the country in question , but in this case the actual time of tokyo is essential . user a and user b have to be aware of the time difference and have their calendar updated according the local time . the update converter is configured to determine which operations the marking would need . there are various ways to instruct the update converter to determine the operations . user c can oblige the marking to remain in japanese time or users a , b may accept the marking and maintain the japanese time by leaving it to the corresponding country time . according to the invention users in different countries can still organize their workdays easily according to the invention . the above - mentioned examples should be considered as illustrations of the invention , and that is why , other applicable use cases will be appreciated by the man skilled in the art . for example future coming events , such as the starting time of a conference , the lighting time for olympic fire in a specific country , etc . are such that they can be marked and are correctly shown in the current country when the device is located there . beside future events , also events and tasks that are occurring in the same day are handled by the current solution . the events like e . g . an alarm clock in every working day , daily reminder ( e . g . hour of prayer , time for taking medicine )/ weekly ( e . g . a language course )/ monthly ( reading of an electricity meter )/ annual ( e . g . car inspection ), task within following e . g . 12 hours can be handled . similarly , other possible events are timed profiles , timed switch on - off , back up copying in certain time of the day , other scheduled activities , etc . it will also appreciated that the device can be also another device that operates under time constraints or needs time information and that has roaming capabilities . it will also be clear that variations and modifications of the examples as well as the implementation described are possible without departing from the scope of protection of the invention as set forth in the claims . | 6 |
the present embodiments enable a computer implemented method of representing dags in memory , comprising persisting a full path table in memory , and updating the path table whenever the dag updates . before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . fig2 illustrates a high level block diagram of a computing platform 10 in accordance with a principle of the current invention comprising : a computing device 20 comprising a processor 40 and a memory 70 ; a user input device 50 ; a monitor 60 ; and an output device 80 , such as a printer . memory 70 comprises a relational database representation of a dag 71 , including a nodes table 72 ; an edges table 73 ; a path table 74 ; a path detail table 75 ; an optional transitive closure table 76 ; and path updating functionality 77 . path updating functionality 77 represents computer readable instructions , enabling processor 40 to update nodes table 72 , edges table 73 , path table 74 , path detail table 75 and optional transitive closure table 76 whenever dag 71 changes . monitor 60 is coupled to an output of processor 40 and computing device 20 is connected to user input device 50 . processor 40 is further in communication with memory 70 , user input 50 and output device 80 . user input device 50 is illustrated as a keyboard , however this is not meant to be limiting in any way . the use of any or all of a pointing device , a voice input , or a touch screen is equally applicable and is specifically included . memory 70 is illustrated as being internal to computing device 20 , however this is not meant to be limiting in any way . all or parts of memory 70 may be provided external to computing device 20 , such as a network server , the internet , or a removable computer readable media , without exceeding the scope of the invention . computing platform 10 has been described as having a monitor and a user input device 50 associated therewith , however this is not meant to be limiting in any way . in one embodiment computing platform 10 is constituted of a server , comprising a web server or other application programming interface for processing requests received from a connected network . memory 70 of computing device 20 is further operative to store the computer implemented method according to the principle of the invention in computer readable format for execution by computing device 20 . the invention addresses a situation where dag 71 is represented in memory 70 as a list of nodes and list of edges , each edge being an ordered pair of nodes , which changes from time to time . in one non - limiting embodiment dag 71 represents folders in a file system and in another non - limiting embodiment dag 71 represents classes in a dynamically changing object - oriented data model . according to an embodiment of the invention , there is additionally stored in memory 70 a data representation of all paths in the dag , which is stored within nodes table 72 ; edges table 73 ; path table 74 ; path detail table 75 ; and optional transitive closure table 76 . fig3 illustrates a uml static class diagram metamodel for representing a dag , including nodes and edges , together with paths , according to a principle of the invention . the object - oriented metamodel of fig3 may also be converted into a persistence scheme using object relational mapping . one embodiment of a resultant relational database schema , including sample data , is shown in fig5 a - 5e . in particular , referring to fig4 , which illustrates an example of a dag and paths , according to a principle of the invention , as stored in the memory of computing platform 10 of fig2 , the diagram shows nodes a , b , c , d , and e and edges ab , ac , ba , cd and ae . nodes a , b , c , d and e in one embodiment represent classes ; and edges ab , ac , ba , cd and ae in one embodiment represent superclass — subclass relationships . the transitive closure is the edges plus the dashed line ad . the paths are the edges plus the two paths , each of which is a sequence of edges , ac bd ; ac cd shown with a broader dash . in particular , fig5 a illustrates an embodiment of node table 72 ; fig5 b illustrates an embodiment of edges table 73 ; fig5 c illustrates an embodiment of path table 74 ; fig5 d illustrates an embodiment of path detail table 75 ; and fig5 e illustrates an embodiment of optional transitive closure table 76 . in one embodiment , the method according to a principle of the invention captures every single path from any node to any node in dag 71 . every path is an ordered list of edges . for efficiency , the method according to the principle of the invention also directly points at both the starting point and the end point of the path even those may be calculated from the first and last edges in the path . in one embodiment , ( not shown ), the “ empty path ” from each edge to itself is also stored in path table 74 , without any corresponding path details in path detail table 75 . with the existence of path table 74 certain important queries can be performed much more directly and efficiently than would otherwise be possible , even using a single query of a database query language sql . a is tested to check if it is an ancestor of b directly by simply querying to see if there is one or more paths found in path table 74 whose start is a and end is b . in another embodiment , transitive closure table 76 which is always precisely equal to path table 74 with the exception that all duplications of paths which have the same start and finish have been removed , is also implemented . each pair in transitive closure table 76 preferably includes a count of how many paths correspond to each transitive closure , so that it the path is preferably removed when the count reaches 0 . thus , when a path is deleted the corresponding transitive closure is deleted by using the count , without the need to query to see if there are other paths with the same start and finish . it will be appreciated that a query “ find all descendants of a ” or “ find all ancestors of a ” can also be achieved with a direct query of the path table , although duplicate results should then be removed , or by querying the transitive closure table . fig6 a illustrates a high level flow chart of a computer implemented method , according to a principle of the invention , operable in association with computing platform 10 of fig2 , to remove an edge from a dag . in stage 1000 , path detail table 75 is queried for every path that includes the edge to be removed . in stage 1010 , the paths identified in the query of stage 1000 are removed from path table 74 . in stage 1020 , path detail table 75 is queried to find all the details of every path that includes the edge to be removed , as described above in relation to stage 1000 , from the dag . in stage 1030 , the details identified in stage 1020 are removed from path detail table 75 . in this way removing an edge requires three simple database queries : a ) finding the paths of stage 1000 ; b ) removing the path from the path table of stage 1010 ; c ) finding and removing the details of the paths of stages 1020 , 1030 . optionally , in stage 1040 , transitive closure table 76 is updated . the below pseudo code implements removing an edge from a dag , the corresponding path table 74 and corresponding path detail table 75 as described in fig6 a . // search the tc table , if records with count & gt ; 1 , then decrement the fig6 b illustrates a high level flow chart of a computer implemented method , according to a principle of the invention , operable in association with computing platform 10 of fig2 , to add an edge to a dag . in stage 1100 , identify ( a ) every path c 1 . . . cn whose end point cn equals a , plus the empty path with no edges , and ( b ) every path d 1 . . . dn whose start d 1 = a plus the empty path with no edges . in stage 1110 , add a new path with nodes c 1 . . . cn d 1 . . . dn for each combination of a path from set ( a ) followed by a path of set ( b ) of the path sets a and b identified in stage 1110 to path table 74 and add the details to path detail table 75 ( i . e . the edges c 1 - c 2 , c 2 - c 3 , . . . cn - d 1 , d 1 - d 2 . . . ). the set of combinations of paths from a and paths from b is sometimes known in mathematics as the cross product . optionally , in stage 1120 , transitive closure table 76 is updated by adding for each new path c 1 . . . cn d 1 . . . dn , a transitive closure c 1 - dn if it doesn &# 39 ; t exist , or optionally incrementing its count if it already exists . the below pseudo code implements adding an edge to a dag and the corresponding path table 74 and path detail table 75 . // look on the tc table , if the raw is available , then increment the those skilled in the art of relational database and / or programming will be able to code the data structures , database schemas and specific transactions and queries reasonably easily using the above guidelines . by storing both dag 71 as well as the path table 74 , and path detail table 75 , a simple and relatively quick computer implemented algorithm for checking ancestors and descendants using the path table , and / or using a transitive closure table derived from it by eliminating duplicates , is provided . additionally , fig6 a and fig6 b describe algorithms for updating the path table when edges are added or removed which are more efficient than prior art algorithms for updating transitive closure tables when a path table is not present . the price for this efficiency is the extra storage required for the path table and also the time taken by transactions for adding and removing edges . by way of an example , which corresponds to the diagrams of fig3 - 5 , consider a dag with nodes comprising of classes a , b , c , d , e with superclass - subclass edges ab , ac , bd , cd , ae . the paths are the following seven sequences of edges : ab ; ac ; bd ; cd ; ae ; ab bd ; ac cd the transitive closure is the start and finish nodes of the path table with duplications removed in this case : to remove the edge bd , as described in relation to fig6 a , remove every path containing bd from path table 74 which are the paths bd and ab bd . further remove the details of these paths from path detail table 75 , i . e . every path detail which points at that path using that path id foreign key . for path bd , the path id is the detail containing the edge bd and for ab bd is the two details ab and bd . in transitive closure table 76 we decrement the count of ad by one since there is now one less path from a to d , and we remove bd which now has a count of zero . to add edge ec , as described in relation to fig6 b , i . e . a user tells us that c is a subclass of e , take all the paths ending at e including empty path ( ae , empty path ) and all those starting at c ( cd , empty path ) and “ cross product ” them so that the set of paths to add to path table 74 with corresponding details are the 2 × 2 = 4 new paths : it will be appreciated that adding or removing a node does not require any updates to the edge table 73 , path table 74 , path detail table 75 or optional transitive closure table 76 . the corresponding counts must be updated in transitive closure table 76 for every start and finish of a path , e . g . increment the relationships ec , ac , ed and ac in the transitive closure or create if non - existent . thus , the present embodiments enable a computer implemented method of representing dags in memory , comprising persisting a full path table in memory , and updating the path table whenever the dag updates . it is appreciated that certain features of the invention , which are , for clarity , described in the context of separate embodiments , may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment . conversely , various features of the invention which are , for brevity , described in the context of a single embodiment , may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub - combination . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as are commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . although methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention , suitable methods are described herein . all publications , patent applications , patents , and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety . in case of conflict , the patent specification , including definitions , will prevail . in addition , the materials , methods , and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting . the terms “ include ”, “ comprise ” and “ have ” and their conjugates as used herein mean “ including but not necessarily limited to ”. it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove . rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and sub - combinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof , which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description . | 6 |
the cassette shown in the drawings is adapted to be inserted into a compartment formed in the rear of an automatic cash dispensing machine ( not shown ) of the kind previously referred to . the cash dispensing machine is arranged to extract currency notes from the cassette when the cassette is in an unlocked condition , for dispensing to a customer . before dispensing the notes , the machine checks that the notes meet certain criteria , and also transfers any notes rejected by the machine back into the cassette . referring now to the drawings , the cassette 9 ( fig1 ) includes a housing 10 which is divided into two separate compartments 11 and 12 ( fig4 ) by means of two pairs of side plates 13 and 14 and by means of two end plates 15 and 16 ( fig4 ), each compartment being designed to hold a stack of currency notes 17 ( fig2 ). the side plates 13 and 14 slidably engage notches 18 ( fig4 ) provided in front and rear walls 19 and 20 of the housing 10 , so that the spacing apart of each pair of side plates 13 and 14 may be adjusted to receive the widths of the notes 17 therebetween . also , the spacing of the end plates 15 and 16 from the rear wall 20 may be adjusted by means of fasteners 21 ( fig4 ) which coact with horizontally extending slots 22 ( fig3 ) formed in side walls 23 of the housing 10 . thus , the size of each compartment 11 or 12 can be adjusted to accommodate currency notes of a particular denomination ; as shown in fig4 the two compartments 11 and 12 may be adjusted to be of different sizes , so that , if desired , the cassette 9 can hold currency notes of two different denominations or sizes . the housing 10 is provided with a cover 24 ( fig1 ) which can be locked in a position covering the housing 10 by means of a locking mechanism 26 operated by a key 28 ( fig3 ). it should be understood that the housing 10 and the cover 24 together form a receptacle for the currency notes 17 , which receptacle can be locked in a closed condition so as to prevent access to the notes as will be made clear later herein . the locking mechanism 26 is provided with a lever 30 ( fig3 ) which , by operation of the key 28 , is arranged to be rotated into engagement with a slot 32 formed in a central plate 33 extending between the front and rear walls 19 and 20 , so as to lock the cover 24 firmly in position on the housing 10 . with the cover 24 removed , the notes 17 can be stacked in the compartments 11 and 12 , the notes in each stack being retained in position by means of an associated weight or packer plate 34 ( fig2 ) which bears down freely on the top note in the stack . the lower part of the housing 10 is provided with a base slide assembly 36 ( fig3 ) which comprises a main slide 38 and an end slide 40 , the two slides 38 and 40 being pivotally connected together by means of studs 42 . the slide assembly 36 is slidably mounted on , and positioned above , a base member 43 of the housing 10 , and grooved members 44 ( fig1 ) are provided on the under surfaces of the slides 38 and 40 to engage a guide rail ( not shown ) provided on the upper surface of the base member 43 . the base member 43 has formed therein an opening 45 ( fig4 ) whose purpose will be described later herein . the slide assembly 36 is arranged to be movable between a fully inserted or closed position , as shown in fig3 in which it closes the opening 45 in the base member 43 , and a fully retracted or open position in which the main slide 38 is pivoted upwardly into a vertically extending position as shown in fig1 and 4 . when the slide assembly 36 is in its fully retracted position shown in fig4 currency notes 17 contained in the compartments 11 and 12 are supported by inwardly projecting lips 46 provided at the lower edge of the rear wall 20 of the housing 10 , by arms 47 and rollers 48 mounted on the base member 43 , and by resilient support members 49 secured to the lower edges of the plates 15 and 16 . when the slide assembly 36 is pushed from its fully retracted position shown in fig4 into its fully inserted position shown in fig3 the assembly 36 passes beneath the support members 49 and over the arms 47 and rollers 48 ; with the assembly 36 in its fully inserted position , end portions 50 of the slide 40 are disposed immediately above the lips 46 ( fig3 ) and the support members 49 bear down resiliently on the slide 38 . the slide assembly 36 ( fig3 ) is arranged to be locked in its fully - inserted position by means of a vertically - extending , locking member or shaft 51 which engages a circular aperture 52 ( fig1 ) in the slide 38 . when the locking shaft 51 is moved upwardly ( as viewed in fig3 ) out of engagement with the aperture 52 in a manner to be described hereinafter , the slide assembly 36 may be moved from left to right ( as viewed in fig3 ) by means of a handle 54 provided on the slide 38 until lugs 56 ( fig4 ), provided on the slide 38 , abut against stop means ( not shown ) provided on the base member 43 of the housing 10 . as mentioned above , with the slide assembly 36 in a fully retracted position , the slide 38 may be pivoted upwardly into a vertical position , the slide 38 being held in this position by means of conventional adhesive pile strips 60 ( fig3 and 4 ) provided on the slide 38 engaging complementary adhesive strips 62 ( fig4 ) provided on the outside of the front wall 19 of the housing 10 . after the slide assembly 36 has been fully retracted from the cassette 10 as shown in fig4 currency notes 17 can be withdrawn from the compartments 11 and 12 via the opening 45 in the base member 43 . the cash dispensing machine in which the cassette 9 may be installed has a currency dispensing apparatus ( not shown but associated therewith ) which coacts with the notes 17 to pick or withdraw them through the opening 45 . the locking shaft 51 ( fig3 ) is slidably mounted in bushings 64 and 66 secured to the central plate 33 . the shaft 51 is urged or biased away from the base member 43 by means of a compression spring 68 , one end of which bears against a collar 70 secured to the shaft 51 and the other end of which bears against the lower bushing 66 . referring now particularly to fig3 , and 6 , the upper end of the locking shaft 51 bears against the periphery of a cam 72 secured to a hub 74 mounted on a horizontally extending key shaft 76 , the ends of the key shaft 76 being rotatably mounted in the front and rear walls 19 and 20 of the housing 10 . the shaft 76 is arranged to be rotated by means of a key 78 associated with a locking mechanism 80 mounted on the front wall 19 . the cam 72 and hub 74 ( fig3 , and 6 ) are associated with a latch generally designated 82 . the latch 82 is slidably and pivotably mounted on a stud 84 secured to the front wall 19 ; the stud 84 engages a slot 86 formed in the latch 82 . the latch 82 is urged from right to left with reference to fig5 and 6 by a tension spring 88 , one end of which is connected to a projection 90 on the latch 82 and the other end of which is connected to a stud 92 secured to the housing 10 . with the cover 24 removed from the housing 10 , the latch 82 can be manually primed or activated by moving it against the tension of the spring 88 so as to bring a lug 94 formed on the latch 82 into engagement with a stop member 96 secured to the housing 10 , as shown in fig5 . a stud 98 is provided on that side of the cam 72 facing the front wall 19 of the housing 10 , the stud 98 being arranged to engage an extension 100 of the latch 82 during a rotation of the cam 72 as will be described hereinafter . also , the cam 72 is provided with a shoulder 102 where a high portion 104 of the cam 72 meets a low portion 106 thereof . fig3 and 5 show the locking shaft 51 and cam 72 in their home or locking position , with the upper end of the shaft 51 bearing against the high portion 104 of the cam 72 . in order to cause the locking shaft 51 to be moved to an unlocked position , thereby releasing the base slide assembly 36 , the key shaft 76 , on which the cam 72 is mounted , is rotated through 180 ° in a clockwise direction ( with reference to fig5 and 6 ) by means of the key 78 until the shoulder 102 engages the upper end of the locking shaft 51 . upon completion of this unlocking operation via the key 78 , the locking shaft 51 is in engagement with the low portion 106 of the cam 72 ( fig6 ), the shaft 51 being moved upwardly during the rotation of the cam 72 by means of the spring 68 ( fig3 ). it should be understood that the cam 72 is able to undergo this 180 ° of rotation because the lug 94 of the latch 82 is held out of the path of rotation of the shoulder 102 by virtue of the lug 94 being in engagement with the stop 96 . after the shoulder 102 is moved past the lug 94 during the above - mentioned rotation of the cam 72 , the stud 98 on the cam 72 moves into engagement with the extension 100 of the latch 82 , and continued rotation of the cam 72 causes the stud 98 to pivot the latch 82 in a clockwise direction ( with reference to fig5 and 6 ) so as to actuate or trip the latch 82 by moving the lug 94 out of engagement with the stop 96 ; tripping of the latch 82 takes place after approximately 135 ° of rotation of the cam 72 from its home position shown in fig5 . upon the latch 82 being tripped , it is moved from right to left ( with reference to fig5 and 6 ) under the action of the spring 88 so as to bring the lug 94 into contact with the periphery of the cam 72 . it will be appreciated that following the above - described rotation through 180 °, a locking operation via the key 78 can take place provided that the slide assembly 36 is in its fully inserted position shown in fig3 . during such locking operation , the cam 72 is returned to its home position by means of the key 78 , the cam 72 rotating back through 180 ° in a counterclockwise direction ( as viewed in fig6 ) with the lug 94 riding over the surface of the cam 72 . however , once the latch 82 has been tripped , then until the latch 82 is reset into a primed state ( shown in fig5 ) the cam 72 cannot be again rotated through 180 ° in a clockwise direction since after approximately 90 ° of such rotation , the shoulder 102 will engage with the lug 94 thereby stopping further rotation of the cam 72 . the locking shaft 51 at this time will still be in engagement with the high portion 104 of the cam 72 so that the slide assembly will remain locked in its fully inserted position . as will be made clear hereinafter , the cam 72 , the latch 82 and the locking shaft 51 form a tamper indicating mechanism which will indicate whether an unauthorized unlocking of the locking mechanism 80 has taken place . it should be understood that a locking operation of the key 78 ( fig3 ) can take place only when the slide assembly 36 is in its fully inserted position ( as shown in fig3 ), i . e ., when the aperture 52 ( fig1 ) in the slide 38 is aligned with the locking shaft 51 ; in this connection it should be noted that a locking operation of the key 78 is prevented when the slide assembly 36 is in its fully retracted position ( fig4 ) by virtue of the lower end of the locking shaft 51 coming into engagement with the end slide 40 after approximately 45 ° of rotation of the cam 72 back from its &# 34 ; 180 ° from home position &# 34 ; position shown in fig6 . also it should be noted that the key 78 can be withdrawn from the locking mechanism only when the cam 72 is in its home position shown in fig5 or its 180 ° from its home position as shown in fig6 . referring now particularly to fig3 and 7 , a second cam 108 is mounted on the key shaft 76 . one of the functions of the cam 108 is to control operation of a shutter 110 , which when in an open position as shown in phantom outline in fig3 permits notes rejected by the cash dispensing machine to be deposited back into the cassette 9 . the shutter 110 is mounted by means of hinges 112 in an aperture 114 formed in the rear wall 20 of the housing 10 , and when the cam 108 is in its home position as shown in fig7 ( which position corresponds to the home position of the cam 72 ), the shutter 110 serves to close the aperture 114 . the shutter 110 is urged to rotate from its closed position towards its open position by means of a torsion spring 116 , but such inward rotation of the shutter 110 is prevented by the cam 108 when the latter is in its home position as shown in fig7 . one end of a horizontally extending shaft 118 bears against the periphery of the cam 108 , the shaft 118 being slidably mounted in a bracket 120 and a bushing 122 secured to the rear wall 20 of the housing 10 . the shaft 118 is urged against the periphery of the cam 108 by means of a compression spring 124 one end of which engages a collar 126 secured to the shaft 118 and the other end of which engages a bushing 122 . with the cam 108 in its home position , the shaft 118 bears against a low portion 128 of the cam 108 , and the cam 108 engages a stud 130 mounted on the rear wall 20 , the stud 130 limiting rotational movement of the cam 108 in a clockwise direction ( with reference to fig7 ). with the shaft 118 bearing against the low portion 128 of the cam 108 , that end of the shaft 118 remote from the cam 108 is in a retracted position in which it does not project beyond the outside surface of the housing 10 . when the key shaft 76 is rotated through 180 ° from its home position as previously described in relation to the cam 72 ( i . e ., during an unlocking operation via the key 78 ), the cam 108 moves above the upper edge of the shutter 110 , thereby permitting the shutter 110 to rotate inwardly through 90 ° under the action of the spring 116 into its open position as shown in phantom outline in fig3 . also , such rotation of the key shaft 76 causes a high portion 132 of the cam 108 to come into engagement with the shaft 118 so as to urge the shaft 118 from left to right ( with reference to fig7 ) and thereby cause the shaft 118 to project beyond the outside surface of the housing 10 . as will be explained later , the shaft 118 provides a means for locking the cassette 9 in position in the cash dispensing machine . it should be understood that activation of the shaft 118 so as to cause it to project beyond the outside surface of the housing 10 takes place during the first 90 ° of rotation of the key shaft 76 from its home position , while the opening of the shutter 110 takes place during the final 45 ° of this rotation . the front wall 19 of the housing 10 ( fig1 ) is provided with a carrying handle 134 to facilitate transportation of the cassette 9 . the operation of the cassette 9 ( fig1 ) will now be described in detail . the loading of the cassette 9 with the currency notes 17 normally takes place in a secure area , i . e ., in a bank , remote from the building in which the cash dispensing machine is situated . in order to load the cassette 9 with currency notes , the cover 24 is unlocked by means of the key 28 ( fig3 ) and is removed from the housing 10 , the slide assembly 36 being in a fully inserted position and being locked in position by means of the locking shaft 51 as shown in fig3 . the currency notes 17 are stacked in the two compartments 11 and 12 , and the packer plates 34 ( fig2 ) are placed on top of the stacks . next , the latch 82 ( fig5 ) is primed by moving it against the action of the spring 88 and bringing the lug 94 into engagement with the stop 96 as is best shown in fig2 . the cover 24 is then replaced and locked in position by means of the key 28 , which key is normally retained at the bank . with both locking mechanisms 26 and 80 in a locked condition , the cassette 9 is in a condition for transportation to the cash dispensing machine . following delivery to the cash dispensing machine , the cassette 9 is inserted into the machine and the locking mechanism 80 ( fig3 ) is unlocked by rotating the key 78 through 180 °. as has been previously explained , this rotation of the key 78 brings about a corresponding rotation of the key shaft 76 and of the cams 72 and 108 mounted on this shaft . during the first 90 ° of this rotation of the key shaft 76 , the shaft 118 ( fig7 ) is moved by the cam 108 to an activated position in which it projects outside the housing 10 ( as shown in fig1 ), the shaft 118 engaging a recess in the wall ( not shown ) of the compartment of the cash dispensing machine in which the cassette 9 is inserted , thereby locking the cassette 9 in position in the machine . after 135 ° of this rotation of the key shaft 76 , the latch 82 is tripped ( fig6 ) by virtue of the stud 98 on the cam 72 engaging with the extension 100 of the latch 82 . during the final 45 ° of this rotation of the key shaft 76 , the shutter 110 ( fig2 and 3 ) is opened , and the locking shaft 51 rises out of engagement with the aperture 52 in the slide 38 . with the locking shaft 51 out of engagement with the slide 38 , the slide 38 can be withdrawn from the cassette 9 and pivoted into its upright position shown in fig1 and 4 . thus , with both the shutter 110 open and the slide 38 withdrawn , the cassette 9 is in operative communication with the cash dispensing machine , thereby permitting notes to be picked from the cassette 9 by conventional picking means provided in the cash dispensing machine and permitting notes rejected by the machine to be deposited in the cassette 9 via the opening otherwise covered by the shutter 110 . it will be appreciated that the shutter 110 is not opened and the slide 38 is not unlocked until after the cassette 9 is locked in the cash dispensing machine by means of the shaft 118 , this being an additional security feature . after the cassette 9 is exhausted of currency notes , or after the quantity of notes in the cassette falls to a predetermined level , the slide assembly 36 is pushed back into its fully inserted position in the cassette 9 and the key 78 is rotated through 180 ° to its home position , thereby withdrawing the shaft 118 from engagement with the cash dispensing machine , relocking the base slide assembly 36 in its fully - inserted position by means of the locking shaft 51 , and closing the shutter 110 . the cassette 9 may now be withdrawn from the cash dispensing machine and be replaced by another loaded cassette 9 . it should be understood that if the locking mechanism 80 ( fig3 ) were unlocked and then relocked during transportation of the loaded cassette 9 from the bank to the cash dispensing machine , then the latch 82 would be tripped prior to insertion of the cassette 9 in the machine . this would mean that with the cassette 9 inserted in the cash dispensing machine it would be found impossible to rotate the key 78 through 180 °, since after 90 ° of rotation the shoulder 102 of the cam 72 ( fig5 and 6 ) would come into engagement with the lug 94 . as a result of rotation of the cam 72 being stopped after 90 °, the locking shaft 51 would still be in engagement with the high portion 104 of the cam 72 , so that withdrawal of the slide 38 would be prevented by virtue of the locking shaft 51 still being in engagement in the aperture 52 . thus , the cassette 9 would remain inoperative until such time as it would be returned to the bank for the cover 24 to be unlocked and removed and for the latch 82 to be reset to its primed state . it will be appreciated , therefore , that the latch 82 , the cam 72 and the locking shaft 51 together constitute an effective tamper indicating mechanism which will indicate , for example , whether or not an unauthorized unlocking of the locking mechanism 80 has occurred during transportation of the cassette 9 to the cash dispensing machine . it will be appreciated that the cassette 9 described above is entirely mechanical in construction and therefore requires no electrical power supply . also , the cassette 9 is of simple construction because the key 78 and the key shaft 76 serve to control a plurality of operations : namely , locking and unlocking of the base slide assembly 36 , operating the shutter 110 , operating the shaft 118 for locking the cassette in the cash dispensing machine , and tripping of the latch 82 . | 6 |
in the following description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . it will be apparent , however , to one skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without these specific details . reference in this specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearance of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment , nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments . moreover , various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others . similarly , various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments . although the following description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration , one skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations and / or alterations to said details are within the scope of the present invention . similarly , although many of the features of the present invention are described in terms of each other , or in conjunction with each other , one skilled in the art will appreciate that many of these features can be provided independently of other features . accordingly , this description of the invention is set forth without any loss of generality to , and without imposing limitations upon , the invention . broadly , embodiments of the present invention disclose mram structures with metal lines having magnetic sidewalls in different configurations . in a first configuration , the magnetic sidewalls are continuous and extend along the full length of a metal line . in a second configuration , the magnetic sidewalls are discontinuous and are located at portions of metal lines that are close to the mtj cells . advantageously , the magnetic sidewalls reduce the current in the word and bit lines needed to switch the mtj cells . embodiments of the present invention also disclose techniques for manufacturing the metal lines . referring now to fig1 ( a ) , in a first configuration metal line 2 is shown having continuous magnetic sidewalls 4 extending along its entire length . fig1 ( b ) shows the metal line 2 clad with discontinuous metal line , portions of which are indicated with reference numeral 6 . referring now to fig3 , reference numeral 19 generally indicates a 3 × 3 mram array , in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . in fig2 , the same or similar reference numerals used in fig1 are used to indicate the same or similar components . as will be seen , the case of the embodiment of fig3 , the bit line 10 includes discontinuous magnetic sidewalls , portions of which are indicated with reference numeral 10 . 2 likewise , the word line 12 includes discontinuous magnetic sidewalls , portions of which are indicated with reference numeral 12 . 2 . referring now to fig3 , reference numeral 19 generally indicates a 3 × 3 mram array , in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . in fig2 , the same or similar reference numerals used in fig1 are used to indicate the same or similar components . as will be seen , the case of the embodiment of fig3 , the bit line 10 includes discontinuous magnetic sidewalls , portions of which are indicated with reference numeral 10 . 2 . likewise , the word line 12 includes discontinuous magnetic sidewalls , portions of which are indicated with reference numeral 12 . 2 . in one embodiment , in the case of continuous magnetic sidewalls said sidewalls are magnetically very soft . for this purpose , the magnetic walls may be made of nife , nifemo alloys or ultrasoft magnetic materials . in one embodiment , the thicknesses of the magnetic layer in the sidewalls are selected to keep the soft properties of the magnetic sidewalls . for example , thin magnetic layers ( much less than 10 nm ) in the sidewalls are avoided . in the case of the configuration with discontinuous magnetic sidewalls , said sidewalls may be thin (& lt ; 10 nm ) so as not to overpower the mtj . in one embodiment , the aspect ratio of these patterned sidewalls is set carefully and consistently across the memory device . setting the aspect ratio of the patterned walls involves considering the magnetic switching field of the cell , the cell stability against thermal fluctuations , stray magnetic fields , and half - select . in one embodiment , the patterned magnetic sidewalls have an aspect ratio 1 or close to 1 with the longer side oriented along a top - bottom direction in fig3 . the magnetic field for switching the cells as well as the cell stability tends to increase with the aspect ratio of the magnetic sidewalls . for the magnetic sidewalls it is preferable to use materials with very low magneto - crystalline anisotropy , like nife , nifemo or cofeb alloys . in one embodiment , the magnetic sidewalls may be made of several layers . fig4 shows a cross - section through a metal line ( word or bit ) having three layer magnetic sidewalls . the layers include an outer layer 20 , an inner layer 22 , and a middle layer 21 sandwiched between the outer layer 20 and the inner layer 22 . the layers 20 and 22 are non - magnetic , whereas the middle layer 21 is the magnetic one . the purpose of the outer 22 and the inner 20 layer is to protect the integrity of the magnetic layer 21 , so that its thickness is not affected by processing . the innermost layer 20 also helps protect the metal line 23 during processing and helps reduce electro - migration in the metal line 23 . the outer and the inner layers may be composed of ta , or other materials that fit the purpose . manufacturing of the magnetic sidewalls can be accomplished by different methods . in case of metal lines defined by etching a metallic layer ; like alcu and w lines , the process flow for manufacturing is shown in fig5 . the first step is to define the metal line 30 ( fig5 a ), which is shown in cross - section . in one embodiment the metal line 30 is defined with the assistance of a hard mask , the remaining of which is denoted as 31 . the next step is the deposition of the layers 32 composing the magnetic sidewalls , as shown in fig5 b ). in one embodiment the deposition can be made by physical vapor deposition ( pvd ). the next step ( c ) is the definition of the walls through anisotropic etching of the deposited layers . in one embodiment this can be accomplished with reactive ion etching ( rie ) using for example : chlorine gas mixed with argon . at this point the continuous magnetic sidewalls are already defined along the metal lines . for discontinuous magnetic sidewalls , after step c ) a photo - lithography process follows , as shown in plan view in fig6 d ). this step is to protect with photo - resist 40 the parts of the magnetic sidewalls that are going to remain . the next step ( e ) is the etching away of the exposed magnetic sidewalls . after stripping the photo - resist ( f ), the discontinuous magnetic sidewalls 41 are defined . in the case of metallic lines defined by the damascene method , like cu lines , the process flow for manufacturing the magnetic sidewalls is shown in fig7 . starting from the groove 50 etched in the dielectric layer 51 , the next step is the deposition of the layers 52 composing the magnetic sidewalls . in one embodiment the deposition can be made by pvd . the following step ( c ) is the definition of the walls through anisotropic etching of the deposited layers . in one embodiment this can be accomplished with rie using chlorine gas mixed with argon gas . the following step ( d ) is the filling of the groove with metal and the chemical - mechanical polishing ( cmp ) down to the dielectric layer . for metal filling a thin metallic seed layer 53 is deposited first . in a different embodiment the innermost metallic layer 54 deposited in b ) serves as seed layer for metal filling . for that purpose , step c ) is replaced with step e ), where the innermost deposited layer is left after rie . after that , step f ) follows which implies metal filling and cmp . either after step d ) or after step f ) the result is the definition of continuous magnetic sidewalls along the metal lines . for discontinuous magnetic sidewalls , after step c ) or e ) a photo - lithography process follows , as shown in plan view in fig8 g ). this step is to protect with photo - resist 60 the parts of the magnetic sidewalls that are going to remain . the following step ( h ) is etching away the exposed magnetic sidewalls . after stripping the photo - resist ( i ), the discontinuous magnetic sidewalls 61 are defined . one skilled in the art would be aware of the requirements and specificities of the techniques mentioned above for the purpose of manufacturing the magnetic sidewalls . the manufacturing techniques mentioned herein are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . | 7 |
in the example described below , it is assumed that the device under test is a device controlling the injection system of an automobile engine . the inventive method is more generally applicable to any device under test for which there is a desire to detect any failure ( operating fault or failure ). the inventive method is a method of validating an operating diagnosis of the device under test . the inventive method guarantees that the result of an operating diagnosis is reliable , whether it is positive or negative , that is , particularly in the case of a positive result , that the positive result is reproducible at least a predefined number of times . after being started ( s 1 in fig3 ), the validation method comprises , like the prior diagnostic methods , the performance of a succession of elementary tests ( s 2 ). during each elementary test , the operation of the device under test is tested , and a determination is made as to whether the device is operating normally or abnormally . for this , during each elementary test , values of a first set of parameters of the device are , for example , measured , and compared with expected corresponding values . the result of an elementary test is a boolean result which takes either a negative value , indicating an abnormal operation , or a positive value , indicating a normal operation . the elementary tests are performed at predefined instants or in predefined situations . in one embodiment , an elementary test is performed at predefined instants t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , and so on . the time interval between two elementary tests can be constant ( for example , an elementary test is performed every 50 milliseconds ) or indeed variable ( for example , an elementary test is performed at t 1 = 1 ms , t 2 = 5 ms , t 3 = 10 ms , t 4 = 20 ms , etc .). in another embodiment , an elementary test is performed in predefined situations , each time that a second set of parameters of the device under test takes a set of predefined values . for example , in the case of the test of a temperature sensor of a fuel injection device in an engine , an elementary test is performed each time the following conditions are met : motor speed greater than a predefined threshold , temperature of a coolant greater than a predefined threshold and estimated average torque greater than a predefined threshold . it should be noted that the second set of parameters ( the value of which is used to detect the instant when an elementary test must be performed ) can differ from the first set of parameters ( the value of which is used to determine the result of an elementary test ). according to the invention , after each performance of an elementary test , an update of an identical occurrences counter ( s 3 ) and an update of a result counter ( s 5 ) are performed , according to the result of the elementary test . the value of the occurrence counter is representative of the number of successive tests giving an identical result . the value of the result counter is a function of the total number of tests giving a result indicating an abnormal operation ( negative result ) and the total number of tests giving a result indicating a normal operation ( positive result ) of the device under test . after each elementary test , the occurrence counter is updated . the occurrence counter is incremented if the result of the current elementary test is identical to the result of a preceding elementary test . the occurrence counter is initialized to an initial value if the result of the current elementary test differs from the result of the preceding elementary test . the value ctr of the occurrence counter thus gives an indication of the number of elementary tests performed in succession and giving a stable ( identical ) result , which can , depending on the case , be negative , indicating an abnormal operation , or positive , indicating a normal operation . also , after each elementary test , the result counter is updated . the result counter is incremented if the result of the elementary test is in the first logic state ( in the example , negative ), and the result counter is decremented if the result of the elementary test is in the second logic state ( in the example , positive ). the fctr value of the result counter thus gives an image of the number of occurrences of a negative test result versus the number of occurrences of a positive test result : if the fcrt value of the result counter is high , this means that many elementary tests performed have led to an incrementation of the counter ( corresponding to a test result indicating an abnormal operation of the device being monitored ). conversely , if the fctr value of the result counter is low , this indicates that a small number of elementary tests performed have led to an incrementation of the counter , the other tests performed having led to a decrementation . the inventive method also comprises a diagnosis validation step , during which a diagnosis is validated if the result counter reaches a maximum value or it the occurrence counter reaches a maximum value . after the result counter is updated in step s 5 , the value frct of the result counter is compared to the maximum value fctrmax ( s 6 ). if the result counter reaches its maximum value fctrmax ( yes in s 6 ), this indicates that a fault has been detected at least fcmax times , that is , at least fcmax elementary tests have been performed and have given a negative result . in such a case , it is assumed that the diagnosis is valid ( performed completely ) and that its result is negative ( abnormal operation ), even it the result of the diagnosis is not stable . thus , the diagnosis is validated ( s 7 ) if the result counter value frct reaches the maximum value fctrmax . if the occurrence counter reaches its maximum value ctrmax ( yes in s 4 ), this indicates that at least cmax successive elementary tests have given one and the same result . in this case , it is assumed that the diagnosis is valid because it is stable . thus , the diagnosis is validated ( s 7 ) if the occurrence counter value crt reaches the maximum value ctrmax . the result of the diagnosis is negative if the value of the result counter is less than its maximum value fctrmax , or positive otherwise . if the result counter value frct does not reach the maximum value fctrmax ( no in step s 6 ) and the occurrence counter value crt does not reach the maximum value ctrmax ( no in step s 4 ), then the method returns to step s 2 and the next elementary test in the succession of elementary tests is performed . the validation step according to the invention makes it possible to validate a diagnosis , that is , to guarantee that the result of the diagnosis is stable , at least if this result is positive , and including in the case where intermittent elementary faults (= negative results of elementary tests ) are present . the validation step ( s 7 ) can include the production of a validation signal val , indicating that a diagnosis is validated ( its result being positive or negative ). a user of the device is thus informed that a valid diagnosis has been performed . the result of the diagnosis can be accessed in the fault memory , or even be displayed automatically for the user to look at . in the chosen example in which the device under test is a device controlling the injection system of a vehicle engine , it is possible , for example , to provide on the dashboard of the vehicle a screen display or a light button for displaying the signal val . after the validation step ( s 7 ) is complete , the method of validating the operating diagnosis is complete ( s 8 ). the result counter can be incremented by a first increment value or can be decremented by a decrement value . the occurrence counter can be incremented by a second increment value . the choice of the first increment value , of the second increment value , of the decrement value and of the values ctrmax , cmax , fctrmax , fcmax , depends on the choice of the parameters to be checked to validate a test , and the technological choices made for implementing the counters . the validation criteria of a test dictate the values of the parameters cmax and fcmax . it is assumed that a diagnosis is valid if it is stable , that is , if at least cmax successive elementary tests give the same result . depending on the device under test , it will be possible to choose , for example , cmax to be of the order of 5 to 1000 . it is assumed that a diagnosis is also valid if fcmax elementary tests , successive or otherwise , give a negative result . it is assumed in fact , in this case , that the large number of negative results must be considered as a negative diagnosis requiring an intervention , even if the diagnosis is not stable . depending on the device under test , it will be possible to choose , for example , fcmax to be of the order of 5 to 1000 . the technological choices for the implementation of the counters dictate the values of the parameters ctrmax and fctrmax . in a first embodiment , the values ctrmax and fctrmax are maximum values that can be produced by the occurrence counter and the result counter . for example , if the counters are 16 - bit counters , ctrmax and fctrmax are equal to 2 16 = 65536 . in a second embodiment , ctrmax and fctrmax values are chosen to be equal respectively to cmax and fcmax . in this case , an appropriate comparator is used at the output of the occurrence counter to compare the value of the occurrence counter with the ctrmax value and an appropriate comparator for comparing the value of the result counter with the fctrmax value is used at the output of the result counter . to increment the occurrence counter , the first increment value is chosen to be equal to ctrmax / cmax . thus , it cmax successive elementary tests produce one and the same result , the occurrence counter reaches its maximum value ctrmax . to increment the result counter , the second increment value is chosen to be equal to fctrmax / fcmax . the second increment value can be different from the first increment value . to decrement the result counter , the decrement value can be chosen freely to be less than , equal to or greater than the second increment value , depending on the importance that is attached to a positive elementary test result compared to a negative result . the ratio between the second increment value and the decrement value thus makes it possible to weight the importance of a positive result relative to a negative result . for example , it may be decided that a negative result is twice as important as a positive result , and must be compensated by two positive results to be “ cancelled out ”. fig1 a to 1 d show a situation in which the first increment value , the second increment value and the decrement value are identical , equal to 1 in a numerical example . the elementary tests are performed at regular intervals , in one example every δt = 50 ms . the maximum values of the counters are fcmax = cmax = 4 ( this maximum number , purely arbitrary in this case , is deliberately chosen to be small for obvious reasons of simplification ). fig1 a shows the operation of the device under test . at the instant t 1 , the device is started up , and it is stopped at the instant tc . between the instants t 1 and ta , it is assumed that the device is not operating correctly ( negative signal , equal to 1 ). between the instants ta and tb , it is assumed that the device is operating normally ( positive signal , equal to 0 ). between the instants tb and tc , the device is not operating normally ( negative signal , equal to 1 ). at the instant t 1 , the method is activated , on power up , on starting up the device under test . a first elementary test is performed , the result of which is negative (= 1 in fig1 a , indicating a fault ). the occurrence counter is incremented ( ctr = 1 , fig1 b ) and the result counter is incremented ( fctr = 1 , fig1 c ). at the instant t 2 = t 1 + δt , a second elementary test is performed , the result of which is negative . the occurrence counter is incremented ( ctr = 2 , fig1 b ) and the result counter is incremented ( fctr = 2 , fig1 c ). at the instant t 3 = t 2 + δt , a third elementary test is performed , the result of which is negative . the occurrence counter is incremented ( ctr = 3 , fig1 b ) and the result counter is incremented ( fctr = 3 , fig1 c ). at the instant t 4 = t 3 + δt , between ta and tb , a fourth elementary test is performed , the result of which is positive ( normal operation of the device under test ), the result ( positive ) being different from the result ( negative ) of the preceding test . the occurrence counter is initialized to one ( ctr = 1 , fig1 b ). since the result is positive , the result counter is decremented ( fctr = 2 , fig1 c ). at the instant t 5 = t 4 + δt , greater than tb , a fifth test is performed , the result of which is negative . the occurrence counter ctr is incremented ( ctr = 2 , fig1 b ) and the result counter is incremented ( fctr = 3 , fig1 c ). at the instant t 6 = t 5 + δt , a sixth test is performed , the result of which is negative . the occurrence counter ctr is incremented ( ctr = 3 , fig1 b ) and the result counter is incremented ( fctr = 4 , fig1 c ) and reaches its maximum value ( fctr = fctrmax ). the validation signal is activated ( fig1 d ). since the result counter has reached its maximum value , it is assumed that the diagnosis is valid , the result of the diagnosis being negative ( abnormal operation of the device under test confirmed ). the method ends when the device under test is stopped . it is reinitialized on a subsequent powering - up of the device under test ( instant tc ). fig2 a to 2 d show , by way of example , a situation in which the first increment value and the second increment value are identical and equal to 1 , the decrement value is equal to ½ . the elementary tests are performed at regular instants t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , etc ., in one example every δt = 50 ms . the maximum values of the counters are fcmax = cmax = 4 . fig2 a shows the operation of the device under test . at the instant t 1 , the device is started up , and it is stopped at the instant tc . between the instants t 1 and ta , it is assumed that the device is not operating correctly ( negative signal , equal to 1 ). between the instants ta and tc , it is assumed that the device is operating normally ( positive signal , equal to 0 ). at the instant t 1 , the method is activated , on power up , when the device under test is started up . a first elementary test is performed , the result of which is negative (= 1 in fig2 a , indicating a fault ). the occurrence counter is incremented ( ctr = 1 , fig2 b ) and the result counter is incremented ( fctr = 1 , fig2 c ). at the instant t 2 = t 1 + δt , a second elementary test is performed , the result of which is negative . the occurrence counter is incremented ( ctr = 2 , fig2 b ) and the result counter is incremented ( fctr = 2 , fig2 c ). at the instant t 3 = t 2 + δt , a third elementary test is performed , the result of which is negative . the occurrence counter is incremented ( ctr = 3 , fig2 b ) and the result counter is incremented ( fctr = 3 , fig2 c ). at the instant t 4 = t 3 + δt , greater than ta , a fourth elementary test is performed , the result of which is positive ( normal operation of the device under test ), the result ( positive ) being different from the result ( negative ) of the preceding test . the occurrence counter is initialized at one ( ctr = 1 , fig2 b ). since the result is positive , the result counter is decremented ( fctr = 2 . 5 , fig2 c ). at the instant t 5 = t 4 + δt , a fifth test is performed , the result of which is positive . the occurrence counter ctr is incremented ( ctr = 2 , fig2 b ) and the result counter is decremented ( fctr = 2 , fig2 c ). at the instant t 6 = t 5 + δt , a sixth test is performed , the result of which is positive . the occurrence counter ctr is incremented ( ctr = 3 , fig2 b ) and the result counter is decremented ( fctr = 1 . 5 , fig2 c ). at the instant t 7 = t 6 + δt , a seventh test is performed , the result of which is positive . the occurrence counter ctr is incremented ( ctr = 4 , fig2 b ) and the result counter is decremented ( fctr = 1 , fig2 c ). since the occurrence counter has reached its maximum value ( ctr = cmax ), the validation signal is activated ( fig2 b ). since the occurrence counter has reached its maximum value , it is assumed that the diagnosis is valid because the results of the elementary tests are stable . the result of the diagnosis in this example is positive , because the value of the result counter is less than its maximum value . the normal operation of the device under test is thus confirmed . the method ends when the device under test is stopped . it is reinitialized on a subsequent powering - up of the device under test ( instant tc ). the invention also relates to a diagnostic device 100 , for diagnosing the operation of a device under test 200 . the diagnostic device can be , for example , incorporated in the device under test , or even be appended to the device under test . the diagnostic device comprises means 102 for performing a succession of elementary operating tests on the device under test , each elementary test producing a positive or negative result indicating normal or abnormal operation of the device under test . an occurrence counter crt 104 , for counting occurrences of identical results of successive elementary tests , a result counter fcrt 106 , for counting the positive or negative results of the successive elementary tests , a diagnosis validation means 108 , for producing a warning signal on a display 300 when the occurrence counter reaches a first maximum value ctrmax or when the performance counter reaches a second maximum value fctrmax . | 6 |
fig1 is a cross sectional view of a rotational speed sensor 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention . the rotational speed sensor 10 includes a pulsar ring 11 and a cover 12 . the pulsar ring 11 is made from magnetic substance and mounted on an inner rotor ( not shown ) of a bearing unit for an automobile wheel ( not shown ). the cover 12 is mounted on an outer stationary member ( not shown ) of the bearing unit to close an opening ( not shown ) of the outer stationary member . the cover 12 may be made from either magnetic or nonmagnetic substance . a plastic molding 18 is fixed in the cover 12 to hold a ring - shaped detection coil 13 , ring - shaped yokes 14 and 15 , a ring - shaped magnet 16 and a ring - shaped cancellation coil 17 . the pulsar ring 11 has a sensed portion where many holes are formed along the circumference of the pulsar ring 11 . the detection coil 13 is provided inside the pulsar ring 13 to be faced to the sensed portion of the pulsar ring 11 . the detection coil 13 is also provided at one side of the magnet 16 . the cancellation coil 17 is provided at the other side of the magnet 16 and is also provided coaxial to the detection coil 13 so that less change of the magnetic flux will be generated inside the cancellation coil 13 when the pulsar ring 11 is rotated . in other words , the cancellation coil 13 is insensitive to the rotation of the pulsar ring 11 . the cancellation coil 13 is wound in opposite direction to the detection coil 13 . the number of turns for the cancellation coil 17 is the same as that for the detection coil 13 . the cancellation coil 17 is connected to the detection coil 13 in series . a pair of connecting terminals ( not shown ) or harnesses ( not shown ) are provided on the cover 12 . the terminals or harnesses are electrically connected to ends of the detection and the cancellation coils 13 and 17 to supply output signal from the rotational speed sensor 10 . the magnet 16 is magnetized in the axial direction . further , a plurality of poles 14a and 15a are formed at circumference parts of the yokes 14 and 15 . these poles 14a and 15a are faced toward bridge portions ( not shown ) which are formed between punched holes ( not shown ) of the pulsar ring 11 . the number of the poles 14a are the same as those of the bridge portions . the number of the poles 14a are also the same as those of poles 15a . each of the poles 14a of the yoke 14 is positioned relative to each of the poles 15a of the yoke 15 with a half - pitch difference in its circumference direction . in other words , when the yokes 14 and 15 are seen from the axial direction , one of the poles 14a of the yoke 14 may be seen between two adjoined poles 15a of the yoke 15 . while the pulsar ring 11 rotates , following two magnetic circuits are alternately and periodically formed in accordance with the rotational speed of the pulsar ring 11 : the poles 14a of the yoke 14 are faced toward the bridge portions of the pulsar ring 11 . the poles 15a of the yoke 15 are faced to the punched holes . the magnetic flux flows from the n pole of the magnet 16 to the pulsar ring 11 through the yoke 14 . the poles 14a of the yoke 14 are faced toward the punched holes of the pulsar ring 11 . the poles 15a of the yoke 15 are faced to the bridge portions . the magnetic flux flows from the n pole of the magnet 16 to the pulsar ring 11 through the yoke 15 . the magnetic flux returns from the pulsar ring 11 to the s pole of the magnet 16 through the least resistant path . for example , the magnetic flux may return from the pulsar ring 11 to the s pole of the magnet 16 through the cover 12 in case the cover 12 is made from the magnetic substance . therefore , the amount of magnetic flux that passes through the inside of the detection coil 13 changes greatly due to the rotation of the pulsar ring 11 . as a result , a voltage is generated in the detection coil 13 in proportion to this magnetic flux change ( the time differential calculus ). as explained , the pulsar ring 11 alternatingly switches the first and the second magnetic circuits in accordance with the rotation of the pulsar ring 11 in the first embodiment . the first magnetic circuit is established by the magnet 16 , the yoke 14 and the pulsar ring 11 . the second magnetic circuit is established by the magnet 16 , the yoke 15 and the pulsar ring 11 . however , while pulsar ring 11 is rotated , the amount of magnetic flux that passes through the inside of the cancellation coil 17 hardly changes so that no voltage is generated in the cancellation coil 17 . this is because the cancellation coil 7 is positioned in a common part of the first and the second magnetic circuits . therefore , a rotational speed sensor 10 outputs a sine wave voltage with the period in proportion to the rotational speed of the pulsar ring 11 . voltages are generated in both of the detection coil 13 and the cancellation coils 17 corresponding to the change of magnetic flux that passes through the detection and cancellation coils 13 and 17 when the external alternating magnetic field is applied from the axial direction of the rotational speed sensor 10 . because the number of turns of the detection coil 13 are the same as those of the cancellation coil 17 , the voltage generated in the detection coil 13 becomes almost the same level with the voltage generated in the cancellation coil 17 . however , the voltage generated by the detection coil 13 is offset by the voltage generated by the cancellation coil 17 because the detection coil 13 is wound in the opposite direction of the cancellation coil 17 . the output voltage generated by the external alternating magnetic fields becomes nearly zero as a result . fig2 is a cross sectional view of a rotational speed sensor 110 according to the second embodiment of the present invention . in the second embodiment , a cancellation coil 117 is adjoined to the yoke 114 at the opposite side of the detection coil 113 . the cancellation coil 117 is still provided inside of the pulsar ring 111 . because the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment , the elements that are equivalent to those of the first embodiment have the same rightmost two digits . in the second embodiment , substantially the same operations and advantages may be obtained if compared with the first embodiment . fig3 is a cross sectional view of a rotational speed sensor 210 according to the third embodiment of the present invention . in the third embodiment , a magnet 216 is provided inside of the detection coil 213 . further , a cancellation coil 217 is adjoined to the yoke 215 at the opposite side of the detection coil 213 . in addition , each of the poles 214a of the yoke 214 is positioned relative to each of the poles 215a of the yoke 215 without any difference in its circumference direction . because the third embodiment is similar to the first embodiment , the elements that are equivalent to those of the first embodiment have the same rightmost two digits . in the third embodiment , substantially the same operations and advantages may be obtained if compared with the first embodiment . it is noted that the cancellation coil 217 is positioned outside the two magnetic circuits that are alternatingly switched due to the rotation of the pulsar ring 211 . fig4 is a cross sectional view of a rotational speed sensor 310 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . in the fourth embodiment , a cylindrical auxiliary yoke 319 made from the magnetic substance is provided inside the cancellation coil 317 . because the fourth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment , the elements that are equivalent to those of the first embodiment have the same rightmost two digits . in the fourth embodiment , substantially the same operations and advantages may be obtained if compared with the first embodiment . it is noted that the external alternating magnetic field is corrected inside of the detection and cancellation coils 313 , 317 by a yoke 314 and the auxiliary yoke 319 when the external alternating magnetic field is applied from the axial direction of the rotational speed sensor 310 . the external magnetic field may be equally applied to the detection coil 313 and cancellation coil 317 by the yoke 314 and the auxiliary yoke 319 so that the voltage generated by the detection coil 13 may be effectively offset by the voltage generated by the cancellation coil 17 . fig5 is a cross sectional view of a rotational speed sensor 410 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention . in the fifth embodiment , a cancellation coil 417 is provided inside the pulsar ring 411 and is adjoined to a yoke 414 at the opposite side of the detection coil 213 . further , a cylindrical auxiliary yoke 419 made from the magnetic substance is provided inside the cancellation coil 417 . because the fifth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment , the elements that are equivalent to those of the first embodiment have the same rightmost two digits . in the fifth embodiment , substantially the same operations and advantages may be obtained if compared with the first embodiment . it is noted that the cylindrical auxiliary yoke 419 , has substantially the same operations and advantages as the auxiliary yoke 319 of the fourth embodiment . fig6 is a cross sectional view of a rotational speed sensor 510 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention . in the sixth embodiment , a magnet 516 is provided inside a detection coil 513 . further , a cancellation coil 517 is adjoined to a yoke 515 at the opposite side of the detection coil 513 . yet further , each of poles 514a of a yoke 514 is positioned relative to each of poles 515a of the yoke 515 without any difference in its circumference direction . in addition , a cylindrical auxiliary yoke 519 made from the magnetic substance is provided inside the cancellation coil 517 . because the sixth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment , the elements that are equivalent to those of the first embodiment have the same rightmost two digits . in the sixth embodiment , substantially the same operations and advantages may be obtained if compared with the first embodiment . it is noted is that the cylindrical auxiliary yoke 519 has substantially the same operations and advantages as the auxiliary yoke 319 of the fourth embodiment . fig7 is a cross sectional view of a rotational speed sensor 610 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention . in the seventh embodiment , a cover 612 is made from magnetic substance so that a magnetic circuit is constituted by the cover 612 , a magnet 616 , a yoke 614 and a pulsar ring 611 . a detection coil 613 is provided outside the magnet 616 , in the magnetic circuit and between the cover 612 and the yoke 614 . a cancellation coil 617 is adjoined to a yoke 614 at the opposite side of the detection coil 613 . the cancellation coil 617 is provided outside the magnetic circuit . a cylindrical auxiliary yoke 619 made from the magnetic substance is provided inside the cancellation coil 617 . because the seventh embodiment is similar to the first embodiment , the elements that are equivalent to those of the first embodiment have the same rightmost two digits . in the seventh embodiment , substantially the same operations and advantages may be obtained if compared with the first embodiment . it is noted that the cylindrical auxiliary yoke 619 has substantially the same operations and advantages as the auxiliary yoke 319 of the fourth embodiment . fig8 is a cross sectional view of a rotational speed sensor 710 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention . in the eighth embodiment , a pulsar ring 711 has a gear shape with projected teeth . the pulsar ring 711 is mounted on a rotating shaft ( not shown ). a yoke 714 is made from a magnetic substance . the yoke 714 is shaped like a rod . one end of the yoke 714 is facing teeth of the pulsar ring 711 . the other end of the yoke is next to a disc magnet 716 . a detection coil 713 has a cylindrical shape and is wound around the yoke 714 . an auxiliary yoke 719 is made from magnetic substance and is adjoined to the magnet 716 at the opposite side of the yoke 714 . a cancellation coil 717 has a cylindrical shape and is wound around the auxiliary yoke 719 . the yoke 714 , the magnet 716 , the detection coil 713 , the auxiliary yoke 719 and the cancellation coil 717 are integrated by a plastic molding 718 . the plastic molding 718 is fixed to a stationary member ( not shown ) with a screw ( not shown ) extending through a mounted hole 718a . although the detection coil 713 is wound in the opposite direction to the cancellation coil 717 , the number of turns for the detection coil 713 are the same as that for the cancellation coil 717 . further , the detection coil 713 is electrically connected to the cancellation coil 717 in series . because the eighth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment , the elements that are equivalent to those of the first embodiment have the same rightmost two digits . in the eighth embodiment , substantially the same operations and advantages may be obtained if compared with the first embodiment . it is noted that the rod - shaped auxiliary yoke 719 has substantially the same operations and advantages as the auxiliary yoke 319 of the fourth embodiment . as explained thoroughly above , the output signal voltage generated by the external alternating magnetic field may be reduced to zero volt according to the present invention . | 6 |
for the purposes of the present invention , “ diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series ” are amines and mixtures of amines of the following type : here , n is a natural number of & gt ; 2 . in the following , the compounds of this type in which n = 2 will also be referred to as diamines of the diphenylmethane series or diaminodiphenylmethanes ( hereinafter mmda ). compounds of this type in which n is & gt ; 2 will for the purposes of the present invention also be referred to as polyamines of the diphenylmethane series or polyphenylenepolymethylenepolyamines ( hereinafter pmda ). mixtures of the two types will also be referred to as diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series ( hereinafter mda ). industrially , the diamine and polyamine mixtures are predominantly converted into the corresponding diisocyanates and polyisocyanates of the diphenylmethane series by phosgenation . in both variants , the reactors of steps i ) and ii ) can be identical or different . this means that in variant a ) it is possible either for the aminal formed in step a . i ) to be left in the reactor and the acid to be added or for the aminal to be transferred to another reactor and the acid ( 3 ) then to be added there . in variant b ), it is possible either for the reaction product formed from aniline ( 1 ) and acid ( 3 ) in step b . i ) to be left in the reactor and the formaldehyde ( 2 ) to be added or for the reaction product of aniline ( 1 ) and acid ( 3 ) to be transferred to another reactor and the formaldehyde ( 2 ) then to be added there . furthermore , the term “ a reactor ” also encompasses , for the purposes of the present invention , the case of a reactor cascade being used ( in other words , the word “ a ” is in this context to be interpreted as the indefinite article and not as an indication of number ). in both variants , the steps i ) and ii ) are carried out continuously or semicontinuously , preferably continuously . the formaldehyde mass flow rate m 2 , intended is the formaldehyde mass flow rate m 2 at the desired production capacity ( the desired load , “ intended load ”). the intended molar ratio of aniline ( 1 ) to formaldehyde ( 2 ), a / f target , i . e . the molar ratio of aniline to formaldehyde ( ch 2 o ) in the target formulation , determines the size of the feed streams ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) at the intended load ( a / f target =[ m 1 , intended / m 1 ]/[ m 2 , intended / m 2 ], where m 1 = molar mass of aniline and m 2 = molar mass of formaldehyde , ch 2 o ). thus , the a / f target ratio relates to the period of time after conclusion of start - up of production . the instantaneous molar ratio , a / f inst , in the period of time from t 1 to t 2 can be derived in the case of variant a ) in a simple manner from the known feed streams ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) into the reactor of step a . i ). at a particular point in time t taking into account the known amount of aniline ( 1 ) which has already been introduced into the reactor of step a . i ). up to the point in time t 1 . in the case of variant b ), the instantaneous molar ratio , a / f inst , in the period of time from t 1 to t 2 can be derived in an analogous way from the known feed streams ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) into the reactor of step b . i ) or into the reactor of step b . ii ) at a particular point in time t taking into account the known amount of aniline ( 1 ) which has been introduced into the reactor of step b . i ) up to the point in time t 1 . if use is made of the possibility of further aniline being introduced into the reactor of step b . ii ) in step b . ii . 1 ), this is added to the aniline in step b . i . 1 ) for the purposes of determining the instantaneous molar ratio , a / f inst , during the period of time from t 1 to t 2 . if such aniline added in step b . ii . 1 ) is mixed beforehand with acid so that it is present as anilinium salt , this changes nothing in the calculation since one mole of aniline reacts with one mole of acid to form one mole of anilinium salt . for the purposes of calculating the instantaneous molar ratio a / f inst , this can thus be carried out as if all aniline ( 1 ) were present in free form . the ratio of aniline ( 1 ) to formaldehyde ( 2 ) prevailing instantaneously during start - up , a / f inst , is , according to the invention , always set so that the target value a / f target , is fundamentally approached from above and not from below . this means that , for example , in the case of a desired a / f target ratio of 2 . 0 , an instantaneous molar ratio of aniline ( 1 ) to formaldehyde ( 2 ), a / f inst , of at least 2 . 1 is actually maintained during the period of time from t 1 to t 2 . after the desired load has been attained , i . e . after the desired formaldehyde mass flow rate m 2 , intended has been reached at the point in time t 2 , the molar ratio of aniline ( 1 ) to formaldehyde ( 2 ) is then set to a / f target , in the chosen example thus to 2 . 0 . theoretically , two mole of aniline react with one mole of formaldehyde to form one mole of diaminodiphenylmethane , so that this example describes the case of the stoichiometric mode of operation . in the real system , higher homologs are always also formed in addition to the isomeric diaminodiphenylmethanes at an a / f target ratio of 2 . 0 in the target formulation , so that part of the aniline introduced is present unchanged in the resulting reaction mixture at the end of the reaction . embodiments of the process of the invention are described below . they can be combined with one another in any way , unless the contrary is clear from the context . if a production plant for preparing mda is to be operated at an intended load m 2 , intended of x [ kg ( formaldehyde )/ h ], this intended load can be achieved by firstly setting the load m 2 , intended to a value of , for example , 0 . 25 x and then increasing the load via the intermediate stages m 2 = 0 . 50 x and m 2 = 0 . 75 x over a period of time t to the value 1112 = x = m 2 , intended . the start - up of mda production occurs without problems first and foremost when the load increase from an initial value m 2 = 0 . 0 x to m 2 = x can be carried out swiftly and continuously and preferably linearly ( with steps or steplessly ) taking into account all operationally relevant parameters . to counter poor mixing of amine with formaldehyde in the reaction space and also not to lose productivity , the load should be increased promptly and steplessly to at least 30 % of the target load ( i . e . generally the nominal load ; however , the target load can also deviate from the nominal load , e . g . in the case of low demand ) of the reaction line . should , for example for technical reasons or because of low demand for product , the desired target load be lower than the nominal load , i . e . half - load operation , the procedure is analogous . the load is preferably increased promptly to from 30 % to 95 %, very preferably to from 35 % to 80 % and very particularly preferably to from 40 % to 60 %. the start - up procedure until attainment of at least 30 % of the nominal load should be carried out within a start - up time of less than 30 hours , preferably less than 20 hours , particularly preferably less than 10 hours and very particularly preferably less than 5 hours . this example is naturally only illustrative for many possible start - up procedures , the precise configuration of which depends on the specific circumstances of a production plant and therefore cannot be generalized . however , a feature which all conceivable start - up procedures have in common is that the desired intended load of x is reached only after a period of time has elapsed . this period of time is referred to as the start - up time . the term start - up refers in particular to the restarting of the plant after a short stoppage or a planned stoppage . if two or more mda reactor lines are to be operated in parallel , it is then possible for one reactor line to be started and the other reactor lines to be started up in succession , but this does not have to be the case . when the auxiliary systems are dimensioned so that , for example , they can take up and process further the excess aniline , water of reaction and the water which is introduced into the process via aqueous aniline and formaldehyde without problems during start - up of the plant , it is then possible for all mda reactor lines to be started up close to simultaneously . in a further embodiment of the process of the invention , t 1 - t 0 is & gt ; 0 . 001 hour , preferably from & gt ; 0 . 005 hour to 5 hours , particularly preferably from 0 . 01 hour to 3 hours , in both variants a ) and b ). in a further embodiment of the process of the invention , t 2 - t 1 is & lt ; 30 hours in both variants a ) and b ). this period of time is preferably from & gt ; 0 hour to & lt ; 20 hours , particularly preferably & lt ; 10 hours and very particularly preferably & lt ; 5 hours . in a further embodiment of the process of the invention , the mass flow rate m 1 in step i ) is ≧ 1000 kg / hour in both variants a ) and b ). this mass flow rate is preferably from ≧ 2000 kg / hour to ≦ 200 000 kg / hour , more preferably from ≧ 3000 kg / hour to ≦ 100 000 kg / hour . in a further embodiment of the process of the invention , the mass flow rate m 2 , intended in step i ) is ≧ 300 kg / hour in both variants a ) and b ). this mass flow rate is preferably from ≧ 400 kg / hour to ≦ 100 000 kg / hour , more preferably from ≧ 500 kg / hour to ≦ 50 000 kg / hour . the formaldehyde ( 2 ) used can , in both variants , originate from all known production processes for formaldehyde . mention may be made merely by way of example of the silver catalyst process . in a further embodiment of the process of the invention , the point in time t 1 is , in both variants a ) and b ), selected so that at this point in time the respective reactor ( i . e . the reactor of step a . i ) or of step b . ii )) is filled with aniline ( 1 ) to from 1 % to 99 %, preferably from 10 % to 90 %, particularly preferably from 20 % to 80 %, of its capacity ( based on the available interior volume of the reactor ). the process procedures of variants a ) and b ) in normal operation up to the point at which the crude product is obtained are described in more detail below : the preparation of the crude diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series according to variant a ) can be summarized by way of example as follows : a ) key procedure of step ai ): aniline and formaldehyde are condensed in the absence of an acid catalyst in a reactor ( the “ aminal reactor ”) to form aminal and water and the resulting aminal is discharged from the aminal reactor , and b ) water from step a ), which originates mainly from water of condensation from the aminal reaction and water from the starting material formaldehyde , is at least partly separated off as aqueous phase from the reaction mixture from the aminal reaction , and c ) key procedure of step a . ii ): the aminal from step b ) is rearranged in the presence of an acid catalyst to form mda . the condensation of aniline and formaldehyde in step a ) can be carried out by any method according to the prior art . here , aniline and aqueous formaldehyde solution are normally condensed at molar ratios in the range from 1 . 5 to 20 , preferably from 1 . 5 to 10 and particularly preferably from 1 . 5 to 6 , at temperatures of from 20 ° c . to 120 ° c ., preferably from 40 ° c . to 110 ° c . and particularly preferably from 60 ° c . to 100 ° c ., to form aminal and water . the reactor of step a . i is operated at atmospheric pressure or under superatmospheric pressure . a pressure of from 1 . 05 to 5 bar absolute , very preferably from 1 . 1 to 3 bar and very particularly preferably from 1 . 2 bar to 2 bar absolute , preferably prevails . the pressure is maintained by means of pressure regulating valves or by connecting the offgas systems of the aminal reactor and the overflow of the aminal separator . the aminal separator and the outflow of the aqueous phase are preferably heated in order to prevent caking . suitable aniline grades are , for example , described in ep 1 257 522 b1 , ep 2 103 595 a1 and ep 1 813 598 b1 . preference is given to using technical grades of formalin ( aqueous solution of formaldehyde ) containing from 30 % by mass to 50 % by mass of formaldehyde in water . however , formaldehyde solutions having lower or higher concentrations or else the use of gaseous formaldehyde are also conceivable . the reactor of step a . i ) ( also referred to as “ aminal reactor ”) and the reactor of step a . ii ) ( also referred to as “ rearrangement reactor ”) are advantageously different from one another . however , carrying out steps a . i ) and a . ii ) in the same reactor is not ruled out . firstly , “ feed aniline ” can be placed in the aminal reactor at temperatures of from 10 ° c . to 60 ° c . a certain amount of aniline is also placed in the aminal separator in order to provide protection for the aminal pump which pumps the aminal to the rearrangement reactor . the feed aniline is made up of fresh aniline and optionally aniline from the mda distillation ( described further below ; see step h )) and optionally aniline from the wastewater treatment . then , for example while aniline has already been introduced , the formalin is added to the well stirred , initially charged aniline , and the total plant from feed streams to product offtake should be ready for operation . the aminal reactor is equipped with a heat exchanger in order to remove the heat of reaction involved . as an alternative , the feed aniline can also be appropriately cooled . theoretically , cooled formalin could also be used for taking up the heat of reaction . at the beginning of the introduction of formalin into the reaction space , an “ infinite ” excess of aniline is present . at low a / f target ratios , there is a risk of deposition of solids (“ aminal solids ”) in the aminal separator . a “ formalin split ” in which only part of the formalin required for attaining the a / f target value is introduced into the aminal reaction and the remaining formalin is fed into the reaction mixture immediately before , at the same time as or after the introduction of acid makes it possible to work with a sufficiently high molar ratio of aniline to formaldehyde in the aminal section in order to prevent solids formation . in addition , it is possible to work in a range in which phase separation proceeds quickly ( the duration of phase separation goes through a minimum as a function of the molar ratio of aniline to formaldehyde ). until the point in time t 2 is reached , aniline is introduced in such amounts that at least 1 . 05 times the a / f target ratio provided in the target formulation is maintained . subsequently , the mass flow rate m 1 of aniline is modified so that the a / f target ratio provided in the target formulation is adhered to . the starting materials aniline and formalin are preferably introduced after mixing from above as reaction mixture into the aminal reactor . the reaction mixture which is formed in the aminal reactor and contains the aminal is conveyed via a siphon into the aminal separator . the level in the aminal reactor is maintained by means of the siphon and contact of aminal reaction solution with the starting materials in the mixing apparatus , which would result in a blockage , is prevented . it is likewise conceivable , although not preferred , to supply the starting materials to the aminal reactor from below and operate the reactor with overflow . in step b ), the organic aminal phase and the aqueous phase are separated at temperatures of from 20 ° c . to 120 ° c ., preferably from 40 ° c . to 110 ° c ., particularly preferably from 60 ° c . to 100 ° c ., preferably at ambient pressure . the phase separation can also be carried out under slightly superatmospheric pressure . the rearrangement of the aminal in step c ) occurs in the presence of an acid catalyst , usually a strong mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid . preference is given to using mineral acid in a molar ratio of mineral acid to aniline of from 0 . 001 to 0 . 9 , preferably from 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 . it is naturally also possible to use solid , acid catalysts as described in the literature . here , formaldehyde can be introduced into a mixture of aniline and acid catalyst and the reaction solution can be reacted to completion by stepwise heating . as an alternative , aniline and formaldehyde can also firstly be prereacted and subsequently admixed , with or without prior removal of water , with the acid catalyst or a mixture of further aniline and acid catalyst , after which the reaction solution is reacted to completion by stepwise heating . this reaction can be carried out continuously or batchwise by one of the numerous methods described in the literature ( e . g . in ep 1 616 890 a1 or ep 127 0544 a1 ). suitable hydrochloric acid grades are , for example , described in ep 1 652 835 a1 . the preparation of the crude diamines and / or polyamines of the diphenylmethane series according to variant b ) can be summarized by way of example as follows : a ) key procedure of step b . i ): aniline and acid are reacted in the absence of formaldehyde to give a reaction mixture containing the anilinium salt of the acid used , and b ) key procedure of step b . ii ): the reaction mixture from step a ), which contains the anilinium salt of the acid used , is admixed with formaldehyde and rearranged to form mda . the reaction of aniline and acid , preferably hydrochloric acid , in step a ) can be carried out by a method according to the prior art . the further description is given for the example of aqueous hydrochloric acid , but other acids can also be used . aniline and an aqueous hydrochloric acid are normally reacted at molar ratios of aniline to acid in the range from 1 . 6 to 100 , preferably from 3 . 3 to 20 . this reaction can be carried out in an upstream reactor or a mixing section , with the reaction mixture optionally being able to be temporarily stored in a reservoir . this reaction can optionally be carried out in the same reactor in which the subsequent reaction of the reaction mixture of aniline and acid with formaldehyde takes place . suitable aniline grades are , for example , described in ep 1 257 522 b1 , ep 2 103 595 a1 and ep 1 813 598 b1 . suitable hydrochloric acid grades are , for example , described in ep 1 652 835 a1 . “ feed aniline ” can firstly be placed in the reactor at temperatures of from 10 ° c . to 60 ° c . the feed aniline is made up of fresh aniline and optionally aniline from the mda distillation ( described in more detail further below ; see step h )) and optionally aniline from the wastewater treatment . then , for example while aniline is already being introduced , the hydrochloric acid is added to the initially charged aniline , with care being taken to ensure good mixing . this good mixing can be achieved by stirring by means of a stirrer or else by circulation ( by means of pumps ) of the reaction mixture or by a combination of stirring and circulation . the total plant from feed streams to product offtake should optionally be ready for operation . the reaction apparatus can , if necessary , be equipped with an internal or external heat exchanger in order to be able to remove the heat of reaction evolved . as an alternative , the feed aniline and / or the hydrochloric acid can be appropriately cooled . a further alternative is the use of evaporative cooling to remove the heat of reaction . in step b ), the aniline hydrochloride - containing reaction mixture from step a ) is reacted with aqueous formaldehyde solution . here , formaldehyde can be introduced into a mixture of aniline and acid catalyst and the reaction solution can be reacted to completion by stepwise heating , as described , for example , in ep 1 053 222 a1 . the reaction is usually carried out at temperatures of from 20 ° c . to 150 ° c . the reactor of step b . i ) and the reactor of step b . ii ) are advantageously different from one another . however , carrying out steps b . i ) and b . ii ) in the same reactor is not ruled out . this reaction can be carried out continuously , semicontinuously or batchwise . preference is given to using technical grades of formalin ( aqueous solution of formaldehyde ) containing from 30 % by mass to 50 % by mass of formaldehyde in water . however , formaldehyde solutions having lower or higher concentrations or else the use of gaseous formaldehyde are also conceivable . in the case of a semicontinuous or batchwise reaction , an “ infinite ” excess of aniline in the form of free aniline and aniline hydrochloride is present at the commencement of the introduction of formaldehyde into the reaction apparatus . up to attainment of the point in time t 2 , formaldehyde is introduced in such amounts that at least 1 . 05 times the a / f target ratio provided in the target formulation is maintained . after the start - up procedure , the amounts of aniline and / or formaldehyde are modified so that the a / f target ratio provided in the target formulation is adhered to . in both variants a ) and b ), a crude reaction mixture containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series is obtained ( in variant a ) in step c ) and in variant b ) in step b )). the work - up of this reaction mixture is , regardless of whether variant a ) or b ) is used , preferably carried out as follows : d ) the reaction mixture containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series from step a . c ) or b . b ) is neutralized , and e ) the neutralized reaction mixture containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series is separated in a separation vessel into an organic phase containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series and an aqueous phase , and f ) the organic phase containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series is purified further by means of washing liquid in a washing vessel , and g ) the mixture obtained in this way is separated in a separation vessel into an organic phase containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series and an aqueous phase , and h ) the washed organic phase containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series is freed of water and aniline by distillation . in step d ), the reaction mixture containing the diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series is neutralized , optionally with addition of water and / or aniline . according to the prior art , the neutralization is usually carried out at temperatures of , for example , from 90 ° c . to 100 ° c . without addition of further substances . however , it can also be carried out at a different temperature level , for example in order to accelerate the degradation of interfering by - products . suitable bases are , for example , the hydroxides of the alkali and alkaline earth elements . aqueous naoh is preferably employed . the base used for neutralization is preferably used in amounts of greater than 100 %, particularly preferably from 105 % to 120 %, of the amount which is stoichiometrically required to neutralize the acid catalyst used ( see ep 1 652 835 a1 ). subsequently , in step e ), the neutralized reaction mixture containing the diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series is separated into an organic phase containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series and an aqueous phase . this can be assisted by addition of aniline and / or water . if the phase separation is assisted by addition of aniline and / or water , these are preferably added with intensive mixing as early as the neutralization . mixing here can be effected in mixing sections having static mixers , in stirred vessels or cascades of stirred vessels or else in a combination of mixing sections and stirred vessels . the neutralized reaction mixture which has been diluted by addition of aniline and / or water is subsequently preferably fed into an apparatus which , owing to its configuration and / or internals , is particularly suitable for separation into an organic phase containing mda and an aqueous phase , preferably phase separation or extraction apparatuses corresponding to the prior art , as are described , for example , in mass - transfer operations , 3rd edition , 1980 , mcgraw - hill book co , pp . 477 to 541 , or ullmann &# 39 ; s encyclopedia of industrial chemistry ( vol . 21 , liquid - liquid extraction , e . müller et al ., pages 272 - 274 , 2012 wiley - vch verlag gmbh & amp ; co . kgaa , weinheim , doi : 10 . 1002 / 14356007 . b03_06 . pub2 ) or in kirk - othmer encyclopedia of chemical technology ( see “ http :// onlinelibrary . wiley . com / book / 10 . 1002 / 0471238961 ”, published online : jun . 15 , 2007 , pages 22 - 23 ) ( mixer - settler cascade or settling vessel ). in step f ), washing of the organic phase with water follows , and in step g ) the aqueous phase is separated off again in order to remove residual contents of salt ( preferably as described in de - a - 2549890 , page 3 ). in step h ), water and aniline are separated off by distillation from the organic phase containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series obtained in step g ), as described in ep 1 813 597 b1 . the organic phase obtained in step g ) preferably has a composition , based on the weight of the mixture , of 5 - 15 percent by weight of water and , depending on the ratios of aniline and formaldehyde used , 5 - 90 percent by weight , preferably 5 - 40 percent by weight , of aniline and 5 - 90 percent by weight , preferably 50 - 90 percent by weight , of diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series . after exit from the phase separation in step g ), the organic phase containing diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series usually has a temperature of 80 ° c .- 150 ° c . the diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series which have been obtained in this way can be reacted with phosgene in an organic solvent by the known methods under inert conditions to form the corresponding diisocyanates and polyisocyanates of the diphenylmethane series , viz . mdi . here , the phosgenation can be carried out by one of the processes known from the prior art ( e . g . de - a - 844896 or de - a - 19817691 ). if the conditions according to the invention are adhered to during the start - up of step i ), the following advantages are obtained for both variants a ) and b ): i ) avoidance of blockages and deposits in reactors , in cooling devices , separators and cooling circulation pumps and thus avoidance of a second start - up procedure because the plant does not have to be run down again and opened for the purpose of cleaning the equipment . ii ) saving of energy because the start - up procedure does not have to be carried out a second time due to formation of blockages and deposits and the resulting shutdown of the plant for the purpose of cleaning the equipment . iii ) an increase in the productivity of the plant because the reactor running times are increased because the cleaning times for removing blockages and deposits are dispensed with . iv ) avoidance or reduction of precipitates , caking and blockages on the equipment ( reactors , cooling devices , separators and cooling circulation pumps ) and , associated therewith , a lengthening of the operating time of the process . v ) reduced waste after cleaning of the equipment ( high molecular weight solids ) and saving of incineration costs . vi ) avoidance of out - of - specification product which can be formed by multiple poor starting up and running down : such poor quality running - down product thus does not have to be blended with good - quality mda or in the worst case be incinerated . vii ) improved phase separation between aqueous phase and organic phase due to the absence of high molecular weight compounds which have an adverse effect on the phase separation . the present invention is illustrated with the aid of the following drawings and examples , but without being restricted thereto . fig1 - 2 the course over time of the mass flow rates of aniline and formaldehyde in the process of the invention . fig1 shows the course over time of the mass flow rates of aniline and formaldehyde in an embodiment of variant a ) of the process of the invention , the time t is plotted on the x axis and mass flow rates m are plotted on the y axis . at the point in time to , the mass flow rate of aniline ( m 1 , in the figure denoted by “ a ”) is already constant in the aminal reactor , designated in the terminology of the present invention as reactor of step a . i ). and that of formaldehyde ( m 2 , in the figure denoted by “ f ”) is zero . it is now decided that production is to be started . for this purpose , the mass flow rate of formaldehyde into the first reactor is increased at the point in time t 1 while leaving the magnitude of the mass flow rate of aniline unchanged until the mass flow rate of formaldehyde has risen to the target value m 2 , intended at the point in time t 2 . it can be seen that the mass flow rate of aniline introduced into the aminal reactor is greater than the mass flow rate of formaldehyde to such an extent that the molar ratio of aniline to formaldehyde is at least 2 at any point of time during start - up of the reaction . during the time between t 1 and t 2 , the formaldehyde already present in the first reactor can react to completion with the aniline . finally , there is no free formaldehyde present in the aminal reactor . fig2 shows , in a manner analogous to fig1 , the course over time of the mass flow rates of aniline and formaldehyde in a further embodiment of the variant a ) of the process of the invention . here , the introduction of formaldehyde from the point in time t 1 is not linear but follows a curve . general conditions for the preparation of mda in a run - in production plant ( before commencement of the running - down procedure ) in a continuous reaction process ( step a )), 24 . 3 t / h of feed aniline ( containing 90 % by mass of aniline ) and 9 . 9 t / h of 32 % strength aqueous formaldehyde solution ( molar ratio of aniline to formalin 2 . 1 : 1 ) were mixed and reacted at 90 ° c . and 1 . 4 bar absolute in a stirred reaction vessel to form aminal . the reaction vessel was provided with a cooler having a cooling circulation pump . the reaction mixture leaving the reaction vessel was conveyed into a phase separation apparatus ( aminal separator ) ( step b )). after phase separation to remove the aqueous phase , the organic phase was admixed in a mixing nozzle with 30 % strength aqueous hydrochloric acid ( degree of protonation 10 %, i . e . 0 . 1 mol of hcl are added per mole of amino groups ) and fed into the first rearrangement reactor . the rearrangement reaction was carried out at from 45 ° c . to 165 ° c . in a reactor cascade ( step c )). after the reaction was complete , the reaction mixture obtained was admixed with 32 % strength sodium hydroxide solution in a molar ratio of sodium hydroxide to hcl of 1 . 1 : 1 and reacted in a stirred neutralization vessel ( step d )). the temperature was 115 ° c . the absolute pressure was 1 . 4 bar . the neutralized reaction mixture was subsequently separated in a neutralization separator into a lower , aqueous phase , which is conveyed to a wastewater collection vessel , and an organic phase ( step e )). the upper , organic phase was conveyed to washing and washed with condensate and / or water from the side stream from the wastewater column ( aniline / water mixture ) in a stirred washing vessel ( step f )). after the washing water had been separated off in a washing water separator ( step g )), the crude mda obtained in this way was freed of water and aniline by distillation , with 17 t / h of mda being obtained as bottom product ( step h )). after maintenance work in the mda plant , the empty , stirred aminal reactor was filled with 32 % strength aqueous formaldehyde solution until the formaldehyde ran over via the siphon into the aminal separator . when the aminal reactor had been filled to this extent , the formalin flowed at a rate of 4 . 95 t / h into the stirred aminal reaction vessel , which corresponded to 50 % of the nominal load . the aniline conduit was then opened . the reaction commenced immediately and the reaction mixture was regulated to 90 ° c . by means of a cooling water circuit . the amount of aniline which is to be introduced into the aminal reactor during a planned start - up time of 45 minutes should be increased steplessly from 0 t / h to 12 . 2 t / h of feed aniline . after 2 minutes , the plant had to be shut down because the aminal vessel , the aminal cooler and the aminal separator were blocked and the aminal cooling circulation pump was likewise blocked with solid and did not run . start - up of the mda plant , with introduction of formalin and aniline being commenced at the same time . after repair work in the mda plant , the aminal reaction was started up by a 32 % strength aqueous formaldehyde solution and feed aniline ( containing 90 % by mass of aniline ) being introduced at the same time into the empty aminal reactor . the amount of the two starting materials introduced into the stirred aminal reactor during the start - up time t of 45 minutes was increased steplessly from 0 t / h to 4 . 95 t / h of 32 % strength formaldehyde solution and from 0 t / h to 12 . 2 t / h of feed aniline ( containing 90 % by mass of aniline ). after 2 days of production , the aminal reactor had to be taken out of operation because an extremely viscous , honey - like solid ( insoluble polymeric amines ) had precipitated in the aminal separator and the outlet of the aminal separator had become blocked , which required cleaning . after maintenance work in the aminal part of the mda plant , the aminal reactor was filled with feed aniline ( containing 90 % by mass of aniline ) until aniline flowed over via the siphon into the aminal separator . when the aminal reactor had been filled to this extent , the feed aniline flowed at a rate of 12 . 2 t / h into the stirred aminal reaction vessel . the formalin conduit was then opened . the reaction commenced immediately and the reaction mixture was regulated to 90 ° c . by means of a cooling water circuit . the pressure in the aminal reactor was 1 . 4 bar absolute during the start - up phase . during a start - up time of 45 minutes , the amount of 32 % strength aqueous formaldehyde solution introduced into the aminal reactor was increased steplessly from 0 t / h to 4 . 95 t / h , which corresponded to 50 % of the nominal load and an a / f ratio of 2 . 1 : 1 . the reaction mixture was subsequently conveyed from the aminal reactor into a phase separation apparatus in which the water of reaction from the aminal reaction was separated off . the remaining organic phase was then pumped into the first rearrangement tank , with a 30 % strength aqueous hydrochloric acid corresponding to a degree of protonation of 10 % ( i . e . 0 . 1 mol of hcl are added per mole of amino groups ) being introduced at the same time via a mixing nozzle into the inlet for the organic phase ( aminal ) into the first rearrangement tank . the rearrangement reaction took place at from 50 ° c . to 150 ° c . in a reactor cascade ( step c )). after the reaction was complete , the reaction mixture obtained was worked up as described in the general conditions for the preparation of mda . in the mode of operation according to the invention , a blockage in the aminal vessel , in the aminal cooler , in the aminal separator and stoppage of the aminal cooling circulation pump due to deposits of solid were avoided during the start - up phase . the aminal vessel could be operated over a long production cycle of a number of months . the formation of undesirable by - products such as insoluble polymeric amines , etc ., was significantly reduced and latter blending of the start - up product with pure mda or in the worst case incineration of the start - up product could be dispensed with . start - up of the mda plant , with aniline being initially charged in the condensation and aniline hydrochloride being initially charged in the rearrangement . after a shutdown of the mda plant , the empty aminal reactor was filled with feed aniline ( containing 90 % by mass of aniline ) until aniline flowed over via the siphon into the aminal separator . when the aminal reactor had been filled to this extent , the feed aniline flowed at a rate of 12 . 2 t / h into the stirred aminal reaction vessel . the formalin conduit was then opened . the reaction commenced immediately and the reaction mixture was regulated to 90 ° c . the pressure in the aminal reactor was 1 . 4 bar absolute during the start - up phase . during a start - up time of 45 minutes , the amount of 32 % strength formaldehyde solution which was introduced into the aminal reactor was increased steplessly from 0 t / h to 4 . 95 t / h , which corresponded to 50 % of the nominal load . the reaction mixture was subsequently conveyed from the aminal reactor into a phase separation apparatus in which the water of reaction from the aminal reaction was separated off . the remaining organic phase was then pumped into the first rearrangement reactor which had been filled to a level of 60 % with aniline hydrochloride . a 30 % strength aqueous hydrochloric acid corresponding to a degree of protonation of 10 % ( i . e . 0 . 1 mol of hcl are added per mole of amino groups ) was at the same time introduced via a mixing nozzle into the inlet for aminal into the first rearrangement tank . the rearrangement reaction was carried out at from 50 ° c . to 165 ° c . in a reactor cascade ( step c )). after the reaction was complete , the reaction mixture obtained was worked up as described in the general conditions for the preparation of mda . in the mode of operation according to the invention , a blockage in the aminal vessel , in the aminal cooler , in the aminal separator and also stoppage of the aminal cooling circulation pump by deposits of solid were avoided . the aminal vessel could be operated over a long production cycle of a number of months . in addition , no problems with deposits occurred in the first rearrangement reactor . the formation of undesirable by - products such as insoluble polymeric amines , etc ., was significantly reduced , and later blending of the start - up product with pure mda or in the worst case incineration of the start - up product could be dispensed with . | 2 |
the upper part of fig1 illustrates a production line 1 discharging into the removal area . at the end of the production line 1 , each photovoltaic module passes through the quality testing device 2 . this is necessary since the process of producing photovoltaic modules does not ensure that every module has the same performance data . in fact , the performance parameters of photovoltaic modules are scattered to such an extent that it has proved to be necessary to divide the production yield into at least four different performance classes . the allocation to these classes is determined in the quality testing device 2 . the following investigations can be carried out in this testing device 2 : the measurement of the lamination and the integrity of the panes can be monitored by means of cameras . these investigations are already carried out once during production and can be repeated according to the desired safety requirement at this point . in addition , vibration tests can be carried out at this point , and more detailed investigations of the integrity can be carried out using ultrasound . the electrical contacts are tested and the efficiency is measured using electrical test circuits . in order to determine cold soldering points , the effects of cold ( cooling spray ) at certain points can be studied at electrical transition points . a measurement of resistive and / or inductive and / or capacitive impedances which is carried out shortly afterward reliably provides information on soldering points which have not been produced properly . this makes it possible to determine weak points in the electrical wiring at an early stage , which weak points often subsequently result in sudden failures only after a relatively long time in the changing weather cycles . the photovoltaic module which has been respectively tested can be electronically linked to the data known from production via barcodes or rfid (= radio frequency identification ) transponders . in the next station 3 , the assembly device for module carriers , a particular module carrier is automatically fastened to the respective module . the module carrier establishes the connection between the glass panes of a module and the assembly options existing at the respective place of use . it is known that a multiplicity of fastening options are desired by the respective user . in accordance with these different fastening options , the corresponding different types of module carriers are provided on the supply line 5 for module carriers . since different requirements with regard to the desired performance class are additionally imposed by the users on these different types of module carriers to be fitted , the module carriers cannot be assembled until after the respective performance class has been determined . a photovoltaic module which has been classified in this manner according to its specific performance class and its specific type of fastening via a barcode or a transponder then reaches the receiving station 20 of the production line . from this receiving station 20 , the finished photovoltaic modules are moved to the removal stations d , c , b , a , which are denoted 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 in fig1 , according to their performance class and their respective module carrier . the removal station 14 is used to store reject modules . these transport operations are carried out by a lifting sucker device which can move on a mount 4 via the running rails 15 . the running rails 15 are mounted , over their entire length , on running rail supports 16 . the length of the running rails 15 can be changed . the height of the running rail supports 16 can be changed in a controllable manner using actuators . this makes it possible to adapt the device according to the invention to different production conditions during operation . as an example of such a transport operation , a photovoltaic solar module 6 is depicted in fig1 at the start of the removal station 10 at the corresponding stacking station which is not described in any more detail . the stacking stations in the removal stations a and b are denoted 21 and 22 in fig1 . a strip laying means 19 for spacer strips is assigned to each removal station 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 . this strip laying means ensures that at least two strips are laid between modules which have been placed on top of one another , which strips have such a thickness that the components projecting from the glass surface of a module , such as terminal boxes or module carriers , cannot damage the glass surface of the adjacent module . for reasons of clarity , the respective strip laying means 19 are depicted only at the removal stations a and b in fig1 . each removal station 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 is also respectively assigned a film winder 7 , a protective cap applicator 8 and a strapping device 9 . a film winder 7 wraps the solar modules 6 , which are intended for dispatch and lie on top of one another , in a protective packaging film which simultaneously holds the entire package of the solar modules 6 together . protective cap applicators 8 then place protective caps on two opposite sides of a package of solar modules 6 which lie on top of one another . the strapping devices 9 upstream of the individual removal stations 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 preferably act in the region of the protective caps and provide the respective package of solar modules 6 with the required cohesive strength and make the package ready for dispatch . in addition , it is possible to attach a “ docket ”, which identifies the respective package of solar modules 6 which are ready for dispatch , in printed and / or electronic form . in order to assist with the control decisions involved in the individual transport operations , corresponding sensors and means for evaluating the output signals from the relevant sensors are located at relevant points of the device according to the invention . these sensors are usually optical sensors of any type and / or proximity sensors which are chosen by a person skilled in the art according to the local conditions and requirements . if , in individual cases , it appears to be necessary for a solar module 6 to pass through the quality testing device 2 again , it is possible to supply said module to the production line 1 again via the return line 17 depicted in fig1 . this makes it possible , in individual cases , if the user so desires , to manually repair a solar module 6 whose testing led to a borderline result . for this purpose , two angle conveyors 18 which allow such return are illustrated in fig1 . the corresponding transfer station is denoted 23 in fig1 . since the entire installation operates in a fully automatic manner , pauses in the production process can be used to retest particular solar modules 6 . fig2 illustrates a cross section of the more detailed region of the area surrounding the running rail 15 . in this case , on the left - hand side , two running rail supports 16 can be seen to the left and right of the removal station 14 for reject modules . to the right thereof , the stacking station a with the reference symbol 21 and then the stacking station b with the reference symbol 22 are shown in cross section . following on , the assembly device 3 for module carriers is illustrated . this is followed by the removal station c and the removal station a , neither of which is denoted , a strip laying means 19 being depicted for each of the two removal stations . a solar module 6 can be seen at the removal station d and the lifting sucker mount 4 can be seen , by way of example , behind said solar module . an alternative solution to the problem on which the invention is based is illustrated in fig3 . this figure is based on the same structure of operations for selecting and packing solar modules 6 as that disclosed in fig1 , only the removal station d being depicted for the sake of better illustration . the fundamental difference from the structure of the outlet stations shown in fig1 is that the lifting sucker mount 4 with its running rails 15 has been replaced with a store 25 with corresponding devices for loading and unloading this store 25 . this means that the solar modules 6 classified in the quality and testing device 2 are not directly assigned to the individual removal stations but rather are first stored in a store 25 which can also be referred to as an intermediate store . in this case , the store 25 can store the solar modules 6 substantially in a horizontal manner , that is to say may be in the form of a vertically oriented vertical store , or may have a combination of a horizontal and a vertical method of storage . in this case , the design depends on the respective spatial conditions and requirements of the operator of the entire installation . the store 25 is preferably open to both sides and can therefore be loaded with solar modules 6 and unloaded from the front and / or from the rear . in this case , the devices 24 and 26 are provided for the possibilities of loading and unloading the store 25 . the associated guide tracks are denoted 28 and 27 . the capacity of the store 25 is unlimited in theory . the number of removal stations assumed to be four in the device in fig1 can naturally be considerably higher both in the solution according to fig1 and in the solution according to fig3 . in this case , the number of removal stations depends mainly on the number of desired performance classes . since the data which are relevant to delivery for each solar module 6 can be electronically assigned to the latter , the devices 25 , 28 can be used to supply the provided unloading stations with the desired number of solar modules 6 . therefore , it is possible to also change the size of an order at short notice . this applies to the solution according to fig1 and fig3 . the complex control of the movement sequences described requires a special control program . as a person skilled in the art will readily appreciate , the above description is meant as an illustration of implementation of the principles this application . this description is not intended to limit the scope or application of this invention in that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change , without departing from the spirit of this invention , as defined in the following claims . ( 15 ) running rails for lifting sucker mount 4 ( 23 ) transfer station of the return line 17 | 7 |
while this disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail example implementations of the inventions and concepts herein with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the inventions and concepts and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosed implementations to the examples illustrated . for purposes of the present detailed description , the singular includes the plural and vice versa ( unless specifically disclaimed ); the words “ and ” and “ or ” shall be both conjunctive and disjunctive ; the word “ all ” means “ any and all ”; the word “ any ” means “ any and all ”; and the word “ including ” means “ including without limitation .” fig1 is a functional block diagram of a system 100 , such as an electronic data system , according to an aspect of the present disclosure . first , the general components of the system 100 will be introduced , followed by examples . the system 100 includes a computer system 102 , which can be connected to one or more computer networks , such as the internet . a computer as used herein includes any one or more electronic devices having a central processing unit ( cpu ) or controller or microprocessor or microcontroller as understood by those skilled in the art of electronic computers . examples of computers include tablet computers , laptop computers , desktop or personal computers , servers , smartphones , a wearable electronic device such as a watch , an eyeglass , an article of clothing , or a wristband , and personal digital assistants ( pdas ). the term computer as used herein can include a system of electronic devices coupled together to form what is conventionally referred to as a computer . for example , one or more input devices , such as a keyboard or a mouse , and one or more electronic display devices , such as a video display , can be coupled to a housing that houses the cpu or controller . or , all components of the computer can be integrated into a single housing , such as in the case of a tablet computer or a smartphone . the computer system 102 can conventionally include or can be operatively coupled to one or more memory devices that store digital information therein , including non - transitory machine - readable instructions and data . the computer system 102 can include one or more electronic human - machine interface ( hmi ) devices , which corresponds to a human - machine interface that accepts inputs made by a human ( e . g ., via touch , click , gesture , or voice ) and converts those inputs into corresponding electronic signals . examples of hmi devices include a touchscreen , a stylus , a computer mouse , a gesture sensing device configured to sense a human - made gesture , a keyboard , a mouse , a camera , or a microphone . the computer system 102 also includes one or more software or firmware applications , and one more electronic video display devices configured to display information that can be visually or aurally perceived . examples of display devices include a video display , a stereoscopic display , or any electronic display capable of visually portraying information including text , static graphics , and moving animations that is perceivable by the human eye . the video display devices display visual information contained in an electronic user interface ( ui ), which can be downloaded to the computer system 102 over a computer network from one or more external computer servers . the electronic user interface can also include selectable elements that are selectable using the one or more hmi devices . thus , the electronic user interface generally can include a graphical user interface ( gui ) component and a human - machine user interface component , via which a human user can select selectable elements displayed on the gui via the hmi interface . a computer system 102 can include various electronic or digital modules or components , which can be standalone components that are coupled through a computer network to the computer system or represent an application program interface ( api ) as that term is understood in the computer and software programming arts . the modules and components shown in fig1 and 2 show an exemplary configuration , but those skilled in the art will appreciate that other configurations can be used to carry out the aspects of the present disclosure . the particular configurations of the modules and components are not pertinent to these aspects . some or all of the components can be implemented in software , which can be configured to carry out programmed functions . the term “ configured to ” used in the context of a component implemented in software refers to programming the component with machine - readable instructions , such as object code as that term is understood in the computer programming art , to carry out the programmed functions . a ( software or firmware ) module or component herein can refer to computer - readable object code that executes a software sub - routine or program , which corresponds to instructions executed by any microprocessor or microprocessing device to perform described functions , acts , or steps . any of the methods or algorithms or functions described herein can include non - transitory machine or computer - readable instructions for execution by : ( a ) an electronic processor , ( b ) an electronic controller , and / or ( c ) any other suitable electronic processing device . any algorithm , software module , software component , software program , routine , sub - routine , or software application , or method disclosed herein can be embodied as a computer program product having one or more non - transitory tangible medium or media , such as , for example , a flash memory , a cd - rom , a floppy disk , a hard drive , a digital versatile disk ( dvd ), or other electronic memory devices , but persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the entire algorithm and / or parts thereof could alternatively be executed by a device other than an electronic controller and / or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware in a well - known manner ( e . g ., it may be implemented by an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), a programmable logic device ( pld ), a field programmable logic device ( fpld ), discrete logic , etc .). connected to the computer system 102 in fig1 are multiple authoring users 104 , candidate users 106 , and intermediary users 108 . a “ user ” herein can refer interchangeably to a computer or computer terminal , or a human person operating a computer or computer terminal . it is convenient in the computer arts to refer to both entities as a user , and this nomenclature will be used throughout this disclosure . the authoring users 104 publish electronic data records 110 over a computer network , such as the internet . the electronic data records 110 include a set of required criteria and a set of desired criteria about a candidate user of interest . the electronic data records 110 can optionally include a set of mandatory criteria about a candidate user of interest . the candidate users 106 post candidate information 112 to one or more social media networking servers 120 . these servers conventionally host websites that offer social media networking platforms for online users to interact and share information about themselves . the candidate users 106 can also post in the candidate information 112 personally identifiable information 114 about themselves . this personally identifiable information 114 can also be posted to the one or more social media networking servers 120 , or to another computer server accessible over the internet . the computer system 102 , as discussed above , can include one or more computers or electronic components or modules as defined above . functionally , these computers or components or modules are grouped together in fig1 by reference number 102 . the computer system 102 includes at least a web crawler component 130 , an entity recognition component 132 , a candidate record database 134 , a score calculation component 136 , an intermediary tracking component 138 , an intermediary contact database 140 , and a proxy transaction component 142 , which is coupled over the computer network to a third party processor 116 . the computer system 102 can include one or more wired and / or wireless communication interfaces ( not shown ) to communicate information between the computer system 102 and one or more systems or components external to the computer system 102 and operatively coupled thereto . having introduced some of the various components of the system 100 , attention will now be drawn to an exemplar process flow according to an aspect of the present disclosure . one or more authoring users 104 post over a computer network ( which is not necessarily the same computer network through which posted candidate user content is ingested by the web crawler component 130 ), such as through an api , electronic data records having a set of required criteria and a set of desired criteria about a candidate user . the set of required criteria refers to criteria or characteristics or qualities about a candidate user that the authoring user requires to be present , whereas the set of desired criteria refers to criteria or characteristics or qualities about a candidate user the authoring user desires , but does not necessarily require , to be present . an authoring user 104 is a user who authors content and publishes the same in the form of an electronic data record to the computer system 102 or to one or more computer networks to which the computer system 102 is operatively connected . to locate candidate users , aspects of the present disclosure harness a conventional web crawler component to scrape published data from multiple authoring users . the web crawler component provides the scraped data to an entity recognition engine or component that scores each entity among the scraped data . these scores are provided to a calculation engine or component that calculates weighted scores for each entity scores corresponding to a set of criteria established by the authoring user . the authoring user have two or three sets of criteria , including mandatory criteria , which is not weighted , required criteria , which is weighted relatively high , and desired criteria , which is weighted lower than weights assigned to required criteria . these criteria can be seen as dials , which the authoring user can set , to establish the criteria of a particular candidate user of interest . by adjusting these criteria dials , the weights are automatically and dynamically adjusted by the calculation engine . the mandatory criteria ( which can be a criterion ), if present , operate as binary switches in that the candidate user either satisfies or does not satisfy the mandatory criteria . if the candidate user does not satisfy one or more mandatory criteria , a minimum score is assigned to that criteria ; otherwise if the candidate user satisfies the mandatory criteria , a maximum score is assigned to that criteria . an example of a mandatory criterion includes a physical geographic location where the candidate user must be present . the required versus desired criteria can also be established and modified by the authoring user . required criteria can indicate criteria in or about or regarding or associated with a target candidate user that the authoring user requires to be present . desired criteria indicates criteria in a target candidate user that the authoring user desires , but does not insist , on being present . the required and desired criteria are weighted , with required criteria generally being assigned a higher or greater weight compared to desired criteria . each required criterion of the required criteria can have different weights , and likewise for each desired criterion of the desired criteria . a criteria or criterion refers to an attribute , characteristic , or trait about or regarding or associated with a candidate user of interest . as discussed above , the authoring users 104 would ordinarily require extensive use of computer search engines to locate candidate users satisfying one or more of the required or desired criteria . each authoring user 104 can have the option of adjusting which criteria are required versus desired , and can optionally have the option to rank each criterion , which causes a commensurate adjustment in a weight assigned to each criterion , where lower ranked criterion is assigned to a smaller or lesser weight value . these adjustment options are referred to colloquially herein as dials , because they allow the authoring user 104 to adjust the weights associated with each criterion , and to determine which criteria are required and which are merely desired . optionally , a mandatory criterion , such as geographic location , can also be present , which is not weighted but rather presents a binary switch that provides a maximum or a minimum impact on an overall score for the candidate user , as discussed further below . when presented as an option , the authoring user 104 can select which criterion is mandatory , which removes that selected criterion from being weighted . the candidate users 106 post information about themselves as candidate information 112 to one or more social media networking servers 120 . as discussed above , this information 112 can typically include personally identifiable information 114 , which can also be retrieved from other types of computer servers that do not operate a social media networking platform . these users are referred to as candidates because they are would - be matches for the criteria set forth in the data records 110 published by the authoring users 104 . in an online community of millions of users , locating candidate users who match criteria published by authoring users would otherwise consume significant network resources and bandwidth , where both finders ( authoring users ) and seekers ( candidate users ) would otherwise have to use conventional tools , such as search engines , to connect with one another . the present disclosure significant reduces consumption of these resources and bandwidth by identifying matches offline through the scoring and tracking algorithms discussed herein . to do so , a conventional web crawler component 130 scrapes ( as that term is understood in the art of electronic data mining ) or ingests data from the social media networking servers 120 . a list of seed universal resource locators ( urls ) are provided to the web crawler , which urls point to likely locations where the required or desired criteria can be obtained or where candidate users create trails of personally identifiable information 114 . an example of a web crawler component 130 is the 80legs custom web scraping and web crawling platform available as an api from datafiniti , llc , the details of which are incorporated herein by reference . the web crawler component 130 outputs a text file containing relevant content scraped from the seed urls and provided to an entity recognition component 132 , which extracts from the web crawler output ( including the url web page content ) various entities corresponding to the criteria set forth in the data records 110 . an example of an entity recognition component 132 includes the alchemyapi available from ibm corporation , the details of which are incorporated herein by reference . the functionality of the web crawler component 130 and the entity recognition component 132 can be merged or integrated into a single electronic tool or set of electronic tools , such as the entelo software - as - a - service ( saas ) platform available from entelo , inc ., the details of which are incorporated herein by reference . each web page content , the associated url for the web page , a list of associated entities excavated by the entity recognition component 132 , the entity types , entity counts , and relevance score are stored as a document 202 ( shown in fig2 ) in a candidate record database 134 . the score calculation component 136 calculates scores indicative of a correlation between entity information extracted by the entity recognition component 132 and the criteria set forth in the data records 110 published by the authoring users . additional details of the score calculations are discussed below in connection with fig3 and 4 . the score calculation component 136 outputs a score for candidate users who match one or more criteria in the data records published by the authoring users 104 . the intermediary tracking component 138 tracks which intermediary users 108 exposed which candidate users 106 to data records 110 published by authoring users 104 . the intermediary contact database 140 , 216 includes a database of contact information of intermediary users , including their email addresses 214 ( fig2 ). the intermediary tracking component 138 tags electronic data records 110 that the intermediary users 108 have exposed to the candidate users 106 by associating the specific data record 110 of a specific authoring user 104 to an intermediary user 108 and the candidate user 106 to which the intermediary user 108 exposed the data record . the data records 110 exposed by the intermediary user 108 can be representative of the original data records 110 published by the authoring user 104 , such as setting forth the criteria in a summative form . the third party processor 116 is used by the proxy transaction component 142 to broker an encrypted transaction between the authoring user 104 and the intermediary user 108 without any direct communication between the authoring and intermediary users 104 , 108 . once an authoring user 104 confirms with the computer system 102 that an interaction between the authoring user 104 and the candidate user 106 who was exposed to a data record 110 , which was published by the authoring user 104 , by an intermediary user 108 has occurred , where the authoring user 104 confirms that the candidate user 106 satisfies one or more of the criteria set forth in the data record 110 , the proxy transaction component 142 of the computer system 102 invokes the third party processor 116 to cause an encrypted transaction to occur via the computer system 102 as a proxy for the encrypted transaction between the authoring user 104 and the intermediary user 108 and optionally between the authoring user 104 and the candidate user 106 who as originally exposed to the data record 110 by the intermediary user 108 . the interaction can be an interaction in the physical world between respective persons associated with the authoring user 104 and the candidate user 106 . fig2 illustrates the process flow and functionality from a different perspective . the electronic data records 110 published by the authoring users 104 can be processed by the entity recognition component 132 and stored as documents ( like those from the posted candidate information ) in a database 134 , such as the candidate record database 134 . the solr open source search platform server available from the apache software foundation is an example of a suitable database or server platform for the database 134 , which can be used to store both candidate records posted by candidate users 106 and data records published by the authoring users 104 . the intermediary tracking component 138 can query the database 134 for the top matching people entities satisfying a query , and the people entities can be collected and populated into a list 206 . the people entities correspond to names of candidate users 106 satisfying the query . these people entities 206 and associated urls from the locations where these names were extracted are presented to a web interface to a crowdsourcing marketplace 208 along with a form to capture required fields . an example of the crowdsourcing marketplace is the mechanical turks web service available from amazon , inc ., the details of which are incorporated herein by reference . the web service populates structured data in the form from the data retrieved from the database 134 and from queries to the internet to populate the personally identifiable fields in the form , such as name and email address for each of the candidates . this structured data is passed to a personal information query tool 210 to extract contact information , social media data , and other personally identifiable information 114 about the candidate users , and this structured people data containing the personally identifiable information 114 is stored in the contact database 140 as an intermediary user record . the contact database 140 can be queried to produce a list of intermediary users 212 , and the computer system 102 can automatically prepare an email 214 to each of the intermediary users 108 returned from the database 140 along with information about the data record 110 published by the authoring user 104 . the computer system 102 can also prepare an email or other electronic message to send to a candidate user 106 or for the intermediary user 108 to send to the candidate user 106 . when the data record 110 published by the authoring user 104 is communicated from the intermediary user 108 to the candidate user 106 , the intermediary tracking component 138 associates those users 106 , 108 with the specific data record 110 published by the authoring user 104 to track which intermediary user 108 exposed the data record 110 ( or representative information in the data record 110 ) to which authoring user 104 . fig3 is a table of an example scoring rubric of exemplar candidate users and their scores as calculated by the score calculation component shown in fig1 . here , column a includes the maximum number of points assignable to each of the criteria listed in rows 2 - 18 . row 5 includes mandatory criteria set by an authoring user 104 , whereas rows 2 - 4 and 9 - 13 include required criteria a - k . rows 14 - 18 include desired criteria a - e . fewer or more criteria can be present in an electronic data record 110 , as this table in fig3 presents just one exemplar of many conceivable possibilities . five exemplar candidates are shown along with sub - scores for each criterion . for example , in cell c 2 , the first candidate user 106 has been assigned a score by the entity recognition component 132 of 0 . 5 , indicating an average correlation between the required criteria a set forth in the data record published by the authoring user 104 and the information 112 scraped about the candidate user 106 from the social media networking servers 120 by the web crawler component 130 . this required criteria a is weighted relatively heavily , so the sub - score for this criterion is calculated by the score calculation component 136 to be 112 . 5 . note that in row 5 , the mandatory criteria a is indicated to be a binary match . if a match is found , a maximum sub - score of 100 is assigned ; if a match is not found , a minimum sub - score of − 50 is assigned to the first candidate user 106 . referring again to the first candidate user 106 , a fairly strong correlation can be seen between required criteria b , f , h , and k . these higher - weighted criteria drive up the first candidate user &# 39 ; s overall score of 607 , shown in cell d 19 . the second candidate user has a perfect match with the first three required criteria a - c , but is not a match for the mandatory criteria a , which affects the score of 694 . 7 , but this second candidate user 106 will be determined by the computer system 102 to have the best correlation with the criteria published by the authoring user 104 even though the authoring user &# 39 ; s mandatory criteria is not present in this particular second candidate user 106 . as can be seen , because desired criteria are weighted less , even strong correlations among , for example , the third candidate user in cells g 16 - 18 do not have a significant impact on the overall score of 479 . 55 . another criteria that the score calculation component 136 can take into account involves the intermediary user 108 who exposed the candidate user 106 to the data record 110 published by the authoring user 104 . row 6 is an intermediary score , which is described in more detail in connection with fig4 below . this intermediary score reflects a “ clout ” score regarding a particular intermediary user , such that an intermediary user who exposes more candidate users 104 to data records 110 published by authoring users 104 , the higher the score assigned to that intermediary user 108 . the row 6 sub - score is a metric that takes into account the intermediary user &# 39 ; s ability or potential to make meaningful connections between authoring users and candidate users . the row 7 sub - score indicates a match between the intermediary user 108 and the candidate user 106 regarding a mandatory criteria d . if both the intermediary and candidate users 108 , 106 both share the same criteria d , a maximum sub - score is assigned ; otherwise no points is assigned . another mandatory criteria e is shown in row 8 . the authoring user 104 has chosen to weight these criteria in rows 6 - 8 relatively low compared to the criteria in rows 2 - 3 . a fifth candidate user 106 is another case contemplated by the present disclosure . it is contemplated that the intermediary user 108 and the candidate user 106 can be one and the same . in this example shown in fig3 , however , the fifth user 106 , 108 is not as good a match among the criteria published in a data record by an authoring user 104 compared to the other four candidate users . fig4 is a table of an example scoring rubric of exemplar intermediary users and their scores as calculated by the score calculation component shown in fig1 . the scores from fig4 are populated in row 6 of the table shown in fig3 . here , twelve intermediary users are shown with their respective intermediary scores as calculated by the score calculation component 136 . the ninth intermediary user is assigned the maximum number of 400 points as the intermediary score . the criteria to calculate the intermediary score can be weighted . thus , in column b , the number of candidates that the intermediary user 108 has successfully introduced to an authoring user 104 is assigned a weight of 100 or 25 % of the maximum score . all of those candidates as shown in cell d 11 were engaged by the authoring user 104 , and thus , the ninth intermediary user receives a total sub - score of 100 in d 11 . cell e 11 refers to the percentage of candidates that the authoring user is considering engaging but has not yet engaged . because these engagements still count as introductions , they are assigned a weight of 50 . column h refers to a calculated value that is computed to produce the intermediary score . an example calculation of the column h values is : the intermediary score for row 11 can be calculated according to the formula : in other words , if an intermediary user &# 39 ; s percentage of engagements falls below a threshold , that intermediary user &# 39 ; s score can be penalized by subtracting value , such as shown in cells f 10 , f 12 , and f 14 , whose corresponding intermediary users have less than a 5 % success rate of historical engagements between an authoring user and a candidate user . finally , in row 15 , to account for a scenario where the candidate and intermediary user are one and the same , a value of 1 is assigned as the intermediary score . fig5 is an example flowchart of an algorithm 100 of permitting or arbitrating encrypted electronic transactions to occur among an intermediary user and an authoring user in an electronic data system only when an interaction occurs between the authoring user and a candidate user who was exposed by the intermediary user to data published by the authoring user . a computer server system 100 receives published electronic data records 110 over a computer network created and published by authoring users 104 ( 502 ). the published electronic data records include a set of required criteria and a set of desired criteria both established by each of the authoring users . candidate electronic data records are received , over the computer network , as ingested from an electronic web crawler component and including personally identifiable information posted by third parties , which may be the candidate users themselves ( 504 ). for each of the candidate users , the computer server system 102 automatically calculates a relevancy score indicative of a correlation between ( a ) at least some of the information extracted from the respective candidate electronic data record posted by the respective candidate user and ( b ) weighted ones of the corresponding sets of required and desired criteria ( 506 ). the computer system 102 tracks a first of the intermediary users 108 that exposed a first of the candidate users 106 to information associated with the first electronic data 110 ( 508 ) by storing an association in an electronic memory device , such as the database 134 , between the first intermediary user 108 and the first candidate user 106 ( 510 ). the computer system 102 receives an indication from a first of the authoring users 104 of an occurrence of an interaction between the first authoring user 104 and the first candidate user 106 who was exposed by the first intermediary user 108 to the information associated with the first electronic data 110 ( 512 ). then , the computer system 102 permits an encrypted electronic transaction to occur among the first authoring user 104 and the first intermediary user 108 using the computer system 102 as a proxy for the encrypted electronic transaction ( 514 ). while this disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , specific embodiments or implementations have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein . it should be understood , however , that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed . rather , the disclosure is to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention , which is set forth in the following claims . moreover , the present concepts expressly include any and all combinations and sub - combinations of the preceding elements and aspects . | 7 |
description with now be given with reference to fig1 to 4 of a fuel - injecting apparatus according to one embodiment of this invention . as seen from fig1 an internal combustion engine ( a diesel engine in this embodiment ) comprises a lubricant pan 2 provided at the bottom to be used as a receptacle . a fuel - pressurizing pump 3 sucks up lubricant held in the lubricant pan 2 through an oil filter ( not shown ). the sucked lubricant is sent under pressure to an electronic control device 6 from a delivery section 4 through a conduit 5 . the electronic controlling device 6 communicates with a fuel - injection timing control device 8 through a conduit 7 . the lubricant whose pressure is controlled by the electronic control device 6 to cause the rotation angle phase of the shaft of an internal combustion engine 1 ( hereinafter simply referred to as the engine 1 ) to be advanced or retarded as required is supplied to the fuel - injection timing control device 8 through the conduit 7 . data concerning the number n of the rotations of the shaft of an internal combustion engine , fuel - injection rate q , atmospheric temperature t and fuel - injection timing signal α are stored in a microcomputer in the electronic control device 6 . this electronic control device 6 compares the above items of stored information with previously stored prescribed values and sends a signal denoting the result of said comparison as an electric instruction signal . a fuel pressure - controlling valve ( not shown ) has its operation regulated by said instruction signal . as a result , the lubricant supplied through the pipe 5 has its pressure controlled by the electronic control device 6 to a proper level for the operating condition of the engine 1 . the pressure - controlled lubricant is supplied to the fuel - injection timing control device 8 through the pipe 7 . surplus lubricant which results from the control of lubricant pressure by the electronic control device 6 is carried back to the lubricant pan 2 through a return pipe 9 . the fuel - injecting timing control device 8 transmits the drive force of the engine 1 to the fuel pump 10 . as shown in fig2 to 4 , said fuel - injection timing control device 8 comprises a casing 80 . a first integrally formed flange 81 is fitted to one side of the casing 80 in an inward extending state . the first flange 81 is connected to a drive shaft 82 ( fig1 and 4 ) for transmitting the drive force of the engine 1 through a flange nippel 83 ( fig1 ). as a result , the casing 80 is rotated by the drive of the engine 1 . a drive sleeve 84 is mounted on the central shaft of the casing 80 in a rotatable state relative to said casing 80 . a cam shaft 100 of the fuel pump 10 is connected at one end to the driven sleeve 84 by means of a cap nut 85 in a state rotatable therewith . an outward extending second flange 86 is integrally formed with the driven sleeve 84 in a state slidable along the inner wall of the first flange 81 . a disc - shaped support board 87 is separately mounted on the inner wall of the second flange 86 . the support board 87 is fixed to the first flange 81 by means of a bolt 88 . as shown in fig3 a pair of major disc - shaped eccentric cams 89 are rotatably mounted on the support board 87 in a state eccentrically positioned from the cam shaft 100 . a minor disc - shaped eccentric cam 90 is rotatably mounted on each major disc - shaped eccentric cam 89 in a state eccentrically positioned from the center of said major eccentric cam 89 . a one end portion of an eccentric pin 91 is projectively provided on the minor eccentric cam 89 in a state eccentrically positioned from the center of said minor eccentric cam 89 . the other end portion of said eccentric pin 91 is rotatably inserted into the second flange 86 . a one end portion of an eccentric pin 92 is projectively provided on each major eccentric cam 89 at another eccentric point . each slide board 93 is fitted to the inner wall of the support board 87 in a radially inward urged state . each slide board 93 is connected to two pistons 96 by means of the corresponding two connection pins 95 . the outer end portion of the connection pin 95 is inserted into a slit 96a formed in the lateral wall of the piston 96 . the piston 96 is received in the corresponding cylinder 97 , and is moved radially outward by the oil pressure acting on said piston 96 . the aforementioned pipe 7 is connected , as shown in fig2 to a lubricant passage 12 formed in a connection flange 11 for fitting the fuel - injection timing control device 8 to the fuel pump 10 . the lubricant passage 12 communicates with the interior space of the sleeve 84 through a conduit 13 provided in said sleeve 84 . as shown in fig3 and 4 , a plurality of passages 14 are formed in the sleeve 84 for communication with the interior of the cylinder 97 . when , therefore , the pressurized lubricant whose pressure is controlled through the conduit 7 is carried into the cylinder 97 through the fuel passage 12 , conduit 13 , the interior space of the sleeve 84 and the plural passages 14 , then the piston 96 is pushed radially outward . the movement of the piston 96 causes the slide board 93 to be moved radially outward against the urging force of the spring 94 . the rotation of the major eccentric cam 89 in the direction of an indicated arrow a causes the minor eccentric cam 90 to be moved in the direction of an indicated arrow b . as a result , the eccentric pin 91 is rotated in the direction of an indicated arrow c , causing the second driven flange 86 to be moved also in the direction of the indicated arrow c . since the movement of the second driven flange 86 causes the sleeve 84 to be jointly moved in the direction of the indicated arrow c , the sleeve 84 is moved in the direction of the advanced angle phase relative to the casing 80 . accordingly , the angle phase of the cam shaft 100 is advanced relative to the drive shaft 82 of the engine 1 . as shown in fig2 the cam shaft 100 is inserted into a pump housing 101 of the fuel pump 10 . a tappet 103 is vertically reciprocated by means of an eccentric cam 102 integrally formed with the cam shaft 100 or attached thereto by proper fixing means . the tappet 103 is connected to a plunger ( not shown ) by means of a bolt 104 . the reciprocation of the tappet 103 gives rise to the similar movement of the plunger . the reciprocation of the plunger causes the fuel sucked into a pump chamber ( not shown ) to be injected under pressure into the various cylinders through a plurality of fuel pipes 105 ( fig1 ). as shown in fig2 a lubricant passage 15 branched off from the lubricant passage 12 extends through the connection flange 11 and pump housing 101 . the branched lubricant passage 15 faces a slide plane defined between the tappet 103 and a guide plane 106 formed in the pump housing 101 to guide the reciprocation of said tappet 103 . a minute gap provided for the slide plane performs a sort of throttling function , that is , acts as the orifice of the branched lubricant passage 15 to elevate a resistance to the lubricant flow . the lubricant introduced through the branched lubricant passage 15 lubricates a slide plane defined between the tappet 103 and guide plane 106 and further a slide plane defined between said tappet 103 and cam 102 . the lubricant drips into the cam chamber 107 to be collected at the bottom . lubricant brought into the cylinder 97 of the fuel - injection timing control device is collected in the outer peripheral section of the casing 80 through a gap defined between the cylinder 97 and piston 96 . a drain passage 16 is formed in a board 99 for closing the casing 80 . the drain passage 16 communicates with a cam chamber 107 through an escapement path 17 extending through the connection flange 11 and pump housing 101 . the cam chamber 107 communicates with the lubricant pan 2 through a return conduit 18 shown in fig1 . with a fuel - injecting apparatus according to one embodiment of this invention which is constructed as described above , the lubricant whose pressure is controlled to a level adapted for the operating condition of the engine 1 is carried into the lubricant passage 12 through the conduit 7 . the branched lubricant passage 15 communicates with the intermediate part of the lubricant passage 12 , causing the lubricant stream to be branched off into the fuel - injection timing control device 8 and fuel - injection pump 10 . with the fuel - injection timing control device 8 , the piston 96 is moved , as previously described , to an extent corresponding to the lubricant pressure . the sleeve 84 has its position changed , in accordance with the magnitude of the lubricant pressure . with the fuel pump 10 , a slide plane defined between the tappet 103 and guide plane 106 , and also a slide plane defined between said tappet 103 and cam 102 are lubricated . the lubricant which has finished the lubrication of the fuel pump 10 is collected in the cam chamber 107 . the lubricant held in the casing 80 of the fuel - injection timing control device 8 is drained into the cam chamber 107 through the drain passage 16 and escapement path 17 . the lubricant in the cam chamber 107 is brought back to the lubricant pan 2 through the return conduit 18 . a fuel - injecting apparatus according to one embodiment of this invention has the advantages that since the lubricant is supplied through the conduit 7 and fed back through the return conduit 18 , it is possible to decrease the number of lubricant passages , simplify the construction of the subject fuel - injecting apparatus and facilitate its assembly , thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of said fuel - injecting apparatus . with the branched lubricant passage 15 , a fine gap defined between the tappet 103 and guide plane 106 performs a sort of throttling action , thereby eliminating the possibility that the lubricant whose pressure is controlled to a desired level by the electronic control device 6 escapes to the fuel pump 10 , and consequently enabling the prescribed lubricant pressure to be applied to the piston 96 of the fuel - injection timing control device 8 . the foregoing description of the one embodiment of this invention refers to the case where the fuel - injection timing control device 8 is the type in which the piston 96 is moved radially outward . it will be noted , however , that the invention is not limited to the one embodiment , but another embodiment shown in fig5 is also applicable . the fuel - injecting apparatus of fig5 according to another embodiment of the invention is the type in which a piston 500 is moved along the axis of its own . the piston 500 is moved radially outward along the slide board 93 by means of an inclined plane 501 of said piston 500 . a cylinder 502 for receiving the piston 500 is integrally formed with the connection flange 11 . a narrow gap 503 is defined between the cylinder 502 and sleeve 84 . the lubricant which is let to pass between the piston 500 and cylinder 502 is conducted into the above - mentioned narrow gap 503 . an escapement path 504 allowing for communication between said narrow gap 503 and cam chamber 107 is formed between the connection flange 11 and cam shaft 100 . with the fuel - injecting apparatus of fig5 according to another embodiment of this invention , the lubricant is supplied through one passage and brought back through one return conduit . in other words , a fuel - injecting apparatus embodying the invention can be practiced , provided the fuel - injection timing control device 8 is the type in which the rotation force of the shaft of the internal combustion engine is transmitted to a fuel pump with the phase of said rotation angle advanced or retarded by a device for controlling fuel - injecting timing by lubricant pressure . the throttling section of the branched lubricant passage 15 may be formed at a different spot from that which is defined between the tappet 103 and guide plane 106 . | 5 |
the following detailed description relates to an integrated circuit that includes a digital processor and viterbi decoder , along with a memory that is time - shared between them . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; digital processor &# 34 ; includes microprocessors , microcontrollers , and digital signal processors ( dsps ), among other types . the present technique is especially advantageously implemented with dsps , which is illustratively shown herein . this is due to a dsp &# 39 ; s well - known ability to efficiently handle various signal processing functions associated with digital communications , as well as digitized analog communications . such functions include fast fourier transforms ( ffts ), digital filtering , tone generation , speech encoding and decoding , etc . a &# 34 ; viterbi decoder &# 34 ; as used herein includes decoders that implement the viterbi algorithm to obtain either or both of : ( 1 ) equalization that compensates for multi - path interference ( often referred to as &# 34 ; mlse equalization &# 34 ; in the art ), or ( 2 ) channel deconvolution to recover the transmitted signal . referring to fig1 an illustrative embodiment of the present invention is shown . a digital signal processor &# 34 ; core &# 34 ; ( 101 ) illustratively comprises an addressing unit for accessing fixed ( x ) data ( typically program instructions and coefficients ), another addressing unit for accessing variable ( y ) data , and a data arithmetic unit ( dau ). various other functions may optionally be implemented in other logic blocks ( not shown ), including serial to parallel ( and parallel to serial ) input / output functions , and bit manipulation for performing normalization , finding exponents , bit extraction and insertion , barrel shifting , etc . the rom 102 typically provides instructions and coefficients to the core . a random access memory comprises memory banks 103 , 104 and 105 . these serve as a fast cache memory to rapidly provide the program instructions and coefficients initially stored in the rom to the core , and also provides data to the core . the memory banks are each 1 kiloword in size , using 16 bit words , in the illustrative case . the bus 106 provides for communicating address and data information between the x addressing unit in the core and the memory . the bus 107 provides for communicating address and data information between the y addressing unit in the core and the memory . this type of cache memory architecture , which has been successfully used in commercial dsps , is shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 896 , 264 , with various other types being possible . note that the memory ( banks 103 , 104 , 105 ) may function as a dual - port random - access memory ( dpram ), by multiplexing the x and y busses ( 106 , 107 ) using a multiplexer ( not shown ) to select one or the other at any given time , thereby avoiding possible contentions . the core is capable of reading and writing registers in the eccp ( error correction co - processor ) 113 , which implements the viterbi decoding function . for example , the dsp core may load parameters and control words into the eccp . the core is also capable of receiving interrupts and flags from the eccp . the dsp core also communicates to another ( i . e ., fourth ) memory block 116 , which is illustratively also of multi - port design , being tri - ported in this embodiment by means of multiplexers 110 and 111 . the multiplexer 110 chooses either x address bus 108 or alteratively y address bus 109 to supply one input to the multiplexer 111 . the multiplexer 111 chooses either the output of the multiplexer 110 , or alternatively the z address bus 112 from the eccp 113 . the chosen bus then supplies addresses to the shared memory 116 ( via bus 114 ) for selecting desired memory locations for access . the shared memory 116 communicates data to and from the eccp by means of z data bus 123 , and communicates data to and from the dsp by means of a multiplexed x and y data bus 124 . the present invention provides for improved utilization of memory by time - sharing the memory block 116 between the dsp core and the eccp . the eccp uses a first portion of the memory block 116 for storing the trellis used in determining the optimum path inside the trace - back memory when performing the viterbi decoding function . on the other hand , the dsp uses a second portion of the memory block for whatever functions it is performing . hence , instruction codes and / or data may be stored in the second portion . in the illustrative embodiment , the dsp communicates control instructions and data to the eccp by means of registers 117 , 118 , and 119 . the eccp address register ( ear ) 117 , illustratively 11 bits in length , is supplied with the address of the various data registers that the dsp is to communicate with . the eccp data register ( edr ) 118 , illustratively 16 bits , is a port that allows access to a number of other eccp registers 120 . these other eccp registers , having up to 2 11 locations in the illustrative case , store input symbols and channel parameters communicated from the dsp to the eccp . the eccp instruction register ( eir ) 119 , illustratively 3 bits , stores the control instructions from the dsp that the eccp is to perform . the foregoing register technique allows for indirectly addressing the eccp ; alternatively , the eccp could directly map into the dsp memory space , with the present invention not being limited to the nature of the technique used . referring to fig2 the voltage on the ebusy line is shown . a first portion of this line ( 122 ) supplies the ebusy flag signal to the dsp core 101 , whereas a second portion of the ebusy line ( 115 ) controls the multiplexer 111 . the signals on these portions are logically equivalent . therefore , these portions ( 115 , 122 ) may be electrically connected together , or driven separately by the eccp . at time t 0 the eccp sets ebusy in a low voltage state ( logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;) to indicate that the dsp has exclusive access to the shared memory block . this allows the dsp to execute non - eccp code for any function the dsp needs to perform . when the dsp has finished executing this code at time t 1 , it initializes the eccp . at time t 2 , the dsp writes the eir with an eccp instruction . as a result , eccp sets ebusy in a high voltage state ( logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;) to indicate that the eccp has exclusive access to the shared memory block . in other words , ebusy is asserted if the eccp is active , allowing it to execute the viterbi decoding using a new signal value provided by the dsp . after each input symbol is processed , the eccp relinquishes control of the memory by again setting ebusy low at time t 4 , allowing the dsp to have access to the shared memory . in addition , the dsp may read the eccp to determine the decoded symbol that resulted from the viterbi decoding . the ebusy signal may be considered to represent a flag in this form of handshaking between the dsp and the eccp . alternatively or additionally , an interrupt signal ( eready ) may be used to facilitate handshaking between the dsp and the eccp . the interrupt signal typically takes the form of a pulse that is sent at time t 3 when the eccp is ready to relinquish control of the shared memory to the dsp . therefore , the eready line 121 is also controlled by the eccp , as shown in fig1 . the eccp retains control until it has finished its desired operation , and thereafter returns control to the dsp . in the above manner , an entire frame of input symbols may be decoded by the eccp . each frame typically comprises about 120 to 150 input symbols , with each symbol typically requiring 20 to 150 clock cycles to decode . in operation , the dsp and the eccp communicate with each other , and the shared memory block , as follows , assuming initially that the eccp is performing a decoding operation : ( 1 ) before accessing the shared memory , the dsp checks the state of the ebusy flag via a conditional instruction . it polls the ebusy flag ( line 122 ) until its value is low , at which time the dsp can safely access the shared memory . a typical instruction sequence is thus : ( 2 ) before relinquishing the shared memory block , the eccp performs its decoding operation , which typically runs for a number of clock cycles to process a symbol , as noted above . ( 3 ) when it is finished , the eccp interrupts the dsp , by means of the interrupt line 121 ( eready ), thereby relinquishing the use of the memory block 116 to the dsp . ( 4 ) the dsp accesses the shared memory block to perform the desired operation . hence , in the above embodiment , the dsp and eccp communicate by the use of a flag and / or an interrupt , in order to accomplish the sharing of the memory 116 . the flag is illustratively a single bit line that the dsp polls to determine if the eccp is still running its decoding operation . the interrupt is a signal that the eccp provides to the dsp to indicate that the eccp is finished with its current operation . however , other forms of handshaking are possible in order to accomplish the sharing of the memory . the above - noted sharing of the memory block 116 is facilitated by the fact that in typical operations , the eccp requires access to the shared memory less than half of the time , and typically less than 10 percent of the time . therefore , the dsp is free to perform its various other operations using the shared memory for the majority of the time . of course , the dsp is also free to use the various non - shared memory resources ( e . g ., blocks 103 , 104 and 105 ) at all times insofar as the eccp operation is concerned . referring to fig3 the shared memory block 116 is illustrated , with the first portion 301 used by the eccp , and the second portion 302 used by the dsp . the second portion 302 is available to the dsp whenever ebusy is low , whereas 301 is available to the dsp only between frames . a &# 34 ; boundary &# 34 ; 303 is shown separating these portions . this boundary is typically implemented in the software that controls the eccp , and hence is not a physical boundary . however , boundary 303 illustrates that certain memory address locations ( e . g ., 0 to x ), lie within the eccp portion , and the other memory address locations ( e . g ., x + 1 to 1023 ) lie within the dsp portion of the illustrative 1024 bit ( 1 kilobit ) memory . the boundary 303 is parametric in a presently - preferred embodiment , so that the eccp uses only the amount of memory that is necessary at a given time . therefore , the maximum amount of memory is freed up for use by the dsp to implement its functions . in a typical embodiment , the amount of memory that is used by the eccp is based primarily on the desired &# 34 ; constraint length &# 34 ;, which in the illustrative case is contained in a 3 - bit programmable field in the eccp control register , being one of the registers ( 120 ) that is indirectly addressed by the ear ( 117 ). these 3 bits provide for 8 different memory requirements , up to a maximum of 512 words ( 16 bits per word ) in the illustrative case . in addition , a fourth bit in the eccp control register may be used to determine the &# 34 ; precision &# 34 ; for the data stored in memory . this bit chooses between the case of &# 34 ; soft decoding &# 34 ;, wherein each incoming symbol is quantized into an 8 - bit ( 256 level ) word , and &# 34 ; hard decoding &# 34 ;, wherein each incoming symbol is represented by a binary ( 2 level ) bit . still other implementations of the present shared memory technique are possible . | 7 |
the discussion herein describes a dynamics solver for interacting particles . the purpose of the solver is to compute the dynamics of a wide variety of interacting shapes in a unified framework . the solver is mainly targeted at applications in computer graphics , ranging from special effects in feature movies to real - time simulations in games , but can be used for other purposes such as in early prototyping and testing of a physical system through simulation , even though the simulation might not be accurate enough for a final validation it might help in making early design decisions . these target applications require physically plausible simulations of a wide range of natural phenomena such as liquids , rigid bodies and cloth . since all these phenomena can potentially interact simultaneously , it is important to handle them in a single framework . below is discussed some of the challenges facing a dynamical solver using the example of cloth simulation . at first the motion of a piece of cloth like a ribbon or piece of garment might seem to be fairly straightforward because of its familiarity . however , cloth is an example of a highly self - affecting system . by far the biggest challenge facing a cloth solver is that cloth collides both with itself and the environment . as a consequence , many interactions have to be processed in every step of the simulation . ideally we do not want the cloth to self - intersect itself or penetrate any objects in the environment . the appearance of cloth is also highly complex due to the appearance of folds and wrinkles . consequently a cloth solver should be able to handle a very large data set . in particular , the cost ( computation time ) of the solver should scale nicely with an increase in complexity . this excludes expensive and complicated solvers . simple and efficient solvers are preferred . another factor that makes cloth hard to simulate is that it strongly resists stretching . this makes it hard to model the cloth as a system of connected springs for example as stiff springs require expensive solvers to avoid instabilities . finally , it is important that the solver reproduce the long - term behavior of cloth . for example , a piece of cloth dropped under the influence of gravity alone should come to a perfect rest state . there do not appear to be any cloth solvers that can handle all of these challenges flawlessly . consequently , today cloth simulation is still an active area of research within the field of computer graphics . the initial motivation behind the invention described herein paper was to build a novel cloth solver . subsequently , it was realized that the cloth solver could be extended to a larger class of phenomena , such as particles . one of the main features of the approach described herein is that the system allows the dynamic solver at each time step to return an invalid state , such as the cloth self - intersecting itself or intersecting another body . instead of trying to guarantee a valid state after each time step of the simulation , the system tries to push the dynamics towards a valid state . the solver gradually improves the state of the cloth over a single time step of the simulation . the solver stops as soon as we compute a valid state of the system or when it has reached a user set time limit on how much time it is allowed to spend improving the state . this approach has several benefits . first , it allows for faster compute times . in some applications it is ok for the simulation to be in an invalid state . for example , in the early stages of the creation of an animation animators are more interested in getting a feel for the general motion of the shapes . fast feedback at that stage is more important than minor flaws in the appearance of the shapes . another benefit of this approach is that the solver will not get locked in a situation where all the constraints cannot be met . these situations occur because the environment and forces are not always physically consistent in an animation environment . lastly , solvers which assume a valid state from the beginning usually fail miserably ( at least in common experience ) when given an invalid state . in summary : allowing the simulation to “ fail ” we obtain a solver that is faster , more robust and easier to implement because it allows approximations that would not be acceptable in a system that attempts to always solve a valid state . to make the algorithms discussed herein more readable the following notations are adopted . the discussion will use the arial boldface font for all variables and code statements to differentiate them clearly from the explanatory text . to select particular elements of an array variables that contain a set of indices are used . for example , if i =( 0 , 100 , 3 ) then the statement array [ i ]= 0 only sets the entries 0 , 100 and 3 of the array to zero . if the index set is a set of consecutive indices between a and b then the notation a . b is used . for example , the following statement array [ 1 . . . n ]+= 1 , adds one to each element of the array with an index between 1 and n . these notations make many of the algorithms more compact and therefore easier to read . it should be straightforward for one of skill in the art to translate the algorithms into any computer language such as c ++. a shape in the model discussed herein is a collection of particles connected using edges , triangles and tetrahedral . fig1 shows some examples 20 and 22 of shapes built from edges , triangles and tetrahedral that are handled by the dynamical solver . the solver makes no assumptions on how these elements are connected together to form objects and how the objects are handled as this is expected to be handled conventionally . cloth , for example , is modeled as a triangle mesh and a triangular mesh can be subdivided for a finer resolution image using conventional subdivision methods . the dynamics of the system are modeled by assigning different properties to the particles which are stored in arrays indexed by a particle index i . the solver lets n be the total number of particles . the dynamics of each particle is modeled by its position pos [ i ] and velocity vel [ i ]. other properties include the inverse mass inv_mass [ i ] and the thickness radius [ i ]. in addition the solver requires some additional data associated with each particle , described in more detail below . the shapes also interact with surfaces that model the environment . a property that is needed is that the surfaces allow the computation of the closest point ( or shortest distance ) on the surface to any given point in space . another property needed is a normal at each point to determine on which side of the surface a point lies . every surface interacting with the shapes should therefore have a function : this function , which can be provided by one of skill in the art , returns the closest point cp and the normal norm on the surface surf from the position pos . simple examples of such surfaces include planes and spheres . a triangular mesh is another important example . in this case the normals at the edges and vertices are defined as the averages of their neighboring face normals . fig2 depicts two examples 40 and 42 of surfaces and their closest points as defined by a function that returns the closest point on its surface for any point in space along with the normal there . notice that in some cases the normal is not necessarily equal to the normalized direction of the point to the closest point . simulations are computed one frame ( or time step ) at a time . the solver is called for each frame of the simulation and takes as an input the external forces applied to the particles . these are stored in an array called force . the general structure of an animation loop according to the approach discussed herein is as follows : do_initializations ( ) while ( simulating ) get_forces ( force ) do_solve ( force ) do_damping ( ) end the first routine , get_forces ( force ) ( see also 60 of fig3 ), takes care of quantities needed in the solver that only have to be computed once for the entire simulation . the application that uses this solver is responsible for computing the external forces , such as gravity and air drag . note , because conventional solvers operate in time sub steps correlated to collisions ( as discussed in more detail below ), this force input must occur multiple times within a time step in conventional solvers . the result is that the solver described herein is more efficient . the last routine do_damping ( ) adds damping to the velocity of the particles . this step is useful in removing large overshoots due to violent collisions between particles . it is therefore important to call this routine at the end of the simulation step in some situations . simulations are usually advanced using a variable time step . to keep the formulas below simple we will assume that this time - step is always equal to 1 . the solver can handle other time - steps by scaling some of the quantities accordingly if their units depend on time . this assumption also forces the solver not to rely on small time steps to achieve stability . the solver has roughly three basic steps . in the first step 62 external forces are added to the velocities , as depicted in fig3 . in the second step 64 collisions and constraints are handled by modifying the velocities . finally , in the third step 66 the positions of the particles are updated using the modified velocities . more precisely : do_solve ( force ) vel [ 1 .. n ] += inv_mass [ 1 .. n ]* force [ 1 .. n ] prev_vel [ 1 .. n ] = vel [ 1 .. n ] compute_pairs ( ) for it = 1 to it_max do do_collisions_space_time ( ) do_constraints ( ) if nothing happened then break end pos [ 1 .. n ] += prev_vel [ 1 .. n ] end the forces provided in the force array model external forces , such as gravity and air drag for example . they do not include internal forces due to stiffness and bending for example . treating them in this manner could result in unstable simulations that produce unbounded results . a very important step in the algorithm is the loop in the algorithm that resolves collisions and internal forces . each iteration of this loop attempts to improves the state of the simulation . the operations inside the loop involve two basic steps . in the first step the solver attempts to resolve all the collisions that occur between the shapes over the current simulation step . this involves tracing the path of the elements of the shape through space - time . the second step resolves internal forces such as stretching and bending via soft constraints and resolves penetrations between shapes not resolved by the collision step . the iteration loop terminates when no modifications of the particles occurred (“ nothing happened ”) or when a maximum number it_max is reached . this last parameter let &# 39 ; s the application control the maximum time spent in the solver . typically , this would be set between 5 and 20 iterations . at this point the approach discussed herein can be contrasted with other conventional simulation strategies . one of the main characteristics of the solver described herein is that the solver advances the simulation using the same time step ( equal to 1 in our case ). this approach is very different from other conventional solvers that attempt to resolve the collisions more accurately by sub sampling the time step . especially when the sub steps are based on the time to the first collision . in this conventional case all particles are always advanced to the time of the first collision . the collision is then resolved and the particles are updated again . this process is iterated until there are no more collisions or the end of the time step is reached . a possible problem with this conventional approach is that it can potentially become very costly when there are many collisions . in some cases it can even get stuck when the system cannot resolve a situation involving many simultaneous collisions . in contrast the solver discussed herein need not use sub steps at all . fig4 and 5 illustrate the difference between the approach discussed herein ( fig4 ) and conventional collision event driven simulations ( fig5 ) for the case of three interacting particles a , b and c . the particles are constrained to lie in the horizontal direction . time is shown in the vertical direction . over a time step a particle therefore moves along a continuous path from the bottom to the top . in the approach of the present invention embodiment we resolve all collisions for each particle over time and then combine the results . for example , two “ possible ” paths are shown for particle c . in the collision event driven approach , on the other hand , the collisions are handled sequentially ( a sequential collision model ) as shown by the two sub time steps or collision points of fig5 , thereby allowing only a single “ possible ” path for each particle . another characteristic of the solver is that we do not have to guarantee a valid state at the end of the iterations . this possibility is illustrated by the final positions of the particles in fig4 where the particles do not end up at positions associated with a sequential collision model . as noted in the introduction this has several benefits . in the next sections we will describe the various components of the solver in more detail . as previously stated , the shapes are assembled from points , edges , triangles and tetrahedra . when the shapes move the solver needs to compute the interactions between these primitives . in addition , these primitives have a certain thickness assigned to them . consequently , instead of points we are really dealing with spheres . the thickness may vary for each particle and is stored in a radius array . the thickness at any point on an edge , a triangle or a tetrahedron is computed by interpolating the thickness defined at their vertices . the possible interactions between the primitives are restricted to the following pairs : sphere / sphere ( ss ), sphere / edge ( se ), sphere / triangle ( st ) and edge / edge ( ee ). fig6 depicts the different types of pairs considered in the solver . other interactions such as triangle / triangle can be reduced to a sequence of interactions belong to a combination of the four basic types . for example , to handle the full interaction between two triangles we collide each sphere of the first triangle against the second triangle and vice - versa . in addition we also collide their edges . this results in 6 interactions of type “ st ” and 9 interactions of type “ ee ”. at each time step the solver computes the four pair arrays , pair_ss , pair_se , pair_st and pair_ee . each entry of the pair array is a set of indices . the number of indices for each table and their meaning is as follows . computing the pair arrays is in general quite costly . therefore care has to be taken to compute them outside of the iteration loop . this requires the inclusion of all potentially colliding pairs including the ones caused by velocity changes due to collisions . fortunately , when the masses of the particles are roughly identical a particle can never escape the ( bounding ) sphere defined by its initial position and initial velocity ( and the length of the time step ) as shown in fig7 . fig7 illustrates the sphere defined by the initial velocity bounds the region a particle can access even after collisions . it particular , fig7 shows a particle 120 that has no collision in the time step and thus travels the farthest from it &# 39 ; s initial position , a particle 122 that collides midway through the time step and a particle 124 that collides early in the time step . for pairs involving triangles and edges the solver computes the sphere that bounds their particle &# 39 ; s bounding spheres . potential colliding pairs are created for each pair of overlapping bounding spheres . a straightforward but expensive way to compute these pairs is to simply compare all bounding spheres . clearly this approach is too expensive when we have many bounding spheres . fortunately , this operation can be speeded up using a spatial data structure . later herein ( see the spatial data structures discussion below ) is discussed two possible data structures : the hash table and the sphere tree , which can speed up this operation . the solver is not restricted to these data structures , however . when resolving self - collisions the following problem was encountered . imagine a shape being in a rest state with no external forces being applied to it . in this case the shape should remain in a rest state . however , if the sum of the radii of two particles is larger than their distance in the rest state they will self - collide and move apart . this results in an undesirable inflation of the shape . to remedy this problem the solver associates a “ collision length ” to each sphere / sphere collision pair . this length is equal to the minimum of the sum of their radii and the distance between them in their rest state . this ensures that self - collisions will not modify the rest state when no external forces are applied . the collision lengths are stored in an array called coll_length . to speed up the computation of these collision lengths the approach of the solver described herein pre - computes a list of collision neighbors at the beginning of the simulation and also computes their separation in the initial state . each time that that a pair is added , a check is performed to see if the particles in the pair are neighbors and set the coll_length [ k ] for this pair accordingly . all steps described in this operation are computed in the function compute_pairs ( ) called just before the iteration loop . the first step in the iteration loop is to resolve collisions between the spheres , edges , triangles and surfaces that occur within the time step . to resolve these collisions the solver goes through each potential collision pair and computes the time to collision . if this collision occurs within the time step , the corresponding collision response is computed . in the example of fig4 two collisions can occur for the particle c , c colliding with b and c colliding with a . the solver has two different non - sequential model schemes or embodiments that combine the responses . the first scheme or embodiment preferably sets the final velocity to the collision velocity of the collision with the smallest collision time . in fig4 this would set the final collision velocities for particles b and c as that resulting from the collision with particle between these particles and the collision of particle b with particle a would be ignored . this is the scheme that is shown in fig4 . the second scheme preferably computes a time weighted average of the collision velocities . the first method is more responsive and suffers less from artificial damping than the second method . however , the second method is more robust as it takes into account all interactions in a single time step . which one to use in practice depends on the application and the animator can chose between these schemes as needed . the implementation of this step is as follows : the functions that handle the collisions between pairs and the surfaces both update the velocities through a common function called update_velocity . this function and the pre_collisions and post_collisions routines depend on the update scheme used . for the first scheme where the solver only considers the first collision the implementation is as follows : pre_collisions ( ) t_coll [ 1 .. n ] = 1 end update_velocity ( l , new_vel , t ) if ( t & gt ; t_coll ) return vel [ l ] = new_vel [ l ] t_coll [ l ] = t end post_collisions ( ) prev_vel [ 1 .. n ] = t_coll [ 1 .. n ]* prev_vel [ 1 .. n ] + ( 1 − t_coll [ 1 .. n ])* vel [ 1 .. n ] end in the second method where a weighted average of the collision velocities is used , the implementation is as follows : pre_collisions ( ) w_tot [ 1 .. n ] = 0 coll_vel [ 1 .. n ] = ( 0 , 0 , 0 ) vel [ 1 .. n ] = ( 0 , 0 , 0 ) end update_velocity ( l , new_vel , t ) w = weight ( t ) coll_vel [ l ] += w *( t * prev_vel [ l ]+( 1 − t )* new_vel [ l ]) vel [ l ] += w * tmp_vel [ l ] w_tot [ l ] += w end post_collisions ( ) prev_vel [ 1 .. n ] = coll_vel [ 1 .. n ]/ w_tot [ 1 .. n ] vel [ 1 .. n ] /= w_tot [ 1 .. n ] end usually , the function weight ( t )= 1 − t but it could be any function which depends on the time to collision or some other parameters . see fig8 for a depiction of pairs grouped into higher dimensional elements . this allows the solver to assign a “ signed volume ” to each pair . an edge in one - dimensional space has a signed volume defined by the difference of its end points . similarly a triangle defines a signed area in two - dimensional space using the cross product . finally , a tetrahedron defines a signed volume in three - dimensional space . in general the volume of the element is defined as the determinant of the matrix whose columns are the points of the element in homogeneous coordinates . more precisely , if the element has n points p 0 , p 1 , . . . , p n , then the volume is the determinant of the following matrix : p 0 , 1 p 1 , 1 ⋯ p n , 1 p 0 , 2 p 1 , 2 ⋯ p n , 2 ⋮ ⋮ ⋮ p 0 , n p 1 , n … p n , n 1 1 1 let vol ( pair ) be a function that computes this volume . the usefulness of the volumes comes from the fact that it vanishes when the elements of the pair collide . see fig9 for an illustration of this fact for two colliding edges showing the volume of the tetrahedron reversing sign when the two edges collide and is zero at the instant of collision . this result provides a method to compute the point of intersection for each pair . first compute the volumes at the start and the end of the time step . then , if there is change in sign the solver can find the time of collision using a simple linear interpolation . this approach works if the elements are infinitely thin . to handle arbitrary thicknesses the solver considers the distance squared between the two elements of the pairs as well . for spheres this is simply the distance squared between their centers . however , for the other interactions the computation is a little bit more involved and discussed later herein ( see the distance between primitives below ). for the purpose of this discussion , we assume that the distance computation is implemented in a function dist2 ( pair ). to find the time of collision , consider the following function instead of the volume alone : assume the combined thickness of the elements is equal to thick , the procedure to compute the time of impact is as follows : collision_time ( pair ) e0 = pos [ pair ] e1 = pos [ pair ]+ prev_vel [ pair ] v0 = coll_func ( e0 ) v1 = coll_func ( e1 ) if v0 * v1 & gt ; 0 return − 1 . 0 t = ( thick − v0 )/( v1 − v0 ) end the beauty of this procedure is that it is very simple and works for all four types of pairs . notice that the approach does not assume that the points involved in the pair travel in straight trajectories during the time step . with this assumption the computation of the collision time in the “ se ” case would require the solution of a quadratic equation and in the “ st ” and “ ee ” cases would require the solution of a cubic equation . this method might seem to be less accurate at first . but assuming a linear path is already an approximation in itself since for any time period a force applied during the time period will cause a particle to travel a curved path . using an expensive technique to accurately solve an approximation , such as a conventional linear approximation , is overkill . for the “ ss ” interaction the solver needs to project the spheres onto a line before the volume formula is used . instead of choosing a random direction the solver uses or picks the coordinate axis for which the difference between the sphere positions at time 0 is maximum in absolute value . similarly , for the “ se ” interaction the solver projects the three points onto the plane whose normal is the maximum coordinate of the normal defined by the three points at time 0 . these choices ensure that the solver does not choose a plane for which the volume is zero even though the points are not in contact . putting these pieces together we get an implementation of the pair collisions as follows : do_pair_collisions ( ) for k = 1 to n_pairs do t = collision time ( pair [ k ] ) if t & gt ;= 0 and t & lt ;= 1 then collide_pair ( pair [ k ], new_vel , t ) update_velocity ( pair [ k ], new_vel , t ) end end end the function collide_pair ( ) depends on the type of pair and is described in more detail later herein ( see the collision response discussion below ). to handle the collision with the surfaces the solver computes the penetration depth at the beginning and the end of the time for each particle . if both points are outside the surface , there is nothing that needs to be done . if there is a crossing we find the time of collision and proceed similarly to the pair collisions . the penetration depth is computed from the closest point on surface and the normal direction there : penetration_depth ( pos , radius , p ) closest_point ( surface [ p ], pos , cpos , norm ) diff = pos − cpos len = length ( diff ) if dot ( diff , norm ) & lt ; 0 then return len + radius else return radius − len end end the penetration depth is negative when there is no penetration . the implementation of the time to contact is then given by : collision_surface ( i , p ) r = radius [ i ] d0 = penetration_depth ( pos [ i ], r , p ) d1 = penetration_depth ( pos [ i ]+ prev_vel [ i ], r , p ) if d0 & lt ; 0 and d1 & lt ; 0 return − 1 if ( d0 & lt ; 0 ) return (− r − d0 )/( d1 − d0 ) return ( r − d0 )/( d1 − d0 ) end these two functions are used to resolve all sphere / sp - surfaces collisions . here is the implementation : do_surface_collisions ( ) for i = 1 to n do for p = 0 to n_surfaces do t = collision_surface ( i , p ) if t & gt ;= 0 and t & lt ;= 1 then collide surface ( i , p , new_vel , t ) update_velocity ( i , new_vel , t ) end end end end for a more detailed description of the collide_surface routine see collision response discussion later herein . after performing the space - time collisions the solver needs to resolve any deformation forces due to internal stresses such as stretching and bending . at the same time the solver needs to resolve any penetrations that were not fully resolved in the collision step . the solver first resolves all stretching and bending constraints . both can be handled using a length constraint alone . to handle stretching , links are created between pairs of particles and with their rest length equal to the length of the link in its rest position . this is similar to an “ ss ” type interaction . similarly the solver adds , for each interior edge in a mesh , a link between the two vertices on the faces not shared by the edge . see fig1 for an illustration showing bending effects being handled by adding an additional link 180 that constrains motion for each interior edge 182 . the solver then resolves the stretching and bending forces one link at a time : do_internal_energy ( ) delta_vel [ 1 .. n ] = ( 0 , 0 , 0 ) w_tot [ 1 .. n ] = 0 for k = 1 to n_links do i1 = pair [ k ][ 1 ] i2 = pair [ k ][ 2 ] p1 = pos [ i1 ] + prev_vel [ i1 ] p2 = pos [ i2 ] + prev_vel [ i2 ] diff = p2 − p1 len = length ( diff ) dlen = len − rest_length [ k ] tmp_vel = 0 . 5 * dlen * diff / len delta_vel [ i0 ] += tmp_vel delta_vel [ i1 ] −= tmp_vel w_tot [ i0 ] += 1 w_tot [ i1 ] += 1 end delta_vel [ 1 .. n ] /= w_tot [ 1 .. n ] prev_vel [ 1 .. n ] += delta_vel [ 1 .. n ] vel [ 1 .. n ] += delta_vel [ 1 .. n ] end this routine is iterated a number of times so that the changes propagate from one link to the other . variations on the implementation given above are possible . for example , the particle velocities can be updated directly “ in place ” without accumulating the changes in delta_vel . this is similar to the different implementation we encountered above for the space - time collisions . modeling bending constraints using the cross edge between adjacent faces has the problem that it has two valid states as shown in fig1 a and 11 b : the adjacent triangles can flip between one and the other . for these reasons a more accurate model has been developed that constrains the angle between the faces to have a certain value . as shown in fig1 c , let p 0 , p 1 , p 2 and p 3 be the points on the two adjacent triangles . first , define the following three vectors d 1 = p 1 − p 0 , d 2 = p 2 − p 0 , d 3 = p 3 p 0 . from these vectors we can define the normals to the triangles : n 0 = d 1 × d 2 and n 1 = d 3 × d 1 . we assume that these vectors are all normalized . see fig1 c for a depiction of these vectors . the angle between the triangles is equal to angle = as in ( dot (( n 0 × n 1 ), d 1 )). let angle 0 be the rest angle . next , we wish to displace the four points in such a manner that the angle is equal to the rest angle angle 0 . in general this is a complicated problem with possibly many solutions . we reduce the complexity of the problem by assuming that each point is restricted only to move along certain directions with a fixed displacement z . one possible choice is to use the following : q 0 = p 0 − z n , q 1 = p 1 − z n , q 2 = p 2 + z n 0 and q 3 = p 3 + z n 1 , where n =( n 0 + n 1 )/ 2 is the vector halfway between the normals ( see fig1 c ). note that the directions sum up to zero . by varying the displacement z we get a different value for the angle . our goal is to find a value of z such that the angle is equal to the rest angle angle 0 , so that the angle between the normals is maintained . a conventional first order approximation that converges to the desired angle is used . attempting to solve each angle exactly is time consuming since changes made for one triangle pair will affect the result for an adjacent pair . to handle the penetration between shapes the solver loops over all interacting pairs and produces velocities ( separation velocities ) that are added to the resultant collision velocities such that the primitives are separated . this effects the push toward a valid state that improves the simulation . for each pair of elements the solver computes the closest or shortest distance between the elements and checks to see if there is an overlap . if yes , the solver creates a separation velocity along that closest or distance ( or valid point ) direction that separates the primitives . fig1 illustrates how this is done for all four types of interactions where overlaps between elements are handled by computing separating velocities based on the shortest distance between them . the top row of the examples in fig1 depicts the overlap situation and the bottom row illustrates the “ push ” that results in the needed separation . in a plane case , when the center of the particle is outside an object the velocity is v =( r − d ) d / d where d is the vector between the particle center and the closest point , r is the size of the particle and d is the distance between the particle and the closest point and when the center of the particle is outside the object the velocity is v =( r + d ) d / d . to handle overlaps with surfaces , the solver computes the penetration depth of each particle as discussed above and in the case of an overlap produces a velocity that pushes the particle out of the shape . this procedure is also useful to resolve overlaps with closed triangle meshes as they are surfaces . fig1 depicts how this step works where in penetration handling for a surface each particle is pushed out of the surface along the path to the closest point on the surface . to efficiently find the overlapping bounding spheres at least two spatial data structures can be used : a hash table and a sphere tree . the hash table relies on the idea of partitioning space into uniform cells . the size of the cells is set to the twice the size largest bounding sphere . each cell stores a list of the bounding spheres that have their centers lying inside the cells . to find the pairs we only have to compare bounding spheres that are in adjacent cells . this results in huge savings in computation time . the problem with this approach is that we a grid that contains the cells . this is where the hash table comes in handy . a hash table is a one - dimensional representation of the three - dimensional grid of cells . a hash function maps each entry ( i , j , k ) of the grid into an index for the one dimensional hash table . if n_hash is the size of the hash table then one possible hash function that preferably used is : where p , q , and r are some large prime numbers . of course many set of grid indices will be mapped to the same index in the hash table . this means that an entry in the hash table can have bounding spheres from many different grid cells . however , the number of comparisons of bounding spheres is still an order of magnitude faster than the approach with no overhead in memory storage . one disadvantage of the hash table approach is that it becomes slow when the bounding spheres have widely different sizes . this happens for example when only some of the particles move very fast or when the edge and triangle sizes vary a lot . therefore , the solver can use in an embodiment another data - structure better adapted to this case : the sphere tree . the idea is very simple . the solver recursively bind pairs of bounding spheres with a larger sphere . this is done until there is only one sphere is left , the root of the sphere tree . the computation of the topology of the tree is done using a hash table for the pairing . this step is somewhat expensive but it only has to be done once for a simulation . to compute pairs the solver recursively checks to see if the sphere bounds a sphere in the tree . if not , the solver can ignore all the spheres children . if yes , the solver continues with the bounding spheres of the children . the position and sizes of the bounding spheres in the tree have to be recomputed at the beginning of every time step . however , this is a fairly straightforward computation where the solver resets the bounding spheres of the leaves and then recursively recomputes the bounding spheres in the remaining nodes of the tree . to compute the time of collisions and to resolve the penetrations between primitives the solver needs to compute the shortest distance between pairs of them . the case of two spheres is trivial , where the shortest distance is equal to the distance between their centers . the shortest distance between a sphere and an edge is computed by first projecting the center of the sphere onto the infinite line containing the edge . if the point lies within the edge the solver is done , if not , the closest point is one of the end - points . similarly , the closest point on a triangle to a sphere is obtained by first projecting the point into the plane of the triangle . if the point is inside the triangle , the solver is done . if not , the solver finds the closest on one of the three edges of the triangle . the closest point between two edges is computed by finding the points on the infinite lines such that their difference is perpendicular to both lines . these points are then projected to the closest point on the edge if they lie outside of them . we first consider the collision response of the particle of velocity vel hitting a plane having a normal equal to norm . the behavior of the collision can be modeled by a bounce parameter and a friction parameter . the implementation is as follows : collide_plane ( vel , norm , new_vel ) vel_n = dot ( vel , norm )* norm vel_t = vel − vel_n new_vel = friction * vel_t − bounce * vel_n end here a very simple friction model is used in practice one can use a more sophisticated one . in the case when the bounce is one and the friction zero , the normal component of the particle &# 39 ; s velocity is simply reversed . the collide_surface routine is almost identical to the collide plane routine since the particle collides with the tangent plane at the point of impact . the implementation is as follows : collide_surface ( i , p , new_vel , t ) pos_coll = pos [ i ] + t * prev_vel [ i ] closest_point ( surf [ p ], pos_coll , cp , norm ) collide_plane ( prev_vel [ i ], norm , new_vel ) end the pair collisions are treated similarly . first the solver moves the point to the point of intersection . next , it computes a “ normal ” norm corresponding to the closest distance between the points determined as discussed above . since the primitives have a certain thickness this distance is never equal to zero . for edges and triangles the location of the closest point is a linear combination of their vertices . these coordinates are stored in array coord . to make some formulas below simpler we negate the coordinates of the second primitive in the pair . for example , in the case of two spheres we always have that coord [ i0 ]= 1 and coord [ i1 ]=− 1 with all the other entries equal to zero . using this array , the computation of relative velocity simply is : assuming that norm and coord are computed by a routine called comp_pair_data ( ). the collision for a pair is as follows : collide_pair ( l , new_vel , t ) pos_coll [ l ] = pos [ l ] + t * prev_vel [ l ] comp_pair_data ( l , norm , coord ) rel_vel = dot ( coord , prev_vel ) collide_plane ( rel_vel , norm , new_vel0 ) w_tot = dot ( coord , coord ) new_vel [ l ] = prev_vel [ l ] + coord [ l ]* new_vel0 / wtot end in a preferred embodiment the overall process 240 ( see fig1 ) of the present invention , as discussed above , includes computing a sphere tree topology 242 and determining 244 nearest neighbors and collision lengths . the system also conventionally computes 246 a subdivision topology . then , bending links are determined 248 . initial positions and velocities for the particles and elements are obtained 250 and the solver operations are performed 252 . then , it is preferred that a subdivision smoothing operation be performed 254 . fig1 a - 15 h depict a display showing a particle system simulating a rod and a cloth passing through an invalid state and evolving back to a valid state . fig1 a shows a rod approaching a cloth . fig1 b shows the rod starting to deform the cloth . fig1 c illustrates the cloth under high deformation and the rod starting to penetrate the cloth with the cloth beginning to disappear into the rod , an invalid state . the simulation enters an invalid particle state and the simulation does not crash . fig1 d depicts the cloth having been penetrated but not torn the cloth , an invalid state . the invalid state continues and the simulation does not crash . fig1 e shows the rod reversing motion and beginning to pull back through the cloth while the simulation is still in an invalid sate and the simulation again has not crashed . fig1 f shows the pull back continuing . fig1 g shows the cloth having emerged from the rid and back in a valid state . fig1 h shows the cloth hanging over the rod in a valid state where the simulation has passed from a valid state to an invalid state to a valid state . hardware the processes of the present invention discussed herein can be performed on a convention computer system 260 , such as depicted in fig1 , having a computer 262 with a display 264 , keyboard 266 and mouse 268 . the system also includes permanent or removable storage , such as magnetic and optical discs , ram , rom , etc . on which the process and data structures of the present invention can be stored and distributed . the processes can also be distributed via , for example , downloading over a network such as the internet . this discussion has presented a new solver for the simulation of deformable self - affecting shapes . because of the shear amount of constraints and collisions we opted for an iterative solver that gradually drives the state of the system towards a valid state . this allows the simulation to accept invalid states and makes it more stable . most of the operations are quite simple and are amenable to a simple implementation of the solver . this is desirable especially when handling large self - affecting systems such as cloth . the present invention has been described with respect to two schemes for resolving collisions , setting the final velocity to the collision velocity of the collision with the smallest collision time and computing a time weighted average of the collision velocities . other schemes or embodiments are possible , such as an average of collision velocities not weighted . the present invention has been described with respect to resolving bending and stretching constraints . other types of internal energies such as twist for a curve can be implemented in the same spirit . the many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification and , thus , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described , and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention . | 6 |
in the hierarchical system of fig1 the minimum replaceable units are provided on a circuit card , a module , etc . in the form of shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c , 2d which can be provided in a large number , as indicated by the interrupted lines . it is not absolutely necessary to provide only two shift register segment lines one above the other ; a matrix - like arrangement of the shift register segments is possible in that the individual rows and columns can each contain a larger number of shift register segments . furthermore , the shift register segments do not have to be provided in a regular arrangement on the respective substrates . the segments themselves can be provided in the form of semiconductor chips , modules , circuit cards , etc . ; however , minimum replaceable units have to be represented in any case in a large hierarchical system . the substrates carrying such shift register segments represent the respective higher unit in the hierarchical system . on the substrate in fig1 carrying shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c and 2d conductors 11 are provided as shift input line , 13 as test pulse line , 7 as slave - clock pulse line , 14 as system - clock pulse line , 9 as master shift clock line , 12 as shift output line , and 15 , 16 and 19 as shift connecting lines . all are utilized for carrying out the functional test in accordance with the invention . each shift register segment 2a , 2b , 2c , 2d also contains the bus 3 provided for addressing the storage elements in the individual shift register segments , and storage element output bus 4 . via these conductors , for the respective use of the functional unit , the individual storage elements are to be brought into the respective state so as to be able to supply output data for further use . a more detailed specification is not required as it is without importance for the invention . the above mentioned conductors are schematically shown in fig1 their respective course being without importance for the invention , i . e ., whether the connections are provided on the left , on the right , over or under the substrate . this depends in each case on the substrate layout ( design ), and on the planned position of shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c and 2d . each one of shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c and 2d contains a block 5 for indicating the test combinational circuit which with its terminal 6 is applied to the respective shift line 11 or shift connecting line 15 , 16 , 19 , and with its terminal 8 to test circuit forming pulse line 13 . the respective output terminal 10 of shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c and 2d is also applied correspondingly to the above shift connecting lines 15 , 16 , 19 , or to shift output line 12 . under the influence of test combinational circuit 5 during the transfer of a test circuit forming pulse , forming pulses can be applied in accordance with the invention via test circuit forming pulse line 13 for the respective first two shift register stages of the series - arranged shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c and 2d so that the respective first two shift register stages can be brought into opposite switching states . in a subsequent shift operation shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c and 2d series - arranged into one single shift register via links 15 , 19 and 16 in the absence of an error , transfer a bit sequence which indicates at shift output line 12 the respective level changes in the first two shift register stages of all shift register segments . however , if there appears no such bit value change in the bit sequence at the shift output from a predetermined number of bits onward this is a clear indication of a faulty shift register segment so that with a known number of storage elements in the various shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c and 2d the faulty shift register segment is to be determined by simply counting the bits up to the skip in the bit sequence ; the faulty segment can then be repaired or replaced . the bit sequence test at the shift output is in actuality an examination . after a predetermined number of bits in the bit sequence , fixed by the respective number of shift register stages in the individual shift register segments , the equality or non - equality of bit values is used as the determining factor . if bit equality is found there is a stuck fault which , as pointed out above , initiates the respective steps . such a check for bit value equality can be performed by means of a correspondingly counter - controlled comparator , where the comparing signal can be used for error display . if a faulty segment has thus been found in a sequence of shift register segments it remains to be seen whether any of the following segments of the respective sequence of shift register segments contains a continuity error since owing to the bit value equality caused already by the detected error such as stuck fault is covered in the bit sequence at the shift register output . after the detection of a faulty segment , and the replacement thereof , the sequence of shift register segments which follow the replaced faulty segment are tested . namely , the faulty segment has been replaced by a functionally good segment and the entire sequence of shift register segments is once more tested . this process is repeated until it is sure that the respective sequence of shift register segments has been completely tested in the continuity test . the storage elements in the individual shift register segments 2a , 2b , 2c and 2d can be of any conventional design , but each storage element has to have at least one additional intermediate storage element so that a shift register can be assembled for a series connection , e . g ., via or - elements . the series arrangement of the thus formed shift register stages is therefore effected via switching elements which are controllable in such a manner that only for testing purposed can there be a series arrangement of the storage elements contained in the minimum replaceable unit , so that for the intended use of the storage elements their undisturbed and independent operation is ensured . apart therefrom , the individual storage elements of a minimum replaceable unit to be tested can exist in an even greater circuit system , i . e ., combinational circuits together with sequential circuits , i . e ., circuit elements additionally required for the planned use can exist in the minimum replaceable units which , as pointed out above , are provided here as shift register segments . however , as they are of no importance for explaining the invention the block diagram of fig2 only shows a pure storage element operation circuit , or a sequential circuit respectively to get a distinct and clear representation for specifying the invention . although the invention can be operated with any kind of shift register stage design the master - slave flipflop configuration realized by means of latches 40 and 50 shown in fig2 will now be described in detail . latch 40 serving as master flipflop consists of the four nand - elements 24 , 25 , 26 and 27 , the first three , i . e ., 24 , 25 and 26 addressing the last - mentioned nand - element 27 from whose output to an input of the nand - element 26 a holding line is provided as a feedback path 45 so that the state adopted by master flipflop 40 is latched . in detail , the three inputs of nand - element 26 receive via line 81 an inverted master - clock pulse , via line 85 an inverted system - clock pulse , and as mentioned above via feedback path 45 the output pulse of the series - arranged nand - element 27 . a second input of nand - element 27 is applied to the output of nand - element 25 whose inputs are provided via lines 3 for data processing operation in that via line 84 also the system - clock pulse is applied . the third input of nand - element 27 is applied to the output of the third nand - element 24 whose inputs receive via line 80 the master - clock pulse and via another line the shift pulse . to the output of nand - element 27 and thus to feedback path 45 the control input of slave flipflop 50 is connected which itself is comprised of the three nand - elements 28 , 29 and 30 . in detail , the output of nand - element 28 is connected to an input of nand - element 30 whose second input is applied to the output of nand - element 29 . the output of nand - element 30 is connected via line 48 to an input of nand - element 29 whose second input receives via line 83 an inverted slave - clock pulse . via line 82 , nand - element 28 receives at its second input the slave - clock pulse , the other input of the nand - element 28 being connected to the output of nand - element 27 of master flipflop 40 . although not actually required and probably not usual , either it is assumed for simplifying the specification of the invention that the shift register stages in the shift register segments are all of exactly the same structure . the output line group 4 of a respective shift register stage is composed of lines which , as shown in fig2 are each connected to the output of flipflops 40 and 50 and if necessary , not shown here , to additional or - elements whose inputs can be connected to a great variety of points in the master and slave flipflops 40 and 50 . the master - clock pulses are applied via line 9 , the slave - clock pulses via line 7 , and the system - clock pulses via line 14 , each clock pulse line having provided therein two respective series - arranged inverters 33 , 34 ; 31 , 32 ; 35 , 36 whose respective connecting lines 51 , 52 or 53 are connected to additional clock - pulse lines for supplying inverted master - clock pulses , slave - clock pulses and system - clock pulses . thus , slave - clock pulse line 7 contains inverter 31 which via connecting line 51 is connected to inverter 32 whose output is connected to line 82 , whereas connecting line 51 is connected to line 83 . master - clock pulse line 9 is applied to the input of inverter 33 which via connecting line 52 is connected to inverter 34 whose output in turn , is connected to line 80 . connecting line 52 itself is applied to supply line 81 . system - clock pulse line 14 is applied to the input of inverter 35 whose output is applied via connecting line 53 to the input of inverter 36 . while the output of inverter 35 is connected to supply line 85 the output of inverter 36 is applied to line 84 . the clock pulse inputs of the other shift register stages of a shift register segment are applied via their respectively associated lines 80 to 85 in a corresponding manner to the outputs of inverter 31 to 36 . the output of nand - element 30 in slave flipflop 50 of a shift register stage is applied via line 18 to the respective control input of the next shift register stage , i . e ., at the respective input of nand - element 24 in the respective master flipflop 40 . the last shift register stage of a shift register segment thus shows a shift output which is connected to output line 18 of the last shift register stage therein . the operation of a thus designed shift register is performed in such a manner that upon the appearance of a shift pulse at the input of a shift register stage the bit value of the shift pulse is entered into the master flipflop under the simultaneous effect of a master clock pulse . with the subsequent slave - clock pulse of reversed polarity the bit value is transferred to that slave flipflop whose output serves in combination with a second master - clock pulse as an input quantity for the following shift register stage . the master - clock pulses and slave - clock pulses substantially consist of pulse sequences whose phases are shifted by 180 ° with respect to each other . such an operation for shift registers is known per se and does therefore , not have to be specified in ditail . for carrying out the first mode of operation for the test executed in accordance with the invention , i . e ., for setting the switching state of the first shift register stage srs1 as a function of the bit value transferred to the second shift register stage srs2 , i . e ., with the latter &# 39 ; s complementary value , a feedback path 181 is provided from the output of the slave flipflop 50 or its output line 18 , respectively , in the first shift register stage srs1 to an input of test combinational circuit 5 . test combinational circuit 5 has a further input with contact 6 for receiving the shift pulses , and another input via contact 8 for supplying the test circuit forming pulses . the outputs of test combinational circuit 5 are applied to the inputs of nand - element 24 in master flipflop 40 of the first shift register stage srs1 . test combinational circuit 5 contains two nand - elements 22 and 23 . nand - element 23 is applied with its input to feedback path 181 while the second input is connected to terminal 8 . nand - element 22 is fed at its two inputs via one respective inverter 20 , 21 , the one being connected to terminal 8 for supplying the test circuit forming pulses , and the other to terminal 6 for supplying the shift pulses . with the assistance of the pulse diagrams according to fig4 the change of stages according to the invention of the two first shift register stages srs1 and srs2 of a respective shift register segment with the application of a test circuit forming pulse via contact terminal 8 can now be explained . during time t1 substantially extending over one single period of the master - clock pulse , which means that it does not cover two master - clock pulses , a test circuit forming pulse is applied via terminal 8 simultaneously with a master - clock pulse , to master - clock pulse line 9 . the duration of the test circuit forming pulse can extend over the entire period t1 ; i . e ., it is longer than that of the master - clock pulse on master - clock pulse line 9 in that the test circuit forming pulse starts earlier and decays later . the system - clock input via line 14 does not receive a signal . if at first it is assumed that the input of nand - element 30 in slave flipflop 50 is negative an input via line 181 of nand - element 23 in test combinational circuit 5 is negative , too , so that irrespective of the application of a test circuit forming pulse at contact 8 the output of nand - element 23 is always positive . however , if a test circuit forming pulse is applied there is a negative pulse at the input of nand - element 22 so that the output of nand - element 22 is positive , too , and that therefore simultaneously with a master - clock pulse on master - clock pulse line 9 all inputs of nand - element 24 in master flipflop 40 are positive whose output becomes negative in responding thereto . with a negative input at nand - element 27 the latter &# 39 ; s output is positive so that upon the application of a slave - clock pulse via slave - clock pulse line 7 and subsequently via line 82 to nand - element 28 whose two inputs are positive , its output becomes negative too . thus , there is a negative input at nand - element 30 of slave flipflop 50 so that its output becomes negative . the test circuit forming pulse entered via contact 8 into the test combinational circuit 5 , is subsequently transferred under the influence of the master - clock pulse on master - clock pulse line 9 into master flipflop 40 of the first shift register stage srs1 . since the level originally appearing on output line 18 of slave flipflop 50 of the first shift register stage srs1 had been assumed as being negative , it is quite obvious that the stages of both shift register stages srs1 , srs2 are opposite with respect to each other . this occurs since under the influence of the slave - clock pulse on slave - clock pulse line 7 the state of master flipflop 40 in the second shift register stage srs2 has simultaneously been transferred to the slave flipflop 50 of the second shift register stage srs2 . thus , the respective shift register segment is prepared for carrying out the actual continuity test . if contrary to the above conditions it is now assumed that the output of nand - element 30 in slave flipflop 50 is positive there is a positive level via feedback path 181 at an input of nand - element 23 in test combinational circuit 5 , so that upon the application of a test circuit forming pulse via contact 8 to the one input of nand - element 24 in master flipflop 40 of the first shift register stage srs1 , there is a negative level at the input . consequently , there appears a positive potential for the duration of the test circuit forming pulse at terminal 8 at the output of nand - element 24 so that , if it is assumed that no system - clock pulse has been applied , which during the testing process as such is the case at any rate since there is no system operation , either , the input of nand - element 25 is positive too . the output of nand - element 28 is equally positive since , as pointed out above , firstly no system - clock pulse is applied and secondly , in accordance with the invention , the master - clock pulse is applied at master - clock pulse line 9 , said master - clock pulse being provided via inverter 33 , connecting line 52 and supply line 81 as a negative input at nand - element 26 . thus , however , the output of nand - element 27 and at the same time the output of master flipflop 40 are negative so that the output of nand - element 28 at the input of slave element 50 is positive too . since , as indicated in the diagram of fig4 the slave - clock pulse is applied via slave - clock pulse line 7 at a later time only an input of nand - element 29 receives a positive potential via line 83 under the influence of inverter 31 . as the other input of nand - element 20 in slave flipflop 50 is already positive due to the output of nand - element 30 this latter element can become effective so that its output now reaches the negative state . as before , the originally existing positive switching state in slave flipflop 50 , i . e ., a positive potential level , has been transferred simultaneously with the input of the test circuit forming pulse under the influence of the master - clock pulse on master - clock pulse line 9 , into master flipflop 40 of the first shift register stage srs1 , to master flip - flop 40 of the second shift register stage srs2 so that this again produces opposite switching states in the first two shift register stages srs1 and srs2 of the respective shift register segment . this shows that by applying a test circuit forming pulse via terminal 8 to the respective test combinational circuit irrespective of the stage of the first pair of shift register stages of a shift register segment , a respectively opposite switching state can be provided . due to the invention it is therefore advantageously possible without requiring additional process steps to use a simple testing process for detecting faulty segments in a highly integrated hierarchical structure . only one single further terminal , i . e ., for supplying the test circuit forming pulses is required for this purpose . as pointed out above already the invention is also based on a second preferred mode of test circuit forming operation . for that purpose , the test combinational circuit of fig3 is used whose operation will be explained by means of the pulse diagrams in accordance with fig5 . since in this operation the first two shift register stages srs1 and srs2 of a respective shift register segment are executed without considering the respective switcing state , i . e ., without considering the respective history , supply line 181 from the output of nand - element 30 in slave flipflop 50 ( fig2 ) is not included here . instead , two separately starting test circuit forming pulses are applied individually via contacts 8a and 8b which , however , cover different periods , in such a manner that the test circuit forming pulses and contact 8a is applied , as above , simultaneously with the master - clock pulse on master - clock pulse line 9 , and that it can overlap it in its pulse duration both upon starting and upon decaying . as above , it should be made sure that this first test circuit forming pulse does not cover two master - clock pulses , and that the test circuit forming pulse at contact 8b overlaps two successive master - clock pulses on master - clock pulse line 9 without any further master - clock pulses being covered thereby . in the present case , for simplifying the specification of the invention , two separate terminals 8a and 8b are provided . however , it is also possible to provide advantageously only one single terminal for applying one single test circuit forming pulse , the respective extended pulse being derived from the shorter test circuit forming pulse via a monostable circuit which is equally connected to the terminal for supplying the single test circuit forming pulse , so that there is on the one hand the originally applied shorter test circuit forming pulse , and on the other the extended test circuit forming pulse derived from the monostable circuit . test combinational circuit 5 &# 39 ; modified with respect to the above specification has only one output which is connected to a respectively modified master flip - flop 40 &# 39 ; of the first shift register stage srs1 of a shift register segment , i . e ., again at the respective input of its nand - element 24 which in that case has only two inputs , i . e ., a further one serving via supply line 80 to apply the master - clock pulses to master - clock pulse line 9 . test combinational circuit 5 &# 39 ; contains two nand - elements 44 , 46 and two inverters 42 , 43 . contrary to the above specifications , however , output nand - element 46 of test combinational circuit 5 &# 39 ; is connected with its input to the output of the one inverter 42 whose input in turn , is connected to terminal 8a for supplying the short test circuit forming pulse . the other input of output nand - element 46 is applied at the output of the second nand - element 44 whose first input is at the output of inverter 43 and whose other input is connected to terminal 6 for applying a shift pulse . the input of the second inverter 43 is connected to terminal 8b for supplying the extended test circuit forming pulse . while in the first - described operation according to the invention , under the influence of feedback path 181 for switching both first shift register stages of a shift register segment , the already existing states are involved so that it is made sure that with an applied test circuit forming pulse a respectively opposite switching state is caused in both shift register stages srs1 and srs2 , the history in the second mode of operation preferred in accordance with the invention is negligible so that the state scanning of shift register stages is excluded . if for preparing the test a test circuit forming pulse is supplied to terminal 8a the input of nand - element 46 is negative under the ifluence of inverter 42 . thus , a positive output is caused at nand - element 46 so that also the input of nand - element 24 in master flip - flop 40 &# 39 ; of the first shift register stage srs1 becomes positive , if it is not positive already , for providing a negative output with the simultaneous appearance of a master - clock pulse on master - clock line 9 , as shown in the pulse diagram of fig5 . if the test circuit forming pulse at terminal 8a has decayed so that only the extended test circuit forming pulse is applied at terminal 8b , the respective input of nand - element 44 is negative so that its output becomes positive too . since at that time no test circuit forming pulse is active at terminal 8a any longer the other input of output nand - element 46 in test combinational circuit 5 &# 39 ; is positive too , so that the output of nand - element 46 is negative and thus owing to the negative input a positive output is formed at nand - element 24 in master flip - flop 40 &# 39 ; of the first shift register stage srs1 . at the same time , an inverted master - clock pulse is provided via supply line 81 to nand - element 26 in master flip - flop 40 &# 39 ; of the first shift register stage srs1 . thus all inputs of nand - element 27 in master flipflop 40 &# 39 ; are positive . owing to the missing system - clock pulse via line 84 the output of nand - element 25 is also positive . thus the switching state of the shift register srs1 has been changed . here too , the state of master flipflop 40 &# 39 ; is transferred before the second master - clock pulse to slave flipflop 50 by the slave - clock pulse so that when the second master - clock pulse is applied to master - clock pulse line 9 , simultaneously with the input of the altered bit value into shift register stage srs1 , the bit value that had originally existed there is transferred into second shift register stage srs2 so that here too , after completed test circuit forming , the two first shift register stages of a shift register segment are in a switching state opposite with respect to each other . if for any reason it should be advantageous in the test circuit forming process according to the invention not to apply clock pulses from the outside these can be derived from the applied test combinational circuit pulses themselves , with test combinational circuit 5 or 5 &# 39 ; being extended correspondingly . for that purpose , flipflop chains can be used in a known manner with corresponding outputs , or with free - running pulse generators with controllable setting - in of pulses . a detailed specification thereof is not necessary since corresponding circuits can be considered known . on the basis of the above specifications the testing process according to the invention , of a digital functional unit can be explained by means of the diagram of fig6 . there , the shift register chain is schematically represented in the upper part of the drawing , as obtained with the individual segments in series arrangement , the individual shift register stages being given numerically in these segments . under this representation , the operation is shown schematically with and without continuity checks . in the initial states of the shift register stages the bit values are first undefined since it is considered not known which of the stages will adopt state l over stage o . the situation is changed if after the forming of the test states in the first two shift register stages srs1 and srs2 of each segment there is a respectively opposite state there . for the first segment no change of state is given . obviously , such a change of state would not contribute to the test since this change is the last to be shifted of the entire shift register , and as the operation characteristics of the first shift register segment in the segment sequence is controlled by the change of state of the first two shift register stages srs1 and srs2 of the second segment during shift - out . if therefore , a test combinational circuit 5 in the first shift register segment cannot usefully contribute in any way to the execution of the testing process it might be advantageous for various other reasons to provide such a test combinational circuit , if only for the sake of simplification in the design of the segments . below the test states the table according to fig6 gives the shift - out bits which , when no stuck fault in the shift register to be tested is assumed , present all segments in the shift - out pulse sequence through the changes of switching state of the first two shift register stages srs1 and srs2 . in part b of the table according to fig6 a stuck fault marked s is assumed in the fourth shift register stage srs4 in the second shift register segment . while in this case the change of switching state in the third segment is still detected at the shift - out of the shift register chain , there appears for the second segment from the fourth shift register stage srs4 onward a stuck fault which at first is not fully detectable and clearly appears as an error only if the next change of switching state , i . e ., in the first two shift register stages srs1 and srs2 of the second segment , acts on the shift - out bits of the first shift register segment . due to the fact that the binary state of the shift register output remains a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; it can be reliably stated that the following shift register segment , i . e ., the second segment , contains a stuck fault . it can be concluded that owing to the invention , by simply counting the bits a faulty shift register segment can be isolated in that quite simply the equality or inequality of the bit values of the respecive two first shift register stages srs1 and srs2 of all shift register segments are controlled in the bit sequence at the shift output . by means of comparators provided at series - arranged counters the respective indicator output signals can be derived so that an error control can easily be automated . while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention , it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
referencing now fig1 which shows the preferred embodiment of the present invention in block form , it is seen that a source of a . c . power , represented by the lines l 1 , l 2 and l 3 , is connected to a three phase rectifying bridge indicated generally at 10 which is comprised of three diodes 12 and three controlled rectifiers 14 ( e . g ., silicon controlled rectifiers ). it should be specifically noted that while a hybrid bridge of diodes and controlled rectifiers is shown , the present invention is applicable to any standard three phase bridge such as one including all controlled rectifiers . bridge 10 is connected to supply d . c . power to a load indicated generally at 17 which in the present instance is shown as comprised of an inductance 16 and a resistor 18 . such a load might be the field winding of a generator or motor . bridge 10 is operated in a phase controlled mode as is well known in the art and , as such , the gate electrodes of the three controlled rectifiers 14 are connected to a rectifier firing control circuit 20 which may be any of those well known in the art . in one of the most common forms , the signal on line 22 is an analog voltage signal and the gate pulses supplied by the rectifier firing control 20 to the rectifiers 14 occur in a time relationship with respect to the a . c . voltage , as a function of the magnitude of the signal on line 22 , to thus control the power supplied to the load 17 . line 22 is the output line of a high value gate 24 which has two inputs the first of which is labeled &# 34 ; normal control signal &# 34 ; ( line 26 ). the high value gate may be any of those types well known in the art but in its simplest form is comprised merely of two diodes having their cathodes connected to a common point which point serves as the origin of line 22 . the input signals to the respective anodes of the two diodes are the two signals which are intended to be selectively passed . the high value gate will be discussed in greater detail with respect to fig2 . the second input to the high value gate is a signal by way of line 80 which will be discussed in detail later in this specification since this signal is the overriding signal resulting from the commutation prevention scheme of the present invention . the commutation failure prevention feature of the present invention has its origin with signals from what amounts to three single phase transformers 30 , 36 and 40 . these three transformers are connected , respectively , across the phase - to - phase voltages of the a . c . source . that is , as shown in fig1 transformer 30 has its primary 29 connected across lines l 1 and l 2 while transformer 36 has its primary winding 35 connected between lines l 2 and l 3 . primary winding 39 of transformer 40 is connected between lines l 3 and l 1 . each of the transformers 30 , 36 and 40 is provided with a secondary winding 31 , 37 and 41 , respectively . each of the secondary windings 31 , 37 and 41 is connected , respectively , to a corresponding rectifier circuit 46 , 48 or 50 . the rectifier units may be standard full wave diode rectification bridges to thereby provide , at their outputs , signals which are rectified versions of the inputs . as is well known , during the time of commutation , that is , the time during which the current within the bridge 10 is transferring from one controlled rectifier 14 to another , there exists a period of time in which both rectifiers are conducting and thus the voltage between the adjacent a . c . lines is zero or essentially zero . as such , a well - defined time period is available to be sensed by the transformers 30 , 36 and 40 . since the transformer secondary voltages are rectified , there is provided at the output of each of the rectifiers 46 , 48 and 50 a series of unidirectional signals which represents the periods of time during which commutation is occurring in an associated phase . these pulses are represented by line a of fig3 . the outputs of the three rectifiers 46 , 48 and 50 are connected as inputs , respectively , to three shaping amplifiers 52 , 54 and 56 which may be nothing more than high gain amplifiers with clipped outputs to provide at the output of each of the amplifiers a series of square wave pulses as represented by line b of fig3 . it is seen that the width of the pulses in line b is essentially the same as the width of the signals derived from the rectifiers but that the waves have been shaped and the polarity inverted . each of the amplifiers 52 , 54 and 56 outputs a signal which is applied to a respective logic inverter 58 , 60 or 62 . the outputs of these inverters are the logical inversions of their inputs as is represented by line c of fig3 . it is to be understood that in each 360 electrical degrees of each phase of the a . c . source , each of the inverters 58 , 60 and 62 will provide two output pulses . the outputs of the inverters 58 , 60 and 62 are applied to an or gate 70 the output of which ( line 71 ) forms one input to a summing junction 72 . a second input to summing junction 72 is via a line 76 and is the output of a reference potentiometer 74 which is shown connected between a source of negative potential (- v ) and ground . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the relative polarities of the two signals applied to the summing junction 72 are opposite and the algebraic sum is thus taken and applied to an amplifier and filter circuit 78 the output of which forms the signal on line 80 . as will be more fully understood with respect to the description of fig2 amplifier and filter circuit 78 performs an averaging function with respect to the pulses supplied by or gate 70 such that there appears on line 80 a signal which is proportional to the difference between the average value of the pulses delivered by way of or gate 70 and the value of the basic reference signal from the potentiometer 74 . the basic reference signal has a value proportional to the minimum commutation time permissible in order to insure against commutation failure . as earlier indicated , the output of the amplifier and filter circuit 78 is applied by way of line 80 to the high value gate 24 and there will appear on line 22 the higher of the two signals on lines 26 and 80 . from the foregoing description , the operation of the present invention is believed to be apparent . very briefly , however , under normal operating situations , the value of the signal on line 26 is higher than that on line 80 and the former is , therefore , passed by the gate 24 to serve as the control for the operation of the bridge 10 all in the manner well known in the art . however , if there is a sudden decrease in the value of the signal on line 26 such as would occur if the demands of the load were suddenly decreased , the value of the signal on line 80 would be higher than that on line 26 and that signal would in turn control the operation of the bridge 10 . that this is desirable may be understood when it is remembered that a higher current requires a longer commutation time . thus , if the bridge were operating at a high level ( high current ) and the normal control signal on line 26 were suddenly to drop as was earlier explained , there may be insufficient volt - seconds in the newly required firing time specified by the normal control signal to effect commutation . this would be recognized by the system of the present invention which senses the commutation time immediately prior to the reduction in demand . this sensing effects the signal which is applied by way of gate 80 to hold the rectifier control at a lesser phased back point of operation to insure the proper volt - seconds for commutation . as the current begins to decrease , the value of the pulses applied to or gate 70 , which are a function of the commutation time , would decrease due to a smaller commutation time and the value of the signal on line 80 would therefore decrease . while none of the individual circuits shown in fig1 is believed to be new and all are believed well known in the art , for purposes of completeness the particular configuration involving the basic reference voltage derived from the potentiometer 74 , the summing junction 72 , the amplifier and filter circuit 78 and the high value gate 24 are illustrated in fig2 . as there shown , the output signal from gate 70 on line 71 is applied by way of an input resistor 100 to the inverting input of an operational amplifier 102 which is connected in the averaging mode . the noninverting input of that amplifier is connected via resistor 104 to ground while the output of the amplifier 102 is connected to its inverting input by way of a parallel combination of a resistor 106 and a capacitor 108 . potentiometer 74 is shown connected to junction 72 by line 76 . junction 72 is , of course , at the inverting input of the amplifier 102 . thus , when the signal from gate 70 , shown in fig3 line c , as a positive signal , is of a higher magnitude than the negative reference supplied to junction 72 by way of the reference 74 , there will be a negative output of the amplifier 102 . conversely , when the basic reference voltage from potentiometer 74 is of a higher absolute magnitude than the positive signal from gate 70 , there will be a positive output from gate 102 . since , with reference to fig1 a high value gate 24 was used and it is desired that the signal on 80 be positive when a large commutation time is in effect , an inverter ( block 110 ) is provided to invert the output of the amplifier 102 . this inverter is of the well - known type and may comprise an operational amplifier 112 having its non - inverting input connected to ground by a resistor 114 . the output of amplifier 102 is applied to the inverting input of amplifier 112 by way of an input resistor 116 and the output of the amplifier 112 is connected to its input by way of a feedback resistor 118 all in a manner well known in the art . for purposes of completeness , the high value gate 24 is also shown in fig2 as comprising a first diode 120 having applied to its anode the normal control signal on line 26 . a second diode 122 receives the output of the operational amplifier 112 . the cathodes of the two diodes 120 and 122 from the origin of line 22 and this same point is also connected to a source of negative potential (- v ) by way of a suitable resistor 124 . from the foregoing , it is seen that under normal operation the bridge 10 will be under the control of the normal control signal on line 26 but that when commutation failure is eminent by virtue of a sudden drop in that signal , the high value gate will select the signal from line 80 , the feedback circuit and this signal will override that on line 26 . this higher level signal forces the value of the control signal on line 22 to a higher level than that which would be occasioned by the normal control signal thus maintaining the rectifier firing control at a higher level of operation . as the load current decreases , the signal value on line 80 will decrease and after a short period of time control of the system will be returned to the normal control signal ( line 26 ). the relatively short period during which the bridge is phased to the higher level , for example full on , will have no significant effect on the load particularly when the load is highly inductive as was assumed in the present instance . from the foregoing , it is seen that there has been provided a relatively simple and easily implemented circuit which prevents or at leasts guards against the commutation failure of the controlled rectifiers of a polyphase rectification bridge . while there has been shown and described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention , modifications thereto will readily occur to those skilled in the art . it is not desired , therefore , that the invention be limited to the specific arrangements shown and described and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
referring to the drawings and particularly to fig1 and 1a , one end of shaft 10 of machine 12 is provided with a contact means in the form of a cylindrical rotor 30 that extends the shaft through an aperture 35 provided in boss portion 34 at the end of the machine . the rotor is preferably formed of brass and is provided with a planar , disk - shaped end cap 36 disposed in orthogonal relation to the shaft . the end of the shaft is threaded to engage a screw 126 for securing rotor 30 to the end of the shaft . the machine 12 , by way of example , comprises an ac motor of the type which is not provided with a cooling fan and is intended for use in a clean room environment . the aperture 35 , normally covered , is in this case enclosed by means of a cylindrical end housing 22 suitably formed of aluminum . the housing 22 is disposed in coaxial relation to the motor shaft 10 and is provided with a radial flange 60 at its base . the flange is secured to boss portion 34 of the machine 12 via an o - ring seal or gasket located in a groove in flange 60 between the flange and boss portion 34 . housing 22 is secured to machine 12 with screws 62 . housing 22 is open toward machine 12 , having a cylindrical recess 23 adapted to receive the rotor 30 and particularly the planar disk portion 36 thereof . the forward portion of the housing remote from machine 12 includes a first bore 42 , in parallel relation to the axis of shaft 10 but offset therefrom , for receiving carbon brush 24 which is urged into continuously contacting juxtaposition with respect to disk portion 36 by spring 26 located in the bore 42 between the brush and retaining screw 28 . the disk portion 36 provides a durable , contamination - free , electrical contacting surface for the brush and is , of course , in electrically conductive relation with shaft 10 . the housing 22 in turn comprises means for forming a circuit path coupling the brush back to the frame of machine 12 since the housing contacts machine 12 . since the brush is slidably received in bore 42 and is off center with respect to the axis of shaft 10 , the brush rides toward the outside contacting surface of disk portion 36 in advantageous sliding relation . the end of the brush is desirably beveled at 38 away from the axis of the shaft to provide contacting tip 40 adjacent the outside diameter of disk portion 36 . of course , with brush wear , more of the brush tip will contact the surface of disk portion 36 . recess 23 of housing 22 substantially encloses the immediate region of contact between rotor 30 and brush 24 , isolating this region from the external clean room environment and also from the interior of machine 12 . it will be noted that disk portion 36 is comparable in outside diameter to the inside diameter of aperture 35 and tends to shield the region of contact between disk portion 36 and the brush from motor bearing contaminants as might reduce the effectiveness of the shorting action of the brush . the immediate region of contact between the rotor and the brush is extended by a cavity 58 in the form of a cylindrical well or bore disposed in generally parallel relation to bore 23 and also in offset relation to the axis of machine 10 . the cavity 58 is adapted to receive and hold residue produced by the brush 24 as it rides against disk portion 36 of rotor 30 , such residue taking the form of carbon dust and the like . thus , while the shaft of the machine is efficiently grounded for substantially eliminating shaft voltages , the carbon residue produced is retained rather than expelled to the clean room environment . of course , when the brush becomes worn , the housing 22 is removed from machine 12 by loosening screws 62 . at that time , residue is removed and the carbon brush is replaced . referring to fig2 and 2a , a further embodiment of a shaft grounding system according to the present invention is applicable to a fan - cooled ac motor which is also located in a clean room environment . the motor has a fan 78 mounted on shaft 72 within fan housing 76 provided with an end aperture 77 in boss portion 34 . according to this embodiment , contact means 82 comprises a cup - shaped member formed of brass and mounted coaxially to the end of shaft 72 or an extension thereof by end screw 84 located in a countersunk hole in the end of the cup - shaped contact means . the contact means is cylindrical , having a cylindrical interior side wall 138 and an inner end 140 which adjoins the side wall 138 and is orthogonal to the axis of shaft 72 for providing a contacting surface against which tip 144 of brush 94 rides . it will be noted that cup - shaped contact member 82 extends at least part way through and in fairly close spaced relation to aperture 77 in boss portion 34 , while the contact member is open ended in the direction axially away from the motor . the embodiment of fig2 and 2a further comprises cylindrical brush housing 86 suitably formed of brass and comprising outer cylindrical member 88 coaxial with shaft 72 as well as radial flange 60 secured to boss portion 34 by means of screws 90 . the housing 86 is recessed and also has an axial bore 89 in the forward end of member 88 for receiving a cylindrical brass member 92 in coaxial relation with shaft 72 . member 92 in turn receives brush 94 as well as spring 66 and retainer screw 68 adjustable for urging brush 94 and specifically tip 144 thereof into continuous resilient engagement with inner end 140 of contact member 82 . brush 94 is disposed in juxtaposition with the end of the contact member 82 and in parallel relation to the cylindrical interior of the contact member , but the end of the brush is beveled at 142 to provide brush tip 144 which is offset with respect to the shaft axis for contacting inner end 140 at a position away from the axis and substantially adjacent the cylindrical inner side wall 138 of the contact member . the brush and the inside cross section of cylindrical member 92 are suitably keyed , e . g . square or hexagonal in cross section toward the brush end of cylindrical member 92 , so that the orientation of brush tip 144 is maintained . when the brush is worn down beyond bevel 142 , the brush is suitably replaced . between the inner end of cylindrical member 92 and the open edge 139 of cup - shaped contact member 82 is located a compressible ring 98 disposed in surrounding relation to brush 94 . this compressible ring is suitably an elastomeric v - ring , e . g . formed of rubber , and having a split or v - shaped rim at its widest part so that it may be compressed . the v - ring is compressed when the system is installed by loosening radial set screws 96 in member 88 that hold cylindrical member 92 in place , after which cylindrical member 92 is positioned for compressing v - ring 98 against edge 139 . set screws 96 are tightened to secure member 92 in the desired position . the v - ring completes a configuration for not only protecting the contact area between brush 94 and member 82 from external grease and moisture , but also for avoiding release of residue , namely carbon dust , into the clean room environment . the cup - shaped contact member 82 extends axially past the tip of brush 94 toward recess 23 in housing 86 , thereby to extend the immediate region of brush contact , cooperating to form a cavity for receiving and holding the residue produced by the brush as the shaft rotates . again it will noted that the system effectively grounds the machine shaft to the frame of the machine since housing 86 completes a grounding circuit path . fig3 and 3a illustrate an embodiment adapted for providing a grounding system in the case of smaller machines . machine 116 , which may comprise an ac motor adapted for a clean room environment , has a shaft or shaft extension 120 passing through aperture 117 in boss portion 34 . contact means 124 here comprises a conductive , preferably brass , sleeve received over the end of shaft 120 and secured thereto by set screw 150 . the sleeve 124 extends within a central side bore of a metal , e . g . aluminum , housing 128 which is vertically elongate and provided with end bores in the housing &# 39 ; s elongate vertical direction , radially of the axis of shaft 120 and contact sleeve 124 . upper bore 135 houses brush 130 in juxtaposition with sleeve 124 , and is threaded for mating with retainer screw 134 for adjusting the pressure on brush 130 as provided by intermediate spring 131 , whereby brush 130 resiliently and continuously contacts the outer cylindrical surface of sleeve 124 . lower bore 152 , conveniently aligned with upper bore 135 in a position below sleeve 124 , defines a cavity for extending the immediate enclosed region of contact between sleeve 124 and the brush for the purpose of receiving and holding residue , e . g . carbon dust , produced by the brush as the shaft rotates . the lower portion of bore 152 is threaded to receive plug 154 removable for withdrawing carbon residue . a gasket 148 is located between the inner side of housing 128 and boss portion 34 of machine 116 to seal the unit from the environment , with screws 136 employed to secure the housing 128 to the machine . screws 136 are disposed at either side of housing 128 and pass through apertures in gasket 148 before reception into tapped holes in the end of machine 116 . the inner side of housing 128 toward machine 116 is provided with a circular land 147 coaxial with shaft 120 for bearing against boss area 34 and completing a circuit path through housing 128 whereby to accomplish grounding of shaft 120 . referring to fig4 and 4a , an embodiment of a grounding system according to the present invention is illustrated which is suitable for mounting between a first machine 154 , comprising a dc motor or motor coupling , and a second machine 156 , typically comprising a tachometer . this embodiment is advantageous for applications where it is not desired to access the interior of a tachometer ( as subsequently described , for example , in connection with fig5 and 5a ) to provide a suitable grounding system , i . e ., where an independent system is preferred . substantially cylindrical housing 160 is secured to the face of machine 156 by means of bolts 182 and is provided with a central aperture 162 through which shaft 158 ( typically the tachometer shaft ) extends . the contact means for the grounding system comprises a cylindrical rotor 164 formed of brass and slidably received upon shaft 158 . an angularly disposed set screw 166 accessible from the forward side of the rotor secures the motor to the shaft . radial bores 168 and 178 in housing 160 are suitably aligned vertically within the housing , respectively above and below the rotor 164 . bore 168 slidably receives brush 170 in juxtaposition with the cylindrical surface of the rotor and is urged into resilient contacting relation with the rotor via retainer screw 174 and spring 172 . lower bore 178 cooperates to provide a cavity for extending the immediate enclosed region of contact between rotor 164 and brush 170 for receiving and holding residue produced by the brush as the shaft rotates . lower plug 180 closes bore 178 and is threadably removable for withdrawing collected residue . as indicated , the housing 160 is secured in juxtaposition with the machine 156 , contacting the latter around circumferential axial flange 157 and may be provided with an o - ring seal in a groove , not shown . the combination of machine 156 and housing 160 is secured against the face of machine 154 by exterior mounting means , also not shown . the housing , advantageously formed of aluminum , provides the grounding circuit for shorting shaft 158 to the frames of the machines . referring to fig5 and 5a , the shaft 10 of dc motor 12 is rotatably supported in bearings 14 , the shaft extending into a tachometer housing 16 provided with a tachometer wheel 18 coupled to the end of the motor shaft . the tachometer 16 is attached at the commutator end of the dc machine and is further provided with a tachometer sensor 20 which supplies a signal in accordance with the number of teeth on the tachometer wheel passing the sensor , thereby indicating motor speed . in accordance with the invention , the tachometer outer cover is removed and replaced by a grounding system comprising housing 63 having an inner hub 65 for receiving brushes in juxtaposition with contact means 36 comprising a brass or aluminum disk secured to the tachometer wheel with threaded member 31 . the disk 36 provides a contacting surface outwardly of machine 12 that is substantially orthogonal to the axis of shaft 10 . hub 65 has greater axial thickness than the remainder of housing 63 and is provided with bores 51 and 53 parallel to shaft 10 and disposed on either side of the axis thereof for receiving slidable cylinders 47 and 49 forming part of the housing for positioning brushes 46 and 48 in resilient contact with the orthogonal forward surface of disk 36 . the brushes 46 and 48 are slidably received within the cylinders 47 and 49 respectively , while retaining screws 50 and 52 adjustably provide pressure on brushes 46 and 48 by way of intermediate springs 26 and 27 . the cylinders 47 and 49 are advantageously positionable in hub 65 and secured at desired positions via radial set screws 55 and 57 threadably received in hub 65 . bolts 54 and 56 secure the outer radial flange of housing 63 as well as tachometer 16 to machine 12 . again , housing 63 , which is suitably formed of aluminum , provides the grounding path back to the frame of the machine via the frame of tachometer 16 . referring to fig6 and 6a , a simplified grounding system is illustrated , which system is adapted for shaft grounding of smaller machines such as household motors . the shaft 186 of motor 184 receives a contact means 188 comprising an axial member 190 received on shaft 186 and having a radial flange portion 192 providing a contacting surface facing away from the machine , the contacting surface being substantially orthogonal to the axis of shaft 186 . the contact means 188 is suitably formed of brass and is coaxially secured to shaft 186 by set screw 194 . a conductive brush 196 , e . g . a carbon brush member , is attached to the end of a brush holding means comprising a conductive flat spring 198 secured to the frame of machine 184 via screws 200 . as illustrated in fig6 the holding spring 198 is formed to curve away from the machine and exert pressure back toward the outer side of flange 192 so as to hold brush 196 in resilient contact with the outer surface of flange 192 . it will be seen that a continuous grounding circuit is provided via member 198 to the frame of the machine , while flange 192 protects the contacting region between brush 196 and flange 192 from grease or other contamination from the machine bearings . as illustrated in fig6 a , the spring 198 is suitably mounted by screws 200 to place brush 196 in tangential sliding relation with the forward or outer surface of flange 192 . the brushes hereinbefore described are carbon brushes as employed in the electric motor industry , and are preferably copper impregnated carbon brushes . in particular , grade number 672 as supplied by helwig carbon , inc . has been utilized in the described embodiments and is preferred . the contact member has been hereinabove described as preferably formed of brass . in the hereinabove referenced embodiments , a brass comprising sae 660 continuous cast bearing bronze ( uns c 93 200 ) was utilized and is preferred . this brass has a composition of 83 % copper , 7 % tin , 7 % lead and 3 % zinc . it is not intended , however , that the present invention be limited to a particular grade or composition of brush or contact material . it is in any case preferred that the contacting surface comprise a non - magnetic , highly conductive , corrosion - resistant surface , and in some instances stainless steel can be substituted for brass but brass is preferred . the grade of brush is selected for making a low resistance , continuous connection with the contacting surface . while several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . the appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
a pilot hole borer 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 . bracket means 12 includes base 14 and vertical fence 16 . base 14 is rigidly mounted to the upper surface 18 of a bench or table by a plurality of screws . the operator places the rear surface of cabinet door 15 vertically against the face of fence 16 and slides the cabinet door to the right until the right edge of the door abuts indexing pin 40 which protrudes from the face of the fence . the operator then depresses foot pedal 22 which causes three rapidly rotating drill bits to extend approximately one - quarter inch out of the face of vertical fence 16 into the rear surface of cabinet door 15 . this first step bores three pilot holes in the right side of cabinet door 15 . to drill the second set of pilot holes in the left side of door 15 , the operator removes door 15 from the face of vertical fence 16 , slides it to the right and places its rear surface flush against the face of vertical fence 16 . he then slides door 15 to the left until its left edge abuts a second retractable indexing pin . at this point the operator again actuates foot pedal 22 and the borer produces a second set of pilot holes in the left side of cabinet door 15 . these two groups of pilot holes are precisely aligned with the edges and ends of door 15 and are of uniform shape and depth . an unskilled worker can now mount hinges upon door 15 by screwing hinge screws into the pilot holes formed by the hold borer 10 . no further adjustments of visual alignment procedures are required . a more detailed description of the preferred embodiment will now be set forth by referring to fig2 and 3 . bracket means 12 includes two indexing pin assemblies 24 and 26 . indexing pin assemblies 24 and 26 are supplied with air having a pressure on the order of 10 - 20 psi by air lines 32 and 34 . indexing pin assemblies 24 and 26 include air cylinders 28 and 30 which are mounted on mounting blocks 36 and 38 and contain retractable indexing pins 40 and 42 that protrude approximately one - quarter of an inch out of the face of fence 16 . indexing pins 40 and 42 are maintained in an extended position by the low pressure air which is coupled to air cylinders 28 and 30 . these indexing pins are easily retracted so that one of them at a time can be depressed into the face of fence 16 when cabinet door 15 is positioned against the face of fence 16 . drill assembly 44 includes a base plate 46 . air motor 48 is secured to base plate 46 by upper and lower yoke assemblies 50 and 52 . chuck 80 of air motor 48 is rotated at 4500 rpm in response to high pressure air from high pressure air line 54 . pin vices 56 , 58 , and 60 are rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 62 and 64 . a rotatable idler shaft 78 also extends between support blocks 62 and 64 . drill bits 70 , 72 , and 74 are securely mounted in pin vices 56 , 58 , and 60 and extend through passageways in drill block 76 and fence 16 . spacers 66 and 68 maintain the upper portions of bearing blocks 62 and 64 at a fixed distance from each other . the transmission assembly 79 is best described by referring to fig3 and 4 . drill chuck 80 is connected to the end of pin vice 58 which protrudes out of support block 62 . in this manner the rotary motion of drill chuck 80 is imparted to pin vice 58 . sprockets 82 , 84 , 86 , and 88 are coupled respectively to the shafts of pin vices 56 , 58 , and 60 and to the shaft of idler 78 . chain 90 passes around the outer edges of sprockets 82 , 84 , 86 , and 88 and serves to impart the rotary motion of pin vice 58 to pin vices 56 and 60 . in this manner , drill bits 70 , 72 , and 74 are driven in the same direction and at the same rate by air motor 48 . the drill assembly guide means 92 is best illustrated by referring to fig2 and 4 . the lower edge of base plate 46 is mounted to upper dovetail slide assembly 94 which slides over lower dovetail slide assembly 96 . side bracket members 98 and 100 are located on the left and right sides of dovetail slide assemblies 94 and 96 . cross bar 102 is mounted across the rear edges of side brackets 98 and 100 . a displacing means or double actuated air cylinder 104 is attached to cross member 102 . its shaft ( not shown ) protrudes through a passageway in cross member 102 and is attached to the rear of upper dovetail slide assembly 94 . the in and out motion of shaft 118 of double actuated air cylinder 104 is transmitted to drill assembly 44 as a reciprocating motion to reposition drill bit 70 , 72 , and 74 between a flush position and an extended position with respect to fence 16 . fig5 illustrates the control means 105 which coordinates and controls the various functions of pilot hole borer 10 . a source of high pressure air on the order of 120 psi is connected to on / off valve 106 . when valve 106 is turned on by the operator , hgih pressure air is transmitted to air pressure regulator 108 , foot pedal 22 , air motor 48 and to inlet port 112 of switching means 110 . by inspection , it is apparent that air motor 48 operates continuously when valve 106 is in the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position . air pressure regulator 108 receives the high pressure air from valve 106 and delivers air pressure in the range of 10 - 20 psi to output lines 32 and 34 and actuates retractable indexing pins 40 and 42 . this reduction in air pressure is provided so that indexing pins 40 and 42 can be easily depressed by cabinet door 15 . switching means 110 is designed to have the high pressure air present at inlet port 112 normally coupled to output port 114 and thence to port 116 of air cylinder 104 . the high pressure air at port 116 maintains the shaft 118 of air cylinder 104 in a retracted position . since shaft 118 of air cylinder 104 is coupled to drill assembly 44 , the drill assembly 44 is also maintained in a retracted position and drill bits 70 , 72 , and 74 remain within fence 16 . when foot pedal 22 is depressed , high pressure air is coupled to control port 120 of switching means 110 . the presence of high pressure air at control port 120 switches the flow of high pressure air arriving at inlet port 112 from outlet port 114 to outlet port 122 . the high pressure air flowing out of outlet port 122 is coupled to flow control valves 124 and 126 . these flow control valves limit the rate of air pressure buildup from ambient pressure to 120 psi . the smoothly increasing air pressure output from flow control valve 124 is connected to inlet port 128 of air cylinder 104 . the air pressure inside air cylinder 104 smoothly but rapidly increases to a value of 120 psi and extends shaft 118 approximately 1 inch . this displacement of shaft 118 is transmitted to drill bits 70 , 72 , and 74 by drill assembly 44 , causing the three drill bits to extend 1 / 4 inch out of fence 16 and thus creating three 1 / 4 inch deep pilot holes in the face of cabinet door 15 . the output of flow control valve 126 is coupled to air accumulator 130 . the output of accumulator 130 is coupled to control port 132 of switching means 110 . accumulator 130 is inserted to prevent the pressure existing at control port 132 from actuating the switching means 110 until shaft 118 has had approximately 1 . 5 seconds to become fully extended . when the air pressure at control port 132 reaches a threshold value , switching means 110 is actuated and the high pressure air at inlet port 112 is switched back to outlet port 114 . since outlet port 114 is coupled directly to inlet port 116 of air cylinder 104 , shaft 118 is immediately retracted and drill bits 70 , 72 , and 74 are thereby retracted into fence 16 . since it requires only one a a half seconds to drill each set of pilot holes and since it takes perhaps five seconds to rotate cabinet door 15 and align it upon fence 16 , both sets of pilot holes can be drilled in a cabinet door in approximately 10 seconds . since hinges are almost universally mounted a fixed distance from the top and bottom of cabinet doors of various lengths , this pilot hole borer can be used without modification of any sort to drill pilot holes in cabinet doors of varying lengths . short cabinet doors and long cabinet doors can be readily intermixed during production runs with absolutely no change required in the hole borer set up . not all purchasers of a pilot hole borer desire to have hinges mounted at the same distance from the top and bottom of a cabinet door . as can be seen from fig1 a plurality of mounting holes 140 are provided in the face of fence 16 to allow the mounting of indexing pin assemblies 24 and 26 at various distances from drill bits 70 , 72 , and 74 . moving indexing pin assemblies 24 and 26 further away from the drill bits allows the mounting of hinges further away from the upper and lower surfaces of a cabinet door . this adjustment is normally made once at the factory for a particular customer and is typically not changed in the field . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , compressed air has been used to power the apparatus . other power sources such as hydraulic pressure or electricity could also be used . in the electrically powered embodiment , an electric motor could be substituted for air motor 48 and an electrically operated solenoid assembly could replace air cylinder 104 . additionally , the retractable indexing pins 40 and 42 could be biased outward by springs rather than the low pressure air as has been disclosed . while the principles of the invention have now been made clear in an illustrative embodiment , there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure , arrangement , proportions , elements , materials , and components , used in the practice of the invention which are particularly adapted for specific environments and operating requirements without departing from those principles . | 1 |
referring to fig1 a plurality of processing units 10 to 16 are each located on a separate semiconductor chip 18 to 24 along with one of the local control stores 26 to 32 . each control store 26 to 32 contains a portion of the control store microcode for the processor on its chip . the remainder of the microcode for all processing units 10 to 16 is in a shared extended control store 34 located on a separate semiconductor chip 35 . connections are provided between the microprocessor chips 18 to 24 and the semiconductor chip 35 containing the shared control store 34 to move control store words out from the extended control store 34 to each of the chips 18 to 24 . as shown , the shared control store 34 receives commands from chips 18 to 24 on lines 36 to 42 and provides requested control store words and other responses on lines 44 through 50 . referring now to fig2 the address provided from the various microprocessor chips 18 to 24 on lines 36a to 42a are each entered into an address register 52 through 58 on the shared control store chip 35 . the addresses stored in the address registers 52 to 58 are fed into a selection circuit 60 along with the predicted address read out on line 59 during the access of the previous cycle of the extended control store memory array 34 . logic circuitry 64 provides an address select signal on line 61 to the register 60 to select among the outputs of the four address registers 52 through 58 and the predicted address on line 59 . the selected address is entered into the address register 68 for the shared control store array referring now to fig4 each control store word 62 consists of a control field 62a , and fields 62b and 62d to 62n for the actual control store address for the next control store word . the actual control store address fields include a high - order next address field 62b , and one or more branch - point selection fields 62d to 62n of one bit each . the control store address for the next microinstruction to be executed by the microprocessor is determined by combining the high - order next address field 62b , the branch - point selection fields 62d to 62n , and various control signals from the microprocessor . each branch - point selection field 62d to 62n is encoded from information provided by the processor to select one of a set of microprocessor control signals (&# 34 ; branch - points &# 34 ;), and the binary value of the selected signal is assigned to one bit of the address for the next microinstruction . the bits thus formed from the branch - points and branch - point selection fields are then appended to the high - order next address field 62b to form the complete control store address of the next microinstruction to be executed . there may be any number of branch - point selection fields 62d to 62n , with larger numbers increasing both the complexity of the design and the flexibility of the microcode . if four branch - point selection fields are used , there are 16 possible next addresses , selected by the various combinations of the 4 specified branch - point conditions . this allows for up to 16 - way branching in the microcode . in accordance with the present invention , a low - order next address prediction field 62c is used to eliminate delay caused by the segmentation of the control store array . this field has the same number of bits as there are in all the branch - point selection fields 62d to 62n , with each bit of the low - order next address field 62c corresponding to one branch - point select field 62d to 62n . the low - order next address field 62c is appended to the high - order next address field 62b to form the predicted address of the next microinstruction to be executed . this next microinstruction can then be read from the control store array while the branch - points selected by the branch - point selection fields 62d to 62n are selected . if the selected branch - points match the values predicted by the low - order next - address field 62c , the correct next microinstruction has been read and is ready for execution . if they do not match , the microinstruction read in response to the predicted next address must be discarded and the correct next microinstruction read from the control store array using the result of the branch - point evaluation . since formation of the predicted control store address for the next microinstruction is a simple concatenation of bits , it does not require any inputs from the microprocessor and is done on the extended control store array chip . the control field 62a in each control store word 62 contains controls for various portions of the microprocessor execution logic . the structure and function of these controls , which vary widely with microprocessor design , are not significant to this invention and are well known to those skilled in the art . referring again to fig2 the predicted address is sent on the lines 44a to 50a along with the control store word to all of the chips 18 through 24 containing processors 10 through 18 accessing the shared control store 34 . a data valid signal is provided to that processor which currently has priority for use of extended control store on the appropriate one of the lines 44b to 50b . the selection circuit 64 and its operation to select between the predicted address and the addresses contained in registers 52 to 58 will be discussed in more detail in connection with fig8 and 9 . referring now to fig3 the microcode 62a in the control store word 62 from the shared control store 34 is fed via bus 48a into a selection circuit 70 on one of the identical microprocessor chips 18 to 24 ( here chip 22 ) along with the output of the local control store 30 on microprocessor chip 22 . selection between those two addresses is made by the extended control store mode signal provided by controls 74 for accessing the shared control store 34 . to generate the ecs mode signal , the controls 74 include an address range compare circuit . the address range compare circuit in control circuit 74 determines whether the actual control store address is in the range of addresses of the local control store 30 . if it is , the extended control store mode signal , or is down and the control store word from the local control store is selected , passed to the register 78 and acted on by the processor 14 . if it is not within the range of addresses of the local store , the ecs mode signal is up and the microcode from the extended control store is selected . the controls 74 also compare the low order predicted address portion 62c of the selected control store word with the low order address bits 72 actually requested by the processor 10 using branch control signals to generate those actual low order bits for the actual address . if the actual low order address bits 72 match the predicted low order bits in address field 62c , the predicted control store word is placed into the data register 78 to be provided to the processor 14 . if the actual low order address bits do not match the address on the line 48a , a block execution signal 75 is sent to the processor 14 and the actual address is used to fetch the next control store word . when any processor actions involving the extended store are complete , the controls 74 provide an end of operations signal ( eop ) on line 40c to the shared control store 34 . when the microprocessor requests access to the shared control store segment ( including a request when there is a mismatch between the actual and predicted address ) it sends a signal ( req ) on line 40b along with the requested address on bus 40a . the effect of these end of operation and request signals will be discussed in connection with fig6 . the controls 74 are discussed in more detail in connection with fig7 . referring now to fig5 the processor accesses 100 the local control store by placing a requested address in the control store register . a comparison 102 is made by the address range compare circuit in the controls 74 to determine if the requested address is within the address range of the local control store and if it is the address is executed 100 . if it is not within the address range of the local store , execution by the processor is blocked and a request 104 is sent to access the shared extended control store 34 . if the microinstruction from the extended store 34 is determined to be valid 105 it is executed 106 and thereafter as long as there is no end op signal 108 and the comparison 110 indicates the actual and predicted addresses match , the operation of the extended control store continues executing the predicted addresses . however , when an address prediction is incorrect , execution is blocked 112 and a new address request has to be provided by the processor . if there is an end op signal 108 then the processor ceases using extended control store data and signals ecs end op 114 , resetting the ecs end op signal one cycle later 116 . as shown in fig6 the microprocessors are arranged in a priority sequence from microprocessor 10 to microprocessor 16 . once microprocessor 10 receives the access 120 to the extended store 34 it retains it as long as it does not issue a new request pending signal 122 ( when a mismatch in the predicted and actual address occurs ) or an end of operation signal 124 ( it no longer wishes to access the shared segment of control store ). when it issues either signal access to the extended store 34 is passed 126 to the next processor with a request pending ( processor 14 in this example ). similarly , as long as processor 14 does not issue a new request to access the extended store 128 or end of operation signal 130 it will retain control of the extended control store . in this manner access is passed from processor to processor , starting with processor 10 proceeding in numerical sequence through processor 16 and eventually back to processor 10 . the controls 74 of fig3 are shown in greater detail in fig7 . the control store address 62 from the control store address register 76 is compared to the lower and upper limits of the address range of the local control store stored in latches 700 and 702 respectfully . one comparator 704 determines whether the lower limit 700 is less than or equal to control store address 62 , and a second comparator 706 determines whether the control store address 62 is less than or equal to the upper limit 702 . the outputs of comparators 704 and 706 are combined in and circuit 708 to determine whether control store address 62 lies in the range specified by limits 700 and 702 . an alternative scheme is to set lower limit 700 equal to zero and upper limit equal to (( 2 ** n )+ 1 ), in which case the entire range check is a logical or of the control store address excluding the lower order ( n ) bits . other forms of this comparison are possible , and are well known to those skilled in the art . the predicted branch address bits 62c from the control store word 62 currently being executed are compared in comparison circuit 714 to the actual branch address bits 72 generated by the processor during the current cycle of execution . the output of comparison 714 is a 1 if any of the corresponding bits in 62c and address bits 72 are not equal . this output is staged for one cycle in latch circuit ecs branch data 716 . the data valid signal 48b from the extended control store is latched for one cycle in ecs data valid latch 718 . ecs mode latch 720 indicates whether the processor is currently executing from the extended control store 34 or local control store 72 . this latch is set to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to indicate execution from the extended store when the range comparator output 722 is zero ( indicating that the control store address is not within the range for local control store ) and the current value of ecs mode latch 720 is zero . ecs mode latch 720 is reset to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to indicate operation from the local store when the current value of that latch is one and the value of ecs data valid latch 718 is one and the end - of - operation signal 77 from the execution controls is one . when ecs mode latch 720 is one and ecs data valid latch 718 is one and end - of - operation signal 77 is one , ecs endop latch 726 is set to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; for the next cycle . the output of ecs endop latch 726 provides the ecs end op signal 40c to the extended control store 34 . ecs request latch 728 indicates that a new address must be sent to the extended control store . this occurs when first entering ecs mode , or when a branch address is incorrectly predicted while in ecs mode . specifically , ecs request latch 728 is set to one for one cycle if : ecs mode latch 720 is zero and range comparator output 722 is zero ; or if ecs mode latch 720 is one and ecs branch wrong latch 716 is one and ecs data valid latch 718 is one and end - of - operation signal 77 from the processor is zero . the output of ecs request latch 728 drives the ecs request signal 36b to the extended control store . block execution signal 75 is generated by or circuit 730 which produces a one if ecs request latch 728 is one or if ecs request latch 728 is being set to one on this cycle , or if ecs mode latch 720 is one and ecs data valid latch 718 is zero . the control logic circuitry 64 of fig2 is shown in greater detail in fig8 . identical , symmetrically connected priority select logic circuits 801 to 804 are used to determine which central processor 10 to 16 attached to the ecs 34 will be granted priority , and when priority will be granted . the cpu10 priority select logic 801 produces a cpu10 priority grant signal 811 , the cpu10 ecs data valid signal 44b , a cpu10 ecs continue signal 816 , a cpu10 request pending signal 821 , and a cpu10 previous priority signal 826 . similarly , the cpu12 priority select logic 802 produces cpu12 priority grant 812 , cpu12 ecs data valid 46b , cpu12 ecs continue 817 , cpu12 request pending 822 , and cpu12 previous priority 827 signals . the cpu14 priority select logic 803 and cpu16 priority select logic 804 produce the corresponding signals 813 , 814 , 48b , 50b , 818 , 819 , 823 , 824 , 828 , and 829 for those cpu &# 39 ; s as shown . the ecs data valid signals 44b , 46b , 48b , and 50b are those shown in fig2 . the ecs continue signals 816 , 817 , 818 and 819 are combined by or circuit 881 to form a use ecs next address signal 882 . this signal 882 , along with the ecs priority grant signals 811 , 812 , 813 and 814 collectively form the ecs address select signal 61 as shown in fig2 . when signal 882 is a logical one , the ecs predicted next address 59 is placed in the ecs address register 68 . when signal 811 is a logical one , the cpu10 ecs address 52 is placed in the ecs address register 68 . similarly , signal 812 selects cpu12 ecs address 54 , signal 813 selects cpu14 ecs address 56 , and signal 814 selects cpu16 ecs address 58 . the design of the control logic described is such that at most one of these signals is a logical one in any given cycle . if none of these signals is a logical one , then the ecs is not being used and it is irrelevant what value is placed in the ecs address register 68 . the use ecs next address signal 882 is logically inverted to form the allow new priority signal 883 . the cpu12 ecs priority grant 812 , cpu14 ecs priority grant 813 , and cpu16 ecs priority grant 814 signals are combined by or circuit 831 to form the cpu10 reset previous signal 836 . similarly , 0r circuit 832 combines signals 811 , 813 , and 814 ( the ecs priority grant signals for cpu10 , cpu12 and cpu14 ) to form the cpu12 reset previous signal 837 ; or circuit 833 combines signals 811 , 812 , and 814 to form the cp3 reset previous signal 838 ; and or circuit 834 combines signals 811 , 812 , and 813 to form the cpu16 reset previous signal 839 ; the inputs to the cpu10 priority select logic 801 are the cpu10 ecs request signal 36b , the cpu10 ecs endop signal 36c , the cpu10 reset previous signal 836 , the allow new priority signal 883 , the cpu16 request pending 824 and previous priority 829 signals , the cpu14 request pending 823 and previous priority 828 signals , and the cpu12 request pending 822 and previous priority 827 signals . the inputs to the cpu12 priority select logic 802 are the cpu12 ecs request signal 38b , the cpu12 ecs endop signal 38c , the cpu12 reset previous signal 837 , the allow new priority signal 883 , the cpu10 request pending 821 and previous priority 826 signals , the cpu16 request pending 824 and previous priority 829 signals , and the cpu14 request pending 823 and previous priority 828 signals . the inputs to the cpu14 priority select logic 803 are the cpu14 ecs request signal 40b , the cpu14 ecs endop signal 40c , the cpu14 reset previous signal 838 , the allow new priority signal 883 , the cpu12 request pending 822 and previous priority 827 signals , the cpu10 request pending 821 and previous priority 826 signals , and the cpu16 request pending 824 and previous priority 829 signals . the inputs to the cpu16 priority select logic 804 are the cpu16 ecs request signal 42b , the cpu16 ecs endop signal 42c , the cpu16 reset previous signal 839 , the allow new priority signal 883 , the cpu14 request pending 823 and previous priority 828 signals , the cpu12 request pending 822 and previous priority 827 signals , and the cpu10 request pending 821 and previous priority 826 signals . the cpu10 priority select logic 801 is shown in greater detail in fig9 . the priority select logic for cpu12 802 , cpu14 803 , and cpu16 804 is identical , with the input connections arranged as shown in fig8 . latch circuit request pending 901 is set to a logic one by cpu10 ecs request signal 36b , and holds that value until reset by cpu10 ecs priority grant signal 811 , using and circuit 911 and or circuit 912 . latch circuit endop 902 is set by cpu10 ecs endop signal 36c , and holds that value for one cycle only . latch circuit previous 903 is set by cpu10 ecs priority grant signal 811 , and holds that value until reset by cp1 reset previous signal 836 , using and circuit 913 and or circuit 914 . output signal cpu10 request pending 821 is the current value of latch request pending 901 . output signal cpu10 previous priority 826 is the current value of latch previous 903 . the outputs of latches request pending 901 and endop 902 are combined in nor circuit 915 to form a hold priority signal 904 . a next priority signal 923 is formed by or circuit 916 , and and circuits 917 , 918 , and 919 such that it is on if cpu16 previous priority 829 is on or if cpu14 previous priority 828 is on and cpu16 request pending 824 is off , and if cpu12 previous priority 827 is on and cpu14 request pending 823 is off and cpu16 request pending 824 is off , or if cpu10 previous priority 826 is on and cpu12 request pending 822 is off and cpu14 request pending 823 is off and cpu16 request pending 824 is off . thus , this signal controls the round - robin sequencing of ecs priority among those cpu &# 39 ; s requesting ecs access . the output of latch request pending 901 is combined with the allow ecs priority signal 883 and the next priority signal 923 by and circuit 920 to form the cpu10 ecs priority grant signal 811 . latch circuit priority 905 is set to a logical one by cpu10 ecs priority grant 811 , and holds that value as long as hold priority signal 904 is on , using and circuit 921 and or circuit 922 . the output of and circuit 922 also forms the cpu10 ecs continue signal 816 . latch circuit data valid 906 is set by the output of latch circuit priority 905 and holds that value for one cycle only . the output of latch data valid 906 forms the cpu10 ecs data valid signal 44b . one embodiment of the invention has been described . however it should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in this embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , it is not intended that the present invention be limited to the specifics of the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment . | 6 |
fig1 shows a graphical user interface for classifying the preference and the corresponding contexts for a musical multimedia playable content . this interface helps to understand how the method described in claim 1 where the users is capable of assigning a preference to a musical genre , player or singer , album , or specific song and then , relate them with one or more user listening contexts . the relationship among genre , album , singer , and song is arranged hierarchically as it was enlisted . this hierarchical relationship allows the inheritance of preferences and context relationships from one genre to all artists associated to such genre , and from all artists to all songs they perform . it is clear that some exceptions may occur but this generic approach will allow to perform a simple and easy classification . this hierarchical approach combined with the graphical user interface shown in fig1 provides an easy and quick way to classify each song . fig2 shows an entity - relationship diagram used to storage the information persistently about music multimedia content , contexts , user preferences , and their corresponding classification among content , context , and preferences . interpretationtypes : this table corresponds to the type of participation within the multimedia musical content . for example , considering a musical song , types include main voice , chores , director , etc . interpreterlistencontexts : this table contains the information representing the associations of singer / player and user contexts . interpreterrating : this table contains the information about the preference classification that one user defies for a specific singer or player . interpreters : this table contains the information about the singers , players , or groups representing the interpreter of the musical content . musicpicerating : this table contains the information about the user preference grading to specific music multimedia items such as songs . musicgenrelistencontexts : this table contains the information representing the associations of musical genres and user contexts . musicgenrerating : this table contains the information about the grade of preference defined by a user to specific musical genres . musiclistencontexts : this table contains information about the user contexts where users usually listen to music ( activities , places , moods , etc .) musiclistencontexttypes : this table contains the context types which users usually listen to music . musicpiceinterpreters : this table associates a music song with one or more players ( singers ). musicpiecelistencontexts : this table contains information about the relationship between musical songs and the user contexts . musicpieces : this table contains the information about the musical multimedia items such as songs . userfriendgroups : this table contains the information about groups of users . these groups are created to facilitate the managing of users . userfriends : this table contains information about the relationship between users . these relationships are used to allow the sharing and combination of musical classifications . the next sql statement shows how a user musical play list can be generated using the persistent information scheme ( entity - relationship diagram ) shown in fig2 : @ idofuser : unique identifier associated to the specific user who created the classification . @ idofthemusiclistenselectedcontext : this parameters represents the unique context identifier selected by the user to filter all of his contexts . @ idofmaininterpretertype : unique identifier of the main player or singer in the song . this parameter is used to help the query to avoid duplicated results . the next sql statement illustrates how a combined musical play list containing only the matches from the information from two users based on the same context . this query is based on using the scheme shown in fig2 : @ idofthemusiclistenselectedcontext : this parameter corresponds to the unique context identifier which is used to obtain the correspondences between two users . @ idofmaininterpretertype : unique identifier of the main player or singer in the song . this parameter is used to help the query to avoid duplicated results . the next sql statement illustrates how to obtain a music play list as result from combining and joining the classifications from two users give an specific common context . this query is based on using the scheme shown in fig2 : @ idofthemusiclistenselectedcontext : this parameter corresponds to the unique context identifier which is used to obtain the correspondences between two users . @ idofmaininterpretertype : unique identifier of the main player or singer in the song . this parameter is used to help the query to avoid duplicated results . this invention includes a hierarchical approach to handle the musical classifications from the users . this approach allows to have always a classification even when the users only has the common classification such as genre , album , singer , etc . in other words , the default classification scheme is based on the common scheme where users classifies music by genre , player or signer , and album . fig3 show the formula to calculate the musical compatibility index . the goal of this index is to reduce the complexity to a single numerical indicator representing the match music preferences between two users . this index is calculated as the ratio between the number of music songs having a high preference between user 1 and two , and the total number of music songs from user 1 having a high preference . the music matching compatibility between user 1 and 2 is calculated using this formula . fig4 shows an example of a predefined context list based on activities and moods where users listen to music . although this list may be too big , it is important to have a reasonable small list to allow the compatibility analysis among users . another alternative is to allow users to create their own context lists and then , they can share this classification with other people using social networks or web services . the music content classified within personalized context can only be combined with users who used the same classification contexts . this list of context can be used efficiently only if each context has an unique identifier for being related with players , singers , albums , and music songs . fig5 shows an entity - relationship diagram used to accomplish the persistency for the classification id associated to a specific music song for an specific user . this unique id relates the user who created the classification , the music song , the preference classification , and the relationships with the specific contexts . these relationships will allow the identification of how a music song has been classified by every user or to obtain the preference play list from an specific user from an specific context . fig6 shows the definition of a class which can be implemented as a web service to offer : add a new user , such a friend , for sharing and combining musical classifications . calculate the compatibility match index between two users . retrieve the playlist filtered using different criteria such as contexts , musical genres , etc . retrieve the list of friends from a specific user . associate contexts with play lists or singer , player , genre , or albums . retrieve classifications from other users assign a preference level for an specific interpreter assign a preference level for specific genre assign context where the user wants to listen to specific music or songs register a new interpreter , song , user , or player register a personalized context for an user this list shows some services that can be implemented using this invention . | 6 |
the invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein . rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . in the drawings , the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments ( and intermediate structures ) of the invention . as such , variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result , for example , of manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances , are to be expected . thus , embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result , for example , from manufacturing . unless otherwise defined , all terms ( including technical and scientific terms ) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . it will be further understood that terms , such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries , should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein . fig1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a hydraulic fracturing system ( hfs ). this embodiment of the hfs embodies the employment of iso shipping containers to house all of the related equipment ( fleet equipment , fe ) required to perform the act of hydraulic fracturing of an oil or gas well . the containers allow stacking of the fe , causing the well pad footprint to be minimized reducing the environmental impact of the fracturing process . a plurality of fracturing units 20 are positioned in close proximity to one another . it is preferable that each fracturing unit 20 fits within an iso container or an enclosure which has dimensions similar to an iso container ( also known commonly as an intermodal container , freight container , hi - cube container , conex box , and sea can ). in this way , they can be stacked atop one another and next to each other . each embodiment may require more or less fracturing units 20 , but in this particular embodiment a total of ten fracturing units 20 are used . a plurality of access doors 4 are aligned with one another and allow access into each fracturing unit 20 . each fracturing unit 20 also preferably contains an intake portion for accepting ambient air , here represented by louvers 10 . a foundation 5 may be set on the site prior to installing the fracturing units 20 , and here the foundation 5 is designed for h beams , but could also be done with i beams , concrete , gravel , or other rigid materials that would prevent settling of the underlying earth . fracturing units 20 may also set on track systems 700 enabling standard engine fleets that are radiator cooled to be mounted in the containers making them mobile to move well to well requiring very little teardown / setup , such as may be required for zipper fracs that contain a single wellhead on the pad . it is preferable for a single fuel tank 6 to be used which supplies fuel to each of the fracturing units 20 , as this allows for single fill port to minimize the risk of fuel spillage . it is preferable that the fuel tank 6 contains nfpa spill containment . engine exhaust apertures 3 allow engine exhaust to escape , and could be positioned anywhere , but are preferably located on the top of and near the end of the fracturing unit 20 . fracturing pump suction lines 7 are preferable fed from a mixer ( described more below ) and connect to the suction or low pressure ( lp ) manifold 9 which supplies each fracturing unit 20 . the suction line 7 hoses preferably supply pump sets with fracturing fluid from the sand and chemical blenders . another manifold 15 accepts the resulting pressurized fracturing fluid and sand from each fracturing unit 20 and collects this into a single fracturing fluid / sand supply 8 for the well head . a steam manifold 11 may collect the steam from each fracturing unit 20 and direct it to an optional steam turbine or may direct it to the fcfu for fractioning and condensing . an absorption chiller and / or steam turbine 1 is preferably placed in close proximity to the fracturing units 20 , as well as a horizontal forced cooling fractioning unit 2 . an absorption chiller may use the engine exhaust to cool heated water whereby controlling the temperature of the distilled water before entrance into the storage tanks or the well . fig2 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a fracturing unit 20 . fig3 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a fracturing unit 20 . fig4 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a fracturing unit 20 . a fracturing pump 22 is preferably in fluid communication with an outlet 40 which connects to the manifold 15 , as well as an inlet 42 which connects to the manifold 9 . the fracturing pump 22 receives fracturing fluid from inlet 42 . the fracturing pump 22 is powered by the engine 26 which is preferably connected to the pump 22 through a variable speed torque converter ( vstc ) 24 , but could also be connected through a traditional transmission . however , the vstc 24 is preferred as it would allow the engine 26 to run at the most efficient speed for the engine 26 without being forced into a specific speed due traditional transmission requirements , maximizing the efficiency of the engine 26 . the engine 26 is preferably cooled using a tube and shell heat exchanger 28 , supplied with fw / fbw / pw supplied by cooling water pump 30 . after the fluids have picked up rejected heat from the engine 26 , fluids will be directed to a second 2 - stage engine exhaust heat exchanger ( eehe ) 29 where fluids will be heated to near boiling temperature in the first stage where it can be used for many applications such as fracturing fluid temperature conditioning , directing it to fw storage to prevent freezing , or directed into the second stage of the eehe 29 for distillation . a gas module 31 may supply natural gas , lpg , hydrogen , or bio gasses of any type supplementing the diesel to the engines whereby reducing the use of diesel by up to 80 % reducing emissions and fuel costs . the fracturing unit 20 and its components described herein preferably fits within an iso container enclosure 36 . an ac generator 32 is also preferably connected to the engine 26 . the ac generator 32 may be used to power up all fe during fracturing ( electric motors driving blenders , water pumps , sand conveyors , etc and may also be used to power electric water heaters 34 to maximize the purification process during fracturing , or may be used to increase purification rates by using the full capacity of the engine / generator while the well is being serviced and the fracturing pump is not needed . this embodiment also contains a variable speed pump 30 as well as a water heater 34 , which could be powered by a natural gas burner or could contain electric heating elements and powered by one of the generators described herein , most preferably the ac generator 32 . the pump 30 is preferably in fluid communication with water being forced through the heat exchangers 28 and 29 which is used to cool the engine 26 . if necessary , the hot water is then pushed by the pump 30 into the water heater 34 and then exhausted through the steam manifold 11 . fig5 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the forced cooling fractioning unit ( fcfu ) 2 . the fcfu , being designed to differing specifications , sizes and applications , will receive vapors from the distillation process , fractioning off water , petroleum products and each chemical at inherent properties to be recovered for reuse . the fcfu may also be used in different industries such as coal mining recycling mine water run - off , bio - fuel fractionation or any process requiring fractionation . together with engines , a process of combined heat and power ( chp ) can be employed with the fcfu to maximize savings for fractionation processes . the fcfu will preferably supply steam and chemical vapors from the distillation process through steam manifolds 11 to steam inlet 50 , proceeding through each cooling segment of differing sizes whereas cooling tubes 60 of differing sizes , cooling vapors incrementally , condensing them for drainage through segment drain 54 . a temperature sensing device 52 that will be used by a controller controlling water pump 30 feeding cool fw / fbw / pw to manifold assemblies 62 directing the fluids through tubes 60 thereby cooling the vapors , simultaneously picking up heat to increase the efficiency / flow rate of the distillation process . steam which has been collected by the steam manifold 11 is directed into the inlet 50 . the steam then passes through a plurality of condenser sections , each one having a falling / cooling section 56 followed by a rising section 58 . within each cooling section , one or more cooling tubes 60 contains fw / fbw / pw and cools the steam . as each vapor component of the steam condenses , it is captured by a condensate drain 54 and collected . a temperature probe 52 may be placed at the bottom of each falling / cooling section 56 and is used in a control system to regulate the flow of coolant through the cooling tubes 60 for that section . fig6 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of the forced cooling fractioning unit 2 . fig7 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the forced cooling fractioning unit 2 . a coolant manifold 62 may be used in each section directing coolant into each cooling tube 60 for that section . fig8 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the engine exhaust heat exchanger ( eehe ) 29 . the eehe 29 will allow flexibility for usage of the heated fluids on the well site whereas it may be used in standard engine / pump sets to provide btu to heat fracturing fluids before well injection , or prevent freezing of fw in cold climates . as depicted , flexibility is offered but maximizing btu efficiency increasing the purification flow rates is desired by raising the fluid temperature to just below vaporization in stage 1 whereas most of the exhaust can be directed through the adjustable valve increasing flow rates , with very little exhaust heat required to flash distill the fluids in stage 2 . stage 2 will encase a basin for the highly concentrated salt slurry to be captured and pumped to the pcu 100 . crystallized contaminates will also be removed by vibration or sonic waves from the exhaust tubes into the salt slurry to be processed within the pcu 100 . fig9 is a detailed view of the exhaust tubes within an exemplary embodiment of the engine exhaust heat exchanger . this figure provides detail of the entry point for the exhaust tubes , designed to minimize backpressure for the engine exhaust requirements . fig1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment for a fracturing and flow back water treatment system . a preparation and completion unit 100 is shown alongside the fracturing units 20 with optional steam turbine generators . an operations unit 200 is also shown with a plurality of holding tanks 300 . again , the use of containers similar to iso containers allows for stacking which can shrink the fe footprint to around ⅕ of an acre or less . fig1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment for an operations unit 200 . in this embodiment , the operations unit 200 preferably contains the following : a control module and laboratory 201 ; an electrical control room 202 which can be an electrical distribution module supplying over current protection whereas it receives electrical current from the electrical generator 32 of each fracturing unit 20 distributing and providing control of each pump system , conveyor system , chemical and sand blenders etc ; a nitrogen generator 203 , a tool room and optional hydrogen generator 204 , an optional office for a geologist / chemist 205 , an optional fuel tank 206 , an acid / chemical blender 207 , a hydration unit 8 , and a pump module 9 . all of these elements 201 - 209 are also preferably contained within an iso container or an enclosure which has dimensions similar to an iso container . fig1 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment for a fracturing and flow back water treatment system . again here , the fcfu 2 is placed close to the fracturing units 20 . the preparation and completion unit ( pcu ) 100 may be placed on either side of the wellheads as it may remain for months after the fracturing process is completed to continue to purify the fbw / pw flowing from the wells after fracturing is completed . the sand blender 475 module may be placed beside the fracturing units 20 and is being supplied by the sealed sand conveyor 450 sand tanks 325 for sand supply . distilled water tanks 375 may provide storage of distilled water upon completion of purification . the wellhead string and piping 500 may carry fbw / pw and gas to the pcu 100 for treatment . fig1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment for a fracturing and flow back water treatment system . fig1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment for a preparation and completion unit ( pcu ) 100 . a sulfur dioxide scrubber and gas compressor 101 may clean the natural gas of the fbw / pw before the ng is delivered to the engines 26 to supplement the diesel fuel . feeding the engines 26 with ng from tank 31 will also prevent raw methane from entering the atmosphere and put the methane to a productive use instead of flaring . a vessel 102 may store ng before entering the sulfur dioxide scrubber and gas compressor 101 for treatment . the pcu 100 may also contain a control module 103 for the pcu 100 , which controls and monitors the process . a salt slurry holding tank and a de - mineralization unit 104 may prepare for final completion of the recycling process . a smaller fcfu 105 may handle the flow rates of the pcu 100 with chemical holding tanks below it . the initial sealed tanks 106 may accept the fbw / pw so that sand will settle out of the fluid withdrawing the sand from the rear of the tank for recapture and use in the fracturing process . the tank 106 may incorporate a slanted v - shaped bottom to direct the sand to the outlet and may have a raised outlet to control fluid level , whereas the fluid will then enter a second tank 107 to then settle out large suspended solids being withdrawn from the rear of the tank to be hauled off for possible further treatment and disposal . tank 107 may also use an outlet whereby directing the fluid to centrifuge 108 for further removal of small suspended solids by centrifuge before delivering the cleaned water to the engines for engine cooling and purification . diesel or gas engine / generator sets 109 and 110 may supply power to the well site for completion activities and to supply heat for the completion unit 100 . the amount of generator sets may vary as the pcu 100 may be used as a temporary central processing facility in order to purify fbw / pw from other sites for the well developer or as a service for other developers without the exemplary embodiments herein , thereby lowering the cost of disposal for them and preventing injection back into the earth via class ii injection wells . the pcu 100 may also be on site prior to fracturing but during drilling activities providing site power while recycling drilling muds . fig1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment for a preparation and completion unit . fig1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment for a sand hopper and blending unit 475 . fig1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment for a sand hopper and blending unit 475 . the sand is brought in through the sand conveyor entrance 460 at the top of the sand hopper and blending unit 475 . the sand is dropped from the entrance 460 into the sand blending pumps 480 where the sand is mixed with the fracturing fluid entering one side of the module , moving through the blending pumps 480 , and exiting on the other side of the module for delivery to the fracturing pumps 22 . a pair of suction fans 490 may be used to create a vacuum that will pull air out of the unit 475 and 450 paired with a dust filter 495 to remove particulate that may be airborne , especially silica dust . the filters 495 may be cleaned by vibration , dropping the dust back into the sand . having shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention , those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to affect the described invention and still be within the scope of the claimed invention . additionally , many of the elements indicated above may be altered or replaced by different elements which will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention . it is the intention , therefore , to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims . | 5 |
referring to fig1 a conventional double - walled mold 2 is shown , comprising an outer section 4 and an inner section 6 . such mold may be used in casting a utility vault , burial vault , etc . a plurality of anchor type inserts 8 embodying the present invention is mounted in the mold section 6 on the concrete side thereof at locations where an anchor is desired . referring to fig2 and 5 , the insert 8 may be made of die cast metal , or any suitable strong plastic material that is relatively inexpensive . for example , mineral filled nylon , which will withstand at least 90 foot pounds of torque on the screw threads , has been found to be quite satisfactory and is the preferred material . the insert 8 may be injection molded or otherwise cast , and comprises a cylindrical body portion 10 surrounded by two transverse , pull - out resistant flanges 12 and 14 interconnected by reinforcing ribs 16 having edges that diverge in a direction from the flange 12 toward the flange 14 . the body portion 10 extends to the right beyond the flange 12 and is further reinforced by tapered ribs 18 aligned with the ribs 16 . the ribs 18 terminate short of the end 20 of the body 10 . the end 20 serves as a mold abutment surface . an integral prong 22 is spaced at its inner end from the end 20 of the body 10 by a groove 23 surrounding a thin frangible neck or breakaway ring 24 . the prong 22 is preferably cylindrical , as is best shown in fig4 and terminates in an outer end 25 . as is shown in fig6 the abutment surface or end 20 of the body portion 10 is larger in outside diameter than the prong 22 . a plurality of ridges or splines 26 is formed on the exterior of the prong 22 and extends for the full length thereof . the ends of the ridges adjacent the extremity 25 are beveled , as indicated at 28 , to facilitate insertion thereof in an undersized opening 30 in the mold 6 . while fig4 shows four ridges 26 , six , eight or any other suitable number can be provided , depending upon the size of the insert . in this connection , certain specific dimensions are given hereinafter as exemplary of an insert designed to receive a 1 / 2 inch ( 1 . 27 cm .) diameter cap screw , but it will be understood that the insert can be made to receive a bolt of any other size . the body portion 8 extends to the left beyond the flange 14 , as shown in fig2 . a rigid web 32 also extends toward the left from the flange 14 and has converging side edges that terminate in a flat end face or head 34 provided for a purpose described later . the web 32 has an opening 36 that is semicircular at its left extremity and terminates at its right extremity at the end of the extended portion of the body 10 . the radius of the semicircular portion is about 5 / 8 of an inch ( 1 . 585 cm .) so as to readily receive a 1 / 2 inch diameter ( 1 . 27 cm .) reinforcing bar therein . in the absence of a reinforcing bar in the opening 36 , concrete will fill the opening 36 and serve as a solid key adding resistance to pull - out . the internal structure of the insert 8 is best illustrated in fig5 wherefrom it will be noted that the body 10 has a plain cylindrical bore 38 extending thereinto to a point adjacent the zone of the flange 12 . a threaded bore 40 lies inwardly of the plain bore 38 . the frangible neck or breakaway ring 24 is relatively thin , thereby enabling the prong 22 to be readily broken away from the end 20 of the body 10 . the insert 8 is adapted to be used with a mold wall 6 having one or more openings 30 therein at a location or locations where it is desired to have an insert in the finished casting . the ridges 26 on the prong 22 are slightly oversized relative to the diameter of the opening 30 in the mold wall 6 . for example , the outside diameter of the ridges may be 0 . 650 inch ( 1 . 651 cm .) and the diameter of the opening 30 may be 0 . 625 inch ( 1 . 585 cm .) for a bolt thread size of 1 / 2 inch ( 1 . 27 cm .). further , the groove 23 has a width of 1 / 16 inch ( 0 . 1508 cm .) and the neck 24 has a radial thickness of 0 . 030 inch ( 0 . 0762 cm .). in order to mount the insert 8 in the mold wall 6 , the tapered end portion 25 of the insert is positioned in a preformed opening 30 and one or more hammer taps or blows are applied to the flat head portion 34 of the web 32 to drive the insert into the opening 30 until the body end 20 abuts the inner face of the mold . as the insert is driven into the opening 30 , the ridges 26 are compressed , or are &# 34 ; skinned &# 34 ; slightly , which makes them fit very tightly in the opening 30 , so that the insert 8 is firmly held and remains in place while the mold 2 is vibrated ( if desired ) and concrete is being poured into the mold . the prong 22 is also of relatively thin cross - section , and particularly when made of plastic material , will be contracted or compressed slightly while being forced into the opening 30 . it will be understood from the foregoing that considerable labor and time can be saved because of the fact that the insert 8 can be readily mounted in the form from the same side as that on which the concrete is to be poured . mounting of the insert can be effected by one workman , instead of two , as is required in many instances with prior insert structures . after the concrete has been poured into the mold 2 and has set , the inner section 6 of the mold 2 can be readily removed by partially collapsing it , i . e ., moving it a very slight distance away from the cast concrete , say , about 1 / 8 of an inch ( 0 . 317 cm . ), which is sufficient to separate the prong 22 from the body 10 of the insert by breaking the neck portion 24 . the casting can then be readily lifted out of the mold 2 . the prong 22 remains in the opening 30 in the mold 6 , but can be easily driven out with a drift pin , thereby rendering the mold 2 ready for immediate reuse . the separated prong is illustrated in fig8 and is discarded . fig6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a portion of a concrete body 42 in which an insert 8 has been embedded , and to which insert an angle iron 44 is shown attached by a cap screw 46 threaded into the bore 40 . for certain purposes , the insert 8 can be used without the prong 22 , in which event , the prong can be readily broken away from the body portion 10 by use of a suitable pry bar or by striking the prong with a hammer . fig7 illustrates a modified insert 8a from which the prong has been separated prior to mounting the same in a mold . the insert 8a differs from the insert 8 in that the flange 12 has been omitted . the insert 8a is shown in position with its end 20a in abutment with the inner face of a mold 6a , which may be a single - walled mold such as used in constructing building walls or foundations . a reinforcing bar 48 is shown extending through an opening 36a in a web 32a similar to the web 32 . in such instance , it is desirable to secure the insert 8a in position by a cap screw 50 . such mounting prevents the weight of the reinforcing bar 48 from tilting the insert 8a in the mold 6a , or causing the insert to be pulled out of its mounting opening , as might occur if a prong mounting were used . it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the design and proportions of the present insert and in the manner of mounting the same in a mold , without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the annexed claims . | 8 |
fig1 is a perspective diagram showing an example of a manufacturing apparatus of the present invention . a laser beam to be emitted is outputted from a laser oscillation device 103 ( a yag laser device , an excimer laser device , or the like ); the laser beam is transmitted through a first optical system 104 for changing a beam shape into a rectangular shape , a second optical system 105 for shaping , and a third optical system 106 for obtaining collimated beam ; and an optical path is inverted into a direction perpendicular to a substrate 100 by using a reflecting mirror 107 . then , the laser beam is transmitted through an electro - optical device 108 that regulates an area and a position which selectively transmit light , and a surface to be irradiated is irradiated with the laser beam . the electro - optical device 108 regulates an area and a position which transmit the laser beam by using a control device 116 such as a computer . by changing an electrical signal to be inputted to the electro - optical device 108 , the area and the position which transmit the laser beam are changed , and a region to be ablated is controlled . however , as the electro - optical device 108 , a device which can withstand the laser beam even when the laser beam is transmitted through the device is used . in fig1 , in order to downsize the manufacturing apparatus , the electro - optical device 108 has a rectangular shape approximately the same as the laser beam and is smaller than the substrate 100 . however , the present invention is not limited in particular , and the electro - optical device 108 may have the same size as the substrate 100 . the shape of a laser spot on an irradiated surface is preferably a rectangular shape or a linear shape , specifically a rectangular shape a short side of which may be 1 mm to 5 mm and a long side of which may be 10 mm to 50 mm . in the case of using an excimer laser with a pulse width of several tens of nanoseconds , an appropriate range of the excimer laser may lie within the range of the energy density of 1 j / cm 2 to 10 j / cm 2 . in addition , in the case of using a continuous wave laser , an energy density of 100 j / cm 2 at about 1 ms can be obtained ; therefore , it is necessary to set a condition as appropriate . if small aberration is desired , a laser spot may be a square of 5 mm × 5 mm to 50 mm × 50 mm . furthermore , in the case of using a large - sized substrate , a long side , of a laser spot is preferably in the range from 20 cm to 100 cm in order to shorten processing time . in addition , a plurality of laser oscillation devices and a plurality of optical systems which are shown in fig1 may be provided and a large - sized substrate may be processed in a short time . specifically , two electro - optical devices are provided above a substrate stage , and areas in one substrate may be separately processed by laser beam irradiation from a laser oscillation device corresponding to each electro - optical device . note that fig1 is an example , and the positional relationship of each optical system and the electro - optical device which are arranged in the optical path of the laser beam is not limited in particular . for example , when the laser oscillation device 103 is provided above the substrate 100 and is arranged so that the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillation device 103 is perpendicular to a substrate surface , a reflecting mirror is not necessarily used . in addition , as each optical system , a collective lens , a beam expander , a homogenizer , a polarizer , a slit , or the like may be used ; or these may be combined with each other . by two - dimensionally scanning the irradiation region of the laser beam on a surface to be irradiated as appropriate , irradiation is performed on a large area of a substrate . in order to perform scanning , the irradiation region of the laser beam and the substrate are relatively moved . here , scanning is performed with moving means ( not shown ) for moving a substrate stage 109 which holds the substrate in x and y directions . it is preferable that the control device 116 be interlocked so as to control the moving means for moving the substrate stage 109 in the x and y directions . in addition , it is preferable that the control device 116 be interlocked so as to control the laser oscillation device 103 . furthermore , it is preferable that the control device 116 be interlocked with a position alignment mechanism for recognizing a position marker . the irradiated body which is irradiated with the laser beam is a stack in which a first material layer 101 , a second material layer 114 , and a third material layer 115 are sequentially stacked over the substrate 100 . by ablating the second material layer 114 by laser beam irradiation , the second material layer 114 and the third material layer 115 are removed , or the first material layer 101 , the second material layer 114 , and the third material layer 115 are removed . note that the second material layer 114 is formed of a material in which an ablation is generated more easily than the first material layer 101 and the third material layer 115 , for example , a material which has a low boiling point or a low sublimation point , or a material which easily generates gas . in addition , heat - resistant metal is preferably used for the first material layer 101 ; for example , tungsten , tantalum , or the like is used . further , chromium ( boiling point of 2672 ° c . ), aluminum ( boiling point of 2467 ° c . ), or the like which is a material having a relatively low boiling point or a relatively low sublimation point is used for the second material layer . furthermore , an inorganic insulating film , for example , a silicon oxide film , a silicon oxynitride film , or the like is used for the third material layer . in the case where the substrate 100 is less subject to damage of the laser beam , or in the case where an energy density of the laser beam can be made small , the irradiated body is not limited to three layers , and the irradiated body may have two layers as well . here , fig2 a , 2 b and 2 c show states before and after laser ablation process in the case where the irradiated body has two layers . fig2 a is a perspective diagram showing a state before a laser ablation process . an electro - optical device 208 is provided above a substrate stage 209 , and a substrate 200 is provided over the substrate stage 209 . note that the electro - optical device 208 of fig2 a corresponds to the electro - optical device 108 of fig1 , and an optical system and a laser oscillation device are not illustrated in fig2 a for simplification . a first material layer 201 formed of an amorphous silicon film containing hydrogen and a second material layer 202 formed of a silicon oxynitride film are consecutively stacked over the substrate 200 by a pcvd method . first , after the position alignment of the substrate and the laser beam is performed , the substrate 200 provided with the stack is moved in a scanning direction 210 shown by an arrow in fig2 a . note that a region 211 shown by a dotted line in fig2 a shows a pattern position of the stack which is desired to be left after laser ablation , and data thereof is stored in a control device connected to the electro - optical device . next , a laser beam 212 is scanned , and a laser ablation process is selectively performed with the electro - optical device 208 . fig2 b is a perspective diagram showing a state during the laser ablation process . here , an example is shown , in which a linear - shaped laser beam is used for collectively processing the substrate and a long side of the laser beam is approximately equal to the size of one side of the substrate . when the amorphous silicon film containing hydrogen is irradiated with the laser beam , an ablation is easily generated by degasification , and the second material layer 202 thereover is removed together with the amorphous silicon film . the laser beam 212 transmitted through a transmission portion of the electro - optical device 208 removes the stack , and a region shielded from light by a light shielding portion of the electro - optical device 208 is left to form a stack pattern . note that the light shielding portion of the electro - optical device 208 is not required to completely block light , and the light shielding portion of the electro - optical device 208 may weaken at least the intensity of the laser beam so that an irradiated region is prevented from being ablated . here , the laser beam 212 is scanned , while an electrical signal to be inputted to the electro - optical device 208 with the control device is changed based on design data , and the light shielding portion of the electro - optical device 208 and the transmission portion thereof are changed . next , termination of the laser ablation process is determined with the position alignment mechanism which recognizes an end surface of the substrate or the position marker , so that emission of the laser beam of the laser oscillation device is stopped , or laser irradiation on the substrate is terminated with a shutter . fig2 c is a perspective diagram showing this stage . as shown in fig2 c , an island - shaped first material layer 213 and an island - shaped second material layer 214 can be formed over the substrate 200 by just performing the laser ablation process . the island - shaped first material layer 213 is an amorphous silicon film containing hydrogen , and an amorphous silicon tft in which the island - shaped first material layer 213 serves as an active layer can be formed . in addition , in order to reduce the size of the island - shaped first material layer 213 , the island - shaped second material layer 214 may be used as a mask , and wet etching may be performed . note that fig2 c shows the example showing two patterns for making the diagram easy to understand ; however , in the case where semiconductor devices are actually mass - produced , innumerable patterns are formed over one substrate . in addition , when a chromium film is used for the first material layer 201 and a silicon oxynitride film is used for the second material layer 202 , a stack having a desired shape can be left by similarly performing a laser ablation process . this process is referred to as a lapp ( laser ablation patterning process ). a chromium film formed in this way can be used as a wiring . in this manner , by using the manufacturing apparatus shown in fig1 , patterning of a semiconductor layer or patterning of a wiring can be performed without using a photomask . therefore , a part or all of a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device can be performed without using a photomask . a main surface of the substrate is not limited to being provided in a direction parallel to a horizontal plane , and the main surface of the substrate may be provided obliquely or perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal plane . a laser beam can be scanned while a main surface of a large - sized substrate remains oblique by setting design of an optical system or a substrate transport system , as appropriate . when the main surface of the substrate is oblique or perpendicular with respect to the horizontal plane , the footprint of a manufacturing apparatus can be reduced further . in addition , when a device capable of film formation in a state that the main surface of the substrate is obliquely or perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal plane , for example , a sputtering apparatus or the like is connected to the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention , substrate transport can be smoothly performed and a film formation process ( a sputtering process ) and a film processing process ( an ablation process ) can be consecutively performed . in this embodiment mode , an example will be described , in which a plurality of electro - optical devices is provided in an optical path of a laser beam from a laser oscillation device in fig3 . a laser beam to be emitted is outputted from a laser oscillation device 303 ( a yag laser device , an excimer laser device , or the like ); the laser beam is transmitted through a first optical system 304 for changing a beam shape into a rectangular shape , a second optical system 305 for shaping , and a third optical system 306 for obtaining collimated beam ; and after the laser beam transmitted through a first electro - optical device 308 a , an optical path is inverted into a direction perpendicular to a substrate 300 by using a reflecting mirror 307 . then , the laser beam is transmitted through a second electro - optical device 308 b and a third electro - optical device 308 c , and a surface to be irradiated is irradiated with the laser beam . the first electro - optical device 308 a , the second electro - optical device 308 b , and the third electro - optical device 308 c can separately regulate an area and a position which selectively transmit light . by using a plurality of electro - optical devices , an area and a position which transmit the laser beam can be controlled with high precision . for example , a transmission type liquid crystal element in which liquid crystal shutters are arranged in matrix of 120 × 30 is used as the second electro - optical device 308 b , and a transmission type liquid crystal element in which liquid crystal shutters are arranged in a matrix of 1024 × 768 is used as the third electro - optical device 308 c , so that an area to be shielded from light can be shared . specifically , the second electro - optical device 308 b and the third electro - optical device 308 c can be combined with each other in such a way that shielding is performed in a large area , which is desired to be shielded from light , of design patterns by using the second electro - optical device 308 b , and that shielding is performed in a small area and a position , which are desired to be shielded from light precisely , of design patterns by using the third electro - optical device 308 c . since distance is close to the laser oscillation device and laser beam intensity is higher than that of the other electro - optical devices , a plzt element is preferably used for the first electro - optical device 308 a . the plzt element can control a shutter at higher speed than the liquid crystal element . in this way , different kinds of electro - optical devices can be combined . the three electro - optical devices regulate an area and a position which transmit the laser beam by using a control device 316 such as a computer . by changing each electrical signal to be inputted to the three electro - optical devices , the area and the position which transmit the laser beam are changed , and a region to be ablated is controlled . similarly to the manufacturing apparatus described in embodiment mode 1 , by two - dimensionally scanning the irradiation region of the laser beam on a surface to be irradiated as appropriate , irradiation is performed on a large area of a substrate . in order to perform scanning , the irradiation region of the laser beam and the substrate are relatively moved . here , scanning is performed with moving means ( not shown ) for moving a substrate stage 309 which holds the substrate in the x and y directions . it is preferable that the control device 316 be interlocked so as to control the moving means for moving the substrate stage 309 in the x and y directions . in addition , it is preferable that the control device 316 be interlocked so as to control the laser oscillation device 303 . furthermore , it is preferable that the control device 316 be interlocked so as to control the reflecting mirror 307 . the irradiated body which is irradiated with the laser beam is a stack in which a first material layer 301 , a second material layer 314 , and a third material layer 315 are sequentially stacked over the substrate 300 . by ablating the second material layer 314 by laser beam irradiation , the second material layer 314 and the third material layer 315 are removed , or the first material layer 301 , the second material layer 314 , and the third material layer 315 are removed . note that the second material layer 314 is fowled of a material in which an ablation is generated more easily than the first material layer 301 and the third material layer 315 , for example , a material which has a low boiling point or a low sublimation point , or a material which easily generates gas . in the case where the substrate 300 is less subject to damage of the laser beam , or in the case where an energy density of the laser beam can be made small , the irradiated body is not limited to three layers , and the irradiated body may have two layers as well . fig3 shows the example in which the three electro - optical devices are used . however , the number of electro - optical devices is not limited in particular as long as a laser ablation process is possible , and two electro - optical devices may be used or four or more electro - optical devices may be used as well . in addition , each size of the three electro - optical devices can be varied ; in that case , a magnifying lens , a projection lens , a reducing glass , or the like may be arranged in an optical path of the laser beam , as appropriate . in addition , this embodiment mode can be freely combined with embodiment mode 1 . in this embodiment mode , an example will be described , in which a dmd is arranged in an optical path of a laser beam . light from a laser oscillation device is shaped into a rectangular laser beam by an optical system , and delivered to the dmd . in the dmd , the light is reflected only by a micromirror at a predetermined position , out of micromirrors arranged in matrix , and led to a surface to be processed . the position of each micromirror in this dmd is controlled by a control device such as a computer . a pattern of an irradiation region over the surface to be processed is controlled based on design data inputted to the control device , and a laser ablation process is performed with respect to the irradiation region . in order to perform the above - described laser ablation process , by using a collective lens , a beam expander , a homogenizer , a slit , a polarizer , or the like as appropriate , an optical system may be designed and the dmd may be arranged . since the dmd does not transmit a laser beam but reflects it , the dmd is useful because damage caused by the laser beam is small and loss of energy is small , compared with the transmission type liquid crystal element . however , it is preferable to design an optical system so as not to ablate a reflective material of the micromirror by laser beam irradiation , or it is preferable to use a reflective material which is difficult to be ablated for the micromirror . in addition , this embodiment mode can be freely combined with embodiment mode 1 and embodiment mode 2 . for example , when this embodiment mode is combined with embodiment mode 2 , reflection is selectively performed by using the dmd instead of the reflecting mirror 307 , and a laser ablation can be performed with the laser beam transmitted through the electro - optical device 308 a . in this case , it is preferable that the dmd be controlled by the control device 316 as well as the electro - optical device . since space for a resist coater , a waste disposal apparatus of a resist material , and a stepper is not required , a footprint can be reduced , and a small manufacturing apparatus can be realized . the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be used as a manufacturing apparatus of a display device such as a liquid crystal display , a plasma display , or an el display ; or as a manufacturing apparatus of a semiconductor integrated circuit . that is , the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be used instead of a conventional photolithography process which has been widely used as a fine processing technique of a semiconductor device and a display device . this application is based on japanese patent application serial no . 2006 - 229744 filed in japan patent office on aug . 25 , 2006 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . | 1 |
the invention is directed to hybrid inflatable bodies comprising opposing flexible panel portions sealed at a common perimeter thereof , and having valve means for selectively allowing fluid ingress and egress between the environment and a chamber substantially defined by inner surfaces of the flexible panels . such inflatable bodies further comprise a core that is selectively bonded to the inner surfaces of the panel portions , characterized in that the bodies have a reduced bonded area to non - bonded area ratios and / or have elongate extending air channels extending through the inflatable body . as used herein , a panel bonded area is that area of a panel that is bonded to the core , which functions as a displacement restraining means or tensile element . for purposes of this disclosure and particularly in this respect , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 872 , 525 issued to lea , et al . is referenced for background purposes and is incorporated herein by reference . additionally , elongate extending air channels are characterized as core - free channels bounded , at least in part , by opposing panels of the inflatable body ( i . e ., non - bonded areas ) that extend in a transverse direction ( i . e ., normal to anticipated user - initiated compressive forces ). in many preferred embodiments , the core is comprised of an open cell foam , such as an expanded or foamed polyurethane . the reduced panel bonded area characteristics of various invention embodiments may be achieved through the use of channelized cores . channelization in some embodiments comprises deriving two unitary cores from a single slab of core material such as foam , and in other embodiments channelization comprises deriving non - unitary cores from a single half slab of core material , while in still other embodiment channelization comprises deriving at least one unitary core and at least one part of a non - unitary core from a single slab of core material ( as well as several non - unitary cores in addition to the unitary core ). as used herein , the term “ non - unitary ” means a core structure comprising a plurality of discrete core elements that , when integrated into an inflatable body , constitute a singular core . for embodiments wherein a single slab yields two unitary cores , a preferred core geometry is one characterized as having a root or spine portion from which extend a plurality of ribs , wherein the ribs partially define future elongate extending air channels when the core is integrated with the opposing panel portions , as previously described . by slitting or otherwise cutting such a core from a slab , it is possible to create a second core by limiting the distance of rib extensions , i . e ., prior to reaching the opposing side of the slab . in this case , removal of the ribs from a first core from the slab forms the channels of a second core and vice versa . the result is a pair of cores that have three substantially contiguous sides and a highly variegated side ( i . e ., the rib terminating side or side opposite the root / spine — hereinafter “ the terminal side ”). since symmetry is preferred about the medial sagittal plane ( lateral symmetry ), the ribs preferably extend longitudinally in an elongate inflatable body , which then places the root / spine - terminal side asymmetry in the longitudinal direction . in the art of mattress pads , the terminal side may advantageously form an integrated pillow for a user , for reasons that will be described in greater detail below . for embodiments wherein a half slab yields a single core , a preferred geometry is one characterized as having a mirrored geometry , such as a medial sagittal plane mirror ( laterally symmetrical ). in such embodiments , a root / spine and rib arrangement is created , however , the direction of rib extension in the core is preferably lateral as opposed to longitudinal if the slab is not symmetrical in both x and y axes , and by implication , the root / spine extends longitudinally . in some embodiments , the root / spines are centrally ( medially ) located within the inflatable body while in other embodiments , they are peripherally ( laterally ) located . the use of channelized foam cores not only results in inflatable bodies having decreased densities over equivalent sized conventional foam core self - inflating bodies , but also notable increases compactability . moreover , the presence of elongate extending air channels permits localized “ ballooning ” of the opposing panel portions , thereby increasing the sectional thickness of the inflatable body thereat , and often time perceived user comfort . because this ballooning effect is only present at the air channels , which are necessarily at least partially defined by the foam core , their location , frequency , geometry ( rectilinear , curvilinear , or combinations thereof ), the characteristics of each air channel can all be precisely established . with respect to the variegated side of certain foam core embodiments , the comparatively unbonded portion of the inflatable body thereat will balloon to a greater degree than other perimeter portions of the inflatable body and conveniently form a pillow - like structure . because a comparatively large portion of the opposing panels are not bonded to the foam core in view of the prior art , which results in material panel distension , the edges of the foam cores - panel interfaces thereat are subjected to greater shear or peeling forces . additionally , the previously noted ballooning effect imparts greater tension forces in the foam care , particularly adjacent to the elongate extending air channels . as a consequence , a high tensile strength open cell foam material is preferably used and / or consideration is given to core thickness versus channel widths . to increase the thermal performance of inflatable bodies according to the invention embodiments , the inner surfaces of the panels that form the inflatable body can be aluminized or otherwise treated with a radiant energy reflective treatment . additionally , serpentine films or “ gapped ” films can be disposed between the foam core and panels to decrease convective heat transfer . these films can also be treated with a radiant energy reflective treatment to further limit radiant heat transfer . for purposes of this patent , the terms “ area ”, “ boundary ”, “ part ”, “ portion ”, “ surface ”, “ zone ”, and their synonyms , equivalents and plural forms , as may be used herein and by way of example , are intended to provide descriptive references or landmarks with respect to the article and / or process being described . these and similar or equivalent terms are not intended , nor should be inferred , to delimit or define per se elements of the referenced article and / or process , unless specifically stated as such or facially clear from the several drawings and / or the context in which the term ( s ) is / are used . fig1 is a plan view of a resilient foam slab 100 after having been die cut to form two unitary mattress pad cores 110 , 120 according to a first embodiment of the invention ( for clarity , waste material produced in forming the pad cores is not illustrated ). fig2 is a plan view of a pad core 110 produced from the slab 100 illustrated in fig1 . core 110 has longitudinal ribs 130 defining channels 140 extending from an open end 150 to a closed end 160 thereof . fig3 shows the core 110 of fig2 within an envelope 300 defined by an inflatable body , wherein the ribs 130 of the core have been adhesively bonded to the inner surfaces of the envelope ( for clarity , only the perimeter of the inflatable body is shown ). fig4 is a plan view of a resilient foam slab 400 after having been die cut to form two half cores 410 , 420 used to assemble a single non - unitary mattress pad core 500 ( fig5 ) according to a second embodiment of the invention ( for clarity , waste material produced in forming the pad cores is not illustrated ). fig5 is a plan view of core 500 when the two half cores 410 , 420 are configured and assembled for use , particularly by positioning the closed medial sides ( edges ) of the half cores adjacent to each other . each half core 410 , 420 has lateral sinusoidal ribs 510 defining channels 520 extending from a lateral open side to a closed medial side thereof when the cores are configured and assembled for use . fig6 is a perspective view of the configured and assembled core shown in fig5 . fig7 is a perspective view of a resilient foam slab 700 after having been die cut to form two half cores 710 , 720 used to assemble a single non - unitary mattress pad core 800 ( fig8 ) according to a third embodiment of the invention , ( for clarity , waste material produced in forming the pad cores is not illustrated ). fig8 is an exploded perspective view of a non - unitary core 800 when the two half cores 710 , 720 of fig7 have been separated and just prior to linkage of the ribs 810 , 820 that define lateral channels 830 extending from a medial open side to a closed lateral side thereof when the cores are configured and assembled for use . ribs 810 , 820 include recessed female portions 840 and male portions 850 . male portion 850 is configured to couple with a corresponding female portion 840 . fig9 illustrates an alternative - geometry pad core 900 formed from a unitary foam slab , the ribs 910 ( and consequently the channels 920 ) of which have a sinusoidal form . fig1 illustrates an alternative - geometry pad core 1000 formed from a unitary foam slab , the ribs 1010 ( and consequently the channels 1020 ) of which have a sinusoidal form . core 1000 differs from core 900 insofar as the channels 1020 formed by the ribs 1010 do not extend from one lateral side to the other lateral side . fig1 is a plan view of a rule dies for creating a fourth embodiment of the invention , whereby a unitary mattress core is created from a single slab of core material in addition to partial cuts for two other unitary mattress cores or two half cores for a non - unitary mattress core . fig1 shows the resulting cut pattern of the rule die of fig1 when applied to either a single slab of core material and twice cut to form three unitary cores and two half cores , or to two slabs of core material and each single cut to yield two unitary cores and two non - unitary cores . fig1 is a cross section in perspective of an inflatable mattress according to the first embodiment and generally shown in fig3 , wherein the unbonded panels comprising the envelope of the inflatable body are allowed to displace upon inflation of the body . fig1 shows a derivative embodiment to that of fig1 wherein a thermal film barrier 1400 is established intermediate the outer panel and the inner channel , and is kept open at an end of the mattress for proper inflation to form a gapped barrier . fig1 illustrates a construction step for introducing a serpentine metalized film within the channels defined by the mattress core . fig1 illustrates a construction step subsequent to that of fig1 , wherein the outer panels that comprise the mattress envelope are adhered to the core and film to form bi - layer channels . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of the this invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 0 |
to achieve the desired performance improvement the present invention employs a network accelerator device ( net accel ) 14 at each end of a constrained wide area network ( wan ) connection . in the example in fig1 , improved communication is to be provided between a first or local area network ( lan ) 11 - 1 and a second lan 11 - 2 . the respective lans 11 each consist of a number of client computing devices located at network end nodes such as devices 10 - 1 - 1 , 10 - 1 - 2 , . . . 10 - 1 - m that comprise the first lan 11 - 1 , and similar client devices located at nodes 10 - 2 - 1 , 10 - 2 - 2 , . . . 10 - 2 - n located within the second lan 11 - 2 . it is important to note that the devices herein referred to as the “ clients ” 10 are unaware that their traffic is being communicated via the network accelerators 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 . traffic passing through the network accelerators 14 is compressed in a way in which is transparent to the end nodes 10 while achieving the required bandwidth reduction . the manner of implementing this will be described in detail shortly . in general , clients 10 - 1 associated with first lan 11 - 1 connect one or more switches 12 - 1 to the network accelerator 14 - 1 to a router 16 - 1 . router 16 - 1 has available connections to the second lan 11 - 2 through a private wan 20 that may , for example , be internet protocol ( ip ) based . the second lan 11 - 2 similarly consists of a router 16 - 2 , network accelerator , 14 - 2 switches 12 - 2 and associated clients or nodes 10 - 2 . the network accelerators 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 provide a proxy server for connections established between the respective lans 11 that they serve . thus , as shown in fig2 , from the perspective of client 10 - 1 - 1 and 10 - 2 - 2 , they have directly established a connection in the usual way and the existence of the proxy connection is entirely transparent to them . the implementation of such a proxy is done with known address spoofing techniques to assure transparency . referring now to fig3 as well as fig1 , consider that one of the clients 101 - 1 in the first lan 11 - 1 , known as machine a , wishes to establish a connection with another client 10 - 2 - 2 in the second lan 11 - 2 , known as machine b . the interaction of the main components of the system will now be described in detail . in a first step 100 , a connection request packet is transmitted from machine a . the connection requests that a connection be established between machine a and machine b . the connection request may , for example , specify port x for machine a and port y for machine b . at the tcp level , the connection request may take the form of a syn message . in the next step 102 , the network accelerator 14 - 1 associated with the first lan 11 - 1 is the first to intercept the connection request . it completes the connection request with machine a by spoofing machine b . for example , a response by network accelerator 14 - 1 is provided to machine a using the destination address and port specified in the intercepted connection address , and replying to machine a with a proxy acknowledgement in such a way as to fool machine a into thinking it is connecting directly to machine b when in fact it is not . this interception is performed by a proxy application running on the network accelerator as will be described in connection with fig4 . the proxy application running on network accelerator 14 - 1 then assigns one of the persistent connections it has with the network accelerator 14 - 2 to handle the connection requested by machine a . this can be done through the process beginning at state 104 . for example , a determination can first be made by network accelerator 14 - 1 if port y is reachable through an available persistent connection . if so , the existing connection with the second network accelerator 14 - 2 associated with the second lan 11 - 2 will be discovered , and the connection request by machine a will be associated with this existing persistent connection . if , however , no suitable persistent connection already exists , then a state 106 is entered in which a new persistent connection will be requested and established between network accelerators 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 . this can be accomplished by passing connection request messages through the network that discover other compatible network accelerator 14 . in the next state 108 , once the new persistent connection is established a determination is made whether or not a persistent connection has already been established for the same traffic type . if the answer is yes , then a copy of the existing compression dictionary for that persistent connection will be assigned to handle the new connection in state 110 . in any event , processing next continues to a state 112 where the new connection information is passed in a message between network accelerator 14 - 1 and network accelerator 14 - 2 . the information defines the characteristics of the desired connection between machine a and machine b . in state 114 , network accelerator 14 - 2 finally receives a connection request . in response , it then sends its own connection request to machine b on its local lan 14 - 2 . this connection request is established at port y using a source address for machine a and source port x . thus , network accelerator 2 also spoofs its connection to machine b at its local end . with the end to end connection now set up through the proxies associated with network accelerators 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 , lan packets may now travel between machine a and machine b through the proxies provided by network accelerators 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 . all packets related to established connections are intercepted by a network accelerator 14 and rerouted to a proxy application running on it . the proxy application compresses the rerouted data using a dictionary assigned to the persistent connection that the data belongs to . the compressed data is then sent to the remote network accelerator at the other end of the proxy connection . the proxy running on the remote network accelerator decompresses the received stream , and then sends it to the corresponding client using the source and destination address and ports that it has for this connection . if the clients 10 are using datagram protocol ( udp ), the traffic is handled in a slightly different way . generally , it is desirable if udp packets are intercepted and compressed as explained above . however , they are preferably retransmitted between the network accelerators via a suitable persistent tcp connection . moreover , it is possible to parse some udp - based protocols , such as rtsp , in order to obtain information that can facilitate compression . fig4 is a high - level software diagram for implementation of the invention . an ip packet routing module within each network accelerator 14 performs packet redirection functions on incoming lan packets . these are passed through ip and tcp layers , redirecting the packets to a proxy application 200 . the proxy application 200 may access the rerouted data via standard socket api calls . the proxy application then receives , compresses and redirects data to an appropriate proxy connection ( as was described in connection with the steps 104 through 114 in fig3 .) on the receiver side , compressed data is fed out from the proxy application , back down through the protocol layers to provide the outgoing proxy packets . the system therefore consists of at least two network accelerators 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 with one positioned at each end of a wide area network ( wan ) link . the wan link provides available persistent connections between network accelerator machines 14 . in order for each remote network accelerator to be informed of the characteristics of the connection it is dealing , a proxy - to - proxy protocol is employed . information transmitted via this proxy - to - proxy protocol includes at least the original transport protocol i . e ., information as to whether or not the original protocol is tcp or udp , original addresses and parts , start and end points for data and any possible error conditions . in addition , packet “ mangling ” techniques are used so that all packets originating from a network - computing device to its local lan are spoofed to reflect the characteristics of the original connection . thus machine a is at all times of the impression that it communicating directly with machine b , and vise versa . the existence of the network accelerators 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 completely unknown to machines a or machines b . in addition , both a and b are not aware that compression algorithms are employed . in the preferred embodiment , the compression scheme used is a variation of lz77 and huffman coding compression algorithms . the original lz77 algorithm is described in a paper by ziv j ., et al ., “ a universal algorithm for sequential data compression ,” ieee transactions on information theory , vol . it - 23 ( 1979 ) pp . 337 – 343 , although variants thereof can be used . the huffman coding compression algorithm is described in “ a method for the construction of minimal redundancy codes ,” proceedings of the ire , vol . 40 , ( 1952 ), pp . 1098 – 1101 , although again , variants can be used in a preferred embodiment , compression occurs as follow data is first compressed using an lz77 algorithm . this algorithm uses a persistent compression dictionary associated with a persistent connection assigned to transfer the data . in the next step , a huffman coding algorithm is then applied to the results the first step . if the results of the previous steps exceed the size of the original data , then the original data is sent as is . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims . | 7 |
embodiments of the present invention include a system and method for long playback of short recordings . a device records a sound ( e . g ., audio ), such as a person &# 39 ; s voice , a musical instrument , etc ., for a short period time , for example , 20 seconds , and plays that recording back repeatedly , on a loop , for a long period of time . each iteration of the playback loop is as long as the actual recording so that there are no periods of silence between iterations . a digital recording device 101 may be installed into a plush toy . fig1 depicts an exemplary digital recording device 101 for installation in a plush toy . the digital recording device 101 records audio for any length of time up to a maximum of t2 seconds . t2 may be set in the software of the digital recording device 101 , and may be , for example , 10 , 20 , 30 , etc . seconds . the digital recording device 101 may then playback the recording for a longer time period , up to t1 minutes . t1 may be set in the software of the digital recording device 101 , and may be , for example , 30 minutes or shorter / longer . the playback is the recorded audio being repeated up to the maximum time ( t1 ), or until playback is stopped by a user . when the digital recording device 101 is installed into a plush toy , wires may be sewn in the plush toy , and the digital recording device 101 may be operated using buttons on the outside of the plush toy . alternatively , the buttons may be integrated with the plush toy . buttons used for operating the digital recording device 101 may include a volume up button 102 , a volume down button 103 , a record button 104 , and a play / stop button 105 . the digital recording device 101 includes control circuits 106 , which may include any suitable microprocessor , power management circuitry , sound processing circuitry , memory management , and other circuitry . the control circuits 106 are connected to a microphone 107 , a speaker 108 , and a memory module 109 . audio is recorded using the microphone 107 and stored on the memory module 109 . the control circuits 106 uses the speaker 108 to play back audio or sounds recorded on the memory module 109 . alternatively , a digital recording from another digital or analog playing device can be stored in the memory of the device 101 via an interface . the digital recording device 101 may be powered by a battery 110 . alternatively , the digital recording device 101 may be powered by a wall outlet . fig2 depicts an exemplary procedure for recording . in block 201 , a record button is pressed and held down . in block 202 , a beep or other sound is generated after the record button has been held down for a certain time period , such as , for example , 3 seconds . the beep or other sound signals the start of recording . this time period between the pushing of the record button and the start of recording may prevent accidental operation of the recording , for example , by a baby using the plush toy , thus erasing previous recording . in block 203 , the digital recording device 101 records audio using the microphone . in block 204 , a time counter is incremented during the recording . in block 205 , if the record button is still held down , flow proceeds back to block 203 , where recording of the audio continues . if the record button has been released , flow proceeds to block 206 , where the recording of the audio is stopped . in block 207 , the time counter is checked . if the time counter has equaled or exceeded the maximum recording length , for example , as set by t2 , flow proceeds to block 206 , where the recording of the audio is stopped . otherwise , flow proceeds to block 203 , where recording of the audio continues . the recording may be stopped by either block 204 or block 205 . in block 206 , the recording is stopped , and a beep or other sound may be generated to signal the end of recording . fig3 depicts another exemplary procedure for recording . in block 301 , a record button is pressed and released . blocks 202 , 203 , 204 , 206 and 207 operate as described in conjunction with fig2 . in block 302 , if the record button is pressed again , flow proceeds to block 206 , where the recording of the audio is stopped . otherwise , flow proceeds back to block 203 , and recording continues . fig4 depicts an exemplary procedure for long playback of a short recording . in block 401 , a play / stop button is pressed and released . in block 402 , the digital recording device 101 plays the recorded audio , for example , as recorded according to the procedures described in conjunction with fig2 or fig3 . when the playback reaches the end of the recording , which may be identified by when the recording was stopped , rather than the maximum length allowed for recording , playback may immediately start over from the beginning of the recording . for example , if the maximum recording length is 30 seconds , but the recording is 20 seconds long , and playback proceeds for 10 minutes , then the recording may be played back 30 times instead of 20 . in block 403 , a time counter is incremented during playback of the recording . in block 404 if the play / stop button has not been pressed and released again , flow proceeds back to block 402 , where playback continues . if the play / stop button has been pressed and released , flow proceeds to block 406 , thereby stopping the playback of the audio . in block 405 , the time counter is checked . if the time counter has equaled or exceeded the maximum playback length , for example , as set by t1 , flow proceeds to block 406 , stopping the playback of the audio . otherwise , flow proceeds to block 402 , where playback of the audio continues . the playback may be stopped by either block 404 or block 405 . the digital recording device 101 may also use a repetition counter in place of , or in conjunction with the time counter . the repetition counter may be used to count the number of times the recording has been played back . the digital recording device 101 may be set up to stop playback of the recording when the recording has been played back some preset number of times , causing the repetition counter to exceed a maximum preset number of playbacks . the digital recording device 101 may be used to record any sound , song or voice message without the limitation of a prerecorded background sound . new sounds or messages may be recorded on top of older sounds or messages , thereby replacing them . alternatively , the digital recording device 101 may remove previously recorded audio prior to recording new audio . in this manner , the digital recording device 101 ensures that no previous audio remains in memory in instances where the new audio has a shorter duration than previously recorded audio . the digital recording device 101 may operate without external accessories such as , for example , cables or an internet connection . alternatively , the digital recording device 101 may include a connection to the internet and / or a connection to another device . the internet connection may enable a user to record audio from a website or an application . for instance , remote users may be able to record or otherwise transmit audio for storage in the memory of the digital recording device 101 . the connection to another device enables audio to be recorded or received from that device . for instance , a user may transmit or otherwise store computer generated audio to a memory of the digital recording device 101 . the digital recording device 101 may be installed in any suitable item . for example , the digital recording device 101 may be installed in a plush toy , as described , or in plastic toys , mattresses , books , mobiles , and bracelets . it will be appreciated that all of the disclosed methods described herein can be implemented using one or more computer programs or components . these components may be provided as a series of computer instructions on any conventional computer - readable medium , including ram , rom , flash memory , magnetic or optical disks , optical memory , or other storage media . the instructions may be configured to be executed by a processor , which when executing the series of computer instructions performs or facilitates the performance of all or part of the disclosed methods and procedures . it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the example embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages . it is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims . | 7 |
fig8 illustrates a formable hockey stick blade 10 constructed in accordance with the invention . as used herein , the word “ formable ” means that the blade 10 can be heated and softened for shaping it to a selected curvature . the blade 10 is formable when heated to a temperature exceeding the glass transition point of the thermoplastic material used for making the blade 10 . in fact , the temperature must be sufficiently high in order to bring the thermoplastic material to its amorphous form . the temperature increment can range between 25 ° f . and 50 ° f . above the glass transition point temperature . the glass transition point temperature of the thermoplastic - fibers matrix may be between 280 ° f . and 320 ° f . moreover , since a thermoplastic material is used for making the blade 10 , the blade 10 is also “ reformable ” i . e . it can be heated , softened and shaped a couple of times without suffering any substantial basic alteration in its properties . the blade 10 comprises a shank 18 , a heel section 20 and a blade element 22 . the heel section 20 is located at the junction of the shank 18 and the blade element 22 . the shank 18 comprises a tenon 24 adapted to be inserted into a hollow hockey stick shaft made of aluminum , composite or graphite . the blade element 22 comprises a top edge 26 , a tip edge 28 and a bottom edge 30 . referring to fig1 and 9 , the blade 10 comprises a foam core 12 extending along a longitudinal axis a - a . the foam core 12 has the general shape of a hockey stick blade . the foam core 12 comprises a first portion 14 located above and aligned with a second portion 16 . the first and second portions 14 , 16 are dimensioned such as to have the shape of a blade when aligned with one another . the first and second portions 14 , 16 are made of expandable foam . for example , the first and second portions 14 , 16 may be made of a closed - cell polymethacrymilide foam sold by rohacell under the number 200wf , this foam having a poisson ratio of 0 . 33 . the poisson ratio is the ratio of lateral strain to the longitudinal strain for a given material subjected to a uniform longitudinal stress with a proportional limit . other suitable foam will be the rc 51 wf , rc 71 wf , rc 110 wf , rc 300 wf , foams sold by rohacell and having respective poisson ratios of 0 . 34 , 0 . 37 , 0 . 37 and 0 . 38 . the first and second portions 14 , 16 may be made of a closed - cell polyetherimid foam sold under the name airex r82 . the first and second portions 14 , 16 may also be made of a styrene acrylo nitrile thermoplastic foam produced by atc chemical corporation under the name corce - cell t and having a density of around 5 . 0 to 5 . 6 lbs / cubic . the first and second portions 14 , 16 form the blade element of the foam core 12 and may further comprise respective shank portions 32 , 34 defining the core of the shank 18 , these shank portions 32 , 34 comprising respective tenon portions 36 , 38 . the shank portions 32 , 34 generally extend upwardly and rearwardly from the heel section 20 . hence , the core 12 comprises the first portion 14 with its shank portion 32 and the second portion 16 with its shank portion 34 . it is understood that the core may comprise first and second portions that do not comprise respective first and second shank portions . in fact , the first and second portions of the core may be confined to the blade element of the hockey stick blade ( from the heel section to the tip edge ) and the shank may be a separate component that is joined to the blade element . for example , the shank may be made of wood and comprises a groove in which a tongue portion provided on the blade element is inserted for joining together both components . as shown in fig2 , a first fibers braid 40 is wrapped over the first portion 14 and a second fibers braid 42 is wrapped over the second portion 16 . as shown in fig3 , third and fourth fibers braid 44 , 46 are wrapped over the respective first and second fibers braids 40 , 42 of the first and second portions 14 , 16 . as shown in fig4 , a fifth fibers braid 48 is wrapped over the third and fourth fibers 44 , 46 of the first and second portions 14 , 16 such as to realize a preformed blade 50 as shown in fig5 . note that the preformed blade 50 comprises the foam core 12 and the fibers braids covering that foam core and is a “ preformed ” blade since it has to be placed in a mold in order to manufacture and form a formable blade such as the blade 10 . the fibers braids are expandable so as to conform to the shape of the first and second portions 14 , 16 and are made of woven fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers , glass fibers , kevlar fibers , ceramic fibers , boron fibers , quartz fibers , spectra fibers , polyester fibers and polyethylene fibers . the fibers are pre - impregnated with a thermoplastic material such as nylon or polypropylene . examples of suitable materials are the pre - impregnated fibers braid sold under the name hexcel towflex tf - cn6 - 100 ( matrix of nylon 6 ) and the pre - impregnated fibers braid sold under the name schappe tpfl - carbon pa12 ( matrix of nylon 12 ). the fibers braids may be made of fibers crossing at 45 °. however , any other fibers crossing at between 30 ° and 60 ° may be used . unidirectional fiber braids may also be used . note that the foam core 12 and the fibers braids should have similar processing temperatures . in other words , the softening point of the thermoplastic - fibers matrix should be similar to the softening point of the foam . as shown in fig7 , the preformed blade 50 is afterwards inserted in a mold in order to manufacture the formable blade 10 . at that point , the mold may be at a temperature of about 420 ° f . it is understood that the mold may be heated before or after the the introduction of the preformed blade 50 in the mold or it may remain at a steady temperature during the entire process . heat is therefore applied to the mold in order to melt the thermoplastic - fibers matrix and soften the foam core 12 of the preformed blade 50 . pressure is also maintained on the mold in order to compress the blade during the process . it is understood that the pressure exerted on the mold must be sufficient to keep the male - female mold parts together , to crush the form core 12 and to sustain the internal pressure created by the foam when heated . as previously indicated , the foam core 12 has the general shape of a hockey stick blade . however , the foam core has an initial thickness greater then its final thickness . for instance , the initial thickness of the foam core may be 1 . 5 to 10 times greater than the final thickness of the blade element 22 of the formable blade 10 . indeed , due to the poisson ratio of at least 0 . 33 , the foam core 12 may flow and conform to the internal cavity of the mold while applying pressure to the outer layers of pre - impregnated fibers in order to consolidate together the thermoplastic material and the fibers , which then form the thermoplastic - fibers matrix . the internal pressure created by the heated foam should also be sufficient to bond together the foam core and the thermoplastic - fibers matrix . the thickness of the foam core 12 may be then considerably reduced . in fact , the foam core , more particularly the blade element of the foam core , is crushed during the process and its density may increase from 5 to 6 lbs / cubic foot to 6 . 5 to 20 lbs / cubic foot and its thickness may be reduced from 6 to 30 mm to 1 to 3 mm . for example , if the foam has an initial density of 5 lbs / cubic foot , this foam will have a density of around 15 lbs / cubic foot at the end if the initial thickness of the blade element of the foam core is three ( 3 ) times greater than its final thickness . the density of the crushed foam is therefore the density of the initial foam multiply with the initial thickness of the foam core divided with the thickness of the final foam core . the mold remains at a temperate of at least 420 ° f . for at least 2 minutes in order to bring the thermoplastic material to its amorphous form . it is understood that a minimum temperature of about 375 ° f . may be used but the processing time would then be longer . when the fibers - thermoplastic matrix is set after cooling , the mold is opened and the formable blade 10 is removed from the mold . note that the blade 10 has the general shape of a straight hockey stick blade . excess material may be trimmed off . fig6 shows a cross section view of the preformed blade 50 for illustrating the fiber braids before the molding process . in fact , once the thermoplastic - fibers matrix is set ( see large lines on fig9 ), the formable blade 10 comprises an interface between the first and second portions 14 , 16 , this interface comprising fibers oriented transversely relative to the longitudinal axis a - a . the thermoplastic - fibers matrix of the edges 26 , 28 , 30 ( see large lines on fig9 ) may also comprise fibers oriented transversely relative to the longitudinal axis a - a . the blade 10 is a formable straight blade and it is therefore possible to supply this blade to stores that will then tailor the blade 10 by heating and applying pressure to shape it according to a curvature selected by a customer . the above description of the embodiments should not be interpreted in a limiting manner since other variations , modifications and refinements are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention . the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents . | 1 |
for the purpose of this description and appended claims , the following terms are defined : the term “ c n ” hydrocarbon means hydrocarbon having n carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term “ c n + ” hydrocarbon means hydrocarbon having at least n carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term “ c n − ” hydrocarbon means hydrocarbon having no more than n number of carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term “ hydrocarbon ” means a class of compounds containing hydrogen bound to carbon , and encompasses ( i ) saturated hydrocarbon , ( ii ) unsaturated hydrocarbon , and ( iii ) mixtures of hydrocarbons , including mixtures of hydrocarbon compounds ( saturated and / or unsaturated ), including mixtures of hydrocarbon compounds having different values of n . the term “ ce alcohol ” means monohydric alcohol having n carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term “ c n + alcohol ” means monohydric alcohol having at least n carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term “ c n − alcohol ” means monohydric alcohol having no more than n number of carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term “ glycol ” means multi - hydric alcohol , e . g ., dihydric alcohol such as ethylene glycol ( 1 , 2 ethandiol ) and propylene glycol ( 1 , 3 propandiol ). “ n glycol ” means glycol having n carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term “ c n + glycol ” means glycol having at least n carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term “ c n − glycol ” means glycol having no more than n number of carbon atom ( s ) per molecule , wherein n is a positive integer . the term alcohol encompasses ( i ) saturated and unsaturated alcohol compounds , ( ii ) primary , secondary , and tertiary alcohol compounds , ( iii ) alcohol compounds having a terminal hydroxyl group ( 1 - alcohol ) and alcohol compounds having a hydroxyl group in a non - terminal position ( 2 - alcohol , 3 - alcohol , etc . ), and ( iv ) mixtures of two or more alcohol compounds , including mixtures of alcohol compounds having different values of n . the term glycol encompasses ( i ) saturated and unsaturated glycol compounds , ( ii ) glycol compounds which are one or more of primary , secondary , and tertiary , ( iii ) glycol compounds having at least one terminal hydroxyl group and glycol compounds having at least one hydroxyl group in a non - terminal position , and ( iv ) mixtures of two or more glycol compounds , including mixtures of glycol compounds having different values of n . the terms “ alkane ” and “ paraffinic hydrocarbon ” mean substantially - saturated compounds containing hydrogen and carbon only , e . g ., those containing ≦ 1 % ( molar basis ) of unsaturated carbon atoms . as an example , the term alkane encompasses c 2 to c 20 linear , iso , and cyclo - alkanes . aliphatic hydrocarbon means hydrocarbon that is substantially free of hydrocarbon compounds having carbon atoms arranged in one or more rings . the term “ unsaturate ” and “ unsaturated hydrocarbon ” refer to one or more c 2 + hydrocarbon compounds which contain at least one carbon atom directly bound to another carbon atom by a double or triple bond . the term “ olefin ” refers to one or more unsaturated hydrocarbon compound containing at least one carbon atom directly bound to another carbon atom by a double bond . in other words , an olefin is a compound which contains at least one pair of carbon atoms , where the first and second carbon atoms of the pair are directly linked by a double bond . the term “ periodic table ” means the periodic chart of the elements , as it appears on the inside cover of the merck index , twelfth edition , merck & amp ; co ., inc ., 1996 . the term “ reaction zone ” or “ reactor zone ” mean a location within a reactor , e . g ., a specific volume within a reactor , for carrying out a specified reaction . a reactor or reaction stage can encompass one or more reaction zones . more than one reaction can be carried out in a reactor , stage , or zone . for example , a reaction stage can include a first zone for carrying out first and second reactions and a second zone for carrying out a third reaction , where the first reaction ( e . g ., syngas generation ) can be the same as or different from the second reaction ( e . g ., oxygenate formation ) and the third reaction ( e . g ., alcohol dehydration ). when used in connection with a specified reactant , the term “ conversion ” means the amount of the reactant ( weight basis ) consumed in the reaction . for example , when the specified reactant is c 3 alcohol , 100 % conversion means 100 % of the c 3 alcohol is consumed in the reaction . the term “ selectivity ” refers to the production ( weight basis ) of a specified compound in a reaction . as an example , the phrase “ a c 3 alcohol dehydration reaction has 100 % selectivity for propylene ” means that 100 % of the c 3 alcohol ( weight basis ) that is converted in the dehydration reaction is converted to propylene . yield ( weight basis ) is conversion times selectivity . certain aspects the invention relate to a process for catalytically producing c 3 + monohydric alcohol and optionally c 2 + glycol from a feed mixture comprising carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen . typical feed mixtures will now be described in more detail . the invention is not limited to these feed mixtures , and this description is not meant to foreclose the use of other feed mixtures within the broader scope of the invention . the feed mixture comprises molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide , e . g ., ≧ 0 . 01 wt . % carbon monoxide based on the weight of the feed mixture , such as ≧ 1 wt . %, or ≧ 5 wt . %. a wide range of molecular hydrogen : carbon monoxide molar ratios can be used , e . g ., in the range of from 0 . 01 to 10 . the feed mixture typically comprises ≧ 5 wt . % carbon monoxide and optionally further comprises diluent such as carbon dioxide . for example , the feed mixture can comprise 50 wt . % to 99 wt . % of carbon monoxide , with ≧ 50 wt . % of the balance being molecular hydrogen . the feed mixture can have , e . g ., a molecular hydrogen : carbon monoxide molar ratio in the range of from , e . g ., 0 . 25 to 20 , such as 0 . 5 to 20 . such mixtures are typically referred to as synthesis gas ( or “ syngas ”). in certain aspects , the feed mixture includes syngas comprising molecular hydrogen , ≧ 10 wt . % carbon monoxide , and diluent . the diluent can comprise carbon dioxide , for example . the syngas typically has an h 2 : ( co + co 2 ) molar ratio in the range of from 0 . 25 to 10 , or 0 . 5 to 10 , e . g ., an h 2 : co ratio in the range of from 0 . 25 to 10 , or 0 . 25 to 5 , or 0 . 5 to 5 . certain suitable syngas mixtures have an h 2 : co molar ratio in the range of from 0 . 25 to 4 , or 0 . 5 to 2 . the syngas can be produced from a carbon - containing source material , such as hydrocarbon , e . g ., hydrocarbon in the form of one or more of natural gas , petroleum , coal , biomass , including mixtures thereof , derivatives thereof , and mixtures of such derivatives . the type of carbon - containing source material used is not critical . the source material typically comprises ≧ 10 vol . % of at least one hydrocarbon , e . g ., methane , such as ≧ 50 vol . %, based on the volume of the source material . any convenient method for producing syngas can be used , including conventional methods . suitable methods include those described in u . s . patent application publication nos . 2007 / 0259972 a1 ; 2008 / 0033218 a1 ; and 2005 / 0107481 , each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . for example , natural gas can be converted to syngas by steam reforming . typically , the natural gas is treated before the steam reforming , e . g ., to remove at least a portion of any inert components in the natural gas , such as nitrogen , argon , and carbon dioxide . the treated natural gas typically comprises methane , ethane , and can further comprise higher alkanes , such as propane . the natural gas can be associated natural gas , for example . one suitable natural gas comprises more than 90 vol . % methane . during steam reforming , the natural gas feed contacts steam in the presence of a catalyst , such as one or more metals or compounds thereof selected from groups 7 to 10 of the periodic table . the catalyst is typically supported on at least one attrition - resistant refractory support , such as alumina . the contacting is normally conducted at high temperature , such as in the range of from 800 ° c . to 1100 ° c ., and pressures ≦ 5000 kpa . under these conditions , methane converts to carbon monoxide and hydrogen according to reactions , such as : steam reforming is energy intensive , typically using at least 200 kj / mole of methane consumed . alternatively or in addition to steam reforming , syngas can be produced by partial oxidation of hydrocarbon . during partial oxidation , a hydrocarbon such as methane is burned in an oxygen - lean environment . the methane is partially - oxidized to carbon monoxide ( reaction ( i )), with a portion of the carbon monoxide being exposed to steam reforming conditions ( reaction ( ii )) to produce molecular hydrogen and carbon dioxide , according to the following representative reactions : partial oxidation is exothermic and yields a significant amount of heat . because one reaction is endothermic and the other is exothermic , and because they can be configured to use substantially the same feed , steam reforming and partial oxidation are often performed together for efficient energy usage . combining the steam reforming and partial oxidation yields a third process wherein the heat generated by the partial oxidation is used to drive the steam reforming to yield syngas . the syngas is reacted under oxygenation formation conditions in the presence of a process fluid which includes at least one active material . the active material comprises at least one metal - containing compound which includes at least one of co , rh , pd , pt , os , ir , cr , mn , fe , re , and ru . particular aspects of the process fluid and active material will now be described in more detail . the invention is not limited to these aspects , and this description is not meant to foreclose other process fluids and active materials within the broader scope of the invention . the oxygenate formation reaction is a homogeneous catalytic reaction carried out primarily in the liquid phase . the active material is typically in the form of a complex catalyst system having components which operate together in the process fluid to convert the feed &# 39 ; s carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen to a product comprising c 3 + monohydric alcohol and c 2 + glycol . the active material is typically dissolved , dispersed , suspended , or otherwise distributed in a carrier fluid to form a process fluid that is primarily in the liquid phase under reaction conditions . the homogeneous catalytic reaction ( the oxygenate formation reaction ) produces c 3 + monohydric alcohol and c 2 + glycol products that are also primarily in the liquid phase under the oxygenate formation conditions . a small amount of heterogeneous active material ( or components thereof or precursors thereof ) can be present in the active material , e . g ., in an amount ≦ 1 wt . %, such as ≦ 0 . 1 wt . %, based on the weight of the process fluid . typically , however , any heterogeneous active material will become dissolved , dispersed , suspended , or otherwise distributed in the process fluid during the oxygenate formation reaction , e . g ., by reaction with molecular hydrogen , carbon monoxide , dispersed active material , and / or other components of the process fluid . the active material includes at least one metal - containing compound , typically a metal complex which includes one or more of co , rh , pd , pt , ni , os , ir , cr , mn , fe , re , and ru , e . g ., one or more of co , rh , re , and ru . for the purpose of this description and appended claims , when the active material includes a metal - containing compound having one only one of the specified metal atoms , the metal compound is represented by [ m ]. when the active material includes a metal - containing compound having two of the specified metal atoms ( e . g ., metal compounds which include di - cobalt or ruthenium bound to cobalt ), the first metal - containing compound is by [ m ] and the second by [ m ′]. those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing representation is a simplification . the invention is not limited to active materials conforming to this representation , and this description does not foreclose other active materials within the broader scope of the invention . the process can be carried out using a wide variety of organic or inorganic compounds , complexes , etc . which contain one or more of the specified metals , although typically the active material can be readily dissolved , dispersed , suspended , or otherwise distributed in the process fluid , and will remain so under oxygenate formation conditions . typically , the process fluid is formed by adding the active material and / or active material precursors to a carrier fluid , e . g ., one or more molten onium salts . typically , the onium salt is selected from among those , that are primarily in the liquid phase under the oxygenate formation conditions . representative onium salts , e . g ., onium halides , are disclosed in novel catalytic procedure for selective homologation of primary alcohols , g . jenner , journal of molecular catalysis , 80 ( 1993 ) l1 - l4 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . besides their utility as a homogeneous medium for carrying out the oxygenate formation reaction , onium salts favorably increase [ m ] stability during the reaction . it is within the scope of the invention to add additional active material and / or active material precursor to the process fluid , e . g ., before the process fluid is introduced into the reaction and / or afterward . it is also within the scope of the invention to remove active material , including components and precursors thereof , from the process fluid . this can be carried out , e . g ., before the process fluid is introduced into the reaction and / or afterward . the active material can be produced during the oxygenate formation reaction , e . g ., from one or more precursors which have been added or recycled to a carrier fluid and / or the process fluid . the precursor typically contains a compound of the specified metal or metals in an ionic state . the active material and / or precursor thereof can be present in the process fluid in a variety of forms , e . g ., in the form of metal on a carbonaceous support such as metal carbon , metal on an inorganic refractory support such as metal on alumina , organic metal complexes such as metal acetylacetonate , and inorganic metal compounds such as metal carbonyl . functionalized derivatives of one or more of these active material precursors are also within the scope of the invention . while not wishing to be bound by any theory or model , it is believed that during oxygenate formation the active material comprises one or more of the specified metals in complex combination with carbon monoxide and / or hydrogen , e . g ., in the form of a metal - containing compound where one or more of the specified metals is directly bonded to carbon monoxide ( metal carbonyl form , including hydrocarbonyl derivatives thereof ). conventional active material and active material precursors can be used , e . g ., those described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 265 , 828 ; 4 , 605 , 677 ; 4 , 622 , 343 ; 4 , 935 , 547 ; and 8 , 912 , 240 . in certain aspects , the active material comprises at least one compound which includes one or more of ru , co , and rh . in certain aspects , one or more promoters are added to the process fluid and / or carrier fluid to increase the active material &# 39 ; s effectiveness . for example , promoters which include halogen can be used , such as one or more of f , cl , br , i , and at ; typically one or more of cl , br , and i ; or br and / or i . the halogen can be a coordinated halogen , e . g ., when present in the active material the halogen is coordinated with one or more of the active material &# 39 ; s metal , such as [ br m ]. the invention also encompasses active material associated with non - coordinated halogen , including halogen present as a counterion , e . g ., [ m ] + br − . promoters which provide a relatively strong activation , e . g ., i 2 , ch 3 i , and hi , and those which provide a more mild activation , e . g ., nai , lii , ki , cai 2 , and sri 2 , are within the scope of the invention , as are non - halogen promoters such as cesium benzoate , na 2 b 4 o 7 , hkco 3 , and ( nh 4 ) 2 hpo 4 . the catalyst system may optionally further include a chloride or bromide - containing compound as a promoter . one suitable class of promoters includes organic halide , e . g ., hydrocarbyl halide , such as those having one or more hydrocarbyl groups of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms . representative examples of this class of promoter include methyl chloride , butyl chloride , acetyl chloride , hydrogen chloride , cobalt chloride , as well as the corresponding bromide compounds . other representative promoters include triorgano - onium salt of one or more group 15 atoms , e . g ., triorganophosphonium . such promoters have the general formula [ r1 r2 r3 φ h ] [ ψ ]. r1 , r2 , and r3 are each independently selected from c 1 - c 24 alkyl , aryl and alkaryl hydrocarbyl groups or functionalized alkyl , aryl and alkaryl groups . for example , such groups can contain one or more of ether , alcohol , ketone , carboxylic acid or ester , amine , amide , thioether , phosphine oxide , nitrile , heteroaromatic , or fluorocarbon groups . φ is selected from group 15 of the periodic table , e . g ., p , as , sb , and bi . ψ is a halogen counterion , e . g ., chloride , bromide , or iodide . examples of suitable triorganophosphonium salts include tributylphosphonium chloride , triphenylphosphonium chloride , tributylphosphonium bromide , and triphenylphosphonium bromide , such as trialkylphosphonium salts containing alkyl groups having 1 - 6 carbon atoms , including methyl , ethyl , and butyl . suitable promoters are disclosed in ( i ) u . s . pat . no . 8 , 912 , 240 ; ( ii ) recent advances in alcohol homologation : the effect of promoters , w . r . pretzer and m . m . habib , in catalytic conversion of synthesis gas and alcohols to chemicals , 261 - 283 , r . g . herman , ed ., plenum ( 1984 ); and ( iii ) the homologation of methanol , m . roper and h . lovenich , in catalysis in c 1 chemistry 105 - 134 , w . keim , ed ., reidel ( 1983 ), each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . when used , the promoter : [ m ] molar ratio is typically in the range of 0 . 05 : 1 to 3 . 5 : 1 during the oxygenate formation reaction , e . g ., 0 . 05 : 1 to 3 : 1 , or 0 . 1 : 1 to 2 . 5 : 1 , or 0 . 05 : 1 to 1 : 1 , or 0 . 1 : 1 to 0 . 9 : 1 , or 0 . 2 : 1 to 0 . 8 : 1 . when the promoter includes triorganophosphonium salt , the triorganophosphonium salt to [ m ] molar ratio is typically in the range of 0 . 2 : 1 to 0 . 6 : 1 . typically , [ m ] has the form of a metal complex which contains carbon monoxide directly bonded to one or more of the specified metals , e . g ., ruthenium carbonyl . although it is within the scope of the invention to do so , typically the compound or compounds of the specified metals provided to the reaction are not in a form ( e . g ., chemical state ) which will effectively catalyze the desired oxygenate formation reaction . even metal compounds containing one or more bound carbon monoxide ligands may undergo a change in form , chemical state , or composition which initiates or improves its activity for catalyzing the desired reaction . compounds which include one or more of the specified metals can be introduced into the reaction directly and / or by adding them to the carrier fluid and / or process fluid before introducing the process fluid into the reaction . for example , compounds of one or more of the specified metals can be added to a carrier fluid and / or the process fluid as salts , oxides and carbonyl clusters , which become solubilized , dispersed , suspended , or otherwise distributed in the process fluid , and which are converted under the reaction &# 39 ; s oxygenate formation conditions to a form which effectively catalyzes the reaction , e . g ., [ m ] ( co ). typically , at least a portion of the process fluid is produced at the start of the process by adding one or more metal - containing precursors of the active material to a carrier fluid comprising at least one molten onium salt , and then exposing the combined carrier fluid + precursor mixture to oxygenate formation conditions in the presence of carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen . if desired , additional active material or active material precursor can be added to the process fluid at any convenient location in the process . certain aspects of the invention will now be described in more detail with respect to active materials containing ruthenium and / or cobalt . the invention is not limited to these aspects , and this description is not meant to foreclose other active materials encompassed by the broader scope of the invention , such as those containing rhodium , manganese , etc . for example , the active material can be one that includes ≦ 0 . 1 wt . % ru , e . g ., ≦ 0 . 01 wt . %, or is substantially free of ru . for active material which include ruthenium , the active material is typically produced during the oxygenate formation reaction from one or more ruthenium - containing precursors . the form of ruthenium - containing precursor is not critical , and more than one form can be used . for example , a ruthenium - containing precursor can be introduced into the process fluid and / or carrier fluid in oxide form , e . g ., one or more of ruthenium ( iv ) oxide hydrate , anhydrous ruthenium ( iv ) dioxide and ruthenium ( viii ) tetraoxide . alternatively or in addition , a ruthenium - containing precursor can be introduced into the process fluid and / or carrier fluid as the salt of a mineral acid , e . g ., ruthenium ( iii ) chloride hydrate , ruthenium ( iii ) bromide , ruthenium ( iii ) triiodide , tricarbonyl ruthenium ( ii ) iodide , anhydrous ruthenium ( iii ) chloride and ruthenium nitrate , and / or as the salt of an organic carboxylic acid such as one or more of ruthenium ( iii ) acetate napththenate , ruthenium valerate and ruthenium ( iii ) acetylacetonate . the ruthenium - containing precursor may also be added to the process fluid and / or carrier fluid as one or more of carbonyl , hydrocarbonyl , substituted carbonyl , and substituted hydrocarbonyl ; e . g ., one or more of triruthenium dodecacarbonyl , h 2 ru 4 ( co ) 13 and h 4 ru 4 ( co ) 12 , tricarbonylruthenium ( ii ) chloride dimer , [ ru ( co ) 3 cl 2 ] 2 . alternatively or in addition to ruthenium , the active material and / or its precursor can include cobalt . as in the case of active materials which include ruthenium , one or more cobalt - containing active materials can be produced during the oxygenate formation reaction from one or more cobalt - containing precursors . the form of cobalt - containing precursor is not critical , and more than one form can be used . for example , a cobalt - containing precursor can be introduced into the process fluid and / or carrier fluid in oxide form , e . g ., as one or more of cobalt ( ii ) oxide ( coo ) or cobalt ( ii , iii ) oxide ( co 3 o 4 ). other suitable forms of cobalt include one or more of ( i ) one or more salts of mineral acid , such as cobalt ( ii ) nitrate , hydrate ( co ( no 3 ) 2 6h 2 o ), cobalt ( ii ) sulphate , etc . ; ( ii ) one or more salt of organic carboxylic acid , such as cobalt ( ii ) formate , cobalt ( ii ) acetate , cobalt ( ii ) propionate , cobalt ( ii ) oxalate , cobalt naphthenate ; ( iii ) one or more carbide , such as cobalt carbide ; ( iv ) one or more carbonate , such as cobalt ( ii ) carbonate ; and ( v ) one or more of carbonyl , hydrocarbonyl , and substituted carbonyl of cobalt , including complexes with carbonyl - containing ligands , such as cobalt ( ii ) acetylacetonate and cobalt ( iii ) acetylacetonates , etc . suitable carbonyl , hydrocarbonyl , and substituted hydrocarbonyl include dicobalt octacarbonyl ( co 2 ( co ) 8 ), cobalt hydrocarbonyl ( hco ( co ) 4 ) and triphenyl phosphine cobalt tricarbonyl dimer , etc . as is the case with the foregoing cobalt and ruthenium compounds , active material comprising the desired compounds ( or precursors ) of the other specified metals can be introduced into the oxygenate formation reaction by way of one or more of ( i ) direct introduction into the reaction , ( ii ), introduction via the carrier fluid , and ( iii ) introduction via the process fluid . certain suspects of the invention will now be described in more detail , which include introducing into a carrier fluid one or more of ( i ) fresh active material , ( ii ) components thereof , ( iii ) precursors thereof , ( iv ) regenerated active material , ( v ) regenerated components thereof , and ( vi ) regenerated precursors thereof . the invention is not limited to these aspects , and this description is not meant to foreclose other aspects within the broader scope of the invention , such as those which utilize a different form of carrier fluid and those which include introducing active material , regenerated active material , components , precursors , etc . directly into the oxygenate formation reaction and / or via the process fluid . in certain aspects at least a portion of the metal - containing compound of the active material or components thereof or precursors thereof is dispersed in a carrier fluid that is primarily liquid - phase , and which remains so under the oxygenate formation conditions . the oxygenate formation conditions include ( i ) a reaction pressure within a reaction pressure range and ( ii ) a reaction temperature within a reaction temperature range . the carrier fluid typically has ( i ) a melting point at the reaction pressure that is less than the reaction temperature and ( ii ) a boiling point at the reaction pressure that is greater than the reaction temperature . suitable carrier fluids include one or more tetraorgano onium salts of atoms selected from group 15 of the periodic table , e . g ., those having general formula [ r1 r2 r3 r4 φ ] [ ψ ]. r1 , r2 , r3 , and r4 are each independently selected from c 1 - c 24 alkyl , aryl and alkaryl hydrocarbyl groups or functionalized alkyl , aryl and alkaryl groups . for example , such groups can contain one or more of ether , alcohol , ketone , carboxylic acid or ester , amine , amide , thioether , phosphine oxide , nitrile , heteroaromatic , or fluorocarbon groups . φ is selected from group 15 of the periodic table , e . g ., p , as , sb , and bi . ψ is a halogen counterion such as chloride , bromide , or iodide . examples of suitable tetraorganophosphonium salts include tetrabutylphosphonium chloride , heptyltriphenylphosphonium chloride , tetrabutylphosphonium bromide , and heptyltriphenylphosphonium bromide . typically , the tetraorganophosphonium salt includes one or more tetraalkylphosphonium salt containing at least one alkyl groups having from 1 - 6 carbon atoms , such as methyl , ethyl , and butyl , e . g ., tetrabutylphosphonium salt . the tetrabutylphosphonium salt can be tetrabutylphosphonium chloride , for example . tetraorgano onium salts that are suitable for use as carrier fluid are described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 265 , 828 ; 4 , 605 , 677 ; 4 , 622 , 343 ; 4 , 935 , 547 ; and 8 , 912 , 240 . typically , sufficient active material or active material precursor is added to the carrier fluid so that the amount of active material in the resulting process fluid is ≧ 0 . 01 wt . % based on the weight of the process fluid , e . g ., in the range of from about 0 . 01 wt . % to about 30 wt . %, such as from about 1 wt . % to about 25 wt . %. for active materials which contain one or more of co , rh , pd , pt , ni , os , ir , cr , mn , fe , re , and ru , these are typically present ( alone or in combination ) in the process fluid in an amount ≧ 0 . 2 wt . %, e . g ., in the range of from 0 . 2 wt . % to 10 wt . %, such as from about 0 . 5 wt . % to 5 wt . %. although the carrier fluid and / or process fluid can further comprise a solvent , e . g ., added methanol , typically a solvent is not used . when methanol is present in the process fluid , e . g ., as added methanol and / or methanol produced in the oxygenate formation reaction , it is typical for the methanol amount to be in the range of from 0 . 01 moles of methanol per liter of process fluid to 10 moles of methanol per liter of process fluid , e . g ., 0 . 1 moles / liter to 5 moles / liter , such as 0 . 5 moles / liter to 2 moles / liter . those skilled in the art will appreciate that even though using one or more solvents can increase the effectiveness of certain carrier fluids , e . g ., onium chlorides , the solvent &# 39 ; s participation in the oxygenate formation reaction can lead to undesired side reactions , e . g ., solvent decomposition , resulting in an increased difficulty in recovering the desired c 3 + monohydric alcohol and c 2 + glycol products . optional solvents include those disclosed in the jenner article and those disclosed in hydrogenation of carbon monoxide in the presence of homogeneous ruthenium catalysts : effects of onium halides as promoters , y . kiso , et al ., journal of organometallic chemistry , 312 ( 1986 ) 357 - 364 . other suitable solvents include those disclosed in the roper article . aspects of the homogeneous oxygenate formation reaction will now be described in more detail with reference to producing c 3 + monohydric alcohol and c 2 + glycol from syngas using an active material which includes co 2 ( co ) 8 , the active material being dispersed in a primarily liquid phase carrier fluid which includes tetrabutylphosphonium bromide . the invention is not limited to these aspects , and this description is not meant to foreclose other aspects within the broader scope of the invention such as those where the active material includes ru instead of or in addition to co , and those which utilize a different carrier fluid or do not use a carrier fluid . oxygenate formation in certain aspects , the desired c 3 + monohydric alcohol and c 2 + glycol are produced by first synthesizing aldehyde , such as h 2 co . alcohol and glycol are produced from the aldehyde by catalytic co insertion and catalytic hydrogen insertion . c 2 + monohydric alcohol and c 2 + glycol are produced from methanol and ethanol , primarily by homologation . when using the specified co 2 ( co ) 8 active material ( or precursor thereof ), represented by [ m ][ m ′], it is believed that the oxygenate formation reactions proceed in the presence of syngas under oxygenate formation conditions according to the following pathways . first , active material is formed from active material precursors by reactions the active material is reacted with syngas to produce aldehyde , by way of additional active material is formed from molecular hydrogen in the syngas according to equation ( 1 ), which continues the reaction . methanol ( and / or additional methanol , when methanol is included in the carrier fluid ) is believed to be produced according to the flowing pathway . additional active material is formed from molecular hydrogen in the syngas according to equation ( 1 ), which continues the reaction . ethylene glycol is believed to be produced according to the following pathway , a continuous oxygenate formation process can be carried out by repeating reactions ( 1 )-( 9 ), and carrying out the desired amount of homologation . the methanol produced in reaction ( 5 ) is typically retained in the oxygenate formation reaction zone ( or recycled to it ) for homologation to ethanol c 3 + monohydric alcohol . the ethylene glycol ( hoch 2 ch 2 oh ) produced in reaction ( 9 ) can be separated and conducted away . alternatively , at least a portion of the ethylene glycol can be retained in the oxygenate formation reaction zone and / or recycled to it for homologation to c 3 + glycol . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the relative amounts of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the syngas can be regulated to adjust the relative amounts of ( i ) methanol , ethanol , and c 3 + monohydric alcohol and ( ii ) c 2 + glycol produced by the oxygenate formation reactions ( 5 ), ( 9 ), and the homologation . it is believed that the homologation produces c 3 + monohydric alcohol and c 2 + glycol according to the following pathways . methanol introduced into the oxygenate formation reaction zone ( or retained in the reaction zone and / or recycled to the reaction zone ) is believed to react with the active material of reactions ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) via it is believed that the aldehyde is hydrogenated to produce ethanol by way of the reaction at least a portion of the ethanol is separated from the products of reactions ( 1 )-( 14 ) for additional homologation to produce c 3 + monohydric alcohol . for example , n - propanol is believed to be produced by the reactions the c 3 aldehyde is then hydrogenated to produce propanol by way of the reaction if desired , a portion of the n - propanol produced in reaction ( 18 ) can be retained in the oxygenate formation reaction zone and / or or recycled to it for additional homologation , e . g ., to produce butanols . while not wishing to be bound by any theory or model , it is believed that glycol homologation proceeds according to similar reaction pathways . for example , it is believed that recycled ethylene glycol reacts in the presence of the active materials produced in reactions ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) as follows : if desired , all or a portion of the propylene glycol produced by reaction ( 21 ) can be retained in the oxygenate formation reaction zone and / or recycled to it for additional homologation , e . g ., to produce c 4 + glycol . the reactions ( 1 )-( 21 ) are typically carried out in the presence of syngas under homogeneous oxygenate formation conditions which include a temperature ≧ 100 ° c . and a pressure ≧ 3 mpa ( absolute ). except , e . g ., for ( i ) light hydrocarbon ( methane , ethane , etc .) as may be produced in one or more side reactions and / or ( ii ) gaseous diluent as may be present in the syngas , the oxygenate formation is carried out primarily in the liquid phase . typically , the following compositions are primarily in the liquid phase during the oxygenate formation : ( i ) the process fluid and / or carrier fluid ( including active material , active material components , and / or active material precursors that are dissolved , dispersed , suspended , or otherwise distributed therein ), ( ii ) c 2 + glycol , particularly ethylene glycol , as may be produced in or recycled to the oxygenate formation , and ( iii ) c 2 + monohydric alcohol , particularly ethanol , as may be produced in or recycled to the oxygenate formation reaction zone . a composition is “ primarily liquid phase ” when ≧ 50 % of the composition ( weight basis ) is in the liquid phase , e . g ., ≧ 75 %, such as ≧ 90 %, or ≧ 95 %. typically , a reaction temperature is selected that is less than the boiling point of compositions ( i ), ( ii ), and ( iii ) at the reaction pressure , e . g ., is at least 10 ° c . less , such as at least 25 ° c . less , or at least 50 ° c . less . optionally , the oxygenate formation is carried out under conditions in which any methanol present is primarily in the liquid phase . typically , oxygenate formation conditions include ( i ) a reaction temperature in the range of from 100 ° c . to 400 ° c ., e . g ., 150 ° c . to 300 ° c ., such as 120 ° c . to 250 ° c ., or 150 ° c . to 220 ° c ., and ( ii ) a total pressure ≧ 3 mpa ( absolute ), e . g ., in the range of from 3 mpa ( absolute ) to 300 mpa ( absolute ), such as in the range of from 6 mpa ( absolute ) to 30 mpa ( absolute ). the syngas partial pressure ( the combined pressure of co and h 2 ) is typically ≧ 3 mpa , e . g ., in the range of from 4 mpa to 60 mpa , such as 5 mpa to 60 mpa , or 6 mpa to 30 mpa . more particularly , the carbon monoxide partial pressure can be in the range of from 3 mpa ( absolute ) to 100 mpa ( absolute ), with a total pressure in the range of from of 6 mpa to 125 mpa . the oxygenate formation produces a reaction mixture , at least a portion of which is conducted away from the oxygenate formation reaction zone . typically , the reaction mixture comprises ( i ) an oxygenate mixture comprising ethanol and c 3 + monohydric alcohol , as produced by reactions ( 1 )-( 21 ); ( ii ) un - reacted syngas ; and ( iii ) generally at least a portion of any remaining process fluid . typically , little if any process fluid is withdrawn from the reaction zone . in aspects where it is desirable to withdraw or otherwise recover process fluid , the recovered process fluid can include one or more of ( i ) unreacted and / or reacted ( e . g ., spent ) active material ; ( ii ) unreacted and / or reacted active material components ; and ( iii ) unreacted and / or reacted active material precursors . the oxygenate mixture can further comprise methanol and / or non - alcohol c 2 + oxygenate , such as ( c 2 or ) where r is not h , e . g ., methyl acetate and / or ethyl acetate . typically , the non - alcohol c 2 + oxygenate includes non - alcohol c 2 + oxygenate , e . g ., non - ethanol c 2 oxygenate , such as ethylene glycol . the non - ethanol c 2 oxygenate can also include one or more of acetaldehyde , glycoaldehyde , acetic acid , hydroacetic acid , oxalic acid , glyoxalic acid , dimethyl ether , etc . these typically result from organic oxygenate - producing side reactions which occur with oxygenate formation reactions ( 1 )-( 21 ). the reaction mixture can further comprise the products and byproducts of other side reactions that may occur , e . g ., one or more of carbon dioxide ; light hydrocarbon such as methane , ethane , propane , etc . ; and water and / or other non - carbnaceous inorganic oxygenate . the reaction mixture is conducted away from the oxygenate formation reaction zone for separation and recovery of at least a portion of the reaction mixture &# 39 ; s ethanol and c 3 + monohydric alcohol , e . g ., propanols and / or butanols . it is typical to recover from the reaction mixture ≧ 5 wt . % of one or more of ( i ) the ethanol produced by the oxygenate formation , ( ii ) the c 3 + monohydric alcohol produced by the oxygenate formation , and ( iii ) the c 2 + glycol produced by the oxygenate formation , e . g ., ≧ 10 wt . %, such as ≧ 25 wt . %, or ≧ 50 wt . %, or ≧ 75 wt . %, or ≧ 90 wt . %. it is also typical to recover from the reaction mixture ≧ 5 wt . % of one or more of ( i ) any methanol in the reaction mixture , ( ii ) any undispersed solids as may be present in process fluid present in the recovered reaction mixture , ( iii ) any carbon dioxide , ( iv ) any light hydrocarbon such as methane , ethane , propane , etc . ; and ( v ) any water and / or other non - carbonaceous inorganic oxygenate ; e . g ., ≧ 10 wt . %, such as ≧ 25 wt . %, or ≧ 50 wt . %, or ≧ 75 wt . %, or ≧ 90 wt . %. conventional separations technology can be used for the recoveries , e . g ., one or more distillations , filtrations , solvent extractions , membrane separations , etc ., but the invention is not limited thereto . typically following one or more of these separations , at least a portion ( e . g ., ≧ 10 wt . %, such as ≧ 25 wt . %, or ≧ 50 wt . %) of the reaction mixture &# 39 ; s process fluid is recycled to the oxygenate formation , optionally together with at least a portion of any active material , active material components , and / or active material precursors as may be dissolved , suspended , dispersed , or distributed therein . at least a portion of the recovered ethanol is introduced in the liquid phase into the oxygenate formation reaction , e . g ., ≧ 10 wt . %, such as ≧ 25 wt . %, or ≧ 50 wt . %, or ≧ 75 wt . %, or ≧ 90 wt .%. for example , substantially all of the ethanol produced in the oxygenate formation can be recovered and re - introduced in the liquid phase , e . g ., as a liquid phase recycle stream . although the recovered ethanol can remain in the liquid phase throughout the recovery and recycle , it is within the scope of the invention for the ethanol to be at least partially in the vapor phase during one or more of these operations , provided the ethanol is introduced into the oxygenate formation reaction zone primarily in the liquid phase or becomes primarily liquid phase when it is introduced into the oxygenate formation reaction zone . it is typical to recover and re - introduce into the oxygenate formation reaction zone ( e . g ., as a recycle stream ) at least a portion of the methanol produced in the oxygenate formation reaction , such as ≧ 10 wt . %, or ≧ 25 wt . %, or ≧ 50 wt . %, or ≧ 75 wt . %, or ≧ 90 wt . %, or even substantially all of methanol produced by the oxygenate formation . alternatively or in addition , methanol produced in the oxygenate formation reaction can be conducted away , e . g ., for storage and / or further processing such as chemicals production . for example , recovered methanol can be converted to olefin using methods described in u . s . patent application publication no . 2015 / 0158785a1 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety , and in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 404 , 414 ; 4 , 665 , 249 ; 6 , 166 , 282 ; 7 , 119 , 240 ; 7 , 227 , 048 ; 7 , 879 , 920 ; 7 , 279 , 012 ; 7 , 083 , 762 ; and 7 , 781 , 633 ; which are incorporated by reference in their entireties . optionally , the process includes recovering and re - introducing into the oxygenate formation reaction zone ( e . g ., as one or more recycle streams ) at least a portion of the non - alcohol c 2 + oxygenate produced in the oxygenate formation reaction , e . g ., at least a portion of the non - ethanol c 2 oxygenate , such as ≧ 10 wt . %, or ≧ 25 wt . %, or ≧ 50 wt . %, or ≧ 75 wt . %, or ≧ 90 wt . %, or even substantially all of the non - ethanol c 2 oxygenate produced by the oxygenate formation . for example , ≧ 10 wt . %, or , ≧ 25 wt . %, or ≧ 50 wt . %, or ≧ 75 wt . %, or ≧ 90 wt . %, or even substantially all of the c 2 + glycol , particular ethylene glycol , produced by the oxygenate formation can be recycled to the oxygenate formation . alternatively or in addition , at least a portion of any recovered c 2 + glycol , particular recovered ethylene glycol , can be conducted away from the process . in certain aspects , ≧ 90 wt . % of the recovered c 2 + glycol is ethylene glycol , and ≧ 90 wt . % of the recovered c 3 + monohydric alcohol is propanols and / or butanols . although the non - ethanol c 2 + oxygenate can be recycled to the oxygenate formation in the liquid phase , this is not required . the specified separation , recoveries , and recycles can be carried out together or individually . for example , it is within the scope of the invention to recycle a mixture of methanol and ethanol , the recycle mixture further comprising additional recycle components , e . g . recovered ethylene glycol . methanol and ethanol can be recovered from the process mixture ( or oxygenate mixture ) as a single stream , but it is more typical to recover methanol and ethanol from the reaction mixture as separate streams . certain aspects include converting to olefin , such as propylene and butylenes , at least a portion of the c 2 + monohydric alcohol , e . g ., at least a portion of the c 3 + monohydric alcohol , such as at least a portion of the propanols and / or butanols . optionally , at least a portion of any ethanol that is not used for recycle to the oxygenate formation is converted to unsaturates , such as to olefin , e . g ., to one or more of ethylene , propylene , and butylenes . polymerizing at least a portion of the olefin is also within the scope of the invention . for example , a portion of the recovered c 2 + monohydric alcohol can be reacted in a second reaction zone ( e . g ., in a second stage that is located downstream of the first ( oxygenate formation ) stage , the second stage being configured to produce olefinic hydrocarbon and a second oxygenate . the second hydrocarbon typically comprises c 2 + olefin , e . g ., one or more of ethylene , propylene , and butylenes . the second oxygenate primarily comprises water , e . g ., ≧ 50 . 0 wt . % water based on the weight of the second oxygenate . the second hydrocarbon and second oxygenate can be conducted away from the second stage as components of a second reaction mixture . in certain aspects , the second stage includes converting one or more c 2 + monohydric alcohol compounds to corresponding olefinic compounds by dehydration . in these aspects , the dehydration can be , e . g ., conducted in the presence of a solid acid catalyst , such as amorphous and / or crystalline al 2 o 3 , zro 2 , and / or wo 3 , either alone or supported on metal oxides and sulfides of w , v , zr , and / or mo . polyoxometalates containing w and / or mo are also suitable dehydration catalysts . suitable conditions for the dehydration reaction include a temperature of at least 180 ° c ., such as in the range of from 180 ° c . to 450 ° c . and a pressure in the range of from 0 . 5 atm to about 25 atm absolute ( from 50 kpa to 2 . 5 mpa ). suitable conventional alcohol dehydrogenation processes include those described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 062 , 905 ; 4 , 079 , 095 ; 4 , 079 , 096 ; 3 , 911 , 041 ; and 4 , 049 , 573 , each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . alternatively or in addition , the second stage includes converting one or more c 2 + monohydric alcohol compounds to corresponding olefinic compounds by least one oxygenate - to - olefin (“ oto ”) reaction carried out in the presence of at least one aluminophosphate molecular sieve oto catalyst . suitable oto reactions include those described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 499 , 327 and 6 , 518 , 475 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety . conventional separation means can be utilized for separating olefins , e . g ., one or more of ethylene , propylene , and butene , from the second reaction mixture , but the invention is not limited thereto . suitable separation means are disclosed in u . s . patent application publication no . 2008 / 0033218 a1 . for example , one or more cryogenic separators can be used for separating ethylene from a mixture of propylene and butylenes . separated olefinic compounds , e . g ., one or more of separated ethylene , propylene , and butylene can be conducted away from the process , e . g ., for storage or further processing , including polymerization . the separated c 2 + olefin produced by the present process can be used as feedstocks in a variety of important industrial processes , including the production of homopolymers and copolymers of ethylene , propylene , and / or butylene . all patents , test procedures , and other documents cited herein , including priority documents , are fully incorporated by reference to the extent such disclosure is not inconsistent and for all jurisdictions in which such incorporation is permitted . while the illustrative forms disclosed herein have been described with particularity , it will be understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure . accordingly , it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the examples and descriptions set forth herein but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty which reside herein , including all features which would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains . when numerical lower limits and numerical upper limits are listed herein , ranges from any lower limit to any upper limit are contemplated , and are expressly within the scope of the invention . the term “ comprising ” is synonymous with the term “ including ”. likewise whenever a composition , an element or a group of components is preceded with the transitional phrase “ comprising ”, it is understood that we also contemplate the same composition or group of components with transitional phrases “ consisting essentially of ,” “ consisting of ”, “ selected from the group of consisting of ,” or “ is ” preceding the recitation of the composition , component , or components , and vice versa . | 2 |
referring to fig1 a personal computer of known type is generally indicated at 10 comprising a motherboard 11 provided with a cpu 12 . the computer 10 is further provided with a non - volatile storage medium , in the present example comprising a hard drive 13 , a volatile memory in the form of random access memory ( ram ) indicated at 14 , referred to as the “ main memory ”, and a bios rom generally indicated at 15 . the computer 10 is provided with a generally conventional operating system , except as discussed below . to provide network access , the computer 10 comprises a network interface card ( nic ) 16 which is connected via a suitable port 17 to a network . provided in an option rom 18 on the network card 16 is a device control code which is undi compatible . as discussed above , and with reference to fig2 the undi device control code 19 provides an interface between the network interface card 16 and a hardware independent driver 20 . access to the network by the computer is controlled using a conventional network protocol 21 which can be addressed by applications 22 running on the computer 10 . in the present example , the cpu 12 and the operating system running on the computer 10 provide a 32 - bit environment , while the undi code is stored on the nic rom in the form of 16 - bit code . as discussed above , the 16 - bit undi code is incompatible with a 32 - bit environment . to overcome this problem , the operating system is provided with an initialisation module 23 to convert the 16 - bit undi code to a 32 - bit format . following turn - on or re - boot , the computer 10 boots in conventional manner . during boot of the operating system , and preferably during the driver initialisation phase , the initialisation module 23 is called and performs the operations shown in fig3 . as shown in fig3 at step 24 the initialisation module 23 first checks whether the undi code has previously been assembled in a 32 - bit format and stored in a non - volatile storage medium , in the present example on the hard disk 13 . if a previously compiled version has not been found , the module 23 at step 25 then searches for the location of the 16 - bit undi code . the code may generally be found in one of two alternative locations . firstly , when the computer 10 comprises a wfm compliant device , as part of the pxe procedure the undi code is loaded into the upper memory area . when the network boot is not required or not successful , the computer 10 then proceeds to a local boot . the undi code may be deleted from ram as part of a “ graceful failure ” routine , but alternatively may remain in the memory and may be accessed by the initialisation module 23 . alternatively , where no network boot is attempted or where the undi code is deleted from ram , the rom containing the undi code , i . e . the option rom 18 on the nic 16 or bios rom 15 on the motherboard 11 , may be addressed directly . of course , where the rom containing the undi code is shadowed into ram , the shadow ram may be addressed as this will generally be faster than addressing the rom directly . since the address of the undi code may vary across different nic &# 39 ; s , the module 23 may search for the start of the undi code by looking for a characteristic feature of the code , for example by looking for the header_undi_ . where the undi is to be read from rom , it is preferable that the undi code be stored in the rom in uncompressed form , to facilitate identification of the undi code and to remove the need for a decompression step . it will also be apparent that where the undi code is stored at a standard or known address , the step of searching for the undi code is greatly simplified . once the undi code has been located , the code may then be read from the rom at step 26 and disassembled at step 27 in conventional manner to provide an intermediate code . the intermediate code will conventionally be in the form of assembly language . the intermediate code may then , at step 28 , be assembled in 32 - bit form . the disassembly of the 16 - bit undi code and assembly into 32 - bit undi code are conventional , and may be performed by dissembler and assembler routines provided in the module 23 or by calling dissembler and assembler routines of conventional type provided separately . as the 16 - bit format permits code segments to contain both code and data , not permitted in 32 - bit format , it is essential that the disassembly and assembly steps separate code and data into separate code segments . at step 29 , the assembled 32 - bit undi code is linked in conventional manner to provide an executable file . the code may be static linked or dynamic linked as appropriate . at step 30 , the assembled and linked 32 - bit undi code is then saved to a suitable non - volatile storage medium such as the hard disk 13 . finally , at step 31 , the compiled undi code is loaded into the computers main memory , where it may be called by the hardware independent driver 20 . the initialisation module according to the present invention thus allows nic &# 39 ; s shipped with 16 - bit undi code to be installed in both 16 - bit and 32 - bit computers thus providing retro - compatibility and desired hardware stability without incurring the costs of chipping the nic &# 39 ; s with both 16 - bit and 32 - bit undi code . it is envisaged that the module 23 would be provided as part of the operating system code , and be invoked during the operating system boot process . the module 23 could be provided otherwise in hardware or software as desired . it might be envisaged that the module 23 could be called after the boot sequence is complete and only when it is desired to first address the nic 16 . it will also be apparent that the assembled 32 - bit code need not be saved to a local non - volatile storage medium , and that the disassembly and assembly process could occur each time the computer is booted . although the above description refers to disassembly and assembly of the undi code , it will be apparent that any appropriate de - compilation and compilation process may be used as desired . it is primarily envisaged that the invention will be used where a wfm - compliant computer performs a non - network boot , but it would be apparent to one of skill in the art that an initialisation module 23 according to the first aspect of the invention and the method of the second aspect of the invention might be adapted for use in connection with a network boot . it will also be apparent that the invention may be used in connection with other devices than nics where appropriate . the features disclosed in the foregoing description , or the following claims , or the accompanying drawings , expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function , or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result , as appropriate , may , separately , or in any combination of such features , be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof . | 6 |
with reference to fig1 and 2 , a cable tensioner 10 is provided having a body 12 and a rotary tensioner 14 rotatably supported in a cavity 16 of the body 12 . the rotary tensioner 14 includes a handle 20 for turning the rotary tensioner 14 in a tensioning rotary direction 22 and applying tension to a surgical cable 23 . the cable tensioner 10 has a guide , such as a tube 42 , a distal end 50 that includes an opening 52 , and a cutting tool 54 . to apply tension to the cable 23 , the surgical cable 23 is advanced in direction 56 through the opening 52 , through the cable tensioner 10 , and outward from an opening 60 of the body 12 . the cable tensioner 10 is advanced along the surgical cable 23 until the distal end 50 abuts a crimp , bone plate , or other locking device for securing the surgical cable 23 once the surgical cable 23 has been tensioned . for example with reference to fig1 , the distal end 50 may abut a crimp 212 and the surgical cable 23 extends through the cable tensioner 10 . returning to fig1 , the handle 20 is then turned in tensioning rotary direction 22 to draw the cable 23 onto the rotary tensioner 14 and apply tension to the cable 23 as discussed in greater detail below . the surgeon uses tactile feedback from the handle 20 to determine the tension in the surgical cable 23 . once the desired tension has been applied to the cable 23 , the crimp 212 is reconfigured to secure the cable 23 . next , the surgeon manipulates an actuator of the cutting tool 54 , such as a lever 66 , to cut the cable 23 . the cable tensioner 10 and the cable 23 therein may then be removed from the surgical site . the body 12 has a ratchet mechanism 21 for resisting turning of the rotary tensioner 14 in a pay out rotary direction 40 , which would pay the cable 23 off of the rotary tensioner 14 . the ratchet mechanism 21 includes at least one pawl or pawl portion , such as a pair of pawls or pawl portions 24 , 26 , which engage a ratchet gear 30 of the rotary tensioner 14 , as shown in fig8 . the pawl portions 24 , 26 have projections 154 , 156 that engage recesses 150 of the ratchet gear 30 between teeth 152 of the ratchet gear 30 . with reference to fig1 , and 7 , the body 12 includes living hinges or living hinge portions 31 , 32 that permit the pawl portions 24 , 26 to shift radially outward and inward in directions 31 , 33 ( see fig8 ) and travel over teeth 152 of the ratchet gear 30 as the rotary tensioner 14 is turned in the tensioning rotary direction 22 . the living hinge portions 31 , 32 and the pawl portions 24 , 26 should be understood to include both living hinges that are originally integrally formed with the body 12 or are initially formed as separate components that are later unified or securely connected to the body 12 after they are formed , as will be described more fully hereinafter . the living hinge portions 31 , 32 are resiliently flexible to permit shifting of the pawl portions 24 , 26 when the rotary tensioner 14 is turned in the tensioning rotary direction 22 while being sufficiently strong to support to the pawl portions 24 , 26 when the pawl portions 24 , 26 are engaged in the recesses 150 of the rotary tensioner 14 and resist turning of the rotary tensioner 14 in the tensioning rotary direction 22 . with reference to fig8 , the pawl portions 24 , 26 are spaced circumferentially around the rotary tensioner 14 so that the pawl portions 24 , 26 engage the ratchet gear 30 at different positions around the ratchet gear 30 . the pair of pawl portions 24 , 26 and the living hinge portions 31 , 32 are configured so that one of the pawl portions 24 , 26 is always engaged in one of the recesses 150 of the ratchet gear 30 when a user is turning the handle 20 in the tensioning rotary direction 22 . for example , when the pawl portion 24 is shifting out of the recess 170 as shown in fig8 , the pawl portion 26 is engaged with the recess 160 . conversely , when the pawl portion 26 is shifting out of the recess 160 as shown in fig9 , the pawl portion 24 is engaged in the recess 180 . because one of the pawl portions 24 , 26 is always engaged with the ratchet gear 30 , the one of the pawl portions 24 , 26 can resist turning of the rotary tensioner 14 in the pay out rotary direction 40 and maintain tension in the cable 23 during a tensioning operation . in one form , the body 12 and the rotary tensioner 14 may each have a one - piece construction which simplifies manufacture and assembly of these components . as used herein , the term one - piece refers to a monolithic member . for example , the body 12 including the living hinge portions 31 , 32 and the pawl portions 24 , 26 has a one - piece construction and may be formed by , for example , molding , 3d printing , or machining . likewise , the rotary tensioner 14 including the handle 20 may have a one - piece construction such as by molding , 3d printing , or machining . this simplifies manufacture by reducing the overall number of components of the cable tensioner 10 . further , the body 12 and the rotary tensioner 14 may be made from the same or different materials , such as a plastic or a composite material to reduce the weight of the cable tensioner 10 and make the cable tensioner 10 easier to handle . for example , the body 12 and the rotary tensioner 14 may be made from radel ® plastic . in other forms , the body 12 and the rotary tensioner 14 may made from other plastics . the materials for the rotary tensioner 14 may be selected so that the teeth 152 are able to withstand 80 - 100 pounds of force during a cable tensioning operation . the materials of the cable tensioner 10 may be selected so that the cable tensioner 10 is disposable or recyclable . in other forms , the materials of the cable tensioner 10 may be selected to permit cleaning and reuse of the cable tensioner 10 . for example , the body 12 and the rotary tensioner 14 may be made from a metallic material , such as stainless steel . in other forms , the body 12 and the rotary tensioner 14 may each be made from a plurality of components . for example , the body 12 may include the living hinge portions 31 , 32 and the pawl portions 24 , 26 may be initially formed as separate components that are thereafter joined such as by chemical welding or adhesive to the living hinge portions 31 , 32 . the rotary tensioner 14 could likewise be initially formed by separate components such as a handle 20 and ratchet gear 30 that are later fixed together for assembly using fasteners . with respect to fig1 , the tube 42 of the cable tensioner 10 is connected to the body 12 at a swivel connection 44 . the swivel connection 44 permits the body 12 to turn in opposite directions 46 , 48 relative to the tube 42 . this allows the user to adjust the position of the body 12 and handle 23 to an ergonomically comfortable position during a cable tensioning operation while the distal end 50 abuts the crimp 212 . with reference to fig2 and 3 , the rotary tensioner 14 has a drum portion 70 with a passage 72 extending therethrough and a cylindrical outer surface 73 . when the handle 20 is in the vertical orientation shown in fig2 , the passage 72 of the drum portion 70 is aligned with the opening 60 of the body 12 and a passage 202 of the body 12 . the cable 23 may be advanced in direction 74 upward through the passages 72 , 202 and out from the opening 60 ( see fig1 ). when the handle 20 is turned in the tensioning rotary direction 22 , the drum portion 70 and passage 72 turn with the handle 20 and wind the cable 23 onto the cylindrical outer surface 73 of the drum portion 70 as shown in fig1 and 11 . with reference to fig6 , the living hinge portion 31 includes a base portion 80 and an arm portion 82 that connects the base portion 80 and the pawl portion 24 . the body 12 has a generally u - shaped through opening 84 extending around the arm portion 82 and the pawl portion 24 . the through opening 84 includes straight portions 90 , 92 , and an end portion 94 connecting the straight portions 90 , 92 . the arm portion 82 has a width 100 , a length 102 , and a thickness 104 ( see fig9 ), that are selected with the material of the body 12 to permit sufficient flexibility for the pawl portion 24 to be deflected by the ratchet gear 30 when the handle 20 is turned in the tensioning rotary direction 22 . however , the arm portion 82 is sufficiently strong to resist deflecting when the pawl portion 24 is engaged with the ratchet gear 30 and the tension in the cable 23 urges the rotary tensioner 14 in the pay - out rotary direction 40 . for example , the arm portion 82 may be configured to resist forces applied by the rotary tensioner 14 in the range of approximately 80 pounds to approximately 100 pounds without deflecting . as another example , the body 12 including the living hinge portion 31 may be made of radel ® plastic and the arm portion 82 has a width 100 in the range of approximately 0 . 2 inches to approximately 0 . 3 inches , such as 0 . 283 inches , and a thickness 104 ( see fig9 ) in the range of approximately 0 . 08 inches to approximately 0 . 12 inches , such as 0 . 098 inches . the arm portion 82 and the pawl portion 24 may have a length 102 in the range of approximately 0 . 6 inches to approximately 0 . 9 inches , such as approximately 0 . 7 to approximately 0 . 8 inches , such as approximately 0 . 77 inches . as shown in fig7 , the living hinge portion 32 is similar to the living hinge portion 31 . the living hinge 32 includes a base portion 110 and an arm portion 112 . the body includes a generally u - shaped through opening 114 extending about the arm portion 112 and the pawl portion 26 . the through opening 114 includes a pair of straight portions 116 , 118 and an end portion 120 ( see fig4 ) connecting the straight portions 116 , 118 . with continued reference to fig7 , the pawl portion 26 has a raised feature on it exterior wherein the raised feature has an upside - down u - shape and defines a recess . in the event the cable tensioner 10 must be removed from the cable 23 after tensioning the cable 23 , but the cable 23 cannot be cut , a surgeon may grab the raised feature with forceps and lift the pawl portion 26 out of engagement with the ratchet gear 30 . the surgeon would perform a similar procedure on the pawl portion 24 so that both pawl portions 24 , 26 are disengaged from the ratchet gear 30 . with the pawl portions 24 , 26 disengaged from the ratchet gear 30 , the handle 20 may be turned in the pay out rotary direction 44 to pay the cable 23 off of the drum portion 70 . although the raised features of the pawl portions 24 , 26 allow a surgeon to pay out the cable 23 from the cable tensioner 10 when the cable 23 cannot be cut , in normal procedures , the cable 23 will simply be cut and removed with the cable tensioner 10 such that paying out the cable 23 from the drum portion 70 is unnecessary . returning to fig2 and 3 , the rotary tensioner 14 has a body 120 that includes the drum portion 70 . the body 120 has a retention flange 122 for contacting a rim 126 of the body 12 extending about the cavity 16 . the contact between the flange 122 and the rim 126 limits movement of the rotary tensioner 14 in direction 125 along an axis 136 of rotation of the rotary tensioner 14 . the body 12 also has an inwardly directed lip 130 extending about the cavity 16 . the rotary tensioner 14 includes a cap 132 secured to the body 120 , such as by adhesive or a snap - fit . the cap 132 has a flange 134 for contacting the lip 130 of the body 12 and limiting movement of the rotary tensioner 14 in direction 127 along the axis 136 . in this manner , the flanges 122 , 134 of the rotary tensioner 14 are in axial overlapping relation with the rim 126 and the lip 130 of the body 12 . this captures the rotary tensioner 14 within the cavity 16 of the body 12 . with reference to fig4 , the rotary tensioner 14 also includes guide flanges 140 , 142 on opposite sides of the outer cylindrical surface 73 of the drum portion 70 . the guide flanges 140 , 142 resist lateral movement of the cable 23 off of the drum portion 70 as the cable 23 is wound up on the outer cylindrical surface 73 . turning to fig8 , the operation of the pawl portions 24 , 26 and the ratchet gear 30 as the rotary tensioner 14 is turned in the tensioning rotary direction 22 to tension the surgical cable 23 will be discussed in greater detail . the pawl portions 24 , 26 include projections 154 , 156 that are received in different recesses 150 around the ratchet gear 30 , such as at approximately the nine o &# 39 ; clock and the one o &# 39 ; clock positions as shown in fig8 . initially , the projection 156 is fully engaged in the recess 160 and has a stop surface 162 abutting a stop surface 164 of a tooth 166 of the ratchet gear 30 . due to the abutting stop surfaces 164 , 166 , the rotary tensioner 14 is held against rotation in the pay out rotary direction 40 . in fig8 , the pawl portion 24 is shown with the projection 154 urged radially outward in direction 31 from a recess 170 of the ratchet gear 30 via camming engagement between a ramp surface 177 of the projection 154 and a ramp surface 171 of a tooth 173 . thus , while the projection 156 of the pawl portion 26 is fully engaged in the recess 160 , the projection 154 of the pawl portion 24 is shifted out of engagement from the recess 170 as shown in fig8 . the pawl portion 26 thereby resists turning of the rotary tensioner 14 in the pay - out rotary direction 40 while the pawl portion 24 shifts radially outwardly in direction 31 and travels over the tooth 173 . the ratchet gear 30 has a tooth 172 with a ramp surface 174 facing a ramp surface 175 of the projection 156 . when the rotary tensioner 14 is turned in the tensioning rotary direction 22 , the ramp surfaces 174 , 175 cammingly engage and cause the pawl portion 26 to shift radially outward in direction 176 which flexes the living hinge 32 to a deflected configuration . turning to fig9 , the rotary tensioner 14 has been turned in the tensioning rotary direction 22 such that the caroming engagement between the ramp surfaces 174 , 175 have urged the projection 156 radially outwardly in direction 176 out of engagement with the recess 160 and flexed the living hinge portion 31 to the deflected configuration . the rotation of the rotary tensioner 14 in the tensioning rotary direction 22 , however , has rotated the ratchet gear 30 until the projection 154 is aligned with a recess 180 of the ratchet gear 30 on an opposite side of the tooth 173 from the recess 170 . the living hinge portion 31 resiliently urges the projection 154 radially inward in direction 33 into the recess 180 and engages the projection 154 with the recess 180 . in this manner , the living hinge portion 31 flexes to back to a generally undeflected configuration . the term undeflected configuration is used to compare the configuration of the living hinge portion 31 in fig9 with the deflected configuration of the living hinge portion 31 in fig8 . in the undeflected configuration , the material of the living hinge portion 31 may be slightly deflected due to the presence of the rotary tensioner 14 and this partial deflection biases the projection 154 into engagement with the recess 180 . moving between fig8 and 9 , the projection 156 has been urged outward from the recess 160 , while the projection 154 has snapped into and is fully seated within the recess 180 . in this manner , at least one of the projections 156 , 154 is always fully seated within one of the recesses 150 . this provide a precise ratcheting action while utilizing larger teeth 152 , which may be more durable than utilizing a single pawl and a ratchet gear with smaller teeth . for example , if the surgeon were to release the handle 20 during a tensioning operation , the rotary tensioner 14 would not turn in the pay out rotary direction 40 from its position in fig9 despite the projection 156 of the pawl portion 26 having been urged radially outward from the recess 160 . if the pawl portion 24 were not present , the rotary tensioner 14 could turn in the pay out rotary direction 40 and release tension in the cable 23 until the projection 156 snaps into the recess 160 and the stop surface 162 of the projection 156 abuts the stop surface 164 of the tooth 166 . because one of the pawl portions 24 , 26 is always engaged with one of the recesses 150 , the release of tension is avoided . with reference to fig1 , the tube 42 includes a tube passage 200 that is aligned with the passage 202 of the body 12 . when the handle 20 is in an upright or vertical orientation ( see fig1 ), the tensioner passage 72 is also aligned with the body passage 202 such that the cable 23 may be advanced from the crimp 212 and through the aligned tube passage 200 , body passage 202 , and tensioner passage 72 before exiting the opening 60 in direction 74 . the swivel connection 44 between the body 12 and the tube 42 includes a groove 214 and a collar 220 of the body 12 . the swivel connection 44 further includes a protrusion 216 of the tube 42 that snaps into the groove 214 and a shoulder 218 of the tube 42 below the collar 220 . in this manner , the collar 220 of the body is positioned between the protrusion 216 and the shoulder 218 of the tube 42 which rotatably captures the tube 42 on the body 12 . in one form , the protrusion 216 has an annular barb shape including a tapered surface 217 . during assembly of the cable tensioner 10 , the tube 42 is advanced in direction 223 into a socket 225 of the body 12 . the tapered surface 217 cams and expands the collar 220 radially outward so that the protrusion of the tube 42 can snap into the groove 214 . the protrusion 216 may also have a flat lower surface abutting a flat upper surface of the collar 220 to resist removal of the tube 42 in direction 227 from the socket 225 of the body 12 . as shown in fig1 and 12 , the cutting tool 54 includes a lever 66 pivotally connected to the tube 42 by a pin 67 and a blade 232 slidably received in a slot 234 of the tube 42 . the blade 232 has a cutting edge 233 made of a sufficiently strong material to cut the surgical cable 23 the lever 66 has an arm 230 abutting the blade 232 . the lever 66 can be pivoted to shift the blade 232 in direction 244 to cut the cable 23 extending through the tube passage 200 . in one form , the blade 232 is made of 465 series stainless steel and the lever 66 is also made of stainless steel . with reference to fig1 - 12 a method of tensioning and cutting the cable 23 is shown . initially , the surgical cable 23 is advanced through the tube passage 200 , the body passage 202 , and the tensioner passage 72 , and outward through the opening 60 in direction 74 . the cable tensioner 10 may be advanced along the surgical cable 23 until the distal end 50 abuts against the crimp 212 . next , the surgeon turns the handle 20 in the tensioning rotary direction 22 which causes the rotary tensioner 14 to turn in the tensioning rotary direction 22 as shown in fig1 . the turning of the rotary tensioner 14 in the tensioning rotary direction 22 draws a portion 220 of the cable 23 downward in direction 222 onto the drum portion 70 and draws a portion 224 of the cable 23 upward in direction 226 onto the drum portion 70 . as the cable portions 220 , 224 are wrapped onto the drum portion 70 , tension is applied to the surgical cable 23 . the surgeon determines the tension in the surgical cable 23 by way of tactile feedback from the handle 20 . as discussed above , the pawl portions 24 , 26 engage the ratchet gear 30 to restrict turning of the rotary tensioner 14 in the pay out rotary direction 40 and resist loss of tension in the cable 23 . once the desired tension has been obtained , the crimp 212 or locking device is crimped or otherwise operated to secure the surgical cable 23 at the desired tension . with reference to fig1 , after the crimp 212 has been secured to the cable 23 , the surgeon operates the lever 66 to drive the blade 232 and cut the cable 23 . in one approach , the surgeon connects a tool to the lever 66 to provide additional leverage to drive the blade 232 and cut the cable 23 . for example , a tubular tool 240 may be positioned such that the lever 66 extends into a cannula 242 of the tubular tool 240 . the surgeon then pivots the tubular tool 240 and the lever 66 connected therewith in direction 244 . this causes the arm 230 to push the blade 232 in direction 244 and cut the cable 23 . the cable tensioner 10 and the cable 23 remaining within the cable tensioner 10 may then be removed from the surgical site . owing to the materials and fewer components of the cable tensioner 10 , the cable tensioner 10 may then be discarded or recycled , including being discarded or recycled with the cut section of the cable 23 therein . while there have been illustrated and described particular embodiments of the present invention , it will be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art , and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all those changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | 1 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig2 is an sofc of an embodiment of the present invention . an oxygen electrode layer 101 is provided on one surface of a solid electrolyte layer 102 , and a fuel electrode layer 103 is provided on the other surface of the solid electrolyte layer 102 . conventionally , ysz has been mainly used as the solid electrolyte layer 102 , from the viewpoints of high oxygen ion conductivity and excellent long - term durability . however , a long - term durability test conducted for several hundred to several thousand hours showed that , in an sofc using ysz , yttria in crystals was extracted when impurities such as si contained in a fuel gas came into contact with the solid electrolyte layer 102 on the fuel electrode layer 103 side , so that crystal transformation ( change from the cubic crystals to tetragonal crystals ) of the solid electrolyte layer 102 occurred . in addition , powder formation was observed in an uncovered portion of the solid electrolyte layer 102 . hence , presumably , the crystal transformation occurred also in a portion of the solid electrolyte layer 102 covered with the fuel electrode layer 103 in the same manner , and the powder formation peeling will occur between the solid electrolyte layer 102 and the fuel electrode layer 103 during operation for several tens of thousands hours . the difference in change associated with the crystal transformation of the solid electrolyte layer 102 between a conventional case and the present invention is described based on fig3 . a solid electrolyte layer which has a 10ysz composition corresponding to that of comparative example 1 has a cubic crystal structure 110 at the production thereof . when si and the like in a fuel gas come into contact with the solid electrolyte layer , yttria ( y 2 o 3 ) serving as a stabilizer is extracted from the crystal phase . consequently , the crystal phase changes from the cubic crystals ( c ) 110 to tetragonal crystals ( t ) 111 , as shown in the phase diagram of fig4 . the change from the cubic crystals ( c ) 110 to the tetragonal crystals ( t ) 111 results in decrease in lattice constants and decrease in volume . presumably as a result of this , intergranular fracture occurs , and the powder formation as shown in the sem image of fig1 occurs . in the solid electrolyte material of the present invention , the solid electrolyte material doped with a lanthanoid oxide in order to suppress the extraction of yttria ( y 2 o 3 ) from the crystal phase . for example , cubic crystals ( c ) 113 having a 10y0 . 5cesz composition are used . moreover , even with this composition , the extraction of yttria to the outside of the crystals gradually occurs , and the cubic crystals ( c ) 113 eventually change to tetragonal crystals ( t ) 114 . hence , it is preferable to further add alumina 112 in order to prevent the intergranular fracture even after the crystal transformation occurs due to the extraction of yttria , and thereby prevent the powder formation from occurring . a preferred composition of the solid electrolyte material is such that the yttria doping is 8 to 15 mol % and the lanthanoid oxide doping is 1 to 5 mol %, relative to the total amount of substances ( total molar amount ) of the zirconia , the yttria , and the lanthanoid oxide in the solid electrolyte material . it is more preferable that more than 1 mol % of alumina be further contained relative to the total amount of substances ( total molar amount ) of the zirconia , the yttria , and the lanthanoid oxide in the solid electrolyte material . the amount of yttria is preferably 8 to 15 mol %, because an amount of less than 8 mol % results in tetragonal crystals , and an amount exceeding 15 mol % may result in rhombohedral crystals , which lowers the oxygen ion conductivity . the amount of the lanthanoid oxide is preferably 1 to 5 mol %, because an amount of less than 1 mol % results in a decreased effect of suppressing the extraction of yttria by impurities such as si contained in a fuel gas , and an amount exceeding 5 mol % increases the possibility of the crystal transformation because of the formation of tetragonal crystals . the alumina is contained in an amount of more than 1 mol %, because an amount of 1 mol % or less results in a decreased effect of suppressing the intergranular fracture due to the volume change associated with the crystal transformation . a major object of the solid electrolyte layer in the sofc of the present invention is to prevent degradation due to impurities such as si in a fuel gas . from the viewpoints of increasing the efficiency and of a high durability of the sofc , the solid electrolyte layer preferably comprises two layers of a first layer 107 formed on the oxygen electrode layer 101 side and a second layer 108 formed on the fuel electrode layer side 103 , wherein the second layer 108 on the fuel electrode layer 103 side is formed of a solid electrolyte material in which the ysz is doped with the lanthanoid oxide , and which has a composition further containing alumina , and the first layer 107 on the oxygen electrode layer 101 side is formed of a solid electrolyte material having a ysz composition with a high oxygen ion conductivity ( see fig5 ). from the viewpoint of high efficiency , the first layer is more preferably thicker than the second layer . the fuel electrode layer 103 in the sofc of the present invention only needs to satisfy the following requirements : having a high electrical conductivity , which enables an electric output to be obtained by an electrochemical reaction in which o 2 − react with h 2 ; being chemically stable ; and having a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of the solid electrolyte layer 102 . conventionally used fuel electrode layers can be employed without any particular limitation . typical examples thereof include a cermet of ni and scsz , a cermet of ni and yttria stabilized zirconia ( hereinafter , referred to as ysz ), a cermet of ni and cerium oxide , and the like . the oxygen electrode layer 101 in the sofc of the present invention only needs to satisfy the following requirements : having a high electrical conductivity and having a high catalytic activity for converting an oxidizing agent gas such as oxygen ( o 2 ) into oxygen ions ( o 2 − ); being chemically stable ; and having a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of the solid electrolyte layer 102 . conventionally used oxygen electrode layers can be employed without any particular limitation . examples thereof include strontium doped lanthanum manganite ( hereinafter , referred to as lsm ), strontium doped lanthanum ferrite ( hereinafter , referred to as lsf ), strontium and iron doped lanthanum cobaltite ( hereinafter , referred to as lscf ), and the like . in the production of the solid electrolyte material of the present invention , any method generally employed in this technical field may be used without any particular limitation . for example , the solid electrolyte material of the present invention can be produced as follows , although the method is not limited to this one . specifically , particles of zirconia , particles of yttria , and particles of the lanthanoid oxide are mixed with each other at a given blending ratio ; the mixture is ground in a grinding machine such as a ball mill , and then sintered ; the sintered material is ground in a grinding machine such as a ball mill ; then the ground material is mixed with alumina and a binder component ; and the mixture is molded and sintered . in the production of the sofc of the present invention , any method generally employed in this technical field may be used without any particular limitation . for example , the sofc of the present invention can be produced by forming an oxygen electrode layer on one surface of the solid electrolyte material of the present invention and a fuel electrode layer on the other surface thereof by the screen printing method or the like , followed by sintering . the sofc of the present invention may be of any type such as the flat - plate vertical - stripe type , the flat - plate lateral - stripe type , the flat tubular type , the tubular vertical - stripe type , the tubular lateral - stripe type , or the microtube type . a test conducted by fabricating a cell of the type shown in fig2 is described . a zro 2 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ), a y 2 o 3 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ), and a ceo 2 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ) were weighed to give a 10y0 . 5cesz composition represented by the general formula of 89 . 5 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 0 . 5 mol % ( ceo 2 ). these raw materials were wet blended in an ethanol solvent for 50 hr , and dried and ground . then , the blend was sintered at 1200 ° c . the sintered material was ground into a powder . then , 5 wt % of a binder pva was added to the powder , followed by mixing in a mortar . the powder containing the pva was press molded at 50 mpa , and sintered at 1450 ° c . for 5 hr . thus , a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y0 . 5cesz composition was obtained . after the layer was polished to a thickness of about 200 μm , a film of lsm ( average particle diameter : 2 μm ) was formed as an oxygen electrode layer by the screen printing so as to give a thickness of 20 μm after sintering , and a film of 40 wt % nio - 60 wt % ysz ( average particle diameter : 2 μm ) was formed as a fuel electrode layer on an opposite surface by the screen printing so as to form a cermet of ni and ysz and to give a thickness of 20 μm after sintering . then , sintering was carried out at 1400 ° c . for 2 hr . example 2 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y0 . 5cesz1al composition was obtained as follows . specifically , together with a binder pva , al 2 o 3 in an amount equivalent to 1 mol % relative to the total amount of substances ( total molar amount ) of the zirconia , the yttria , and the lanthanoid oxide in the solid electrolyte material was mixed with a powder having the 10y0 . 5cesz composition represented by the general formula of 89 . 5 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 0 . 5 mol % ( ceo 2 ). example 3 was conducted in the same manner as in example 2 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y0 . 5cesz1 . 5al composition was obtained as follows . specifically , with a 10y0 . 5cesz composition represented by the general formula of 89 . 5 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 0 . 5 mol % ( ceo 2 ), al 2 o 3 was mixed in an amount equivalent to 1 . 5 mol % relative to the total amount of substances ( total molar amount ) of the zirconia , the yttria , and the lanthanoid oxide in the solid electrolyte material . example 4 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y1cesz composition represented by the general formula of 89 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 1 mol % ( ceo 2 ) was obtained . example 5 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y2cesz composition represented by the general formula of 88 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 2 mol % ( ceo 2 ) was obtained . example 6 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y5cesz composition represented by the general formula of 85 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 5 mol % ( ceo 2 ) was obtained . example 7 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y6cesz composition represented by the general formula of 84 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 6 mol % ( ceo 2 ) was obtained . example 8 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 7y1cesz composition represented by the general formula of 92 mol % ( zro 2 )- 7 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 1 mol % ( ceo 2 ) was obtained . example 9 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having an 8y1cesz composition represented by the general formula of 91 mol % ( zro 2 )- 8 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 1 mol % ( ceo 2 ) was obtained . example 10 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 15y1cesz composition represented by the general formula of 84 mol % ( zro 2 )- 15 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 1 mol % ( ceo 2 ) was obtained . example 11 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 16y1cesz composition represented by the general formula of 83 mol % ( zro 2 )- 16 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 1 mol % ( ceo 2 ) was obtained . comparative example 1 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10ysz composition represented by the general formula of 90 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 ) was obtained . comparative example 2 was conducted in the same manner as in example 2 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10ysz0 . 5al composition was obtained as follows . specifically , with a 10ysz composition represented by the general formula of by the general formula of 90 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 ), al 2 o 3 was mixed in an amount equivalent to 0 . 5 mol % relative to the total amount of substances ( total molar amount ) of the zirconia , the yttria , and the lanthanoid oxide in the solid electrolyte material . fig6 schematically shows a testing apparatus . a glass seal ( sio 2 + b 2 o 3 ) 104 was placed in an apparatus held by a zirconia tube 105 , and the fabricated sofc 100 was placed on the glass seal 104 . moreover , a zirconia tube 105 was placed on an upper surface of the sofc 100 . while the air was passed on the upper surface of the sofc of each of examples 1 to 11 and comparative examples 1 and 2 , and 97 % n 2 + 3 % h 2 was passed on a lower surface thereof , the temperature of an electric furnace 106 was raised to 1000 ° c . while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc , and a fuel gas ( 70 % h 2 + 30 % h 2 o ) was passed on the lower surface thereof , the temperature was kept at 1000 ° c . for 600 hr . then , while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc , and 97 % n 2 + 3 % h 2 was passed on the lower surface thereof , the temperature was lowered to room temperature . after the sofc 100 was peeled off from the glass seal 104 , a surface of the solid electrolyte layer 102 of the sofc 100 , the surface having been in contact with the glass seal 104 , was analyzed by sem and raman spectroscopy , and the presence or absence of powder formation and the crystal phase were examined . in addition , the crystal phases of all the sofcs were checked by raman spectroscopy before the test . the sem observation was carried out by using s - 4100 of hitachi high - technologies co ., japan at an acceleration voltage of 15 kv and at a 1000 - fold magnification . in the raman spectroscopy , mode of vibration of zr - o on the surface of the electrolyte was analyzed by using nrs - 2100 of jasco co ., japan . the measurement was conducted with a detector equipped with a triple monochromator at a wavenumber resolution of 1 cm − 1 with an observation spot of 8 μm in diameter , and an excitation wavelength of 523 nm . table 1 shows the test results . the notation is as follows : c : cubic crystals , t : tetragonal crystals , and r : rhombohedral crystals . the powder formation was observed in each of comparative examples 1 and 2 . in contrast , no powder formation was observed in any of examples 1 to 11 . this demonstrated that the powder formation can be suppressed by employing the composition of the present invention . in addition , the crystal phase was transformed to the t phase in each of the examples 1 , 2 , 7 , and 8 , and the r phase , which causes phase transformation at around 630 ° c ., partially remained in example 11 . in contrast , the crystal phase remained the c phase in each of examples 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , and 10 . a comparison among examples 4 to 11 shows that the compositions employed in examples 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , and 10 are more preferable , and that it is more preferable that the yttria doping is 8 to 15 mol % and the lanthanoid oxide doping is 1 to 5 mol %. moreover , a comparison among examples 1 to 3 shows that the composition of example 3 containing more than 1 mol % of alumina is more preferable , because the crystal phase remained the c phase in example 3 . the sofcs of examples 3 and 4 and comparative example 1 were analyzed as follows . specifically , the fuel electrode layer 103 was peeled off , and the surface of the solid electrolyte layer 102 having been covered with the fuel electrode layer 103 was analyzed by sem and raman spectroscopy . table 2 shows the results of the analysis . no powder formation was observed in the solid electrolyte layers covered with the fuel electrode layers . however , the crystal phase had already changed to the t phase in comparative example 1 , and cracks were observed at grain boundaries . on the other hand , in examples 3 and 4 , no powder formation was observed , the crystal phase was unchanged , and no cracks were observed at grain boundaries . in the case of comparative example 1 , it is suggested that the powder formation may occur during a further long time operation , and the powder formation peeling may occur between the fuel electrode layer 103 and the solid electrolyte layer 102 . example 12 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y2smsz composition represented by the general formula of by the general formula of 88 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 2 mol % ( sm 2 o 3 ) was obtained . example 13 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y2ybsz composition represented by the general formula of by the general formula of 88 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 2 mol % ( yb 2 o 3 ) was obtained . example 14 was conducted in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a dense solid electrolyte layer having a 10y2lasz composition represented by the general formula of by the general formula of 88 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 2 mol % ( la 2 o 3 ) was obtained . while the air was passed on an upper surface of the sofc of each of examples 12 to 14 , and 97 % n 2 + 3 % h 2 was passed on a lower surface thereof by using the testing apparatus shown in fig6 , the temperature of the electric furnace 106 was raised to 1000 ° c . while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc , and a fuel gas ( 70 % h 2 + 30 % h 2 o ) was passed on the lower surface thereof , the temperature was kept at 1000 ° c . for 600 hr . then , while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc , and 97 % n 2 + 3 % h 2 was passed on the lower surface thereof , the temperature was lowered to room temperature . a surface of the solid electrolyte layer 102 of the sofc 100 , the surface having been in contact with the glass seal 104 , was analyzed by sem and raman spectroscopy in the same manner , and the presence or absence of powder formation and the crystal phase were examined . table 3 shows the results of the analysis after the test . no powder formation was observed in any of examples 12 to 14 , and the crystal phase remained the c phase therein . these results are the same as those of example 5 , indicating that the same effect as that achieved in the case where ceo 2 doped can be achieved , also when a lanthanoid oxide other than ceo 2 doped . the electric conductivities of the solid electrolyte materials of examples 5 , 12 , 13 , and 14 were measured . each solid electrolyte material was press molded , and sintered at 1450 ° c . for 5 hr . then , platinum electrodes were attached onto both surfaces thereof , and a reference electrode was attached onto a side surface thereof . the impedance was measured at 1000 ° c . under atmospheric atmosphere . table 4 shows the results of the electric conductivities . the electric conductivity of example 5 was the highest , indicating that ceria is the most preferable as the lanthanoid oxide doped . a zro 2 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ), a y 2 o 3 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ), and a ceo 2 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ) were weighed to give a 10y0 . 5cesz composition represented by the general formula of by the general formula of 89 . 5 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 0 . 5 mol % ( ceo 2 ). then , these raw materials were wet blended in an ethanol solvent for 50 hr , and dried and ground . then , the blend was sintered at 1200 ° c . the sintered material was ground into a powder . then , 5 wt % of a binder pva was added to the powder , followed by mixing in a mortar . the powder containing the pva was press molded at 50 mpa . thus , a molded article having the 10y0 . 5cesz composition was fabricated . a zro 2 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ), a y 2 o 3 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ), and a ceo 2 raw material ( average particle diameter : 0 . 3 μm ) were weighed to give a 10y2cesz composition represented by the general formula of by the general formula of 88 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 2 mol % ( ceo 2 ). these materials were wet blended in an ethanol solvent for 50 hr , and dried and ground . then , the blend was sintered at 1200 ° c . the sintered material was ground into a powder . then , 5 wt % of a binder pva was added to the powder , followed by mixing in a mortar . the powder containing the pva was press molded at 50 mpa . thus , a molded article having a 10y2cesz2al composition was fabricated . the molded article having the 10y0 . 5cesz composition and serving as the first layer and the molded article having the 10y2cesz composition and serving as the second layer were stacked on each other , thermally adhered to each other under pressure , and then sintered at 1450 ° c . for 5 hr . the first layer was polished to a thickness of about 190 μm , and the second layer was polished to a thickness of about 10 μm . then , a film of lsm ( average particle diameter : 2 μm ) was formed as an oxygen electrode layer on the surface of the first layer by screen printing so as to give a thickness of 20 μm after sintering , and a film of 40 wt % nio - 60 wt % ysz ( average particle diameter : 2 μm ) was formed as a fuel electrode layer on the surface of the second layer by screen printing so as to form a cermet of ni and ysz and to give a thickness of 20 μm after sintering . then , sintering was carried out at 1400 ° c . for 2 hr . example 16 was conducted in the same manner as in example 15 , except for the following points . specifically , the materials were weighed to give a 10y0 . 5cesz composition represented by the general formula of by the general formula of 89 . 5 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 )- 0 . 5 mol % ( ceo 2 ). these materials were wet blended in an ethanol solvent for 50 hr , and dried and ground . then , the blend was sintered at 1200 ° c ., and then ground . then , together with the binder pva , al 2 o 3 ( average particle diameter : 0 . 5 μm ) was mixed therewith in an amount equivalent to 0 . 5 mol % relative to the total amount of substances ( total molar amount ) of the zirconia , the yttria , and the lanthanoid oxide in the solid electrolyte material . thus , a first layer having a 10y0 . 5cesz0 . 5al composition was fabricated . in addition , the composition of the second layer was likewise the 10y0 . 5cesz1 . 5al composition . example 17 was conducted in the same manner as in example 15 , except that the composition of the first layer was changed to a 10ysz composition represented by the general formula of by the general formula of 90 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( y 2 o 3 ). while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc of each of examples 15 , 16 , and 17 , and 97 % n 2 + 3 % h 2 was passed on the lower surface ( on the second layer side ) thereof by using the testing apparatus shown in fig6 , the temperature of the electric furnace 106 was raised to 1000 ° c . while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc , and a fuel gas ( 70 % h 2 + 30 % h 2 o ) was passed on the lower surface thereof , the temperature was kept at 1000 ° c . for 600 hr . then , while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc , and 97 % n 2 + 3 % h 2 was passed on the lower surface thereof , the temperature was lowered to room temperature . after the sofc 100 was peeled off from the glass seal 104 , a surface of the solid electrolyte layer 102 of the sofc 100 , the surface having been in contact with the glass seal 104 , was analyzed by sem and raman spectroscopy . thus , the presence or absence of powder formation and the crystal phase were examined , and a comparison with example 5 was made . table 5 shows the results of the analysis after the test . no powder formation was observed in any of examples 15 to 17 , and the crystal phase remained the c phase therein . it was found that the powder formation and the crystal transformation were successfully suppressed by providing the second layer comprising the solid electrolyte material of the present invention in which no phase transformation occurred to the solid electrolyte material , which would have otherwise undergone the powder formation or the transformation to the t phase upon exposure to the fuel gas . the electric conductivities of the solid electrolyte materials of examples 5 , 15 , 16 , and 17 were measured . each solid electrolyte material was press molded , and sintered at 1450 ° c . for 5 hr . platinum electrodes were attached onto both surfaces thereof , and a reference electrode was attached onto a side surface thereof . the impedance was measured at 1000 ° c . under atmospheric atmosphere . table 6 shows the results of the electric conductivities . it was found that the provision of the layer having a high oxygen ion conductivity to the first layer resulted in a higher electric conductivity than that of example 5 , so that the electric power generation efficiency was increased . from these results , it has been found that it is more effective to form the second layer in a thickness minimum necessary for preventing the powder formation peeling . example 18 was conducted in the same manner as in example 15 , except that the composition of the first layer was changed to a 10scsz composition represented by the general formula of 90 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( sc 2 o 3 ). example 19 was conducted in the same manner as in example 15 , except that the composition of the first layer was changed to a 10sc1cesz composition represented by the general formula of 89 mol % ( zro 2 )- 10 mol % ( sc 2 o 3 )- 1 mol % ( ceo 2 ). while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc of each of examples 18 and 19 , and 97 % n 2 + 3 % h 2 was passed on the lower surface ( on the second layer side ) thereof by using the testing apparatus shown in fig6 , the temperature of the electric furnace 106 was raised to 1000 ° c . while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc , and a fuel gas ( 70 % h 2 30 % h 2 o ) was passed on the lower surface thereof , the temperature was kept at 1000 ° c . for 600 hr . then , while the air was passed on the upper surface ( on the first layer side ) of the sofc , and 97 % n 2 + 3 % h 2 was passed on the lower surface thereof , the temperature was lowered to room temperature . after the sofc was peeled off from the glass seal 104 , a surface of the solid electrolyte layer 102 of the sofc 100 , the surface having been in contact with the glass seal 104 , was analyzed by sem and raman spectroscopy . thus , the presence or absence of powder formation and the crystal phase were examined , and a comparison with example 5 was made . table 7 shows the results of the analysis after the test . no powder formation was observed in any of examples 18 and 19 , and the crystal phase remained the c phase therein . it was found that the sofc having the electrolyte two - layer structure and using scandia as the stabilizer of the first layer also achieved the same effect , when the second layer was formed of the solid electrolyte material of the present invention . effects of the present invention are described based on the sofc of the type using the solid electrolyte layer as a support . however , the same effects are obtained also in sofcs using an oxygen electrode layer or a fuel electrode layer as a support . regarding the design of the sofc , the description is made based on the flat plate type . however , the same effects are obtained in the case of any type such as the flat tubular type , the tubular vertical - stripe type , and the microtube type . in examples shown above , the cases in each of which the ysz electrolyte material was doped with only one lanthanoid oxide were tested . however , it is conceivable that the same effects as those in examples shown above can be obtained also in a case where a ysz electrolyte material is doped with a combination of two or more lanthanoid oxides . | 8 |
referring to the drawings , fig1 illustrates in diagrammatic form an automatic blood pressure measuring and recording system constructed in accordance with the present invention . the individual whose blood pressure measurement is to be taken is noninvasively coupled to the system through an inflatable cuff 10 and a microphone 12 . the inflatable cuff 10 fastens around the individual &# 39 ; s arm and , upon inflation and deflation , selectively occludes a brachial artery for measurement of the blood pressure therein . adjacent the cuff 10 , or mounted thereon , the microphone 12 detects sounds from the selectively occluded artery arising from flow variations therein and generates an output , amplified by an amplifier 14 , to provide an electrical detection signal vd . in the manner described below , after the cuff 10 and microphone 12 are in place , and a start switch 16 is closed , the system automatically performs a blood pressure measurement process correlating the cuff pressure with the detection signal to yield measurement records on a calibrated chart 18 , a display 20 , or both . at the same time , an aural representation of the flow variations is provided on a loudspeaker 22 for detection of particular variations arising from heart murmurs and the like . as shown in fig1 the cuff 10 is pneumatically coupled by means of a suitable conduit 24 to a pressure source 26 which , in accordance with the present invention , inflates and deflates the cuff over a pressure range providing the desired arterial occlusion . the pressure source 26 , to be described below in greater detail with reference to fig2 - 4 , comprises a fixed volume single stroke reversible piston pump 28 and an electric motor 30 operating at a selected constant speed for advancing and retracting the piston drive shaft 31 at a selected linear rate to cause a linear pressure increase and decrease in cuff 10 . the speed of motor 30 is under the control of a speed controller circuit 32 , to be described below in greater detail with reference to fig8 . briefly , the speed controller 32 has an input from start switch 16 to cause motor 30 to start a forward ( inflating ) stroke of drive shaft 31 . an input from a manual reverse switch 34 is provided to reverse motor 30 to permit the measurement process to be aborted at any time during the measurement if desired . when the forward stroke of pump 28 is completed , and full inflation of cuff 10 is achieved , an upper limit switch 36 is tripped automatically by pump 28 to cause the controller 32 to reverse motor 30 and begin the reverse ( deflating ) stroke of piston drive shaft 31 during which measurements are taken . as pressure in cuff 10 decreases , flow through the brachial artery will commence and a detection signal vd will start to appear . at the commencement of the detection signal vd , an input of this signal to controller 32 causes motor 30 to operate at a slower constant speed to enhance measurement accuracy in the regions of systolic and diastolic pressures , as suggested in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 814 , 083 . when the reverse stroke of pump 28 is complete , after measurements have been taken and recorded , the drive shaft 31 of pump 28 automatically trips a lower limit switch 38 to cause controller 32 to stop motor 30 . as can be seen from the foregoing description of operation , the blood pressure measurement system of the present invention provides automatic cycling through the full measurement process in a simple manner using easily generated inputs to a controller which is required to change only the speed and direction of an electric motor to obtain the desired control . as illustrated in fig1 the cuff 10 and pressure source 26 are pneumatically coupled by means of conduit 24 to a ballast tank 40 . due to variatons in the circumferences of patient &# 39 ; s arms , a convenional cuff of fixed dimensions is incapable of covering all arm circumferences . six sizes of cuffs typically are required to accommodate all arm sizes , and each cuff requires a different volume of air in order to reach the required pressure for the underlying brachial artery to be occluded . to retain a constant air volume with all six cuffs and a single fixed volume pump 28 , ballast tank 40 is provided . by varying the position of a manual control shaft 42 , the internal volume 43 of ballast tank 40 is adjusted to complement the volume of a particular cuff 10 and to thereby obtain a constant volume for pump 28 to inflate . as shown in fig1 the ballast tank 40 includes a diaphragm 44 coupled to control shaft 42 through a spring 46 . by varying the control shaft 42 , spring pressure is brought to bear on diaphragm 44 to adjust the internal volume 43 of the tank . preferably , for ease of adjustment , the control shaft 42 is arranged with a plurality of settings each corresponding to a particular cuff size . the linearly varying pressure in cuff 10 is applied , in conjunction with detection signal vd , to a recording apparatus 50 arranged to generate an oscillatory record 52 of the detected arterial flow variations on calibrated chart 18 . as illustrated in fig1 cuff 10 is pneumatically coupled by conduit 24 to a pneumatic recording actuator 54 which , as will be described in greater detail below with reference to fig5 - 7 , is arranged to translate the cuff pressure into a corresponding lengthwise mechanical displacement of an output shaft 56 . an arm 58 , pivoted at 60 , is linked to shaft 56 and rotated thereby . the arm 58 mounts a radially movable recording pen 62 above chart 18 . a dynamic pen driver 64 , carried by arm 58 , receives the detection signal vd through the contacts of a relay circuit 66 and drives the recording pen 62 in a radial direction in proportion to the detection signal . the recording apparatus 50 operates in the following manner : as pump 28 inflates cuff 10 , arm 58 swings the pen 62 across chart 18 . because no record is to be made during inflation of the cuff , relay circuit 66 is arranged to have its contacts open during this time to prevent a signal from being applied to pen driver 64 . when the upper limit switch 36 is actuated to reverse the pump motor 30 , the contacts of relay circuits 66 are closed in response thereto . as pump 28 linearly deflates cuff 10 , arm 58 pivots steadily across chart 18 . calibration lines 68 on chart 18 indicate in appropriate units ( e . g ., mm . hg ) the cuff pressures corresponding to the various positions of arm 58 thereover . as detection signals vd are received through the closed contacts of relay circuit 66 , pen driver 64 responds by moving recording pen 62 radially back and forth to provide an oscillating trace 52 of the detected flow variations in a permanent form on chart 18 . through the use of calibration lines 68 , the chart 18 will show at what cuff pressures the various arterial flow variations have taken place . when cuff 10 is fully deflated and pump 28 actuates the lower limit switch 38 , the contacts of relay circuit 66 are again opened in preparation for a subsequent cycle of operation . in addition to the record of arterial flow variation versus cuff pressure provided on chart 18 , the blood pressure measuring system of the present invention is arranged to provide an accurate measurement and record of the systolic and diastolic pressures of the arterial vessel . a precise indication of the systolic and diastolic pressues is provided by a signal analyzer 70 receiving the detection signal vd and preferably having the circuit arrangement described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 814 , 083 , incorporated herein by reference . briefly , such a signal analyzer 70 operates by processing detected korotkov sounds and utilizes a microphone 12 having a flat frequency response over the range of 10 - 100 hz . the amplified microphone output vd is supplied to a systolic korotkov sound detecting system comprised to two channels . one channel of the system has a bandpass filter 72 having a range from 18 to 26 hz . these signals in the bandpass range are passed to an absolute value circuit 74 which provides output signals representative of the absolute values of the filtered input signal . the signals from the absolute value circuit 74 are passed to a comparison circuit or comparator 76 . the other channel of the systolic korotkov sound detecting system includes an absolute value circuit 78 which provides absolute value signals to a circuit 80 which detects peak values and holds the maximum peak value detected . the output of the peak detector 80 is also supplied to the comparison circuit 76 . the comparison circuit is constructed and arranged to consider the output of circuit 74 as a numerator value and the output of circuit 80 as a denominator and produce an output signal dependent on the ratio value of the two input values . the comparison circuit is further arranged to produce a positive voltage output signal only when the ratio value is equal to or greater than 0 . 45 . the comparator may be a standard commercial item such at the national semiconductor lm 311 which is conventionally used as an amplifier with two operational states . whenever the ratio is less than 0 . 45 , the amplifier output is negative or zero ; otherwise it saturates at full scale positive . the processor circuitry also includes a channel for diastolic korotkov sound detection . this channel includes a bandpass filter 82 having a frequency range from 40 to 60 hz . the output of the filter 82 is supplied to an absolute value circuit 84 which provides absolute value output signals . the signals from circuit 84 are supplied directly to a comparison circuit or comparator 86 and to a circuit 88 which detects peak values and holds the maximum peak value detected . the output of the peak detector 88 is supplied to the comparison circuit 86 . comparison circuit 86 receives the detector output 88 as a denominator value and the absolute value signal as a numerator and provided an output signal when the ratio value falls below a value of 0 . 17 . the output signals from comparator 76 and comparator 86 are supplied to an or gate 90 , the output of which will be signals occurring at the systolic and diastolic events . the systolic and diastolic signals are applied to pen driver 64 in recording apparatus 50 , preferably at a higher signal level than the detection signal vd , so as to provide higher amplitude traces 92 , 94 on chart 18 which are distinguishable form the flow variation trace 52 . thus there is automatically and permanently provided on chart 18 both a continuous record of arterial flow variations versus pressure and an accurate record of detected systolic and diastolic pressures . the systolic and diastolic pressures also may be recorded temporarily if desired on the display 20 , which preferably is of the digital variety showing the detected values in alphanumeric characters . to obtain such a display , the systolic and diastolic signals from analyzer 70 may be supplied to control the operation of a gate circuit 96 . when the gate circuit 96 receives either the systolic or diastolic signals , the gate circuit is arranged to pass along to display 20 a pressure signal vp which is proportional to cuff pressure values for the time that the gate is operated . in accordance with the present invention , the cuff pressure signal vp is automatically generated by the operation of pneumatic recording actuator 54 . as shown in fig1 the output shaft 56 of actuator 54 , which is displaced linearly in relation to cuff pressure , carries a contact element 98 which varies the characteristics of an electrical device such as a resistance 100 . the pressure signal vp may be derived from the varying resistance 100 , e . g ., by means of the illustrated voltage divider arrangement employing a voltage source 102 in series with the resistance 100 . still another form of useful diagnostic information may be provided by the blood pressure system of the present invention . by using a microphone 12 with a wide frequency response , such as from 5 to 5000 hz ., and a wideband audio amplifier circuit 104 , the loudspeaker 22 will provide not only the fundamental wave or pulse , but also all harmonics and overtones , making it possible to hear a murmur and the tone character of the murmur . such a high fidelity representation of arterial flow variations in aural form is useful for diagnostic purposes and is readily provided in the present system as a concomitant to the previously described measurement and recording functions . the blood pressure measuring system of the present invention thus provides a versatile array of useful records and information on chart 18 , display 20 , and loudspeaker 22 . if desired , various switches ( not shown ) may be provided to obtain such records and information either independently or simultaneously . turning again to pressure source 26 , fig2 - 4 illustrate in detail a preferred embodiment of the construction thereof . pump 28 comprises a base 110 mounting an integral cylindrical housing portion 112 having a flange 112f joined to the flange 114f of a second cylindrical housing portion 114 by fasteners 116 . within the cylindrical inner space formed by mating housing portions 112 , 114 is a piston 118 secured to drive shaft 31 by fastener 119 . the piston 118 is coupled to cylinder portions 112 , 114 by a foldable cylindrical sleeve membrane or diaphragm 120 , made for example of rubber , and attached to one end to piston 118 by means of a retainer plate 122 and fastener 119 , and attached at the other end between housing flanges 112f , 114f . an end wall 124 of cylindrical housing portion 114 contains an umbrella relief valve 126 and an outlet connector 128 joining to conduit 24 . the end wall 124 , housing portion 114 , and diaphragm 120 form a contained interior chamber or air space 130 in pump 28 which is variable in volum by movement of piston 118 to cause the inflation and deflation of cuff 10 . the diaphragm 120 folds over itself as the piston 118 moves and thereby maintains a leakage free seal between piston 118 and cylindrical housing 112 , 114 for reliable , repeatable pressure changes . when the cuff is fully deflated , and piston 118 is near the right end ( as seen in fig3 ) of the housing , the pressure in the contained space 130 is essentially the ambient pressure and there is no pressure loading of diaphragm 120 . without any loading , the folded diaphragm 120 tends to slip along the interior surface of the housing as the piston starts its forward stroke ( toward the left in fig3 ), which may result in jamming of the diaphragm or nonlinear pressure changes if subsequent loading causes the diaphragm to slip back . to avoid such undesired slippage when starting the pump on its forward stroke , the interior surface of housing portion 112 is provided with a frictional lining 132 to grip the diaphragm 120 . the frictional lining preferably is formed with an abrasive , as provided for example by sandpaper grit , or is formed with a tacky substance . as shown in fig3 the piston drive shaft 31 is journalled through a hub 133 in end wall 134 of housing portion 112 and is threaded . a gear 136 threadably engages shaft 31 and is fixed against axial travel by end wall 134 and a retaining plate 138 . the gear 136 is rotated by a meshing pinion 140 rotatably driven by pump motor 30 to thereby move drive shaft 31 axially in a forward , inflating stroke or in a reverse , deflating stroke as required by controller 32 . from the foregoing description it can be seen that pump motor 30 , when operated at a constant speed , will cause linear movement of piston 118 and a linear , positively controlled buildup or decrease of pressure in cuff 10 . as it is a simple matter to operate motor 30 at a constant preselected speed , the pressure source 26 of the present invention provides a simple and uncomplicated device for achieving linear and repeatable rates of pressure decrease in cuff 10 for accurate blood pressure measurements . as illustrated in fig2 - 4 , the piston drive shaft 31 carries near its end a transverse pin 142 which rides in a slot 144 in base 110 to prevent rotation of shaft 31 . in addition , as it travels lengthwise with shaft 31 , the pin 142 is arranged to trip actuators 36a and 38a of the upper and lower limit switches 36 and 38 , mounted on base 110 in positions corresponding to the maximum forward and reverse positions of piston 118 . accordingly , the pump 28 is readily and easily adapted to provide signals at the maximum and minimum cuff pressures for automatic control of the pump through motor speed controller 32 . the construction of pressure source 26 is such that base 110 , housing portions 112 , 114 and piston 118 may be made of injection molded plastic , for economical construction . fig5 - 7 illustrate in greater detail the construction of the preferred embodiment of the recording actuator 54 of fig1 . as shown in fig5 - 7 , the actuator 54 comprisescylindrical mating housing portions 146 , 148 having flanges 146f , 148f joined by fasteners 150 . an inlet connector 152 admits pressurized air from cuff 10 through conduit 24 to a contained space formed by a piston 154 , a foldable sleeve diaphragm 156 , and housing portion 146 . changing pressure in the space moves piston 154 against the resistance of a spring 158 to displace actuator shaft 56 , joined to piston 154 , in an axial direction . by making the resistance of spring 158 proportional to pressure , displacement of actuator shaft 56 will be linearly related to the pressure in cuff 10 . adjustment screws 157 bearing on spring retainer 159 permit adjustment of the position of shaft 56 and calibration of recording apparatus 50 . secured to actuator shaft 56 is a member 160 providing a coupler 162 for attachment to the pivotable recording arm 58 . member 160 also carries a wiper 164 functioning as the electrical contact 98 of fig1 . a platform 166 on housing portion 148 carries resistance strip 100 in contact with the wiper 164 , and a parallel conductive jumper strip 168 also is in contact with wiper 164 so as to present at output terminals 170 , 172 ( fig7 ) a resistance which varies linearly with the displacement of actuator shaft 56 and thus linearly with the pressure in cuff 10 . fig8 illustrates in greater detail the construction of pump motor speed controller 32 of fig1 . as shown in fig8 controller 32 comprises a regulator circuit 180 and a relay circuit 182 connected to pump motor 30 , to switches 16 , 34 , 36 and 38 , and to a line carrying the detection signal vd . the motor 30 is a dc voltage sensitive type which produces at its terminals 184 , 186 a counter emf in direct ratio to its rotational speed ( r . p . m . ), and which thus is controllable by regulating its input power to obtain a prescribed counter emf . regulation of the speed of motor 30 is provided by regulator circuit 180 , which comprises a regulator 188 , for example a model lm - 117 made by national corporation , having a power input terminal ti , a power output terminal to , and a control terminal tc to which a control voltage is applied . in conventional regulator fashion , the regulator 188 has terminals to and tc connected to motor terminals 184 , 186 and adjusts the power supplied to the motor 30 to maintain its counter emf equal to the control voltage applied at regulator control terminal tc . the control voltage at terminal tc , and thus the speed of pump motor 30 , is set by a switchable voltage divider circuit comprising resistors r1 through r4 and transistor switches q1 and q2 . capacitors c1 and c2 are provided to damp switching transients . as shown in fig8 the regulator circuit 180 permits the pump motor to be operated at different constant speeds by applying , at suitable times , different control voltages at regulator control terminal tc . when a cycle of operation is started , transistor switches q1 and q2 are open , and closure of start switch 16 applies a source of voltage vs to regulator input ti and to the series circuit formed by resistors r1 and r2 . the voltage across resistor r2 appears at regulator control terminal tc and the regulator 188 establishes a corresponding rate of motor speed to provide the desired inflation rate in cuff 10 . upon actuation of the upper limit switch 36 ( when the cuff 10 is fully inflated ), relay circuit 182 causes transistor q1 to conduct , thereby placing resistor r3 in parallel with resistor r2 , lowering the control voltage at terminal tc , and reducing the speed of motor 30 to a second constant rate . when microphone 12 produces a detection signal vd , transistor q2 is caused to become conductive , thereby placing resistor r4 in parallel with resistors r2 and r3 , and further lowering the control voltage and motor speed to a third constant rate selected to provide increased accuracy of detection of systolic and diastolic rates . it will be apparent that proper selection of the values of resistors r1 through r4 will permit predetermined constant rates of inflation and deflation to be achieved . relay circuit 182 governs motor 30 and regulator circuit 180 through a cycle of operation by means of a relay 190 having contacts k1 through k4 illustrated in the state each assumes when the relay 190 is deenergized . as will be explained below from a description of the relay &# 39 ; s control features , the relay 182 remains deenergized during the inflation stroke of pump 28 , becomes energized in response to actuation of the upper limit switch 36 , and remains energized during the deflation stroke . relay contacts k1 and k2 , as shown in fig8 are connected between motor 30 and regulator 188 to reverse the polarity of voltage applied to motor 30 at the end of the inflation stroke of the pump and to cause the motor to reverse its direction and perform the deflation stroke . contact k3 is arranged to connect a voltage , derived for example from the voltage divider formed by resistors r5 , r6 and voltage source vs , to the base of transistor switch q1 to cause it to conduct and thereby effect a change in motor speed . contact k4 is provided to hold relay 190 energized during the deflation stroke . control of the motor speed controller 32 through a cycle of operation is effected by switches 16 , 34 , 36 and 38 . the voltage source vs is connected to regulator circuit 180 through a parallel connection of start switch 16 ( closed manually ) and lower limit switch 38 ( which remains closed except at the end of a deflation cycle when it is opened by travel of the pump mechanism ). the voltage source vs also is connected to relay 190 through the lower limit switch 38 in series with a parallel connection of reverse switch 34 ( closed manually ), upper limit switch 38 ( closed at the end of an inflation stroke ), and relay contact k4 ( closed upon energization of relay 190 ). accordingly , the operation of motor speed controller 32 through a cycle of operation may now be explained . at the beginning of a cycle , lower limit switch 38 is open . momentary closure of pushbuttom type start switch 16 applies voltage source vs to regulator circuit 180 , which causes the pump motor 30 to start an inflation stroke , thereby closing lower limit switch 38 and holding the connection of voltage source vs to the regulator circuit for the remainder of the cycle . at the end of an inflation stroke , upper limit switch 36 automatically closes , thereby applying voltage source vs to relay 190 . the relay energizes , contacts k1 and k2 reverse motor 30 , contact k3 causes transistor q1 to conduct and changes motor speed , and contact k4 holds the relay energized throughout the remainder of the deflation stroke . alternatively , the deflation stroke may be initiated by momentary closure of pushbutton type reverse switch 34 , which similarly energizes relay 190 . during the deflation stroke , detection signal vd appears and changes the motor speed again to a value enhancing the accuracy of blood pressure measurements . at the end of the deflation stroke , lower limit switch 38 opens , simultaneously disconnecting voltage source vs from relay 190 and regulator circuit 180 . pump motor 30 stops , relay 190 energizes , and the circuit is placed in condition for the start of a new cycle . from the foregoing description it can be appreciated that the blood pressure measuring and recording system of the present invention provides several major advantages . accurate , linearly variable cuff pressures are easily provided for enhanced accuracy of measurement . simple automatic control for the system also is provided . and versatile diagnostic outputs and records of measurements are easily generated . all these operational advantages are realized , moreover , in an apparatus which is more economical for the degreee of accuracy achieved than automatic devices heretofore known . although a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein detail , it is to be understood that this is for the purpose of illustrating the invention and should not be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of the invention since it is apparent that many changes can be made to the disclosed structures by those skilled in the art to suit particular applications . | 0 |
in fig1 denotes the assembled dustproof cabinet , which comprises a lattice framework 2 of substantially parallelepiped shape , consisting of a plurality of members 3 , and a plurality of corner joints 4 which are located at the vertexes of the parallelepiped and interconnect the adjacent ends of the three members 3 converging on the single corner . the framework 2 creates at least one opening 5 in each side of the cabinet 1 , which is surrounded by a frame 6 exhibiting the shape of a paralleogram , substantially , and comprising four members 3 , set at right angles one to the next and interconnected by four corner joints . each of the four joints 4 is located at the vertex common to three openings 5 , one joint interconnecting three members , in the case of a frame 6 occupying an entire side of the cabinet 1 ; in cases where the framework 2 creates a number of adjacent and coplanar openings 5 per given side of the cabinet , use is made of intermediate joints 7 located at the vertex common to four openings , each one interconnecting the adjacent ends of four members 4 . in fig2 each corner joint 4 will be seen to comprise a central block 8 substantially exhibiting the shape of a rectangular parallelpiped with three mutually perpendicular surfaces 9 , each of which is provided with a relative means of connection in the form of an appendage 10 projecting perpendicularly from the relative surface 9 . as fig2 and 4 will show , each appendage 10 exhibits substantially parallelogram shape when seen in section , and consists of a pair of plugs 11 each exhibiting a substantially u - shaped cross section . the two plugs 11 are arranged with hollow sides facing one another in order to create a central axial passage 12 in the appendage 10 which , in addition to being open at the projecting end , thus remains similarly open at either side due to the creation of two slots 13 that separate the two plugs 11 . it will be observed from fig2 that each member 3 exhibits parallelogram shape , substantially , when seen in section , and is provided with an axial passage 14 , each end of which comprises a stretch designed to accommodate a relative appendage 10 ; the member is thus hollow , and moreover , is divided into two substantially equal parts by a central axial web 15 , this in turn incorporating a central axial bead 16 of substantially cylindrical shape . the end of each member 3 is joined with a relative appendage 10 by insertion of the appendage into the passage 14 such that the web 15 engages in the slots 13 ( see fig4 ). each member 3 is then made axially stable in relation to the relative central block 8 by a fastener , which in fig4 takes the form of a screw 17 that passes through a hole 18 provided in the relative surface , departing from a recess 19 in the block 8 and disposed coaxially with the relative appendage 10 , such that its threaded end may engage in a stopped hole 22 located in the bead 16 of the relative member 3 . access is gained to each such screw 17 with a suitable tool ( not illustrated ) by way of a hole 20 located in the outer surface 21 of the block 8 opposite the connected surface 9 . still referring to fig4 fastening of each member 3 to the relative appendage 10 is made complete by forcing the plugs 11 apart inside the passage 14 , employing spreading means 23 that consist of a transverse screw which occupies a through hole 24 located in the member 3 , a threaded hole 25 coaxial with the through hole 24 , located in one of the plugs 11 , and a through hole 26 coaxial with holes 24 and 25 , located in the web 15 ; the tip of such means duly exerts pressure on the inner surface of the plug 11 opposite the surface of the plug incorporating the threaded hole 25 . as fig2 illustrates , each member 3 exhibits two opposed lateral surfaces 27 , disposed parallel with respective surfaces 21 of the block 8 and integral with respective longitudinal fins 28 which project from the member 3 . a mounting component in the form of a straight , longitudinal rib 29 projects outwards from each surface 27 ; each such rib interconnects with the corresponding rib 29 of an adjacent member 3 of the same frame 6 by way of a further mounting component consisting of a contoured rib 30 which exhibits a relatively wide radius of curvature and projects outwards from the respective surface 21 of the joint . the assembly of projecting ribs 29 and 30 offered thus by the frontal surface of each frame provides an unbroken , peripheral mounting 31 against which to locate dustproof sealing means , taking the form of a seal 32 , that interact frontally with the single panel 33 covering the relative opening 5 ; the panel 33 is made fast to the relative blocks 8 and members 3 by way of removable screws 34 ( see fig1 ). referring now to fig5 the single panel 33 is embodied as a plate 35 provided with a peripheral lip 36 disposed normal to the plane of the plate 35 and exhibiting a u - shaped cross section the hollow of which is disposed such as to offer a channel 37 , around the full peripheral length of the plate 35 , in which the mounting 31 and relative seal 32 may locate ; the lip thus constitutes not only a part of the dustproof sealing means , but also , a means of aligning and affording support to the panel 33 when offered to the framework 2 . in the variation of fig6 the seal 32 aforementioned is replaced by a seal , denoted 38 , which exhibits a substantially s - shaped cross section and creates two channels occupying the full peripheral length of the seal itself , one of which engaged by the relative mounting 31 , the other engaged by the peripheral lip 39 of the panel 33 . the variation of fig7 is identical to that of fig6 with the sole difference that the seal 38 is split into two parts -- viz , one u - shaped seal 32 engaging the mounting 31 , and a further seal 40 of similar u shape engaging the rib 29 . the variation of fig8 is identical to that of fig5 with the sole difference that the seal 32 aforementioned is replaced by a seal 41 exhibiting a cross section composed of a first u - shaped part 42 , which engages the mounting 31 , and a second part 43 embodied in deformable elastomer material , which is accommodated by the channel 37 . the variation of fig9 is identical to that of fig6 with the sole difference that the seal 38 aforementioned is replaced by the seal denoted 41 , and the panel lip 39 urges directly against the part denoted 43 which , deforming under frontally applied pressure , embraces the lip 39 and ensures the dust - proof join between the panel 33 and the relative frame 6 . it will be observed ( fig2 ) that the ribs 30 may all project from their respective surfaces 21 , or alternatively , at least one rib may be set back from the relative surface 21 in order to enable fitment of the relative panel 33 such that its plate 35 remains flush with the surface 21 . in this latter instance , the contoured rib 30 will be integral with the surface of a plate 44 projecting sideways from the block 8 in a position set back from the relative surface 21 and parallel therewith , and the rib 29 of each member 3 adjoining a contoured rib 30 thus embodied will project from the surface of a fin 45 made integral with the member 3 at a point mid - way across the relative lateral surface 27 . it will be observed from fig3 that a single intermediate joint 7 exhibits four appendages 10 , two of which , coaxially disposed , engage members 3 extending along one of the edges of the framework 2 , and the remaining two , disposed at right angles to one another in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the two coaxial appendages , engage dividing members 46 located between adjacent openings 5 lying within the same plane ; such members 46 are identical to the members 3 first mentioned , with the sole difference that their two lateral fins 28 lie within the same plane , and the two longitudinal ribs 29 are disposed alongside and parallel with one another . similarly , the block 8 of each intermediate joint 7 exhibits two outer surfaces 21 both having two contoured ribs 30 , each of which interconnects the rib 29 of one member 3 with the rib 29 of a dividing member 46 . in order to permit of fitting screws 17 ( see fig4 ) the block 8 of each intermediate joint 7 is provided with an internal recess 47 inaccessible from the outside by removing a cap ( not illustrated ). in the embodiment of fig1 , ribs 29 and 30 are replaced by straight and contoured channels 48 and 49 , respectively , which extend the length of the members 3 and 46 , and along the surfaces 21 , and are engaged ( see fig1 ) by part 50 of a seal 51 that occupies the full peripheral length of the relative frame 6 and comprises a part 52 projecting outwardly from the relative channels 48 and 49 , thus providing the means by which the panel 33 is frontally sealed , supported and aligned relative to the framework 2 . a further embodiment illustrated in fig1 incorporates appendages 10 each plug 11 of which is provided with a longitudinal , central slit 53 that divides the plug into two equal halves 111 and 112 ; in this embodiment ; spreading means ( see also fig1 ) take the form of wedge inserts 54 the tapered ends of which are located between the two halves 111 and 112 of a plug 11 and the web 15 of the relative member 3 ; each insert 54 is provided with a threaded hole 57 that accomodates a screw 58 passing through a hole 55 in the block 8 of the joint . the surface of each insert 54 that slides against the web 15 of the member 3 will be disposed parallel , preferably , to the axis of the threaded hole 57 ; accordingly , each such surface is provided with a longitudinal groove 56 ( see fig1 ) matching the profile of the bead 16 offered by the web 15 . on the other hand , those surfaces making sliding contact with the two halves 111 and 112 of the relative plug 11 will be angled in relation thereto , enlarging ultimately to dimensions marginally greater than those of the passage 12 of the appendage 10 in which the web 15 is accommodated . wedge inserts 54 of the kind can be employed equally well even with one - piece plugs 11 as shown in fig2 ; in this particular instance , one surface only of the single insert 54 will be angled in relation to the axis of its threaded hole 57 , to be precise , that opposite the surface exhibiting the longitudinal groove 56 . | 0 |
the particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the subject disclosure only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the subject disclosure . in this regard , no attempt is made to show structural details in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the subject disclosure , the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the subject disclosure may be embodied in practice . furthermore , like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements . in overview , several embodiments of the subject technology are directed to using a stepping mechanism to accomplish the beneficial goals noted above among other benefits . the stepping mechanism described here may be used to define a sequential order for the activation of multiple valves for downhole applications . embodiments disclose a mechanism that limits the movement of a sleeve as the “ ball ” passes through it , to a well defined increment or “ step .” valves may be built so that the corresponding sleeve moves a specific number of “ steps ” before it may be opened . a sequential order may be achieved by building the sleeves so that the bottom - most sleeve opens in a single step which is after one single ball drop ; the next sleeve above opens in two steps , after two balls are dropped ; and so forth , the top sleeve requiring the greatest number of steps to open . referring now to fig1 , a layout 101 of valves 105 , sleeves 107 and zones 111 to be stimulated is shown . the sleeves 107 are slideably mounted within the valves 105 to selectively open pathways 113 . as illustrated , there is one valve 105 per zone 111 . each valve 105 is fixed in place by cement 109 and separated by casing 103 . although just three zones 111 are shown , there may be any desired number of casing valves 105 with sliding sleeves 107 cemented in a well . referring now to fig2 , a cross - sectional view of a layout 201 having a valve 207 in the closed position in accordance with the subject technology is shown . in order to accomplish multiple zones , multiple such casing valves 207 would be run in hole with casings 205 and held in place by cement . each casing valve 207 has a sliding sleeve 203 , shown in the “ closed ” position , i . e ., there is no communication between the wellbore to the surrounding formation . in other words , the sliding sleeve 203 blocks the pathway 217 formed in the casing valve 207 . casing 205 surrounds the casing valve 207 . the sliding sleeve 203 interacts with an activation dart to open the valve 207 . each zone intended for production has a recess 215 with a predetermined plurality of casing ribs ( or lips ) 213 . the sliding sleeve 203 has one or more rocking elements 211 which are distributed around the circumference . the activation dart has a particular shape that interacts with the one or more rocking elements 211 . the shape profile of the activation dart matches the shape profile of a rocking element 211 so that the activation dart profile when it reaches the rocking element profile 211 is able to engage with the rocking element profile 211 so that the activation dart profile is stopped by and / or begins moving with the sliding sleeve 203 . these elements 211 can pivot 209 similar to a “ rocker ” and the rocker ends protrude radially outward so that they are axially constrained within the casing ribs 213 . the sleeve 203 is segmented to accommodate the rocker 211 . referring now to fig3 , a cross - sectional view of a portion of a valve 301 in accordance with the subject technology is shown , wherein an activation dart 315 has reached the valve 301 . as the activation dart 315 passes by the sleeve the profiles of the activation dart 315 and the rocker 319 are designed such that the rocker 319 is forced to turn back and forth . at the same time the sleeve axial position 321 incrementally moves downward 323 by the distance between the casing ribs . this movement of the dart 315 is depicted in fig3 - 1 to fig3 - 6 . as can be seen in fig3 the dart profile 315 and the rocker profile 319 are designed such that when the dart profile 315 reaches the rocker profile 319 they engage each other so that the dart 315 is stopped by and / or begins moving with the sliding sleeve 321 . the sliding sleeve 321 incrementally moves downward 323 as the dart 315 moves . as the activation dart is pumped down and passes by the sliding sleeve 323 , the profiles of the dart and the rocker are designed such that the rocker is forced to turn back and forth while at the same time the sliding sleeve 323 axial &# 39 ; s position incrementally moves downward by the distance between casing ribs 313 . in non - limiting examples , the distance between casing ribs is about 0 . 5 to 1 inch . the activation dart forms a hydraulic barrier between the space above and below the activation dart in the wellbore , which allows dropping the activation dart from the surface of the well and pumping the dart down the well . in non - limiting examples , the density of the activation dart is heavier than the well fluid to facilitate dropping the activation dart into the wellbore from the surface of the wellbore . the activation darts continue to pass the valve 301 , the number of activation darts which will pass the valve 301 is determined by the number of “ ribs ” 313 that the sliding sleeve 321 has to pass . in one non - limiting example , as can be seen in fig3 , the sliding sleeve has to pass four “ ribs ” 313 . once the sliding sleeve 321 reaches the end of its stroke , the valve 301 is in the open position , and the “ rocker ” elements 315 are constrained between the casing 317 and the activation dart , so that the activation dart is prevented from moving any further and effectively blocks fluid communication . the casing recess on each production zone has a different number of “ ribs ” 313 in the recess . the number of “ ribs ” 313 preferentially increases monotonically from bottom to top . the bottom most zone preferentially has a single rib , the next one above has two ribs , and so forth . this way the bottom zone will be opened when the first “ dart ” is sent down the well . the next zone will be opened with the second dart , and so forth , until the top zone is opened . referring now to fig4 , the sleeve 403 has reached the end of its stroke . the sleeve 403 reaches the end of its stroke after enough “ darts ” have passed through , the specific number of darts is determined by the number of “ ribs ” the sleeve 403 has to pass by . as can be seen the valve 405 is in the open position and the rocker element 411 is constrained between the casing 407 and the ball / dart 401 so that the ball / dart 401 is prevented from moving any further and effectively blocks the fluid communication . as the pumping continues , the hydraulic forces exerted on the dart 401 keep the sliding sleeve 405 in the “ open ” position . as a result , the pathway is open , and the valve 405 is ready for a wellbore operation , in a non - limiting example , a fracturing operation . it is noted that full - bore access is achieved because a recess 413 in the sliding sleeve 403 is used for activation instead of a restriction or protrusion . the valve will not be activated until enough darts have passed through . when the valve is not activated , the formation behind this particular valve will not be affected by subsequent fracturing operations . the dart 401 may be made of a degradable material or drilled out for removal . in non - limiting examples , the degradable material may be a composite material containing fibers that degrade overtime in the wellbore . in other examples , the degradable material may comprise materials as disclosed in a related co - owned u . s . pat . no . 8 , 211 , 247 , entitled “ degradable compositions , apparatus comprising same , and method of use ,” the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference . fig5 depicts a cross - sectional view of a portion of a valve 501 in accordance with the subject technology . in order to accomplish multiple zones , multiple such casing valves 501 could be run in hole with casing 511 and held in place by cement . each casing valve 501 has a sliding sleeve 505 and a predetermined plurality of casing ribs ( or lips ) 503 . the sliding sleeve 505 has one or more rocker elements 509 which are distributed around the circumference . these rocker elements 509 can pivot on a spring loaded pivot 507 similar to a “ rocker ” and the rocker ends protrude radially outward so that they are axially constrained within the casing ribs 503 . referring now to fig6 , a cross - sectional view of a layout having a valve 613 in the open position in accordance with the subject technology is shown . the sleeve 603 has reached the end of its stroke . the sleeve 603 reaches the end of its stroke after enough “ darts ” have passed through , the specific number of darts is determined by the number of “ ribs ” 609 the sleeve 603 has to pass by . as can be seen the valve 613 is in the open position and the rocker element 611 is constrained between the casing segment 607 and the ball / dart 601 so that the ball / dart 601 is prevented from moving any further and effectively blocks fluid communication . blocking of fluid communication is enhanced by a sealing element 615 on the ball / dart 601 . as the pumping continues , the hydraulic forces exerted on the dart 601 keep the sliding sleeve 613 in the “ open ” position . as a result , the pathway is open 605 , and the valve 613 is ready for a fracturing operation . although the subject disclosure has been described with respect to valves it should be recognizable to those skilled in the art that the triggering mechanisms disclosed may be used for other downhole applications , where there is a need to selectively activate a series of device actuations , in a non - limiting example , a packer device . although only a few example embodiments have been described in detail above , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the example embodiments without materially departing from the subject disclosure . accordingly , all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the following claims . in the claims , means - plus - function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents , but also equivalent structures . thus , although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together , whereas a screw employs a helical surface , in the environment of fastening wooden parts , a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures . it is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 u . s . c . § 112 , paragraph 6 for any limitations of any of the claims herein , except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘ means for ’ together with an associated function . | 4 |
it has been surprisingly found that the combination between the keratolytic agent and dimethyl isosorbide allows the attainment of an improvement in the absorption kinetics of the compound with keratolytic action ; that leads to the use of lower quantities of keratolytic agent than those normally used despite achieving the same or more efficacious and efficient keratolytic action . the use of lower quantities of keratolytic agent has as a consequence a drastic reduction of the recognisable side effects in the damage to the epidermis and to the dermis . the present invention refers more specifically to a formulation for chemical peeling comprising a keratolytic agent in combination with dimethyl isosorbide . the dimethyl isosorbide will be present in such a quantity as to obtain an increase in the absorption kinetics of said keratolytic agent , if compared with the use of the keratolytic agent by itself . the increase in absorption kinetics is evaluated as shown below , i . e . by determining the quantity of keratolytic agent able to permeate through an sce membrane by hplc . preferred keratolytic compounds are selected from the chemical group of saturated and unsaturated monocarboxylic acids , saturated and unsaturated bicarboxylic acids , tricarboxylic acids , alpha hydroxyacids and beta hydroxyacids of monocarboxylic acids , alpha hydroxyacids and beta hydroxyacids of bicarboxylic acids , alpha hydroxyacids and beta hydroxyacids of tricarboxylic acids , ketoacids , alpha ketoacids , beta ketoacids , of the polycarboxylic acids , of the polyhydroxy monocarboxylic acids , of the polyhydroxy bicarboxylic acids , of the polyhydroxy tricarboxylic acids . particularly preferred keratolytic agents are selected from the group comprising glycolic acid , tartaric acid , salicylic acid , citric acid , lactic acid , pyruvic acid , gluconic acid , glucuronic acid , malic acid , oxalic acid , malonic acid , succinic acid , acetic acid , phenol , resorcine , retinoic acid , adapalene , trichloroacetic acid , 5 - fluoro uracil , azelaic acid . keratolytic agents comprised within the scope of the present invention are also the salts , esters , possible cis or trans forms , racemic mixtures and / or the relative dextrorotatory or levorotatory forms of the above listed compounds . such substances can be used singularly or in associations with each other . according to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention the pharmaceutical and / or cosmetic composition of dimethyl isosorbide with one or more keratolytic agents comprises additionally dimethyl sulphone . the dimethyl sulphone combined with keratolytic agents is capable of reducing the erythema induced by the agents themselves . according to this embodiment , the reduction of inflammation , irritation and erythema is obtained through the combination of the activity of the dimethyl sulphone with the fact that the quantity of keratolytic agent used to obtain the “ peeling ” effect is reduced thanks to the action of the dimethyl isosorbide . this latter component , as mentioned previously , increases the kinetics of percutaneous absorption of the keratolytic agent , rendering it more available for the action intended . a third particularly preferred embodiment is that in which the keratolytic agent and / or the mixed keratolytic agents , combined with dimethyl isosorbide and dimethyl sulphone , are associated with the ester of an acid with keratolytic activity . when used in association , the dimethyl isosorbide and the keratolytic agent and / or a mixture of keratolytic agents , can each be contained in the composition in a quantity by weight of from 1 to 99 %, preferably each in a quantity comprised of between 5 and 40 %. more preferably , dimethyl isosorbide and the keratolytic agents will be present in the composition in weight ratios comprised of between 1 : 4 and 4 : 1 . when used in association , the dimethyl isosorbide and the keratolytic agent and / or a mixture of keratolytic agents , associated with dimethyl sulphone can be contained in the compositions in a quantity by weight of from 1 to 99 % each , preferably in a quantity comprised of between 5 and 70 %. more preferably , dimethyl isosorbide and the keratolytic agent will be present in the composition in a ratio comprised of between 1 : 4 and 4 : 1 . the dimethyl sulphone will preferably be present in a quantity comprised of between 2 % and 70 % by weight , more preferably between 10 % and 65 %, with respect to the keratolytic agent . in the compositions of the invention , both based on keratolytic agent / dimethyl isosorbide and keratolytic agent / isosorbide / dimethyl sulphone , the weight balance up to 100 % will be attained by the addition of solvents — such as water ( in particular demineralised water ), alcohols ( such as ethyl alcohol ) or glycols ( for example , ethylene glycol or propylene glycol )— and / or excipients such as emulsifiers , antioxidants , lipid excipients , sequestrants , preservatives . such excipients , used in particular for the preparation of emulsions , gels , creams , ointments , etc ., are widely known to the expert in the field and will therefore not be described in any further detail . experiments relating to the evaluation of the favourable effect on percutaneous absorption of the keratolytic agent in the presence of dimethyl isosorbide is reported in corroboration of the present invention . the aim of these experiments has been that of evaluating the in vitro percutaneous absorption across isolated human skin , of glycolic acid comprised in a formulation in which the keratolytic agent has been dissolved in water and propylene glycol ( solution gc1 ) and another in which the keratolytic agent has been vehicularised using dimethyl isosorbide ( solution gc2 ). the experiment has been carried out using a system of franz cells with a corneous - epidermis membrane layer ( sce membrane ), the experimental protocol of which has already been widely described in the literature . the preparation of the corneous - epidermis membrane layer ( sce ) has been carried out using a technique already described in the literature , using samples of human skin originating from subjects , of ages comprised of between 32 and 45 years , subjected to reductive plastic surgery . in these skin samples , following separation from the subcutaneous adipose layer and immersion in distilled water at a temperature of 60 ° c . for a few minutes , the dermis has been separated to obtain the sce membranes used in this study . the removal of the dermis is made necessary because , in the in vitro evaluation of the percutaneous absorption of lipophilic substances , this tissue can be a “ dummy ” and additional barrier with respect to the in vivo cutaneous permeation process . the sce membranes , thus prepared , have been dried and then placed in an appropriate desiccator . these membranes have then been conserved in sheets of aluminium at a temperature of around 4 ° c . and rehydrated at the time of use , by immersion in distilled water , one hour prior to the start of the permeation experiments . prior to proceeding to the cutaneous permeation experiments and with the aim of evaluating the integrity of the sce membranes used , the coefficient of permeability ( kp ) of tritiated water has been determined for each sample of sce membranes , the value of which is a sufficiently indicative parameter of the integrity of said membranes . for the evaluation of the degree of in vitro percutaneous absorption of glycolic acid from the formulations gc1 and gc2 , batteries of six franz cells ( lga , berkeley , calif .) have been used . each franz cell was constituted by a “ donor ” and a “ receptor ” between which has been placed the sce membrane with the corneous layer facing the “ donor ”. the volume of the “ receptor ” of the cell was 4 . 7 ml whilst the surface area of the membrane in the “ donor ” ( and therefore the potential cutaneous surface in contact with the product ) was 0 . 75 cm 2 . the “ receptor ” compartment , stirred and thermostated at a temperature of 35 - 36 ° c ., has been fed with an aqueous saline solution of 0 . 9 % ( w / v ) nacl . for the permeation experiment , 200 mg / cm 2 of each formulation gc1 and gc2 , containing the glycolic acid , have been initially deposited onto each sce membrane . the monitoring of the permeation process has then been carried out by determining , by a suitable hplc method , the quantity of glycolic acid that has permeated through the corneous - epidermis ( sce ) membrane layer over the 24 hour period following the application of the product into the “ donor ”. in order to carry out this experiment samples of sce membranes originating from six different subjects ( n = 6 ) have been used , whilst each single permeation experiment has been performed in duplicate . the results have been expressed as the quantity of permeated glycolic acid , per cm 2 of skin , in 24 hours . the determinations of the quantities of glycolic acid , present in the receiver phase of the franz cell 24 hours after the application of the formulations gc1 and gc2 have been carried out using an appropriate hplc method reported in the literature . the results obtained ( see tab . 1 ) in the studies of the cutaneous permeation of glycolic acid from the formulations gc1 and gc2 , demonstrate that the gc2 formulation is able to double ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ) the quantity of glycolic acid permeated across the sce membranes with respect to the gc1 formulation . preparation 19 n ° description % ( w / w ) a phase a 01 steareth 2 3 . 00 02 steareth 21 2 . 00 03 ppg 15 stearyl ether 10 . 00 04 tocopheryl acetate 1 . 00 05 jojoba oil 2 . 00 06 bht 0 . 01 07 ascorbyl palmitate 0 . 10 08 ethyl pyruvate 5 . 00 phase b 08 propylene glycol 2 . 00 09 pyruvic acid 10 . 00 10 demineralised water 10 . 00 phase c 11 dimethyl sulphone 10 . 00 12 propylene glycol 2 . 00 13 disodium edta 0 . 07 14 glycerol 5 . 00 15 phenoxyethanol 1 . 00 16 methyl paraben 0 . 10 17 ethyl paraben 0 . 10 18 propyl paraben 0 . 10 19 demineralised water qba 100 method of preparation : heat phase a ) to 75 ° c . ; heat phase c to + 75 ° c . ; combine phase a with phase c with stirring homogenising the solution ; cool to + 45 ° c . ; then combine with phase b still with stirring and cool to 25 ° c . preparation 20 n ° description % ( w / w ) a phase a 01 steareth 2 3 . 00 02 steareth 21 2 . 00 03 ppg 15 stearyl ether 10 . 00 04 tocopheryl acetate 1 . 00 05 jojoba oil 2 . 00 06 bht 0 . 01 07 ascorbyl palmitate 0 . 10 08 ethyl lactate 5 . 00 phase b 08 propylene glycol 2 . 00 09 tartaric acid 15 . 00 10 demineralised water 10 . 00 phase c 11 dimethyl sulphone 10 . 00 12 propylene glycol 2 . 00 13 disodium edta 0 . 07 14 glycerol 5 . 00 15 phenoxyethanol 1 . 00 16 methyl paraben 0 . 10 17 ethyl paraben 0 . 10 18 propyl paraben 0 . 10 19 demineralised water qba 100 method of preparation : heat phase a ) to 75 ° c . ; heat phase c to + 75 ° c . ; combine phase a with phase c with stirring homogenising the solution ; cool to + 45 ° c . ; then combine with phase b still with stirring and cool to 25 ° c . preparation 21 n ° description % ( w / w ) a phase a 01 steareth 2 3 . 00 02 steareth 21 2 . 00 03 ppg 15 stearyl ether 10 . 00 04 tocopheryl acetate 1 . 00 05 jojoba oil 2 . 00 06 bht 0 . 01 07 ascorbyl palmitate 0 . 10 08 zinc oxide oily solution 20 . 00 50 % phase b 08 propylene glycol 2 . 00 09 lactic acid 10 . 00 10 demineralised water 10 . 00 phase c 11 dimethyl sulphone 10 . 00 12 propylene glycol 2 . 00 13 disodium edta 0 . 07 14 glycerol 5 . 00 15 phenoxyethanol 1 . 00 16 methyl paraben 0 . 10 17 ethyl paraben 0 . 10 18 propyl paraben 0 . 10 19 demineralised water qba 100 method of preparation : heat phase a ) to 75 ° c . ; heat phase c to + 75 ° c . ; combine phase a with phase c with stirring homogenising the solution ; cool to + 45 ° c . ; then combine with phase b still with stirring and cool to 25 ° c . in the present invention , the mixture of dimethyl isosorbide , associated with a keratolytic agent and / or a mixture of keratolytic agents , together with dimethyl sulphone , can be combined with esters of the keratolytic agents , preferably the ethyl esters . the use of the keratolytic agent esters , singularly and / or in association , is justified by the fact that , once absorbed into the cuteous , these are hydrolysed liberating the acid and alcohol . the acid form will therefore be able to continue the keratolytic action , in a less intense form but with a more protracted effect over time . examples of the esters of the keratolytic agents are ethyl pyruvate , ethyl glycolate , triethyl citrate , ethyl resorcinate , the ethyl ester of retinoic acid , ethyl salicylate , methyl salicylate , ethyl malnate , ethyl acetate , ethyl tartrate . a further subject of the present invention is a formulation for chemical peeling comprising of one or more keratolytic agents , preferably selected from the above described group , together with a keratolytic agent ester . the ester of the keratolytic agent will preferably be selected from the above listed group and can be the ester of the same keratolytic agent used in acid form or the ester of a different keratolytic agent . such keratolytic agent esters will be present in the composition in a quantity preferably comprised of between 3 % and 60 % by weight , more preferably in a quantity comprised of between 15 % and 50 % by weight , with respect to the keratolytic agent ( or to the mixture of keratolytic agents ). in place of the keratolytic agent esters , another derivative or pro - drug can however be used , in the same proportions indicated above , which is capable of liberating after administration under biological conditions , the keratolytic agent in the treatment site . it is evident that the combination of one or more keratolytic agents and their derivative or pro - drug as defined above can also be applied to compositions in which the dimethyl isosorbide or the dimethyl sulphone are not present . one will in fact obtain , in any case , the desired effect of achieving a more prolonged over time and at the same time less acute chemical peeling , with the consequent reduction of the irritant phenomena caused by intense and acute treatment . | 0 |
reference will now be made to the presently preferred embodiment and implementation of the invention , as illustrated in the accompanying drawings . whenever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . a seal assembly of the invention includes a segmented carbon seal ring 10 , shown in fig1 . the seal ring has as its primary sealing surface 12 the radially - inner surface or circumference of ring 10 . as shown in fig7 surface 12 seals against the application runner 48 ( normally a shaft ) when the seal is operating . axially - front face 14 serves as a secondary sealing face against the machine housing into which the seal ring is installed . as shown best in fig1 the segmented seal is made up of multiple seal segments 16 ( one of which is shown in fig2 ) with a dam pattern ground on their sealing surfaces . the segments in the preferred embodiment are made from carbon . as shown in fig2 the inner portion 18 of each seal segment creates sealing face 14 which serves as a dam to any leakage . radially behind the inner portion 18 , a relief channel 17 is formed in the face of the ring . the channel includes an arcuate portion formed in the middle of face and several radial relief channels 19 . the arcuate portion of channel 17 does not extend over the entire length of the segment . as a result , each segment forms a dam along its entire length . preferably , the number of segments 16 in the carbon seal ring 10 varies with the diameter of the ring . for example , a four ( 4 ) inch diameter seal ring is preferably constructed of three segments , while larger rings are preferably made of 4 - 6 segments . as can be seen best from fig3 each of the sealing segments have wedges 22 formed at each end . as shown generally in fig1 when the segments are placed together to form a seal ring , the ends of the segments meet at wedge - shaped joints . the segments are then held in place by way of garter spring 24 . the garter spring fits into groove 26 ( best shown in fig4 ) which is formed on the exterior surface of the seal ring segment . as shown in fig4 each segment has a plurality of axially - oriented spring holes 28 formed in the seal ring surface opposite secondary sealing face 14 . these holes serve to hold coil springs as will be discussed later . it is desirable to have two to three spring holes per segment . furthermore , as shown in fig2 each seal segment 16 has one or more pockets 20 formed in the outer circumference of the segment opposite sealing face 12 . in accordance with the invention , the seal assembly shown prior to installation generally as 32 in fig5 includes an annular outer shell 30 . the outer shell has a plurality of drive lugs 34 formed about its circumference . these drive lugs take the shape of axially - elongated elevations or ribs extending from the radially - outer surface or circumference of the shell . in accordance with the invention , the seal assembly further includes an annular retainer plate 36 which is preferably press fitted into shell 30 . as shown in fig5 shell 30 has an inner annular recess 29 formed in its inner circumference , and the retainer plate 36 ultimately rests in recess 29 and fits against ledge 31 formed by the recess . as a result , the retainer plate 36 seats against ledge 31 and cannot slide beyond the ledge . as an alternative to press fitting , once the seal ring is in place within the shell 30 , the retainer plate may le welded or attached by other means as known in the art . the retainer plate is annular in shape and extends from outer shell 30 radially inward past the point corresponding to spring holes 28 in the carbon segmented ring 10 . furthermore , the retainer plate is preferably designed with means for facilitating removal of the assembly which comprises a groove 38 into which a tool can be inserted for pulling on the seal assembly in order to remove it from around the shaft . alternatively , puller threads may be formed in the retainer to allow it to be removed . coil springs 35 are placed in the spring holes in the segmented seal and rest against the retainer plate 36 . these springs serve to seat the secondary sealing face 14 against housing 50 when the seal operates . in accordance with the invention , means are provided for preventing the carbon segmented seal from rotating within the outer shell . preferably , the means for preventing rotation comprises fingers 40 extending into pockets 20 formed in the seal ring segments . these fingers 40 are formed as part or fixed to the annular outer shell 30 ( for example , by welding ). as shown in fig2 pocket 20 has a bulbously - shaped radially - inner area 21 which accepts an anti - rotation finger 40 . the cooperating finger 40 and area 21 serve to lock the finger in place and maintain the ring at its free height . alternatively , instead of fingers , round or blade pins 54 may be designed to extend from the retainer plate 36 and be pressed into the segmented seal ring , as shown in fig8 . the invention also includes an installation sleeve to assist in the installation of the seal ring assembly . as shown in fig5 installation sleeve 42 is annular and has an &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped cross - section . the axially parallel portion of the &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; provides a surface on which the seal ring may slide . the axially - orthogonal portion 44 of the &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; provides an area which can be pulled in order to remove the sleeve after installation . furthermore , the installation sleeve has a notch 46 in its front end which fits over application runner 48 during installation , as shown fig6 . as seen in fig5 the invention is assembled by attaching fingers 40 to shell 30 , if that are not already formed as part of the shell . the seal segments 16 are assembled into seal ring 10 , and garter spring 24 is placed around the segments . then , coil springs 35 are placed in spring holes 28 . retainer plate 36 is now press fit or welded into shell 30 . finally , installation sleeve 42 is slid inside of seal ring 10 . garter spring 24 allows ring 10 to expand in order to accommodate the dimensions of sleeve 42 . in operation , as shown in fig6 notch 46 of installation sleeve 42 is placed over application runner or shaft 48 . the seal assembly shown generally as 32 is pushed forward onto shaft 48 . once the seal assembly is positioned on the shaft , the segments contract into place . as can be seen in fig7 drive lugs 34 fit into drive lug recesses or retainers 50 formed in the machine housing , and the secondary sealing face 14 rests against the machine housing 50 . a nut or other retainer 52 is secured to hold the seal assembly in place . the recesses and lugs are formed so that when the lugs are fully seated in the recesses , outer shell 30 and associated fingers 40 are axially spaced from the face 60 of the housing . nut 52 places an axial force on retainer plate 36 , and the retainer plate in turn presses outer shell 30 to the left and holds it in place . the segmented seal ring 10 presses against housing 50 and compresses springs 35 and thereby spaces the inside of pockets 20 from the right - side of fingers 40 . additionally , garter spring 24 is spaced from the shell 30 . the seal ring , once installed , floats radially between fingers 40 and retainer plate 36 . if it is desired to remove the seal to replace it , nut or retainer 52 is removed and the entire assembly is pulled from the housing using groove 38 . then a new assembly can be put in place using an installation sleeve . use of an assembly according to the invention can reduce seal replacement time from the prior art 2 - 4 hours to less than 1 hour in virtually every case . thus , substantial manpower savings are available with this invention . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations could be made to the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . other embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims . | 8 |
fig1 is a block diagram for explaining a construction of a compound peripheral device showing the first embodiment of the invention . in the diagram , reference numeral 1 denotes a main controller to control the whole peripheral device of a computer having a plurality of devices ; 2 indicates a display ; 3 an operation button which is used as an input device by the operator when executing an initialization of the peripheral device of the embodiment , an operation when the device is used , an instruction , or the like ; 4 an ram which stores exchangeable data , a control program , a printer program , and the like and which functions as a readable / writable internal memory device ; 5 an rom which stores constants and fixed data which have previously been prepared , a preregistered control program , a fundamental application , and the like and which functions as a read only internal memory device ; and 6 an input / output ( i / o ) interface for interfacing data with a host computer ( not shown ). reference numeral 7 denotes a network interface which functions as a circuit to execute a speech communication through an external communication network and to perform a data exchange of facsimile data , digital information , or the like ; 8 a modular jack to connect a line to a network or a telephone ; 9 a network controller to control the transmission and reception between an external communication network and the internal device ; 10 a first modem for perform a code conversion and a reproduction when exchanging facsimile image information through the external communication network ; 11 a second modem for performing a code conversion and a reproduction when exchanging digital data through the external communication network ; 12 a phone interface ; 13 a time clock which is used for a time stamp for connecting a commercially available telephone , a handset , or the like to the external network and enabling them to be used , a time waiting of an internal software , or a time designating operation ; 14 a speech output unit which is constructed by an adpcm or the like for sampling audio data into digital data or reproducing the sampled audio data ; 15 a sound source which is constructed by an fm sound source circuit for handling information such as melody , tune , or the like as digital data and reproducing ; and 16 a speaker to generate a sound on the basis of the sound information reproduced by the speech output unit 14 and sound source 15 . reference numeral 17 denotes an image reader which is used for an original reading facsimile transmission , an original reading copy , an image input device of the host computer , or the like as an application of the peripheral device according to an embodiment of the invention , namely , which is used for scanning image information and for reading as digital data . reference numeral 18 denotes a printer for outputting character information , image information , figure information , or the like onto a recording medium as an output device of the copy , reception facsimile original , or host computer . reference numeral 19 denotes an external storage such as floppy disk , hard disk ( hd ), ic card , or the like for storing a program main body , document data , image information , audio information , or the like which is handled by the computer . reference numeral 20 denotes an external crt interface for connecting a crt for a computer to the peripheral device of the embodiment so as to display further detailed information or to enable the display data to be further easily seen or to enable the peripheral device to be used like a personal computer ( pc ). reference numeral 21 denotes an external keyboard interface to connect a keyboard for a computer to the peripheral device of the embodiment so as to enable the peripheral device to be further easily operated and to enable the peripheral device to be used in a manner similar to the personal computer ( pc ). reference numeral 22 denotes an external pointing device interface for connecting a pointing device such as mouse or track ball for a computer to the peripheral device of the embodiment so as to enable the peripheral device to be further easily operated and to enable the peripheral device to be used in a manner similar to the personal computer ( pc ). reference numeral 23 denotes an extended device such as video disk moving image interface , interface for connection with an lan , or the like which can be attached as an option later ; 24 a main power supply of the peripheral device of the embodiment ; 25 a main power supply switch to designate the on / off operation of the main power supply of the peripheral device of the embodiment ; 26 a sub power supply for supplying a power source from the peripheral device of the embodiment to the outside ( host computer which is connected is mainly used as a target ); 27 a sub power supply switch to manually designate the on / off operation for supplying a power source from the sub power supply to the outside ; 28 a sub power supply controller to control the on / off operation for supplying the power source from the sub power supply to the outside by the designation from the main controller 1 ; 29 a data line which is used to exchange data of the host computer which is connected to the peripheral device of the embodiment ; 30 a connection line to an external network such as a public telephone network or the like ; 31 a connection line to a telephone or the like which is connected to the outside ; 32 a connection line to the crt or the like which is connected to the outside ; 33 a connection line to the keyboard or the like which is connected to the outside ; 34 a connection line to the pointing device or the like which is connected to the outside ; 35 a power supply line to the peripheral device of the embodiment ; and 36 a power supply line to the host computer which is connected to the outside . in the compound peripheral device constructed as mentioned above , on the basis of a selection execution instruction by the operation button 3 , the main controller 1 reads out and executes either one of the application programs which was down loaded into memory means from the server computer and controls the driving of either one of the foregoing function processing means . therefore , the function processes of the compound peripheral device can be freely expanded . since the memory means is constructed by the ram 4 , only the necessary application can be down loaded . further , when the memory means is constructed by the external storage 19 , a plurality of applications can be simultaneously down loaded . since either one of the application programs which is down loaded from the server computer is selected and designated by an instruction from the operation button 3 , only the desired application can be down loaded . further , since the network controller 9 reads out either one of the application programs stored in the ram 4 and transfers to another compound peripheral device through a predetermined communication line , either one of the applications can be also relayed and transferred to the compound peripheral device which doesn &# 39 ; t have the communication function with the server computer . on the basis of the selection execution instruction by the operation button 3 , the main controller 1 reads out and executes either one of the application programs which was down loaded in the ram 4 from the host computer and controls the driving of either one of the function processing means . therefore , the function of each function processing means can be cheaply added and expanded by using a simple network . further , since the memory means is constructed by the ram 4 , only the necessary application can be down loaded . when the memory means is constructed by the external storage 19 , a plurality of applications can be simultaneously down loaded . further , since the operation button 3 selects and designates either one of the application programs to be down loaded from the ram , only a desired application can be down loaded . since the operation button 3 previously designates either one of the application programs to be down loaded from the host computer , the transfer control of the designated application program from the host computer can be simplified and the designated application can be efficiently down loaded . further , on the basis of the selection execution instruction by the operation button 3 , either one of the application programs read out from the external storage 19 is loaded and stored into the ram 4 . the program executing means executes the loaded application and controls the driving of either one of the function processing means . therefore , even in the case where the memory capacity of the ram 4 is small , while a plurality of necessary applications are down loaded in a lump , the necessary application can be selected and each function process can be efficiently executed . the main controller 1 analyzes a combination function instruction state by the operation button 3 and combines and sequentially reads out each of the applications stored in the memory means and controls the combination driving of the function processing means . therefore , an advanced compound function process in which various kinds of function processes are combined can be executed . further , the main controller 1 exclusively controls the start of the execution of the designated combination function process while judging the present use state of each of the printer , scanner , and the like which analyze the combination function instruction state by the operation button 3 and execute the combination function process . therefore , the combination function process and each function process can be efficiently executed while avoiding the competition between the combination function process and each function process . since the main controller 1 informs the present use state of each function processing means which was judged , the competition state of the combination function process and each function process can be certainly informed to the user . fig2 is a block diagram for explaining a system construction of a server computer which communicates with the compound peripheral device shown in fig1 . in the diagram , reference numeral 51 denotes a controller comprising : a data receiver 51 - 1 ; a data transmitter 51 - 2 ; a protocol analyzer 51 - 3 ; a reader 51 - 4 ; a file searcher 51 - 5 ; and the like . reference numeral 52 denotes a display which is constructed by , for example , a crt display ; 53 an input device comprising , for example , a keyboard and a pointing section or the like ; 54 an internal storage comprising an ram or the like ; 55 an external storage comprising a floppy disk , a hard disk ( hd ), or the like ; 56 a telephone network which is connected to a modem 57 ; and 58 a network controller to control the connection / disconnection with / from the telephone network 56 . fig3 is a block diagram for explaining a detailed construction of the main controller 1 shown in fig1 and the same portions as those shown in fig1 are designated by the same reference numerals . in the diagram , reference numeral 121 denotes a display controller to control the display to the display 2 ; 131 a button analyzer to control the input from the operation button 3 ; 141 a data reader to control the reading operation of data from the ram 4 ; 142 an executer to execute the program or the like stored in the ram 4 ; 143 a data writer to control the writing operation of data or the like into the ram 4 ; 151 a reader to read out the program or data stored in the rom 5 ; 161 a data receiver to receive data from the server computer ; 162 a data transmitter to transmit data to the server computer ; 163 a dialer ; and 164 a protocol analyzer to analyze a protocol . reference numeral 4 a denotes a program storage area , 5 a a program management table , and 5 b a phone number storage area of the server computer . the activation processing operation in the compound peripheral device according to the invention will now be described hereinbelow with reference to a flowchart shown in fig4 . fig4 is a flowchart showing an example of an activation processing procedure in the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 13 denote processing steps . first , when it is now assumed that the power supply is turned on and the peripheral device is activated , the reader 151 reads the telephone number of the server computer from the phone number storage area 5 b and the dialer 163 dials the telephone number and makes a telephone call ( step s 1 ). the apparatus waits until the network is connected ( s 2 ). when the network is connected , the protocol analyzer 164 executes an initial protocol by using the data transmitter 162 and the data receiver 161 ( s 3 ). after completion of the initial protocol , the reader 151 reads the name of the first program to be loaded into the peripheral device from the program management table 5 a in the rom 5 ( s 4 ). the data transmitter 162 transmits a request for transfer of such a program name file to the server computer ( s 5 ). in accordance with the transfer request , the data receiver 161 receives an acknowledgement for the transfer request from the server computer ( s 6 ). a check is made to see if the acknowledgement indicates an acceptance of the transfer or not ( s 7 ). if no , step s 11 follows . if yes , the data receiver 161 waits for the transfer of the data of the program file from the server computer ( s 8 ). when the data transfer of the program file is received , the data writer 143 sequentially writes the programs into the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 ( s 9 ). subsequently , a check is made to see if a flag indicative of the end of file exists in the data received by the data receiver 161 or not ( s 10 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 8 . if yes , a check is made to see if the program is the last program or not ( s 11 ). if yes , the network controller 9 disconnects the telephone network ( s 13 ). the processes on the peripheral device side are finished . if no in step s 11 , the name of the next program is read out from the program management table 5 a ( s 12 ). the processing routine is returned to step s 5 and the above processes are repeated . fig5 is a flowchart showing an example of an activation processing procedure on the server computer side which is connected to the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 11 indicate processing steps . in each step , there is a program which resides in the internal storage 54 of the server computer and is operating . each means in the controller 51 executes the processes in the program . first , when there is a telephone call ( s 1 ), the network controller 58 connects the line ( s 2 ). the protocol analyzer 51 - 3 executes the initial protocol ( s 3 ). after that , the data receiver 51 - 1 waits for a transfer request from the peripheral device ( s 4 ). when the transfer request is received , the file searcher 51 - 5 searches the name of the program sent with respect to the request from the external storage 55 ( s 5 ). a check is made to see if the requested program file has been found or not ( s 6 ). if no , a rejection of the transfer is sent to the peripheral device ( s 11 ). the processing routine is returned to step s 10 . if yes in step s 6 , the data transmitter 51 - 2 sends a transfer acceptance to the peripheral device ( s 7 ). the reader 51 - 4 reads out the requested program file from the external storage 55 and the data transmitter 51 - 2 transfers the data to the peripheral device ( s 8 ). a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the end of file has been transferred or not ( s 9 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 8 and the apparatus again waits for the transfer request . if yes , a check is made to see if the network has been disconnected or not ( s 10 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 4 . if yes , the processes are finished . upon execution of the program , when the button analyzer 131 recognizes that one application or either one of a plurality of applications has been designated by the operation button 3 of the input section and that the execution switch has been depressed , the data reader 141 executes the designated program from the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 . fig6 is a diagram showing the first communication protocol between the compound peripheral device shown in fig1 and the server computer . as shown in the diagram , by executing the communication process , the process upon activation between the peripheral device and the server computer is executed and a desired program is executed . in the embodiment , as a destination in the peripheral device into which the application program which is transferred and loaded from the server computer is stored , the external storage 55 can be also used in place of the ram 4 . in this case , upon execution of the program , when the button analyzer 131 recognizes that one application program or either one of a plurality of application programs has been designated by the operation button 3 of the input section and that the execution switch has been depressed , the designated program is read out from among a plurality of programs . the data reader 141 reads out the designated program from the programs written in the external storage 55 and executes the designated program from the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 . fig7 is a flowchart showing an example of an application execution processing procedure on the peripheral device side in the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 12 indicate processing steps . the processes shown in the embodiment correspond to the processes on the peripheral device side when executing the application closed in the peripheral device . first , when the button analyzer 131 recognizes that one application or either one of a plurality of applications has been designated by the operation button 3 and that the execution switch has been depressed ( s 1 ), the reader 151 reads the telephone number of the server computer from the phone number storage area 5 b and the dialer 163 dials the telephone number and makes a telephone call ( s 2 ). when the line is connected ( s 3 ), the protocol analyzer 164 executes the initial protocol by using the data transmitter 162 and the data receiver 161 ( s 4 ). subsequently , when the initial protocol is finished , the reader 151 reads the number of program to be executed from the program management table 5 b in the rom 5 . when the data transmitter 162 sends a transfer request of the program name file to the server computer ( s 5 ), the data receiver 161 receives an acknowledgement from the server computer ( s 6 ). a check is made to see if the acknowledgement indicates the transfer acceptance or not ( s 7 ). if no ( the case where the transfer rejection is received ), step s 11 follows and in order to finish the processes without executing the program by transmitting a notification of the end of processes to the server computer , the line is disconnected . if yes in step s 7 , the data receiver 161 waits for the data transfer of the program file from the server computer . when the data transfer is received ( s 8 ), the data writer 143 sequentially writes the programs into the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 ( s 9 ). subsequently , a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the end of file exists in the received data or not ( s 10 ). by such data , it is judged that all of the file contents of the requested program have been received , so that the network controller 58 disconnects the line ( s 11 ). the data reader 141 reads out the program written in the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 and executes it ( s 12 ). the processing routine is finished . fig8 is a flowchart showing an example of an application execution processing procedure on the server computer side in the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 11 denote processing steps . each means in the controller 51 executes the processes in the steps of the program which resides in the internal storage 54 of the server computer and which is being operated . when there is a telephone call ( s 1 ), the network controller 58 connects the line ( s 2 ). the protocol analyzer 51 - 3 executes the initial protocol ( s 3 ). after that , the data receiver 51 - 1 waits for the transfer request from the peripheral device ( s 4 ). when the transfer request is received , the file searcher 51 - 5 searches the name of the program sent with respect to the request from the external storage 55 ( s 5 ). a check is made to see if the requested program file has been found or not ( s 6 ). if yes , the data transmitter 51 - 2 transmits the transfer acceptance to the peripheral device ( s 7 ). if no , the transfer rejection is sent to the peripheral device ( s 8 ). the processing routine advances to step s 11 and subsequent steps to wait for the notification of the end of processes from the peripheral device . after the transfer acceptance was sent , the reader 51 - 4 reads out the contents of the requested program file in the external storage 55 and the data transmitter 51 - 2 transfers the data to the peripheral device ( s 9 ). subsequently , a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the end of file has been transferred or not ( s 10 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 9 . if yes , the apparatus waits for the disconnection of the line ( s 11 ). when the line is disconnected , the processing routine is finished . fig9 is a diagram showing the second communication protocol between the compound peripheral device shown in fig1 and the server computer . as shown in the diagram , by executing the communication process , the processes upon activation between the peripheral device and the server computer are executed and a desired program is executed . fig1 is a block diagram for explaining another detailed construction of the main controller 1 shown in fig1 and the same portions as those shown in fig1 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals . in fig1 , reference numeral 4 b denotes a program management table storage area . in details , a program management table shown in fig1 is stored in the storage area 4 b . the telephone number of the peripheral device having the designated application program and the program number in the ram of the terminal are stored in the storage area 4 b . an application execution processing operation on the peripheral device side in the compound peripheral device according to the invention will now be described hereinbelow with reference to a flowchart shown in fig1 . fig1 is the flowchart showing an example of the application execution processing procedure on the peripheral device side in the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 11 denote processing steps . first , when the button analyzer 131 recognizes that one application or either one of a plurality of applications has been designated by the operation button 3 and that the execution switch has been depressed , the data reader 141 reads the program management table 4 b in the ram 4 and obtains the telephone number of the peripheral device having the designated application program and the program number in the ram of the terminal ( s 1 ). subsequently , the dialer 163 dials the telephone number and makes a telephone call ( s 2 ). when the line is connected ( s 3 ), the protocol analyzer 164 executes the initial protocol by the data transmitter 162 and the data receiver 161 ( s 4 ). when the initial protocol is finished , the data transmitter 162 designates the program number in the ram and transmits a transfer request of the program file to a peripheral device on the partner side ( s 5 ). the data receiver 161 receives a response from the partner &# 39 ; s peripheral device ( s 6 ). the data receiver 161 judges whether the received response indicates the acceptance of the transfer or not ( s 7 ). if no , the processing routine advances to step s 11 and subsequent steps . if yes , the data receiver 161 receives the data of the program file which is transferred from the partner &# 39 ; s peripheral device ( s 8 ). when the data transfer is received , the received data is written into the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 ( s 9 ). a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the end of the file exists in the received data or not ( s 10 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 8 . if yes , it is judged by the data that all of the contents of the file of the requested program have been received , so that the network controller 58 disconnects the telephone line ( s 11 ). the processing routine is finished . fig1 is a flowchart showing an example of an application execution processing procedure on the program file transfer side in the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 11 indicate processing steps . when there is a telephone call ( s 1 ), the network controller 58 connects the line ( s 2 ). the protocol analyzer 164 executes the initial protocol ( s 3 ). subsequently , the data receiver 161 waits for the transfer request from the peripheral device ( s 4 ). when the data receiver 161 receives the transfer request , the data reader 141 searches and reads out the program corresponding to the designated program number in the ram ( s 5 ). a check is made to see if the designated program exists in the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 or not ( s 6 ). if no , the transfer rejection is sent to the partner &# 39 ; s peripheral device ( s 8 ). the processing routine advances to step s 11 and subsequent steps . if yes , the data transmitter 162 sends the transfer acceptance to the partner &# 39 ; s peripheral device ( s 7 ). the data reader 141 reads out the contents of the requested program from the program storage area 4 a and the data transmitter 162 transfers the data to the peripheral device ( s 9 ). a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the end of the data has been transferred to the last of the contents of the program or not ( s 10 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 9 . if yes , a check is made to see if a signal indicative of the disconnection of the line has been received from the peripheral device or not ( s 11 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 4 . if yes , the processing routine is finished . fig1 is a block diagram showing in detail a main section of a compound peripheral device showing the second embodiment of the invention and the same portions as those shown in fig1 are designated by the same reference numerals . in fig1 , reference numeral 1 a denotes a reader to read out a file from the external storage 19 ; 1 b indicates a display to display a program which is at present valid ; 1 c a button analyzer to recognize that the selection or execution of the program has been instructed from the operation button 3 ; 1 d a writer to write the read - out program into the ram 4 ; 1 e an executer to execute the program written in the ram 4 ; 1 f a table setter to set an interruption table ; and 1 g a table reader / writer to read / write a program management table . reference numeral 3 a denotes a selection switch which is depressed when instructing a program to be executed ; 3 b an execution switch which is depressed when executing the selected program ; and 3 c a stop switch which is depressed when stopping the execution of the program . reference numeral 40 a denotes a resident program storage area ; 40 b a non - resident program storage area ; 40 c an interruption table storage area ; 40 d a program management table storage area ; 40 e a program number storage area ; 40 f a storage area to store the number of valid programs ; and 40 g a program management table storage area . an activation processing operation in the compound peripheral device according to the invention will now be described hereinbelow with reference to a flowchart shown in fig1 . fig1 is the flowchart showing an example of an activation processing procedure in the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 15 indicate processing steps . first , the program management table storage area 40 g is cleared ( s 1 ). the number ( n val ) of valid programs which are stored into the no . of valid programs storage area 40 f is reset to “ 0 ” ( s 2 ). subsequently , the number ( v al p #) of the present valid program which is stored into the program no . storage area 40 e is reset to “ 0 ” ( s 3 ). the reader 1 a reads out the activation file from the external storage 19 and reads the first command in the file ( s 4 ). a check is made to see if the command is a loading command of the resident program or not ( s 5 ). if yes , the reader 1 a reads out the designated resident program from the external storage 19 ( s 10 ). the writer 1 d stores the read - out resident program into the resident program storage area 40 a in the ram 4 ( s 11 ). subsequently , the table setter 1 f sets an interruption table for the resident program . the processing routine advances to step s 13 and subsequent steps . when it is judged in step s 5 that the command is the loading command of the non - resident program , the reader 1 a reads out the non - resident program which was designated by the command from the external storage 19 ( s 6 ). the read - out non - resident program is stored into the non - resident program storage area 40 b in the ram 4 ( s 7 ). further , the contents in the no . of valid programs storage area 40 f to store the number of programs which are at present valid are increased by “ 1 ” ( s 8 ). the table reader / writer 1 g sets the name of program loaded into the program management table 40 d , the program no ., and the start address ( s 9 ). in this manner , each time the non - resident program is loaded , the number of present valid programs is added with “ 1 ” at a time and a check is made to see if the processes for the last command have been finished or not ( s 13 ). if no , the next command of the activation file is read ( s 14 ). the processing routine is returned to step s 5 and the above processes are repeated . if yes , the reader / writer 1 g substitutes the number of the present valid program stored in the program no . storage area 40 e into the valid program no . which is stored into the no . of valid programs storage area 40 f ( s 15 ). the processing routine is finished . in the embodiment , upon execution of the programs , the resident program is executed at a time point when the designated interruption occurs and the execution of the non - resident program is instructed by the operation button 3 . the name of the present valid program is displayed in the display 2 . fig1 is a flowchart showing an example of a non - resident program execution processing procedure based on the selection switch 3 a shown in fig1 . s 1 to s 4 indicate processing steps . when the button analyzer 1 c recognizes that the selection button 3 a of the operation button 3 has been depressed , the reader / writer 1 g reads the contents of the table ( for instance , program management table shown in fig1 ) in the program management table storage area 40 d and the number of the present valid program which is stored into the program no . storage area 40 e and discriminates whether the number of the present valid program coincides with the number of valid programs or not ( s 1 ). if yes , the no . of the present valid program is set into “ 1 ” ( s 3 ). the processing routine advances to step s 4 and subsequent steps . if no , the no . of the present valid program is increased by “+ 1 ” and the next program no . is set . when the no . of the present valid program coincides with the no . of the last program in the table , the first program no . is set into the no . of the present valid program ( s 2 ). the display 1 b of the main controller 1 allows the name of the program of such a program no . to be displayed by the display 2 ( s 4 ). after that , when the button analyzer 1 c recognizes that the execution switch 3 b has been depressed , the table reader / writer 1 g reads the no . of the present valid program stored in the program no . storage area 40 e and reads the start address of the program for the program no . and the executer 1 e executes the program starting from the start address . a case where at a time point when the exchangeable external storage is attached , the programs are read out from the external storage 19 and are loaded into the ram 4 and a desired one of the loaded programs is selected and executed will now be described hereinbelow with reference to a flowchart shown in fig1 . fig1 is the flowchart showing an example of a program load processing procedure in the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 7 indicate processing steps . when the external storing medium is set into the external storage 19 , the table reader / writer 1 g clears the program management table storage area 40 d and the no . of the present valid program stored in the program no . storage area 40 e and the number of valid programs which is stored into the no . of valid programs storage area 40 f are reset to “ 0 ” ( s 1 ). the reader 1 a subsequently searches the program file ( s 2 ). when the program file is found ( s 3 ), the no . of the present valid program stored in the program no . storage area 40 e is increased by “+ 1 ” ( s 4 ). the reader 1 a reads out the program no . and the program name written in the program and the table reader / writer 1 g writes them into the program management table storage area 40 d ( s 5 ). the search of the next program file from the external storage 19 is started ( s 6 ). the processing routine is returned to step s 3 . on the other hand , if no in step s 3 , namely , when the processes for the last program are finished , the table reader / writer 1 g substitutes the no . of the present valid program stored in the program no . storage area 40 e into the number of valid programs which is stored into the no . of valid programs storage area 40 f and the no . of the present valid program stored in the program no . storage area 40 e is reset to “ 0 ” ( s 7 ). the processing routine is finished . the program selection and execution processing operations in the compound peripheral device according to the invention will now be described hereinbelow with reference to flowcharts shown in fig1 a , 19 b and 20 . fig1 a and 19b are flowcharts showing an example of a program selection / execution processing procedure in the compound peripheral device showing the second embodiment of the invention . s 1 to s 12 denote processing steps . first , when the button analyzer 1 c recognizes that the selection switch 3 a of the operation button 3 has been depressed in a state in which the name of the present valid program is displayed in the display 2 ( s 1 ), step s 3 follows . the table reader / writer 1 g reads the contents of the table stored in the program management table storage area 40 d and the present valid program no . which is stored into the program no . storage area 40 e . a check is made to see if the present valid program no . coincides with the number of valid programs or not . if no , the present valid program no . is added with “ 1 ” ( the present valid program no . is set to the next program no .) ( s 4 ). the name of the program of the present valid program no . is read out from the program management table area and is displayed in the display 2 ( s 5 ). the processing routine is finished . on the other hand , if yes in step s 3 ( when the present valid program no . is the last program no . in the table ), the present valid program no . is set to “ 0 ” so as to indicate the loaded program ( s 6 ). the name of the loaded program is read out from the program management table 40 g and the name of the program of the program no . is displayed in the display 2 by the display 1 b of the main controller 1 ( s 7 ). the processing routine is finished . on the other hand , if no in step s 1 , a check is made to see if the execution switch 3 b of the operation button 3 has been depressed or not ( s 2 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 1 . if yes , namely , when the button analyzer 1 c recognizes that the execution switch 3 b has been depressed , step s 8 follows . the table reader / writer 1 g reads the present valid program no . which is stored into the program no . storage area 40 e and a check is made to see if the no . is equal to “ 0 ” or not ( s 8 ). if yes , namely , when it indicates the loaded program , step s 12 follows and the executer 1 c executes the program starting from the start address . the processing routine is finished . on the other hand , if no in step s 8 , the table reader / writer 1 g copies the data ( corresponding to the present valid program no . stored in the program no . storage area 40 e which is stored into the program management table storage area 40 d , for example , in the program management table shown in fig2 ) into the loaded program management table storage area 40 g ( s 9 ). the program is loaded from the external storage 19 on the basis of the file name of the present valid program ( s 10 ). the start address is substituted into , for example , the program management table shown in fig2 of the program management table storage area 40 g ( s 11 ). the executer 1 c executes the program starting from the start address . the processing routine is finished . fig2 is a block diagram for explaining a construction of a host computer which is connected to a compound peripheral device showing the third embodiment of the invention and the same portions as those shown in fig2 are designated by the same reference numerals . in fig2 , reference numeral 60 denotes an i / o interface which is connected to the compound peripheral device through a data line 61 . fig2 is a block diagram for explaining a construction of the compound peripheral apparatus showing the third embodiment of the invention and the same portions as those shown in fig3 are designated by the same reference numerals . an activation processing operation on the compound peripheral device side will now be described with reference to a flowchart shown in fig2 . fig2 is a flowchart showing an example of an activation processing procedure of the compound peripheral device showing the third embodiment of the invention . s 1 to s 12 indicate processing steps . first , when the power source is turned on and the compound peripheral device is activated , the data transmitter 162 sends a processing start notification to the host computer ( s 1 ). subsequently , the data receiver 161 waits for the reception of a processing start response from the host computer ( s 2 ). when the response is received , the reader 151 reads out the first program name to be loaded into the compound peripheral device from the program management table 5 a which is stored into the rom 5 ( s 3 ). a transfer request of the program file is sent into the host computer ( s 4 ). on the other hand , the data receiver 161 receives a response to the transfer request from the host computer ( s 5 ). a check is made to see if the response indicates the transfer acceptance or not ( s 6 ). if no , the processing routine advances to step s 10 and subsequent steps . if yes , the data receiver 161 receives the data transfer of the program file from the host computer ( s 7 ). the data writer 143 writes the contents of the program into the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 ( s 8 ). a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the end of the file exists in the data received by the data receiver 161 or not ( s 9 ). if yes , it is judged by the data that all of the contents of the file of the requested program have been received . the processing routine advances to a process to transfer the program which is loaded next . finally , when the transfer process of the program is finished , the data transmitter 162 sends a processing end notification to the host computer ( s 12 ). the processing routine on the peripheral device side is finished . on the other hand , if no in step s 10 , the name of the next program is obtained from the program management table 5 a ( s 11 ). the processing routine is returned to step s 4 and the above program file transfer process is repeated . fig2 is a flowchart showing an example of an activation processing procedure on the host computer side shown in fig2 . s 1 to s 10 indicate processing steps . the program which resides and is being operated exists in the internal storage 54 of the host computer . the driving of each section is controlled by the program . first , the data reader 51 - 1 waits for the processing start notification from the compound peripheral device ( s 1 ). when the processing start notification is received , the data transmitter 51 - 2 sends a processing start acceptance to the compound peripheral device ( s 2 ). similarly , the data receiver 51 - 1 waits for the reception of the transfer request from the compound peripheral device ( s 3 ). when the transfer request is received , the file searcher 51 - 5 searches the program name sent with respect to the request from the external storage 55 ( s 4 ). a check is made to see if the requested program file has been found or not ( s 5 ). if no , the transfer rejection is sent to the compound peripheral device ( s 9 ). the processing routine advances to step s 10 and subsequent steps . if yes , the transfer acceptance is sent to the compound peripheral device ( s 6 ). after that , the reader 51 - 4 reads out the contents of the requested program file in the external storage 55 and the data transmitter 51 - 2 starts to transfer the data to the compound peripheral device ( s 7 ). a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the end of the file has been transferred or not ( s 8 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 7 and the data transfer is continued . if yes , a check is made to see if the processing end notification has been received from the compound peripheral device or not ( s 10 ). if no , namely , when the processing end notification is not sent but the transfer request is again sent from the compound peripheral device , the processing routine is returned to step s 3 . if yes , the processes on the host computer side are finished . upon execution of the program , when the button analyzer 131 recognizes that one application or either one of a plurality of applications has been designated by the operation button 3 of the input section and that the execution switch has been depressed , the data reader 141 executes the designated program in the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 . fig2 is a diagram showing the first communication protocol between the compound peripheral device shown in fig1 and the server computer . as shown in the diagram , by executing the communication process , the processes upon activation between the peripheral device and the server computer are executed and a desired program is executed . in the embodiment , as a destination in the peripheral device into which the application program which is transferred from the host computer and is loaded is stored , the external storage 55 can be also used in place of the ram 4 . in such a case , upon execution of the program , when the button analyzer 131 recognizes that one application or either one of a plurality of applications has been designated by the operation button 3 of the input section and that the execution switch has been depressed , the designated one of a plurality of programs is read and the data reader 141 reads the designated program from among the programs written in the external storage 55 . the designated program in the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 is executed . fig2 is a flowchart showing an example of an application execution processing procedure on the peripheral device side in the compound peripheral device according to the invention . s 1 to s 11 indicate processing steps . the processes shown in the embodiment correspond to the processes on the peripheral device side which execute the closed application in the peripheral device . first , when the button analyzer 131 recognizes that one application or either one of a plurality of applications has been designated by the operation button 3 and that the execution switch 3 b has been depressed ( s 1 ), the data transmitter 162 transmits the processing start notification to the host computer ( s 2 ). subsequently , the data transmitter 161 waits for the reception of the processing start acceptance from the host computer ( s 3 ). if no , the processing routine is finished . if yes , the reader 151 reads out the name of the program to be executed from the program management table 5 a in the rom 5 and the data transmitter 162 sends a transfer request of the program name file to the host computer ( s 4 ). the data receiver 161 receives a response to the transfer request from the host computer ( s 5 ). a check is made to see if the response is the transfer acceptance or not ( s 6 ). if no ( transfer rejection ), the processing routine advances to step s 10 to send the processing end notification to the host computer . if yes , namely , when the transfer acceptance is received , the data receiver 161 waits for the data transfer of the program file from the host computer . when the data transfer is received ( s 7 ), the data writer 143 sequentially writes the contents of the program into the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 . subsequently , a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the file end exists in the received data or not ( s 9 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 7 . if yes , it is judged by the data that all of the contents of the file of the requested program have been received . the data transmitter 162 sends the processing end notification to the host computer and the loading process is finished ( s 10 ). the executer 142 executes the program stored in the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 ( s 11 ). the processing routine is finished . fig2 is a flowchart showing an example of an application execution processing procedure on the host computer side shown in fig2 . s 1 to s 10 indicate processing steps . the processes in the steps of the program which reside and is being executed in the internal storage 54 of the computer are executed by each section of the controller 51 . first , the data receiver 51 - 1 waits for the reception of the processing start notification from the compound peripheral device ( s 1 ). when the processing start notification is received , the data transmitter 51 - 2 sends a processing start acceptance to the host computer ( s 2 ). similarly , the data receiver 51 - 1 waits for the reception of the transfer request from the compound peripheral device ( s 3 ). when the transfer request is received , the file searcher 51 - 5 searches the program name sent with respect to the request from the external storage 55 ( s 4 ). a check is made to see if the requested program file has been found or not ( s 5 ). when the requested program file is not found , the transfer rejection is sent to the compound peripheral device ( s 7 ). in order to wait for the reception of the processing end notification , the processing routine advances to step s 10 . when the requested program file is found , the data transmitter 51 - 2 sends the transfer acceptance to the compound peripheral device ( s 6 ). the reader 51 - 4 reads out the contents of the requested program file in the external storage 55 and the data transmitter 51 - 2 starts to transfer the data to the compound peripheral device ( s 8 ). a check is now made to see if the flag indicative of the file end has been transferred or not ( s 9 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 8 . if yes , the apparatus waits for the reception of the processing end notification from the compound peripheral device ( s 10 ). when the processing end notification is received , the processes on the host computer side are finished . fig2 is a diagram showing a communication protocol between the compound peripheral device shown in fig2 and 23 and the host computer . as shown in the diagram , by executing the communicating process , the processes upon activation between the peripheral device and the host computer are performed and a desired program is executed . fig3 is a block diagram showing another constructional example of the compound peripheral device shown in fig2 and the same portions as those shown in fig2 are designated by the same reference numerals . the application execution processing operation on the compound peripheral device side shown in fig3 will now be described hereinbelow with reference to a flowchart shown in fig3 a and 31b . fig3 a and 31b are flowcharts showing an example of an application execution processing procedure on the compound peripheral device side shown in fig3 . s 1 to s 18 indicate processing steps . when the power supply is turned on and the compound peripheral device is activated , the data transmitter 162 sends the processing start notification to the host computer ( s 1 ). a check is made to see if the data receiver 161 has received the processing start acceptance from the host computer or not ( s 2 ). if no , the processing routine is finished . when the processing start acceptance is received , the data transmitter 162 sends the transfer request of the list of the application programs closed in the compound peripheral device to the host computer ( s 3 ). due to this , the data receiver 161 receives a response to the transfer request from the host computer ( s 4 ). a check is made to see if the response is the transfer acceptance or not ( s 5 ). in case of the transfer rejection , in order to send the processing end notification to the host computer , the processing routine advances to step s 18 . when the transfer acceptance is received , the data receiver 161 receives the data transfer of the program list from the host computer ( s 6 ). when the data transfer is received , the data writer 143 sequentially writes the contents of the program into the program management table storage area 4 b in the ram 4 ( s 7 ). a check is now made to see if the flag indicative of the end of the list is included in the received data or not ( s 8 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 6 . if yes , it is judged by the data that all of the contents of the requested list have been received or not . the data reader 141 reads the first program name from the program management table 4 b in the ram 4 ( s 9 ). the data transmitter 162 sends the transfer request of the program name file to the host computer ( s 10 ). the data receiver 161 receives a response from the host computer ( s 11 ). a check is made to see if the response is the transfer acceptance or not ( s 12 ). if no , the processing routine advances to step s 16 and subsequent steps . if yes , the data receiver 161 waits for the data transfer of the program file from the host computer . when the data transfer is received ( s 13 ), the data writer 143 sequentially writes the contents of the program into the program storage area 4 a in the ram 4 ( s 14 ). a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the file end is included in the data received by the data receiver 161 or not ( s 15 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 13 . if yes , the processing routine advances to the transfer process of the next program in the program management table 4 b . a check is made to see if the transfer process of the last program has been finished or not ( s 16 ). if yes , the processing routine advances to step s 18 and subsequent steps and the data transmitter 162 transmits the processing end notification to the host computer and the processing routine is finished . if no , the name of the next program is obtained from the program management table 4 b ( s 17 ). the processing routine is returned to step s 10 . the application of the processes as mentioned above is executed in accordance with a communication protocol as shown in fig3 . fig3 a and 32b are flowcharts showing an example of an application execution processing procedure on the host computer side shown in fig2 . s 1 to s 16 indicate processing steps . the process is executed by each section on the basis of the program stored as a resident program in the internal storage 54 . first , the data receiver 51 - 1 waits for the processing start notification from the peripheral device ( s 1 ). when the processing start notification is received , the data transmitter 51 - 2 sends the processing start acceptance to the host computer ( s 2 ). in a manner similar to the above , the apparatus waits for the reception of the list transfer request from the compound peripheral device by the data receiver 51 - 1 ( s 3 ). when the transfer request is received , the file searcher 51 - 5 searches the list of applications closed in the compound peripheral device from the external storage 55 ( s 4 ). a check is made to see if the program list has been found or not ( s 5 ). if no , the transfer rejection is sent to the compound peripheral device ( s 16 ). in order to wait for the processing end notification , the processing routine is returned to step s 15 . on the other hand , if yes in step s 5 , the transfer acceptance is sent to the compound peripheral device ( s 6 ). the reader 51 - 4 reads out the contents of the program list of the applications closed in the compound peripheral device which exist in the external storage 55 and the data transmitter 51 - 2 starts to transfer the data of the program list toward the compound peripheral device ( s 7 ). a check is now made to see if the flag indicative of the list end has been transferred or not ( s 8 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 7 . if yes , the data receiver 51 - 1 waits for the processing end notification and waits for the reception of the file transfer request from the peripheral device ( s 9 ). when the file transfer request is received , the file searcher 51 - 5 searches the program name sent with respect to the request from the external storage 55 ( s 10 ). a check is made to see if the requested program file has been found or not ( s 11 ). if no , step s 16 follows and the transfer rejection is transferred to the compound peripheral device and the data receiver 51 - 1 waits for the processing end notification . if yes , the transfer acceptance is sent to the compound peripheral device ( s 12 ). after that , the data receiver 51 - 1 reads out the contents of the requested program file in the external storage 55 and the data transmitter 51 - 2 starts to transfer the data toward the compound peripheral device ( s 13 ). a check is made to see if the flag indicative of the file end has been transferred or not ( s 14 ). if no , the processing routine is returned to step s 13 . if yes , the apparatus waits for the reception of the processing end notification from the compound peripheral device from the data receiver 51 - 1 ( s 15 ). if yes , the processes on the host computer side are finished . if no , for instance , when the processing end notification is not sent but the transfer request is again sent from the compound peripheral device , the processing routine is returned to step s 13 . the application of the data transfer of the program file mentioned above is continued in accordance with the communication protocol as shown in fig3 . fig3 is a block diagram showing the first function processing construction in the compound peripheral device showing the fourth embodiment of the invention and the same portions as those shown in fig1 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals . in the embodiment , the first function process denotes the copy function . in the diagram , reference numeral 101 denotes an operation button analyzer to recognize an input from the operation button 3 ; 107 a data reader to read out the data written in the ram 4 ; 108 a program executer to execute the control program stored in the rom 5 ; 109 a data writer to write data into the ram 4 ; and 110 an image printer to print the image information stored in the ram 4 . a printer engine can be constructed by an ink jet mechanism or a laser printer mechanism . reference numeral 111 denotes an image reader to read an original image by a designated resolution . the image reader 111 can read a multivalue image and / or a color image and can execute various kinds of image editing processes by an image processor ( not shown ). reference numeral 112 denotes a paper feeder / deliverer having an adf function or an rdf function for feeding an original to the image reader 111 and delivering the original to a predetermined position after the original image was read . reference numeral 4 - 1 denotes a program management table storage area and the address of the foregoing loaded program has been stored in the area 4 - 1 . reference numeral 4 - 2 denotes an image data storage area to store the image data which is output from the image reader 111 . when the button analyzer 101 recognizes that a “ copy start ” switch has been depressed , the reader 107 reads out the program start address of the program of a copy application from the program management table 4 - 1 . the program executer 108 executes a “ copy ” program in the rom 5 from the start address . when the “ copy ” program is started , the paper feeder / deliverer 112 feeds the paper set in the image reading apparatus . after that , the image reader 111 reads the image data of the paper set by an amount of a predetermined memory capacity . the data writer 109 stores read image data into the image data storage area 4 - 2 . the image printer 110 sends the stored image data to the printer 18 and prints the image data of an amount of the read data . when there is no image to be read by the image reader 111 , the paper feeder / deliverer 112 delivers the paper of the image reading apparatus and the program of the “ copy ” application is finished . fig3 is a block diagram showing the second function processing construction in the compound peripheral device showing the fourth embodiment of the invention and the same portions as those shown in fig1 , 3 , and 34 are designated by the same reference numerals . in the embodiment , the second function process denotes a facsimile transmitting function . in the diagram , reference numeral 120 denotes a facsimile protocol processor to control an image communication on a telephone line through the network controller 9 in accordance with a predetermined communication control procedure ( facsimile protocol : g 3 , g 4 ). reference numeral 130 denotes a telephone monitor to monitor a speech communication state by the telephone line which is connected through the phone interface 12 . reference numeral 4 - 3 denotes a phone number train storage area to store a train of telephone numbers which were dialed from the telephone . the facsimile transmission function processing operation will now be described hereinbelow . when the button analyzer 101 recognizes that a “ facsimile transmission start ” switch has been depressed , the reader 107 reads out the program start address of the facsimile transmission application from the program management table 4 - 1 . the program executer 108 executes a “ facsimile transmission ” program in the rom 5 from the start address . when the “ facsimile transmission ” program is started , the operator dials from the telephone . the dial signal is transmitted through the connection line with the telephone 31 . the phone interface 12 analyzes the dial signal and writes the number train into the phone number storage area 4 - 3 through the data writer 109 . when the button analyzer 101 again recognizes that the “ facsimile transmission start ” switch has been depressed , the reader 107 sends the number train which has already been input to the network controller 9 , thereby making a telephone call . when the telephone line is connected , the facsimile protocol processor 120 starts the protocol of the facsimile . after completion of the initial protocol , the paper feeder / deliverer 112 feeds the paper set in the image reader 17 . after that , the image reader 111 reads the image data of the original set in the image reader 17 by an amount of a predetermined memory capacity . the data writer 109 stores the read image data into the image data storage area 4 - 2 . the facsimile protocol processor 120 sends the image data stored in the image printer 110 to the network controller 9 , thereby facsimile transmitting the image data through the modem 10 or 11 . when there is no image to be read by the image reader 111 , the paper feeder / deliverer 112 delivers the original in the image reader 17 and feeds the next original . when the next original cannot be fed , it is judged at this time point that the paper to be transmitted is finished , so that the facsimile protocol processor 120 executes an end protocol and , after that , disconnects the line . the program of the “ facsimile transmission ” application is finished . fig3 is a block diagram showing the third function processing construction in the compound peripheral device showing the fourth embodiment of the invention . the same portions as those shown in fig1 , 3 , 34 , and 35 are designated by the same reference numerals . in the embodiment , the third function process denotes a printing function of a speech communication record . in the diagram , reference numeral 131 denotes a time reader to read out time data from the time clock 13 and 132 indicates a timer to calculate the time from the start of the speech communication to the end thereof . the communication time is written into a telephone speech communication recording table 4 - 4 by the data writer 109 . reference numeral 133 denotes a text printer to form print data by a table form in accordance with the order of the transmission partner side , date , and speech communication time . the print function processing operation of the speech communication record will now be described . in the embodiment , the processes are separately executed with respect to the resident portion and the non - resident portion . first , in the resident portion , the telephone monitor 130 monitors whether a telephone call has been made through the phone interface 12 or not . when the telephone dials , the telephone monitor 130 stores the phone number train into the phone number storage area 4 - 3 through the data writer 109 . when it is recognized that the call has been transmitted and the telephone line has been connected , the data writer 109 adds the record into the telephone table 4 - 4 and the telephone number of the partner &# 39 ; s telephone and the date data are stored . after that , when it is recognized that the line has been disconnected , the date of the line disconnection is similarly obtained . the timer 132 calculates the elapsed time from the start time . the elapsed time is stored into the record in the telephone table 4 - 4 through the data writer 109 . on the other hand , in the non - resident portion , when the button analyzer 101 recognizes that a “ speech record print start ” switch has been depressed , the reader 107 reads out the program start address of the speech communication record printing application from the program management table 4 - 1 . the program executer 108 executes the “ speech communication record print ” program in the rom 5 from the start address . when the “ speech communication record print ” program is started , the text printer 133 forms the print data in the table form on the basis of each record data in the telephone table 4 - 4 in accordance with the order of the transmission destination , date , and speech communication time . the image printer 110 sends the print data to the printer 18 , thereby printing . at a time point when the print data of all of the records is finished , the “ speech communication record print ” program is finished . fig3 is a block diagram showing the fourth function processing construction in the compound peripheral device showing the fourth embodiment of the invention . the same portions as those shown in fig1 , 3 , 34 , and 35 are designated by the same reference numerals . in the embodiment , the fourth function process denotes a printing function of a still video . in the diagram , reference numeral 140 denotes an image reader for reading out the image data of a still video by the extended device 23 such as a still video camera or by an image processing apparatus ( vtr , video camera , or the like ) having a still video output function . the print function processing operation of the still video will now be described hereinbelow . when the button analyzer 101 recognizes that a “ print start of the still video ” switch has been depressed , the reader 107 reads out the program start address of a printing application of the still video from the program management table 4 - 1 . the program executer 108 executes a “ print of the still video ” program in the rom 5 from the start address . when the “ print of the still video ” program is started , the image reader 140 reads the current still image data stored in the still video ( extended device 23 ) by an amount of a predetermined memory capacity . the data writer 109 stores the read image data into the image data storage area 4 - 2 . after image data was stored , the image printer 110 sends the stored image data to the printer 18 , thereby printing the image data of an amount of the read image . when there is no image to be read by the image reader 140 , it is judged that the printing of the still images of one picture plane was finished , so that the “ print of the still video ” program is finished . fig3 is a block diagram showing the fifth function processing construction in the compound peripheral device showing the fourth embodiment of the invention . the same portions as those shown in fig1 , 3 , 34 , and 35 are designated by the same reference numerals . in the embodiment , the fifth function process denotes a function process execution alerting function . in the diagram , reference numeral 102 denotes a display controller to control the display to the display 2 ; 103 an alarm output for driving the sound source 15 and alarming a message indicating that the function process is being executed or the like ; 104 a usage information notifier for monitoring a usage situation of a device , for example , the printer 18 or the like and notifying its usage situation information to a command transmitter 106 ; 105 a command receiver for receiving and analyzing a command from the host computer ; 106 the command transmitter for transmitting a preparation ok command to the host computer ; and 4 - 5 an in - use message storage area in which a message to inform a competition state accompanied with the function process has been stored . in the case where a “ copy ” function process is being executed as a function processing state , when the command receiver 105 receives the command from the host computer , the usage information notifier 104 confirms the usage situation of the printer . when the printer 18 is being used , the command transmitter 106 returns a command indicating that the printer is being used to the host computer . on the other hand , when the button analyzer 101 recognizes that a “ copy start ” switch has been depressed , the usage information notifier 104 obtains the usage situation of the printer 18 . when the printer is not used at present , the “ copy ” function process is executed as mentioned above . when there is an output request from the host computer to the printer 18 , the usage information notifier 104 obtains the usage situation of the printer 18 . when the print data is at present being printed , this means that the printer 18 is being used , the in - use message stored in the in - use message storage area 4 - 5 is read out through the data reader 107 . the display controller 102 allows the display 2 to display an in - use message stored in the in - use message storage area 4 - 5 . the alarm output 103 generates an alarm sound from the speaker 16 through the sound source 105 . as described above , according to the first invention of the present invention , on the basis of the selection execution instruction by the instructing means , the program executing means reads out either one of the application programs which were down loaded into the memory means from the server computer and executes and the driving of either one of the function processing means is controlled . therefore , the function process of the compound peripheral device can be freely extended . according to the second invention , since the memory means is constructed by the internal memory medium , only the necessary application can be down loaded . according to the third invention , since the memory means is constructed by the external memory medium , a plurality of applications can be simultaneously down loaded . according to the fourth invention , since either one of the application programs to be down loaded from the server computer is selected and designated by an instruction from the application selecting means , only a desired application can be down loaded . according to the fifth invention , since the transfer means reads out either one of the application programs stored in the memory means and transfers to another compound peripheral device through a predetermined communication line , either one of the applications can be also relayed and transferred to a compound peripheral device which doesn &# 39 ; t have a communicating function with the server computer . according to the sixth invention , on the basis of the selection execution instruction by the instructing means , the program executing means reads out either one of the application programs which were down loaded into the memory means from the host computer and executes and the driving of either one of the function processing means is controlled . therefore , the function of each function processing means can be cheaply added or extended by using a simple network . according to the seventh invention , since the memory means is constructed by the internal memory medium , only the necessary application can be down loaded . according to the eighth invention , since the memory means is constructed by the external memory medium , a plurality of applications can be simultaneously down loaded . according to the ninth invention , since the application selecting means selects and designates either one of the application programs to be down loaded from the memory means , only a desired application can be down loaded . according to the tenth invention , since the designating means previously designates either one of the application programs to be down loaded from the host computer , the designation application program transfer control from the host computer can be simplified and the designated application can be efficiently down loaded . according to the eleventh invention , on the basis of the selection execution instruction by the instructing means , either one of the application program read out from the external memory means is loaded and stored into the internal memory means , the program executing means executes the loaded application , and the driving of either one of the function processing means is controlled . therefore , even when a memory capacity of the internal memory means is small , while a plurality of necessary applications are down loaded in a lump , the necessary application is selected and each function process can be efficiently executed . according to the twelfth invention , the combination function instructing state by the instructing means is analyzed , the combination drive control means sequentially reads out each application stored in the memory means , and the combination driving of each function processing means is controlled . therefore , an advanced compound function process in which various kinds of function processes are combined can be executed . according to the thirteenth invention , the combination function instructing state by the instructing means is analyzed and while the present using state of each function processing means for executing the combination function process is judged , the control means exclusively controls the start of the execution of the designated combination function process . therefore , the combination function process and each function process can be efficiently executed while avoiding the competition between the combination function process and each function process . according to the fourteenth invention , since the control means informs the present using state of each function processing means , the competition state of the combination function process and each function process can be certainly informed to the user . therefore , there is an excellent effect such that a change in function of each function processing means , an extension of the function , or the like can be cheaply and efficiently executed without connecting any external apparatus to the compound peripheral device . | 7 |
referring now to the accompanying drawings , one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is described below . fig1 is an external view of a data processing device reflecting one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention . in fig1 a liquid crystal display unit 3 is provided at the front of a data processing device 1 . a keyboard 2 is electrically connected to the data processing device 1 . as shown in fig2 the keyboard 2 is provided with a number of data input keys 2a and function keys 2b for generating control commands . the function keys 2b include a set - up key 27 , which displays a set - up menu for setting the initial data processing mode of the device , and cursor keys 28a , 28b , 28c , and 28d . the set - up menu depicted in fig3 is displayed by actuating the set - up key 27 . in fig1 reference numeral 4 denotes a lamp which is described below . fig4 is a simplified block diagram of the data processing device embodied by the present invention . this is a detailed representation of the electroluminescent panel drive controller . the block surrounded by the broken line denotes the controller . a main controller cpu 10 executes control operations in accordance with system programs stored in a read - only memory rom 11 , which stores the message data needed to display the set - up menu in addition to the system programs . a random access memory ram 12 stores the various data being input or processed and also contains a variety of buffers , counters and flags . in this embodiment , the ram 12 is provided with at least a cursor counter and a b counter storing the luminosity level code of the electroluminescent panel . a timer 13 , which counts a predetermined period of time , serves to turn off the electroluminescent panel light 24 so that it will not be damaged when the user operates the key input or other processes for more than the predetermined period of time . the panel 24 provides backlighting to the lcd device 16 . a data latch 20 latches either the luminosity level code or the automatic off code of the b1 counter and drives an electroluminescent panel 24 in accordance with either cf these code data . code data stored in the data latch 20 is decoded by a decoder 21 , which then outputs one of the four data signals shown below . in accordance with the data signal output from the decoder 21 , a d / a converter 22 converts the digital data signal into an analog data signal and controls the electroluminescent panel driver circuit 23 before generating the appropriate drive voltage ( 0v & lt ; off & gt ;, about 5v & lt ; dim & gt ;, about 6v & lt ; standard & gt ;, or about 8 . 5v & lt ; bright & gt ;) in the electroluminescent panel 24 . the d / a converter 22 also drives a lamp driver 25 to illuminate a warning lamp 26 when the decoder 21 outputs an off signal . referring now to the operation flowchart shown in fig5 the luminosity modification operation of the electroluminescent panel 24 is described below . ( 1 ) step s1 : when the power switch of the data processing device is turned on or the set - up key 27 is pressed , the data processing machine begins the luminosity modification operation . ( 2 ) step s2 : in accordance with the system program in the rom 11 , the menu data shown in fig3 is stored in a video memory 15 . the menu data , including 50 mode names and either the preset mode or preset mode status , are displayed in accordance with the internal memory of the ram 12 . ( 3 ) steps s3 and s4 : the operator designates a specific column to be set by operating the cursor key to move the cursor 40 . the content of the cursor counter is renewed whenever the cursor key is operated so that a specific value corresponding to the designated column can be latched . ( 4 ) steps s5 and s6 : the luminosity level is changed by first moving the cursor position to the &# 34 ; backlight &# 34 ; column , thereby accessing the luminosity changing mode , and then pressing the space key ( other keys may also be operated ). ( 5 ) steps s7 and s8 : the b counter adds up each movement of the space key , and each counter value is transferred to the data latch 20 . this activates the driving of the electroluminescent panel 24 using the specific luminosity level that matches the luminosity level data code . ( 6 ) steps s9 through s15 : during these steps , one of the following messages is displayed in a mode display column 41 of the menu : ______________________________________when b register = 00 &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; when b register = 01 &# 34 ; dim &# 34 ; when b register = 10 &# 34 ; standard &# 34 ; when b register = 11 &# 34 ; bright &# 34 ; ______________________________________ ( 7 ) step s16 : the user repeats the operation of steps s9 through s15 until the desired mode is entered . after the desired mode has been set , the operator again presses the set - up key to complete the set - up process before commencing with data processing . when , following automatic shut - off of the electroluminescent panel 24 , the user again activates the panel , its luminosity will be set according to the b1 counter . it should be noted that the luminosity settings of the electroluminescent panel in the set - up menu used in the data processing device related to the present invention are not limitative of the preferred embodiment described above . furthermore , the degrees of luminosity are not limited to the four levels specified using a keyboard , as mentioned above . as is clear from the foregoing description , according to the present invention related to a data processing device provided with a liquid crystal display incorporating electroluminescent backlighting , the preferred embodiment provides for several degrees of luminosity and means for specifying luminosity levels . this enables the operator manually to adjust the luminosity ideally suited to the lighting environment in which the data processing device is used . at the same time , the system ensures a longer service life for the electroluminescent backlight , thereby reducing maintenance and replacement costs . while only certain embodiments of the present invention have been described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as claimed . | 6 |
now referring to fig1 , loading arm 20 is coupled to a hydraulic power unit 22 . the hydraulic power unit is coupled to or includes integrated therewith an electronic controller 24 . the electronic controller 24 , which is a programmable logic controller , can be a microprocessor or a computer or other type of programmable logic controller . at least one first electronic acceleration sensor 26 is coupled to the programmable logic controller . the acceleration sensor 26 is a motion reference unit ( mru ). a second electronic acceleration sensor 28 which is a motion reference unit mru 28 is also coupled to the electronic controller 24 . one embodiment of the system , when ready for operation , is assembled with a floating production , storage and offtake or offloading ( fpso ) vessel 30 for liquid natural gas and a cargo carrier ( cc ) vessel 32 . the loading arm 20 , hydraulic power unit 22 , electronic controller 24 and first mru 26 are onboard fpso vessel 30 . the second mru 28 is onboard the cargo carrier 32 . both the first mru 26 and second mru 28 are electronically interfaced with the electronic controller 24 . the electronic interface can be by way of a hard wiring system or by way of a wireless transmission system . in operation the electronic controller 24 sends commands to the hydraulic power unit 22 , at least in part , based on signals received from the first 26 and second 28 motion reference unit . the commands are calculated to cause the hydraulic power unit 22 to supply hydraulic fluid to the loading arm &# 39 ; s actuators to move the loading arm 20 to compensate for the movement of the vessels 30 , 32 relative to each other . the compensation allows for the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 to be smoothly directed to the cargo manifold 36 of the cargo carrier 32 . alternatively if the loading arm 20 is already connected to the cargo manifold , the compensation will result in the loading arm free end 34 tracking the movement of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 . by tracking the movement , the stresses on the loading arm 20 caused by the movement of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 are reduced . in more detail , fpso 30 and cargo carrier 32 , when in a body of water , such as a sea , may each surge , sway , heave , roll , pitch and yaw due to the impact of the sea &# 39 ; s waves on the respective vessels . the various movements will cause each vessel to move relative to the stationary world such as the floor of the sea and relative to each other . the first and second motion reference units 26 and 28 detect the movement of each vessel 30 , 32 relative to the stationary world . thus motion reference unit 26 detects movement of the production storage vessel 30 relative to the stationary world . second mru 28 detects the movement of the cargo vessel 32 relative to the stationary world . the first 26 and second 28 mru transmit signals to the electronic controller 24 concerning the movement of their respective vessels . based on the signals the electronic controller 24 determines the relative movement between the production storage vessel 30 and cargo carrier 32 . when the loading arm 20 is in the process of being connected to the manifold , the electronic controller 24 sends signals to actuate the hydraulic power unit 22 to supply hydraulic fluid to the loading arm &# 39 ; s actuators 54 , 58 , 62 in a manner to move the sections of the loading arm 20 to compensate for the movement of the vessels 30 , 32 relative to each other . the calculations are such that the sections of the loading arm 20 are driven ( moved ) by their actuators 54 , 58 , 62 so that unintended relative movement between the loading arm free end 34 and the manifold 36 of the cargo carrier 32 is as close as possible to zero . accordingly , the only movement between the loading arm free end 34 and manifold 36 of the cargo carrier 32 is the movement caused by an operator to direct the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 to the manifold 36 of the cargo carrier 32 . when the loading arm 20 is already connected to the manifold , the electronic controller 24 sends signals to actuate the hydraulic power unit 22 to supply hydraulic fluid to the loading arm &# 39 ; s actuators 54 , 58 , 62 to move the loading arm free end 34 in a manner to track , as near as possible , the movement of the cargo manifold 36 of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 . by tracking the movement , the stresses on the loading arm 20 caused by movement of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 are reduced . in still further detail , the loading arm 20 has three actuators 54 , 58 , 62 which are the hydraulic piston cylinder type . these actuators can be called hydraulic cylinders 54 , 58 , 62 . they are actuated by way of the hydraulic power unit 22 and can direct movement of the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 to the cargo manifold 36 of the cargo carrying vessel 32 . the hydraulic power unit 22 additionally supplies hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinders 54 , 58 , 62 , based on commands from the electronic controller 24 , to compensate for relative movement between the vessels 30 , 32 . as stated when the loading arm 20 is in the process of being connected to the manifold 36 , the cylinders drive ( move ), the sections of the loading arm 20 such that the unintended movement of the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 relative to the cargo manifold 36 , in all six degrees , is as near as possible , brought to zero . when the loading arm 20 is already connected to the manifold 36 , the electronic controller 24 sends signals to actuate the hydraulic power unit 22 to actuate the hydraulic cylinders 54 , 58 , 62 to move the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 in a manner to track , as near as possible , the movement of the cargo manifold of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 . by tracking the movement , the stresses on the loading arm 20 caused by movement of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 are reduced . the below discussion details the features of loading arm 20 and how these features operate in the system . as shown in fig2 , the loading arm includes a standpost or riser 38 . the riser 38 comprises an outer support conduit 39 and a portion 40 a of process pipe 40 . process pipe 40 carries the fluid , which in this case is liquid natural gas , from the storage vessel 30 to the cargo carrier 32 . the loading arm further includes and inner arm 42 . the inner arm 42 includes a portion 40 b of process pipe 40 . it also includes support structure 41 . a swivel joint 44 couples process pipe portion 40 b at the fulcrum 46 to process pipe portion 40 a . the swivel connection 44 allows inner arm 42 , including process pipe portion 40 b , to pivot relative to riser 38 , including process pipe portion , 40 a , up and down relative to the riser 38 as indicated by arrow 60 ( fig1 ). the loading arm 20 further includes an outer arm 50 . the outer arm 50 includes process pipe portion 40 c and support structure 51 . a swivel joint 48 couples process pipe portion 40 c to process pipe portion 40 b . the swivel connection allows outer arm 50 , including pipe portion 40 c , to pivot relative to inner arm 42 , including process pipe portion 40 b . the arm 50 pivots outward and backward relative to the inner arm as indicated by arrow 66 ( fig1 ). a portion of process pipe 40 a towards the fulcrum includes a swivel joint 52 rotably connecting a first upper portion of process pipe 40 a and to a second lower portion of process pipe 40 a . the swivel connection allows the inner arm 42 , including pipe portion 40 b to rotate about the vertical axis of riser 38 in the direction indicated by arrow 56 ( fig1 ). in more detail the first upper pipe portion of process pipe 40 a can rotate about the lower pipe portion of process pipe 40 a . a first hydraulic piston cylinder actuator , also called a slew cylinder , 54 is coupled to the first upper portion and second lower portion of process pipe 40 a . the actuator 54 when actuated rotates inner arm 42 , including process pipe portion 40 b , about the vertical axis of riser 38 in the direction indicated by arrow 56 ( fig1 ). a second hydraulic piston cylinder actuator , also called a primary cylinder 58 , is coupled to the inner arm 42 and riser 38 . the actuator 58 when actuated causes the inner arm 42 to pivot relative to the riser 38 up and down as indicated by arrow 60 ( fig1 ). a third hydraulic piston cylinder actuator , also called a secondary cylinder 62 , is coupled to the inner arm 42 and outer arm 50 . one end of the secondary cylinder 62 is coupled to the outer arm 50 via a linkage assembly 64 . the secondary cylinder 62 when actuated causes the outer arm 50 to pivot outward and backward relative to the inner arm 42 . the hydraulic power unit 22 is fluidly coupled to each of the above three described hydraulic piston cylinder type actuators 54 , 58 , 62 . the hydraulic power unit 22 when in operation supplies hydraulic fluid to the various actuators 54 , 58 , 62 to cause sections of the loading arm 20 to move about the swivel joints , as described above . an operator thus by commanding the hydraulic power unit can actuate the cylinders to move the loading arm free end 34 towards the cargo manifold 36 . additionally the electronic controller 24 , based on signals received from the mru &# 39 ; s 26 , 28 can send commands to the hydraulic power unit 22 to cause the unit 22 to supply hydraulic fluid to the actuators 54 , 58 , 62 to move the sections of the loading arm 20 to compensate for the movement of the vessels 30 , 32 relative to each other . the compensation allows for the free end of the loading arm 20 to remain connected to the cargo manifold 36 in a manner which reduces stresses on the loading arm 20 . the compensation achieves minimal stresses because the actuators 54 , 58 , 62 are moving the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 to track , as near as possible , the movement of the cargo manifold 36 relative to vessel 30 . accordingly the loading arm 20 is not being tugged and pulled on due to the movement of the vessels 30 , 32 relative to one another . also the compensation allows for the loading arm 20 to be smoothly directed to the cargo manifold 36 during the connection process because the unintended movement of the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 relative to the cargo manifold 36 is brought to , as near as possible zero . the following provides a first example of the workings of the system . in the first example the loading arm free end 34 is coupled to the manifold 36 . in this example , the first mru 26 detects that the production storage vessel 30 is stationary relative to the stationary world . the second mru 28 detects that vessel 32 is heaving , moving up . the first mru 26 transmits its signals to electronic controller 24 . the second mru 28 transmits its signals to the electronic controller 24 . the electronic controller 24 , based on the signals received from each of the mru &# 39 ; s 26 , 28 , makes a determination as to vessel 30 &# 39 ; s movement relative to vessel 32 . in this particular example the electronic controller 24 determines that vessel 32 is moving up in the positive z direction relative to vessel 30 . to compensate for the relative upward movement of vessel 32 , electronic controller 24 commands hydraulic power unit 22 to actuate hydraulic primary cylinder 58 to pivot the inner arm up , in the positive z direction as indicated by arrow 68 ( fig2 ). it further commands the hydraulic power unit 22 to actuate secondary hydraulic cylinder 62 to pivot outer arm 50 outward relative to inner arm 42 in the direction indicated by arrow 70 ( fig2 ). in this example it is the hydraulic piston cylinder actuators that cause the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 to move as opposed to vessel 32 causing the free end 34 to move . the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 thus tracks the movement of the cargo manifold 36 and thus minimizes stresses on the loading arm 20 caused by relative movement of the vessels 30 , 32 . in a second example the free end 34 of the loading arm 20 is again coupled to the cargo manifold 36 . vessel 30 is stationary relative to the stationary world . vessel 32 is surging forward in a positive direction relative to the stationary world . the first and second mru &# 39 ; s 26 , 28 send signals to the electronic controller 24 . the electronic controller 24 based on the signals determines the movement of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 to be a surge forward . electronic controller 24 to compensate for the movement , sends signals to the hydraulic power unit 22 to cause the hydraulic power unit 22 to supply hydraulic fluid to actuate the hydraulic cylinders of the loading arm 20 so that the loading arm &# 39 ; s free end 34 tracks , as near as possible , the cargo manifold &# 39 ; s movement relative to vessel to track the movement , the slew piston cylinder actuator 54 is actuated to rotate the inner arm in the direction of the surge forward . the secondary piston cylinder actuator 62 is actuated to pivot the outer arm outward relative to the inner arm . the primary piston cylinder actuator 58 is actuated to pivot the inner arm downward in the negative z direction . although the system has been described as using two mru &# 39 ; s , the system could use a single sensor such as an optical or photographic sensor to detect the movement of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 . the sensor could be mounted on either vessel . the sensor would be electrically coupled to the electronic controller . the controller would interpret the signals from the one sensor to determine the movement of vessel 32 relative to vessel 30 . the controller would than activate the hydraulic power unit to drive the loading arms via the cylinders to compensate for the relative movement . the term hydraulic cylinder as used herein refers generally to an actuator of the hydraulic piston cylinder type . the system has been described with respect to the loading and off - loading of liquefied natural gas ( lng ). the system can be used for all types of fluids . for instance the fluids can be liquefied petroleum gas , all types of crude oil , all types of fuels , chemicals or anything else that flows and is transported in bulk . the electronic acceleration sensor shown is an mru . the invention is not limited to only an mru type electronic acceleration sensor . other electronic acceleration sensors will work . the diameter of the process pipe and free end can vary . the diameter can vary from 4 ″ to 20 ″. all of the features disclosed in this specification ( including any accompany claims , abstract and drawings ), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed , may be combined in any combination , except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive . each feature disclosed in this specification ( including any accompanying claims , abstract and drawings ) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same , equivalent or similar purpose , unless expressly stated otherwise . thus , unless expressly stated otherwise , each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features . the invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment ( s ). the invention extends to any novel one , or any novel combination , of the features disclosed in this specification ( including any accompanying claims , abstract and drawings ), or to any novel one , or any novel combination , of the steps of any method or process so disclosed . | 1 |
fig1 a shows a device 10 a comprising a first ( pcb ) printed circuit board pb 1 composed of a conventional electrically insulating or dielectric material with a planar upper surface and a planar lower surfaces parallel to each other . on the upper surface of printed circuit board pb 1 are two chips cha and chb which are connected to the upper surface electrically and mechanically by solder balls sb to conventional pads not shown on the top surface of the printed circuit board pb 1 . buried within the printed circuit board pb 1 are a conductive ground plane bp and a conductive power plane pp , shown in this example , below the ground plane bp . both the conductive ground plane bp and the conductive power plane pp are shown to be parallel with the upper and lower surface of the printed circuit board pb 1 . modifications of the power plane are possible including multiple levels and variations from simple parallel structures into partially non - parallel arrangements with vias as will be well understood by those skilled in the art . on the lower surface of the printed circuit board pb 1 are shown two big solder balls bsb on either end of the board pb 1 which represent an array of big solder balls bsb . the big solder balls bsb are adapted to be connected electrically and mechanically to a supporting element such as another printed circuit board , e . g . a larger circuit board ( not shown ) as will be well understood by those skilled in the art . chips cha and chb are attached to the printed circuit board pb 1 by the flip - chip method , as will be well understood by those skilled in the art of chip packaging . as indicated above , there are both a ground plane gp and a power plane pp in the board pb 1 . a bypass capacitor bc 1 which is located on the bottom surface of board pb 1 is connected at one end to the ground plane gp and at the other terminal to the power plane pp . the big solder balls bsb on the lower surface of the board pb 1 provide added clearance for the capacitor bc 1 . thus the bypass capacitor bc 1 can be located on the lower surface of board pb 1 and below one or both of the chip cha and chip chb because the big , solder balls bsb are tall enough to provide clearance for the bypass capacitor bc 1 . a ground bus gb and a power bus pb are formed on the top surface of board pb 1 . another bypass capacitor bc 1 ′ is shown in the right end of the board pb 1 with one terminal connected to the ground bus gb and another terminal connected to the power bus pb . printed circuit board pb 1 is a multi - layer printed circuit board . the small solder balls sb connected to chip cha and chip chb are connected to the big solder balls bsb through the routing of the printed circuits and vias ( not shown ) on the printed circuit board pb 1 , as will be well understood by those skilled in the art of chip packaging . fig1 b shown a variation of the device of fig1 a comprising a modified device 10 b . device 10 b includes a printed circuit board pb 2 , which is basically the same as board pb 1 ( fig1 a ) except that the connection of elements thereto is somewhat different and ground bus gb and power bus pb are omitted . chip chc and chip chd , which are located on the top surface of board pb 2 , are narrower leaving space to locate the bypass capacitor bc 2 therebetween on the upper surface of board pb 2 . bypass capacitor bc 2 is connected at one end to a ground plane gp and at the other terminal to the power plane pp . in this case , the small solder balls sb are located on the bottom of the board pb 2 ( in place of the big solder balls bsb or fig1 a ) since there is no need for the extra clearance required in fig1 a for location of the bypass capacitor bc 1 . fig1 c shows a device 10 c which is a modification of the devices 10 a of fig1 a and 10b of fig1 b . the device 10 c includes a third printed circuit board pb 3 , different from the board pb 1 of fig1 a except that the elements connected thereto are somewhat different . in particular , board pb 3 includes no buried ground plane and no buried power plane . chip che and chip chf , which are located on the top surface of board pb 2 , are narrower leaving space to locate the bypass capacitor bc 2 therebetween on the upper surface of board pb 2 . chip che and chip chf , which are located on the top surface of board pb 2 , are narrower than chips cha and chb , leaving space to locate the bypass capacitor bc 2 therebetween on the upper surface of board pb 3 . bypass capacitor bc 3 is connected at one end to the ground bus gb and at the other terminal to the power bus pp . in this case , as in fig1 b , small solder balls sb are located on the bottom of the board pb 2 ( in place of the big solder balls bsb or fig1 a ). fig1 d shows a perspective view of a modification of fig1 b with two chips , chip chc ′ and chip chd ′ on top of the printed circuit board pcb 1 along with the bypass capacitor bc 3 on the top surface of board pcb 1 between chips chc ′, chd ′. a wide metal conductor line comprising a power bus wm 1 is formed on the surface of board pcb 1 connecting to one terminal of the capacitor bc 3 and the other wide metal line comprising ground bus wm 2 on the surface of board pcb 1 connecting to the other terminal of the capacitor bc 3 . the wide metal line power bus wm 1 connects by vias to some solder balls sb in the middle of chips chc ′ and chd ′ and down to the power plane pp . the wide metal line ground bus wm 2 connects by other vias to other solder balls sb on the inner edges of chips chc ′ and chd ′, and down to the ground plane gp . vias are conductors as will be well understood by those skilled in the art . fig2 a shows a device 20 a which is a modification of fig1 a with two stacked printed circuit boards pcb 2 and pcb 3 ( similar to boards pb 1 ) with an plurality of big solder balls bsb on the periphery of the bottom of the boards pcb 2 and pcb 3 , with a ground plane gp at voltage v sg and a power plane pp at voltage v cc . the upper printed circuit board pcb 3 is connected to the lower printed circuit board pcb 2 by means of several big solder balls bsb which interconnect electrically and mechanically fig2 a between the lower surface of upper board pcb 3 and lower board pcb 2 as is well understood by those skilled in the art by means of conductive mounting pads , conductors and vias not shown for convenience of illustration . referring to lower printed circuit board pcb 2 , two chips ch 1 and ch 2 are supported on the bottom and top respectively of the lower board pcb 2 . chips ch 1 and ch 2 are connected electrically and mechanically by solder balls sb to conventional pads not shown on the bottom surface and top surface of the printed circuit board board pcb 2 respectively . referring to upper printed circuit board pcb 3 , two bottom - and - top mounted chips ch 3 and ch 4 are supported on the bottom and top respectively of lower board pcb 2 , and chips ch 3 and ch 4 which are connected electrically and mechanically by solder balls sb to conventional pads not shown on the bottom surface and top surface of the lower printed circuit board board pcb 2 . a capacitor c is formed on the left of the top surface of board pcb 3 to provide a bypass capacitor close to the chips ch 3 and ch 4 . bypass capacitor c is on the left upper surface of lower board pcb 2 to the left of chip ch 4 . bypass capacitor bc 2 has one terminal connected to the ground plane gp and at the other terminal to the power plane pp above the plurality of big solder balls bsb of upper board pcb 3 . the circuits are similar to those as discussed in fig1 c . fig2 b shows device 20 b which is a modification of the device 20 a of fig2 a which has been expanded to include several additional printed circuit boards pbc 4 and pcb 5 which have been stacked on top of upper board pcb 3 carrying chips c 5 and c 6 mounted bottom - and - top and carrying chips c 7 and c 8 mounted bottom - and - top respectively with the big solder balls bsb supporting each printed circuit board , with printed circuit board pcb 4 supported on printed circuit board pcb 3 and printed circuit board pcb 5 supported on printed circuit board pcb 4 in like manner to the boards of fig2 a . the lower - most printed circuit board pcb 2 is shown supported on a moderate size set of enlarged solder balls sb . a bypass capacitor c , located on the top surface of printed circuit board pb 3 at the left end thereof , has one terminal connected to the ground plane gp and at the other terminal to the power plane pp . fig2 c shows a modification of the device of fig2 a which has been modified to include a single chip ch 3 only on the top of the upper printed circuit board pcb 3 ′ without big solder balls between the upper and lower printed circuit boards . in particular , fig2 c shows a device 20 c which is another modification of the device 20 a of fig2 a which has been simplified to include top and bottom chips ch 1 and ch 2 on the lower board pcb 2 with a single chip ch 3 on the top surface of the upper board pbc 3 ′ with smaller solder balls sb interconnecting between the bottom of upper board pcb 3 ′ and the top of lower board pcb 2 and connected to the bottom of the lower board pcb 2 . a bypass capacitor c , located on the top surface of printed circuit board pcb 3 ′ at the left end thereof , has one terminal connected to the ground plane gp and at the other terminal to the power plane pp thereof . fig2 d shows a device 20 d which is a modification of the device 20 b of fig2 b which has been modified to use gold bumps to support the chips ch 1 - ch 8 to the respective printed circuit boards pbc 2 to pcb 5 . a bypass capacitor c , located on the top surface of printed circuit board pcb 5 at the left end thereof , has one terminal connected to the ground plane gp and at the other terminal to the power plane pp thereof . fig2 e shows a device 20 e which is another modification of the device 20 c of fig2 c which has been modified to use gold bumps to support the chips ch 1 - ch 3 on the respective printed circuit boards pbc 2 and pcb 3 ′. a bypass capacitor c , located on the top surface of printed circuit board pcb 3 ′ at the left end thereof , has one terminal connected to the ground plane gp and at the other terminal to the power plane pp thereof . fig3 a shows a plan view of a chip - on - chip structure in accordance with this invention where a printed circuit board pcb 6 has a window w formed therethrough ( board pcb 6 ) in the center of fig3 a . window w is shown to have a longer vertical height than the horizontal width . the board pbc 6 is the substrate of a ball grid array ( bga ) package . a primary , upper chip ch 5 is formed above the board pcb 6 , covering the central portion of window w having its greater length transverse to the window w thereby bridging the window w across the width of the window w . that is to say that primary chip ch 5 extends on the left and right beyond window w over board pcb 6 across the ( narrower ) width of the window w . the secondary chip ch 6 is supported in a chip - on - chip connected by the lower surface of chip primary ch 5 . at the same time , secondary chip ch 6 is located inside the space provided by window w in the printed circuit board pcb 6 . the chips ch 5 and ch 6 are shown to be the same size , i . e . primary chip ch 5 is as long and as wide as secondary chip ch 6 but they are rotated in orientation by about 90 degrees . a bypass capacitor bc is located on the top surface of printed circuit board pcb 6 and as described above , the opposing terminals of capacitor bc are connected to a ground plane gp and the power plane pp , respectively , inside the board pcb 6 . fig3 b is a sectional view taken along line 3 b — 3 b in fig3 a . in fig3 b , the chip - on - chip relationship between primary chip ch 5 and secondary chip ch 6 is seen . pads p on the upper surface of secondary chip ch 6 are connected electrically and mechanically by solder balls sb to interconnect pads p on the confronting surfaces of the primary , upper chip ch 5 . in like manner the lower surface of primary chip ch 5 , aside from secondary chip ch 6 , is connected to pads p on the upper surface of printed circuit board pcb 6 . the printed circuit board pcb 3 has solder balls sb and pads p located on the lower surface thereof which are adapted to be connected to another circuit board ( not shown ). fig3 c is a modification of fig3 b in which the printed circuit board pcb 6 ′ has outboard connection pads p located aside from chip ch 5 supporting large solder balls bsb which are adapted to connect the board pcb 6 ′ to another circuit board ( not shown ) as shown by examples in fig2 a , 2 b and 2 d above . fig3 d shows a chip - on - chip structure wherein pads p on the top surface of a lower , secondary chip ch 7 is bonded to a plurality of solder balls sb which are also bonded to the bottom of upper , primary chip ch 8 . in turn chip ch 8 is carried by a plurality of big solder balls bsb secured to bottom surface of chip ch 8 on the ends thereof with the width of secondary chip ch 7 shown in fig3 d being narrower than the length of primary chip ch 8 as in fig3 a and 3b . in this case , the big solder balls bsb are supported on the bottom ends thereof , below the chips ch 7 and ch 8 , by pads p on a ball grid array substrate bgas which is supported by a grid array of solder balls bg . fig3 e shows a chip - on - chip structure wherein the pads on the top surface of secondary chip c 9 is bonded to a plurality of gold bumps gb bonded to pads on the bottom of primary chip ch 10 . as in fig3 d , chip ch 10 is carried by a plurality of big solder balls bsb secured to bottom surface of chip ch 10 on the ends thereof with the width of chip ch 9 being narrower than the length of chip ch 10 as in fig3 a and 3b . in this case , the big solder balls bsb are supported on the bottom ends thereof , below the chips ch 7 and ch 8 , by pads p on a ball grid array substrate bgas which is supported by a grid array of solder balls bg . fig4 shows a chip - on - chip interconnection of a primary semiconductor chip ch 11 and a secondary chip ch 12 . the primary chip has a top surface which is bonded to gold bonds gb which in turn are bonded to pads p on the bottom surface or the secondary chip ch 12 forming chip - on - chip connections between the bottom surface of the secondary chip ch 12 and the top surface of the primary chip ch 11 . on the periphery of the top surface of the primary semiconductor chips gold bond connections are formed aside from the secondary chip to tape automated bonding ( tab ) copper leads cl . fig5 a shows a plan view of a plural chip to single chip chip - on - chip structure in accordance with this invention where a printed circuit board pcb 4 has a window w formed through board pcb 4 in the center of fig5 a . a pair of primary chips ch 7 and ch 8 are formed above the printed circuit board pcb 4 covering the central portion of window w . on the left , primary chip ch 7 extends on the left beyond window w over the top surface board pcb 4 to which it is connected by solder balls b and pads p , similarly to the solder bonds described above . on the right , primary chip ch 8 extends on the right beyond window w over board pcb 4 to which it is also connected by solder balls b and pads p . a secondary chip ch 9 is located below chip c 117 and ch 8 inside the window w in the board pcb 4 . a bypass capacitor bc is located on the top surface of board pcb 4 . the pads x of bypass capacitor b c are connected to the ground plane gp and the power plane pp as explained in the above described embodiments of this invention . fig5 b is a sectional view taken along line 4 b — 4 b in fig5 a . in fig5 b , it is seen that connection pads p on the upper surface of chip ch 9 are bonded by solder balls sld electrically and mechanically to interconnect pads p on the confronting surfaces of upper chips ch 7 / ch 8 . in like manner the lower surfaces of chips ch 7 / ch 8 , aside from chip ch 9 , are connected to pads p on the upper surface of printed circuit board pcb 4 . for external connections , the printed circuit board pcb 4 has outboard solder balls sb and pads p located on the lower surface thereof which are adapted to be connected to another circuit board ( not shown ). board pcb 4 is a substrate of a bga type package . fig5 c is a slight modification of fig5 b in which outboard connection pads p and big solder balls bsb has been added to the top surface of printed circuit board pcb 4 ′. the big solder balls bsb on the top surface of the board pcb 4 ′, which are available for external connections , are located aside from chips ch 7 and ch 8 with big solder balls bsb which are adapted to connect the board pcb 4 ′ to another circuit board ( not shown ). fig6 shows a sectional view of a circuit board pcb 5 which has a number of pads p to which one solder terminal cp , two solder terminals sp , and two solder terminals sl 4 and sl 5 are connected . the terminal cp is a control pin . the terminals sp are selection pins . chips ch 10 and c 11 are shown connected by dotted lines abc and def between the pads for pins cp and sp and pins sl 10 and sl 11 on pads p on the bottom of chips ch 10 and ch 11 respectively . additional pins sld are also connected to the chips by bonding to pads p . a bypass capacitor bc is located on the top surface of board pcb 5 . the pads x of bypass capacitor bc are connected to the ground plane gp and the power plane pp as explained in the above described embodiments of this invention . the meaning of the dotted lines abc and def in fig5 indicate the connection of the control pin cp and the selection pin sp of board pcb 5 to the respective control pins and the selection pins of chips ch 10 and ch 11 . chips ch 10 and ch 11 are connected to the board pcb 5 by the flip - chip method . the control pins of chips ch 10 and ch 11 are connected to the control pin cp of board pbc 5 through first interconnection metal lines of board pbc 5 . the selection pins of chips ch 10 and ch 11 are connected to the selection pin sp of board pbc 5 through other interconnection metal lines of board pb c 5 . if there are two chips with × 4 , × 8 and × 16 option packaged in one die , the this die can be × 4 , × 8 , × 16 or × 32 . the meaning of the × 4 option is that the width of the data is 4 bits in an integrated circuit memory . fig5 a - 5c . show the inventive concept that optional functions can be provided in a multiple chip package made in accordance with this invention . in the prior art , optional functions are possible only on a single chip level , whereas with the configurations shown in fig5 a - 5c , and previous drawings , the function of a chip can be fixed after completion of the packaging process . fig5 and the embodiments from fig1 a to fig4 c all have a bypass capacitor . all of the printed circuit boards include a ground plane and a power plane . the bypass capacitors are connected between the ground plane and the power plane . the pad options illustrated by fig5 can be employed in the embodiments from fig1 a to fig4 c . methods of mounting discrete chips on a chip package or multi - chip package which may include a bypass capacitor , a ground plane and a power plane . a control circuit design in the single chip provides for function selection . the bypass capacitor is packed in a package or in combination chip package . the bypass capacitor is connected to the ground plane and the power plane of the substrate of the package . a big solder ball is employed for packages when the bypass capacitor is located on the same surface with the solder balls which are adapted to be connected to another circuit board . a problem solved by this invention is reduction of the inventory of several products with different functions . while this invention has been described in terms of the above specific embodiments ), those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims , i . e . that changes can be made in form and detail , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly all such changes come within the purview of the present invention and the invention encompasses the subject matter of the claims which follow . | 7 |
referring to the drawing and specifically to fig1 the invention will be more fully explained in a system in which the length of a yarn plug is monitored . continuous filament undrawn yarn 4 is fed from a plurality of packages 2 through eyelet guides 6 and tensioned by tensioning gates 8 to control the yarn coming from the packages 2 . the yarn 4 is brought together in guide 10 to form a yarn 12 of the desired total denier and tensioned by tensioning gate 14 to provide better control of the yarn . the yarn 12 is fed to a heated feed roll 16 and onto a heated draw roll 18 . either or both of these rolls are suitable for use as a heating zone or a heating means . the draw ratio should be the highest ratio consistent with good drawing performance . the yarn is then fed to a suitable crimping means generally denoted by reference numeral 20 . in the embodiment illustrated , the crimping means 20 is a fluid jet crimper as known in the art ; however , other crimping means such as a stuffer box can be used . the only limitation imposed on the crimping means 20 is that it be of the type which produces a yarn plug . the crimping means 20 contains a fluid jet portion 24 and a chamber 26 containing a plurality of stacked members 28 such as balls . a suitable heating fluid such as steam enters the fluid jet portion 24 of crimper 20 via line 30 . the steam heats the yarn 12 , assists in crimping and exits the crimper via line 32 and through the stacked members 28 . an adjustable angle idler 22 is used to insert a controllable amount of false twist into the yarn prior to crimping . this is useful in controlling heat losses from the yarn , and , hence the yarn temperature entering the crimping means 20 . the yarn plug 34 formed in the crimping means 20 is passed through a tube 36 in which the yarn plug 34 is broken up and cooled by countercurrent air 38 or other suitable fluid , producing yarn plug end 45 . the length of the yarn plug 34 in the quench tube 36 varies inversely with the temperature of the yarn in the crimping means 20 . increasing the temperature of the yarn in the crimper causes the yarn to shrink , increasing the denier of the yarn and thus decreasing the yarn plug length . conversely , decreasing the temperature of the yarn increases the yarn plug length . temperature controller 40 controls the temperature of draw roll 18 which in turn controls the temperature of the yarn entering the crimping means 20 and consequently the length of the yarn plug . temperature controller 40 is set to maintain the surface temperature of the draw roll at or above a preset temperature or set point . this temperature controller is of a standard type which senses the resistance of a temperature - sensitive device , such as a metal resistor - bulb . the temperature controller will add heat until it sees a resistance which equals the set point resistance . in addition , a by - pass circuit is contained in the temperature controller 40 which increases the temperature of the draw roll 18 above the set point whenever said by - pass is activated . since a metal resistor - bulb increases in resistance with increasing temperature , the by - pass circuit merely reduces the actual resistance as seen by the temperature controller causing the temperature controller to heat the roll above the set point . heat is added to the roll until the resistance of the metal resistor - bulb as modified by the by - pass circuit equals the resistance of the metal resistor - bulb at the set point . point 44 indicates a point lying on the path of both an electric eye beam 42a and the yarn plug 34 . electric eye 42 monitors the length of the yarn plug 34 by detecting the presence or absence of the yarn plug 34 at point 44 and activates the by - pass circuit of the temperature controller 40 if the yarn plug 34 is detected , that is , if beam 42a is interrupted by plug 34 . the detection of the yarn plug can be accomplished by electrical or mechanical means or both ; however , the electric eye works very well and is preferred . temperature controller 40 then raises the temperature of the draw roll above the set point , increasing the temperature of the yarn and decreasing the yarn plug length . when the electric eye 42 detects the absence of the yarn plug 34 at point 44 , then the by - pass circuit is deactivated and temperature controller 44 maintains the temperature of the draw roll at the set point . in setting the set point of temperature controller 40 , the controller should have a set point at which the temperature of the draw roll is maintained so that the end of the yarn plug 45 is positioned just above the electric eye beam 42a and point 44 , that is , where the plug just breaks the beam . when the electric eye beam 42a is broken and the end of the yarn plug 45 is above point 44 , the by - pass circuit is activated causing the temperature controller 40 to increase the temperature of the draw roll above the set point . this in turn increases the temperature of the yarn and thus reduces the yarn plug length until the electric eye 42 is exposed to light beam 42a indicating that the end of the yarn plug 45 is below point 44 . thus in normal operation the end of the yarn plug 45 must continuously oscillate above and below the electric eye beam 42a and point 44 . the monitored value is normally the length of the yarn plug or the end 45 of yarn plug 34 but some other parameter which is an indicator for changes in yarn denier can be used . if a stuffer box crimper is used as the crimping means , then changes in yarn plug length can be made by changing the gate pressure if desired rather than changing the temperature of the yarn in the crimper ; or both the gate pressure and the temperature of the yarn can be controlled . if only the gate pressure is controlled , then temperature controller 40 would be replaced with a pressure controller ; however , the electric eye 42 and the by - pass circuit would remain the same . it is noted that the temperature of the yarn in the crimping means 20 can be adjusted by controlling process variables other than the draw roll temperature . for example , the temperature and / or flow rate of the steam in the fluid jet crimper can be controlled . however , control of the draw roll temperature has proven to be very effective and is preferred . further in accordance with the drawing the crimped yarn 12 is tensioned by tension pins 46 and then passed to take off roll 48 . take off roll 48 is operated at a constant speed determined in relation to the speed of draw roll 18 so as to produce yarn of the desired denier . the yarn 12 is entangled by entangler 50 , passed over pin 52 and aspirator 54 and passed through cutter 56 . the yarn 12 is subsequently wound on packages by winder 62 . aspirator 54 , cutter 56 and timer 58 are operated in conjunction with the electric eye 42 . the electric eye 42 monitors a value which in this embodiment is the length of the yarn plug as indicated by the presence or absence of the yarn plug 34 at point 44 lying on the path of the electric eye beam 42a . each time the beam 42a is opened or closed , that is , when the eye 42 detects either the presence or absence of the yarn plug 34 , timer 58 is reset . it is only when timer 58 is not reset within a fixed period of time and thus the timer 58 times out that solenoid 60 is triggered , which supplies air via line 53 to aspirator 54 , and cutter 56 cuts the yarn . yarn 12 is then produced to waste via line 55 through the aspirator 56 and the package is doffed . it is important to emphasize that the electric eye 42 resets timer 58 either when it detects the presence of the yarn plug 34 or when it detects the absence of the yarn plug 34 after once detecting it . thus timer 58 times the interval for the yarn plug 34 to oscillate from point 44 and back again in either direction . if the time for the oscillation is equal to or longer than the fixed period of time set on the timer , then the timer times out , activating the cutter and aspirator system . since the draw roll 18 and the take off roll 48 are operated at constant speeds , the yarn plug 34 could be maintained at a constant length provided the various temperatures throughout the process and the denier of the feed yarn were constant ; such a system would always produce constant denier yarn . but , only the speed of the draw roll 18 and the take off roll 48 can be held constant and as other process variables change , the yarn plug 34 will change in length , which also indicates a change in yarn denier . however , it has been discovered that the denier of the yarn produced can be maintained within quality control limits where the yarn plug 34 oscillates above and below a predetermined value within a fixed period of time . it is possible that even though the timer times out , the denier of the yarn produced may still be within quality control limits . this would occur , for example , if the temperature of the steam entering the fluid jet 30 accidentally fell at the same time that the draw roll 18 was increasing in temperature to bring the end of the yarn plug 45 below the electric eye beam 42a and the result was that the end of the yarn plug 45 remained just above point 44 . of course , such a situation is highly unlikely , but it is possible . the important thing that must be emphasized , however , is that if the yarn being produced is off - denier , the yarn plug will not be oscillating properly and the timer will time out . although one of the preferred embodiments is to utilize the aspirator and cutter system as described above , the timer can be used to light a light , sound a horn , etc ., when timed out ; or , as shown in fig2 which is another preferred embodiment , the timer can be used to adjust the set point of the temperature controller . in its broadest aspect the invention is not limited to the use of a particular system or process , such as the cutter and aspirator system , but simply to processing the yarn in response to the time interval required for the yarn plug oscillation . referring now to fig2 which shows schematically an embodiment very similar to that of fig1 except that instead of using a cutter 56 , aspirator 54 , and associated equipment , fig2 uses a means 70 for changing the set point of temperature controller 40 when the timer 58 times out . in some instances it may be desirable to adjust the set point of temperature controller 40 rather than cut the yarn and send it to waste as previously described . according to this embodiment of the invention as shown in fig2 a signal from timer 54 to set point adjustment means 70 is provided when the timer times out . where temperature controller 40 senses the resistance of a temperature - sensitive device as previously described , means 70 can be a circuit which increases or decreases the resistance of the set point circuit causing the adjusted set point to be raised or lowered a specified amount as compared to the original set point . generally the difference between the adjusted or second set point and the first or original set point ranges from about 1 ° to about 10 ° c . in the operation of this embodiment of the invention , if the yarn plug 34 is out of control in the direction of the crimping means 20 when the timer 58 times out , thus indicating the yarn plug 34 is too short , the heating zone , draw rolls 16 and 18 , must be operated at a lower temperature . therefore , set point adjustment means 70 adds resistance to the set point circuit . on the other hand , if timer 58 times out when the plug is out of control in the direction of winder 62 , thus indicating that the yarn plug 34 is too long , the heating zone , draw rolls 16 and 18 , must be operated at a higher temperature . therefore , set point adjustment means 70 decreases the resistance of the set point circuit . in addition , indicating means 72 , such as a light , can be used to indicate to an operator that the set point of temperature controller 40 is being adjusted and that the operation should be examined to determine why the adjustment to the set point is necessary . timer 58 can be either manually or automatically reset once the set point is adjusted . further the embodiments of fig1 and 2 can be combined wherein the cutter and aspirator system of fig1 is used after one or more adjustments to the set point are made employing the system of fig2 . such a combined system would permit the operator an opportunity to inspect the equipment while it is operating to determine why the set point was adjusted . although it is possible to adjust the set point of the temperature controller repeatedly , employing simple control circuitry well known in the art , it is not recommended to do so if each adjustment is in the same direction , that is , if a number of adjustments in a row decreases the resistance of the set point circuit . for example , if a belt on a draw roll begins to slip , causing the yarn to experience less and less drawing , then repeated adjustments to the set point of the temperature controller to increase the temperature of the draw rolls would probably maintain the denier of the yarn within quality control limits ; however , eventually a yarn would be produced which may be of the proper denier but which would not possess the proper crimp . the number of adjustments to the set point which can be tolerated will vary considerably depending upon the magnitude of each adjustment , the specific process , and the type and denier of the yarn processed . three ends of undrawn polypropylene yarn were processed in accordance with the invention as shown in fig1 and described above . each end of the feed yarn was 2380 / 42 denier . it was desired to produce 2500 / 126 denier yarn with quality control limits of ± 100 denier . the by - pass circuit on the temperature controller was set to add a maximum of 6 ° c to the draw roll and the resettable timer adjusted to 2 minutes . the electric eye - temperature controller system as described above compensated for changes in process variables , but only to a limited extent . the limit to which the electric eye - temperature controller system compensated for changes in process variables depended upon the temperature range of the by - pass circuit on the temperature controller . the relationship between the temperature of the draw roll and the denier of the crimped polypropylene yarn of the size used was approximately 27 denier per ° c . thus with the by - pass circuit set at 6 ° c , the temperature controller compensated for changes in yarn denier due to changes in process variables up to approximately ± 81 denier . when changes in process variables caused changes in yarn denier in excess of approximately ± 81 denier , the yarn plug failed to oscillate across the electric eye beam . the temperature limits of the by - pass circuit of the temperature controller were determined by the desired denier limits of the yarn . since the temperature relationship between the crimped polypropylene yarn and the draw roll was approximate , a conservative setting for the by - pass circuit was used . out of a total of 910 packages of yarn produced , seven &# 34 ; short &# 34 ; packages were produced , that is the timer timed out seven times due to a failure of the yarn plug to oscillate properly , causing the cutter to cut the yarn before the packages were full and thus producing seven &# 34 ; short &# 34 ; packages . a quality control check of these packages proved that the yarn was in fact off - denier . the remaining 903 full packages were deniered and all 903 packages were within the quality control limits . it is noted that in this example the yarn plug oscillated approximately every 20 seconds in normal operation . the maximum time that could be allowed for the oscillations and still produce on - denier yarn is not known . depending on the particular process involved , the fixed time period is usually in the range of from about 1 / 2 to 5 minutes . in addition , another 288 full packages of yarn as above described were made in a subsequent mill run . the packages were not deniered , but the packages of yarn produced excellent carpet without streaks or other similar discrepancies which usually indicate off - denier yarn . these actual runs are evidence of the outstanding results obtained by the practice of the present invention . they also indicate that deniering of full packages of yarn produced in accordance with the present invention can be eliminated without a compromise in quality . | 3 |
the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present invention , as to its structure , organization , use and method of operation , together with further objectives and advantages thereof , will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example only . in the drawing , like reference numerals depict like elements . it is expressly understood , however , that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention . referring to the figure , an apparatus 10 for the treatment of pathogens within a body is shown . the body ( not shown ) is preferably a human body , but may be any mammalian body where treatment of pathogens is desirable . the apparatus 10 preferably comprises a pair of electrodes 12 which are operatively connected to the body , and a signal generation device 14 , which is shown as a schematic representation . electrodes 12 are each steel chain bracelets which are wrapped around the wrists of the user , and are connected to device 14 using a length of wire 16 . while any suitable wire can be used , including coaxial cable or the like , the use of a single wire of a suitable wire gauge for this application , is preferred . further , the length of each wire 16 is preferably essentially the same for both electrodes 12 . other types of electrodes might also be used , including for example , copper tubes , or other types of wrist straps or chains of various ( preferably ) conductive materials , which are meant to go around the wrists or ankles of the user . alternatively , the electrodes may be held in place by attachment means such as tape , or releasable fasteners such as velcro ™ fasteners . the electrodes might also be electrodes specifically designed for attachment to the body , such as those electrodes which are used for ekg readings and the like . all of the electrodes might be used with or without electro - conductive creams or gels . typically , the electrodes will be in actual physical contact with the body ( i . e . touching the body ), however , this is not essential provided that an electrical field around or through the body can be established . further , select areas of the body might be used in order to provide enhanced performance , and or to assist in ensure that the voltage travels across , or otherwise through the body . for example , attachment of one electrode to the temple , or to the left upper lip area has been found to be of benefit in some applications , when used in combination with an electrode placed around the right ankle . most commonly , however , the electrodes will be attached to each of the wrist using wrist straps , which technique allows the user to perform other tasks while being treated . the signal generation device 14 is connected to a power source which can include a battery 18 , but might include an external power supply ( such as a car battery , or the like ), or to a transformer which is connected to an ac power supply . any suitable power supply might , however , be used in this application . the signal generation device 14 has a signal - generating means 20 which is preferably an integrated circuit , such as for example , a dds ( direct digital synthesis ) chip designed to provide an output signal of the desired frequency , and which can be programmed , through a means for causing said signal generating means to step in frequency . most preferably , this means for causing said signal generating means to step in frequency is preferably a programmable controller 22 , which causes the dds chip to provide a series of output frequencies . the dds chip thereby provides a series of frequencies between the first and the second frequency level . preferably , this range of frequency levels is between 0 . 001 and 660 mhz , more preferably between 0 . 001 and 450 mhz , still more preferably between 0 . 01 and 260 mhz , even more preferably between 0 . 2 and 150 mhz , and most preferably between 0 . 25 mhz and 100 mhz . in any case , the upper ( or second ) frequency level is preferably greater than 1 . 0 mhz , preferably greater than 5 . 4 mhz , more preferably greater than 7 . 5 mhz , even more preferably greater than 10 mhz , and most preferably greater than 35 mhz . as such , the preferred range of frequency levels is one where the first frequency level is 0 . 01 mhz or greater , and the second frequency level is between 5 . 4 mhz and 660 mhz , or more preferably between 5 . 4 mhz and 450 mhz . still more preferably , the range of frequency levels is one where the first frequency level is 0 . 1 mhz , and the second frequency level is between 5 . 4 and 260 mhz . a most preferred frequency range , however , is one where the first frequency level is 1 . 0 mhz , and the second frequency level is 5 . 4 mhz . however , the first frequency level can be established at any desired value . typically , however , the first frequency level will be at or greater than 0 . 001 mhz . for the purposes of this discussion , the first frequency level is typically any value lower than the second frequency level so that the frequency level will increase over time . however , the skilled artisan will readily appreciate that the frequency levels can be reversed so that the frequency applied decreases . in this particular embodiment , the signal - generating means 20 is an ad9858 dds chip available from analog devices , having a typical frequency output of up to 400 mhz . other similar devices can also be used , depending on the desired application parameters . it is noted , thought , that the ad9858 dds chip can be configured to provide frequencies of up to 450 mhz , and even extended to provide frequencies of up to 660 mhz . programmable controller 22 , which in this example is a pic16f870ss micro - controller chip , available from a number of manufacturers , but might be any suitable integrated circuit , is used to cause the output frequency to increase by steps . this might be used to create a very gradual increase , but preferably , the output frequency is caused to increase in a step change . the step change can be of any suitable size , but typically will be between 1 and 500 khz , and more preferably , between 25 and 400 khz . a most preferred step will be a change of 150 to 300 khz . typically , the step change will result in an increase in the frequency level over time . however , the frequency level could start at a higher value and decrease in step changes . the time , and order of application for each selected frequency can also vary but preferably the programmable controller 22 will merely increase the frequency from the first frequency level to the second frequency level by a step change in frequency . this step change will preferably occur in a regular time period of from 1 to 200 milliseconds , more preferably from 20 to 175 milliseconds , and most preferably from every 25 to 150 milliseconds . the programmable controller 22 can be programmed to start at the first frequency level and increase the output frequency by the step change , and hold each output frequency for the desired time period , until the second frequency level . the programmable controller can optionally also be programmed to discontinue the application of the electrical field to the body for a selected respite period . the respite period can vary in time from between 2 and 60 minutes , and after the respite period , programmable controller 22 will again enable the system so as to apply the output frequency to the body through electrodes 12 . preferably , however , the selected frequency treatment range is applied in a single application without using any respite periods . the programmable controller can also be used to simultaneously provide a series of frequencies in order to reduce the application time , and / or provide a more effective treatment regiment . as such , in a preferred feature , the programmable controller simultaneously provides at least two output frequencies , at least one of which meets the frequency criteria established hereinabove . preferably between 2 and 10 treatment frequencies are simultaneously applied , and more preferably between 3 and 6 treatment frequencies are simultaneously applied . preferably , all of the simultaneously applied frequencies meet the frequency criteria established hereinabove . one dds chip can be used to provide this multi - frequency functionality , or a series of dds chips can be used . further , the programmable controller can also be used to avoid the output of any frequencies which are undesirable . for example , if a frequency range of say 5 . 4 mhz to 35 mhz is found to be unnecessary or undesirable for application to a particular body , the programmable controller can be programmed to by - pass this output signal range . accordingly , the programmable controller 22 can be preprogrammed with respect to the number of treatment periods to be applied , the first and second frequency levels to be used , the timing and number of frequency step changes , the timing of any programmed changes to the treatment regime , or the length of the respite period ( s ), or any of the other controllable features of the device . these aspects can be preprogrammed prior to installation of the programmable controller into device 14 , or can be programmed , in situ , by the vendor , or device operator through various input devices , including for example , input devices , such as a touch sensitive display , or keyboard 30 , on device 14 . further , the programmable controller may contain pre - set programs that control all aspects or features of the treatment regime . the programmable controller might also be connectable to external programming means such as a computer , a pda , or the like , in which the programming parameters might be selected or changed . the programs can be saved in a memory chip , 36 , such as a 24lc256 memory chip . the signal from the signal generation means is preferably transferred to the electrodes using a power transfer means which can increase the available voltage and / or the available current . in the figure power amplifier 32 increases the voltage from an output signal of 0 . 5 volts to 2 . 5 volts . however , the actual voltages used can vary depending on the nature of the body to be treated , the frequency ranges selected , and / or the pathogen to be treated . typically , however , the voltage between the electrodes will preferably be less than 25 volts , more preferably less than 10 volts , and even more preferably less than 6 volts . those skilled in the art will be readily able to determine suitable voltages for use for a particular body and / or pathogen to be treated , and provide an amplifier capable of providing the desired output voltages . a preferred minimum voltage would be any voltage greater than 0 . 1 volts . the user and / or programmable controller might also be provided with control of the output level so as to adjust the power amplifier output intensity . in this fashion , the output intensity for a user might , for example , be increased over a series of programmed treatments . the output signal , preferably is , or simulates an alternating current signal . in a preferred feature , the power transfer means is used to split the signal so that positive signals are sent to one electrode , while negative signals are sent to the other electrode . in this fashion , the apparent voltage differential between the electrodes is increased . the device 14 can also be fitted with various displays , lights and the like , in order to provide an indication of the status of the device . this could include a timer to show , for example , the time remaining in a treatment or respite period , or the like . the skilled artisan would be aware of the type of information which might be presented in this fashion . in particular , however , an audio generator 40 is provided that is connected to signal - generating means 20 so as to provide an audio output which corresponds to , but is not equal to , the applied frequency . for example , an audio range of between 200 hz and 3000 hz can be selected to represent the applied frequency range of for example , 5 . 4 mhz to 100 mhz . as such , as the treatment frequency is being applied by device 14 , the user will hear an audio output , through output jack 42 , which can be connected to , for example , a speaker ( not shown ), or headphones ( not shown ). this audio output provides positive feedback to the user that the device is operating correctly , in that the frequency is increasing ( for example ), and can provide a soothing effect on the user . as such , the audio output provides an additional feature of providing sound therapy to the user . thus , it is apparent that there has been provided , in accordance with the present invention , an apparatus and method for the treatment of pathogens within a body , which fully satisfies the goals , objects , and advantages set forth hereinbefore . therefore , having described specific embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood that alternatives , modifications and variations thereof may be suggested to those skilled in the art , and that it is intended that the present specification embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims . additionally , for clarity and unless otherwise stated , the word “ comprise ” and variations of the word such as “ comprising ” and “ comprises ”, when used in the description and claims of the present specification , is not intended to exclude other additives , components , integers or steps . moreover , the words “ substantially ” or “ essentially ”, when used with an adjective or adverb is intended to enhance the scope of the particular characteristic ; e . g ., substantially planar is intended to mean planar , nearly planar and / or exhibiting characteristics associated with a planar element . further , use of the terms “ he ”, “ him ”, or “ his ”, is not intended to be specifically directed to persons of the masculine gender , and could easily be read as “ she ”, “ her ”, or “ hers ”, respectively . also , while this discussion has addressed prior art known to the inventor , it is not an admission that all art discussed is citable against the present application . | 0 |
the sensitivity at a specific wavelength in the invention is determined according to the following experiment method . a silver halide photographic light - sensitive material sample comprising a support having thereon a single layer of the following composition is prepared . the adding amount of each of the following components is shown in grams per m 2 except that the amount of silver halide is in silver equivalent . ______________________________________silver halide 1 . 0 gcyan coupler c - 1 0 . 70 gcolored cyan coupler cc - 1 0 . 066 gdir compound dc - 3 0 . 04 ghigh - boiling solvent oil - 1 0 . 64 ggelatin 4 . 0 g______________________________________ in addition to the above components , coating aid su - 1 , dispersing aid su - 2 and hardener h - 1 are added . the above sample is subjected to 1 / 100 sec . exposure to a white light through an optical wedge with interference filters kl - 59 to kl - 70 , manufactured by toshiba glass co .. and then subjected to the following processing ( a ), wherein each interference filter is one actually measured for its peak wavelength and transmittance beforehand with a spectrophotometer 320 , manufactured by hitachi ltd . ( table 1 ). ______________________________________processing a ( 38 ° c .) ______________________________________color developing 1 min . 45 sec . bleaching 6 min . 30 sec . washing 3 min . 15 sec . fixing 6 min . 30 sec . washing 3 min . 15 sec . stabilizing 1 min . 30 sec . drying______________________________________ the compositions of the processing solutions used in the above processing steps are as follows : ______________________________________color developer4 - amino - 3 - methyl - n - ethyl - n -( β - hydroxyethyl )- 4 . 75 ganiline sulfateanhydrous sodium sulfite 4 . 25 ghydroxylamine 1 / 2 sulfate 2 . 0 ganhydrous potassium carbonate 37 . 5 gsodium bromide 1 . 3 gtrisodium nitrilotriacetate , monohydrate 2 . 5 gpotassium hydroxide 1 . 0 gwater to make 1 liter ( ph = 10 . 1 ) bleaching bathferric - ammonium ethylenediaminetetraacetate 100 . 0 gdiammonium ethylenediaminetetraacetate 10 . 0 gammonium bromide 150 . 0 gglacial acetic acid 10 . 0 mlwater to make 1 liter . adjust ph to 6 . 0 with ammonia water . fixing bathammonium thiosulfate 175 . 0 ganhydrous sodium sulfite 8 . 5 gsodium metabisulfite 2 . 3 gwater to make 1 liter . adjust ph to 6 . 0 with acetic acid . stabilizing bathformalin ( 37 % solution ) 1 . 5 mlkoniducks ( produced by konica corp .) 7 . 5 mlwater to make 1 liter . ______________________________________ table 1______________________________________filter λ ( nm ) rel . transmittance * ______________________________________kl - 59 587 . 0 0 . 974kl - 60 598 . 0 0 . 962kl - 61 606 . 5 1 . 188kl - 62 616 . 5 1 . 011kl - 63 625 . 5 0 . 768kl - 64 635 . 0 1 . 000kl - 65 647 . 0 0 . 813kl - 66 660 . 0 1 . 093kl - 67 668 . 0 0 . 860kl - 68 675 . 0 0 . 841kl - 69 687 . 0 1 . 308kl - 70 695 . 0 0 . 741______________________________________ * relative value to the kl64 &# 39 ; s transmittance set at 1 . 000 the density of the exposed - through - wedge area of each processed sample is measured , the reciprocal of the exposure amount ( sensitivity ) giving the fog + 0 . 1 density is compensated by the in advance measured transmittance of each filter , and the compensated value is found for each exposure wavelength to thereby obtain a spectral sensitivity distribution . if the sensitivity value at 640 nm is denoted by s 640 , and the values at 600 nm , 620nm , 660 nm and 680 nm by s 600 , s 620 , s 660 and s 680 , respectively , the sensitivity distribution ranges are as described in the claim of the invention , and preferably the spectral sensitivity distribution of the medium speed red - sensitive emulsion sublayer of the invention can be obtained by the combined use of at least one of the sensitizing dyes represented by the following formula i and at least one of the sensitizing dyes represented by the following formula iii , and preferably by the combined use of at least one of the sensitizing dyes of formula i , at least one of the sensitizing dyes of formula ii and at least one of the sensitizing dyes of formula iii . a supersensitizer may also be used in addition to the sensitizing dyes of formulas i , ii and iii . as the supersensitizer there may be used the benzothiazoles and quinones described in jp e . p . no . 24533 / 1982 , and the quinoline derivatives described in jp e . p . no . 24899 / 1982 . formulas i , ii and iii are explained below : ## str1 ## wherein r 1 represents a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group or an aryl group ; r 2 and r 3 each represent an alkyl group ; y 1 and y 2 each represent a sulfur atom or a selenium atom ; z 1 , z 2 , z 3 and z 4 each represent a hydrogen atom , a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , an alkoxy group , an amino group , an acyl group , an acylamino group , an acyloxy group , an aryloxy group , an alkoxycarbonyl group , an aryloxycarbonyl group , an alkoxycarbonylamino group , a sulfonyl group , a carbamoyl group , an aryl group , an alkyl group , or a cyano group , provided that z 1 and z 2 and / or z 3 and z 4 may combine with each other to form a ring ; x 1 . sup .⊖ is an anion ; and m is an integer of 1 to 2 , provided that m represents 1 when the sensitizing dye forms an intramolecular salt . ## str2 ## wherein r 4 represents a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group or an aryl group ; r 5 , r 6 , r 7 and r 8 each represent an alkyl group ; y 3 and y 4 each represent a nitrogen atom , an oxygen atom , a sulfur atom or a selenium atom , provided that y 3 and y 4 , when each representing a sulfur , oxygen or selenium atom , do not have the above r 5 or r 7 , and can not be nitrogen atoms at the same time ; z 5 , z 6 , z 7 and z 8 each represent a hydrogen atom , a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , an alkoxy group , an amino group , an acylamino group , an acyloxy group , a aryloxy group , an alkoxycarbonyl group , an aryloxycarbonyl group , an alkoxycarbonylamino group , a carbamoyl group , an aryl group , an alkyl group , a cyano group or a sulfonyl group , provided that a 5 and z 6 and / or z 6 and z 8 may combine with each other to form a ring ; x 2 . sup .⊖ represents an anion ; and n is an integer or 1 or 2 , provided that n is 1 when the sensitizing dye forms an intramolecular salt . ## str3 ## wherein r 9 represents a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group or an aryl group ; r 10 , r 11 , r 12 and r 13 each represent an alkyl group ; z 9 , z 10 , z 11 and z 12 each represent a hydrogen atom , a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , an alkoxy group , an amino group , an acyl group , an acylamino group , an acyloxy group , an aryloxy group , an alkoxycarbonyl group , an aryloxycarbonyl group , an alkoxycarbonylamino group , a carbamoyl group , an aryl group , an alkyl group , a cyano group or a sulfonyl group , provided that z 9 and z 10 and / or z 11 and z 12 may combine with each other to form a ring ; x 3 . sup .⊖ is an anion ; and p is an integer of 1 or 2 , provided that p is 1 when the sensitizing dye forms an intramolecular salt . ## str4 ## in the invention , the specific red sensitivities s r and s g of a color light - sensitive material are obtained in accordance with the following method . firstly , a photographic characteristic density curve is prepared by the following method . the characteristic curve or d -( log e ) curve herein is a curve showing the relation between a formed color density d and the logarithm of an exposure amount , which in the invention is determined according to the following test method . the test is performed in a room maintained at a temperature of 20 + 5 ° c . and a relative humidity of 60 + 10 %. a light - sensitive material test sample is allowed to stand for more than an hour under the above atmospheric conditions , and then tested according to the following procedure . a . the relative spectral energy distribution of the light for exposure at the surface of a sample to be exposed is shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________wavelength relative spec - wavelength relative spec - nm tral energy * nm tral energy * ______________________________________360 2 540 102370 8 550 103380 14 560 100390 23 570 97400 45 580 98410 57 590 90420 63 600 93430 62 610 94440 31 620 92450 93 630 88460 97 640 89470 98 650 86480 101 660 86490 97 670 89500 100 680 85510 101 690 75520 100 700 77530 104______________________________________ note : * value relative to 560 nm set at 100 . b . the changes in the illuminance at the exposure plane are carried out by use of an optical wedge . the optical wedge used , in any part thereof , has a spectral transmission density variation of within 10 % in the region of 360 nm to 400 nm , and within 5 % in the region of 400 nm to 700 nm . c . a color compensating filter cc - 90r , manufactured by eastman kodak company , is placed between a light source having the above relative spectral energy and the above sample to thereby convert the light from the light source into a red light . a . during the period of time between the exposure and the processing , the test sample is kept in an atmoeshere maintained at a temperature of 20 + 5 ° c . with a relative humidity of 60 + 10 %. b . the processing is completed within the time range of 30 minutes to 6 hours after the exposure . ______________________________________processing b______________________________________color processing 38 . 0 ± 0 . 1 ° c . 3 min . 15 sec . bleaching 38 . 0 ± 3 . 0 ° c . 6 min . 30 sec . washing 24 - 41 ° c . 3 min . 15 sec . fixing 38 . 0 ± 3 . 0 ° c . 6 min . 30 sec . washing 24 - 41 ° c . 3 min . 15 sec . stabilizing 38 . 0 ± 3 . 0 ° c . 3 min . 15 sec . drying less than 50 ° c . ______________________________________ the compositions of the processing solutions used above are the same as those used in the foregoing processing a . the density is denoted by log 10 ( φ 0 / φ ), wherein φ 0 is an incident light flux for density measurement , while φ is a transmittedlight flux through a measuring area of a sample . the geometric condition of the densitometry is such that the incident light is a parallel light flux in the normal direction and passes through a sample to become a transmitted light extended over a half space . the overall extended light flux is used as a rule for the measurement . where a measuring method other than the above method is used , it is necessary to use a standard density piece for compensation . at the time of the measurement , the emulsion plane of the light - sensitive material is set so as to face the light receptor of a densitometer . the densitometry is conducted with a light of which the spectral characteristics as composite characteristics of the light source , optical system , optical filter and receptor of the densitometer used are shown in terms of blue , green and red status m density values in table 2 . table 2______________________________________spectral characteristics in terms of status m densities ( in logarithm : relative values to the peak set at 5 . 00 ) wavelengthnm blue green red______________________________________400 * | | 410 2 . 10 | | 420 4 . 11 | | 430 4 . 63 * | 440 4 . 37 | | 450 5 . 00 | * 460 4 . 95 | | 470 4 . 74 1 . 13 | 480 4 . 34 2 . 19 | 490 3 . 74 3 . 14 | 500 2 . 99 3 . 79 | 510 1 . 35 4 . 25 | 520 | 4 . 61 | 530 | 4 . 85 | 540 | 4 . 98 | 550 | 4 . 98 | 560 | 4 . 80 | 570 | 4 . 44 | 580 | 3 . 90 | 590 | 3 . 15 | 600 | 2 . 22 | 610 | 1 . 05 | 620 | | 2 . 11630 ** | 4 . 48640 | | 5 . 00650 | ** 4 . 90660 | | 4 . 58670 | | 4 . 25680 | | 3 . 88690 | | 3 . 45700 | | 3 . 10710 | | 2 . 69720 | | 2 . 27730 | | 1 . 86740 | | 1 . 45750 | | 1 . 05______________________________________ note : slope of red . . . 0 . 260 / nm , slope of green . . . 0 . 106 / nm , slope of blue . . . 0 . 250 / nm . ** slope of red . . . 0 . 040 / nm , slope of green . . . 0 . 120 / nm , slope of blue . . . 0 . 220 / nm . the yellow , magenta and cyan densities obtained by measurement the above exposed and processed sample are plotted for common logarithmic values of the exposure amounts ( log e ) to thereby determine a photographic characteristic curve d -( log e ). from the thus obtained characteristic curve , the exposure amounts e g and e r , respectively , to give the minimum magenta density dmin ( m )+ 0 . 1 and the minimum cyan density dmin ( c )+ 0 . 1 are determined , and the s g and s r are calculated as reciprocal of the e g and e r , respectively . in the invention , s g and s r are required to have the following relation : in the invention , the maximum formed color density of the medium - speed sublayer of the red - sensitive layer , when determined in the following manner , is preferably not more than 0 . 35 , and more preferably not more than 0 . 30 . further , a sample is prepared in the same manner as in the foregoing sample except that the silver halide and the coupler are removed from the medium - speed sublayer and instead to the sublayer is added 0 . 08g / m 2 of the following compound c - 3 , whereby the sublayer is made into a substantially non - color forming layer containing gelatin alone , provided that the amount of gelatin is properly adjusted so as not to cause the whole layer thickness to change . this sample is exposed for 1 / 100 sec . through an optical wedge with a w - 26 filter , manufactured by eastman kodak company , to a white light , and then subjected to processing b to obtain a characteristic curve ( dotted line in fig1 ). the foregoing sample containing the silver halide and the coupler in the medium - speed sublayer is also exposed and processed in the same manner to obtain its characteristic curve ( solid line in fig1 ), and its difference ( oblique - lined portion in fig1 ) from the above sample is found to determine the maximum formed color density of the sublayer ( fig2 ). ## str5 ## in the invention , the cyan coupler used for the red - sensitive layer is preferably one having the following formula cu : ## str6 ## wherein x represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent capable of splitting off upon its coupling reaction with the oxidation product of an aromatic primary amine color developing agent ; r 1 represents an aryl group or a heterocyclic group ; and r 2 represents an aliphatic group or an aryl group . the groups represented by r 1 and r 2 include those having a substituent , and those capable of forming dimers or polymers . and the r 1 and r 2 independently or in cooperation with each other take a form or magnitude necessary to render a nondiffusibility to the coupler having formula cu and a dye derived therefrom . the aryl group represented by r 1 or r 2 is a phenyl group or a naphthyl group . the substituent represented by r 1 or r 2 includes nitro , cyano , halogen , alkyl , aryl , amino , hydroxy , acyl , alkoxycarbonyl , aryloxycarbonyl , alkylsulfonyl , arylsulfonyl , alkoxysulfonyl , aryloxysulfonyl , carbamoyl , sulfamoyl , acyloxy , carbonamido and sulfonamido groups . the number of the substituents is preferably 1 to 5 , provided that when 2 or more , the substituents may be either the same or different . the preferred substituent to r 1 is an alkylsulfonyl group , a cyano group or a halogen atom , and that to r 2 , is one represented by the following formula cu - ii : ## str7 ## wherein r 3 is an alkylene group ; r 4 is a substituent ; j is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom ; k is an integer of zero to 4 ; and 1 is an integer of zero or 1 , provided that when k is 2 or more , the two or more r 4 s may be either the same or different . examples of the substituent represented by r 4 include alkyl , aryl , alkoxy , aryloxy , hydroxy , acyloxy , alkylcarbonyloxy , arylcarbonyloxy , carboxy , alkoxycarbonyl , aryloxycarbonyl , alkylthio , acyl , acylamino , sulfonamido , carbamoyl and sulfamoyl groups . the split - off substituent represented by x is a group having a halogen , oxygen or nitrogen atom directly bonded to the coupling position thereof , such as an aryloxy , carbamoyloxy , carbamoylmethoxy , acyloxy , sulfonamido or succinic acid imido group , and examples of the group include those described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 741 , 563 , jp o . p . i . nos . 37425 / 1972 and 10135 / 1975 , and jp e . p . nos . 36894 / 1973 , 117422 / 1975 , 130441 / 1975 , 108841 / 1976 , 120334 / 1975 , 18315 / 1977 and 105226 / 1978 . the preferred as x is - or , wherein r is an alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , heterocyclic or cycloalkyl group . these groups include those having a substituent . other examples of the ureidophenol cyan coupler are found in jp o . p . i nos . 65134 / 1981 , 204543 / 1982 , 204544 / 1982 , 204545 / 1982 , 33249 / 1983 , 33253 / 1982 , 98731 / 1983 , 118643 / 1983 , 179838 / 1983 , 187928 / 1983 , 65844 / 1984 , 71051 / 1984 , 86048 / 1984 , 165058 / 1984 , 177558 / 1984 , 180559 / 1984 , 111644 / 1984 , 131939 / 1984 , 165058 / 1984 , 49335 / 1985 , 49336 / 1985 , 50530 / 1985 , 91355 / 1985 , 107649 / 1985 , 107650 / 1985 and 2757 / 1986 . the adding amount range of the ureidophenol cyan coupler is normally 1 . 0 × 10 - 3 mol to 1 mol , and preferably 5 . 0 × 10 - 3 mol to 8 . 0 × 10 - 1 mol per mol of silver halide . the method of adding the coupler of the invention , although not restricted , is preferably an oil - in - water dispersing method . in the invention , the high - speed red - sensitive layer preferably contains a diffusible dir compound . the diffusible dir compound herein is a compound which reacts with the oxidation product of a color developing agent to release a development inhibitor or a compound capable of releasing a development inhibitor , of which the diffusibility evaluated according to the following method is 0 . 40 or more . light - sensitive material samples i and ii having layers of the following compositions on a transparent support are prepared . a green - sensitized gelatino silver iodobromide emulsion ( silver iodide content : 6 mol %, average grain size , 0 . 48 μm ) containing 0 . 07 mol / mol ag of the following coupler is coated on the support so as to have a silver coating weight of 1 . 1 g / m 2 and a gelatin coating weight of 3 . 0 g / m 2 , and on the emulsion is coated a protective layer containing a gelatino silver iodobromide neither chemically sensitized nor spectrally sensitized ( silver iodide content : 2 mol %, average grain size : 0 . 08 μm ) so as to have a silver coating weight of 0 . 1 g / m 2 and a gelatin coating weight of 0 . 8 g / m 2 . ## str9 ## sample of the same composition as that of sample i except that the protective layer contains no silver iodobromide . the above samples contain a gelatin hardener and a surfactant in addition to the above compositions . each of samples i and ii is exposed through a wedge to a white light , and then processed in accordance with the following processing steps . two different developer solutions are used : one containing various development inhibitors which restrain the sensitivity of sample ii to 60 % ( in logarithm , - δlog = 0 . 22 ) and the other containing no development inhibitors . ______________________________________processing steps ( 38 ° c .) ______________________________________color developing 2 min . 40 sec . bleaching 6 min . 30 sec . washing 3 min . 15 sec . fixing 6 min . 30 sec . washing 3 min . 15 sec . stabilizing 1 min . 30 sec . drying______________________________________ ______________________________________color developer4 - amino - 3 - methyl - n - ethyl - n -( β - hydroxyethyl )- 4 . 75 ganiline sulfateanhydrous sodium sulfite 4 . 25 ghydroxylamine 1 / 2 sulfate 2 . 0 ganhydrous potassium carbonate 37 . 5 gsodium bromide 1 . 3 gtrisodium nitrilotriacetate , monohydrate 2 . 5 gpotassium hydroxide 1 . 0 gwater to make 1 literbleaching bathferric - ammonium ethylenediaminetetraacetate 100 . 0 gdiammonium ethylenediaminetatraacetate 10 . 0 gammonium bromide 150 . 0 gglacial acetic acid 10 . 0 mlwater to make 1 literadjust ph to 6 . 0 with ammonia waterfixing bathammonium thiosulfate 175 . 0 ganhydrous sodium sulfite 8 . 5 gsodium metasulfite 2 . 3 gwater to make 1 literadjust ph to 6 . 0 with acetic acid . stabilizing bathformalin ( 37 % solution ) 1 . 5 mlkoniducks ( product of konica corp .) 7 . 5 mlwater to make 1 liter . ______________________________________ wherein s 0 and s 0 &# 39 ; are the sensitivities of sample 1 and sample 2 , respectively , when processed in the developer containing no development inhibitor ; and s i and s ii are the sensitivities of sample 1 and sample 2 , respectively , when processed in the developer containing a development inhibitor ; provided that all the above sensitivities are values in terms of logarithm of reciprocal of the exposure amount (- log e ) at the fog + 0 . 3 density point . the diffusibilities of several development inhibitors obtained in accordance with the above manner are exemplified in the following table . table__________________________________________________________________________ desensitized adding amt . degree diffusibilitychemical structure ( mol / l ) δs . sub . 0 δs δs / δs . sub . 0__________________________________________________________________________ ## str10 ## 1 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 22 0 . 05 0 . 23 ## str11 ## 1 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 23 0 . 03 0 . 34 ## str12 ## 2 . 5 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 22 0 . 10 0 . 45 ## str13 ## 3 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 21 0 . 10 0 . 48 ## str14 ## 1 . 4 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 23 0 . 11 0 . 48 ## str15 ## 2 . 5 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 22 0 . 13 0 . 59 ## str16 ## 3 . 5 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 23 0 . 15 0 . 65 ## str17 ## 4 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 22 0 . 16 0 . 73 ## str18 ## 1 . 7 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 . 21 0 . 20 0 . 95__________________________________________________________________________ as the diffusible dir compound of the invention there may be used any dir compound regardless of its chemical structure as long as the diffusibility of the group released therefrom is within the aforementioned range . the following is a formula representing such diffusible dir compounds . wherein a represents a coupler residue : m is an integer of 1 or 2 ; and y is a group which combines with the coupler residue a in its coupling position and which , upon the coupler &# 39 ; s reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent , is capable of splitting off to release a development inhibitor group or a development inhibitor having a diffusibility of not less than 0 . 40 . in formula d - 1 , y is typically represented by the following formulas d - 2 through d - 19 : ## str19 ## in formulas d - 2 to d - 7 , represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkoxy , acylamino , alkoxycarbonyl , thiazolidinylidenamino , aryloxycarbonyl , acyloxy , carbomoyl , n - alkylcarbomoyl , n , n - dialkylcarbamoyl , nitro , amino , n - arylcarbamoyloxy , sulfamoyl , n - alkylcarbamoyloxy , hydroxyl , alkoxycarbaonylamino , alkylthio , aryl , heterocyclic , cyano , alkylsulfonyl or aryloxycarbonylamino group ; and n is an integer of 0 , 1 or 2 , provided that when n is 2 , the rd 1 s may be either the same or different , and the total number of carbon atoms contained in n number of rd 1 s is 0 to 10 , while the number of carbon atoms contained in the rd 1 of formula d - 6 is 0 to 15 . in formula d - 6 , x represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom . in formula d - 8 , rd 2 represents an alkyl group , an aryl group or a heterocyclic group . in formula d - 9 , rd 3 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , cycloalkyl , aryl or heterocyclic group ; and rd 4 represents a hydrogen atom , a halogen atom or an alkyl , cycloalkyl , aryl , acylamino , alkoxycarbonylamino , aryloxycarbonylamino , alkanesulfonamido , cyano , heterocyclic , alkylthio or amino group . the alkyl group represented by rd 1 , rd 2 , rd 3 or rd 4 includes one having a substituent , which may be either straight - chain or branched - chain . the aryl group represented by rd 1 , rd 2 , rd 3 or rd 4 includes one having a substituent . the heterocyclic group represented by rd 1 , rd 2 , rd 3 or rd 4 include one having a substituent , and is preferably a 5 - or 6 - member single ring or condensed ring containing at least one hetero atom selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen atom , an oxygen atom and a sulfur atom . examples of the heterocyclic group include pyridyl , quinolyl , furyl , benzothiazolyl , oxazolyl , imidazolyl , thiazolyl , triazolyl , benzotriazolyl , imido and oxazine groups . the number of carbon atoms contained in the rd 2 of formulas d - 6 to d - 8 is 0 to 15 . in formula d - 9 , the total number of carbon atoms contained in rd 3 and rd 4 is 0 to 15 . wherein time represents a group which combines with a in its coupling position and which is cleavable upon the reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent and , after being cleaved from the coupler , properly controls and releases the inhibit group . the inhibit group is a group which , after being released , becomes a development inhibitor and which includes those repre - sented by the foregoing formulas d - 2 to d - 9 . in formula d - 10 , the - time - inhibit group is typically represented by the following formulas d - 11 through d - 19 . ## str20 ## in formulas d - 11 through d - 15 and d - 18 , rd 5 represents a hydrogen atom , a halogen atom or an alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , aralkyl , alkoxy , alkoxycarbonyl , anilino , acylamino , ureido , cyano , nitro , sulfonamido , sulfamoyl , carbamoyl , aryl , carboxyl , sulfo , hydroxyl or alkanesulfonyl group . in formulas d - 11 through d - 13 , d - 15 and d - i18 , the rd 5 s may combine with each other to form a condensed ring . in formulas d - 11 , d - 14 , d - 15 and d - 19 , rd 6 represents an alkyl , alkenyl , aralkyl , cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aryl group . in formulas d - 16 and d - 17 , rd 7 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , aralkyl , cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aryl group . in formula d - 19 , rd 8 and rd 9 each represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group preferably having 1 to 4 carbon atoms . in formulas d - 11 and d - 15 to d - 18 , k is an integer of 0 , 1 or 2 . in formulas d - 11 to d - 13 , d - 15 and d - 18 , l is an integer of 1 to 4 . in formula d - 16 , m is an integer of 1 or 2 , provided that when m is 2 , the rd 7 may be either the same or different . in formula d - 19 , n is an integer of 2 to 4 , and the n number of rd 8 s and rd 9 s may be either the same or different . in formulas d - 16 to d - 18 , b represents an oxygen atom or ## str21 ## wherein rd 6 is as defined previously . in formula d - 16 , implies that t may be either a single bond or double bond , and in the case of a single bond , m is 2 , while in the case of a double bond , m is 1 . the inhibit groups represented by formulas d - 2 to d - 9 have the same meaning except the formulas and the number of carbon atoms . in formulas d - 2 to d - 7 , the total number of carbon atoms contained in rd 1 is 0 to 32 ; in formula d - 8 , the number of carbon atoms is 1 to 32 ; and in formula d - 9 , the total number of carbon atoms contained in rd 3 and rd 4 is 0 to 32 . the alkyl , aryl and cycloalkyl groups represented by rd 5 , rd 6 or rd 7 include those having a substituent . preferred among the diffusible dir compounds are those in which y is represented by formula d - 2 , d - 3 or d - 10 . preferred among the groups represented by formula d - 10 are those in which inhibit is represented by formula d - 2 , d - 6 particularly in which x is an oxygen atom , or d - 8 particularly in which rd 2 is a hydroxyaryl group or an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms . the coupler moiety represented by a in formula d - 1 includes a yellow dye image - forming coupler residue , a magenta dye image - forming coupler residue , a cyan dye image - forming coupler residue and colorless coupler residue . the following are the useful diffusible dir compounds for the invention . ## str22 ## ______________________________________compound no . r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 y______________________________________d - 2 ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 30 ) d - 3 ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 30 ) d - 4 ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 30 ) d - 5 ( 7 ) ( 6 ) ( 31 ) d - 6 ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 32 ) d - 7 ( 2 ) ( 5 ) ( 36 ) d - 8 ( 7 ) ( 8 ) ( 33 ) ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ## str23 ## compound no . r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 y______________________________________d - 9 ( 9 ) ( 10 ) ( 30 ) d - 10 ( 11 ) ( 10 ) ( 30 ) d - 11 ( 12 ) ( 7 ) ( 34 ) d - 12 ( 12 ) ( 13 ) ( 35 ) d - 13 ( 9 ) ( 14 ) ( 36 ) d - 14 ( 15 ) ( 16 ) ( 37 ) ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ## str24 ## compound no . r . sub . 1 y______________________________________d - 15 ( 17 ) ( 38 ) d - 16 ( 17 ) ( 39 ) d - 17 ( 18 ) ( 40 ) d - 18 ( 20 ) ( 41 ) d - 19 ( 18 ) ( 42 ) d - 20 ( 18 ) ( 43 ) d - 21 ( 18 ) ( 44 ) d - 22 ( 19 ) ( 45 ) d - 23 ( 18 ) ( 46 ) d - 24 ( 21 ) ( 47 ) d - 25 ( 21 ) ( 48 ) d - 26 ( 22 ) ( 49 ) d - 27 ( 22 ) ( 50 ) d - 28 ( 22 ) ( 51 ) d - 29 ( 23 ) ( 52 ) d - 30 ( 18 ) ( 53 ) d - 31 ( 18 ) ( 54 ) d - 32 ( 23 ) ( 49 ) d - 33 ( 18 ) ( 55 ) d - 34 ( 18 ) ( 56 ) ______________________________________ ## str25 ## including the above listed compounds , examples of the diffusible dir compounds usable in the invention are described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 234 , 678 , 3 , 227 , 554 , 3 , 617 , 291 , 3 , 958 , 993 , 4 , 149 , 886 , 3 , 933 , 500 , 2 , 072 , 363 and 2 , 070 , 266 ; jp o . p . i . nos . 56837 / 1982 and 13239 / 1976 ; and research disclosure no . 21228 , dec . 1981 . the diffusible dir compound is used in an amount of preferably 0 . 0001 to 0 . 1 mol , and more preferably 0 . 001 to 0 . 05 mol per mol of silver halide . as the silver halide emulsion of the invention there may be used the emulsion described in research disclosure ( hereinafter abbreviated to rd ) 308119 . in the invention , the silver halide emulsion is subjected to chemical sensitization and spectral sensitization . the additives used in these sensitization processes are described in rd nos . 17643 , 18716 and 308119 . other photographic additives usable in the invention also are described in the above research disclosure publications . in the invention , there may be used various couplers , examples of which are described in the above publications . the additives used in the invention may be added according the methods described in rd308119 . in the invention , there may be used appropriate one of the support materials described in the aforementioned rd17643 , p . 28 ; rd18716 , pp . 647 - 648 ; and rd308119 , x vii . the light - sensitive material of the invention may have auxiliary layers such as filter layers and intermediate layers as described in rd308119 , vii - k . the light - sensitive material of the invention may take various layer structures such as the normal layer structure , inverted layer structure and unit structure described in the above rd308119 , vii - k . the light - sensitive material of the invention may be processed in the usual manner as described in rd17643 , p . 28 - 29 , rd18716 and rd308119 , x , xi . in all the following examples , the adding amounts of the silver halide light - sensitive material &# 39 ; s components except silver halide , colloidal silver and sensitizing dyes are shown in grams per m 2 unless otherwise stated . the amounts of silver halide and colloidal silver are in silver equivalents , and of sensitizing dyes in mols per mol of silver halide . on a triacetyl cellulose film support were formed the following layers in order from the support side , whereby a multilayer color photographic light - sensitive material sample 101 was prepared . __________________________________________________________________________layer 1 : antihalation layer hcblack colloidal silver 0 . 18uv absorbent uv - 1 0 . 18cyan dye dy - 1 0 . 022high - boiling solvent oil - 1 0 . 18high - boiling solvent oil - 2 0 . 02gelatin 1 . 6layer 2 : intermediate layer il - 1gelatin 1 . 3layer 3 : low - speed red - sensitive emulsion layer rlsilver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 40 ( average grain size : 0 . 4 μm ) silver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 20 ( average grain size : 0 . 3 μm ) sensitizing dye sd - 1 1 . 9 × 10 . sup .- 5sensitizing dye sd - 2 4 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 3 2 . 2 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 4 9 . 1 × 10 . sup .- 5cyan coupler c - 1 0 . 67colored cyan coupler cc - 1 0 . 038dir compound d - 3 0 . 005high - boiling solvent oil - 1 0 . 57gelatin 1 . 1layer 4 : medium - speed red - sensitive emulsion layer rmsilver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 62 ( average grain size : 0 . 7 μm ) sensitizing dye sd - 1 amount shown in table 1sensitizing dye sd - 2 &# 34 ; sensitizing dye sd - 3 &# 34 ; sensitizing dye sd - 4 &# 34 ; cyan coupler c - 1 0 . 28colored cyan coupler cc - 1 0 . 023dir compound d - 3 0 . 003high - boiling solvent oil - 1 0 . 25gelatin 0 . 6layer 5 : high - speed red - sensitive emulsion layer rhsilver iodobromide 1 . 40 ( average grain size : 0 . 8 μm ) sensitizing dye sd - 1 1 . 9 × 10 . sup .- 5sensitizing dye sd - 2 1 . 7 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 3 1 . 7 × 10 . sup .- 4cyan coupler c - 2 0 . 13colored cyan coupler cc - 1 0 . 023dir compound d - 1 0 . 075high - boiling solvent oil - 1 0 . 21gelatin 1 . 1layer 6 : intermediate layer il - 2gelatin 0 . 8layer 7 : low - speed green - sensitive emulsion layer glsilver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 65 ( average grain size : 0 . 4 μm ) silver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 11 ( average grain size : 0 . 3 μm ) sensitizing dye sd - 4 7 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 5sensitizing dye sd - 5 6 . 4 × 10 . sup .- 4magenta coupler m - 1 0 . 54magenta coupler m - 2 0 . 17colored magenta coupler cm - 1 0 . 048high - boiling solvent oil - 2 0 . 76gelatin 1 . 7layer 8 : medium - speed green - sensitive emulsion layer gmsilver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 54 ( average grain size : 0 . 7 μm ) sensitizing dye sd - 4 7 . 8 × 10 . sup .- 5sensitizing dye sd - 6 1 . 8 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 7 1 . 1 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 8 1 . 4 × 10 . sup .- 5magenta coupler m - 1 0 . 074magenta coupler m - 2 0 . 034colored magenta coupler cm - 1 0 . 043dir compound d - 2 0 . 018high - boiling solvent oil - 2 0 . 30gelatin 0 . 6layer 9 : high - speed green - sensitive emulsion layer ghsilver iodobromide emulsion 1 . 3 ( average grain size : 0 . 9 μm ) sensitizing dye sd - 4 2 . 4 × 10 . sup .- 5sensitizing dye sd - 6 1 . 5 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 7 1 . 2 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 8 3 . 8 × 10 . sup .- 6magenta coupler m - 1 0 . 14magenta coupler m - 2 0 . 033colored magenta coupler cm - 1 0 . 038high - boiling solvent oil - 2 0 . 39gelatin 1 . 0layer 10 : yellow filter layer ycyellow colloidal silver 0 . 08antistain agent sc - 1 0 . 1high - boiling agent oil - 2 0 . 13gelatin 0 . 8formalin scaverger hs - 1 0 . 042formalin scavenger hs - 2 0 . 042layer 11 : intermediate layer il - 3formalin scaverger hs - 1 0 . 046formalin scavenger hs - 2 0 . 046gelatin 0 . 5layer 12 : low - speed blue - sensitive emulsion layer blsilver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 17 ( average grain size : 0 . 3 μm ) silver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 17 ( average grain size : 0 . 4 μm ) silver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 038 ( average grain size : 0 . 7 μm ) sensitizing dye sd - 9 5 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 10 7 . 2 × 10 . sup .- 6yellow coupler y - 1 0 . 61yellow coupler y - 2 0 . 24high - boiling solvent oil - 2 0 . 17gelatin 1 . 3formalin scaverger hs - 1 0 . 073formalin scavenger hs - 2 0 . 16layer 13 : high - speed blue - sensitive emulsion layer bhsilver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 32 ( average grain size : 0 . 7 μm ) silver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 32 ( average grain size : 1 . 0 μm ) sensitizing dye sd - 9 2 . 1 × 10 . sup .- 4sensitizing dye sd - 10 7 . 6 × 10 . sup .- 5yellow coupler y - 1 0 . 17high - boiling solvent oil - 2 0 . 068gelatin 0 . 9formalin scaverger hs - 1 0 . 024formalin scavenger hs - 2 0 . 079layer 14 : first protective layer pro - 1fine - grained silver iodobromide emulsion 0 . 4 ( average grain size : 0 . 08 μm , agi : 1 mol %) uv absorbent uv - 1 0 . 065uv absorbent uv - 2 0 . 10high - boiling solvent oil - 1 0 . 07high - boiling solvent oil - 3 0 . 07formalin scaverger hs - 1 0 . 13formalin scavenger hs - 2 0 . 37gelatin 1 . 3layer 15 : second protective layer pro - 2alkali - soluble matting agent 0 . 15 ( average particle size : 2 μm ) polymethyl methacrylate 0 . 04 ( average particle size : 3 μm ) lubricant wax - 1 0 . 04gelatin 0 . 6__________________________________________________________________________c - 1 ## str26 ## c - 2 ## str27 ## c - 4 ## str28 ## m - 1 ## str29 ## m - 2 ## str30 ## y - 1 ## str31 ## y - 2 ## str32 ## cc - 1 ## str33 ## cm - 1 ## str34 ## d - 1 ## str35 ## d - 2 ## str36 ## d - 3 ## str37 ## oil - 1 ## str38 ## oil - 2 ## str39 ## oil - 3 ## str40 ## sc - 1 ## str41 ## uv - 1 ## str42 ## uv - 2 ## str43 ## wax - 1 ## str44 ## hs - 1 ## str45 ## hs - 2 ## str46 ## dy - 1 ## str47 ## sd - 1 ## str48 ## sd - 2 ## str49 ## sd - 3 ## str50 ## sd - 4 ## str51 ## sd - 5 ## str52 ## sd - 6 ## str53 ## sd - 7 ## str54 ## sd - 8 ## str55 ## sd - 9 ## str56 ## sd - 10 ## str57 ## in addition to the above components , there were added coating aid su - 1 , dispersing aid su - 2 , viscosity control agent , hardeners h - 1 and h - 2 , stabilizer st - 1 , antifoggant af - 1 and two different antifoggants af - 2having a mwof 10 , 000 and a mwof 1 , 100 , 000 . ## str58 ## # str59 ## # str60 ## # str61 ## ## str62 ## next , samples 102 to 105 were prepared in the same manner as in sample101 except that the sensitizing dyes of layer 4 of sample 101 were variedas shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________sample sensitizing dyes used ( mol / mol agx ) no . sd - 1 sd - 2 sd - 3 sd - 4______________________________________101 4 × 10 . sup .- 5 3 . 6 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 0102 2 . 6 × 10 . sup .- 4 2 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 0103 2 . 6 × 10 . sup .- 5 2 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 4 1 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 4 1 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 5104 2 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 5 1 . 8 × 10 . sup .- 4 1 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 4 1 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 4105 1 . 6 × 10 . sup .- 5 1 . 4 × 10 . sup .- 4 8 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 5 1 . 6 × 10 . sup .- 4______________________________________ subsequently , sample 106 was prepared in the same manner as in sample 101 except that the cyan coupler c - 2 of layer 5 of sample 101 was replaced by cyan coupler c - 4 . similarly , the cyan coupler c - 2 of layer 5 of sample 104 was replaced by cyan coupler c - 4 , whereby sample 107 was prepared . further , the amount of the dir compound d - 1 of layer 5 of sample 104 was made zero to prepare sample 108 and made 0 . 11 to prepare sample 109 . each of the thus prepared samples 101 to 109 was examined through the procedure previously explained in the ` detailed description of the invention ` section to obtain its layer 4 ( medium - speed red - sensitive layer )&# 39 ; s sensitivities to the respective wavelengths , and the results are shown in table 2 and , the green - sensitive layer &# 39 ; s sensitivity s g and the red - sensitive layer &# 39 ; s sensitivity s r to the specific red light were found in accordance with the method previously explained in the same section to obtain their ratio s g / s r , and the ratio values are also given in table 2 . further , each of samples 101 to 109 was loaded in a compact camera z up80rc , manufactured by konica corp ., to photograph a macbeth color rendition chart in daylight and also in a triwave fluorescent light ( palook ps . manufactured by matsushita electric industry co . ), and then subjected to the foregoing processing b . after that , the samples were printed so that the gray scale of the macbeth chart is truly reproduced on the prints , and the color reproducibility of each sample was rated 1 to 5 by a panel of 10 judges , wherein 1 is the worst and 5 is the best . the averaged rated values were used for comparison of the samples . table 2______________________________________ print ratingsample ref . sensitivities of s . sub . 640 day - fluorescentno . s . sub . 600 s . sub . 620 s . sub . 660 s . sub . 680 s . sub . g / s . sub . r light light______________________________________101 0 . 73 0 . 85 1 . 11 0 . 73 0 . 42 2 . 1 1 . 1102 0 . 73 0 . 85 1 . 20 1 . 25 0 . 45 3 . 2 2 . 0103 0 . 61 0 . 95 0 . 63 0 . 10 0 . 32 4 . 2 3 . 0104 0 . 60 0 . 94 0 . 65 0 . 21 0 . 20 4 . 0 4 . 2105 0 . 73 0 . 94 0 . 59 0 . 12 0 . 22 4 . 8 4 . 0106 0 . 73 0 . 82 1 . 09 0 . 72 0 . 55 1 . 1 1 . 0107 0 . 61 0 . 95 0 . 64 0 . 19 0 . 40 2 . 2 1 . 8108 0 . 63 0 . 92 0 . 62 0 . 20 0 . 50 2 . 1 1 . 2109 0 . 64 0 . 89 0 . 63 0 . 19 0 . 15 4 . 8 5 . 0______________________________________ as is apparent from table 2 , samples 103 , 104 , 105 and 109 , having the characteristics of the invention , have better improved color reproducibilities in daylight as well as in fluorescent light than the comparative samples 101 , 102 , 106 , 107 and 108 . | 6 |
referring to fig1 , there is illustrated a block diagram of one embodiment of the electrical circuitry for a portable fluorescent lamp 10 according to the present invention . the principal components of the electrical circuitry for the lamp 10 include a converter circuit 12 , a battery charger circuit 42 , a battery pack 52 , an electronic ballast circuit 62 , and a miniature fluorescent bulb 72 . the battery charger 42 may be operated from either a 120 vac voltage source or a 12 vdc voltage source . the converter circuit 12 receives the 120 vac via lines 14 , 16 , which may terminate in a receptacle ( not shown ) that mates with a matching plug of an ac line cord ( not shown ). the converter produces an output voltage of approximately 13 volts dc under load on lines 18 , 20 , which terminate at the terminals of one side of a dpdt switch 22 . when the wiper contacts of the switch 22 are in the “ ac ” position , the lines 18 , 20 are connected to the lines 24 , 26 , which connect to the + 12 volt and the common ( com ) input terminals respectively of the battery charger circuit 42 . thus , in the “ ac ” position , the switch 22 couples the converter circuit 12 between the 120 vac voltage source and the input to the battery charger circuit 42 . alternatively , the battery charger circuit may be operated directly by a 12 vdc voltage source via lines 28 , 30 , which may terminate in a receptacle ( not shown ) that would mate with a matching plug of a dc line cord ( not shown ), and connect to the terminals of the other side of the dpdt switch 22 . when the wiper contacts of the switch 22 are in the “ dc ” position , the lines 28 , 30 are connected to the lines 24 , 26 , which connect to the + 12 volt and the common ( com ) input terminals respectively of the battery charger circuit 42 . thus , in the “ dc ” position , the switch 22 couples the lines 28 , 30 between the 12 vdc voltage source and the input to the battery charger circuit 42 . ( note : the 12 volt source rating is a nominal rating and may , in the case of an automotive battery , actually be in the range of 12 . 6 to 14 . 8 volts ). a diode 32 , is inserted in series with the line 28 as a protective feature to prevent damage that may result from a reversed polarity dc voltage being applied to the electrical circuitry . the switch 22 is an optional feature . in some versions of the portable fluorescent lamp 10 , the lines 18 , 24 , and 28 are tied together and the lines 20 , 26 , and 30 are tied together . the control of which voltage source is used may then be determined by which line cord is connected between the voltage source and the portable fluorescent lamp 10 . alternatively , the connections for an external 12 vdc source may be deleted , or , the connections for the 120 vac source and the converter circuit itself may be deleted . either alternate may be provided to accommodate particular product variations . it will also be appreciated that a portable fluorescent lamp having a built - in battery charger and battery pack in a small , light weight package is a combination not commonly found in the prior art . continuing with fig1 , the battery charger circuit 42 produces a dc voltage suitable for charging the battery pack 52 . in the illustrative embodiment described herein , the output voltage is approximately 7 . 2 volts dc for charging a battery pack 52 containing six 1 . 2 volt , rechargeable nickel - metal - hydride ( nimh ) cells . in the illustrated embodiment , the six nimh cells are aa size , rated at 2200 milliampere - hours capacity , to provide sufficient power ( approximately 15 . 8 watts ) to drive a 13 watt miniature fluorescent lamp bulb to full brightness . this battery configuration was chosen for its compactness , and persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the portable fluorescent lamp 10 of the present invention operates with an efficiency exceeding 80 %. the reasons for this high efficiency will become apparent in the detailed description which follows . it will also be understood that other battery configurations are certainly feasible and are contemplated for other similar applications . in the illustrated embodiment , the 7 . 2 volts output voltage is applied to the lines 44 , 46 , which couple the output of the battery charger circuit 42 to the battery pack 52 via terminals 48 , 50 for charging the battery pack 52 , and to the input terminals of the electronic ballast circuit 62 . a switch 54 , connected in series with the line 44 , functions as an on - off switch for the portable fluorescent lamp 10 . the terminals 48 , 50 may be separate contacts located on the housing ( not shown in fig1 ) of the portable fluorescent lamp 10 or they may be incorporated into a connector mounted on the housing of the portable fluorescent lamp 10 . continuing with fig1 , it is appreciated that the electronic ballast circuit 62 operates on the same voltage , in this case approximately 7 . 2 volts , that is applied to the battery pack 52 . the fluorescent ballast circuit produces a high voltage waveform output of approximately 400 volts ac and approximately 30 khz for “ starting ” the fluorescent bulb 72 via lines 64 , 66 , which couple to terminals 68 , 70 . the fluorescent bulb 72 is plugged into the terminals 68 , 70 . after ionization of the gas within the envelope of the fluorescent bulb 72 , the electronic ballast circuit 62 limits the current flowing through the fluorescent bulb 72 . in an optional feature , a pair of normally open ( no ) contacts 74 , 76 are connected , via lines 80 , 82 , in series with the positive voltage line 44 from the battery pack 52 or the battery charger circuit 42 , as will be described herein below . the contacts 74 , 76 are closed whenever a fluorescent bulb 72 is plugged into the terminals 68 , 70 by the action of the barrier 78 on the pin base of the fluorescent bulb 72 . the terminals 68 , 70 may be part of a receptacle connector . these contacts provide a safety feature that limits access to the high voltage that may be present at the terminals 68 , 70 , when a bulb 72 is not plugged into the terminals 68 , 70 . referring to fig2 , there is illustrated an electrical schematic diagram of one embodiment of a converter circuit 100 that may be used in the portable fluorescent lamp of fig1 . the converter circuit 100 is configured as a feed forward converter that operates at approximately 50 khz . and provides a dc output voltage of approximately 13 (+/− 1 ) volts under load from an input of 120 vac at 50 / 60 hz . the converter converts the low frequency 120 vac input voltage to a high frequency ac voltage , steps down the ac voltage to a low voltage in the transformer 116 , and then rectifies and filters the low voltage to produce the low voltage dc output . the circuit is very efficient because the circuit losses are much smaller at the higher frequency . in fig2 , the 120 vac input is applied to input terminals 102 , 104 to a bridge rectifier 106 . a series resistor 108 between terminal 102 and the bridge rectifier 106 acts as a fuse . the rectified dc output voltage appears at a positive node 110 and a negative node 112 which is also the return node . a filter capacitor 114 is connected across the dc output at nodes 110 , 112 . this rectifier circuit supplies approximately 170 vdc to the rest of the converter circuit to be described . the 170 vdc output of the rectifier is applied across a primary winding 118 of an isolation transformer 116 and a transistor switch 126 in series . in the illustrative embodiment , the transistor switch 126 is a type irf740 n - channel mosfet rated at 400 volts , 6 . 3 amps , and having an rds ( on ) of & lt ; 0 . 55 ohms . this device is available from stmicroelectronics . one side of the primary winding 118 having the polarity symbol ( a dot ) is connected to node 110 , the positive output of the rectifier bridge 106 . the other side of the primary winding 118 , at node 124 , is connected to the drain terminal of the transistor switch 126 . the source terminal of the transistor switch 126 is connected to the return node 112 . during operation , the transistor switch 126 is turned on and off at a 50 khz rate , which periodically charges the primary winding 118 with a pulse of current to produce a 170 volt peak - to - peak square wave . according to the turns ratio of the transformer 116 , a smaller , stepped - down replica of the pulse waveform produced across the primary 118 of transformer 116 appears across the secondary winding 122 of transformer 116 . the transistor switch 126 is caused to turn on and off by a pulse control signal applied to the gate terminal of the transistor switch 126 that is supplied from the “ q ” output at pin 3 of an integrated circuit timer ( timer ic ) 140 operated as an a - stable multivibrator or oscillator . the timer ic 140 used in the disclosed embodiment is a standard 555 type timer ic available from a variety of manufacturers . the control signal has a duty cycle of approximately 50 %. in the description which follows , the term “ integrated circuit ” may be abbreviated as “ ic .” operating voltage vcc for the timer ic 140 is applied to pin 8 . pin 4 of the timer ic 140 is also connected to pin 8 . the operating voltage at pin 8 is produced by a dropping resistor 150 and a 12 volt zener diode 152 connected in series across the 170 vdc output of the rectifier at nodes 110 , 112 . capacitor 154 provides some high frequency filtering of the dc voltage supplied by the action of zener diode 152 . this simple power supply provides the starting voltage for operating timer ic 140 . at other times , the operating voltage for timer ic 140 ( vcc ) is provided by a rectified output from a secondary winding 120 of transformer 116 connected between node 156 and the common node 112 . the voltage across the secondary winding 120 is rectified by diode 158 , filtered by capacitor 154 , and applied to pin 8 of the timer ic . the frequency of the a - stable oscillator is set by resistor 142 and capacitor 144 . resistor 142 is connected between pin 3 of the timer ic 140 and pins 2 and 6 of the timer ic 140 tied together . capacitor 144 is connected between pin 6 of the timer ic 140 and the common terminal 112 . a bypass capacitor is connected between pin 5 of the timer ic 140 and the common terminal 112 . continuing with fig2 , the low voltage output across the secondary winding 122 at nodes 170 , 176 of transformer 116 is rectified by rectifier 172 connected in series with the node 170 of the secondary winding 122 . the rectified output voltage is filtered by capacitor 178 connected between a positive node 174 and a negative ( common ) node 180 . the node 180 is connected to the node 176 of the secondary winding 122 . persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the dc output voltage of the converter 100 is unregulated , and thus subject to variation as the ac input voltage varies . however , the regulation of the actual dc charging voltage applied to the battery pack during charging is regulated by another part of the electrical circuitry in the portable fluorescent lamp 10 . referring to fig3 , there is illustrated an electrical schematic diagram of one embodiment of a battery charging circuit that may be used in the portable fluorescent lamp of fig1 . the battery charging circuit 200 is essentially a dc - to - dc switching regulator controlled by a battery charging controller ic 210 responsive to a feedback signal from the dc voltage output . the switching regulator is driven by an a - stable timer ic oscillator 260 operating at 50 khz , similar to that used in the converter circuit 100 described herein above . the output of the oscillator applied to the gate of an n - channel fet is gated by a logic circuit 280 controlled by the battery charging controller . the battery charging circuit 200 in the illustrative embodiment of fig3 operates from a 12 to 14 vdc input and provides an output voltage of approximately 7 . 2 volts while delivering a charging current of up to approximately 1 . 5 amperes to the battery pack 52 of fig1 . the input voltage may be supplied from a converter operating from a 120 vac voltage source as illustrated in fig2 or from a 12 to 14 volt battery such as an automotive battery . the 12 vdc input is applied across the positive terminal 202 and the negative ( common ) terminal 204 , which correspond respectively to nodes 206 , 208 . connected in series between node 206 and a positive output terminal 222 are , in order , a p - channel mosfet transistor switch 250 , a rectifier diode 252 , node 254 , and inductor 256 . the transistor switch 250 in the illustrative embodiment is a type fqb11p06 p - channel mosfet rated at − 60 volts , − 8 . 05 amps , and having an rds ( on ) of & lt ; 0 . 175 ohms . this device is available from fairchild semiconductor . node 206 is connected to the source terminal of the transistor switch 250 . the anode of diode 252 is connected to the drain terminal of transistor switch 250 and the cathode of the diode 252 is connected to node 254 . the negative ( common ) output terminal 224 is connected to node 208 . another rectifier diode is connected between node 254 ( cathode ) and node 208 ( anode ). the three integrated circuits of fig3 , 210 , 260 , and 280 , are each connected between node 206 , the vcc supply , and node 208 , the vss common terminal . continuing with fig3 , the circuit of the battery charging controller 210 , will now be described . the battery charging controller ic 210 , in the illustrative embodiment , is a type bq2002c , a “ nicd / nimh fast - charge management ic ” manufactured by unitrode corporation , a subsidiary of texas instruments , dallas , tex . in fig3 , a resistor 212 is connected between node 206 and pin 6 ( the vcc terminal ) of the battery charging controller ic 210 . pin 5 ( a temperature sense input ) of controller ic 210 is connected to pin 6 of controller ic 210 . connected between pin 6 of controller ic 210 and node 208 are a 5 . 1 volt zener diode 214 , a bypass capacitor 216 and a first resistor 218 in series with a second resistor 220 . the zener diode 214 sets the vcc voltage for controller ic 210 at 5 . 1 volts dc . the junction between the two resistors 218 , 220 , which form a resistive voltage divider , is connected to pin 1 of controller ic 210 to set the operating mode of the battery charging controller ic 210 (“ charge timer , top - off , voltage termination mode , trickle rate ,” etc .). pin 7 ( the vss terminal ) of controller ic 210 is connected to the common node 208 . also connected between pin 6 of controller ic 210 and node 208 is a network of light emitting diodes ( leds ) including resistor 232 , led 234 , led 236 and resistor 238 , all connected in series . the junction of leds 234 and 236 is connected to pin 2 of controller ic 210 . pin 2 is the charging status output , which indicates whether the battery is being charged at a fast charge rate ( steady red led 234 ), or at a trickle rate ( blinking red led 234 ) or that the battery is fully charged ( steady green led 236 ). pin 3 of controller ic 210 , the battery voltage input , is connected through a resistor 226 to the positive output terminal 222 . a resistor 228 and a bypass capacitor 230 are connected in parallel between pin 3 of controller ic 210 and the common node 208 . bypass capacitor 230 prevents the termination of charging on noise that may be present on the output terminal 222 . pin 8 of controller ic 210 , the charge control output terminal , is connected to a node 240 . a pull - up resistor 242 is connected between node 240 and node 206 . the output signal at pin 8 of controller ic 210 is a logic high for fast charging , pulsed for trickle charging , and logic low when charging is not occurring . timing for the switching regulator circuit of the battery charging circuit 200 is provided by timer ic 260 , a type 555 timer ic available from a variety of manufacturers . vcc pin 8 of timer ic 260 is connected to node 206 and also to the reset pin of timer ic 4 of u 3 260 . vss pin 1 of timer ic 260 is connected to the common node 208 . timing resistor 262 is connected between the q output pin 3 of u 3 260 and the tr pin 2 of timer ic 260 , which is also tied to the cv pin 6 of timer ic 260 . the timing capacitor 264 is connected between pins 2 , 6 of timer ic 260 and the common node 208 . pin 5 of timer ic 260 is connected to the common node by capacitor 266 . the timer ic 260 , connected as an a - stable oscillator , provides a 50 khz , 50 % duty cycle pulse train at pin 3 for driving the transistor switch 250 . the pulse train signal from pin 3 of the timer ic 260 is gated to the transistor switch 250 by logic circuit 280 under the control of the charge control output from pin 3 of the battery charging controller ic 210 . the logic circuit 280 may be a four stage nand gate ic such as a type cd4093 , which is available from a variety of manufacturers . two stages of logic circuit 280 , nand gates 282 and 284 , are connected in series with their inputs ( respectively 1 , 2 and 12 , 13 ) tied together and the input ( pins 1 , 2 ) of nand gate 282 tied to the output ( pin 11 ) of nand gate 284 . this configuration provides an inverter / driver for the pulse train signal for the transistor switch 250 . the output of nand gate 282 at pin 3 is coupled to one input , pin 6 , of nand gate 286 of logic circuit 280 , and also to pins 8 , 9 of nand gate 288 of logic circuit 280 , whose output pin 10 is left floating . the other input of nand gate 286 at pin 5 of logic circuit 280 is connected to the node 240 , which is the charge control output of the battery charging controller ic 210 . thus , a logic high signal at node 240 ( logic circuit 280 pin 5 ) enables the pulse train signal from nand gate 282 at pin 3 to be coupled to the gate of the transistor switch 250 . under the control of the 50 khz , 50 % duty cycle pulse train applied to the gate terminal of the transistor switch 250 , the transistor switch 250 turns on , and charging current flows through diode 252 and inductor 256 into the positive terminal of the battery pack connected to the positive output terminal 22 ( see the battery pack 52 in fig1 ). also during this period , the charging current charges the inductor 256 , building a magnetic field around the inductor 256 . in the next period of the pulse train signal , the transistor switch 250 turns off , and current ceases to flow through diode 252 . at this instant , the magnetic field surrounding the inductor 256 collapses , causing current to flow in the opposite direction through the inductor 256 . at this time , the diode 258 is forward biased and the inductor delivers charging current through the diode 258 and into the negative terminal of the battery being charged , which is connected to the negative terminal of the battery charging circuit 200 . in this way , charging current is delivered to the battery pack during both periods of the pulse train signal , when the transistor switch 250 is alternately in its on and off states . thus , the battery charging circuit 200 is operating “ full time ” to charge the battery pack . continuing with fig3 , a modification may be made to the battery charging circuit if it is intended to operate from an external dc power source such as a automotive storage battery the typically supplies 12 . 6 to 14 . 8 volts , depending on the state of charge and the load connected to the battery . the aforementioned battery voltage available is somewhat lower than the voltage provided by the converter circuit of fig2 . the modification , which provides a way to increase the duty cycle of the switching regulator , consists of connecting resistor 262 to the vcc terminal , pin 8 of the timer ic 260 instead of to pin 3 of the timer ic 260 , and adding a resistor from the junction of the resistor 262 and capacitor 264 to pin 7 of the timer ic 260 . the value for this additional resistor is selected according to the duty cycle that is desired — the ratio of resistor 262 to the added resistor determines the duty cycle . referring to fig4 , there is illustrated an electrical schematic diagram of one embodiment of an electronic ballast circuit 300 that may be used in the portable fluorescent lamp of fig1 . the ballast circuit 300 converts the 7 . 2 volts dc , supplied by battery pack 52 to the positive input terminal 302 and negative ( common ) input terminal 304 , to a high frequency , high voltage ac signal . this high voltage signal , a 30 khz square wave having a peak - to - peak amplitude of approximately 400 volts , is applied to the fluorescent bulb 370 to ionize the gas within the fluorescent bulb 370 . the ballast circuit 300 includes a current limiting feature to limit the current in the bulb after the gas is ionized and the fluorescent bulb 370 begins producing light . connected between the positive input terminal 302 and a node 306 is a series - connected spst switch 308 that is used to turn the fluorescent lamp on and off . switch 308 applies power to the ballast circuit 300 . the negative input terminal is connected to a common node 310 . a transformer 312 is configured to provide operating currents to a two - transistor , a - stable multivibrator or oscillator circuit and to step up the oscillator output voltage square wave to a value needed to start the ionization of the gas within the fluorescent bulb 370 . transformer 312 includes a center tapped primary winding 314 a - 314 b , which is connected between nodes 316 and 318 . node 316 connects to the collector of bipolar transistor 330 , which forms one side of the multivibrator circuit . node 318 connects to the collector of an identical bipolar transistor 332 , which forms the other side of the multivibrator circuit . a capacitor 320 , which , in part , determines the operating frequency of oscillation of the a - stable multivibrator circuit , is connected between the nodes 316 and 318 . the center tap of the primary winding 314 a - 314 b , defined as node 322 , is connected through an inductor to node 306 . this inductor acts to prevent current spikes from the multivibrator when the transistors change states . continuing with fig4 , a second primary winding 334 of transformer 312 is connected between nodes 336 and 338 . nodes 336 and 338 connect to the supply voltage at node 306 through resistors 340 and 342 respectively . nodes 336 and 338 provide bias current into the base terminals of transistors 330 and 332 , respectively . the emitters of the bipolar transistors 330 and 332 are connected to the common node 310 . transistors 330 and 332 , which are type ksd 1691g available from fairchild semiconductors , are chosen for their very high gain , hfe , and very low saturation voltage , vsat . as is well known in the art , when voltage is applied to the input terminals 302 , 304 of the multivibrator circuit , the imbalance between the two transistors &# 39 ; characteristics causes one of them to conduct current more quickly than the other , thus starting the oscillations of the a - stable multivibrator . the output of the multivibrator 330 , 332 is taken from the secondary winding 350 of transformer 312 . the output signal is essentially a square wave having a frequency of approximately 30 khz and a duty cycle of approximately 50 %. the amplitude of the signal across the secondary winding 350 is approximately 400 volts peak to peak . one leg of the secondary winding is connected via a series capacitor 352 to a node 354 . the other leg of the secondary winding 350 is connected to a node 356 , which is also connected to the common node 310 . nodes 354 and 356 are respectively connected to the terminals 358 , 360 of the receptacle for the bi - pin fluorescent bulb 370 . the fluorescent bulb 370 includes a base 372 containing the bi - pin terminals that plug into the receptacle terminals 358 , 360 . it is well known that once the gas within a fluorescent bulb has become ionized , the bulb presents a negative impedance characteristic to the external circuitry connected to the terminals of the bulb . that is , once the bulb begins to conduct , the current will continue to increase without bound until the bulb is destroyed unless the current is limited to a safe value . in a conventional fluorescent lamp that is controlled by a conventional ballast , the ballast provides a large inductive impedance to the alternating current flowing in the lamp . in the illustrative ballast circuit of the present invention , the transformer 312 is designed with an air gap in the core so that a substantial inductive impedance appears in series with the current flowing in the secondary winding 350 and the fluorescent bulb 370 . referring to fig5 , there is illustrated a pictorial drawing of one embodiment of a portable fluorescent lamp 400 according to the present invention . the portable fluorescent lamp 400 includes a tubular housing 432 having a handle grip ( or body ) portion 402 at the lower end and a cylindrical lens portion 404 at the upper end . the cylindrical lens portion may be fabricated of a material that readily transmits light , and may further be configured to transmit light in all directions — i . e ., 360 degrees — surrounding the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical lens portion 404 . enclosed within the cylindrical lens portion 404 is a bi - pin fluorescent bulb 406 that is plugged into a receptacle base 408 inside the cylindrical lens portion 404 . along the back side of the cylindrical lens portion 404 is a tubular spine 410 , which mechanically connects the handle grip portion 402 , the cylindrical lens portion 404 and an end cap 412 together . the tubular spine , which may have a somewhat flattened oval or rectangular cross - section , strengthens the structure of the portable fluorescent lamp 400 assembly to prevent breakage if the lamp 400 is dropped . the spine 410 serves to provide the additional stiffness to the lamp 400 , which is required because of the 8 to 10 degree offset of the cylindrical lens portion 404 relative to the handle grip portion 402 of the lamp 400 . the offset is built in to the tubular housing 432 so that when the lamp 400 is stood on its battery pack 500 , which serves as a base , the illumination from the lamp is directed downward toward the work surface . the tubular spine also provides space for circuitry to accommodate additional features such as a flashing light circuit , a circuit to drive indicator lights showing the status of the electrical circuitry and / or the batteries , etc . the battery pack 500 , which will be described in detail herein below , is secured to the lamp 400 by a pair of opposing mandible jaws , of which the jaw release button 506 of one of the mandible jaws is shown in fig5 . as the battery pack is brought into position against the bottom of the handle grip portion 402 , the jaws , having some built - in resilience to allow bending from a rest position , are inserted into slots in the handle grip portion 402 and snapped into place . the resilience is a property of the plastic material used to fabricate the handle grip portion 402 and the housing of the battery pack 500 . it will be appreciated that the battery pack 500 , when attached to the tubular housing 432 acts as a substantial base for the portable fluorescent lamp 400 , because of its mass ( due to the batteries ) and because the bottom of the battery pack 400 may be flat to provide a stable base . alternatively , the bottom of the base may also be configured as a dual - plane surface . in this case , the bottom surface may comprise two separate planes , joined at a central location on the bottom surface , and which differed angularly from each other , enabling the lamp 400 to be positioned upright at two different angles . for example , one angle could be set slightly downward for greater illumination near the lamp and the other angle , which differed by only 5 to 10 degrees or so , would be useful for illuminating broader areas . persons skilled in the art will further realize that the angle of illumination may be varied in other ways , such as incorporating a pivot , e . g ., near the midpoint of the structure of the portable fluorescent lamp . also shown in fig5 along the back of the handle grip portion 402 is a receptacle 424 for an ac line cord ( not shown ) to be used when operating the lamp 400 from an ac voltage source . in an alternate embodiment not illustrated in fig5 , a receptacle for connecting a power cord to connect the lamp 400 to a dc voltage source such as an automotive battery supply may be included on the handle grip portion 402 of the tubular housing . it is feature of the portable fluorescent lamp 400 of the present invention that the inclusion of a battery charging circuit operative from a nominal 12 vdc supply enables the lamp 400 to be operated from a 12 vdc source as readily as from a 120 vac source . the selection of voltage source , 120 vac or 12 vdc , the selection may be made by merely changing the ac line cord or the dc power cord , or by an extra switch is described in conjunction with fig1 , which may be installed on the handle grip portion 402 of the tubular housing 432 . referring to fig6 , there is illustrated an exploded pictorial view of one embodiment of a battery pack 500 for use with the portable fluorescent lamp of fig5 . the battery pack 500 , fabricated of molded plastic material , includes a bottom pan 502 having a pair of opposing mandible jaws 504 (“ jaws 504 ”) molded integral with the bottom pan 502 and on opposite sides of the base 502 . the jaws 504 are oriented in a vertical direction , perpendicular to the bottom pan 502 and configured such that they are resilient when bent during installation or removal of the battery pack 500 onto or from the tubular housing 432 of the portable fluorescent lamp 400 of fig5 . the outer surface of the jaws 504 include a ridged button 506 for use in deflecting the jaws 504 to remove the battery pack 500 from the portable fluorescent lamp 400 as will be described further herein below . the bottom pan 502 of the battery pack 500 is further configured to receive a plurality of batteries assembled as a cell pack 510 . disposed above the cell pack 510 is a retainer plate 512 for securing and positioning a pair of battery terminals 514 . the terminals 514 are installed in recesses 516 molded into the retainer plate 512 . one terminal 514 may be designated a positive terminal and connected to the positive terminal of the cell pack 510 and the other would be designated a negative terminal 514 to be connected to the negative terminal of the cell pack 510 . the battery pack 500 further includes a top cover 520 that includes a docking plate 530 , wherein the top cover fits over and encloses the cell pack 510 and retainer plate 512 when installed and secured to the bottom pan 502 using the resilient locking tabs 522 disposed near each corner of the bottom pan 502 . the top cover 520 includes openings 524 disposed on two opposite sides of the top cover 520 through which pass the opposing mandible jaws 504 . the top cover 520 also includes two contact openings 526 disposed in the docking plate 530 to expose and permit access to the positive and negative terminals 514 connected to the cell pack 510 . the contact openings 526 function to locate the positive and negative terminals 514 such that they make contact with corresponding terminals in the lower end of the handle grip portion of the tubular housing 432 containing the electrical circuitry when the battery pack 500 is assembled to the tubular housing 432 of the portable fluorescent lamp 400 . referring to fig7 , there is illustrated a pictorial view of an assembled battery pack for use with the portable fluorescent lamp of fig6 . the reference numbers for the figure are the same as those of fig6 ( or a lower numbered figure ) and they refer to the same structures . the battery pack includes a bottom pan 502 assembled to a top cover 520 with the pair of opposing mandible jaws 504 protruding through the openings 524 in the top cover 520 , and exposing the ridged buttons 506 to view . the ridged buttons 506 , disposed on opposite sides of the battery pack 500 , are pressed toward each other to release the opposing mandible jaws 504 from corresponding jaw catches ( not shown ) inside the lower end of the handle grip portion 402 of the tubular housing 432 . in fig7 , the assembled battery pack 500 further illustrates the docking plate 530 having the contact openings 526 and the positive and negative terminals 514 of the cell pack 510 visible therethrough . referring to fig8 , there is illustrated a partially cut - away pictorial view of the interior of the embodiment of the portable fluorescent lamp of fig5 . the illustration depicts a half shell 600 of the tubular housing 432 of the portable fluorescent lamp 400 of fig5 , and includes one half of the handle grip portion 402 , the lens portion 404 , the fluorescent bulb 406 , the receptacle 408 for the fluorescent bulb , the tubular spine 410 , and the end cap 412 . the space above the lens portion 404 but within the end cap 412 is designated as reference number 414 . this space is available for additional features of the lamp 400 , which may include , for example , individual light indicators , spotlights or flashing lights , a hook for hanging the lamp 400 , a switch for an added electrical function , a magnet for supporting the lamp 400 , and the like . further , the cut - away view of fig8 illustrates one arrangement of substrates such as printed circuit boards for the electrical circuitry ( see fig1 - 4 ) used in the illustrative embodiment . for example , a first circuit board 602 may contain and support the circuits of fig2 and 4 , the 120 vac converter and fluorescent ballast circuits respectively . similarly , a second circuit board 604 may contain and support the battery charging circuit of fig3 . other configurations are certainly possible , depending upon the particular architecture of the portable fluorescent lamp 400 of the present invention . also shown in fig8 are the receptacle 424 for the ac line cord ( not shown ) and the on / off switch 426 for the lamp 400 . the receptacle 424 and the switch 426 and a battery pack terminal 428 are also shown in fig5 . while the invention has been shown in only one of its forms , it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . for example , the compact , efficient architecture of the portable , rechargeable fluorescent lamp 400 disclosed herein is readily adaptable to higher power fluorescent bulbs with relatively little increases in size and weight of the end product . further , the lamp design permits use with interchangeable battery packs and / or battery chargers . moreover , as described previously , the lamp may be configured for operation from both ac and dc power sources , or from either one alone . in an ac operated lamp , the ac line cord may be replaced with an ac line plug designed to fit a standard 120 vac wall outlet . in this configuration the portable fluorescent lamp 400 of the present invention may then be used as a power failure emergency light that would remain fully charged and provide auxiliary lighting , either while plugged in to the outlet or while carried around as a portable lamp . additional features may be included or modifications made in designs adapted to specific needs . as examples , the cylindrical lens portion 404 may be transparent or translucent . translucent versions may be colored white or any of several other colors according to particular uses contemplated for the portable fluorescent lamp 400 . in an alternative embodiment , the cylindrical lens portion 404 may be configured to be interchangeable so that different colors or illumination properties may be conveniently provided . in yet other embodiments , the lens portion 404 may have cross - sections other than cylindrical , being , for example , square or rectangular , pentagonal or hexagonal , and so on . reflectors may be incorporated within or outside the lens portion 404 to direct the light from the fluorescent bulb in predetermined directions or to shape or focus the light in particular predetermined ways . such reflectors may further be interchangeable . it is further contemplated that the handle grip portion 402 may have other shapes or other surface finishes to permit other kinds of gripping features than the illustrative embodiment described herein above . the handle grip portion 402 or other parts of the tubular housing 432 may include eyelets to enable supporting the portable fluorescent lamp from a lanyard or hook or other tether device . certain applications may include structural features to make the tubular housing 432 gas tight or water tight and / or to incorporate other features such as buoyant means to enable the portable fluorescent lamp 400 to float in water or to be used while immersed , as in marine applications . the tubular spine 410 , being hollow , includes space for additional circuitry or for relocating the electrical circuitry from the handle grip portion 402 of the tubular housing 432 . in the latter case , the batteries may then be located in the handle grip portion of the lamp , enabling a reduction in the size of the lamp . the implementation of all such features and modifications are well within the skills of persons skilled in the art , as will readily be appreciated . | 5 |
the following high temperature cell design can be fabricated using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques . a masked set of photographic plates containing images of the pattern required at the different stages of the fabrication process illustrated in fig1 can be produced . a wafer 10 of suitably doped gallium arsenide ( gaas ) must be prepared with an appropriate diode structure 11 ( fig1 a ). a suitable structure , for example , can consist of a classical n +/ p / p + shallow homojunction structure . as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 227 , 941 a gaas solar cell can have such a structure with a 1 micron thick p + layer on a p + bulk gaas wafer . this is followed by a 3 . 5 micron thick p layer and an n + layer that is 1500 to 2000 å thick and sulfur or selenium doped at 5 × 10 18 cm - 3 . in one embodiment , the wafer 10 and structure 11 are patterned with photoresist , such that a circular area is covered for each cell on the wafer . the wafer is then etched ( fig1 ( b )) in a peroxide / hydroxide solution to a depth 12 below the level of the junction . the mesas 21 are now isolated diodes , each of which will become the active area of the final cell . fig1 ( c ) shows the wafer 10 coated with an insulating layer 13 . numerous insulators and deposition techniques can be employed . this layer 13 acts to encapsulate the junction area 21 and isolates the semiconductor surface from subsequent metal layers . the wafer is again patterned with photoresist , and the nitride or insulating layer is etched away as above in fig1 ( d ) where the areas 14 of the subsequent metal pattern will contact the wafer . in a preferred embodiment , these contact areas 14 or windows can be made small ( on the order of 3 × 5 microns ) to minimize surface recombination in critical applications where maximum efficiency is required . the smaller window size also reduces the area where interdiffusion with the conductive grid material can occur , especially where a diffusion barrier is not used . alternatively , the windows can be made to run the entire length of the grid pattern in less critical applications . of critical importance to high temperature operations is the conductive material used to collect the photocurrent and the method of contacting this material to a compound semiconductor surface . this is addressed by coating the wafer 10 with a metal layer 15 or , alternatively , with both a metal layer and a diffusion barrier ( fig1 ( e )), which are preferably very thin . these layer ( s ) are designed to withstand high temperatures and to make a low resistance contact to the cell , but do not necessarily have to carry large amounts of current . a current carrying metal layer 16 on top of the metallized or diffusion barrier layer 15 shown in fig1 ( f ) is used for this purpose . the use of refractory metals as conductors has improved the performance of the collecting grid at these elevated temperatures . this performance is further improved in high temperature applications by incorporating a diffusion barrier into the cell design to avoid conductor - semiconductor interdiffusion . the thickness of the conductive layer can be increased for applications where large amounts of current must be carried . for example , concentrators generating several hundred suns of illumination would require a high current capacity . to form the grid , the wafer 10 is masked 17 for a third time and a conducting grid pattern 16 is placed on top of the previous layer 15 . the resist 17 is then stripped in fig1 ( g ), revealing the grid pattern undercoated by the high temperature metal system 15 . since the high temperature metal system covers the cell , it must be removed everywhere except underneath the conductor 16 . to accomplish this task , the wafer is sputter etched . in this process , a portion of the conductor 16 is removed as well as the metallized layer 15 not covered by conductor grid 16 . since the conductor 16 is many times thicker than the high temperature metal 15 , the grid pattern remains intact after the process . in fig1 ( h ) the conductor may be enclosed with insulator 19 . the top layer of the diode structure ( the n + layer in the case of a shallow homojunction ) is etched or thinned 20 so that carriers are located as close to the active junction as possible to maximize the cell &# 39 ; s i - v characteristics . in a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 the metallization scheme consists of a thin tungsten ( w ) layer that is 300 to 400 å thick , which is electron beam deposited or sputtered onto the patterned wafer . tungsten is preferred because of its good conductivity and due to the good match of its coefficient of thermal expansion with that of gaas . this is followed by a tiwn diffusion barrier layer . the thickness of the barrier layer is preferably around 300 - 1000 å thick . the thickness of the diffusion layer should be kept at a minimum due to the mechanical stress caused by the refractory nitride in use . the refractory nitrides are best deposited by sputtering at low power to minimize sputtering damage to the gaas surface . the top metallization can be nickel and the whole structure should then be covered by a capping layer , preferably si 3 n 4 . in one embodiment , this structure is then annealed by rapid thermal annealing to about 500 °- 700 ° c . this step anneals off fabrication damage in the cell such as sputtering damage . other materials may be used instead of the tungsten for metallization , such as mo , ni , ti , tungsten alloys or ta . alternatively , silicides such as tungsten silicide or molybdenum silicide can be used . however , for cells operating at less than 100 suns a refractory metal such as w , in a layer about 2000 - 5000 å thick , can be used as a conductor without any metallization layer or diffusion barrier layer . this latter embodiment provides a simpler but thermally stable system at lower incident power levels . fig2 illustrates a cross section of a preferred embodiment of a high temperature cell with a five finger conductor pattern . note that no metallized or barrier layer is found in this embodiment . where the conductor 16 is a refractory metal , such as w or mo or a refractory silicide such as wsi 2 or mosi 2 , the thermal stability of this structure permits the omission of a diffusion barrier in certain applications . an antireflection coating 27 , preferably silicon nitride , is applied to generate high efficiencies for the solar spectrum anticipated . in this embodiment , the coating serves to encapsulate the active area of the cell further limiting diffusion and decomposition of the structure elements . non - illuminated surfaces can be sealed with an insulator . the conductors 16 are shown as extending off the junction area 11 . this permits the contacts to the conductive grid to be made away from the junction area , thereby reducing the thermal and mechanical stresses often encountered when contacting the grid in the junction area . bonding off of the junction area is even more preferable at high temperatures to minimize interdiffusion and other deleterious effects . to get higher efficiencies , another preferred embodiment utilizes the heterojunction structure illustrated in fig3 . this begins with a high quality p + wafer 10 covered by a 1 to 2 micron thick algaas p + layer 22 . overlying p gaas layer 23 should be doped at approximately 10 17 to 10 18 cm - 3 for concentrator cells and be 2 . 5 microns to 5 microns thick . the n + gaas layer 24 is preferably less than 0 . 25 microns thick with a doping level of 1 to 3 × 10 18 cm - 3 . an n + algaas cap layer 25 of 100 - 500 å is then deposited over the n + gaas layer primarily for surface passivation . the al content should be high , that is , greater than 80 %. the contact layer 28 of n + gaas is then deposited with a doping level of over 5 × 10 18 cm - 3 . this &# 34 ; pillar &# 34 ; type structure can be about 0 . 1 - 0 . 5 microns thick and results in further separation of the metallic contact from the junction area . the structure will provide about 15 relative percentage points over the shallow homojunction structure efficiency . as it is unnecessary to thin the top n + layer as in the homojunction structure , the processing for this structure is simpler and more reproduceable . the radiation hardness of these structures can also be improved by adding aluminum at concentrations of less than 10 % to each of the gaas layers . the cell structure of fig3 can be used with or without a concentrator system , as any application requiring high temperature survivability is appropriate . a further embodiment similar to that illustrated in fig3 utilizes a double heterojunction structure . this structure has a p + wafer of gaas covered with a layer of p + algaas with approximately 20 % aluminum . this is followed by a layer of p gaas and a layer of n + algaas added on top of the p gaas layer to provide the double hetero - junction . the n + algaas layer is then followed by the &# 34 ; pillar &# 34 ; type structure of n + gaas . in this structure , the active junction is now between the n + algaas and the p gaas . returning to fig3 the insulator 13 , as in fig1 and 2 , is used to define the area over which the conductor 16 is in conductive contact with pillar 28 through the layer 15 . the layer 15 is comprised of a metallization layer to provide a low resistance contact with the pillar surface 28 , and a barrier layer to reduce interdiffusion between the conductor and the gaas structure . the structure is encapsulated with layer 27 . the layer 27 is an antireflective coating over the photo - active surface of the cell together with a sealing layer which is opened up for bonding at the off - mesa contact to the conductor grid . fig4 schematically depicts an energy band diagram for the heterojunction structure of fig3 . the heterojunction between the p + algaas layer 22 and the p gaas layer 23 provides a back surface field which acts as a minority carrier mirror to efficiently reflect electrons back toward the p - n junction . the top algaas layer 25 operates to reduce the surface recombination velocity . the interface between materials of different bandgaps , as provided by these heterojunctions , provides a more abrupt interface than when simply altering the doping profile . the back surface field should preferably have a barrier height of approximately 3kt or greater where k is boltzmann &# 39 ; s constant and t is the temperature in degrees kelvin . although the structure described uses gaas as the active layer , other compound semiconductors such as indium phosphide or gallium alluminum arsenide can be successfully used . fig5 shows schematically how a light funnel 35 may be used in concentrating and distributing incident light more uniformly across a cell 36 . fig6 a illustrates the four quadrant design 37 with a magnified view of where the four quadrants meet in fig6 b . the magnified view shows a particular contact pattern 38 with the small rectangular windows 39 distributed along each line of the grid . this pattern ( 6a ) is preferred because it is easier to fabricate than conventional designs which have radial symmetry . illumination of a conventional light concentrating system has a radial distribution , and thus the current output of the cell varies radially . in order to accomodate this , previous concentrator grid designs were radial . under the present concentrator design the light intensity distribution is very uniform and the desire to have radial symmetry in the grid pattern loses its supposed advantage . note that the cell design of fig3 can be used with radially illuminating concentrator systems , or any other illuminating geometry as long as the grid pattern is chosen accordingly . the cell contact pattern can be divided into four quadrants . each quadrant consists of straight parallel lines of conductor material partially insulated from the semiconductor surface by an insulating material . the conductor paths 38 reach from the edge or perimeter 40 of the photo - active surface to the border of the quadrants . the conductor is contacted off of the photo - active surface : i . e ., the conductor extends off of the cell surface to the side 37 of the junction area . by contacting the cell conductor off of the mesa , or junction area , ( 21 of fig1 b ), the mechanical and thermal stresses caused by contacting the grid on the mesa are minimized . this off - mesa contact to the grid is more important when operating temperatures are high or when periodic thermal excursions above routine operating temperatures can produce stress in the junction area . the insulator pattern contains windows 39 which define the contact area between the conductor lines and the semiconductor surface of the cell . by adjusting the size of these contact windows , one can control the level of surface recombination of minority carriers . reducing the window size reduces the rate of surface recombination thereby improving the overall efficiency of the cell . in applications where high efficiencies are less critical , the insulator windows may extend the entire length of the conductor line across the cell quadrant . where higher efficiencies are needed , the windows may be reduced in size and evenly spaced along the conductor lines without significant offsetting losses due to longer current paths . more importantly , the use of windows in the contacting grid will further reduce the conductor contact area with the semiconductor surfaces to further reduce the possible interdiffusion effects occurring at high temperatures . the above structure and design provides solar cells that are stable during high temperature operation above 300 °- 400 ° c . in addition , for space applications , these cells can anneal off radiation damage normally incurred in space when operated in this temperature range . the above design can be used in conjunction with the so - called &# 34 ; cleft &# 34 ; peeled film technology in pct / us81 / 00439 ( corresponding to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 727 , 047 , filed apr . 6 , 1981 , a c - i - p of u . s . ser . no . 138 , 891 , filed apr . 10 , 1980 ) which is incorporated herein by reference . this thin , light - weight structure permits use of the structure in tandem or with a back reflective contact to improve collection of minority carriers within the active layer . those skilled in the art will recognize , or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation , many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein . other compound materials such as inp or gaalas , that are useful as photovoltaic materials , can be used in the claimed structure . such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims . | 8 |
referring to fig1 there is illustrated an exploded view of one embodiment of a connector according to the present invention . the connector shown in fig1 comprises a plurality of contacts 10 , an array - plate 12 supporting these contacts in predetermined intervals , and a body 14 for fixedly arranging a plurality of contacts 10 in predetermined positions and in engagement with a counterpart connector , similar to the conventional connector of fig5 . a plurality of contacts 10 are respective independent pin - shaped electric conductors , each of which has a connecting end 10a formed on one end for slidingly connecting with another contact of the counterpart connector , a u - shaped terminating end 10b formed on the other end for terminating with a cable , and a first press - fit area 16 and a second press - fit area 18 both formed therebetween . the first press - fit area 16 and the second press - fit area 18 respectively comprise saw - tooth shaped projections projecting laterally with respect to the contact 10 . the first press - fit area 16 engages with the body 14 and the second press - fit area 18 engages with the array - plate 12 , respectively . the contact 10 of the connector of this embodiment also has protrusions 20 protruding from each side of the contact 10 between the first press - fit area 16 and the second press - fit area 18 . the protrusions 20 form one component of means for fixing the contacts in the connector , and cooperate with a support hole or depression of the array - plate 12 , which will be discussed later , to support the contact 10 at the predetermined position . the array - plate 12 is formed as an insulative resin molded product and has a plurality of support holes 24 arranged in predetermined positions on a rectangular abutting surface 22 and extending in the direction of thickness of the array - plate . the abutting surface 22 is adapted to contact with a wall part of the body , which will be discussed later . the support hole 24 is formed as a stepped hole having t - shaped cross section , and has a wider portion adjacent to the abutting surface 22 . depressions 26 form the wider portion of the stepped hole and have substantially the same configuration as the protrusions 20 of the contact 10 . namely , the dimensions of the depressions 26 and the protrusions 20 are substantially the same . on the other hand , the narrower portion 28 has a width slightly smaller than the overall width of the second press - fit area 18 similar to the prior art connector . accordingly , upon inserting the contact 10 into the support hole 24 , the second press - fit area 18 is press - fitted into the narrower portion 28 of the support hole 24 with a predetermined pressure in the same manner as the prior art . as shown in fig2 when the contact 10 reaches a given position within the support hole 24 and the narrower portion 28 , the protrusions 20 are placed in a position engaging with the depressions 26 . at this time , since the dimensions of the protrusions 20 and the depressions 26 have substantially the same dimensions , the protrusions 20 are firmly received within the depressions 26 without forming clearance therebetween . then , the shoulders 20a of the protrusions 20 adjacent to the first press - fit area 16 are arranged on the same plane as the abutting surface 22 of the array - plate 12 . the body 14 is formed as an insulative resin molded product similar to the array - plate 12 , and has a holding part 30 for holding the array - plate 12 which , in turn , supports the contacts 10 , and a fitting part 32 to engage with the counterpart ( not shown ). between the holding part 30 and the fitting part 32 , a wall part 34 is formed on the inside of the body 14 . the wall part 34 is provided with a plurality of openings or fix holes 36 extending in the thickness direction for fixing the contacts 10 . the first press - fit area 16 of the contact 10 engages with the side walls of the fix hole 36 . the surface 34a of the wall part 34 adjacent to the holding part 30 is formed as a flat plane so that it may establish firm contact with the abutting surface 22 of the array - plate 12 upon completion of engagement of the array - plate 12 . the fitting part 32 defines a cavity for receiving another contact of the counterpart connector . a plurality of grooves 38 for guiding a plurality of contacts 10 extending through the fix holes 36 are formed at upper and lower walls of the fitting part 32 . the width of the fix hole 36 is slightly smaller than the overall width of the first press - fit area 16 similar to the prior art . in addition , the width of the groove 38 is slightly greater than the overall width of the connecting end 10a of the contact 10 . therefore , the body 14 has substantially a construction identical to that of the body 3 of the prior art connector . in the construction set forth above , at first , a plurality of contacts 10 are press fitted into the respective support holes 24 of the array - plate 12 so that the protrusions 20 and the depressions 26 cooperate to fixedly support respective contacts 10 at predetermined positions . then , the assembly of the contacts 10 and the array - plate 12 is inserted into the holding part 30 of the body 14 with the predetermined pressure . at this time , each contact 10 is press - fitted with the fix hole 36 of the wall part 34 according to the above - mentioned dimensional relationship , and is advanced along the groove 38 of the fitting part 32 . once the insertion of the array - plate 12 is completed , the array - plate is latched within the holding part 30 by means of a latching means ( not shown ), the first press - fit area 16 of the contact 10 is simultaneously engaged onto the side walls of the fix hole 36 . by this , each contact 10 is fixed to the predetermined position on the body 14 ( see fig4 ). in this assembling process , it is not necessary to accurately adjust the holding force , or pressure required for press - fitting , for each contact 10 with respect to each of the array - plate 12 and the body 14 , any more . namely , the dimensional difference between the overall width of the second press - fit area 18 and the width of the support hole 24 can be smaller than the dimensional difference between the overall width of the first press - fit area 16 and the width of the fix hole 36 . this is because , by close engagement between the protrusions 20 of the contact 10 and the depressions 26 of the support hole 24 , displacement of the contact 10 in the longitudinal direction in the support hole 24 will never be caused even when the press - fitting force to the fix hole 36 acts on the contact 10 in the opposite direction upon assembling the array - plate 12 to the body 14 . furthermore , upon terminating the cable to the u - shaped terminating end 10b of the contact after completing assembly of the connector as set forth above , displacement of the contact 10 in the longitudinal direction is avoided with respect to the terminating force by abutment of the shoulders 20a of the protrusions 20 of the contact 10 and the surface 34a of the wall part 34 of the body 14 . in addition , respective engagements of the first press - fit area 16 with the fix hole 36 and the second press - fit area 18 with the support hole 24 are established by intrusion of the projections of the press - fit areas 16 , 18 into the side walls of respective holes 36 , 24 in the same manner as the prior art , and thus small clearances are left between the side surfaces of the contact 10 and the side walls of respective holes 36 , 24 . however , with the firm engagement between the protrusions 20 of the contact 10 and the depressions 26 of the support hole 24 , the contact 10 can be fixed with the external force in the lateral direction . as set forth above , in this embodiment of the connector , the contact 10 will never be displaced in the longitudinal direction upon engaging the array - plate 12 to the body 14 , and the first press - fit area 16 of the contact 10 can be firmly fixed in the fix hole 36 of the body 14 . accordingly , a plurality of contacts 10 can be firmly fixed to the body 14 of the connector accurately . the fixing force is strong both in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the contact 10 so that the contact can be firmly held at the predetermined positions upon assembly , terminating the cable , and connecting the counterpart connector . furthermore , the second press - fit area 18 of the contact 10 in the above - discussed embodiment is not an essential feature of the present invention . in the present invention , the array - plate is only required to align a plurality of contacts at predetermined positions , and subsequent fixing of the contact is achieved by the means for fixing the contacts constituted of the wall part of the body having the fix hole , the press - fit area of the contact to be press - fitted into the fix holes ( the first press - fit area 16 in the above - mentioned embodiment ), and the protrusions on the contact and the depressions of the support hole in the array - plate . it should be noted that although the protrusions 20 of the contact 10 and the depressions 26 of the array - plate 12 are formed into a rectangular configuration in the above - mentioned embodiment , the configuration is not specified and can be of any configuration as long as displacement of the contact can be successfully prevented . furthermore , the arrangement of the protrusions 20 and the depressions 26 can be shifted in the circumferential direction from the shown positions . as is clear from the above description , according to the present invention , the means for fixing the plurality of contacts to respective predetermined positions of the body , is constructed with the press - fit area formed in each contact for engagement with the wall part by press - fitting the contact into the opening of the wall part of the body with a predetermined pressure , the depressions formed on the outer periphery of each of the support holes formed in the array - plate and extending from the abutting surface of the array - plate , and protrusions formed on the predetermined position adjacent to the terminating end relative to the press - fit area of the contacts , and longitudinal and lateral displacement of the contact is prevented by cooperation of the protrusions of the contact and the depressions of the array - plate so that the connector , which can fix the contacts at predetermined positions in the body at any occasion of assembling the connector and terminate the cable , and connect with another connector , can be provided . accordingly , it is advantageous in that it improves reliability of the connector and lowers production cost . the connector includes a plurality of contacts 10 , an array - plate 12 having a plurality of support holes 24 for supporting the contacts 10 at predetermined positions , and a body 14 for folding the array - plate 12 supporting the contacts 10 . the body 14 includes a wall part 34 on which a plurality of fix holes 36 are formed for fixing a plurality of contacts 10 at the predetermined positions . the array - plate 12 includes an abutting surface 22 adapted to be in contact with the wall part 34 . the contact 10 has a press - fit area 16 formed to have a greater width than the width of the fix hole 36 . depressions 26 extend from the abutting surface 22 on the outer periphery of the support hole 24 . protrusions 20 having substantially the same dimension as the depressions 26 are formed on the contact 10 . | 7 |
turning to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements , the present invention is illustrated as being implemented in a suitable computing environment . the following description is based on embodiments of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the invention with regard to alternative embodiments that are not explicitly described herein . in the description that follows , the environment surrounding the present invention is described with reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations that are performed by one or more computing devices , unless indicated otherwise . as such , it will be understood that such acts and operations , which are at times referred to as being computer - executed , include the manipulation by the processing unit of the computing device of electrical signals representing data in a structured form . this manipulation transforms the data or maintains them at locations in the memory system of the computing device , which reconfigures or otherwise alters the operation of the device in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art . the data structures where data are maintained are physical locations of the memory that have particular properties defined by the format of the data . however , while the invention is being described in the foregoing context , it is not meant to be limiting as those of skill in the art will appreciate that various of the acts and operations described hereinafter may also be implemented in hardware . fig1 is useful for presenting an overview of various aspects of the present invention . a more detailed discussion follows with reference to the other figures . a secured network 100 is shown in fig1 . here , secured simply means that the network 100 is closed to non - authorized users . security is enforced by a set of configuration parameters : devices 102 already in the network 100 have the proper configuration parameters and may thus freely communicate with one another . an outsider like the configuration client 106 does not have a proper set of configuration parameters and therefore cannot communicate with these devices 102 . because the configuration client 106 wishes to join the network 100 , it seeks admission through the secure configuration server 104 that is “ guarding ” the network 100 . as a gateway to the network 100 , any outside device can freely communicate with the secure configuration server 104 . upon receiving the configuration client 106 &# 39 ; s request to join the network 100 , but before providing the configuration client 106 with a proper set of configuration parameters , the secure configuration server 104 forces the configuration client 106 to authenticate itself , that is , to prove that it is a device authorized to join the network 100 . how that authorization is initially set up is beyond the scope of the present discussion , but numerous methods are well known in the art . the configuration client 106 proceeds to prove its identity to the secure configuration server 104 . detailed examples of this authentication process accompany fig3 a through 3 c , 4 a , 4 b , and 5 . in some networks , the secure configuration server also proves its identity to the requesting configuration client . this two - way , or mutual , authentication enhances the security of these networks by preventing a rogue device from impersonating the network &# 39 ; s secure configuration server . if the authentication process completes successfully , then the secure configuration server 104 knows that the configuration client 106 is authorized to join the network 100 . the secure configuration server 104 then provides an appropriate set of configuration parameters to the configuration client 106 , and the configuration client 106 uses those parameters to join the network 100 and to freely communicate with the other devices 102 already in the network 100 . eventually , the configuration client 106 leaves the network 100 . this may be at the discretion of the configuration client 106 , or the set of configuration parameters provided to it may expire . in any case , those configuration parameters are no longer valid , and whenever the configuration client 106 wishes to rejoin the network 100 , it repeats the above process . the scenario of fig1 is intentionally simplified in order to focus on relevant aspects of the present invention . the secure configuration server 104 of fig1 may in some networks actually be a configuration server working with a separate security server . also , the secure configuration server 104 ( of whatever description ) may not actually reside within the network 100 : a relay agent sitting in the network 100 may transfer configuration and authentication messages to a secure configuration server located remotely . relay agents eliminate the necessity of having a secure configuration server on every secure network segment . the configuration client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 of fig1 may be of any architecture . fig2 is a block diagram generally illustrating an exemplary computer system that supports the present invention . the computer system of fig2 is only one example of a suitable environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the invention . neither should the client 106 nor the secure configuration server 104 be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in fig2 . the invention is operational with numerous other general - purpose or special - purpose computing environments or configurations . examples of well known computing systems , environments , and configurations suitable for use with the invention include , but are not limited to , personal computers , servers , hand - held or laptop devices , multiprocessor systems , microprocessor - based systems , set - top boxes , programmable consumer electronics , network pcs , minicomputers , mainframe computers , and distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices . in their most basic configurations , the client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 typically include at least one processing unit 200 and memory 202 . the memory 202 may be volatile ( such as ram ), non - volatile ( such as rom or flash memory ), or some combination of the two . this most basic configuration is illustrated in fig2 by the dashed line 204 . the client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 may have additional features and functionality . for example , they may include additional storage ( removable and non - removable ) including , but not limited to , magnetic and optical disks and tape . such additional storage is illustrated in fig2 by removable storage 206 and by non - removable storage 208 . computer - storage media include volatile and non - volatile , removable and non - removable , media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer - readable instructions , data structures , program modules , or other data . memory 202 , removable storage 206 , and non - removable storage 208 are all examples of computer - storage media . computer - storage media include , but are not limited to , ram , rom , eeprom , flash memory , other memory technology , cd - rom , digital versatile disks , other optical storage , magnetic cassettes , magnetic tape , magnetic disk storage , other magnetic storage devices , and any other media that can be used to store the desired information and that can be accessed by the client 106 or by the secure configuration server 104 . any such computer - storage media may be part of the client 106 or of the secure configuration server 104 . the client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 may also contain communications channels 210 that allow them to communicate with other devices , including devices on a network 100 . communications channels 210 are examples of communications media . communications media typically embody computer - readable instructions , data structures , program modules , or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media . the term “ modulated data signal ” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal . by way of example , and not limitation , communications media include optical media , wired media , such as wired networks and direct - wired connections , and wireless media such as acoustic , rf , infrared , and other wireless media . the term “ computer - readable media ” as used herein includes both storage media and communications media . the client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 may also have input devices 212 such as a touch - sensitive display screen , a hardware keyboard , a mouse , a voice - input device , etc . output devices 214 include the devices themselves , such as the touch - sensitive display screen , speakers , and a printer , and rendering modules ( often called “ adapters ”) for driving these devices . all these devices are well know in the art and need not be discussed at length here . the client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 each has a power supply 216 . going deeper than the overview of fig1 , fig3 a through 3 c provide details of exemplary secure configuration schemes according to the present invention . for illustrative purposes , the logic flow diagram of these figures includes options and variations that might not apply in a given embodiment . in particular , the steps in the figures represent logical tasks and do not necessarily correspond one - to - one with individual messages . more specific details of a particular embodiment , including message exchanges and message formats , is discussed in relation to fig4 a , 4 b , and 5 . the logic of fig3 a begins in step 300 when the configuration client 106 requests from the secure configuration server 104 a set of configuration parameters that are valid for use on the network 100 . rather than immediately complying with the request , the secure configuration server 104 in step 302 asks the configuration client 106 to authenticate itself . in some embodiments ( see specifically step 400 of fig4 a ), the configuration client 106 does not wait for the secure configuration server 104 to request authentication ; instead , the configuration client 106 begins the authentication process concurrently with its initial configuration request . there are some network configurations in which the configuration client 106 needs to use a valid set of configuration parameters in order to continue communicating with the secure configuration server 104 . this is somewhat of a catch - 22 : for security reasons , the secure configuration server 104 does not want to provide valid configuration information to the configuration client 106 until the client 106 has authenticated itself as a device authorized to receive such information , but the authentication procedure cannot proceed until the client 106 has a set of valid parameters . steps 304 and 306 present one way out of this dilemma , for some embodiments of the present invention . in step 304 , the secure configuration server 104 provides a valid set of configuration parameters to the configuration client 106 so that the client 106 can continue the authentication process . however , the provided configuration information , while valid , is “ temporary ” and is only useful during authentication . for example , the configuration information can include an ip address that marks the user of the address as not fully authenticated . in step 306 , the configuration client 106 receives the temporary configuration information and will use it during the remainder of the authentication process . in some instances , the temporary configuration information prevents the configuration client 106 from conversing with any device in the network 100 other than the secure configuration server 104 : the configuration client 106 is said to be in “ quarantine .” in step 308 , the configuration client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 proceed through the authentication process . many such authentication processes are well known in the art , and any of them can be used here . in some embodiments , the particular authentication process to be used is negotiated between the configuration client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 . as mentioned above in relation to fig1 , the authentication process may be mutual with the configuration client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 each authenticating itself to the other . if the authentication process fails , then , of course , the configuration client 106 is denied access to the network 100 . if the configuration client 106 received temporary configuration information in step 306 , the network 100 is still secure because of the limited use to which that information can be put . if the authentication process succeeds , then in step 310 of fig3 b the secure configuration server 104 applies policies in place in the network 100 , if any , to decide how to provide the requested configuration information . these policies may , for example , limit the duration or scope of use of the configuration information ( e . g ., that information is only valid for a one - hour “ lease ”). if possible , then in step 312 the secure configuration server 104 provides the requested configuration information to the configuration client 106 , along with information on any limitations on use set by policy in step 310 . of course , if the network 100 has exhausted the resources needed to fulfill the request ( e . g ., all of the assignable ip addresses are already in use ), then the configuration process fails even though the authentication process succeeded . in some embodiments , resource availability is checked before proceeding through the authentication process , and the secure configuration server 104 can deny the configuration request on that basis instead of beginning the authentication process in step 302 . however , this is not preferred because it provides confidential information ( that the network 100 is low on resources ) to a configuration client 106 that has not been authenticated and that might be able to use the information to the detriment of the network 100 . step 314 notes that if the configuration client 106 was provided with temporary configuration information in step 304 , then , in some embodiments , the secure configuration server 104 may choose to simply change the status of that information to non - temporary rather than sending a new set of configuration parameters . the effect is the same in either case . with authentication complete and with the non - temporary configuration information in hand , the configuration client 106 is now a device on the network 100 and , in step 316 of fig3 c , can communicate with the other devices 102 ( subject to whatever policy limitations were imposed on the provided configuration information ). this continues until step 318 where the configuration client 106 either chooses to relinquish the provided configuration information , or a lease on the information expires . in the later case , the secure configuration server 104 marks the provided configuration information as invalid . in either case , the client 106 exits the network 100 and , if it wishes to continue communicating , repeats the secure configuration process ( step 320 ). the discussion accompanying fig3 a through 3 c is kept at a high level to illustrate the breadth of application of the present invention ( which is , however , ultimately defined by the scope of the claims and not by any illustrations in this specification ). to further the discussion , fig4 a and 4 b present a specific embodiment of the invention . while , in general , either party can initiate the secure configuration process , in step 400 of fig4 a the configuration client 106 initiates the process by sending a dhcp discover message to the secure configuration server 104 . this dhcp message contains the configuration client 106 &# 39 ; s request for configuration information . carried within the options field of the dhcp discover message is a notice that the configuration client 106 is prepared to use eap to authenticate itself . these two protocols , dhcp and eap , are well known in the art , and so their details need not be discussed here . they are defined , respectively , in the requests for comments 2131 and 3748 of the internet engineering task force , which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference . because the secure configuration server 104 will not provide configuration information to an un - authenticated client , it responds in step 402 with a dhcp offer message containing within its options field an eap message requesting the identity of the configuration client 106 . the configuration client 106 responds in step 404 by sending an eap message containing its identity . the eap message is , once again , contained within the options field of a dhcp message . eap allows the configuration client 106 and the secure configuration server 104 to negotiate and to use any of a number of authentication mechanisms . in steps 406 and 408 , the two parties proceed through the details of eap and of the authentication mechanism they have chosen . in some embodiments , eap need not be altered in any way for the purposes of the present invention , and so the details of eap known in the art apply as well here . in steps 406 and 408 , as in the previous steps of fig4 a , eap messages are carried within the options fields of dhcp messages . if the authentication process proceeds to a successful conclusion , then the secure configuration server 104 accepts the authenticity of the configuration client 106 , and , in step 410 of fig4 b , sends an eap success message carried in the options field of a dhcp ack message . that dhcp message also includes the requested configuration information . when the configuration client 106 has completed its work with the network 100 , it relinquishes the configuration information by sending a dhcp release message in step 412 . fig5 is an exemplary data structure diagram of a dhcp message 500 containing , within its options field 502 , an eap message 504 . the heart of the eap message is its data field 506 . by combining a well known configuration protocol , dhcp , with a well known authentication framework protocol , eap , embodiments of the present invention provide security to the configuration process without requiring any changes to either protocol . in view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the present invention may be applied , it should be recognized that the embodiments described herein with respect to the drawing figures are meant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention . those of skill in the art will recognize that some implementation details , such as configuration and authentication protocols , are determined by specific situations . although the environment of the invention is described in terms of software modules or components , some processes may be equivalently performed by hardware components . therefore , the invention as described herein contemplates all such embodiments as may come within the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof . | 7 |
the present invention will be first described collectively and then illustrated in detail with reference to examples . the construction of this invention will be first mentioned collectively with the preferred embodiment of the present invention , wherein components of color information [ a 1 ] and [ a 2 ], which have inverted relation with each other , are synthesized to thereby separate the components of chromatic color information into two levels to be formed on both sides of the achromatic color signal levels . taking different components of color information out of an original image can be effected by , e . g ., exposure of an original image to different wavelength - range lights . as is shown in fig1 when an original image is exposed to the light of color [ a 1 ], a color information [ a 1 ] output signal can be obtained . in like manner , if the original is exposed to the light of color [ a 2 ], then a color information [ a 2 ] output signal can be obtained . these output signals may be either of the electric potential of a photoreceptor or of the output voltage or current of a light - receiving element . such output signals may be obtained not only by the exposure to the above - mentioned different wavelength - range lights but also by use of different filters filtering the light from an original image . in synthesizing the above - mentioned two different components of color information , as is shown in fig1 either one of the components of information , e . g ., [ a 2 ] is inverted to be [ a 2 ]. in the synthesis of information , e . g ., [ a 1 ]+[ a 2 ], the chromatic color signal levels are separated into ones on both sides ( upper and lower ) of the achromatic color signal levels . on the basis of the achromatic color signal levels the above respective chromatic colors are separately developed , whereby a desired color ( monochromatic or mixed color )- having color image can be obtained . in addition , for understanding the characteristics of colors by various filters to be used in the following examples , fig2 is provided to show the reflectivities of various colors : yellow ( y ), magenta ( m ), cyan ( c ), blue ( b ), green ( g ) and red ( r ). a typical example of this invention will now be illustrated from the standpoint of apparatus . fig3 is a schematic drawing showing a principal part of an example of the color image forming apparatus for use in practicing the method of this invention . in this apparatus , a photoreceptor drum 1 , which is uniformly charged thereon by a scorotron charger 30 , has an electrostatic latent image formed thereon as a result of being exposed imagewise to the light pattern correspoinding to an original image or document ( not shown ) by an electrostatic latent image forming means 31 . this electrostatic latent image consists of components of image information synthesized so that chromatic and achromatic color signal levels become separable as will be described hereinafter in accordance with this invention . accordingly , this electrostatic latent image is developed in order into visible various colors or mixed colors by developing means 13a , 13b , 13c . . . that are arranged aroung photoreceptor drum 1 ( in actual practice , as many developing means as the number of desired colors are to be arranged ). after the visualized toner image of various colors has been thus formed on the photoreceptor drum 1 , an exposure lamp 33 , before the transfer of the image , projects its light upon the region where the toner image is formed , and an image transfer means 34 then transfers the formed image onto a copying paper that has been transported from a paper feed means ( not shown )( the course of the paper movement is shown with a broken line 35 ). the image - copied paper is then thermally fixed by a fixing means 36 consisting of rollers at least one of which is heated , and then ejected to the outside of the apparatus . on the other hand , the photoreceptor drum , after completion of the image transfer , is neutralized by a neutralizer 37 that was not in use during the toner image formation , and then the residual toner remaining on the surface of the drum is removed by a cleaning means 38 that was released during the toner image formation . in the above color image forming apparatus , the latent image forming means 31 ( e . g ., laser light ) is supplied with an output obtained by the image processing of the image information in the light reflected from or transmitted through an original image . that is , reflected light 32 is led through a lens 39 to a dichroic mirror 40 , at which the light is divided into given wavelength - range lights 32a and 32b . the lights 32a and 32b are then made incident upon solid image sensor , e . g ., ccd ( charge coupled device ) 41 and 42 , respectively , and thus the respective ccd outputs are obtained . these are then fed into an image signal processor 43 , at which moment , for example , the output level from ccd 42 is inverted to be synthesized with the output from ccd 41 . the synthesized signal is then sent to latent image forming means 31 , whereby an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the above synthesized signal is formed on photoreceptor drum 1 , and the latent image , in accordance with the foregoing respective chromatic color signals based on the achromatic color signal level , is separately developed , thereby giving a desired color ( monochromatic or mixed color )- having color image . the present invention will now be illustrated in detail . the present invention is such that the color image information from an original image is separated into the foregoing chromatic color signal levels , which are then synthesized , and these operations come up to the stage where the image development is carried out . since the fundamental of the operations lies in the separation and synthesis , the description will be centered on the separation of the chromatic color signal levels into two groups and the synthesis thereof as the basic operations . in fig4 ( a ), original image 44 , as in the figure , is supposed to comprise an image region consisting of chromatic components green g , yellow y , red r , magenta m , blue b and cyan c , and another region consisting of monochromatic components white w and black b . the light 32 corresponding to the original image is made incident upon a dichroic mirror 40 that reflects , for example , the light of b and g components , and allows the transmission therethrough of the light of r component . as a result of the foregoing separating operation , from the dichroic mirror 40 the light of b and g components is incident upon ccd42 and the light of r component is incident upon ccd 41 , and from the ccd42 and ccd 41 are obtained output levels [ r ] and [ c ], respectively , as shown in the output level charts of fig4 ( a ). hereupon , in making a synthesized signal level [ s ] by the synthesis of the above output levels [ r ] and [ c ], the [ r ] and [ c ] can be multiplied by arbitrary constants a and b including 1 which means no control . further , in order to make the color separation clearer , either one of [ r ] and [ c ] may be selected , for example , [ c ] may be selected , to be inverted . the inverting operation is represented by *(- 1 ). now , if a = b = 1 , and if the output [ c ] from ccd42 is inverted to be synthesized with the output [ r ] from ccd 41 , then and in accordance with the synthesized signal level [ s *]=([ r ]+[ c ]), from latent image forming means 31 the light in a quantity of light corresponding to each of the respective color signal levels is projected upon photoreceptor drum 1 ( imagewise exposed ), whereby on the photosensitive layer of photoimage receptor drum 1 is formed an electrostatic latent image composed of various colors consisting of the potentials corresponding to the synthesized signal waveform as shown in fig4 . the thus obtained electrostatic latent image is separated into a first group of chromatic color signal levels ( g , b and c ) and a second group of chromatic color signal levels ( m , y and r ), both groups being formed on both sides of the achromatic color signal levels ( w , b ), and these groups are separable from the achromatic color signal levels . accordingly , on the basis of the achromatic color signal levels , the respective chromatic colors of the above first and second groups are separately developed , whereby a desired color ( monochromatic or mixed color )- having color image can be obtained ( the oblique - lined area in fig4 represents the developable region : the same will apply hereinafter ). in this instance , the synthesized color signal output level [ s *] and their member color signal output levels [ r ] and [ c ] for the respective image color components are as follows : ______________________________________componentg y r m b c w b______________________________________ [ r ] 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 [. sup .-- c ] ## str1 ## ## str2 ## 0 ## str3 ## ## str4 ## 1 1 0 [ s *] ## str5 ## ## str6 ## 0 ## str7 ## ## str8 ## a + b b a______________________________________ ( in the table , the difference between the signal level w and the signal level b is 1 ) wherein the absolute values of a and b are arbitrary , and since only the ratio of a to b is in question , the k as given below can be introduced : ## equ1 ## accordingly , now , if [ z ]=[ s *]/( a + b ), from the above table the color signal levels for the respective image color components are as given in the following table . ______________________________________g y r m b cwb______________________________________ [ z ] ## str9 ## ## str10 ## 0 ## str11 ## ## str12 ## 11 - kk______________________________________ this relation , if k is taken on the axis of abscissa and [ z ] on the axis of ordinate for each color signal level , is as shown in fig4 ( b )( hereinafter called &# 34 ; level variable graph &# 34 ;). in the figure , the area indicated with oblique lines shows the achromatic color signal levels ( the same shall apply herein - after ). that is , if the vector represented by the coordinate points in the figure is expressed as ( k [ z ])( value k shall be placed before value [ z ] hereinafter ), the straight line between ( 0 , 0 ) and ( 1 , 1 )( diagonal ) represents the color signal level of b , and the line between ( 0 , 1 ) and ( 1 , 0 ) represents the color signal level of w . therefore , the color signal level of grey g shows in each k a medium value between the color signal values of b and w , and the straight line representing the color signal level of g passes the point ( 1 / 2 , 1 / 2 ). also , in the synthesized color signal level [ s *], the color signal levels of b and g are indicated by the straight line between ( 0 , 1 / 2 ) and ( 1 , 1 ), the color signal levels of y and m are indicated by the straight line between ( 0 , 1 / 2 ) and ( 1 , 0 ), c by the straight line between ( 0 , 1 ) and ( 1 , 1 ), and r by the line between ( 0 , 0 ) and ( 1 , 0 ). regardless of the value of k , [ z ] for c = 1 and [ z ] for r = 0 . if the straight line representing a chromatic color signal level falls on the color signal level of w or b , or is included in the foregoing region of grey , the chromatic color signal level part can not be separated from the achromatic color signal level . in this instance , a different optical separation method and the selection of k according thereto can be taken . as may be understood from the level variable graph shown in fig4 ( b ), if a filter characteristic of dichroic mirror 40 is selected along with the selection of values of the above constants a and b and if k is 1 / 3 & lt ; k & lt ; 1 , then all the chromatic ( g , y , r , m , b and c ) color signal levels can be separated from the achromatic ( w , b ) color signal levels . in this case , for example , as in fig4 ( a ), if the selection is made so that a = 1 , b = 1 , i . e ., k = 1 / 2 , the foregoing separation becomes possible . on the other hand , as for c and r , regardless of the value of k ( as mentioned previously 0 & lt ; k & lt ; 1 ), the achromatic signal level can be separated . fig5 ( a ) shows an output level chart in the case where the filter &# 39 ; s function in fig3 is reversed ( i . e ., the k component light is reflected from and the b and g component lights are transmitted through mirror 40 ). therefore , the synthesized signal level [ s *]( k [ c ]+( 1 - k )[ r ]) gives a level variable graph as shown in fig5 ( b ), wherein k is 0 & lt ; k & lt ; 2 / 3 , whereby all the chromatic color signal levels can be separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this instance , the selection should be made so that , e . g ., as shown in fig5 ( a ), ## equ2 ## further , as can be read from fig5 ( b ), if ## equ3 ## the specific chromatic color signal levels r and c can be separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this case , for example , a = 3 and b = 1 should be selected . fig6 shows an example of the case where a dichroic mirror 40 that reflects the g component light and allows the transmission of the b and r component lights therethrough is used . therefore , the output level chart of ccd41 and ccd42 is as shown in fig6 ( a ), and of these the output of ccd42 is inverted to be [ g ], and when synthesized with the other output [ m ], the synthesized signal level [ s *]( a [ m ]+ b [ g ]) and the level variable graph of ( k [ m ]+( 1 - k )[ g ]) are as follows : ______________________________________image color componentsg y r m b c wb______________________________________a [ m ]+ b [. sup .-- g ] a + b ## str13 ## ## str14 ## 0 ## str15 ## ## str16 ## bak [ m ] + ( 1 - k )[. sup .-- g ] 1 ## str17 ## ## str18 ## 0 ## str19 ## ## str20 ## 1 - kk______________________________________ this level variable graph is as shown in fig6 ( b ). if 0 & lt ; k & lt ; 2 / 3 , all the chromatic color signal levels can be separated from the achromatic color signal levels . for example , k = 1 / 2 which is advantageous for the selection from the level variable graph may be selected to make a = b = 1 ( giving the output level chart of fig6 ( a )), or k = 1 / 4 may be selected to make a = 1 and b = 3 . further , if ## equ4 ## from the achromatic color signal levels ( w and b ), the chromatic color signal levels of g and m alone can be selected . in this instance , for example , [ s *] may be synthesized with a = 3 and b = 1 from k = 3 / 4 . in addition , the chromatic colors of g and m , regardless of whether the chromatic color signal levels of the other chromatic colors y , c , r and b are separated or not from the achromatic color signal levels , can be separated from the whole 0 & lt ; k & lt ; 1 region . fig7 shows another example , wherein in place of the above - mentioned dichroic mirror 40 , a half mirror is used , and in the paths 32a and 32b are arranged a green filter gf and a neutral density filter nd , respectively ( nd filter is allowed to be omitted ). the output level chart in this instance is as shown in fig7 ( a ), wherein output [ n ] is obtained from ccd42 and output [ g ] from ccd41 . if the output [ n ] is inverted to be synthesized with the output [ g ], all the chromatic color signal levels of g , c , y and r , m and b are separated to be formed on both sides of the achromatic color signal levels of w and b . this synthesized signal level [ s *]( a [ g ]+ b [ n ]) and the level variable graph of [ z ]( k [ g ]+( 1 - k )[ n ]) are expressed as follows : __________________________________________________________________________ image color components g y r m b c w b__________________________________________________________________________a [ g ] + b [. sup .-- n ] ## str21 ## ## str22 ## ## str23 ## ## str24 ## ## str25 ## ## str26 ## b ak [ g ] + ( 1 - k )[. sup .-- n ] ## str27 ## ## str28 ## ## str29 ## ## str30 ## ## str31 ## ## str32 ## 1 - k k__________________________________________________________________________ this is shown in fig7 ( b ). if 2 / 5 & lt ; k & lt ; 1 , also , all the chromatic color signal levels can be separated to be formed on both sides of the achromatic color signal levels . in this case , if k = 1 / 2 , [ s *] is synthesized with a = b = 1 ( fig7 ( a )). further as is apparent from fig7 ( b ), only the chromatic color signal levels of m and g , in the range of ## equ5 ## are specified to be separated from the achromatic color signal levels ( w and b ), but r , b and y , c are not separated . in this instance , a = 3 and b = 7 can be selected . in addition , in this synthesis , no chromatic color signals are produced which can be separated over the entire region of k regardless of the value of k . as described previously , in the present invention , as to the separation of chromatic color signal levels from the achromatic signal levels , an original color image is first optically divided into two groups of color image information - having color signal levels , the signal levels are multiplied by constants , and then the synthesis and separation can be carried out , and thus the output level chart and level variable graph which suggest the procedure of synthesis are obtained . of the chart and graph one that directly clear the synthesis procedure is the level variable graph , so that the graph alone will be used hereinafter for the description of examples of the method of this invention . in addition , the symbols that will be used hereinafter are as defined previously . on the reflection side . . . nd filter ( allowed to be omitted ) __________________________________________________________________________g y r m b c w b__________________________________________________________________________ ## str33 ## ## str34 ## ## str35 ## ## str36 ## ## str37 ## ## str38 ## 1 - k k ## str39 ## __________________________________________________________________________ all the chromatic color signal levels ( g , y , r , m , b and c ) are separated from the achromatic color signal levels ( w and b ). in this case , e . g ., a = b = 1 may be used . ## equ6 ## specific chromatic signal levels ( g and m ) are separated from the achromatic color signal levels ( w , b ). in this case , e . g ., a = 3 and b = 1 may be used . in addition , in the ## equ7 ## range , no chromatic color signal levels can be separated from the achromatic color signal levels . on the transmission side . . . nd filter ( allowed to be omitted ) all the chromatic color signal levels are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this instance , e . g ., a = b = 1 may be used . ## equ9 ## specific chromatic color signal levels ( c and r ) are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in addition , in this [ s *], in the ## equ10 ## range , no chromatic color signal levels can be separated from the achromatic color signal levels . the chromatic color signal levels of c , g and r , m are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this instance , e . g ., a = b = 1 may be used . in addition , the chromatic color signal levels of b and y , since they fall on the achromatic color signal levels of b and w , respectively , over the whole region of k , cannot be separated therefrom . further , in the ## equ12 ## range , no chromatic color signal levels can be separated . separation by [ s *]= a [ c ]+ b [ y ]: the chromatic color signal levels of y , r , b and c are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this case , e . g ., a = b = 1 may be used . ## equ14 ## the chromatic color signals of y and b alone are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this case , a = 1 and b = 2 may be used . ## equ15 ## the chromatic color signal levels of r and c alone are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this instance , e . g ., a = 2 and b = 1 may be used . in this synthesized signal level [ s *], the chromatic color signal levels are always 1 / 2 regardless of the value of k , and included in the achromatic color signal level region , and therefore it is impossible to separate the chromatic color signal levels therefrom . the chromatic color signal levels of c , g and r , m are separated from the achromatic color signal levels regardless of the value of k ( provided , 0 & lt ; k & lt ; 1 ). in this instance , e . g ., a = b = 1 may be used . in addition , in this synthesized signal level [ s *], the chromatic color signal levels of b and y fall on the achromatic color signal levels of b and w , and therefore it is impossible to separate the chromatic color signal levels therefrom . the chromatic color signal levels of c , g , and r , m are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this case , a = b = 1 may be used . ## equ17 ## the chromatic color signal levels of c and r alone are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this instance , a = 1 and b = 2 may be used . ## equ18 ## the chromatic color signal levels of m and g alone are separated from the achromatic color signal levels . in this case , e . g ., a = 2 and b = 1 may be used . in addition , the chromatic colors of y and b are in the 0 & lt ; k & lt ; 1 range , and their chromatic color signal levels each is always 1 / 2 and included in the achromatic color signal level region , and therefore the separation of the chromatic color signal levels is impossible . a number of examples based on the embodiment of this invention have been described above . the embodiment of this invention includes various types of separation of the components of color image information from an original image into two groups and synthesis of the separated groups , the types of two groups including , e . g ., a group of primary colors and the other group of complementary or mixed colors thereof ; monochromatic colors and different monochromatic colors ; monochromatic colors and white ; mixed colors and different mixed colors ; and the like , and there also are still many similar type of separation and synthesis . the above - mentioned similar types and advancing them up to a necessary stage are together included in the embodiment of the present invention . further , in the toner development stage that will be described hereinafter , the color separation for the synthesis [ s *] into which the reversal relation is introduced by the combined use of the development bias or constant electrostatic charging can be further secured , and even in the case of the synthesis [ s ] into which no reversal relation is introduced , chromatic color signal levels can be easily separated from the achromatic color signal levels . an example of the case where the electrical bias applying to the developing zone is used in combination will be explained . is synthesized , and on the basis of this [ s *], lights in quantities corresponding to the respective color signal levels are emitted from latent image forming means 31 , and photoreceptor drum 1 is exposed imagewise to the lights , and thus a latent image for the respective colors consisting of the potentials corresponding to the output level chart of synthesized signal level shown in fig1 . the thus obtained synthesized color signal level or electrostatic latent image has a first group of chromatic color signal levels ( m , b and c ) and a second group of chromatic color signal levels ( g , y and r ) formed on both sides of the achromatic color signal levels ( w and b ), and these are separable from the achromatic color signal levels . and in the subsequent development , if the development bias ( voltage ) is set to v d1 or v d2 , for example , the blue color signal level ( b ) or yellow color signal level ( y ) alone is selected , and either of these colors alone is selectively developed to form a visible image ( the oblique - lined area in fig1 represents the developable region ). in order to selectively form a specific color signal level in this way , as is shown in fig1 ( a ), the respective developing means , e . g ., 13a and 13b , has development sleeves 45a and 45b , and d . c . voltages v d1 and v d2 are applied to between 45a and grounding level and between 45b and grounding level , respectively . in this instance , a negatively charged toner is put in developing means 13a and positively charged toner in 13b . there are various ways to apply the development bias ; for example , as is shown in fig1 ( b ), the manner of making d . c . bias v d variable to select v d1 or v d2 may be useful . fig1 and 17 show an example in which as the means to select a specific color signal level a constant electrostatic charging is used in place of the above development bias . that is , after a synthesized information is formed in the same manner as in above on photoreceptor drum 1 , the entire area of the photoreceptor drum is negatively charged constantly by electrostatic charging electrode ( e . g ., corona charger ) 47 . as a result , as is shown in fig1 , the electric potential of the whole synthesized information is lowered and the yellow color signal level [ y ] alone shows positive polarity , so that this can be selectively visualized by the subsequent developing process . reference is now made to fig1 for the description of another image forming apparatus . in this example , however , description of those common to fig1 will be omitted with only the application of common symbols . according to this example , a half mirror 50 is arranged in the path of the light from an original image . while the reflected light from the half mirror is led through a filter 51 to be incident upon photoreceptor drum 1 , the light transmitted through the half mirror 50 is led through a filter 52 to be incident upon ccd53 , and the output from the ccd is processed in an image signal processor 54 , and then the processed signal is fed into an electrostatic recording means 55 such as a multi - stylus or ion control electrode , etc . in producing a recording signal output from the recording means 55 to the photoreceptor drum , the image information which was transmitted through filter 51 and the recording means 55 are synchronized on the photoreceptor drum by the image signal processor . referring to fig2 for this process , by using a blue filter as the filter 51 , the lights from the b , m , c and w sections of an original are made incident upon the photosensitive layer 56 of the already overall negatively charged photoreceptor drum 1 to eliminate selectively the negative charge on the surface of the drum . on the other hand , by using an yellow filter as the above filter 52 , an output as shown in the drawing is obtained from ccd53 , and processed in the image signal processor 54 to be converted into the voltage to be applied to the electrostatic recording means 55 or into the ionic current to the photoreceptor . and when the recording information by the recording means 55 and the image information on the photoreceptor are synthesized on the photoreceptor , as shown in the drawing , the chromatic color signal levels of a group of m , b and c and a group of g , y and r separated to be formed on both side of the white color signal level of w and black color signal level of b can be obtained . further , from these levels the blue color signal level ( b ) and yellow color signal level ( y ) are selected by the development bias v d1 or v d2 and developed . for this reason , as shown in fig1 , the respective developing means may be provided with a switch 46 for selecting v d1 or v d2 . the d . c . bias v d1 or v d2 may be connected with a . c . bias ac 1 or ac 2 , respectively . the addition of the a . c . bias activates the alternating electric field produced in the developing region to unravel the developer to exert an effect such as the improvement of image density . in the example shown in fig1 through 20 , a plurality of components of image information are digitally obtained on the one hand and analogously obtained on the other hand , but they have the inverted relation with each other in respect that two pieces of image information are in the positive and negative forms on the photoreceptor drum . fig2 and 22 show still another example . this is so constructed that the selection of the above color signal levels are performed in image signal processor 43 that functions to reverse and synthesize components of color image information . accordingly , the example has no such constant electrostatic charging means as mentioned above . that is , in image signal processor 43 , as in the example of fig1 , a synthesized signal level [ s *]([ y ]+[ b ]) is obtained , and at the same time , as in fig2 , of the color signal levels the ones other than the blue color signal level ( b ) and yellow color signal level ( y ) are cut out . for this reason a comparator is provided to the signal processor 43 to select the specific color signal level [ b ] or [ y ] by reference voltages v s1 and v s2 . either of these selected color signal levels is then amplified sufficiently by an amplifier . and , on the basis of the amplified color signal level , on the photoreceptor drum 1 the corresponding electrostatic latent image is formed by latent image forming means 31 , and the latent image is developed in the subsequent development process , whereby a blue or yellow visible image is selectively obtained . reference is now made to fig1 , 23 and 24 for an example of the application of the present invention to an np photoreceptor of the prior art . in this process , as shown in fig2 , one having an insulating layer 57 thereon is used as the photoreceptor 1 , and a secondary charger 30 &# 39 ; indicated with a broken line in fig1 is used as the charger to be added behind the primary charger 30 . and the primary charger 30 positively charges the entire surface of photoreceptor 1 , while the secondary charger 30 &# 39 ; negatively charges the entire surface of the same . and then , if an imagewise exposure 58 corresponding to the synthesized information [ y ]+[ g ] of fig2 ( a ) obtained by image signal processor 43 as shown in fig1 is made by latent image forming means 31 , then the charge pattern formed on the photoreceptor 1 according to the synthesized information is as given in fig2 ( b ). as a result , as in the case of fig2 , opposite - polarity chromatic color signal levels of a group of b , m and c and another group of y , g and r are separated to be formed on both sides of the achromatic color signal levels to thereby enable the selective development of desired colors as in the above manner . in addition , where the np photoreceptor is used , a charge pattern other than the above one can also be obtained ; for example , a negative pattern by forming all the color signal levels on one polarity side can be obtained , or the same pattern as in fig2 or negative or positive pattern by positive or negative polarity can also be obtained by simultaneous exposure at the time of the secondary charging . the following is an example of the application of this invention to a color image forming apparatus which uses a photosensitive screen . as is shown in fig2 , on the apparatus is provided a receprocatingly movable document glass plate 61 . an original 44 placed on the document glass plate 61 is illuminated by an illuminating lamp 62 . the numbered 63 and 64 are mirrors , 39 is a fixed lens , and 47 &# 39 ; is a movable dichroic filter mirror that reflects a given chromatic light and allows the transmission therethrough of the light having the complementary color relation with the chromatic light and is arranged so as to get in and out of the optical path . the drum - like photoreceptor 1 has on the surface thereof a photosensitive layer 56 . when the photoreceptor drum rotates clockwise , the photosensitive layer 56 is uniformly charged by a corona charger 24 . the photosensitive layer 56 is made of an organic semiconductor or the like . around the photoreceptor 1 are arranged a charger 24 that uniformly charges the photosensitive layer 56 , developing means 48 , 49 , . . . which contain various color toners ( in practice , the required number of developing means for desired colors out of g , y , r , m , b , c and b are to be arranged , but in the drawing only two developing means are indicated as an example ), and the like . on the other hand , outside the photoreceptor drum a photosensitive screen drum 17 is arranged so that the photoconductive layer thereof faces opposite to the photoreceptor drum , the drum 17 being arranged so as to rotate counterclockwise synchronously with document glass plate 61 and photosensitive layer 56 . also , on the periphery of the drum 17 are arranged screen charger 28 , screen neutralizer 69 made of an el ( electroluminescence ) plate or an ac corona neutralizer , etc ., and charge particle source ( corona discharger ) 19 that shoots charge particles at the point inside the screen drum 17 facing opposite to the photoreceptor 1 . the photosensitive screen 17 has a large number of fine aperture 10 as partly shown in fig2 a and 27a , and comprises a conductive screen 11 such as of stainless steel one side of which is exposed and the other side of which is provided with an insulating layer 13 such as of methacrylic resin , etc ., on which is further provided with a conductive layer for bias 14 such as of aluminum and a photoconductive layer such as of azo dyes , selenium - type material , amorphous silicon , cadmium sulfide , zinc oxide , etc . in addition , the photosensitive screen 17 is allowed to be of a different construction such as , for example , the construction as shown in fig2 b . further , other constructions of the prior art may also be used . fig2 shows the process of forming a positive latent image by selectively attaching charge onto photoreceptor drum by the above photosensitive screen 17 . firstly , as shown in fig2 a , the entire surface of the photoconductive layer 15 of photosensitive screen drum 17 is negatively charged by the above charger 28 , and secondly , as shown in fig2 b , the negative charge is selectively eliminated or reduced by imagewise exposure light 32 . further , as shown in fig2 c , when the above - mentioned charge particle source 19 shoots positive ion particles at the photosensitive screen 17 , the positive ion particles pass through the negatively charged region to attach in a given quantity and in a given pattern form onto the photosensitive layer 56 , thereby forming a positive - polarity electrostatic latent image . in addition , in the drawing , v 1 is a bias supply , v 2 is a power supply for discharge , and v 3 is a d . c . power supply . reference is now made to fig2 and 29 for illustrating the image forming process which uses photosensitive screen 17 , provided the screen is schematically shown in the drawings . the photosensitive screen 17 and photosensitive layer 56 are first overall negatively charged , and then exposed to the light from an original 44 . in this case , as the foregoing dichroic filter mirror 47 &# 39 ; one functioning to reflect the b component light out of the reflected light from an original and to allow the transmission therethrough of the g and r component lights is used . as a result , as shown in the drawing , a given quantity of negative charge remains in a pattern form on the photosensitive screen 17 and photosensitive layer 56 . after that , when the charge particle source 19 shoots positive ion particles , the positive ion particles pass through the negatively charged region of positive screen 17 and reach the photosensitive layer 56 , whereby a newly synthesized electrostatic latent image from the negative charge and the positive charge that has passed through the photosensitive screen 17 is formed on the photosensitive layer 56 . in fig2 , the bias of photosensitive screen 17 is not shown , but in practice , as in fig2 c , bias v 1 is applied to the photosensitive screen 17 to control the flow of the above positive ion particles . that is , as shown in fig2 , if bias v 1 is controlled to be , e . g ., a slightly low bias v &# 39 ; 1 , the ion particles passing through the photosensitive screen ( passing current ) increases . consequently , a given quantity of positive ion particles pass through even the part where the screen surface potential is zero . therefore , on the photoreceptor 1 is formed an electrostatic latent image comprised of the achromatic color signal levels of w and b on both sides of which are formed the chromatic color signal levels separated into a group of [ g ], [ y ] and [ r ] and a group of [ m ], [ b ] and [ c ], but the blue color signal level of [ b ] alone becomes of negative polarity . in other words , the blue color signal level is selected by bias v &# 39 ; 1 , and visualized by a positive - polarity toner in the subsequent developing process . in addition , in this process , when the charge image ( image information [ y ]) on the photosensitive layer 56 after imagewise exposure and the charge image ( image information [ b ]) on the photosensitive screen 17 are synthesized , the polarity of the image information [ b ] is inverted by the positive ion particles from particle source 19 , whereby a synthesized information ([ y ]+[ b ]) is obtained . the examples of the present invention have been described above , but are further modifiable on the basis of the technical idea of this invention . for example , the image information for use in the synthesis as one of process is allowed to comprise not less than three different components of image information , and in order to effect the synthesis , the optical means may be variously modified . further the method of the synthesis also is not limited to the above - described ones . furthermore , the above - described manners of selecting specific color signal levels may also be modified ; for example , desired color signal levels may be selected by adding a given voltage ( or current ) to the output voltage ( or current ) of the latent image forming means such as the multistylus , ion flow control electrode , etc . the present invention , as has been described , is such that a plurality of components of image information are obtained through optical means , of which the chromatic color signal levels are processed so as to be separably synthesized from the achromatic color signal levels , and further , from the synthesized information specific color signal levels can be selected up to a necessary stage , and therefore an image corresponding to the condition of desired colors being clearly separated can be reproduced . | 7 |
the selected trinuclear novolak oligomers of formula i are made by reacting the corresponding - para -( lower alkyl or halo )- 2 , 6 - bis ( hydroxymethyl ) phenol ( preferably 2 , 6 - bis -( hydroxymethyl )- p - cresol ) with a polyhydroxy phenyl compound ( preferably , resorcinol , 4 - chlororesorcinol , pyrogallol and phloroglucinol ). this reaction is illustrated below in reaction equation ( a ) wherein x and y are defined as above : ## str6 ## in making this class of novolak oligomers of the present invention , the precursors are preferably present in the reaction vessel in a mole ratio of polyhydroxy phenyl compound or compounds to the 2 , 6 - bis ( hydroxymethyl ) phenol compound or compounds from about 5 : 1 to about 20 : 1 , preferably from about 10 : 1 to about 15 : 1 . the preferred reaction temperature is about 60 °- 100 ° c . for about 2 to 6 hours at atmospheric pressure . preferably , this reaction occurs in the presence of a solvent and an acid catalyst . the preferred solvent is water . suitable acid catalysts include those commonly employed in acid condensation - type reaction such as hcl , h 3 po 4 , h 2 so 4 , oxalic acid , maleic acid , maleic anhydride and organic sulfonic acids ( e . g . p - toluene sulfonic acid ). the most preferred acid catalyst is p - toluene sulfonic acid . excess reaction time may cause undesirable polymerization of the intended product . the preferred ratio of total solids to water is preferably about 0 . 1 grams to about 0 . 5 grams total solids per milliliter of solvent . this condensation reaction will form a mixture of oligomeric novolak species of different molecular weight . when a large molar excess of the polyhydroxy phenyl compound precursor is employed , the major portion by weight of product mixture is the trinuclear novolak oligomer of formula ( i ). the present invention encompasses both substantially pure trinuclear novolak oligomers of formula ( i ) as well as mixtures of such trinuclear novolaks with other species formed by this condensation reaction . the intended product may be recovered from the reaction mixture by first cooling to room temperature or less , then diluting the reaction mixture with more solvent ( i . e . water ) and then isolating the solid product by filtration . this crude product may be washed with water and directly dried or , alternatively , after isolation it may be redissolved in acetone and filtered before solvent evaporation . the preferred novolak oligomers are made from the reaction of 2 , 6 - bis ( hydroxymethyl )- p - cresol with resorcinol ( see formula ia ); with 4 - chlororesorcinol ( see formula ib ); with pyrogallol ( see formula ic ); and with phloroglucinol ( see formula id ), all of which are as follows : ## str7 ## the novolak oligomers of this invention may be converted into the photoactive compounds ( pacs ) of formula ii by their condensation with o - naphthoquinone diazide sulfonyl compounds . any o - naphthoquinone diazide sulfonyl compound used in making photoresist sensitizers may be employed herein . the most preferred o - naphthoquinone diazide sulfonyl ester moieties are derived from 3 - diazo - 3 , 4 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride ( also known as 1 , 2 - naphtho - quinone -( 2 )- diazo - 4 - sulfonic acid chloride or diazo m ) or 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride ( also known as 1 , 2 - napthoquinone -( 2 )- diazo - 5 - sulfonic acid chloride or diazo l ). these 4 - and 5 - ester groups or moieties respectively have the following chemical formulae ( iii ) and ( iv ): ## str8 ## it is understood that present invention covers the use of o - naphthoquinone diazide sulfonyl moieties singly or in mixtures in the condensation reaction with these novolak oligomers . also , the present invention encompasses separate reactions of these novolak oligomers with different o - naphthoquinone diazide sulfonyl moieties followed by blending those reaction products together . this condensation reaction may be carried under any conventional ester condensation conditions . preferably , these ester compounds of formula ( ii ), above , are prepared by first dissolving the sulfonic acid halide precursor , preferably , the sulfonic acid chloride , in a suitable solvent . suitable solvents include acetone , dioxane , gamma - butyrolactone , methylene chloride , tetrahydrofurfural alcohol and the like . the trinuclear novolak oligomer of formula ( i ) is then added to this solution . it is advantageous to carry out this reaction in the presence of an acid - scavenging base , such as alkali metal carbonates or bicarbonates , alkaline earth metal carbonates or bicarbonates , tertiary aliphatic amines or pyridine or pyridine derivatives . the esterification products of this reaction may be recovered from the reaction mixture by any conventional means , preferably by precipition into acidified water , followed by filtration and drying . the preferred photoactive compounds ( sometimes known as &# 34 ; sensitizers &# 34 ;) are those made from the preferred novolak oligomer precursors listed above , namely , 2 , 6 - bis ( hydroxymethyl )- p - cresol with resorcinol ( see formula iia ); with 4 - chlororesorcinol ( see formula iib ); with pyrogallol ( see formula iic ); and with phloroglucinol ( see formula iid ), all of which are as follows : ## str9 ## in these photoactive compounds , the d is most preferably 3 - diazo - 3 , 4 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonyl ; 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonyl or hydrogen with the proviso that at least three of the ds are one or both of said sulfonyl moieties . at least one of the ester compounds of the present invention may be mixed with an alkali - soluble resin or resins to make radiation sensitive mixtures which are useful as positive - working photoresist compositions . the term &# 34 ; alkali - soluble resin &# 34 ; is used herein to means a resin which will dissolve completely in an aqueous alkaline developing solution conventionally used with positive - working photoresist compositions . suitable alkali - soluble resins include phenol - formaldehyde novolak resins , cresol - formaldehyde novolak resins , and polyvinyl phenol resins , preferably having a molecular weight of about 500 to about 40 , 000 , and more preferably from about 800 to 20 , 000 . these novolak resins are preferably prepared by the condensation reaction of phenol or cresols with formaldehyde and are characterized by being light - stable , water - insoluble , alkali - soluble and film - forming . the most preferred class of novolak resins is formed by the condensation reaction between a mixture of meta - and para - cresols with formaldehyde having a molecular weight of about 1 , 000 to about 10 , 000 . the preparation of examples of such suitable resins is disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 377 , 631 ; 4 , 529 , 682 ; and 4 , 587 , 196 , all which issued to medhat toukhy and are incorporated herein by references in their entireties . other photoactive compounds may also be added to the radiation sensitive mixtures of the present invention . these other photoactive compounds may include o - quinonediazide esters derived from polyhydric phenols , alkyl - polyhydroxyphenones , aryl - polyhydroxyphenones , and the like which can contain up to six or more sites for esterification . the most preferred o - quinonediazide esters are derived from 3 - diazo - 3 , 4 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride and 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride . when other photoactive compounds are used in radiation sensitive mixtures besides the photoactive compounds of the present invention , the amount of photoactive compounds of the present invention should be at least about 5 % by weight , preferably 10 - 100 % by weight of the total photoactive compounds present . the proportion of the photoactive compound in the radiation sensitive mixture may preferably range from about 5 to about 40 %, more preferably from about 10 to about 25 % by weight of the non - volatile ( e . g . non - solvent ) content of the radiation sensitive mixture . the proportion of total binder resin of this present invention in the radiation sensitive mixture may preferably range from about 60 to about 95 %, more preferably , from about 75 to 90 % of the non - volatile ( e . g . excluding solvents ) solids content of the radiation sensitive mixture . these radiation sensitive mixtures may also contain conventional photoresist composition ingredients such as solvents , actinic and contrast dyes , anti - striation agents , plasticizers , speed enhancers , and the like . these additional ingredients may be added to the binder resin and photoactive compound before the solution is coated onto the substrate . the resins and sensitizers may be dissolved in a solvent or solvents to facilitate their application to the substrate . examples of suitable solvents include methoxyacetoxy propane , ethyl cellosole acetate , n - butyl acetate , ethyl lactate , ethyl 3 - ethoxy propionate , propylene glycol alkyl ether acetates , or mixtures thereof and the like . cosolvents such as xylene or n - butylacetate may also be used . the preferred amount of solvent may be from about 50 % to about 500 %, or higher , by weight , more preferably , from about 100 % to about 400 % by weight , based on combined resin and sensitizer weight . actinic dyes help provide increased resolution on highly reflective surfaces by inhibiting back scattering of light off the substrate . this back scattering causes the undesirable effect of optical notching , especially on a highly reflective substrate topography . examples of actinic dyes include those that absorb light energy at approximately 400 - 460 nm [ e . g . fat brown b ( c . i . no . 12010 ); fat brown rr ( c . i . no . 11285 ); 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 4 - naphthoquinone ( c . i . no . 75480 ) and quinoline yellow a ( c . i . no . 47000 )] and those that absorb light energy at approximately 300 - 340 nm [ e . g . 2 , 5 - diphenyloxazole ( ppo - chem . abs . reg . no . 92 - 71 - 7 ) and 2 -( 4 - biphenyl )- 6 - phenyl - benzoxazole ( pbbo - chem . abs . reg . no . 17064 - 47 - 0 )]. the amount of actinic dyes may be up to ten percent weight levels , based on the combined weight of resin and sensitizer . contrast dyes enhance the visibility of the developed images and facilitate pattern alignment during manufacturing . examples of contrast dye additives that may be used together with the radiation sensitive mixtures of the present invention include solvent red 24 ( c . i . no . 26105 ), basic fuchsin ( c . i . 42514 ), oil blue n ( c . i . no . 61555 ) and calco red a ( c . i . no . 26125 ) up to ten percent weight levels , based on the combined weight of resin and sensitizer . anti - striation agents level out the photoresist coating or film to a uniform thickness . anti - striation agents may be used up to five percent weight levels , based on the combined weight of resin and sensitizer . one suitable class of anti - striation agents is non - ionic silicon - modified polymers . non - ionic surfactants may also be used for this purpose , including , for example , nonylphenoxy poly ( ethyleneoxy ) ethanol ; octylphenoxy ( ethyleneoxy ) ethanol ; and dinonyl phenoxy poly ( ethyleneoxy ) ethanol . plasticizers improve the coating and adhesion properties of the photoresist composition and better allow for the application of a thin coating or film of photoresist which is smooth and of uniform thickness onto the substrate . plasticizers which may be used include , for example , phosphoric acid tri -( b - chloroethyl )- ester ; stearic acid ; dicamphor ; polypropylene ; acetal resins ; phenoxy resins ; and alkyl resins up to ten percent weight levels , based on the combined weight of resin and sensitizer . speed enhancers tend to increase the solubility of the photoresist coating in both the exposed and unexposed areas , and thus , they are used in applications where speed of development is the overriding consideration even though some degree of contrast may be sacrificed , i . e . in positive resists while the exposed areas of the photoresist coating will be dissolved more quickly by the developer , the speed enhancers will also cause a larger loss of photoresist coating from the unexposed areas . speed enhancers that may be used include , for example , picric acid , nicotinic acid or nitrocinnamic acid at weight levels of up to 20 percent , based on the combined weight of resin and sensitizer . the prepared radiation sensitive resist mixture , can be applied to a substrate by any conventional method used in the photoresist art , including dipping , spraying , whirling and spin coating . when spin coating , for example , the resist mixture can be adjusted as to the percentage of solids content in order to provide a coating of the desired thickness given the type of spinning equipment and spin speed utilized and the amount of time allowed for the spinning process . suitable substrates include silicon , aluminum or polymeric resins , silicon dioxide , doped silicon dioxide , silicon resins , gallium arsenide , silicon nitride , tantalum , copper , polysilicon , ceramics and aluminum / copper mixtures . the coating surfaces of these substrates may or may not be primed with a conventional adhesion promoter ( e . g . hexamethyldisilazane ) before the photoresist coating is applied . the photoresist coatings produced by the above described procedure are particularly suitable for application to silicon wafers coated with a silicon dioxide or silicon nitride layer such as are utilized in the production of microprocessors and other miniaturized integrated circuit components . an aluminum or aluminum - coated substrates may be used as well . the substrate may also comprise various polymeric resins especially transparent polymers such as polyesters and polyolefins . after the resist solution is coated onto the substrate , the coated substrate is baked at approximately 70 ° c . to 125 ° c . until substantially all the solvent has evaporated and only a uniform radiation sensitive coating remains on the substrate . the coated substrate can then be exposed to radiation , especially ultraviolet radiation , in any desired exposure pattern , produced by use of suitable masks , negatives , stencils , templates , and the like . conventional imaging process or apparatus currently used in processing photoresist - coated substrates may be employed with the present invention . while ultraviolet ( uv ) light is the preferred source of radiation , other sources of radiation such as visible light , electron or ion beam and x - ray radiant energy may be instead used . the exposed resist - coated substrates are preferably subjected to a post exposure bake at a temperature from about 90 ° c . to about 120 ° c . from about 30 - 300 seconds to enhance image quality and resolution . the exposed resist - coated substrates are next developed in an aqueous alkaline developing solution . this solution is preferably agitated , for example , by nitrogen gas agitation . examples of aqueous alkaline developers include aqueous solutions of tetramethylammonium hydroxide , sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , ethanolamine , choline , sodium phosphates , sodium carbonate , sodium metasilicate , and the like . the preferred developers for this invention are aqueous solutions of either alkali metal hydroxides , phosphates or silicates , or mixtures thereof , or tetramethylammonium hydroxide . alternative development techniques such as spray development or puddle development , or combinations thereof , may also be used . the substrates are allowed to remain in the developer until all of the resist coating has dissolved from the exposed areas . normally , development times from about 10 seconds to about 3 minutes are employed . after selective dissolution of the coated wafers in the developing solution , they are preferably subjected to a deionized water rinse to fully remove the developer or any remaining undesired portions of the coating and to stop further development . this rinsing operation ( which is part of the development process ) may be followed by blow drying with filtered air to remove excess water . a post - development heat treatment or bake may then be employed to increase the coating &# 39 ; s adhesion and chemical resistance to etching solutions and other substances . the post - development heat treatment can comprise the baking of the coating and substrate below the coating &# 39 ; s thermal deformation temperature . in industrial applications , particularly in the manufacture of microcircuitry units on silicon / silicon dioxide - type substrates , the developed substrates may then be treated with a buffered hydrofluoric acid etching solution or plasma gas etch . the resist compositions of the present invention are believed to be resistant to a wide variety of acid etching solutions or plasma gases and provide effective protection for the resist - coated areas of the substrate . later , the remaining areas of the photoresist coating may be removed from the etched substrate surface by conventional photoresist stripping operations . the present invention is further described in detail by means of the following examples . all parts and percentages are by weight unless explicitly stated otherwise . a one liter three - necked reaction flask was fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus , a y arm , and a thermometer . to the flask was added 2 , 6 - bis ( hydroxymethyl )- p - cresol ( recrystallized once from ethanol ) ( 25 . 25 g , 0 . 15 mole ), 4 - chlororesorcinol ( 216 . 8 g , 1 . 50 mole ), p - toluene sulfonic acid monohydrate ( 1 . 0 g ), and water ( 300 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred and heated and to about 80 degrees c . and maintained at about 80 degrees c . for four hours . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and diluted with water ( 300 ml ). the precipitated product was isolated by filtration and washed with water ( 3 l ). the solid product was air - dried at room temperature , dissolved in acetone ( 150 ml ), filtered , and precipitated into water ( 2 l ). the precipitate was isolated and air - dried at 50 degrees c . to leave 50 g solid , 78 % of theory . the titled compound &# 39 ; s purity and structure were established by its liquid chromatogram and its proton nmr and carbon nmr spectra . the liquid chromatogram was obtained using a 5 micron 4 . 5 mm × 250 mm c 8 end capped column . the mobile phase used is 45 % hisb ( high ionic strength buffer ) 55 % acetonitrile . the high ionic strength buffer is made from trifluoroacetic acid anhydride ( 1 . 5 ml ), tetramethylammonium hydroxide pentahydrate ( 1 . 8 g ) and water ( 1 l ). the ph of this solution is adjusted to 3 . 0 +/- 0 . 1 with sodium hydroxide ( 0 . 1n ). the flow is 2 . 5 ml / min . the chromatogram exhibited the following major peaks reported as retention time in minutes and ( area percent ); 2 . 1 min . ( 4 . 5 %), 2 . 6 min . ( 67 . 9 %), 4 . 4 min . ( 4 . 5 %), 6 . 3 min . ( 6 . 1 %). the proton nmr of this oligomer was recorded in acetone d 6 with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . the chemical shifts of the major signals ( all singlets ) are reported as parts per million ( ppm ) downfield from tms ; 2 . 15 ppm , 3 . 82 ppm , 6 . 59 ppm , 6 . 87 ppm , 7 . 09 ppm . the carbon - 13 nmr spectrum of the above solid was recorded in dimethylsulfoxide - d 6 with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . the chemical shifts of the major signals are reported in parts per million ( ppm ) downfield from the tms ; 20 . 30 ppm , 28 . 79 ppm , 103 . 43 ppm , 109 . 23 ppm , 119 . 32 ppm , 127 . 50 ppm , 127 . 64 ppm , 128 . 32 ppm , 130 . 12 ppm , 149 . 86 ppm , 151 . 40 ppm , 154 . 01 ppm . a one liter three - neck flask was fitted a mechanical stirring apparatus , a y - arm and thermometer . to the flask was added 2 , 6 - bis ( hydroxymethyl )- p - cresol ( recrystallized once from ethanol ) ( 8 . 41 g 0 . 05 mole ), resorcinol ( 82 . 6 g , 0 . 75 mole ), p - toluene sulfonic acid monohydrate ( 1 . 37 g ) and water ( 230 ml ). the stirring was begun and the contents of the flask were heated for four hours at 72 - 95 degrees c . after cooling in an ice bath , the resulting solid was isolated by filtration , washed with water ( 1 . 5l ) and dried at 40 - 50 degrees c . under vacuum in a nitrogen atmosphere . the product weighed 13 . 3 g , 75 % of theory . the titled substance &# 39 ; s purity and identity were established from its liquid chromatogram , proton nmr and carbon - 13 nmr spectra . the liquid chromatogram was obtained using a 10 cm apex c 18 column . the mobile phase used is 55 % hisb and 45 % acetnitrile at a 1 ml / min . the chromatogram exhibited the following major peaks reported as retention time in minutes , and ( area percent ); 2 . 64 min . ( 83 . 0 %), 7 . 44 min . ( 15 . 29 %). the proton nmr of the substance was recorded in methanol - d 4 with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . the chemical shifts of the major signals are reported as parts per million ( ppm ) downfield from tms ; 2 . 1 ppm , 3 . 75 ppm , 4 . 9 ppm , 6 . 26 ppm ( doublet of doublets ), 6 . 33 ppm ( doublet ), 6 . 74 ppm , 6 . 87 ppm ( doublet ). a carbon - 13 spectrum of the substance was recorded in mehanol - d 4 with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . the chemical shifts of the major signals are reported in ppm downfield from tms ; 20 . 71 ppm , 30 . 71 ppm , 103 . 37 ppm , 108 . 13 ppm , 119 . 99 ppm , 129 . 36 ppm , 129 . 68 ppm , 130 . 23 ppm , 131 . 97 ppm , 150 . 18 ppm , 155 . 82 ppm , 157 . 52 ppm . a one liter three neck flask was fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus , a y - arm and a thermometer . to the flask was added 2 , 6 - bis ( hydroxymethyl )- p - cresol ( recrystallized once from ethanol ) ( 18 . 29 g , 0 . 1087 mole ), pyrogallol ( 206 g , 1 . 63 mole ), p - toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate ( 3 . 36 g ), and water ( 800 ml ). the stirring was begun and the mixture was heated to about 65 degrees c . and maintained at this temperature for four hours . after cooling in an ice bath , the resulting solid was isolated by filtration and dried under reduced pressure to leave 23 g solid , 55 % of theory . the solid was dissolved in boiling water ( 200 ml ), filtered , the solution concentrated to about 150 ml and allowed to recrystallize at room temperature . the solid was isolated by filtration and dried to leave 18 . 2 g . the titled compound &# 39 ; s purity and identity was established by its liquid chromatogram , proton nmr and carbon - 13 nmr spectra . the liquid chromatogram was obtained with an end capped c 8 5 micron , 4 . 5 × 250 mm column . the mobile phase used was 52 % hisb and 48 % acetonitrile at 1 . 5 ml / min . the chromatogram &# 39 ; s major peaks are expressed as retention time in minutes and ( area percent ); 3 . 46 min . ( 2 . 9 %), 4 . 02 min ., ( 78 . 6 %), 4 . 44 min , ( 6 . 12 %), 5 . 49 min . ( 2 . 12 %), 7 . 18 min . ( 9 . 30 %). the proton nmr of this substance was recorded in methanol - d 4 with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . the chemical shifts of the major signals are reported in parts per million ( ppm ) downfield from tms ; 2 . 1 ppm , 3 . 8 ppm , 4 . 85 ppm , 6 . 3 ppm , 6 . 48 ppm , 6 . 75 ppm . the carbon - 13 nmr spectrum of this substance was recorded in methanol - d 4 with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . the chemical shifts of the major signals are reported downfield from tms ; 20 . 71 ppm , 31 . 09 ppm , 108 . 34 ppm , 120 . 83 ppm , 121 . 28 ppm , 129 . 49 ppm , 129 . 72 ppm , 130 . 43 ppm , 134 . 17 ppm , 144 . 12 ppm , 145 . 29 ppm , 149 . 90 ppm . a 3 l three necked flask was fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus , a y arm , and a thermometer . to the flask was added 2 , 6 - bis ( hydroxymethyl )- p - cresol ( recrystallized once from ethanol ) ( 25 . 26 g , 0 . 15 mole ), phloroglucinol dihydrate ( 364 . 8 g , 2 . 25 moles ), p - toluene sulfonic acid monohydrate ( 6 . 0 g ) and water ( 2400 ml ). stirring was begun and the mixture was heated to 60 degrees c . and maintained at about 60 degrees c . for four hours . the reaction mixture was filtered at the end of the heating period and allowed to cool . the solid was isolated by filtration and was extracted with warm ( about 45 degrees c .) water ( 3 × 2200 ml ). the solid material remaining after extraction was dried in vacuum to leave 13 g of solid . the titled compound &# 39 ; s purity and identity were established by its liquid chromatogram , proton nmr and carbon - 13 nmr spectra . this substance &# 39 ; s liquid chromatogram was obtained using 5 micron 4 . 5 mm × 250 mm endcapped c 8 column . the mobile phase was 52 % hisb and 48 % acetonitrile at 1 . 5 ml / min . the chromatogram exhibited the following major peaks reported as retention time in minutes and ( area percent ); 3 . 32 min . ( 86 . 13 %), 4 . 43 min . ( 11 . 30 %). the proton nmr of this substance was recorded in methanol - d 4 with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . the major signals are reported in parts per million ( ppm ) downfield from the tms ; 2 . 12 ppm , 3 . 82 ppm , 4 . 85 ppm , 5 . 95 ppm , 6 . 95 ppm . the carbon - 13 nmr of this substance was recorded in methanol - d 4 with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . the major signals are reported in parts per million ( ppm ) downfield from the tms ; 20 . 86 ppm , 23 . 99 ppm , 95 . 83 ppm , 107 . 56 ppm , 128 . 88 ppm , 129 . 88 ppm , 130 . 16 ppm , 149 . 65 ppm , 157 . 22 ppm , 157 . 42 ppm . esterification of one mole of novolak oligomer a with three moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - napthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride a one l beaker was wrapped with aluminum foil and fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus and a ph probe . 2 , 6 - bis [( 5 - chloro - 4 , 6 - dihydroxyphenyl ) methyl ]- 4 - methylphenol oligomer ( 12 . 0 g , 0 . 0285 mole ), 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride ( 22 . 95 g , 0 . 0854 mole ), tetrahydrofurfural alcohol ( 400 ml ) and water ( 40 ml ) were mixed into the beaker . triethylamine was added dropwise until the ph had stabilized at 7 . 4 . after stirring for ten minutes , the reaction mixture was acidified to ph 1 . 25 with of 32 % hydrochloric acid ( 1 . 2 g ). this product was precipitated into water ( 2 l ) which had been acidified with 32 % hydrochloric acid ( 19 g ). the yellow product was isolated by filtration , washed with water ( 2 l ), and dried under vacuum 24 hours to yield 31 . 3 of yellow product . the number of components in the mixture was determined using liquid chromotography . a 5 micron 4 . 5 mm × 250 mm endcapped c 8 column was used . the mobile phase was 45 % hisb 55 % acetonitrile at 2 . 5 ml / min . the major components of the chromatogram are reported as retention time in minutes and ( area percent ); 5 . 3 min . ( 2 . 6 %), 6 . 9 min . ( 5 . 5 %), 7 . 6 min . ( 3 . 54 %), 11 . 2 min . ( 20 . 1 %), 17 . 39 min . ( 9 . 7 %), 23 . 9 min . ( 48 . 8 %). esterification of one mole of novolak oligomer a with four moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride a one l beaker was wrapped with aluminum foil and fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus and a ph probe . to the beaker was added 2 , 6 - bis [( 5 - chloro - 2 , 4 - dihydroxyphenyl ) methyl ]- 4 - methylphenol oligomer ( 10 . 0 g 0 . 0234 mole ), 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo1 - naphthalene sulfonic acid chloride ( 24 . 98 g , 0 . 093 mole ) tetrahydrofurfural alcohol ( 440 ml ) and water ( 40 ml ). to the stirred reaction mixture was added triethylamine until the ph of the mixture was stable at 7 . 7 . after stirring one hour the reaction mixture was quenched with 32 % hydrochloric acid ( 1 . 8 g ). the product was precipitated into water ( 2 l ) which had been acidified with 32 % hydrochloric acid ( 19 g ). the solid was isolated by filtration , washed with water ( 4 l ), and dried under vacuum 24 hours to yield 32 . 1 g of yellow product . the number of components in the mixture was determined by liquid chromatography . a 5 micron 4 . 5 mm × 250 mm endcapped c 8 column was used . the mobile phase was 45 % hisb , 55 % acetonitrile at 2 . 5 ml / min . the major components of the chromatogram are reported as retention time in minutes and ( area percent ); 1 . 95 min ( 1 . 99 %), 6 . 85 min . ( 3 . 97 %), 17 . 31 min . ( 10 . 91 %), 23 . 71 min . ( 43 . 76 %), 23 . 56 min . ( 33 . 05 %). esterification of one mole of novolak oligomer b with three moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride a three neck round bottom flask was fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus and a ph probe . to the flask was added 2 , 6 - bis -[( 2 , 4 - dihydroxyphenyl ) methyl ]- 4 - methylphenol oligomer ( 7 . 0 g , 0 . 0199 mole ), 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - 1 - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride ( 16 . 0 g , 0 . 0597 mole ), and gamma - butyrolactone ( 70 ml ). to the solution was added 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 7 . 7 g ) in acetone ( 80 ml ) over about 30 minutes at a ph greater than 7 . the mixture was allowed to stir one hour after the completion of addition . the product was precipitated into water ( 1 l ) which had been acidified to ph 3 with concentrated hydrochloric acid and stirred 30 minutes , isolated by filtration , and washed with water ( 2 × 500 ml ). the solid was reslurried in water ( 500 ml ) for 30 minutes , and was isolated again by filtration . the solid was dried in vacuum at about 40 degrees c . for 24 hours . the yield was 18 . 3 g . the number of components in the mixture was determined by liquid chromatography . the column was a waters nova - pac type 8nvc184 . the mobile phase was 62 % buffer , 38 % acetonitrile at 2 ml / min . the major components are reported as retention time in minutes and ( area percent ); 1 . 67 min . ( 2 . 92 %), 2 . 92 min . ( 4 . 85 %), 4 . 08 min . ( 7 . 98 %), 5 . 92 min . ( 24 . 94 %), 11 . 7 min . ( 6 . 07 %), 13 . 61 min . ( 30 . 50 %), 19 . 06 min . ( 4 . 0 %), 22 . 75 min ( 2 . 03 %). esterification of one mole of the novolak oligomer c with four moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - diazo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride a three neck round bottom flask was fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus and a ph probe . to the flask was added 2 , 6 - bis [( 2 , 3 , 4 - trihydroxyphenyl ) methyl ]- 4 - methylphenol oligomer ( 7 . 00 g , 0 . 0182 mole ), 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride ( 19 . 6 g , 0 . 0729 mole ), and gamma - butyrolactone ( 80 ml ). to the solution was added a solution of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 9 . 3 g ) in acetone ( 100 ml ) over 30 minutes , and the reaction was allowed to stir one hour after the end of addition . the product was precipitated into distilled water ( 1 l ) which had been adjusted to ph 1 with concentrated hydrochloric acid and stirred for 30 minutes . the solid was isolated by filtration , washed with water ( 2 × 500 ml ), reslurried in distilled water ( 1 l ) for 30 minutes and isolated again by filtration . the solid was dried in vacuum at 40 degrees c . for 24 hours to yield 23 . 4 g of product . the number or components of the mixture was determined by liquid chromatography . the column was a waters nova - pac type 8nvc184 . the mobile phase was 62 % buffer 38 % acetonitrile at 2 ml / min . the buffer is made from water ( 1 l ), phosphoric acid ( 1 ml ), and triethylamine ( 1 ml ). the major components are reported as retention time in minutes and ( area percent ); 1 . 47 min ., ( 2 . 67 %); 1 . 91 min ., ( 4 . 95 %); 2 . 25 min ., ( 6 . 29 %); 2 . 86 min ., ( 2 . 64 %); 3 . 36 min ., ( 2 . 86 %); 3 . 82 min ., ( 24 . 73 %); 4 . 64 min ., ( 2 . 92 %); 5 . 08 min ., ( 12 . 39 %); 6 . 33 min ., ( 2 . 40 %); 7 . 42 min ., ( 2 . 48 %); 9 . 92 min ., ( 2 , 34 %); 10 . 8 min ., ( 21 . 33 %); 13 . 68 min ., ( 4 . 99 %). esterification of one mole of novolak oligomer c with six moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride a three neck round bottom flask was fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus . to the flask was added 2 , 6 - bis [( 2 , 3 , 4 - trihydroxyphenyl ) methyl ]- 4 - methylphenol oligomer ( 5 . 0 g , 0 . 0130 mole ), 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride ( 21 . 0 g , 0 . 0782 mole ) and gamma - butyrolactone ( 80 ml ). to the stirred solution was added a solution of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 10 g ) in acetone ( 100 ml ) over 30 minutes . the reaction was allowed to stir one hour after the addition was complete . the product was precipitated into water ( 1 l ) which had been adjusted to ph 1 with concentrated hydrochloric acid and was stirred for 30 minutes . the solid and was isolated by filtration and washed with water ( 2 × 500 ml ). the solid was reslurried for 30 minutes in water ( 1 l ) and isolated again by filtration . the solid was dried in vacuum at 40 degrees c . for 24 hours to obtain 21 . 0 g product . the number of components in the mixture was determined by liquid chromatography . a waters nova - pac type nvc184 was used . the mobile phase was 62 % buffer 38 % acetonitrile at 2 . 0 ml / min . the major components are reported as retention in minutes and ( area percent ), 1 . 48 min . ( 3 . 02 %), 10 . 77 min . ( 48 . 96 %), 13 . 68 min . ( 35 . 72 %), 28 . 67 min . ( 3 . 21 %). esterification of novolak oligomer c with five and one half moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride this photoactive compound mixture was formed by mixing one part by weight of the substance formed in example 8 with three parts by weight of the substance formed in example 9 . esterification of novolak oligomer c with five moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxonaphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride this photoactive compound mixture is formed by mixing equal weights of the substances formed in example 8 with that formed in example 9 . esterification of the novolak oligomer d with four moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride a three neck round bottom flask was fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus . to the flask was added 2 , 6 - bis [( 2 , 4 , 6 - trihydroxyphenyl ) methyl ]- 4 - methylphenol oligomer ( 5 . 00 g , 0 . 0130 mole ), 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride ( 14 . 0 g , 0 . 521 mole ), and gamma - butyrolactone ( 80 ml ). to the solution was added 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 6 . 68 g ) in acetone ( 100 ml ) over 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was allowed to stir one hour after addition was completed . the product was precipitated by pouring it into water ( 1 l ) which had been acidified to ph 1 with concentrated hydrochloric acid and stirred 30 minutes . the solid was isolated by filtration and washed with water ( 2 × 500 ml ). the solid was reslurried in water ( 500 ml ) 30 minutes and isolated again by filtration . the solid was dried at 40 degrees c . under vacuum for 24 hours to yield 15 . 9 g of product . the number of components was determined by liquid chromatography . the column was a waters nova - pak type nvc184 . the mobile phase was 62 % buffer 38 % acetonitrile at 2 . 0 ml / min . the major components are reported as retention time and ( area percent ). 1 . 46 min ., ( 2 . 2 %); 1 . 60 min ., ( 2 . 7 %); 1 . 88 min ., ( 3 . 63 %); 3 . 58 min ., ( 10 . 7 %); 7 . 46 min ., ( 31 . 9 %), 16 . 44 min ., ( 31 . 77 %). esterification of novolak oligomer d with six moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - naphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride a three neck round bottom flask was fitted with a mechanical stirring apparatus . to the flask is added 2 , 6 - bis [( 2 , 4 , 6 - trihydroxyphenyl ) methyl ]- 4 - methylphenol oligomer ( 5 . 22 g , 0 . 0135 mole ), 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxonaphthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride ( 21 . 92 g , 0 . 0816 mole ), and gamma - butyrolactone ( 80 ml ). to the solution was added 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 10 . 44 g ) in acetone ( 100 ml ) over 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was allowed to stir one hour after addition was complete . the product was poured into water ( 1 l ) which had been acidified to ph 1 with concentrated hydrochloric acid and was stirred 30 minutes . the solid was isolated by filtration and washed with water ( 2 × 500 ml ). the solid was reslurried in water ( 500 ml ) for 30 minutes and isolated again by filtration . the solid was dried under vacuum at 40 degrees c . for 24 hours to yield 21 . 9 g product . the number of components was determined by liquid chromatography . the column was a waters nova - pak nvc184 . the mobile phase was 62 % buffer and 38 % acetonitrile . the major components are reported as retention time in minutes and ( area percent ); 1 . 48 min . ( 2 . 64 %), 3 . 58 min . ( 2 . 41 %), 16 . 3 min . ( 45 . 44 %), 18 . 95 min . ( 42 . 96 %). to a 5 l three neck round bottom flask equipped with a condenser , a mechanical stirrer , and a thermometer was added a m / p cresol mixture ( m / p = 45 / 55 , 2004 . 6 g , 18 . 537 moles ), formaldehyde ( 916 g , 37 weight percent solution , 11 . 3 moles ). the solution was heated in an oil bath at 95 ° c . a solution of oxalic acid dihydrate ( 2 . 70 g ) in hot water ( 20 . 0 g ) was added . after 15 minutes , the oil bath temperature was raised to 110 degrees c . and maintained at this temperature for 15 hours . the reaction temperature was then raised to 200 ° c . over two hours . during this time water and formaldehyde were removed by atmospheric distillation . the temperature was held at 200 ° c . for an additional two hours . then the reaction was subjected to a gradually increasing vacuum at 200 ° c . and maintained at 200 degrees c . for four hours to remove all substantially unreacted cresol monomers . the molten novolak was then poured onto a tray . the m w of the novolak was 7 , 200 by gel permeation chromatography . to a 5 l three neck flask equipped with a condenser , a mechanical stirring apparatus , and a thermometer , was added a m / p cresol mixture ( m / p - 40 / 60 , 004 . 6 g , 18 . 537 moles ) and formaldehyde ( 975 . 3 g , 37 weight percent , 12 . 05 moles ). the mixture was heated to 95 degrees c . in an oil bath . to the solution was added oxalic acid dihydrate ( 2 . 70 g ) in hot water ( 20 . 0 g ). after 15 minutes , the oil bath temperature was raised to 110 degrees c . and maintained at this temperature for an additional 15 hours . the reaction temperature was then raised to 200 degrees c . over two hours . during this time the water and formaldehyde were removed by atmospheric distillation . the temperature was held at 200 degrees c . for an additional two hours . the distillate weighed 890 g . then the reaction was subjected to gradually increasing vacuum at 200 degrees c . and maintained at 200 degrees c . for four hours to remove substantially all of unreacted cresol monomers . the molten novolak was poured onto a tray . the weight was about 1500 g . the m w of the novolak was 6910 by gel permeation chromatography . a portion ( 42 . 9 g ) of the novolak from example w was dissolved in 2 - ethoxyethyl acetate ( 25 . 67 g ) and methanol . ( 45 . 1 g ) in a glass container . a solution of methanol ( 55 . 9 g ) and water ( 72 . 8 g ) was added to the solution . the container was sealed and the mixture was allowed to roll horizontally at ambient temperature for one hour and allowed to stand overnight . upon standing , the mixture separated into two layers . the milky upper layer was substantially separated from the lower layer by decanting and siphoning . the lower layer was distilled at about 200 degrees c . for one hour at atmospheric pressure , and then it was subjected to a gradually increasing vacuum and allowed to distill under high vacuum at 200 degrees c . for two hours and forty minutes . the molten novolak was isolated by pouring it onto aluminum foil . the product weighed 32 . 8 g . to 1 l three neck round bottom flask , equipped with a condenser , a mechanical stirring apparatus , and a thermometer , was added m / p - cresol mixture ( m / p 40 / 60 , 421 . 1 g , 3 . 89 moles ) and formalin ( 196 . 0 g , 37 weight percent , 2 . 42 moles ). the reaction mixture was heated in an oil bath to 95 ° c . and a solution of oxalic acid dihydrate ( 2 . 70 g ) in hot water ( 20 . 0 g ) was added . after 15 minutes , the oil bath &# 39 ; s temperature was raised to 110 degrees c . and maintained at this temperature for 15 hours . the reaction temperature was then raised to 200 degrees c . over two hours . during this time water and formaldehyde were removed by atmospheric distillation . the temperature was held at 200 degrees c . for an additional two hours . the temperature was raised to 230 degrees and the reaction mixture was subjected to a gradually increasing vacuum . it was held at 230 degrees c . for one hour . the temperature was then increased to 250 degrees c . and maintained at that temperature for 4 . 5 hours to remove substantially all unreacted cresol monomers . the molten novolak was poured onto a tray . the yield was 2 . 73 . 1 g . the m w of the novolak was 7690 by gel permeation chromatography . to a 5 l three neck round bottom flask equipped with a condenser , a mechanical stirring apparatus , and a thermometer was added a mixture of m / p - cresols ( 40 / 60 m / p -, 2004 . 6 g , 18 . 537 moles ) aqueous formaldehyde and ( 992 g , 37 weight percent , 12 . 23 moles ). the solution was heated in an oil bath at 95 degrees c . to the solution was added oxalic acid dihydrate ( 2 . 70 g ) in hot water ( 20 . 0 g ). after 15 minutes , the oil bath temperature was increased to 110 degrees c . and maintained at this temperature for 15 hours . the reaction temperature was raised to 200 degrees c . over two hours . during this time the water and formaldehyde were removed by atmospheric distillation . the temperature was held at 200 degrees c . for an additional 2 hours . the reaction was subjected to a gradually increasing vacuum at 200 degrees c . and maintained at 200 degrees c . for four hours to remove substantially all unreacted cresol monomers . the molten novolak was poured onto an aluminum foil tray . the yield was about 1500 g . photoresist formulations in examples 17 - 43 were prepared by dissolving a photoactive compound of example 5 - 11 and a novolak resin of example 12 - 16 in ethyl lactate . the percent of photoactive compound in the total photoresist solids ( i . e . sum of photoactive compound and novolak resin ) is listed in tables 1 , 2 and 3 under the column s %. the solids content of each photoresist was adjusted by dilution with more ethyl lactate to provide 1 . 2 micron films when spin coated somewhere in the range of 4000 - 6000 rpms . the resist solutions were then filtered through a 0 . 2 micron pore - size filter . photoresist solutions prepared above were spin - coated with a spinner onto a thermally grown silicon / silicon dioxide - coated wafers of 10 cm ( four inches ) in diameter and 5000 angstroms in oxide thickness which had been primed with hexamethyldisilazane ( hmds ). uniform coatings , after drying , of approximately 1 . 2 micron in thickness were obtained at spinning velocities ranging from 4 , 000 to 6 , 000 rpm for 30 seconds , depending upon the resist viscosity . the coated wafers were soft baked on a hot plate for 50 seconds at 110 ° c . a nikon g line step and repeat exposure unit equipped with a 0 . 30 numerical aperture lens was used . this exposure tool provided a narrow spectral output at 436 nm . the exposed photoresist coatings of examples 35 and 37 and comparison 3 were subjected to a post - exposure bake on a hot plate at 120 ° c . for one minute prior to development . the other exposed photoresist coatings were not subjected to this post exposure bake . the exposed photoresist coatings of examples 17 - 35 and 38 - 43 were puddle developed for 60 seconds using a 2 . 38 % by weight tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide aqueous developer solution in a 2 second spray and 58 second dwell cycle followed by rinsing and spin drying . examples 36 and 37 photoresist was developed in the same manner except that the developing solution contained 0 . 5 % of a wetting agent , pyonine - 4050t made by takemoto oil & amp ; fat co . ltd . comparison 1 photoresist formulation was made with a photoactive compound which was formed by the esterification of 1 mole of 2 , 3 , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- tetrahydroxy - benzophenone with 3 moles of 6 - diazo - 5 , 6 - dihydro - 5 - oxo - napthalene - 1 - sulfonic acid chloride and the novolak resin of example 5 . the amount of the pac was about 21 % by weight as shown in table 1 . 2 , 3 , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- tetrahydroxy benzophenone is a commonly used chemical backbone for many commercial positive photoresist formulations . comparison 2 is a commercially available positive photoresist named 7950 available from japan synthetic rubber company . comparison 3 is the same photoresist 7950 which was processed with the post exposure bake step discussed above . the photoresist formulation of examples 17 - 43 and comparisons 1 - 3 were evaluated for photospeed ; line and space resolution ; contact hole clearance , scum , profile and image deformation temperature . photospeed is the exposure energy required as measured in mj / cm 2 to produce equal lines and spaces from corresponding equal lines and spaces on a mask . from the point of view of wafer throughput , it is desirable to have lower value for photospeed . an acceptable range for photospeed depends upon the application , but generally values below about 300mj / cm 2 are very good . line and space resolution is the minimum line and space dimension as used in the tables measured in microns that can be resolved using the same exposure energy required to resolve one micron equal lines and spaces . the smaller this measured value , the better the resolution of the resist . contact holes are very small circular or square features measured in microns which are cleared at the same exposure energy used to measure resolution . the smaller this measured value , the better the performance of the resist in this regard . scum is small amounts of residual photoresist remaining in exposed developed areas on the substrate . scum is undesirable because it can interfere with subsequent processing . the amount of scum on the photoresists evaluated in the tables was rated on a scale of 0 to 4 , wherein 0 represents no scum observed by scanning electron micrographs whereas 4 represents substantial degree of scum observed by the same means . small amounts of scum may be removed by alternative processing techniques as shown in examples 34 - 37 with improvement of some of the other lithographic properties . profile is the slope of the side wall of resist lines at the smallest resolution values ( i . e . those given in tables 1 , 2 and 3 ). the more vertical the slope , the better is the profile . in the tables , the profiles were determined by scanning electron micrograph examination and given values of 0 , 1 , or 2 wherein 0 represents an observed good profile and 2 represents an observed fair profile . image deformation temperature ( expressed in ° c .) is the temperature at which the top corner of a large resist dimension begins to round . the higher the image deformation temperature , the greater the thermal resistance of the resist and the more suitable it is for applications which subject the resist to elevated temperature processing . table one__________________________________________________________________________lithographic evaluation of esterified chlororesorcinol and resorcinolnovolak oligomers image contact deformationphotoresist pac novolak s % photospeed resolution hole scum profile temp . __________________________________________________________________________17 m v 22 265 0 . 7 - 0 . 75 0 . 9 0 1 n . m . 18 n v 22 & gt ; 400 n . m n . m . n . m . n . m . n . m . 19 o v 24 196 0 . 75 - 0 . 8 0 . 9 0 2 115 - 120c - 3s / 4hbp v 21 152 0 . 75 - 0 . 8 1 . 0 0 2 120__________________________________________________________________________ n . m . = not measured table two__________________________________________________________________________lithographic evaluation of esterified pyrogallol novolak oligomers image contact deformationphotoresist pac novolak s % photospeed resolution hole scum profile temperature__________________________________________________________________________20 p v 19 69 . 7 0 . 85 1 . 0 0 1 n . m . 21 p v 21 75 . 08 0 . 80 1 . 0 0 1 13022 p v 23 101 . 9 0 . 80 1 . 0 0 1 n . m . 23 q v 19 268 . 1 0 . 65 0 . 85 3 0 n . m . 24 q v 21 305 . 6 0 . 65 0 . 85 3 0 12525 q v 23 391 . 5 0 . 65 0 . 85 3 0 n . m . 26 q w 17 251 . 5 0 . 65 0 . 85 2 0 12527 r v 19 201 . 9 0 . 65 0 . 9 3 0 12528 r v 21 239 . 1 0 . 65 0 . 9 2 0 12529 s v 23 212 . 5 0 . 65 1 . 0 3 0 12530 s x 21 264 . 1 0 . 65 0 . 90 3 0 12531 s x 23 289 . 2 0 . 65 0 . 9 3 0 12532 s y 21 289 . 2 0 . 65 0 . 9 2 0 12533 s y 23 345 . 8 0 . 65 0 . 9 3 0 12534 s z 21 355 . 1 0 . 70 0 . 90 3 0 12535 s z 21 397 . 5 0 . 70 0 . 90 2 0 13536 s z 21 296 . 8 0 . 75 0 . 90 1 0 12537 s z 21 344 . 5 0 . 70 0 . 85 0 0 140__________________________________________________________________________ n . m . = not measured table three__________________________________________________________________________lithographic evaluation of esterified phloroglucinol novolak oligomersphotoresist pac novolak s % photospeed resolution contact hole scum profile heat__________________________________________________________________________ res . 38 t v 19 123 . 3 0 . 80 1 . 0 0 1 n . m . 39 t v 21 134 . 1 0 . 80 1 . 0 0 1 12540 t v 23 187 . 7 0 . 75 1 . 0 0 1 n . m . 41 u v 19 327 . 1 0 . 65 0 . 85 3 0 n . m . 42 u v 21 396 . 8 0 . 65 0 . 90 3 0 12543 u v 23 445 n . m . n . m . n . m . n . m . n . m . c - 2 un un un 169 . 6 0 . 80 1 . 00 2 0 120c - 3 un un un 206 . 7 0 . 70 0 . 90 0 0 135__________________________________________________________________________ un = unknown n . m . = not measured | 2 |
candied fruit and vegetables are typically manufactured by using candying solutions consisting of sucrose , or mixtures of sucrose and glucose . although exhibiting some characteristics appreciated by consumers , such as the sweet flavor , texture and the high shelf life due to a low water content and a high dry matter content , and consequently a low water activity , these products contain a high caloric content and a high glycemic index , thus turning them into nutritionally unbalanced products . the present invention allows obtaining candied fruit and vegetables with the appropriate technological and organoleptic characteristics , but with increased balanced nutritional characteristics , i . e . a reduction in caloric content and / or glycemic index as well as the introduction of functional ingredients with dietary fiber properties . the candying process can be applied to all kinds of fruit and vegetables , including cherries , figs , pineapple , peach , citron , orange peel , orange slices , pear , pumpkin , turnip , carrot . fruit and vegetables can be candied with or without the addition of food - coloring agents . the temperature of the candying process may range from room temperature up to 85 ° c . the candying process can be carried out continuously or discontinuously , with or without stirring , a candying solution being initially used containing a candying agent at a concentration of 15 to 45 g per 100 g solution and a final concentration of 55 g to 75 g candying agent per 100 g solution . the candying agents alternative to sucrose may be , among others , fructose , mannose , galactose , galactosamine , sorbitol , xylitol , maltitol , erythritol , lactitol , fructo - oligosaccharides , manno - oligosaccharides , galacto - oligosaccharides , gluco - oligosaccharides , xylo - oligosaccharides , pectin - oligosaccharides or other oligosaccharides . the candying agents may be used individually or in combination , depending on the characteristics of the desired product , for example , for the production of a candied product with low caloric content and low glycemic index , but with sweetness similar to sucrose , one may use among others sorbitol , xylitol , maltitol . for the production of candied products having a low glycemic index , but with a caloric content similar to sucrose , one may use , among others , fructose . for the production of candied products having a high dietary fiber content and low glycemic index , one may use among others fructo - oligosaccharides , manno - oligosaccharides , galacto - oligosaccharides , gluco - oligosaccharides , xylo - oligosaccharides , pectin - oligosaccharides . candied products may be subject to a subsequent process for water removal such as by natural drying , hot air drying , infrared drying , microwave or lyophilization drying , among others , resulting in dried fruit and vegetables with nutritional characteristics which depend on the fruit and vegetables used , for example , if the candied products result from the use of ingredients with dietary fiber properties , the final dry product shall also be rich in dietary fiber . the characteristics of the final products will also depend on the drying process used , for example , for the preservation of the nutritional characteristics of the dry product , minimal modification of the flavor , lyophilization process shall be the appropriate process . for a more cost - effective process , the drying tunnels are preferred , although leading to a change in color and odor when compared to lyophilization . in short , the use of candying agents alternative to sucrose allows obtaining candied products with technological ( shelf life ) sensorial ( taste and texture ) and nutritional characteristics more suitable for a healthy diet , depending on the candying agent used , a lower caloric value , low glycemic index and functional dietary fiber properties . for a simpler understanding of the invention examples are hereinafter described of preferred embodiments of the invention , which , however , are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . hereinafter some non - limiting examples are described for the process for the production of candied fruit and vegetables without sucrose , as well as dry fruit and vegetables without sucrose . process for obtaining candied pumpkin with sorbitol , a product with lower caloric content , and low glycemic index , comprising the following steps : preparing the candying solution with a content of 45 g sorbitol per 100 g solution heating at 60 ° c . preparing the pumpkin by peeling and cutting it into suitable - sized pieces . placing the pumpkin into the candying solution increasing the candying agent concentration from 5 g per 100 g solution up to 65 g sorbitol per 100 g solution every 8 hours draining the product storing the product in a stabilizing solution containing 65 g sorbitol per 100 g solution and 50 ppm benzoic acid and potassium sorbate . process for obtaining candied pineapple slices with fructo - oligosaccharides , a product with lower caloric content , low glycemic index , and functional dietary fiber properties , comprising the following steps : preparing the candying solution with a content of 25 g fructo - oligosaccharides per 100 g solution . heating at 60 ° c . preparing the pineapple by peeling and cutting it into suitable - sized slices . placing the slices into the candying solution increasing the candying agent concentration from 10 g per 100 g solution up to 65 g fructo - oligosaccharides per 100 g solution every 8 hours draining the product storing the product in a stabilizing solution containing 65 g fructo - oligosaccharides per 100 g solution and 50 ppm benzoic acid and potassium sorbate . process for obtaining candied orange peel with fructose , a product with low glycemic index , comprising the following steps : preparing the candying solution with a content of 45 g fructose per 100 g solution . heating at 40 ° c . preparing the orange peel by peeling and cutting it into the suitable size placing the orange peels into the candying solution increasing the candying agent concentration from 5 g per 100 g solution up to 70 g fructose per 100 g solution every 8 hours draining the product storing the product in a stabilizing solution containing 70 g fructose per 100 g solution and 50 ppm benzoic acid and potassium sorbate . process for obtaining candied dry fig with maltitol , a product with lower caloric content and low glycemic index , comprising the following steps : preparing the candying solution with a content of 35 g maltitol per 100 g solution . heating at 60 ° c . preparing the fig by puncturing its surface placing the fig into the candying solution increasing the candying agent concentration from 5 g per 100 g solution up to 55 g maltitol per 100 g solution every 8 hours draining the product dehydrating the product up to a water content of 10 % by lyophilization . process for obtaining dry peach with galacto - oligosaccharides , a product with lower caloric content , low glycemic index , and high functional dietary fiber properties , comprising the following steps : preparing the candying solution with a content of 25 g galacto - oligosaccharides per 100 g solution . heating at 50 ° c . preparing the peach by peeling and cutting it into halves . placing the peach into the candying solution increasing the candying agent concentration from 10 g per 100 g solution up to 50 g galacto - oligosaccharides per 100 g solution every 5 hours draining the product dehydrating the product up to a water content of 10 % per greenhouse drying under convection at 60 ° c . the present invention relates to a process for the production of candied products , comprising the following steps : a ) preparing the candying solution with a content of candying agent between 15 to 45 g per 100 g solution ; b ) heating the solution prepared in the previous step ; c ) preparing the product meant to be candied ; d ) immersing the product meant to be candied into the solution with the candying agent ; e ) gradually increasing the candying agent concentration up to a final value between 65 to 75 g candying agent per 100 g solution ; f ) draining the product ; g ) storing the product in a stabilizing solution containing 65 g to 75 g candying agent per 100 g solution and 50 ppm benzoic acid and potassium sorbate . in a preferred embodiment , the candying agent is fructose , mannose , galactose , galactosamine , sorbitol , xylitol , maltitol , erythritol , lactitol as candying agents and fructo - oligosaccharides , manno - oligosaccharides , galacto - oligosaccharides , gluco - oligosaccharides , xylo - oligosaccharides , pectin - oligosaccharides or other oligosaccharides and it may be used individually or in combination . in another preferred embodiment , the candying solution further comprises a food - coloring agent . in a preferred embodiment , the temperature in step b ) ranges from room temperature up to 85 ° c . and in step c ) comprises the peeling and cutting of the product meant to be candied . in yet another preferred embodiment , the process further comprises a step of removing excess water , which may be carried out by natural drying , hot air drying , infrared drying , microwave or lyophilization drying . in yet another preferred embodiment , the product meant to be candied is a fruit ( for example : cherries , figs , pineapple , peach , citron , orange peel , orange slices , or pear ) or a vegetable ( for example : pumpkins , turnips or carrots ). another object of the present invention are candied products obtained by the process described above . yet another object of the present invention is a food product comprising the candied product described above . anderson j . w ., smith b . m ., guftanson n . j . ( 1994 ) health benefits and practical aspects of high - fiber diets . american journal of clinical nutrition , 59 ( suppl . ), s1242 - s1247 . cassidy , a ., bingham , s . a ., cummings , j . h . ( 1994 ). starch intake and colorectal cancer risk : an international comparison . british journal of cancer , 69 , 937 - 942 . champ m ., langkilde a .- m ., brouns f ., kettlitz b ., collet y . l . b . ( 2003 ) advances in dietary fibre characterisation . 1 . definition of dietary fibre , physiological relevance , health benefits and analytical aspects . nutrition research reviews , 16 , 71 - 82 . cummings j . h . ( 1981 ) short chain fatty acids in the human colon . gut , 22 , 763 - 769 . cummings j . h . ( 1984 ) colonic absorption : the importance of short chain fatty acids in man . scandinavian journal of gastroenterology , 19 ( suppl 93 ), 89 - 99 . demigne c ., morand c ., levrat a .- m ., besson c ., moundras c . rémésy c . ( 1995 ) effect of propionate on fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis and on acetate metabolism in isolated rat hepatocytes . british journal of nutrition , 74 , 209 - 219 . eastwood , m . a . ( 1987 ). dietary fiber and risk of cancer . nutrition reviews , 7 , 193 . european patent 0384238a2 franco bocelli ( 1990 ) method for preparing a long - life fruitbased stuffing for pastry products . falade , k . o . ; igbeka , j . c . ( 2007 ) osmotic dehydration of tropical fruits and vegetables . food reviews international 373 - 405 fao / who , ( 1997 ) carbohydrates in human nutrition , fao food and nutrition paper 66 . report of a joint fao / who expert consultation , rome . fleming s . e ., marthinsen d ., kuhnlein h . ( 1983 ) colonic function and fermentation in men consuming high fiber diets . journal of nutrition , 113 , 2535 - 2544 . harig j m , soergel k h , komorowski r a , wood c m . ( 1989 ) treatment of diversion colitis with short - chain - fatty acid irrigation . new england journal of medicine , 320 , 23 - 8 . khin , m . m . ; zhou , w . ; perera , c . ( 2005 ) development in the combined treatment of coating and osmotic dehydration of food — a review . international journal of food engineering : vol . 1 : iss . 1 , article 4 . mcburney m . i ., thompson l . u . ( 1987 ) effect of human faecal inoculums on in vitro fermentation variables . british journal of nutrition , 58 , 233 - 243 . mcburney , m . i ., horvath , p . j ., jeraci , j . l ., van soest , p . j . ( 1985 ) effect of in vitro fermentation using human faecal inoculum on the water - holding capacity of dietary fibre . british journal of nutrition , 53 , 17 - 24 . mendeloff , a . i . ( 1987 ). dietary fiber and gastrointestinal disease . american journal of clinical nutrition , 45 , 1267 - 1270 . mortensen p . b ., holtug k , rasmussen h . s . ( 1988 ) short - chain fatty acid production from mono - and disaccharides in a fecal incubation system : implications for colonic fermentation of dietary fiber in humans . journal of nutrition , 32 , 1 - 5 . roediger w . e . w . ( 1980 ) role of anaerobic bacteria in the metabolic welfare of the colonic mucosa in man . gut , 21 , 793 - 798 . schweizer , t . f ., andwugrsch , p . ( 1991 ) the physiological and nutritional importance of dietary fibre . experentia , 47 , 181 - 186 . shi , j . ; maguer , m . l . ( 2002 ) osmotic dehydration of foods : mass transfer and modeling aspects . food reviews international 18 , 305 - 335 tinker , l . f ., schneeman , b . o ., davis , p . a ., gallaher , d . d ., waggoner , c . r . ( 1991 ). consumption of prunes as a source of dietary fiber in men with mild hypercholesterolemia . american journal of clinical nutrition , 53 , 1259 - 1265 . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 041 , 184 . remigio bonacia ( 1977 ) method of candying fruit and fruit rinds . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 778 , 681 . kelzo kuwabara ( 1988 ) method for producing candied fruit and dried fruit . the present invention is , of course , not in any way restricted to the embodiments described in this document and a person with average skills in the art may provide many possibilities of modifications thereof , without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined in the claims . the embodiments described above are all combined together in a trivial matter . the following claims define further preferred embodiments of the present invention . | 0 |
referring first to fig1 and 3 , the arrangement of a fuel container , or container for hazardous material and the cover assembly is shown . the containers are cylindrical cans having a closed end which is not shown , and an open end on which the closing cover is secured . a cover assembly illustrated generally at 10 is positioned within an end opening defined by an annular housing neck 11 that forms a top portion of a container 12 in which hazardous material , such as spent nuclear fuel , is contained for shipping . the nuclear fuel is bathed in helium , and is generally handled with it is at quite high temperatures in the range of 700 ° fahrenheit . because of this environment , elastomeric materials are not suitable for sealing members because they will not withstand the temperatures for the extended periods of time necessary . thus , it is desired that metallic o - rings or other nonelastomeric seals be used . metallic o - rings and other metallic seals are quite well known in the trade . however , metal o - rings require quite high compression forces for sealing and this compounds the problem of making a suitable container cover . in the form shown , the neck 11 defines an opening and has an interior annular shoulder surface indicated generally at 13 on which the cover assembly 10 rests and seals . as shown , two suitable concentric metal o - rings 14 , 14 are mounted in grooves in the lower surface of the cover assembly and seat against the shoulder surface 13 . the surface 13 is flat and can be accurately machined for proper sealing . the o - rings preferably are metallic , tubular o - rings and are commonly available on the market from united aircraft products , inc . and others . the housing neck 11 has an interior annular groove 15 defined therein adjacent the shoulder 13 , and just a short distance above it , and this groove 15 as will be explained provides a grappling interface compatible with the grapple members that are used for the cover so that the container can be handled mechanically through mechanical arms or the like . adjacent the upper edges of the housing neck 11 , there are a plurality of inwardly projecting lugs 16 , as shown in fig1 and these lugs are defined by recessed portions between the lugs , and underneath the lugs there is a groove formed as indicated at 17 in fig2 . the cover assembly 10 includes a lower cover plate 20 that is of diameter to fit within the interior of the housing neck 11 ( it clears the inner edges of lugs 16 ), and rest on the shoulder 13 . the lower cover plate 20 has the grooves on the underside thereof in which the metallic o - rings 14 , 14 are placed . the cover assembly also includes an upper cover plate 21 , which is fastened with suitable cap screws 22 to the lower cover plate adjacent the center portions of the lower cover plate , as shown in fig2 . the upper cover plate has a relief or recess 23 on its lower side so that it contacts the lower cover plate only in the center portions in the area where the cap screws 22 are located . adjacent the outer periphery of the upper surface of the lower cover plate 20 there is a shallow annular groove 24 and a plurality of belleville spring washers 25 are positioned in this groove . the spring washers 25 are trapped between the lower cover plate 20 and the upper cover plate 21 when the upper cover plate is fastened in position . these belleville spring washers are also shown in fig3 where the upper cover plate is broken away . a locking ring 26 is slidably supported on the upper surface of the upper cover plate . the locking ring has a plurality of spaced locking dogs 27 extending radially outwardly from the outer periphery of the ring as can perhaps best be seen in fig3 and has two lugs 28 extending inwardly from the ring at diametrically opposed positions . as shown , there are six locking dogs 27 , which are used to lock underneath the six lugs 16 on the neck portion of the container 12 . the dogs 27 will fit into the interior of the neck between lugs 16 . the locking ring is slidably and rotatably mounted on the top of the upper plate 21 , but is guided and retained by a retainer ring 30 . the retainer ring 30 is positioned as shown adjacent the outer periphery of the upper plate 21 , and has a recess 31 in the bottom surface thereof that extends annularly around the retainer ring 30 to slidably receive the locking ring 26 . the retainer ring 30 , as shown , is supported directly on and is fixed to the upper cover plate 21 with suitable cap screws 32 . the retainer ring 30 also has slots defined therein extending from the annular recess 31 outwardly to the outer periphery of the ring to permit the dogs 27 to slidably pass underneath portions of the locking ring that extend outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the locking ring . these recesses are indicated generally at 33 in fig3 where the retainer ring has been broken away to show the locking ring 26 . these recesses 33 are separated therefore by support lugs 34 which are shown in cross section in fig3 and are part of the retainer ring . in addition the retainer ring 30 has recesses 35 to permit the lugs 28 to slidably extend toward the center of the cover . the recesses 35 on the inner edge of the locking ring extend annularly for the same number of degrees as the recesses 33 for the lugs 27 so that the locking ring can rotate underneath the retainer ring this limited number of degrees . after closing spent fuel containers 12 , it is necessary to determine the leak rate of the o - ring seals 14 . if the specified leak rate is exceeded , the container is not considered to be properly closed . therefore , the cover assembly 10 includes means for determining the leak rate of the o - rings . as shown , the lower cover plate 20 has a radial passageway 40 formed therein , and this passageway 40 has a connecting portion that opens between the o - rings 14 , 14 . the passageway 40 extends to the center of the plate 20 , and extends upwardly to open into a valve chamber 41 defined in a valve block 42 that is threaded into a recess in the center portions of the lower cover plate . the valve block 42 is sealed with respect to the bottom surface of the recess in which it is mounted with a suitable metal o - ring 43 . as can be seen , there is a recess 44 in the upper surface of the cover plate that aligns with an opening in the center of the upper cover plate 21 and is slightly larger in diameter than the valve block 42 . the upper surface of the valve block 42 has an annular raised bead 45 formed thereon , and protruding above the general plane of the valve block . the bead has a cross section which is like an inverted v , so that it defines an annular , relatively narrow edge . a headed poppet type valve 46 is mounted in chamber 41 and has a stem 47 protruding through a provided opening in the center of the valve block 42 . an o - ring 48 surrounds the stem 47 and seals against the upper surface of the valve chamber 41 . suitable spring members 49 can be provided on the bottom side of the valve 46 to force the valve head in direction upwardly from the fuel container , and cause the o - ring 48 to seal off the passageway surrounding the stem 47 , which comprises the valve opening . the operation of this poppet type valve for checking the leak rate of the o - rings 14 will be more fully explained later . in order to secure the cover assembly 10 onto the container , it is necessary to exert a substantial downward force to compress the o - rings 14 and cause them to seal . referring now to fig4 a schematic representation of a fixture that can be used for installing the covers is shown . in the form of the invention shown , a force in the range of 100 , 000 pounds must be exerted on the cover relative to the container , in the embodiment shown . a support 50 is provided and it has an opening into which the container 12 will slip . the support 50 engages a shoulder 51 defined by the outer periphery of the neck 11 of the container . thus the container is supported by this shoulder on the support member 50 . a bridge indicated generally at 52 may be provided , and can be of any desired configuration but as shown includes upright supports 53 that are attached to the support 50 , and a cross member 54 that is attached to the upright supports 53 . the supports 53 can be installed in any desired manner , and can be removable if desired . in addition , if they are removable or releasable , a suitable hoist may be provided for lifting and lowering the bridge 52 and for moving it to desired locations . the cross member 54 as shown is used for mounting a hydraulic or other suitable type of actuator or cylinder 56 that has an extendable and retractable rod 57 . the rod 57 is connected to a tube 58 , that extends downward toward the container neck 11 , and the tube 58 includes a plurality of vanes or outwardly extending members 59 that are of size to engage and bear against the upper surface of the retainer ring 30 before the end of tube 58 contacts the cover plate . this tube 58 can be actuated to exert a downward force on the retainer ring 30 when the cylinder 56 is actuated to extend the rod 57 . this force will be reacted through the cross member 54 , and supports 53 to the support 50 , which is holding the neck portion 11 securely from movement . in this manner , the downward force necessary to compress the o - rings 14 can be provided by the actuator 56 . by way of illustration , it can be noted that the interior surface of ring 30 has an annular grappling groove 36 that extends around the periphery of the interior opening of the locking ring . this grappling groove 36 is used for providing means for lifting and lowering the cover assembly . cam dogs , one of which is illustrated generally at 61 are provided for engaging the grappling groove 36 , and as shown in fig5 these cam dogs ( usually at least three are used ) are pivoted to the outer tube 58 adjacent the lower end thereof , and are controlled by the relative rotational position of a tube 62 that is concentric with the tube 58 , and mounted on suitable bearings 63 within the tube 58 . tube 62 can be rotated a limited number of degrees with respect to the outer tube 58 through the use of a cylinder 64 acting between a support arm 65 attached to the outer tube 58 , and a lever arm 66 that is attached to the tube 62 . the arm 66 extends through a provided slot or opening in the side wall of the tube 58 . the lower end of tube 62 has pins fixed thereon which extend into slots defined in dogs 61 and when the tube 62 is twisted it actuates or pivots the dogs 61 to an extended position wherein the tabs will enter the grappling groove depending on the direction of movement of the inner tube 62 . in fig5 the dotted line adjacent the dog 61 represents the inner edge of ring 30 . other suitable grappling means can be provided . the same type of grapple may be used for lifting the container in combination with the groove 15 . a third tube indicated generally at 70 can be concentrically mounted with respect to the outer tube 58 and tube 62 . a suitable support plate 71 is fixed to the upper end of the tube 70 and bearings 72 are used to rotatably mount the plate 71 and attached tube 70 with respect to outer tube 58 . as shown the tube 70 is positioned inside the tube 62 . the lower end of the tube 70 has a pair of slots or recesses defined therein which fit over the lugs 28 on the locking ring and the edges of the slots will drive the lugs 28 if tube 70 is twisted or rotated . the inner tube 70 can be actuated for rotation about its central upright axis through the use of a cylinder 73 that is mounted on a support arm 74 fixed to tube 58 and which operates an actuator arm 75 attached to the support plate 71 . the cylinder 75 is operated in much the same manner as the cylinder 64 through a suitable valve control . extension or retraction of the cylinder 73 will cause the tube 70 to be rotated on the bearings 72 a limited number of degrees , and this rotation will rotate or drive the locking ring 26 a desired number of degrees by moving lugs 28 , which in turn will move the dogs 27 between an unlocked position where dogs 27 clear the lugs 16 on the neck portion of the container , and a locked position where the dogs 27 are underneath these lugs 16 . the cylinder 76 thus mechanically actuates the locking ring between its two positions . if desired , suitable indexing members such as spring detents can be provided on the cover and the actuator assembly so that the cover is properly oriented when it is first held by the grappling dogs 61 so that the operation will be precise . likewise , the position of the container neck 11 with respect to the support 50 can be predetermined so that the cover will be properly positioned when placed onto the container . the vertical or closing force form the outer tube 58 and the members 59 onto the retainer ring 30 is transferred directly to the upper cover plate 21 , through the lug portions of the retainer ring that contact the upper cover plate , and this force in turn is exerted against the belleville springs 25 , which are arranged continuously around the periphery of the cover assembly to force the belleville springs to compress to exert force onto the lower cover plate 20 . the force on the lower cover plate is reacted by o - rings 14 onto shoulder surface 13 . this force compresses and seals the o - rings 14 . the upper plate 21 bends like a cantilever , and the belleville springs can be compressed a sufficient amount so that the locking dogs 27 will pass underneath the lugs 16 for locking by operating cylinder 73 . the force from cylinder 56 can be relieved and the dogs 27 will seat against the underside &# 39 ; s of lugs 16 . the small amount of movement of the locking ring and top plate as the dogs 27 seat against lugs 16 does not substantially diminish the force exerted by belleville springs 25 and thus the seal integrity is maintained . the dogs 61 can be retracted so that they clear the grappling groove 36 , and when the tube 58 is lifted so that the members 59 no longer engage the retaining ring 30 . the dogs 27 will be held from upward movement by the lugs 16 , and the belleville springs will be still compressed a sufficient amount to exert the necessary compressive force to maintain a seal on the o - rings 14 , 14 . one of the problems of this type of locking arrangement without the belleville springs in position is that any slight movement is detrimental to the seal , and the force exerted on the seal reduces almost immediately . the o - rings themselves compress very little , so that very little movement of the lower plate can be tolerated without breaking the seal , but the belleville springs provide compensation for movement of the locking ring and upper plate as the ring engages the lugs 16 . when the cover is being installed , the retainer ring 30 carries all of the load necessary to effect the seal with the o - rings 14 , and the locking ring 26 can be freely moved between its locked or unlocked positions even while the closing force is being applied to the retainer ring . when the cylinder 56 is retracted , the friction force between the dogs 27 and the lugs 16 is extremely high under the forces exerted by the belleville springs 25 , so opening the cover is not merely a matter of hammering the locking ring to an open position . the cover is basically held in position until some type of a fixture or arrangement for exerting a substantial downward force on the retainer ring relative to the neck portion 11 is provided . thus , the security of the container and the contents thereof is enhanced with the present locking device . the center valve assembly used for testing leaks , as shown , normally seals with the o - ring 48 . it is therefore important not only to insure that the o - rings 14 , 14 are sealed , but also to make sure that the ring 48 is sealing properly as well . the nuclear fuel in the container is normally in a helium atmosphere , and the cover assembly is normally placed into position under a helium atmosphere as well . thus , measurement of helium leaks may be used to determine whether or not the o - rings 14 are properly sealed . very precise mass spectrometers used for detecting helium are available , and are used as the leak detectors . a coupling member indicated generally at 80 comprises a cylindrical member ( this is shown primarily schematically ) that fits within the interior opening of the upper cover plate 21 , and the fitting or coupling 80 has an elastomeric insert 81 at the lower end thereof . the insert 81 is annular and surrounds a center passageway 82 in the coupling . the elastomeric insert 81 aligns with the rib 45 , and when the member 80 is placed into position , it can be forced downwardly toward the rib with a cylinder indicated schematically at 83 with a measured amount of force so that the elastomeric member 81 engages the rib 48 and seals on the upper edge of the rib . approximately 200 pounds of force from the cylinder 83 onto the coupling 80 will cause a seal to be effected between the elastomeric member 81 and the rib 45 . this means that the center opening for the valve stem 47 in the valve block 42 is then sealed from the atmosphere surrounding the member 80 . at this point , with 200 pounds force on the coupling the valve opening ( surrounding stem 47 ) is still sealed by o - ring 48 , and when the cylinder 83 is actuated an additional amount , for example up to a 600 pound force on the coupling 80 , the elastomeric insert 81 will compress a sufficient amount so a small lug or bar 84 fastened on the interior of the passageway 82 will engage the end of the stem 47 , and move the valve 46 away from its seat so that the o - ring 48 is no longer sealing . this will open the passageway 82 to the passageway 40 , which opens at a position between the o - rings 14 , 14 . the seal formed with the elastomeric insert 81 and the rib 45 will maintain the integrity of the connection . when the valve 46 has been opened , in the process for testing for leaks , a vacuum pump 85 is energized to &# 34 ; rough out &# 34 ; the helium which might be present in passageways 40 and 82 . then , a leak detector 86 ( mass spectrometer ) is connected to the passageway 82 as well , and any helium leaking from either of the o - rings 14 , 14 will be detected , and the leak rate can be determined . it should be noted that the outer most o - ring 14 is tested because the exterior of the container itself is in a helium atmosphere and if this ring is leaking , the helium from the exterior of the container will be sensed . the interior of the container 12 is also under a helium atmosphere so that the inner one of the o - rings 14 is simultaneously tested . after the leak test of the o - rings 14 , 14 has been completed , it is desirable to make sure that the o - ring 48 is not leaking . this can be done by reflooding the passageways 40 and 82 with helium , and then releasing the force from cylinder 83 a sufficient amount so that the valve 46 will again seat and the o - ring 48 will seal off the passageway for the stem 47 . the cylinder 83 is not completely released but is reduced in force , for example to the 200 pound force level , which will continue to maintain the integrity of the seal between the elastomeric insert 81 and the rib 45 while permitting the valve 46 to seat . then , the pump 85 can be started to evacuate the passageway 82 , and subsequently the leak detector 86 can be used to determine whether or not there is any leakage of the helium from the passageway 40 past the o - ring 48 , while the seal on the elastomeric insert 81 is being maintained . if the integrity of the seals is satisfactory , then the fixture for checking the seals is removed , and the container can be used in the normal manner . elastomeric materials can be used for the coupling seal 81 because the seal is exposed to high temperature only for a short time . the o - rings 14 are seated only with compression forces acting along the axis of the cylinder and once the o - rings 14 are compressed they are not moved . the twist lock members are locked without twisting the cover plate 20 relative to shoulder 13 . the second or upper plate 21 is resilient enough to permit the springs 25 to continue to exert the high level of force on the lower plate 20 and thus to maintain the seal . elastomeric o - rings can be used if the container is at lower temperatures . the closing force , and the force exerted by the resilient members between the cover plates may be selected to suit the type of seal used . | 6 |
in contrast to the currently existing schemes , the invention provides the feasibility of using long - lived oscillatory resonant electromagnetic modes , with localized slowly evanescent field patterns , for wireless non - radiative energy transfer . the basis of this technique is that two same - frequency resonant objects tend to couple , while interacting weakly with other off - resonant environmental objects . the purpose of the invention is to quantify this mechanism using specific examples , namely quantitatively address the following questions : up to which distances can such a scheme be efficient and how sensitive is it to external perturbations . detailed theoretical and numerical analysis show that a mid - range ( l trans ≈ few * l dev ) wireless energy - exchange can actually be achieved , while suffering only modest transfer and dissipation of energy into other off - resonant objects . the omnidirectional but stationary ( non - lossy ) nature of the near field makes this mechanism suitable for mobile wireless receivers . it could therefore have a variety of possible applications including for example , placing a source connected to the wired electricity network on the ceiling of a factory room , while devices , such as robots , vehicles , computers , or similar , are roaming freely within the room . other possible applications include electric - engine buses , rfids , and perhaps even nano - robots . the range and rate of the inventive wireless energy - transfer scheme are the first subjects of examination , without considering yet energy drainage from the system for use into work . an appropriate analytical framework for modeling the exchange of energy between resonant objects is a weak - coupling approach called “ coupled - mode theory ”. fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a general description of the invention . the invention uses a source and device to perform energy transferring . both the source 1 and device 2 are resonator structures , and are separated a distance d from each other . in this arrangement , the electromagnetic field of the system of source 1 and device 2 is approximated by f ( r , t )≈ a 1 ( t ) f 1 ( r )+ a 2 ( t ) f 2 ( r ), where f 1 , 2 ( r )=[ e 1 , 2 ( r ) h 1 , 2 ( r )] are the eigenmodes of source 1 and device 2 alone , and then the field amplitudes a 1 ( t ) and a 2 ( t ) can be shown to satisfy the “ coupled - mode theory ”: where ω 1 , 2 are the individual eigen - frequencies , γ 1 , 2 are the resonance widths due to the objects &# 39 ; intrinsic ( absorption , radiation etc .) losses , κ 12 , 21 are the coupling coefficients , and κ 11 , 22 model the shift in the complex frequency of each object due to the presence of the other . the approach of eq . 1 has been shown , on numerous occasions , to provide an excellent description of resonant phenomena for objects of similar complex eigen - frequencies ( namely | ω 1 − ω 2 |& lt ;& lt ;| κ 12 , 21 | and γ 1 ≈ γ 2 ), whose resonances are reasonably well defined ( namely γ 1 , 2 & amp ; im { κ 11 , 22 }& lt ;& lt ;| κ 12 , 21 |) and in the weak coupling limit ( namely | κ 12 , 21 |& lt ;& lt ; ω 1 , 2 ). coincidentally , these requirements also enable optimal operation for energy transfer . also , eq . ( 1 ) show that the energy exchange can be nearly perfect at exact resonance ( ω 1 = ω 2 and γ 1 = γ 2 ), and that the losses are minimal when the “ coupling - time ” is much shorter than all “ loss - times ”. therefore , the invention requires resonant modes of high q = ω /( 2γ ) for low intrinsic - loss rates γ 1 , 2 , and with evanescent tails significantly longer than the characteristic sizes l 1 and l 2 of the two objects for strong coupling rate | κ 12 , 21 | over large distances d , where d is the closest distance between the two objects . this is a regime of operation that has not been studied extensively , since one usually prefers short tails , to minimize interference with nearby devices . objects of nearly infinite extent , such as dielectric waveguides , can support guided modes whose evanescent tails are decaying exponentially in the direction away from the object , slowly if tuned close to cutoff , and can have nearly infinite q . to implement the inventive energy - transfer scheme , such geometries might be suitable for certain applications , but usually finite objects , namely ones that are topologically surrounded everywhere by air , are more appropriate . unfortunately , objects of finite extent cannot support electromagnetic states that are exponentially decaying in all directions in air , since in free space : { right arrow over ( k )} 2 = ω 2 / c 2 . because of this , one can show that they cannot support states of infinite q . however , very long - lived ( so - called “ high - q ”) states can be found , whose tails display the needed exponential - like decay away from the resonant object over long enough distances before they turn oscillatory ( radiative ). the limiting surface , where this change in the field behavior happens , is called the “ radiation caustic ”, and , for the wireless energy - transfer scheme to be based on the near field rather than the far / radiation field , the distance between the coupled objects must be such that one lies within the radiation caustic of the other . the invention is very general and any type of resonant structure satisfying the above requirements can be used for its implementation . as examples and for definiteness , one can choose to work with two well - known , but quite different electromagnetic resonant systems : dielectric disks and capacitively - loaded conducting - wire loops . even without optimization , and despite their simplicity , both will be shown to exhibit fairly good performance . their difference lies mostly in the frequency range of applicability due to practical considerations , for example , in the optical regime dielectrics prevail , since conductive materials are highly lossy . consider a 2d dielectric disk cavity of radius r and permittivity ∈ surrounded by air that supports high - q whispering - gallery modes , as shown in fig2 a . such a cavity is studied using both analytical modeling , such as separation of variables in cylindrical coordinates and application of boundary conditions , and detailed numerical finite - difference - time - domain ( fdtd ) simulations with a resolution of 30 pts / r . note that the physics of the 3d case should not be significantly different , while the analytical complexity and numerical requirements would be immensely increased . the results of the two methods for the complex eigen - frequencies and the field patterns of the so - called “ leaky ” eigenmodes are in an excellent agreement with each other for a variety of geometries and parameters of interest . the radial modal decay length , which determines the coupling strength κ ≡| κ 21 |=| κ 12 |, is on the order of the wavelength , therefore , for near - field coupling to take place between cavities whose distance is much larger than their size , one needs subwavelength - sized resonant objects ( r & lt ;& lt ; λ ). high - radiation - q and long - tailed subwavelength resonances can be achieved , when the dielectric permittivity ∈ is as large as practically possible and the azimuthal field variations ( of principal number m ) are slow ( namely m is small ). one such te - polarized dielectric - cavity mode , which has the favorable characteristics q rad = 1992 and λ / r = 20 using ∈= 147 . 7 and m = 2 , is shown in fig2 a , and will be the “ test ” cavity 18 for all subsequent calculations for this class of resonant objects . another example of a suitable cavity has q rad = 9100 and λ / r = 10 using ∈= 65 . 61 and m = 3 . these values of ∈ might at first seem unrealistically large . however , not only are there in the microwave regime ( appropriate for meter - range coupling applications ) many materials that have both reasonably high enough dielectric constants and low losses , for example , titania : ∈≈ 96 , im {∈}/∈≈ 10 − 3 ; barium tetratitanate : ∈≈ 37 , im {∈}/∈≈ 10 − 4 ; lithium tantalite : ∈≈ 40 , im {∈}/∈≈ 10 − 4 ; etc . ), but also ∈ could instead signify the effective index of other known subwavelength ( λ / r & gt ;& gt ; 1 ) surface - wave systems , such as surface - plasmon modes on surfaces of metal - like ( negative -∈) materials or metallodielectric photonic crystals . with regards to material absorption , typical loss tangents in the microwave ( e . g . those listed for the materials above ) suggest that q abs ˜∈/ im {∈}˜ 10000 . combining the effects of radiation and absorption , the above analysis implies that for a properly designed resonant device - object d a value of q d ˜ 2000 should be achievable . note though , that the resonant source s will in practice often be immobile , and the restrictions on its allowed geometry and size will typically be much less stringent than the restrictions on the design of the device ; therefore , it is reasonable to assume that the radiative losses can be designed to be negligible allowing for q s ˜ 10000 , limited only by absorption . to calculate now the achievable rate of energy transfer , one can place two of the cavities 20 , 22 at distance d between their centers , as shown in fig2 b . the normal modes of the combined system are then an even and an odd superposition of the initial modes and their frequencies are split by the coupling coefficient κ , which we want to calculate . analytically , coupled - mode theory gives for dielectric objects κ 12 = ω 2 / 2 ·∫ d 3 re 1 *( r ) e 2 ( r )∈ 1 ( r )/∫ d 3 r | e 1 ( r )| 2 ∈( r ), where ∈ 1 , 2 ( r ) denote the dielectric functions of only object 1 alone or 2 alone excluding the background dielectric ( free space ) and ∈( r ) the dielectric function of the entire space with both objects present . numerically , one can find κ using fdtd simulations either by exciting one of the cavities and calculating the energy - transfer time to the other or by determining the split normal - mode frequencies . for the “ test ” disk cavity the radius r c of the radiation caustic is r c ≈ 11r , and for non - radiative coupling d & lt ; r c , therefore here one can choose d / r = 10 , 7 , 5 , 3 . then , for the mode of fig3 , which is odd with respect to the line that connects the two cavities , the analytical predictions are ω / 2κ = 1602 , 771 , 298 , 48 , while the numerical predictions are ω / 2κ = 1717 , 770 , 298 , 47 respectively , so the two methods agree well . the radiation fields of the two initial cavity modes interfere constructively or destructively depending on their relative phases and amplitudes , leading to increased or decreased net radiation loss respectively , therefore for any cavity distance the even and odd normal modes have qs that are one larger and one smaller than the initial single - cavity q = 1992 ( a phenomenon not captured by coupled - mode theory ), but in a way that the average γ is always approximately γ ≈ ω / 2q . therefore , the corresponding coupling - to - loss ratios are κ / γ = 1 . 16 , 2 . 59 , 6 . 68 , 42 . 49 , and although they do not fall in the ideal operating regime κ / γ & gt ;& gt ; 1 , the achieved values are still large enough to be useful for applications . consider a loop 10 or 12 of n coils of radius r of conducting wire with circular cross - section of radius a surrounded by air , as shown in fig3 . this wire has inductance l = μ o n 2 r [ ln ( 8r / a )− 2 ], where μ o is the magnetic permeability of free space , so connecting it to a capacitance c will make the loop resonant at frequency ω = 1 /√{ square root over ( lc )}. the nature of the resonance lies in the periodic exchange of energy from the electric field inside the capacitor due to the voltage across it to the magnetic field in free space due to the current in the wire . losses in this resonant system consist of ohmic loss inside the wire and radiative loss into free space . for non - radiative coupling one should use the near - field region , whose extent is set roughly by the wavelength λ , therefore the preferable operating regime is that where the loop is small ( r & lt ;& lt ; λ ). in this limit , the resistances associated with the two loss channels are respectively r ohm =√{ square root over ( μ o ρω / 2 )}· nr / a and r rad = π / 6 · η o n 2 ( ωr / c ) 4 , where ρ is the resistivity of the wire material and η o ≈ 120πω is the impedance of free space . the quality factor of such a resonance is then q = ωl /( r ohm + r rad ) and is highest for some frequency determined by the system parameters : at lower frequencies it is dominated by ohmic loss and at higher frequencies by radiation . to get a rough estimate in the microwave , one can use one coil ( n = 1 ) of copper ( ρ = 1 . 69 · 10 − 8 ωm ) wire and then for r = 1 cm and a = 1 mm , appropriate for example for a cell phone , the quality factor peaks to q = 1225 at f = 380 mhz , for r = 30 cm and a = 2 mm for a laptop or a household robot q = 1103 at f = 17 mhz , while for r = 1 m and a = 4 mm ( that could be a source loop on a room ceiling ) q = 1315 at f = 5 mhz . so in general , expected quality factors are q ≈ 1000 - 1500 at λ / r ≈ 50 - 80 , namely suitable for near - field coupling . the rate for energy transfer between two loops 10 and 12 at distance d between their centers , as shown in fig3 , is given by κ 12 = ωm / 2 √{ square root over ( l 1 l 2 )}, where m is the mutual inductance of the two loops 10 and 12 . in the limit r & lt ;& lt ; d & lt ;& lt ; λ one can use the quasi - static result m = π / 4 · μ o n 1 n 2 ( r 1 r 2 ) 2 / d 3 , which means that ω / 2κ ˜( d /√{ square root over ( r 1 r 2 )}) 3 . for example , by choosing again d / r = 10 , 8 , 6 one can get for two loops of r = 1 cm , same as used before , that ω / 2κ = 3033 , 1553 , 655 respectively , for the r = 30 cm that ω / 2κ = 7131 , 3651 , 1540 , and for the r = 1 m that ω / 2κ = 6481 , 3318 , 1400 . the corresponding coupling - to - loss ratios peak at the frequency where peaks the single - loop q and are κ / γ = 0 . 4 , 0 . 79 , 1 . 97 and 0 . 15 , 0 . 3 , 0 . 72 and 0 . 2 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 94 for the three loop - kinds and distances . an example of dissimilar loops is that of a r = 1 m ( source on the ceiling ) loop and a r = 30 cm ( household robot on the floor ) loop at a distance d = 3 m ( room height ) apart , for which κ /√{ square root over ( γ 1 γ 2 )}= 0 . 88 peaks at f = 6 . 4 mhz , in between the peaks of the individual q &# 39 ; s . again , these values are not in the optimal regime κ / γ & gt ;& gt ; 1 , but will be shown to be sufficient . it is important to appreciate the difference between this inductive scheme and the already used close - range inductive schemes for energy transfer in that those schemes are non - resonant . using coupled - mode theory it is easy to show that , keeping the geometry and the energy stored at the source fixed , the presently proposed resonant - coupling inductive mechanism allows for q approximately 1000 times more power delivered for work at the device than the traditional non - resonant mechanism , and this is why mid - range energy transfer is now possible . capacitively - loaded conductive loops are actually being widely used as resonant antennas ( for example in cell phones ), but those operate in the far - field regime with r / λ ˜ 1 , and the radiation q &# 39 ; s are intentionally designed to be small to make the antenna efficient , so they are not appropriate for energy transfer . clearly , the success of the inventive resonance - based wireless energy - transfer scheme depends strongly on the robustness of the objects &# 39 ; resonances . therefore , their sensitivity to the near presence of random non - resonant extraneous objects is another aspect of the proposed scheme that requires analysis . the interaction of an extraneous object with a resonant object can be obtained by a modification of the coupled - mode - theory model in eq . ( 1 ), since the extraneous object either does not have a well - defined resonance or is far - off - resonance , the energy exchange between the resonant and extraneous objects is minimal , so the term κ 12 in eq . ( 1 ) can be dropped . the appropriate analytical model for the field amplitude in the resonant object a 1 ( t ) becomes : namely , the effect of the extraneous object is just a perturbation on the resonance of the resonant object and it is twofold : first , it shifts its resonant frequency through the real part of κ 11 thus detuning it from other resonant objects . this is a problem that can be fixed rather easily by applying a feedback mechanism to every device that corrects its frequency , such as through small changes in geometry , and matches it to that of the source . second , it forces the resonant object to lose modal energy due to scattering into radiation from the extraneous object through the induced polarization or currents in it , and due to material absorption in the extraneous object through the imaginary part of κ 11 . this reduction in q can be a detrimental effect to the functionality of the energy - transfer scheme , because it cannot be remedied , so its magnitude must be quantified . in the first example of resonant objects that have been considered , the class of dielectric disks , small , low - index , low - material - loss or far - away stray objects will induce small scattering and absorption . to examine realistic cases that are more dangerous for reduction in q , one can therefore place the “ test ” dielectric disk cavity 40 close to : a ) another off - resonance object 42 , such as a human being , of large re {∈}= 49 and im {∈}= 16 and of same size but different shape , as shown in fig4 a ; and b ) a roughened surface 46 , such as a wall , of large extent but of small re {∈}= 2 . 5 and im {∈}= 0 . 05 , as shown in fig4 b . analytically , for objects that interact with a small perturbation the reduced value of radiation - q due to scattering could be estimated using the polarization ∫ d 3 r | p x1 ( r )| 2 ∝∫ d 3 r | e 1 ( r )· re {∈ x ( r )}| 2 induced by the resonant cavity 1 inside the extraneous object x = 42 or roughened surface x = 46 . since in the examined cases either the refractive index or the size of the extraneous objects is large , these first - order perturbation - theory results would not be accurate enough , thus one can only rely on numerical fdtd simulations . the absorption - q inside these objects can be estimated through im { κ 11 }= ω 1 / 2 ·∫ d 3 r | e 1 ( r )| 2 im {∈ x ( r )}/∫ d 3 β | e 1 ( r )| 2 ∈( r ). using these methods , for distances d / r = 10 , 7 , 5 , 3 between the cavity and extraneous - object centers one can find that q rad = 1992 is respectively reduced to q rad = 1988 , 1258 , 702 , 226 , and that the absorption rate inside the object is q abs = 312530 , 86980 , 21864 , 1662 , namely the resonance of the cavity is not detrimentally disturbed from high - index and / or high - loss extraneous objects , unless the ( possibly mobile ) object comes very close to the cavity . for distances d / r = 10 , 7 , 5 , 3 , 0 of the cavity to the roughened surface we find respectively q rad = 2101 , 2257 , 1760 , 1110 , 572 , and q abs & gt ; 4000 , namely the influence on the initial resonant mode is acceptably low , even in the extreme case when the cavity is embedded on the surface . note that a close proximity of metallic objects could also significantly scatter the resonant field , but one can assume for simplicity that such objects are not present . imagine now a combined system where a resonant source - object s is used to wirelessly transfer energy to a resonant device - object d but there is an off - resonance extraneous - object e present . one can see that the strength of all extrinsic loss mechanisms from e is determined by | e s ( r e )| 2 , by the square of the small amplitude of the tails of the resonant source , evaluated at the position r e of the extraneous object . in contrast , the coefficient of resonant coupling of energy from the source to the device is determined by the same - order tail amplitude | e s ( r d )|, evaluated at the position r d of the device , but this time it is not squared ! therefore , for equal distances of the source to the device and to the extraneous object , the coupling time for energy exchange with the device is much shorter than the time needed for the losses inside the extraneous object to accumulate , especially if the amplitude of the resonant field has an exponential - like decay away from the source . one could actually optimize the performance by designing the system so that the desired coupling is achieved with smaller tails at the source and longer at the device , so that interference to the source from the other objects is minimal . the above concepts can be verified in the case of dielectric disk cavities by a simulation that combines fig2 a - 2b and 4 a - 4 b , namely that of two ( source - device ) “ test ” cavities 50 placed 10r apart , in the presence of a same - size extraneous object 52 of ∈= 49 between them , and at a distance 5r from a large roughened surface 56 of ∈= 2 . 5 , as shown in fig5 . then , the original values of q = 1992 , ω / 2κ = 1717 ( and thus κ / γ = 1 . 16 ) deteriorate to q = 765 , ω / 2κ = 965 ( and thus κ / γ = 0 . 79 ). this change is acceptably small , considering the extent of the considered external perturbation , and , since the system design has not been optimized , the final value of coupling - to - loss ratio is promising that this scheme can be useful for energy transfer . in the second example of resonant objects being considered , the conducting - wire loops , the influence of extraneous objects on the resonances is nearly absent . the reason for this is that , in the quasi - static regime of operation ( r & lt ;& lt ; λ ) that is being considered , the near field in the air region surrounding the loop is predominantly magnetic , since the electric field is localized inside the capacitor . therefore , extraneous objects that could interact with this field and act as a perturbation to the resonance are those having significant magnetic properties ( magnetic permeability re { μ }& gt ; 1 or magnetic loss im { μ }& gt ; 0 ). since almost all common materials are non - magnetic , they respond to magnetic fields in the same way as free space , and thus will not disturb the resonance of a conducting - wire loop . the only perturbation that is expected to affect these resonances is a close proximity of large metallic structures . an extremely important implication of the above fact relates to safety considerations for human beings . humans are also non - magnetic and can sustain strong magnetic fields without undergoing any risk . this is clearly an advantage of this class of resonant systems for many real - world applications . on the other hand , dielectric systems of high ( effective ) index have the advantages that their efficiencies seem to be higher , judging from the larger achieved values of κ / γ , and that they are also applicable to much smaller length - scales , as mentioned before . consider now again the combined system of resonant source s and device d in the presence of a human h and a wall , and now let us study the efficiency of this resonance - based energy - transfer scheme , when energy is being drained from the device for use into operational work . one can use the parameters found before : for dielectric disks , absorption - dominated loss at the source q s ˜ 10 4 , radiation - dominated loss at the device q d ˜ 10 3 ( which includes scattering from the human and the wall ), absorption of the source - and device - energy at the human q s - h , q d - h ˜ 10 4 - 10 5 depending on his / her not - very - close distance from the objects , and negligible absorption loss in the wall ; for conducting - wire loops , q s ˜ q d ˜ 10 3 , and perturbations from the human and the wall are negligible . with corresponding loss - rates γ = ω / 2q , distance - dependent coupling κ , and the rate at which working power is extracted γ w , the coupled - mode - theory equation for the device field - amplitude is different temporal schemes can be used to extract power from the device and their efficiencies exhibit different dependence on the combined system parameters . here , one can assume steady state , such that the field amplitude inside the source is maintained constant , namely a s ( t )= a s e − iωt , so then the field amplitude inside the device is a d ( t )= a d e − iωt with a d = iκ /( γ d + γ d - h + γ w ) a s . therefore , the power lost at the source is p s = 2γ s | a s | 2 , at the device it is p d = 2γ d | a d | 2 , the power absorbed at the human is p h = 2 γ s - h | a s | 2 + 2γ d - h | a d | 2 , and the useful extracted power is p w = 2γ w | a d | 2 . from energy conservation , the total power entering the system is p total = p s + p d + p h + p w . denote the total loss - rates γ s tot = γ s + γ s - h and γ d tot = γ d + γ d - h . depending on the targeted application , the work - drainage rate should be chosen either γ w = γ d tot to minimize the required energy stored in the resonant objects or γ w = γ d tot √{ square root over ( 1 + κ 2 / γ s tot γ d tot )}& gt ; γ d tot such that the ratio of useful - to - lost powers , namely the efficiency η w = p w / p total , is maximized for some value of κ . the efficiencies η for the two different choices are shown in fig6 a and 6 b respectively , as a function of the κ / γ d figure - of - merit which in turn depends on the source - device distance . fig6 a - 6b show that for the system of dielectric disks and the choice of optimized efficiency , the efficiency can be large , e . g ., at least 40 %. the dissipation of energy inside the human is small enough , less than 5 %, for values κ / γ d & gt ; 1 and q h & gt ; 10 5 , namely for medium - range source - device distances ( d d / r & lt ; 10 ) and most human - source / device distances ( d h / r & gt ; 8 ). for example , for d d / r = 10 and d h / r = 8 , if 10 w must be delivered to the load , then , from fig6 b , ˜ 0 . 4 w will be dissipated inside the human , ˜ 4 w will be absorbed inside the source , and ˜ 2 . 6 w will be radiated to free space . for the system of conducting - wire loops , the achieved efficiency is smaller , ˜ 20 % for κ / γ d ≈ 1 , but the significant advantage is that there is no dissipation of energy inside the human , as explained earlier . even better performance should be achievable through optimization of the resonant object designs . also , by exploiting the earlier mentioned interference effects between the radiation fields of the coupled objects , such as continuous - wave operation at the frequency of the normal mode that has the larger radiation - q , one could further improve the overall system functionality . thus the inventive wireless energy - transfer scheme is promising for many modern applications . although all considerations have been for a static geometry , all the results can be applied directly for the dynamic geometries of mobile objects , since the energy - transfer time κ − 1 ˜ 1 μs , which is much shorter than any timescale associated with motions of macroscopic objects . the invention provides a resonance - based scheme for mid - range wireless non - radiative energy transfer . analyses of very simple implementation geometries provide encouraging performance characteristics for the potential applicability of the proposed mechanism . for example , in the macroscopic world , this scheme could be used to deliver power to robots and / or computers in a factory room , or electric buses on a highway ( source - cavity would in this case be a “ pipe ” running above the highway ). in the microscopic world , where much smaller wavelengths would be used and smaller powers are needed , one could use it to implement optical inter - connects for cmos electronics or else to transfer energy to autonomous nano - objects , without worrying much about the relative alignment between the sources and the devices ; energy - transfer distance could be even longer compared to the objects &# 39 ; size , since im {∈( ω )} of dielectric materials can be much lower at the required optical frequencies than it is at microwave frequencies . as a venue of future scientific research , different material systems should be investigated for enhanced performance or different range of applicability . for example , it might be possible to significantly improve performance by exploring plasmonic systems . these systems can often have spatial variations of fields on their surface that are much shorter than the free - space wavelength , and it is precisely this feature that enables the required decoupling of the scales : the resonant object can be significantly smaller than the exponential - like tails of its field . furthermore , one should also investigate using acoustic resonances for applications in which source and device are connected via a common condensed - matter object . although the present invention has been shown and described with respect to several preferred embodiments thereof , various changes , omissions and additions to the form and detail thereof , may be made therein , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
fig1 is a diagram of ink distribution over four arbitrary zones , whereby the individual zones on the ink ductor are set to the values 8 . 80 , 10 . 80 , 0 . 60 and 10 . 80 , since the ink coverages required in the individual zones are very different . as a result of the separation of the ink and the lateral spreading of the ink by rubbing in the inking unit , there can essentially be an ink profile on the printed sheet of about 0 . 98 , 0 . 98 , 1 . 17 and 0 . 96 , respectively . in known inking units , the value of 1 . 17 in the zone which requires the lowest ink feed of 0 . 60 particularly tends to result on account of the lateral spreading of ink by rubbing on the upper distributing rollers , so that the thickness of the ink layer of 1 . 17 in no way corresponds to the amount of ink actually required in this zone . this phenomenon can occur during the normal progress of the printing process , but it also can occur in particular if the printing is briefly interrupted , for example , so that when the inking rollers are once again applied to the printing plate , a longer break - in phase is required , with the corresponding waste of paper , to re - establish the thickness of the ink layer which corresponds to the amount of ink required in the individual zones . in fig2 the individual ink zones on the ink ductor have also been set to the values 8 . 80 , 10 . 80 , 0 . 60 and 10 . 80 . however , in this diagram , the stroke of at least the first distributing roller after the ink ductor roller is set to a low value near 0 . consequently , the zone with the low value 0 . 60 does not receive so much ink from the two neighboring zones which have the values 10 . 80 , so that in this zone , only an ink layer thickness having the value 1 . 02 is achieved on the printed sheet . thus , instead of excess inking taking place , there is essentially a layer thickness at that point on the grid , the layer thickness making it possible to achieve the values required for printing after only a few sheets . turning now to fig3 the stub axle 1 of a distributing roller ( not shown ) of an inking unit , in a transmission housing 2 , there is preferably a worm 3 and a worm gear 4 , whereby the worm 3 is fastened to the stub axle 1 of the distributing roller . the transmission housing 2 is preferably mounted by means of a ball bearing 5 and a needle bearing 6 on the stub axle 1 of the distributing roller , and moves back and forth with the stub axle 1 of the distributing roller . to prevent the transmission housing 2 from rotating along with stub axle 1 , there is preferably , parallel to the stub axle 1 , a supporting pin 7 which is mounted laterally on the transmission housing 2 , which supporting pin 7 moves back and forth in a bearing 8 which is fastened in a bearing plate 9 . in fig4 the transmission housing 2 is shown in a cross section , with the worm gear 4 mounted on a crank pin 10 . the crank pin 10 is preferably rotationally mounted in the transmission housing 2 by means of a ball bearing 11 and a needle bearing 12 . on one end , the crank pin 10 preferably supports a roller 14 which is mounted on a roller pin 13 . in this embodiment , the roller pin 13 can be movably mounted on a flange 15 so that the magnitude of the eccentricity e can be adjusted . as a result , the lateral stroke of the distributing roller , which preferably corresponds to twice the value of e , can be adapted to meet the requirements of the particular printing operation . fig5 shows the roller 14 between two tread surfaces 16 , 17 which are oriented parallel to one another , of which the tread surface 17 is preferably provided on a carrier 18 which is fastened to the machine side frame 19 . fastened in the carrier 18 there are preferably two bearing pins 20 ( see fig6 ), on which a slide body 21 can be displaced axially , and on which there is the second tread surface 16 . by displacing the slide body 21 , the distance between the two tread surfaces 16 and 17 can be increased by an amount which corresponds to the diameter of the roller 14 , until it reaches the position indicated by the broken lines . the displacement of the slide body 21 can be accomplished , for example , by means of an actuator motor 22 which is fastened in the carrier 18 . a motor pin 23 , which is preferably connected by means of a ball bearing 24 to the slide body 21 , can be moved to the left in the direction indicated by the arrow until the slide body 21 assumes the position indicated by the broken lines ( see fig5 and 6 ). fig7 is a schematic illustration of the increased distance between the two tread surfaces 16 , 17 , whereby this distance corresponds to the distance a . the value a can , for example , be twice the value of the eccentricity e , plus one times the diameter of the roller 14 , minus a distance c . the distance c can , for a possible embodiment , be 1 mm . in this case , the axial stroke of the distributing roller would be 1 mm as a result . this stroke distance results from the fact that the roller 14 is displaced by 1 mm from its upper position , shown in solid lines , after a rotational motion of 180 degrees , into the position indicated by the broken lines with respect to the tread surface 16 shown in solid lines , so that the distributing roller executes a corresponding stroke movement . in the schematic diagram on the right in fig7 the two tread surfaces 16 and 17 have been pushed together to a distance b , which corresponds to the diameter of the roller 14 . when a rotational movement occurs , the roller 14 , after it has moved 180 degrees , therefore displaces the distributor roller so that it executes a stroke of twice e . in this position of the tread surfaces 16 , 17 , thus the full stroke of the crank - mounted roller 14 is transmitted to the distributing rollers , while when the increased distance a is present between the treads 16 , 17 as shown in the diagram on the left , the stroke length is reduced , e . g . to 1 mm . consequently , the lateral spreading of the ink by rubbing is reduced to a value near 0 , so that essentially no unintentional equalization of ink takes place between zones in which a great deal of ink is required and zones in which a lower amount of ink is required . it should be appreciated that , in accordance with at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention , the arrangement described and illustrated herein with respect to fig3 and 4 may be utilized in conjunction with the arrangement described and illustrated herein with reference to fig5 - 7 . in other words , it is conceivable to mount roller 14 on a flange 15 in such a manner that permits selective variation of eccentricity e , while also permitting variation of the distance between tread surfaces 16 , 17 . in this manner , a predetermined , constant eccentricity e can be preset for a given printing run , while allowing for further adjustments to be made to the stroke of the distributor roller during the printing run , via variation of the distance between tread surfaces 16 and 17 . conceivably , any suitable arrangement may be utilized for permitting selective variation of eccentricity e as illustrated in fig4 . for example , flange 15 could conceivably be provided with a groove configured for accommodating at least a portion of roller pin 13 , along with an arrangement for selectively fixing roller pin 13 with respect to such a grove . such a groove can conceivably have an orientation that permits selective variation of eccentricity e over a variety of values . thus , such a groove could conceivably run along a diameter of flange 15 . other types of arrangements for selectively varying the eccentricity e of a roller 14 with respect to a crank pin 10 are , of course , conceivable within the scope of the present invention and are not meant to be restricted to the arrangement just described . preferably , in accordance with at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention , the aforementioned tread surfaces 16 , 17 will preferably be oriented in a vertical direction with respect to the printing unit in question . the principle illustrated in fig7 relating to the effect of the variation of the distance between tread surfaces 16 and 17 on the stroke of the distributor roller in question , can be better understood when realizing that the stroke will essentially be inversely proportional to the distance between tread surfaces 16 and 17 . it will thus be appreciated that an increased distance between tread surfaces 16 and 17 will result in greater freedom of horizontal movement for roller 14 , and that this , in turn , will result in decreased lateral movement of worm gear 4 and , consequently , worm 3 ( see fig3 and 4 ). essentially , inasmuch the arrangement illustrated in the right half of fig7 will result in a maximum stroke equivalent to twice the eccentricity e ( hereinafter &# 34 ; 2e &# 34 ;), any separation of tread surfaces 16 and 17 apart from one another over and above an amount equivalent to 2e plus the diameter ( hereinafter &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;) of roller 14 , will result in a stroke that is less than the maximum stroke of 2e by an amount essentially equal to the degree of separation of tread surfaces 16 and 17 beyond the value of &# 34 ; 2e + d &# 34 ; ( i . e . twice the eccentricity plus the diameter of roller 14 ). thus , it can be said that , if tread surfaces 16 and 17 happen to be separated by a distance approximately equivalent to ( 2e + d ), there will essentially be no axial stroke of the distributor roller in question as a result . it is essentially in this manner that the arrangement shown in the left half of fig7 in which the tread surfaces 16 and 17 are separated by a distance approximately equivalent to ( 2e + d - 1 mm ), will result in an axial stroke of 1 mm of the distributor roller in question . the phenomenon that governs the relationship between the separation of tread surfaces 16 and 17 and the resulting axial stroke of the distributor roller in question may be visualized in terms of the degree to which distributor roller 14 is forced against either of the tread surfaces 16 and 17 . at one extreme , when the tread surfaces 16 and 17 are separated by a distance equivalent to ( 2e + d ) or greater , roller 14 will essentially come into minimal , if any , contact with tread surfaces 16 and 17 . in the absence of such contact , roller 14 will essentially not be restricted against horizontal movement . thus , during rotation of worm gear 4 and crank pin 10 , roller 14 will avoid interaction with either of tread surfaces 16 and 17 in a manner that would otherwise force roller 14 to discontinue its horizontal movement . on the other hand , if the separation between tread surfaces 16 and 17 is less than ( 2e + d ), then roller 14 will indeed , to some degree , contact the tread surfaces 16 and 17 . particularly , depending on the separation of tread surfaces 16 and 17 , the roller 14 , while attempting to revolve about the central rotational axis of crank pin 10 , will at some point be hindered , either by tread surface 16 or tread surface 17 , from undergoing the horizontal component of its revolutionary movement , thus forcing it only to undergo a vertical translational movement , parallel to the tread surfaces 16 and 17 . however , the result will preferably be a horizontal force component generated between roller 14 and the tread surface 16 or 17 in question , and since the roller 14 is restricted any further horizontal translational movement , this horizontal force component will be transmitted in such a manner as to result in the lateral displacement of worm 3 ( see fig3 and 4 ). in the extreme case in which tread surfaces 16 and 17 are only separated by a distance corresponding to the diameter of roller 14 , roller 14 will essentially never undergo any horizontal translational displacement and will instead be restricted to strictly vertical displacement , parallel to tread surfaces 16 and 17 . this would then essentially result in a virtually continuous transfer of the aforementioned horizontal force component in such a manner so as to virtually continuously displace worm 3 , save for the brief movements of changeover from axial displacement of worm 3 ( and consequently also the stub axle 1 and the distributor roller in question ) in a first axial direction to movement in a second , opposite axial direction . fig6 a illustrates a control arrangement 22a that may be utilized in conjunction with actuator 22 . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , this control arrangement 22a may itself be in communication with another control arrangement 100 , which control arrangement 100 may be designated for the purpose of establishing and changing ink profiles at an ink duct 102 . thus , it is conceivable to automatically link control of actuator 22 with the establishment of ink profiles , thereby allowing the axial stroke of the distributor roller in question to be established as a function of any ink profile that may be used . in this respect , it is conceivable to determine the stroke of the distributor roller in question , as governed by the separation between tread surfaces 16 and 17 , in response to predetermined parameters , relating to the lay of given ink profiles , that may be preprogrammed into either or both of the control arrangements 22a and 100 . for example , it is conceivable to preprogram control arrangement 22a in such a manner that , given an ink profile input into control arrangement 100 that involves a particularly sharp change between two zones , a minimal , if any , axial stroke movement of the distributor roller in question will result . criteria for quantitatively assessing the overall interzonal varying of a given ink profile can also conceivably be preprogrammed . alternatively , it is conceivable for control arrangement 22a to be independent , as illustrated in fig6 b . in this case , it is conceivable to manually input a desired parameter or parameters , for the purpose of governing the action of actuator 22 , depending on the desired printing characteristics , as determined by the press operator . of course , the automatic arrangement described with reference to fig6 a could conceivably be provided with a manual override . it will be appreciated , then , that in accordance with at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention , the stroke of the distributor roller in question can be changed even while the printing unit is in operation . this could conceivably be accomplished by an automatic arrangement such as that shown in fig6 a , or even by a manual arrangement such as that shown in fig6 b . in either case , the result will be a change in the distance between tread surfaces 16 and 17 , as governed by actuator 22 , whether the change is undertaken by automatic or manual controls . accordingly , it would not be necessary to stop the printing press or printing unit in order to make the desired adjustments . of course , when the printing press is not in operation , it is still conceivable that such adjustments could be made at that time , as well as any desired adjustment to the eccentricity e , as illustrated in fig4 . however , in accordance with at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will essentially be possible to selectively vary the stroke of the , distributor roller in question , whether automatically or manually , even once an essentially constant eccentricity e of roller 14 has already been established . fig8 illustrates a rotary print stand 110 of a rotary printing press which can employ a distributor roller displacement arrangement according to the present invention . rotary print stand 110 generally includes : a plate cylinder 111 for having mounted thereon a printing plate d ; an inking unit 112 which includes ink applicator rollers 113 for applying ink to the printing plate an ink profile ; a dampening ( or wetting ) unit 118 having dampening applicator rollers 119 for transferring a dampening agent to the printing plate d , a blanket cylinder 116 carrying a rubber blanket 117 for receiving an ink impression from the printing plate d , and a sheet drum 115 for carrying a printed sheet 114 onto which the ink impression carried by blanket 117 is transferred . a duct roller 123 is typically mounted adjacent to ink duct 121 . typically , ink is transferred from duct roller 123 to inking unit 112 by means of a vibrator roller 124 which oscillates to successively pick up ink from duct roller 123 and deposit the same on a roller 132 of inking unit 112 . typically , the printing stand 110 will also include auxiliary mechanisms such as , for example , a duct roller drive 128 , a vibrator roller drive 129 , an applicator roller throw - off 227 for lifting the ink applicator rollers 113 off of the printing plate , a press drive 125 and a sheet feed 127 for supplying the sheets to be printed 126 to sheet drum 115 . with relation to fig8 roller 132 may be a distributor roller having an arrangement for displacing the same , indicated at 132a , such as has been described heretofore with relation to fig1 - 7 . one feature of the invention resides broadly in the method for resetting an inking mechanism of printing machines , in which there are areas on an ink duct roller , in a direction at right angles to the direction of printing , which have ink layers of different thickness , and which are applied to a printing form by means of a number of inking unit rollers and inking rollers , corresponding to the ink requirements of the individual zones , and in which the inking unit rollers are designed as distributing rollers which move axially and which periodically execute an axial stroke , characterized by the fact that when the printed items being produced have a relatively uniform ink profile , seen in the direction at right angles to the direction of printing , the distributing rollers are set to the respective specified full stroke , and that when printed items are being produced which have an ink profile which differs significantly from one zone to another in the direction at right angles to the direction of printing or when there is a brief interruption of the printing , the stroke of at least the first distributing roller which follows the ink duct roller , as the printing unit continues to run , is reset to a lower value near 0 . another feature of the invention resides broadly in the apparatus for the realization of the method characterized by the fact that the axial stroke of the distributing roller takes place by means of a roller 14 which is eccentrically e offset on the stub axle 1 of the distributing roller , which roller 14 can be moved between two tread surfaces 16 , 17 mounted in parallel to one another on the machine side frame 19 , that the roller 14 has a rotational drive so that its eccentric position e moves the distributing roller axially back and forth , and that the distance b of at least one of the two parallel tread surfaces 16 , 17 with respect to the other tread can be increased to a . yet another feature of the invention resides broadly in the apparatus characterized by the fact that one tread surface 16 is provided on a sliding body 21 which is mounted so that it can be moved by means of an actuator 22 on bearing pins 20 , whereby the opposite tread surface 17 is provided on a carrier 18 which is fastened to the machine side frame 19 . examples of printing presses , which may be utilized in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention , may be found in the following u . s . pat . no . 5 , 170 , 706 , which issued to rodi et al . on dec . 15 , 1992 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 081 , 926 , which issued to rodi on jan . 21 , 1992 ; and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 010 , 820 , which issued to loffler on apr . 30 , 1991 . examples of general concepts and principles relating to the establishment of ink zone profiles in printing presses may be found in the following u . s . pat . no . 5 , 174 , 210 , which issued to rodi et al . on dec . 29 , 1992 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 081 , 926 , which issued to rodi on jan . 21 , 1992 ; and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 010 , 820 , which issued to loffler on apr . 30 , 1991 . in recapitulation , the present invention can generally relate to a method and an apparatus for resetting an inking unit of printing machines , in which on an ink duct roller , seen at right angles to the direction of printing , there are areas with different thicknesses of the ink layers which are applied to a printing form by means of a number of ink duct rollers and inking rollers , the different thicknesses corresponding to the specified zonal requirement for ink , and in which inking rollers are designed as distributor rollers which move axially and periodically execute an axial stroke , movement , or displacement . in further recapitulation , there is disclosed herein a method and an apparatus to reset an inking mechanism on printing machines , in which there are areas on an ink duct or fountain roller , seen at right angles in relation to the direction of printing , which have different thicknesses of ink layers , and which are applied to a printing form by means of a number of inking unit rollers and inking rollers as required in the individual zones , and with distributing rollers which periodically execute an axial stroke , and the stroke of which can be set to affect the lateral flow of the ink . the appended drawings in their entirety , including all dimensions , proportions and / or shapes in at least one embodiment of the invention , are accurate and to scale and are hereby included by reference into this specification . all of the patents , patent applications and publications recited herein , and in the declaration attached hereto , are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein . the corresponding foreign patent publication applications , namely , federal republic of germany patent application no . p 44 35 991 . 8 , filed on oct . 8 , 1994 , having inventors dr . norbert thunker and rudi junghans , and de - os p 44 35 991 . 8 and de - ps p 44 35 991 . 8 , are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein . the invention as described hereinabove in the context of the preferred embodiments is not to be taken as limited to all of the provided details thereof , since modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 8 |
vitamin 12 or cobalamin is an essential vitamin which is present in body fluids such as whole blood , plasma , serum in low concentrations ( about 10 - 14 mol / l ) and which has a remarkably strong binding to the b12 transport proteins ( the transcobalamins ). vitamin b12 deficiency which can be caused by an inadequate vitamin intake via the food , by malabsorption syndrome , by a genetically induced deficiency of one or several transcobalamins or by the presence of gut parasites such as e . g . the fish tapeworm ( diphyllobothria ), can manifest itself in different symptoms which depend on the age of the individual and on the duration of the vitamin b12 insufficiency . a minor vitamin b12 deficiency causes a reduction of the red blood corpuscles whereby , in addition , a series of metabolic disorders and megaloblastic anaemias occur . in children the nervous system is affected and in some cases blindness can result . at present the common methods for the determination of cobalamins , in particular of cyanocobalamin ( vitamin b12 ) in very dilute aqueous solutions ( such as e . g . the blood serum ) are based on methods using radioactive labels in which intrinsic factor ( if ) is used as the binding reagent . the common techniques use 57 co - b12 as the marker and are based on a competitive principle in which free and labelled analytes compete for binding to the if . the separation of bound and free analyte ( bound / free separation ) is then effected by methods such as e . g . the use of active charcoal , if bound to a solid phase or by magnetic separation in which if is bound to paramagnetic particles ( c . f . brit . j . haemat . 22 ( 1972 ) 21 - 31 , clin . chem . 24 ( 1978 ) 460 - 466 , clin . biochemistry 18 ( 1985 ) 261 - 266 ). before the determination of vitamin b12 in body fluids it is necessary to detach vitamin b12 from its binding proteins present in blood . this is carried out by heat treatment or by destruction of the binding proteins in the alkaline range ( ph & gt ; 13 . 5 ) under the action of the thiol , dithiothreitol ( dtt ), which cleaves sh bonds ( incubation of the serum sample with dtt in the alkaline range ). this destruction can be intensified by adding organic substances e . g . acetone or by adding competitive cross - reactive species e . g . cobinamide . in the determination it is advantageous to add alkali cyanide to increase the extractability of vitamin b12 and to convert the cobalamins into a stable and detectable form i . e . cyanocobalamin . the disadvantages of the known methods for the determination of vitamin b12 are in particular due to the use of intrinsic factor . thus false results are observed when the intrinsic factor used is not sufficiently pure ( max . 5 % impurity by other b12 binding proteins ). numerous samples apparently contain antibodies to if which block the ability to bind radioactively labelled b12 . this can simulate vitamin b12 values which are too low . the object of the present invention was therefore to provide a method for the determination of vitamin b12 which does not require the use of intrinsic factor and which thus avoids the previously mentioned disadvantages and which enables an exact determination of b12 in serum in a rapid , simple and reproducible manner . the object of the invention is therefore a method for the determination of vitamin b12 by incubation of a sample solution with at least two receptors r 1 and r 2 , of which r 1 mediates the binding to the solid phase and r 2 is labelled , separation of the two phases and measurement of the label in one of the two phases , which is characterized in that a receptor is used as one of the receptors r 1 or r 2 which contains a monoclonal antibody capable of specific binding to b12 that has an affinity constant of at least 5 × 10 9 l / mol , and a receptor is used as the other receptor r 1 or r 2 which contains b12 or an analogue thereof . the method according to the present invention represents a decisive advance for clinical diagnosis , since the determination of vitamin b12 was one of the last parameters for which no immunological test using immobilized monoclonal antibodies was commercially available . in principle all current immunoassays such as radio - immunoassay , enzyme - immunoassay , fluorescence - immunoassay etc . are suitable for the immunological method of determination according to the present invention . in addition , all variants of the procedures such as competitive immunoassay , iema method etc . are applicable . a competitive enzyme - immunoassay or a method according to the iema principle has proven to be particularly expedient for the determination of vitamin b12 . in the competitive enzyme - immunoassay the b12 to be determined competes with a known amount of labelled b12 for the binding sites of the carrier - bound monoclonal antibody . the test procedure can also be carried out such that the b12 to be determined and carrier - bound b12 compete for a limited number of binding sites on the monoclonal antibody . the portion of labelled monoclonal antibody bound to the b12 fixed to the carrier is determined from the label . these variants can also be modified such that the monoclonal antibodies are used in an unlabelled form . the portion of antibody bound to the b12 fixed to the carrier is then determined by incubating with an antibody directed towards the fc part of the antibody and determining the portion of bound label . in the iema method labelled monoclonal antibody is added in excess . the excess labelled antibody which is not bound to b12 is removed from the solution using a hapten - carrier matrix . the different variants of these test methods , as well as details for carrying out these procedures are described in full in the literature . other immunological methods for the immunological determination of haptens are , however , also feasible for the determination of b12 using the antibodies according to the present invention as described for example in the german patent applications de - p 38 34 766 or de - p 38 22 750 . according to the present invention at least one monoclonal antibody is used which is directed specifically towards vitamin b12 and which has an affinity constant of & gt ; 5 × 10 9 l / mol , preferably larger than 10 10 l / mol and particularly preferably larger than 5 × 10 10 l / mol , as well as a cross - reactivity with methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin of 100 %; with cobinamide of & lt ; 0 . 05 %; with purinylcobinamide of 1 . 1 %; with cobyrinic acid - diamide of & lt ; 0 . 05 %; with 2 - hydroxy - 5 , 6 - dimethylbenzimidazolyl - cobamide of 1 . 5 % and with ( carboxy ( 2 - cyanamino - 4 , 5 - dimethylphenyl )- amino )- cobamide of 0 . 07 %. the monoclonal antibodies can be used as complete antibodies , chimeric antibodies or bivalent antibody fragments . therefore , for the determination of vitamin b12 , the sample solution is incubated with at least two receptors r 1 and r 2 . in this process receptor r 1 mediates the binding to the solid phase . for this receptor r 1 can either be directly bound to the solid phase or via a spacer , or else it can be present in a soluble form and not be immobilized until after the immunological reaction has been carried out . receptor r 1 contains either a monoclonal antibody capable of specific binding to or vitamin b12 or an analogue thereof . the binding of the antibody or of b12 to the carrier ( immobilization ) is carried out according to methods familiar to the expert by adsorptive or chemical binding or by binding by a specific binding pair . in these cases one partner of the binding pair is immobilized , while the other partner is bound chemically to b12 or the antibody . the antibody or b12 can then be immobilized either before or during the immunological determination reaction by means of this binding pair . examples of such binding pairs are biotin - streptavidin / avidin , hapten - antibody , antigen - antibody , concanavalin - antibody , sugar - lectin , hapten - binding protein . materials such as e . g . tubes , microtitre plates , beads or microcarriers made of plastics such as polystyrene , vinylpolymers , polypropylene , polycarbonate , polysaccharides , silicones , rubber or also treated glass ( cf . e . g . e . t . maggio , &# 34 ; enzyme immunoassay &# 34 ; cac press , florida , 1980 , in particular pages 175 to 178 ; ep - a - 063 064 ; bioengineering 16 ( 1974 ), 997 - 1003 ; c . j . sanderson and d . v . wilson , immunology 20 ( 1971 ), 1061 - 1065 ) can be used as carrier materials for the immobilization of the antibody according to the present invention or for the immobilization of b12 . in particular , a carrier material coated with avidin or streptavidin , in particular polystyrene , is used as the carrier material and is preferably prepared as described in ep - a 0 269 092 . receptor r 2 also contains either vitamin b12 or an analogue thereof or a monoclonal antibody capable of specific binding to vitamin b12 and is labelled . the usual agents for the respective methods of determination are suitable for the labelling . thus radioisotopes , for example 57 co , are used for the labelling in a radio - immunoassay . for an enzyme - immunoassay , all enzymes which are usually used , for example peroxidase or β - galactosidase are suitable . for a fluorescence - immunoassay the usual fluorescent groups can be used as the marker . details of these different test methods and variants of the procedures are known to the expert . the binding of the label to b12 or to the antibody can be carried out via a specific binding pair in an analogous manner to the binding to the solid phase . the binding of the antibody or of b12 to one of the above - mentioned binding partners is carried out by methods familiar to the expert such as via carbodiimide and hydroxysuccinimide . when labelling b12 with an enzyme , a b12 conjugate is preferably used of the formula ( i ) wherein b12 denotes the residue formed by cleavage of a -- conh 2 group from cyanocobalamin ( vitamin b12 ) and r denotes a spacer , x is 0 or 1 and gp represents a marker enzyme residue containing glycosyl groups which is bound via a glycosyl residue to the -- nh -- n ═ group . in the formula ( i ) the -- conh -- group is preferably at the d - position of the b12 residue and b12 -- d -- co -- nh -- n ═ gp and in particular b12 -- d -- co -- nh -- nh -- co -- ch 2 --(-- o -- ch 2 -- h 2 --) 3 -- o -- ch 2 -- co -- nh -- n ═ gp are primarily used . peroxidase ( pod ) is preferably used as the enzyme marker ( gp ). the b12 conjugates of the formula ( i ) are an object of the german patent application p 3900648 . 4 ( title : new cobalamin - acid hydrazides and cobalamin derivatives derived therefrom ) by the same applicant and with the same date of application . they can be prepared by coupling ( condensation ) of cobalamin acid - hydrazides of the formula ( in which b12 , r and x have the meaning mentioned above ), which are also an object of the above - mentioned german patent application p 3900648 . 4 which was applied for at the same time , with the oh groups of glycosyl residues of glycoproteins after they had been oxidized and the hydrazone group -- nh -- n ═ ch - glycoprotein has formed under conditions which are well - known . in a preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention the sample solution is prepared in the usual way in order to detach the vitamin b12 whereby the binding proteins are destroyed by addition of a thiol , dithiothreitol ( dtt ), in the alkaline range ( ph & gt ; 13 . 5 ) which can cleave sh groups or else by boiling for 30 - 60 minutes and subsequent centrifugation . in the method according to the present invention for the determination of vitamin b12 the sample preparation ( cleavage of the binding protein ) is preferably carried out with lipoic acid ( la ) or a homologue thereof of the formula ( ii ) ## str1 ## wherein n denotes i to 8 and in particular 3 to 5 , whereby lipoic acid ( formula ii , n = 4 ) is particularly preferred . this method is an object of the german patent application p 3900649 . 2 ( title : method for detaching an analyte from its binding protein ) by the same applicant and with the same date of application . according to this method the incubation of the sample at room temperature in the alkaline range ( ph value 10 to 14 ; preferably using sodium hydroxide as the alkaline medium at a concentration of 0 . 05 to 1 mmol / l ) can be carried out in less than 15 minutes . in this process , the acid having the formula ( ii ) ( calculated for lipoic acid with n = 4 ) is used preferably in a range of 1 to 20 mg / ml and in particular in the range of 4 to 10 mg / ml . the method according to the present invention yields very exact and reproducible values which is in particular due to the fact that a monoclonal antibody to vitamin b12 is used which has a very high affinity constant for vitamin b12 . these antibodies are also an object of the invention . such specific monoclonal antibodies with such high affinity constants have not been known up to now . a further object of the invention is a method for the production of a monoclonal antibody capable of specific binding to b12 wherein inbred mice are immunized with vitamin b12 - d - acid to which an immunogenic carrier material is coupled via a spacer , in particular 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- carbodiimide , b - lymphocytes are isolated from the immunized animals and fused with myeloma cells using transforming agents , the hybrid cells which form are cloned and cultured and the monoclonal antibodies are isolated from these cells . for the isolation of the monoclonal antibodies according to the present invention , b12 is first linked to an immunogenic carrier material . all materials usually used for this purpose , for example , albumins such as bovine serum albumin , edestin etc . are suitable as immunogenic carrier materials . the linkage of b12 to the carrier material is carried out according to well - known methods . subsequently , experimental animals , for example mice , are immunized with the immunogenic conjugate . for the immunization the immunogen is , for example , administered with the adjuvant in the usual manner . complete or incomplete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant is preferably used as the adjuvant . the immunization is carried out over many months with at least four immunizations at intervals of four to six weeks ( intraperitoneal injection ). b - lymphocytes are isolated from the animals which have been immunized in this way and they are fused with a permanent myeloma cell line . the fusion is carried out according to the well - known method of kohler and milstein ( nature 256 , 1975 , pages 495 to 497 ). the primary cultures which form during this process are cloned in the usual manner e . g . using a commercial cell sorter or by &# 34 ; limiting dilution &# 34 ;. those cultures are processed further which are positive towards b12 and show the above - mentioned cross - reactivity in a suitable test procedure such as an enzyme - immunoassay ( elisa method ). in this way several hybridoma cell lines are obtained which produce the monoclonal antibodies according to the present invention . these cell lines can be cultured and the monoclonal antibodies produced by them can be isolated according to well - known methods . in this way the antibodies used according to the present invention can be obtained , and in particular antibodies with an affinity constant of & gt ; 5 × 10 9 l / mol , preferably larger than 10 10 l / mol and particularly preferably larger than 5 × 10 10 l / mol , as well as with a cross - reactivity with methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin of 100 %; with cobinamide of & lt ; 0 . 05 %; with purinylcobinamide of 1 . 1 %; with cobyrinic acid - diamide of & lt ; 0 . 05 %; with 2 - hydroxy - 5 , 6 - dimethylbenzimidazolyl - cobamide of 1 . 5 % and with ( carboxy ( 2 - cyanamino - 4 , 5 - dimethylphenyl )- amino )- cobamide of 0 . 07 %. antibodies which have such a high specificity are produced for example by the cell lines ecacc 88101301 and ecacc 88101302 . the cell lines are deposited at the repository ecacc ( european collection of animal cell cultures , porton down , gb ) under the respective number quoted . the monoclonal antibodies isolated in this way are distinguished by a very high affinity ( affinity constant larger than 5 × 10 - 9 ) for b12 and the previously mentioned cross - reactivities . the affinity of the monoclonal antibody is preferably above 10 10 l / mol and particularly preferably above 5 × 10 10 l / mol . the monoclonal antibodies according to the present invention are excellently suitable for the specific determination of b12 in a sample , for example serum or plasma . for these methods of determination , the monoclonal antibodies can be used as such or as chimeric antibodies or fragments thereof which have the corresponding immunological properties , for example fab fragments . thus the term &# 34 ; monoclonal antibody &# 34 ; is understood to denote complete antibodies as well as the fragments . the following examples are intended to elucidate the invention in more detail without being limited by them . room temperature ( rt ) is understood as a temperature of 25 ° c . ± 2 ° c . the quoted percentages refer to percentage by weight . fig1 represents a standard curve for a determination of vitamin b12 according to example 4 with different monoclonal antibody concentrations . curve 1 represents 85 ng / ml monoclonal antibody ; curve 2 shows 90 ng / ml monoclonal antibody ; curve 3 shows 95 ng / ml monoclonal antibody ; and curve 4 shows 100 ng / ml monoclonal antibody . fig2 represents a comparison of a determination according to example 4 ( monoclonal antibody of the invention ) ( curve 2 ) with a determination using a polyclonal antibody ( curve 1 ). fig2 indicates that a considerably steeper calibraion curve is obtained with monoclonal antibodies in accordance with the instant invention as compared to polyclonal antibodies . fig1 shows a standard curve for a determination of vitamin b12 according to example 4 with different mab concentrations : fig2 shows a comparison of a determination according to example 4 ( curve 2 ) with a determination using a polyclonal antibody ( curve 1 ). vitamin b12 - d - acid ( prepared according to jacs 102 ( 1980 ) 2215 ) is coupled to edestin via 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- carbodiimide ( edc ). balb / c mice , 8 to 12 weeks old , were initially immunized intraperitoneally with 100 μg immunogen in complete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant . after six weeeks , three further immunizations were carried out at intervals of 4 weeks in which 100 μg immunogen in incomplete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant was administered intraperitoneally . the immunization was repeated in vitro with 100 μg immunogen 4 days , 3 days and 2 days before the fusion . spleen cells from an immunized mouse were mixed with p3x63ag8 - 653 myeloma cells ( atcc - crl 8375 ) in a ratio of 1 : 5 and centrifuged ( 10 minutes , 300 g , 4 ° c .). the cells were washed once again with bss ( balanced salt solution ) buffer and centrifuged at 400 g in a 50 ml conicle tube . the supernatant was discarded , the cell sediment was loosened , 1 ml peg ( mg 4000 , merck ) was added and piperted through . after one minute in a water - bath 5 ml rpmi 1640 medium ( rpmi = rosewell parker memory institute ) without fcs ( fetal calf serum ) was added dropwise over a period of 4 to 5 minutes , mixed , filled up to 50 ml with medium and subsequently centrifuged for 10 minutes at 400 g and 4 ° c . the sedimented cells were taken up in rpmi 1640 medium + 10 % fcs and 5 × 10 4 to 1 × 10 5 spleen cells or 5 × 10 4 peritoneal exudate cells were added as &# 34 ; feeder cells &# 34 ;. hypoxanthine - azaserine selection medium ( 100 mmol / l hypoxanthine , 1 μg / ml azaserine ) was added on the next day . about 7 to 10 days after the fusion , many clones were already visible . the supernatant of the primary cultures was tested according to an elisa method described in example 2 . primary cultures which showed the desired cross - reaction were cloned using facs ( fluorescence activated cell sorter ) in 96 - well cell culture plates . 1 × 10 4 peritoneal exudate cells or 2 × 10 4 spleen cells were added per well as &# 34 ; feeder cells &# 34 ;. in this manner the two hybridoma cell lines could for example be isolated and have been deposited at the repository ecacc under the cited respective repository numbers . the abbreviation ecacc stands for the european collection of animal cell cultures , phls centre for applied microbiology and research , porton down , salisbury sp40jg wiltshire england . 5 × 10 6 hybrid cells were injected i . p . once or twice in mice pre - treated with 0 . 5 ml pristan . ascites could be collected 1 to 3 weeks afterwards with an igg concentration of 5 to 20 mg / ml . the antibodies can be isolated from this in the usual way . these monoclonal antibodies are directed specifically towards vitamin b12 and have the desired cross - reactivity . the monoclonal antibodies are denoted mab 1 ( from ecacc 88101301 ) or mab 2 ( from ecacc 88101302 ). the principle of the test used to detect the presence and specificity of antibodies to vitamin b12 in the serum of immunized mice or in the culture supernatant of the hybrid cells or in ascites is an elisa method : microtitre plates are coated with 1 μg / ml b12 conjugate ( b12 - d - acid coupled to bovine serum albumin via edc ) and coating buffer ( 0 . 2 mol / 1 sodium carbonate / sodium bicarbonate , ph 9 . 3 to 9 . 5 ) at 37 ° c . for one hour . the plates are re - treated for 10 minutes with 0 . 9 % sodium chloride solution and 1 % albumin solution . subsequently they are washed with 0 . 9 % sodium chloride solution . afterwards they are incubated at 37 ° c . for one hour with 100 μl sample and washed again with 0 . 9 % sodium chloride solution . in order to test the cross - reaction 50 , 500 and 5000 μg / ml of the vitamin b12 derivative to be tested is added to the sample solution . a reduction of the measured signal in the presence of the derivative indicates a cross - reaction . a further incubation follows ( 1 hour , 37 ° c .) with 450 u / ml of a sheep - fab - anti - mouse fc α - peroxidase conjugate . after washing once again with 0 . 9 % sodium chloride the peroxidase activity is determined in the usual way ( for example with 2 , 2 &# 39 ; azino - di -[ 3 - ethylbenzthiazoline sulphonate ( 6 )]( abt ®, 30 minutes at room temperature , the difference in absorbance δma is read at 422 nm ). the antigen to be tested for cross - reaction is added in increasing concentrations ( 50 μg / ml , 500 μg / ml , 5000 μg / ml ) to the monoclonal antibody . afterwards the cross - reaction is calculated from the following formula : ## equ1 ## c = concentration of the antigen required to attain 50 % of the max . signal . the determined values which are identical for the monoclonal antibody mab 1 and mab 2 are summarized in the following table . ______________________________________cross - reacting antigen cross - reaction______________________________________methylcobalamin 100cyanocobalanin 100cobinamide & lt ; 0 . 05purinylcobinamide 1 . 1cobyrinic acid - diamide & lt ; 0 . 052 - hydroxy - 5 , 6 - dimethyl - 1 . 5benzimidazolylcobamide ( carboxy ( 2 - cyanamino - 4 , 5 - 0 . 07dimethylphenyl ) aminocobamide______________________________________ 250 μl human serum are mixed with 125 μl releasing agent ( consisting of 8 mg / ml lipoic acid , 1 mg / ml potassium cyanide , dissolved in 0 . 5 mol / l naoh ) and incubated for 15 minutes at room temperature . afterwards 125 μl 200 mmol / l phosphate buffer , ph 4 . 1 is added . polystyrene tubes coated with thermo - bsa streptavidin ( prepared according to ep - a 0269092 ) 95 ng / ml biotinylated mab 1 or mab 2 ( biotinylation according to jacs 100 ( 1978 ) 3585 to 3590 ) b12 -- d -- co -- nh -- nh -- co -- ch 2 --(-- o -- ch 2 -- ch 2 --) 3 -- o -- ch 2 -- co -- nh -- n ═ pod ) ( activity about 60 mu / ml ) to carry out the determination 200 μl pre - treated sample and 800 μl reagent 1 are added to a streptavidin tube and incubated for 60 minutes at room temperature . afterwards it is washed with wash solution and 1000 μl reagent 2 is added and incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature . it is washed with wash solution and 1000 μl reagent 3is added , incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature and the colour formed is measured at 422 nm as a measure of the vitamin b12 content . d ) analogous results are obtained when instead of biotinylated complete mab 1 , biotinylated fab fragments are used . fab fragments are prepared as follows : mab 1 is cleaved with papain as described in biochem . j . 73 ( 1959 ) 119 to 126 . the fab fragments which form in this process are separated by means of gel filtration on sephadex g 100 and ion - exchange chromatography on deae cellulose according to meth . in enzymology 73 ( 1981 ) 418 to 459 . cyanocobalamin in 40 mmol / l phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 2 containing 0 . 9 % sodium chloride , 0 . 9 % crotein c and 0 . 1 % potassium cyanide is used as standard . as a comparison , the test marketed by becton dickinson ( simultaneous no boil snb - b12 / folate - radioassay ) was used . in this test immobilized intrinsic factor and radioactively labelled b12 ( 57 co b12 ) is used . dithiothreitol ( dtt ) in alkaline solution is used in this test for the preparation of the samples . the correlation between this radioimmunoassay and the method according to the present invention is & gt ; 0 . 98 in the vitamin b12 concentration range between 100 and 400 pg / ml . 10 sheep are immunized with the immunogen described in example 1 ( 0 . 5 ng / ml in complete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant ) at intervals of four weeks over 6 months . afterwards the antiserum is collected and purified by affinity chromatography . b ) preparation of biotinylated fab fragments of the polyclonal antibody to b12 ( fab - biotin ) the polyclonal antibodies are cleaved with papain as described in biochem . j . 73 ( 1959 ) 119 - 126 . the fragments which form in this process are separated by means of gel filtration on sephadex g 100 and ion - exchange chromatography on deae cellulose according to meth . in enzymology 73 ( 1981 ) 418 to 459 . the biotinylation is carried out as described in jacs 100 ( 1978 ) 3585 - 3590 . the determination is carried out as described in example 4 whereby 95 ng / ml fab - biotin is used instead of 95 ng / ml biotinylated mab 1 . | 8 |
fig1 is a block diagram depicting an exemplary client - server arrangement 100 that is configurable to support media streaming from at least one server device 102 to at least one client device 104 , through at least one interconnecting network 106 that provides selective quality of service ( qos ) capabilities . as depicted in this simple arrangement , network 106 provides two - way communication between server device 102 and client device 104 through one or more routers 108 or like devices . here , for example , network 106 may be a packet switched network that is configured to use transmission control protocol / internet protocol ( tcp / ip ) to transfer information between server device 102 and client device 104 in packets appropriately addressed and delivered via the routers 108 . retransmission services are also provided for missing / corrupted packets . these and other well known protocols and techniques can be implemented to provide specific services between these communicating parties . attention is now drawn to fig2 which is a block diagram depicting an exemplary computing system 200 suitable for use as either server device 102 or as client device 104 . computing system 200 is , in this example , in the form of a personal computer ( pc ), however , in other examples computing system may take the form of a dedicated server ( s ), a special - purpose device , an appliance , a handheld computing device , a cellular telephone device , a pager device , etc . as shown , computing system 200 includes a processing unit 221 , a system memory 222 , and a system bus 223 . system bus 223 links together various system components including system memory 222 and the processing unit 221 . system bus 223 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller , a peripheral bus , and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures . system memory 222 typically includes read only memory ( rom ) 224 and random access memory ( ram ) 225 . a basic input / output system 226 ( bios ), containing the basic routine that helps to transfer information between elements within computing system 200 , such as during start - up , is stored in rom 224 . computing system 200 further includes a hard disk drive 227 for reading from and writing to a hard disk , not shown , a magnetic disk drive 228 for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 229 , and an optical disk drive 30 for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 231 such as a cd rom or other optical media . hard disk drive 227 , magnetic disk drive 228 , and optical disk drive 230 are connected to system bus 223 by a hard disk drive interface 232 , a magnetic disk drive interface 233 , and an optical drive interface 234 , respectively . these drives and their associated computer - readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer readable instructions , data structures , computer programs and other data for computing system 200 . a number of computer programs may be stored on the hard disk , magnetic disk 229 , optical disk 231 , rom 224 or ram 225 , including an operating system 235 , one or more application programs 236 , other programs 237 , and program data 238 . a user may enter commands and information into computing system 200 through various input devices such as a keyboard 240 and pointing device 242 ( such as a mouse ). of particular significance to the present invention , a camera / microphone 255 or other like media device capable of capturing or otherwise outputting real - time data 256 can also be included as an input device to computing system 200 . the real - time data 256 can be input into computing system 200 via an appropriate interface 257 . interface 257 can be connected to the system bus 223 , thereby allowing real - time data 256 to be stored in ram 225 , or one of the other data storage devices , or otherwise processed . as shown , a monitor 247 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 223 via an interface , such as a video adapter 248 . in addition to the monitor , computing system 200 may also include other peripheral output devices ( not shown ), such as speakers , printers , etc . computing system 200 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers , such as a remote computer 249 . remote computer 249 may be another personal computer , a server , a router , a network pc , a peer device or other common network node , and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to computing system 200 , although only a memory storage device 250 has been illustrated in fig2 . the logical connections depicted in fig2 include a local area network ( lan ) 251 and a wide area network ( wan ) 252 . such networking environments are commonplace in offices , enterprise - wide computer networks , intranets and the internet . when used in a lan networking environment , computing system 200 is connected to the local network 251 through a network interface or adapter 253 . when used in a wan networking environment , computing system 200 typically includes a modem 254 or other means for establishing communications over the wide area network 252 , such as the internet . modem 254 , which may be internal or external , is connected to system bus 223 via the serial port interface 246 . in a networked environment , computer programs depicted relative to the computing system 200 , or portions thereof , may be stored in the remote memory storage device . it will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used . this description will now focus on certain aspects of the present invention that provide for improved streaming media sessions . to establish and maintain a streaming media session , server device 102 , client device 104 and any applicable devices within network 106 will require the implementation of appropriate communication protocols . while this section of the document describes certain aspects of the invention through exemplary methods and arrangements that take advantage of well - known communication protocols and systems , this is by way of example only . those skilled in the art will recognize that the methods and arrangements provided herein are readily adaptable for implementation using these and / or other known or future protocols and the like . with this in mind , the following three related protocols are currently planned for streaming media data via the internet or other like networks : the first is a reservation protocol ( rsvp ), which is a network control protocol that deals with lower layer protocols having direct control over network resources . as such , rsvp is able to reserve network 106 resources as required to meet a specific qos . rsvp does not , however , deliver any data itself . instead , data delivery is accomplished by another protocol such as tcp / ip , user datagram protocol ( udp ), real - time transport protocol ( rtp ), or the like . rtp is a transport layer protocol designed for transporting real - time data . thus , rtp provides end - to - end delivery services , time stamping , sequence numbering , etc . to provide a specific qos , rtp could rely on rvsp for resource reservation . additional data quality and participant management can be provided through a real - time control protocol ( rtcp ), which is a control part of rtp . the third protocol of interest with respect to arrangement 100 is a real - time streaming protocol ( rtsp ), which is an application layer control protocol that initiates and directs delivery of streaming media from server device 102 to client device 104 . rtsp has been likened to a “ network vcr remote control protocol ” since it provides the client device application / user with the ability to play , pause , rewind , fast forward , etc . ( as applicable to the type of media being streamed ). the actual data delivery is done separately , most likely by rtp . to provide a good end user experience , streaming media applications , such as , e . g ., encoders , players and the like , require reservation of end - to - end networking resources during the streaming media session . the networking resources are needed to ensure the availability of enough bandwidth to support the traffic profile of the media data being streamed . thus , as described above , rsvp or other like protocols can be employed to reserve the required bandwidth based on a traffic profile ; rtp or other like protocols can be employed to transport the streaming media over the reserved network resources ; and , rtsp or other like protocols can be employed to promote a good user end experience by providing control over the streaming media . one of the challenges facing streaming media applications and their underlying protocol stacks is the desire to provide the end user with a reasonably high - quality media data within a short amount of time following a command to begin a streaming media session . with this in mind , fig3 a is an exemplary time - line graph illustrating certain exemplary control - based delays associated with establishing a media - streaming session using rtsp and rtp ( i . e ., no qos provided ). here , at time t0 , the end user ( client device 104 ) initiates a streaming media session . from time t0 to time t1 , server device 102 communicates , as needed , with client device 104 and routers 108 to begin the session . from time t1 through time t2 , media data is being streamed from server device 102 through one or more routers 108 to client device 104 , where the media data is buffered . at time t2 , enough data has been buffered to begin the playing of the streamed media data to the end user . one example of this type of streaming media session is the streaming of video and / or audio data over the internet via the world wide web ( www ). it is not uncommon for end users to wait for several seconds , especially those communicating through lower bandwidth network resources , from when they initiate a streaming media session to when they see / hear the media played . this wait or session start - up latency tends to significantly reduce the end user &# 39 ; s experience . additionally , once established , the streaming media session will not usually have a guaranteed qos associated with it ( e . g ., it will be sent best - effort ). the time - line graph depicted in fig3 ( b ) illustrates similar delays associated with an exemplary streaming media session , in accordance with certain implementations of the present invention , that further includes a guaranteed qos as established via rsvp . here , at time t0 , the end user ( client device 104 ) initiates a streaming media session . from time t0 to time t1 , server device 102 communicates , as needed ( e . g ., using rtsp and rtp ), with client device 104 and routers 108 to begin the session . from time t1 through time t2 , server device 102 further communicates / negotiates , as needed ( e . g ., using rsvp ), with client device 104 and routers 108 to reserve the applicable network resources . at time t2 , the media data is streamed with the desired qos from server device 102 through a reserved network path ( e . g ., selected routers 108 ) to client device 104 , where the media data can be immediately played for the end user . thus , as shown in fig3 ( b ), though the end user may experience a better overall qos , there is still the need for the end user to wait for the media and qos services to be set - up . in certain arrangements , such delays may reduce the effectiveness of the streaming media session and / or communicated media . therefore , it would be even more desirable to reduce the session startup latency . attention is now directed towards fig4 which is a time - line graph 300 that illustratively depicts the client - server arrangement of fig1 establishing an exemplary media - streaming environment , in accordance with certain further implementations of the present invention . as shown , a media set - up delay period 302 overlaps a qos set - up delay period 304 . the result is that the session startup latency experienced by the end user can be minimized or otherwise significantly reduced . continuing with the earlier example , in certain exemplary implementations , media set - up period 302 would include client device 104 and server device 102 exchanging rtsp commands / messages as needed to start or otherwise control the streaming media . qos set - up period 304 would include the exchange of rsvp commands / messages as required to establish a guaranteed qos connection . given the likelihood of variations as to when set - up periods 302 and 304 end ( i . e ., are completed ), there are several options available for playing the streamed media . thus , for example , if both of set - up periods 302 and 304 end at about the same time , or if qos set - up period 304 is completed prior to the end of media setup period 302 , then the media data can be streamed over the rsvp negotiated path at the guaranteed qos upon the completion of media set - up period 302 . on the other hand , if media set - up period 302 ends prior to the completion of qos set - up period 304 , then the media data may be : ( 1 ) streamed over non - rsvp path ( s ) until the rsvp negotiated path is ready ( i . e ., when qos set - up period 304 ends ), which may require that a portion of streamed media data be buffered by client device 104 before being played for the end user ; or ( 2 ) delayed until the rsvp negotiated path is ready . given these choices , certain applications may be configured to allow the end user and / or the server administrator to select whether the streamed media is to be played as soon as possible , albeit in perhaps not in a preferred qos format , or if the streamed media should not be played until it is in the preferred qos format ( e . g ., high - enough quality , received via the rsvp negotiated path , etc .). consequently , the end user may experience different delays and / or played media qualities at the beginning of a streamed media session . by way of example , let us assume that an end user has selected to receive / play streamed video data as soon as possible , but would eventually like to have a guaranteed qos . let us further assume that , as a result of network congestion or other like causes , there will be delay of about five seconds between the end of media set - up period 302 and the end of qos set - up period 304 . here , the video data might therefore begin streaming over network 106 using conventional “ best effort ” communications , momentarily accumulated / buffered by client device 104 ( e . g ., taking about two seconds ), and subsequently played for the end user . hence , following some delay , the end user will experience the first three seconds of the streaming video at a lower quality then desired . however , once the qos set - up delay period 304 has ended and the rsvp negotiated path established , then the streaming video will be at the desired quality . in the above examples , set - up delay periods 302 and 304 are essentially overlapping . however , depending upon the protocols being implemented , set - up delay periods 302 and 304 may be combined in an effort to further reduce the delay ( s ) experienced by the end user . a brief overview of rsvp signaling follows . as described above , rsvp is a networking protocol dedicated to being the facilitator and carrier of standardized qos information and parameters . rsvp carries generic ( industry defined ) qos parameters from end nodes ( inclusive ) to each qos - aware network device included in the hop path between rsvp session members . that is , rsvp provides a way for end nodes and network devices to communicate and negotiate qos parameters and network usage admission . because rsvp is designed to carry resource reservation requests through networks of varying topologies and media , an end user &# 39 ; s qos request is propagated to all rsvp - aware network devices along the data path , allowing resources to be reserved from all of those which are rsvp - enabled , at all network levels . this tends to allow network 106 to meet the desired level of service . rsvp reserves network resources by establishing flows end to end through network 106 . a flow is basically a network path associated with one or more senders , one or more receivers , and a certain qos . a sending host wishing to send data that requires a certain qos will broadcast , via the qos service provider , “ path ” messages toward the intended recipients . these path messages , which describe the bandwidth requirements and relevant parameters of the data to be sent , are propagated along the path . a receiving host , interested in this particular data , will reserve the resources for the flow ( and the network path ) by sending “ resv ” messages through the network back toward the sender . as this occurs , intermediate rsvp - capable nodes , based on bandwidth capacity and policies , decide whether or not to accept the proposed reservation and commit resources . if an affirmative decision is made , the resources are committed and resv messages are propagated to the previous hop on the path from source to destination . at the heart of the rsvp protocol is the exchange of path and resv messages . the path message describes the qos parameters of the traffic , the sender &# 39 ; s address , and the destination of the traffic . the resv message describes the qos parameters of the traffic to be received and the source of the traffic and is sent toward the sender . upon receiving the resv message , the qos data flow begins . typically , a qos service provider constructs and periodically updates the path and resv messages on behalf of the application . sending applications , such as those controlling multicast transmissions , can also be configured to begin sending immediately on a best effort basis , which can then upgraded to qos on receipt of the resv message . reference is now made to the exemplary combined message flow in the event - line graph depicted in fig5 and further summarized in an associated table in fig6 . in this example , a rsvp enabled streaming media session is set - up by a sequence of rtsp messages and rsvp messages , depicted as solid - line arrows and dashed - line arrows , respectively , between client device 104 and server device 102 . the curved arrows show the event dependencies for the various messages . client device 104 initiates the session set - up by sending rtsp setup commands , one for each media stream being set - up , to server device 102 . after the last setup command , client device 104 sends an rtsp set_parameter command , which initiates the rsvp signaling . upon receiving the set_parameter command , server device 102 sends out an rsvp path message . after sending the set_parameter command , client device 104 goes ahead and sends out the rtsp play command , and server device 102 starts sending data upon receiving this play command . upon receiving the path message , client device 104 sends an rsvp resv message to server device 102 , to which server device 102 replies with an rsvp resv conf message . the media data output by server device 102 is sent best effort until the resv message is received . once the resv message is received , the streaming media data flow is changed to a guaranteed qos . a similar process is presented in the table depicted in fig6 . it should be noted that the listed steps may occur in a different ordering and / or that some of the steps may be left out of the process in other implementations / cases . here , in the direction column , “ c ” represents client device 104 , “ s ” represents server device 102 , the presence of a pointer represents the direction information flow , the lack of a pointer represents that the action occurs within the identified device . in the remark column , as noted , client device 104 may receive an fd_qos notification with the available network bandwidth when it receives the path message from server device 102 . if the available bandwidth is lower than the bandwidth requested by server device 102 , then client device 104 may either continue the session without a reservation or otherwise terminate the request . to further reduce the session startup latency in a lan or other like environment wherein the network bandwidth is typically significantly greater than the streaming media requires , server device 102 may be configured to initially stream the data at a higher rate than the actual stream rate until client device &# 39 ; s startup buffer is full . as such , client device 104 could start playing back the streamed media data earlier than as normally would be the case . a separate reliable ( tcp ) connection , for example , could be used to send the initial fast - start related media data from server device 102 to client device 104 . in such an accelerated streaming case , for example , client device 104 could reserve a bandwidth , which is equal to the highest bandwidth of the media stream data that can be requested by the client . the interaction of the server transmissions and the rsvp reservations happen in the same way as mentioned above for a normal media streaming case , except that the server side transmissions of data can also take place now at the accelerated bit rate . this supports best effort streaming of the requested accelerated stream with greater than real - time bandwidth , for example , in case the current rsvp reservation is insufficient to support the requested bandwidth . this behavior of sending best - effort streams until the rsvp reservation is completed will be permitted in case the encoder / server configuration hasn &# 39 ; t disabled a “ do best effort delivery in case rsvp reservation fails ” ( e . g ., “ play as soon as possible ”) setting . otherwise , server device 102 will wait for the rsvp reservation to be re - established and re - negotiate before resuming the data sending process . the various aforementioned techniques also support dynamic communication changes associated an ongoing streaming media session . thus , for example , rsvp or other like protocol signaling can be used to lower and / or raise the qos associated the streaming media based on availability / congestion information from network 106 . for example , in the case that there is a need to switch streams to a lower bandwidth stream within a program due to network conditions , the initial reservation is left unchanged and a traffic shaping or similar function at server device 102 is changed to the new bandwidth . as long as the bandwidth is not greater than the initial reservation , server device 102 can configure the traffic shaping to different bandwidths without the need for any further rsvp signaling . if there is a need to switch the stream bandwidth to a value higher than the currently negotiated value , then server device 102 will start sending the media data in best effort mode , while negotiating for a rsvp stream flow in parallel . this behavior of sending best - effort streams until the rsvp reservation is complete is permitted in case the encoder / server configuration hasn &# 39 ; t disabled the “ do best effort delivery in case rsvp reservation fails ” setting . otherwise , server device 102 will wait for the rsvp reservation to be re - established and re - negotiated before sending data at the higher rate . support is also available for server side play lists that allow server device 102 to stream a plurality of media streams over the same data session one after another . similarly , client side play lists allow client device 104 to play different media streams one after another in a single play session . the different streams in the play lists could have varying bandwidth requirements . as a result , there may be a need to change the reservation for each new stream . to make the switch seamless , a change in rsvp reservation can be made , for example , about 10 seconds in advance of the actual stream switch , whenever possible . thus , if the required bandwidth for the next item in the play list is lower than the currently negotiated bandwidth , then traffic shaping may be done on the server end to send the data without renegotiating the rsvp reservation for the flow . if the required bandwidth for the next item in the play list is higher than the currently negotiated bandwidth , then send best - effort media data until the rsvp reservation is complete . a parallel negotiation can occur for a rsvp connection , followed by a switch to a rsvp flow once the reservation comes through . this behavior of sending best - effort streams until the rsvp reservation is complete will be permitted in case the encoder / server configuration hasn &# 39 ; t disabled the “ do best effort delivery in case rsvp reservation fails ” setting . otherwise , server device 102 will wait for the rsvp reservation to be re - established and re - negotiated before resuming the data sending process for the next item in the play list . the reservation for the new stream will be initiated , for example , about 10 seconds before the old stream ends . this would be at the time when server device 102 receives the setup for the new stream . the reservation for the new stream overrides the reservation for the old stream . server device 102 may also send out path messages by default for session less multicast sessions ( done by default by the service provider ). once a client device 104 retrieves the announcement information , including the multicast address and port number information , it can then send out a rsvp resv message to server device 102 requesting networking and host resources for the traffic profile . thereafter , the server - client streaming media session progresses similar to the unicast cases described above . the various techniques also pertain to rtsp or other like protocol based session full - multicast support during multimedia streaming . although some preferred embodiments of the various methods and arrangements of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description , it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed , but is capable of numerous rearrangements , modifications and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims . | 7 |
this new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification chrysanthemum morifolium l . the observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown in april / may in a greenhouse in rijsenhout holland in a photo - periodic controlled crop under conditions generally used in commercial practice . the greenhouse temperatures during this crop were at day - time between 18 ° c . and 25 ° c . and at night 20 ° c . after a long day period of 14 days the photo - periodic response time in this crop was 47 days . after the long day period to flowering growth retardants were applied 3 times in an average dose of 2 . 5 gram / liter water . no tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility . this new variety produces medium sized blooms with white ray - florets and yellow - green disc - florets blooming on the plant for 4 weeks . this new variety of chrysanthemum has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics throughout successive propagations however the phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as light intensity and temperature . to show the phenotype as described ‘ redock white ’ can be planted without assimilation lightning ( high pressure sodium lamps ) between week 1 and week 52 under greenhouse conditions in holland . with assimilation light ( minimum level 2500 lux ) it can be planted year round under greenhouse conditions in holland . the difference between ‘ redock ’ and its sport ‘ redock white ’ is flower color . from the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivars in comparison to ‘ redock white ’ are the original ‘ redock ’ and its several sports and ‘ white reagan ’ ( u . s . plant pat . no . 8 , 784 ). when ‘ redock white ’ is being compared with ‘ redock ’, the following differences and similarities are noticed : the difference of ‘ redock white ’, and ‘ redock ’ is the ( 1 ) ray - floret color . the color of ‘ redock white ’ is white , that of ‘ redock ’ is pink . all other characteristics of members of the ‘ redock ’ family are similar . while when ‘ redock white ’ is being compared with ‘ reagan white ’, the following differences and similarities are noticed . ( 1 ) ray - floret color . both ‘ redock white ’ and ‘ white reagan ’ have white florets . ( 2 ) height of bloom . the bloom height of ‘ redock white ’ is high , while that of ‘ white reagan ’ is low . ( 3 ) cross - section of ray - florets . this is strongly concave for ‘ redock white ’, while it is flat for ‘ white reagan ’. ( 4 ) vigour . the plants of ‘ redock white ’ are more vigorous than those of ‘ white reagan ’. ( 5 ) plant height . the plants of ‘ redock white ’ are higher than ‘ white reagan ’. the following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘ redock white ’ as a new and distinct variety . the color designations are taken from the plant itself . accordingly , any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances . the color chart used in this description is : the royal horticultural society colour chart , edition 1995 . | 0 |
a novel modular gas and odor filtering device and related system and method will be described hereinafter . although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments , it is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby . in the present embodiment , the floating filtering device is configured to reduce gaseous emissions of a water or fluid surface . while the foregoing written description of the invention enables a person of ordinary skills in the art to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof , those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations , combinations , and equivalents of the specific embodiment , method , and examples herein . the invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment , method , and examples , but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed . now referring to fig1 , a filtering device 10 in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown . the filtering device 10 is typically floatable to allow the device to be installed on a liquid surface . the device is generally used to cover a liquid surface . the filtering device 10 comprises a frame 14 and a filtering cartridge 22 . the filtering cartridge 22 is typically attached to the floatable frame 14 of the filtering device 10 . the filtering cartridge 22 is typically centrally located on the filtering device 10 . the frame 14 is configured such that the filtering cartridge 22 is held above the liquid surface . however , in other embodiments , the frame may be made or constructed with floatable material allowing the floatation of the filtering device 10 . the filtering cartridge 22 may be supported by a ledge 16 . such a ledge 16 is typically part of the floatable frame 14 . the floating filtering device is generally configured to be assembled with a plurality of other similar floating filtering device forming a filtering assembly . still referring to fig1 , in the present embodiment , the floating frame 14 may be designed in two parts , the top portion 60 and the bottom portion 65 . the top 60 and bottom 65 portions interlock as to allow the filter cartridge 22 to be held in the middle 12 of the modular unit . in order to optimize the space utilized during shipping , the top portion 60 may be designed to allow stacking of one portion into the other . the same may apply to the bottom portion 65 ; it may stack one portion on top of the other . accordingly , it is possible to ship each part separately as to use the smaller amount of space possible . in another embodiments , the floating frame 14 could be made unitary . still referring to fig1 , the configuration and structural details of the device according to the present invention are presented . the frame 14 is a structural element of the filtering device 10 and may be made of polymeric material ( e . g . plastic ) or of any other sufficiently rigid and strong material that is sufficiently buoyancy positive . the material of the frame 14 shall also be resistant to the gases , vapors and / or emissions of the liquid surface and be resistant to the content of such a liquid . now referring to fig2 , the frame 14 comprises a plurality of side walls 20 . each wall of the plurality of side walls 20 is typically shaped to hold the filtering cartridge 22 above the water surface . the filtering cartridge 22 is generally held above the liquid surface as to prevent liquid from obstructing the filtering cartridge 22 . now referring to fig3 , the filtering cartridge 22 is shown as a side view . the filtering cartridge 22 is generally made of a plurality of filtering elements 30 held in place by a plurality of cartridge walls 32 , typically two . each cartridge wall 32 typically comprises one or more openings allowing a substantial volume of air and / or gases to go through . a cartridge wall 32 may hold various thickness of filtering elements 30 . the filtering elements 30 may also be composed of various types of materials or mixtures , such as activated carbon , photo - catalytic membrane , organic compound and / or other gas and odor filtering medium . each filtering element 30 is generally configured to absorb and / or degrade one or more of the gases emitted by the liquid surface . now referring to fig4 , in another embodiment , a multi - device assembly 40 comprising a plurality of modular filtering devices 10 is shown . each modular filtering device 10 comprises one or more attachment means enabling the assembly of a plurality modular filtering device 10 with each other . the surface covered by such an assembly 40 is typically related to the volume of gases emitted by the liquid surface . accordingly , the larger the surface the filtering assembly covers , the higher the volume of gases will be filtered . one of the advantages of the present device , without limitation , is its modularity . by being able to combine several devices 10 together into a multi - device assembly 40 , it is possible to cover a substantial portion of surface of any size . in fact , the covered surface is maximized as the shape of each filtering device 10 fits with adjacent deices 10 as best shown in fig4 . furthermore , an assembly 40 of a plurality of filtering devices 10 eases the installation of a gas and emission filtering system over a liquid surface of any density and allows the replacement of the filtering cartridge when needed . the installation of such an assembly 40 or of a single filtering device 10 may be executed by a single person . such an assembly 40 of filtering devices 10 will naturally fit together on an enclosed liquid surface to maximize the covering provided that there are enough devices 10 . the filtering cartridge will provide a reduction of gas and odorous emissions coming from the surface when the coverage is maximized . now referring to fig5 , in the present embodiment , the device 10 is configured such that several devices 10 may be vertically stacked one above the other . the number of allowed stacked filtering device 10 is related to the floatation capability of filtering device floating on the liquid surface . to that effect , in an assembly 40 comprising a plurality of filtering devices 10 attached to each another , a larger surface will allow a higher number of devices 10 to be stacked as the floatation or buoyancy of the assembly 40 is increased . such a stack of filtering devices 10 , either installed as an assembly 40 or as a single unit , can provide a plurality of filtering layers , thus increasing the filtering capability or allowing the filtering of different types of gases or emissions . in order to be stackable , a filtering device 10 may comprise an interlocking mechanism 25 , 27 build or molded into the floatable frame 14 structures ( see also fig1 and 2 ). in other embodiments , other mechanisms to allow the stacking of multiple filtering devices 10 may be used . the vertical stacking of a plurality of filtering devices 10 typically comprises the placement of a device 10 on top of another device 10 and the alignment of the male interlocking members 25 into the female interlocking members 27 along a substantially vertical axis 50 , 52 . the filtering device 10 in accordance with the principles of the present invention may generally be used on various types of surface areas , such as , but not limited to , aerated basins , non - aerated basins , lagoons , anaerobic lagoons , open - air tanks , activated sludge , tailing ponds , aeration ponds , and clarifiers . the filtering device 10 in accordance with the principles of the present invention will generally capture and / or treat at least some of the gases being emitted by theses surfaces thereby reducing the odors resulting from such gases . a method to install and use a filtering device 10 or an assembly 40 of filtering devices 10 is now presented . the method allows one or more filtering devices 10 to be installed on any water or liquid of an open reservoir . a plurality of devices 10 may be placed onto the liquid surface without being assembled . the devices 10 will substantially float on top of the fluid level . such flotation is especially desired for reservoirs having substantial level variations . as such , the modular device 10 will be leveled with the fluid surface and will filter the gases emanating from such surface . typically , gases will emanate from the fluid of the surface and reach the filter . the filter will then treat and / or degrade a significant amount of the emanated gases thereby removing the odor resulting from such gases . while illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove , it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art . | 1 |
fig1 is a schematic block diagram of a system for variably programming frame synchronization in the communication of a multidimensional digital frame structure . the system 100 comprises a transmitter 102 with a frame generator 104 . the frame generator 104 includes an overhead generator 106 having an input to accept commands on line 108 for selecting the number of synchronization bytes in the overhead section of a frame . a payload generator 110 supplies the information that is to be transmitted . the information can be generated at the transmitter 102 , or it can be the payload of a previously received frame . in this case , the transmitter 102 would be acting as a relay . the frame generator 104 also includes an fec section , or encoder 112 . the encoder codes the payload so that errors due to degradation can be removed at the destination . in some aspects of the invention , parts of the overhead section , or the entire overhead section is encoded , along with the payload . commands to select fsb locations are accepted on line 114 , and commands to select fsb values are accepted on line 116 . fig2 is a diagram illustrating a multidimensional digital frame structure . as can be seen from examining frame 1 , each frame is considered to be multidimensional because it includes a plurality of rows , where each row includes an overhead byte , payload bytes , and parity ( fec ) bytes . the present invention is not limited to any particular number of bytes to the overhead , payload , and fec sections , or to any particular number of rows . returning to fig1 , the system 100 includes a receiver 120 with a frame receiver 122 . the frame receiver 122 includes an overhead receiver 124 with an input on line 126 to accept commands for selecting the number of frame synchronization bytes for synchronizing the received frame . the overhead receiver 124 synchronizes the frame in response to recognizing the selected frame synchronization bytes . in other aspects of the invention , the frame synchronization function is performed by other elements of the receiver 120 ( not shown ). once the fsbs have been identified , synchronization is possible . the frame can be decoded and the payload identified . in some aspects of the invention , the receiver 120 is part of a relay , and the payload is relayed as is , or modified before it is retransmitted . commands to accept fsb bit error rates are accepted on line 128 , commands to accept fsb locations are accepted on line 130 , and commands to accept fsb values are accepted on line 134 . the overhead generator 106 has an input ( s ) to accept commands for selecting the node identifiers for insertion into broadcast frame overhead sections . the system includes at least one receiver 120 with a frame receiver 122 . the overhead receiver 124 has an input ( s ) to accept commands for selecting node identifiers . the overhead receiver 124 synchronizes the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the node identifier . for example , the overhead generator 106 selects a first node identifier for the broadcast frame , and a first overhead receiver 124 acknowledges the first node identifier , and synchronizes the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the first node identifier . fig3 a and 3 b are schematic block diagrams illustrating the invention of fig1 with an additional receiver . a second receiver 150 is included , similar to the first receiver 120 . the second receiver 150 includes a second overhead receiver 152 . in one aspect of the invention , the second overhead receiver 152 acknowledges the first node identifier , and synchronizes the broadcast frame , along with the first overhead receiver 124 , in response to acknowledging the first node identifier . in another aspect , the second overhead receiver 152 acknowledges a second node identifier , but does not synchronize the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the second node identifier . as explained below , the node identifier is a pattern of fsbs . if the overhead generator 106 selects a pattern of fsbs which the second overhead receiver cannot synchronize to , the broadcast message is not received at the second overhead receiver ( second node ) 152 . in some aspects of the invention , the overhead generator 106 selects a first node identifier and a second node identifier for the broadcast frame . as above , the first overhead receiver synchronizes the broadcast message in response to selecting the first node identifier . in this scenario the second overhead receiver 152 acknowledges the second node identifier , and synchronizes the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the second node identifier . returning to fig1 , the overhead generator 106 includes an input to select node identifiers for insertion into the overhead section . the frame generator 104 defines a frame having an overhead section with a first plurality of overhead section bytes . therefore , the overhead generator 106 selects frame synchronization bytes for insertion into the broadcast frame overhead section , where node identifiers are selected in response to the frame synchronization bytes . thus , the overhead generator 106 can select a plurality of node identifiers from a plurality of frame synchronization bytes . more specifically , the overhead generator 106 selects frame synchronization byte groups associated with node identifiers . for example , when the payload generator 110 generates a message intended for a first node 124 , the overhead generator 106 selects the first node identifier and inserts the frame synchronization bytes associated with the first node into the broadcast frame overhead section . when , the payload generator 106 generates a message addressed to a first and a second node 124 / 152 , the overhead generator 106 selects the first and second node identifiers . the overhead generator inserts the frame synchronization bytes associated with the first and second node identifiers into the broadcast frame overhead section . however , as noted above it is possible for more than one node to use the same identifier . in the scenario , a single node identifier can be selected by the overhead generator to communicate with a plurality of nodes . there are a number of ways to generate the plurality of node identifiers required for selective broadcast . in one aspect of the invention , the overhead generator 106 selects the quantity of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section , where node identifiers are associated with frame synchronization byte groups that are differentiated by number ( quantity ). the overhead generator 106 selects the number of frame synchronization bytes in the range from zero to the first plurality . fig4 is an example of node identifiers differentiated by the quantity of fsbs in the broadcast frame overhead section . a frame is broadcast with six fsbs in the overhead section . at node one , five fsb bytes are selected . because the broadcast frame overhead section includes five fsb bytes , the frame is synchronized . at node two , six fsbs have been selected . because the broadcast frame overhead section includes six fsbs , the frame is also synchronized at node two . thus , the frame can be considered to have been broadcast with both first and second node identifiers , where the first node identifier is associated with node one and the second node identifier with node 2 . however , node three has selected seven fsb and the broadcast frame is not synchronized at node three . in some aspects of the invention , the overhead generator 106 selects the location of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section , where node identifiers are associated with frame synchronization byte groups that are differentiated by byte location . the overhead generator 106 selects frame synchronization byte locations in the range from zero to a first plurality of locations . as shown is fig2 , the first plurality equals sixteen in some aspects of the invention . fig5 is an example of node identifiers differentiated by the location of fsbs in the broadcast frame overhead section . a frame is broadcast with fsbs is the first six overhead byte locations . at node 1 , the first six byte locations are also selected , and the frame is synchronized . at node two , five fsb byte locations , one through four , and six are selected . because the broadcast frame overhead section includes fsb bytes in all the above - mentioned locations , the frame is synchronized at node two . again , the frame can be considered to have been broadcast with both first and second node identifiers , where the first node identifier is associated with node one and the second node identifier with node two . however , node three has selected fsbs in the first seven locations . because the broadcast frame does not have an fsb at location seven , the frame is not synchronized at node three . in some aspects of the invention , the overhead generator 106 selects the value of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section , where node identifiers are associated with frame synchronization byte groups that are differentiated by byte value . the overhead generator 106 selects a second plurality of bits for each frame synchronization byte , where each byte includes a second plurality of bits . typically , there are eight bits per byte . fig6 is an example of node identifiers differentiated by the values of fsbs in the broadcast frame overhead section . a frame is broadcast with fsb 1 and fsb 2 , where the two fsbs are of different value . a byte value is defined herein as the content of the byte , typically expressed as a bcd , such as “ ff ”. at node 1 , the fsb 1 has been selected , and the frame is synchronized . at node two , fsb 1 and fsb 2 have been selected . because the broadcast frame overhead section includes the selected fsb values , the frame is synchronized at node two . again , the frame can be considered to have been broadcast with both first and second node identifiers , where the first node identifier is associated with node one and the second node identifier with node two . however , node three has selected fsb 1 and fsb 3 . because the broadcast frame does not include fsb 3 , the frame is not synchronized at node three . it should also be understood that the number of fsbs , the location of the fsbs , and the fsb values can be used simultaneously to create a wide variety of node identifiers . it should also be understood that the node identifier may include the selection of fsbs in more than one frame , such as multiple frames in a superframe . further , the node identifiers may extend across a plurality of superframes . returning to fig1 , the overhead receiver 124 includes an input to acknowledge a node identifier for receiving the broadcast message . as explained above , this input is actually the inputs on lines 126 , 130 , and 134 , as the node identifiers are created form the number , location , and value of the fsbs . the overhead receiver 124 acknowledges a node identifier for comparison to a node identifier in the overhead section of the broadcast frame . the frame receiver 122 defines a frame having an overhead section with a first plurality of overhead section bytes , and the overhead receiver 124 selects frame synchronization bytes for comparison to frame synchronization bytes in the broadcast frame overhead section , where node identifiers are associated with frame synchronization bytes . the overhead receiver 124 selects frame synchronization bytes to form the acknowledged node identifier . the received frame synchronization bytes are grouped , and then compared to the selected frame synchronization bytes . if the comparison is successful , the frame can be synchronized . likewise , a node can be kept from synchronizing a frame if a frame is broadcast using a node identifier that does not match the identifier used at that particular node . as explained above , node identifiers are differentiated with respect to the number , location , and value of the selected fsbs . further , node identifiers can be selected that use combinations of fsb number , locations , and values . the overhead receiver 124 accepts commands to select a frame synchronization byte bit error rate ( ber ) on line 128 . the overhead receiver 124 forms groups of received frame synchronization bytes having a bit error rate that is less than , or equal to , the selected bit error rate . thus , synchronization is not only dependent upon selecting a node identifier , but also on selecting the ber . returning to the example of fig6 , if the difference between fsb 2 and fsb 3 is two bit positions , and the overhead receiver is programmed to accept fsbs with errors in two bit positions , then node three will accept the broadcast frame . that is , the broadcast fsb 2 will be recognized as fsb 3 . thus , the use of ber can be considered as a means of making one node identifier serve as multiple node identifiers . returning to fig2 , it can be seen that a superframe includes a plurality of frame . four frames are shown , but the present invention is not limited to any particular number of frames per superframe . returning to fig1 , the frame generator 104 defines a superframe structure with a predetermined number of frames per superframe . then , the overhead generator 106 selects frame synchronization byte values in the overhead section of each frame of the superframe . likewise , the overhead receiver 124 recognizes frame synchronization bytes in each frame of the superframe . in some aspects of the invention , the overhead receiver 124 selects the number of frame synchronization bytes required for recognition , for each frame . in some aspects of the invention , the frame generator 104 forms a superframe consisting of a first , second , third , and fourth frame , and the overhead generator 106 supplies a first frame synchronization byte value for the first frame , a second value for the second frame , a third byte value for the third frame , and a fourth byte value for the fourth frame . the first , second , third , and fourth byte values need not necessarily be different . also , as explained below , each frame may include more than one fsb value . typically , however , only the first frame includes fsb bytes , so that the overhead generator selects a second , third , and fourth number of byte values equal to zero . in the simple case , the frame receiver 122 forms a superframe consisting of a first , second , third , and fourth frame , and the overhead receiver 124 selects the first byte value for the first frame , the second byte value for the second frame , the third byte value for the third frame , and the fourth byte value for the fourth frame . again , it is typical that the overhead receiver 124 selects a second , third , and fourth number of byte values equal to zero . the overhead receiver 124 also selects the number of consecutive frames that must be recognized on line 138 , and synchronizes the received superframe in response to the selected number of recognized frames . for example , the system may require that fsbs in two consecutive frames be identified , before a superframe is recognized . likewise , the system may require that a plurality of consecutive superframes be recognized before synchronization occurs . in some aspects of the invention , the overhead receiver 124 selects a number of bytes for each frame of the superframe , and recognizes the selected number of frame synchronization bytes in each frame of the superframe . for example , the overhead receiver 124 selects a first number of byte values for a first frame of the superframe , and synchronizes the first frame by recognizing the first number of byte values in the first frame of the superframe . in a simple aspect of the invention , the overhead generator 106 selects a first number of frame synchronization byte values in the overhead section of a frame , and the overhead receiver 124 selects the first number of frame synchronization byte values required for recognition of the first frame . however , the overhead receiver need not select the all the fsbs that have been supplied by the overhead generator 106 . for example , when the overhead generator supplies a first number of frame synchronization byte values for a first frame , the overhead receiver 124 can select a second number of byte values , less than the first number , for the first frame . the overhead receiver synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing the second number of frame synchronization byte values in the first frame . further , the overhead generator 106 can supply a first number of fsbs in a first frame and a second number of fsbs in the second frame . the overhead receiver 124 can synchronize using the first number of fsb values in the first frame and the second number of fsbs in the second frame . however , as explained , the overhead receiver 124 is not required all the fsbs that are generated . as noted above , the overhead receiver 124 has an input on line 128 to accept commands for selecting the bit error rate ( ber ) required for the recognition of a frame synchronization byte . for example , the overhead receiver 124 can select a number of permitted errors for each frame synchronization byte in the range from zero to a second plurality of bits , where each byte includes a second plurality of bits . note that the ber can be independently set for different fsbs in a single frame . likewise , the ber can be set for different values between frames , or between superframes . the ber can also be made to correspond to the fsb quantity and / or the fsb value . regardless , the overhead receiver 124 recognizes frame synchronization bytes having a bit error rate less than , or equal to , the selected frame synchronization bit error rates . of course , the overhead receiver 124 can be designed to recognize only frame synchronization bytes having a bit error rate that is less than the selected frame synchronization bit error rates . in some aspects of the invention , the overhead receiver 124 accepts commands for selecting the location of the bytes on line 130 to be used for the frame synchronization of received frames . the overhead receiver 124 synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing frame synchronization bytes in the selected locations . for example , the overhead receiver 124 selecting a first number of byte locations , and synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing frame synchronization bytes in the first number of selected locations . however , the frame locations can vary between frames , and between superframes . for example , the overhead receiver 124 selects a first number of fsb byte values in a first number of frames and a second number of fsb byte values in a second number of locations . likewise , a first number of location can be selected in a first frame of the superframe , and a second number of locations in a second frame . the overhead receiver 124 synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing frame synchronization bytes in the first number of selected locations in the first frame and the second number of selected locations in the second frame . looking a fig2 momentarily to refine the above - mentioned example , locations oh 1 , oh 2 , and oh 3 can be selected for the first frame , while locations oh 5 , oh 6 , and oh 7 can be selected for the second frame . this example would , of course , require the overhead generator 106 to supply fsbs in at least the above - mentioned byte locations . in a simple aspect of the invention , the overhead generator 106 selects a first number of locations for a first number of frame synchronization bytes , in response to commands on line 132 , and the overhead receiver 124 selects the first number of locations for the first number of frame synchronization bytes . however , the overhead receiver need not select all the location provided by the overhead generator 106 . for example , the overhead generator 106 selects a first number of locations for a first number of frame synchronization bytes , and the overhead receiver 124 selects a second number of locations for a second number of frame synchronization bytes , less than the first number , and synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing frame synchronization bytes in the second number of selected locations . momentarily examining fig2 , the overhead generator 106 may supply fsbs in locations oh 1 through oh 6 , while the overhead receiver selects locations oh 4 through oh 6 for use . in some aspects of the invention , the overhead receiver accepts commands for selecting the values of each frame synchronization byte on line 134 . the overhead receiver 124 synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing the values of synchronization bytes . typically , the fsb word is a byte of eight bits , although the invention is not limited to an fsb word of any particular length . with eight bit values , 2 8 possible fsb values are possible for every fsb . likewise , the fsb values may vary inside a frame . if a frame includes a first plurality , i . e ., sixteen , overhead bytes , and sixteen fsbs are selected , then each of the sixteen fsbs may be the same byte value . on the other extreme , each fsb byte value may be different , and sixteen fsb values can be used in the frame . thus , each frame can be synchronized using fsbs having different values . in one aspect of the invention , the overhead receiver 124 selects first frame synchronization bytes having a first value and second frame synchronization bytes having a second value . then , the overhead receiver 124 synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing the first frame synchronization bytes having the first value and the second frame synchronization bytes having the second value . although an example using two different fsb values is presented above , it is possible to have as many fsbs as there are rows in a frame . thus , in the frame structure of fig2 , each frame could have a first plurality ( sixteen in the example of fig2 ) unique fsb values . even more fsb values could be used if a greater portion of each row was devoted to the overhead section , at the expense of the payload or fec sections . likewise , the value of the fsbs can change between frames . in some aspects of the invention , the overhead receiver 124 selects a first number of frame synchronization bytes having a first value in a first frame and a second number of frame synchronization bytes having a second value in a second frame . the overhead receiver synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing the first number of frame synchronization bytes having the first value in the first frame and the second number of frame synchronization bytes having the second value in the second frame . alternately , multiple fsb values can be used in multiple frames . for example , the overhead receiver 124 selects a first number of frame synchronization bytes having a first value and a second number of frame synchronization bytes having a second value in a first and second frame . then , the overhead receiver 124 synchronizes the frame in response to recognizing frame synchronization bytes having the first and second values in the first and second frames . in some aspects of the invention , the first fsb values are located in a first frame , and the second fsb values are located in a second frame . in a simple aspect of the invention , the overhead generator 106 selects frame synchronization bytes having a first value , in response to commands on line 136 , and the overhead receiver 124 selects frame synchronization bytes having the first value . however , the overhead receiver 124 need not select all the fsb values supplied by the overhead generator . for example , the overhead generator 106 selects a first number of frame synchronization bytes having a first value in a first number of locations and a second number of frame synchronization bytes in a second number of locations having a second value . the overhead receiver 124 selects a third number of frame synchronization bytes in a third number of locations , less than the first number , having the first value , and a fourth number of frame synchronization bytes in a fourth number of locations , less than the second number , having the second value . the overhead receiver 124 synchronizes the received frame in response to recognizing the third number of frame synchronization bytes having the first value in the third number of locations , and the fourth number of frame synchronization bytes having the second value in the fourth number of locations . when the overhead receiver is not able to recognize fsbs , synchronization is lost . once again , the way in which the system loses synchronization is programmable . the overhead receiver 124 accepts commands on line 140 for selecting a number of consecutive non - recognized frames . then , the overhead receiver 124 falls out of synchronizing in response to the selected number of consecutively non - recognized frames . fig7 is a flowchart depicting a method for selectively broadcasting in a multidimensional digital frame structure . although the method is depicted as a sequence of numbered steps for clarity , no order should be inferred from the numbering unless explicitly stated . the method begins with step 200 . step 202 transmits a frame with an overhead section including node identifiers . step 204 synchronizes the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers . step 201 a selects node identifiers for broadcast . transmitting a frame with an overhead section including node identifiers in step 202 includes broadcasting the selected node identifiers . step 200 a defines a frame having an overhead section with a first plurality of overhead section bytes . step 201 b selects frame synchronization bytes for insertion into the broadcast frame overhead section . selecting node identifiers in step 201 a includes using the selected frame synchronization bytes . in some aspects of the invention , selecting node identifiers for broadcast in step 201 a includes selecting a plurality of node identifiers from a plurality of frame synchronization bytes . in some aspects of the invention , synchronizing the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers in step 204 includes receiving frames at a plurality of nodes in response to acknowledging the plurality of node identifiers . step 200 b associates node identifiers with nodes . in some aspects , selecting node identifiers for broadcast in step 201 a includes selecting a first node identifier . associating node identifiers with nodes in step 200 b includes associating the first node identifier with a first node . synchronizing the frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers in step 204 includes synchronizing the frame at a first node in response to acknowledging the first node identifier . in some aspects , associating node identifiers with nodes in step 200 b includes associating the first node identifier with a second node . synchronizing the frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers in step 204 includes synchronizing the frame at the first and second nodes in response to acknowledging the first node identifier . in some aspects , selecting node identifiers for broadcast in step 201 a includes selecting a second node identifier . associating node identifiers with nodes in step 200 b includes associating the second node identifier with a second node . synchronizing the frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers in step 204 includes synchronizing the frame at the first node in response to the first node identifier , and the second node in response to the second node identifier . in some aspects of the invention , selecting node identifiers for broadcast from a plurality of frame synchronization bytes in step 201 a includes associating frame synchronization byte groups with node identifiers . in some aspects , selecting frame synchronization bytes for insertion into the broadcast frame in step 201 b includes selecting the number of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section . selecting node identifiers by associating frame synchronization byte groups with node identifiers in step 200 b includes associating node identifiers with frame synchronization byte groups that are differentiated by quantity ( number ). in some aspects , selecting the number of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section in step 201 b includes selecting frame synchronization bytes in the range from zero to the first plurality . in some aspects of the invention , selecting frame synchronization bytes for insertion into the broadcast frame in step 201 b includes selecting the location of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section . selecting node identifiers by associating frame synchronization byte groups with node identifiers in step 200 b includes associating node identifiers with frame synchronization byte groups that are differentiated by location . in some aspects , selecting the location of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section in step 201 b includes selecting frame synchronization bytes in the range from zero to a first plurality of locations . in some aspects of the invention , selecting frame synchronization bytes for insertion into the broadcast frame in step 201 b includes selecting the value of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section . selecting node identifiers by associating frame synchronization byte groups with node identifiers in step 200 b includes associating node identifiers with frame synchronization byte groups that are differentiated by byte value . in some aspects , selecting the value of frame synchronization bytes in the overhead section in step 201 b includes selecting a second plurality of bits for each frame synchronization byte , where each byte includes a second plurality of bits . some aspects of the invention include further steps . step 203 a , at each node , acknowledges a node identifier . step 203 b selects frame synchronization bytes to form the acknowledged node identifier . step 203 c groups received frame synchronization bytes . step 203 d compares the selected frame synchronization bytes with the received grouping of frame synchronization bytes . step 203 e selects a frame synchronization byte bit error rate . step 203 c groups frame synchronization bytes includes grouping frame synchronization bytes having a bit error rate that is less than , or equal to , the selected bit error rate . in some aspects of the invention , selecting a frame synchronization byte bit error rate in step 203 e includes selecting a number of permitted errors for each frame synchronization byte in the range from zero to the second plurality of errors , where each frame synchronization byte includes a second plurality of bits . in some aspects , selecting frame synchronization bytes in step 203 b includes selecting a group of frame synchronization bytes differentiated by quantity . selecting frame synchronization bytes in step 203 b also includes selecting a group of frame synchronization bytes differentiated by byte location . selecting frame synchronization bytes in step 203 b includes selecting a group frame synchronization bytes differentiated by byte value . fig8 is a flowchart depicting a method for selectively receiving a broadcast message in a multidimensional digital frame structure . the method begins with step 300 . step 302 receives a broadcast frame with an overhead section including node identifiers . step 304 synchronizes the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers . step 303 a , at each node , acknowledges a node identifier . synchronizing the broadcast frame in step 304 includes sub - steps . step 304 a selects frame synchronization bytes to form the acknowledged node identifier . step 304 b groups received frame synchronization bytes . step 304 c compares the selected frame synchronization bytes with the received grouping of frame synchronization bytes . in some aspects , acknowledging a node identifier in step 304 includes selecting a node identifier from a plurality of node identifiers . in some aspects , step 303 a receives a broadcast frame with a node identifier . in some aspects , step 302 receives a broadcast frame with a first mode identifier . acknowledging a node identifier in step 303 a includes a first node acknowledging a first node identifier . synchronizing the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers in step 304 includes synchronizing the broadcast frame at the first node in response to the first node identifier . in some aspects , acknowledging a node identifier in step 303 a includes a second node acknowledging a first node identifier . synchronizing the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers in step 304 includes synchronizing the broadcast frame at the first and the second node in response to the first node identifier . in some aspects , step 302 receives a broadcast frame with a first and second node identifier . acknowledging a node identifier in step 303 a includes a second node acknowledging a second node identifier . synchronizing the broadcast frame in response to acknowledging the node identifiers in step 304 includes synchronizing the broadcast frame at the first node in response to the first node identifier and at the second node in response to the second node identifier . in some aspects , selecting frame synchronization bytes to form the acknowledged node identifier in step 304 a includes selecting a group of frame synchronization bytes differentiated by quantity . selecting frame synchronization bytes to form the acknowledged node identifier in step 304 a includes selecting a group of frame synchronization bytes differentiated by byte location . selecting frame synchronization bytes to form the acknowledged node identifier in step 304 a also includes selecting a group of frame synchronization bytes differentiated by byte value . some aspects of the invention include further steps . step 303 b selects a frame synchronization byte bit error rate . grouping frame synchronization bytes in step 304 b includes grouping frame synchronization bytes having a bit error rate that is less than , or equal to , the selected bit error rate . in some aspects , selecting a frame synchronization byte bit error rate in step 303 b includes selecting a number of permitted errors for each frame synchronization byte in the range from zero to the second plurality of errors , where each frame synchronization byte includes a second plurality of bits . an example of the above , broadly - stated , invention is presented below . the typical frame structure uses a 255 - byte fec code as the basic building block which is referred to as a subframe , or row . each subframe is defined by a reed - solomon ( rs ) codec that is intended to provide 8 byte correction capability over the 255 - byte block . this codec is referred to as rs ( 255 , 239 ) for 8 byte correction . fig5 is an example of a subframe consisting of a 255 - byte rs ( 255 , 239 ) block with an overhead ( oh ) byte as the first byte , followed by 238 user payload bytes , and 16 bytes of rs parity . the oh byte may be used as a frame synchronization byte ( fsb ) or other programmable function . fig6 illustrates the stacking of subframes in a frame . the subframes are stacked in a structure that is 16 deep to create a frame as shown in fig2 . the bytes are transmitted in an interleaved fashion from top to bottom and left to right . four frames are used to create a superframe as shown in fig2 . a superframe contains 64 overhead locations . the frames are transmitted in order from frame 1 to frame 4 . the first frame in the superframe is the one that traditionally contains frame synchronization bytes . the user may select to have two different fsb types ( fsb 1 and fsb 2 ). the ability to have two different fsbs and the ability to program them with custom values provide the user added control over their system both in terms of resistance to false synchronization and the ability to distinguish different data sources from each other . this is useful when there are multiple wavelengths that can be received , all carrying the same frame structure , but only one of which is allowed / permissioned to be received at a particular node . table 1 provides an example of how the fsb types are defined . the fsbs are also programmable in number . in frame 1 , oh 1 to oh 16 can be programmed to be fsb 1 , fsb 2 , or a non - fsb function . this expands on the variability afforded by having two different fsbs . by using more of the available bandwidth for fsbs , the user decreases the chance of false synchronization and in general , decreases the amount of time required to acquire synchronization . the user can customize this parameter to optimize for specific requirements and link conditions . table 2 demonstrates the structure required to indicate which oh bytes are used for fsbs and table 3 illustrates the structure that sets whether to use fsb 1 or fsb 2 . the fsb programmability exists independently in both the transmit and receive portions of the device . in the receive section of the device , the number of recognized consecutive fsb groups required to declare synchronization is programmable , as well as the number of bad consecutive fsb groups required to lose synchronization . this is the first level of thresholding for adjusting the tolerance to bit error rate and the amount of time required to declare synchronization . table 4 is an example of synchronization parameter setting . the fewer consecutive fsb groups required to achieve synchronization , the shorter the acquisition time . the more consecutive bad fsb groups required to lose synchronization , the greater the system tolerant of higher bit error rates . the second level of thresholding is to define what is considered a good group of fsbs vs . a bad group of fsbs . this is done by specifying the number of errors that are allowed within a group of fsbs and still be considered good as shown in table 4 . this feature has the advantage of decreasing synchronization time in the presence of high bit error rates . longer fsb groups are permitted which decrease the probability of false synchronization , without incurring the penalty of difficult synchronization in the presence of noise . further , the fec code is given greater opportunity to correct errors . another benefit of the second level of thresholding is the ability to dynamically customize the values of the fsbs . this thresholding provides network security , and dynamically allocates more bytes for synchronization based on the link conditions , without causing a resynchronization to occur . if an oh byte is not defined to be an fsb in the decoder frame synchronization byte locations register , the corresponding bit in this register has no significance . a system and method have been provided that illustrate the advantages of providing selectable communication links in a network broadcast . the invention can fully customize the synchronization methodology , to optimize robustness to noise and synchronization time . the invention specifically illustrates an example using different fsb values , different numbers of fsbs , different fsb locations , programmable gain synchronization , programmable lose synchronization parameters , and programmable bit error tolerance within the fsbs themselves . however , the invention is not limited to an particular configuration of fsbs , or any specific framing structure . node identifiers can be made using combinations of the selectable fsb numbers , locations , and values . the invention permits users to create different networks that are logically separated from each other so that receivers can easily distinguish between different data sources . other variations and embodiments of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art . | 7 |
a leak repairing device and method of this invention may be better understood by reference to the attached drawings . fig1 through 3 show preferred embodiments of this invention . in fig1 a bottom housing 10 for a leak repairing device forms a chamber 12 around a portion of a tubing or pipe having a leak . the tubing to be repaired is received by tubing receiving means 14 disposed about the distal ends of chamber 12 . bottom housing 10 has seal receiving means 16 which is shown in fig1 as a groove that encircles chamber 12 and tubing receiving means 14 . seal receiving means 16 is structured to receive a sealing means for chamber 12 . sealing means 19 for sealing chamber 12 , shown in fig4 a as a gasket and a split compression ring in fig4 b and 4c , may be fabricated of any suitable material , such as teflon ®, which is capable of sealing the housing at the temperature , pressure , and environmental conditions encountered in and around the tubing to be repaired . the sealing means 19 shown in fig4 b and 4c as a split compression ring may be inserted around the pipe having a leak to form a seal around such pipe . the split compression ring may be comprised of an upper ring 19 a having a dowel pin 10 c for insertion into holes 19 d formed in lower ring 19 b . the dowel pin 19 c may also receive a teflon seal ( not shown ) to seal insertion into holes 19 d . the sealing means 19 may be used alone or in combination with any embodiment disclosed herein of the leak repairing device and method of this invention . in fig2 a top housing 20 is shown for a leak repairing device of this invention having puncturing and / or venting means 22 . top housing 20 has seal engaging means 24 disposed about chamber 12 and pipe receiving means 14 . the seal engaging means 24 ( fig2 ), seal means 19 ( fig4 a , 4 b and 4 c ), and seal engaging means 24 are structured in combination to seal the chamber 12 and pipe receiving means 14 around the pipe having a leak to be repaired . the tubing receiving means 14 may have a beveled edge to receive sealing means 19 for sealing the chamber 12 and the tubing to be repaired . in fig3 an assembly of a bottom housing 10 and a top housing 20 of fig1 and 2 , respectively , is shown having fastening means 18 . these housings may be joined via fastening means 18 such as by clamps , screws , bolts or the like . another perspective view of the puncturing and venting means 22 for top housing 20 is shown in fig3 . a second embodiment of a leak repairing device and method of this invention is shown in fig5 and 6 . housing 40 of fig5 shows a chamber 42 having tubing receiving means 44 disposed at distal ends of the chamber . seal engaging means 48 is shown disposed about chamber 42 and is structured to receive a sealing means which may be fabricated of any suitable material , such as teflon ®, which is capable of sealing the housing at the temperature , pressure , and environmental conditions encountered in and around the tubing to be repaired . fastening means 46 , such as for a screw , bolt , or the like , are shown disposed about the corners of the housing 50 . an assembly of a pair of housings , such as housing 40 , is shown in fig6 as assembly 55 . assembly 55 shows fastening means 46 engaged with bolts 57 . a third embodiment of this invention is shown in fig7 thru 9 . in fig7 bottom housing 60 is shown having chamber 62 which is disposed at distal ends by tubing receiving means 64 . in fig8 top housing 65 is shown having tube receiving means 66 , a puncturing and / or venting means 67 , and a chamber 68 . an assembly 70 of bottom housing 60 and top housing 65 , with puncturing and venting means 67 is shown in fig9 . both housings of assembly 70 may be sealed together via sealing means 72 which may include conventional soldering and / or brazing methods . dowel pins ( not shown ) may also be used to hold the assembly together while being sealed . a fourth embodiment of a leak repairing device of this invention is shown in fig1 thru 12 . in fig1 a , front view of a bottom housing 80 having a chamber 81 is disposed at distal ends by tubing receiving means 82 . seal engaging means 84 is structured to receive a sealing means which may be fabricated of any suitable material , such as teflon ®, which is capable of sealing the housing at the temperature , pressure , and environmental conditions encountered in and around the tubing to be repaired . in fig1 b , a back view of bottom housing 80 is shown having fastening means 83 . in fig1 a , a front view of a top housing 85 is shown , having pipe receiving means 88 disposed about distal ends of chamber 84 with puncturing and venting means 86 . seal engaging means 87 is structured to receive a sealing means which may be fabricated of any suitable material , such as teflon ®, which is capable of sealing the housing at the temperature , pressure , and environmental conditions encountered in and around the tubing to be repaired . in fig1 b , a back view of housing 85 is shown having fastening means 89 and puncturing and / or venting means 86 . assembly 90 of bottom housing 80 and top housing 85 is shown in fig1 , having fastening means 89 , puncturing and / or venting means 86 , and an end on view of the pipe receiving means . a fifth embodiment of a leak repairing device of this invention is shown in fig1 thru 18 for applications involving copper tubing and the like . in fig1 , a housing 92 is shown , having pipe receiving means 93 disposed about distal ends of chamber 94 . seal engaging means 96 are structured to engage a sealing means to seal chamber 94 . chamber joining means 95 is shown in housing 92 for joining to another housing , such as housing 98 shown in fig1 . housing 98 is shown in fig1 , having pipe receiving means 99 disposed about distal ends of chamber 100 . puncturing and / or venting means 103 are shown for puncturing a pipe having a leak and / or venting any gases from the chamber around such pipe . seal engaging means 101 are structured to engage a sealing means to seal a chamber about the pipe having a leak . chamber joining means 102 is shown in housing 98 ( fig1 ) for joining with chamber joining means 95 in housing 92 ( fig1 ). an alternate design for a leak repairing device is shown in fig1 and 16 for tubing of varying lengths . housing 104 is shown having tubing receiving means 105 disposed about distal ends of chamber 106 . seal engaging means 107 are structured to engage a sealing means to seal chamber 106 . chamber joining means 108 is shown , in housing 104 for joining to another housing , such as housing 110 of fig1 . housing 110 is shown having pipe receiving means 111 disposed about distal ends of chamber 112 . puncturing and / or venting means 115 are shown for puncturing a pipe having a leak and / or venting any gases from the chamber around such pipe . seal engaging means 113 are structured to engage a sealing means to seal a chamber about the pipe having a leak . chamber joining means 114 is shown in housing 110 ( fig1 ) for joining with chamber joining means 108 in housing 104 ( fig1 ). in fig1 , an assembly 116 of the housings 92 and 98 of fig1 and 14 or the housings 104 and 110 of fig1 and 16 are shown , wherein the chamber joining means 95 and 102 or chamber joining means 108 and 114 are sealed against each other using soldering , brazing , or the like . in fig1 , an alternative view of the assembly 116 is shown , having puncturing and / or venting means 117 shown . a leak repairing device of this invention may be fabricated from structural materials such as carbon steel , copper , brass or aluminum , or the like . a sixth embodiment of a leak repairing device is shown in fig1 as a housing 130 having pipe receiving means 134 at distal ends of chamber 132 . the pipe receiving means 134 may have a beveled edge 145 . the seal receiving means 136 may receive a sealing means 119 , such as a teflon ® gasket similar to that shown in fig4 a , for sealing chamber 132 . the chamber 132 also has a puncturing and / or venting means 139 for venting any vapors and / or gases which are emitted from a leaking pipe or tubing to be repaired . joining means 138 , such as dowel pins , are provided to facilitate joining a pair of housings 130 which in turn may be sealed by any conventional methods such as soldering , brazing , or the like . a seventh embodiment of a leak repairing device is shown as a cutaway in fig2 as a housing 140 having threaded ends 143 and an alternative design for sealing chamber 142 . the sealing means is comprised of a male protrusion 146 and a female groove 147 having a continuous sealing means ( not shown ), such as a teflon ® gasket , disposed within the female groove 147 . means for venting the chamber 142 and / or puncturing the tubing to be repaired is provided for via puncturing and / or venting means 149 . pipe receiving means 144 is disposed about distal ends of the chamber 142 . sealing means 150 is shown as a helically cut teflon ® o - ring in fig2 a ( cutaway view ) and 21 b ( side view ), and may also be used to seal the chamber disposed about the pipe having a leak to be repaired . an assembly 152 of a pair of housings 140 is shown in fig2 a with a fastening means 158 shown as a split cap . a cutaway view of the fastening means 158 is shown in fig2 b as having mating threads 159 . a variety of housings and fastening means are shown in fig2 and 24 . in fig2 , a pair of octagonal housings 160 are shown with fastening means 162 comprising a screw , bolt , pins , or the like . in fig2 , a pair of circular housings 165 are shown with fastening means 166 comprising a screw , bolt , pins , or the like . in fig2 , a pair of circular housings 170 are shown having fastening means 172 that may be slidingly locked together . a side view of circular housing 176 and 178 being slidingly locked together are shown in fig2 . an assembly 180 of a pair of circular housings 182 and 184 are shown in fig2 , having an alternative fastening means . a leak repairing device of this invention is shown in fig2 for a pipe elbow . an elbow housing 190 is shown installed about a pipe elbow 194 . the elbow housing 190 has puncturing and / or venting means 196 for puncturing the pipe to be repaired and / or venting any gases or vapors . puncturing means 23 for puncturing the tubing or pipe to be repaired and / or venting any refrigerant vapors and / or gases to chamber 12 is shown in fig2 . the tubing or pipe is punctured to prevent any pressure differentials from forming between chamber 12 and the portion of tubing being repaired . the puncturing and / or venting means 22 may be connected to a gas and / or vapor reclamation unit ( not shown ) to contain any vented gases , such as cfc or hcfc , and to prevent such gases and / or vapors from escaping to the atmosphere . the foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof , and various changes in the size , shape , and materials , as well as in the details of the illustrated device may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . further , the leak repairing device of this invention may be applied to any type of conduit having a leak such as plumbing or water pipes and the like . the invention is claimed using terminology that depends upon a historic presumption that recitation of a single element covers one or more , and recitation of two elements covers two or more , and the like . also , the drawings and illustration herein have not been produced to scale . | 5 |
the work described herein summarizes investigations of the solubility of a number of poly - n - isopropylalkylacrylamides ( poly - nipa ) and poly - n , n - diethylalkylacrylamides ( poly - dea ) using microcalorimetric and optical measurements . the use of the polymers as amls is also investigated . the highest available quality was used . 2 , 2 ′- azoisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) was from merck and n - isopropylalkylacrylamide ( nipa ) from polysciences or aldrich . aibn was recrystallized twice from ethylether prior to use . nipa was recrystallized twice prior to use . the chain transfer agent 3 - mercaptopropionic acid ( mpa , fluka ) was purified by distillation under reduced pressure . unless indicated otherwise , all other substances were used as obtained from the supplier . solvents such as ethylether , thf , and toluene were dried by boiling over na - wire , kept under argon atmosphere afterwards and were freshly distilled whenever needed . dry acetonitrile was obtained from aldrich . the molecular mass distribution was determined by high molecular weight ms ( maldi - ms , matrix assisted laser desorption / ionization mass spectrometry ) using a vision 2000 ( finnigan mat ) or a lasertec bt ii ( vestec ) respectively . 2 , 5 - dihydroxybenzoic acid , α - cyano - 4 - hydroxycinnamic acid , and 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 5 - methoxycinnamic acid were used as matrices with 6 - desoxy - l - galactose as comatrix in the two latter cases . the positive ion mode was used throughout . the apparent weight average of the molecular mass , mw , and the apparent numbe r average of the molecular mass , mn , were calculated from the mass spectra using the following formulae : with m i : mass of a given unimolecular oligomer species in a given sample and n i : number of molecules of that mass in the preparation . the degree of polydispersity , d , was calculated as d = mw / mn . the average degree of polymerization , pn , was calculated from mn . the transmission of an aqueous solution of a given polymer as a function of the temperature was measured at 500 nm on an lambda 5 spectral photometer ( perkin elmer ) equipped with a ptp 1 thermostat ( perkin elmer ). readings were taken every 6 seconds . readings were taken for a temperature interval of 10 ° c . around the expected transition temperature . heating rates were 0 . 5 ° c ./ min . the point of inflection of the s - shaped transmission curves ( usually approximated as half - height or 50 % transmission ) was taken as cloud point . the doc measurements were carried out using a high sensitivity differential scanning calorimeter ( polymer laboratories ). unless indicated otherwise , heating rates of 10 ° c ./ min and polymer concentrations of 1 % ( w / w ) were used . the sample size was approximately 10 μl . the instrument calculates the heat of transition , q tr , per mg of polymer directly from the endotherms . from this , the calorimetric enthalpy , δh cal , can be calculated by a multiplication with the molecular mass . the number average of the molecular weight was used for this when known . in all other cases just the measured heat of transition is used . for the preparation of the monomer n , n - diethylalkylacrylamide , 112 . 5 g diethylamine were dissolved in 500 ml ethylether and placed under argon in a dry two - necked 1 l flask . the solution was cooled to around − 2 ° c . and 55 . 7 g acryloylchloride were added drop - wise over the next 2 hours . a temperature below 3 ° c . was maintained . the final product was distilled in vacuum ( 1 mbar , 40 ° c .) from cah 2 . the yield was 74 % and the purity was 100 % ( determined by gc ). the pure and dry monomer was stored in a septum - sealed flask at − 20 ° c . details concerning the polymerization of both poly - n , n - diethylalkylacrylamide ( poly - dea , r1 and r2 ) and poly - n - isopropylalkylacrylamide ( poly - nipa , n1 and n2 ) in the presence of the chain transfer agent 3 - mercaptopropionic acid ( mpa ) are compiled in table 1 . the radical starter ( aibn ) was dissolved in methanol and placed in a two necked flask at 70 ° c . afterwards the monomer and mpa were added . the mixture was refluxed for 21 hours and cooled to room temperature . after removal of the solvent by distillation the residue was dissolved in acetone , precipitated twice from petrolether and dried at ambient temperature in vacuum ( 10 − 3 mbar ) until constant weight . for comparison the monomers were polymerized in the absence of the chain transfer agent ( r100 , n100 , n200 ). in this case , the monomer was dissolved in dioxane ( 1 m ) and the radical starter was added ( 1 % mol in : mol mon ). the mixture was heated to 50 ° c . and the reaction allowed to proceed for 45 min . afterwards the product was recovered as described above . both poly - n , n - diethylalkylacrylamide ( poly - dea ) and poly - n - isopropylalkylacrylamide ( poly - nipa ) were investigated . both polymers were produced by radical polymerization , controlling the molecular mass as well as the polydispersity using a chain transfer agent ( 3 - mercaptopropionic acid , mpa ). as a result of the chain transfer reaction , a carboxylic acid terminal reactive group is found on average in each of these polymers . poly - nipa is among the best investigated reversibly water - soluble polymers , with an lcst generally given between 29 and 34 ° c . poly - dea has been reported to have an lcst between 25 and 32 ° c . most previous work has only considered radical polymers with high average molecular masses , and in the majority of the cases , the polymers are unfractionated preparations with high polydispersities . the determination of the molecular mass and the mass distribution of the synthesized polymers in ( aqueous ) solution was made using high molecular weight mass spectrometry ( maldi - ms ). since the distance between individual peaks corresponds to the mass of the respective repetitive units ( 127 g / mol for poly - dea , 113 g / mol for poly - nipa ), the maldi - ms demonstrates that few if any side reactions occurred in the chain transfer polymerization used to make the polymers of the present invention . maldi - ms is most reliable for molecules below 100 , 000 g / mol and we were not able to record relevant mass data for the large radical polymers of both types , i . e . polymers r100 , n100 and n200 synthesized for comparison with the polymers produced using chain transfer polymerization . table 2 summarizes the mass data for the low molecular weight polymer preparations . low polydispersities (& lt ; 1 . 3 ) were calculated in all cases including the radical polymers prepared in the presence of the chain transfer agent mpa . the presence of a carboxylic acid end group in these molecules correlated well with the mass - to - charge ratios measured for the individual peaks . the presence of a carboxylic acid function in these molecules was in addition verified by titration and ft - ir measurements . the tacticity of polymers can be studied by high resolution 1 h - nmr . an analysis of the tacticity of the polyalkylacrylamides prepared in investigation by 600 mhz 1 h - nmr showed a heterotactic structure for the chain transfer polymers . most authors investigating high molecular weight , reversibly water - soluble polymers report only small changes of the precipitation temperature with increasing polymer concentration . a similar behaviour was observed for the low molecular mass polymers of the invention . within the investigated range of 0 . 01 % to 1 . 0 % ( w / w ), the change of the precipitation temperature with the polymer concentration was negligible , i . e . less than 1 ° c . a 0 . 1 % ( w / w ) solution of poly - dea already sufficed to reduce the transmission to zero , while in the case of poly - nipa , the same result required at least a concentration of 1 % ( w / w ). for comparison &# 39 ; s sake , the optically determined precipitation temperatures summarized in table 2 were measured for 1 % solutions . for ( high molecular mass ) poly - dea an lcst of 32 ° c . has been published . the precipitation temperature of 31 . 4 ° c . measured for the high molecular weight sample r100 corresponds well to this value . poly - dea samples prepared by radical polymerization in the presence of the chain transfer agent , r1 and r2 , have somewhat higher precipitation temperatures , i . e . 32 . 5 and 32 . 7 ° c . respectively . this inverse dependency of the critical temperature on the molecular mass has never been described for such small substances with a comparable extremely narrow mass distribution . the slightly higher precipitation temperature observed for r1 and r2 may conceivably be related to the fact that a carboxylic end group is present in these molecules but not in r100 . however , in previous research such end group effects were ruled out for poly - dea and certain derivatives thereof . in addition , no end group effect was observed for polymers n1 , n2 , and n100 respectively , see below . literature values for the lcst of poly - nipa vary between 32 . 0 and 34 . 3 ° c ., although slightly higher values have been observed in isolated cases . the 33 . 2 and 34 . 0 ° c . measured in our investigations fall within that range , although poly - nipa n1 and n2 were synthesized in the presence of the chain transfer agent , i . e . have small size and carry a carboxylic acid group . it has previously been shown that the presence and the charge status of such a carboxylic group have no influence on the precipitation temperature . from the point of view of a possible application of thermoprecipitable polymers as affinity macroligands , the cosolute effect is of major importance , since few reactions are carried out in pure water . the majority of putative biotechnological application will , for example , involve at least a buffered aqueous solution , most of these solutions will contain more than one active agent . for our investigations we chose nacl as a fairly weak and ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 as one of the strongest salting out agents known . both salts are typical components of biotechnical product matrices . two polymers were chosen for the investigation of the cosolute effect , radical poly - dea r100 , and radical poly - nipa n1 . both nacl and ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 lowered the precipitation temperature for both of the investigated polymers . as expected , the effect is much more pronounced for ( nh 4 ) 2 so4 than for nacl , fig2 . to exclude all temperature effects , salt concentrations are given in mol / kg of solution rather than mol / l . for the large radical poly - dea r100 , the presence of either 1 . 0 mol / kg nacl or 0 . 2 mol / kg ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 lowered the precipitation temperature of a 0 . 1 % ( w / w ) solution by approximately 10 ° c . in addition , the critical temperature drops almost linearly as a function of the salt content . in the case of a 1 % ( w / w ) solution of poly - nipa n1 the precipitation temperature is lowered by 15 ° c . in the presence of 1 . 0 mol / kg nacl , while a 0 . 2 mol / kg concentration of ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 results in a lowering of the lcst by 8 ° c . in spite of the difference in chemical structure , the salt effect is apparently similar in heterotactic poly - nipa and poly - dea . again , the drop in temperature depends almost linearly on the solution &# 39 ; s salt content , fig3 . modern high sensitivity differential calorimetry ( hs - doc ) allows to investigate the thermodynamics of the phase transition process . in accordance with previous authors , a two state transition process was assumed for the coil globule transition of all investigated polymers . in order to investigate the thermodynamics of the phase transition only , all further reactions , which also might have a characteristic ah need to be avoided , theoretically including the association and precipitation leading to the macroscopically observed precipitation ( cloud point ). for example , it has been suggested that small amounts (& gt ; 300 mg / l ) of the surfactant sds ( sodium dodecyl sulfate ) can be added to the solution , in order to prevent association / precipitation . we found that an addition of 200 mg / l of sds did indeed prevent precipitation . however , the hs - doc results differed only within the uncertainty of the instrument when the δh was measured in the presence and the absence of the detergent . this led us to assume , that the δh of the association / precipitation is so small as to be negligible compared to the enthalpy of the phase transition . sds concentrations above 300 mg / l did already exert an influence on the precipitation temperature . in order to avoid biasing the measurements by an sds influence we chose to carry out the hs - doc experiments described below without adding sds to the samples . in a second set of preliminary experiments it was verified ( for r100 and r1 ) that neither the heating rate ( 1 ° c ./ min to 20 ° c ./ min ) nor the polymer concentration ( 0 . 1 % w / w to 5 . 0 % w / w ) influenced the doc results ( t max , t onset , calorimetric enthalpy ). contrary to prior art results , we also observed no influence of the heating rate on the van &# 39 ; t hoff enthalpy . we can thus assume the phase transition to be very close to equilibrium under these circumstances . further experiments were carried out with a heating rate of 10 ° c ./ min and a polymer concentration of 1 % w / w . with the exception of the radical poly - dea r1 and r2 , the t max of the microcalorimetric endotherms is slightly below the turning point of the turbidity curve and corresponds more to the onset rather than the turning point of the macroscopically observed precipitation curve . this is hardly surprising , since we assume the calorimeter to record the actual phase transition , while the turbidity curves recorded with the photometer represent a secondary phenomenon , i . e . the final aggregation of the globules . in spite of dramatic differences in the molecular mass , the transition widths tend to be similar and approximately 2 . 3 ° c . for most poly - dea . the width of the endotherms is thus larger than that of the turbidity curves , which lay within a fraction of a degree , see above . in case of the poly - nipa , the transition width for the low molecular mass substances n1 and n2 is significantly higher than for the high molecular mass polymers n100 and n200 . it should also be noted that both the calorimetric and the van &# 39 ; t hoff enthalpies increase significantly with molecular mass in case of radical poly - nipa , while they stay in the same order of magnitude in case of low and high molecular weight radical poly - dea . the measured calorimetric transition enthalpies are below the values found in the literature for similar polymers ( i . e . 6 . 3 cal / g for poly - dea and between 0 . 86 and 1 . 5 kcal / mol per repeating unit for poly - nipa ). the addition of simple salt to poly - nipa n200 had the expected ( diminishing ) effect on t max . in order to explore the effect of a non - ionic but highly water - soluble substance , which in addition is found quite frequently in biotechnical matrices , glucose was added in a similar manner to aqueous solutions of the polymers . the effect on the precipitation temperature and on the phase separation thermodynamics was investigated . low glucose concentrations resulted in an increase of the phase transition temperature , while this trend was reversed at higher concentrations . no clear trend could be observed for the transition widths at half height . while t ½ stays roughly the same in case of nacl , ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 , cacl 2 , and glucose addition , the endotherms measured for the highest na 2 so 4 and nano 3 concentrations are almost twice as wide as those determined for the pure polymer solution , fig4 a and b . the calorimetric heat of transition was not influenced by the salt / glucose addition . the size of the cooperative unit decreases with increasing additive concentration , as evidenced by the change in δh eff . due to the above - mentioned problems with the determination of the molecular weight of polymer n200 , no δh cal could be calculated . however , since the same polymer is used for all measurements , the ratio between q tr and δh eff is still correlated to the size of the cooperative unit . with the exception of the two cases characterized by exceptionally wide transition isotherms ( i . e . the highest na 2 so 4 and nano 3 concentrations ), a correlation exists between the size of the cooperative unit and the temperature of the enthalpy minimum , t max . poly - n - isopropylalkylacrylamides were prepared as indicated above in methanol with aibn and cysteamine ( hs — ch 2 — ch 2 — nh 2 ) as chain transfer agent ( a : b : c = 100 : 0 . 6 : 6 ) at 60 ° c . for 21 hours . the polymers were twice precipitated from methanol in diethylether and finally precipitated once from acetone in hexane . the polymers , e . g . poly - n - isopropylalkylacrylamide with an amino end group ( average molar mass : 1660 g / mol and molar mass distribution : 1 . 04 ), were covalently coupled to iminobiotin by esterification via nhs activation forming an affinity macroligand with an lcst at 32 ° c . the coupling between affinity macroligand precursor and iminobiotin was verified by a modified haba - test , which is described in the book of n . m . green , “ methods in enzymology ”, vol . 18 a , p . 418 ff ., academic press , 1970 . polymer in water ( ph 7 ): lcst at 32 ° c ., precipitation temperature interval 1 . 5 ° c . polymer coupled with iminobiotin to from an aml in water ( ph 7 ): lcst at 32 ° c ., precipitation temperature interval 0 . 6 ° c . polymer coupled with iminobiotin to form an aml in buffer ( ph 10 . 8 ) and in the presence of 1 m nacl : lcst at 18 . 2 ° c ., precipitation temperature interval 0 . 6 ° c . polymer coupled with iminobiotin to form an aml in buffer ( ph 10 . 8 ) and in the presence of 1 m nacl and avidin : lcst at 17 . 7 ° c ., precipitation temperature interval 1 . 0 ° c . 20 mg aml was dissolved in 1 . 3 ml carbonate buffer ( ph 10 . 8 ) and 0 . 25 mg / ml avidin . after incubation at 25 ° c ., the aml - avidin complex was thermoprecipitated and centrifuged for 10 minutes at 13 , 000 g . haba - test of the supernatant revealed that 75 % of the avidin was isolated . by adding 1 m nacl to the avidin - aml mixture , the percentage of avidin isolation could be increased to 90 %. in both cases 100 % of the bound ( coprecipitated ) avidin could be recovered in pure form after dissociation of the aml - avidin complex in acetate buffer ( ph 4 ). the recovered avidin was 100 % biologically active as determined in the following specificity test . after adding 0 . 3 mg / ml lysozyme , 5 mg / ml lysozyme , a crude cho culture medium containing 5 % fcs ( fetal calf serum ) to the aml - avidin - buffer - nacl mixture , 77 %, 93 % and 91 % of the avidin were recovered respectively . again , in all three cases , the avidin recovered after dissociation of the aml - avidin complex in acetate buffer ( ph 4 ) was 100 % active . | 2 |
the present invention is directed to the use of the above compounds as fragrances in a fragrance composition . the compounds can be incorporated alone , as a mixture of two or more of said compounds , or as an enhancer to an existing fragrance composition ( discussed below ). these compounds add a favorable olfactory effect to the desired product . the compounds are typically present in an amount of from about 0 . 001 to about 30 . 0 by weight of the total fragrance composition . typically a more preferred embodiment would contain between 0 . 01 % and 20 % by weight and a most preferred embodiment would contain between 0 . 01 % and 10 % by weight . none of these examples shown are meant to be limiting or restrictive on the use of the material as stated . one embodiment of the present inventions provides a method to modify , enhance or improve the odor properties of a fragrance composition by adding to said composition an olfactory effective quantity of the compound of formulas ( i - vi ). the invention may also be described as the use of any composition containing compound ( i - vi ) which can be advantageously employed in the fragrance industry as active ingredients . such compositions may contain or consist of at least one ingredient selected from a group consisting of a fragrance carrier and a fragrance base . such compositions may also consist of at least one fragrance adjuvant . said fragrance carriers may be a liquid or a solid and typically do not significantly alter the olfactory properties of the fragrance ingredients . some non - limiting examples of fragrance carriers include an emulsifying system , encapsulating materials , natural or modified starches , polymers , gums , pectins , gelatinous or porous cellular materials , waxes , and solvents which are typically employed in fragrance applications . said fragrance base refers to any composition comprising at least one fragrance co - ingredient . in general , these co - ingredients belong to chemical classes such as , but not limited to : alcohols , aldehydes , ketones , esters , ethers , acetals , oximes , acetates , nitriles , terpenes , saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons and essential oils of natural or synthetic origins . table 2 provides an example of a formulated fragrance in which compounds of the present invention can be added . as used herein , olfactory effective quantity will be defined as the amount of said compound in a fragrance composition in which the individual component will contribute its characteristic olfactory properties , for example an olfactory property found to be more hedonistically appealing . a person of ordinary skill in the art may optimize the olfactory effect of the fragrance composition based on the incorporation of a fragrance compound of the present invention . the fragrance compounds may be used individually , or a part of mixture such that the sum of the effects of all fragrance ingredients present in the mixture yields a higher hedonistic rating . therefore , the compounds embodied in the present invention can be employed to modify the characteristics of existing fragrance composition via their own olfactory properties or through additively effecting the contributions of other ingredient ( s ) present within the said composition . the quantity will vary widely depending on the other ingredients present , their relative amounts , the desired effect and the nature of the product . compounds of formulas ( i - vi ) can be employed alone or incorporated into mixtures to enhance already existing flavor compositions . these compounds add a favorable organoleptic property and effect to the desired product . the compounds are typically present in an amount of from about 0 . 01 % to about 20 . 0 % by weight of the total flavor composition . typically a more preferred embodiment would contain between 0 . 01 % and 10 % by weight and a most preferred embodiment would contain between 0 . 01 % and 5 % by weight . none of these examples shown are meant to be limiting or restrictive on the use of the material as stated . as used herein , organoleptic effective quantity will be defined as the amount of said compound in a flavor composition in which the individual component will contribute its characteristic flavor properties . however , the organoleptic effect of the flavor composition will be the sum of the effects of all flavor ingredients present . therefore , the compounds embodied in the present invention can be employed to modify the characteristics of the flavor composition via their own organoleptic properties or through additively effecting the contributions of other ingredient ( s ) present within the said composition . the quantity will vary widely depending on the presence of other ingredients present , their relative amounts , the desired effect and the nature of the product . the flavor carrier may be a liquid or a solid and typically do not significantly alter the olfactory or organoleptic properties of the flavor ingredients , respectively . some non - limiting examples of flavor carriers include an emulsifying system , encapsulating materials , natural or modified starches , polymers , pectins , proteins , polysaccharides , gums and solvents which are typically employed in flavor applications . as used herein , the term “ flavor carrier ” may also encompass the food or beverage to which the fragrance compound ( i . e . compounds encompassed by formulas i - vi ) are added . examples of such foods or beverages include , but are not limited to carbonated fruit beverages , carbonated cola drinks , wine coolers , cordials , flavored water , powders for drinks ( e . g ., powdered sports or “ hydrating ” drinks ), hard candy , soft candy , taffy , chocolates , sugarless candies , chewing gum , bubble gum , condiments , spices and seasonings , dry cereal , oatmeal , granola bars , soups , alcoholic beverages , energy beverages , juices , teas , coffees , salsa , gel beads , film strips for halitosis , gelatin candies , pectin candies , starch candies , lozenges , cough drops , throat lozenges , throat sprays , toothpastes and mouth rinses . compounds of formulas ( i - vi ) can be employed alone or incorporated into mixtures to enhance already existing fragrance compositions , solvents , media and the like . the use of such compounds is applicable to a wide variety of products in the perfume industry for consumer use such as , but not limited to : sprays , candles , air fresheners , perfumes , colognes , gels , soft solids , solids , devices for introducing said compounds into a space ( e . g ., a plug - in electrical device or a battery operated device ), a liquid wicking system , personal care products such as soaps , talcum powder , antiperspirants , personal wash bar , personal wash liquid , personal wipe , deodorants , shampoos , conditioners , styling sprays , mousses , hair wipes , hair sprays , hair pomades , shower gels and shaving lotions ; cosmetics such as oils , lotions and ointments ; as well as detergents ( e . g ., synthetic detergent ), fabric care products ( e . g ., fabric washing liquids and powders , fabric softeners , fabric conditioners ), wipes , dishwashing liquids and powders , and household cleaning agents ( e . g ., hard surface cleaning liquids and powders and aqueous and non - aqueous sprays ). the sprays can be aqueous or non - aqueous . the candles and gels can be opaque , translucent , or transparent , and may contain optional ingredients to enhance their appearance . the plug - in and battery - operated devices can include devices that vaporize the fragrance by heat , evaporation , or nebulization . the use of such compounds is also applicable to a wide variety of products in the flavor industry such as , but not limited to : foodstuffs such as baked goods , dairy products , desserts , etc . ; beverages such as juices , sodas , flavored waters , etc . ; confectionaries such as sweets , hard candy , gums , gelatinous materials , etc . the flavor compositions can also be added to pharmaceutical applications , such as lozenges , strips to deliver medicines or personal care products ( e . g . fresh breath strips ), cough syrup or other liquid or bucally administered medicines . compounds of formula i may be isolated from the reaction of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butoxide with an alkyl halide . similarly , reaction of this alkoxide with an allyl halide results in a compound of formula ( i ) as well . table 1 lists the olfactory properties of various novel compounds synthesized in accordance to formula ( 1 ). in particular , the unsaturated 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ether derivatives described in the present invention all contain citrus and / or green notes incorporated into their odor compositions . saturation of these olefinic substituents via hydrogenation results in a woody , fruitier olfactory character . compounds encompassed by formula ii can be synthesized via simple condensation reactions between the alcohol , 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol , and the respective carboxylic acid . alternatively , compounds of formula ( ii ) can be synthesized by direct reaction of the alcohol with the respective acid chloride . table 1 lists the odor characteristics of various novel compounds synthesized in accordance to formula ( h ). the syntheses of all compounds related to formula ( h ) proceed with high yields . as represented in table 1 , the majority of the alkyl 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol esters have a strong fruity note associated with them . compounds of formula iii may be isolated from the reaction of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( solfit ™) with an alkyl chloroformate . the synthesis proceeds in a straight forward , facile manner . table 1 lists the olfactory properties of various novel compounds synthesized in accordance to formula ( iii ). the fragrance compounds encompassed by formula iii generally maintain a light and soft quality . the syntheses of compounds ( glycolates ) encompassed by formula ( iv ) proceeded smoothly and in high yield . simple esterification of various alkoxy carboxylic acids with 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of acid resulted in the desired products . glycolates of this nature have a consistent light , powdery musk property . the musk qualities associated with these chemical entities have been reported in other glycolate - type compounds ( see , e . g ., u . s . published application no . 2006 / 0052277 , which is hereby incorporated by reference ). the present inventors have found that glycolates encompassed by formula ( v ) can be isolated in high yields when the reaction specifically employs 2 -( 3 - methoxy - 3 - methylbutoxy ) acetic acid with a respective alcohol to undergo esterification in similar fashion to the syntheses of compounds of formula ( iv ). alternatively , reactions involving an alkyl halo - acetate with 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butoxide result in a low yield of the desired glycolate due to a mixture of undesired side products . the synthesis of the compound of formula ( vi ) in which n = 0 and r 6 = hydrogen proceeded smoothly via its dimethyl acetal precursor . cleavage of the acetal group under acidic conditions afforded the respective acetaldehyde . this compound can also be synthesized via ozonolysis of allyl 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ether . such an approach was taken for the compound of formula ( vi ) in which n = 0 and r 6 = methyl . both compounds possess odor characteristics which can be described as clean , melon - like and fresh with very strong diffusive properties . the synthesis of compounds of formula ( vi ) in which n = 1 and r 6 = hydrogen or a methyl group was based on a revised adaptation of previously reported syntheses between alcohols and α - β - unsaturated aldehydes ( u . s . pat . no . 2 , 694 , 733 ; feldman , d . p . ; stonkus , v . v . ; shimanskaya , m n . ; avots , a . a . russ . j . gen . chem . 1995 , 65 , 250 - 253 ). in the present case , acrolein and crotonaldehyde have been chosen as the α - β - unsaturated aldehydes . in each of the previously reported syntheses for reactions of this type , specific conditions involving the buffer capacity of the system were stressed . the syntheses reported here proceeded with extremely low yields (& lt ; 5 %) when employing such conditions . the present inventors found that the presence of a catalytic amount of acid greatly promotes the formation of the desired aldehydes . as listed in table 1 , such aldehydes of this nature have a much more waxy , fatty - type aroma than the acetaldehyde analogues ( n = 0 ). a suspension of sodium hydride ( 11 . 8 g , 0 . 47 mol ) in anhydrous thf ( 400 ml ) was warmed to approximately 40 ° c . under an inert atmosphere . a portion of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 50 . 0 g , 0 . 42 mol ) was then added dropwise via syringe over a period of 20 minutes during which time the temperature of the mixture was slowly raised to 70 ° c . at 5 degree intervals . after one hour , bromoacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal ( 54 . 0 ml , 0 . 46 mol ) was added dropwise via syringe over a period of 30 minutes and the mixture was stirred vigorously at 70 ° c . for 16 hours . after this time , the mixture was cooled to room temperature , treated with h 2 o ( 200 ml ) and extracted with diethyl ether ( 3 × 200 ml ). the organic phases were collected and washed with saturated nahco 3 ( aq .) ( 2 × 200 ml ) followed by h 2 o ( 2 × 100 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting light yellow liquid was fractionally distilled ( 87 ° c ., 3 . 00 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , pure ether ( 57 . 0 g , 65 . 5 %). odor : weak , marine - like , clean . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 206 ( 1 ), 191 ( 1 ), 159 ( 1 ), 143 ( 3 ), 127 ( 4 ), 111 ( 5 ), 97 ( 3 ), 89 ( 2 ), 85 ( 13 ), 75 ( 100 ), 73 ( 37 ), 69 ( 8 ), 58 ( 4 ), 55 ( 3 ), 47 ( 8 ), 45 ( 15 ), 43 ( 7 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ); δ 1 . 16 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 81 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 38 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 47 ( d , j = 5 . 04 hz , 2h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 4 . 48 ( t , j = 5 . 04 hz , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 4 , 39 . 3 , 49 . 2 , 53 . 9 , 68 . 0 , 70 . 8 , 73 . 7 , 102 . 9 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 1 using 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 25 . 0 g , 0 . 21 mol ) and allyl chloride ( 16 . 4 ml , 0 . 20 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 22 ° c ., 0 . 80 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 22 . 5 g , 70 . 8 %). odor : citrus , herbal , pine , sweet orange , candy . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 158 ( 1 ), 143 ( 2 ), 126 ( 1 ), 111 ( 3 ), 97 ( 1 ), 87 ( 9 ), 85 ( 7 ), 73 ( 100 ), 71 ( 14 ), 57 ( 9 ), 55 ( 9 ), 45 ( 7 ), 43 ( 13 ), 41 ( 25 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 16 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 80 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 50 ( t , j = 7 . 79 hz , 2h ), 3 . 96 ( d , j = 5 . 96 hz , 2h ), 5 . 15 ( dd , j = 11 . 9 hz , 1h ), 5 . 25 ( dd , j = 18 . 8 hz , 1h ), 5 . 90 ( m , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 4 , 39 . 3 , 49 . 2 , 66 . 7 , 71 . 9 , 73 . 8 , 116 . 8 , 135 . 1 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 1 using 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 25 . 0 g , 0 . 21 mol ) and methallyl chloride ( 20 . 7 ml , 0 . 21 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 103 ° c ., 36 . 0 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 28 . 8 g , 79 . 3 %). odor : citrus , green , lemon , slight orange . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 172 ( 1 ), 157 ( 1 ), 140 ( 1 ), 125 ( 9 ), 111 ( 2 ), 101 ( 2 ), 95 ( 7 ), 87 ( 9 ), 85 ( 10 ), 73 ( 100 ), 71 ( 11 ), 69 ( 14 ), 55 ( 36 ), 45 ( 9 ), 43 ( 12 ), 41 ( 10 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 17 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 72 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 81 ( t , j = 6 . 87 hz , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 31 - 1 ), 3 . 47 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 87 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 94 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 19 . 5 , 25 . 5 , 39 . 4 , 49 . 2 , 66 . 5 , 73 . 8 , 75 . 0 , 111 . 8 , 142 . 6 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 1 using 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 25 . 0 g , 0 . 21 mol ) and prenyl chloride ( 23 . 9 ml , 0 . 21 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 66 ° c ., 3 . 00 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 30 . 4 g , 77 . 0 %). odor : green , chocolate , sweet , bitter . gc / ms ( e1 ): m / z (%)— 186 ( 1 ), 171 ( 1 ), 154 ( 1 ), 139 ( 58 ), 103 ( 4 ), 85 ( 44 ), 78 ( 4 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 86 ), 55 ( 11 ), 45 ( 12 ), 43 ( 12 ), 41 ( 26 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 15 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 66 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 73 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 79 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 , 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 48 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 93 ( d , j = 6 . 87 hz , 2h ), 5 . 34 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 18 . 1 , 25 . 5 , 25 . 9 , 39 . 2 , 49 . 2 , 66 . 5 , 67 . 5 , 73 . 8 , 121 . 2 , 136 . 8 . a portion of the unsaturated ether , 1 - methoxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 3 - prop - 2 - enyloxypropane , ( 20 . 0 g , 0 . 13 mol ) was dissolved in absolute etoh ( 120 ml ) and to this was added 5 % ( w / w ) catalyst ( 5 % pd - c ). the suspension was stirred at ambient temperature and treated with h 2 ( 250 psi ) for 16 hours . upon completion , the suspension was filtered through a glass frit ( m ) filter packed with filter paper and celite and rinsed with ethyl acetate . the solvent was removed under reduced pressure via rotary evaporation affording a light yellow liquid which was fractionally distilled ( 58 ° c ., 9 . 70 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , pure ether ( 11 . 9 g , 59 . 1 %). odor : woody , floral , slightly bitter banana . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 160 ( 1 ), 145 ( 2 ), 128 ( 8 ), 113 ( 12 ), 87 ( 8 ), 73 ( 100 ), 71 ( 20 ), 55 ( 7 ), 43 ( 24 ), 41 ( 11 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): 5 0 . 90 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 3h ), 1 . 16 ( s , 61 - 1 ), 1 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 78 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 21 - 1 ), 3 . 17 ( s , 31 - 1 ), 3 . 35 ( t , j = 6 . 42 hz , 2h ), 3 . 47 ( t , j = 7 . 79 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 10 . 7 , 23 . 0 , 25 . 5 , 39 . 2 , 49 . 2 , 67 . 0 , 72 . 8 , 73 . 9 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 5 using 1 - methoxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 3 -( 2 - methylprop - 2 - enyloxy ) propane ( 20 . 0 g , 0 . 12 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 53 ° c ., 5 . 00 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 16 . 0 g , 80 . 0 %). odor : woody , green pear , slight chocolate . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 174 ( 1 ), 159 ( 1 ), 142 ( 5 ), 127 ( 3 ), 99 ( 2 ), 87 ( 9 ), 85 ( 5 ), 73 ( 100 ), 71 ( 17 ), 57 ( 26 ), 43 ( 11 ), 41 ( 14 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 88 ( d , j = 6 . 87 hz , 6h ), 1 . 16 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 78 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 1 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 15 ( d , j = 6 . 42 hz , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 47 ( j = 733 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 19 . 5 , 25 . 5 , 28 . 5 , 39 . 2 , 49 . 2 , 67 . 2 , 73 . 9 , 78 . 1 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 5 using 1 - methoxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 3 -( 3 - methylbut - 2 - enyloxy ) propane ( 20 . 0 g , 0 . 11 mol ). the isolated crude material was distilled via kugelrohr apparatus ( 25 ° c ., 0 . 15 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 9 . 93 g , 49 . 2 %). odor : chocolate , liqueur , sour , slightly pungent . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 188 ( 1 ), 173 ( 1 ), 156 ( 4 ), 141 ( 11 ), 99 ( 7 ), 87 ( 11 ), 73 ( 100 ), 71 ( 38 ), 55 ( 11 ), 43 ( 30 ), 41 ( 14 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 89 ( d , j = 6 . 87 hz , 6h ), 1 . 16 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 45 ( q , j = 6 . 87 hz , 2h ), 1 . 67 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 78 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 41 ( t , j = 6 . 87 hz , 2h ), 3 . 47 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 22 . 7 , 25 . 2 , 25 . 5 , 38 . 7 , 39 . 2 , 49 . 2 , 67 . 1 , 69 . 5 , 73 . 9 . a portion of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 30 . 0 g , 0 . 25 mol ) was dissolved in neat formic acid ( 60 . 9 g , 1 . 27 mol ) and was stirred at ambient temperature for approximately 6 hours . upon completion ( monitored via gc ), h 2 o ( 100 ml ) was added and the solution was extracted with diethyl ether ( 3 × 75 ml ). the organic phases were collected and washed with saturated nahco 3 ( aq .) ( 3 × 100 ml ) followed by h 2 o ( 2 × 50 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting light yellow liquid was fractionally distilled ( 57 ° c ., 9 . 00 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , pure product ( 20 . 9 g , 56 . 3 %). odor : woody , camphoraceous , dry , chemical . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 146 ( 1 ), 131 ( 1 ), 85 ( 43 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 14 ), 55 ( 15 ), 43 ( 12 ), 41 ( 13 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 18 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 85 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 27 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 8 . 03 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 2 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 60 . 7 , 73 . 5 , 161 . 3 . a portion of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 25 . 0 g , 0 . 21 mol ) was dissolved in anhydrous thf ( 200 ml ) and purged with nitrogen . to this solution was added the propionyl chloride ( 20 . 2 ml , 0 . 23 mol ) dropwise over a 15 - minute period . the solution was stirred at ambient temperatures for 2 hours . upon completion ( monitored via gc ), h 2 o ( 100 ml ) was added and the solution was extracted with diethyl ether ( 3 × 75 ml ). the organic phases were collected and washed with saturated nahco 3 ( aq .) ( 3 × 100 ml ) followed by h 2 o ( 2 × 50 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting yellow liquid was fractionally distilled ( 110 ° c ., 36 . 0 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , pure product ( 29 . 4 g , 80 . 1 %). odor : fruity , banana , floral , bubble gum . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 173 ( 1 ), 159 ( 1 ), 143 ( 1 ), 101 ( 1 ), 85 ( 57 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 27 ), 57 ( 24 ), 55 ( 16 ), 43 ( 10 ), 41 ( 10 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 12 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 3h ), 1 . 17 ( s , 61 - 1 ), 1 . 81 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 21 - 1 ), 2 . 30 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 9 . 2 , 25 . 3 , 27 . 7 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 61 . 0 , 73 . 6 , 174 . 6 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 9 using 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 25 . 0 g , 0 . 21 mol ) and isobutyryl chloride ( 24 . 4 ml , 0 . 23 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 58 ° c ., 3 . 00 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 29 . 6 g , 74 . 2 %). odor : fruity , green , pear , apple , sour . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 188 ( 1 ), 173 ( 1 ), 157 ( 1 ), 115 ( 1 ), 101 ( 1 ), 85 ( 55 ), 73 ( 100 ), 71 ( 12 ), 69 ( 25 ), 55 ( 13 ), 43 ( 26 ), 41 ( 15 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 14 ( d , j = 7 . 33 hz , 611 ), 1 . 18 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 81 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 2 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 19 . 0 , 25 . 3 , 34 . 1 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 61 . 0 , 73 . 6 , 177 . 3 . portions of tiglic acid ( 12 . 6 g , 0 . 13 mol ) and p - toluene sulfonic acid ( 1 . 21 g , 6 . 35 mmol ) were dissolved in 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 45 . 0 g , 0 . 38 mol ) and stirred vigorously while heated at 40 ° c . for 27 hours . after this time , the solution was cooled to room temperature and diethyl ether was added ( 100 ml ). the solution was washed with saturated nahco 3 ( 3 × 75 ml ) followed by h 2 o ( 100 ml ). the aqueous fractions were back - extracted with diethyl ether ( 50 ml ) and the organic layers were dried with mgso 4 . the solvent removed via rotary evaporation and the resulting clear liquid was fractionally distilled ( 76 ° c ., 1 . 23 torr ) to afford the desired colorless , pure ester ( 5 . 25 g , 20 . 8 %). odor : sugary , sweet sap , green . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 200 ( 1 ), 185 ( 1 ), 169 ( 1 ), 127 ( 1 ), 101 ( 6 ), 85 ( 50 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 16 ), 55 ( 26 ), 43 ( 7 ), 41 ( 8 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 18 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 76 ( d , j = 7 . 79 hz , 3h ), 1 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 85 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 19 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 21 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 6 . 83 ( dq , j = 8 . 71 hz , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 12 . 1 , 14 . 4 , 25 . 4 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 61 . 1 , 73 . 6 , 128 . 8 , 137 . 0 , 168 . 3 . a portion of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 30 . 0 g , 0 . 25 mol ) was dissolved in anhydrous thf ( 100 ml ) and purged with nitrogen . to this solution was added methyl chloroformate ( 21 . 5 ml , 0 . 28 mol ) dropwise . the solution was cooled to 0 ° c . and stirred vigorously . to this solution was added pyridine ( 22 . 6 ml , 0 . 28 mol ) slowly , which resulted in a very exothermic reaction and the immediate formation of a white precipitate . upon completion ( monitored via gc ) (& lt ; 1 hour ), h 2 o ( 100 ml ) was added and the solution was extracted with diethyl ether ( 3 × 75 ml ). the organic phases were collected and washed with 10 % hcl ( aq .) ( 3 × 75 ml ) followed by brine solution ( 2 × 50 ml ) and h 2 o ( 2 × 50 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting yellow liquid was fractionally distilled ( 84 ° c ., 9 . 00 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , pure product ( 35 . 7 g , 80 . 0 %). odor : weak , light , green , floral . gunned : m / z (%)— 176 ( 1 ), 161 ( 1 ), 101 ( 2 ), 85 ( 43 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 22 ), 59 ( 5 ), 55 ( 12 ), 45 ( 6 ), 43 ( 8 ), 41 ( 8 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ); δ 1 . 17 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 86 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 75 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 22 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 3 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 54 . 8 , 64 . 8 , 73 . 4 , 155 . 9 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 12 using 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 25 . 0 g , 0 . 21 mol ) and allyl chloroformate ( 25 . 5 ml , 0 . 23 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 86 ° c ., 3 . 00 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 37 . 3 g , 87 . 0 %). odor : weak , soft chocolate , airy . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 202 ( 1 ), 187 ( 1 ), 146 ( 1 ), 108 ( 1 ), 101 ( 4 ), 85 ( 45 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 39 ), 55 ( 11 ), 43 ( 8 ), 41 ( 17 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ); δ 1 . 18 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 87 ( t , j = 7 . 79 hz , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 23 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 4 . 60 ( d , j = 5 . 50 hz , 2h ), 5 . 25 ( dd , j = 10 . 54 hz , 1h ), 5 . 34 ( dd , j = 18 . 33 hz , 1h ), 5 . 91 ( m , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 3 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 64 . 8 , 68 . 4 , 73 . 4 , 118 . 9 , 131 . 8 , 155 . 1 . a portion of the unsaturated carbonate , 3 - methoxy - 3 - methylbutyl prop - 2 - enyloxyformate , ( 20 . 0 g , 99 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in absolute etoh ( 120 ml ) and to this was added 1 % ( w / w ) catalyst ( 5 % pd - c ). the suspension was stirred at ambient temperature and treated with h 2 ( 250 psi ) for 2 hours . upon completion ( monitored via gc ), the suspension was filtered through a glass frit ( m ) filter packed with filter paper and celite and rinsed with ethyl acetate . the solvent was removed under reduced pressure via rotary evaporation affording a light yellow liquid which was fractionally distilled ( 86 ° c ., 3 . 20 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , pure product ( 18 . 5 g , 91 . 5 %). odor : weak , soft musk , light vanilla . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 204 ( 1 ), 189 ( 1 ), 101 ( 2 ), 85 ( 34 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 18 ), 55 ( 9 ), 43 ( 12 ), 41 ( 12 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 95 ( t , j = 7 . 79 hz , 3h ), 1 . 18 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 87 ( t , j = 7 . 79 hz , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 08 ( t , j = 6 . 87 hz , 2h ), 4 . 22 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 10 . 3 , 22 . 1 , 25 . 3 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 64 . 6 , 69 . 6 , 73 . 6 , 155 . 6 . a portion of methoxyacetic acid ( 20 g , 0 . 22 mol ) was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 ( 160 ml ) and dimethylformamide ( 40 ml ). the solution was treated with oxalyl chloride ( 27 . 1 ml , 0 . 31 mol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 100 ml ) dropwise and stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the temperature was then increased to 40 ° c . and the solution was stirred for an additional 40 minutes . the solution was then cooled to room temperature , purged with nitrogen gas for 5 minutes and then cooled to 0 ° c . the cooled solution was treated with a mixture of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 26 . 2 g , 0 . 22 mol ) and pyridine ( 19 . 8 ml , 0 . 22 mol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 50 ml ) dropwise and was stirred at that temperature for 2 hours . upon completion , 10 % hcl ( aq .) was added and the organic layer was washed ( 3 × 100 ml ) followed by h 2 o ( 100 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting yellow liquid was fractionally distilled ( 71 ° c ., 1 . 26 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , pure product ( 25 . 8 g , 61 . 1 %). odor : weak , fruity , slight coconut , powder musk . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 190 ( 1 ), 175 ( 1 ), 128 ( 1 ), 85 ( 37 ), 73 ( 100 ), 55 ( 9 ), 45 ( 24 ), 41 ( 11 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ); δ 1 . 17 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 84 ( t , j = 7 . 79 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 00 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 25 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 3 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 59 . 4 , 61 . 6 , 70 . 0 , 73 . 5 , 170 . 4 . portions of ethoxyacetic acid ( 50 g , 0 . 47 mol ) and p - toluenesulfonic acid ( 4 . 50 g , 23 . 5 mmol ) were dissolved in 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 167 g , 1 . 41 mol ) and stirred vigorously while heated at 40 ° c . for 5 hours . after this time , the solution was cooled to room temperature and diethyl ether was added ( 100 ml ). the solution was washed with saturated nahco 3 ( 3 × 75 ml ) followed by h 2 o ( 100 ml ). the aqueous fractions were back - extracted with diethyl ether ( 50 ml ) and the organic layers were dried with mgso 4 . the solvent removed via rotary evaporation and the resulting clear liquid was fractionally distilled ( 70 ° c ., 1 . 04 torr ) to afford the desired colorless , pure product ( 68 . 4 g , 71 . 2 %). odor : powder musk , fresh , soft , light , clean . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 204 ( 1 ), 189 ( 1 ), 128 ( 4 ), 85 ( 32 ), 73 ( 100 ), 59 ( 9 ), 55 ( 7 ), 45 ( 7 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ); δ 1 . 17 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 24 ( t , j = 6 . 87 hz , 3h ), 1 . 84 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 57 ( q , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 4 . 04 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 25 ( t , j = 7 . 79 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 15 . 1 , 25 . 3 , 38 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 61 . 6 , 67 . 3 , 68 . 2 , 73 . 5 , 170 . 7 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 16 using 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 56 . 0 g , 0 . 48 mol ) and methylethoxyacetic acid ( 14 . 0 g , 0 . 12 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 72 ° c ., 0 . 96 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 10 . 3 g , 39 . 9 %). odor : very weak powder musk . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 218 ( 1 ), 203 ( 1 ), 187 ( 1 ), 160 ( 1 ), 145 ( 1 ), 128 ( 8 ), 101 ( 4 ), 85 ( 40 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 52 ), 55 ( 8 ), 45 ( 10 ), 43 ( 24 ), 41 ( 12 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 16 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 19 ( d , j = 5 . 96 hz , 6h ), 1 . 83 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 04 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 21 . 8 , 25 . 2 , 38 . 5 , 49 . 2 , 61 . 5 , 65 . 9 , 72 . 6 , 73 . 5 , 170 . 9 . a suspension of sodium hydride ( 4 . 70 g , 0 . 19 mol ) in anhydrous thf ( 100 ml ) was warmed to approximately 40 ° c . under an inert atmosphere . a portion of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 20 . 0 g , 0 . 17 mol ) was then added dropwise via syringe over a period of 20 minutes during which time the temperature of the mixture was slowly raised to 70 ° c . at 5 degree intervals . after one hour , sodium bromoacetate ( 28 . 2 g , 0 . 18 mol ) was added in small portions over a period of 20 minutes and the mixture was stirred vigorously at 70 ° c . for 4 hours . upon completion ( monitored via gc ), the mixture was cooled to room temperature , treated with diethyl ether ( 100 ml ) and washed with 10 % hcl ( aq .) ( 3 × 75 ml ) followed by brine solution ( 100 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the crude light yellow liquid was not purified further for use in subsequent reactions . yield : ( 29 . 2 g , 98 . 0 %). odor . harsh , chemical . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 176 ( 1 ), 161 ( 1 ), 129 ( 2 ), 85 ( 30 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 14 ), 55 ( 9 ), 45 ( 7 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 21 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 83 ( t , j = 5 . 96 hz , 2h ), 3 . 21 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 66 ( t , j = 5 . 96 hz , 2h ), 3 . 75 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 06 ( s , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 2 , 39 . 3 , 49 . 4 , 68 . 3 , 68 . 6 , 75 . 0 , 173 . 1 . a portion of 2 -( 3 - methoxy - 3 - methylbutoxy ) acetic acid ( example 18 ) ( 28 . 0 g , 0 . 16 mol ) was diluted with methanol ( 50 ml ) and treated with p - toluenesulfonic acid ( 1 . 51 g , 7 . 95 mmol ) and stirred vigorously at 40 ° c . for 3 hours . after this time , the solution was cooled to room temperature and diethyl ether was added ( 100 ml ). the solution was washed with saturated nahco 3 ( 3 × 75 ml ) followed by h 2 o ( 100 ml ). the aqueous fractions were back - extracted with diethyl ether ( 50 ml ) and the organic layers were dried with mgso 4 . the solvent removed via rotary evaporation and the resulting light yellow liquid was fractionally distilled ( 60 ° c ., 1 . 00 torr ) to afford the desired colorless , pure product ( 18 . 9 g , 62 . 6 %). odor : metallic green , plastic . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 190 ( 1 ), 175 ( 1 ), 143 ( 3 ), 99 ( 8 ), 85 ( 67 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 27 ), 55 ( 11 ), 45 ( 25 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 16 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 84 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 16 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 58 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 73 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 06 ( s , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 4 , 39 . 1 , 49 . 2 , 51 . 9 , 68 , 2 , 68 . 4 , 73 . 7 , 171 . 0 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 19 using 2 -( 3 - methoxy - 3 - methylbutoxy ) acetic acid ( 14 . 0 g , 79 . 5 mmol ) and ethanol ( 28 ml ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 65 ° c ., 0 . 97 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 7 . 50 g , 46 . 9 %). odor : vegetable green , spicy , plastic . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 204 ( 1 ), 189 ( 1 ), 157 ( 3 ), 99 ( 10 ), 85 ( 64 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 24 ), 55 ( 9 ), 45 ( 11 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 16 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 27 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 3h ), 1 . 84 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 59 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 4 . 04 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 20 ( q , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 14 . 3 , 25 . 4 , 39 . 1 , 49 . 3 , 60 . 9 , 68 . 2 , 68 . 6 , 73 . 7 , 170 . 6 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 19 using 2 -( 3 - methoxy - 3 - methylbutoxy ) acetic acid ( 28 . 0 g , 0 . 16 mol ) and 2 - propanol ( 75 ml ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 70 ° c ., 0 . 93 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 21 . 4 g , 61 . 8 %). odor : green , licorice , slightly mint , fresh . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 218 ( 1 ), 203 ( 1 ), 188 ( 1 ), 171 ( 1 ), 146 ( 1 ), 129 ( 5 ), 119 ( 3 ), 99 ( 12 ), 85 ( 68 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 34 ), 55 ( 9 ), 45 ( 15 ), 43 ( 21 ), 41 ( 13 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 17 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 25 ( d , j = 6 . 42 hz , 6h ), 1 . 85 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 60 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 4 . 01 ( s , 2h ), 5 . 08 ( m , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 21 . 9 , 25 . 4 , 39 . 1 , 49 . 3 , 68 . 2 , 68 . 5 , 68 . 7 , 73 . 7 , 170 . 2 . a portion of p - toluenesulfonyl chloride ( 32 . 9 g , 0 . 17 mol ) was dissolved in pyridine ( 50 ml ) and cooled to 0 ° c . to this solution was added 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 20 . 0 g , 0 . 17 mol ) dropwise slowly via syringe . a white precipitate formed immediately and the mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for one hour followed by an additional 3 hours at room temperature . after this time , the mixture was treated with diethyl ether ( 100 ml ) and washed with 10 % hcl ( aq .) ( 3 × 75 ml ), saturated nahco 3 ( aq .) ( 2 × 75 ml ) and h 2 o ( 2 × 50 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting crude light yellow liquid was not purified further for use in subsequent reactions . yield : ( 42 . 0 g , 91 . 1 %). odor : odorless . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 272 ( 1 ), 257 ( 1 ), 207 ( 1 ), 173 ( 1 ), 155 ( 4 ), 91 ( 21 ), 85 ( 55 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 17 ), 65 ( 10 ), 55 ( 8 ), 45 ( 5 ), 43 ( 6 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 11 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 85 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 08 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 11 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 7 . 33 ( d , j = 8 . 25 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 25 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 21 . 7 , 25 . 2 , 38 . 8 , 49 . 3 , 67 . 4 , 73 . 3 , 128 . 0 , 129 . 9 , 133 . 2 , 144 . 8 . a suspension of sodium hydride ( 2 . 35 g , 93 . 1 mmol ) in anhydrous thf ( 60 ml ) was warmed to approximately 40 ° c . under an inert atmosphere . a portion of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 10 . 0 g , 84 . 6 mmol ) was then added dropwise via syringe over a period of 20 minutes during which time the temperature of the mixture was slowly raised to 70 ° c . at 5 degree intervals . after one hour , the sulfonate product from example 22 ( 23 . 0 g , 84 . 6 mmol ) was added in small portions after this time , the mixture was cooled to room temperature , treated with diethyl ether ( 100 ml ) and washed with saturated nahco 3 ( aq .) ( 2 × 100 ml ) followed by brine solution ( 2 × 50 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting light yellow liquid was fractionally distilled ( 73 ° c ., 0 . 95 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , pure ether ( 13 . 2 g , 71 . 7 %). odor : mold , mildew . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 218 ( 1 ), 171 ( 1 ), 154 ( 2 ), 139 ( 21 ), 115 ( 3 ), 99 ( 10 ), 85 ( 39 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 36 ), 55 ( 9 ), 45 ( 18 ), 43 ( 14 ), 41 ( 12 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ); δ 1 . 15 ( s , 12h ), 1 . 77 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 4h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 47 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 5 , 39 . 3 , 49 . 2 , 67 . 2 , 73 . 8 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 23 using 3 - methoxy - 3 - methylbutyl 4 - methylbenzenesulfonate ( 37 . 9 g , 0 . 14 mol ) and 3 - butene - 2 - ol ( 12 . 4 ml , 0 . 14 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 40 ° c ., 2 . 45 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 14 . 0 g , 58 . 6 %). odor : strong , mint , citrus , rose . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 172 ( 1 ), 157 ( 1 ), 117 ( 1 ), 95 ( 3 ), 85 ( 14 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 12 ), 55 ( 33 ), 45 ( 6 ), 41 ( 8 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 15 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 22 ( d , j = 5 . 96 hz , 3h ), 1 . 77 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 16 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 37 ( dq , j = 9 . 16 hz , 1h ), 3 . 52 ( dq , j = 8 . 71 hz , 1h ), 3 . 79 ( t , j = 6 . 87 hz , 1h ), 5 . 10 ( d , j = 12 . 37 hz , 1h ), 5 . 16 ( d , j = 16 . 95 hz , 1h ), 5 . 72 ( dt , j = 7 . 33 hz , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 21 . 4 , 25 . 5 , 39 . 4 , 49 . 2 , 64 . 5 , 73 . 9 , 115 . 6 , 140 . 6 . a portion of 1 - methoxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 3 -( 1 - methylprop - 2 - enyloxy ) propane ( 5 . 75 g , 33 . 3 mmol ) was dissolved in ch2cl 2 ( 50 ml ) and cooled to − 78 ° c . the solution was purged with ozone for approximately one hour . once the solution became blue , o 2 was bubbled through it for 30 minutes until the color disappeared and the reaction was quenched via addition of triphenylphosphine ( 10 . 5 g , 40 . 0 mmol ). the solvent was removed via rotary evaporation and the resulting residue was suspend in a hexane : diethyl ether ( 1 : 1 ) mixture overnight in the refrigerator . the mixture was filtered and the precipitate was rinsed with hexane . the filtrate was placed on a rotary evaporator and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the isolated crude material was distilled via kugelrohr apparatus ( 64 ° c ., 0 . 40 torr ) resulting in a colorless liquid ( 4 . 57 g , 78 . 8 %). odor : fresh , watery melon , clean , floral , muguet . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 174 ( 1 ), 159 ( 1 ), 145 ( 1 ), 127 ( 3 ), 113 ( 36 ), 101 ( 5 ), 85 ( 24 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 75 ), 59 ( 41 ), 57 ( 14 ), 55 ( 11 ), 45 ( 26 ), 43 ( 19 ), 41 ( 22 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 17 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 27 ( d , j = 6 . 87 hz , 3h ), 1 . 84 ( dt , j = 6 . 42 hz , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 61 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 76 ( dq , j = 8 . 71 hz , 1h ), 9 . 64 ( d , j = 1 . 83 hz , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 15 . 3 , 25 . 4 , 39 . 6 , 49 . 3 , 66 . 5 , 73 . 7 , 80 . 5 , 204 . 0 . a portion of the dimethyl acetal , 3 -( 2 , 2 - dimethoxyethoxy )- 1 - methoxy - 1 , 1 - dimethylpropane ( example 1 ), ( 27 . 6 g , 0 . 13 mol ) was dissolved in a large excess of neat formic acid ( 74 . 0 g , 1 . 61 mol ) and stirred vigorously for 4 hours . upon completion ( monitored via gc ), the solution was treated with h 2 o ( 150 ml ) and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 100 ml ). the organic phases were collected and dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting light yellow liquid was carefully distilled via kugelrohr apparatus first to remove any leftover formic acid ( 25 ° c ., 1 . 00 torr ) followed by isolation of the desired aldehyde ( 40 ° c ., 0 . 10 torr ) resulting in a colorless , pure liquid ( 13 . 0 g , 60 . 2 %). odor : fresh , melon , clean , floral , muguet , green . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 161 ( 1 ), 145 ( 2 ), 113 ( 1 ), 99 ( 6 ), 85 ( 29 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 27 ), 55 ( 9 ), 45 ( 23 ), 43 ( 14 ), 41 ( 11 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ); δ 1 . 17 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 85 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 61 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 4 . 06 ( s , 2h ), 9 . 71 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 4 , 39 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 68 . 4 , 73 . 7 , 76 . 5 , 201 . 0 . a portion of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 10 . 0 g , 84 . 6 mmol ) was treated with acrolein ( 25 . 1 ml , 0 . 34 mol ) and a small aliquot of concentrated hcl ( 7 drops ). the solution was stirred vigorously at 40 ° c . in subdued light for 3 days . after this time , the solution was cooled to room temperature and ethyl acetate ( 75 ml ) was added . the solution was washed with saturated nahco 3 ( aq .) ( 100 ml ) followed by h 2 o ( 50 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting light yellow liquid was distilled ( 58 ° c ., 0 . 92 torr ) to yield the desired colorless aldehyde ( 8 . 21 g , 55 . 9 %). odor : waxy , oily , muguet , light floral . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 174 ( 1 ), 159 ( 1 ), 127 ( 5 ), 85 ( 19 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 7 ), 57 ( 9 ), 55 ( 8 ), 45 ( 12 ), 43 ( 11 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 14 ( s , 611 ), 1 . 76 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 2 . 64 ( dt , j = 4 . 12 hz , 2h ), 3 . 16 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 51 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 2h ), 3 . 74 ( t , j = 5 . 96 hz , 2h ), 9 . 77 ( t , j = 2 . 29 hz , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 4 , 39 . 2 , 44 . 0 , 49 . 2 , 64 . 6 , 67 . 6 , 73 . 8 , 201 . 4 . this compound was synthesized employing a procedure analogous to example 27 using 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 10 . 0 g , 84 . 6 mmol ) and crotonaldehyde ( 42 . 9 ml , 0 . 51 mol ). the isolated crude material was fractionally distilled ( 48 ° c ., 0 . 35 torr ) resulting in a colorless liquid ( 3 . 24 g , 20 . 4 %). odor : waxy , oily , fatty . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 188 ( 1 ), 173 ( 1 ), 141 ( 3 ), 101 ( 5 ), 85 ( 18 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 11 ), 55 ( 7 ), 43 ( 20 ), 41 ( 15 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 14 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 23 ( d , j = 6 . 42 hz , 3h ), 1 . 74 ( t , j = 6 . 87 hz , 2h ), 2 . 45 ( qd , j = 22 . 91 hz , 1h ), 2 . 60 ( qd , j = 26 . 12 hz , 1h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 43 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 60 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 93 ( m , 1h ), 9 . 77 ( t , j = 2 . 29 hz , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): 5 19 . 9 , 25 . 4 , 39 . 6 , 49 . 2 , 50 . 6 , 64 . 9 , 71 . 0 , 73 . 8 , 201 . 7 . a portion of 3 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol ( 5 . 00 g , 42 . 3 mmol ) was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 ( 25 ml ) and cooled to 0 ° c . an aliquot of oxalyl chloride ( 2 . 21 ml , 25 . 4 mmol ) was slowly added dropwise via syringe to the vigorously stirring solution . after one hour , the solution was warmed to room temperature and washed with saturated nahco 3 ( aq .) ( 2 × 50 ml ) followed by brine solution ( 30 ml ) and h 2 o ( 30 ml ). the organic phase was dried with mgso 4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting clear liquid was distilled via kugelrohr apparatus ( 160 ° c ., 0 . 15 torr ) to yield the desired colorless , viscous oxalate ( 4 . 50 g , 73 . 3 %). odor : weak , chemical . gc / ms ( ei ): m / z (%)— 290 ( 1 ), 275 ( 1 ), 257 ( 1 ), 227 ( 1 ), 191 ( 1 ), 159 ( 1 ), 101 ( 2 ), 85 ( 37 ), 73 ( 100 ), 69 ( 21 ), 55 ( 6 ), 43 ( 7 ), 41 ( 9 ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 19 ( s , 12h ), 1 . 91 ( t , j = 7 . 33 hz , 4h ), 3 . 18 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 37 ( t , j = 7 . 79 hz , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 25 . 3 , 37 . 9 , 49 . 4 , 63 . 8 , 73 . 5 , 158 . 0 . the below examples demonstrate the use of the fragrance formulation of table 2 in various consumer products . these examples are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way . unless otherwise noted , all percentages set forth in the examples are by weight ( wt ). q . s . means a sufficient quantity . this formulation is for dilution in a bucket at approximately one part concentrate to ten parts tap water . 1 . the neodol ® 91 - 8 , dowanol ® dpnb , and fragrance were mixed in a suitable vessel until completely uniform and clear . 2 . water was added slowly with constant agitation to the solution in # 1 . kathon ® was added with mixing and stirring continued for 1 minute . the final formulation was clear . 1 . neodol ® 91 - 8 , dowanol ® dpnb , and fragrance were mixed in a suitable vessel until completely uniform and clear . 2 . water was added slowly to the solution in # 1 with constant agitation . the final formulation was clear . kathon ® cg was added with stirring . the formulation was then filled into suitable plastic containers ( pet preferred ), with the proper trigger or pump closure . ( 1 ) cognis corporation ( 2 ) the dow chemical co . ( 3 ) takasago international corporation 1 . glucopon ® was added to water heated to 65 ° c . and mix at medium speed until clear . 2 . standapol ® was added and mixing continued until the mixture was clear and homogenous . 3 . the mixture was removed from the heat and remaining ingredients were added in order , with mixing at slow to medium speed each addition . 4 . ph was adjusted with sulfuric acid solution to ph of 8 . 0 to 8 . 5 . 1 . rewoquae , fragrance and water were mixed in a suitable vessel until the mixture was translucent to opaque . 2 . sodium chloride was added with mixing and mixed for 5 minutes . ( 1 ) dow chemical ( 2 ) noveon ( 3 ) sutton / isp ( 4 ) uniqema ( 5 ) lipo chemicals , inc . ( 6 ) croda ( 7 ) crompton / witco ( 8 ) tri - k 1 . seq . # 1 was heated to 75 ° c . and mixed together at medium speed using an overhead mixer until clear . 2 . seq . # 2 was added slowly to seq . # 1 with mixing . mixing was continued until seq . # 2 is completely was hydrated . hydration was checked by dipping a metal spatula into and out of the solution to observe if there are any gum particles that have not hydrated . 3 . seq . # 3 was added in order to the batch without heating . 4 . seq . # 4 was premixed and heated until completely melted at approximately 65 ° c . 5 . part 1 was placed on a homomixer at low to medium speed , and part 2 added to part 1 and mixed for 1 minute . 6 . the batch was placed back onto the overhead mixer at medium speed and premixed part 3 was added without heating to the batch for approximately 2 minutes . 7 . mix was continued at low speed and the mixture was cooled to 35 ° c . 8 . part 4 was premixed at 35 ° c . and added to the batch , while cooling down at low speed to 30 ° c . 9 . part 5 was added at 30 ° c . with mixing at low speed . 10 . lotion was placed in jars and allowed to at room temperature for 24 hours . ( 1 ) tri - k ( 2 ) lipo chemicals , inc . ( 3 ) cognis / henkel ( 4 ) uniqema 1 . the methyl paraben was added slowly to the di water heated to 65 ° c . with mixing at medium / high speed using an overhead mixer until completely into solution and clear . ( seq .# 1 ) 2 . seq . # 2 was added to sequence # 1 at low speed until completely clear . 3 . seq . # 3 was added to batch without heating , in order of addition , and cooled down to 35 ° c . with low agitation . 4 . seq . # 4 was premixed until clear , and added to batch . 5 . seq . # 5 was added to the batch with low agitation and cooled down to 25 ° c . 6 . seq . # 6 was added to adjust batch to desired ph . the product was placed in jars , pouring very slowly onto the sides of the jars to eliminate any additional aeration . ph = adjust to : 6 . 64 +/− 0 . 2 ; viscosity = 18 , 640 cps (+/− 10 %) with brookfield lv sp . # 4 @ 30 rpm ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) dow chemical co . ( 3 ) cognis / henkel ( 4 ) uniqema ( 5 ) takasago international corp ( tic ), usa ( 6 ) lonza ( 7 ) fisher scientific ( 8 ) tic , usa ( 9 ) tic , usa procedure : 1 . ⅓ of seq .# 1 and seq .# 2 was heated to 85 ° c . methocel powder was by mixing thoroughly using ⅕ to ⅓ of the required total amount of water as hot water ( 80 - 90 ° c .). mixing was continued with overhead mixer at medium speed until all of the particles were wetted down , and a consistent dispersion was obtained . the remainder of the water containing seq . # 2 was added as cold water while mixing . the solution was cooled down to less than 30 ° c . mixing was continued after the proper temperature was achieved for approximately 20 minutes . after preparation was completed , the methocel ® solution was reheated to 60 ° c . 2 . seq .# 4 at 60 to 65 ° c . was added slowly to the batch in order of addition with mixing continued at low speed . 3 . seq .# 5 was added slowly to batch and mixing continued at low speed until room temperature was reached . citric acid was added to a ph of 5 . 5 - 6 . 0 and sodium chloride was added to achieve the desired viscosity . fragrance seq .# 6 was weighed and added to the formulation while mixing . 4 . viscosity := 2020cps . (± 10 %) taken at 20 ° c ., ( brookfield lv sp .# 3 @ 12rpm ), ph = 5 . 5 (+ 1 - 0 . 5 ) the below examples demonstrate the use of the materials claimed in flavor formulations in various consumer products . these examples are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way . in these examples , all % are % ( wt ), unless otherwise noted and q . s . means a sufficient quantity . toothpaste with flavor and the claimed compound ( s ) was prepared according to the formulation below . peach flavor utilizing the claimed compound ( s ) was prepared according to the formulation below utilizing the claimed compounds . green tea flavor was prepared according to the formulation below utilizing the claimed compound ( s ) black tea flavor was prepared according to the formula below utilizing the claimed compounds . | 2 |
reference is now made to the drawings wherein each drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the inventive concept . fig1 and 2 show a pair of arcuate first and second rod members 2 and 1 having one end of each pivotally secured together . a hollow resilient plastic material overlays a sleeve 43 having a notch 431 formed through one side thereof coupled to a portion of the free end of the first rod member 2 , and is adapted to be received within the lock housing 4 . the remaining portion of the sleeve 43 is left free to receive a reduced portion 10 at the free end of the second rod member 1 therein . the reduced portion 10 is formed at the free end of the second rod member 1 , and is provided with an indentation 12 and a tapered end surface 13 . the lock housing 4 includes a passage extending axially and adapted to receive a lock core 46 therein . a notch 42 is formed transversely in the lock housing 4 , and is interconnected with the axial passage . notch 42 is adapted to provide solder joint connection with the sleeve 43 , the notch 431 of the sleeve 43 being in communication with the axial passage . one end of the lock housing 4 has a smaller diameter which is adapted to receive a plug 41 which has a circular protuberance 411 protruding from the side thereof facing the lock housing 4 . the protuberance 411 has a slot 412 at center portion thereof adapted to receive an arm 442 of a torque spring 4 . the other arm 441 of the torque spring 44 is inserted into a slot 453 of a latch 45 . latch 45 includes a recessed portion 452 disposed at the opposite end of the slot 43 . the recessed portion 452 of the latch 45 is linked to a lock core 46 to pivot , which is a well known art and therefore will not be described here . the latch 45 includes a longitudinal trough 451 formed on one side of its body and adapted to confine the movement of the reduced portion 10 of second rod member 1 within the sleeve 43 when the lock is in a locked condition . to operate the lock , the reduced end portion 10 of the second rod member 1 is inserted into the sleeve 43 , as shown in fig4 a . the tapered end 13 of the reduced portion 10 will touch and push the trough 451 of the latch 45 in the same direction , as shown in fig4 b . it is to be noted that torque spring 44 provides a restoring force to the latch 45 to return it to its original position . upon the indentation 12 reaching the trough 451 , the torque spring 44 will urge the trough 451 to return to its original position , as shown in fig4 c . thus , the lock will then be in a locked condition . to unlock the lock , simply insert a legal key through the key way of the lock core 46 and turn the key to rotate the latch 45 to a position where the trough 451 is aligned with the indentation 12 . the second rod member 1 will then be able to be removed from the sleeve 43 . a second embodiment is provided , as shown in fig5 a , which has a hole 22 formed in the end of the first rod member 2 . a spring 23 has one end secured to the hole 22 by means of a bolt 24 . the other end of the spring 23 is connected with a plate 25 and extends outwardly . by pushing the second rod member 1 toward the first rod member 2 , the tapered end 13 will engage the trough 451 and thereby turn the trough 451 . upon the notch 12 reaching the trough 451 , the trough 451 will return to its original position . the tapered end 13 will then be bearing against the spring 23 , as shown in fig5 b . the spring 23 will urge the reduced end portion 10 of second rod member 1 outwardly when the trough 451 is rotated to be aligned with the notch 12 , as shown in fig5 c , the second rod member 1 thereby being able to be removed from the sleeve 43 . | 4 |
fig1 and fig2 show a pair of headphones with an embodiment of a microphone array according to the invention . fig2 shows a top view of a pair of headphones with a microphone array . the headphones 101 may include a headband 102 . the headband 102 may form an arc which , when in use , sits over the user &# 39 ; s head . the headphones 101 may also include ear speakers 103 and 104 connected to the headband 102 . the ear speakers 103 and 104 are colloquially referred to as “ cans .” a plurality of microphones 105 may be mounted on the headband 102 . there should be three or more microphones where at least one of the microphones is not positioned co - linearly with the other two microphones in order to identify azimuth . the microphones in the microphone array may be mounted such that they are not obstructed by the structure of the headphones or the user &# 39 ; s body . advantageously the microphone array is configured to have a 360 - degree field . an obstruction exists when a point in the space around the array is not within the field of sensitivity of at least two microphones in the array . an accelerometer 106 may be mounted in an ear speaker housing 103 . fig3 and fig4 show a collar - mounted microphone array 301 . fig4 illustrates the collar - mounted microphone array 301 positioned on a user . a collar - band 302 adapted to be worn by a user is shown . the collar - band 302 is a mounting substrate for a plurality of microphones 303 . the microphones 303 may be circumferentially - distributed on the collar - band 302 , and may have a geometric configuration which may permit the array to have a 360 - degree range with no obstructions caused by the collar - band 302 or the user . the collar - band 302 may also include an accelerometer 304 rigidly - mounted on or in the collar band 302 . fig5 illustrates a hat - mounted microphone array . fig5 illustrates a hat 401 . the hat 401 serves as the mounting substrate for a plurality of microphones 402 . the microphones 402 may be circumferentially - distributed around the hat or on the top of the hat in a fashion that avoids the hat or any body parts from being a significant obstruction to the view of the array . the hat 401 may also carry on accelerometer 404 . the accelerometer 404 may be mounted on a visor 503 of the hat 401 . the hat mounted array in fig5 is suitable for a 360 - degree view ( azimuth ), but not necessarily elevation . fig6 shows a further embodiment of a microphone array . a substrate is adapted to be mounted on a headband of a set of headphones . the substrate may include three or more microphones 502 . a substrate 203 may be adapted to be mounted on headphone headband 102 . the substrate 203 may be connected to the headband 102 by mounting legs 204 and 205 . the mounting legs 204 and 205 may be resilient in order to absorb vibration induced by the ear speakers and isolate microphones and an accelerometer in the array . fig7 shows a top view of a mounting substrate 203 . microphones 502 are mounted on the substrate 203 . advantageously an accelerometer 501 is also mounted on the substrate 203 . the microphones alternatively may be mounted around the rim 504 of the substrate 203 . according to an embodiment , there may be three microphones 502 mounted on the substrate 203 where a first microphones is not co - linear with a second and third microphone . line 505 runs through microphone 502 b and 502 c . as illustrated in fig7 , the location of microphone 502 a is not co - linear with the locations of microphones 502 b and 502 c as it does not fall on the line defined by the location of microphones 502 b and 502 c . microphones 502 a , 502 b and 502 c define a plane . a microphone array of two omni - directional microphones 502 b and 502 c cannot distinguish between locations 506 and 507 . the addition of a third microphone 502 a may be utilized to differentiate between points equidistant from line 505 that fall on a line perpendicular to line 505 . according an advantageous feature , an accelerometer may be provided in connection with a microphone array . because the microphone array is configured to be carried by a person , and because people move , an accelerometer may be used to ascertain change in position and / or orientation of the microphone array . it is advantageous that the accelerometer be in a fixed position relative to the microphones 502 in the array , but need not be directly mounted on a microphone array substrate . an accelerometer 106 may be mounted in an ear speaker housing 103 shown in fig1 . an accelerometer 304 may be mounted on the collar - band 302 as illustrated in fig4 . an accelerometer may be mounted in a fixed position on the hat 401 illustrated in fig5 , for example , on a visor 403 . the accelerometer may be mounted in any position . the position 404 of the accelerometer is not critical . fig8 shows a microphone array 601 in an audio source location and isolation system . a beam - forming unit 603 is responsive to a microphone array 601 . the beamforming unit 603 may process the signals from two or more microphones in the microphone array 601 to determine the location of an audio source , preferably the location of the audio source relative to the microphone array . a location processor 604 may receive location information from the beam - forming system 603 . the location information may be provided to a beam - steering unit 605 to process the signals obtained from two or more microphones in the microphone array 601 to isolate audio emanating from the identified location . a two - dimensional array is generally suitable for identifying an azimuth direction of the source . an accelerometer 606 may be mechanically coupled to the microphone array 601 . the accelerometer 606 may provide information indicative of a change in location or orientation of the microphone array . this information may be provided to the location processor 604 and utilized to narrow a location search by eliminating change in the array position and orientation from any adjustment of beam - forming and beam - scanning direction due to change in location of the audio source . the use of an accelerometer to ascertain change in position and / or change in orientation of the microphone array 601 may reduce the computational resources required for beam forming and beam scanning . fig9 shows a front view of a headphone fitted with a microphone array suitable for sensing audio information to locate an audio object in three - dimensional space . an azimuthal microphone array 203 may be mounted on headphones . an additional microphone array 106 may be mounted on ear speaker 103 . microphone array 106 may include one or more microphones 108 and may be acoustically and / or vibrationally isolated by a damping mount from the earphone housing . according to an embodiment , there may be more than one microphone 108 . the microphones may be dispersed in the same configuration illustrated in fig7 . a microphone array 107 may be mounted on ear speaker 104 . microphone array 107 may have the same configuration as microphone array 106 . microphones may be embedded in the ear speaker housing and the ear speaker housing may also include noise and vibration damping insulation to isolate or insulate the microphones 108 from the acoustic transducer in the ear speakers 103 and 104 . three non - co - linear microphones in an array may define a plane . a microphone array that defines a plane may be utilized for source detection according to azimuth , but not according to elevation . at least one additional microphone 108 may be provided in order to permit source location in three - dimensional space . the microphone 108 and two other microphones define a second plane that intersects the first plane . the spatial relationship between the microphones defining the two planes is a factor , along with sensitivity , processing accuracy , and distance between the microphones that contributes to the ability to identify an audio source in a three - dimensional space . in a physical embodiment mounted on headphones , a configuration with microphones on both ear speaker housings reduces interference with location finding caused by the structure of the headphones and the user . accuracy may be enhanced by providing a plurality of microphones on or in connection with each ear speaker . fig1 shows an audio source location tracking and isolation system . the system includes a sensor array 701 . sensor array 701 may be stationary . according to a particularly useful embodiment the sensor array 701 may be body - mounted or adapted for mobility . the sensor array 701 may include a microphone array . the microphone array may have two or more microphones . the sensor array may have three microphones in order to be capable of a 360 - degree azimuth range . the sensor array may have four or more microphones in order to have a 360 - degree azimuth and an elevation range . the 360 - degree azimuth requires that the three microphones be non - co - linear and the elevation - capable array must have at least three non - co - linear microphones defining a first plane and at least three non - co - linear microphones defining a second plane intersecting the first plane provided that two of the three microphones defining the second plane may be two of the three microphones also defining the first plane . in the event that the sensor array 701 is adapted to be portable or mobile , it is advantageous to also include an accelerometer rigidly - linked to the sensor array . a wide source locating unit 702 may be responsive to the sensor array . the wide source locating unit 702 is able to detect audio sources and their general vicinities . advantageously the wide source locating unit 702 has a full range of search . the wide source locating unit may be configured to generally identify the direction and / or location of an audio source and record the general location in a location table 703 . the system is also provided with a narrow source locating unit 704 also connected to sensor array 701 . the narrow source locating unit 704 operates on the basis of locations previously stored in the location table 703 . the narrow source locating unit 704 will ascertain a pinpoint location of an audio source in the general vicinity identified by the entries in a location table 703 . the pinpoint location may be based on narrow source locations previously stored in the location table or wide source locations previously stored in the location table . the narrow source location identified by the narrow source locating unit 704 may be stored in the location table 703 and replaced the prior entry that formed a basis for the narrow source locating unit scan . the system may also be provided with a beam steering audio capture unit 705 . the beam steering audio capture unit 705 responds to the pinpoint location stored in the location table 703 . the beam steering audio capture unit 705 may be connected to the sensor array 701 and captures audio from the pinpoint locations set forth in the location table 703 . the location table may be updated on the basis of new pinpoint locations identified by the narrow source locating unit 704 and on the basis of an array displacement compensation unit 706 and / or a source movement prediction unit 707 . the array displacement compensation unit 706 may be responsive to the accelerometer rigidly attached to the sensor array 701 . the array displacement compensation unit 706 ascertains the change in position and orientation of the sensor array to identify a location compensation parameter . the location compensation parameter may be provided to the location table 703 to update the pinpoint location of the audio sources relative to the new position of the sensor array . source movement prediction unit 707 may also be provided to calculate a location compensation for pinpoint locations stored in the location table . the source movement prediction unit 707 can track the interval changes in the pinpoint location of the audio sources identified and tracked by the narrow source locating unit 704 as stored in the location table 703 . the source movement prediction unit 707 may identify a trajectory over time and predict the source location at any given time . the source movement prediction unit 707 may operate to update the pinpoint locations in the location table 703 . the audio information captured from the pinpoint location by the beam steering audio capture unit 705 may be analyzed in accordance with an instruction stored in the location table 703 . upon establishment of a pinpoint location stored in the location table 703 , it may be advantageous to identify the analysis level as gross characterization . the gross characterization unit 708 operates to assess the audio sample captured from the pinpoint location using a first set of analysis routines . the first set of analysis routines may be computationally non - intensive routines such as analysis for repetition and frequency band . the analysis may be voice detection , cadence , frequencies , or a beacon . the audio analysis routines will query the gross rules 709 . the gross rules may indicate that the audio satisfying the rules is known and should be included in an audio output , known and should be excluded from an audio output or unknown . if the gross rules indicate that the audio is of a known type that should be included in an audio output , the location table is updated and the instruction set to output audio coming from that pinpoint location . if the gross rules indicate that the audio is known and should not be included , the location table may be updated either by deleting the location so as to avoid further pinpoint scans or simply marking the location entry to be ignored for further pinpoint scans . if the result of the analysis by the gross characterization unit 708 and the application of rules 709 is of unknown audio type , then the location table 703 may be updated with an instruction for multi - channel characterization . audio captured from a location where the location table 703 instruction is for multi - channel analysis , [ audio ] may be passed to the multi - channel / multi - domain characterization unit 710 . the multi - channel / multi - domain characterization unit 710 carries out a second set of audio analysis routines . it is contemplated that the second set of audio analysis routines is more computationally intensive than the first set of audio analysis routines . for this reason the second set of analysis routines is only performed for locations which the audio has not been successfully identified by the first set of audio analysis routines . the result of the second set of audio analysis routines is applied to the multi - channel / multi - domain rules 711 . the rules may indicate that the audio from that source is known and suitable for output , known and unsuitable for output or unknown . if the multi - channel / multi - domain rules indicate that the audio is known and suitable for output , the location table may be updated with an output instruction . if the multi - channel / multi - domain rules indicate that the audio is unknown or known and not suitable for output , then the corresponding entry in the location table is updated to either indicate that the pinpoint location is to be ignored in future scans and captures , or by deletion of the pinpoint location entry . when the beam steering audio capture unit 705 captures audio from a location stored in location table 703 and is with an instruction as suitable for output , the captured audio from the beam steering audio capture unit 705 is connected to an audio output 712 . the techniques , processes and apparatus described may be utilized to control operation of any device and conserve use of resources based on conditions detected or applicable to the device . the invention is described in detail with respect to preferred embodiments , and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects , and the invention , therefore , as defined in the claims , is intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit of the invention . thus , specific apparatus for and methods of audio signature generation and automatic content recognition have been disclosed . it should be apparent , however , to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the inventive subject matter , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the disclosure . moreover , in interpreting the disclosure , all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context . in particular , the terms “ comprises ” and “ comprising ” should be interpreted as referring to elements , components , or steps in a non - exclusive manner , indicating that the referenced elements , components , or steps may be present , or utilized , or combined with other elements , components , or steps that are not expressly referenced . | 7 |
in the illustrated embodiment as depicted in the diagram of fig1 a light and or sound alarm 10 , 12 is mounted on the outboard motor 14 or on or near the transom 16 of a boat 18 with an inboard or stern drive , or outboard 14 . an outboard is shown for the sake of simplicity in the drawings , but it is expressly understood to represent any kind of marine engine . the audible or visible warning is activated when the propeller or prop 20 is rotating from any nonzero rpm to a user defined rpm . in this way , once the boat 18 was underway and the prop or engine rpm above the user defined rpm , the light or sound of the alarm 10 , 12 is automatically deactivated . alarm 10 is shown mounted on the engine or more precisely on the engine shaft just above or in proximity to the water level so that it will be directly at eye level for a swimmer in the water . in addition , when alarm 10 provides a visible signal , it may wrap around the engine shaft to give more than a 180 ° viewing angle to swimmers , e . g . a 270 ° or more view through a plurality of windows . alarms 12 are mounted at or near the stern of boat 18 on both port and starboard sides as best shown in the end view of fig2 . again alarm 12 will be at or near the water line to allow swimmers to have a direct view . when approaching boat 18 from the bow , it might not possible for swimmers to see engine 14 or alarm 10 . for this reason , alarms 12 are provided to generate a signal easily visible from any angle forward of the stern . many different arrangements of alarms 10 and 12 can be employed without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , alarm 10 might be eliminated and alarm 12 extended around the sides and stern of boat 18 or additional hull - mounted alarms 12 placed directly on the port and starboard sides of the transom as well as the bow of boat 18 . in the preferred embodiment , when a visible signal is provided by alarms 10 , 12 it is a bright flashing strobe , which catches attention and is easily visible even in the brightest conditions , yet minimizes power drain on the boat &# 39 ; s batteries or electrical system . a sensor 22 is coupled to prop shaft , engine shaft or any moving part of the transmission or connection between the engine 14 and prop 20 or from a conventional rpm gauge provided with engine 14 ( not shown ). the sensor 22 could also sense the rotation of the prop 20 more directly , such as through a light or motion transducer energetically coupled to prop 20 and mounted on the engine 14 or boat 18 itself . conventional electronics is provided in sensor 22 or in a remote control panel to detect when the signal from sensor 22 represents an rpm in excess of the user or factory selected rpm . additionally a light or sound alarm 24 could be placed underwater on dive boats . the device 10 would warn divers of rotating prop 20 and could be turned on to mark the boat &# 39 ; s location as well when required . it could further act as a visual signal to divers to return to the boat when there are no other means of communication . it is contemplated that the flashing sequence and color of lights 10 , 12 and 24 can be altered by control signals from the operator of boat 18 as may be desired to signify different information . for example , lights 10 , 12 and 24 can be red to signify that engine 14 is running and that the prop 20 is turning and yellow to signify that engine 14 is running , but prop 20 is disengaged . change of the color of lights 10 , 12 and 24 can be implemented in a conventional manner , typically by selectively activating a light with the appropriate color filter , covering or lens . the device 10 could be sold as a retrofitted accessory or built into the outboard engine , outdrive , or boat 18 . the user could select activation range , light and or sound warnings , intensity , color and pattern of light or volume , type , pattern of the sound among a plurality of choices . it could also signal with vibration thru the water in addition to visible and audible signals . the intensity of the signal could be modified depending upon the speed of rotation of prop 20 . device 10 be made cheaply , it is simple in construction and it address concerns with props which are not met by prior art devices . device 10 does not affect performance of prop 20 and is not mechanically fragile . many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following invention and its various embodiments . for example , while the preferred embodiment provides a sensory alarm which is dependent on actual rotation of prop 20 in a defined low rpm range , it is also possible to make the alarm signal dependent merely on whether the engine is running or not regardless of the prop condition , or whether the prop 20 is engaged to the engine or not , i . e . whether the transmission is in neutral or not . still further , while the invention has been described in the context of potential injury from prop 20 , it is also contemplated that carbon monoxide or dioxide poisoning hazard can also be managed with the invention . there have been numerous deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning particularly on houseboats . swimmers swim under the back of the houseboat , not realizing a generator has been running , pass out , and drown . this hazard has been conventionally addressed this by rerouting exhaust pipes , eliminating air traps or providing ventilation in the risk area . the invention can also be used to warn swimmers about possible co or co 2 accumulation in areas around the boat from generators . the same lighting system described about could include detection by a co or co 2 sensor and the same or a distinguishable warning light can be activated on detection which exceeds a predetermined maximum . a different color or flashing sequence could indicate the presence of unacceptable co or co 2 levels in an area . even without co or co 2 detection the invention operates to inherently avoid co hazard , if the warning lights are also connected to a generator as well as the propulsion engine , since it indicates that some kind of combustion engine is running which means that there is a potential of co or co 2 hazard , and that swimmers should stay clear . therefore , it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims . for example , notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination , it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer , more or different elements , which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations . a teaching that two elements are combined in a claimed combination is further to be understood as also allowing for a claimed combination in which the two elements are not combined with each other , but may be used alone or combined in other combinations . the excision of any disclosed element of the invention is explicitly contemplated as within the scope of the invention . the words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings , but to include by special definition in this specification structure , material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings . thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning , then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself . the definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are , therefore , defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth , but all equivalent structure , material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result . in this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim . although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such , it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination . insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art , now known or later devised , are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims . therefore , obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements . the claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above , what is conceptionally equivalent , what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention . | 1 |
in one advantageous implementation of the inventive concept the processing means comprise or communicate with time control means by means of which the observation or monitoring time interval , during which the measurements are carried out , is given . it may be done manually or automatically , depending for example on storing capacity , processing capacity etc . the processing means particularly comprise collecting means for collecting said power spectral density measurements or power spectral density measurement values , each for a discrete point in frequency . particularly said power spectral density measurement values comprise an array of psd ( power spectral density ) values , one for each discrete point in frequency . the measurement data , the psd values , are particularly marked up by the modulation scheme used for the dsl signal which generally is a discrete multitone modulation , for example for adsl , vdsl of different versions . ( also other , similar modulation techniques may be implemented .) the processing means are particularly adapted to calculate the pulse width through interpreting an interference pattern , for example destructive / constructive interference , representing the relation between the given data symbol rate and pulse width . even more particularly the relation between the given symbol rate and the pulse width comprises the ( fast ) fourier transform of the noise signal transformed into frequency domain . the relationship can particularly be expressed as a formula according to which the pulse width is given by c /( frequency spacing of the signal measurements of psd measurement values * the given data symbol rate ), wherein c is an empirically derived composite constant . the dsl signals particularly comprise adsl x or vdsl x ( e . g . adsl2 / 2 + or vdsl2 ) signals and the given data symbol rate is approximately 4 khz . it should be clear that also other data symbol rates can be applicable for particular dsl implementations . in a preferred implementation the arrangement is adapted to be provided in or associated with a dsl transceiver . even more particularly the dsl transceiver comprises a spectrum analyzer ( i . e . it is “ already in place ”) which is extremely advantageous since it is then used for the purpose of the inventive concept . then an extremely advantageous arrangement is obtained since there is no need to provide any dedicated spectrum analyzer and an already existing functionality can be used ( for another purpose , namely that of determining pulse width of rein ). in particular embodiments a transceiver as referred to above is provided which comprises one or more of the features described above with reference to the arrangement . most particularly it comprises an analog front end for signal reception , an a / d - converter , an rx - filter for filtering out non - desired frequency bands , or measurement data , i . e . non - interesting frequency bands , converting means for performing a fast fourier transformation from time to frequency domain of the measurement data of the received noise signal . in an extremely advantageous implementation the transceiver comprises an impulse noise protection means and protection control means adapted to control said impulse noise protection means , particularly to optimize the impulse noise protection level or the amount with which impulse noise protection is provided , depending on the determined pulse width . particularly measurements as described above can be performed to determine or find the source of or what is the cause of repetitive impulse noise . as discussed above the invention also provides a method , which method , according to different advantageous implementations , may include a method with steps corresponding to one or more of the advantageous embodiments discussed above with respect to the arrangement and the transceiver respectively . fig1 is a very schematical block diagram describing an arrangement 10 according to the present invention . it here comprises spectrum analyzer 1 which may be a spectrum analyzing means of the spectrum analyzer , i . e . already provided in a dsl transceiver , with which the arrangement is to be used . it is supposed that the spectrum analyzer receives a signal i noise , which substantially is a pure noise or a background signal . this can be obtained by temporarily disabling the transmitter of the dsl transceiver to measure the loop noise . dsl technology is dominated by the discrete multi tone ( dmt ) modulation technique . then , according to the present invention , the receiver part of the dsl transceiver is used as a somewhat limited , for example as far as bandwidth , accuracy etc . is concerned , but still most efficient , spectrum analyzing means . it should be clear that the inventive concept is not limited to dmt or the use of the spectrum analyzer of the dsl transceiver . the inventive concept is not limited to dmt modulation . it could e . g . also be used for ofdm ( orthogonal frequency division multiplex ) to the extent that the same or similar problems are produced e . g . for wireless applications . the spectrum analyzer comprises or communicates with a frequency detector 2 which establishes the frequency of the rein ( if detected as present ). a switch or similar is here illustrated between the spectrum analyzing means . it should be clear that it does not have to be switch , this is merely illustrated in order to indicate that if repetitive impulse noise is detected , the frequency is established and then the psd data is provided to collecting means 4 for purposes of the present invention . if there is no repetitive impulse noise , the frequency need not be established ( switch in “ off ”- position ). alternatively may of course the frequency inherently be provided if rein is found . psd data collected by the collecting means 4 is provided to calculating means 5 ( both here provided in processing means 3 ) which , preferably is provided with information from time control means 6 concerning the time interval during which the observation shall take place . the calculation means 5 are here supposed to contain information about the given data symbol rate , which depends on the dsl technology used , for adsl and vdsl it may be 4 khz . the calculation means 4 are also supposed to contain information about a constant c which actually is a composition of constant components related to the dsl transceiver and the frequency spacing , corresponding to the span in frequency for the interference period , cf . fig5 below . in one embodiment the processing means are supposed to contain the collecting means 4 , calculating means 5 , and the time control means 6 although the processing means does not have to be provided in a specific means , fig1 merely being one way of schematically illustrating the functions needed to carry out the invention . the different means or functions may also be provided as separate functional units , or functional units combined in any appropriate manner . the output from the calculation means 4 comprises information about the pulse width ( i pw ) of the rein . as will be more thoroughly discussed below , this information can be used to control applied impulse noise protection . fig2 very schematically illustrates a dsl transceiver 20 . only those means or functions that are necessary for the functioning of the inventive concept are illustrated . the transceiver 20 comprises an upstream receiver 21 , here indicated as ul rx ( uplink receiver ) and a downlink or downstream receiver dl rx 22 . both receivers are illustrated in the figure in order to indicate that the inventive concept is applicable to any direction of the received signal , i . e . the signal could be received from the dsl upstream receiver or the downstream receiver . the transmitters are not illustrated in the figure , since for the inventive concept , it is supposed that they are temporarily disabled in order to enable measurement of pure loop noise . the transceiver comprises an analog front end afe 23 with an analog component actually normally comprising the upstream and downstream receivers ( for reasons of clarity shown as separate components here ), a filter 24 , particularly an rx - filter for removing frequency bands which are not interesting for the measurements to be performed , a fast fourier transformation means 25 for converting from time domain to frequency domain . the fft 25 comprises the spectrum analyzer of the transceiver 20 and it is here specifically connected to a frequency detector 26 detecting if an input signal comprises rein . if it comprises rein , the frequency of the rein is determined , a switch ( or similar functionality ) is activated , information about the established frequency is provided to the calculation means 29 and the psd data obtained from fft 25 is input to collecting means 27 , cf . fig1 , from where it is input to the calculation means 29 together with additional information , here seen as contained in information holder 28 , and comprising information about the input constant c and the data symbol rate . in the calculation means 29 the pulse width of the rein ( if detected ) is established and output , here indicated as i pw . thus , the connected loop power spectral density ( psd ) maximum is measured over time . the psd measurement will contain information regarding the spectral noise conditions existing on the loop . depending on the requirements on storing capability and general data processing capability , the measurements may be limited in time such that only a short interval is observed or the time is extended such that the behavior during a longer time interval can be monitored . this is not illustrated in fig2 , but reference is made to fig1 which specifically illustrates the time control means 6 . the measurement data , i . e . the psd values , will be an array of psd values each representing a discrete point in frequency marked up by the dmt modulation scheme ( if this scheme is implemented ). thus , if repetitive electrical impulse noise ( rein ) is injected , i . e . contained in the more or less pure noise signal , the loop is measured and the measurement data that is output ( i pw ) will show the characteristics of the rein in at least two different ways . first the rein period can be observed , counting the occurrences over time , which is considered as a time domain analysis . this is here simply illustrated by means of the frequency detector 26 and it can be implemented in different ways , the main thing being that it is established if rein is included in the noise signal and , secondly , that the frequency is determined . according to the inventive concept the pulse width can be observed by the interpreting the constructive / destructive interference due to the relation between the dmt symbol pace and the pulse width . as referred to above , if the symbol pace or symbol rate is known ( and c ), the pulse width can be estimated ( by means of the calculation means ) using the obtained measurement data . the frequency detector 26 , collecting means 27 , information holder 28 and the calculating means 29 are here shown as provided in the transceiver . in alternative implementations all of , some of or one of said means may be provided separately , or in any combination , but in communication with the transceiver , i . e . externally thereof . any variation is possible . fig3 shows another embodiment of a transceiver 20 1 substantially corresponding to the one of fig2 , but additionally including inp control means 30 1 and inp 31 1 . also here it is supposed that a more or less pure noise signal i noise is input to a receiver 21 1 , here illustrated as handling upstream and downstream reception is for reasons of simplicity and comprised by a communicating with means afe 23 1 which is connected to filtering means 24 1 as discussed above . it comprises spectrum analyzing means comprising fft 25 1 , frequency detector 26 1 as also discussed above which , directly ( not shown , cf . fig2 ) if rein is established via the fft 25 1 provides information about the frequency of the rein to calculation means 29 1 . the fft if rein was detected , provides psd data to collecting means 27 1 which provides the data to the calculation means 29 1 which using also the information from information holder 28 1 ( cf . fig2 ), calculates the pulse width . information about the pulse width is then provided to inp control means 30 1 which are used to control the amount or degree of inp that should be applied by inp means 31 1 to a dsl signal ( not shown since application of inp on a dsl signal is known per se ), the inventive feature being that the amount of inp can be controlled depending on the pulse width , which means that the amount of inp applied can be optimized . even if the frequency detector , calculating means etc . are illustrated as included in the transceiver , they ( one or more of them ) may , be provided externally of the transceiver ( cf . discussion with reference to fig2 ). the relation between the , here , dmt data symbol rate and the pulse width describes the fourier transform of the time domain signal transformed into frequency domain . a rectangular pulse or a time domain rectangular function , cf . i ( t ) in fig4 a creates an infinite sinc function in frequency domain cf . ifft in fig4 b . since e . g . any adsl or vdsl type of receiver uses the fourier transform in the receiving signal path , the time to frequency domain over a discrete - time fourier transform , normally implemented as a fast fourier transform ( fft ), the transform x ( w ) = ∑ n = - ∞ ∞ x [ n ] ⅇ - ⅈ wn will explain the signal behavior shown in fig5 and fig6 below . the relation between the interference pattern in the received psd measurement data and the injected rein can be seen in fig5 and fig6 below . fig5 particularly illustrates three psd measurements , i 0 illustrates the noise psd level when there is no rein injected or detected . i 1 illustrates the noise psd levels for an injected or detected bipolar rein which is injected at 100ω , 100 mw , 50 pps , 20 μs pulse width and i 2 illustrates detected rein injected at 100ω , 100 mv , 50 pps , with a pulse width of 120 μs . the linear relation between the rein pulse width and the data symbol rate can be found empirically . pulse width = c / frequency spacing * dsl symbol rate , wherein c is a composition of constant components related to the dsl transceiver and the frequency spacing as a span in frequency for the interference period , as can be seen in fig5 ( and fig6 ). this relation is according to the inventive concept used together with a frequency detector for detection of the periodic behavior of the psd measurement data to calculate an estimate of the rein pulse width . it can be noted that the periodical behavior in the psd measurement is not affected by changes in the pulse frequency . it can be established by changing the pulse frequency and maintaining the pulse width and the amplitude ( not shown ). furthermore more advanced types of rein can be detected , such as for example 3 - level signals etc . the limitation for such a detection or characterization of the impulse noise pulse width is due to the symbol rate that is used by the dsl transceiver . for very large pulse widths , the pulse width may cohere with the symbol rate . typically , for adsl this will occur at a pulse width of about 250 μs ( as referred to above , the adsl symbol rate is 4 khz ). for vdsl the symbol rate can be configured to 4 or 8 khz . for e . g . ofdm it can vary , but it is always known to the receiver ( and hence to the arrangement according to the invention ). fig6 is a diagram illustrating three psd measurements wherein i 0 ′ illustrates measurements when no rein is injected or detected . i 1 ′ ( bp ) illustrates the noise psd level at detection or injection of bipolar rein at 100ω , 100 mv , 50 pps , and a 20 μs pulse width whereas i 2 ′ ( 3 - l ) illustrates the noise pds level for an injected three level rein injected at 100ω , 100 mv , 50 pps , 20 μs pulse width . fig7 is a schematical flow diagram describing one implementation of the inventive procedure . it is supposed that in an arrangement or transceiver “ pure ” noise or a background signal is received , e . g . achieved in that the functionality of a dsl transceiver is disabled , 100 . a power spectrum analysis of the “ pure ” noise signal is performed resulting in a plurality of psd values , 101 . it is established if repetitive impulse noise is present , 102 . if not , the procedure ends as far as the inventive concept is concerned , illustrated by means of the loop back to step 100 above . if however repetitive impulse noise is detected , the frequency of the repetitive impulse noise is determined , 103 , and the psd values are collected as described above , 104 . the psd values are input and the composed empirically determined constant c and the modulated dsl signal data symbol rate are provided to the processing or calculation means , 105 . the information , for example c and the symbol rate , may already have been stored in the calculation means , and are used with the psd values to calculate the pulse width of the repetitive impulse noise , 106 . fig8 is a schematical flow diagram describing an example of how the inventive concept can be used . as in fig7 , it is supposed that repetitive impulse noise is received in a dsl trx , 201 . thus , in the figure the reception and detection etc . is not illustrated but it is supposed that rein actually is present . the frequency of the rein is determined , 202 , and the psd values are collected , 203 . the psd values and the frequency are input to the calculating means which also receives or contains information about c and the modulated dsl data symbol rate , 204 . as discussed above the rein pulse width is established in the calculating means , 205 , and subsequently the rein pulse width is input to impulse noise protection ( inp ) control means , 206 . based on the established rein pulse width , the level or amount of inp to be applied is determined , 207 , and the established level or the amount of inp is applied to an input or generated dsl signal , 208 . this is very advantageous since as the dsl services are becoming more advanced and exploited , with high requirements on the transmission , it becomes more and more important to know the characteristics in detail of the loop carrying dsl transmission . it is extremely advantageous to be able to characterize repetitive impulse noise in terms of pulse width , which has been realized to be an important parameter in the process of selecting the level of impulse noise protection specified in current dsl standards . extremely advantageous is also the ability to , if present , use an already in - place dsl transceiver hardware as a spectrum analyzer for measuring psd levels over current dsl spectrum . through implementation of the inventive concept the provisioning of dsl services is improved , particularly on loops with a high risk of being exposed to impulse noise . furthermore troubleshooting on dsl signals can be considerably improved by means of detecting the severity of impulse noise using information about the pulse width of the impulse noise . it should be clear that the invention is not limited to the specifically illustrated embodiments , but that it can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
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 . for example , the invention is not limited in scope to the particular type of industry application depicted in the figures . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention . fig1 - 6 illustrate a multi - orientation , stacking riser 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in pertinent part , the riser 10 includes a main section 12 , a protruding mating section 14 , and a recessed mating section 16 . in the preferred embodiment , the foregoing sections are integrally formed with one another , for example by injection molding same . the main section 12 provides the primary supporting body for the riser 10 . the protruding 14 and recessed 16 mating sections cooperate with the recessed and protruding , respectively , mating sections of one or more other risers to securely mount one riser on top of another in one of a multiple of respective orientations of the risers . the protruding mating section 14 extends from a top surface 18 of the main section 12 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig1 - 6 , the protruding mating section 14 is provided with square outer dimensions . the outer dimensions of the protruding mating section 14 are sized in a manner to cooperate with the recessed mating section 16 as discussed below . the recessed mating section 16 is advantageously formed in a bottom surface 20 of the main section 12 opposite to the top surface 18 . the references to top and bottom surfaces herein are used solely for the purposes of illustration and to describe the general basic positional relationship between the protruding 14 and recessed 16 mating surfaces . the positioning of the protruding 14 and recessed 16 mating sections is not limited to the top and bottom surfaces of the main section 12 depending upon the manner of application of the riser 10 . the recessed mating section 16 is formed by a depression in the bottom surface 20 of the main section 12 , and , thus , the recessed mating section 16 extends into the interior of the main section 12 . in the case of the illustrated embodiment , the interior of the main section 12 includes a series of ribs that extend from outer walls 24 of the main section 12 toward the middle of the interior of the main section 12 . the ribs lend structural support to the main section 12 of the riser 10 while minimizing the weight of the riser 10 and the amount of material required to form the riser 10 . the recessed mating section 16 is formed by a geometric rib 26 that is formed in a shape that is complementary to the outer dimensions of the protruding mating section 14 . in the illustrated , preferred embodiment , the geometric rib 26 is provided in the form of an eight - pointed “ star ” that is centered with the interior of the main section 12 . the geometric rib 26 is connected with interior top surface 18 of the main section 12 . it is further connected with one or more of the side walls of the main section 12 either directly or by means of first support ribs 28 . the geometric rib 26 may also be supported by a series of second support ribs 30 that extend within the geometric rib 26 from one side to the other . both the geometric rib 26 and the first support ribs 28 extend to the bottom surface 20 of the main section 12 . in contrast , the second support ribs 30 located within the geometric rib 26 do not extend entirely to the bottom surface 20 . those of skill in the art will recognize that the bottom surface 20 in this context is not a solid surface but rather the plane formed by the bottom edges of the outer walls 24 of the main section 12 . the difference in height between the geometric rib 26 and the second support ribs 30 creates a recess so that the second support ribs 30 do not interfere with the positioning of the protruding mating section 12 within the recessed mating section 16 defined by the geometric rib 26 and , furthermore , help define a depth of the recessed mating section 16 to help control how far the protruding mating section 12 extends into the recessed mating section 16 . in a preferred embodiment , the difference in height between the geometric rib 26 and the second support ribs 30 is approximately equal to a height of the protruding mating section 14 . in this manner , two stacked risers 10 will contact one another both at a junction of the bottom of the outer walls 24 with the top surface 18 and a junction of the top of the protruding mating section 14 with the bottom of the second support ribs 30 , resulting in increased stability and strength of the stacked risers . the relationship between the protruding mating section 14 and recessed mating section 16 will now be described in more detail . it will be seen that the outer dimension d of the protruding mating section 14 corresponds , with a tolerance for clearance and for manufacturing variances , to the inner dimension d of the recessed mating section 16 to allow insertion of the protruding mating section 14 into the recessed mating section 16 . as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the dimensions d and d of the protruding mating section 14 and recessed mating section 16 , respectively , are consistent around both of these sections . therefore , the protruding mating section 14 and recessed mating section 16 may be rotated relative to one another while still allowing insertion of the protruding mating section 14 into the recessed mating section 16 . more particularly , the shape of the recessed mating section 16 allows for discrete forty - five degree ) ( 45 °) rotations — and subsequent insertions — of the protruding mating section 14 of one riser relative to the recessed mating section 16 of another riser . one advantage in the ability to readily vary the orientation of one riser relative to another can be seen in fig6 . in the illustrated embodiment , each individual riser is molded in the form of a hard back book ; other shapes also being suitable for the risers . by varying the relative positioning of one riser to another , differing appearances of stacked books supporting a bed or other piece of furniture can be created . in a preferred embodiment , the riser 10 is injection molded from a suitable plastic material . while the illustrated embodiment of the riser 10 is provided with a series of ribs for internal support of the main section 12 and forming of the recessed mating section 16 , it is also contemplated within the scope of the invention for the main section 12 to be formed from a solid block of material with the recessed mating section 16 being a depression in the otherwise solid block . while the preferred embodiment has been illustrated with a protruding mating section 14 and recessed mating section 16 in the described shapes , other embodiments may utilize other complementary shapes . for example , the protruding mating section 14 and recessed mating section 16 may each be provided in the shape of a circle , which would allow a greater range of relative angular adjustment of the stacked risers . the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in the best mode known to the inventors . however , as various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting . thus , the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by the above - described exemplary embodiment , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents . | 0 |
referring now to fig1 through 3 , there is illustrated therein a mechanical motion control apparatus indicated generally at 10 in accordance with the present invention . the mechanical motion control apparatus 10 comprises an input shaft 12 which is rotatably journaled in a support member 14 secured to a lower base member 16 . a gear 18 is secured to one end 20 of the input shaft and is adapted to be rotated thereby . a second gear 22 is disposed in meshing engagement therewith , the second gear being supported on a shaft 24 which is journaled in one end 26 of an output shaft pivot arm 28 , the other end 30 of which is fixedly secured and adapted to rotate with an output shaft 32 . thus , shaft 24 is supported in radial spaced relationship to output shaft 32 which is substantially coaxial with the input shaft and is similarly rotatably journaled in another portion of shaft support member 14 . shaft support member 14 is fixedly secured to a base member 16 which may form a portion of the transfer apparatus or other machinery for which the mechanical motion control mechanism 10 is adapted to be utilized . secured to the front face 34 of the second gear member is a cam follower support arm 36 which projects diametrically outward from opposite sides of the second gear member . first and second cam follower members 38 and 40 are secured to the outer ends of cam follower support arm 36 and are in the form of rollers adapted to follow along selective portions of a cam surface . a front panel member 42 is also provided which has a curvilinear inwardly facing edge surface 44 machined thereon which provides the cam surface to be engaged by one or both of the cam follower members 38 and 40 provided on the cam support arm 36 secured to gear member 22 . cam surface 44 may be divided into five portions comprising a first dwell period 46 , a first acceleration / deceleration period 48 , a constant velocity period 50 , a second acceleration / deceleration period 52 , and a second dwell period 54 . secured to the opposite end of shaft 24 supported in the output shaft pivot arm 28 is a secondary cam follower support arm 56 which has disposed at its opposite end a cam follower 58 similar to cam followers 38 and 40 provided on the cam follower support arm 36 . cam follower 58 is adapted to engage camming surfaces 60 and 62 provided on a rear surface member 64 during dwell periods or possibly end portions of acceleration / deceleration movement so as to provide a stabilizing effect to insure proper positioning of a workpiece being transferred by the motion control apparatus thereby assuring precise locating of the member being moved . in order to support the front and back panel members 42 and 64 which provide the camming surfaces , a pair of side members 68 and 70 are provided extending therebetween and generally perpendicular to the parallel planes of the front and back pieces . both dwell portions 46 and 54 as well as constant velocity portion 50 have constant radii of curvatures , the radius for the two dwell periods being equal . also , the center of curvature of the constant velocity portion is necessarily coaxial with the axis of rotation of input shaft 12 . referring now to fig3 through 6 , the operation of the mechanical motion control mechanism of the present invention will now be explained in detail . we will assume for the purposes of explanation that the mechanical motion control apparatus in a dwell position such as is illustrated in fig5 with cam follower 38 engaging dwell portion 54 of camming surface 44 . at time t 1 a driving means which is drivingly connected to input shaft 12 is turned on so as to cause accelerating rotational movement of input shaft 12 thereby causing rotational movement of gear member 18 . during the period of time t 1 to time t 2 the rotation of the gear member 18 will impart rotational movement to gear member 22 as the rotational axis 72 of gear member 22 is positioned at the center of curvature of dwell portion 54 . also , cam follower 40 does not engage any surface during this period . thus , both cam followers 38 and 40 are allowed to move freely in rotational movement along with gear member 22 providing a dwell period 73 during which output shaft 32 remains stationary . at time t 2 cam follower 38 enters acceleration / deceleration portion 52 of camming surface 44 at which time rotational movement of gear member 22 is caused to decrease and be gradually replaced by curvilinear or revolving motion of gear 22 with respect to output shaft 32 . this acceleration period 74 will continue until time t 3 at which time cam follower 40 will have rotated into engagement with the constant velocity portion 50 of the camming surface 44 . thus , at time t 3 both cam followers 38 and 40 will be in engagement with spaced portions of the camming surface 44 thereby totally preventing rotational movement of gear member 22 in response to the rotational movement of gear member 18 and thereby forcing curvilinear motion of gear 22 as the gear member 18 is continued to be rotated . this constant velocity period 76 will continue until time t 4 at which time the leading cam follower member 40 will enter the deceleration portion 48 of the camming surface 44 . during the period 78 from time t 4 to time t 5 the leading cam follower 40 will be moving into the deceleration portion 48 of the cam surface and the trailing cam follower 38 will be moving out of engagement with the camming surface 44 and beginning to rotate about the axis of rotation 72 of the gear member 22 . as the input shaft continues to rotate gear member 18 , the leading cam follower member 40 will move from the deceleration portion 48 into the dwell portion 46 during which time the movement of gear member 22 will become purely rotational in nature . this dwell period 80 will provide a sufficient time t 5 to time t 6 during which the driving force being applied to the input shaft 12 may be disengaged or turned off without concern as to overdriving or inaccurately positioning a workpiece being transferred by the mechanical control mechanism . as is apparent gear 22 , being rotatably supported in a pivot arm and having an axis of rotation spaced from the axis of rotation of the output shaft , rotational movement of gear member 22 will impart no motion whatsoever to output shaft 32 . thus , during the periods of dwell 73 and 80 there will be no movement of the output shaft even though gear member 22 is rotating in response to rotation of gear member 18 secured to the input shaft 12 . however , during periods of acceleration respective of cam followers 38 and 40 will cause the rotational movement of gear member 22 to decrease and supplement such decreasing rotational movement with curvilinear movement thereby causing pivot arm 28 to impart a rotational movement to output shaft 32 . once the constant velocity portion 50 of the camming surface 44 has been entered , there will be no rotational movement of gear member 22 but rather all such rotational movement will be supplanted with pure curvilinear motion thereby causing pivot arm 28 to rotate through an arc of approximately 180 ° as illustrated until such time as a leading cam follower 38 or 40 , depending on the direction of movement enters the deceleration portion 48 or 52 of the camming surface 44 . referring specifically to fig3 it will be seen that as cam followers 38 or 40 enter their respective acceleration / deceleration portions 52 and 48 , cam follower support arm 56 will be caused to begin rotation due to the increasing rotational movement of gear 22 . as either cam follower 38 or 40 moves into respective of dwell portions 54 and 46 , cam follower 58 will move into engagement with either cam surface 60 or 62 respectively thereby acting as a stabilizer to insure proper positioning of a workpiece to be thus transported . during the constant velocity portion of movement , cam follower support arm 56 will be longitudinally aligned with pivot arm 28 . it should be noted that while cam follower support arm 56 , associated cam follower 58 and cam surfaces 60 and 62 provide a steadying function , they may be omitted should this be desired for particular applications . it should also be noted that the specific shape and contour of camming surface 44 may be varied to provide a wide variety of dwell periods , acceleration / deceleration , and / or constant velocity periods . for example , providing a longer acceleration / deceleration portion may be accomplished by lengthening portions 48 and 52 whereas greater or lesser dwell periods can be provided by increasing or decreasing the length of portions 46 and / or 52 . the relative size of gears 18 and 22 will also affect the duration of dwell and acceleration / deceleration periods as well ; that is to say , the greater the ratio of the diameter of gear 18 to gear 22 , the shorter the dwell and acceleration periods . referring now to fig7 there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention indicated generally at 82 which is substantially identical to the embodiment of fig1 through 3 , 5 and 6 described above with the exception of the driving connection between the input and output shaft . accordingly , corresponding portions thereof are indicated by identical numbers primed . in this embodiment , gears 18 and 22 are replaced by sprockets 84 and 86 respectively , and a drive chain 88 is provided extending around portions of the circumference and between each of sprockets 84 and 86 so as to drivingly couple them together . the operation and motion produced will be substantially identical as that described above and therefore will not be described in detail . it should be noted , however , that while apparatus 82 employs a chain 88 and sprockets 84 and 86 , any other suitable drive arrangement may be easily substituted therefore such as for example a pair of v - belt sheaves and an interconnecting v - belt . further , as illustrated in fig8 another embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally at 90 which also is substantially identical to the embodiments described above and thus corresponding portions are indicated by like numerals double primed . however , in this embodiment , gears 18 and 22 are replaced by wheels 92 and 94 which are each provided with circumferential surfaces 96 and 98 respectively which provide a high coefficient of friction . for example , a circumferential surface coating or belt may be provided which has a high coefficient of friction and may be easily replaced when worn . in this embodiment circumferential surfaces 96 and 98 of wheels 92 and 94 respectively are in mutual frictional engagement so as to thereby transmit rotational forces between the input and output shafts . the present invention may also be easily adapted to provide sequential dwell periods , acceleration periods , constant velocity periods , deceleration periods , and dwell periods with both linear input and output motion . such an embodiment is illustrated and will be described with reference to fig9 . motion control apparatus 100 comprises a linear motion input drive means such as piston 102 having piston rod 104 extending outward therefrom and adapted to reciprocate longitudinally . the outer end 106 of piston rod 104 is connected to an input carriage assembly indicated generally at 108 upon which a rack 110 of suitable length and having upwardly facing longitudinally extending teeth 112 is secured . an output gear 114 having teeth 116 is mounted in meshing engagement with teeth 112 of rack 110 and has a cam follower support arm 118 fixedly secured to a side surface 119 thereof . output gear 114 may be rotatably supported or mounted upon any desired output means ( not shown ) such as a carriage assembly or the like which is desired to be longitudinally reciprocated and which may be designed to carry a workpiece thereon . cam follower support arm 118 is generally t - shaped having outwardly projecting legs 120 , 122 and 124 each of which is provided with cam followers 126 , 128 , and 130 respectively secured to the outer ends thereof . a cam surface 132 is provided having a relatively straight longitudinally extending surface portion 134 which is adapted to be engaged by cam followers 126 and 128 so as to provide constant velocity motion . arcuate shaped surface portions 136 and 138 are provided at opposite ends of straight surface portion 134 and merge smoothly therewith . portions 136 and 138 are each adapted to engage cam followers 126 and 128 respectively so as to provide accelerating or decelerating motion depending upon the direction of movement of carriage assembly 108 . additional arcuate portions 140 and 142 merge smoothly with and extend from respective arcuate portions 136 and 138 and are adapted to engage corresponding cam followers 126 or 128 so as to provide dwell periods . arcuate portions 140 and 142 are both of a constant radius of curvature the radius being substantially equal to the distance between the axis of rotation of gear 114 and respective cam followers 126 and 128 . as illustrated in fig9 leg portion 124 of cam follower support arm 118 may be slightly longer than legs 120 and 122 and is provided with cam follower 130 which operates in a similar manner to that described above with reference to cam follower 58 to provide a steadying function during the dwell period . accordingly , constant radius of curvature camming surfaces 144 and 146 are provided spaced slightly outward from respective surfaces 136 , 140 and 138 , 142 . the operation of motion control apparatus 100 is very similar to that described above with reference to apparatus 10 . let us assume that carriage assembly 108 is in the dwell position illustrated in phantom in fig9 and about to begin movement to the left as seen therein . during the dwell period , that being the time during which cam follower 128 engages camming surface portion 142 , gear 114 will be in pure rotational movement without any linear motion thereby allowing movement of piston rod 104 and rack 110 to the left . as cam follower 128 moves into arcuate camming surface portion 138 , the pure rotational movement of gear 114 will decrease being supplanted by increasing or accelerating linear motion toward the left . when cam follower 126 moves into engagement with straight camming surface portion 134 , all rotational movement of gear 114 will have ceased thereby preventing any further relative movement of rack 110 and gear 114 and thus producing a period of constant linear velocity toward the left due to the continued retracting of piston rod 104 . as cam follower 126 moves into arcuate camming surface portion 136 , the pure linear motion of gear 114 will be caused to decrease or decelerate being supplanted by rotational movement of gear 114 which in turn allows continued linear motion of rack 110 . as cam follower 126 moves into camming surface portion 140 , all linear motion of gear 114 will cease and be totally supplanted by rotational movement with cam follower 130 moving into camming surface portion 144 so as to insure precise accurate positioning of a workpiece being moved thereby . as previously mentioned , the relative lengths of the camming surface portions may be varied to provide any desired combination of period durations . further , varying the diameter of gear 114 will also allow variances in the rate of acceleration / deceleration and length of dwell periods for a given rate of rack 110 . it should be noted , the length or rack 110 must be sufficient to insure continuous engagement with gear 114 throughout the periods of rotational movement of gear 114 which requires rack 110 to be equal to twice the length of the arc through which gear 114 rotates during a single deceleration / acceleration dwell period . while motion control apparatus 100 is illustrated employing a piston input drive arrangement , it should be noted that other linear drive arrangements may be easily substituted therefor . as illustrated in fig1 , a lead screw drive arrangement may be substituted therefor in which a rotating drive means 148 is drivingly connected to an elongated lead screw 150 which extends through and threadedly engages a cylindrical member 152 secured to input carriage assembly 108 &# 39 ;. thus rotation of lead screw 150 will cause longitudinal motion of carriage assembly in substantially the same manner as with piston 103 . thus , as is apparent the present invention provides a relatively simple mechanical motion control mechanism which provides beginning and ending dwell periods during which a driving force connected to the input shaft may be either shut down or otherwise disconnected therefrom without loss of proper positioning the workpiece being moved thereby . further , the mechanism of the present invention requires relatively few moving parts thereby increasing a reliability thereof while maintaining extreme flexibility in that the arc periods defining dwell portions as well as the length of the acceleration periods and constant velocity periods may be easily varied to provide any desired combination of dwell acceleration / deceleration and constant velocity periods during the motion . thus , the mechanical motion control mechanism of the present invention is uniquely adapted for transferring or otherwise moving articles into and out of machining apparatus or the like without subjecting the article being so moved to any jarring acceleration or deceleration forces as well as insuring that the articles are properly positioned in a desired location . while it will be apparent the the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed are well calculated to provide the advantages and features above stated , it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims . | 8 |
according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a comprehensive digital residential entertainment system can provide access to multimedia content over an in - home broadband data network coupled to a variety of information appliances . a primary broadband data network is implemented over twisted pair ( category 5 or better ) wiring in conjunction with ethernet switch technology operating , in an embodiment , at a minimum of 100 mbps . in general , twisted pair wiring is easier and cheaper to install than the coaxial wiring that is typically installed in homes to distribute video content . when used with ethernet switch technology , twisted pair wiring is capable of supporting the distribution of broadcast quality entertainment video , such as direct digital broadcast satellite tv or digital cable tv , as well as , simultaneously supporting a wide range of multimedia applications and services . within the digital residential entertainment system , the primary broadband data network can be supplemented and extended by the addition of plug - in modules for other lower bandwidth data networking technologies , such as home phoneline networking alliance ( homepna ) version 2 . 0 , homerf shared wireless access protocol ( home rf swap ), ieee 802 . 11 , bluetooth , and other similar technologies . for example , homepna version 2 . 0 allows for the multiplexing of 10 mbps of data over existing phone wiring in the home without interfering with analog telephony services operating over the same telephone wiring . homerf , ieee 802 . 11 and bluetooth are wireless data , or voice / data , technologies . within the digital residential entertainment system , homepna , homerf , ieee 802 . 11 and bluetooth can principally be used for transmitting lower bandwidth multimedia content , such as audio content , as opposed to entertainment quality audio - video transmitted over the primary broadband data network . as newer technology emerges that improves the performance characteristics of homepna and “ wireless ” technology , entertainment quality audio - video can be supported over what is defined today as lower bandwidth technologies . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the digital residential entertainment system is based on a client / server architecture . a core element of the system is a broadband multimedia gateway ( bmg ) that can operate both as a multimedia gateway and content server within a client / server architecture . it contains an ethernet switch that , in a typical embodiment , is capable of data communications of at least 100 mbps per switch port . the bmg can receive video , audio and other forms of multimedia content from a variety of broadcasts ( e . g ., direct digital broadcast satellite tv , digital cable tv , terrestrial broadcast analog and / or digital tv ), intranet , and internet sources . as used to describe embodiments of the present invention , the term “ multimedia ” encompasses video , audio , audio - video , text , graphics , facsimile , data , animation , and combinations thereof . the bmg can deliver multimedia content to a wide range of information appliances , such as digital televisions , computers , sound systems , electronic book displays , and graphical data tablets . a digital residential entertainment system can include a bmg that has multiple tuner / demodulators which receive broadcast multimedia content and send the received multimedia content to the ethernet switch of the bmg . for example , in an embodiment having multiple tuner / demodulators , each tuner / demodulator can be coupled to a respective switch port of the ethernet switch . in another embodiment , the multiple tuner / demodulators have a shared communication link to a switch port of the ethernet switch . upon receiving multimedia content , the bmg can transmit the multimedia content through the ethernet switch over the twisted pair data network to an information appliance ( e . g ., a thin - client digital set - top box , an audio system , a wireless mp3 player , or a wireless electronic device ), store the multimedia content for future access , or transmit and store coincidentally ( e . g ., simultaneously ). the bmg includes a mass storage device ( e . g ., a computer hard drive ) that can store multimedia content from broadcast sources , an intranet or the internet . in an embodiment , multimedia content can be stored in an encrypted format on the mass storage device . thin - client information appliances , such as digital stbs , can include decoding and / or deciphering capabilities . encryption of multimedia content can ensure that proprietary and / or copyrighted material is protected as it is transmitted across the residential broadband data network . conditional access systems (“ cas ”) using smartcard technology , such as those manufactured by nagracard s . a . of cheseaux , switzerland and nds group plc of the united kingdom , can be integrated in the entertainment system . the bmg can manage multiple demodulators / tuners to allow recording one or more broadcast programs while watching another broadcast program . a program that is being watched can also be recorded to provide a viewer of the program with the ability to control the playback of the program ( e . g ., the ability to pause , rewind , and so forth ). multimedia content that is stored on the bmg can be accessed from any of the information appliances on the broadband home network . in an embodiment , the bmg can include a web - server to support a structured , web browser - based user interface on each information appliance coupled to the bmg , such as digital stbs , audio systems , wireless mp3 players and wireless electronic books . for example , an infrared remote control and / or an optional wireless keyboard can communicate with a digital stb to interact with the web browser - based graphical user interface that is presented on an information appliance such as a tv screen . the web browser - based graphical user interface may be used to access broadcast and on - demand video and audio content and multimedia applications and services . because the enhanced functionality resides in the central bmg as opposed to peripheral thick - client digital stbs , a broad range of functionality , including record / store / playback of broadcast programs , video / audio on demand , interactive tv , web surfing , e - mail and electronic shopping , is accessible from every thin - client digital stb in the home . for example , to view broadcast video content , a consumer can use an infrared remote control to select the content that he or she wants to view by utilizing a broadcast program guide , a search function , entering a channel number , and so on . after the consumer makes a selection , the thin - client digital stb communicates with the bmg requesting that the digital multimedia content be delivered to the digital stb . when the consumer selects playing of a broadcast satellite television channel , for example , the bmg can tune a demodulator / tuner to the selected broadcast channel and begin streaming the selected mpeg video stream through the ethernet switch and over the twisted pair wiring to the digital stb where the video steam is decoded and displayed on the tv . service providers will be able to download multimedia content , such as movies , to the mass storage device of the bmg . the downloading can be accomplished using a broadband data service to the home , such as asymmetric digital subscriber line (“ adsl ”), or via a satellite direct multicast / broadcast service . in a movies - on - demand service , when a consumer wants to watch a movie , they would use their infrared remote control to access a web page on the bmg web server to determine what movies are currently stored on the bmg . after the consumer selects a movie for viewing , the bmg would begin streaming the selected movie out to the thin - client digital stb / tv for viewing . while viewing a movie - on - demand , a consumer would have playback control , such as play , pause , stop , rewind and fast forward . the consumer could also opt to purchase a personal copy of the movie . the copy could be stored on the bmg , or output to separate mass storage medium ( e . g ., written to a digital versatile disc ). audio content , such as an albums - on - demand service , could be implemented in a similar manner to allow playback and purchasing of audio content . the preferred embodiment of the digital residential entertainment system is to couple the bmg to a residential gateway , where the residential gateway is coupled to an always - on broadband data service , such as adsl or a fiber optic service . the bmg can be installed in homes without a residential gateway and / or a broadband data service . when the bmg is installed in homes without a broadband data service , the bmg can be coupled to a voiceband analog modem ( e . g ., a v . 90 modem ) coupled to an analog telephone line . the dial - up voiceband analog modem may be used to support maintenance , administration and billing applications ( e . g ., billing for movies - on - demand , music - on - demand ). as consumer data services offering significantly higher bandwidth to the home become available , such as fiber optical networks extending into the home , it will be possible to install a bmg , or a system with comparable functionality , outside of the home in a network - based platform . 1 . a common physical network in the home that supports the distribution of broadcast video , the distribution of audio , telephony networking , and broadband data networking , as opposed to using separate networks ; 2 . less expensively installed twisted pair wiring can be installed for the distribution of broadcast quality entertainment video content as compared to a discrete coaxial cable system for the distribution of broadcast quality entertainment video content ; 3 . a relatively consistent , easy - to - use , web - browser - based user interface can provide a user access to broadcast and on - demand video and audio content , as well as multimedia applications and services , on a range of information appliances ; 4 . consumer access to many enhanced services — such as video / audio on demand , interactive tv , web surfing , e - mail , electronic shopping and recording / storing / playback of broadcast programs — from each thin - client digital stb / tv in the home ; 5 . quality of service ( qos ) concerns associated with delivering multimedia content via an ethernet internet protocol ( ip ) can be addressed because each information appliance , such as a thin - client digital stb , is connected to a respective port on an ethernet switch that is operating at a speed of 100 mbps or higher . in an embodiment , each demodulator / tuner and the mass data storage device are also connected to a respective port on the ethernet switch ; and 6 . centralized functionality in the bmg and use of ethernet interfaces within a thin - client digital stbs that can reduce the complexity and cost of digital stbs . fig1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a bmg 100 includes a data switch 101 coupled to a tuner / demodulator 102 and a mass storage device 103 . as used to describe embodiments of the present invention , the term “ coupled ” encompasses a direct connection , an indirect connection , or a combination thereof . moreover , two devices that are coupled can engage in direct communications , in indirect communications , or a combination thereof . in an embodiment , the data switch 101 is an ethernet switch , such as a 100base - t ethernet switch . in another embodiment , the data switch 101 is a router . tuner / demodulator 102 can be coupled to one or more of a plurality of multimedia transmission systems , where each multimedia transmission system transmits a plurality of transmission signals ( e . g ., audio , video , television , data , etc .). examples of multimedia transmission systems include catv , direct broadcast satellite tv , direct broadcast satellite radio , terrestrial broadcast tv , terrestrial broadcast radio , and so forth . tuner / demodulator 102 can be coupled to a catv system ( e . g ., a headend of a catv system ) via communications link 32 ( e . g ., a coaxial cable ). a plurality of transmission signals from a direct broadcast satellite tv system including satellite 20 and satellite dish 21 can be received by tuner / demodulator 102 via communications link 22 . also , tuner / demodulator 102 can be coupled to a terrestrial broadcast tv system via transmitter 10 , antenna 11 , and communications link 12 . the plurality of transmission signals from the multimedia transmission systems can be transmitted over a plurality of information channels , such as , for example , frequency divided information channels , time divided information channels , code divided information channels , wave divided information channels , or dense wave divided information channels . a tuner of tuner / demodulator 102 can select an information channel of the plurality of information channels and pass a transmission signal to a demodulator of tuner / demodulator 102 . the demodulator of tuner / demodulator 102 can extract an information signal from the transmission signal . for example , a tuner can pass a transmission signal at a particular frequency to a demodulator , and the demodulator can extract the information signal from the transmission signal . in such an example , the transmission signal includes a carrier signal and an information signal . the information signal can be a discrete ( i . e ., singular ) information signal or a multiplexed , composite information signal . for example , a multiplexed , composite information signal may contain a plurality of information signals where discrete information signals are time - division multiplexed , frequency - division multiplexed , and / or code - division multiplexed . accordingly , tuner / demodulator 102 can include a plurality of tuners and / or demodulators to isolate an information signal that is multiply multiplexed ( e . g ., frequency - multiplexed and time - multiplexed ). the information signal can be an analog information signal or a digital information signal . when the information signal is an analog information signal , an analog - to - digital converter can convert the analog information signal to a digital information signal ( e . g ., a motion picture experts group 2 ( mpeg - 2 ) signal ). in an embodiment , a bmg can support multiple mpeg2 encoding sessions ( e . g ., two or more mpeg2 encoding sessions ) and handle overlay processing . an example of overlay processing is presenting mpeg2 or other digital information in a multiple layer format . in another embodiment , a service application running on a bmg system can support transparent layers such as , for example , overlaying a web page on top of a tv program image used for interactive tv services . tuner / demodulator 102 can send an information signal to mass storage device 103 . mass storage device 103 can be a hard disk drive , a magnetic storage device , an optical storage device , a magneto - optical storage device , or a combination thereof . the mass storage device 103 can store a digital information signal for subsequent playback and allows the bmg 100 to provide playback control ( e . g ., play , pause , rewind , fast forward , frame advance , etc .) of multimedia content ( e . g ., broadcast programs , movies , music , etc .). data switch 101 can receive a digital information signal from mass storage device 103 , another digital information signal from tuner / demodulator 102 , or a plurality of digital information signals from mass storage device 103 and / or tuner / demodulator 102 . in an embodiment , a bmg 100 includes a plurality of tuner / demodulators , each of which can provide a digital information signal to data switch 101 . in an embodiment , data switch 101 receives each digital information signal via a respective , dedicated switch port . for example , when mass storage device is capable of concurrently sending four information signals to switch 101 , switch 101 can include four dedicated switch ports , where each dedicated switch port receives one information signal via a dedicated communications path . moreover , when bmg 100 includes three tuner / demodulators , each tuner / demodulator can be coupled to a respective switch port of three switch ports of switch 101 such that each switch port receives one information signal . in another embodiment , data switch 101 can include a switch port coupled to a shared bus , where the shared bus carries a plurality of information signals . for example , dependant upon the data bandwidth requirements of the information signals and the data bandwidth capabilities of the shared bus and the switch port , the switch port may be able to receive four concurrent information signals . in an embodiment , data switch 101 can receive a digital multimedia information signal ( e . g ., audio , video text data , graphics , or a combination thereof ) via broadband data link 2 and residential gateway 5 . after receiving the digital information signal ( e . g ., from mass storage device 103 , from tuner / demodulator 102 ), data switch 101 can send the digital information signal to one or more of a plurality of information appliances coupled to the switch 101 . examples of information appliances that can receive a digital information signal include a digital set top box 300 , a television 40 ( e . g ., a television coupled to a digital set top box , a television including digital set top box functionality ), a computer 50 , an audio system 60 , an electronic book device 70 , an mp3 ( mpeg layer - 3 ) player 80 , an so on . information appliances can be coupled to the data switch 101 via a high bandwidth ( i . e ., broadband ) communication link 95 , a wired lower bandwidth communications link 96 , and / or a wireless lower bandwidth communications link 97 . examples of high bandwidth communications links 95 include cat 5 , cat 5e , cat 6 , or cat 7 twisted pair wiring . additional examples of high bandwidth communications links 95 include coaxial cable , optical fiber cable ( e . g ., oc - 3 cable ), and so forth . examples of a wired lower bandwidth communications links 96 include homepna version 2 . 0 compliant phoneline wiring coupled to a homepna port 141 , cat 3 twisted pair wiring , etc . examples of wireless lower bandwidth communications links 97 include a homerf communications link ( e . g ., generated at least in part by a homerf transceiver 142 ), an ieee 802 . 11 communications link ( e . g ., generated at least in part by an ieee 802 . 11 transceiver 143 ), a bluetooth communications link ( e . g ., generated by a bluetooth transceiver 144 ), and so on . in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , multiple information appliances can receive a digital information signal from data switch 101 . for example , a television program broadcast by a catv system can be received by bmg 100 , and bmg can send that television program to a plurality of televisions 40 and / or computer 50 such that a user at an information appliance views the television program in real - time . bmg 100 can also store that television program on mass storage device 103 so that a user can view the television program at a later time on one or more of the information appliances ( e . g ., televisions 40 and / or computer 50 ). data switch 101 can also allow one or more users to access a broadband data service including a broadband data link 2 . examples of a broadband data link 2 include an adsl link , a fiber optic link , and so on . a residential gateway 5 can interface communications between the broadband data service and the bmg 100 . residential gateway 5 , in an embodiment , includes an integrated adsl modem , a router and a firewall . it can be open services gateway initiative (“ osgi ”)- compliant . ( see www . osgi . org for additional osgi information ). data switch 101 can allow , for example , a user at computer 50 to access the world wide web ( the “ web ”) while another user accesses the web as part of a web - enhanced television service at a television 40 . fig2 is a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a broadband multimedia gateway . bmg 110 can include mass storage device 103 coupled to a data switch / router 105 . data switch / router 105 can be a 100base - t ethernet switch , a 10 / 100base - t ethernet switch , a gigabit ethernet switch , an atm router , and so forth . the data switch / router 105 can be coupled to signal processing circuit 120 . signal processing circuit 120 can include a plurality of tuners 121 and a plurality of demodulators 123 , where each demodulator 123 is coupled to a tuner 121 . each tuner can be coupled to one or more communications links , e . g ., communications links 12 , 22 , and 32 . when a communication link is coupled to a plurality of tuners 121 , a plurality of information signals ( e . g ., television programs , movies , audio , songs , albums , etc .) broadcast over a communications link can be sent to data switch / router 105 and / or mass storage device 103 to allow real - time viewing and / or playback control ( e . g ., viewing , playing , recording , pausing , etc .) of multiple information signals . for example , a viewer at a first television may view a first catv program , and another viewer at a second television may view a second catv program . further , a viewer can view a first catv program while a second catv program is recorded to the mass storage device . in an embodiment , each tuner 121 is coupled to the ethernet switch via a dedicated connection to the ethernet switch ( e . g ., a first tuner 121 is coupled to a first switch port of data switch / router 105 via a dedicated communications link 146 , a second tuner 121 is coupled to a second switch port of data switch / router 105 via another dedicated communication link ). in another embodiment , each tuner 121 is coupled to data switch / router 105 via a shared communications link , such as shared ethernet communications link 145 , or a shared system bus 135 . a shared system bus 135 can be coupled to signal processing circuit 120 for communications of control signals that can direct operation of tuners 121 , demodulators 123 , and other signal processing circuits and / or logic coupled to signal processing circuit 120 . for example , control signals communicated to signal processing circuit 120 can include instructions to tune a tuner to a particular information channel to receive a transmission signal . in an embodiment , control signals can control the operation of an analog - to - digital converter 125 that can receive an analog information signal ( e . g ., an national television standards committee ( ntsc ) tv signal ) and output a digital information signal based at least in part on the analog information signal ( e . g ., an mpeg - 2 digital information signal ). the signal processing circuit 120 can also be coupled to a decryption circuit / logic 127 that can decrypt and / or unscramble an encrypted and / or scrambled information signal , and a decoder 126 that can convert a digital information signal from one digital format to a second digital format . in a further embodiment , the decryption circuit / logic 127 is coupled to a smartcard reader 129 to support cas functionality . an information signal ( e . g ., an audio - video signal from a dvd device , an audio signal from a compact disc ( cd ) device , an audio - video signal from a video cassette recorder / player ( vcr ), and so forth ) can also be received by the bmg 110 via an auxiliary multimedia input 166 , which can be coupled to the data switch / router 105 via system bus 135 , via an ethernet communications link , etc . in an embodiment , information signals can be encrypted and / or decrypted by cipher / decipher logic 168 . cipher / decipher logic 168 can decrypt and / or encrypt information signals according to encryption / copy protection protocols such as an analog cps ( copy protection system ) ( e . g ., a macrovision protocol ), cgms ( copy guard management system ), css ( content scrambling system ), cppm ( content protection for prerecorded media ), cprm ( content protection for recordable media ), dcps ( digital copy protection system ), dtcp ( digital transmission content protection ), and so forth . an information signal received from the auxiliary multimedia input 166 can be stored — either encrypted or unencrypted — on the mass storage device 103 and / or sent to one or more information appliances coupled to data switch / router 105 . in a preferred embodiment , bmg 110 includes a processor 130 and a memory 131 , each coupled system bus 135 . processor 130 can be , for example , an intel pentium ® iii processor , manufactured by intel corp . of santa clara , calif . as another example , processor 130 can be an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ). memory 131 may be a random access memory ( ram ), a dynamic ram ( dram ), a static ram ( sram ), a volatile memory , a non - volatile memory , a flash ram , a cache memory , a hard disk drive , a magnetic storage device , an optical storage device , a magneto - optical storage device , or a combination thereof memory 131 of bmg 110 can store a plurality of instructions to control the operations of bmg 110 , such as program recording , program playback , pay - per - view , and so forth . in an embodiment , the operations of bmg 110 can be controlled at least in part via a web browser - based graphical user interface ( gui ) displayed to a user ( e . g ., displayed on a television ). in an embodiment , memory 131 can store web - server instructions such as gui instructions to provide a web browser - based gui to a user , bmg operation program instructions , pay - per - view management program instructions , and other instructions related to control and operation of the bmg 110 . web - server instructions can also provide web - enhanced television to televisions coupled to data switch / router 105 . in another embodiment , the bmg 110 includes a web - server 160 to provide a web browser - based gui to a user for control and operational purposes . information appliances can be coupled to data switch / router 105 via dedicated high bandwidth ethernet communications links 295 , each of which can be coupled to a respective switch port of data switch / router 105 . in an embodiment , each of ethernet communications links 295 is a cat 5 or better cable . high bandwidth ethernet communications links 295 can carry high bandwidth information signals ( e . g ., digital tv signals , mpeg - 2 information signals , hdtv signals , and other audio - video signals ). lower bandwidth information signals ( e . g ., audio , text , and so forth ) can be communicated over lower bandwidth communications links , which can be a dedicated lower bandwidth communication link 147 or a shared lower bandwidth communication link 140 . stream management logic and / or circuitry 150 can be coupled to data switch / router 105 . in an embodiment , the stream management 150 can include a port router , a multiplexer , and overlay processing logic . the port router can preserve quality of service ( qos ) delivery between end points in the home network ( e . g ., between tvs and the digital residential entertainment system ). the router ensures that the only digital signal sent on the unique network segment pertains to the established session between the designated end point devices . the multiplexer , in an embodiment , can synchronize multimedia of different source types such as tv programming and advertising material . for example , pertinent content can be synchronized based on the requirements of the service offering . the synchronized content can then sent over the internal bus structure of digital residential entertainment system to the overlay processor . the overlay processing logic can support superimposing one or more information signals ( e . g ., a second audio - video signal , a computer graphics signal ) over a first information signal ( e . g ., a first audio - video signal ). web - enhanced television and picture - in - a - picture ( pip ) functionality can utilize the overlay processing logic . bmg 110 can also include input / output logic and devices 137 . for example , input / output 137 can include one or more test ports such as a keyboard input , a mouse input , a universal serial bus ( usb ) input , a video graphics array ( vga ) output . peripherals ( e . g ., a keyboard , a mouse , a video monitor ) can be coupled to the test ports to assist with set - up , repair , maintenance and / or upgrading of bmg 110 . input / output 137 can also include a usb port that can be coupled to a printer , a recordable media device ( e . g ., a rewritable cd - rom drive (“ cd - rw ”), a rewritable dvd drive (“ dvd - ram ”), a flash memory device , and so on ), and so on . for example , printouts such as program settings , system configurations , and service charges can be printed via a usb port . information programs ( e . g ., television shows , movies , songs , multimedia , and so forth ) can be archived and / or copied to removable media ( e . g ., dvd , cd - rom ) to free up space on mass storage device 103 or provide for a portable version ( e . g ., a gift dvd , a cd - rom for a car audio player , etc .). input / output 137 can also include a smart card reader / writer that can in part control access to pay - per - view services , limit access to types of programs or channels , and support debug operations . smart cards are typically a credit card - sized card that contain a microprocessor , memory , and a battery . they can store electronic keys , user profiles , user identifiers , access rights , financial information , and other data . debug operations can be integrated as a base operation in the system service applications . only authorized and ultimately authenticated smart cards inserted into the entertainment system ( e . g ., into card reader 129 , coupled to input / output 137 ) can open locally accessible debug operations . “ consumer ” smart cards are authorized for services designed and developed for entertainment content delivery . thus , an embodiment of the present invention has real - time pay - per - view and multimedia delivery support . in a further embodiment , pay - per - view events can be authorized at least in part with a cas smartcard device . fig3 is an illustration of a thin - client digital set top box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . thin - client digital set top box ( tc dstp ) 300 can be coupled to a switch port of a data switch ( e . g ., a switch port of an ethernet switch ) via a dedicated high bandwidth communications link 95 . in another embodiment , a plurality of tc dstps 300 and a data switch can be coupled via a shared high bandwidth communications link . tc dstp 300 receives a digital information signal from the data switch and can output an audio and / or video signal to television 40 . television 40 can include a video display that displays video based at least in part on the video signal and audio components ( e . g ., speakers ) that output audio based at least in part on the audio signal . the audio signal can also be received by an audio system ( e . g ., a home theater system ) that produces audio of a better quality than the speakers of a typical television . tc dstb 300 can include an ethernet interface 310 when coupled to a bmg including an ethernet switch . when tc dstb 300 is coupled to a bmg having a different type of data switch supporting a different communications protocol ( e . g ., an atm router ), the tc dstb 300 can include a data switch interface compatible with that different type of data switch . tc dstb 300 can receive a digital information signal from the data switch and process the digital information signal for output as an audio and / or video signal . for example , tc dstb 300 can include decryption logic 320 coupled to the ethernet interface 310 via a bus 315 , and the decryption logic 320 can decrypt digital information signals that are sent by the data switch in an encrypted and / or protected format . decoder logic 325 can also be included in tc dstb 300 to convert a digital information signal from a first digital format ( e . g ., a transmission format , a compressed format ) to a second digital format ( e . g ., a display format ). operation of the tc dstb 300 can be controlled at least in part by processor 330 and memory 331 . an rf transceiver 333 of tc dstb 300 can receive from a remote control 305 remote data ( e . g ., remote control instructions , remote control data ) relating to operation and control of tc dstb 300 , such as instructions relating to playback control of information signals sent to tc dstb 300 and television 40 . remote control 305 can select programs to be displayed that are being transmitted by a catv system , a dbs tv system , a terrestrial tv system . playback control commands can be sent by remote control 305 to control playback of programs stored on mass storage device 103 . in an embodiment , remote control 305 can include keyboard and pointer functionality to facilitate web surfing and / or web - enhanced television . in an embodiment , tc dstb 300 controls the display of a web browser - based gui (“ wbb gui ”) on television 40 . the wbb gui can provide an interface for accessing multimedia applications and content , and the tc dstb 300 can control the display of the wbb gui based at least in part on user input received via remote 305 and program instructions and data stored in tc dstb 300 and / or a bmg coupled to the tc dstb 300 . for example , applications that can be executed based on the wbb gui and the remote 305 include a broadcast program guide ; broadcast tv viewing control ; broadcast audio listening control ; movies - on - demand ; audio - on - demand ; recording , storage and playback of broadcast programs ; interactive tv ; web - enhanced tv ; e - mail communications ; web surfing ; electronic surfing ; and so forth . fig6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention . a bmg 600 can include a plurality of buses to interconnect bmg components . for example , the plurality of buses can include a media bus 610 , a network bus 615 , and a system data bus 620 . media bus 610 can receive information signals ( e . g ., broadcast signals , multimedia signals , and so on ) from signal processing circuit 120 . in an embodiment , signal processing circuit 120 and media bus 610 are coupled via system cipher / dechiper logic 628 . system data bus 620 can be coupled to the media bus 610 to receive information signals ( e . g ., for storage on mass storage device 103 , for sending to information appliances , and so on ). in an embodiment , media bus 610 and system data bus 620 can be coupled to a video overlay processor 605 to support at least in part picture - in - picture operations , picture - in - graphic operations , and other video overlay operations . system data bus 620 can be coupled to data switch / router 105 via network bus 615 to receive information signals ( e . g ., real - time information signals ), overlayed information signals and stored information signals ( e . g ., stored on mass storage device 103 ). data switch / router 105 can be coupled to a plurality of high bandwidth communications links 95 for transmission of information signals to information appliances . fig4 shows an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention . a plurality of transmission signals are received ( e . g ., by a multichannel tuner ), and each transmission signal includes an information signal ( box 405 ). a first transmission signal of the plurality of transmission signals is selected ( e . g ., by the multichannel tuner ) ( box 410 ), and demodulated to isolate a first information signal ( box 415 ). whether the first information signal is to be viewed at a first information appliance is determined ( box 417 ). when the first information signal is to be viewed at a first information appliance , the first information signal is sent to a digital data switch ( box 420 ), and the digital data switch can send the first information signal to the first information appliance via a first broadband communications link coupled to the digital data switch ( box 425 ). whether the first information signal is to be viewed at a second information appliance is determined ( box 427 ). when the first information signal is to be viewed at a second information appliance , the digital data switch can send the first information signal to the second information appliance via a second broadband communications link coupled to the digital data switch ( box 430 ). whether the first information signal is to be record ( e . g ., for later playback , for playback control , to provide personal video recording (“ pvr ”) functionality , and so on ) is determined ( box 432 ). when the first information signal is to be recorded , it can be stored on a mass storage device ( box 435 ). in an embodiment , the first information signal is sent to the mass storage device via the digital data switch . in another embodiment , the first information signal is sent to the digital data switch via the mass storage device . in a further embodiment , the first information signal is sent to both the mass storage device and the digital data switch contemporaneously ( e . g ., in parallel , in serial ). the digital data switch receives an instruction to send a second information signal from the second information appliance via the second broadband communications link ( box 440 ), and sends the instruction to send a second information signal to a processor ( box 445 ). the processor sends a select second transmission instruction ( e . g ., to the multichannel tuner ) ( box 450 ). the second transmission signal of the plurality of transmission signals is selected ( e . g ., by the multichannel tuner ) ( box 455 ), and demodulated to isolate a second information signal ( box 460 ). the second information signal is sent to the digital data switch ( box 465 ), and the digital data switch sends the second information signal to the second information appliance via the second broadband communications link ( box 470 ). in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , a service provider can download multimedia content items ( e . g ., movies , television programs , songs , albums , and so forth ) to a multimedia - on - demand device (“ modd ”) including a mass storage device that can store received multimedia content . in an embodiment , a modd can be part of a bmg that includes a plurality of tuner / demodulators and a data switch . multimedia content downloading can be accomplished using a broadband data service , such as adsl , a satellite direct multicast / broadcast service , a cable television service , a digital cable television service , a terrestrially broadcast television service , a wireless broadband data service , a wired broadband data service , and so on . downloaded multimedia content items are stored on the mass storage device of the modd . each stored multimedia content item can be identified by a multimedia content item identifier , and use of the multimedia content item ( e . g ., playback , purchase of a copy , licensing of a copy , etc .) can be indicated by a multimedia content item usage indicator . usage of the multimedia content item can be reported to the multimedia - on - demand service provider (“ modsp ”) by transmitting a usage message to the modsp . for example , a usage message can be based at least in part on the multimedia content item usage indicator and report that a subscriber viewed a movie , listened to a song , copied an album to non - volatile medium ( e . g ., a recordable cd - rom , a recordable dvd ). a modd , in an embodiment , can automatically receive multimedia content items from a modsp , where the modsp downloads a plurality of multimedia content items without a user selecting or requesting the downloading of a particular multimedia content item . in an embodiment in which a modsp offers a pay - per - view movie service , a user can opt to receive the pay - per - view service ( e . g ., subscribe to the service ) or may receive the pay - per - view service because it is a system default service that each user receives as part of using the system ( e . g ., it is a bundled component of a digital cable service , a direct broadcast satellite television service , and so on ). but the user need not select or direct the downloading of an individual multimedia content item . the modsp can , however , automatically send the plurality of multimedia content items based on a subscriber profile or a system profile , and the user can modify or update such profiles ( e . g ., to select a particular genre of movies , music , content , and so on ). for example , in an embodiment in which a modsp offers a pay - per - view service , the modsp can automatically download each of the top ten movie rentals for a given week to a modd of a user . aside from perhaps subscribing to such a “ top ten movies ” service , a user need not individually indicate or order that one of the “ top ten movies ” be downloaded . to access the automatically downloaded content , the user can instruct the modd to display a listing of the “ top ten movies ” that are stored on the mass storage device of the modd and select one for playback . the modsp can update the “ top ten movies ” by downloading a new movie to the modd to replace one of the previously stored movies ( e . g ., by indicating that one of the previously stored movies is to be deleted , by storing the new movie in the storage position of one of the previously stored movies , by updating a data table that indexes the stored movies , etc .). in another embodiment , a modsp can automatically download each of the top 40 singles or albums of a particular music genre . the top 40 lineup can be updated daily , weekly , monthly , or at another desired time interval . a user can modify a subscriber profile to identify the genre of multimedia content items that are to be automatically downloaded ( e . g ., county & amp ; western music , action movies , pop singles , new releases , etc .). a modd can store the downloaded multimedia content items on a mass storage device . it can include a data table to indicate which multimedia content items are locally stored and the usage status of each of the multimedia content items . for example , fig5 shows a data table in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . a modd can include a data table 500 ( e . g ., stored on a mass storage device , stored in non - volatile memory , etc .) data table 500 can include a plurality of data records 501 . each data record 501 can correspond to a multimedia content item stored on the mass storage device . in an embodiment , each data record 501 of data table 500 includes a multimedia content item identifier field 505 to store a multimedia content item identifier ( e . g ., a movie title , a movie identification code , a movie filename , a song title , an album title , and so on ), and a multimedia content item type indicator field 510 to store a multimedia content item type indicator ( e . g ., audio - video , audio , television program , movie , animation , presentation , graphics , text , etc .) data record 501 , in an embodiment , can include multimedia content item usage indicator fields 520 and 530 that can each store an indicator as to whether the corresponding multimedia content item has been used . for example , multimedia content item usage indicator field 520 can store an indication regarding whether the corresponding multimedia content item has been played ( e . g ., played for viewing , played for listening ), and multimedia content item usage indicator field 530 can store an indication as to whether the corresponding multimedia content item has been purchased ( e . g ., copied to a portable non - volatile storage medium such as a recordable cd - rom or dvd , sent to an information appliance that can store the multimedia content item , changed from a temporary file to a permanent file resident on the mass storage device , copied to a separate mass storage device for archival purposes , etc .). in another embodiment , a multimedia content item usage indicator field can store one or more multimedia content item usage indicators corresponding to the multimedia content item ( e . g ., an indicator that the item has not been played or purchased , that the item was purchased , that the item was licensed , and so forth ). in an embodiment , the cost of playback and / or purchase can vary based on the particular multimedia content item , and cost fields 515 and 525 can respectively store the cost of playback ( e . g ., cost of viewing , cost of listening ) and cost of purchase ( e . g ., cost of ownership , cost of a type of license , and so on ). in an embodiment , a modd can be part of a bmg that includes a data switch and is coupled to a plurality of information appliances via a plurality of broadband data links . a user at an information appliance of the plurality of information appliances can use a wireless infrared or rf remote control to access a bmg - generated web page to determine what multimedia content items are currently stored on the modd / bmg . after the consumer sends a usage instruction ( e . g ., playback instruction ), the modd / bmg can direct usage of the multimedia content item ( e . g ., begin streaming the selected multimedia content item to the information appliance ). usage information relating to the selected multimedia content item can be written to a data table 500 . periodically , data table 500 can be used to generate a usage message that is sent to the modsp for customer billing purposes , customer monitoring purposes , account processing , etc . for example , the usage message can be sent each evening in the middle of the night via a dial - up data connection , after each modification of the data table via a dedicated data connection , and so forth . in an embodiment in which the modd / bmg is coupled to an always on data service , a usage message can be automatically sent immediately following a user purchase . in an embodiment of the present invention , multimedia content items are sent to a modd at a transmission rate that is different than the playback rate of the multimedia content item . known pay - per - view services transmit television programs ( e . g ., movies , sporting events , etc .) at a real - time rate where the rate of playback is the same as the transmission rate . embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide for transmission of multimedia content items at rates that are lesser and greater than a playback rate because the multimedia content items are to be stored on a mass storage device . for example , multimedia content items can be automatically downloaded at high speed during a period of the day when a data network typically has fewer data demands ( e . g ., in the middle of the night ). also , multimedia content items can be automatically downloaded at lower speeds ( e . g ., at one - quarter of the playback rate , at one - tenth of the playback rate , at one - fiftieth of the playback rate ) based on network data demands , or network bandwidth constraints . for example , a 120 minute movie at an mpeg2 encoded rate of 3 . 5 mb / s can comprise a 3 . 15 gigabyte data file , and known adsl services can provide down stream data transmission rates of 1 . 5 mbps . downloading the 120 minute movie over such an adsl line can take approximately 4 . 7 hours , and the downloading of the 120 minute to a modd can be automatically performed in the middle of the night . subsequently , a user can request that the movie be played back to an information appliance at the playback rate ( e . g ., real - time ). in another embodiment of the present invention , the modd can indicate that a multimedia content item is available for playback prior to storing the entirety of the multimedia content item . for example , a multimedia content item can have a 2 hour playback time and comprise a 2 gigabyte data file . when the modd receives the movie at an average transmission rate of , for example , 444 kbps , it can require approximately 10 hours total to receive the entirety of the multimedia content item . when playback rate of the multimedia content item is relatively smooth and the remaining amount of time required to complete the download is less than the playback time of the multimedia content item , the modd can indicate that the multimedia content item is available for playback . thus , when the downloading of the multimedia content item began at noon , for example , and would not be complete until 10 : 00 p . m ., the modd can nevertheless indicate that the multimedia content item is available for playback beginning at 8 : 00 p . m . a modsp , in an embodiment of the present invention , can access a subscriber profile to determine which particular multimedia content items are to be automatically downloaded to a modd . in an embodiment , a subscriber profile is a system default profile where each subscriber receives the same content . in another embodiment , a subscriber profile allows a subscriber to specify the types of multimedia content items that will be automatically downloaded to a modd of the subscriber . for example , a subscriber can indicate that he would like to have the top ten movie rentals downloaded and stored on his modd . each time that top ten movie lineup changes ( e . g ., daily , weekly , biweekly , monthly , etc ), the new movies can be automatically downloaded to the modd and the movies that are no longer in the top ten movie lineup can be removed ( e . g ., deleted , overwritten , de - indexed , etc .) from the modd . in an embodiment , a modsp automatically sends a multimedia content item identifier with each multimedia content item that is sent to the modd . the modd can then store the multimedia content item on a mass storage device and the multimedia content identifier in a data table that can track usage , if any , of the multimedia content item . a modsp can also send a multimedia content item storage position identifier for each multimedia content item . the multimedia content item storage position identifier can specify a logical storage position for a multimedia content item . for example , in a top five movies - on - demand service , the multimedia content item storage position identifier can specify whether a particular movie is number 1 , number 3 , number 5 , and so forth . when the movie lineup changes ( e . g ., the rankings of the movies are reordered ), new multimedia content item storage position identifiers can be downloaded for the multimedia content items already stored on the modd . for example , table 1 shows a top five movie lineup , where each of movies a , c , r , e , and s are stored on a modd . table 2 shows that when the movie lineup changes ( as compared to table 1 ) without the addition of any new movie , the storage position identifiers can be updated ( e . g ., via downloading ). table 3 shows that when the movie lineup changes ( as compared to table 2 ) with the addition of one or more new movies : a new multimedia content item can be automatically downloaded with a multimedia content identifier and a multimedia content item storage position identifiers ; and / or an old multimedia content item can be removed ( e . g ., overwritten , deleted , evicted from an index , etc .). in an embodiment , a multimedia content item identifier is a composite multimedia content item identifier / multimedia content item storage position identifier . in another embodiment , a plurality of multimedia - on - demand services are supported by a modd . for example , a modd stores a plurality of movies - on - demand lineups ( e . g ., top action movies , top comedy movies ) and a plurality of audio - on - demand lineups ( e . g ., top alternative albums , top country albums , top 40 singles ), and the multimedia content item storage position identifiers can be coded to identify a particular multimedia - on - demand lineup ( e . g ., ma 1 , ma 2 , ma 3 correspond to three movies of a first movie lineup , mb 1 , mb 2 , mb 3 , correspond to three movies of a second movie lineup ). in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method are stored on a computer - readable medium . the computer - readable medium can be a device that stores digital information . for example , a computer - readable medium includes a cd - rom as is known in the art for storing software . the computer - readable medium is accessed by a processor suitable for executing instructions adapted to be executed . the terms “ adapted to be executed ” and “ instructions to be executed ” are meant to encompass any instructions that are ready to be executed in their present form ( e . g ., machine code ) by a processor , or require further manipulation ( e . g ., compilation , decryption , or provided with an access code , etc .) to be ready to be executed by a processor . in an embodiment of the present invention , a user at any appliance through a web - based graphical user interface can instruct the processor to record any broadcast program onto mass storage for subsequent viewing and / or listening from a multiplicity of appliances . the user can choose to have the broadcast program recorded once or every time that the program is broadcast . systems and methods in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein can advantageously provide a digital residential entertainment system . in an embodiment , a digital residential entertainment system can provide access to multimedia content over an in - house broadband data network that is coupled to a data switch , a mass storage device and a variety of information appliances . the broadband data network can include category 5 or better twisted pair wiring that can support the distribution of broadcast video , multimedia - on - demand services , broadcast audio , web surfing , and other multimedia applications and services . in an embodiment of the present invention , multimedia - on - demand services can be provided by automatic downloading of multimedia content items to a mass storage device . a user can select usage ( e . g ., playing , purchasing ) of the locally - stored multimedia content items , and that usage can be reported to the multimedia - on - demand service provider . embodiments of systems and methods for multimedia - on - demand services have been described . in the foregoing description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it will be appreciated , however , by one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , structures and devices are shown in block diagram form . furthermore , one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the specific sequences in which methods are presented and performed are illustrative and it is contemplated that the sequences can be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention . in the foregoing detailed description , systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments . accordingly , the present specification and figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive . | 7 |
a flow medium is to be understood to mean a layer which allows a higher flow speed for resin than the fiber reinforcement layers do . the flow medium enables high volume flow of resin through the flow medium . as the composite structures to be produced become larger and longer , higher volumes of resin have to be distributed along the length of the mold . the flow medium enables a higher speed of resin delivery as the flow channel has an open cross section , i . e ., there are no obstacles inside in the flow channel reducing the flow speed of the resin inside the flow channel . the flow medium may comprise at least one flow channel having non - porous wall ( s ) to enable optimization of the resin distribution throughout the mold . the non - porous flow channel promotes resin flow in the longitudinal direction of the flow channel . the flow medium may comprise at least one porous flow channel to enable optimization of the resin distribution throughout the mold . the porous flow channel promotes resin flow in the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel . part of the resin is distributed through the porous wall of the flow channel . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the porous flow channel enables distribution of resin in directions other than the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel , such as for example perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel . the flow medium allows processing of resins having a higher viscosity . the number and distribution of porous flow channels and / or flow channels having non - porous wall ( s ) in the flow medium can be varied to optimize the delivery and distribution of resin over the surface to be impregnated by the resin . the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably a porous flow channel ( s ), may have any cross sectional shape to optimize the resin distribution through the mold . the cross sectional shape of a flow channel may for example be irregular , triangular , rectangular , pentagonal or round . the cross sectional shape of the flow channels is preferably round to minimize flow resistance in the flow channel . the cross sectional area of a flow channel , which is preferably a porous flow channel , may vary widely depending on the volume flow of resin to be distributed through the mold . the cross sectional area of the flow channels may be in the range of 0 . 5 to 250 mm 2 , preferably 1 to 200 mm 2 , more preferably 10 to 175 mm 2 , even more preferably 50 to 160 mm 2 , most preferably 75 to 150 mm 2 . the cross sectional shape and / or cross sectional area of a flow channel , which is preferably a porous flow channel , may vary along the longitudinal direction of the flow channel to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . the flow channel , which is preferably a porous flow channel , can be made from a wide variety of materials . the choice of material for a flow channel will generally depend on the compatibility with the type of resin used in the vartm process , costs and / or availability . the flow channels may be made from a flexible material to accommodate for complex shapes of the composite structure to be produced . preferably , the flow channels are made from a polyolefin polymer , more preferably from polypropylene or polyethylene . the porous flow channel may be a perforated tube . the size distribution , number and / or spatial distribution of the perforations in a perforated tube in relation to the cross sectional area and / or shape of the perforated tube can be used to optimize the ratio of the amount of resin flowing in the longitudinal direction of the perforated tube and the amount of resin exiting the porous flow channel through the perforations in the perforated tube . the size distribution of the perforations , the number of perforations and / or the spatial distribution of the perforations in a perforated tube may vary along the longitudinal direction of the perforated tube to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . the porous flow channel may be a spiral tube . a spiral tube is a tube which has been cut in a helical manner . the helical cut may be made in a continuous or discontinuous manner . the width of the helical cut and / or the pitch of the helical cut in a spiral tube in relation to the cross sectional area and / or shape of the spiral tube can be used to optimize the ratio of the amount of resin flowing in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube and the amount of resin exiting the flow channel through the helical cut in the spiral tube . the width and / or pitch of the helical cut in a spiral tube may vary along the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . when the helical cut is made in a discontinuous manner , the length of the cuts and / or the length of the non - cut sections of the helical cut can additionally be varied to optimize the ratio of the amount of resin flowing in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube and the amount of resin exiting the flow channel through the helical cut in the spiral tube . the length of the cuts and / or the length of the non - cut sections of the helical cut in the spiral tube may vary along the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . when the helical cut is made in a continuous manner , the spiral tube may additionally be elongated in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube to widen the opening of the cut to increase the amount of resin exiting the flow channel through the helical cut in the spiral tube . the flow medium may comprise more than one flow channel to increase the volume flow of resin and / or to optimize the resin distribution in the mold . each flow channel is selected from a porous flow channel and a flow channel having non - porous wall ( s ). the properties as described above for each of the flow channels in the flow medium may vary independently from the other flow channels in the flow medium to optimize the delivery and distribution of resin in the mold . the at least one layer of fibrous material of the flow medium enables that the resin exiting the porous flow channel through the porous wall is distributed further to the desired areas in the mold . handling and placing of individual flow channels , which are preferably porous flow channels , in a mold can be problematic and time consuming . removal of individual flow channels from the mold after molding can be difficult . the flow medium having at least one layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) facilitates easier placement in and subsequent removal of the flow channel ( s ) from the mold . when the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium faces the thin flexible membrane in a vartm process , the membrane being put on top of the flow medium , the flow medium prevents puncture of the thin membrane , for example by the fibers of the fiber reinforcement layers , by the flow channel ( s ) or by an additional layer of flow medium . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) prevents masking off of the porous wall ( s ) of the porous flow channels by the membrane upon application of the vacuum , thereby securing a higher resin flow exiting through the porous wall of the porous flow channel . when the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium faces the fiber reinforcement layers in a vartm process , the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium prevents an unwanted imprint of the flow channel ( s ). the layer of fibrous material encapsulates the one or more flow channels , which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), of the flow medium . the flow channel ( s ) is / are spatially confined in the layer of fibrous material . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) may additionally be physically attached to the flow channels by any known manner , such as for example by thermal bonding , mechanical bonding and / or adhesive bonding . the encapsulating layer of fibrous material prevents the porous flow channel ( s ) from being masked off by the membrane upon application of the vacuum , allowing the porous flow channels to fully function as a resin delivery and distribution device . the encapsulation of the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), by the layer of fibrous material enables easy placement and removal of the flow channel ( s ) in the mold . when some or all of the porous flow channels in the flow medium are spiral tubes having a helical cut made in a continuous manner and are physically attached to the layer of fibrous material , the spiral tubes can be fixated at the desired degree of elongation in order to adjust the amount of resin exiting from the porous flow channels through the helical cut of the spiral tube . preferably , the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium encapsulating one or more flow channels , which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), has at least the same thickness as the flow channel having the highest thickness of all the flow channels in the flow medium . preferably , the thickness of the layer of fibrous material is at least 0 . 5 mm higher , more preferably at least 1 mm higher , even more preferably at least 1 . 5 mm higher , most preferably at least 2 mm higher , than the thickness of the flow channel having the highest thickness of all the flow channels in the flow medium . the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium encapsulating the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), may be any type of fibrous material , such as for example a woven , a nonwoven , such as for example a drylaid web of staple fibers or a spunbond nonwoven , a knitted fabric , or a three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments . preferably , the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) has two main surfaces , defined by the length and width of the flow medium , wherein the two main surfaces are oriented plane parallel to each other to facilitate easy handling and installation of the flow medium , such as for example during winding on and unwinding from a roll . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), can be made from a wide variety of materials . the optimum choice of material for the layer of fibrous material will generally depend on the compatibility with the material of which the flow channels are made , the type of resin used in the vartm process , costs and / or availability . preferably , the layer of fibrous material is made from a polyolefin or a polyamide polymer , more preferably from polypropylene or polyamide 6 . preferably , the layer of fibrous material of the flow medium is a three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments , thermally bonded at their crossing points and having a high void volume to ensure high volume resin flow in directions other than the longitudinal direction of the flow channels , especially in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flow channels and / or in the plane of the layer of fibrous material . the void volume of the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may be at least 50 vol . %, preferably at least 75 vol . %, more preferably at least 85 vol . %, even more preferably at least 90 vol . %, most preferably at least 95 vol . %. the thickness of the filaments in the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may be in the range of 0 . 1 to 2 . 5 mm , preferably in the range of 0 . 15 to 2 . 0 mm , more preferably in the range of 0 . 2 to 1 . 5 mm , even more preferably in the range of 0 . 25 to 1 . 2 mm , most preferably in the range of 0 . 25 to 0 . 75 mm . the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may be shaped in any desired three - dimensional form , such as for example in a series of hills and valleys either being spaced apart by a specified distance or abutted to each other and either being placed in parallel lines or in a staggered formation , or in a series of hemispheres either being spaced apart by a specified distance or abutted to each other and either being placed in parallel lines or in a staggered formation . the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may comprise positive and / or negative cuspates , cups or waffles either being spaced apart by a specified distance or abutted to each other and either being placed in parallel lines or in a staggered formation . alternatively , the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may comprise a series of pyramids , either being spaced apart by a specified distance or abutted to each other and either being placed in parallel lines or in a staggered formation . the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments preferably comprises u - and / or v - grooves , preferably extending in machine direction and / or cross machine direction , which enables easy incorporation of the one or more flow channels , which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), into the three - dimensional mat of extruded filaments . the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments may also comprise any combination of hills and valleys , hemispheres , positive and / or negative cuspates , cups or waffles , pyramids and / or u - and v - grooves . preferably , the three - dimensional form of the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments is such that the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments has two main surfaces , defined by the length and width of the flow medium , which are oriented plane parallel to each other . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a series of hills and valleys , the tops of the hills are located in the plane of the first main surface and the bases of the valleys are located in the plane of the second main surface . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a series of hemispheres , the tops of the hemispheres are located in the plane of the first main surface and the base surfaces of the hemispheres are located in the plane of the second main surface . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a series of pyramids , the tops of the pyramids are located in the plane of the first main surface and the base surfaces of the pyramids are located in the plane of the second main surface . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a u - and / or v - grooves , the tops of the u - and / or v - grooves are located in the plane of the first main surface and the base surfaces of the u - and / or v - grooves are located in the plane of the second main surface . when the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments comprises a cuspates , cups and / or waffles , the tops of the cuspates , cups or waffles are located in the plane of the first main surface and the base surfaces of the cuspates , cups or waffles are located in the plane of the second main surface . machine direction is to be understood as the direction in which the three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments is produced , generally being defined by the largest dimension of the flow medium . the machine direction is also called the length of the flow medium . cross machine direction is to be understood as the direction perpendicular to the machine direction in the plane of the main surface of the flow medium . the cross machine direction is also called the width of the flow medium . the flow medium may comprise one or more additional layers . each of the additional layers may be a film or a layer of fibrous material , such as a woven , a two - dimensional grid or scrim , a nonwoven or a three - dimensional entangled mat of extruded filaments . each of the additional layers may be physically attached to the at least one layer of fibrous material and / or another additional layer of the flow medium by any known manner , such as for example by thermal bonding , mechanical bonding and / or adhesive bonding . an additional layer , attached to the at least one layer of fibrous material of the flow medium , may for example form a protective layer to prevent that fibers from the at least one layer of fibrous material puncture the thin flexible membrane in the vartm process . an additional layer may for example provide a smooth surface layer to prevent that fibers from the at least one layer of fibrous material or the flow channels , which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), leave an unwanted imprint on the surface of the resin impregnated composite structure . such an additional layer may be removable from the flow medium , i . e ., releasably attached to the flow medium , to provide flexibility to the composite structure manufacturer who might not need the smooth surface layer for a particular mold and / or lay - up design . an additional layer may extend past the edges of the flow medium to protect the thin flexible membrane from puncture from the edges of the flow medium and / or to retard the flow of resin out through the edges of the flow medium , promoting resin flow in the longitudinal direction of the composite part under construction . an additional layer may for example provide increased strength and / or dimensional stability to the flow medium , which facilitates easier placement and subsequent removal of the flow medium in the mold . the flow medium preferably has a thickness in the range of 1 to 20 mm , for example in order to enable sufficient flow of resin through the mold . the flow medium has sufficient resistance against the compression forces of the vartm process while providing sufficient free volume to provide high volume resin delivery at high resin flow rates . the flow medium may exhibit a compressive force yield point above which the flow medium may collapse . when an increased vacuum is applied after completion of the resin transfer through the mold in the vartm process , the flow medium may collapse due to increased compression forces and resin entrapped in the flow medium is forced out of the flow medium in essentially a flushing action , thus reducing the amount of retained , and subsequently wasted resin . the further object of the invention is achieved by a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process for manufacturing composite articles comprising the steps of supplying a hard surface mold , placing at least one fiber reinforcement layer in the hard surface mold , placing a membrane on top of the at least one fiber reinforcement layer to form a closed mold and applying a vacuum to draw resin into the closed mold wherein the inventive flow medium as described above is placed between the at least one fiber reinforcement layer and the membrane . the vartm process enables manufacture of composite articles at increased productivity as the inventive flow medium in the vartm process provides high volume flow of resin and / or higher speed of resin delivery as the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), has / have an open cross section through the mold thereby reducing the time required for distributing the resin in the mold . the vartm process enables manufacture of composite articles having improved quality as the inventive flow medium in the vartm process enables optimization of the resin distribution in the mold . the flow channel ( s ), which is / are preferably porous flow channel ( s ), promote ( s ) resin flow in the longitudinal direction of the flow channel ( s ) and / or the porosity of the flow channel ( s ) can be adjusted to promote resin flow in directions other than the longitudinal direction of the channel ( s ). in the vartm process , higher viscosity resins can be processed as the inventive flow medium allows processing of resins having a higher viscosity . the flow medium as described above may also be used in an irrigation system , such as for example to irrigate natural grass surfaces such as natural playing fields , to wet artificial turf surfaces or to irrigate green roofs . the flow medium enables optimized distribution of a fluid such as water , optionally comprising nutrients and / or insecticides , over the surface to be irrigated . preferably , the flow medium used as an irrigation system comprises one or more porous flow channels as described above . the layer of fibrous material encapsulating the porous flow channel ( s ) enables distribution of fluid in directions other than the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel , such as for example perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the porous flow channel . the distribution of porous flow channels and / or flow channels having non - porous wall ( s ) in the flow medium may be optimized to distribute the water over the surface to be irrigated , especially for inclined surfaces . in addition , the cross sectional area of each one of the flow channels may be varied along the longitudinal direction of the flow channel to optimize the distribution of water over the surface to be irrigated . when a porous flow channel is a perforated tube , the size distribution , number and / or spatial distribution of the perforations in a perforated tube in relation to the cross sectional area and / or shape of the perforated tube can additionally be used to optimize the ratio of the amount of water flowing in the longitudinal direction of the perforated tube and the amount of water exiting the porous flow channel through the perforations in the perforated tube . when a porous flow channel is a spiral tube , the width of the helical cut and / or the pitch of the helical cut in a spiral tube in relation to the cross sectional area and / or shape of the spiral tube can likewise be used to optimize the ratio of the amount of water flowing in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube and the amount of water exiting the flow channel through the helical cut in the spiral tube . the flow medium having a layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) facilitates easier placement and removal of the flow channel ( s ) over the surface to be irrigated . the flow medium as described above may also be used in a heating or cooling system , for example to regulate the temperature in a room or a building , for example by placing the flow medium in the wall ( s ) and / or floor of the room or building . alternatively , the temperature in a room or a building can be regulated by placing the flow medium in the roof structure and / or on the roof of the building , for example beneath a green roof . the flow medium enables optimized distribution of a fluid , for example hot or cold water or a hot gaseous medium such as steam , throughout the surface to be heated or cooled . preferably , the flow medium used as a heating or cooling system comprises one or more flow channels having non - porous wall ( s ) to prevent damage to the construction of the walls , floor or roof . the flow medium having a layer of fibrous material encapsulating the flow channel ( s ) facilitates easier placement and removal of the flow channel ( s ) in and / or on the surface to be heated or cooled . the flow medium makes the time consuming installation of individual flow channels in the surface to be heated or cooled , such as for example in a wall , redundant . the flow channel can be made from a wide variety of materials . the choice of material for a flow channel will generally depend on the compatibility with the type of fluid used in order to heat or cool the surface , costs and / or availability . the flow channels may for example be made from a metal to withstand the pressure of a gaseous medium such as steam . the flow channels may be made from a flexible material to accommodate for complex shapes of the surface to be heated or cooled . preferably , the flow channels are made from a polyolefin polymer , more preferably from polypropylene or polyethylene . | 1 |
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . for purposes of clarity , the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements . as used herein , the term “ module ” refers to an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), an electronic circuit , a processor ( shared , dedicated , or group ) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs , a combinational logic circuit , or other suitable components that provide the described functionality . referring to fig1 , an exemplary vehicle 10 may include an engine assembly 12 , a hybrid power assembly 14 , a transmission 16 , a driveline assembly 18 , an exhaust assembly 20 , and a control module 22 . the engine assembly 12 may include an internal combustion engine 24 having a crankshaft 26 rotationally driven by pistons 28 , an intake manifold 30 providing an air flow to the engine 24 and exhaust manifolds 32 , 34 receiving exhaust gas exiting the engine 24 . the hybrid power assembly 14 may include an electric motor 36 and a rechargeable battery 38 . the electric motor 36 and the rechargeable battery 38 may form a drive mechanism for the hybrid power assembly 14 . the motor 36 may be in electrical communication with the battery 38 to convert power from the battery 38 to mechanical power . the motor 36 may additionally be powered by the engine 24 and operated as a generator to provide power to charge the battery 38 . the hybrid power assembly 14 may be incorporated into and engaged with the transmission 16 . alternatively , the hybrid power assembly 14 may be external to the transmission 16 . the driveline assembly 18 may include an output shaft 40 and a drive axle 42 . the motor 36 may be coupled to the output shaft 40 via the transmission 16 to power rotation of the drive axle 42 . the engine 24 may be coupled to the transmission 16 via a coupling device 44 . the coupling device 44 may include a friction clutch or a torque converter . the transmission 16 may use the power from the engine 24 and / or the motor 36 to drive the output shaft 40 and power rotation of the drive axle 42 . the vehicle 10 may be operable in a variety of modes depending on power requirements . in a first operating mode , the engine 24 may be decoupled from the transmission 16 and the electric motor 36 may drive the output shaft 40 . in a second operating mode , the crankshaft 26 may drive the output shaft 40 through combustion within the engine 24 . in the second operating mode , the engine 24 may drive the output shaft 40 by itself or in combination with the electric motor 36 . in a third operating mode , the engine 24 may drive the electric motor 36 to charge the battery 38 and may drive the output shaft 40 . the exhaust assembly 20 may include an air injection assembly 46 , an exhaust conduit 48 , an electrically heated catalyst ( ehc ) 50 , an additional catalyst 52 , first and second oxygen sensors 54 , 56 and first and second temperature sensors 58 , 60 . the air injection assembly 46 may include an air pump 62 and an air injection conduit 63 in fluid communication with the air pump 62 and the exhaust manifolds 32 , 34 . the exhaust conduit 48 may provide fluid communication between the exhaust manifolds 32 , 34 and the ehc 50 and the additional catalyst 52 . the ehc 50 may be located upstream of the additional catalyst 52 . the ehc 50 may be powered by the battery 38 . the additional catalyst 52 may include a three - way catalyst . the first and second oxygen sensors 54 , 56 may be in communication with an exhaust gas flow upstream of the ehc 50 . more specifically , the first oxygen sensor 54 may be located in the exhaust conduit 48 proximate the outlet of the exhaust manifold 32 and the second oxygen sensor 56 may be located in the exhaust conduit 48 proximate the outlet of the exhaust manifold 34 . the first and second oxygen sensors 54 , 56 may be in communication with the control module 22 and may provide signals thereto indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas exiting the engine 24 . the first temperature sensor 58 may be coupled to the ehc 50 and may be in communication with the control module 22 , providing a signal to the control module 22 indicative of the temperature of the ehc 50 . the second temperature sensor 60 may be coupled to the additional catalyst 52 and may be in communication with the control module 22 . the second temperature sensor 60 may provide a signal to the control module 22 indicative of the temperature of the additional catalyst 52 . the control module 22 may additionally be in communication with the air pump 62 and the hybrid power assembly 14 . the control module 22 may include a hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 , an ehc control module 66 , an ehc temperature evaluation module 68 , an engine combustion control module 70 , an engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 , and a catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 . the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 may control operation of the vehicle in the first , second , and third operating modes discussed above , as well as switching between the operating modes . the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 may be in communication with the ehc control module 66 . the ehc control module 66 may be in communication with the ehc temperature evaluation module 68 and may receive a signal therefrom indicating power requirements for operating the ehc at a desired temperature . the ehc temperature evaluation module 68 may receive signals from the first temperature sensor 58 indicative of the ehc operating temperature . the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 may be in communication with the engine combustion control module 70 and may command engine operation when needed . the engine combustion control module 70 may be in communication with the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 and the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 . the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 may be in communication with the first and second oxygen sensors 54 , 56 and may receive signals therefrom indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas . the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 may provide a signal to the engine combustion control module 70 indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas . the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 may be in communication with the second temperature sensor 60 and may receive a signal therefrom indicative of the temperature of the catalyst 52 . the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 may provide a signal to the engine combustion control module 70 indicative of the temperature of the catalyst 52 . the engine combustion control module 70 may control combustion parameters and operation of the air injection assembly 46 based on the inputs from the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 and the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 . control logic 110 for operation of the vehicle 10 is illustrated in fig3 . the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 may initially operate the vehicle 10 in the first operating mode at start - up . control logic 110 may begin at block 112 where the ehc temperature evaluation module 68 determines the temperature of ehc 50 during vehicle operation in the first operating mode . control logic 110 then proceeds to block 114 where the ehc temperature is evaluated . if the ehc temperature is above a predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ), control logic 110 proceeds to block 116 where ehc temperature is maintained by the ehc control module 66 . the predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ) may include a temperature where the ehc 50 maintains nominal hydrocarbon ( hc ) treatment efficiency , such as two hundred degrees celsius . the temperature of the ehc 50 may be maintained by controlling the powering of the ehc 50 by the battery 38 . control logic 110 may then proceed to block 120 . if the ehc temperature is below the predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ), control logic 110 proceeds to block 118 where ehc temperature is increased by the ehc control module 66 . the temperature of the ehc 50 may be increased by controlling the powering of the ehc 50 by the battery 38 . for example , when the ehc is operating at a temperature below the predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ), the battery 38 may provide fully power to the ehc 50 . the ehc 50 may remain powered ( or energized ) throughout operation in the first operating mode . control logic 110 may then proceed to block 120 , where the vehicle operating mode is evaluated by the hybrid vehicle mode control module 64 . more specifically , control logic 110 determines whether engine operation is required . if engine operation is not required , control logic 110 may terminate and the vehicle may continue operation in the first operating mode . otherwise , control logic 110 may proceed to block 122 where the temperature of the catalyst 52 is determined by the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 . the temperature of the catalyst 52 may be determined before operation of the vehicle in the second operating mode . the catalyst temperature evaluation module 74 may then evaluate the temperature of the catalyst 52 at block 124 . if the catalyst temperature is above a predetermined limit ( t cat - desired ), control logic 110 may proceed to block 126 where operation of the vehicle in the second operating mode is initiated by the engine combustion control module 70 using a normal combustion strategy . the predetermined temperature limit ( t cat - desired ) may correspond to a temperature at which the catalyst 52 is fully functional , such as at or above four hundred degrees celsius . the normal combustion strategy may include closed loop operation of the engine using a generally stoichiometric air - fuel ratio ( an air - fuel ratio of between 14 . 2 - to - 1 and 14 . 8 - to - 1 ). control logic 110 may then terminate . if the catalyst temperature is below the predetermined limit ( t cat - desired ), control logic 110 may proceed to block 128 where operation of the vehicle 10 in the second operating mode is initiated using a catalyst combustion strategy . the catalyst combustion strategy may include operating the engine using an air - fuel ratio that is less than stoichiometric ( rich operation ) to produce higher carbon monoxide ( co ) and hydrocarbon ( hc ) content in the exhaust gas relative to stoichiometric air - fuel ratio operation . more specifically , the catalyst combustion strategy includes operating the engine at an air - fuel ratio between 8 - to - 1 and 14 . 2 - to - 1 . the ehc 50 may be operating at or above the predetermined limit ( t ehc - desired ) before air injection . the catalyst combustion strategy may additionally include the injection of air into the exhaust gas using the air injection assembly 46 . the engine exhaust oxygen concentration evaluation module 72 may monitor the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas exiting the engine and control the air injection assembly 46 to provide an exhaust gas stream having a desired oxygen concentration . the introduction of oxygen into the exhaust gas stream may provide increased carbon monoxide ( co ) and hydrocarbon ( hc ) oxidation in the catalyst 52 . the carbon monoxide ( co ) and hydrocarbon ( hc ) oxidation produces an exothermic reaction in the catalyst 52 , raising the temperature of the catalyst . after the catalyst combustion strategy has run for a predetermined time , control logic 110 may proceed to block 130 where the temperature of the catalyst 52 is again evaluated . if the catalyst temperature is below the predetermined limit ( t cat - desired ), control logic 110 may proceed to block 132 where engine operation is maintained in the catalyst combustion strategy . control logic 110 may then return to block 130 where the temperature of the catalyst 52 is again evaluated . if the catalyst temperature is above the predetermined limit ( t cat - desired ), control logic 110 may proceed to block 126 where the normal combustion strategy is initiated . control logic 110 may then terminate . control logic 110 may loop back to start again at block 112 after termination . more specifically , control logic 110 may wait a predetermined time and restart at block 112 . by way of non - limiting example , the predetermined time may be at least 12 . 5 milliseconds ( ms ). therefore , control logic 110 may run continuously during vehicle operation . | 8 |
suitable pharmaceutically - acceptable salts are pharmaceutically - acceptable base salts and pharmaceutically - acceptable acid addition salts . certain of the compounds of formula ( i ) which contain an acidic group form base salts . suitable pharmaceutically - acceptable base salts include metal salts , such as alkali metal salts for example sodium salts , or organic amine salts such as that provided with ethylenediamine . certain of the compounds of formula ( i ) which contain an amino group form acid addition salts . suitable acid addition salts include pharmaceutically - acceptable inorganic salts such as the sulphate , nitrate , phosphate , borate , hydrochloride and hydrobromide and pharmaceutically - acceptable organic acid addition salts such as acetate , tartrate , maleate , citrate , succinate , benzoate , ascorbate , methanesulphate , α - ketoglutarate , α - glycerophosphate and glucose - 1 - phosphate . the pharmaceutically - acceptable salts of the compounds of formula ( i ) are prepared using conventional procedures . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that some of the compounds of formula ( i ) may exist in more than one tautomeric form . this invention extends to all tautomeric forms . it will be appreciated that the compounds according to the invention can contain one or more asymmetrically substituted atoms . the presence of one or more of these asymmetric centers in a compound of formula ( i ) can give rise to stereoisomers , and in each case the invention is to be understood to extend to all such stereoisomers , including enantiomers , and diastereoisomers and mixtures including racemic mixtures thereof . when used herein the term alkyl whether used alone or when used as a part of another group includes straight and branched chain alkyl groups containing up to 6 atoms . alkoxy means an alkyl - o - group in which the alkyl group is as previously described . aryloxy means an aryl - o - group in which the aryl group is as defined below . heteroaryloxy means a heteroaryl - o - group and heterocyclooxy means a heterocyclo - o - group in which the heteroaryl and heterocyclo group are as defined below . alkylamino means an alkyl - n - group in which the alkyl group is as previously defined , arylamino means aryl - n - and heteroarylamino means an heteroaryl - n - group ( aryl and heteroaryl defined below ). thioalkyl means an alkyl - sgroup . cycloalkyl includes a non - aromatic cyclic or multicyclic ring system of about 3 to 10 carbon atoms . the cyclic alkyl may optionally be partially unsaturated . aryl indicates carbocyclic radicals containing about 6 to 10 carbon atoms . arylalkyl means an aryl - alkylgroup wherein the aryl and alkyl are as described herein . heteroarylalkyl means a heteroaryl - alkyl group and heterocycloalkyl means a heterocyclo - alkyl group . alkylcarbonyl means an alkyl - co - group in which the alkyl group is as previously described . arylcarbonyl means an aryl - co - group in which the aryl group is as previously described . heteroarylcarbonyl means a heteroaryl - co - group and heterocyclocarbonyl means a heterocyclo - co - group . arylsulphonyl means an aryl - so 2 - group in which the aryl group is as previously described . heteroarylsulphonyl means a heteroaryl - so 2 - group and heterocyclosulphonyl means a heterocyclo - so 2 - group . alkoxycarbonyl means an alkyloxy - co - group in which the alkoxy group is as previously described . alkylsulphonyl means an alkyl - 2 - group in which the alkyl group is as previously described . carbonyl oxygen means a -- co -- group . it will be appreciated that a carbonyl oxygen can not be a substituent on an aryl or heteroaryl ring . carbocyclic ring means about a 5 to about 10 membered monocyclic or multicyclic ring system which may saturated or partially unsaturated . heterocyclic ring means about a 5 to about a 10 membered monocyclic or multicyclic ring system ( which may be saturated or partially unsaturated ) wherein one or more of the atoms in the ring system is an element other than carbon chosen from amongst nitrogen , oxygen or sulphur atoms . heteroaryl means about a 5 to about a 10 membered aromatic monocyclic or multicyclic hydrocarbon ring system in which one or more of the atoms in the ring system is an element other than carbon , chosen from amongst nitrogen , oxygen or sulphur ; if desired , a n atom may be in the form of an n - oxide . heterocyclo means about a 5 to about a 10 membered saturated or partially saturated monocyclic or multicyclic hydrocarbon ring system in which one or more of the atoms in the ring systems is an element other than carbon , chosen from amongst nitrogen , oxygen or sulphur . halogen means fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine . compounds of the invention are useful for the treatment of tnf mediated disease states . &# 34 ; tnf mediated disease or disease states &# 34 ; means any and all disease states in which tnf plays a role , either by production of tnf itself , or by tnf causing another cytokine to be released , such as but not limited to il - 1 or il - 6 . a disease state in which il - 1 , for instance , is a major component , and whose production or action is exacerbated or secreted in response to tnf , would therefore be considered a disease state mediated by tnf . as tnf - β ( also known as lymphotoxin ) has close structure homology with tnf - α ( also known as cachectin ), and since each induces similar biologic responses and binds to the same cellular receptor , both tnf - α and tnf - β are considered to be inhibited by compounds of the present invention and thus are herein referred to collectively as &# 34 ; tnf &# 34 ; unless specifically indicated otherwise . this invention relates to a method for mediating or inhibiting the enzymatic activity or catalytic activity of pde iv in a mammal in need thereof and for inhibiting the production of tnf in a mammal in need thereof , which comprises administering to said mammal an effective amount of a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof . pde iv inhibitors are useful in the treatment of a variety of allergic and inflammatory diseases , including : asthma , chronic bronchitis , chronic obstructive airways disease , atopic dermatitis , atopic eczema , urticaria , allergic rhinitis , allergic conjunctivitis , vernal conjunctivitis , inflammation of the eye , allergic responses in the eye , eosinophilic granuloma , psoriasis , bechet &# 39 ; s disease , erythematosis , anaphylactoid purpura nephritis , joint inflammation , arthritis , rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid spondylitis and osteoarthritis , septic shock , sepsis , ulcerative colitis , crohn &# 39 ; s disease , reperfusion injury of the myocardium and brain , chronic glomerulonephritis , endotoxic shock and adult respiratory distress syndrome . in addition , pde iv inhibitors are useful in the treatment of diabetes insipidus and conditions associated with cerebral metabolic inhibition , such as cerebral senility , senile dementia ( alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease ), memory impairment associated with parkinson &# 39 ; s disease , depression and multi - infarot dementia . pde iv inhibitors are also useful in conditions ameliorated by neuroprotectant activity , such as cardiac arrest , stroke and intermittent claudication . pde iv inhibitors may also be useful in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia , ischaemia and huntingdon &# 39 ; s disease . additionally , pde iv inhibitors could have utility as gastroprotectants . a special embodiment of the therapeutic methods of the present invention is the treatment of asthma . the viruses contemplated for treatment herein are those that produce tnf as a result of infection , or those which are sensitive to inhibition , such as by decreased replication , directly or indirectly , by the tnf inhibitors of formula ( i ). such viruses include , but are not limited to hiv - 1 , hiv - 2 and hiv - 3 , cytomegalovirus ( cmv ), influenza , adenovirus and the herpes group of viruses , such as , but not limited to , herpes zoster and herpes simplex . this invention more specifically relates to a method of treating a mammal , afflicted with a human immunodeficiency virus ( hiv ), which comprises administering to such mammal an effective tnf inhibiting amount of a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof . the compounds of this invention may also be used in association with the veterinary treatment of animals , other than humans , in need of inhibition of tnf production . tnf medicated diseases for treatment , therapeutically or prophylactically , in animals include disease states such as those noted above , but in particular viral infections . examples of such viruses include , but are not limited to feline immunodeficiency virus ( fiv ) or other retroviral infection such as equine infectious anaemia virus , caprine arthritis virus , visna virus , maedi virus and other lentiviruses . the compounds of this invention are also useful in treating parasite , yeast and fungal infections , where such yeast and fungi are sensitive to upregulation by tnf or will elicit tnf production in vivo . a preferred disease state for treatment is fungal meningitis . compounds of the invention may also suppress neurogenic inflammation through elevation of camp in sensory neurones . they are , therefore , analgesic , anti - tussive and anti - hyperalgesic in inflammatory diseases associated with irritation and pain . the compounds of formula ( i ) are preferably in pharmaceutically - acceptable form . by pharmaceutically - acceptable form is meant , inter alia , of a pharmaceutically - acceptable level of purity excluding normal pharmaceutical additives such as diluents and carriers , and including no material considered toxic at normal dosage levels . a pharmaceutically - acceptable level of purity will generally by at least 50 % excluding normal pharmaceutical additives , preferably 75 %, more preferably 90 % and still more preferably 95 %. the invention further provides a process for the preparation of a compound of formula ( i ), in which r 1 etc , m and n are as defined above . it will be appreciated that functional groups such as amino , hydroxyl or carboxyl groups present in the various compounds described below , and which it is desired to retain , may need to be in protected forms before any reaction is initiated . in such instances , removal of the protecting group may be the final step in a particular reaction sequence . suitable protecting groups for such functionality will be apparent to those skilled in the art . for specific details , see protective groups in organic synthesis , wiley interscience , tw greene . thus the process for preparing compounds of formula ( i ) in which r 4 contains an -- oh comprises deprotecting ( for example by hydrogenolysis or hydrolysis ) a compound of formula ( i ) in which r 4 contains an appropriate -- op wherein p represents a suitable protecting group ( e . g . benzyl or acetyl ). it will be appreciated that where a particular steroisomer of formula ( i ) is required , this may be obtained by conventional resolution techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography or the synthetic processes herein described may be performed using the appropriate homochiral starting material . a process for the preparation of a compound of formula ( i ) wherein x is co comprises reaction of an appropriate carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ) with a suitable amine of formula ( iii ) ## str3 ## wherein r 1a represents r 1 as defined in relation to formula ( i ) or a group convertible to r 1 and r 2a - r 5a , similarly represent r 2 - r 5 or groups convertible to r 2 - r 5 respectively ; and thereafter , if required , converting any group r 1a to r 1 and / or r 2a to r 2 and / or r 3a to r 3 and / or r 4a to r 4 and / or r 5a to r 5 ; and thereafter , if required , converting any group r 1a to r 1 and / or r 2a to r 2 and / or r 3a to r 3 and / or r 4a to r 4 and / or r 5a to r 5 . the reaction of a carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ) with an amine of formula ( iii ) may be carried out under any suitable conditions known to those skilled in the art . preferably , the reaction is carried out in the presence of a suitable base , for example an amine such as triethylamine , preferably in an appropriate solvent such as dichloromethane . in some cases a stronger base , such as sodium hydride , and a polar solvent such as dimethylformamide , will be required . preferably , the carboxylic acid is converted into an acid chloride , mixed anhydride or other activated intermediate prior to reaction with an amine of formula ( iii ). carboxylic acids of formula ( ii ) and amines of formula ( iii ) are either commercially available , previously described compounds or are prepared using standard procedures known to those skilled in the art . for example , a carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ) is conveniently prepared from an appropriate benzofuran of formula ( v ), using standard procedures known to those skilled in the art . for example , a benzofuran of formula ( v ) can be formulated to provide an aldehyde of formula ( iv ), which can then be oxidised to provide the corresponding acid of formula ( ii ). alternatively , a benzofuran of formula ( v ) can be brominated to provide a bromide of formula ( vi ), which can then be converted into a carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ), for example by organometal - catalysed carboxylation , such as a palladium - catalysed reaction . ## str4 ## a compound of formula ( ia ) may also be prepared by reaction of a carboxylic acid of formula ( ii ) with an amine ( iii ) to provide a compound of formula ( ia ) in which r 4a is h , followed by reaction with an agent r 4a y ( vii ) in which y is a suitable leaving group such as a halogen . the first reaction can be carried out as described above . preferably , the carboxylic acid is converted into an acid chloride , mixed anhydride or other activated intermediate prior to reaction with the amine ( iii ). the reaction with agent ( vii ) may be carried out under any suitable conditions known to those skilled in the art . it may be carried out in the presence of a suitable base , e . g . sodium hydride , preferably in an appropriate solvent such as dimethylformamide . agents ( vii ) are known or commercially available , or are prepared using standard procedures known to those skilled in the art . such compounds include alkylating agents such as propyl bromide , acylating agents such as benzoyl chloride and sulphonylating agents such as methanesulphonyl chloride . compounds of formula ( i ) may also be prepared by interconversion of other compounds of formula ( i ). for example , a compound in which r 4 contains an alkoxy group may be prepared by appropriate alkylation of a compound in which r 4 contains a hydroxy group . compounds of formula ( i ) in which x is cs may be prepared from compounds of formula ( i ) in which x is co using any appropriate conditions known to those skilled in the art , for example by using lawesson &# 39 ; s reagent . by way of further example , compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain an oxime may be prepared from compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain a carbonyl group . this transformation may be carried out using any appropriate standard conditions known to those skilled in the art . compounds of formula ( i ) in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain a carbonyl group may be reduced using standard conditions known to those skilled in the art ( for example with sodium borohydride in an appropriate solvent ) to provide compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contains an alcohol group . other transformations may be carried out on compounds of formula ( i ) in which r 2 and / or r 3 contains a carbonyl group . such transformations include , but are not limited to , reductive amination and alkylation . compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain an cor 15 group may be prepared from compounds in which r 2 and / or r 3 contain a cn group by addition of a suitable organometallic agent ( such as a grignard reagent ). any of the above transformations may be carried out either at the end of the synthesis or on an appropriate intermediate . a compound of formula ( i ) or where appropriate a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof and / or a pharmaceutically - acceptable solvate thereof , may be administered per se or , preferably , as a pharmaceutical composition also comprising a pharmaceutically - acceptable carrier . accordingly , the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula ( i ) or where appropriate a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof and / or a pharmaceutically - acceptable solvate thereof , and a pharmaceutically - acceptable carrier . the active compound may be formulated for administration by any suitable route , the preferred route depending upon the disorder for which treatment is required , and is preferably in unit dosage form or in a form that a human patient may administer to himself in a single dosage . advantageously , the composition is suitable for oral , rectal , topical , parenteral administration or through the respiratory tract . preparations may be designed to give slow release of the active ingredient . the term parenteral as used herein includes subcutaneous injections , intravenous , intramuscular , intrasternal injection or infusion techniques . in addition to the treatment of warm - blooded animals such as mice , rats , horses , cattle , sheep , dogs , cats , etc , the compounds of the invention are effective in the treatment of humans . the compositions of the invention may be in the form of tablets , capsules , sachets , vials , powders , granules , lozenges , suppositories , reconstitutable powders , or liquid preparations such as oral or sterile parenteral solutions or suspensions . topical formulations are also envisaged where appropriate . in order to obtain consistency of administration it is preferred that a composition of the invention is in the form of a unit dose . unit dose presentation forms for oral administration may be tablets and capsules and may contain conventional excipients such as binding agents , for example syrup , acacia , gelatin , sorbitol , tragacanth , or polyvinylpyrrolidone ; fillers for example microcrystalline cellulose , lactose , sugar , maize - starch , calcium phosphate , sorbitol or glycine ; tabletting lubricants , for example magnesium stearate ; disintegrants , for example starch , polyvinylpyrrolidone , sodium starch glycollate or microcrystalline cellulose ; or pharmaceutically - acceptable wetting agents such as sodium lauryl sulphate . the solid oral compositions may be prepared by conventional methods of blending , filling , tabletting or the like . repeated blending operations may be used to distribute the active agent throughout those compositions employing large quantities of fillers . such operations are of course conventional in the art . the tablets may be coated according to methods well known in normal pharmaceutical practice , in particular with an enteric coating . oral liquid preparations may be in the form of , for example , emulsions , syrups or elixirs , or may be presented as a dry product for reconstitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use . such liquid preparations may contain conventional additives such as suspending agents , for example sorbitol , syrup , methyl cellulose , gelatin , hydroxyethylcellulose , carboxymethylcellulose , aluminium stearate gel , hydrogenated edible fats ; emulsifying agents , for example lecithin , sorbitan monooleate , or acacia , non - aqueous vehicles ( which may include edible oils ), for example almond oil , fractionated coconut oil , oily esters such as esters of glycerine , propylene glycol , or ethyl alcohol ; preservatives , for example methyl or propyl p - hydroxybenzoate or sorbic acid ; and if desired conventional flavouring or colouring agents . compositions may also suitably be presented for administration to the respiratory tract as a snuff or an aerosol or solution for a nebuliser , or as a microfine powder for insufflation , alone or in combination with an inert carrier such as lactose . in such a case the particles of active compound suitably have diameters of less than 50 μm , such as from 0 . 1 to 50 μm , preferably less than 10 μm , for example from 1 to 10 μm , 1 to 5 μm or from 2 to 5 μm . where appropriate , small amounts of other anti - asthamatics and bronchodilators for example sympathomimetic amines such as isoprenaline , isoetharine , salbutamol , phenylephrine and ephedrine , corticosteroids such as prednisolone and adrenal stimulants such as acth may be included . for parenteral administration , fluid unit dosage forms are prepared utilizing the compound and a sterile vehicle , and , depending on the concentration used , can be either suspended or dissolved in the vehicle . in preparing solutions the compound can be dissolved in water for injection and filter sterilised before filling into a suitable vial or ampoule and sealing . advantageously , adjuvants such as local anaesthetic , a preservative and buffering agents can be dissolved in the vehicle . to enhance the stability , the composition can be frozen after filling into the vial and the water removed under vacuum . parenteral suspensions are prepared in substantially the same manner , except that the compound is suspended in the vehicle instead of being dissolved , and sterilisation cannot be accomplished by filtration . the compound can be sterilised by exposure to ethylene oxide before suspending in the sterile vehicle . advantageously , a surfactant or wetting agent is included in the composition to facilitate uniform distribution of the compound . the compositions may contain from 0 . 1 % to 99 % by weight , preferably from 10 - 60 % by weight , of the active material , depending on the method of administration . compounds of formula ( i ), or if appropriate a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof and / or a pharmaceutically - acceptable solvate thereof , may also be administered as a topical formulation in combination with conventional topical excipients . topical formulations may be presented as , for instance , ointments , creams or lotions , impregnated dressings , gels , gel sticks , spray and aerosols , and may contain appropriate conventional additives such as preservatives , solvents to assist drug penetration and emollients in ointments and creams . the formulations may contain compatible conventional carriers , such as cream or ointment bases and ethanol or oleyl alcohol for lotions . suitable cream , lotion , gel , stick , ointment , spray or aerosol formulations that may be used for compounds of formula ( i ) or if appropriate a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof , are conventional formulations well known in the art , for example , as described in standard text books such as harry &# 39 ; s cosmeticology published by leonard hill books , remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , and the british and us pharmacopoeias . suitably , the compound of formula ( i ), or if appropriate a pharmaceutically - accceptable salt thereof , will comprise from about 0 . 5 to 20 % by weight of the formulation , favourably from about 1 to 10 %, for example 2 to 5 %. the dose of the compound used in the treatment of the invention will vary in the usual way with the seriousness of the disorders , the weight of the sufferer , and the relative efficacy of the compound . however , as a general guide suitable unit doses may be 0 . 1 to 1000 mg , such as 0 . 5 to 200 , 0 . 5 to 100 or 0 . 5 to 10 mg , for example 0 . 5 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 or 5 mg ; and such unit doses may be administered more than once a day , for example 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 or 6 times a day , but preferably 1 or 2 times per day , so that the total daily dosage for a 70 kg adult is in the range of about 0 . 1 to 1000 mg , that is in the range of about 0 . 001 to 20 mg / kg / day , such as 0 . 007 to 3 , 0 . 007 to 1 . 4 , 0 . 007 to 0 . 14 or 0 . 01 to 0 . 5 mg / kg / day , for example 0 . 01 , 0 . 02 , 0 . 04 , 0 . 05 , 0 . 06 , 0 . 08 , 0 . 1 or 0 . 2 mg / kg / day , and such therapy may extend for a number of weeks or months . when used herein the term &# 34 ; pharmaceutically - acceptable &# 34 ; encompasses materials suitable for both human and veterinary use . 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 12 g ) was suspended in anhydrous dichloromethane ( 4 ml ) at room temperature under nitrogen and oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 1 ml ) added followed by 3 drops of n , n - dimethylformamide . evaporation in vacuo after 2 h afforded the title compound as a yellow solid (˜ 0 . 5 g ). a mixture of 2 - acetyl - 4 - bromo - 7 - methoxybenzofuran ( 5 g ), triphenylphosphine ( 98 mg ), bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( ii ) chloride ( 261 mg ), triethylamine ( 2 . 85 ml ) and water ( 1 ml ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 25 ml ) was purged with carbon monoxide gas in a parr pressure reactor at 110 psi . this was heated to 110 ° c . ( pressure now 220 psi ) and left for a week . on cooling and release of pressure the mixture was dissolved in 50 % dichloromethane - water ( 200 ml ) and taken to ph12 using aqueous sodium hydroxide ( 1m ). the separated aqueous phase was acidified to ph1 using dilute hydrochloric acid ( 1m ) and the resultant slurry extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 × 100 ml ) then ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ). these combined organic extracts were dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to afford a yellow solid ( 2 . 58 g ). a solution of bromine ( 5 . 5 ml ) in methanol ( 100 ml ) was added dropwise to a suspension of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran ( 20 g ) in methanol ( 300 ml ) at 0 ° c . the ice bath was removed immediately and the mixture allowed to warm to room temperature . after 1 h conversion was incomplete , so further bromine ( 0 . 75 ml ) in methanol ( 25 ml ) was added and the mixture stirred overnight . the reaction was quenched using aqueous sodium metabisulphite solution ( 300 ml ) producing a precipitate that was filtered off and dried in vacuo to afford a brown solid ( 17 . 4 g ). to a solution of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 5 g ) in toluene ( 50 ml ) was added o -( t - butyldimethylsilyl ) hydroxylamine ( 0 . 39 g ). the reaction mixture was heated under a nitrogen atmosphere under dean stark conditions for 3 days then left stirring at room temperature for 2 days . the reaction mixture was concentrated to dryness in vacuo giving the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded a white solid ( 0 . 22 g ). the title compound was prepared in a similar manner to intermediate 1 . 2 -[( pyridin - 4 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 - bromo - 7 - methoxybenzofuran ( 3 . 3 g ), triphenylphosphine ( 1 g ), bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( ii ) chloride ( 0 . 47 g ), triethylamine ( 14 ml ), tetrahydrofuran ( 150 ml ) and water ( 57 ml ) were combined in a parr pressure reactor . the vessel was purged with carbon monoxide , charged to 180 psi with carbon monoxide and then heated to 80 ° c . with stirring for 3 days . on cooling and release of pressure the tetrahydrofuran was removed in vacuo . the remaining aqueous mixture was basified to ph14 with 1n sodium hydroxide solution ( 250 ml ) and washed with ethyl acetate ( 200 ml ). the aqueous layer was then acidified to ph5 with acetic acid under ice bath cooling . the resulting precipitate was collected by filtration and dried to give a beige solid ( 2 . 97 g ). bromine ( 0 . 02 ml ) was added to a mixture of 2 -[( pyridin - 4 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 7 - methoxy benzofuran ( 0 . 1 g ) in methanol ( 7 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere cooled to - 78 ° c . the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature over 2 . 5 h . the reaction was then diluted with ethyl acetate ( 40 ml ), washed with 5 % sodium metabisulfite solution ( 2 × 20 ml ), saturated sodium bicarbonate solution ( 40 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to afford a pale yellow solid ( 0 . 05 g ) as a 2 : 1 mixture of product : starting material by nmr . sodium hydroxide ( 1 . 22 g ) was added to a solution of o - vanillin ( 2 . 11 g ) in ethanol ( 50 ml ) at 55 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere . the reaction mixture was stirred for 10 minutes to give a yellow suspension . 4 -( bromoacetyl ) pyridine hydrobromide ( 5 g ) was then added portionwise and the solution heated at 55 ° c . for 12 h , then at 65 - 70 ° c . for a further 12 h . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and the solvent removed in vacuo . the residue was partitioned between water ( 250 ml , containing sodium hydroxide ( 0 . 5 g )) and dichloromethane ( 2 × 200 ml ). the combined organic phases were washed with water ( 100 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo onto silica gel . the compound was washed through a pad of silica with ethyl acetate ; the ethyl acetate was removed in vacuo and the residue azeotroped with hexane . the resulting solid was washed with hexane and filtered to furnish the title compound ( 0 . 95 g ) as a yellow solid . 4 - acetylpyridine ( 10 g ) was combined with 48 % hydrogen bromide solution ( 18 ml ) and heated to 70 ° c . bromine ( 4 . 7 ml ) dissolved in 48 % hydrogen bromide solution ( 5 ml ) was then added dropwise and heating then continued for 2 . 5 h . the precipitate which had formed was collected by filtration , washed with 1 : 1 methanol : hexane ( 20 ml ) and dried to give a cream solid ( 19 . 5 g ) as a 2 : 1 mixture of product : starting material by 1 h nmr . sodium hydride ( 0 . 03 g ) was added to a solution of 4 - amino - 3 , 5 - dichloropyridine ( 0 . 08 g ) in anhydrous n , n - dimethylformamide ( 1 ml ) at room temperature under nitrogen . this stirred mixture was warmed to 60 ° c . for 1 h before addition of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carbonylchloride ( generated from 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylic acid , 0 . 12 g ) washed in with anhydrous n , n - dimethylformamide ( 2 ml ). the brown mixture was heated at 60 ° c . for 4 h , allowed to cool , poured into water ( 100 ml ) and extracted into ethyl acetate ( 2 × 50 ml ). these organic extracts were washed with water ( 50 ml ) and saturated brine ( 50 ml ) then dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to give a crude residue ( 0 . 17 g ). purification by column chromatography on silica eluting with a 20 - 80 % ethyl acetate in hexane gradient afforded a white solid ( 0 . 04 g ). sodium hydride ( 0 . 3 g ) was added to a solution of 4 - amino - 3 , 5 - dichloropyridine ( 0 . 56 g ) in dimethylformamide ( 10 ml ) under an atmosphere of nitrogen . the reaction mixture was heated to 55 ° c . for 1 hr then 2 -[( pyridin - 4 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carbonyl chloride was added in one portion . heating at 55 ° c . was continued for 2 h then at room temperature for 12 h . the reaction mixture was concentrated to dryness in vacuo to give the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with ethyl acetate and then 20 % methanol in ethyl acetate afforded a cream solid ( 0 . 3 g ). a solution of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 100 mg ) in dichloromethane ( 4 ml ) was stirred at room temperature under an atmosphere of nitrogen . t - butyl - 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroacetimidate ( 0 . 16 ml ) followed by boron trifluoride etherate ( 0 . 012 ml ) were added and the mixture stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the reaction was quenched by the addition of a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate ( 1 ml ). the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 × 10 ml ) and the combined organic phases dried over magnesium sulphate . removal of the solvent in vacuo and purification by flash chromatography eluting with dichloromethane gave the product as a white solid ( 130 mg ). a mixture of ( z )- t - butyl 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylate ( 0 . 54 g ), methoxylamine ( 0 . 31 g ), pyridine ( 0 . 46 ml ) and toluene ( 50 ml ) was refluxed under dean and stark conditions overnight . the mixture was then cooled and the toluene removed in vacuo . the residue was taken up in ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ) and washed with water ( 50 ml ) then brine ( 50 ml ). drying over magnesium sulphate followed by removal of the solvent in vacuo and purification by flash chromatography eluting with dichloromethane gave the product as a colourless oil . a solution of ( z )- t - butyl 2 -( 1 - methoxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylate ( 100 mg ) and trifluoroacetic acid ( 0 . 05 ml ) in dichloromethane ( 5 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 4 h . a further aliquot of trifluoroacetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) was added and stirring continued overnight . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was evapourated in vacuo from toluene ( 2 × 5 ml ) and dichloromethane ( 2 × 5 ml ) to remove excess trifluoroacetic acid . the product was obtained as a white solid ( 72 mg ). a solution of ( z )- 2 -( 1 - methoxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 70 mg ), 4 - nitrophenol ( 41 mg ), 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ( 56 mg ) and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( catalytic ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 6 h under an atmosphere of nitrogen . the reaction mixture was diluted with dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) and washed with water ( 3 × 20 ml ). drying over magnesium sulphate followed by concentration to dryness in vacuo gave a pale yellow solid . purification by flash chromatography eluting with dichloromethane gave the product as a white solid ( 53 mg ). 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 0 . 50 g ) was suspended in dry methanol ( 20 ml ) and treated with sodium borohydride ( 196 mg ) at ambient temperature . some external ice cooling was required , then the reaction mixture was stirred overnight . the reaction mixture was poured into water and extracted into ethyl acetate . evaporation in vacuo yielded a solid that was purified by column chromatography using 5 % methanol in dichloromethane to afford a white solid ( 400 mg ). a solution of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 40 g ) in dry n , n - dimethylformamide ( 5 ml ) was cooled to - 10 ° c . under an inert atmosphere and sodium hydride ( 60 % dispersion in oil , 0 . 11 g ) was added over 30 minutes . after 1 h at - 10 ° c ., 3 - picolyl chloride hydrochloride ( 0 . 20 g ) was added and the mixture stirred for a further 2 h before allowing to warm to room temperature overnight . it was poured into water and extracted into ethyl acetate . these extracts were washed with water and saturated brine then dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo . the residue was purified by column chromatography using a 3 - 10 % methanol in dichloromethane gradient . the product was triturated with diethyl ether to yield a beige powder ( 15 mg ). 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 100 mg ) was refluxed under dean - stark conditions in dry toluene ( 40 ml ) with dry pyridine ( 64 μl ) and o - benzylhydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 126 mg ) under an inert atmosphere . after 2 h the mixture was allowed to cool and left stirring overnight . addition of methanol and acetone formed a precipitate . this was filtered off to afford a solid ( 26 mg ). to a suspension of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 07 g ) in dry toluene ( 40 ml ) was added pyridine ( 0 . 09 ml ) and methoxylamine hydrochloride ( 0 . 056 g ) and the mixture heated under dean - stark conditions for 24 h . evaporation of the solvent and purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with dichloromethane then 5 % methanol in dichloromethane followed by preparative the ( 5 % methanol in dichloromethane ) afforded a white solid ( 0 . 03 g ) as a mixture of e and z isomers by 1 h nmr . prepared from 2 -( 4 - morpholino ) acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide by a similar procedure to that of example 4 . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with ethyl acetate afforded the product as a yellow solid as a 1 : 1 mixture of isomers ( 20 mg ). to a suspension of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 5 g ) in dry toluene ( 30 ml ) was added pyridine ( 1 g ) and hydroxylamine ( 0 . 9 g ) and the mixture heated under dean - stark conditions for 48 h . evaporation of the solvent in vacuo and washing the product was water afforded an off white solid ( 0 . 2 g ) to a solution of z - 2 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 50 mg ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ) was added tetrabutylammonium iodide ( cat . amount ) followed by a solution of sodium hydroxide ( 6 mg ) in water ( 1 ml ). the whole was stirred for 20 mins then methyl iodide ( 45 mg ) was added and stirring continued for 12 hrs . the mixture was concentrated to dryness , diluted with ethyl acetate ( 20 ml ), washed with water ( 10 ml ), brine ( 10 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated by dryness again giving the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded a white solid ( 24 mg ). to a solution of z - 2 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 50 mg ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ) was added tetrabutylammonium iodide ( cat . amount ) followed by a solution of sodium hydroxide ( 17 mg ) in water ( 1 ml ). the whole was stirred for 20 mins then 4 - chloromethylpyridine hydrochloride ( 46 mg ) was added and stirring continued for 48 h . the mixture was concentrated to dryness , diluted with ethyl acetate ( 20 ml ), washed with water ( 10 ml ), brine ( 10 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness again giving the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded an off white solid ( 10 mg ). tetrabutylammonium fluoride ( 1m solution in tetrahydrofuran ) ( 0 . 48 ml ) was added to a solution of 2 -( 1 -( t - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) iminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n - 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl ] benzofurancarboxamide in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere . stirring was continued for 20 minutes then the reaction mixture was concentrated to dryness in vacuo giving the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded an off white solid ( 0 . 1 g ) as a 2 : 1 mixture of e : z isomers by 1 h nmr . 2 -[( pyridin - 4 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl ] benzofuran carboxamide ( 0 . 25 g ) was treated with methoxylamine hydrochloride ( 0 . 165 g ) as in example 4 . the crude product was washed with water and then diethyl ether to give a white solid ( 0 . 217 g ) as a 5 . 5 : 4 . 5 mixture of e : z isomers by 1 h nmr . sodium ( 9 mg ) was added to a suspension of z - 2 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 50 mg ) in ethanol ( 2 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere . when all the solids dissolved , 4 - chloromethylpyridine hydrochloride ( 21 mg ) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 days . more sodium ( 6 mg ) and 4 - chloromethylpyridine hydrochloride ( 21 mg ) were added and the reaction mixture was heated to 85 ° c . for 6 h . the reaction was quenched with water ( 20 ml ), extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 20 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with water ( 20 ml ), brine ( 20 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to give the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with ethyl acetate afforded on off white solid ( 18 mg ). bromine ( 0 . 01 ml ) was added to a solution of 2 - acetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloro pyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 0 . 1 g ) in 45 % hydrogen bromide / acetic acid ( 4 ml ) under an atmosphere of nitrogen . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h then quenched with water ( 20 ml ) and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 20 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate ( 20 ml ), brine ( 20 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to give the crude 2 - bromoacetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofuran carboxamide . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane afforded an impure yellow solid ( 20 mg ) which was used without further purification . morpholine ( 0 . 09 ml ) and triethylamine ( 10 mg ) were added to a solution of 2 - bromoacetyl - 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 20 mg ) in dichloromethane ( 5 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere . stirring was continued for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then diluted with more dichloromethane washed with water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to give the crude product . purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with ethyl acetate afforded a yellow solid ( 10 mg ). a solution of ( z )- 2 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl )- 7 - methoxy - 4 -[ n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyridin - 4 - yl )] benzofurancarboxamide ( 0 . 75 g ) in dimethylformamide ( 30 ml ) was stirred at room temperature under an atmosphere of nitrogen . sodium hydride ( 60 % dispersion in oil ) ( 0 . 17 g ) was added and stirring continued for 1 h . 4 - chloromethyl - 2 - methylthiazole ( 0 . 84 g ) was added ( generated from the hydrochloride salt using sodium bicarbonate ) and the mixture stirred for 1 h . the mixture was poured onto water ( 100 ml ) and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 100 ml ). the combined organic washings were washed with water ( 100 ml ) and brine ( 50 ml ), dried over magnesium sulphate and the solvent removed in vacuo to give creamy solid . the solid was triturated with ether to removed unreacted alkylating agent and purified by flash chromatography eluting with 0 - 10 % methanol in ethyl acetate to give the product as a white solid ( 0 . 69 g ). purification by recrystallisation from ethyl acetate / hexane gave the produce as a white solid ( 0 . 22 g ) a solution of 4 - amino - 3 , 5 - dichloropyridine ( 23 mg ) in dimethylformamide ( 5 ml ) was stirred at room temperature under an atmosphere of nitrogen . sodium hydride ( 60 % dispersion in oil ) ( 9 mg ) was added and the resulting suspension stirred for 1 h . a solution of 4 - nitrophenyl 2 -( 1 - methoxyiminoethyl )]- 7 - methoxybenzofuran - 4 - carboxylate ( 50 mg ) in dimethylformamide ( 2 ml ) was added and stirring continued overnight . the reaction was quenched by the addition of water ( 1 ml ) and the mixture concentrated to dryness in vacuo . purification by flash chromatography eluting with 50 % ethyl acetate in hexane gave the produce as a white solid ( 23 mg ). the assays used to confirm the phosphodiesterase iv inhibitory activity of compounds of formula ( i ) are standard assay procedures as disclosed by schilling et al , anal . biochem . 216 : 154 ( 1994 ), thompson and strada , adv . cycl . nucl . res . 8 : 119 ( 1979 ) and gristwood and owen , br . j . pharmacol . 87 : 91p ( 1986 ). compounds of formula ( i ) have exhibited activity at levels consistent with those believed to be useful in treating phosphodiesterase iv - related disease states in those assays . in particular , the compound of example 2 exhibits an activity of 6 nm using the assay procedure described by gristwood and owen . in comparison , 2 -[ 1 -( 2 , 2 - dimethylpropyl )]- 7 - methoxy - 4 - n -( 3 , 5 - dichloropyrid - 4 - yl ) benzofurancarboxamide , within the scope of the claims of ep - a - 0771794 ( cf . example 36 therein ), exhibits an activity of 1 . 6 mm using the same assay procedure . the ability of compounds of formula ( i ) to inhibit tnf production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( pmbc &# 39 ; s ) is measured as follows . pmbc &# 39 ; s are prepared from freshly taken blood or &# 34 ; buffy coats &# 34 ; by standard procedures . cells are plated out in rpmi1640 + 1 % foetal calf serum in the presence and absence of inhibitors . lps ( 100 ng / ml ) is added and cultures are incubated for 22 h at 37 ° c . in an atmosphere of 95 % air / 5 % co 2 . supernatants are tested for tnfα by elisa using commercially available kits . in vivo activity in a skin eosinophilia model is determined by using the methods described by hellewell et al , br . j . pharmacol . 111 : 811 ( 1994 ) and br . j . pharmacol . 110 : 416 ( 1993 ). activity in a lung model is measured using the procedures described by kallos and kallos , int . archs . allergy appl . immunol . 73 : 77 ( 1984 ), and sanjar et al , br . j . pharmacol . 99 : 679 ( 1990 ). an additional lung model , which allows measurement of inhibition of the early and late - phase asthmatic responses and also the inhibition of airway hyperactivity , is described by broadley et al , pulmonary pharmacol . 7 : 311 ( 1994 ), j . immunological methods 190 : 51 ( 1996 ) and british j . pharmacol . 116 : 2351 ( 1995 ). compounds of the invention show activity in this model . | 2 |
this invention describes various methods of repairing opens and near opens and latent defects in electrical conductor lines . latent defects include narrow neck or thin portion or other contamination related defects . the term latent defects as used herein , also means a small portion or section of a conductor line which has a higher resistance per unit length than the normal conductor line . the narrow neck can be of a different shape , for example , the narrow neck could be a local reduction in the line width or a local reduction of line height or thickness or a portion of the line may be made of a material with lower conductivity than that of a normal line . the narrow neck could also include a thin electrical connection or a bridge across an open circuit , or a crack which before stressing does not show up as an open . an open as understood in the art , is any missing conductor across which current cannot flow or is significantly impeded . this typically establishes a resistance threshold above which the electrical conductive path is considered open . the defects or flaws as discussed in this patent application are primarily in a thin film packaging structure with or without the discrete components being mounted . nugget refers to a wire or a segment of an electrically conductive material which is bonded simultaneously to both sides of an open , thereby bridging the gap and forming an electrical path . jumper refers to a repair method where a wire is bonded from a good portion of the line , across the defect to another good portion of the line , creating an electrical path . thin film is a term currently used by the industry to define lines that are formed on a substrate or a carrier that have a very small dimensions ( of the order of a few micrometers ). thin films are so small that they can only be clearly seen using a microscope or similar such device . therefore , the repairs of such conductive lines with such dimensions is equally difficult . the method as disclosed by this invention is performed at relatively low temperatures , therefore , this method can be used on substrates with metal / polymer thin film wiring , or other organic materials . it can also be applied to printed circuit boards . fig1 a through 1e , illustrate the common ways of how a defect is formed in a conductive thin film line . a defect caused by a mouse bite is shown in fig1 a . on a carrier 10 , an electrically conductive line 12 , is formed by any of the methods known in the art , but due to defects smaller than the line dimension , such as process mishaps or contamination , a mouse bite 16 , occurs . this mouse bite 16 , may not be discovered until after a protective coating 14 , has already been applied . in most cases this protective coating 14 , is a polyimide layer or some other dielectric or insulator layer . typically , the electrically conductive material for the thin film line is selected from a group comprising aluminum , antimony , bismuth , chromium , copper , gold , indium , lead , molybdenum , nickel , palladium , platinum , silver , tin , titanium , tungsten , or alloys thereof . another reason that a conductor line could be noncontinuous is because of debris lodged in the line path . this is illustrated in fig1 b , where a debris 18 , prevents the line 14 , from being continuous . the debris 18 , could be a small dust particle , flake , fiber , or residual process material . similarly , the debris 18 , could create a partial or a complete blockage of the electrical path or the open can be a result of debris being dislodged during subsequent processing . if the blockage is partial then this line problem may not surface until later , while a complete blockage would be detected when an electrical test is done . fig1 c , illustrates a conductor line 12 , having an open due to a flaw 11 , in the carrier 10 . this flaw 11 , could be small to only create a partial discontinuity , or a large one making the conductor line 12 , completely open . discontinuities as a result of physical damage of the part is another way to create an open in a conductor line . fig1 d , illustrates the electrical conductor line 12 , that has had a scratch or a cut or a nick 19 , as a result of physical damage , and the scratch 19 , has not only damaged the protective coating 14 , but has also penetrated through into the carrier 10 . during processing sometimes the electrical conductor line itself has flaws and discontinuities 13 , as shown in fig1 e . the conductor line 12 , that had the break or flaw 13 , in the line 12 , due to process mishaps may get fully or partially filled with a protective coating 15 , that is used to form the protective coating 14 , over the conductor line 12 . in each case where an open has been formed , at least a portion of the conductor line 12 , must be exposed and prepared by appropriate methods to allow subsequent repair . this is known as site - dressing . in some situations more than one portion of the electrical line 12 , will have to be exposed and prepared . in most situations , only a portion of the electrical line 12 , that will be used in the repair process needs to be exposed and site - dressed . interconnection or repair of thin film circuits can be difficult to make in some instances . for example , the metallurgy in an existing circuit may consist of multiple layers , where the top most layer is a barrier metal , e . g . chromium , that oxidizes and forms a protective , insulating layer . similarly , the circuit line could have been overcoated with a dielectric material , thus preventing direct access to the site . before a connection can be made in such circumstances , the protective layer ( s ) must be removed , and in such a way that a good mechanical and electrical contact can be made between the repair or interconnection metallurgy and the existing circuitry . in the operations required for repair using wire or solder , or combinations thereof , the removal process must also create a surface consistent with the additive process being used , either wettable by solder , or bondable by wire . the removal operation can be readily controlled by adjusting the fluence , wavelength and number of laser pulses or shots used , in order not to damage the conductor line . in some cases the thin film beneath the polymer , such as polyimide , is a line , which has a metallurgical stack where the top layer is non - bondable to a metal unless a sub - layer is exposed which is more bondable . this sub - layer could be exposed using laser ablation . in this situation the top layer is typically cr , and once the polyimide or similar insulator coating is removed , cr gets oxidized , thus preventing the repair . in such circumstances the laser ablation could be used to remove the oxidized cr layer and exposing a sub - layer , such as cu , that can be used to carry out the line repair . one such cleaning of bonding surfaces using a laser is disclosed in , &# 34 ; laser ablative cleaning of bonding surfaces ,&# 34 ; ibm technical disclosure bulletin , vol . 32 , no . 4a , pages 429 - 430 ( september 1989 ). fig2 a , illustrates a substrate after the open 24 , has been prepared for repairs . as shown , one end 22 , of the line 12 , has been completely prepared , while the other end 23 , of the electrical line 12 , has not yet been prepared . fig2 b , illustrates a prepared substrate which is similar to that of fig2 a . a micro - solder repair ball or drop 26 , which is on a carrier 20 , is placed over the opening 24 , between the two ends of the electrical conductor 12 , and the solder ball is transferred into the opening 24 . by applied heating the solder ball 26 , separates from the carrier 20 , and lodges itself into the opening 24 , forming a metallurgical bond with the open ends 21 and 22 , of the line 12 . as shown , both ends 21 and 22 , of the line 12 , have been site - dressed . for open repair using the carrier or decal 20 , a low temperature electrically conductive material , such as a solder ball 26 , is secured to the carrier 20 , by methods well known in the art . for example , the solder ball 26 , could be fabricated on a carrier , such as a silicon carrier in the same manner as a normal semiconductor devices . the solder volume for the solder ball 24 , is designed to be of sufficient volume to fill the open and make the repair such that the repaired line is planar or near - planar . the solder ball 26 , is then placed over the open 24 . flux is also used on the open site to facilitate joining of the solder . the solder ball 26 , is then reflowed by methods well known in the art , and the solder ball after reflow 28 , is shown in fig2 c . the solder ball after reflow 28 , illustrates a conductor line 12 , that has been repaired using the solder ball repair technique . materials other than solder could be used such as , braze , e . g . au / sn , or any material that will form a metallurgical bond such a sn , in , pb / in , pb / sn , pb / sn / ag etc . other materials that could be used in place of the solder ball 26 , could be electrically conductive organometallic material or electrically conductive polymeric material , to name a few . the low temperature electrically conductive material or solder , could be secured to the line 12 , by a method selected from a group comprising hot gas reflow , furnace reflow , thermode or laser reflow , to name a few . any of these methods can be used for structure that is illustrated in fig2 c . in this step the low melting point electrically conductive material , such as solder , bonds during reflow to the electrically conductive line , such as copper , gold , nickel etc ., and the open is easily repaired . the normal post join cleaning process , using xylene or other suitable solvents , removes the carrier 20 , and the flux ( not shown ). another electrical line repair process according to the teachings of this invention is shown in fig3 . the carrier 10 , has a flaw 11 , that had resulted in an opening 24 , as discussed elsewhere . the first step after locating the open is to prepare the site for repairs as discussed earlier . as shown , one end 21 , of the line 12 , has been site - dressed . the second exposed end 36 , of the line 12 , has been cleaned so that at least a portion of the electrically conductive line 12 , is exposed for subsequent metallurgical bonding . an electrically conductive segment or a slug 30 , is made using a compatible wire 32 , such as a copper wire , and it is coated with a partial or full layer of material 34 , that is electrically conductive , such as solder . other materials such as electrically conductive organometallic material or electrically conductive polymeric material , to name a few , could be used to form the partial or full layer of material 34 . the dimension of the slug 30 , should be such that it fits snugly into the opening 24 . the slug 30 , is then heated and the coating material 34 , melts and reflows . upon completion one ends up with a continuous electrical line with a metallurgical bond in the repaired segment . in order to ensure a good electrical and metallurgical bond between the wire 32 , and the line 12 , at least a portion of the end of wire 32 , should have a coating of the material 34 . &# 34 ; solder coating thin copper wire ,&# 34 ; ibm technical disclosure bulletin , vol . 11 , no . 7 , page 876 ( december 1968 ), gives an example of a wire that is coated with solder that could be used with this invention . the slug 30 , could be made by cutting the solder coated wire to the appropriate length so that it fits snugly into the opening 24 . another embodiment of making a repair is shown in fig4 . a carrier 10 , has a void area 46 , and subsequent formation of the line 12 , resulted in an open . the upper surface 42 , of the two open ends of the electrically conductive line 12 , are exposed and prepared as discussed elsewhere , and a nugget or a jumper wire 40 , is secured to the ends of the electrical line 12 , by any one or more of the method selected from a group comprising ultrasonic bonding , brazing , thermal compression bonding or lasersonic bonding . in order to obtain a good metallurgical bond between the jumper wire 40 , and the upper surfaces 42 , of the electrical line 12 , at least the end of the jumper wire 40 , should be coated with a low temperature electrically conductive material , such as solder . another way to use a jumper wire to repair an open is illustrated in fig5 where the carrier 10 , has a debris 18 , lodged that results in a partial or a complete open . if this debris is large enough , it could create a slight bump 54 , in the coating layer 14 . at different locations in the coating 14 , openings are made to expose at least the upper surface 52 and 53 , of the line 12 . the two ends of the jumper line 40 , are then secured to the upper surface 52 and 53 , of the line 12 , thus creating an electrical path and repairing the open . this method of repairing opens could be used in some situations where there may be more discontinuities in the line and a single repair may not solve the problem . in other cases the location of the open may be such that it does not lend itself to direct repair . in all these cases the method as shown in fig5 would be the way to make the repair . as stated earlier , a good metallurgical bond between the jumper wire 40 , and upper surface 52 and 53 , of the line 12 , may be made by locally reflowing a low temperature electrically conductive material , such as solder , that the end of the line 12 , may be coated with . fig6 illustrates another repair method of electrical lines according to the teachings of this invention . the carrier 10 , and the line 12 , both have defect 68 , that creates a complete or a partial open . an electrically conductive segment or a slug or a nugget 60 , is placed over the open and is secured to the exposed ends 61 and 62 , of the electrical line 12 , by methods discussed earlier . of course , the electrically conductive segment 60 , could comprise a partial or a complete coating of a low temperature electrically conductive material , such as solder , electrically conductive organometallic material or an electrically conductive polymeric material , to name a few ( not shown ). after each of the methods discussed above of repairing a line an additional layer of coating material , such as an insulator or dielectric , could then be applied over the repaired line 12 . the insulator that was used was a polyimide . if further processing of the substrate is desired then this additional coating could be planarized by methods well known in the art . each of the methods for line repair as disclosed in this invention can be done with active devices , such as chips , or passive devices , such as capacitors , wires or pins , already on the module and without the need to remove them . of course , the device under which the repair has to be done has to be removed and that device will have to be remounted once the thin film line has been repaired . the teaching of this invention could also be used for repairing narrow necks and thin portions . the initial repair procedure could be similar to the one that is currently being used in the industry for the repairs of narrow necks and thin portions , which is to pass a very strong current pulse into each conductor line . the narrow necks or thin portions will burn out by the extreme heat generated there and an open will result . the conductor lines are then visually inspected or tested for circuit opens . the open gaps are then cleaned and joined together by any of the methods disclosed here . the following examples are intended to further illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner . an open thin film circuit consisting of a 14 micron wide , 9 micron thick electrical line or a thin film line on a ceramic carrier overcoated with 8 microns of polyimide was prepared for a wire or a nugget repair . an area 160 micron long , 20 micron wide was laser ablated with 8 - 10 shots or pulses from an excimer laser operating at 308 nanometers with a fluence of 3 . 8 joules per square centimeter to remove the polyimide . the metallurgical line was then further treated with 1 - 3 pulses of the excimer laser at a reduced aperture ( 160 micron by 14 micron wide ) and at a fluence of 12 joules per square centimeter . the follow - on treatment removed the upper most oxidized cr layer from the top of the interdiffused electrical line leaving a bondable surface . the wavelength was chosen such that the polymer had high absorption and could be cleanly etched . the removal of the polyimide was achieved with pulsed ultraviolet radiation in the range 100 - 400 nm . the polyimide insulator was removed at laser fluences in the 0 . 025 - 40 joule / square centimeter range . the metallic thin film line were treated with laser fluences in the 0 . 5 - 40 joule / square centimeter range . the protective polyimide overcoat , approximately 120 microns in length , over the defective part of the line was laser ablated for a single bond . two 120 micron openings over a good part of the line , on each side of the defect were laser ablated if a jumper wire was to be used . pure gold wire with a diameter of 0 . 7 mils ( 17 . 8 microns ), matching the width of the thin film line , was secured as a nugget or a jumper wire on / or over the defect using the above mentioned processes . while the bond tip is still in contact with the wire and the thin film line , the long unused segments of wire should be removed . a severely damaged region of thin film circuit , consisting of a 14 micron wide , 9 micron thick metallurgical thin film line was prepared for a wire jumper . two bonding zones , 160 micron long and 20 micron wide were prepared at either end of the damaged region using the methods described above , with the polymer overcoat being first laser ablated , and then the exposed metallurgy was treated to produce the bondable surface . the wire jumper was then secured to the existing good line , thus creating a continuous electrical path . a defective line that was similar to the one used in example 1 , was repaired using a specially fabricated wire of diameter of 15 - 20 microns . the size of the wire matched the size of the thin film line . this wire is coated with pb / sn solder . solder composition was selected by the temperature at which no damage to polyimide integrity can occur and also by the ultimate temperature hierarchy of the system . the solder used was 63 percent tin and 37 lead , and the repair process was as follows : a specially fabricated tip which had a footprint with a contoured surface , such as the shape of the wire , held the wire in place on the line to be repaired . the contoured surface for the tip of the specially fabricated bonding tip could be selected from the group comprising , a flat surface , a triangular surface , a semicircular surface , an elliptical surface , a square surface , a rectangular surface , or a polygonal surface , to name a few . this tip was then heated with a laser which melted the solder in place . solder bonded to the line by means of a chemical reaction between the solder and the line metallurgy . this new process has been developed to repair gold and non - gold lines . the process uses a solder as means of repair . the chosen solder was 97 percent lead and 3 percent tin . this was due to the fact that it is compatible with thermal hierarchy in existence today . this same concept can be used with different solder compositions consistent with the temperature hierarchy of the module or the structure to be repaired . a near open in a thin film circuit consisting of a 30 micron wide , 6 micron thick metallurgical thin film line on a multi - level polyimide structure overcoated with 4 micron of polyimide was prepared for a solder repair . an area 100 micron long , 80 micron wide was ablated of polyimide with 5 - 6 pulses from the excimer laser operating at 308 nanometers with a fluence of 3 . 8 joules per square centimeter . the exposed metallurgy was then further treated with a single pulse at a fluence of 8 joules per square centimeter with a slightly reduced aperture size ( 100 micron by 30 micron ). the single pulse completely removed the upper most oxidized cr layer , producing a clean copper surface ready to accept the solder repair . twenty opens were repaired by the same method as discussed above and also in reference to fig2 b and 2c . repairs were made , measured and compared after one reflow . the substrate was then reflowed ten times to ensure that repairs would withstand device joining . it was noticed that the resistance of the repaired lines did not change . it was also discovered that the resistance of the repaired line is comparable to that of non - defective line of similar geometry . the invention can also be used for making repairs on an open line on the module after a devices have been placed . once it has been determined that there is an open , then the device near the defect site is removed and using laser ablation a window , such as a rectangular window is made through the polyimide or insulator layer and the two ends of the open are exposed . a nugget or a jumper wire or a solder is placed in the rectangular window that lays over the two ends of the open and using appropriate means , the nugget or the jumper wire or the solder is bonded to the open and a &# 34 ; continuous &# 34 ; line is thereafter obtained . the removed device is then put back on the module and the repaired module is then sent for its next operation . while the present invention has been particularly described , in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . it is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives , modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention . | 8 |
the invention is preferably practiced in the context of an operating system ( os ) resident on a personal computer , such as ibm ® os / 2 ® running on the ibm ® ps / 2 ® or system / 7 ® running on an apple ® macintosh ® computer , or unix ® running on a workstation , such as an ibm risc system / 6000 computer . a representative hardware environment is depicted in fig1 a , which illustrates a typical hardware configuration of a personal computer workstation in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention having a central processing unit ( cpu ) 10 , such as a conventional microprocessor , and a number of other units interconnected via a system bus 12 . the workstation shown in fig1 a includes a random access memory ( ram ) 14 , read only memory ( rom ) 16 , an i / o adapter 18 for connecting peripheral devices such as disk units 20 to the bus , a user interface adapter 22 for connecting a keyboard 24 , a mouse 26 , a speaker 28 , a microphone 32 , and / or other user interface devices such as a touch screen device ( not shown ) to the bus , a communication adapter 34 for connecting the workstation to a data processing network and a display adapter 36 for connecting the bus to a display device 38 . the purpose of interrupt services is provide a hardware independent interface to for external , hardware dependent i / o systems . the services provided by this architecture allow the programmer to focus on his / her device ( s ) rather than the low level kernel interrupt processing . this design includes interrupt processing abstractions . these interrupt abstractions provide an architecturally sound framework for the dynamic installation , configuration , and timely execution of interrupt handlers . the &# 34 ; plug & amp ; play &# 34 ; objective is an overall goal of the i / o sub - system . plug & amp ; play operation frees the user from having to deal with configuration files to add or remove i / o hardware . a required extension of plug & amp ; play operation is the dynamic installation of interrupt handlers , to allow for reconfiguration of i / o devices while the system is running . the best example of this is switching the functional use of the serial ports after the system has been booted : such a change would generally cause removal of the &# 34 ; old &# 34 ; interrupt handler and the installation of the &# 34 ; new &# 34 ; one . most systems are very unforgiving regarding exceptions being generated while the system is running interrupt code . the resulting crash of the system has a significant negative impact on overall system reliability . there are a number of different reasons exceptions occur including , for example , programming errors , temporary bus errors that can be retried successfully , and changing the assumptions under which an interrupt handler is operating . an example of changing assumptions includes a situation where a once valid memory or hardware device is removed without foreknowledge of the interrupt handler . recovery from the exception may not be possible if the interrupt handler is critical to system operation . innovation within the personal computer industry is often slowed or blocked because operating system ( os ) software is required to &# 34 ; know &# 34 ; too much about the underlying hardware platform . this hardware specific knowledge locks the hardware configuration into a place where change is very hard to accomplish . the use of object abstractions at this low level in the system encourages hardware and software innovation : both the hardware and the object based software can change without the effects rippling through the rest of the system . a fundamental problem with existing , configurable i / o systems is the dependency on some form of configuration database . this database in some cases is a large single database file , but commonly it takes the form of small text files scattered throughout the system . a much better paradigm is one which &# 34 ; inverts &# 34 ; this knowledge of configurations , obviating the need for an overall configuration database altogether . using a design in which resources find their higher - level &# 34 ; parent &# 34 ; objects , the need for the configuration database disappears . the fundament i / o model for the preferred embodiment of the invention consists of four major building blocks illustrated in fig2 and described below . 1 ) the access manager abstraction 210 : access managers are user - mode abstractions that execute outside the kernel 260 ; 2 ) the interrupt handler 250 : interrupt handlers are device - specific abstractions which process device interrupts ; 4 ) interrupt manager 230 : the interrupt manager manages multiple interrupt handlers , performing the first level interrupt decode and dispatch to the appropriate interrupt handler . the access manager 210 abstraction and its interrupt handler 230 constitute the classic functions found in a driver . the access manager 210 and interrupt handler 230 have direct access to the hardware device 220 that they manage . this allows the developer to emphasize function within either the access manager 210 or the interrupt handler 230 to meet design goals . in a case utilizing more advanced i / o hardware , the access manager 210 would dominate and the interrupt handler 250 would be minimal . interrupt handlers 230 are installed and / or removed at the request of an associated access manager 210 . an access manager 210 may not install an interrupt handler 230 if the device being managed does not generate interrupts . access managers may support multiple devices ; in this case the access manager may install an interrupt handler for each device that needs servicing . access managers 210 and interrupt handlers 250 communicate by using two standard interfaces . the access manager 210 can instigate a bi - directional communication transaction using the update 280 mechanism . the interrupt handler 250 can send a limited amount of data to any task through the onewaysend ( owsend ) 294 messaging service . if a developer is dealing with deficient i / o hardware , the interrupt handler 250 may embody a great deal of the overall i / o functions , and the access manager abstraction 210 , a smaller amount . the apple swim ( for super woz interface machine , a custom apple computer chip ) floppy controller , for example , is a particularly difficult device to service . it cannot generate interrupts and is 100 % compute - bound during sector i / o . a swim access manager would be small , simply passing requests to its large &# 34 ; interrupt handler &# 34 ; with the update operation . the interrupt handler , of necessity , would be required to perform the entire i / o operation , signaling completion with an owsend . although this type of i / o device is not preferred for its kernel memory usage and multitasking effects , it does fit into our fundamental i / o model . an i / o client , such as an application , interacts with the access manager 210 . the access manager 210 then interacts with hardware device 220 directly and / or the device interrupt handler 250 through the &# 34 ; update &# 34 ; request 280 . at some point , the hardware device 220 generates an interrupt 270 that is first fielded by the interrupt manager 230 and then dispatched to the appropriate interrupt handler 250 . when the interrupt handler 250 has completed some major step in dealing with the hardware device 220 , the interrupt handler 250 responds to the access manager 210 with an owsend 294 . the access manager 210 then informs the i / o client that the requested action has been completed . why are access managers employed instead of classic drivers ? the answer is tied to the expanded role required of i / o software in the preferred embodiment of the invention . each type of i / o device is likely to have differences in how it is to be accessed . printers or tape drives , for example , are unlikely to be shared among multiple clients . disk drives are inherently sharable . cards found on expansion buses may have many devices with different access policies . clearly global device access policy cannot be correctly predicted for all devices today . therefore , the i / o system cannot set global i / o access policy , since any device access policy that might be imposed today would most likely be incorrect in the future . the i / o system addresses this issue by moving many of the policy issues down to our new drivers . the functional role of our new drivers has been expanded from simple data movement and control of a device , to also include the definition of access policy of the device . hence the abstraction that defines this access policy is known as an access manager . an interrupt handler is an interrupt - source - specific abstraction that processes interrupts and runs within the kernel &# 39 ; s address space . an interrupt handler will be device specific because its code will have detailed knowledge of the target device . the interrupt handler will be generic , however , by virtue of its ability to handle multiple instances of a device at different physical locations . each interrupt handler is subclassed from the abstract tlnterrupthandler base class . the tinterrupthandler class defines the protocol contract between device specific interrupt handlers and the interrupt manager within the kernel . the device specific subclass , as well as any other objects used by the interrupt handler are processed into a normal shared library within the system . the installation of an interrupt handler from a shared library requires an associated interrupt control task so that the interrupt handler can automatically be removed if the control task is terminated for some reason . thus , the interrupt services can guarantee that the resources used by the interrupt handler will be reclaimed after the control task is terminated . fig3 illustrates a typical hardware hierarchy in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention . i / o devices can be attached to a system via many diverse hardware paths . some are built in on the motherboard , some are attached to buses ( e . g ., micro channel , nubus , isa , eisa ), while others are a mixture of both , for example a nubus card with a scsi chip on it . a simplifying abstraction is to view these different hardware configurations as a collection of hardware hierarchies similar to fig3 . viewing the hardware as a hierarchy infers a natural view of the software for these devices as a hierarchy . a hierarchical view of software fits nicely in restricting the scope of knowledge to obvious layers of the hierarchy . by limiting the scope of knowledge , i / o policy issues can be pushed to the lowest levels of the hierarchy . upon the occurrence of an interrupt , the root of the software hierarchy passes control down the software hierarchy until the correct device interrupt handler processes the interrupt . the i / o system uses a simple parent / child relationship to manage all the layers in the software hierarchies as shown in fig4 . each interrupt handler and access manager has a parent relationship and may or may not have a child relationship . the parent / child relationship is the simplest model to manage a hierarchical abstraction . this relationship has two important roles to play : first , it defines how the software hierarchy is constructed , and second , it describes the flow of control when an interrupt occurs . most i / o hardware simplifies the task of defining where functions should be split in the hierarchy . in some hardware , the job of defining the parent / child relationship is not as clear . the zilog z8530 serial communication controller ( scc ) chip is just such an example . this chip has two distinct ports ( a and b ) and a common interrupt register . the obvious initial design is to define two serial pods and have an interrupt handler for each port . however , if an interrupt handler for port a were to read the interrupt register , it would get the interrupt status for both ports and clear them by its action : certainly this would not work . the solution is to define two levels of abstraction : the chip 500 and the port 510 as illustrated in fig5 . the chip abstraction is the parent in this example and it exports two software - independent serial ports . when some client ( say a musical instrument device interface ( midi ) application ) needs to use an assigned port , it would first acquire the correct parent interrupt handler object and request the midi interrupt handler installed in association with the parent . this illustrates how the parent / child relationship is used to construct the software hierarchy . the next thing to explain is how the flow of control works in the interrupt case . for the sake of this example let &# 39 ; s say port b generates an interrupt . the interrupt manager first decodes the processor interrupt and then dispatches the scc interrupt handler . the scc interrupt handler reads the interrupt register ( thereby clearing the interrupts ), decodes the values that it finds , and determines that port b has an active interrupt . the handler calls the interrupt manager service invokechild to dispatch the port b interrupt handler , passing a copy of the interrupt register to the handler . after servicing the interrupt for port b , the interrupt register also initiates a port a interrupt , the scc interrupt handler will similarly dispatch the port a interrupt handler . in this way the port interrupt handlers will never need direct access to the shared interrupt register . as stated above , one of the major goals was the reuse of code and the use of abstractions to move i / o software forward . here is a simple example of the type of leverage this design affords . suppose a third party developer decides to manufacture a simple value - added card . market research exposes the requirement for an expansion card with a scsi bus and several serial ports . the developer chooses to use the same i / o chips that another manufacturer employs in their products as illustrated in fig6 . building the hardware card is straightforward , but the software to drive the card could be a major undertaking . a preferred embodiment minimizes software changes by maximizing the reusage of existing code as shown in fig7 . because of leverage at both the hardware and software level , a third party developer only has to develop a small part of the software solution . this contribution is the third party access manager and interrupt handler , the rest of the software can be reused , existing code . for example , in fig6 a small computer system interface ( scsi ) chip generates an interrupt which is detected by the first level interrupt decode as the third party expansion card is interrupting . then , in fig7 the third party interrupt handler determines which interrupt hardware generated the interrupt . then , the appropriate interrupt handler is selected to handle the interrupt . configuration access managers are responsible for the configuration of a collection of devices . they are the dominant element in the preferred embodiment . there are two kinds of configuration access managers . the first kind has a fixed set of devices to configure and therefore has a straightforward configuration task . the second kind has an unknown number and type of devices to configure . this second kind must therefore act out some protocol to determine what devices are present before it can complete its configuration task . when any configuration access manager is started up , it has the responsibility to find all the devices for which it is responsible . after the devices have been located and identified , the given configuration access manager makes a policy decision : to instantiate the appropriate access managers or just record that the device was found , but not linked with an access manager . fig8 illustrates a small computer system interface ( scsi ) bus configuration access manager . the access manager must follow the standard scsi protocol to identify what devices are currently attached to the scsi bus . after a device is found , the configuration access manager then determines whether a device - specific access manager should be instantiated . an expansion card is an example of a fixed set of devices to configure with more than one device on it . an access manager for an expansion card would have a fixed policy decision . for example , an expansion card containing two scsi controllers would have the logic associated with scsi chips . the devices on the scsi buses would have to be configured by a scsi bus configuration access manager . this example illustrates how configuration access managers can be applied recursively . the use of a software hierarchy to manage an arbitrary hardware hierarchy allows the i / o system to dynamically configure any hardware platform or configuration . a &# 34 ; software only &# 34 ; interrupt handler is one which is not associated with a hardware device interrupt . there are two basic types of software - only interrupt handlers : pure software modules and &# 34 ; callout &# 34 ; handlers . a pure software module never services interrupts ; a callout handler is called by another interrupt handler but does not receive interrupts directly from hardware . an example of a &# 34 ; pure software &# 34 ; module would be the &# 34 ; interrupt handler &# 34 ; ( virtually the entire driver ) for the apple swim floppy controller . this module never services interrupts , but instead directly drives the floppy device in a cpu - bound manner . other examples could be a performance - measurement tool or one which provides some type of specialized coprocessor support . in some cases it will be necessary for interrupt handlers and / or access managers to interact . a good example of interrupt handler interaction is the case of a digital signal processor ( dsp ) modem driver module , which receives updates from the serial access manager ( for modem control / status and character transmit ) and provides callouts to the serial interrupt handler ( for received characters ). a callout is a specialized method call from one interrupt handler to another . arguments to the call are not specified by this architecture , but are agreed between both parties to the callout . examples of callout interrupt handlers include functions which need periodic timed callouts from the system clock interrupt handler : polling for floppy media insertion on a swim , or maintenance of watchdog timeouts on a scsi operation . methods in tlnterrupthandler indicate an interrupt handler &# 39 ; s capabilities for keeping a list of callout clients ( e . g ., candocallouts , doaddcallout , and dodeletecallout ). the client handler has a callout method which obtains token - based type information associated , for example , mouse events . the data passed to callout includes references to objects like a tcalloutdata , which can be subclassed so that all dispatching handlers could have different args ( e . g ., a clock wants tickcount ). the interrupt manager provides addcallout and deletecallout methods so that the manager can call dodeletecallout () to clean up when an interrupt handler is removed . fig9 is a flowchart of a prior art inplementation of industry standard interrupt dispatch . single level interrupt dispatch similar to the logic set forth in fig9 is common in many computer systems . processing commences at terminal 900 where the interrupt state is queried . then , at decision block 910 a particular interrupt handler is selected corresponding to the interrupt state . then , at i / o block 920 , the particular interrupt handler is dispatched . finally , at function block 930 , the interrupt is processed according to the selected interrupt handler . fig1 illustrates multi - level interrupt dispatch in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention . processing commences at terminal 1000 where the interrupt state is queried . then , at decision block 1010 a particular interrupt handler is selected corresponding to the interrupt state . then , at i / o block 1020 , the particular interrupt handler is dispatched . then , at function block 1090 , the interrupt is processed according to the selected interrupt handler . a preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth at function block 1090 . the embodiment is capable of recursively selecting and dispatching interrupts through steps 1030 , 1040 and 1050 which correspond to steps 1000 , 1010 and 1020 . function block 1090 can be copied and executed as many times as necessary . finally , at function block 1060 , the interrupt handler clears the interrupt or interrupts . fig1 illustrates the c source code necessary to implement function block 1090 of fig1 . labels in fig1 correspond to the labels found in fig1 . thus , for example , the interrupt state is read at 1030 , the interrupt handler is selected at 1040 , and the next level of interrupt handler is invoked at 1050 . while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment in a specific system environment , those skilled in the art recognize that the invention can be practiced , with modification , in other and different hardware and software environments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
future medical treatment includes the aggressive , widespread utilization of configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices ( cmmpdd ) to deliver chemotherapy molecules directly to specific targeted cell types in the body . the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device transporting chemotherapy molecules represents a very versatile medical treatment delivery device . cmmpdd is used to deliver chemotherapy molecules to a wide variety of cancer cells and inflammatory cells . utilizing cmmpdd to deliver chemotherapy molecules to cancer cells represents a new means to manage cancer . using cmmpdd to deliver chemotherapy molecules to inflammatory arthritis represents a new means to treat inflammatory arthritis . by delivering chemotherapy molecules directly to targeted cells and only to the targeted cells by virus - like transport devices , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices represent a significant advancement over current chemotherapy treatment techniques in that this strategy avoids many of the unwanted side effects that conventional chemotherapy cause . for purposes of this text an ‘ external envelope ’ refers to the outermost covering of a virus or a virus - like transport device or a configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device . the external envelope may be comprised of a lipid layer , a lipid bilayer , the combination of a lipid layer affixed to a protein matrix or the combination of a lipid bilayer affixed to a protein matrix . a protein matrix is equivalent to a protein shell and may be referred to as a protein matrix shell . the terms protein matrix , protein shell , protein matrix shell are equivalent to the term capsid , where the term capsid is meant to represent ‘ a protein coat or shell of a virus particle , surrounding the nucleic acid or nucleoprotein core ’. the term ‘ particle ’ is equivalent to the term ‘ virion ’. for purposes of this text an ‘ internal shell ’ refers to a protein matrix shell nested inside the external envelope . the innermost protein matrix shell is termed the nucleocapsid . the proteins that comprise the nucleocapsid are termed capsid proteins . in the cavity created by the nucleocapsid , referred to as the center or core of the nucleocapsid , is where the payload of chemotherapy molecules is carried . for purposes of this text ‘ external probes ’ are molecular structures that are utilized to locate and engage cell - surface receptors on biologically active cells . external probes are generally comprised of a portion which is anchored or fixed in the external envelope and a second portion that extends out and away from the external envelope . the portion of the external probe that extends out and away from the external envelope is intended to make contact and engage a cell - surface receptor located on a biologically active cell . external probes may be comprised solely of a protein structure or an external probe may be a glycoprotein molecule . for purposes of this text ‘ glycoprotein molecule ’ refers to a molecule comprised of a carbohydrate region and a protein region . glycoprotein molecules that act as probes are generally anchored or fixed to a lipid layer utilizing the carbohydrate portion of the molecule as an anchor . the protein portion of the glycoprotein molecule which extends outward and away from the exterior envelope the glycoprotein has been affixed such that the protein region may function as a probe to locate and attach to the cell - surface receptor it was created to engage . the concept of configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices is modeled after naturally existing viruses . configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices in general are spherical in shape ; though other shapes may be used as function might warrant the use of a particular shape . the spherical configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are comprised of an exterior envelope and one or more inner nested protein shells . a quantity of exterior protein structure probes and / or glycoprotein probes are anchored in the exterior lipid envelope and a portion extends out and away from the exterior lipid envelope . nesting of protein shells refers to progressively smaller diameter shells fitting snugly inside protein shells of a larger diameter . inside the inner most protein shell , referred to as the nucleocapsid , is a cavity referred to as the core of the device . the core of the device is the space where the medically therapeutic payload the device carries is located . the payload of the device is comprised of chemotherapy molecules . configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices ( cmmpdd ) target specific types of cells in the body . configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices engage specific types of cells by the configuration of probes affixed to the exterior envelope of the cmmpdd . by fixing specific probes to the exterior envelope of the cmmpdd , these probes intended to engage and attach only to specific cell - surface receptors located on certain cell types in the body , the cmmpdd will deliver its payload to only those cell types that express compatible and engagable specific cell - surface receptors . in a similar fashion where the exterior probes of a naturally occurring virus engage specific cell - surface receptors present on the surface of the virus &# 39 ; s host cell and only the designated host cell , the cmmpdd &# 39 ; s exterior probes are configured to engage cell - surface receptors on a specific type of target cell and only those cells . in this manner , the payload of chemotherapy drug molecules carried by cmmpdd will be delivered only to specific types of cells in the body . the configuration of the exterior probes on the surface of a cmmpdd will vary as needed so as to effect the cmmpdd delivery of chemotherapy drug payloads to the specific cell types as needed to effect a particular predetermined medical treatment . the size of configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices is dependent upon the diameter of the inner protein matrix shells and this is dictated by the volume size of the payload the cmmpdd is required to carry and deliver to a target cell . the diameter of each inner protein matrix shell is governed by the number of protein molecules utilized to construct the protein matrix shell at the time the protein matrix shell is generated . increasing the number of proteins that comprise a protein matrix shell , increases the diameter of the protein matrix shell . when applicable an external lipid envelope wraps around and covers the outermost protein matrix shell . the larger the volume of the core of the cmmpdd , the greater the physical size payload the cmmpdd is able to carry . the size of the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device is to be the size of cell ( approximately 10 − 4 m in diameter ) or less , generally detectable by a light microscope or , as needed , an electron microscope . the size of the cmmpdd is not to be too large such that it would generate a burden to the body by damaging organ tissues through clogging blood vessels or glomeruli in the kidneys . the dimensions of each type of cmmpdd are to be tailored to the mission of the cmmpdd , which takes into account factors such as the type of target cell , the size of the payload that is to be delivered to the target cells and the length of time the cmmpdd may have to engage the target cell . being enveloped in an external lipid layer , configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices possess the advantage of having their exterior appear similar to the plasma membrane that acts as an outside covering for the cells that comprise the body . by appearing similar to existing plasma membranes , the cmmpdds appear similar to naturally occurring structures found in the body . cmmpdd &# 39 ; s are afforded the capability to avoid detection by a body &# 39 ; s immune system because the exterior of the cmmpdd mimics the cells comprising the body and the surveillance elements of the immune system find it difficult to discern between the cmmpdd and naturally occurring cells comprising the body . to carry out the process of manufacturing a configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device , a primitive cell such as a stem cell is selected . the reason for utilizing primitive cells such as stems cells as the host cell , is that the cmmpdd acquires its outer envelope from the host cell and the more primitive the host cell , the fewer in number the identifying protein markers are present on the surface of the cmmpdd . the fewer the identifying surface proteins present on the outer envelope of the cmmpdd , the less likely a body &# 39 ; s immune system will identify the cmmpdd as an intruder and therefore less likely the body &# 39 ; s immune system will react to the presence of the cmmpdd and reject the cmmpdd by attacking and neutralizing the cmmpdd . stem cells used as host cells to manufacture quantities of cmmpdd product are selected per histocompatibility markers present on their surface . certain histocompatibility markers present on the surface of the final cmmpdd product will be less likely to cause a reaction in a specific patient based on the genetic profile of the patient &# 39 ; s histocompatibility markers . a similar histocompatibility match is done when donor organs are selected to be given to recipients to avoid rejection of the donor organ by the recipient &# 39 ; s immune system . the selected stem cells used to manufacture configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices goes through several steps of maturation before it is capable of generating therapeutic cmmpdd product . messenger rna would be inserted into the host stem cell that would code for the general physical outer structures of the cmmpdd . messenger rna would be inserted into the host that would generate surface probes that would target the cell - surface receptors on specific target cell types . messenger rna would be inserted into the host that would be used to generate the payload of chemotherapy molecules or the chemotherapy molecules are introduced into the cmmpdd post production of the cmmpdd based on the size and complexity of the chemotherapy molecules . similar to how copies of a naturally occurring virus , such as the hepatitis c virus or hiv , are produced , assembled and released from a host cell , copies of the cmmpdd would be produced , assembled and released from a host cell . once released from the stem cell functioning as a de facto host cell , the copies of the cmmpdd would be collected , then pooled together to produce a therapeutic dose that results in a medically beneficial effect . the stem cells used as host cells are suspended in a broth of nutrients and are kept at an optimum temperature to govern the rate of production of the cmmpdd product . similar to the natural production of the hepatitis c virus , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices ‘ production genome ’ is introduced into the host stem cells . the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices production genome carries genetic instructions to cause the host cells to manufacture the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices &# 39 ; outer protein wall , the inner protein matrixes , the surface probes the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device is to have affixed to its outer envelope , the chemotherapy molecules the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are to carry , and the instructions to assemble the various pieces into the final form of the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices along with the instructions to activate the budding process . the resultant configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are collected from the nutrient broth surrounding the host cells and placed together into doses to be used as a treatment for a medical disease . the ‘ production genome ’ are an array of messenger rnas that are directly translated by the host cell &# 39 ; s ribosomes . the production genome dictates the characteristics of the final version of the cmmpdd that buds from the host stem cell and is released and is to be utilized as a medical treatment . the production genome is specifically tailored to code for the surface probes that will seek and engage a specific type of target cell . the production genome also carries the instructions to code for the production of the type of chemotherapy molecules to be delivered to the specific type of target cell . the ‘ production genome ’ varies depending upon the configuration of the cmmpdd and the type of chemotherapy molecules the cmmpdd will transport to effect a specific medical treatment in a specific type of cell . the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device transporting chemotherapy molecules represents a very versatile medical treatment delivery device . cmmpdd is used to deliver chemotherapy molecules to a wide variety of cancer cells and inflammatory cells . utilizing cmmpdd to deliver chemotherapy molecules to cancer cells represents a new means to manage cancer . using cmmpdd to deliver chemotherapy molecules to inflammatory arthritis represents a new means to treat inflammatory arthritis . as an example of this method , to treat breast cancer utilizing configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices to deliver to breast cells chemotherapy such as the antimetabolite methotrexate , the following production process is followed in the lab : ( 1 ) human stem cells are selected . ( 2 ) into the selected stem cells is placed the production genome constructed , in this case , specifically as a means to treat breast cancer . the rna production genome contains genetic instructions to cause the host stem cells to manufacture the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices &# 39 ; outer protein wall , the inner protein matrix , surface probes to include glycoprotein probes that engage estrogen cell - surface receptors present on the surface of breast cells , and the payload of chemotherapy molecules ; and the biologic instructions to assemble the components into the final form of the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices ; and the biologic instructions to activate the budding process . ( 3 ) upon insertion of the rna production genome dedicated to producing a configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices to transport chemotherapy molecules , into the host stem cells , host stem cells respond by ( i ) simultaneously translating the different segments of the rna production genome to produce the proteins that comprise the exterior protein wall , the inner protein matrix shell molecules , the surface probes to seek out and engage breast cells , the chemotherapy molecules , and ( ii ) decoding the rna instructions to assemble the components into the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices . ( 4 ) upon assembly , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices bud through the cell membrane of the host stem cell . ( 5 ) at the time of the budding process , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices acquire an outside envelope wrapped over the outer protein shell , this outer envelope comprised of a portion of the plasma membrane from the host stem cell as the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices exit the host cell . ( 6 ) in some cases dependent upon the treatment application and how tightly packed the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices need to be packed with chemotherapy molecules , such chemotherapy molecules may be present in the nutrient broth and diffuse into the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices . ( 7 ) the resultant configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are collected from the nutrient broth surrounding the host stem cells . ( 8 ) the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are washed in sterile solvent to remove contaminants . ( 9 ) the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are removed from the sterile solvent and suspended in a hypoallergenic liquid medium . ( 10 ) the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices are separated into individual quantities to facilitate storage and delivery to physicians and patients . ( 11 ) the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices transported in the hypoallergenic liquid medium is administered to a patient with a diagnosis of breast cancer per injection in a dose that is tailored to receiving patient &# 39 ; s severity of breast cancer . ( 12 ) upon being injected into the body , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices migrate to the breast tissues by means of the patient &# 39 ; s blood stream . ( 13 ) upon the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices reaching the breast cells , the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices engage the cell - surface receptors located on the breast cells and insert the payload they carry into the breast cells . the payload , in this case being the chemotherapy methotrexate . methotrexate molecules inhibit dihydrofolate reductase and therefore prevents breast cells synthesizing nucleic acids , therefore prevents cell division , which prevents the cancer cells from replicating but does not interfere with normal breast cells . in a similar fashion , configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices can be fashioned to deliver a payload of a specific chemotherapy molecule to any type of cancer cell or inflammatory cell in the body . different cell types express different cell - surface markers on the exterior of their plasma membrane . the differing configurations of cell - surface markers on differing types of cells distinguish one cell type from another cell type . by configuring the exterior probes that extend from the surface of the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device to seek out and engage specific cell - surface receptors present on normal cells and cancer cells payloads of chemotherapy can be delivered to specific cells in the body . rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease affecting millions of people worldwide . the chemotherapy drug methotrexate has been used for over twenty years , and is used quite extensively as a treatment of rheumatoid arthritis . oral and injectable forms of the methotrexate are used to suppress the growth and cell division of synovial tissues . oral and injectable methotrexate causes many unwanted side effects . utilizing configurable microscopic medical payload delivery devices to deliver methotrexate molecules specifically to synovial cells and only to synovial cells , increases the efficacy of methotrexate and reduces or eliminates the unwanted side effects of methotrexate . accordingly , the reader will see that the configurable microscopic medical payload delivery device to deliver chemotherapy molecules to specific targeted cell types provides advantages over existing art by : ( 1 ) being a delivery device that seeks out specific types of cells , ( 2 ) by being a delivery device that is versatile enough to deliver a variety of potential chemotherapy molecules to accomplish various medical treatments , ( 3 ) by being a device that delivers chemotherapy molecules only to targeted cells , thus avoiding unwanted side effects that current chemotherapy causes , and ( 4 ) by being a delivery device constructed with a surface envelope that will avoid detection by the innate immune system and the adaptable immune system so as not to activate either immune system to its presence ; for these reasons this represents a new and unique medical delivery device that has never before been recognized nor appreciated by those skilled in the art . although the description above contains specificities , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention . thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents , rather than by the examples given . the terms and expressions which are employed here are used as terms of description and are not of limitation and there is no intention , in the use of terms and expressions , of excluding equivalents of the features presented , and described , or portions thereof , it being recognized that various modifications are possible in the scope of the invention or process as claimed . | 0 |
the present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein . embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the figures . however , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments . for example , it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will , in light of the teachings of the present invention , recognized a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches , depending upon the needs of the particular application , to implement the functionality of any given detail description herein , beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown . that is , there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention . also , singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa , where appropriate , and alternatives embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive . the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings . embodiments of the present invention provide a harness to be used by a person performing freestanding leg exercises in order to support the upper torso of the user . the harness aids the user in performing the following freestanding leg exercises , without limitation ; regular squats , wide legged squats , stationary lunges , alternating lunges and front squats . in the preferred embodiment , this harness is used to hold in place an olympic weightlifting bar with or without additional weight attached . the preferred embodiment comprises a shoulder harness , a spine blade , and a weightlifting belt . the shoulder harness helps to evenly distribute and balance the olympic bar across the shoulders of the user . the spine blade helps the user maintain an upright position of the upper torso when doing freestanding leg exercises . the detachable contour weightlifting belt is added support to the lower back and waistline . fig1 , fig2 , and fig3 illustrate an exemplary training harness to provide support while performing freestanding leg exercises , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 shows a side view of the harness . fig2 shows a three - quarter view of the harness illustrating the placement of stationary back harness hooks 41 . fig3 shows a three - quarter view of the harness illustrating the secure placement of a spine blade 30 in an outside back pocket 20 a on a weightlifting belt 15 and a hook and loop ( e . g ., velcro ™) tongue 20 secured to a hook and loop strip 25 on spine blade 30 . the present embodiment comprises detachable contour fabric / woven weightlifting belt 15 , intended to provide support to the lower back and waistline of the user . in the present embodiment , weightlifting belt 15 is constructed of neoprene ; however , in alternate embodiments , weightlifting belt 15 may be made of various other materials such as , but not limited to , nylon . in most applications , a nylon belt works best due to the contour waistline structure in shape of the belt itself . leather belts are generally thick and cut / bite into the waistline — they have limited appeal to a universal usage . in the present embodiment , the harness has dual density foam padding 10 with an anti - bacterial fabric coating throughout . alternate embodiments may have no anti - bacterial coating and may have other types of padding such as , but not limited to , single density foam , and foam padding materials such a microban ™ made by microban international , ltd ./ huntersville , n . c . the microban antimicrobial product protection fights the growth of odor causing bacterial keeps sports gear cleaner and fresher . the harness comprises two shoulder strap fittings with front adjustable hooks 40 and non - adjustable back hooks 41 , and vertical spine blade 30 with hook and loop strip 25 . in alternate embodiments back hooks 41 may also be adjustable . in the present embodiment , weightlifting belt 15 has an easy adjustable hook and loop ( e . g ., velcro ™) strap 15 a for varied waistline size giving the user a more secure fit . in alternate embodiments , weightlifting belt 15 may be adjustable by various other means such as , but not limited to , one or more buckles , snaps , hooks , etc . outside pocket 20 a is sewn to the back center area of weightlifting belt 15 . outside pocket 20 a is top stitched and functions as a placeholder for spine blade 30 to securely fit into when the harness is in use . outside pocket 20 a is constructed of stiffened material so that spine blade 30 can easily slide into outside pocket 20 a . hook and loop tongue 20 on outside pocket 20 a may vary in length and adjusts the height of spine blade 30 with respect to weightlifting belt 15 . when in use , hook and loop tongue 20 is placed through a loop 25 a and adhered to hook and loop strip 25 for setting the position of spine blade 30 . loop 25 a adds to the security of hook and loop tongue 20 when set in place . those skilled in the art in light of the present teachings will recognize that there are various different means for setting spine blade 30 in place . spine blade 30 is extended upward vertically from weightlifting belt 15 as support to the entire back of the user . in the present embodiment , spine blade 30 is constructed of semi - rigid aluminum and is lined with padding 10 that is ⅜ to ½ inch non - porous neoprene adhesively attached to the underneath side of spine blade 30 . in alternate embodiments , spine blade 30 may be made of various different materials such as , but not limited to , other flexible metals , composite materials , or various plastics . an example of another suitable material for the spine blade material is a carbon fiber made of a strong , stiff thin fiber of nearly pure carbon combined with synthetic resins to produce a strong resin , lightweight material that is commonly used in construction of aircraft , autos , racing bikes and spacecrafts . the contour fit of padding 10 to spine blade 30 is noted with indented scoring 10 a along padding 10 . scoring 10 a enables padding 10 to flex to contour to the back of the user . alternate embodiments may not include scoring in padding 10 . in the present embodiment , spine blade 30 connects to shoulder harness straps 50 by an adjoining pivotal rivet 35 . pivotal rivet 35 enables the harness to be compacted for packing and storage by rotating shoulder harness straps 50 downward . in the present embodiment , shoulder harness straps 50 are also lined with padding 10 that is adhesively attached to the underneath side of shoulder harness straps 50 . in the present embodiment , shoulder harness straps 50 comprise a rigid aluminum insert to spread the weight across the shoulders of the user . shoulder harness straps 50 have contoured and indented scoring 10 a in padding 10 . each shoulder harness strap 50 extends forward comfortably fitting over each shoulder of the user . in the present embodiment , the harness is cosmetically covered with a webbed woven fabric 50 b . shoulder harness straps 50 provide front harness hooks 40 and stationary back harness hooks 41 . font harness hooks 40 hold the olympic bar when the user places the bar on the chest , and back harness hooks 41 serve as the resting pad for the olympic bar when the user places the olympic bar behind the neck . back harness hooks 41 are secured in place by a reinforced steel loop 45 . in alternate embodiments , back harness hooks 41 may be secured in place through various means , for example , without limitation , the back hooks may be held on with adjustable or non - adjustable straps or the hooks may be molded from the same pieces of metal as the inserts of the shoulder harness straps . though not shown in fig1 , fig2 , or fig3 , front harness hooks 40 are engaged in adjustable straps , shown by way of example in fig5 a . fig4 is a back view of an exemplary male version of a training harness , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the present view illustrates the secure placement of harness spine blade 30 being placed in outside back pocket 20 a on weightlifting belt 15 , and hook and loop tongue 20 in the act of adherence to hook and loop strip 25 on spine blade 30 . in the present embodiment , the harness is designed with an adjustable back blade 60 . some embodiments , designed for women , have non - adjustable attachments , which comprise non - adjustable suspender fittings . a reason for designing such embodiments for women is that research in measuring the upper chest cavity of a novice , athletic and elite female weight trainer proved to not varied in size therefore did not warrant an adjustable attachment . one notable exception is in the case of a female power lifter or a female athletic of same physique who would likely opt to use the male adjustable harness . the embodiment shown by way of example in fig1 through 3 are for the female version . it should be noted that the main difference between the male and female version is the adjustable attachment which needs to be shown in with the overall harness . however , everything else about the male / female versions of the harness is generally the same . due to the difference in anatomic structural size of typical males &# 39 ; individual upper torsos , it is preferable to allow an adjustment feature for shoulder harness straps 55 . said feature is adjustable back blade 60 added to a pivotal rivet 35 . within adjustable back blade 60 is a sliding slot 65 with indented groove like sockets for shoulder harness straps 55 to click lock in from left to right . the present embodiment also comprises features illustrated by way of example in fig1 , fig2 , and fig3 such as , but not limited to , back harness hooks 41 , padding 10 , scoring 10 a , loop 25 a , and hook and loop strap 15 a . also , as previously described , various alternate means may be used for adjustment of spine blade 30 and weightlifting belt 15 such as , but not limited to , buckles , snaps , hooks , etc . fig5 a and fig5 b illustrate an exemplary front harness hook 40 and an exemplary adjustment system for front harness hook 40 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig5 a illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary front harness adjustable strap 85 , and fig5 b illustrates a perspective view of exemplary front harness hook 40 . in the present embodiment , front harness hook 40 is adjustable to enable customization of the bar position for various exercises . for added strength to adjustable strap 85 in the present invention , fabric content is of webbed woven stitching with a hook and loop strip inset 85 a . both front harness adjustable straps 85 are clearly marked on inset 85 a with stitch - like horizontal lines 85 b as placements for evening adjusting straps when securing front harness hooks 40 . alternate embodiments may not include horizontal lines . in the present embodiment , front harness hook 40 is secured to front harness adjustable strap 85 with a tongue - like flap 85 d inserted through an eye 70 of front harness hook 40 . tongue - like flap 85 d is secured to front harness adjustable strap 85 having an inset surface cover 85 c of hook and loop material . in alternate embodiments , the adjustment of adjustable strap 85 may be accomplished by different means such as , but not limited to , buckles or snaps . a close - up of front harness hook 40 is provided to show thickness and width . in the present embodiment , front harness hook 40 is made of galvanized steel that should substantially hold the weight of a weighted olympic bar . note , galvanized steel enables ease in release of the steel weighted olympic bar from front adjustable hooks 40 and back adjustable hooks 41 . other suitable materials for front harness hooks 40 include , without limitation , aluminum , and the carbon fiber as described above for the spine material . an opening 75 of front harness hook 40 is where the weighted olympic bar rests when in use . in the present embodiment , hook section 90 is the lip portion of hook opening 75 that the weighted olympic bar rests against . eye 70 of front harness hook 40 and the stem of tongue - like flap 85 d accommodate each other in shape , thickness , and size for a uniform fit . fig6 illustrates an exemplary harness , as shown by way of example in fig1 , fig2 , and fig3 , in typical use by a male user , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig6 shows a front view of the user in a standing position for a front squat exercise . in the present example , the user has placed the olympic bar in the front harness hooks so that the olympic bar is resting on his chest . for this situation , the harness works as follows : in the conventional manner , the individual places all of the focus on maintaining the bar high up over the chest collar . pressing against the collar bone is also a distracting feeling while trying to focus on maximize training . there too is the concern of correct holding of the olympic bar evenly . with the olympic bar placed even across the front hooks — even pressure / balance while holding the bar still allows the focus to be mainly on training with correct weight distribution of the bar with weights now solely on the harness and not the individuals body . fig7 illustrates an exemplary training harness , as shown by way of example in fig4 , in typical use by a male user , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig7 shows a rear view of the user holding an olympic bar with weights in standing position . in the present example , the user is preparing to perform a rear squat or lunge exercise so the olympic bar is in back the back harness hooks and the weight of the olympic bar is distributed evenly across the shoulders and upper back of the user . the preferred embodiment can hold a maximum weight of 400 lbs including the weight of the olympic bar . the harness provides support to the upper torso when the olympic bar is in place across the shoulders with or without additional weight . when the weight is in the harness , the harness flexes inward , allowing the back of the user to maintain an upright position while exercising . the weightlifting belt allows for additional support . this support enables fuller squat position in movement of the exercises . enhanced quality of leg development is noted due to less stress of the upper torso when the weighted olympic bar is across the shoulders . embodiments of the present invention enable the user to focus more on the quality of the leg training rather than the need for upper body support . those skilled in the art , in light of the foregoing , will recognize a multiplicity of alternative and suitable ways to configure a harness that helps avoid injury while training . while the use of steel has been described above , it is contemplated that other suitable materials may be used that enhance safety and will sustain the weight and tolerance while using the harness . having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention , other equivalent or alternative means for implementing a training harness for freestanding leg exercises according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , without limitation , some non - collapsing embodiments may not include a pivotal rivet . also , some embodiments may not include a weightlifting belt where the spine blade extends downward from the shoulder harness straps . the invention has been described above by way of illustration , and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed . the invention is thus to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 0 |
embodiments of the multilevel semiconductor memory device , the methods of writing / reading data from / to the memory device , and the storage medium storing the data writing / reading programs according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 shows the essential construction of a multilevel eeprom ( electrically erasable and programmable read only memory ), to which embodiments according to the present invention are applied . in fig1 , a memory cell array 1 is formed by arranging a plurality of memory cells in a matrix pattern . each memory cell is of floating gate type , as shown in fig2 . in fig2 , a drain 12 and a source 13 each formed by an n - type impurity diffusion layer are formed on a surface of a p - type silicon substrate 11 . further , a channel region 14 is formed between the drain 12 and the source 13 . a bit line 15 is connected to the drain 12 , and a source line 16 is connected to the source 13 . further , formed on the channel region 14 is a tunnel insulating film 20 formed of sio 2 film and having a thickness of about 10 nm . on this tunnel insulating film 20 , there are formed in sequence a floating gate 17 formed of a low - resistance polysilicon , an interlayer insulating film 18 , and a control gate ( word line ) 19 formed of a low - resistance polysilicon . the word line 19 is connected to a decoder 2 provided as extending in the column direction of the memory cell array 1 . the bit line 15 is connected to a multiplexer 4 provided as extending in the row direction of the memory cell array 1 . and , the source line 16 is grounded . when data are written in the multilevel eeprom as described above , the operation mode is set to a program mode . further , data are input through an input / output interface ( i / f ) 8 ; on the other hand , addresses are input through an input interface i / f 7 . each input address is a logical address and hence converted into a physical address by a converter 9 . the data input through the input i / f 8 are given to a signal controller 6 . the bit data of the given data are rearranged by a bit data separator 6 a provided in the signal controller 6 , as described in further detail later . the input data whose bits are rearranged are given to a voltage generator and controller 3 , to generate voltages according to the bit data . the voltages generated as described above are applied to the memory cell array 1 through a decoder 2 , so that predetermined threshold voltages are set to the memory cells . the first embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to fig3 . the multilevel eeprom described in this embodiment is a four - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of the four values ( 0v , 2v , 4v , 6v ) corresponding to each of two - bit data ( 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 ) to be stored . employed in this eeprom &# 39 ; is the method of interleaving , by m - times , a code c having a code length n and a burst error correction capability l , as the burst error correction code . in data rewriting , whenever 8 - bit data are input , the input data is divided into 4 × 2 data bits as ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ). on the basis of the divided data bits , 3 × 2 check bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ) and ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) are formed . further , on the basis of these data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ) and the check bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ) ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), two code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) are formed . the two code words formed as described above are given to the bit data separator 6 a , and then the bits of the code words are put in the positions of 2 × 7 arrangement as shown in fig3 . further , combinations of ( m 11 , m 12 ), ( m 21 , m 22 ), ( m 31 , m 32 ), ( m 41 , m 42 ), ( p 1 , p 12 ), ( p 21 , p 22 ) and ( p 31 , p 32 ) are sequentially stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig3 , m 11 and m 12 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the high - and the low - order bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 and m 22 ; m 31 and m 32 ; m 41 and m 42 ; p 11 and p 12 ; p 21 and p 22 ; and p 31 and p 32 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . as described later in further detail , each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig3 , even if the threshold voltage of the third memory cell 3 changes and thereby a burst error of two - bit length occurs , since this error is a single error in a single code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents “ 01 ” change to “ 10 ” occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . the second embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the second embodiment is an eight - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of eight levels ( 0v , 1v , 2v , 3v , 4v , 5v , 6v , 7v ) corresponding to three - bit data ( 000 , 001 , 010 , 011 , 100 , 101 , 110 , 111 ) to be stored . in data rewriting , whenever 12 - bit data is input , the input data is divided into 4 × 3 data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 ). on the basis of the divided data bits , 3 × 3 redundant check bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) and ( p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) are obtained . on the basis of these data bits and check bits , three code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) are formed in 3 × 7 arrangement . further , as shown in fig4 , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 ), ( p 11 , p 12 , p 13 ), ( p 21 , p 22 , p 23 ) and ( p 31 , p 32 , p 33 ) are stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig4 , m 11 , m 12 and m 13 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the high -, the medium - and the low - order bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 and m 23 ; m 31 , m 32 and m 33 ; m 41 , m 42 and m 43 ; p 11 , p 12 and p 13 ; p 21 , p 22 and p 23 ; and p 31 , p 32 and p 33 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig4 , even if the threshold voltage of the third memory cell 3 changes and thereby a burst error of three - bit length occurs , since this error is a single error in a single code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents “ 100 ” change to “ 011 ” occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . two modifications of the second embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the first modification is an eight - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of eight levels ( 0v , 1v , 2v , 3v , 4v , 5v , 6v , 7v ) corresponding to three - bit data ( 000 , 001 , 010 , 011 , 100 , 101 , 110 , 111 ) to be stored . the first modification follows a specific linear coding standard in which two errors per bit of a code word can be corrected . in data rewriting , whenever data composed of a specific number of bits , for example , k bits are input , the input data are divided into three ( k / 3 ) data bits . redundant bits are obtained on the basis of the divided data bits to form a 14 - bit code word ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 , m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ) and a 7 - bit code word ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , m 53 , m 63 , m 73 ). in each code word , a specific number of bits are data bits and the remaining bits are redundant bits for error correction . then , the 14 - bit code word ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 , m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ) is divided into 7 - bit code trains ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ). then , the code train a ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 ), the code train b ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ) and one code word c ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , m 53 , m 63 , m 73 ) are put in the positions of 3 × 7 arrangement . further , as shown in fig5 a , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 ), ( m 51 , m 52 , m 53 ), ( m 61 , m 62 , m 63 ) and ( m 71 , m 72 , m 73 ) are stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig5 a , m 11 , m 12 and m 13 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the high -, the medium - and the low - order bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 and m 23 ; m 31 , m 32 and m 33 ; m 41 , m 42 and m 43 ; m 51 , m 52 and m 53 ; m 61 , m 62 and m 63 ; and m 71 , m 72 and m 73 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . the code trains a and b , and the code word c can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig5 a , even if a burst error of three - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in the code trains a and b , and the code word c , and this error corresponds to two errors in the code word composed of the code trains a and b , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents “ 100 ” change to “ 011 ” occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . next , the second modification of the second embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the second modification is an eight - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of eight levels ( 0v , 1v , 2v , 3v , 4v , 5v , 6v , 7v ) corresponding to three - bit data ( 000 , 001 , 010 , 011 , 100 , 101 , 110 , 111 ) to be stored . the second modification follows a specific coding standard in which a single error per bit of a code word can be corrected and two errors per bit of a code word can be detected . in data rewriting , whenever 12 - bit data is input , the input data is divided into 4 × 3 data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 ). by means of hamming codes , 3 × 3 redundant bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) and ( p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) are obtained on the basis of the divided data bits . then , all the seven bits are ex - ored in each of the three code trains ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ). the resultant redundant bits q 1 , q 2 , and q 3 are added to the three code trains , respectively , to form three code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 , q 1 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 , q 2 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 , q 3 ). then , the three code words are put in the positions of 3 × 8 arrangement . further , as shown in fig5 b , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 ), ( p 11 , p 12 , p 13 ), ( p 21 , p 22 , p 23 ), ( p 31 , p 32 , p 33 ) and ( q 1 , q 2 , q 3 ) are stored in the eight memory cells . accordingly , in fig5 b , m 11 , m 12 and m 13 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the high -, the medium - and the low - order bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 and m 23 ; m 31 , m 32 and m 33 ; m 41 , m 42 and m 43 ; p 11 , p 12 and p 13 ; p 21 , p 22 and p 23 ; p 31 , p 32 and p 33 ; and q 1 , q 2 and q 3 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 8 , respectively . each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig5 b , even if a burst error of three - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in each code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the eight memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents “ 100 ” change to “ 011 ” occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . further , if a burst error of one to three - bit length occurs in another memory cell , there are two errors in at least one code word . these two errors can be detected and one of them can be corrected . the third embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the third embodiment is a sixteen - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of sixteen levels ( 0v , 1v , 1 . 25v , 1 . 5v , 1 . 75v , 2v , 2 . 25v , 2 . 5v , 2 . 75v , 3v , 3 . 25v , 3 . 5v , 3 . 75v , 4v , 4 . 25v , 4 . 5v ) corresponding to four - bit data ( 0000 , 0001 , 0010 , 0011 , 0100 , 0101 , 0110 , 0111 , 1000 , 1001 , 1010 , 1011 , 1100 , 1101 , 1110 , 1111 ) to be stored . in data rewriting , whenever 16 - bit data is input , the input data is divided into 4 × 4 data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 ). on the basis of the divided data bits , 3 × 4 redundant bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), ( p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) and ( p 14 , p 24 , p 34 ) are obtained . on the basis of these data bits and redundant bits , four code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , p 14 , p 24 , p 34 ) are formed and put in the positions of 4 × 7 arrangement . further , as shown in fig6 , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 , m 14 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 , m 24 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 , m 34 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 , m 44 ), ( p 11 , p 12 , p 13 , p 14 ), ( p 21 , p 22 , p 23 , p 24 ) and ( p 31 , p 32 , p 33 , p 34 ) are stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig6 , m 11 , m 12 , m 13 and m 14 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the first , the second , the third and the fourth bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 , m 23 and m 24 ; m 31 , m 32 , m 33 and m 34 ; m 41 , m 42 , m 43 and m 44 ; p 11 , p 12 , p 13 and p 14 ; p 21 , p 22 , p 23 and p 24 ; and p 31 , p 32 , p 33 and p 34 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig6 , even if a burst error of four - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in a single code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents “ 1000 ” change to “ 0111 ” occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . two modifications of the third embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the first modification is a sixteen - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of sixteen levels ( 0v , 1v , 1 . 25v , 1 . 5v , 1 . 75v , 2v , 2 . 25v , 2 . 5v , 2 . 75v , 3v , 3 . 25v , 3 . 5v , 3 . 75v , 4v , 4 . 25v , 4 . 5v ) corresponding to four - bit data ( 0000 , 0001 , 0010 , 0011 , 0100 , 0101 , 0110 , 0111 , 1000 , 1001 , 1010 , 1011 , 1100 , 1101 , 1110 , 1111 ) to be stored . the first modification follows a specific linear coding standard in which two errors per bit of a code word can be corrected . in data rewriting , whenever data composed of a specific number of bits , for example , p bits is input , the input data is divided into four ( p / 3 ) data bits . redundant bits are obtained on the basis of the divided data bits to form two 14 - bit code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 , m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ) and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , m 53 , m 63 , m 73 , m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , m 54 , m 64 , m 74 ). in each code word , a specific number of bits are data bits and the remaining bits are redundant bits for error correction . then , these 14 - bit code words are divided into 7 - bit code trains ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , m 51 , m 61 , m 71 ) and ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , m 52 , m 62 , m 72 ), and ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , m 53 , m 63 , m 73 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , m 54 , m 64 , m 74 ), respectively . then , the code trains are put in the positions of 4 × 7 arrangement . further , as shown in fig7 a , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 , m 14 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 , m 24 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 , m 34 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 , m 44 ), ( m 51 , m 52 , m 53 , m 54 ), ( m 61 , m 62 , m 63 , m 64 ) and ( m 71 , m 72 , m 73 , m 74 ) are stored in the seven memory cells . accordingly , in fig7 a , m 11 , m 12 , m 13 and m 14 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the first , the second , the third and the fourth bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 , m 23 and m 24 ; m 31 , m 32 , m 33 and m 34 ; m 41 , m 42 , m 43 and m 44 ; m 51 , m 52 , m 53 and m 54 ; m 61 , m 62 , m 63 and m 64 ; and m 71 , m 72 , m 73 and m 74 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 7 , respectively . each code train can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig7 a , even if a burst error of four - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in each code train , and this error corresponds to two errors in the code word composed of two of the code trains , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the seven memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents “ 1000 ” change to “ 0111 ” occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . next , the second modification of the third embodiment of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . the semiconductor device applied with the second modification is a sixteen - level memory device , in which the threshold voltage of each memory cell is set to any of sixteen levels ( 0v , 1v , 1 . 25v , 1 . 5v , 1 . 75v , 2v , 2 . 25v , 2 . 5v , 2 . 75v , 3v , 3 . 25v , 3 . 5v , 3 . 75v , 4v , 4 . 25v , 4 . 5v ) corresponding to four - bit data ( 0000 , 0001 , 0010 , 0011 , 0100 , 0101 , 0110 , 0111 , 1000 , 1001 , 1010 , 1011 , 1100 , 1101 , 1110 , 1111 ) to be stored . the second modification follows a specific coding standard in which a single error per bit of a code word can be corrected and two errors per bit of a code word can be detected . in data rewriting , whenever 16 - bit data is input , the input data is divided into 4 × 4 data bits ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 ). by means of hamming codes , 3 × 4 redundant bits ( p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), ( p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) and ( p 14 , p 24 , p 34 ) are obtained on the basis of the divided data bits . then , all the seven bits are ex - ored in each of the four code trains ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , p 14 , p 24 , p 34 ). the resultant redundant bits q 1 , q 2 , q 3 and q 4 are added to the four code trains , respectively , to form four code words ( m 11 , m 21 , m 31 , m 41 , p 11 , p 21 , p 31 , q 1 ), ( m 12 , m 22 , m 32 , m 42 , p 12 , p 22 , p 32 , q 2 ), ( m 13 , m 23 , m 33 , m 43 , p 13 , p 23 , p 33 , q 3 ) and ( m 14 , m 24 , m 34 , m 44 , p 14 , p 24 , p 34 , q 4 ). then , the four code words are put in the positions of 4 × 8 arrangement . further , as shown in fig7 b , ( m 11 , m 12 , m 13 , m 14 ), ( m 21 , m 22 , m 23 , m 24 ), ( m 31 , m 32 , m 33 , m 34 ), ( m 41 , m 42 , m 43 , m 44 ), ( p 11 , p 12 , p 13 , p 14 ), ( p 21 , p 22 , p 23 , p 24 ), ( p 31 , p 32 , p 33 , p 34 ) and ( q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 ) are stored in the eight memory cells . accordingly , in fig7 b , m 11 , m 12 , m 13 and m 14 are stored in the memory cell 1 as the first , the second , the third and the fourth bit , respectively . in the same way , m 21 , m 22 , m 23 and m 24 ; m 31 , m 32 , m 33 and m 34 ; m 41 , m 42 , m 43 and m 44 ; p 11 , p 12 , p 13 and p 14 ; p 21 , p 22 , p 23 and p 24 ; p 31 , p 32 , p 33 and p 34 ; and q 1 , q 2 , q 3 and q 4 are stored in the memory cells 2 to 8 , respectively . each code word can be corrected even if a single error occurs . for instance , as shown in fig7 b , even if a burst error of four - bit length occurs in the third memory cell 3 , since this error is a single error in each code word , the correction is enabled . in other words , even if the threshold voltage of one of the eight memory cells changes ; that is , even when a burst error such that the stored contents “ 1000 ” change to “ 0111 ” occurs , for instance , the correction is enabled . further , if a burst error of one - to four - bit length occurs in another memory cell , there are two errors in at least one code word . these two errors can be detected and one of them can be corrected . another modification besides the modifications of the second and the third embodiments of the method of data writing according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . for example , 56 bits of “ 0 ” are added to 64 pieces of original data to obtain 120 - bit data . a 127 - bit length hamming code is obtained on the basis of the 120 - bit data . all the 127 bits are ex - ored to obtain a 128 - bit code . the additional 56 - bit “ 0 ” are removed from the 128 - bit code to obtain a 72 - bit code word . this coding method is capable of correcting one error and detecting two errors per bit of a code word and often used as the sec / ded code ( single - error - correction / double - error - detecting code ) for main memories . a practical example that the error correction is enabled even if one error occurs in a single code word will be described hereinbelow . a table below lists hamming codes in which three redundant bits are added to four data bits . in these hamming codes , 1 , 2 and 4 digits are redundant bits , and these bits are decided in such a way that an even parity can be obtained in each digit set of ( 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 ), ( 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 ) and ( 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ). for instance , when a code “ 0111100 ” corresponding to a decimal number of [ 12 ] is written , in case an error occurs so that a code “ 0101100 ” is read , it is possible to obtain an error digit by a binary number ( 011 in this case ) as shown in table 1 . therefore , even if an error occurs , it is possible to correct the error securely . further , when the number of data bits is increased , since this code can be extended to that number , the number of redundant bits m necessary for the n number of data bits can be expressed as in the above description , the case where the present invention is applied to a non - volatile memory device having floating gate type memory cells has been described . however , without being limited only to the floating gate type memory cell , the present invention can be of course applied to mnos ( metal - nitride - oxide - silicon ) type semiconductor memory devices . further , the present invention can be applied to eproms , proms , mask roms , etc . in addition to the eeproms . in the mask roms , a storage status can be obtained by changing the threshold level thereof on the basis of the control of impurity quantity put in the channel region of a field effect transistor by ion implantation . further , the four - and eight - level memory cells have been described by way of example hereinabove . however , the data writing according to the present invention is not of course limited to only these levels . further , as a method of obtaining error correction codes , although interleaving has been explained , as far as an error of a burst length corresponding to the data quantity stored in the memory cell can be corrected by means of the error correction code , another method can be of course adopted , such as cyclic codes or compact cyclic codes . next , embodiments of the method of data reading according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the attached drawings . described in the first embodiment are the multilevel eeprom shown in fig1 and a method of data reading from the eeprom . in the read operation , first an external logical address signal is input to the converter 9 via input i / f 7 . the converter 9 generates a physical address signal corresponding to an actual memory cell on the basis of the input logical address signal . in response to the physical address signal , the signal controller 6 decides a word line ( control gate of fig2 ) 19 and a bit line 15 ( fig2 ) both to be selected , and instructs the decided results to the decoder 2 and the multiplexer 4 . according to the instructions , the decoder 2 selects the word line 19 , and the multiplexer 4 selects the bit line 15 . the signal controller 6 decides the magnitude of the voltage to be applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell , and instructs the decided voltage to the voltage controller 3 . the voltage controller 3 applies the decided voltage to the selected word line 19 via decoder 2 . on the other hand , the multiplexer 4 applies a predetermined voltage to the selected bit line 15 . therefore , it is possible to determine whether a current flows through the selected bit line 15 according to the threshold voltage of the selected memory cell . a status of the current with respect to the selected bit line 15 is transmitted from the multiplexer 4 to the sense amplifier 5 . the sense amplifier 5 detects the presence or absence of the current flowing through the selected bit line 15 , and transmits the detected result to the signal controller 6 . on the basis of the detected result of the sense amplifier 5 , the signal controller 6 decides a voltage to be next applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell , and instructs the decided result to the voltage controller 3 . further , the signal controller 6 outputs the stored data of the selected memory cell obtained by repeating the above - mentioned procedure , via output i / f 8 . fig8 shows the flowchart showing a procedure of the first embodiment of the reading method according to the present invention . a four - level eeprom having a storage capacity of 8 mbits will be explained by way of example . the four - level eeprom has a logical address space of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] and a physical address space of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] in hexadecimal notation . further , each memory cell stores 2 - bit (= four levels ) data ( 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 ), so that the threshold voltages of ( 0v , 2v , 4v , 6v ) are set to memory cells according to these data . when the physical address of a memory cell is ap , the data of the logical address ap is stored in the high - order bit of the two bits of the memory cell , and the logical address ( ap +[ 40 0000 ]) is stored in the low - order bit thereof . in other words , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the high - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address a 1 is rewritten to the designated data . on the other hand , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the low - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address ( a 1 =[ 40 0000 ]) is rewritten to the designated data . in fig8 , when an external read instruction is input in step s 1 and further a logical address signal is input to the input i / f 7 in step s 2 , the signal controller 6 determines whether the input logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] or not in step s 3 . in step s 3 , when the logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ], since the logical address matches the physical address , it is decided that the data to be read is the high - order bit of the two bits in step s 4 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell , and further it is determined whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 5 . in step s 5 , when the current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell ; that is , when the selected memory cell is conductive , it is decided that the high - order bit of the 2 - bit data stored in this memory cell is “ 0 ” since the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 0v or 2v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 6 . on the other hand , in step s 5 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the high - order bit of the 2 - bit data stored in this memory cell is “ 1 ”. because the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 4v or 6v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 7 . further , in step s 3 , when the logical address signal input to the input i / f 7 indicates an address in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ], the logical address does not match the physical address ; that is , the physical address is ( logical address −[ 40 0000 ]). it is decided that the data to be read is the low - order bit of the two bits in step s 8 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell , and further it is determined whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 9 . in step s 9 , when the current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the signal control circuit 6 instructs the voltage control circuit 3 to apply a reference voltage of 1v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 10 . because , the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 0v or 2v . further , in step s 10 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the low - order bit of the 2 - bit data of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. because the threshold voltage of this memory cell is 0v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 11 . on the other hand , in step s 10 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the low - order bit of the 2 - bit data of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. because the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 2v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 12 . further , in step s 9 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 13 . because the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is 4v or 6v . further , in step s 13 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the low - order bit of the 2 - bit data of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. because the threshold voltage of this memory cell is 4v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 12 . on the other hand , in step s 13 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , it is decided that the low - order bit of the 2 - bit data of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. because the threshold voltage of this memory cell is 6v . the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 13 . with respect to the reading method described above , a method of determining whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of a selected memory cell by applying a reference voltage of 1v , 3v or 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell will be explained with reference to fig1 and 9 . for instance , in step s 4 in fig8 , when the signal controller 6 receives a physical address from the converter 9 and decides that the data to be read is the high - order bit of the 2 - bit data , the signal controller 6 further decides that the voltage to be applied to the control gate 19 of a selected memory cell is 3v and instructs the decided voltage to the voltage controller 3 . in fig9 , the voltage controller 3 includes a 1v - reference voltage generator 3 a , a 3v - reference voltage generator 3 b and a 5v - reference voltage generator 3 c . in this example , the reference voltage generator 3 b generates and applies 3v as a reference voltage to a switching circuit 55 . the signal controller 6 decides a word line to be selected in response to an input physical address and instructs the decided result to the decoder 2 . according to the instruction , the decoder 2 outputs a decoding signal to the switching circuit 55 . on receiving the 3v - reference voltage and the decoding signal , the switching circuit 55 applies the 3v - reference voltage to the selected word line . the sense amplifier 5 determines whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of a selected memory cell 1 a of the cell array 1 . more in detail , the sense amplifier 5 compares an output voltage of the memory cell 1 a and a predetermined reference voltage from a reference voltage generator 56 . the comparison result is instructed to the signal controller 6 . according to the instruction , the signal controller 6 decides a voltage of 1v or 5v that is applied next to the memory cell 1 a . the signal controller 6 then outputs data stored in the memory cell 1 a via output i / f 8 . as described above , in this first embodiment , the logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] are divided hieratically into an address space a 1 ( logical addresses : [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] of relatively high access speed and an address space a 2 ( logical addresses : [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] of relatively low access speed . and , a partial space ( logical addresses : [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) one - to - one corresponding to the address space formed by the physical addresses ([ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) within the logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] is determined as the address space a 1 of relatively high access speed . further , data in the address space a 1 is stored in the specific component ( here , the high - order bit ) of the storage status of each memory cell . when the input logical address is included in the above - mentioned partial space ( the logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]), this logical address designates the high - order bit data . it is thus possible to immediately detects this high - order bit data by a single decision process by use of the reference voltage of 3v . the detected high - order bit data is then output . in this case , it is possible to increase the access speed twice , as compared with the case where the respective threshold voltages are checked by use of all the reference voltages . therefore , the data having the highest access frequency can be stored in the high - order bits and the data having a relatively low access frequency can be stored in the low - order bits . a programmer can operate the eeprom as if a single high speed memory device were provided according to the invention . it is thus possible to read data from the multilevel eeprom in an extremely high efficiency . further , as the data and programs suitably stored in the multilevel eeprom , there are bios ( basic input / output system ) of an arithmetic unit ( as an example of the high access frequency ) and a document file ( as an example of a relatively low access frequency ). in this case , the former is stored in the high - order bits of the high access speed , and the later is stored in the low - order bits of the low access speed . the second embodiment of the method of data reading according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow . in the second embodiment , a multilevel eeprom is used in the same way as with the case of the first embodiment of the method of data reading according to the present invention . the essential configuration of the multilevel eeprom is the same as with the case of the first embodiment , except that an eight - level eeprom having a storage capacity of 12 mbits is used in the second embodiment . the configuration of the eight - level eeprom is basically the same as with the case of the first embodiment , so that any detailed description thereof is omitted herein . fig1 shows the flowchart showing a procedure of the second embodiment of the reading method according to the present invention . in the second embodiment , an eight - level eeprom having a storage capacity of 12 mbits will be explained by way of example . the eight - level eeprom has a logical address space of [ 00 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ] and a physical address space of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] in hexadecimal notation . further , each memory cell stores 3 bit (= eight levels ) data ( 000 , 001 , 010 , 011 , 100 , 101 , 110 , 111 ), so that the threshold voltages of ( 0v , 1v , 2v , 3v , 4v , 5v , 6v , 7v ) are set to memory cells according to these data . further , when the physical address of a memory cell is ap , the data of the logical address ap is stored in the highest - order bit of the respective components of the thee bits ; the logical address ( ap +[ 40 000 ]) is stored in the medium bit ; and the logical address ( ap +[ 80 0000 ] is stored in the lowest - order bit thereof . in other words , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the highest - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address a 1 is rewritten to the designated data . on the other hand , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the medium - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address ( a 1 −[ 40 0000 ]) is rewritten to the designated data . further , in the data rewriting operation , when the logical address a 1 in the range of [ 80 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ] and the data ( 0 or 1 ) to be stored are designated , the lowest - order bit of the memory cell existing at the physical address ( a 1 −[ 80 0000 ]) is rewritten to the designated data . in fig1 , when an external read instruction is input in step s 21 and further a logical address signal is input to the input i / f 7 in step s 22 , the signal controller 6 determines whether the input logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ] or not in step s 23 . in step s 23 , when the logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ], since the logical address matches the physical address , it is decided that the data to be read is the highest - order bit of the three bits in step s 24 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3 . 5v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell . and , further it is determined whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 25 . in step s 25 , when the current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell ; that is , when the selected memory cell is conductive , the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is any one of 0v , 1v , 2v and 3v and further the three bit data designated by these threshold voltages are “ 000 ”, “ 001 ”, “ 010 ” and “ 011 ”. it is thus decided that the highest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 26 . on the other hand , in step s 25 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of this selected memory cell is any one of 4v , 5v , 6v and 7v and further the three bit data designated by these threshold voltages are “ 100 ”, “ 101 ”, “ 110 ” and “ 111 ”. it is thus decided that the highest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 27 . further , in step s 23 , when the logical address signal input to the input i / f 7 does not indicate an address in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ], it is determined whether the further input logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] or not in step s 28 . here , in step s 28 , when the logical address signal input to the input i / f 7 indicates an address in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ], the logical address does not match the physical address ; that is , the physical address is ( logical address −[ 40 0000 ].) it is thus decided that the data to be read is the medium - order bit of the three bits in step s 29 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3 . 5v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell . and , further it is determined whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 30 . in step s 30 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is any one of 0v , 1v , 2v and 3v . here , the three bit data designated by the threshold voltages of 0v and 1v are “ 000 ” and “ 001 ”; that is , the medium - order bit is “ 0 ” in both . further , the three bit data designated by the threshold voltages of 2v and 3v are “ 010 ” and “ 011 ”; that is , the medium - order bit is “ 1 ” in both . therefore , in order to decide the medium - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 1 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 31 . further , in step s 31 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 0v or 1v . it is thus decided that the medium - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. the decided data is output immediately through the output i / f 8 in step s 32 . on the other hand , in step s 31 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 2v or 3v . it is thus decided that the medium - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 33 . further , in step s 30 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is any one of 4v , 5v , 6v and 7v . here , the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of 4v and 5v are “ 100 ” and “ 101 ”; that is , the medium - order bit is “ 0 ” in both . further , the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of 6v and 7v are “ 010 ” and “ 011 ”; that is , the medium - order bit is “ 1 ” in both . therefore , in order to decide the medium - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 5 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 34 . further , in step s 34 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 4v or 5v . it is thus decided that the medium - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 32 . on the other hand , in step s 34 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 6v or 7v . it is thus decided that the medium - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 33 . further , in step s 28 , when the logical address signal input to the input i / f 7 does not indicate an address in the range of [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ], the logical address signal indicates an address in the range of [ 80 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ]; that is , the physical address =( logical address −[ 80 0000 ].) it is thus decided that the data to be read is the lowest - order bit of the three bits in step s 35 . in this case , a reference voltage of 3 . 5v is applied to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell . and , it is detected whether a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 through the selected bit line 15 and the sense amplifier 5 in step s 36 . in step s 36 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is any one of 0v , 1v , 2v and 3v . the three bit data designated by the threshold voltages of these threshold voltages are thus “ 000 ”, “ 001 ”, “ 010 ” and “ 011 ”. therefore , it is impossible to specify the lowest - order bit at this stage . in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 1 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 37 . in step s 37 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 0v or 1v . it is thus decided that the three - bit data specified by these threshold voltages are “ 000 ” or “ 001 ”. therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 0 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 38 . further , in step s 38 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 0v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 39 . on the other hand , in step s 38 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 1v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 40 . further , in step s 37 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 2v or 3v . the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of these threshold voltages are thus “ 010 ” or “ 011 ”. therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 2 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 41 . in step s 41 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 2v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 39 . on the other hand , in step s 41 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 3v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the components of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 40 . further , in step s 36 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is any one of 4v , 5v , 6v and 7v . the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of these threshold voltages are thus “ 100 ”, “ 101 ”, “ 110 ” and “ 111 ”. therefore , it is impossible to specify the lowest - order bit at this stage . therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 5 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 42 . in step s 42 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 4v or 5v . the three - bit data designated by these threshold voltages are thus “ 100 ” or “ 101 ”. therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 4 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 43 . further , in step s 43 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 4v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 39 . further , in step s 43 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 5v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 40 . further , in step s 42 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 6v or 7v . the three - bit data designated by the threshold voltages of these threshold voltages are thus “ 110 ” or “ 111 ”. therefore , in order to specify the lowest - order bit , the signal controller 6 instructs the voltage controller 3 to apply a reference voltage of 6 . 5v to the control gate 19 of the selected memory cell in step s 44 . in step s 44 , when a current flows between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 6v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 0 ”. the decided data is output immediately through the output i / f 8 in step s 39 . on the other hand , in step s 44 , when the current does not flow between the drain 12 and the source 13 of the selected memory cell , the threshold voltage of the memory cell is 7v . it is thus decided that the lowest - order bit of the three bits of the storage status of this memory cell is “ 1 ”. the decided data is output immediately via output i / f 8 in step s 40 . as described above , in the second embodiment , the logical addresses in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ] are divided hieratically into an address space of relatively high access speed and an address space of relatively low access speed . here , the address space of relatively high access speed is determined as an address space a 1 ( logical addresses : [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]. further , the address space of relatively low access speed is further divided hieratically into two address spaces . that is , the address space of the medium access speed next to the address space a 1 is determined as an address space a 2 ( logical addresses : [ 40 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ], and the address space of the lowest access speed next to the address space a 2 is determined as an address space a 3 ( logical addresses : [ 40 0000 ] to [ bf ffff ], both hierarchically . further , a partial space ( logical addresses : [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) one - to - one corresponding to the address space formed by the physical addresses ([ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) within the logical addresses in the range of [ 00 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ] is determined as the address space a 1 of relatively high access speed . further , data in the address space a 1 is stored in the specific bit of the storage status of the memory cell , that is , the highest - order bit . further , data in the address space a 2 of the access speed next to that of the address space a 1 is stored in the medium - order bit . further , data in the address space a 3 of the access speed next to that of the address space a 2 is stored in the lowest - order bit . when the input logical address is included in the above - mentioned partial space ( i . e ., logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]), this logical address designates data of the highest - order bit . it is thus possible to immediately decide this highest - order bit data by a single decision by use of the reference voltage of 3 . 5v . the decided highest - order bit data is then output . further , when the input logical address is not included in the above - mentioned partial space ( i . e ., logical addresses [ 00 0000 ] to [ 3f ffff ]) but included in the address space ( i . e ., logical addresses [ 40 0000 ] to [ 7f ffff ]) adjacent to the partial space , this logical address designates data of the medium - order bit . it is thus possible to immediately decide this medium - order bit data by two decisions by use of the reference voltages of 3 . 5v and 1 . 5 or 5 . 5v . the decided medium order - bit data is then output . therefore , when the data of the highest - order bit is read , it is possible to increase the access speed three times higher than that of when the respective threshold voltages are checked by use of all the reference voltages . further , when the data of the medium - order bit is read , it is possible to increase the access speed about 1 . 5 times higher than that of when the respective threshold voltages are checked by use of all the decision voltages . therefore , the data having the highest access frequency can be stored in the highest - order bits , the data having the medium access frequency in the medium - order bits , and the data having a relatively low access frequency in the lowest - order bits . a programmer thus can operate the eeprom as if a single - or double - stage high speed memory devices were provided . it is thus possible to read data from the multilevel eeprom in an extremely high efficiency . the multilevel semiconductor memory device has been explained by taking the case of the eeprom of floating gate type memory cells . however , without being limited only thereto , it is possible to apply the multilevel semiconductor memory device according to the present invention to mnos type memory cells . further , without being limited to only eeprom , the data reading method according to the present invention can be applied to the case when the multilevel data stored in eprom or prom are read . further , the data reading method according to the present invention can be applied to a mask rom whose storage status can be obtained by changing the threshold values thereof on the basis of control of the concentration of impurities put in the channel regions of field effect transistors by ion implantation . the data reading according to the present invention can further be applied to drams ( dynamic random access memory ). it can be understood that refreshing must be done after data reading in case of drams . further , in the first and second embodiments , two or three bits are stored in a single memory cell . however , the present invention can be applied to the case where four or more levels ( i . e ., two or more bits ) are stored in a single memory cell . in particular , the effect of the present invention can be increased with increasing capacity of the memory cell . as described above , the data reading methods in the first and second embodiments are , after an address of a memory cell is decided , to determine whether a current flows between a drain and a source of the memory cell by applying a judging voltage to a control gate of the memory cell having a specific threshold voltage to judge data stored in the memory cell . not only this , data stored in a memory cell can be judged by comparing an output voltage of the memory cell with a predetermined judging voltage . this method will be explained with reference to fig1 . a judging circuit shown in fig1 is provided between the cell array 1 and the multiplexer 4 shown in fig1 . in fig1 , a threshold voltage vth 1 is applied to the inverting input terminal of a sense amplifier 43 via first output buffer . the first output buffer includes an inverter 40 and transistors 41 and 42 . the threshold voltage vth 1 corresponds to a low - order bit d 0 set in a memory cell 1 a of the memory cell array 1 . applied to the non - inverting input terminal of the sense amplifier 43 via second output buffer is a judging voltage v 47 set in a transistor 47 . the second output buffer includes an inverter 46 and transistors 44 and 45 . when the threshold voltage vth 1 is smaller than the judging voltage v 47 , the output of the sense amplifier 43 becomes high . thus , the low - order bit d 0 is judged to be “ 1 ”. since the output of the sense amplifier 43 is high , a transistor 52 turns on , while a transistor 54 turns off due to the existence of an inverter 53 provided between both transistors . a judging voltage v 52 set in the transistor 52 is thus applied to the non - inverting input terminal of a sense amplifier 48 via third output buffer . the third output buffer includes an inverter 51 and transistors 49 and 50 . further , a threshold voltage vth 2 corresponding to a high - order bit d 1 set in the memory cell 1 a is applied to the inverting input terminal of the sense amplifier 48 via first output buffer . when the threshold voltage vth 2 is smaller than the judging voltage v 52 , the high - order bit d 1 is judged to be “ 1 ” because the output of the sense amplifier 48 becomes high . on the other hand , when vth 2 is greater than v 52 , the high - order bit d 1 is judged to be “ 0 ” because the output of the sense amplifier 48 becomes low . next , when the threshold voltage vth 1 is greater than the judging voltage v 47 , the low - order bit d 0 is judged to be “ 0 ” because the output of the sense amplifier 43 becomes low . since the output of the sense amplifier 43 is low , the transistor 52 turns off , while the transistor 54 turns on due to the existence of the inverter 53 . a judging voltage v 54 set in the transistor 54 is applied to the non - inverting input terminal of the sense amplifier 48 via third output buffer . applied to the inverting input terminal of the sense amplifier 48 is the threshold voltage vth 2 via first output buffer . when the threshold voltage vth 2 is smaller than the judging voltage v 54 , the high - order bit d 1 is judged to be “ 1 ” because the output of the sense amplifier 48 becomes high . on the other hand , when vth 2 is greater than v 54 , the high - order bit d 1 is judged to be “ 0 ” because the output of the sense amplifier becomes low . as described above , 2 - bit ( 4 - level ) data ( 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 ) is judged . the judging circuit shown in fig1 can be applied to a four - level ( or more ) memory cell by increasing the number of sense amplifiers and judging voltage applying circuits according to the number of data bits . further , the scope of the present invention includes the following case : the program codes of software for achieving the functions as disclosed by the preferred embodiments according to the present invention are supplied to a system or a computer connected to various devices activated so as to achieve those functions . further , the above - mentioned devices are activated in accordance with a program stored in the system or the computer ( cpu or mpu ). further , in this case , the program codes themselves of the software can achieve the functions of the preferred embodiments according to the present invention . the program codes themselves and means for supplying the program codes to the computer , such as a storage medium 31 shown in fig1 for storing the program codes are included in the scope of the present invention . that is , the program codes stored in the storage medium 31 are read by a recording and reproducing apparatus 30 shown in fig1 connected to the signal controller 6 via input i / f 8 , so that the computer constituting the signal controller 6 can be activated . further , as the storage medium 31 for recording these programs and codes , there are a floppy disk , a hard disk , an optical disk , a magneto - optic disk , cd - rom , a magnetic tape , a non - volatile memory card , a rom , etc . as described above , according to the present invention , even if multilevel data stored in a single memory cell is lost , it is possible to execute the error correction effectively . further , according to the present invention , since data of higher access frequency can be read at high speed according to the input logical addresses , it is possible to shorten the access time markedly in data read operation . | 6 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawings . [ 0023 ] fig1 shows an example of the construction of a data processing system embodied by the present invention . the data processing system of the embodiment has a host cpu 1 , a source storage subsystem having a master disk unit 3 for storing data from the host cpu and a master disk controller unit 2 for controlling the same , and a target storage subsystem having a remote disk unit 5 for storing duplicated data stored in the master disk unit and a remote disk controller unit 4 for controlling the same . the write data from the host cpu 1 is stored on a logical volume formed on the disk unit corresponding to a logical device number specified from the host cpu at writing . the master disk controller unit 2 includes a fiber channel port 6 for sending and receiving data to / from the host cpu , a micro processor 7 for controlling the controller unit , a cache memory 9 for temporality storing data from the host cpu , and a channel port 11 as a communication port to the target storage subsystem . the remote disk controller unit 4 has a microprocessor 8 for controlling the controller unit , a channel port 12 as a port for communication with the source storage subsystem , and a cache memory 10 for temporarily storing data received through the channel port . the host cpu 1 and the fiber channel port 6 of the master disk controller unit 2 are connected through an interface cable 13 . the channel port 11 of the master disk controller unit 2 and the channel port 12 of the remote disk controller unit 4 are connected through an interface cable 14 . the interface cable 14 may be an optional information connection network , for example , san ( storage area network ) or a fiber channel . the microprocessor 7 of the master disk controller unit 2 has means of a section 15 of processing data from host cpu , a section 16 of scheduling data , and a section 17 of transmitting data to the target storage system . these three processing means are functional blocks realized by a micro program executed by the microprocessor 7 . the respective operating processes will be described later . the micro processor 8 of the remote disk controller unit 4 includes a section 21 of processing data from the source storage system and a section 24 of writing data to disk drive . these two processing means 21 and 24 are functional blocks realized by a micro program executed by the microprocessor 8 incorporated by the remote disk controller unit . with fig1 the operating processing will be described in detail . the section 15 of processing data from host cpu receives write data 20 instructed from the host cpu 1 , and creates in the cache memory 9 one piece of data control information 19 to one piece of the write data 20 , thereby managing the same as a queue 18 and storing the same into the cache memory . the data control information 19 will be described later . the write data 20 is stored into the cache memory 9 , and then , is written into a target device ( logical volume ) of the master disk unit 3 asynchronous to the timing at which the write data received from the host cpu . the data control information 19 will be described here . the data control information is related to the write data 20 instructed from the host cpu 1 that in what device or in what position thereof the write data is written . as illustrated in fig2 the data control information has information on a pointer 19 a to the position of the write data stored onto the cache memory , a target device number 19 b as an identifier for identifying a target logical volume , a target cylinder number 19 c , a target head number 19 d , a target record number 19 e , and a write data size 19 f . the section 16 of scheduling data checks the data control information 19 stored into the queue 18 in the cache memory 9 to judge the presence or absence of the write data 20 . when the write data 20 is present , a plurality of pieces of the data control information 19 are fetched to be unified as one unit of data transmitting to the target storage system . fig3 shows its example . data control information 91 a of write data to a logical volume identified by a device number 0 , data control information 91 b of write data to a logical volume identified by a device number 1 , and data control information 91 c of write data to a logical volume identified by a device number 2 are unified to a unit 92 a of data transmitting to the target storage system which has a number manage system different from the manage system having the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume , that is , which has a device number 0 not dependent on the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume . in addition , data control information 91 d of write data to a device number 0 and data control information 91 e of write data to a device number 1 are unified to a unit 92 b of data transmitting to the target storage system which has a number manage system different from the manage system having the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume , that is , which has a device number 1 not dependent on the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume . in other words , they are unified irrespective of the device number specified by the host cpu . to change the view , a plurality of write data 20 received from the host cpu 1 are fetched sequentially from the cache to be allocated to each unit of data transmitting to the target storage system as a collection of data irrespective of the device specified by the host cpu 1 , thereby being passed to the target external storage controller unit 4 by the section 17 of transmitting data to the target storage system . in this way , a plurality of write data transferred from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit are unified to one . in addition , an identifier constructed of a number manage system different from the manage system of the device number used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume is allocated to the unified data as an identifier for identification used when sending the data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit . the device number of the number manage system used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume is used directly when sending the data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit . as compared with this , the number of the identifiers for identification used when sending the data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit can be enough . as a result , the identifier used when the write data from the host cpu is transferred to the remote disk controller unit can be secured , and the identifier for sending control data for transfer control can be easily ensured , whereby transfer control the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit is easy . this will be described specifically by the example of fig3 . three device numbers used when the host cpu accesses a logical volume are “ 0 , 1 and 2 ”. the numbers are used directly as the identifier when sending the data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller . in this case , all the three device numbers “ 0 , 1 , and 2 ” are used to send the data to the remote disk controller unit . the identifier used to transfer data for transfer control cannot be secured , and thus , the data for transfer control cannot be transferred . here , in application of the present invention , when the identifiers for transfer can use only three numbers 0 , 1 and 2 , only the device numbers 0 and 1 are used for data transfer , so that the device number 2 can be used for transferring data for control . in fig3 the device number is used as the identifier for unit of data transmitting to the target storage system . the device number is used when the storage controller unit manages a data processing target as a device . the device number may be any simple number or identifier which can identify the unit of data transmitting to the target storage system . when the device number is used , the controlling method of the storage controller unit is similar to that of the prior art , and its introduction is easy . when using a region for a device number similar to that of the prior art , the number thereof is limited . conversely , when a region to manage the device number is extended , the number limitation is reduced . the section 17 of transmitting data to the target storage system performs transfer - processing the above - mentioned units 92 a and 92 b of data transmitting to the target storage system and the write data corresponding to the respective data control information unifying the units of data transmitting to the target storage system , as one piece of transfer data for each unit of data transmitting to the target storage system . the data transferred through the channel port 11 between master and remote disk controller units and the channel port 12 between master and remote disk controller units are divided into data control information 22 and write data 23 by the section 21 of processing data from the source storage system , which are then stored into the cache memory 10 . the write data 23 stored into the cache memory is written , by the section 24 of writing data to disk drive , into a target device in the remote disk unit 5 asynchronous to the timing receiving the data transferred with reference to the device number in the data control information 22 . [ 0035 ] fig4 is a scheduling example for multiplexing of data transfer . in transferring data from the master disk controller unit to the remote disk controller unit , when a plurality of data are transferred at the same time , the identifiers ( device numbers ) provided to the data must be separated in order to identify the data each other . now , suppose that a plurality of writes with a target device number 0 from the host cpu subject to queuing in the queue 18 . in the prior art , write data corresponding to the data control information 93 a and 93 b has different target device numbers , and can identify the data each other on the interface 14 between master and remote disk controller units and transfer the data at the same time . write data corresponding to data control information 93 c . 93 d and 93 e has the same target device number of the data control information 93 a , and cannot be transferred at the same time . the data must be sent sequentially one by one with a different timing . the transfer time is thus increased . on the other hand , when the present invention is used , the data control information 93 a and 93 b , 93 c , 93 d , and 93 e of the same target write data with a device number 0 in the queue 18 are respectively unified to other units 94 a , 94 b , 94 c and 94 d of data transmitting to the target storage system . further , a device number 0 different from the number manage system of the device number accessed from the host cpu is allocated to the unit 94 a of data transmitting to the target storage system , a device number 1 is allocated to the unit 94 b of data transmitting to the target storage system , a device number 2 is allocated to the unit 94 c of data transmitting to the target storage system , and a device number 3 is allocated to the unit 94 d of data transmitting to the target storage system . as a result , the different device numbers are allocated to the units of data transmitting to the target storage system so as to be identified each other . the units of data transmitting to the target storage system can be transferred at the same time , and can be multiplex - transferred . efficient transfer can be done as compared with the prior art . [ 0036 ] fig5 is a scheduling example to reduce overhead of data transfer . data control information 95 a , data control information 95 b , data control information 95 c , data control information 95 d , and data control information 95 e of different target write data with a device number 0 , a device number 1 , a device number 2 , a device number 3 , and a device number 4 , respectively , in the queue 18 are unified to one unit 96 of data transmitting to the target storage system . the unit 96 of data transmitting to the target storage system is transferred as a device number 0 belonging to the number manage system not dependent on ( or managed separately ) the device number when the host cpu accesses the logical volume . as a result , in the prior art , overhead ( five times in the example of fig5 ) with transfer through the channel port caused for each sending of individual data control information . by application of the present invention , the overhead can be reduced to once with transfer of the one unit 96 of data transmitting to the target storage system . efficient transfer can be done as compared with the prior art . as in these examples , the present invention is applied to the object so as to transfer data with changed efficient scheduling . with fig6 the operation of the remote disk controller unit 4 receiving the unit 92 a of data transmitting to the target storage system will be described in detail . the section 21 of processing data from the source storage system divides the received unit 92 a of data transmitting to the target storage system and a plurality pieces of data control information 91 a , 91 b and 91 c before being unified by the scheduling processing , and stores them into the cache memory 10 together with corresponding write data 10 a , 100 b and 100 c , respectively . the section 24 of writing data to disk drive writes the write data 100 a corresponding to the data control information 91 a into a device 101 a in the remote disk unit 5 specified by the target device number specified by the host cpu in the data control information 91 a asynchronous to storing to the cache memory 10 by the section 21 of processing data from the source storage system . similarly , the data control information 91 b writes the write data 100 b into a device 101 b , and the data control information 91 c writes the write data 100 c into a device 101 c . as described above , according to the controlling method not dependent on a device of this embodiment , can be unified as the unit of data transmitting to the target storage system irrespective of the device number corresponding to the logical device in the remote disk unit 5 . in is possible to transfer write data having the same device number corresponding to the logical device in the remote disk unit 5 as separate units of data transmitting to the target storage system , or as a unit of data transmitting to the target storage system unifying write data having different device numbers corresponding to the logical device in the remote disk unit 5 . after transferring data , data can be written into a target device in the remote disk unit 5 . according to the present invention , in the process in which write data received from the host cpu is passed to the target external storage controller unit , a processing independently of the processing using the device number specified from the host cpu is done . the limitations of transferring data to the target storage subsystem can be reduced . in addition , a different number is allocated to each of a plurality of writes to a device having the same number . multiple processing can be done in transfer to the target storage subsystem . further , write data to a plurality of devices having different targets can be unified for transfer . overhead for transfer can be reduced . | 8 |
the capacity region of linear precoding without dpc or with constrained numbers of streams in multiple input multiple output ( mimo ) broadcast channels ( bcs ) has not been fully characterized . the convexity of the capacity region of mimo bc implies that every point on the boundary corresponds to a maximization of the weighted sum rate ( wsr ) for a particular weight vector . since the wsr maximization for linear precoding without dpc exhibits a non - convex optimization problem in either primal mimo bc or the dual multiple access channel ( mac ), minimization of weighted sum mean squared error ( wsmse ) may alternatively be considered . wsmse is often easier to solve than the sum rate problem when dpc is not allowed , due to available convex relaxations . although related , wsr maximization and wsmse minimization problems are not equivalent . for the case of a single - antenna receiver , there is a one - to - one mapping between the two , but finding correspondences outside of that special case is not straightforward . furthermore , for multiple receiving antennas in a multi - stream system , where each user &# 39 ; s message can be encapsulated in multiple input streams , minimizing wsmse entails using as few streams as possible , which degrades the achievable throughput . this motivates separate approaches for finding maximum wsr . the present principles provide methods and systems for addressing both maximizing wsr and minimizing wsmse under arbitrary rank constrains . the present principles provide a unified method which solves either problem , whether or not dpc is used . embodiments described herein may be entirely hardware , entirely software or including both hardware and software elements . in a preferred embodiment , the present invention is implemented in software , which includes but is not limited to firmware , resident software , microcode , etc . embodiments may include a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . a computer - usable or computer readable medium may include any apparatus that stores , communicates , propagates , or transports the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the medium can be magnetic , optical , electronic , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ) or a propagation medium . the medium may include a computer - readable storage medium such as a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk , etc . a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code may include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code to reduce the number of times code is retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) may be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent the same or similar elements and initially to fig1 , a mimo broadcast system 100 is shown . a base station transmitter 102 has m transmit antennas 104 and transmits independent messages to k receivers 106 . each receiver 106 has n i receiver antennas 108 , where 1 ≦ i ≦ k . the narrowband channel matrix h i 110 for each user i is a complex matrix of dimension n i × m and the receive vector y i given by where x is a complex , m - element vector that represents the transmitted signal at the base station transmitter 102 and n i is the additive white complex gaussian noise at the receiver antennas 108 of receiver i 106 - i . a vector of independent streams may be transmitted to each receiver 106 - i . the vector is represented as u i =( u i , 1 , u i , 2 , . . . , u i , d i ) t , where d i represents the number of streams for the user i . the collection of all streams to all users forms the input vector u =( u 1 t , u 1 t , . . . , u k t ) t . the vector u is multiplied by precoder matrix 103 g =( g 1 , g 2 , . . . , g k ) at the transmitter 102 and is of dimension m × σ i = 1 k d i , resulting in a vector x = gu =( x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x m ) t that is broadcast through the m transmit antennas 104 . a power constraint p t at the transmitter 102 implies that trace ( gg *)≦ p t . in a dpc scheme , the streams of the k users may be encoded at the transmitter 102 before linear precoding . the dpc allows successive precancellation of the interference seen by the users in an arbitrary order . it may be assumed that dpc is performed in descending order by user index i and that the effect of the dpc scheme is captured by writing the corresponding interference term for every achievable user rate at the receiver 106 . at each receiver antenna 108 of each receiver 106 , the received signal is contaminated with complex gaussian noise which is passed through an optimal linear minimum mean squares error filter 112 f i =( f i , 1 t , f i , 2 t , . . . , f i , d i t ) t before detection . assigning an order to the receivers 106 that matches dpc indexing , where each receiver 106 - i is able to cancel interference from all users having an index greater than i , the achievable rate r i , t for the stream u i , t is given as : r i , t { log ( 1 + f i , t h i g i , t 2 σ 2 f i , t 2 + ∑ ( p , q ) ≠ ( i , t ) f i , t h i g p , q 2 ) θ = 0 log ( 1 + f i , t h i g i , t 2 σ 2 f i , t 2 + ∑ ( p , q ) ≠ ( i , t ) , p ≤ i f i , t h i g p , q 2 ) θ = 1 , ( 2 ) where θ = 1 denotes that dpc is used and θ = 0 denotes that dpc is not used . the quantity d i determines the maximum number of streams that can be transmitted to the user i and therefore represents an upper bound on the rank of the covariance matrix associated with the i th receiver 106 transmission in the downlink . optimizing the wsr and wsmse under arbitrary rank constraints ( d 1 , d 2 , . . . , d k ) is formulated as finding the optimal transmit precoder 103 and receive filters 112 for all users that optimizes either of the considered objectives . to capture the rank constraints into the dimensions of the precoding matrices 103 and thus in the objective function , the wsr problem with a given positive weight vector α =( α 1 , α 2 , . . . , α k ) t can be written as : max g , { f i } ∑ i = 1 k ( α i ∑ i = 1 d i r i , t ) , ( 3 ) such that trace ( gg *)≦ p t . the wsmse minimization problem can be similarly written as : max g , { f i } ∑ i = 1 k ( α i ∑ i = 1 d i mse i , t ) , ( 4 ) such that trace ( gg *)≦ p t , where mse for the t th stream of user i is defined as : mse i , t = e ( u ^ i , t - u i , t ) 2 = f i , t h i g i , t - 1 2 = f i , t ( i + ∑ ( j , s ) ≠ ( i , t ) h i g j , s g j , s * h i * ) f i , t * ( 5 ) where û i , t is the estimate of u i , t at the receiver 106 - i and i is the identity matrix . using the best receiver filter 112 for a given precoder 103 g ( i . e ., an mmse filter ), the following relationship holds : max g , { f i } ∑ i = 1 k ( α i ∑ i = 1 d i 2 - r i , t ) ( 7 ) the latter formulation of the wmse problem , shown in eq . ( 7 ), may be used to find a unified solution to both wsr and wsmse problems . hereinafter it may be assumed that p t = 1 with the effect of different power constraints in the received signal - to - noise ratio being captured by varying the value of the noise variance . equations ( 3 ) and ( 7 ) may be solved iteratively . the present principles can treat both cases , with or without dpc , and provide a solution that satisfies rank constraints . although not explicitly stated above , both formulations are considered under the rank constraint vector ( d 1 , d 2 , . . . , d k ). however , the imposition of rank constraints in wsr and wsmse takes different forms . the lower ranks are generally more desirable . in wsr , the proposed algorithm is designed to reduce the transmission ranks as much as possible and usually converges to a solution where the rank of the precoding matrices 103 are minimal , such that no further rank reduction is possible . this means that the rank constraints only serve as an upper bound on the number of transmitted streams to a different user . however , the rank constraint in the wsmse problem cannot be treated in the same way because wsmse is reduced for the least possible ranks regardless of the power . therefore , a hard constraint is imposed on the rank in the case of wsmse . as noted above , the binary variable θ denotes whether dpc is used or not . similarly , the binary parameter ψ ={ 0 , 1 } denotes whether the wsr maximization or wsmse minimization problem is being considered . for given precoding matrix g 103 and filters { f i } i = 1 k 112 , the following definitions are used : ξ = f i , t h i g i , t 2 ( 8 ) ς i , t = { σ 2 f i , t 2 + ∑ ( p , q ) ≠ ( i , t ) f i , t h i g p , q 2 ψ = 0 σ 2 f i , t 2 + ∑ ( p , q ) ≠ ( i , t ) , p ≤ i f i , t h i g p , q 2 ψ = 1 ( 9 ) λ i , t = { α i ( 1 + ς i , t ξ i , t ) - 1 ψ = 0 α i ( 1 + ς i , t ξ i , t ) - 1 ξ i , t - 1 ψ = 1 ( 10 ) δ i , t = ς i , t + ψξ i , t ( 11 ) m i , t = h t * f i , t * f i , t h i ( 12 ) δ t = ∑ t = 1 d λ i , j f i , t 2 ( 13 ) m = ξ ( α 1 m 1 , 1 δ 1 , 1 , … , α 1 m 1 , t δ 1 , t , … , α k m k , d k δ k , d k ) ( 14 ) b i = ∑ j & lt ; i ∑ t = 1 d j α j ξ j , t m j , t ( ς j , t + ξ j , t ) δ j , t ∀ i , 1 ≤ i ≤ k ( 15 ) b = ξ ( b 1 , b 2 , … , b k ) ( 16 ) where ξ indicates the block diagonalization operator . it should be noted that the values of eqs 8 - 16 are intermediate steps and do not necessarily have physical interpretations . the first order optimality conditions for both equations ( 3 ) and ( 7 ) is equivalent to : g = mat { ( m + θ b ) × vec ( g ) } σ 2 ( ∑ i = 1 k δ i ) i + ∑ i , t λ i , t m i , t ( 17 ) f i = g i * h * σ 2 + hgg * h * - θ h ( ∑ j = i + 1 k g i g i * ) h * ( 18 ) where vec (.) is a vector operator which stacks the columns of a matrix into a single vector and mat (.) is the inverse operator of vec (.) with preserved sizing , such that mat ( vec ( x ))= x . it is worth noting that the implicit derivation expression for the transmit precoding matrix g 103 may be obtained by setting the derivative with respect to g to zero in the form g = f ( g ) as in eq . ( 17 ), such that the convergence of an iterative method to find the fixed point of a transformation f ( g ) highly depends on the form of the decomposition . it should further be noted that the optimality condition found for the received filters 112 found through first order optimality conditions ( e . g ., f i in eq . ( 18 )) is the mmse filter for the i th user , which is an assumption in the wsmse formulation . the above derivations are obtained for wsr maximization and wsmse minimization using the explicit binary parameter ψ . considering that the original problems are non - convex , particularly due to the presence of rank constraints , the proposed principles attempt to converge to a karush - kuhn - tucker ( kkt ) point that would be a local optimum . in truth , the problems exhibit more than one local optimum , but simulation results show that only a few such optima usually exist . in particular , it is possible in most cases to obtain global optimal solutions , where optimality can be verified through other means . for example , in the case of only one receive antenna 108 , the boundary of the achievable rate region can be obtained precisely through uplink / downlink duality . another exemplary case is when there is no rank constraint and dpc is used . in this case , the optimal point for the wsr maximization problem can be obtained for the dual uplink problem and the solution reached by the present principles also gives the exact same points . referring now to fig2 , a block / flow diagram showing precoder design for wsr maximization or wsmse minimization , with or without dpc . as input 202 , channel matrices h i are provided , with a norm threshold ε & gt ; 0 and a termination criterion ε 1 & gt ; 0 . a weight vector α and upper bounds ( d 1 , d 2 , . . . , d k ) are also provided . furthermore , binary variables θ and ψ are set to specify what problem is to be solved and whether dpc is used . the precoder g 103 begins as a random fill of maximum allowable size having all non - zero columns . if , in the wsr maximization problem one of the columns of the precoder matrix becomes significantly small , that column is removed from g and the rank d i is decremented . user indices are permuted 204 such that the weight vector is ordered , α 1 ≦ α 2 ≦ . . . ≦ α k . a loop then begins , determining whether δg has dropped below the termination criterion 206 ( with δg being initialized to a suitable value greater than the threshold criterion ). a first nested loop begins over all users i at block 208 . for each user , a second nested loop begins over the user &# 39 ; s streams t at block 210 . the quantities ζ i , t , ξ i , t , λ i , t , and m i , t are updated using equations ( 8 ) through ( 12 ) in order at block 212 . the next stream is selected by incrementing t at block 214 and processing returns to block 210 . after all streams have been processed , the quantities δ i and b i are updated for the user using equations ( 13 ) and ( 15 ) at block 216 . the next user is selected by incrementing i at block 216 and processing returns to block 208 . once all users have been processed , the quantities m and b are updated using equations 14 and 16 at block 218 . a new g is then calculated using equation ( 17 ), with δg being set to the difference between the new g and the old g . g is then normalized at block 222 by g = g /√{ square root over ( trace ( g * g ))}. the filters f i are updated using equation ( 18 ) in block 224 . if wsr maximization is being performed ( i . e ., if ψ = 0 ), block 226 begins rank reduction 228 . rank reduction 228 finds all users i having streams t such that ∥ g i , t ∥ 2 & lt ; ε . for each such user and stream , g i , t is removed from g and the rank of user i is decremented . the above process produces an optimal precoder 103 . the intermediate steps in updating equations 13 - 16 allow for the generation of the optimal precoder 103 but have no important physical meaning on their own . one issue that arises when using dpc ( θ = 1 ) is user ordering . as noted above , block 204 permutes the user indices such that the weight vector α is arranged in order of increasing magnitude . however , dpc assumes a specific user ordering , where encoding order of the users plays a role in maximizing the wsr when dpc is allowed . invoking uplink / downlink duality , it is known that a user encoding order of descending order by weight should be used in order to achieve the highest wsr in downlink using dpc . in other words , if α i & lt ; α j then the message for user i is to be encoded after user j . this result is for the case where there is no rank constraint on the covariance matrices of the transmitted vectors . it is not immediately clear what the optimal user ordering is when the number of transmitted streams is constrained . however , it can be shown that , under any set of upper bounds for the number of streams , the optimal ordering for dpc is still given by the weight vector α , regardless of the channels . this can be shown by noting that , for any set of covariance matrices having an expectation value of σ i = ex i x * i in the broadcast channel , there is a transformation { σ i } i = 1 k ={ p i } i = 1 k that results in a set of covariance matrices in the dual mac network ( with the channels transposed ). this means that the achievable rate vector in the broadcast channel using { σ i } i = 1 k and a given encoding order π is equal to the achievable rate vector in the mac using { p i } i = 1 k and the decoding order opposite of π . in addition , the given transformation has the property that σ i = 1 k trace ( σ i )= trace ( p i ). also , the ranks of the mac and broadcast channel covariance matrices is invariant over the transformation between the two . therefore the rank - constrained wsr maximization in downlink broadcast channel arrangements is equal to the rank - constrained wsr maximization problem in the uplink . this produces the following maximization problem : max π , { p } i = 1 k ∑ i = 1 k α π ( i ) log i + ∑ j = 1 k h π ( j ) * p π ( j ) h π ( j ) i + ∑ j = 1 + 1 k h π ( j ) * p π ( j ) h π ( j ) , ( 19 ) such that p i ≧ 0 , rank ( p i )≦ d i ∀ i 1 ≦ i ≦ k , and given the objective function in eq . ( 19 ) and given p i &# 39 ; s satisfying constrains , the optimum decoding order π is the one for which α π ( 1 ) ≦ α π ( 2 ) ≦ . . . ≦ α π ( k ) . this is because if , for some i , α π ( i ) & gt ; α π ( i + 1 ) , then the objective function in ( 19 ) will increase by swapping the decoding order of i and i + 1 . let b i = i + σ j = 1 k h * π ( j + 1 ) p π ( j + 1 ) h π ( j + 1 ) and b ′ i + 1 = b 1 − h * π ( j + 1 ) p π ( j + 1 ) h π ( j + 1 ) for all 1 ≦ i ≦ k . this produces : α π ( i ) log b i b i + 1 + α π ( i + 1 ) log b i + 1 b i + 2 - α π ( i + 1 ) log b i b i + 1 - α π ( i ) log b i + 1 b i + 2 = ( α π ( i ) - α π ( i + 1 ) ) ( log b i b i + 2 b i + 1 b i + 1 ′ ) ≤ 0 . ( 20 ) equation ( 20 ) holds because b i + 1 b ′ i + 1 b i b i + 2 0 . simulations show the benefits to transmission rates using the present principles . in an exemplary test embodiment having four transmit antennas 104 and two receivers 106 , each having three receiver antennas 108 , the channel matrices h i 110 employed were : h 1 = [ 2 . 84 ⅇ - 1 . 7 i 2 . 22 ⅇ 1 . 9 i 0 . 68 ⅇ - 2 . 4 i 2 . 14 ⅇ 1 . 7 i 2 . 14 ⅇ - 2 . 7 i 0 . 68 ⅇ - 3 . 0 i 0 . 75 ⅇ - 0 . 9 i 0 . 48 ⅇ 1 . 6 i 2 . 24 ⅇ 3 . 0 i 0 . 75 ⅇ - 0 . 8 i 1 . 07 ⅇ 2 . 7 i 1 . 45 ⅇ 1 . 9 i ] h 2 = [ 3 . 67 ⅇ 3 . 0 i 1 . 77 ⅇ 0 . 7 i 4 . 25 ⅇ 2 . 1 i 1 . 09 ⅇ 0 . 0 i 3 . 36 ⅇ 3 . 0 i 2 . 14 ⅇ - 1 . 6 i 2 . 70 ⅇ - 1 . 0 i 2 . 52 ⅇ 0 . 5 i 2 . 90 ⅇ 1 . 9 i 1 . 98 ⅇ - 2 . 8 i 4 . 84 ⅇ 0 . 4 i 0 . 28 ⅇ - 0 . 3 i ] ( 21 ) a weighting vector of α =[ 2 , 1 ] is used for the wsr problem . comparing the present principles , with and without dpc , to prior art techniques , shows a substantial increase in achievable rate . this increase is even more marked in systems with greater numbers of users 106 and receiver antennas 108 . referring now to fig3 , more detail on precoder module 103 is shown . a processor 302 has access to memory 304 , which may be , e . g ., volatile memory such as ram , nonvolatile solid state memory such as flash memory , or hard drives . the processor communicates with a user update module 306 , a precoder update module 310 , a filter update module 312 , and a rank reduction module 314 . the user update module updates precoder information for each user and includes a stream update module 308 to update each user &# 39 ; s individual streams . the precoder update module uses the information from user update module 306 to update the precoder to produce an optimal precoder matrix . the filter update module 312 generates minimum mean squares error filters that may be communicated to the receivers 106 for use in filters 112 . alternatively , the receiver filters 112 may independently perform filter updates , as it may be assumed that the channel information is known to all parties . the rank reduction module 314 removes columns from the precoder matrix having a norm below a rank threshold if wsr maximization is used . having described preferred embodiments of a system and method of linear precoding in mimo broadcast channels with arbitrary rank constraints ( which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting ), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments disclosed which are within the scope of the invention as outlined by the appended claims . having thus described aspects of the invention , with the details and particularity required by the patent laws , what is claimed and desired protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims . | 7 |
according to an example of embodiment and referring to the appended drawings , a measuring device according to the invention comprises essentially a plate 1 rotatable about an axis 3 and with which is associated a system of measurement 4 arranged laterally opposite the edge 5 of the plate 1 . the latter is provided in proximity to its periphery with regularly spaced vertical sockets 6 parallel with the axis 3 , which sockets are intended to receive small tubes 7 filled with the sample to be analysed . at 8 in fig1 is diagrammatically shown a unit for the distribution of receptacles or small tubes 7 , which unit is secured to the supporting plate 9 forming the frame of the apparatus . each vertical socket 6 of the plate 1 opens onto the lateral face or edge 5 of the plate through the medium of an outwardly flared , frusto - conical orifice 10 coinciding with the axis of the system of measurement 4 which , here , is a photomultiplier 11 , so that the said orifice 10 is located in proximity to the cathode 11a of the latter and completely encompasses the said cathode in its solid angle . each socket 6 also opens at 12 onto the upper portion 1a of the plate 1 and also onto the lower portion 1b of the plate 1 through the medium of an annular groove 13 the upper portion 13a of which is semi - toric in shape . as seen clearly in fig2 a system 14 for the injection of reactant into the tubes 7 containing the sample is rigidly connected to the frame 9 through the medium of a general support 15 and is adjustable in height with respect to the latter by means of a lock screw 16 . the system 14 overhangs the orifice 12 of the upper portion 1a of the plate 1 and is composed of needle support 17 provided at its upper portion with a seal 18 mounted on a bearing washer 19 and tightly held by a cover 20 . the elements 18 , 19 and 20 are drilled to allow the passage of a reactant injecting needle 21 the lower portion of which is guided by a narrowed portion 22 of the needle support 17 . the needle 21 is supplied with reactant by appropriate injection means such as for example a syringe actuated by a piston , and shown diagrammatically at 23 in fig1 . the means 23 are rigidly assembled to the frame 9 and connected to the needle 21 through a tube or the like 24 which is deformable and opaque to light , which tube is seen in all three figures . there will now be described one of the essential characterizing features of the invention , which consists in providing displaceable light - tight means between the photomultiplier 11 and the lateral periphery 5 of the plate 1 as well as on the upper face 1a of the plate 1 between this face and the reactant injection system 14 , as also on the lower face 1a of the plate 1 , i . e ., at the lower portion of the socket 6 for the tubes 7 . as will be seen , all these light - tight means advantageously allow the measuring cell constituted by the association of the photomultiplier 11 with any one of the sockets 6 to function in complete darkness for effecting the measurement of the luminescence reaction under ideal conditions . to this end , the said light - tight means are essentially constituted by three seals which will not be described in detail . a first flat seal 25 is provided between the photomultiplier 11 and the peripheral face 5 of the turning plate 1 . the flat seal 25 is secured to a seal support 26 extending in prolongation of a sheath or the like 27 containing a photomultiplier 11 . at 28 in fig2 is seen an antimagnetic sleeve interposed between the sheath 27 and the photomultiplier 11 . it will also be noted here that the photomultiplier assembly is connected to the frame 9 through the medium of spacers 29 and that the photomultiplier 11 and its associated antimagnetic sleeve are maintained by two o - rings 30 , 31 , respectively , tightly held by a rear plate 32 and the seal support 26 . on the seal support 26 is slidingly mounted a ring 33 adapted to bear upon the flat seal 25 so as to keep it in direct contact with the lateral face 5 of the turning plate 1 when the latter is stopped . this applied position of the flat seal 25 appears clearly in fig2 it being understood that when the said seal is not acted upon by the ring 33 , it remains out of contact with the face 5 of the turning plate . as appears clearly in fig1 and 2 , the ring 33 is actuated by bars or the like 34 operated by a power cylinder 35 and connected by screws 36 to the ring 33 . more specifically and as clearly seen in fig1 the bars 34 are hingedly connected at one of their ends at 80 to a stationary portion 81 secured to the frame 9 , whereas the other end of the bars 34 is hingedly connected at 82 to the rod 35a of the power cylinder 35 secured at 83 to the frame 9 . it will also be noted here that the screws 36 are preferably screwed into the crossbars 34 and have a teat - shaped end freely entering an opening 33a of the ring 33 , thus providing a hinged connection of the bars 34 with the said ring . between the end of the reactant injection system 14 and the upper surface 1a of the plate 1 is provided a second flat seal 37 tightly mounted in a groove 38 provided at the said end of the injection system 14 . like the first flat seal 25 , the second flat seal 37 at rest is out of contact with the upper surface 1a of the plate 1 ( fig3 ), but it can come into contact with the said surface owing to another bearing ring 39 externally concentric with the needle support 17 . this ring is rigidly connected to a cross - member 40 , the vertical actuation of which allowing the ring 39 to apply the seal 37 to the upper face 1a of the plate will be described later . a third seal is provided at the bottom of the socket 6 . this third seal shown at 41 is rigidly connected to a seal support forming a cradle 42 which is secured to a cross - member 43 which can be actuated vertically , as will be described later . this third seal 41 constitutes an o - ring portion the upper profile of while displays a semi - toric shape corresponding to the semi - toric shape 13a of the groove 13 . it will be noted here that in the position of rest , the third seal 41 has no contact with the plate 1 , whereas when the plate 1 is stopped the said seal bears upon the semi - toric shape 13a of the groove 13 to thus ensure light - tightness . the cross - members 40 and 43 controlling the light - tightness at the upper portion 1 and at the lower portion 1b , respectively , of the plate 1 pertain to a movable assembly represented in fig3 and comprising two sets 50 and 60 of movable cross - members actuated by one and the same power cylinder 70 , as will now be described in detail . each set 50 , 60 of movable cross - members is slidingly mounted in guiding sleeves 51 and 61 rigidly connected to the general support 15 and therefore to the frame 9 . more specifically , the set of cross - members 50 comprises the lower cross - member 43 and an upper cross - member 52 coupled by spacers 53 sliding in the sleeves 51 . the other set 60 of cross - members is made up of the lower cross - member 40 and an upper cross - member 62 coupled by spacers 63 sliding in sleeves 61 . at 64 are shown bars secured to the upper cross - member 62 and sliding at 65 in the orifices of a small spacer 67 between the guiding sleeves 61 . around each bar 64 is provided a spring 66 which urges upwardly the set 60 of cross - members 62 , 40 . there is also provided a spring 54 around the spacers 53 between the lower cross - member 43 and the stationary support 15 , so as to constantly urge the set 50 of cross - members 43 , 52 downwardly . the body 71 of the vertical power cylinder 70 is secured to the cross - member 52 , whereas the rod 72 of this power cylinder is secured to the cross - member 62 . it is therefore understood that in the maximum spaced - apart position of the cross - members 40 and 43 under the action of the springs 66 and 54 corresponds a position of the seals 37 and 41 which is normal , i . e . the said seals are not applied to the turning plate 1 , as seen clearly in fig3 . on the contrary , when the power cylinder 70 is actuated , its rod 72 pushes the assembly 60 and therefore the ring 39 carried by the lower cross - member 40 against the seal 37 which will thus be tightly applied against the upper face 1a of the plate 1 , and at that moment , as a result of the reaction , the movable assembly 50 will rise against the action of the springs 54 to apply the semi - toric seal 41 against the bottom of the sockets 6 containing the sample support tube 7 . in other words , the combination of the descending and ascending movements of sub - assemblies 60 and 50 will ensure an almost simultaneous light - tightness on both sides of the turning plate 1 in the region of the socket 6 . at 73 in fig3 is shown a pin for locking the movable plate 1 , which pin is rigidly connected to the lower cross - member 40 and can enter a socket 6a adjacent to the socket 6 containing a sample ready to be analysed . the lower cross - member 43 carries a seal abutment 74 provided with a hole 75 vertically coinciding with a corresponding hole 76 provided in the said cross - member and allowing the discharge of the tubes 6 after their passage through the measuring cell . as seen in fig1 and 3 , the turning plate 1 is provided with a circular rail 77 arranged in an annular groove 13 provided at the lower portion 1b of the said plate . the rail 77 is not in contact with the plate 1 and is provided between the assembly 8 for the distribution of the receptacles 7 and the immediate upstream region of the toric portion of the seal 41 , thus allowing the receptacles or the tubes 7 to be retained within the sockets 6 . it will also be added here that the assembly 8 for the distribution of the receptacles 7 is connected upstream to a supply system ( not shown ) which supplies the receptacles one by one , the latter being of course transparent and advantageously in the shape of small testing tubes which are presented with their opening directed upwardly . it is of course understood that the distributing assembly may be designed by any appropriate means . there will now be described the operation of the device of the invention in the light of the foregoing description . the plate 1 is driven in rotation in the direction of the arrow seen in fig1 by any appropriate means , such as for example an electric motor and a coupling ( not shown ). when the seals 25 , 37 and 41 are at rest , as seen in fig3 the coupling drives the motor which rotates the plate permanently . when the plate reaches a suitable stopped position , i . e ., when a socket 6 is in a position of coaxial alignment with the needle 21 and therefore with the photomultiplier 11 , a detector ( not shown ) ensures the uncoupling of the plate , thus causing the latter to stop . the power cylinder 70 is immediately actuated , thus ensuring the locking of the plate 1 in a suitable position through the medium of the pin 73 which enters the upper portion of a socket 6a . as a result , power cylinder 70 produces a double and reversed displacement of the sub - assemblies 60 and 50 , as explained previously , so that the bearing ring 39 presses the seal 37 against the upper surface 1a of the plate and the cross - member 43 presses the toric portion of the seal 41 against the semi - toric shape 13a of the annular groove 13 . in short , the double movement of the sub - assemblies 60 and 50 ensures absolute light - tightness at the upper and lower ends of the socket 6 containing the sample to be analysed . simultaneously , the power cylinder 35 actuates the transverse bars 34 so as to compress the flat seal 25 by means of the bearing ring 33 , thus ensuring the light - tightness of the lateral face of the measuring cell . the conditions for proper analysis of the luminescence are thus ensured , but it should be noted here that the analysis takes place only if the cell contains a tube 70 loaded with a sample to be analysed . to this end , the injection assembly 23 is actuated and supplies through the tube 24 and the needle 21 an accurate amount of reactant into the tubes 7 . thereafter the bioluminescent reaction will develop within the sample contained in the tubes 7 and the light emitted by the reaction passes through the frusto - conical aperture 10 to energize the cathode 11a of the photomultiplier 11 , whose signal will be amplified and treated by an appropriate electronic system ( not shown ). when the measurement is completed , the power cylinders 70 and 35 are actuated in the opposite direction to release the seals 37 , 41 and 25 and also disengage the lock pin 73 . the coupling is again energized and the plate 1 begins rotating until the next socket 6 reaches a position suitable for a further stoppage . at the same time , the socket 6a which contained the receptacle 7 having been subjected to a measurement then stops in a vertically coinciding position with respect to the orifices 75 and 76 , thus allowing automatic discharge by simple gravity of the receptacle 7 since the circular rail 77 is interrupted at that level ( fig3 ). there is therefore obtained according to the invention an entirely automated device allowing measuring cells completely tight to external light to be obtained , such cells being obtained successively and almost instantaneously , since the transfer which consists in untightening the sealing system , in passing to the following socket and in tightening the sealing system lasts only a few seconds . it is therefore understood that the invention allows measurements to be effected successively at a high rate and with the highest possible accuracy and reliability . of course , the invention is by no means limited to the form of embodiment described and illustrated which has been given by way of example only . thus , for example , without departing from the scope of the invention , use can be made of any number of power cylinders to obtain the light - tightness according to the principles of the invention . also , other accessories can be used , such as for example obturators placed before the aperture of the photomultiplier . the invention , therefore , comprises all technical means equivalent to the means described as well as their combinations , should the latter be carried out according to its gist and used within the scope of protection claimed . | 8 |
fig1 - 19 and the following description depict specific exemplary embodiments of the invention to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the invention . for the purpose of teaching inventive principles , some conventional aspects of the invention have been simplified or omitted . those skilled in the art will appreciate variations from these embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described below can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations of the invention . as a result , the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below , but only by the claims and their equivalents . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating a method 100 of fabricating a read element of a magnetic recording head in an exemplary embodiment of the invention . fig2 - 18 illustrate the results of the steps of method 100 to fabricate a read element 200 in exemplary embodiments of the invention . method 100 is just one example of how to fabricate a read element , as other methods may be performed in other embodiments to fabricate read element 200 . step 102 comprises forming a first shield 202 ( see fig2 ). fig2 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with first shield 202 formed according to step 102 . first shield 202 may be formed by depositing electrically conductive material , such as nife , full - film on a substrate ( not shown ) and plagiarizing the top surface of the conductive material . step 104 of fig1 comprises depositing magnetoresistance ( mr ) material on the first shield 202 . depositing mr material is a multi - layer deposition process for depositing a pinning layer , a pinned layer , a spacer / barrier layer , a free layer , etc . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with mr material 302 deposited according to step 104 . step 106 of fig1 comprises patterning a first photoresist on mr material 302 to define a stripe height of an mr sensor . fig4 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with first photoresist 402 patterned according to step 106 . step 108 of fig1 comprises performing an ion milling process , or another type of removal process , to remove the mr material 302 exposed by photoresist 402 . fig5 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the ion milling process of step 108 . step 110 of fig1 comprises depositing refill material . refill material comprises some type of insulating material , such as alumina . fig6 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with refill material 602 deposited according to step 110 . step 112 of fig1 comprises removing the first photoresist 402 . photoresist 402 may be removed with a chemical mechanical polishing ( cmp ) assisted lift - off process . fig7 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with photoresist 402 removed according to step 112 . the removal of photoresist 402 also removes the refill material 602 deposited on top of photoresist 402 , which exposes mr material 302 . step 114 of fig1 comprises depositing a cmp stop layer on the top surface of the mr material 302 and the refill material 602 . the cmp stop layer may be comprised of a diamond - like carbon ( dlc ) material or another type of material . fig8 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with cmp stop layer 802 deposited according to step 114 . step 116 of fig1 comprises depositing a bottom anti - reflective coating ( barc ) layer on the cmp stop layer 802 . the barc layer may be comprised of durimide ® or another type of material . fig9 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with barc layer 902 deposited according to step 116 . step 118 of fig1 comprises patterning a second photoresist on the barc layer 902 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with a second photoresist 1002 patterned according to step 118 . the second photoresist 1002 is patterned with openings that are used to define the track width of the mr sensor . step 120 of fig1 comprises performing a reactive ion etching ( rie ) process to remove the barc layer 902 and the cmp stop layer 802 exposed by the second photoresist 1002 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the rie process of step 120 . step 122 of fig1 comprises performing an ion milling process , or another type of removal process , to remove the mr material 302 exposed by photoresist 1002 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the ion milling process of step 122 . after the ion milling process , the mr sensor 1202 is defined in read element 200 from the mr material 302 . the milling process also removes the second photoresist 1002 . step 124 of fig1 comprises depositing an insulation layer on the second photoresist 1002 and on side regions of mr sensor 1202 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with insulation layer 1302 deposited according to step 124 . insulation layer 1302 may comprise an alumina material that is formed using an atomic layer deposition ( ald ) process . insulating layer 1302 may be deposited to have a thickness less than about 80 å ( e . g ., in the range of 20 å to 80 å ). step 126 of fig1 comprises depositing hard bias material on the insulation layer 1302 . the hard bias material is used to form hard bias magnets on side regions of mr sensor 1202 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with hard bias material 1402 deposited according to step 126 . the hard bias material 1402 is used to longitudinally bias a free layer ( not shown ) in mr element 1202 . the hard bias material 1402 may be deposited in step 126 by depositing multiple layers of material . for instance , a first seed layer of nita or a similar material may be deposited , with a second seed layer of a non - magnetic cr alloy ( e . g ., crmo ) deposited on the first seed layer . the hard bias magnetic layer of a magnetic material ( e . g ., copt or coptcr ) may then be deposited on the seed layers . the hard bias material may be formed with other materials in other embodiments . in step 126 , the hard bias material 1402 is deposited to a threshold thickness so that a height of the top surface of the hard bias material 1402 is less than the height of cmp stop layer 802 . in other words , the threshold thickness of the hard bias material 1402 should be such that the top surface of the hard bias material 1402 should be below the cmp stop layer 802 so that a subsequently - performed cmp process does not polish the top surface of the hard bias material 1402 . step 128 of fig1 comprises depositing a sacrificial layer on the hard bias material 1402 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with sacrificial layer 1502 deposited according to step 128 . sacrificial layer 1502 is formed from any material that has a good polishing rate . sacrificial layer 1502 may be formed with a material that is already used in the read element 200 so that a new material does not need to be introduced into the fabrication stations . for example , cr or crmo may be used as sacrificial layer 1502 in addition to being used as a seed layer for the hard bias magnets . step 130 of fig1 comprises performing a cmp process down to cmp stop layer 802 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the cmp process of step 130 . the cmp process removes the barc layer 902 and planarizes the top surface of sacrificial layer 1502 . after the cmp process , hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 are formed on each side of mr sensor 1202 from the hard bias material 1502 . during cmp , the sacrificial layer 1502 is in direct contact with the cmp pads , and not the hard bias material 1402 . therefore , the thickness of the hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 is defined by the deposition process of step 126 , and is not defined by the cmp process of step 130 . the cmp process only reduces the thickness of the sacrificial layer 1502 , and does not reduce the thickness of hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 . any variations in the cmp process only affect the sacrificial layer 1502 and do not affect the hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 . as a result , the magnetic performance of the hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 is not affected by the cmp process . the hard bias magnets 1601 - 1602 on each side of mr sensor 1202 will thus have substantially uniform effective magnetic fields , which advantageously lead to improved stability in read element 200 . step 132 of fig1 comprises performing a reactive ion etching ( rie ) process to remove the cmp stop layer 802 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 after the rie process of step 132 . step 134 of fig1 comprises forming a second shield . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of read element 200 with second shield 1802 formed according to step 134 . fig1 thus illustrates a completed read element 200 fabricated according to method 100 . read element 200 may comprise a gmr element , a tmr element , or cpp gmr element . read element 200 as illustrated in fig1 may be implemented in a magnetic disk drive system . fig1 illustrates a magnetic disk drive system 1900 in an exemplary embodiment of the invention . magnetic disk drive system 1900 includes a spindle 1902 , a magnetic recording disk 1904 , a motor controller 1906 , an actuator 1908 , an actuator / suspension arm 1910 , and a recording head 1914 . spindle 1902 supports and rotates magnetic recording disk 1904 in the direction indicated by the arrow . a spindle motor ( not shown ) rotates spindle 1902 according to control signals from motor controller 1906 . recording head 1914 is supported by actuator / suspension arm 1910 . actuator / suspension arm 1910 is connected to actuator 1908 that is configured to rotate in order to position recording head 1914 over a desired track of magnetic recording disk 1904 . magnetic disk drive system 1900 may include other devices , components , or systems not shown in fig1 . for instance , a plurality of magnetic disks , actuators , actuator / suspension arms , and recording heads may be used . when magnetic recording disk 1904 rotates , an air flow generated by the rotation of magnetic disk 1904 causes an air bearing surface ( abs ) of recording head 1914 to ride on a cushion of air at a particular height above magnetic disk 1904 . the height depends on the shape of the abs . as recording head 1914 rides on the cushion of air , actuator 1908 moves actuator / suspension arm 1910 to position a read element ( not shown ) and a write element ( not shown ) in recording head 1914 over selected tracks of magnetic recording disk 1904 . the read element in recording head 1914 may comprise a read element 200 ( see fig1 ) as described herein in the above figs . although specific embodiments were described herein , the scope of the invention is not limited to those specific embodiments . the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims and any equivalents thereof . | 1 |
referring to fig2 , the primary components of the present invention are a service switching point 200 provisioned with an incoming trigger 202 and an outgoing trigger 204 , a service node 206 in communication with service switching point 200 , and a service control point 208 in communication with service switching point 200 through a signaling transfer point 210 . to provide a complete call flow architecture , the present description further includes a caller 212 in communication with a caller &# 39 ; s service switching point 214 , a subscriber 216 in communication with a subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 , and a forwarding destination 220 in communication with a forwarding service switching point 222 . caller &# 39 ; s service switching point 214 is in communication with subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 and , through signaling transfer point 210 , with service control point 208 . forwarding service switching point 222 is in communication with service switching point 200 . as contemplated by the present invention , service node 206 is outside the local exchange carrier &# 39 ; s network and , as such , may not receive private call information . to comply with this federal regulation , the present invention uses incoming trigger 202 to remove and store the private information before the call leaves the network to go to service node 206 , and restores the private call information to the call when the call hits outgoing call 204 on its way back into the network . the present invention is based on a service node - type architecture and can be applied to any enhanced service that requires a service node or similar device for call routing or processing . as used in the specification and in the claims , service nodes include all similar devices that perform the functions described herein including , for example , personal computers with integrated services digital network basic rate interfaces . fig2 illustrates an architecture representative of the present invention . although fig2 depicts a separate service switching point for each subscriber number and service node , one skilled in the art would understand that each component could be connected to the same service switching point . further , the service node could be connected to one or more service switching points . in addition , although fig2 shows one service node providing the enhanced service , one or more service nodes with one or more enhanced services could provide several out - of - network enhanced call processing services . turning to the individual components , service node 206 is associated with an enhanced service provider that is outside the local exchange carrier &# 39 ; s network , the boundary of which is represented by the dotted line 228 in fig2 . the enhanced service provider could be any call processing service that supplements a local exchange carrier &# 39 ; s available call plan , such as voicemail or single number service . service switching point 200 , with its incoming trigger 202 and outgoing trigger 204 , acts as a gatekeeper within the network , preventing private call information from exiting the network . upon receiving a call to service node 206 , incoming trigger 202 queries service control point 208 to remove and store private call information . once service node 206 has completed call processing and has placed an outgoing call , outgoing trigger 204 queries service control point 208 to restore the private call information . service control point 208 receives queries from subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 and service switching point 200 . in response , service control point 208 determines the services applicable to each call and issues corresponding call routing instructions to the service switching points . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , service control point 208 is provisioned with a service package application ( spa ) 224 and a database 226 . service package application 224 is a computer program that directs the actions of service control point 208 to provide the functions of the present invention . database 226 is an organized and structured data collection in which service control point 208 stores call information . preferably , the call information includes call data such as the calling number , the called number , the privacy indicator of the calling number , and a transaction identification . caller 212 and subscriber 216 are any telephony devices , e . g ., telephones or facsimile equipment that are capable of initiating and receiving telephone calls . in the context of the present invention , subscriber 216 does not receive a telephone call because the trigger provisioned on subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 redirects the calls to service node 206 . finally , subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 is any destination that may need to know the calling party information , i . e ., the telephone number of caller 212 . subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 could be a telephony device or , perhaps , another call service that further processes the call . however , to provide a simple illustration of the present invention , the preferred embodiment of subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 is a standard telephone with a caller id display . thus , in this preferred embodiment , for the caller id service to operate properly , the subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 must receive the calling party information and the associated privacy indicator , so that the caller id display shows the telephone number of caller 212 if the call is not private , “ private ” if the call is private , or “ unavailable ” if the originating or intermediate network is unable to deliver the calling party information ( e . g ., if the call originates from private branch exchange equipment or from within a network that does not support ss7 signaling ). fig2 and 3 illustrate the call flow of a preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is schematic of the system architecture showing calls , queries , and responses between the system components . ( although the queries and responses are not shown between the signaling transfer point 210 and service control point 206 for clarity , one skilled in the art would understand that the queries reach service control point 208 via signaling transfer point 210 and that the responses originate from service control point 208 and flow through signaling transfer point 210 .) fig3 is a flowchart that corresponds to fig2 and summarizes the steps of the method of the present invention . although the present invention is applicable to any situation in which an out - of - network service node processes a call , the schematic of fig2 and the flowchart of fig3 trace the operation of the present invention in the context of call forwarding . while the method described herein and illustrated in the figures contains many specific examples of call flow steps , these steps should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention , but rather as examples of call flow steps that could be used to practice the invention . as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art , many other variations on the system operation are possible , including differently grouped and ordered method steps . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated , but by the appended claims and their equivalents . as fig3 shows , in step 300 caller 212 dials the telephone number of subscriber 216 . in step 302 , this incoming call ( call 1 in fig2 ) flows from caller &# 39 ; s service switching point 214 to subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 . in step 304 , incoming call 1 activates a service trigger provisioned on subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 . preferably , this service trigger is a termination attempt trigger , although other types of triggers could be used ( e . g ., public office dialing plan triggers ). the termination attempt trigger initiates a query to service control point 208 to implement the particular service to which the called party has subscribed , e . g ., simultaneous ring service , and is provisioned on subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 during initiation of that service . in step 306 , subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 sends a query ( query 1 in fig2 ) via signaling transfer point 210 to service control point 208 asking for routing instructions . in step 308 , service control point 208 looks up the subscriber &# 39 ; s calling plan to determine the subscriber &# 39 ; s enhanced service and directs subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 to route call 1 to service node 206 of the enhanced service ( response 1 in fig2 ). following the directions of service control point 208 , subscriber &# 39 ; s service switching point 218 processes the incoming call 1 with service switching point 200 in step 310 . in step 312 , the incoming call 1 hits incoming trigger 202 provisioned on service switching point 200 . preferably , incoming trigger 202 is a termination attempt trigger or similar trigger that activates for all calls destined for service node 206 . activating incoming trigger 202 sends a query ( query 2 in fig2 ) to service control point 208 that includes the call information of the incoming call 1 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the call information includes data such as the calling number , the called number , the privacy indicator , and the destination number ( the telephone number associated with the trunk group of service node 206 ). the calling number and the privacy indicator are the private information , which may not be transmitted outside the network by the telephone company . in step 314 , service control point 208 stores the call information in a database table in database 226 . in addition , service control point 208 generates a transaction identification for the incoming call 1 and enters the transaction identification in the table entry with the rest of the call information . this transaction identification marks the database location at which the private information related to call 1 is stored while call 1 flows outside the network . additionally , the transaction identification may be used to provide service to a specific caller without revealing the caller &# 39 ; s identity . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the transaction identification is a series of digits long enough to distinguish between the multiple calls being concurrently processed by service control point 208 . for example , the transaction identification could be digits of the year , month , day , hour , minute , and second , followed by a string of random digits . optionally , the transaction identification could encode the identity of a caller so that the present invention could provide an enhanced service without revealing the identity of the caller to the enhanced service provider ( in compliance with regulations ). for example , with an announcement service that plays one message to friends and another message to business associates , the encoded transaction identification would mark the caller as either a friend or business associate so that the enhanced service provider could play the appropriate message . in step 316 , service control point 208 replaces the original calling number in the call 1 call information with the transaction identification , removes the privacy indicator , and instructs service switching point 200 to terminate call 1 with the modified call information to service node 206 . thus , for example , the call 1 call information “ callingnumber , callednumber , privacyindicator , destinationnumbe - r ” would be modified to “ transid , callednumber , destinationnumber ”, where the destination number is the telephone access number for service node 206 . as a result of replacing the calling number in the call information with the transaction identification , service switching point 200 will include the transaction identification in the appropriate calling number field , depending upon the type of interface between the service switching point 200 and service node 206 . for example , with an integrated services digital network basic rate interface ( isdn / bri ), service switching point 200 could include the transaction identification as part of the call setup signaling . as another example , even with a regular analog interface , service switching point 200 could include the transaction identification using touch tones generated by service switching point 200 over the interface . alternatively , in addition to the calling number field , the transaction identification could be placed in other data fields of the signaling message . instead of including the full transaction identification in the call information , an alternate embodiment of the present invention uses an abbreviated form of the transaction identification , referred to as a transaction key . the transaction key is an excerpt of the transaction identification that contains enough digits so as to correspond to only the one transaction identification without being mistakenly matched to another transaction identification . this abbreviated form accommodates signaling interfaces between service switching point 200 and service node 206 that can only handle a limited number of characters . following the instructions of service control point 208 , service switching point 200 , to which the enhanced service provider is connected , terminates the call to service node 206 in step 318 . in step 320 , service node 206 completes the call processing associated with the enhanced service , determines the corresponding forwarding destination , and places an outgoing call ( call 2 in fig2 ) to that forwarding destination . preferably , the dialing string for outgoing call 2 begins with a customized dialing plan code , e . g ., 9 , so that when the call reaches service switching point 200 it triggers a query to the service control point 208 . in this embodiment , the outgoing trigger is preferably a customized dialing plan trigger . as an example , this call information could be “ 9 , transid , forwardingdestinationnumber ,#”, where the forwarding destination number is determined by service node 206 based on the subscriber &# 39 ; s enhanced service , and the “#” character delimits the end of the dialing string . alternatively , outgoing trigger 204 could be a feature code trigger . in this embodiment , the dialing string begins with the feature code , e . g ., * 9 . in step 322 , outgoing call 2 hits an outgoing trigger 204 provisioned on service switching point 200 , sending a query ( query 3 in fig2 ) to service control point 208 . query 3 includes the forwarding destination number ( as dictated by the call processing of the enhanced service provider ) and the transaction identification , as received from service control point 208 in step 316 . alternatively , instead of the full transaction identification , query 3 may include a transaction key if a transaction key was delivered in step 316 . noting the transaction identification , in step 324 , service control point 208 looks up the corresponding table entry , retrieves the calling party number and privacy indicator from the table entry in database 226 , and modifies the call information of the outgoing call to include the calling party number and privacy indicator . thus , the call information is changed from “* 9 , transid , forwardingdestinationnumber ” to “ originalcallingnumber , privacyindicatorforwardingdestinationnumber ”. service control point 208 returns the call information to service switching point 200 with routing instructions directing the service switching point 200 to forward outgoing call 2 to the subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 . finally , in step 326 , service switching point 200 sends outgoing call 2 to subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 through service switching point 222 . in this embodiment , subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 is equipped with a caller id service , which can read from the call information the calling party number and privacy indicator that were restored by service control point 208 . thus , the caller id display at subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination 220 displays the calling number if the privacy indicator is off , displays “ private ” if the privacy indicator is on , or “ unavailable ” if the originating or intermediate network is unable to deliver the calling party information . after viewing the caller id display , if the subscriber answers the telephone , service node 206 terminates call 1 to call 2 to complete the call connection , and drops out of the call . thus , only the caller and the subscriber &# 39 ; s forwarding destination are on the line , freeing service node 116 &# 39 ; s resources for future calls . in addition to the caller id service illustrated above , other call services may need to know the calling number and the privacy indicator to operate properly . to meet these services &# 39 ; needs , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , service control point 208 directs service switching point 200 to forward the calling number even if the privacy indicator is on . in this manner , downstream services within the network can use the calling number for call processing needs , yet still keep it private if the privacy indicator is on . without the restoral advantages of the present invention , out - of - network enhanced service providers could never meet the needs of downstream call services because the enhanced service providers do not receive the private information . the foregoing disclosure of 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 . | 7 |
turn now to the drawings and , initially , to fig1 which is a diagrammatic representation of an anti - icing management system 20 embodying the invention . the system 20 has application to a gas turbine engine 22 , generally of a small to medium size , and of a type normally used to power helicopters . engines of this class typically handle a mass flow of 10 pounds of air per second or less . in a customary fashion , the gas turbine engine 22 includes a compressor 24 , a combustor 26 , and an output turbine 28 . it was previously mentioned that conventional anti - icing systems for helicopter engines are exceedingly energy inefficient . three primary factors were enumerated . a first of these factors is depicted in fig2 a and presents the probability that the operation of the anti - icing system is required . as previously explained , the pilot customarily actuates a simple on - off bleed valve when encountering potential icing conditions which occur typically at ambient temperatures below 5 ° c . in the presence of visible moisture , that is , a cloud . this assessment on the part of a pilot is not always correct and the graph depicted in fig2 a indicates the substantial amount of heat which is wasted as a result , specifically that area lying above a curve 30 therein . another of the factors causing inefficiency in conventional on - off anti - icing systems is depicted in fig2 b . as seen therein , the engine is designed to assure its proper operation above a critical meteorological design anti - icing point represented by a reference numeral 31 . such a point is arbitrarily , albeit intelligently , chosen , for example , an ambient temperature of minus 20 ° c . since there is generally no major concern that icing will occur above 0 ° c ., it will be appreciated that any heat represented as lying above a curve 32 in fig2 b will be wasted , that heat represented as lying below the curve 32 being all that is required at any given temperature . still another factor causing inefficiency of the type with which the invention is concerned is referred to as the &# 34 ; engine operating effect &# 34 ;, and is depicted in fig2 c . this means that , for a conventional on - off anti - icing system , excessive bleed energy is consumed when operating an engine above its critical anti - icing design point , which generally occurs during idle operation . a design point , represented by a reference numeral 34 , assures that 100 percent of heated air is available for anti - icing purposes when the engine is merely idling . as engine power increases , however , it will be appreciated that bleed temperature increases with the result that the gross amount of bleed air can be reduced while yet achieving the same anti - icing result . however , since conventional anti - icing systems utilized in engines within the size range with which the present invention is concerned , are operated continuously at the design point 34 , it will be appreciated , with reference to fig2 c , that all quantities of heated air represented as lying above a curve 36 in that graph is wasted and therefore detracts from the performance of the engine . while systems have been devised to enable operation along the curve 36 , they are not readily adaptable to the class of engines with which the invention is concerned without significantly adding to the cost and complexity of the engine . by way of example , the general electric model t700 is a current , successful , state - of - the - art engine which utilizes such a sophisticated system . its drawback is that the anti - icing system which it employs is a complex arrangement of mechanical actuators and linkages by means of which the fuel control operates an anti - icing valve to control the flow of anti - icing air . assembly costs are high as a result , more items are subject to failure , and frequent , time - consuming , maintenance is a necessity . table i indicates that the accumulative effect of three factors depicted in fig2 a , 2b , and 2c results in ten percent of the total bleed energy being effectively used when the engine is operating in the idle mode and only four percent of the total bleed energy being effectively used when the engine is in maximum power mode . table i______________________________________conventional engine anti - icing bleed systemsanalysis of minimum bleed consumptionfor effective anti - icing operation______________________________________system : - on / off valve , engine compressor bleedheating , fixed bleed geometrycritical design point : - ambient temperature - 20 ° c . flight idle engine operation ambient temperatures______________________________________ - 5 ° c . - 20 ° c . ( a ) probability of encountering 40 % 10 % icing conditions in clouds *( b ) percent bleed requirement 25 % 100 % of temperature design point0 ° c . - t . sub . o ( actual ) 0 ° c . - t . sub . o ( design ) where t . sub . o = ambient temp . ______________________________________ engine condition flight max . idle power______________________________________ ( c ) percent bleed requirement 100 % 40 % of engine condition designpoint0 ° c . - t . sub . bl ( design ) 0 ° c . - t . sub . bl ( actual ) where t . sub . bl = bleed air temp . accumulative effectminimum bleed energy consump - 10 % 4 % tion for effective anti - icing ( a ) × ( b ) × ( c ) ______________________________________ * ottawa nrc report lr3344 , &# 34 ; review of icing detection for helicopters &# 34 ;, by j . r . stallabrass , march 1962 . high - efficiency engines are generally more sensitive to off - design operating conditions produced by anti - icing bleed operation . therefore , engine compressor bleed air for the purpose of anti - icing heating , without proper bleed management , is an inefficient method . typical performance characteristics for an advanced technology engine indicate that every one percent of compressor discharge bleed air results in penalties which include : a 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 percent specific fuel consumption ( sfc ) increase ; a 3 . 0 to 4 . 0 percent power loss ( for high power limits ); and a 1 . 0 percent increase in turbine temperature ( 25 ° c . at high power ). typical anti - icing bleed requirements for a turbo - shaft engine fitted with an inlet particle separator is 2 to 3 percent . thus , engine performance penalties will be increased proportionally . return now , once again , to fig1 . the gas turbine engine 22 is provided , in customary fashion , with a pair of inlet struts 38 which support a streamlined centerbody 40 spaced from a forward extremity of an inlet cowling 42 defining an inlet 44 into the gas turbine engine 22 . the centerbody 40 is positioned immediately forward of the compressor 24 . the inlet struts 38 , the centerbody 40 , and the inlet cowling 42 define structure located at the inlet of the engine 22 which has surfaces on which ice can undesirably form . the ice can adversely effect the flow of air into the engine and , if it dislodges from the surfaces , would be drawn through the engine and can cause serious damage . as seen in fig1 the inlet struts 38 and the inlet cowling 42 define air ducting 46 therein for receiving flow therethrough of heated air to thereby prevent the formation of ice on the outer surfaces although , for purposes of simplicity , the centerbody 40 is not illustrated as being provided with such air ducting , it is within the scope of the invention for the centerbody to be so constructed as well . a passage 48 is suitably provided in the system 20 to direct flow of heated air from a discharge side 50 of the compressor 24 to the air ducting 46 within the structural elements located at the inlet 44 to the gas turbine engine 22 . each inlet strut 38 is provided with an exhaust passage 52 which may exhaust into the compressor 24 , or preferably , in some manner , completely away from the engine 22 . the exhaust passage 52 assures continuous flow of heated air from the discharge side 50 of the compressor 24 , through the passage 48 and then through the air ducting 46 . in this manner , the heated air is continuously supplied to the air ducting 46 so long as a valve 54 in the passage 48 remains open . pressure differences between the compressor discharge side 50 and the exhaust passage 52 are generally adequate to maintain flow through the passage 48 . although it has been described that the source of heated air is the discharge side 50 of the compressor 24 , it will be understood that the heated air can be taken from other suitable locations within the engine 22 . for example , compressor interstage bleed air , turbine interstage bleed air , or engine exhaust bleed air would all be appropriate for anti - icing purposes . as seen in fig1 a hot air anti - icing valve 54 is mounted in the passage 48 to intercept flow of all of a solenoid valve , such as part no . 53550 manufactured by sterer manufacturing company of los angeles , california . the valve 54 is solely operable for movement between a fully opened position , in one instance , to enable maximum flow of heated air through the passage 48 into the air ducting 46 , and a fully closed position , in another instance , to prevent any flow therethrough at all . the valve 54 is electrically responsive to a switching mechanism or operation performed by an electronic control 56 . the control 56 may be of the type commonly referred to as &# 34 ; fadec &# 34 ; ( full authority digital engine control ), one suitable control for purposes of the invention being model emc - 32 manufactured by chandler - evans corporation of hartford , conn . in accordance with the invention , the electronic control 56 is programmed to respond to some meaningful condition which can provide guidance as to whether bleed air is needed for anti - icing purposes and if so , how much bleed air is needed . one such meaningful condition is temperature of the anti - iced surfaces of the engine in the region of the inlet and positioned directly in the path of the incoming air . in this regard , a temperature sensor 58 of any suitable type , such as model 1122621 manufactured by lewis engineering of naugatuck , conn . is mounted on the outer surface of one of the struts 38 directly in the path of incoming air . the temperature sensor 58 serves to detect the temperature of the anti - iced surface on which it is mounted and generates a signal proportional thereto . while the sensor 58 is depicted as being mounted on a strut 38 , it may just as properly be mounted on the diffuser 40 or , indeed , on any forwardly facing surface directly subject to flow of air through the inlet 44 . consider a situation at which the temperature sensor 58 registers and reports to the electronic control 56 that the temperature of a surface within the inlet 44 is less than a predetermined value , typically 0 ° c . the control 56 determines that flow of heated air to the air ducting 46 is necessary in order to prevent the formation of ice and begins to operate the valve 54 . the inactive or fully closed position of the valve 54 is depicted in fig3 a at which no flow of heated or bleed air through the passage 48 occurs with actuation by the control 56 , however , the valve is caused to pulsate , that is , rapidly move between the fully open and fully closed positions in a repetition manner . at this temperature ( 0 ° c . ), however , it is only necessary to provide a generally low flow rate of heated air to the surfaces to be heated . hence operation of the valve depicted by pulses 60 in fig3 b having a relatively small width to pitch ( that is , distance between leading edges of adjacent pulses ) ratio is sufficient to achieve a low average flow rate as represented by a line 61 . this flow rate would be adequate to achieve the amount of heat necessary to prevent the formation of ice on the heated surfaces . however , if the temperature were moderately colder , for example , - 10 ° c ., it might be necessary for the control 56 to operate the valve 54 in the manner depicted in fig3 c . in this instance , pulses 62 have a relatively large width to pitch ratio resulting in a relatively high average flow rate of heated air as represented by a line 63 . again , if the control 56 is properly programmed , the amount of heat made available to the surfaces to be protected against ice formation is sufficient for that purpose . should the temperature be substantially colder , for example , - 20 ° c ., it might be necessary for the control 56 to operate the valve 54 with a pulse 64 of infinite duration , that is , in the fully on position as depicted in fig3 d . this mode of operation would continue for so long as necessary to assure maximum flow to the surfaces to be protected and prevent the formation of ice . it will be appreciated that although operation of the valve 54 may be in terms of cycles per second , the invention is also intended to cover intermittent on / off operation of the valve covering a duration of several seconds or even minutes . thus , the operation just described provides an anti - icing system with a valve that monitors the flow of heated air , not according to an area proportional opening as practical by conventional modulated valves but by means of a time proportion , that is , the time interval of a pulse during which the valve is open as compared to the total elapsed time . the valve 54 can be of simplified design , having only two operating positions . at the same time , the flow rate is infinitely variable between no flow operation and maximum flow operation depending upon the instructions transmitted by the control 56 . the effect of managing the flow of heated bleed air to the air ducting 46 by means of the electronic control 56 and pulsed solenoid valve 54 can be readily seen in fig4 . specifically , the average flow rate of heated bleed air is carefully controlled to follow a curve 64 . in this manner , only so much heated air as required , and as represented as lying below the curve 64 , is directed to the air ducting 48 , and no more . thus , the area above curve 64 in fig4 represents heated air not utilized and therefore saved . the benefits which result from this saving include improved engine performance , decreased fuel consumption , lowered turbine temperatures , and increased engine life . the operation of the electronic control 56 is also such that in the event of its failure , the valve 54 would remain open in order to assure that there would always be adequate heated air to prevent the formation of ice on the external surfaces at the inlet 44 to the engine 22 . the invention also recognizes that there are times when the pilot of an aircraft into which the system 20 has been incorporated has need to override the system . thus , as diagrammatically illustrated in fig1 an override switch 66 may be suitably mounted on the instrument panel of the aircraft to enable direct manual operation of the hot air valve 54 , moving it as necessary either to its fully open position or to its fully closed position . in another embodiment of the system 20 , as seen in fig5 an ice detector 68 may be provided to sense the presence of ice producing conditions . to this end , the ice detector may be located within the inlet 44 to the engine 22 or it may be located elsewhere on the fuselage or on an air foil of the aircraft or at some other appropriate location . an ice detector unit suitable for use with the present invention may be that known as part number 126260 manufactured by the avionics division of leigh instruments limited of carleton place , ontario , canada . as utilized in the system 20 , the ice detector 68 generates a signal in the event that it senses the presence of an ice producing condition and so informs the electronic control 56 . the control 56 then operates the valve 54 in the proper manner without regard to the signal from the temperature sensor 53 . still another embodiment of the system 20 is shown diagrammatically in fig6 . in this instance , a suitable tachometer 70 continuously informs the control 52 as to engine speed . it will be appreciated that at higher engine speeds , the bleed air from the compressor discharge is at a higher temperature than at lower speeds . thus , the same heating effect at the surfaces to be protected against ice formation can be achieved with a reduced mass flow of air . the electronic control 56 can be programmed to operate the hot air valve 54 in response to the signal from any one of the sensing devices depicted in fig6 or from a sensor ( not shown ) responsive to some other meaningful condition . the electronic control may also operate the hot air valve 54 according to an intelligent review and evaluation of all the signals received , or of some of the signals received , or of only one of the signals received . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the scope as described in the specification and defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
referring to fig1 and 5 a portable foot bath is shown provided with a tub 10 fabricated of rubber or a soft plastic , such as vinyl . the tub is generally of a rectangular shape and is provided with a peripheral top edge 12 , as seen in fig2 and 5 . the top edge 12 is folded over the sides 14 of the tubs in order to conserve space in a packing carton . however , when it is desired to use the foot bath the top edge 12 is grasped by the user &# 39 ; s hands and pulled up to position shown in dotted lines in fig2 and as well as shown in fig4 and 5 . the floor 16 of the tub 10 has spaced shallow , rounded projections 18 which function as foot massaging elements . the floor of the tub also has a centrally located curved arch support 20 which is designed to massage the arch of the foot . referring now to fig2 and 4 a heater platform 24 is shown mounted on the base support 22 and has a sinuous channel 26 on the top surface of the platform . the channel 26 is provided with a rope heater 28 within the entire sinuous channel 26 in order to radiate heat throughout the floor 16 of the tub . the heater 28 is connected to a power source ( not shown ) and is provided with a thermostat 30 . the rope heater 28 is held in place by holders 32 , as seen in fig3 . a motor bracket 34 is located at the underside of heater platform 28 and is affixed to four bosses 36 projecting downward from the bottom of platform 28 by means of bolts 38 . a motor 40 having a vibrating coil 42 is affixed to the bracket 34 . located above the heater platform 24 having the rope heater 28 are a pair of spaced thin metal reflectors 44 such as aluminum foil . the reflectors 44 are connected by a smaller reflector 46 having a central opening 46 which is aligned with opening 25 in the heater platform 24 . all of the metal reflectors abut the underside of the floor of the tub 10 and function to radiate the heat generated by the rope heater throughout the floor 16 of the tub 10 . the heater platform 24 is fixed to the base platform 22 by means of bosses 48 which are placed in holes 50 in the base platform , and attached by screws 52 . non - marking rubber feet 54 cover the screw heads . the tub 10 is affixed to heater platform 24 by means of bosses 56 in tub 10 and aligned bosses 58 in platform 24 , and connected by means of screws 60 . on the underside of the floor 16 of the tub 10 is a pipe - like projection 62 which passes through an opening in the metal reflector 46 and opening 25 in heater platform 24 to engage the motor bracket 34 thus imparting vibratory motion of the motor directly to the arch support 20 . referring now to fig6 the base platform 22 is provided with compartments 62 and 64 in which compartment 62 has an opening 70 in front wall 66 of the base 22 while compartment 64 has an opening 72 in the rear wall 68 of the base . located within compartment 62 is a power cord 74 with removable remote control unit 76 . in compartment 64 a standard power cord 78 is shown which can be connected to any 110 volt ac outlet . the remote control unit 76 can be placed in the opening 70 as shown in fig5 or it may be removed from the opening , as seen in fig6 in order to operate the foot bath from a distance . this arrangement is especially desirable for people who have difficulty bending down and operating the controls since the foot bath device can be operated from a sitting or standing position . as will be seen in fig2 and 7 , the flexible sides 14 of the tub are folded over , as shown in full lines , for packing and transportation . when the foot bath is desired to be used , the sides 14 are pulled up all around the tub to the dotted line position shown in fig2 . thus the depth of the tub 10 is approximately doubled thereby permitting a higher level of water in the tub . furthermore , the vibratory , rounded projections spaced throughout the floor 16 of the tub 10 , as well as the vibrating arch support 20 , rejuvenate the soles and arches of the feet not only in warm water but in dry heat as well . fig7 shows another embodiment of the present invention wherein the flexible sides 80 are accordion shaped so that tub 10 can be packed and shipped in a collapsed condition , as seen in full lines , or the accordion sides 80a can be pulled up to the enlarged tub position for use , as seen in dotted lines . while the invention has been disclosed and described with reference to several embodiments it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein , and it is intended that the following claims cover each such variation and modification as falls within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | 0 |
referring to the drawings and particularly to fig1 through 4 , one form of the protective cover of the present invention for use with a stove top of the character shown in fig1 is there illustrated . the protective cover is suitable for use with a wide variety of both electric and gas stoves of the character having at least two burner locations such as burner locations 12 ( fig1 ), which locations are surrounded by a generally , planar smooth stove top surface 13 . one form of the protective cover is also suitable for use with a stove top having a griddle portion of the character generally designated in fig1 by the numeral 15 . referring also to fig2 and 4 , the protective cover of the invention can be seen to comprise a flexible , fabric - like body portion 14 which generally corresponds in size and shape to the stove top to be covered . body portion 14 includes burner overlay portions provided in the form of cutouts adapted to overlay the burner locations and the griddle location . in fig2 the burner overlay portions comprise burner cutout portions 18 and griddle cutout portion 20 . a plurality of apertures 22 are also provided in the cover portion to closely receive the control knobs of the stove 24 ( see also fig8 ). depending upon the type of control knobs provided , it is to be understood that cover body portion 14 can be appropriately apertured or otherwise configured to best accommodate the particular control knobs involved . a unique feature of the present invention comprises overlay portions or panels which are adapted to cover the various cutout portions provided in the body portion 14 . for example , in the embodiment of the invention shown in fig2 there is provided a plurality of burner overlay panels 26 as well as a griddle overlay panel 28 . each of these panels is preferably constructed from a flexible fabric - like material having marginal portions that are provided with fastener means for removably connecting the panels to body portion 14 . turning to fig6 the form of the fastener means there illustrated comprises a multiplicity of small loops 30 provided on each of the panels and a multiplicity of small hooks 32 provided proximate the margins of each of the cutout portions 18 and 20 provided in cover body 14 . it is to be understood that , as may be desired , the multiplicity of hooks and multiplicity of loops can be provided on either of the panel perimeters or on the area surrounding the cutout portions of body portion 14 . it is also be understood that a variety of other types of fastener means other than the illustrated fastener means which are sold under the trademark velcro can be used . for example , a variety of different types of mechanical arrangements such as snaps , hooks and grommets and the like can also be used to removably affix the various panels to the cover body portion 14 . turning particularly to fig3 , 7 and 8 , another important aspect of the apparatus of the present invention resides in the provision of a plurality of downwardly depending segments 14a which depend downwardly from body portion 14 in the area of the stove burner overlay portions . as best seen in fig7 and 8 , when the protective cover is positioned over the stove top , segments 14a depend downwardly into the burner well or burner sump portion of the burner unit . the segments are specially configured to substantially cover the upper surfaces of the burner wells in a manner to protect the surfaces from becoming soiled with spattering grease and the like . segments 14a are preferably formed by slitting the body at strategic locations proximate the burner overlay portions so that the segments or flaps are free to generally conform with the upper wall portions of the burner wells in the manner shown in fig8 . referring now to fig9 and 11 , another form of protective cover of the invention is there illustrated . in this form of the invention , the burner well covering segments 37 are of a slightly different configuration and as shown in fig1 , are formed by cutting a plurality of slits 39 in the covering . as illustrated in the drawings , slits 39 radiate radially outwardly from an aperture 41 which is provided in the cover portion proximate the location of the burner elements , for example , element 43 of the stove unit . segments 37 are uniquely constructed and arranged so that they can be held securely in position within the burner sump by placing the grate units 45 of the burner on top of the segments in a manner to force them into conformance with the bottom surface 47 of the burner wells . in using the cover of this form of the invention , the burner grates are first removed from the stove , the protective cover is then emplaced over the stove top and finally the burner grates are placed on top of the segments 37 which naturally depend downwardly into the burner well of the burner unit . as best seen in fig5 and 7 , another important feature of the apparatus of the present invention resides in the provision of a skirt portion 50 which depends downwardly over the front vertical surface of the stove in the manner illustrated in fig5 . skirt portion 50 is preferably provided with a plurality of pockets 52 which are adapted to support cooking utensils of various kinds , such as the spatula and spoon illustrated in fig5 . in certain forms of the invention , skirt portions can also be provided that are adapted to extend downwardly over the sidewalls of the stove . body portion 14 as well as panels 26 and 28 can be constructed of a wide variety of fireproof or fire retardant materials . for example , these members can be constructed from a multiplicity of small glass fibers or fine metal strands such as steel or alumimun which are woven into a fabric - like construction . when metal strands are used , the strands can , if desired , be over coated with a material such a polytetrafluro - ethylene . alternatively , the members can be constructed from various natural or synthetic fibers that have been appropriately treated with fire retardant chemicals such as brominated aeromatics , chlorinated cycloaliphatics and like chemicals . other types of flame retardant additives of a character well known to those skilled in the art can also be used in connection with a number of different types of natural and synthetic fibers that can be woven into a fabric - like construction . preferably the cover body portion as well as the panel portions are constructed from a fire retardant fabric of a character that can exhibit decorative indicia and can be produced in a variety of color schemes which make them suitable for use in the kitchens of fine homes . the apparatus , when thus constructed , is attractive , light - weight , easy to use and easy to fold for convenient storage and is readily washable in conventional types of washing machines . in use , all but the burner or burners then being operated remain covered with the covering panels so as to protect the burners and griddle portion of the stove from spattering grease and the like . because the panels are readily removable from the cover body portion , as additional burners are required , or when the griddle is required for cooking operations , the panels can be quickly removed and then replaced following completion of the cooking operation . as required , the entire cover along with some or all of the covering panels can be removed , washed and dried , and replaced on the stove top for repeated use . in this way , the stove top as well as the burner wells and the griddle surface is protected from grease splattering , messy boil - over and soil caused by dislodged food particles . having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statues , those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , as set forth in the following claims . | 5 |
in the following description , to simplify description and to facilitate identification of corresponding elements in the figures , like elements in the figures are provided like reference numerals . the present invention provides a carrier , comprising a multiple - cavity strip , that can be used for packaging flexible or semi - rigid circuits . one embodiment of the present invention is provided in a carrier ring 100 shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 carrier ring 100 is provided in a strip form enclosing four cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 . the strip form of carrier ring 100 is designed to match the familiar strips used in conventional integrated circuit assembly processing . carrier ring 100 provides alignment holes 103 - 1 to 103 - 4 and index holes 104 - 1 to 104 - 4 along a length of the strip to provide reference points to which sensors of standard commercially available assembly equipment can automatically align and index carrier ring 100 for processing . in manufacturing integrated circuits encapsulated using a transfer molding process , carrier ring 100 is preferably made of a high temperature plastic , such as the material commercially known as pas or another suitable material , which is capable of withstanding the high transfer molding temperature . for that application , carrier ring 100 provides molding gates in regular intervals , e . g ., molding gate 107 - 4 ( shown in further detail in fig3 and 4 and discussed below ), along one side of carrier ring 100 , and molding vents 102a and 102b ( not shown ) along an opposite side of carrier ring 100 . alternatively , carrier ring 100 can be provided by low temperature plastic for packages formed using liquid encapsulation package filling . yet another material choice for carrier ring 100 is a metallic material . a metallic carrier ring can be formed , for example , by machining or etching . a cross section of carrier ring 100 along line segment a -- a of fig1 is provided in fig2 . as shown in fig2 the cross section along the line segment a -- a in fig1 shows ring portions 201a and 201b on opposite sides of cavity 101 - 4 . in this embodiment , portions 201a and 201b are each 0 . 6 mm thick and 6 . 346 wide . on top of carrier ring 100 is a protruding or ridge structure 202 , represented in the cross section of fig2 as ridge portions 202a and 202b . as discussed below , ridge portions 202a and 202b , each 0 . 25 mm wide and 0 . 076 mm high in this embodiment , seal carrier ring 100 against the mold surface during a transfer molding process used for encapsulating the integrated circuits . fig3 shows in further detail the portion of carrier ring 100 indicated by circle b . as shown in fig3 between alignment hole 103 - 4 and index hole 104 - 4 is provided a mold gate 107 - 4 , which is shown in further detail in fig4 . as shown in fig4 mold gate 107 - 4 is formed by a 1 . 02 mm break in ridge structure 202 in the form of a slanting portion 401 which opens into cavity 101 - 1 . an example of an assembly process in which carrier ring 100 can be used is next described in conjunction with fig5 - 8 . fig5 shows an initial step of this process in which carrier ring 100 is attached by an adhesive to a &# 34 ; matrix substrate &# 34 ; 501 . matrix substrate 501 can be , for example , a flexible polyimide tape , or a semi - rigid printed circuit board material , such as any of those materials known commercially as fr5 , bt resin , or other suitable printed circuit board material . matrix substrate 501 is attached to carrier ring 100 such that index holes 504 - 1 to 504 - 4 , provided on matrix substrate 501 , correspond to index holes 104 - 1 to 104 - 4 of carrier ring 100 . alignment of carrier ring 100 and matrix substrate 501 can be provided using alignment holes 103 - 1 through 103 - 4 relative to alignment marks on matrix substrate 501 . so attached , carrier ring 100 acts as a stiffener for the flexible substrate packages and enhances rigidity for semi - rigid printed circuit board packages . in addition , since carrier ring 100 is designed to have dimensions and alignment and indexing features of a conventional strip used in standard assembly process flows and conventional equipment , subsequent assembly steps can be carried out without special or retooling of the conventional equipment . on matrix substrate 501 are allocated , corresponding to each of cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 , a matrix of areas (&# 34 ; site &# 34 ;) 502 ( e . g ., a 4 × 5 matrix of areas are provided in cavity 101 - 1 ). each area in site 502 is designed to accommodate a single semiconductor die . for a bga package , for example , the size of each area in a site can be made very close to the size of the semiconductor die , providing only sufficient clearance to satisfy tooling requirements ( e . g ., clearance for die - attach collets and wire - bond clamps ), thereby minimizing waste of material . thus , the number of semiconductor dies which can be accommodated in site 502 is determined by the package size . matrix substrate 501 is attached to carrier ring 100 by an adhesive layer 506 applied between carrier ring 100 and matrix substrate 501 in areas outside of site 502 . suitable adhesive materials include a thermal set adhesive , dispensed in any of the liquid , semi - liquid or preformed formats . the adhesive should be dispensed , however , with controlled adhesive bleed to avoid contaminating site 502 and otherwise interfering with the remaining assembly process steps . the thickness of the cured adhesive is preferably controlled , so that the total package height at the end of the assembly process can be controlled . if the package is to be formed using a transfer molding process , the adhesive should be dispensed void free so as to prevent mold flash in the subsequent molding step . fig6 shows carrier assembly 600 resulting from the attachment of carrier ring 100 to matrix substrate 501 . fig7 shows a cross section of carrier assembly 600 along line a -- a of fig6 . semiconductor dies are then attached to site 502 of carrier assembly 600 and wire - bonded or direct chip attached using conventional assembly equipment . at this point , an electrical test can be performed to identify defective circuits . to minimize waste , a site including a defective die can be detached from carrier ring 100 and substituted by a site with fully functional dies , prior to the encapsulation step . the semiconductor dies are then encapsulated in a resin using the cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 as mold cavities in a transfer molding process . as discussed above , during the transfer molding process , ridge structure 202 provide a good seal between the mold and carrier assembly 600 . in the transfer molding process , the fluidized resin enters the sealed cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 through mold gates 107 - 1 to 107 - 4 along a side of carrier assembly 600 , displacing air in cavities 101 - 1 to 101 - 4 through mold vents along an opposite side of carrier assembly 600 . since the mold gates are provided in carrier assembly 600 , and thus each molding is provided with new mold gates , there is no gate wear on the molds . alternatively , encapsulation can be achieved using a liquid dispensed material . during the encapsulation process , the height of carrier ring 100 controls the mold or encapsulation height . thus , the thickness of the resulting integrated circuit package can be provided by varying the thickness of carrier ring 100 . a cross section of an encapsulated site 800 is shown in fig8 . as shown in fig8 wire - bonded semiconductor dies 803 - 1 through 803 - 4 are shown attached to matrix substrate 501 . portions 201a and 201b of carrier ring 100 , which are attached by adhesive layer 506 to matrix substrate 501 , as described above , control the height of encapsulation material 802 . as mentioned above , electrical connection to terminals on semiconductor dies can be provided by a direct chip attach configuration . fig9 shows a cross section of an encapsulated site 900 , showing carrier ring portions 201a and 201b , matrix substrate 501 , direct chip attached semiconductor dies 903 - 1 through 903 - 4 and resin encapsulation 802 . subsequent to the encapsulation step , solder balls are attached to the under side of matrix substrate 501 , to provide external electrical connections to the wire - bonded terminals of the semiconductor dies attached on the other side of matrix substrate 501 . conventional steps , such as solder ball flux cleaning and marking are then carried out . finally , the packages are singulated in a precision sawing step using , for example , a conventional wafer saw . in this precision sawing step , carrier ring 100 is saw through and discarded . the above detailed description is provided to illustrate the specific embodiments of the present embodiments and is not intended to be limiting . for example , the dimensions given above for various features of the specific embodiments are merely exemplary . many variations and modifications within the scope of the present invention are possible . the present invention is set forth in the following claims . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates the data format of a digital signal in conformity with the cd standard . such a signal is divided into blocks ( block ) of 98 frames each . each frame comprises data bits ( db ) representing the main information ( main data ) and subcode information ( subcode data ). the subcode information of frame 2 through frame 97 comprises eight subcode bits for each frame . the subcode bits within a block constitute subcode frames of the p - w - subcode channels , each subcode frame comprising 96 subcode bits . fig2 illustrates the format of the subcode frame of the subcode q channel . this subcode frame comprises a 4 - bit &# 34 ; control &# 34 ; group , including one bit referred to as the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit . the logic value of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit indicates whether the associated main information may be copied freely . for the well known compact disc , the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits are the same throughout the disc , which means that in every subcode frame on the compact disc the copy bit either has the logic value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or the logic value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. in the case of a record carrier in accordance with the invention , the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits alternate , for example , as illustrated in fig3 and fig4 in order to indicate that the recorded information is a copy . in the case of the alternation pattern shown in fig3 the values of the copy bits alternate periodically , 4 subcode frames each comprising a &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit of the logic value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; each time alternating with 4 subcode frames each comprising a &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit of the logic value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. in fig4 the logic values of the copy bits also vary periodically , but here 6 subcode frames comprising copy bits of the logic value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; each time alternate with 2 subcode frames comprising copy bits of the logic value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. recording different alternation patterns of different forms , as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , also provides the possibility of indicating on the record carrier whether the copy is a first - generation copy , or a second or higher - generation copy . in the alternation patterns illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the duty cycle differs . the duty cycle being the ratio between the number of &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits of the logic value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; in a period and the total number of bits in each period of the alternation pattern . it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the alternation patterns can also specify the generation number of a copy in a copying cycle in a different manner , for example , by periodic alternation patterns of different period lengths . by means of a suitable d . c . free coding of the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits , it is also possible to transmit information about the generation number and , if desired , other information via the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit . transmitting information via alternating logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits has the advantage that this remains within the scope of the cd standard . this means that the information can be read by means of a standard cd player . fig5 shows an embodiment of a recording device for producing a record carrier on which the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits alternate . the recording device comprises a cascade arrangement of a circ encoder 50 and an efm modulator 51 for converting the applied digital information , originating from , for example , analog - to - digital converters , into a format prescribed by the cd standard . the efm modulator 51 supplies an output signal of this format to a control circuit 52 for an optical write head 53 arranged opposite a rotating optical record carrier 54 of an inscribable type . the recording device further comprises a clock signal generation circuit 55 for generating clock signals for controlling the circ encoder 50 and the efm modulator 51 . the efm modulator further comprises inputs for receiving the subcode information to be recorded with the main information and generating therefrom the digital signal for recording on the record carrier , including the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits . the logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits to be recorded are supplied to the efm modulator 51 by an assignment circuit 57 via a signal line 56 . the assignment circuit 57 supplies a periodic signal to the efm modulator . this periodic signal can be derived , for example , by frequency division , from a clock signal which is applied to the assignment circuit 57 by the clock signal generation circuit 55 via a signal line 58 . fig6 shows an embodiment of the assignment circuit 57 enabling an alternation pattern of a specific form to be selected from a plurality of alternation patterns of different forms . for this purpose , the assignment circuit 57 comprises a copy bit pattern generator circuit 60 which produces a plurality of signals having alternating patterns of different forms , for example , alternating patterns having different &# 34 ; duty cycles &# 34 ;, from the clock signal applied via the signal line 58 . these signals are applied to a selection circuit 61 which selects one of the applied signals and supplies it to the signal line 56 depending on a control signal vs . since alternating logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits in the information on the record carrier in accordance with the invention indicate that the recorded information is a copy , further copying can be inhibited simply by detecting whether the logic values of the copy bits in the information supplied for recording alternate and inhibiting recording if such alternating logic values are detected . fig7 shows an embodiment of an information copying system in which this is realized . this information copying system comprises an optical read device 70 for reading optical discs , a magnetic recording device 71 ( e . g ., a tape recording device ), and an optical recording device 72 ( e . g . a cd recording device ) for recording information read by the read device 70 . the read device 70 is of a customary type adapted to read cd information from an optical record carrier 73 . for this purpose , the read device 70 comprises an optical read head 74 which is coupled to a cascade arrangement of a customary circ decoding circuit 75 and an efm demodulator 76 , which , for example , form part of an integrated circuit of the type saa 7210 marketed by philips . such an efm demodulator 76 produces two digitized stereo audio information signals and a subcode signal at its outputs . these signals are applied to a formatting circuit 77 , for example , of the type saa 7220 , which converts the received information into a format prescribed by a digital audio interface standard ( iec 950 ). this digital audio interface format comprises blocks of 192 main information frames , and a plurality of interface subcode frames . these subcode frames each comprise an interface &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit whose logic value , in accordance with the digital audio interface standard , is set in accordance with the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit in the subcode information of the information being read . an output signal complying with the digital audio interface standard is applied to reformatting circuits 78 of the recording devices 71 and 72 . the reformatting circuits 78 convert the received information into a format suitable for processing by the recording devices 71 and 72 . the reformatting circuits may be constituted , for example , by an integrated circuit of the type sx 23053 marketed by sony . this type of reformatting circuit produces the main information and the subcode information on its outputs . the circuit further comprises an output at which &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information cb relating to the logic value of the received interface &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit is produced and an output at which a block synchronization signal bs is produced to indicate the beginning of each digital audio interface block received . in the magnetic recording device 71 , the information supplied by the reformatting circuit 78 is applied to a recording control circuit 79 of a customary type for driving a magnetic - head system 80 for recording the received information on a dat cassette tape 81 . similarly , the information supplied by the reformatting circuit 78 in the optical recording device 72 is applied to a circuit 82 of a customary type , which comprises , for example , an efm modulator and circ encoder to drive an optical write head 83 for recording the received information on an optical record carrier 84 . in the recording devices 71 and 72 , the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information cb and the block synchronization signals bs supplied by the reformatting circuit 78 are applied to a detection circuit 85 , for detecting whether the logic value of the received &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information alternates . the detection circuit 85 supplies a detection signal vd if the alternating logic value of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information is detected . fig8 shows an example of detection circuit 85 comprising three clocked d flip - flops 90 , 91 and 92 . the block synchronization signal bs supplied by the reformatting circuit is applied to the clock inputs of the flip - flops 90 , 91 and 92 . the interface &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ;- bit information cb is applied to the data input of the flip - flop 90 . the output of the flip - flop 90 is connected to the data input of the flip - flop 91 and to an input of an exclusive - or gate 93 . another input of the exclusive - or gate 93 is connected to the output of the flip - flop 91 . the output of the exclusive - or gate 93 is connected to the data input of the flip - flop 92 . the output signal on the output of the flip - flop 92 serves as the detection signal vd . the circuit shown in fig8 operates as follows . if the logic value of the interface &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit changes , the logic value of the signal on the input of the flip - flop 91 at the instant at which the first &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit of changed logic value reaches the input of the flip - flop 91 will no longer correspond to the logic value of the signal on the output of the flip - flop 91 . in that case the logic value of the output of the exclusive - or gate becomes a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; value . this value is latched in the flip - flop 92 , after which the detection signal vd also assumes the logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; value . in the recording device 71 , both the detection signal vd and the subcode information supplied by the reformatting circuit 78 are applied to the decision circuit 94 . on the basis of the received subcode information and the detection signal vd , the decision circuit 94 decides whether recording of the received main information is allowed . if recording is not allowed , the decision circuit 94 generates a control signal which is applied to the control signal 79 via the signal line 95 , the control circuit 79 being of a type which is disabled in response to the control signal applied via the signal line , so that recording of information is inhibited . the decision circuit 94 may comprise , for example , a microcomputer loaded with a suitable program . before this program is described in detail , that part of the received subcode information of the digital audio interface format which is important for a correct understanding of the decision criteria will be described . in particular , the subcode c - channel of the digital audio interface format of the received subcode information is of interest . this subcode c - channel comprises subcode frames of 192 bits . these subcode frames indicate whether the information stems from a source intended for professional use . in addition , it indicates whether the associated information stems from an audio source . moreover , for sources intended for consumer applications the subcode c - channel contains a category code indicating the type of source . this may be , for example , a 2 - channel compact disc audio system , a 2 - channel digital audio type player , etc . fig9 is a flow chart of a decision program for determining whether recording of the received information is allowed . this decision program is based on the decision program employed in the &# 34 ; solocopy &# 34 ; system . however , the program has been adapted to make the decision dependent upon the detection of alternating logic values of the &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits . in step s1 of the program , it is ascertained by means of the information from the subcode c - channel whether the information originates from an information source intended for professional uses . if this is the case , recording is inhibited in step s2 . in step s3 , it is checked whether the received information is audio information . if this is not the case , recording is inhibited in step s4 . in step s5 , it is checked whether the received category code occurs in the list of known category codes . if this is not the case , recording is enabled in step s6 and , in addition , information is recorded on the tape 81 to indicate that the recorded information is a copy . if the information is read subsequently , a category code is assigned to the information to denote that recording is not allowed . however , the manner in which this is effected falls beyond the scope of the present invention and is , therefore , not described in detail . in step s7 , it is checked whether the information stems from an analog - to - digital converter . if this is the case , recording is enabled in step s8 . in step s9 , it is determined on the basis of the received detection signal vd whether the logic values of the received interface copy bits alternate . if the values alternate , recording is inhibited in step s10 . in step s11 , it is ascertained on the basis of the received logic values of the copy bits whether the relevant information may be copied freely . if this is the case , recording is enabled in step s12 , information being added to indicate that the recorded information may be copied freely . in step s13 , it is checked whether the category code specifies a source for which copying of the supplied information is allowed . if this is the case , recording is enabled in step s14 . if it is not the case , recording is inhibited in step s15 . the optional recording device 72 of fig7 comprises a decision circuit 98 which is largely identical to the decision circuit 94 . however , in the case in which information is recorded which should not be copied any more , the decision circuit 98 generates a control signal for an assignment circuit 96 which causes &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits of alternating logic values to be recorded . for the assignment circuit 96 , the assignment circuit 57 in fig5 described above may be employed . it is also possible to provide the optical recording device 72 with a detection circuit 97 for detecting the generation number in a copy cycle for the received information on the basis of the form of the alternation pattern . the decision whether the received information may be recorded or not can then be made on the basis of the detected generation number of the information . for example , copying of a first - generation copy may be allowed while copying of a second generation copy is not allowed . the assignment circuit 96 should be adapted so that depending on the detected generation number it generates a signal such that an alternation pattern indicating a higher generation number than the detected generation number is required . in the foregoing , the invention has been illustrated for a record carrier carrying a standard cd signal having &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bits with alternating logic values to indicate that the recorded information is a copy . however , it is to be noted that , in principle , the invention may be applied to any record carrier which in addition to the main information carries subcode information comprising a &# 34 ; copy &# 34 ; bit . | 6 |
it is therefore the object of the invention to provide an apparatus and a method which detaches the fibres from the fibre composite material as carefully as possible , so that both the fibres and also the embedding matrix can be used again . this object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 9 by an apparatus for reducing the size of fibre composite materials , wherein in accordance with the invention means are present in a receptacle for mechanically abrading a matrix of the fibre composite material from the fibres of the fibre composite material , wherein the mechanical abrasion of the matrix from the fibres occurs by a relative rotational movement . in a preferred embodiment , two rotationally symmetrical elements which are mounted in each other are contained in the apparatus in accordance with the invention , of which at least one is formed in a conical manner and of which at least one is rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis , wherein a feed opening is arranged at one end of the rotationally symmetrical elements and an outlet opening at the opposite end of the rotationally symmetrical elements , and the distance between the two rotationally symmetrical elements at the outlet opening is smaller than at the feed opening . a tapering of the distance between the two rotationally symmetrical elements from the feed opening to the outlet opening is preferably achieved by different cone angles of the outer and inner rotationally symmetrical element . a grinding gap is produced by the arrangement in accordance with the invention between the two rotationally symmetrical elements , into which the fibre composite materials , which can be subjected to previous preliminary reduction in size , are introduced through the feed opening . by a rotation of one of the two or both rotationally symmetrical elements about their longitudinal axis , a careful and gradual abrasion of the matrix material from the fibres occurs . since the distance between the two rotationally symmetrical elements at the outlet opening is smaller than at the feed opening , a fine grinding of the grinding material occurs in the lower region of the apparatus . the outlet opening and the feed opening are preferably arranged directly in the intermediate space between the two rotationally symmetrical elements and / or as circumferential openings in the outer and / or inner rotationally symmetrical element . in accordance with the invention , means for the mechanical abrasion of a matrix of the fibre composite material from the fibres are present in the apparatus . in a preferred embodiment , these means are formed as elevations on at least one of the two rotationally symmetrical elements on the surface facing the respective other rotationally symmetrical element . the elevations are preferably strips or rods which are preferably oriented in the longitudinal direction of the rotationally symmetrical elements . it is also possible to provide the aforementioned means as semi - spheres on the walls of the rotationally symmetrical elements . the material ( which can be previously subjected to a reduction in size ) introduced via the feed opening is further reduced in size by “ rubbing along ” the elevations of the apparatus , or the plastic material ( the matrix ) is gradually abraded and removed from the fibres and the reduced or partly reduced material is moved in the direction towards the outlet opening and further continuously reduced in size by the reducing grinding gap , or the matrix / plastic in which the fibres are embedded is continuously abraded from the fibres . a fracturing or grinding of the fibres advantageously does not occur by means of the means for mechanical abrasion in accordance with the invention . instead , a careful abrasion of the matrix / plastic from the fibres occurs , which allows reusing both the fibres as well as the matrix particles . in a further preferred embodiment , the two rotationally symmetric elements are displaceable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction . the distance between the two rotationally symmetrical elements can be varied in this manner and can be set individually depending on the material properties of the fibre composite material to be separated . in a further preferred embodiment , at least one of the two rotationally symmetrical elements is perforated in the region above the outlet opening . the perforation is selected at a size which allows the separated matrix particles to pass , but not the separated fibres . the matrix particles are preferably removed by means of an external suction apparatus through the perforation from the region between the two rotationally symmetrical elements . a simple screening of the matrix particles occurs alternatively . if such a perforation is not present , the fibres and the matrix particles leave the outlet opening in separate form , but simultaneously . in this case , a downstream separating process , e . g . by air separation , is necessary . in a preferred embodiment , the two rotationally symmetrical elements are pivotably arranged in a frame with respect to a horizontal plane . the apparatus is advantageously pivotably arranged at an angle of 0 ° to 45 °. the passage velocity of the grinding material from the feed opening to the outlet opening can be varied in this manner . the outlet opening preferably lies beneath the feed opening with respect to height , so that the reduced fibre composite material is conveyed in the grinding gap by gravity in the downward direction towards the outlet opening . the invention offers the possibility of especially effective recycling of fibre composite materials . the fibres are not broken down , fractured or bent as in the known methods , but instead the embedding matrix is carefully abraded from the fibres . this careful abrasion not only allows reusing the detached matrix particles , but also provides considerably more intact fibres than provided by current methods . the apparatus in accordance with the invention allows reclaiming up to 90 % of the fibres which are free from matrix particles . current methods have not yet allowed the reclaiming of fibres without any change to the fibre properties . a method for reducing the size of fibre composite materials in the apparatus in accordance with the invention is also provided in accordance with the invention . in this process , the material to be reduced in size is introduced through the feed opening into the apparatus in accordance with the invention . material that was already previously reduced in size is preferably introduced . the material to be reduced in size is then ground in the grinding gap by a relative rotational movement of the two rotationally symmetrical elements , wherein careful abrasion of the matrix particles from the fibres is carried out by providing the lowest possible stress on the fibres . the invention will be explained below in closer detail by reference to an embodiment and the associated drawings without being limited thereto , wherein : fig1 shows a sectional view of an outer rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention in the region which contains means for mechanical abrasion ; fig2 shows a sectional view of an outer rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention in the region which contains a perforation ; fig3 shows a schematic view of an inner rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention ; fig4 shows a sectional view of an inner rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention ; fig5 shows a schematic sectional view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention ; fig6 shows a schematic view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention which is arranged on a frame ; fig7 shows a principal view of the angles of the apparatus ; fig8 shows a principal view of the means 6 . fig1 shows a sectional view of an outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 in accordance with the invention in a first region 1 a which contains means for mechanical abrasion 6 . in this respect , means for mechanical abrasion are present on the inner side of the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 ( designated below as outer jacket ) in the direction towards the longitudinal axis a 1 , which means are formed in this case in form of strips 6 . said strips 6 are preferably distributed over the entire circumference of the rotationally symmetrical element 1 , especially in equal distances . the strips 6 are fastened by means of retainers 6 . 1 to the end regions and in between to the inner side of the outer jacket . the outer jacket 1 is fastened to or received by a frame ( not shown ) by means of several retainers 1 . 1 on the outer region . the outer jacket 1 is substantially formed in a conical way , wherein a second region 1 b of the outer jacket 1 having a perforated region ( see fig2 ) is attached to the side 1 a ′ of the first region 1 a which has the smallest diameter ( situated below in the image plane ). fig2 shows a three - dimensional partial sectional view of a second region 1 b in form of an outlet region of the outer jacket 1 in accordance with the invention , which contains a perforation 7 in a circumferential region . said outlet region 1 b of the outer jacket 1 is attached with the side 1 b ′ at which it has the greatest diameter ( situated at the top in the image plane ) to the portion of the outer jacket 1 shown in fig1 , which comprises the means for mechanical abrasion 6 , on the side 1 ′ with the smallest diameter . the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 , i . e . the outer jacket 1 , is thus composed of the first region 1 a which contains the strips 6 on the inner side and of the second region 1 b , i . e . the outlet region , which contains the perforation 7 . the first region 1 a and the second region 1 b preferably have the same cone angle . fig3 shows a schematic three - dimensional illustration and fig4 shows a sectional view of an inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 in accordance with the invention . strips 6 as means for mechanical abrasion are also present on the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 in a first region 2 a , but on the outer circumference . similar to the strips 6 on the outer rotationally symmetrical element / outer jacket 1 , the strips 6 of the inner rotationally symmetrical element can be present over the entire circumference , especially at equal distances , wherein they extend along the longitudinal axis a 2 of the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 . the strips 6 are also fastened by means of retainers 6 . 1 to the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 , but on the outer circumference . in a second region 2 b , which corresponds with the perforation of the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 , the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 does not comprise any means for mechanical abrasion 6 of an inner rotationally symmetrical element in accordance with the invention . the first region 2 a of the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 is also formed conically , but has a smaller cone angle than the outer jacket 1 . the second region 2 b is also formed conically , wherein the cone angle of the second region 2 b substantially corresponds to the cone angle of the outer jacket . the second rotationally symmetrical element 2 is connected in a torsion - proof manner to a rotational shaft w which leads through said element and which protrudes beyond the inner rotationally symmetrical element at the two ends and is rotationally mounted at said two ends . the shaft w is rotationally driven by means of a drive ( not shown ). fig5 shows a schematic view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention in a cross - sectional view . whereas the outer rotationally symmetrical element (= outer jacket ) 1 is mounted in a rotationally rigid manner in a frame 8 , the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 is rotatably mounted by means of the shaft w about its longitudinal axis a 2 . the longitudinal axes a 1 and a 2 are in alignment . the shaft w is driven by a drive motor ( not shown ), optionally by using a gear . a grinding gap 5 is formed between the outer 1 and the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 , into which the fibre composite material to be reduced in size is introduced via the feed opening 3 . strips 6 extending in the longitudinal direction are disposed both on the inner 2 and also on the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 , which strips 6 are fastened in respective retainers 6 . 1 . on both rotationally symmetrical elements , the strips 6 extend over the entire circumference ( on the inner circumference in the outer jacket 1 and on the outer circumference in the inner element 2 ) and are only indicated in fig3 . the fibre composite materials present in the grinding gap 5 are carefully abraded by the rotational movement of the inner rotationally symmetrical element . the rotational speed of the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 preferably only lies between 2 to 20 rpm . the fibres and matrix particles which are now separately present enter the outlet region 1 b with the perforated region 7 in which the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 is perforated , i . e . it comprises a plurality of breakthroughs . the perforation 7 is chosen with a size which allows passage of the matrix particles but not the fibres . the matrix particles m are removed or extracted by suction from the grinding gap 5 through the perforation 7 , which is illustrated by the numerous arrows with continuous lines . the fibres f that were not extracted by suction leave the grinding gap 5 through the outlet opening 4 and reach an outlet shaft s , which is indicated by the bold dashed arrow . both the fibres f and also the matrix particles m can subsequently be supplied for further use . the inner rotational symmetrical element 2 can be adjusted along its longitudinal axis a 2 for setting the grinding gap 5 . if it is adjusted in the direction of the outlet opening 4 , the grinding gap 5 becomes smaller , and if it is adjusted in the direction towards the feed opening 3 the grinding gap 5 becomes larger . the adjustability is indicated by the double arrow in bold . fig6 schematically shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention which is arranged in a frame . the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 and the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 are pivotably mounted in the frame 8 , so that the mutually aligned longitudinal axes a 1 , a 2 are either horizontally oriented during the reduction process or are inclined up to an angle of inclination □ of approximately 45 °. the pivoting is enabled by a means for pivoting 10 which can be driven hydraulically for example . for the purpose of easier introduction of the fibre composite material and discharge of the separated material , an auxiliary means such as a feed channel 9 can be attached to the frame close to the feed opening or an outlet shaft ( not shown ) close to the outlet opening . the perforated region 7 , which is followed by a suction unit ( not shown ), preferably faces in the downward direction . the fibre composite material to be reduced in size , which can optionally be present in a pre - comminuted manner , is introduced according to the method through the upper feed channel 9 . the material to be reduced in size moves downwardly as a result of gravity , where the grinding gap 5 tapers increasingly by the conical shape of the outer jacket and the inner rotationally symmetrical element . as a result of a relative rotational movement of the two rotationally symmetrical elements 1 , 2 , the matrix of the fibre composite material is carefully abraded from the fibres between the strips present on the rotationally symmetrical elements . the thus comminuted parts sink downwardly into the narrower region of the grinding 5 where further abrasion of the matrix particles remaining on the fibres occurs . in the bottom region of the grinding gap 5 , the fibres and the abraded matrix particles reach a region 7 , in which the outer rotationally symmetrical element 1 is perforated . the abraded matrix particles are separated / extracted by suction through the perforation 7 , while the remaining fibres in the grinding gap 5 travel further downwardly and leave the apparatus in accordance with the invention through the outlet opening 4 . if no perforated region 7 is present , the matrix particles and the fibres leave the apparatus in accordance with the invention in separate form jointly through the outlet opening 4 and the outlet shaft s . fig7 shows a principal view of the outer jacket 1 and the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 with the cone angles . the outer jacket 1 is formed by the first region 1 a and the second region 1 b , which both have a first cone angle □ 1 which lies between 20 and 30 °. the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 which is made to rotate via the shaft w and a drive ( not shown ) comprises a first region 2 a and a second region 2 b . the first region 2 a has a second cone angle □ 2 which is lower than □□ 1 and preferably lies between 7 and 15 °. the second region 2 b is provided with a third cone angle □ 2 . 1 , which substantially corresponds to the first cone angle □□ 1 . the first region 1 a of the outer jacket 1 is provided with elevations / strips ( not shown ) on its inner diameter and the first region 2 a of the inner rotationally symmetric element 2 is provided with elevations / strips ( not shown ) on its outer diameter . the second region 1 b of the outer jacket is provided with a perforation 7 in the downwardly facing region and the second region 2 b of the inner rotationally symmetric element 2 is in alignment at least in sections with the second region 1 a . the second regions 1 b , 2 b are formed in a substantially smooth manner on their mutually facing sides . a grinding gap 5 is present between the first and second rotationally symmetrical element 1 , 2 . the grinding matrix particles m are removed by suction through the perforation by means of a suction unit ( not shown ) and the fibres f are removed via the outlet opening 4 . the distance between the rods / means ( not shown ) of the outer jacket and the rods / means of the inner rotationally symmetrical elements determines the grinding gap 5 and decreases in size continuously in the direction towards the outlet opening 4 . the grinding gap 5 which is best suited for the fibre composite material to be reduced in size can be determined by reference tests . it is advantageous that the inner rotationally symmetrical element can be adjusted along its longitudinal axis a 2 relative to the outer jacket 1 , which is indicated by the double arrow in bold print . as a result of this adjustment , the grinding gap 5 is simply enlarged by the conical shape of the outer jacket 1 and the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 when the inner rotationally symmetrical element 2 is adjusted in the direction towards the feed channel 9 and is reduced in size when the inner rotationally symmetrical element is adjusted in the direction towards the outlet opening 4 . the outlet opening 4 is sealed when the non - designated outer diameter of the second region 2 b of the inner rotational symmetrical element 2 rests on the non - designated inner diameter of the second region 1 b of the outer jacket 1 . fig8 shows a principal diagram of the arrangement and the formation of the means for mechanical abrasion 6 . the means 6 are shown here in the shape of round rods . the rods / means 6 have an alternating small and large diameter . the smaller diameter preferably lies between 3 and 15 mm , the larger diameter between 5 and 30 mm . it is also possible to use rods with greater or smaller diameters . the rods / means 6 of the outer jacket are fastened at the upper end for example on a first pitch circle t 1 and the rods / means 6 of the inner rotationally symmetrical element at its upper end for example on a second pitch circle t 2 , so that the centre of each rod ( centre 6 ) rests on the respective pitch circle t 1 , t 2 . this leads to differences in height between which the material to be reduced in size consisting of matrix particles m and fibres f is conveyed during the rotational movement of the inner rotationally symmetric element along said element and is crushed / ground . the difference in the diameter of the rods , which is most beneficial for a specific material , can be determined by preliminary tests . the separated and extracted fibres f can then be used again as high - value raw material for the production of fibre - reinforced plastic materials . the matrix particles m which consist of plastic can also be reused . 10 means for pivoting the apparatus in accordance with the invention a 2 longitudinal axis of the inner rotationally symmetrical element | 1 |
in the following description , various embodiments of the present invention will be described . for purposes of explanation , specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments . however , it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details . furthermore , well - known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described . in addition , to the extent that orientations of the embodiments are described , such as “ top ,” “ bottom ,” “ front ,” “ rear ,” “ right ,” and the like , the orientations are to aid the reader in understanding the embodiment being described , and are not meant to be limiting . referring now to the drawings , in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views , fig1 shows an led spotlight 20 in accordance with an embodiment . the led spotlight 20 includes a handle 22 attached to a housing 24 for the led spotlight . the housing 24 shown in the drawings is shaped as a cylinder , with a light coming out of one end of the cylinder . the handle 22 extends perpendicularly downward from the housing 24 so that it may be grasped such as a pistol . this arrangement permits a user to grasp the handle into the palm of a hand with the forearm extending parallel to a central axis of a light beam emanating from the housing . a trigger 26 is provided on the handle to turn on the led spotlight . in addition , if desired , a lock feature may be provided for locking the trigger and led spotlight 20 in an “ on ” position . the led spotlight 20 includes a lens 28 mounted on the outside of a reflector 30 . as can be seen in fig2 , the reflector 30 has a concave face 32 and a series of parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 and 38 equally spaced around the face . the number of parabolic reflectors in the embodiment shown in the drawings is three . however , two parabolic reflectors or more than two parabolic reflectors may be utilized . however , three or more are preferably used so that a combined converged pattern will have more intense light output . in the embodiment shown in the drawings , the reflectors 34 , 36 , 38 are positioned to provide three light beams defining corners of an equilateral triangle . the parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 and 38 are utilized in a manner known in the art to collimate light from light emitting diodes ( leds ). if desired , collimators other than parabolic reflectors may be used to collimate light from the leds . for example , a collimator - style lens may be positioned over an led . a collimator lens ( without a parabolic reflector ) mounted just above the led collimates light from an led to a very tight hot spot . multiple collimator lenses may be angled to converge light from multiple leds . in accordance with an embodiment , the housing 24 is formed of a suitable plastic material , such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ( abs ). the lens 28 may also be formed of a plastic , such as a clear polycarbonate material . the lens 28 and the housing 24 are preferably sealed in a water tight manner . a battery , such as a rechargeable battery , may be utilized for powering of the led spotlight 20 . in an embodiment , the battery is a 12 volt sealed lead acid rechargeable battery . however , other batteries may be used . leds ( multiple embodiments are described below ) are mounted at the base of the parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 , and 38 . each of the parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 , and 38 is configured and arranged so as collimate light from an led so as to produce a focused , bright intensity light beam in which the majority of light from the beam is focused on a bright center . preferably , the collimated light beams may be illuminated a great distance without significant light dispersion of the bright center . in accordance with an embodiment , the bright centers of light beams from the multiple parabolic reflectors 34 , 36 and 38 are converged to a single bright spot . to determine proper convergence , this bright spot may be defined , for example , by a diameter of the converged light beams at a particular distance from the front of the led spotlight 20 . for example , in an embodiment , a led spotlight , such as the led spotlight 20 , produces a converged light beam of approximately 75 centimeters in diameter at a three meter distance from the front of the led spotlight 20 . other converged sizes may be utilized , but in general , the light beams from the leds are maintained in a tight pattern as far as possible so that the beam maintains a limited cross section even at a remote distance from the spotlight 20 . as is known , leds typically have a 90 to 120 degree cone of light output emanating directly out of the front of the led . in an embodiment , each parabolic reflector 34 , 36 and 38 collimates the light from its led into a bright center beam light beam with most light extending parallel to a central axis for the reflector , and at the same time aims that light beam at a desired location so the light beams from the combined reflectors are converged . typically , for collimation , an led is mounted perpendicular to a central axis of a parabolic reflector . for example , fig5 shows one arrangement for providing converged light beams in which leds 44 , 46 are mounted perpendicular to the central axes of parabolic reflectors 48 , 50 . in the embodiment shown in fig5 , two separate printed circuit boards 40 , 42 each include a single led 44 , 46 , respectively . the leds 44 , 46 and the printed circuit boards 40 , 42 are mounted at an angle α ( to perpendicular with the longitudinal axis of the housing 24 . the light beam of the spotlight 20 extends parallel to this longitudinal axis . the angle α ( is set with respect to a radial axis emanating from the center of the led spotlight 20 , so that the tilted angle causes the light beam from the associated led 44 , 46 to focus inward towards a longitudinal axis of the housing 24 to converge light at the desired distance . in the embodiment shown in fig5 , parabolic reflectors 48 , 50 are mounted perpendicular to the leds 44 , 46 , respectively . these parabolic reflectors direct light to a converged position . as can be understood , the angle α ( is exaggerated in the drawings so that concepts described herein are made clearer to a reader , but in actuality the angle α ( may be very small . a plurality of leds and parabolic reflectors may be arranged as shown in fig5 to provide a desired collimation of light beams from the leds . in an embodiment , three such light beams are converged in a triangular pattern 300 as shown in fig8 . the three beams may extend very close to each other so as to give an illusion of a single beam , may overlap each other completely or in part , or may be slightly spaced from each other . applicants have found that defining a position 3 meters away in which the light beams are adjacent to each other so that they touch , but not overlap each other , provides a desired effect . fig6 shows an alternate embodiment of a method of and structure for providing convergence of multiple light beams from multiple leds . in the embodiment shown in fig6 , a single printed circuit board 140 is utilized with two leds 144 , 146 . each of these leds 144 , 146 is mounted with an angled spacer 152 , 154 . these angled spacers cause the leds 144 , 146 to be set at the angle α relative to perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing 24 . the corresponding parabolic reflectors 148 , 150 are arranged perpendicular to the leds and thus direct light beams from the leds in the appropriate direction ; i . e ., generally parallel to a projection of the longitudinal axis of the housing . in an alternate embodiment shown in fig7 , two leds 244 , 246 are arranged on a single circuit board 240 . the two leds are arranged so that they direct light straight outward . the parabolic reflectors 248 , 250 for these two leds 244 , 246 are tilted at the angle α from perpendicular to the leds 244 , 246 . in this manner , light from the leds 244 , 246 is directed in an appropriate manner so that the light beams are converged as described above . because the parabolic reflectors are not mounted perpendicular to the leds 244 , 246 , the optics of the parabolic reflectors may be altered to ensure the light beams from the leds are properly collimated and aimed . such parabolic reflectors may be designed using computer modeling techniques known in the art . as can be seen in fig8 , a representation of light beams b 1 and b 2 is shown coming from two reflectors r 1 and r 2 . these light beams are converged a suitable distance from one another at a distance x from the front of the spotlight 20 . an example light pattern 300 of the bright spots of three such beams 294 , 296 , and 298 is shown in fig9 . as can be seen , these light beams 294 , 296 , and 298 slightly touch one another at the location x . the light beams shown may represent the bright , central light beams provided by three conical reflectors , two of which may be the conical reflectors r 1 and r 2 . such convergence of light beams may be provided by any of the three embodiments shown in fig5 - 7 . in accordance with another embodiment , as shown in fig1 , one or more leds 344 , 346 may be mounted under parabolic reflectors 348 , 350 that direct beams straight outward . these reflectors may direct light to a lens 328 that includes optic features that bend light beams from the reflectors 348 , 350 so that they converge an appropriate distance apart at a distance x from the front of the spotlight to provide a desired light pattern as described above . in yet another embodiment , three leds may be mounted on three parabolic reflectors so that the parabolic reflectors direct three light beams straight outward and parallel to one another . in this embodiment , the reflectors are spaced from one another a distance so that at the distance x from the front of the spotlight 20 ( e . g ., three meters ), each of the collimated central bright beams from the reflectors have become wide enough ( i . e ., have large enough diameters ), through normal dispersion of collimated light , so that the bright centers touch , creating a central , focused light beam , such as the combined light beam 300 , at the distance x . in this embodiment , the leds and the parabolic reflectors do not need to be aimed toward a central location for convergence to provide the spotlight effect . for example , as shown in fig1 , a spotlight 400 includes three reflectors 402 , 404 , and 406 . each of these reflectors includes a light beam 408 , 410 , and 412 , respectively . the light beams 408 , 410 , 412 are generally the width of the reflectors 402 , 404 , 406 when leaving the spotlight 400 . however , during normal dispersion over a particular length , or by patterning the parabolic reflectors accordingly , the light beams increase in width until they touch at a distance z from the spotlight 400 . this distance may be any desired distance , but in an embodiment is three meters from the spotlight . the led spotlight 20 of the present invention provides a very bright spotlight , for example , providing light output similar to one million candle power halogen spotlight . by utilizing high powered bright white leds and a 12 volt rechargeable battery , a bright beam may be provided for several hours via the led spotlight 20 , in comparison to a very short time period for existing halogen spotlights . in addition , less heat is generated by the leds , thus providing a much safer spotlight . other variations are within the spirit of the present invention . thus , while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions , a certain illustrated embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings and has been described above in detail . it should be understood , however , that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed , but on the contrary , the intention is to cover all modifications , alternative constructions , and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined in the appended claims . the use of the terms “ a ” and “ an ” and “ the ” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention ( especially in the context of the following claims ) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural , unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context . the terms “ comprising ,” “ having ,” “ including ,” and “ containing ” are to be construed as open - ended terms ( i . e ., meaning “ including , but not limited to ,”) unless otherwise noted . the term “ connected ” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within , attached to , or joined together , even if there is something intervening . recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range , unless otherwise indicated herein , and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein . all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . the use of any and all examples , or exemplary language ( e . g ., “ such as ”) provided herein , is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed . no language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non - claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention . preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein , including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention . variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description . the inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate , and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . accordingly , this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law . moreover , any combination of the above - described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . | 5 |
referring to fig1 a plurality of disks 10 are rotated by a spindle motor 34 . a plurality of heads 12 are respectively located on a plurality of disks and are installed on a plurality of support arms extended from a e - block assembly 14 assembled with a rotary voice coil actuator 30 to the disk . a pre - amplifier 16 supplies an analog read signal to a read / write channel circuit 18 by pre - amplifying a signal picked up by one of the heads 12 during reading , and lets a corresponding one of the heads 12 write on a disk by supplying coded write data output from the read / write channel circuit 18 . the read / write channel circuit 18 detects and decodes a data pulse from a read signal output by the pre - amplifier 16 and supplies it to a disk data controller ( hereinafter referred to as a ‘ ddc ’) 20 , and supplies write data from the ddc 20 to the pre - amplifier 16 by decoding . the ddc 20 writes data output from a host computer on a disk through the read / write channel circuit 18 and the pre - amplifier 16 , and transmits data to the host computer by reading it from a disk . the ddc 20 interfaces a communication between the host computer and a microcontroller 24 . a buffer ram 22 temporarily stores data transmitted between the host computer , the microcontroller 24 and the read / write channel circuit 18 . a microcontroller 24 controls a track detection and follow - up responding to an order of read or write received from the host computer . a rom 26 stores a performance program of the microcontroller 24 and all sorts of command values . servo driver 28 supplies a driving current to a voice coil of the actuator 30 . the actuator 30 moves the head 12 on the disk 10 according to the level and direction of the driving current . a spindle motor driver 32 rotates the disk 10 according to a control value generated by the microcontroller 24 . a disk signal controller 36 supplies a pes output from the read / write channel circuit 18 to the microcontroller 24 by converting it into a digital signal . referring to fig2 in two adjacent tracks , an n − 1 track ( odd number ) and an n track ( even number ), there exists an a burst , b burst , c burst and d burst for generating a pes . an a burst exists in the outside , being one half of each n − 1 track and n track . a b burst exists in the inside , being one half of each n − 1 track and n track . a c burst exists only in the n − 1 track , and a d burst exists only in the n track . according to the present invention , fig2 illustrates n and q defined as follows : fig2 illustrates each value of the n − 1 track and n track in each part of the n − 1 track and n btrack . n equals 0 ( zero ) in a center line 42 of the n − 1 track and q equals d in a center line 40 of the n track . referring to fig1 and 3 a - 3 b , the microcontroller 24 checks to determine if there is a power on in step 100 and performs a track width measuring routine in step 102 . accordingly , the microcontroller 24 lets the head 12 seek a first track ‘ n ’ by servo - control in step 104 and thereafter confirms whether or not the seek has been completed by a servo signal read from the disk 10 in step 106 . if the seek has been completed , the microcontroller 24 waits for a fixed time for securing an accuracy of track width measuring and detection stabilization in step 108 . in step 110 , the microcontroller 24 sets a condition for measuring a track width and controls the head to move according to the condition ‘ n = q ’. referring to fig2 the head 12 remains near the center line 40 of the first track ‘ n ’ before step 110 . the head 12 moves to the line 44 for track - following ( hereinafter referred to as a ‘ track - following line ’) when a track width measuring condition is set at n = q in step 110 . the track - following line 44 is positioned in a center between a center line 40 of track n and a line 48 adjacent to track n − 1 and parallel to each other . the track - following line 44 is positioned at the value of n = q . the microcontroller 24 follows the ‘ n ’ track along the track - following line when the head 12 is positioned at the track - following line 44 in step 110 and confirms the completion of track - following in step 113 . upon completion of track - following , it calculates the ‘ n ’ value and stores it in step 114 . when n is equal to a − b contours the track - following line 44 , a is not detected and only half of the b value is detected . accordingly , the n value is b / 2 . in step 116 , the microcontroller 24 lets the head 12 seek a second track by servo - control . the operations from steps 118 to 126 are similar to that from steps 106 to 114 . in steps 118 to 126 , the n value is calculated by following a track - following line 46 of an n − 1 track . when n is equal to a − b contours a track - following line 46 , b is not detected and only half of the a value is detected . accordingly , the n value is a / 2 . after performing steps 106 to 114 and 118 to 126 , the microcontroller 24 calculate a track width by adding the n value of track n to that of track n − 1 in step 130 . accordingly , the track width equals a + b / 2 . thereafter , the microcontroller 24 updates a percentage value of pes by measuring a track width in step 132 . accordingly the present invention measures a percentage value of pes by measuring a track width in measuring power - on operation , resulting in measuring a pes . it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed herein as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention , but rather that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in this specification except as defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
the present invention provides an endostatin product which has a longer half - life . it shows metabolic stability and longer half - life in vivo than unmodified endostatin , while maintaining the activity in preventing new blood vessel formation . preferably , the endostatin used in this invention is human endostatin . one embodiment of the present invention relates to a conjugate formed by a modifying agent and endostatin . the term “ conjugate ” in this invention refers to a modified endostatin , in which the endostatin and a modifying agent are linked by either a covalent bond or a non - covalent bond to form a stable complex . therefore , the “ modification ” can be achieved via either a covalent or non - covalent linkage . the modifying agent can be either chemically coupled to the endostatin or expressed as a part of a fusion with endostatin . in a preferred embodiment , the modification is site specific and will not influence the bioactivity of endostatin , e . g ., binding to its receptors . this modified product maintains the antiangiogenic activity and shows higher metabolic stability and longer half - life in blood than the unmodified endostatin , and therefore it can be used as an antiangiogenic or anti - tumor conjugate . the modifying agent can be one or more macromolecule polymers , proteins or its fragments , peptides or other chemical compounds , which is biocompatible and able to increase the half - life of endostatin . the macromolecule polymers as mentioned above can either have its own bioactivity or not . the suitable macromolecule polymers include , but not limited to , polyethylene alcohols , polyether compounds , polyvinylpyrrolidone , poly amino acids , copolymer of divinyl ether and maleic anhydride , n -( 2 - hydroxypropyl )- methacrylamide , polysaccharide , polyoxyethylated polyol , heparin or its fragment , poly - alkyl - ethylene glycol and its derivatives , copolymers of poly - alkyl - ethylene glycol and its derivatives , poly ( vinyl ethyl ether ), a , p - poly (( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- dl - aspartamide , polycarboxylates , poly oxyethylene - oxymethylenes , polyacryloyl morpholines , copolymer of amino compounds and oxidative olefin , poly hyaluronic acid , polyoxiranes , copolymer of ethanedioic acid and malonic acid , poly 1 , 3 - dioxolane , ethylene and maleic hydrazide copolymer , poly sialic acid , cyclodextrin and etc . the polyethylene alcohols as mentioned above include , but not limited to , polyethylene glycol ( monomethoxy polyethylene glycol , monohydroxy polyethylene glycol ), polyvinyl alcohol , polyallyl alcohol , polybutene alcohol and their derivatives . in a preferred embodiment , the modifying agent is polyethylene glycol . in a more preferred embodiment , polyethylene glycol is monomethoxy polyethylene glycol . the polyethers as mentioned above include , but not limited to , poly alkylene glycol ( ho (( ch 2 ) x o ) n h ), polypropylene glycol , polyoxyethylene ( ho (( ch 2 ) 2 o ) n h ), polyvinyl alcohol (( ch 2 choh ) n ) and derivatives thereof . the poly amino acids as mentioned above include , but not limited to , polymers of one type of aminoacid , copolymers of two or more types of amino acids , for example , polyalanine . the polysaccharides as mentioned above include , but not limited to , glucosan and its derivatives , for example dextran sulfate , cellulose and its derivatives ( including methyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose ), starch and its derivatives , polysucrose and etc . a preferred protein molecule used as a modifying carrier of the invention is a protein naturally occurring or a fragment thereof , which includes , but not limited to , thyroxine - binding protein , transthyretin , transferrin , fibrinogen , immunoglobulin , albumin and fragments thereof . preferred carrier proteins are human proteins . a fragment of a protein as mentioned above refers to a part of the protein that still has the activity to serve as a carrier protein . endostatin is directly or indirectly linked to the modifying agent via a covalent bond . direct linking means that one amino acid of endostatin is directly linked to one amino acid of the carrier protein , via peptide bond or a disulfide bridge . indirect linking means that endostatin is linked to the carrier protein via one or more chemical groups . there have been some reports on modifying endostatin with polyethylene glycol . guoying mou ( 2005 ) and shenglin yang ( 2005 ) reported modifying endostatin with peg molecules having an average molecule weight of 6 kda or 10 kda , and the modifying agents are linked to ε - amino groups on the side chains of lysine residues , and thus the product is a mixture of multi - sites modification products . although the product can be purified by molecular sieve or ion - exchange chromatography to obtain a product of certain range of molecule weight , there are still some drawbacks , such as the inhomogeneity in the modification sites and in the protein conformation , due to the reactive properties of such modifying agents . moreover , the multi - sites modification of a protein will cause some change of the conformation of internal amino acids , resulting in a decrease of the activity of the protein . for a biological product , the homogeneity of the product is very important for decreasing the toxicity as well as the immunogenicity . in addition , for a mixture , it is also different to ensure the same quality and the stability of efficacy between different batches . therefore , it is an important issue and a problem to be solved in drug design and preparation how to ensure the consistency of the ingredients , the homogeneity of conformation , and the stability of the activity . in one embodiment of the present invention , the polyethylene glycol ( peg )- modified endostatin is characterized in that one endostatin molecule is covalently coupled to one or more peg molecules . the coupling site of endostatin may be one of the n - terminal α - amino group , the ε - amino group on the side chain of a lysine residue , the mercapto group of a cysteine residue , the carboxyl group on the side chain of an aspartate residue , the carboxyl group on the side chain of a glutamate residue , or any combination thereof . the polyethylene glycol used for coupling may be either linear or branched , with an average molecular weight of from 1 , 000 to 100 , 000 daltons , preferably from 5 , 000 to 40 , 000 daltons . as used herein , the molecular weight of polyethylene glycol refers to the average molecular weight . although peg modification may improve the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug , such modification , however , may also reduce the biological activities of a macromolecule drug . the main reason for this is that different modification sites may result in different structural changes and may shield the active sites of the drug ( veronese f ., et al . drug discovery today , 10 , 21 , 2005 ). for example , after modification with different pegs , the activity of differently modified interferon β - 1b decreases , and the highest activity of the modified molecule only reached a level corresponding to 71 % of the activity of the unmodified , and some modified proteins almost showed no activity at all . so , although peg modification changes the pharmacokinetic characteristics of a drug , it may also impair the activity of the drug , and consequently . therefore , both sides are taken into account when selecting the modification process and modifying agents , so as to achieve the optimal overall results in vivo . in one embodiment of the present invention , an n - terminal specific pegylating reagent ( mpeg - butyrald , nektar ) is used to modify the recombinant human endostatin . this gives rise to a product which is formed by coupling one peg molecule to one recombinant endostatin at the n - terminal α - amino group of the protein . it was reported that the interferon β - 1b modified by using the same n - terminal pegylation reagent only showed 70 % of the activity of the unmodified protein in an in vitro test ( filpula d ., et al . bioconjugate chem . 2006 , 17 , 618 - 630 ). in the present invention , however , it is surprisingly found that efficacy of n - terminal modified endostatin reached two times or more that of unmodified protein in inhibiting endothelial cell migration , indicating a prominent increase in the biological activity of endostatin after modification , which has not been reported yet . however , it was reported by g mou et al ( 2005 ) that multiple sites modification of endostatin resulted in a decreased activity in an in vitro test . this implies a much better in vitro activity of the product of the present invention as compared to the modified endostatin in relevant literatures . on the other hand , as shown in structure analysis , a zinc binding site was found in the n - terminus of human wild - type endostatin , which is consisting of the 1st , 3rd , 11th , and 76th amino acids . it has been reported that these sites are critical for the stability and activity of human endostatin , and form the binding site of human endostatin through which endostatin binds to its receptor and exerts its activity ( ding , y . h ., proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 95 , 10443 - 10448 ; hohenester , e ., embo j . 17 , 1656 - 1664 ; boehm , t ., biochem . biophys . res . commun . 252 , 190 - 194 ; ricard - blum , s ., j . biol . chem . 279 , 2927 - 2936 ; tjin tham sjin , r . m ., cancer res . 65 ( 9 ): 3656 - 63 ). as peg has a large molecular weight and large spatial hindrance , it has been proposed that the modification to the protein should not take place at active sites . otherwise this may greatly destroy the protein structure , which in turn which may impair the activity of the protein . however , the product of the present invention not only avoids activity loss , but exhibits an unexpectedly higher activity . in one embodiment of the present invention , endostatin is coupled to a protein or peptide , characterized in that one endostatin molecule is directly or indirectly linked to one or more proteins or peptides . in the case that endostatin is coupled to more carrier proteins , the selected carrier proteins can be either the same or different . preferably , the carrier proteins are naturally occurring proteins or fragments thereof . in a preferred embodiment , the carrier protein selected for modification is human serum albumin or its fragments . in another preferred embodiment , the carrier protein is an fc fragment of human immunoglobulin igg . in another embodiment of the present invention , the modifying agent is a small molecule or a small peptide or other compound , which enables the conjugate comprising endostatin to react with or have high affinity to certain components in the blood . in a specific embodiment , the product has a reactively active group , capable of reacting with amino , carboxyl or mercapto group to form a covalent bond . in another specific embodiment , the active group of the product is maleimide , which is capable of reacting with a mercapto group of a blood component , such as albumin . in another specific embodiment , the product has strong affinity to some blood components such as albumin or immunoglobulin , allowing the formation of larger complex . in another embodiment of the present invention , the endostatin modified with a small molecule or a small peptide may be glycosylated , phosphorylated or acylated . the modification sites may be amino acid residues originally contained the protein or amino acid residues generated via mutation . although the molecular weight of the conjugate is not very large , the half - life of the conjugate becomes longer since the modification changes the characteristics of endostatin . in another embodiment of the present invention , the conjugate comprising endostatin is a conjugate formed via non - covalent interaction between endostatin and a modifying agent such as protein and small molecule . this conjugate has the activity to inhibit angiogenesis and has longer in vivo half - life than endostatin . another embodiment of the present invention relates to a sustained - release formulation comprising endostatin . the sustained - release formulation is consisting of endostatin or any of the aforementioned conjugate and a biocompatible substance . endostatin in this composition still has biological activity , and at the same time , its in vivo half - life is prolonged because of the carrier which changes the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug . the sustained - release formulation can be , but not limited to , a microcapsule , hydrogel , microbeads , micro - osmotic pump and liposome , et al . the present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate or sustained - release formulation and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . furthermore , the present invention also provides a kit comprising the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate or sustained - release formulation and an instruction for use . the pharmaceutically acceptable carriers used in this invention include carriers , excipients , or stabilizers , which are nontoxic to the cells or mammals to be contacted at selected doses and concentrations . a commonly used physiologically acceptable carrier is an aqueous ph buffer solution . examples of physiologically acceptable carriers include solutions such as phosphate buffer solution , citrate buffer solution and other organic acid buffer solution ; anti - oxidants including ascorbic acid ; polypeptides with low molecular weight ( no more than 10 residues ); proteins such as serum albumin , glutin or immunoglobulin ; hydrophilic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone ; amino acids such as glycine , glutamine , asparagine , arginine or lysine ; monosaccharide , disaccharide and other carbohydrates including glucose , mannose or dextrin ; chelating agents such as edta ; sugar alcohol such as mannitol or sorbitol ; salt - forming counter ion such as sodium ion ; and / or nonionic surfactant such as tween ®, peg and pluronics ®. preferably , the excipients are sterilized and usually free of undesired substance . these compositions can be sterilized by routine sterilizing techniques . the present invention also relates to methods of preparing the aforementioned products of endostatin . specifically , the present invention provides a method of preparing a pegylated endostatin comprising mixing the activated peg with endostatin , allowing reaction under proper conditions including solution , temperature , ph , and reaction molar ratio , and purifying the coupled product by using cation - exchange column or molecular sieve . preferably , the ph of this reaction is within 3 to 10 . the present invention also provides the use of the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate , sustained - release formulation , pharmaceutical composition or kit in the prevention , diagnosis and treatment of tumor . the tumors that are suitable to be treated with the method of the invention include , but not limited to , lung cancer , neuroendocrine tumor , colon cancer , bone cancer , liver cancer , gastric cancer , pancreatic cancer , oral cancer , breast cancer , prostate cancer , lymphoma , esophagus cancer , oral cancer , nasopharyngeal carcinoma , cervical cancer , sarcoma , renal carcinoma , biliary cancer , malignant melanoma , et al . the present invention also provides the use of the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate , pharmaceutical composition , or sustained - release formulation in preparation of an anti - tumor medicament . the present invention also provides the use of the aforementioned endostatin - containing conjugate , sustained - release formulation , pharmaceutical composition , or kit for the prevention , diagnosis , or treatment of a disease characterized by , but not limited to , tissue or organ lesions caused by abnormal neovascularization , or in preparation of a medicament for the treatment of such a disease . according to the present invention , the administration route is selected from the group consisting of intravenous injection , intravenous infusion , subcutaneous injection , intramuscular injection , intraperitoneal injection , percutaneous absorption , subcutaneous embedment , liver arterial injection , oral administration , nasal administration , oral mucosa administration , ocular administration , rectal administration , vaginal delivery , or other clinically acceptable routes . the present invention also provides a method for prolonging the half - life of endostatin , comprising the step of forming a conjugate between endostatin and a modifying agent capable of prolonging in vivo half - life of endostatin and the step of preparing a sustained - release formulation containing endostatin . our experimental data show that , a product of the present invention , i . e ., a conjugate formed by coupling peg to the n - terminus of endostatin , has the activity of inhibiting the migration of endothelial cell proliferation and tumor growth in mice . this conjugate showed significantly higher activity as compared with non - modified endostatin . furthermore , pharmacokinetic study revealed that the in vivo metabolism of this modified product was effectively slowed down , and its half - life was prolonged . unless otherwise specified , the endostatin as used herein can be of human , murine or other mammals origin . in a preferred embodiment , the endostatin is human endostatin . unless otherwise specified , the endostatin as used herein can be a wild - type endostatin , i . e ., the naturally occurring form ; or a biologically active mutant , fragment , isomer , or derivative thereof , or their combinations . endostatin can be obtained upon expression in animal cells , or can be obtained by fermentation and further purification from yeasts or e . coli . the amino acid sequence of the wild - type human endostatin expressed in animal cells is shown in seq id no . 1 . the recombinant human endostatin expressed in yeasts may either have an amino acid sequence as shown in seq id no . 1 , or have the sequence of seq id no . 1 with no more than 10 amino acids added to or deleted from its n - terminus . the amino acid sequence of the recombinant human endostatin expressed in e . coli is shown in seq id no . 2 , but sometimes the n - terminal met will be deleted after expression , and when this happens , the resultant recombinant human endostatin will have the sequence as shown in seq id no . 1 . a mutant of endostatin refers to an endostatin molecule obtained by introducing amino acid replacement , deletion , or addition . an endostatin fragment refers to a part of the sequence of seq id no . 1 or seq id no . 2 . the fragments may be obtained through , among others , enzymatic cleavage , genetic engineering expression , or polypeptide synthesis . for instance , the fragment with the sequence of seq id no . 3 , seq id no . 4 , or seq id no . 5 was reported to have the activity to inhibit solid tumor ( cattaneo m g et al . experimental cell research 283 ( 2003 ) 230 - 236 ; tjin tham sjin r m et al . cancer research ( 2005 ) 65 ( 9 ) 3656 - 3663 ). an isomer of endostatin refers to a molecule with the same amino acid sequence as the wild - type endostatin but with different conformations , including difference in the secondary or tertiary protein structure , or changed optical activity in regional amino acids . the isomer may be a naturally occurring mutant or obtained via artificial design . a derivative of endostatin refers to a product generated by modification of the wild - type endostatin . modification refers to covalently attaching one or more small molecules , such as phosphoric acid molecules or carbohydrate molecules , or oligopeptide with less than 20 amino acids , to the protein at any amino acid of the protein . in a preferred embodiment , a 9 - amino acid peptide chain containing a his - tag ( mggshhhhh ) is added to the n - terminus of human endostatin , and this derived endostatin has the sequence of seq id no . 6 ( luo yongzhang et al . us2004110671 ). when expressed in e . coli , its n - terminal met sometimes will be deleted , and when this happens , the resultant n - terminal met deleted derivative of recombinant human endostatin will have the sequence of seq id no . 7 . the combination of the active mutants , fragments , isomers or derivatives of endostatin means that the product simultaneously has two or more of the modifications mentioned above , for example without limitation , a mutant of a fragment or a modified mutant , et al . coupling of 20 kda peg to the n - terminus of recombinant human endostatin the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the recombinant human endostatin ( protgen ltd .) was dialyzed into 30 mm sodium acetate solution , ph 5 . 5 . protein concentration was determined by measuring absorbance at 280 nm using uv spectrophotometer ( agilent technologies ), and then was adjusted to 2 mg / ml . a 20 kda peg ( mpeg - butyrald 20 kda , nektar ) which specifically modifies the n - terminus of protein was used for covalently coupling . specifically , 80 mg of this 20 kda peg ( solid ) was added to 20 ml protein solution ( containing 40 mg protein ), and the mixed solution was stirred at room temperature until peg solid dissolved completely and the molar ratio of peg and endostatin was 2 : 1 . ch 3 bnna ( sigma ) was added as reductant to reach a final concentration of 20 mm , and finally the ph value of the solution was adjusted to 5 . after resting at room temperature for 10 hours , more than 80 % of endostatin was modified with mono - pegylation , which means one peg molecule was covalently linked to one endostatin molecule at n - terminal α - amino group of endostatin . only a small amount of endostatin was non - specifically modified at multi - sites . the reaction solution can be purified directly through column chromatography . electrophoresis analysis of solutions before and after the reaction is shown in fig7 and 8 . purification of recombinant human endostatin modified with 20 kda peg at n - terminus through cation - exchange sp column the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the human endostatin modified with 20 kda peg was purified through sp chromatography column ( amersham ). the ph value of mixed solution was adjusted to 6 after reaction . the sample was loaded onto the column pre - equilibrated by a buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , ph 6 . 0 . after loading the sample , gradient elution was performed with buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , 1 m nacl , ph 6 . 0 . the peak of peg which did not involved in the reaction appeared during penetration and washing due to its minimal charge . the elution peaks appeared in the following order : multi - modified endostatin , mono - modified endostatin , and non - modified endostatin . different fractions can be collected according to absorbance at 280 nm . the result of purification is shown in fig9 and 10 . coupling of 40 kda peg to n - terminus of the recombinant human endostatin the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the recombinant human endostatin was dialyzed into 30 mm sodium acetate solution , ph 5 . 5 . the protein concentration was measured by uv spectrophotometer at 280 nm wavelength , and then was adjusted to 2 . 5 mg / ml . a 40 kda peg ( mpeg - butyrald 40 kda , nektar ) which specifically modifies the n - terminus of protein was used for covalently coupling . specifically , 160 mg of this 40 kda peg ( solid ) was added to 20 ml protein solution ( containing 40 mg protein ), the solution was stirred at room temperature until peg completely dissolved and the molar ratio of peg and endostatin was 2 : 1 . after that , ch 3 bnna ( sigma ) was added as a reductant to a concentration of 20 mm , and finally , the ph value of solution was adjusted to 5 . after resting at room temperature for 10 hours , more than 80 % of the endostatin was modified by mono - pegylation , i . e . one molecule of peg was covalently coupled to one endostatin molecule at the n - terminal α - amino group of the protein . only a small amount of endostatin was nonspecifically modified at multiple sites . the reaction solution can be purified directly through column chromatography . purification of recombinant human endostatin modified with 40 kda peg at n - terminus through cation - exchange sp column the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the human endostatin modified with 40 kda peg was purified through sp chromatography column ( amersham ). the ph value of mixed solution was adjusted to 6 after reaction . the sample was loaded onto the column pre - equilabrated by a buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , ph 6 . 0 . after loading the sample , gradient elution was performed with buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , 1 m nacl , ph 6 . 0 . the peak of peg which did not involved in the reaction appeared during penetration and washing due to its minimal charge . the elution peaks appeared in the following order : multi - modified endostatin , mono - modified endostatin , and non - modified endostatin . different fractions can be collected according to absorbance at 280 nm . the result of purification of recombinant human endostatin having the sequence of seq id no . 2 is shown in fig1 . the result of purification of recombinant human endostatin having the sequence of seq id no . 6 is similar to that of seq id no . 2 ( data not shown ). prolonged efficacy of the recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg covalently coupled to its n - terminus in the blood the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . the prolonged efficacy of the recombinant human endostatin with peg modification was evaluated by measuring the in vivo half - life of the protein recombinant human endostatin with or without peg modification , respectively . six healthy kunming mice ( about 25 g ) ( vitalriver experimental animal center ) were divided into two groups , 3 mice per group . then the mice were given an injection via tail vein of recombinant human endostatin ( protgen ltd .) either unmodified or n - terminus modified with 20 kda peg , respectively , in a dose of 15 mg / kg body weight . and then , blood samples were taken from tail vein at 2 , 10 , 30 minutes , 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 16 , 24 , 36 , 48 , and 72 hours . plasma was then collected and the concentration of endostatin with or without peg modification was measured by sandwich elisa , respectively . as revealed by the pharmacokinetic analysis , upon modification with 20 kda peg , the half - life of recombinant human endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 2 was increased from an average of 4 . 8 hours to an average of 16 hours in mice , and the half - life of recombinant human endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 6 was increased from an average of 7 . 5 hours to an average of 16 hours in mice . these results demonstrated that coupling of high molecular weight peg to the recombinant human endostatin can effectively increase the in vivo half - life of the endostatin and achieve a prolonged efficacy . the activity of recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg coupled to its n - terminus to inhibit the migration of vascular endothelial cells the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the human microvascular endothelial cells ( hmec ) were cultured in the dmem medium ( hyclone ) containing 10 % serum to exponential phase . then the cells were left starving for 12 hours . after digesting with trypsin ( sigma ), cells were added into plates at 10000 cells per well for measurement of cell migration . conditions for migration assay included dmem medium , 1 % serum , and 10 ng / ml bfgf ( sigma ) and antibiotics ( streptomycin and ampicillin , both at 10 μg / ml , sigma ). for the treatment groups , endostatin with or without modification was added to the cells at 30 μg / ml . after culturing for 8 hours at 37 ° c ., the cells in the plates were fixed with 1 % glutaraldehyde and then the upper layer of cells on the membranes , which did not migrate , were removed , and the lower layer of cells were stained with hematoxylin . the cell number was counted under microscope ( olympus ). cells in three different fields on one plate were counted and then the inhibition rate was calculated . the results revealed that the inhibition rate on cells migration was 42 % for recombinant human endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 2 , while the inhibition rate on cells migration was 90 % for modified endostatin . the inhibition rate on cells migration was 45 % for the recombinant human endostatin of the sequence of seq id no . 6 , while the inhibition rate was 90 % for modified endostatin . the above results demonstrate that the modification of endostatin with peg will not only maintain but greatly enhance its biological activity . the experimental results are shown in fig1 . activity of the recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg coupled to its n - terminus in the treatment of mice tumor model the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . experiments were performed to observe the in vivo inhibitory activity of endostatin modified by 20 kda peg on mice s180 tumor . kunming mice of about 20 g were used in the experiment . mice were inoculated at axillary with s180 sarcoma cells ( china cell bank qk10952 ), 2 × 10 6 cells per mouse . the mice were then randomly grouped on the following day , eight mice per group , including the negative control group ( normal saline ), the positive control group ( endostatin , 1 . 5 mg / kg body weight , daily ), three treatment groups ( endostatin modified with peg , 1 . 5 mg / kg body weight , daily , every other day , or every three days , respectively ). the treatment was administered by way of tail vein injection . administration lasted for 10 days . the mice were sacrificed on day 11 , the weight of tumor was measured , and the efficacy was evaluated by tumor inhibition rate calculated as follows : tumor inhibition rate =( tumor weight of negative control group − tumor weight of treatment group )/ tumor weight of negative control group × 100 %. for the recombinant human endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 2 , the experimental results revealed that the tumor inhibition rate of the positive control group was 34 %, whereas the tumor inhibition rates were 47 %, 53 % and 40 % for the groups treated daily , every other day and every three days , respectively . for the recombinant human endostatin having the sequence of seq id no . 6 with n - terminal additional amino acids , the experimental results revealed that the tumor inhibition rate of positive control group was 40 %, whereas the tumor inhibition rates were 45 %, 57 % and 50 % for the groups treated daily , every other day and every three days , respectively . the results demonstrate that the recombinant human endostatin with modification indeed has the antitumor activity in vivo , and since it has a slow in vivo metabolic rate , the activity of the modified recombinant human endostatin is superior to that of the unmodified recombinant human endostatin . furthermore , still it can maintain its superior efficacy as compared with the unmodified recombinant human endostatin even administered at a prolonged interval . the experimental results are shown in fig1 . modification of ε - amino group on the side chain of lysine residue of the recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . specifically , the recombinant human endostatin is dialyzed into 30 mm phosphate buffer solution , ph 7 . 8 . the protein concentration is measured by uv spectrophotometer at 280 nm wavelength , and then is adjusted to 2 mg / ml . a 20 kda peg ( mpeg - spa 20 kda , nektar ) which modifies the ε - amino group on the side chain of lysine residue is added and the molar ratio of peg and the protein is 8 : 1 . the recombinant human endostatin can be modified quickly , and after placing at room temperature for 30 minutes , 80 % of the endostatin is modified . the amount of modification product increases with the time of reaction , but the reaction speed slows down after 1 hour . the products are mainly mono - pegylated and multi - pegylated endostatin . the reaction solution can be purified directly through column chromatography . molecular sieve purification of recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg modification on ε - amino group on the side chain of lysine residue the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . the endostatin modified by 20 kda peg was purified by molecular sieve . after reaction the ph value of the mixture was adjusted to 7 . 4 . the sample was loaded onto the column pre - equilabrated by a buffer containing 20 mm phosphate , 100 mm nacl , ph 7 . 4 . different fractions can be collected according to the absorbance at 280 nm using a uv spectrophotometer . the purification result of the modified endostatin with the sequence of seq id no . 6 is shown in the fig1 . ion - exchange chromatography purification of the recombinant human endostatin with 20 kda peg modification on the ε - amino group on the side chain of lysine residue the recombinant human endostatins used in this example include recombinant human endostatins have the sequence of seq id no . 2 and seq id no . 6 . the 20 kda peg - endostatin conjugate was purified by cm chromatography column . after reaction , the ph value of the mixture was adjusted to 6 . 5 . the sample was loaded onto the column pre - equilabrated by a buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , ph 6 . 5 . after loading the sample , gradient elution was performed with buffer containing 10 mm phosphate , 1 m nacl , ph 6 . 5 . the peak of peg which did not involved in the reaction appeared during penetration and washing due to its minimal charge . the elution peaks appeared in the following order : multi - modified endostatin , mono - modified endostatin , and non - modified endostatin . different fractions can be collected according to absorbance at 280 nm . the result of purification of the modification product of endostatin having a sequence of seq id no . 6 is shown in fig1 . activity of the recombinant human endostatin with n - terminal modification with 20 kda peg in the treatment of mice tumor model the recombinant human endostatin used in this example has the sequence of seq id no . 6 . the experiment was to observe the in vivo inhibitory activity of endostatin modified with 20 kda peg ( mpeg - butyrald 20 kda , nektar ) administered at increasing intervals on the growth of s180 tumor in mice . kunming mice ( 20 g ) were used in the experiment . the mice were inoculated at axillary with s180 sarcoma cells ( china cell bank qk10952 ), 2 × 10 6 cells per mouse . the mice were then randomly grouped on the following day , eight mice per group , including the negative control group ( normal saline ), the positive control group ( endostatin , 1 . 5 mg / kg body weight , administered every five days ), four treatment groups ( endostatin modified with peg , 1 . 5 mg / kg body weight , administered every five days , every seven days , every ten days , or every fourteen days , respectively ). the treatment was administered by way of tail vein injection . administration lasted for 14 days . the mice were sacrificed on day 15 , the weight of tumor was measured , and the efficacy of treatment was evaluated by tumor inhibition rate calculated as follows : tumor inhibition rate =( tumor weight of negative control group − tumor weight of treatment group )/ tumor weight of negative control group × 100 %. for the recombinant human endostatin having the sequence of seq id no . 6 with n - terminal additional amino acids , the experimental results revealed that the tumor inhibition rate of the positive control group was 34 %, whereas the tumor inhibition rates were 56 . 4 %, 37 . 1 % and 31 . 8 %, and 0 % for the groups treated every five days , every seven days , every ten days , or every fourteen days , respectively . this suggests that the modified recombinant human endostatin can still exhibit in vivo inhibitory activity on tumor growth even administered at an interval as long as 10 days . | 0 |
a preferred embodiment of a semiconductor device and a fabrication method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the present specification and the accompanying drawings , layers and regions prefixed with n or p mean that majority carriers are electrons or holes , respectively . additionally , + and − appended to n or p mean that the impurity concentration is higher and lower , respectively , than layers and regions without + and −. in the description of the embodiment below and the accompanying drawings , identical constituent elements will be given the same reference numerals and will not repeatedly be described . in the present specification , when miller indices are described , “−” means a bar added to an index immediately after the “−”, and a negative index is expressed by prefixing “−” to the index . a structure of the semiconductor device according to the embodiment will be described taking an example of an re - channel sic - igbt that uses the silicon carbide ( sic ) semiconductor . fig1 is a perspective diagram of the structure of the semiconductor device according to an embodiment . the semiconductor device depicted in fig1 is a trench gate sic - igbt that includes layers sequentially stacked on an n − - type drift layer ( a first semiconductor layer ) 2 and disposed in a mesa region between adjacent trenches 8 , such as a p - type base layer ( a fourth semiconductor layer ) 5 , a high concentration n - type drift layer ( a second semiconductor layer ) 3 and an n + - type carrier accumulation ( cs ) layer ( a third semiconductor layer ) 4 disposed sequentially from the n − - type drift layer 2 side and between the n − - type drift layer 2 and the p - type base layer 5 , a p - type body region ( a second semiconductor region ) 7 disposed inside the p - type base layer 5 , and a p - type guard region ( a third semiconductor region ) 11 at a floating potential ( electrically floating ) disposed in a vicinity of the bottom portion of the trench 8 . for example , on the front face of the n - type semiconductor substrate including the silicon carbide semiconductor ( hereinafter , referred to as “ n - type sic substrate ”), silicon carbide epitaxial layers are sequentially stacked to be the n − - type drift layer 2 , the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the p - type base layer 5 . the n - type sic substrate 1 functions as a field stop ( fs ) layer that suppresses the depletion layer extending from a p - n junction on the emitter side during the “ off ” time period from reaching a p + - type collector layer 15 described later . the carriers ( electrons and holes ) are accumulated in the n − - type drift layer 2 in an “ always - on ” state . the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 and the n + - type cs layer 4 each have a function to enhance the ie effect . a proper impurity concentration of the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 is , for example , greater than or equal to 5 × 10 14 / cm 3 and less than or equal to 1 . 0 × 10 17 / cm 3 . a proper impurity concentration of the n + - type cs layer 4 is , for example , greater than or equal to 5 . 0 × 10 14 / cm 3 and less than or equal to 5 . 0 × 10 18 / cm 3 . preferably , the n + - type cs layer 4 has a high impurity concentration that is , for example , greater than or equal to 1 . 0 × 10 17 / cm 3 , and has a thickness greater than or equal to 0 . 5 μm . the electrons injected from the emitter side into the n − - type drift layer 2 can be increased by setting the impurity concentrations of the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 and the n + - type cs layer 4 to be within the above ranges . in the silicon carbide semiconductor , the critical electric field strength at which the avalanche breakdown occurs is higher than that of silicon ( si ) by 10 - fold , and any significant degradation of the element breakdown voltage can , therefore , be prevented even when the high impurity concentration n + - type cs layer 4 is disposed in the mesa region . sufficient breakdown voltage can , therefore , be maintained , and the “ on ” voltage can be reduced by enhancing the ie effect . the trench 8 is disposed at a depth at which the trench 8 penetrates at least the p - type base layer 5 in the depth direction and reaches the n + - type cs layer 4 . the depth direction refers to a direction from the front face toward the back face of the sic epitaxial substrate ( a semiconductor chip ) formed by stacking , on the n - type sic substrate 1 , the n − - type drift layer 2 , the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the p - type base layer 5 . fig1 depicts the trench 8 that in the depth direction , penetrates the p - type base layer 5 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 and that reaches the n − - type drift layer 2 . the depth of the trench 8 merely has to be a depth with which the trench 8 divides the p - type base layer 5 into plural sections , and can be varied depending on , for example , the distance between the p - type base layer 5 and the p - type guard region 11 that is determined based on the design conditions . the plural trenches 8 are disposed in , for example , a stripe - like planar pattern . by dividing the p - type base layer 5 into the plural sections by the trench 8 , plural emitter structures are formed each having the mesa region sandwiched by the adjacent trenches 8 as a unit cell . the interval of the adjacent trenches 8 , that is , the width of the mesa region ( a mesa width ) in the direction in which the trenches 8 are aligned ( hereinafter , referred to as “ trench shorter dimension direction ”) is very small that is , for example , 1 . 6 μm . the n + - type cs layer 4 sandwiched by the trenches 8 therefore tends to be depleted though the n + - type cs layer 4 has the high impurity concentration as above , and the element breakdown voltage is not degraded . a gate insulation film 9 is disposed inside the trench 8 along the inner wall of the trench 8 , and a gate electrode 10 is disposed on the inner side of the gate insulation film 9 . an n ++ - type emitter region ( a first semiconductor region ) 6 and a p + - type body region 7 are selectively disposed inside the p - type base layer 5 . in each mesa region between the adjacent trenches 8 , the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 are alternately disposed repeatedly in a direction ( hereinafter , referred to as “ trench longer dimension direction ”) orthogonal to the direction in which the trenches 8 are aligned ( the trench shorter dimension direction ). the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 face the gate electrode 10 through the gate insulation film 9 on a side wall of the trench 8 . the depth of the p + - type body region 7 is greater than the depth of the p - type base layer 5 and is shallower than the depth of the trench 8 . the p + - type body region 7 merely has to penetrate at least the p - type base layer 5 and divide the p - type base layer 5 into the plural sections , and the depth of the p + - type body region 7 can be varied to suit design conditions . fig1 depicts the p + - type body region 7 that penetrates the p - type base layer 5 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 in the depth direction and that reaches the n − - type drift layer 2 . by disposing the p + - type body region 7 , the p - type base layer 5 is between the p + - type body regions 7 that are adjacent to each other along the trench longer dimension direction . the p - type base layer 5 , therefore , is not to prone to becoming depleted though the p - type base layer 5 has a relatively low impurity concentration , and the element breakdown voltage thereof can be sufficiently assured . the respective disposition patterns of the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 in the mesa region may be same as that of each other . the proper interval between the p + - type body regions 7 adjacent to each other along the trench longer dimension direction is , for example , greater than or equal to 0 . 5 μm and equal to or smaller than 5 . 0 μm . the reason for this is as follows . when the interval between the p + - type body regions 7 adjacent to each other along the trench longer dimension direction is less than 0 . 5 μm , the channel concentration of the inversion layer ( the channel ) formed in a vicinity of the side wall of the trench 8 of the p - type base layer 5 is reduced and the “ on ” voltage is increased in the “ always - on ” state . on the other hand , when the interval between the p + - type body regions 7 adjacent to each other along the trench longer dimension direction exceeds 5 . 0 μm , no electric field alleviation effect is achieved and the breakdown voltage is reduced . the p - type guard region 11 at the floating potential is disposed to cover the bottom portion of the trench 8 , in the sic semiconductor portion ( the n − - type drift layer 2 in fig1 ) immediately below the bottom portion of the trench 8 ( on the n - type sic substrate side ). the p - type guard region 11 is disposed along the bottom portion of the trench 8 and covers the overall bottom portion of the trench 8 . the p - type guard region 11 has a function of alleviating the electric field applied to the gate insulation film 9 . preferably , the distance in the depth direction between the p - type guard region 11 and the p - type base layer 5 is set to be sufficiently long . the reason for this is as follows . when the distance in the depth direction between the p - type guard region 11 and the p - type base layer 5 is short ( that is , the depth of the trench 8 is shallow ), in the “ always - on ” state , the holes ( the positive holes ) injected from the collector side ( the p + - type collector layer 15 described later ) into the n − - type drift layer 2 flow into the p - type base layer 5 through the p - type guard region 11 and the distance for the holes to pass through the n + - type cs layer 4 is reduced . this is substantially equivalent to the thickness of the n + - type cs layer 4 being thin , and the accumulation of the carriers in the n − - type drift layer 2 is obstructed because the ie effect is degraded . the emitter electrode 13 is in contact with the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 through contact holes penetrating an interlayer insulator film 12 in the depth direction , and is electrically insulated from the gate electrode 10 by the interlayer insulator film 12 . a p - type buffer layer 14 is disposed in the surface layer of the back face of the n - type sic substrate 1 . a p + - type collector layer 15 is disposed in the surface layer of the back face of the n - type sic substrate 1 at a shallower position from the back face of the substrate than that of the p - type buffer layer 14 . a collector electrode 16 is disposed on the overall back face of the n - type sic substrate 1 , that is , the overall surface of the p + - type collector layer 15 . no thermal treatment for activation is executed for the p - type buffer layer 14 and the p + - type collector layer 15 as described later , and crystal faults remain therein . in the “ always - on ” state , the electrons and the holes tend to , therefore , recouple with each other inside the p - type buffer layer 14 , and the electrons flowing from the emitter side toward the collector side are prone to fail to reach the p + - type collector layer 15 . the p - type buffer layer 14 functions as the field stop layer . a lot of holes are not injected from the high impurity concentration p + - type collector layer 15 into the n − - type drift layer 2 and the amount of carriers on the collector side can be suppressed . as a result , the loss generated during the “ turned - off ” time period can be reduced . the fabrication method of a semiconductor device according to the embodiment will be described taking an example of a case where an n - channel sic - igbt of a 13 - kv breakdown voltage class is produced ( fabricated ). fig2 , 3 , and 4 are cross - sectional views of the states of the semiconductor device according to the embodiment in the course of fabrication . fig5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , and 12 are perspective diagrams of the states of the semiconductor device according to the embodiment in the course of fabrication . as depicted in fig2 , the n - type sic substrate 1 ( a sic wafer ) having a thickness of 350 μm and including a silicon carbide semiconductor doped with an n - type impurity such as , for example , nitrogen ( n ) at 4 . 0 × 10 15 / cm 3 is prepared as the starting material ( a starting substrate ). as depicted in fig3 , an n − - type epitaxial layer having a thickness of 120 μm and doped with an n - type impurity such as , for example , nitrogen at 5 . 0 × 10 14 / cm 3 is grown to be the n − - type drift layer 2 on the front face of the n - type sic substrate 1 . the front face of the n - type sic substrate 1 may be , for example , a ( 000 - 1 ) plane ( a so - called c plane ). an n - type epitaxial layer having a thickness of 1 . 8 μm and doped with an n - type impurity such as , for example , nitrogen at 1 . 0 × 10 16 / cm 3 is grown to be the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 on the n − - type drift layer 2 . as depicted in fig4 , an n + - type epitaxial layer having a thickness of 0 . 5 μm and doped with an n - type impurity such as , for example , nitrogen at 7 . 0 × 10 17 / cm 3 is grown to be the n + - type cs layer 4 on the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 . a p - type epitaxial layer having a thickness of 0 . 7 μm and doped with a p - type impurity such as , for example , aluminum ( al ) at 2 . 5 × 10 17 / cm 3 is grown to be the p - type base region 5 on the n + - type cs layer 4 . thereby , the sic epitaxial substrate ( a sic epitaxial wafer ) is produced that is formed by stacking the n − - type drift layer 2 , the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the p - type base layer 5 on the n - type sic substrate 1 . as depicted in fig5 , an oxide film 21 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 8 μm is deposited on the front face ( the face on the p - type base layer 5 side ) of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the oxide film 21 to expose a partial area ( not depicted ) of a scribe area . the “ scribe area ” refers to the cut - out area for cutting ( dicing ) the sic wafer into individual chips . an alignment marker ( not depicted ) having a depth of 0 . 5 μm is formed in a portion of the scribe area by etching the sic semiconductor portion ( that is , the p - type base layer 5 ) using the remaining portion of the oxide film 21 as the mask . in the process steps executed later , the alignment marker is used as a positioning pattern to be a guide to match the position of the sic epitaxial substrate in the horizontal direction with the position of the photo mask . patterning is applied to the oxide film 21 to form therein stripe - like openings each having a width of 0 . 8 μm at the pitch of , for example , 2 . 4 μm . as depicted in fig6 , a p - type impurity such as aluminum is ion - implanted at , for example , a dose of 5 . 0 × 10 16 / cm 2 into the sic semiconductor portion using the remaining portion of the oxide 21 as a mask to form the p + - type body region 7 in a stripe - like shape . the ion implantation to form the p + - type body region 7 may be multi - stage ion implantation to execute the ion implantation in five stages using different acceleration energies within , for example , a range greater than or equal to 500 kev and less than or equal to 750 kev . after removing the overall oxide film 21 , as depicted in fig7 , an oxide film 22 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 8 μm is newly deposited on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the oxide film 22 to form stripe - like openings each having , for example , a width of 0 . 5 μm at the pitch of 2 . 4 μm extending in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the stripe - like p + - type body region 7 extends . the sic semiconductor portion is etched using the remaining portion of the oxide film 22 as the mask to form the trench 8 having a depth of , for example , 1 . 3 μm . as depicted in fig8 , an oxide film ( not depicted ) having a thickness of , for example , 50 nm is formed along the inner wall of the trench 8 by thermal oxidation . a p - type impurity such as aluminum is ion - implanted , for example , at a dose of 5 . 0 × 10 15 / cm 2 through the oxide film of the inner wall of the trench 8 using the remaining portion of the oxide film 22 as a mask to form the p - type guard region 11 in the sic semiconductor portion in the bottom portion of the trench 8 . the ion implantation to form the p - type guard region 11 may be multi - stage ion implantation to execute the ion implantation in five stages using different acceleration energies within , for example , a range greater than or equal to 30 kev and less than or equal to 150 kev . after removing the overall oxide film on the inner wall of the trench 8 , an oxide film ( sio 2 ) having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 1 μm is deposited along the inner wall of the trench 8 to be the gate insulation film 9 . a nitriding treatment is applied to the surface of the gate insulation film 9 using , for example , a nitrogen monoxide ( no ) gas . as depicted in fig9 , a poly - silicon ( poly - si ) layer is embedded on the inner side of the gate insulation film 9 in the trench 8 . extra poly - silicon on the sic epitaxial substrate is removed by etching back , and a poly - silicon layer to be the gate electrode 10 is left in the trench 8 . after removing the overall oxide film 22 , as depicted in fig1 , an oxide film 23 having a thickness of , for example , 0 . 4 μm is newly deposited on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the oxide film 23 to expose the p - type base layer 5 . the p - type base layer 5 is disposed in a matrix - shape consequent to the formation of the p + - type body region 7 and the trench 8 that orthogonally cross each other in the stripes at the previous process step . openings are formed in a matrix - shape in the oxide film 23 and the remaining portion of the oxide film 23 remains in a grid - shape by applying patterning to the oxide film 23 to expose the p - type base layer 5 . an n - type impurity such as phosphorus ( p ) is ion - implanted at a dose of , for example , 5 . 0 × 10 15 / cm 2 using the remaining portion of the oxide film 23 as a mask . the crystal faults are recovered and the n - type impurity implanted into the p - type base layer 5 is activated by annealing ( a thermal treatment ) at , for example , 1700 degrees c . and , thereby , the n ++ - type emitter region 6 is formed . after removing the overall oxide film 23 , as depicted in fig1 , a high temperature oxide ( hto ) film having a thickness of 0 . 2 μm and a borophosphosilicate glass ( bpsg ) film having a thickness of 0 . 6 μm are sequentially grown as the interlayer insulator film 12 on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the interlayer insulator film 12 to form stripe - like contact holes each having a width of , for example , 1 . 0 μm and extending in the trench longer dimension direction and thereby , the n ++ - type emitter region 6 and the p + - type body region 7 are exposed . to secure the contact ( an electric contact portion ) with the p + - type body region 7 , an aluminum film ( not depicted ) having a thickness of , for example , 50 nm is formed on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate using a sputtering method . patterning is applied to the aluminum film to leave the aluminum film on the p + - type body region 7 and remove the aluminum film of other portions except that on the p + - type body region 7 . to secure the contact with the n ++ - type emitter region 6 , a nickel ( ni ) film ( not depicted ) having a thickness of , for example , 50 nm is formed on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate using the sputtering method . hereinafter , the aluminum film and the nickel film to secure the contacts with the p + - type body region 7 and the n ++ - type emitter region 6 will be referred to as “ front face metal ”. after protecting the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate using a resist protective film ( not depicted ), as depicted in fig1 , the sic epitaxial substrate is ground from the back face thereof ( that is , the back face of the n - type sic substrate 1 ) to a position to acquire a product thickness for use as a semiconductor device . at this step , the grinding is executed until the thickness of the sic epitaxial substrate ( the total thickness of the n - type sic substrate 1 , the n − - type drift layer 2 , the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 , the n + - type cs layer 4 , and the p - type base layer 5 ) reaches , for example , 160 μm . the thickness of the n - type sic substrate 1 is further reduced using mechanical polishing and the thickness of the sic epitaxial substrate is reduced to 140 μm . the remaining thickness of the n - type sic substrate 1 is , for example , 20 μm at the process steps executed so far . for example , the substrate temperature is set to be at 500 degrees c . and a p - type impurity such as aluminum is ion - implanted at a dose of 1 . 0 × 10 13 / cm 2 using an acceleration energy of 600 kev to form the p - type buffer layer 14 in the surface layer of the back face of the sic epitaxial substrate . the substrate temperature is then set to be at 500 degrees c . and a p - type impurity such as aluminum is ion - implanted at a dose of 5 . 0 × 10 15 / cm 2 using an acceleration energy of 30 kev to form the p + - type collector layer 15 in the surface layer of the p - type buffer layer 14 . any annealing ( the thermal treatment ) for activation is not executed for the p - type buffer layer 14 and the p + - type collector layer 15 and crystal faults are caused to remain in the p - type buffer layer 14 and the p + - type collector layer 15 . to secure the contact with the p + - type collector layer 15 , an aluminum film ( not depicted ) and a nickel film ( not depicted ) are sequentially formed on the overall surface of the p + - type collector layer 15 using the sputtering method . hereinafter , the stacked films including the aluminum film and the nickel film to secure the contacts with the p + - type collector layer 15 will be referred to as “ back face metal ”. after removing the resist protective film on the front face of the substrate , sintering ( a thermal treatment ) is executed for the front face metal , the emitter electrode 13 , and the back face metal formed on the front face and the back face of the sic epitaxial substrate using , for example , lamp annealing . an aluminum layer having a thickness of , for example , 5 μm is formed on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate using the sputtering method and patterning is applied to this aluminum layer . thereby , the emitter electrode 13 is formed . for example , a polyimide film ( not depicted ) is formed on the front face of the sic epitaxial substrate . patterning is applied to the polyimide film to expose a portion of the emitter electrode 13 as an electrode pad and thereafter , the polyimide film is cured ( baked ). the collector electrode 16 formed by layering titanium ( ti ), nickel , and gold ( au ) on each other is formed on the back face of the sic epitaxial substrate . thereafter , the sic epitaxial substrate is diced into individual chips . thereby , the sic - igbt chip depicted in fig1 is completed . the sic - igbt of the 13 - kv breakdown voltage class ( hereinafter , referred to as “ example ”) was fabricated according to the fabrication method of a semiconductor device of the embodiment , and the “ on ” voltage and the maximal electric field intensity of the gate insulation film 9 of the sic - igbt were verified . fig1 a and 13b are perspective diagrams of a unit cell structure of the 13 - kv breakdown voltage class . the dimensions and the impurity concentrations of the components of example were set to be the following values . as depicted in fig1 a and 13b , the depth t 1 of the trench 8 was set to be a depth such that the trench 8 penetrated the n ++ - type emitter region 6 , the p - type base layer 5 , and the n + - type cs layer 4 and reached the high concentration n - type drift layer 3 . for example , the depth t 1 of the trench 8 was 1 . 3 μm . the thickness t 2 of the p - type base layer 5 and the impurity concentration thereof were respectively set to be 0 . 7 μm and 2 . 5 × 10 17 / cm 3 . the “ thickness t 2 of the p - type base layer 5 ” refers to the thickness of the portion remaining immediately under the n ++ - type emitter region 6 ( on the n - type sic substrate 1 side ) after the n ++ - emitter region 6 was formed in the surface layer of the p - type base layer 5 . the thickness t 3 of the p + - type body region 7 and the impurity concentration thereof were respectively set to be 0 . 8 μm and 5 . 0 × 10 19 / cm 3 . the distance t 4 in the depth direction between the p - type guard region 11 and the p - type base layer 5 was set to be 0 . 3 μm . in fig1 a and 13b , a reference numeral “ 12 a ” denotes a contact hole . it was confirmed by the inventor for example that the maximal breakdown voltage was 16 . 5 kv when the junction ( the p - n junction ) temperature was room temperature ( for example , 25 degrees c . ); and the “ on ” voltage at the junction temperature of 250 degrees c . and with the rated current of 100 a / cm 2 was a low value of 3 . 3 v . it was also confirmed by the inventor that the critical electric field intensity at the interface between the sic semiconductor portion in the vicinity of the side wall of the trench 8 and the gate insulation film 9 was a very low value of 0 . 9 mv / cm during the breakdown ( the voltage drop ) when 16 . 5 kv was applied to the collector electrode 16 . thereby , it was confirmed that film quality degradation due to the rush of the carriers into the gate insulation film 9 was able to be prevented . as described , according to the embodiment , the p - type base layer is divided by disposing the p + - type body region at the predetermined depth , and this causes the p - type base layer to be sandwiched between the p + - type body regions adjacent to each other in the trench longer dimension direction . thereby , the p - type base layer can be prevented from being prone to being depleted and the element breakdown voltage can be secured sufficiently . according to the embodiment , the high concentration n - type drift layer is disposed between the n − - type drift layer and the n + - type cs layer and thereby , the voltage drop due to the hole current in the mesa region can be set to be greater than or equal to the built - in voltage of the silicon carbide semiconductor . the ie effect can , therefore , be enhanced and the “ on ” voltage can be reduced compared to those of the traditional case . according to the embodiment , the p - type guard region is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom portion of the trench and thereby , the electric field can be alleviated at the interface between the silicon carbide semiconductor portion and the gate insulation film . the gate insulation film , therefore , is not prone to being degraded by the rush of the carriers into the gate insulation film , and the long term reliability of the gate insulation film can be improved . in the description above , the present invention can be changed variously and , in the embodiment , for example , the dimensions and the impurity concentrations of the components are variously set depending on the required specification , etc . in the embodiment , the first conductivity type is set to be “ n - type ” and the second conductivity type is set to be “ p - type ” while the present invention is similarly established even when the first conductivity type is set to be “ p - type ” and the second conductivity type is set to be “ n - type ”. as described above , the semiconductor device and the fabrication method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention are useful for a power semiconductor device used in an electric power converting apparatus , etc ., and is especially suitable for an insulated gate igbt of the trench gate type , that uses the silicon carbide semiconductor material . according to the semiconductor device and the fabrication method of the semiconductor device of the present invention , with the trench gate semiconductor device using the silicon carbide semiconductor , a sufficient breakdown voltage can be assured and the “ on ” voltage can be reduced . according to the semiconductor device and the fabrication method of the semiconductor device of the present invention , an effect is achieved that the gate insulation film is not prone to degradation due to the rush of carriers into the gate insulation film and the long term reliability of the gate insulation film can be improved because the electric field can be alleviated at the interface between the silicon carbide semiconductor portion and the gate insulation film . although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure , the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth . this application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior japanese patent application no . 2014 - 092132 , filed on apr . 25 , 2014 , the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . | 7 |
a high performance electrical interconnect according to the present disclosure may permit fine contact - to - contact spacing ( pitch ) on the order of less than 1 . 0 mm pitch , and more preferably a pitch of less than about 0 . 7 millimeter , and most preferably a pitch of less than about 0 . 4 millimeter . such fine pitch high performance electrical interconnects are especially useful for communications , wireless , and memory devices . the present high performance electrical interconnect can be configured as a low cost , high signal performance interconnect assembly , which has a low profile that is particularly useful for desktop and mobile pc applications . ic devices can be installed and uninstalled without the need to reflow solder . the solder - free electrical connection of the ic devices is environmentally friendly . fig1 is a side cross - sectional view of a method of making an electrical interconnect 50 using additive processes in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . fig1 shows the basic structure of copper foil circuitry layer 52 only as the base layer . in an alternate embodiment , the circuitry layer 52 can be applied to any substrate or target structural element 54 , such as a traditional pcb or laminated to a stiffening layer or core , such as glass - reinforced epoxy laminate sheets ( e . g ., fr4 ). the circuitry layer 52 can be preformed or can be formed using a fine line imaging step is conducted to etch copper foil as done with many pcb processes . dielectric material 56 is applied to surface 58 such that the circuitry 52 is at least partially encased and isolated . the dielectric material 56 can be a film or a liquid dielectric . the dielectric material 56 is typically imaged to expose the desired circuit locations 60 . in some embodiments , it may be desirable to use a preformed dielectric film to leave air dielectric gaps between traces . recesses 64 in the dielectric layer 56 that expose circuitry 52 can be formed by printing , embossing , imprinting , chemical etching with a printed mask , or a variety of other techniques . in a normal construction , the core dielectric material would be processed to enable electro - less copper plating to adhere to the side walls . in the present embodiment , the dielectric 56 is left as a resist to enable electro - less or electrolytic copper plating to adhere only to the exposed portion 60 of the circuitry layer 52 in order to grow pillar or via structure 62 within the imaged openings 64 . the remainder of the interconnect 50 remains un - plated . the support structure 54 acts as a resist to prevent copper plating on the underside 68 of the foil . alternatively , a resist can be applied to the underside 68 to prevent plating . if the electrical interconnect 50 is to be part of a flexible circuit , the base layer 54 can be a material such as polyimide or liquid crystal polymer . if the final product is a rigid circuit board , the base layer 54 can be fr4 or one of many high speed laminates or substrates . if the final product is a semiconductor package , the base layer 54 can be a material such as fr4 , bt resin of any one of a variety of laminate or substrate materials . the plating process can be controlled to a certain degree , but in some cases with fine pitch geometries and high speed circuits , upper surfaces 66 of the copper pillars 62 may vary in topography or height relative to the field , and the dielectric material 56 may vary in thickness slightly especially if liquid material is used . consequently , it is preferred to planarize to surfaces 66 of the pillars 62 and the exposed surface 68 of the dielectric 56 between steps to control thickness and flatness of the electrical interconnect 50 . fig2 illustrates higher aspect ratio conductive pillars connections formed on the electrical interconnect 50 . the process discussed above is repeated by applying another layer 70 of dielectric 72 that is imaged to expose the upper surface 66 of the previous copper pillar 62 . the imaged openings 74 are then plated as discussed above to create pillar extension 76 of the pillars 62 . top surface 78 is then planarized as needed . in one embodiment , the pillars 76 are planarized to permit die attach point 82 to facilitate flip chip attach of the die 84 to the pillars 76 directly . in another embodiment , exposed surfaces 86 of the pillars can be enlarged to facilitate soldering of the die 84 to the pillars 76 . fig3 illustrates circuitry layer 80 is applied to the top surface 78 of the electrical interconnect 50 to create the base for additional routing layers and to facilitate vertical connection to subsequent layers in the stack in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure . fig4 illustrates resist layer 90 added to the subsequent copper foil 80 in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure . the resist layer 90 is imaged to create recesses 92 that expose portions of the copper foil 94 that corresponds with the pillar extensions 76 . the resist layer 90 protects the portions of the circuitry layers 80 that are not to be etched and provides access to the foil intimate to the previous pillar 76 . fig5 illustrates a subsequent etch process that removes the copper foil 94 ( see fig4 ) located in the recesses 92 to allow access for the next plating step to join the layers together in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure . depending on the resist material 90 and desired final construction , the resist layer 90 can be stripped to provide a level to be planarized as the base of further processing or the resist layer 90 can be left in place provided it is of the proper material type . the exposed regions that provided access for etch and plating can be filled with similar material to seal the layer which can be planarized for further processing if desired . fig6 illustrates one possible variation of the electrical interconnect 50 . recesses 92 are filled with a dielectric material 96 and the surface 98 is planarized to receive circuitry plane 100 . dielectric layer 102 is deposited on the circuitry plane 100 to expose selective regions 104 . the selective regions 104 are configured to correspond to solder balls 120 on bga device 122 . in the illustrated embodiment , bottom dielectric layer 106 is optionally deposited on circuitry layer 52 in a manner to expose selective regions 108 . in one embodiment , the electrical interconnect 50 is further processed with conventional circuit fabrication processes to create larger diameter through vias or through holes plated 110 as needed , solder mask applied and imaged to expose device termination locations 104 , 108 , laser direct imaging , legend application etc . fig7 illustrate an alternate embodiment in which the electrical interconnect 50 is used in a flexible circuit applications . the electrical interconnect 50 is laminated with ground planes and cover layers 112 , 114 . in some applications the insulating layers 112 , 114 are applied by jet printing of polyimide or liquid crystal polymers ( lcp ) inks as a final layer or as a combination of laminated film and jetted material . fig8 illustrates an electrical interconnect 150 for semiconductor packaging applications in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . the stack 152 can be final processed with a variety of options to facilitate electrical connections to ic devices 162 , 166 , 172 and to system level attachment to pcb 158 . in one embodiment , the pillars 160 are planarized to facilitate flip chip attach to the pillar directly ( see e . g ., fig2 ) or to receive bga device 162 . in other embodiment , pillars 164 are extended to facilitate direct soldering of ic device die 166 with paste . in yet another embodiment , pillars 168 is wire bonded 170 to the ic device 172 . the system interconnect side the structure 180 can be processed to accept a traditional ball grid array attachment 182 for an area array configuration or plated with solder / tin etc . for a no lead peripheral termination . the structure 180 can also be fashioned to have pillars or post extensions 184 to facilitate direct solder attach with paste and provide a natural standoff from the pcb 158 . fig9 illustrates an electrical interconnect 200 for a semiconductor package 202 with dielectric materials 204 surrounding the conductive pillars 206 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . internal circuits and terminations may also be added by imaging or drilling the core material with a larger opening than needed and filling those openings with dielectric and imaging the desired geometry to facilitate pillar formation . fig1 illustrates an alternate electrical interconnect 230 with an insulating layer 232 applied to the circuit geometry 234 . the nature of the printing process allows for selective application of dielectric layer 232 to leave selected portions 236 of the circuit geometry 234 expose if desired . the resulting high performance electrical interconnect 230 can potentially be considered entirely “ green ” with limited or no chemistry used to produce beyond the direct write materials . the dielectric layers of the present disclosure may be constructed of any of a number of dielectric materials that are currently used to make sockets , semiconductor packaging , and printed circuit boards . examples may include uv stabilized tetrafunctional epoxy resin systems referred to as flame retardant 4 ( fr - 4 ); bismaleimide - triazine thermoset epoxy resins referred to as bt - epoxy or bt resin ; and liquid crystal polymers ( lcps ), which are polyester polymers that are extremely unreactive , inert and resistant to fire . other suitable plastics include phenolics , polyesters , and ryton ® available from phillips petroleum company . in one embodiment , one or more of the dielectric materials are designed to provide electrostatic dissipation or to reduce cross - talk between the traces of the circuit geometry . an efficient way to prevent electrostatic discharge (“ esd ”) is to construct one of the layers from materials that are not too conductive but that will slowly conduct static charges away . these materials preferably have resistivity values in the range of 10 5 to 10 11 ohm - meters . fig1 illustrates an alternate high performance electrical interconnect 250 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . dielectric layer 252 includes openings 254 into which compliant material 256 is printed before formation of circuit geometry 258 . the compliant printed material 256 improves reliability during flexure of the electrical interconnect 250 . fig1 illustrates an alternate high performance electrical interconnect 260 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . optical fibers 262 are located between layers 264 , 266 of dielectric material . in one embodiment , optical fibers 262 is positioned over printed compliant layer 268 , and dielectric layer 270 is printed over and around the optical fibers 262 . a compliant layer 272 is preferably printed above the optical fiber 262 as well . the compliant layers 268 , 272 support the optical fibers 262 during flexure . in another embodiment , the dielectric layer 270 is formed or printed with recesses into which the optical fibers 262 are deposited . in another embodiment , optical quality materials 274 are printed during printing of the high performance electrical interconnect 260 . the optical quality material 274 and / or the optical fibers 262 comprise optical circuit geometries . the printing process allows for deposition of coatings in - situ that enhance the optical transmission or reduce loss . the precision of the printing process reduces misalignment issues when the optical materials 274 are optically coupled with another optical structure . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of a present high performance electrical interconnect 280 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . embedded coaxial rf circuits 282 or printed micro strip rf circuits 284 are located with dielectric / metal layers 286 . these rf circuits 282 , 284 are preferably created by printing dielectrics and metallization geometry . as illustrated in fig1 , use of additive processes allows the creation of a high performance electrical interconnect 290 with inter - circuit , 3d lattice structures 292 having intricate routing schemes . conductive pillars 294 can be printed with each layer , without drilling . the nature of the printing process permit controlled application of dielectric layers 296 creates recesses 298 that control the location , cross section , material content , and aspect ratio of the conductive traces 292 and the conductive pillars 294 . maintaining the conductive traces 292 and conductive pillars 294 with a cross - section of 1 : 1 or greater provides greater signal integrity than traditional subtractive trace forming technologies . for example , traditional methods take a sheet of a given thickness and etches the material between the traces away to have a resultant trace that is usually wider than it is thick . the etching process also removes more material at the top surface of the trace than at the bottom , leaving a trace with a trapezoidal cross - sectional shape , degrading signal integrity in some applications . using the recesses 298 to control the aspect ratio of the conductive traces 292 and the conductive pillars 294 results in a more rectangular or square cross - section , with the corresponding improvement in signal integrity . in another embodiment , pre - patterned or pre - etched thin conductive foil circuit traces are transferred to the recesses 298 . for example , a pressure sensitive adhesive can be used to retain the copper foil circuit traces in the recesses 298 . the trapezoidal cross - sections of the pre - formed conductive foil traces are then post - plated . the plating material fills the open spaces in the recesses 298 not occupied by the foil circuit geometry , resulting in a substantially rectangular or square cross - sectional shape corresponding to the shape of the recesses 298 . in another embodiment , a thin conductive foil is pressed into the recesses 298 , and the edges of the recesses 298 acts to cut or shear the conductive foil . the process locates a portion of the conductive foil in the recesses 298 , but leaves the negative pattern of the conductive foil not wanted outside and above the recesses 298 for easy removal . again , the foil in the recesses 298 is preferably post plated to add material to increase the thickness of the conductive traces 292 in the circuit geometry and to fill any voids left between the conductive foil and the recesses 298 . fig1 illustrates a high performance electrical interconnect 300 with printed electrical devices 302 . the electrical devices 302 can include passive or active functional elements . passive structure refers to a structure having a desired electrical , magnetic , or other property , including but not limited to a conductor , resistor , capacitor , inductor , insulator , dielectric , suppressor , filter , varistor , ferromagnet , and the like . in the illustrated embodiment , electrical devices 302 include printed led indicator 304 and display electronics 306 . geometries can also be printed to provide capacitive coupling 308 . compliant material can be added between circuit geometry , such as discussed above , so the present electrical interconnect can be plugged into a receptacle or socket , supplementing or replacing the need for compliance within the connector . the electrical devices 302 are preferably printed during construction of the interconnect assembly 300 . the electrical devices 302 can be ground planes , power planes , electrical connections to other circuit members , dielectric layers , conductive traces , transistors , capacitors , resistors , rf antennae , shielding , filters , signal or power altering and enhancing devices , memory devices , embedded ic , and the like . for example , the electrical devices 302 can be formed using printing technology , adding intelligence to the high performance electrical interconnect 300 . features that are typically located on other circuit members can be incorporated into the interconnect 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . the availability of printable silicon inks provides the ability to print electrical devices 302 , such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 485 , 345 ( renn et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 382 , 363 ( albert et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 148 , 128 ( jacobson ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 967 , 640 ( albert et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 825 , 829 ( albert et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 750 , 473 ( amundson et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 652 , 075 ( jacobson ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 639 , 578 ( comiskey et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 545 , 291 ( amundson et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 521 , 489 ( duthaler et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 459 , 418 ( comiskey et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 422 , 687 ( jacobson ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 413 , 790 ( duthaler et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 312 , 971 ( amundson et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 252 , 564 ( albert et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 177 , 921 ( comiskey et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 120 , 588 ( jacobson ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 118 , 426 ( albert et al . ); and u . s . pat . publication no . 2008 / 0008822 ( kowalski et al . ), which are hereby incorporated by reference . in particular , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 506 , 438 ( duthaler et al .) and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 750 , 473 ( amundson et al . ), which are incorporated by reference , teach using ink - jet printing to make various electrical devices , such as , resistors , capacitors , diodes , inductors ( or elements which may be used in radio applications or magnetic or electric field transmission of power or data ), semiconductor logic elements , electro - optical elements , transistor ( including , light emitting , light sensing or solar cell elements , field effect transistor , top gate structures ), and the like . the electrical devices 302 can also be created by aerosol printing , such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 674 , 671 ( renn et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 658 , 163 ( renn et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 485 , 345 ( renn et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 7 , 045 , 015 ( renn et al . ); and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 823 , 124 ( renn et al . ), which are hereby incorporated by reference . printing processes are preferably used to fabricate various functional structures , such as conductive paths and electrical devices , without the use of masks or resists . features down to about 10 microns can be directly written in a wide variety of functional inks , including metals , ceramics , polymers and adhesives , on virtually any substrate — silicon , glass , polymers , metals and ceramics . the substrates can be planar and non - planar surfaces . the printing process is typically followed by a thermal treatment , such as in a furnace or with a laser , to achieve dense functionalized structures . ink jet printing of electronically active inks can be done on a large class of substrates , without the requirements of standard vacuum processing or etching . the inks may incorporate mechanical , electrical or other properties , such as , conducting , insulating , resistive , magnetic , semi conductive , light modulating , piezoelectric , spin , optoelectronic , thermoelectric or radio frequency . a plurality of ink drops are dispensed from the print head directly to a substrate or on an intermediate transfer member . the transfer member can be a planar or non - planar structure , such as a drum . the surface of the transfer member can be coated with a non - sticking layer , such as silicone , silicone rubber , or teflon . the ink ( also referred to as function inks ) can include conductive materials , semi - conductive materials ( e . g ., p - type and n - type semiconducting materials ), metallic material , insulating materials , and / or release materials . the ink pattern can be deposited in precise locations on a substrate to create fine lines having a width smaller than 10 microns , with precisely controlled spaces between the lines . for example , the ink drops form an ink pattern corresponding to portions of a transistor , such as a source electrode , a drain electrode , a dielectric layer , a semiconductor layer , or a gate electrode . the substrate can be an insulating polymer , such as polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polyester , polyethersulphone ( pes ), polyimide film ( e . g . kapton , available from dupont located in wilmington , del . ; upilex available from ube corporation located in japan ), or polycarbonate . alternatively , the substrate can be made of an insulator such as undoped silicon , glass , or a plastic material . the substrate can also be patterned to serve as an electrode . the substrate can further be a metal foil insulated from the gate electrode by a non - conducting material . the substrate can also be a woven material or paper , planarized or otherwise modified on at least one surface by a polymeric or other coating to accept the other structures . electrodes can be printed with metals , such as aluminum or gold , or conductive polymers , such as polythiophene or polyaniline . the electrodes may also include a printed conductor , such as a polymer film comprising metal particles , such as silver or nickel , a printed conductor comprising a polymer film containing graphite or some other conductive carbon material , or a conductive oxide such as tin oxide or indium tin oxide . dielectric layers can be printed with a silicon dioxide layer , an insulating polymer , such as polyimide and its derivatives , poly - vinyl phenol , polymethylmethacrylate , polyvinyldenedifluoride , an inorganic oxide , such as metal oxide , an inorganic nitride such as silicon nitride , or an inorganic / organic composite material such as an organic - substituted silicon oxide , or a sol - gel organosilicon glass . dielectric layers can also include a bicylcobutene derivative ( bcb ) available from dow chemical ( midland , mich . ), spin - on glass , or dispersions of dielectric colloid materials in a binder or solvent . semiconductor layers can be printed with polymeric semiconductors , such as , polythiophene , poly ( 3 - alkyl ) thiophenes , alkyl - substituted oligothiophene , polythienylenevinylene , poly ( para - phenylenevinylene ) and doped versions of these polymers . an example of suitable oligomeric semiconductor is alpha - hexathienylene . horowitz , organic field - effect transistors , adv . mater ., 10 , no . 5 , p . 365 ( 1998 ) describes the use of unsubstituted and alkyl - substituted oligothiophenes in transistors . a field effect transistor made with regioregular poly ( 3 - hexylthiophene ) as the semiconductor layer is described in bao et al ., soluble and processable regioregular poly ( 3 - hexylthiophene ) for thin film field - effect transistor applications with high mobility , appl . phys . lett . 69 ( 26 ), p . 4108 ( december 1996 ). a field effect transistor made with a - hexathienylene is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 659 , 181 , which is incorporated herein by reference . a protective layer can optionally be printed onto the electrical devices . the protective layer can be an aluminum film , a metal oxide coating , a polymeric film , or a combination thereof . organic semiconductors can be printed using suitable carbon - based compounds , such as , pentacene , phthalocyanine , benzodithiophene , buckminsterfullerene or other fullerene derivatives , tetracyanonaphthoquinone , and tetrakisimethylanimoethylene . the materials provided above for forming the substrate , the dielectric layer , the electrodes , or the semiconductor layer are exemplary only . other suitable materials known to those skilled in the art having properties similar to those described above can be used in accordance with the present disclosure . the ink - jet print head preferably includes a plurality of orifices for dispensing one or more fluids onto a desired media , such as for example , a conducting fluid solution , a semiconducting fluid solution , an insulating fluid solution , and a precursor material to facilitate subsequent deposition . the precursor material can be surface active agents , such as octadecyltrichlorosilane ( ots ). alternatively , a separate print head is used for each fluid solution . the print head nozzles can be held at different potentials to aid in atomization and imparting a charge to the droplets , such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 148 , 128 ( jacobson ), which is hereby incorporated by reference . alternate print heads are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 626 , 526 ( ueki et al . ), and u . s . pat . publication nos . 2006 / 0044357 ( andersen et al .) and 2009 / 0061089 ( king et al . ), which are hereby incorporated by reference . the print head preferably uses a pulse - on - demand method , and can employ one of the following methods to dispense the ink drops : piezoelectric , magnetostrictive , electromechanical , electro pneumatic , electrostatic , rapid ink heating , magneto hydrodynamic , or any other technique well known to those skilled in the art . the deposited ink patterns typically undergo a curing step or another processing step before subsequent layers are applied . while ink jet printing is preferred , the term “ printing ” is intended to include all forms of printing and coating , including : pre - metered coating such as patch die coating , slot or extrusion coating , slide or cascade coating , and curtain coating ; roll coating such as knife over roll coating , forward and reverse roll coating ; gravure coating ; dip coating ; spray coating ; meniscus coating ; spin coating ; brush coating ; air knife coating ; screen printing processes ; electrostatic printing processes ; thermal printing processes ; and other similar techniques . figure 16 illustrates an alternate high performance electrical interconnect 320 with printed compliant material 322 added between circuit geometries 324 , 326 to facilitate insertion of exposed circuit geometries 328 , 330 into a receptacle or socket . the compliant material 322 can supplement or replace the compliance in the receptacle or socket . in one embodiment , the compliance is provided by a combination of the compliant material 322 and the exposed circuit geometries 328 , 330 . where a range of values is provided , it is understood that each intervening value , to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise , between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed within the embodiments of the disclosure . the upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges which may independently be included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the embodiments of the disclosure , subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range . where the stated range includes one or both of the limits , ranges excluding either both of those included limits are also included in the embodiments of the present disclosure . unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of the present disclosure belong . although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the embodiments of the present disclosure , the preferred methods and materials are now described . all patents and publications mentioned herein , including those cited in the background of the application , are hereby incorporated by reference to disclose and described the methods and / or materials in connection with which the publications are cited . the publications discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application . nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the present disclosure is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior invention . further , the dates of publication provided may be different from the actual publication dates which may need to be independently confirmed . other embodiments of the disclosure are possible . although the description above contains much specificity , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure , but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this disclosure . it is also contemplated that various combinations or sub - combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure . it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed embodiments of the disclosure . thus , it is intended that the scope of the present disclosure herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above . thus the scope of this disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents . therefore , it will be appreciated that the scope of the present disclosure fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art , and that the scope of the present disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims , in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “ one and only one ” unless explicitly so stated , but rather “ one or more .” all structural , chemical , and functional equivalents to the elements of the above - described preferred embodiment ( s ) that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims . moreover , it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present disclosure , for it to be encompassed by the present claims . furthermore , no element , component , or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element , component , or method step is explicitly recited in the claims . | 7 |
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , a thz emitter includes a stack 101 of superconducting layers 103 that are separated by insulating layers 105 ( see fig2 a and 2b ). in fig2 a these layers 103 , 105 are disposed between a top metal layer 115 and a bottom metal layer 113 , generally gold , a gold alloy or any conventional accepted conductor layer . as shown in fig2 a and 2b , the entire device 100 is quite thin , with the top metal layer 115 having a thickness denoted as 119 and the bottom layer 113 having a thickness denoted as 121 . in one preferred embodiment , each of the top and bottom layers 115 , 121 have a thickness of about 75 nm each . the superconducting stack 101 has a thickness labeled as 123 ( see fig2 a ), and in one preferred embodiment the superconducting stack 101 thickness is less than about 100 nm . the thickness denoted 123 comprises a series of the superconducting layers 103 separated by insulating layer portions 105 . in fig2 a electrical contact to the superconducting stack 101 is realized through metal layers 119 , 121 attached to the top and bottom of stack 101 . the top metal layer 119 is patterned into a grating . fig2 b illustrates an embodiment of the surface - emitting thz source in which the surface of a wide superconducting stack is patterned in such a way as to yield a mesa - shaped stack resting on the wider base . a metal grating is positioned on top of the mesa ; and an electrical current , i , is injected through the metal grating , travels down the mesa and into the base , and is extracted through the counter electrode deposited onto the surface of the base next to the mesa . the functioning of the embodiment is identical to that shown in fig2 a . the drawings 2 a and 2 b are not to scale , the spacing between the superconducting layers and the width and period of the slots in the grating in particular are largely exaggerated for clarity . in a conventional prior art form of a superconducting thz emitter as shown in fig1 , the thz - power 135 would radiate from an end face 134 ( an end - fire configuration ) of the device 100 . the thickness of the superconductor stack 101 , is limited to typically less than about 100 nm due to joule heating in the device 100 . therefore , the active surface area is very small , thereby substantially limiting the net radiated power . furthermore , there is a very large mismatch between the free - space wavelength , about 300 μm at 1 thz , and the josephson plasma wavelength , set by the vortex spacing , typically less than 10 μm . as a consequence , the prior art devices are inefficient because the thz waves do not emit from the edge surfaces but instead , are back - reflected into the superconductor . as described hereinbefore , the device 100 of the present invention is shown schematically in different embodiments in fig2 a and 2b . thz emission is accomplished by any one of a variety of high temperature superconductors as known in the art . josephson vortices move ( in a uniform direction ) parallel to the superconductor layers 103 inducing a voltage . this voltage in turn induces an oscillating current due to the well - known josephson effect . the input energy is stored in the form of a standing josephson plasma wave with part of the energy coupled into radiation through a metal grating 131 in the top face 115 rather than the side face 134 of the prior art devices ( see fig1 ). in one preferred embodiment , the source of electromagnetic energy is a single crystal superconductor , bi 2 sr 2 cacu 2 o 8 , having the layers 103 and 105 . the superconducting layers 103 are composed of superconducting cuo 2 - planes that are coupled to each other across intervening insulating bio — sro layer portions 105 through weak josephson coupling . when subjected to an applied magnetic field , b , denoted by 107 oriented parallel to the planes , the magnetic field lines will penetrate the material in the form of josephson vortices 109 that squeeze in between the superconducting layers 103 . the centers of the josephson vortices 109 reside in the insulating layer portions 105 . a current , i , denoted by 117 flows perpendicular to the planes down the stack of the layers ( 103 ) and also the insulating layers 105 and the current flow generates a lorentz force that drives the josephson vortices 109 parallel to the planes in a direction denoted as 111 . since they move in a rather un - impeded fashion , they travel as a regular lattice at high velocities ( see fig2 a ). this coherently moving josephson vortex 109 lattice induces ac electromagnetic waves and currents . their frequency , v , is determined by the voltage , u , across the superconductor layers 103 and can , therefore , be tuned by the applied current . a voltage of 2 mv per layer corresponds to 1 thz , and the technologically important terahertz frequency range of 0 . 1 to 5 thz can easily be scanned . the wavelength , { tilde over ( λ )}, is given by the distance between the josephson vortices 109 , typically several micrometers , and is determined by the applied field . typical field strengths are several kg , which in an optimized device , can be generated with permanent magnets . the layered superconducting structure of the device 100 , as shown in fig2 a and 2b , exhibits a spectrum of electromagnetic modes , the josephson plasma waves , that are analogous to the guided modes in a waveguide . if the applied field and current are adjusted in such a way that the velocity of the moving lattice of the josephson vortices 109 coincides with that of a josephson plasma mode , resonance occurs ; and a large amount of energy is pumped from the moving lattice of the vortices 109 into this plasma wave . it has been estimated that the resulting electro - magnetic power density in the stack 101 at thz - frequencies is very large , about 100 w / cm 2 . in preferred form of the present device 100 , the metal grating 131 is patterned onto the top one of the superconducting stack 101 as shown schematically in fig2 a and 2b . in an exemplary embodiment , the metal grating 131 functions also as an electrical contact . in addition , in one embodiment , the metal grating 131 will induce a strong periodic variation of the dielectric constant at the surface of the superconducting stack 101 . since , in one embodiment , the stack 101 is thinner than both the plasma wavelength and the screening length ( typically about 300 nm at 1 thz ), this periodic perturbation affects the propagation of the josephson plasma waves throughout the entire stack 101 . as a consequence , the josephson plasma waves can undergo bragg reflection , similar to bragg reflection of x - rays or neutrons from crystals . bragg reflection allows an elegant way of controlling the propagation of electromagnetic waves . the principle of operation is illustrated in fig3 . the lines 203 indicate the dependence ( here taken for simplicity as linear ) of the frequency of the josephson plasma waves upon their in - plane wave vector , and the location 205 marks the operation point that has been selected by the applied current and field , ω thz and k // = 2π / a . the shaded area 207 represents electromagnet waves that can travel in free space , the light cone . the large separation of the location 205 from the light cone 207 illustrates the mismatch in wavelengths described above . if a grating with period equal to the josephson plasma wavelength is introduced , the plasma waves can undergo bragg reflection upon which their wave vector changes by the grating vector , 2π / a , as shown by the arrows 211 in fig3 . the metal grating 131 induces a strong periodic modulation of the dielectric constant at the surface which gives rise to bragg reflection of the plasma waves . if the grating period is chosen equal to the plasma wavelength , then the initial large wave vector of the plasma wave ( location 205 ) is transformed into a small wave vector 213 inside the light cone 207 , and the plasma waves become radiative through the top surface 115 . as a result , the large wave vector 205 is transferred to the small wave vector 213 , well within the light cone 207 , corresponding to a thz - wave with essentially zero in - plane wave vector . this wave is transferred through the grating into thz - radiation as indicated by the arrows 135 in fig2 a and 2b , leading to top surface emission as opposed to highly undesirable , conventional edge emission from the sides of the device 100 ( see fig1 ). in one embodiment , an enhancement by more than a factor of 10 3 in active surface area is achieved as compared to the end - fire configuration of the prior art . another aspect of the invention relates to tunability , that is , change in frequency of the emitted thz - radiation . for the stack 101 containing n superconducting layers , the frequency - wave vector relation is not a simple line ( as indicated in fig3 ), but consists of n closely spaced branches , which form a quasi - continuous band of frequencies . the width of this band determines the range over which the frequency of the thz - radiation can be tuned . another aspect of the present invention involves thz beam steering . if the grating period is slightly different from the vortex spacing , then the small wave vector 213 in fig3 will not be located exactly at zero ; instead the thz plasma wave maintains a small in - plane wave vector k // . the emitted thz radiation has the same in - plane wave vector and is emitted at an angle α with respect to the normal given by sin ( α )= ck // / ω thz . therefore , by superimposing a small additional magnetic field onto the applied magnetic field 107 , the vortex spacing ; and thus the position of the small wave vector and large wave vector in fig3 can be modulated . consequently , the resulting k // vector and the beam direction can be controlled . with a superimposed ac - field the beam could be scanned back and forth for use in thz imaging applications , for example , for the stand - off chemical detection . in one exemplary embodiment , the superconducting stack 101 comprises between about seventy and one hundred separate superconducting layers . in an exemplary embodiment , a dielectric material is provided in communication with the grating 131 . extensive numerical simulations of the distribution of supercurrents and electromagnetic fields in josephson - coupled superconducting stacks show large power densities of thz - waves . for example , for the preferred embodiment shown in fig2 a , a power density has been obtained of 797 w / cm 2 at a frequency of 3 . 7 thz residing at the top surface , which translates into an emitted radiation power of 0 . 12 mw for the device 100 . the foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present 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 present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the present invention in various embodiments , and with various modifications , as are suited to the particular use contemplated . | 7 |
referring first to fig1 there is shown a configuration of a signal transmission apparatus to which the present invention is applied . the signal transmission apparatus 1 includes a transmission side circuit 2 and a reception side circuit 3 connected ( that is , electromagnetically coupled ) to each other by a rotary transformer 4 . it is to be noted that a rotary transformer is used typically , for example , in a magnetic recording and / or reproduction apparatus using a rotary head . thus , the signal transmission apparatus 1 shown in fig1 forms as a circuit of a signal recording system of a magnetic recording and / or reproduction apparatus . further , in the signal transmission apparatus shown in fig1 a rotary transformer with a center tap is used as the rotary transformer 4 . the transmission side circuit 2 includes a drive circuit 5 for providing recording current . in the signal transmission apparatus 1 shown , a current driving ic is used as the drive circuit 5 . the drive circuit 5 of the ic includes a driving amplifier 5 a to input a recording signal sig_in ( indicated by a symbol of an ac source in fig1 ) from a signal processing circuit not shown . the driving amplifier 5 a has two output terminals connected to the emitters of npn transistors q 1 and q 2 form a differential pair 6 outside the ic . a predetermined voltage from a voltage production section 5 b ( indicated by a symbol of a constant voltage source in fig1 ) in the ic is supplied to the bases of the transistors q 1 and q 2 . the signals obtained at the output terminals of the driving amplifier 5 a have phases opposite to each other ( a round mark (◯) in fig1 represents one of the output terminals ), and consequently , the transistors q 1 and q 2 are controlled between on and off reciprocally to each other such that , when one of the transistors q 1 and q 2 exhibits an on state , the other exhibits an off state . a constant current source “ is ” formed using a transistor or the like is externally connected to the current driving ic for controlling the recording current . the current of the driving amplifier 5 a is controlled through adjustment and setting of the current value of the constant current source is . the collector of the transistor q 1 is connected to one end of a winding 4 p of the primary side ( with reference to a transmission direction of a recording signal ) of the rotary transformer 4 , and the other end of the winding 4 p is connected to the collector of the transistor q 2 . a predetermined voltage “ vcc ” from a power supply circuit not shown is supplied to the center tap of the rotary transformer 4 through a power supply terminal tb . consequently , if the transistor q 1 is placed into an on state while the transistor q 2 is placed into an off state , then current flows from the center tap of the winding 4 p through the winding 4 p ( an upper half portion in fig1 ) to the transistor q 1 . on the other hand , if the transistor q 2 is placed into an on state while the transistor q 1 is placed into an off state , then current flows from the center tap through the winding 4 p ( a lower half portion in fig1 ) to the transistor q 2 . a resistor r 2 is provided at the input stage ( stator side ) of the rotary transformer 4 and serves as a damping resistor . one end of the resistor r 2 is connected to one end of the winding 4 p while the other end of the resistor r 2 is connected to the other end of the winding 4 p . the reception side circuit 3 provided on the rotor side of the rotary transformer 4 includes a recording head as a load . the reception side circuit 3 may have a circuit configuration which that includes a recording head , another circuit configuration that includes a recording head and a recording amplifier , a further circuit configuration that includes a recording head , a recording amplifier and a drive circuit , or some other circuit configuration . however , in this embodiment , the reception side circuit 3 shows the simplest configuration including only a recording head 7 . one end of the recording head 7 is connected to one end of a secondary side winding 4 s of the rotary transformer 4 , and the other end of the recording head 7 is connected to the other end of the secondary side winding 4 s . further , similar effects are achieved also where a reproduction signal is transmitted to the stator side using a reproduction amplifier of a magneto - resistance ( mr ) element or a gigantic magneto - resistance ( gmr ) on the rotor side as a drive circuit . a passive element circuit 8 including an inductance element is provided at the input stage of the rotary transformer 4 of the signal transmission apparatus 1 having the configuration described above . in particular , the passive element circuit 8 including an inductance element ( inductor ) is connected at the input stage of rotary transformer 4 in a parallel connection relationship to the winding 4 p of the rotary transformer 4 . the passive element circuit 8 has an inductance value substantially equal to or lower than an equivalent inductance ( denoted by “ l ” in fig1 ) when the circuit following the rotary transformer is viewed from the transmission side circuit 2 , that is , from the stator side . it is to be noted that the rotary transformer 4 can be approximated to a t equivalent circuit , and the recording head 7 can be replaced substantially with an inductor , a dc resistor and a winding capacitor . therefore , a circuit simulation can be performed taking a floating capacitance and so forth into consideration . the configuration of the passive element circuit 8 may be a configuration wherein a combination of an inductance element and a resistance element is used as a basic element , another configuration wherein only an inductance element is connected in parallel to the rotary transformer , or a further configuration wherein the two configurations described above are combined with each other such as , for example , those described below . ( i ) a configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 1 and a resistor r 1 connected in series is used ; ( ii ) another configuration wherein an inductance element l 2 and a resistor r 2 are used ; ( iii ) a further configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 1 and a resistor r 1 connected in series and another resistor r 2 connected in parallel to the series circuit are used ; and ( iv ) a still further configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 1 and a resistor r 1 connected in series and another inductance element l 2 or an inductance element l 2 and another resistor r 2 connected in parallel to the series circuit are used . it is to be noted that fig1 shows all of the configurations ( i ) to ( iv ) described above in a collected form and therefore shows the configuration ( iv ) which is a combination of the configurations ( i ) and ( ii ). first , in the configuration ( i ), the series circuit of the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 is provided at the input stage of the rotary transformer 4 . thus , the configuration ( i ) corresponds to the configuration of the signal transmission apparatus 1 of fig1 that lacks the inductance element l 2 and the resistor r 2 . in this instance , the inductance value of the inductance element l 1 is set substantially equal to the value of the equivalent inductance l including the recording head 7 as a load as viewed from the stator side . since the bandwidth is widened to the higher frequency side due to an effect of improvement in impedance matching , also higher frequency components than those in the conventional circuit can be transmitted . it is to be noted that , although the signal transmission apparatus 1 in fig1 includes the single series circuit of the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 , it can be formed in various modified forms such as , for example , a form wherein a plurality of such series circuits are connected in parallel . in the configuration ( ii ), the passive element circuit 8 includes only the inductance element l 2 and the resistor r 2 in fig1 . with the configuration ( ii ), a wider band than that of the configuration ( i ) can be used . however , since the transmission efficiency is deteriorated for the inductance of the inductance element l 2 , it is necessary to take the allowance for loss of the equivalent inductance l into consideration . for example , even if the inductance value of the inductance element l 2 is set to three times the equivalent inductance l , the effect described above still remains . in the configuration ( iii ), the inductance element l 2 is connected in parallel to the series circuit of the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 . accordingly , the configuration ( iii ) is effective where it is desired to adjust the peak of the frequency characteristic in the configuration ( i ). the configuration ( iv ) has a configuration wherein , for example , the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 of the configuration ( i ) and the inductance element l 2 and the resistor r 2 of the configuration ( ii ) are connected in parallel as shown in fig1 . accordingly , the configuration ( iv ) exhibits the effects exhibited by both of the configurations ( i ) and ( ii ). it is to be noted that the configurations described above are mere possible examples of the configuration of the signal transmission apparatus 1 , and in order to make the frequency characteristic appropriate , naturally such a suitable modification that , for example , a suitable element such as a series circuit of an inductor and a resistor or a resistor is connected additionally to the passive element circuit 8 may be applied to the configurations . fig2 to 5 show several examples of magnitude and phase characteristics . in fig2 to 5 , the axis of abscissa indicates the frequency ( unit : mhz ) and the axis of ordinate indicates the magnitude level ( db ) and the phase (°). [ 0048 ] fig2 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( i ) described above . in fig2 a curve ga 1 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 1 indicates a phase characteristic . it is to be noted that the inductance of the inductance element l 1 is set to a value lower than the equivalent inductance l relating to the rotary transformer 4 . [ 0049 ] fig3 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( ii ) described above . in fig3 a curve ga 2 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 2 indicates a phase characteristic . it is to be noted that the inductance of the inductance element l 2 is set to a value substantially equal to the equivalent inductance l relating to the rotary transformer 4 . [ 0050 ] fig4 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( ii ) described above . in fig3 a curve ga 3 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 3 indicates a phase characteristic . it is to be noted that the inductance of the inductance element l 2 is set to a value lower than the equivalent inductance l relating to the rotary transformer 4 . [ 0051 ] fig5 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( ii ) described above . in fig5 a curve ga 4 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 4 indicates a phase characteristic . it is to be noted that the inductance of the inductance element l 2 is set to a value higher by ten times than the equivalent inductance l relating to the rotary transformer 4 . consequently , the characteristics are almost similar to those of the conventional circuit . thus , the characteristics are presented as a comparative example . from comparison among the characteristics of fig3 to 5 , an influence of the relationship in magnitude between the inductance of the inductance element l 2 and the equivalent inductance l described hereinabove can be seen apparently . where the inductance of the inductance element l 2 is excessively high with respect to the equivalent inductance l , the effect of improvement of the characteristics disappears . [ 0053 ] fig6 shows an example of the characteristics regarding the configuration ( iv ) described above . in fig6 a curve ga 5 indicates a magnitude characteristic and another curve gp 5 indicates a phase characteristic . it can be seen that the frequency characteristics are improved significantly with the configuration ( iv ). it is to be noted that , in this instance , a circuit wherein the inductance element l 2 is connected in parallel to the series circuit of the inductance element l 1 and the resistor r 1 is used . [ 0054 ] fig7 illustrates an example of an output characteristic of the configuration ( iv ) in comparison with that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus . in fig7 the axis of abscissa indicates the frequency ( unit : mhz ) and the axis of ordinate indicates the magnitude level ( unit : db ). in fig7 a curve g 1 indicated by a solid line indicates a characteristic of the circuit according to the present invention , and a curve g 1 indicated by an alternate long and two short dashes line indicates a characteristic of the conventional circuit ( the configuration of fig1 in which only the resistor r 2 is provided ). from comparison between the curves g 1 and g 1 , it can be seen that the characteristic indicated by the curve g 1 extends to the higher frequency side . [ 0056 ] fig8 shows a configuration of another signal transmission apparatus to which the present invention is applied . referring to fig8 the signal transmission apparatus 1 a is similar to the signal transmission apparatus 1 in that a transmission side circuit 2 and a reception side circuit 3 are connected to each other using a rotary transformer , but is different in that a rotary transformer having no center tap is used as the rotary transformer . therefore , the difference of the signal transmission apparatus 1 a from the signal transmission apparatus 1 is described in detail while description of common elements of the signal transmission apparatus 1 a to which like reference characters to those of the signal transmission apparatus 1 are applied is omitted to avoid redundancy . in the signal transmission apparatus 1 a , a circuit section 9 including an inductor ll 1 and a resistor rr 1 connected in parallel and another circuit section 10 including an inductor ll 2 and a resistor rr 2 connected in parallel are connected to a power supply terminal tb . a winding 4 p of the primary side of the rotary transformer 4 a is connected at one end thereof to the power supply terminal tb through the circuit section 9 and the collector of a transistor q 1 . the other end of the winding 4 p is connected to the power supply terminal tb through the circuit section 10 and the collector of another transistor q 2 . the configurations of the transistors q 1 and q 2 and the drive circuit 5 are quite similar to those of the signal transmission apparatus 1 . therefore , when the transistor q 2 is placed into an on state while the transistor q 1 is placed into an off state , current flows from the circuit section 9 through the winding 4 p of the rotary transformer 4 a to the transistor q 2 . however , when the transistor q 1 is placed into an on state while the transistor q 2 is placed into an off state , current flows from the circuit section 10 through the winding 4 p of the rotary transformer 4 a to the transistor q 1 . accordingly , the direction of current flowing through the winding 4 p is reversed between the two cases . for example , the following configurations may be applied as a configuration of a passive element circuit 8 a provided at the input stage of the rotary transformer 4 a . ( v ) a configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 3 and a resistor r 4 connected in series is used ; ( vi ) another configuration wherein a circuit including an inductance element l 3 and a resistor r 4 connected in series and another resistor r 3 connected in parallel to the series circuit are used ; ( vii ) a further configuration wherein only a resistor r 3 is used and the sum of the inductance of the inductor ll 1 and the inductance of the inductor ll 2 is set lower than that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus ; ( viii ) a still further configuration wherein the sum of the inductance of the inductor ll 1 and the inductance of the inductor ll 2 in the configuration ( v ) is set lower than that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus ; and ( ix ) a yet further configuration wherein the sum of the inductance of the inductor ll 1 and the inductance of the inductor ll 2 in the configuration ( vi ) is set lower than that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus . it is to be noted that fig8 shows the configurations ( v ) to ( ix ) described above collectively and therefore shows a configuration same as that of the configuration ( vi ) or ( ix ). first , in the configuration ( v ), a circuit including an inductance element l 3 and a resistor r 4 connected in series is provided at the input stage ( stator side ) of the rotary transformer 4 a . this corresponds to the configuration of fig8 which lacks the resistor r 3 . in this instance , if the inductance of the inductance element l 3 is substantially equal to the value of the equivalent inductance l ( including the recording head 7 as a load ) as viewed from the stator side , then the bandwidth is greatest . however , the inductance of the inductance element l 3 is sometimes set to a lower value for the convenience of design of the frequency characteristic . it is to be noted that , although the signal transmission apparatus 1 a in fig8 includes the single series circuit of the inductance element l 3 and the resistor r 4 , if necessary , it can be formed in various modified forms such as , for example , a form wherein a plurality of such series circuits are connected in parallel . in the configuration ( vi ), a resistor r 3 is connected in parallel to a series circuit of an inductance element l 3 and a resistor r 4 . accordingly , the configuration ( vi ) is effective where it is desired to adjust the peak of the frequency characteristic in the configuration ( v ). in the configuration ( vii ), only a resistor r 3 is provided in addition to the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 and the resistors rr 1 and rr 2 . accordingly , the bandwidth can be increased when compared with the configuration ( v ). however , since the transmission efficiency to the head is deteriorated , the inductance values of the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 must be determined taking the allowance value for the loss of the equivalent inductance l into consideration . therefore , preferably the sum value of the inductance values of the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 is set lower than that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus . the configuration ( viii ) basically has the same configuration as that of the configuration ( v ). however , since the sum value of the inductance values of the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 is similar to that of the configuration ( vii ), the configuration ( viii ) has effects of the other configurations . the configuration ( ix ) basically has the same configuration as that of the configuration ( vi ). however , since the sum value of the inductance values of the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 is similar to that of the configuration ( vii ), the configuration ( ix ) has effects of the other configurations . anyway , since the bandwidth is expanded to the high frequency side as a result of improvement in impedance matching between the rotary transformer and the recording side circuit ( drive circuit ), also higher frequency components than those in the conventional signal transmission apparatus can be transmitted . it is to be noted that , although also configurations wherein an inductance element is disposed in parallel to the resistor r 3 in the configuration ( v ) or ( vi ) are possible , this is equivalent to alteration of the inductance relating to the inductors ll 1 and ll 2 . [ 0074 ] fig9 illustrates an example of the output characteristic relating to the configuration ( vi ) in comparison with that of the conventional signal transmission apparatus . the axis of abscissa indicates the frequency ( unit : mhz ) and the axis of ordinate indicates the magnitude level ( unit : db ). in fig9 a curve g 2 indicated by a solid line indicates a characteristic of the circuit according to the present invention , and a curve g 2 indicated by an alternate long and two short dashes line indicates a characteristic of the conventional circuit ( the configuration of fig8 in which only the resistor r 3 is provided ). from comparison between the curves g 2 and g 2 , it can be seen that the characteristic indicated by the curve g 2 extends to the higher frequency side . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms , such description is for illustrative purposes only , and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims . | 6 |
in the invention , an absorption material belt system is used to draw off liquid toner dispersant such as isopar from a dispersant laden image that is located on an image carrying member such as an electrostatographic imaging member or intermediate member downstream from the development station . the exit and entrance angles of the belt removing the dispersant can be controlled or manipulated to maintain the proper cohesiveness of the image and of the shear forces , particularly at higher process speeds . by adjusting the angles of the belt , there is less turbulence as the dispersant is being absorbed by the absorption material , thereby allowing the dispersant to be absorbed at the same rate that the absorption material belt is contacting the image . more specifically , the dispersant is removed by passing an absorption material belt over a roller biased with the same charge as that of the toner . the bias repels the toner particles while allowing the dispersant to be absorbed . in an especially preferred embodiment , a conductive or semiconductive absorbent material is used with a biased roller . this allows the roller &# 39 ; s electrical field to approach more closely to the toned image and thus exert a stronger repelling action than if the biased roller were separated from the toner image by an insulating absorbent material . in the case of a multilayer medium , individual layers can be made conductive so that the overall thickness of the medium has little effect . fig1 shows an absorption material belt 10 removing excess dispersant from a toner dispersant laden image on an imaging member 2 . while a drum is shown in fig1 the invention is equally useful with a belt - type imaging member . suitable imaging members include known photoreceptors and ionic receptors . the drum 2 rotates to the bias pressure roller 3 . the belt 10 is comprised of an absorption material which passes around the bias pressure roller and a backup roller 4 . this absorption material 10 which contains small pores to absorb the toner dispersant is brought into contact with the dispersant laden image . capillary action absorbs the dispersant into the absorption material . the absorption material may be any suitable material , preferably a foam such as one selected from the group consisting of vyon ® ( a high density microporous material ), permair ® ( a microporous polyurethane material ), tetratex ® ( a microporous semipermeable membrane ), and &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; foam . foams with a contact surface that have an appearance of being glossy and non - porous though they are truly very porous are the greatest contributors to dispersant removal in the background areas , due to intimate contact with the image and to the fact that they cause the least amount of image loss or degradation . top surface materials for good absorption and conformability characteristics should have on their surface some gloss in appearance and yet be very porous . when dispersant is dripped onto the material surface with an eye dropper , the fluid should be wicked into the material in less than 250 msec . the best surface characteristics have been found in materials that , due to &# 34 ; surface tension &# 34 ; are surface hydrophobic yet readily absorb dispersant . the material must , of course , be compatible with whatever dispersant material is used . pore sizes of the absorbent material of about 0 . 2 to about 30 microns do very well , although the end product may use pore sizes outside these limits . very small pores of a micron or less do an excellent job of absorbing the dispersant out of an image and off the background , though extracting the dispersant requires more pressure due to the increased capillary pressure . however , such a material could be used between an absorbing foam and the porous roller as a barrier to allow isopar to absorb into the foam through the barrier but not allow it to rewet . the volume porosity of the foam is a parameter that must be taken into account when a roller or other physical pressure is used to compact the image and to expel the dispersant so as to avoid overcompressing the foam pores and thus reducing or eliminating absorption from the image . nominally at very low pressures the foam porosity can go as high as about 80 % to about 95 % and as low as about 5 % to about 15 % whereas at high pressure the high figure could go down depending on the durometer and strength of the material . the amount of toner removed from an image onto the surface of absorbent material belt depends upon the surface texture of the isopar removal medium . a greater surface texture allows for the embedding of toner particles into the irregularities of the surface of the absorption material belt . thus , a smoother glossy surface with small pores will allow fewer toner particles to become embedded . additionally , the surface energy of the absorbent material &# 39 ; s surface greatly influences the amount of toner removed from the image when there is little or no electric field compressing the image away from the foam . the material can be made of a layer of materials , each possessing the necessary requirements of that layer . the bias pressure - roller 3 is biased with an electrical charge which is the same as the charge of the toner particles in the dispersant , such that the resulting electric field repels the toner particles from the absorption material so that minimal toner particles are transferred to the absorption material 10 . pressure may be applied to the dispersant laden image by the roller 3 , thereby reducing the pile height of the image and increasing the amount of dispersant being absorbed . at nominally low bias roller pressures with a field applied across the image , the percent solids of the image will go from 15 % after development to about 30 % up to about 40 % after dispersant absorption . with pressure applied to the bias roller compacting the image , this latter figure will continue to increase the percent solids of the image to approximately 50 % to about 70 %. to accomplish this compression of image while absorption of the dispersant takes place , the compressible strength of the absorbent material must be greater than the force exerting onto it so that the interspatial voids or capillary paths within the absorption material are not eliminated or brought to saturation by the constriction . after the absorption material belt 10 absorbs the dispersant , it travels around the backup roller 4 which is in contact with a squeeze roller 7 . this squeeze roller 7 , which acts as a squeegee , removes the dispersant from the absorption material belt 10 . a blade 6 removes dispersant from the squeeze roller 7 . the dispersant is collected in a dispersant collection tray 5 . the belt 10 continues traveling around the backup roller 4 to again contact the imaging member 2 at a point between the bias pressure roller 3 and imaging member 2 such that immediately prior to a portion of the belt 10 contacting imaging member 2 , the portion of the belt 10 is in an uncompressed state having any previously absorbed toner dispersant removed from the belt 10 . the image generating belt or drum 2 continues to rotate to the point where a transfer corotron 1 or another known mechanism transfers the image to an intermediate belt or other type of commonly known image receiving members . thus , transfer corotron 1 constitutes an image transfer station . the image generating belt or drum 2 continues to travel to station 9 where the drum 2 is erased and a new electrostatic image formation takes place . it then proceeds to development in metering station 8 ( also commonly referred to as a development station ) which is the point at which the dispersant developer is applied to the electrostatic image . after dispersant has been removed from a number of images , it is most probable that the outer surface of the belt would begin to get a finite layer of toner particles onto it . there are many possible ways to remove these toner particles such as a felt wiper positioned against the belt 10 to scrub these particles off along with any other debris that may adhere to the belt 10 . another method is to bias the dispersant squeeze roller 7 of opposite polarity to that of the toner , thus transferring the toner deposits to the roll which may be wiped off with a urethane or similar blade 6 . in the embodiment of fig2 the absorption material belt 10 excess dispersant is removed from a toner image placed on an intermediate transport belt 18 , the toner image 11 having been transferred from a photoreceptor drum . as shown in fig1 the absorption material belt 10 absorbs the dispersant through a series of pores in the foam . at the same time , the pressure roller 13 is compacting the image and increasing the percent solids up to approximately 50 % to about 70 %. as the absorbent material belt travels around the backup roller 14 , a squeegee roller 15 removes the dispersant from the absorbent material belt 10 . in fig2 the dispersant removal squeegee roller has an opposite polarity to that of the toner , thus transferring the toner deposits to the roller which may be wiped with the urethane or similar blade 7 . the isopar is collected in a collection tray 17 . in roller absorption systems , the roller is or should be operating at the same speed as the photoreceptor drum . however , the squeeze roller often slows down the absorption roller , causing slippage and image disruption . this problem is virtually eliminated in the absorption material belt system due to the elasticity of the belt and the fact that the squeezing of the belt to remove the isopar occurs at a greater distance away from the point where the absorption material belt is in contact with the image on the photoreceptor drum , resulting in less disturbance of the image . the belt system also allows more effective use of space at high speeds and isolation of the torque applied during the squeegee step to improve motion control and registration . it is therefore apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention a method and apparatus for increasing the solids content of an image formed from liquid developer that fully satisfies the aims and advantages herein before set forth . while this invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is intended to embrace alternatives , modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
aspects of the present invention include a bullpup assembly for an ar - 15 type firearm , a bullpup configured ar - 15 type firearm , and a method for converting a conventional ar - 15 type firearm into a bullpup configured ar - 15 type firearm . fig1 shows a side view of an example ar - 15 type firearm 10 having a conventional configuration , i . e ., does not have a bullpup configuration . the firearm 10 includes a body 12 , a stock 14 , a handle 16 , a grip 18 , a barrel 20 , a firearm trigger 22 , a magazine 24 , a gas tube holder 26 , a sight 30 , a sight locking pin 31 for securing a portion of the sight , and other features known in the art . the stock 14 is attached to the main body 12 ( e . g ., via one or more screws and / or other attachment features ), and in operation , is held against an operator &# 39 ; s shoulder when firing the firearm 10 . the stock 14 allows the operator to firmly support the device and easily aim it . fig2 shows a side view of an example ar - 15 type firearm 50 having multiple components removed . in particular , the stock 14 and the handle 16 shown in fig1 have been removed . the other elements , including the body 12 , the firearm trigger 22 , the grip 18 , the gas tube holder 26 , the barrel 20 , the magazine 24 , and the sight 30 , including the sight locking pin 31 , remain . generally , the mechanical parts of the firearm that contribute to firing operation remain operable in accordance with conventional operation . when the stock 14 is removed , one or more attachment features , such as an attachment screw receiving surface 32 , remains . in conventional assembly , as shown in fig1 , the attachment screw receiving surface 32 may have , for example , a threaded screw receiving opening , by which the stock 14 , having a corresponding opening for receiving a screw may be secured to the body 12 . fig3 shows a perspective exploded view of a bullpup assembly 100 . more specifically , fig3 shows the elements of the bullpup assembly 100 before it has been assembled onto the firearm of fig2 the bullpup assembly 100 includes : 1 ) a bullpup frame 102 ( also interchangeably referred herein as a frame body ); 2 ) a trigger link assembly 105 , which includes a trigger link 106 and a bullpup trigger 108 , along with a firearm trigger engagement feature 104 ; and 3 ) a shoulder butt 116 . the bullpup frame 102 includes a hollow body 110 ( also interchangeably referred herein as an interior cavity ) integrally formed with a handle 112 , a trigger guard 114 , one or more sight locking pin receiving openings 120 , and an opening for receiving a screw or other securing mechanism for securing the bullpup frame 102 to the body of the firearm . fig4 shows a perspective view of the bullpup frame 102 , where the body 110 is shown as transparent for clarity . as shown in fig4 , the bullpup trigger 108 may be located within the body 110 . further , the bullpup trigger 108 may be linearly coupled within the body 110 via a coupling mechanism 108 a , such as screw , a pin , or the like . the bullpup trigger 108 may also be coupled with the trigger link 106 , which extends though the body 110 to an attached firearm trigger engagement feature 104 . thus , force imparted on the bullpup trigger 108 ( e . g ., linear action during firing ) may be transferred via the trigger link 106 toward the opposite end of the trigger link 106 from the end of the trigger link 106 that is coupled with or otherwise interoperable with the bullpup trigger 108 . also shown in fig4 is the location for an opening for receiving a screw or other securing mechanism , and a securing mechanism 118 , such as a screw . fig5 shows a side view of the bullpup frame 102 , where the body 110 is shown as transparent for clarity . fig6 shows a side view of an example ar - 15 type firearm modified to a bullpup configuration , where the bullpup frame 102 is shown as transparent for clarity . fig7 shows a perspective view of the example firearm of fig6 . in particular , fig6 and 7 show the disassembled firearm 50 of fig2 after it has been coupled with the bullpup assembly 100 . fig6 and 7 show various elements that are included in fig2 and 3 , in an assembled configuration . as shown in fig6 and 7 , the bullpup frame 102 , including the bullpup trigger 108 and the trigger link 106 , is abuttably assembled with the lower portion of the disassembled firearm 50 . the upper surface outer edge of the bullpup frame 102 is shaped and sized so as to abut corresponding surface features of the firearm 50 , and the sight locking pin receiving openings 120 are located so as to allow a sight locking pin 31 to be inserted through the pin receiving openings 120 and the sight 30 , in order to partially secure the bullpup frame 102 to the firearm 50 . the trigger link 106 may extend within the hollow body 110 of the bullpup frame 102 , around the magazine 24 and / or magazine well , and operably engage the firearm trigger 22 via the firearm trigger engagement feature 104 . because the trigger link 106 operably engages the firearm trigger 22 on one end and is operably engaged with the bullpup trigger 108 on the other end , motion of the bullpup trigger 108 produces corresponding motion of the firearm trigger 22 via the trigger link 106 , such as when the firearm is fired . in assembly , in addition to the sight locking pin 31 being inserted through the pin receiving openings 120 to secure a portion of the bullpup frame to the firearm 50 , the attachment screw receiving surface 32 is aligned with the opening for receiving a screw or other securing mechanism in the bullpup frame 102 , and the securing mechanism 118 is engaged through the opening in the bullpup frame 102 and into the threaded opening in the screw receiving surface 32 , in order to secure the bullpup frame to the firearm 50 . the bullpup frame may comprise any material suitable for use with a firearm . of limited concern may be the heat produced within the barrel of a gun during firing . thus , the material chosen for some portions of the bullpup frame may need to retain form and properties under high heat . in some variations , the frame or portions of the frame may comprise a hard plastic having a high melting point or a metal . optionally , the bullpup frame may further comprise one or more heat shielding elements that may be located within the bullpup frame or that may be integral with one or both of these frames . such heat shielding elements may comprise metal shielding , such as firearm grade aluminum , that is located within the bullpup frame at appropriate locations ( e . g ., near the barrel ). fig8 shows a side view of a similar example bullpup frame 150 to the bullpup frame 102 shown in fig5 , with the body 110 being shown as transparent for clarity . the bullpup frame 150 of fig8 further includes a second handle 130 . the second handle 130 may optionally be retractable , such as via pivoting about pivot point 131 ( e . g ., a pin ) and lockable in extended and / or retracted position , such as via locking feature 132 ( e . g ., a locking pin biased to extend to an extending position through a locking opening in the handle 130 or body 110 , and selectably retractable , such as by depressing the locking pin through the locking opening ). a method for assembling the modified firearm having a bullpup configuration will now be described . starting with the conventional firearm 10 of fig1 , the stock 14 and the handle 16 are removed . the stock 14 and the handle 16 may be easily removed without the need for a gunsmith , for example , because the elements may be secured to the body 12 via screws or other securing features , and mating surfaces . for the stock 14 , the operator may simply unscrew the stock 14 from the body 12 and / or otherwise disconnect or remove any securing features . similarly , the operator may remove the handle 16 by removing the securing feature that attaches the handle 16 to the attachment screw receiving surface 32 . once the stock 14 and the handle 16 have been removed , the conventional ar - 15 type firearm is in the state shown in fig2 . next , the operator proceeds to attach the bullpup frame 102 ( fig3 to 5 ) to the firearm of fig2 . the bullpup frame 102 may be abuttably placed against the bottom portion of the firearm 50 , as shown in fig6 and 7 . as shown in fig6 and 7 , a portion of the body 12 , the firearm trigger 22 , magazine 24 , and a portion of the barrel 20 of the firearm 50 may be located within the bullpup frame 102 . the pin receiving openings 120 may be aligned with corresponding openings in the sight 30 , and the sight locking pin 31 may be inserted through the pin receiving openings 120 to secure a portion of the bullpup frame 102 to the firearm 50 . the securing mechanism 118 may be aligned with the mating piece 32 and the trigger link 106 may be aligned with the firearm trigger 22 . the location for the opening in the bullpup frame for receiving the securing mechanism is aligned with the threaded opening in the attachment screw receiving surface 32 , and a securing mechanism 118 is then engaged with the threaded opening to secure to further secure the bullpup frame 102 to the firearm 50 . after the above steps are taken , the bullpup configured ar - 15 type firearm shown in fig6 and 7 is completed . whenever the operator desires to return the ar - 15 type bullpup configuration back to a conventional ar - 15 type configuration , the user need only reverse the above steps . one or all of the above steps of assembling or disassembling the bullpup configuration may be carried out so as to avoid the need for machining or other assistance by a professional gunsmith . rather , a relatively unskilled operator need only screw / unscrew and assemble the relevant elements of the firearm . as shown in fig1 , 2 , 6 and 7 , the complex functionality of the firing mechanism remains unaltered when the firearm is in the conventional state or the bullpup state . thus , the above - described apparatus and method allows a firearm purchaser to easily and safely modify the firearm without the assistance of an expert . example aspects have been described in accordance with the above advantages . it will be appreciated that these examples are merely illustrative of aspects of the invention . many variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . | 5 |
the liquid vapor delivery system 10 according to the present invention is best seen in fig1 . the liquid vapor delivery system 10 is designed to provide a vapor stream of an easily vaporizable liquid or reagent 38 which is contained in a reservoir 94 and in a bubbler 12 . in general , the present invention involves adjusting the pressure within the headspace of bubbler 12 to that of the chemical fluid level line 37 , thus creating a repeatable fluid level based on pressure and fluid dynamics and not relying on conventional level sensors and controllers . this is accomplished in two stages . during the first stage , all inlets and outlets of the bubbler 12 are set in a closed position except valves 102 , 104 and 106 . to begin the refill cycle , valves 120 and 110 are then opened to initiate the flow of liquid 38 from liquid source 94 to the bubbler 12 . the system , during the refill cycle , allows over - filling of the liquid level 38 in bubbler 12 to a level controlled by the pressure of the liquid delivery conduit 19 , thereby compressing the volume of vapor in bubbler 12 and creating a pressure approximating the liquid source line 19 . construction and placement of vapor extraction tube 28 prevents liquid from being forced into it . during the second stage , valve 110 is closed , pressure supply is removed from the liquid source 94 , and valve 124 is opened forcing excess liquid through liquid level set tube 37 back to bulk liquid source 94 . liquid delivery system 10 can be essentially viewed as having two major components , bubbler 12 and conduits system 90 . when compared to traditional bubblers , bubbler 12 constitutes an upside down design in that all of the gas and liquid conduits that communicate with bubbler 12 are attached to bubbler floor 14 . this design arrangement of bubbler 12 led to an unexpected capability of cleaning bubbler 12 in - situ . bubbler floor 14 is designed so that the lowest point occurs at opening 21 which is attached to liquid source line or conduit 19 . thus , bubbler 12 can be readily cleaned in - situ without removing , disassembly , or contamination to the atmosphere . cleaning is simply accomplished by closing all valves except valves 110 , 128 and 130 . vacuum generator 136 is actuated and reagent 38 is withdrawn through vent 152 . alternatively valve 132 may be opened to withdraw reagent 38 . valves 128 and 130 are then closed and a cleaning solvent ( not shown ) can be attached to conduit 19 , in place of reservoir 94 , and cleaning solvent may then be introduced into bubbler 12 . once cleaned , the cleaning solvent is then withdrawn from bubbler 12 as discussed previously in the case of reagent 38 . conduit system 90 essentially comprises a liquid source line 19 , vapor stream conduit 26 , level set line 37 and carrier gas conduit 92 all of which allow for fluid communication between bubbler 12 and carrier gas source 98 , liquid reagent source reservoir 94 and a vacuum system that comprises a vacuum generator 138 , purge gas supply 96 , vacuum generator supply 100 and vent 152 . it will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art that conduit system 90 would take on many permutations by simply changing the configuration of the valves consequently fig1 is exemplary of one configuration that will accomplish the methods of the present invention . as discussed previously , bubbler 12 communicates with a fluid reagent source reservoir 94 by way of conduit 19 . reservoir 94 is designed to maintain a large supply of ultrahigh purity chemical reagent 38 which is used to periodically replenish bubbler 12 , preferably after every run . reservoir 94 may simply be in the form of a carboy , but it will be understood that specially designed refill reservoirs may be required . any kind of reservoir 94 which is chemically inert to the contained reagent 38 , and which can be suitably connected to a conduit system for carrying reagent 38 to bubbler 12 may be used . carrier gas intake conduit 92 extends from a source of pressurized carrier gas 98 into a flow controller unit 114 . after passing through the flow controller unit 114 conduit 92 is directed into bubbler 12 terminating with a lower outlet or orifice 24 located in the bottom of bubbler 12 . a vapor stream conduit 26 extends downwardly from a u - shaped neck intake orifice 28 , located in the headspace 30 in the top of bubbler 12 , through a number pneumatic valves to the process tool 154 . level set line 37 is placed within bubbler 12 so that excesses reagent 30 can be dismissed from bubbler 12 as the head pressure is set . furthermore , level set line 37 is adapted so that its height within bubbler 12 can be adjusted thus allowing one to set the depth of reagent 38 . a typical operation of the system 10 is now described as merely exemplary of the invention . it will be understood that the precise sequence and mode of operation may vary somewhat , depending upon the type of treatment zoned or furnace , which is being fed , and upon the kind of product being produced . thus , the following description is merely exemplary . considering the invention as designed to provide a stream of carrier gas 98 , which is either , saturated or partially saturated with reagent 38 to a processing tool 154 , the overall flow of gases and fluids will be as described . taking the system 10 at an equilibrium operating state , with the processing tool 154 in operation , the flow of gases is as follows . carrier gas 98 which may be an inert gas , such as and but not limited to argon , helium , oxygen , nitrogen or hydrogen is contained within a cylinder from which it flows through conduit system 92 thereby being introduced through orifice 24 into reagent 38 contained within bubbler 12 . bubbler 12 includes a heater / chiller 16 which for example may be a strap heater that is jacketed about an outer surface of bubbler 12 . the heater / chiller 16 is used to provide energy to increase or decrease the temperature and to vaporize reagent 38 in bubbler 12 . as carrier gas 98 travels up through reagent 38 , it becomes either saturated , or partially saturated , depending upon the rate of flow , the depth of reagent 38 , the temperature , etc ., with reagent 38 . reagent - ladened gas 40 then flows into headspace 30 and out vapor stream conduit 26 , which is connected to process tool 154 . vapor stream conduit 26 is u - shaped so that as gas bubbles 40 break the surface 36 of reagent 38 splattered fluids will not drop down into inlet tube 26 . there may be provided , in addition to this gas flow , other streams . for example , other streams of inert gas , or reactive gas , or reagents , may also be provided . these are not part of this invention , however , and would be provided separately and independently of this invention , depending upon the precise reaction that was desired to be carried out . the system , as thus described , may be considered the equilibrium system during the period of time process tool 154 is in a deposition mode , the reagent - laden gas 40 is being provided to processing tool 154 , and the fluid level 36 is decreasing an extremely small percentage of total bubbler volume . consequently , after each run the refill cycle is activated . as discussed previously all inlets and outlets of bubbler 12 , as shown in fig1 , are switched into a closed position except valves 102 , 104 and 106 . to begin the refill cycle , valves 120 and 110 are then opened to initiate the flow of reagent 38 from reservoir 94 to bubbler 12 . alternatively , valves 120 and 122 or 124 may be opened to fill bubbler 12 . the system , during refill cycle , allows over - filling of the liquid level in bubbler 12 to a level controlled by the pressure of the liquid delivery conduit 19 , thereby compressing the volume of vapor in the bubbler and creating a pressure approximating the liquid source line 19 . construction and placement of vapor extraction tube 28 prevents liquid from being forced into it . during the second stage , valve 110 is closed , pressure supply is removed from reservoir 94 , and valve 124 is opened forcing excess liquid within bubbler 12 out through fluid level set line 37 back to bulk liquid source 94 . the length of the refill cycle is thus dependent on the total bubbler volume . during filling sequence , pressure in the head space 30 is dependent upon the pressure of conduit 19 , reagent 38 will automatically flow from reservoir 94 into bubbler 12 until the pressure in head space 30 equilibrates with that of conduit 19 . thus the level of reagent 38 in bubbler 12 is replenished to an overfilled state , in preparation for the leveling sequence described earlier . once the liquid pressure in bubbler 12 reaches an equilibrium state , a valve is closed to liquid flow , and is opened to gas flow , thus flushing out of the conduit system all of the liquid reagent . this provides important safety protection , since the liquid is maintained in the conduit system 90 only during the refill cycle , and , also , minimizes contamination since the reagent is not held in the conduit system , which has large surface area exposure . the conduit system 90 is maintained at a positive pressure with inert gas . because the principle of operation works on pressure differences , not absolute pressures we can easily deliver very low pressure fluids and much higher pressure condensed fluids . the absolute vapor pressure of the fluid we are trying to deliver is not as critical as it is in other conventional bubblers . once bubbler 12 is refilled , the valve returns to its operating position . inert gas from conduit 92 flows through the inlet bubbler tube 24 , through the outlet tube 26 and to processing tool 154 as previously described . in a highly unique and novel arrangement , the system includes means including a conduit system 90 for transferring vapor or liquid reagent 38 during a first time period from the refill reservoir 94 through the conduit system 90 into the bubbler 12 , flushing reagent 38 out of the conduit system 90 , filling the conduit system 90 with inert gas , and maintaining a predetermined pressure of inert gas in said conduit system 90 between the periodic transfer of reagent 38 there through , a substantially gas tight enclosure for the refill reservoir 94 and means for providing inert gas 98 at a predetermined pressure to the enclosure to maintain the refill reservoir in an inert atmosphere , and may also include means for providing inert gas 98 at a predetermined pressure and rate to the refill reservoir , and means for feeding a stream of inert gas into bubbler 12 to be at least partially saturated with chemical fluid only during a second time period , the first and second time periods alternating with time . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , optional heater / chiller 16 may be added to control the temperature of the liquid in the supply and deposition bubbler 12 , respectively , to vaporize liquid therein . a modular fluid handling assembly , shown in fig2 and similar to that disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 298 , 881 which is incorporated herein by reference , includes a plurality of fluid handling units . each fluid handling unit includes a fluid passage and associated port , a vacuum passage and associated port , a vacuum pressure source , and a containment seal . the fluid passage ports and vacuum passage ports of adjacent fluid handling units respectively communicate . the containment seal is disposed between adjacent fluid handling units and surrounds the communicating fluid passage ports and vacuum passage ports . the vacuum pressure source is in continuous communication with the vacuum passages of the fluid handling units , generates an urging force , which aids in sealing adjacent fluid handling units together , and draws off any fluid that may leak from a fluid passage port . a sensor can be tapped into the vacuum line to sense whether any fluid has leaked from a fluid passage port . it is to be understood with respect to the enclosed conduit system , which comprises both the conduit and valving enclosed in suitable gas tight , or substantially gas tight enclosure mechanisms , and filled with inert gas , that the specific configuration , construction and operation of the valve is of secondary significance , and any valve may be used . what is significant is that the entire conduit system , or a substantial portion of the conduit portion , sufficient to protect the conduit system and prevent contamination through the walls of the conduit system , is enclosed in one or more envelopes filled with inert gas . the foregoing description is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . the words “ comprise ,” “ comprising ,” “ include ,” “ including ,” and “ includes ” when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of one or more stated features , integers , components , or steps , but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , components , steps , or groups thereof . furthermore , since a number of modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and process shown described above . accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims , which follow . | 8 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.